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The argument is correct in saying that in terms of efficacy, a leader's ability to maintain the respect of his or her peers is much more important than his or her ability to pass sound moral judgements. We know that what makes a leader, a leader, is their following. People rally behind leaders not only because they share a common vision and/or a common cause - which, to some degree, everyone involved does - but also because people recognize said individual as a strong representative and as someone who holds more authority than the following masses. Inciting this emotion of trust and respect in their peers and followers is imperetive to the success and efficacy of a leader, because trust combined with respect, more often than not, results in faith, and as history has shown us, a leader capable of inculcating faith in it's subjects, is oftentimes a leader that changes the course of history. However, this does not mean that the ability to arrive at sound moral judgements can be discounted. A leader is always one bad decision away from losing faith of his or her subjects and inviting doubt in their mind. Also, in some cases, an inability to arrive at sound moral judgement might be an indicator of an inability to think critically, which opens up a whole new box of worms. Therefore, although the ability to take sound moral judgements can in no way be ignored, a leader without the abiliy to maintain the respect of his or her peers is much more likely to be ineffective and fail. All feedback welcome, thanks in advance. :loveheart::loveheart:

Two years ago, radio station WCQP in Rockville decided to increase the number of call-in advice programs that it broadcast; since that time, its share of the radio audience in the Rockville listening area has increased significantly. Given WCQP's recent success with call-in advice programming, and citing a nationwide survey indicating that many radio listeners are quite interested in such programs, the station manager of KICK in Medway recommends that KICK include more call-in advice programs in an attempt to gain a larger audience share in its listening area. Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation. ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- The objective of the station manager of KICK in Medway is to gain a larger audience share in its listening area and to achieve the same he has decided to adopt the formula of success that worked for WCQP in Rockville. But there are some demographic concerns that he should consider otherwise his decision might not have the impact that he expected and could rather backfire. Firstly, it is not necessary that interests of the audience in Medway are the same as the interests of the audience in Rockville listening area. The station manager at KICK would need to collect more information about the audiences and interests of the Medway listening area itself. Catering to the needs of the customers is always a great business strategy that seldom fails. Therefore, he should determine whether call-in advice programs is really what the listeners of Medway need. He could also go about ascertaining this by understanding what type of programs have worked for KICK (and other radio stations in Medway) in the past. He would then have a better understanding of what type of radio programs to boost on KICK radio station. Another thing that the station manager at KICK needs to determine is the nature of competitors that they have in Medway and the nature of competitors that WCQP had at Rockville. Since the objective is to increase "audience share" in Medway, this would also depend upon the competition they both have in their respective geographies. It is quite possible that the competition at Medway is fierce and KICK is up against wealthy rival radio stations and therefore, he may not see the same proportion of increase that WCQP did at Rockville. The passage also talks of a nationwide survey that indicated many radio listeners were interested in call-in advice programs. Before trusting the conclusions of the survey, it is important to figure out what type of audience was surveyed, how the survey was conducted and whether the surveyed audience is a representative sample of all the radio listeners in the country. If there was any bias involved, it would be better to only focus on the interests of radio listeners in the Medway area and steer their business strategies accordingly. Every business has its own unique selling point on the basis of which they build and maintain a customer base whose interests are aligned with the kind of programs the radio station broadcasts. They create a brand image in the minds of the people on which they tend to maintain the customers. Also, KICK station will have to hire radio jockeys and experts that would be appropriate and have the required skills for hosting call-in advice programs. These are concerns that need to be addressed before trusting the success formula of WCQP. If the strategy fails and KICK build a negative brand image among the Medway audience, it would deal a huge setback to their business. In conclusion, the station manager at KICK should not trust the recipe of WCQP and the results of national survey. He should consider the demands of their existing customers, interests of the new customers they wish to acquire, the labour costs and their own business plans and branding before going ahead with this strategy.

Prompt: Universities should require students to take courses only within those fields they are interested in studying. Write a response in which you discuss your views on the policy and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider the possible consequences of implementing the policy and explain how these consequences shape your position. My essay: To be successful university students should get involved in many different fields, instead of focusing only on fields those they are interested in studying. Many scientific subjects are not isolated from each other, however they are interrelated and some are fundamental to others. One of the most critical factors that determine whether someone will make some achievements in one field is that if he or she has enough basic knowledge of other relevant fields on which that field is built. Many scientific subjects such as computer science and physics require considerable knowledge of mathematics, and that is why each fresh year student in these fields is required to take lots of courses of calculous, linear algebra, statistics and so on. However many students studying these subjects find mathematics boring and difficult. If they were allowed to study only within their favorite fields they would definitely drop mathematical courses. Clearly then, the lack of necessary basis of mathematics would stop them from succeeding in their further studies. Nowadays, the competition in job market is becoming more and more drastic. Therefore, university students should arm themselves with comprehensive knowledge. That means students might need to extend the diversity and range of their knowledge. By taking courses from different subjects students could gain some inspiration and improve their creativity. They might even find their new interest when taking courses of fields they thought they were nor good at or interested in at all. If universities required students to study only within fields in which they are interested chances are that they might lose so many opportunities to discover themselves and their potential capabilities. On the other hand, implementing this policy might benefit some students: they can dedicate all of their time to what they enjoy doing instead of wasting a lot of time on some courses they are not good at. Thus, they may achieve more than before. To sum up, university students are encouraged to take different courses from fields outside their interests. By doing this they can expand the range of their knowledge and be more successful in their career.

