ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Within my class, I have children of 8 to 10 years. There are 20 students in the class, and over half of the class is female. 11 children live in complete families, and living conditions in these families are satisfactory – the children receive due attention from their parents. 9 children live in single-parent families, and the psychological atmosphere in these families is not stable because there is no second family member. The economic status of most families is satisfactory: parents’ salaries allow children to live in comfort. All children speak two languages: English and Spanish, whereas a native language is the first one and a foreign language is the second one. The school is located in Brixton, England, which is a suburb of London. There are general needs of the whole class due to the age of the students. Children at the age need a lot of care and support from their parents. Moreover, the children have different attitudes towards education: there are 7 active students and 13 passive students. The first ones are happy to write essays and make presentations, whereas the second ones do not want to study in most cases and work without desire. The overall level of student development is medium, and their interests are diverse. There is a need to work on team-building and improve the educational outcomes of the class. Moreover, it is necessary to build a friendly and positive atmosphere in the classroom.
Alfred Hitchcock is often considered as one of the most prominent filmmakers who created unique images of women and transformed traditional interpretations and understanding of gender roles. As many critics have observed, males are usually the central force of the narrative, with their status an extension of this domination. Despite, or perhaps because of, this standard male supremacy, the evidence shows that women are much freer than men to explore emotions and character types, from wilting flowers to stoic martinet. Role reversals and fashionable dressing in films follow peaks that correspond to periods of greater experimentation in society at large. Hitchcock offered significant new models in the treatment of female impersonation, shocking audiences and critics and breaking the bonds of “good taste” until those boundaries ceased to be standardized. Vertigo is one of the most popular films portraying the sense of dislocation and confusion that it projects. Leaving the viewer off balance is precisely what the movie wants to do (Hirsch, 2001). It also makes you feel the obsessions of the 1950s and makes them seem enough to murder for. Hitchcock’s fascination with the icy blonde love object is full of psychological double entendres. In this movie, a fashionable woman, Barbara, is a mysterious woman. Hitchcock viewed that love object both ironically and adoringly as viewers admire Kim Novak in what was surely her best role. In addition to everything else, Vertigo is one of the most successful of the 1950s films that dealt with analysis (Hirsch, 2001). Though some of the terms sound hokey, like “acute guilt complex” and “acute melancholia,” what viewers see has the ring of psychological truth. Stewart plays an emphatically rational detective who decides to retire honorably after an attack of acrophobia (Auiler & Scorsese 2000). The initial symptom of this fear of heights is the vertigo of the film’s title. Not so curiously, it is the very same dizziness and paranoia he feels when his romantic life goes wrong. In this case, romantic love is heated by fashion and luxury symbolized by Barbara. Hitchcock examined the male psyche through Barbara Bel Geddes as the leading man’s friend (see Appendix, Picture 2) In this film, Hitchcock portrayed that it is the distancing of the love object (Novak) by her money, with the additional attraction of being a rich man’s wife, that adds the glamour necessary for male emotion, or this particular male’s emotion. And clothes not only make the woman, but they also make the male libido go zowie. Vertigo , which is violent without being bloody, is equally about affluence: what it takes to be a white-gloved lady; the filmmake
Believing fully, regardless of any scientific or logical means of proving the idea wrong is pretty much the basis of any faith. In a slight departure from arguing whether the Creator actually exists or is merely a figment of people’s imagination, Rene Descartes preferred touching upon the reasonability of faith, i.e., believing in God. Taking a closer look at the arguments that the philosopher offered, one can possibly figure out whether they make a completely coherent and logical string of ideas or if there are certain issues that slipped their attention. However, there is an even more interesting idea in Descartes’ Mediator’s train of thoughts, namely, the rejection of the ultimate truth. Descartes claims the following: Nevertheless, the belief that there is a God who is all powerful, and who created me, such as I am, has, for a long time, obtained steady possession of my mind. How, then, do I know that he has not arranged that there should be neither earth, nor sky, nor any extended thing, nor figure, nor magnitude, nor place, providing at the same time, however, for [the rise in me of the perceptions of all these objects, and] the persuasion that these do not exist otherwise than as I perceive them ? (Descartes) Hence, the fact that people perceive the everyday reality the only possible right way is questioned. To put it in a more simple language, one can no longer be one hundred percent sure that what people call a red color is truly red. Thus, not only the qualities, but also the existence of the elements of the everyday world is questioned. If