PROMPT: "Some people believe that in order to be effective, political leaders must yield to public opinion and abandon principle for the sake of compromise. Others believe that the most essential quality of an effective leader is the ability to remain consistently committed to particular principles and objectives." ==> Write a response in which you discuss which view more closely aligns with your own position and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should address both of the views presented. As Machiavelli once observed, men are fickle. Though these words were not uttered explicitly by Machiavelli himself, rather by an interpreter of Machiavelli, the premise holds true as a problem in politics. Particularly during election time, the validity of a candidate's stance on an issue, is often the time with which they have held their position. However, demanding an unchanging will from a person is naive. The problems presented in modern society have real repercussions for real populations of people, new evidence is portrayed continuously to give more perspective on problems, and diversity increases with time as modernity offers a more open global citizenship. Though politicians are often regarded as wavering and pandering when they change their political stances, there are more subtle nuances to many issues that are often left unaddressed at the dias. Politicians are often pressured to swing one way in the dichotomy between the left and right, but part of being a leader is taking the time to understand which principles and policies affect which populations. An issue that was highlighted in the previous presidential election was that of vaccination. Though on the surface, vaccination is a seemingly partisan issue, the populations affected by this problem are ubiquitous across this nation. The presence of vaccination, has historically culminated in an average increase in life span and a decrease in child mortality. In addition, politicians should find flexibility in their policy-making imperative because of new information that is available from studies. Correlations are often assigned to variables by mistake not for the nefarious deed of pressing an idea forward, but rather because we lacked proper knowledge of the paradigms and factors that were truly affecting an outcome. One example of a false correlation is the archaic premise that polio was caused by ice cream. Prior to the discovery of the polio virus and its vaccine, many thought that polio was caused by ice cream consumption because polio incidences often rose during the summer time. However, after more knowledge about viruses came about, and eventually vaccines for polio came about, it was clear with new evidence that ice cream consumption increase was completely independent from the incident of polio incidence rise in children. Finally, politicians- left, right, or moderate- are people with their own lives and experiences above all else. Though there are politicians who are known as staunch Republicans or Democrats represented throughout history, people change. In this increasingly global biosphere, each individual will face an increasing range of diversity each decade thanks to: air travel, the internet, increasing heterogeneity of populations. With each experience and exposure to different ideas will come changes in opinion. Without the influx of new ideas forming changes, we would not have the society in which we live today. Tea came from China and traversed the globe into every single continent. The Germanic grammar structure met many a Latin root to form the complex and nuanced language that Vladimir Nabakov himself learned because of its deference to the complexity of the human condition. In conclusion, expecting politicians to hold steadfast to ideals that they have made at the inception of their careers is myopic. The issues that face Americans today are complex and effect real people with real lives. New evidence is mounted daily in the progressing time line of historical life. And each new finding and experience lived will undoubtledly affect individuals as our society itself relies on the tides of change for progress and innovation.

Scandals are useful because they focus our attention on problems in ways that no speaker or reformer ever could. Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim. In developing and supporting your position, be sure to address the most compelling reasons and/or examples that could be used to challenge your position. A reveal of something that is considered unpleasant or inappropriate by the public is called a scandal. Scandals are most of the time are not useful for the society since they might cause lack of trust in government and do not generally lead to successful reforms. When we talk about scandals, often times we relate it to politics. In terms of politics, scandals are not useful for the society because they might lead to loss of trust in government and political process. For example, a member of the parliament might very well vote on a policy issue based on his/her economic concerns and bargain with corporate institutions. A news report that reveals this scandal, however, might result in voters generalizing all other members and losing trust in politics. The loss of trust in politics is a great danger for democracies because when people think that they do not have the power to direct politics, they might refuse to vote and this would ultimately lead to the collapse of democracy. Just as scandals are a threat for democracy and trust in political systems, they also do not open new ways for reforms rather they make these scandalous acts mundane. A good example of that is the political crisis that is currently going on in Uganda. A unanimous Twitter account has released the documents that prove the corruption in government. The government did not punish those who committed these acts and now the public sees this massive scandal as an intrinsic part of a government. Although these two convincing facts tell us that scandals are not useful tools that can achieve big things for society, scandals sometimes can increase the awareness of society. The Snowden case is a perfect example for this. Edward Snowden who worked for CIA previously has released documents showing the daily intervention of government in our private lives. Although it was criticized by some, it has helped citizens to know their rights and how the government exercises its power. A scandal should not be considered useful because it leads to loss of trust in political process and does not bring new reforms or good outcomes. One might argue that a scandal increases our awareness but what they take from us is bigger than what they give.

Q) As people rely more and more on technology to solve problems, the ability of humans to think for themselves will surely deteriorate. Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position. Ans) Every generation of humans is better than their previous generation. Just like any other visceral skill, human intelligence surpasses its prior generation equivalent. As technology is progressing at a prolific rate, human tendency to over rely on technology is growing too, so much so that the employment of instincts and visualisation which is a part of human intelligence is diminishing in every generation. Upon graduating from primary school, the first and foremost technique taught to most students in any mathematically oriented course is to use and abuse the power of a calculator to solve questions. Even though the dexterity of using a calculator, especially in the commerce and statistics stream, cannot be stressed enough, nevertheless students tend to ignore the nuances that mathematics encapsulates and incessantly use a calculator to solve various rudimentary problems. The aforementioned approach is much more innocuous than it might seem at the first glance, as it would lead to students neglecting their instinct and visualization to arrive at the answer in contrast to laborious manual data entry. Arduous extra terrestrial activities such as rock climbing, hunting, paragliding is best learnt from experience than following an instruction manual available on the internet. In the recent issue of new york times, it was well documented that a novice rock climber named Richard Dunne failed to trust the veteran rock climbers purporting that he has watched a Youtube video teaching him all that he needs to know to perform the aforementioned task. Needless to say, his effort although reprimanded by bystanders lead to deleterious outcomes. Ultimately, if Richard stepped out of his bubble and thought for himself, the after effects of the task he is attempting perhaps the results could have been a lot more benevolent. With the recent advent of Google Maps, citizens of metropolitan cities could now easily reach their destinations with no prior knowledge of city roads. However the recent article on the new york times reported that a daily commuter named Ben Gibson rode over a children’s park because the application suggested the path was a shortcut. Over reliance on these services and not employing common sense would lead to cases like the aforementioned one. The usage of google maps is detrimental to the literarily deprived section of society who rely on critical thinking and directions obtained from conversation, as no one would remember the name of the street they visited few minutes ago. Ultimately, a proper balance between technology and common sense is crucial for the smooth functioning of all sections of society Even though one could argue that developing new technologies involves exorbitant amount of critical thinking, but if the outcome remains to curtail the human thought process, then such an effort would lead to no avail. All the aforementioned instances leads to the idea that the self thinking capacity of a human is deteriorating due to over reliability on new technologies.

The following appeared in a letter from the faculty committee to the president of Seatown University: A study conducted at nearby Oceania University showed that faculty retention is higher when professors are offered free tuition at the university for their own college-aged children. Therefore, Seatown should institute a free-tuition policy for its professors for the purpose of enhancing morale among the faculty and luring new professors. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The statement claims that Seatown University should institute a free-tuition policy for professor's college-aged children on the basis of the study at Oceania University. Stating in that way the faculty committee failed to make logical connections between the evidence given and general conclusion, which rests upon the assumptions for which no evidence is provided. The first problem with the argument is that faculty committee is considering both Seatown and Oceania Universities on the same level, without providing much detail on them. The study at nearby Oceania University showed that faculty retention is higher when professors are offered free tuition at the university for their own college-aged children. However, we are given very little information on Oceania University, other than the fact that this university is near to the Seatown. First off, the committee should mention the number of professors in the Oceania University for which they plan to provide free-tuition for their children. It is possible that number of professors from Oceania University is far less than that of from Seatown University. So, planning to provide free-tuition for their children, the Oceania university might balance their fund, whereas, with the large number of professor at Seatown University this decision might not be fruitful enough for the university as a whole. The second problem with the argument is the reasoning of such planning at Seatown university. We are only given that this planning have been beneficial in the sense that faculty retention is higher at Oceania, but we don't know the present status of the faculty retention at Seatown. What if the faculty retention at Seatown is very satisfactory and the university professor's don't have such demand to be provided with their children tuition-fee, rather they require fund for their ongoing or future research. Before introducing such plan at Seatown university the committee should mention the current status of the Seatown university and what are the demands of its professors. The third problem with the argument is that it discriminates among the faculty members by proposing beneficial plan for ONLY the professors. However, an university faculty consists of members of various designations, starting from lecturer to professor. Even if we consider that this proposed plan might increase the professor's retention, but we cannot conclude that this will increase FACULTY retention, which includes faculty members other than professors. The committee should be very much sincere on the wording on their recommendations. Again, retention means to more diligent to the work, however, this definition of retention is NOT ONLY related to the morale. What if the faculty's at Seatown have pure morale sense of their work? Also, given take relationship cannot ensure morale aspect, rather it ruins the morale and make it more selfishness and relates to monetary facilities. Finally, teaching profession needs the dedication from heart. The committee is recommending a proposal to increase morale among the faculty and luring new professors. In other sense the committee is questioning on the morality of the faculties at current situations. Also, only focusing on attracting the new professors, disregarding the need of other faculty members, rather than looking for other options, e.g. increasing fund, transport facility, computer facility, etc, this plan's success is not convincing. Above all, without talking much on Oceania university, their plan will work for the Seatown university, this assumption is way too extreme. The president should be skeptical and should not accept the committee's proposal.