stretched to its logical maximum, the given idea leads to the suggestion that the entire world is merely a figment of someone’s imagination. Even though Descartes argues the absurdity of the given idea by saying “I think, therefore, I exist” (“Cogito ergo sum” (Descartes)), it can be still argued that one’s thoughts are the exact proof of the existence of reality. According to Descartes, a single idea produced by a human being proves the fact of the existence. However, if pushing the question of reality as it is even further, one can suggest that the thought itself can actually be an element of a dream, like one of those fantastic dream sequences that people have. To put it simple, the thoughts and ideas that people have can actually be the part of someone else’s well-planned reality, like the elements of a strategy game. Therefore, it is clear that the arguments which Descartes offers are rather provocative. Even though they drive to the commonly known “I think; therefore, I exist” (Descartes), they still leave a lot of food for thoughts. Raising the question of whether the world is a reality or merely a part of someone’s consciousness triggers a range of the most intrigu
Problem The problem presented in the case is that of offering a tour plan to the students. An online travel service provider, which has positioned it specifically for the students, aims at getting an added edge by providing packaged tours to the students during their vacations or semester breaks. However, the management of the firm is not sure whether to provide the tours during spring or Christmas break and what kind of destinations should be offered. Another problem that might become a hindrance is if this new approach would clash with the company’s positioning as an “education-oriented online travel service”. Objective The paper aims to understand if the feasibility of the plan i.e. to offer special travel plans for students. It is supposed to be a packaged tour for students according to discipline – for instance, art students will be offered to travel to all well-known art museums all over the world, or management students given a detour of seats of management and marketing. The essay aims to understand if this plan is feasible. What are the pros and cons of the plan and how far will it help the company’s positioning. Opinion E-commerce has helped the global travel and tourism industry to flourish (Mamaghani 365). Information technology has provided consumers more options to choose from and helped them to do a proper budget planning. Evidently, this has increased the buyer’s power. This is evident from the fact that almost three-forth of the travelers do online research before purchasing their tickets (Mamaghani 365). As the travel industry has undergone an evolution through technological advancements, firms have started facing increased competition. In order to carve a niche for themselves, firms must try to position themselves uniquely and target their customers accordingly. Therefore the only way to attain competitiveness is to differentiate the product offerings and suitable for target customers. However, before any decision regarding the feasibility of the plan is taken a thorough understanding of the target market is necessary. Areas of Strengths The main strengths of the plan are its target customers. If we assume that we are targeting full-time college students then the average age of the students will be less than 25 years. Survey on college-age population’s consumption expenditure conducted in the US in 2001 showed that traveling comprised 4.7 percent of the total expenditure of the students in 1996-98 (BLS 48). The data on travel expenditure in 2000 shows the share of aggregate expenditure on travel and vacation remains to be 4 percent in the US (Janini 81). Further, in 2000 data, 36 percent of Americans fewer than 25 years reported a trip. Therefore, many people are willing to travel under the age group of 25 years that is actually the age group of students as identified by a previous survey by Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS 46). Thus, Americans under the age of 25 years spend a lot on traveling. The targeted scheme is for students in colleges and universities in the US. According to the U.S. Depa
League of Nations is an international organization found to help in keeping peace among the nations or members states. Among its key goals included disarmament of ammunitions, preventing the occurrence of another war through collective security, ensuring that disputes are settled and solved among and between members involved. Despite all these efforts that were put forward to ensure that the objectives were met, a number of failures were discovered to exist among the League of Nations members. The fact that it lacked an armed force of its own implies that it had to depend on Great powers to enforce its resolutions to ensure that a strongly equipped army was provided when needed. Among the failures are the inability to prevent aggression by the Axis powers in the 1930s and also failing to prevent any future occurrence of world war. Even up to now a strong die hard supporter and a charitable supporter of the League of Nations and United Nations will believe with me that the operations of these organizations are hampered by internal divisions. It is true that the United Nations organization was formed after the League of Nations failed to keep peace. One of the major internal divisions among this organization is the feeling of safeguarding the interest of each nation. Most of the nations that joined League of Nations were only concerned with protecting their own national interest ignoring the goals that were set by the League of Nations. This was openly displayed