Claim: Even though young people often receive the advice to “follow your dreams,” more emphasis should be placed on picking worthy goals. Reason: Many people’s dreams are inherently selfish. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The statement claims that young people should focus on the worthy goals rather than following their dreams and reasons that dreams are inherently selfish. I strongly disagree with this statement as this statement is not general and assumes an extreme reasoning while giving suggestions for the young people. Dreams are natural, however, science believes that dreams are no different than our own thoughts. More specifically, dreams convert our thought process to some visionary non-existent world. Although dreams are non-existent, it exists in reality in different forms or we make dreams into reality as it is purely related to our heart. The author of the statement makes an extreme assumption while giving advice to the young people. If we summarize author's point, we can paraphrase it like that dreams are inherently selfish, and young people should focus on the worthy goals rather than following their own dreams. However, this assumption is not valid always, and often the opposite is true. The young people are more talented and creative that people from other age groups. It is evident that in the world whatever change we have, the young people have contributed a lot on this. Starting from achieving freedom to a nation, fighting for the justice, railing against crime, modernizing the world and also contributing everyday from their staunch to development of the human life. If we centralize their efforts to a single factor that would be none other than their dreams. It is because of their dream that they could see the world from a different point of view, changing the world by their fledgling but innovative effort. Although it is possible that some people's dream are selfish that could bring disorder in the society and also can ruin the young people's life, however, on a broader sense we cannot make judgement like that. To substantiate the last point, let us consider an example. A college student want to help other people and want to spread his helping hand by becoming a doctor. However, his parents believe that although medical profession is a noble profession, today's doctor are only making money by prescribing the patients with number of medicines and recommending innumerable unnecessary tests. So, they are forcing their child not to become a doctor, rather become an engineer, make safer money-although not very much-but lead a peaceful life. However, his parents should be friendly enough to talk with him in this regard, as he is dreaming to become a doctor by not being selfish, but rather being a magnanimous one. Also, it is evident that the people do whatever his heart says, do justice to their tasks and become successful in most cases. Again, think of a child who wants to be a politician and want to uproot all the filthy elements from the society to make this world a better place. Although we have a prior believe that politics is the worst profession is the world, where selflessness are way too unlikely. But we cannot disrespect a young kid's desire to be a good politician. In the world the best examples of politicians we have, they were not destined and fell into the prey of politics world, rather they believed in themselves and wanted to be a politician from the their young age. In addition to the point that dreams are not selfish that often lead the young people to their ultimate goal, sometimes other side story is also true. As young people are not matured enough to make the right choice, their parents, teachers, or seniors might help in this case. And, selfishness not always mean to acrimonious or harmful for the society, also it could mean that whatever the young people are believing through their dream are idiosyncratic and often lead to no good to society as a whole. In these situations, they should be provided with proper counselling and help them to make the right choice. In summary, I believe that young people should follow their heart to make the right choice.

Hi all! I'm taking the GRE pretty soon and would appreciate any feedback (and a grade) for my practice issue essay. Thank you in advance! Here's the question.... All too often, companies hire outside consultants to suggest ways for the company to operate more efficiently. If companies were to spend more time listening to their own employees, such consultants would be unnecessary. Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with these statements and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statements might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position. And my response... I disagree with the statement that companies who listen more to their own employees would not need outside consultants. Although listening to one's own employees and hiring outside consultants are two different approaches to company betterment, they are not mutually exclusive, and one approach would not necessarily eliminate a need for the other. Companies generally hire outside consultants to increase profit by boosting overall efficiency. These outside consultants take a 'big picture' stance when viewing what the company should change. The suggestions from outside consultants are important because they come from an objective and knowledgeable source, and companies often need the advice of others who are not involved in the day-to-day aspects of the company itself. In addition to receiving suggestions from hired outside sources, companies should also be sure to listen to their employees. The human resources side of business is certainly important in its own way, and ensuring the satisfaction of employees helps to keep up productivity within the company. This intra-business, individual-focused approach to company efficiency is certainly one important aspect, but it is certainly not the only necessity to run a successful business. One example of this multi-pronged approach in action involves the National Institutes of Health (NIH). At the NIH, outside contractors are hired to evaluate the quality of data analysis, assess both ethical and practical aspects of research proposals, and even provide a quadrennial review of the use of funds for research and the related outcomes. In addition to all these quality controls and efficiency checks that are necessary to keep the research on-track and of the highest possible quality, there are ample opportunities for employees themselves to make suggestions and express their own opinions on how to improve both the research itself and the work environment generally. This truly holistic approach allows employees to be heard in addition to utilizing the expertise of objective outsiders to improve the company as much as possible. Because employees are involved in very specific tasks or research areas, it would not make sense to only rely on individual suggestions. Especially in such a large, diversified work environment, it is important to have some suggestions from consultants who know how to remain detached and to assess the overall efficiency of such a large-scale environment. In some cases, such as with small start-up businesses, it may be true that employee opinions are the only ones necessary to increase efficiency, especially if there is a smaller budget with which to work. Given the cost of hiring outside consultants, it is certainly true that some of these smaller businesses would not benefit enough from the advice to justify the hiring, and that in-house assessment of efficiency could provide high quality suggestions for improvement. In these cases, the original statement could hold true. However, it is often the case that a multi-pronged, multi-level approach involving both subjective inside and objective outside suggestions provide the best assortment of suggestions for how to increase a company's efficiency.

Hi all! I'm taking the GRE pretty soon and would appreciate any feedback (and a grade) for my practice argument essay. Thank you in advance! Here's the question.... Many lives might be saved if inoculations against cow flu were routinely administered to all people in areas where the disease is detected. However, since there is a small possibility that a person will die as a result of the inoculations, we cannot permit inoculations against cow flu to be routinely administered. Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument. And my response... Much evidence is needed in order to evaluate the argument that routine administration of inoculations against cow flu should not be permitted. First, a cost/benefit analysis must be conducted; it is important to know exactly how many lives might be saved if the inoculation were to be routinely administered (i.e. mortality rate from the cow flu when people are not inoculated) and how many lives might be lost if the inoculation were to be routinely administered (i.e. the probability of inoculation-caused death). This comparison concerning the general population might shed some light on the net benefits of the inoculation. In addition to probabilities associated with population-level effects, it is important to delve deeper into what exactly the numbers mean. Are there specific vulnerable populations who are more susceptible to cow flu or more likely to die from the disease? Are there specific vulnerable populations who are at a higher risk of inoculation-caused mortality? Is there overlap between these two groups, or are they distinct (or even mutually exclusive)? If any of the above questions were to be answered, a more targeted approach to inoculation for cow flu could be implemented, saving as many people as possible. Providing the above answers and evidence could be incredibly beneficial to the population generally, but the most efficient and all-encompassing approach would be to examine the inoculation itself. Why do the cow flu inoculations come with a small possibility of death and how can that be fixed? This type of approach can be observed in the formulation of vaccines for the annual flu, which now come in multiple forms (live virus nasal spray and dead virus shot) in order to provide the preventative vaccine to those with compromised immune systems without placing them at risk for getting sick from the vaccine itself. If it were possible to understand the cause of potential mortality related to the cow flu inoculation, it could be possible to develop a better, less risky version of it. It is incredibly difficult to weigh the importance of protecting people from cow flu against the possibility of unintentionally causing death from inoculation. Life is valuable, and preventing as many deaths as possible should be of the utmost importance, especially for those involved in the creation and distribution of preventative measures. In order to make an assessment of whether or not inoculations against cow flu should be routinely administered, all the facts about how many people could be harmed (both with and without the inoculation) and whether there is a safer way to inoculate must be collected and examined altogether. Without this proper, holistic analysis of the issue, no truly evidence-based, ethically sound conclusion can be formed.

Hi all! I'm taking the GRE pretty soon and would appreciate any feedback (and a grade) for my practice issue essay. Thank you in advance! Here's the question.... All too often, companies hire outside consultants to suggest ways for the company to operate more efficiently. If companies were to spend more time listening to their own employees, such consultants would be unnecessary. Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with these statements and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statements might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position. And my response... I disagree with the statement that companies who listen more to their own employees would not need outside consultants. Although listening to one's own employees and hiring outside consultants are two different approaches to company betterment, they are not mutually exclusive, and one approach would not necessarily eliminate a need for the other. Companies generally hire outside consultants to increase profit by boosting overall efficiency. These outside consultants take a 'big picture' stance when viewing what the company should change. The suggestions from outside consultants are important because they come from an objective and knowledgeable source, and companies often need the advice of others who are not involved in the day-to-day aspects of the company itself. In addition to receiving suggestions from hired outside sources, companies should also be sure to listen to their employees. The human resources side of business is certainly important in its own way, and ensuring the satisfaction of employees helps to keep up productivity within the company. This intra-business, individual-focused approach to company efficiency is certainly one important aspect, but it is certainly not the only necessity to run a successful business. One example of this multi-pronged approach in action involves the National Institutes of Health (NIH). At the NIH, outside contractors are hired to evaluate the quality of data analysis, assess both ethical and practical aspects of research proposals, and even provide a quadrennial review of the use of funds for research and the related outcomes. In addition to all these quality controls and efficiency checks that are necessary to keep the research on-track and of the highest possible quality, there are ample opportunities for employees themselves to make suggestions and express their own opinions on how to improve both the research itself and the work environment generally. This truly holistic approach allows employees to be heard in addition to utilizing the expertise of objective outsiders to improve the company as much as possible. Because employees are involved in very specific tasks or research areas, it would not make sense to only rely on individual suggestions. Especially in such a large, diversified work environment, it is important to have some suggestions from consultants who know how to remain detached and to assess the overall efficiency of such a large-scale environment. In some cases, such as with small start-up businesses, it may be true that employee opinions are the only ones necessary to increase efficiency, especially if there is a smaller budget with which to work. Given the cost of hiring outside consultants, it is certainly true that some of these smaller businesses would not benefit enough from the advice to justify the hiring, and that in-house assessment of efficiency could provide high quality suggestions for improvement. In these cases, the original statement could hold true. However, it is often the case that a multi-pronged, multi-level approach involving both subjective inside and objective outside suggestions provide the best assortment of suggestions for how to increase a company's efficiency.