when the members were reluctant to use the option of military action. Most of the countries that were known to practice dictatorship highly resisted the idea of using military action. Basically this led to the outbreak of Second World War. The League of Nations was also defeated to solve the border conflicts between Poland and Czechoslovakia over the coalmine. Instead of intervening and solving the problem amicably some favoritism was shown when resolutions were being made. The coalmine is located between Poland and Czechoslovakia today’s Czech Republic. The League came in by giving Czechoslovakia the area, which Poland rejected. The withdrawal of major powers from League of Nations showed that there are some internal divisions. For example by 1930 Japan currently one of the super powers began as a permanent member of the council but later on withdrew after the league voiced opposition to its invasion of the territory of Manchuria. The same style was shown by Italy who withdrew in 1937. Even Germany was not left out. Initially Germany was not to join the organization because of the way it behaved during the First World War. After accepting it, it pulled out when Adolf Hitler came to power. The poor representation at the league was the major problem. Look at the arrangement made at Paris in 1919-1920 was it ideal or not? I am still strongly saying that the League of Nations failed because of the opposing ideologies among members (Fredrick Pollock, 2003, p57). A confederated assembly is a collection of nations together from all parts of the world forming an orga
Introduction Despite its fictional origins, the myth of Shangri-La has demonstrated phenomenal longevity. Numerous attempts were made to tie it to real-life locations, with Tibet being one of the popular candidates. The following paper analyzes the sources of images of Tibet as Shangri-La by tracing the evolution of the myth in public consciousness. Shangri-La in Popular Culture In order to establish parallels between Tibet and the fictional image of Shangri-La, it is necessary to first examine the emergence of the latter in popular culture. The concept of Shangri-La as a mysterious utopian land preserved from the corruption of the Western culture is commonly attributed to James Hilton’s novel Lost Horizon . The book presented a detailed account of the adventures of a Western diplomat who discovered the land after a plane crash. After being integrated into the society, the protagonist gradually discovered its outstanding spiritual and cultural characteristics. The book describes Shangri-La as a place of boundless wisdom and knowledge, which was in line with the perception of Oriental culture at the time. Lost Horizon garnered immense recognition among the Western audience and is considered one of the seminal works responsible for the formation of the cultural image of the Eastern spirituality (Norbu 375). Two factors can be identified as causes of its popularity. First, the Western society was experiencing the aftermath of a recent chain of events triggered by World War I. This aftermath can be summed up as the total disillusionment with the majority of values characteristic for Western culture (Yang 164). The sobering effect of technological progress in the form of increasingly deadlier weapons of mass destruction rendered the long-established moral and ethical norms irrelevant. Many principal components of the civilization, including financial systems, politics, and governance, were shown to have vulnerabilities. In such a setting, the tale of an idyllic location was highly appealing to the troubled audience. At the same time, by the early twentieth century, the concept of miraculous discoveries yielded by the expeditions had been firmly established in public consciousness. Thus, the vibe of secrecy and mystery provided by the book further solidified the image of Shangri-La in the minds of people. Transition to Real-World Setting While the book was fictional, the idea proved to be resilient enough to transcend the setting and enter the domain of urban legend. The most likely reason for this is the existence of similarities with other concepts in several Eastern countries. Most notably, Tibetan Buddhism includes the concept of Shambala – a harmonious state that is linked to Kalachakra. While the concept is primarily esoteric in nature, some authors associate it with physical locations in the region, including the Ngari prefecture located in the Western part of Tibet. This location has earned some credibility since it aligned with the description offered by Hilton in his
Introduction The Indian sub-continent is home to many cuisines which have found their way to other parts of the world. It takes an assortment of spices, herbs, and vegetables to prepare cuisines. One food practice, however, whose origin is traced to India, is vegetarianism. This paper explores the origin, the performance of this practice, the solutions this practice offers to the challenges the Indian culture faces, and how vegetarianism reflects the values of the people. The Origin of Vegetarianism Vegetarianism is practiced mostly in the Southern sub-continent of India. Despite this, this practice has permeated into many Indian families across the continent as well as other parts of the world. According to Gandhi (2001, p.64), vegetarianism entails abstinence from meat, fish and certain vegetables. We focus on India where this practice began and is practiced more. The origin of vegetarianism dates back to the early civilizations of Mahenjodaro and harvapan in 2000 BC in the Indus Valley with the Arya Vedic tradition which was hinged on the belief that everything one eats affects the body and the soul (Arya, 2003, p43). The