I know I need to work a bit of work in this area and I'd appreciate any feedback (and a grade) for my practice argument essay. Thank you in advance! Here's the question.... Several charitable organizations in Pleasantville provide opportunities for teenagers to engage in community service. These organizations have a great need for volunteers, but in recent years, the number of teenage volunteers has significantly declined. The Pleasantville School Board should take measures to increase the number of volunteers. Teachers, parents, and other community members agree that it is important for young people to learn the value of community service. Requiring high school students to engage in community service would provide much-needed assistance to worthy local charities and would also help young people understand the importance of giving back to their community. For this reason, the Pleasantville School Board should institute a program requiring students of Pleasantville High School to complete 40 hours of community service prior to graduation. Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on the assumptions and what the implications are if the assumptions prove unwarranted. And my response... There are many assumptions associated with this argument for mandatory high school community service. One leap in logic concerns the statement that teachers and parents agree on the importance of learning the value of community service. It is possible that there is research to support the statement and that parent and teacher really do know best for the youth involved (although neither of those things are mentioned here). However, completing required community service does not necessarily teach the volunteers anything about the value of what they are doing. Instead, it is entirely possible that the requirement would be viewed as another homework assignment or worse, a chore to be completed without much thought. If this is the case, students would not be learning anything about the importance of volunteering and giving back to the community. Additionally, a required task may be approached in a lackluster way. If students are forced to complete the task of community service hours and there is no work quality check (and no associated classroom discussion group or introspective aspect), not all the students will necessarily "give their 100%." If this is the case, the assumption that the high schoolers would provide much-needed assistance would not necessarily remain true; some of the high schoolers would be providing less-than-valuable assistance, and they might actually get in the way of passionate volunteers or take up space that could be filled by more helpful workers. If both the above assumptions prove unwarranted, it would seem that instituting a community service requirement could potentially lead to a bunch of disinterested teenagers taking up volunteer spots and learning nothing from the experience. If the assumptions were to prove warranted and the high schoolers and charities would actually benefit from this policy, an additional assumption to address involves the number of required community service hours. How was the number 40 chosen? It is assumed that 40 hours over a student's high school career is enough time to learn the value of community work and have an enriching experience. If the Pleasantville high school is a standard 4-year high school, this means only 10 hours of service are required per year. Training is required for some community service organizations, and consistent help is often harder to come by than the occasional volunteer day. Therefore, those ten tiny hours (less than one hour per month) may not be enough time to provide any real valuable assistance to the charities, and it certainly doesn't seem like enough time for students to gain any real understanding of giving back to the community through volunteer work.

I know I need a little work in this area and I'd appreciate any feedback (and a grade) for my practice issue essay. Thank you in advance! Here's the question.... Claim: The emergence of the online “blogosphere” and social media has significantly weakened the quality of political discourse in the United States. Reason: When anyone can publish political opinions easily, standards for covering news and political topics will inevitably decline. Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim and the reason on which that claim is based. And my response... I disagree with both the claim and the reasoning. It is true that social media has become more popular recently and is widely used. It may also be true that the quality of political discourse in this country has declined. However, despite the potential correlation of the two trends, claiming that the former caused the latter would require a leap in logic. The recent introduction and quick spread of social media into US culture has brought about many changes in the way people interact. It is easier than ever to keep in contact with friends and acquaintances far away, and updating everyone on oneself is as easy as the click of a button. In the blogosphere, anyone can post about virtually any subject. Googling a subject will turn up a plethora of opinion pieces, news articles, and (usually) a Wikipedia article or two. The potential to reach such a large audience through online publishing has widened the political discourse, both how many people are vocal and what is being discussed). This abundance of available opinions and the ability of people to share with one another and 'spread the word' has brought about the age of viral posts and cybernetworks of social movements. The development of this was observable in the online activity that took place after Hurricane Katrina. A multitude of posts and reposts about the horribly lagging (and lacking) emergency response brought together a group of bloggers with similarly appalled reactions. After recognizing their common beliefs about an injustice, they organized a minor movement in order to take action and bring the issue to the general public's attention. Through social media, this group was able to influence local, as well as some national, news reports, and the issues related to our domestic disaster relief were addressed by the responsible government agencies. The blogosphere in this case did not weaken the quality of political discourse, but may in fact have exposed an issue that could have (and may actually have) just been quickly explained away or covered up without being dealt with appropriately. It has not been proven that there is actually a decline in quality of political discourse. One might argue that there is sometime higher quality and more socially conscious discussion than in the past. However, assuming there is a decline in quality, many different factors could have caused it. The quality, as well as the scope, of political discussion is influenced by factors such as increased globalization and international affairs/conflicts, the economic state of the US, and political leadership, to name a few. Although social media has had an undeniable effect on the lives of Americans, it is difficult to parse out the relationship between such common aspects of daily life as political climate and social media presence. Although it is true that social media can be used to spread ignorant or unfactual 'issues' which may in turn make their way into the political discussion (e.g. the spread of the anti-vaccine movement), there are just as many important ideas being spread through the same virtual world. It is most necessary in this age to develop the skill to discern the 'junk' posts from the important ones, so that the ideas worth spreading do, in fact, circulate through social media.

I have written the below issue for GRE awa practice.I know it is very bad but please give me points of improvement and also how much can i expect in gre with this kind of essay. Thanks in advance. Issue topic: To understand the most important characteristics of a society, one must study its major cities. The major characteristic of any society is the culture of the native people of that society. The characteristics are also depicted in the architecture of their cities. According to me the rural areas depict the characteristics more prominently rather than the major cities. The major cities of any society is the center of that society. It’s the place where you will find most of the trade and commerce taking place. Over the years the major cities undergo changes in order to accommodate the growing demands of the people. People from different parts of the world migrate and they change the place to suit their needs. The old architecture is replaced by modern buildings to accommodate more people. On the other we usually do not see people migrating to rural areas. The occupation of most of the people in the rural area is agriculture or related activities. Due to these they do the natives also do not have the tendency to leave the place. As there is no major increase in the activities in these places we usually do not see major changes in the culture or architecture of the place. Thus the culture is more prominent in rural areas. But there has to be an exception, we know of major cities like Rome which in spite of being the trade capitals have preserved their culture as well as the architecture. If the government and people make an effort to preserve the heritage of the place they surely can succeed in doing so. Even though we cannot entirely study the culture of the society in major cities but we surely can have a glimpse of it. Thus I would conclude by saying we surely can see the culture of any society in its major cities but to study it we need to look at its rural areas.

This was supposed to be short story type essay. Too long? It's been years since I have written an essay. How are Paragraphs. What do I need at conclusion. What should I title it? Do I have run on sentences, and how about punctuation? HELP, Please!! Jake, a young and gawky boy dreams of getting his Boy Scout rank of Eagle Scout and the National Eagle Scout Association’s colorful plastic wallet card, before the 8 year deadline expires to be eligible for the prestigious rank that is admired from a variety of applications to entering the Armed Forces a full rank ahead. Shortly after his 10th birthday he has his first ceremony in Scouts celebrating his achievements. Four months later, Jake has his second ceremony, his cross-over ceremony with Akela , transitioning from Cub Scouts into Boy Scouts. He is hooked. Riddled with low self-esteem, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Tourette Syndrome and ADHD, along with the learning disabilities and social awkwardness that coincide with these disorders he starts out strong earning merit badges. At some times in his adolescence he works towards it, other times he forgets the dream. Unable to forgive himself for mistakes of the past, self created adversity finds it’s way into his young life again and again. Defiance in all areas exacerbated troubles with the law, drugs and alcohol, he spiraled out of control. Years turn into months, and then to days so fast, time is running out. Overwhelmed and feeling hopeless, with only a few days left before the deadline; Jake decides it’s not worth the hassle. Does the young man at the last possible moment, his 18th birthday, reclaim his dream, overcome his demons and soar like an eagle into adulthood? A bad attitude paired with adversity can make one pessimistic and bitter, want to crawl into a hole and die, give up one’s dreams, and stifle one’s growth, or adversity can propel the tenacious one into self-discovery and optimism, determined to overcome the obstacles and leave the valley of despair climbing to the summit of victory in any and all situations. Oft times what’s required is a shift in attitude and consciousness. Depending upon one’s attitude and their choices in handling physical and emotional challenges or misfortune and consequences, one can discover their inner values, desires and the strength and depth in their character that can overcome any odds. It was a warm fall day in November 2004, in the city of Bountiful, Utah. A curly blonde haired, blue-eyed boy of a short and frail stature ran in the door dropped his backpack on the floor and said, “Bye Mom!” as he ran out of the house buttoning up his Cub Scout shirt. He had already experienced parents and step-parents with addictions, his mother gone for almost 2 years in jail and treatment, it was so nice to finally have a normalcy and he was so excited to go to Scouts and do cool things! The following week was Pack Meeting and he was to receive the highest award in Cub Scouts, his Arrow of Light. So happy and at this point in his life still felt accepted by all. His Cubmaster, Brother Little, had presented a very special keepsake for him. It was a 2 feet by 2 feet hollow square frame he had made of wood with white tanned deer skin stretched across it and holes on the edge to lace around the wooden frame. Brother Little had glued on the large keepsake all of the little boy’s camp patches, badges, Bobcat, Wolf, Bear, Webelos, 20 pins from 5 different categories of things mastered in Physical and Mental Skills, Community, Technology and Outdoor Activity. The Webelos Colors were to the left of the pins this little boy loved, Aquanaut, Artist, Engineer, Traveler, Family member, Craftsman, Fitness, Handyman, etc. They were so awesome they looked much like the activity they represented. He had never seen anything like them, let alone earned them! Brother Little had carefully removed all these things and placed them so neatly on this skin. His Compass Point emblem with their earned gold compass point pins, In the center were all of the gold and silver arrow point patches, along with his most recently earned badge, the Arrow of Light patch. The Progress Toward Ranks dangled at the bottom with its yellow and red beads. Laced along the top of the memento was an arrow Brother Little had painted with the Scout colors and written in black Sharpie the coinciding value. “Wow, was this thing cool!” he thought. Four months later, it was time for another special ceremony for him! This time he was to cross over from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts. “This Scout stuff is exciting”, he thought. A man in a leather outfit wearing a full headdress addresses the group and the boy in a powerful and loud voice summoning the boy to the bridge. The fellow onlookers included the Cubmaster, Scoutmaster, Webelos & leaders, fellow scouts, the boy’s mother, stepfather, brother, sister, father and stepmother and the Boy Scout Troop on the other side of the bridge awaiting the new scout. Family was beaming with pride as the nervous, shy little boy, stepped onto the bridge with his mother and father at his side. Already having problems with paying attention, words swirled through the air around the boy in bits and pieces. “Soon, when you become a Boy Scout, you will find that, while there are still many people willing to help, you take on more and more responsibility for blazing your own trail to Eagle.” He thought to himself, “I will be an Eagle Scout!” At age 14, Jake’s Court of Honor for his Life Scout award was joined with his brother Matthew’s, Eagle Scout Court of Honor. He nervously conducted the Court of Honor, fulfilling his last requirement for his required Communications badge. He had actually earned more badges than his straight-laced, “perfect” brother. Jake was set to get his Eagle 1 month after turning 15. Earning merit badges, he felt some were fun, others, hard and boring. The thrill of Scouts was starting to diminish. Friends started changing, he started riding the motorcycle he had grown into that his brother was growing out of. Jake’s hyperactivity and love of revving up engines drove one neighbor, which would be best prescribed as mean spirited and trouble making. His friend gave him an old car for him to concentrate his summer time on. Suddenly there were many police interactions, which led to many underage driving without a license tickets. As the pressure of junior high, social faux pas, and other issues, a friend whom smoked pot got him high for the first time. His mother knew the minute she saw him. From then on trouble was double, suspensions, probations, DT and finally a program, which he flew through with no rule violations. Jake spent 15 months out of his home and out of Scouting. He came back home and went to early morning seminary with his brother, Matthew, every day at 6:30. Finally he was back on the right track. Only a few more merit badges to finish. All was well at home and school, he earned high honor roll and at 3.89 that year! Jake’s 11th grade year started out well, even though he did not have his brother at school with him, he was home earning his higher EMT certification and preparing for a mission. It wasn’t long until Jake was complacent and again started smoking pot, skipping school, letting his grades and the GPA he was so proud of slip. All was heading towards an abyss fairly quickly. His mother threatened another program was surely on the horizon if he didn’t pull it together. Before the end of the second semester he had been suspended for bringing pot to school. He was to attend a District Meeting with a clean UA, a completed SASSI, (substance abuse rating scale.) Whew, he was back in school. Within a week, he had a fight with his stepfather and took alcohol to school, giving it to another friend also. He was pulled out of his AP Psychology and tested blowing a .09 on a Breathalyzer. He received another suspension and district meeting. Somehow he made it back into school again after a few weeks. Jake ended that school year without another suspension, however he was now on probation. However, the summer would prove to be trouble for this young man, he just couldn’t seem to make the right choices. Lying, smoking weed, sneaking out, drinking, stealing his parents cars and truck and taking them to the “B” a favorite 4 wheeling spot for auto’s, 4 wheelers and motorcycles. The plot thickens. On house arrest with a curfew of 10 pm, Jake continues to take a downward decline. He starts just not coming home and lying to his mother. His mother gets a phone call in June 2012, saying he has stolen an electric shopping cart. “Impossible, he is in Lindon!” his mother states to an officer that’s been a friend to she and Jake. They go to the store that he allegedly was at, and there was Jake! That was it. Off to DT he went to await his fate. Here comes that program, he thought. Dread filled him. August came and he entered the program, his mother had moved heaven and earth to get him there. “I can’t screw this up, they used their retirement to pay for this.” Jake thought. He did fairly well, but was slow to get it. In September they started to make sure all was in order to get his Eagle. Everyone had collected books and stored them over the past for years, awaiting Jake to fill out the Eagle Scout Project Workbook. Time was drawing near, he had one more badge to finish. He started thinking, “I don’t want to get my eagle, there’s still too much to do!” As the last possible weekend drew near, he attempted to get all of his advancement records. With so many position changes at church, nobody had them. The day of his 18th birthday came and he still did not have the signatures in his project workbook. They went to the Boy Scout Council in their area. Jake had completed all requirements and he could finish his project. They spent the day gathering the books and summoning the signatures needed. The last signature came at 8:00 pm. They were now able to deliver the several thousand books to the DT he had spent time at, along with the Head Start in his county. At last at 10:00 pm, the project was finished! He filled out the workbook and turned it in. He wasn’t very happy he spent his whole 18th birthday doing it, but he would be glad in the future. He graduated his program, went back to school again achieving his 3.89 and high honor roll. Prepared for his mission and is now serving in Mexico City North with his brother. Jake proved that even though life dealt him a series of physical and emotional dis-abilities with a shift in attitude, determination, making the right choices, and doing what’s right one can overcome their demons, obstacles and adversity that is self-created or thrown at them and one can achieve any goal, however hopeless it looks at times, they set out to achieve