pushing of the original inhabitants of Mahenjodaro to the Southern parts of India witnessed the advent of Hinduism and with it came the caste system. The caste system, according to Arya (2003, p. 53), stratifies people along with placing social restrictions among people in the Indian sub-continent. The caste system was, by and large, responsible for the division of people and food habits. Thus, Brahmins, the highest caste consisting of priests, became vegetarians and Kshatriyas, yet another of the caste next to Brahmins consisting of warriors, remained non-vegetarians. The development of Buddhism and Jainism around 600 BC also strengthened this food practice which became widely known as vegetarianism. Vegetarianism is also rooted in the precincts of “ahimsa” whose founder is Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi (2001, p.89) Summarizes the term “ahimsa ” as abstinence from pain or harm of any living creature, which includes human beings, animals and to some extent plants. Although there are insignificant variations in the way the practice is observed, one thing remains clear: there is abstinence of meat and fish among adherents of vegetarianism. Fox (1999, p84) observes that, on one hand, there are those vegetarians who strictly eat vegetables alone and on the ot
Reviving real events of Chinese history, the film The Taking of Tiger Mountain directed by Tsui Hark depicts the incident during the Chinese Civil War. State-of-the-art special effects and historical truth have converged in the film, touching viewers’ feelings and attracting the vast audience. This paper will discuss The Taking of Tiger Mountain by referring to the film’s predecessors and analyzing the novel techniques of its direction and cinematography. The plot of The Taking of Tiger Mountain and its predecessors is based on authentic historical circumstances; specifically, the story is set in the late1940s. The eight-year war against the Japanese is over but counter-revolutionary gangs begin to rage in the northeastern regions of China. The squad of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is sent to fight guerillas (Hark). The PLA fighters “are flawlessly portrayed as noble, heroic, and brave” (To 8). However, they are involved in an unequal battle because the bandits exceed them in weaponry and number. Planting a mole in the gang seems to be the sole opportunity to fulfill the PLA’s mission. Yang Zirong, the main heroic protagonist of the film, was also a real-life character (To 6). He infiltrates the gang under the guise of a parliamentarian from another gang and ensures the PLA’s advantage in the struggle against the enemies. The combined forces of the PLA and mobilized villagers eradicate the gang (Hark). These historical events and heroic deeds of Chinese patriots served as an inspirational source for different Chinese art forms, including a literary work, the Peking revolutionary opera, a television play, a stage play, an animated film, and movies (Chen 83). All of these pieces of art can be identified as predecessors of The Taking of Tiger Mountain. Initially, these historical circumstances were depicted by Qu Bo in his novel Tracks in the Snowy Forest in 1957. The success of the novel contributed to its adaptation to other art genres. A year later, in 1958, the Troupe of the Shanghai Academy of the Peking Opera performed Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy, identifying it as a modern revolutionary Peking opera (Peking Opera Troupe i). Later on, in 1971, the Group of the Shanghai Peking Opera Troupe published the booklet containing a list of performers, photo reproductions, scripts of scenes, descriptions of musical instruments, and texts of songs in both Chinese and English. Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy (1971), a so-called model opera film was also one of the predecessors of The Taking of Tiger Mountain . The depiction of heroic battles, images of Chinese patriots, national symbols, and the triumph of communist ideas were the most important semantic and emotional dominants during the Chinese Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) (Spence and C
Only a few authorities were allowed to perform competitive and collaborative analysis of any intelligence information within the US. The attacks on September 11, 2001, revealed that there was a loophole within the methods used by government agencies to share information. This resulted in a shortage of sufficient information that could detect and overcome any terrorist plan. There was the issue of lack of trust since the agencies argued that information shared do not stand to safeguard security interests. They also failed to comply on the fact that sharing of information should occur reciprocally (Pradhan and Headayetullah, 2009). Emphasis laid on information sharing at different community and government levels enhances the level of homeland security. This ensures solidarity and unity within different levels, which ensures that greater amount of effort is concentrated towards averting terrorist attack. The e-government infrastructure requires efficient sharing of information between individuals and governments, which could assist in quick framing and making of decisions. Information sharing models that have been recommended since September 11 th , 2001 terrorist attacks The intelligence information-sharing systems have undergone transformation within the last ten years. The information-sharing models suggested for implementation should have the capability of overcoming several systematic issues that have accumulated for the last fifty years. The new information-sharing models provide the opportunity for the provision of culture-based intelligence, which utilizes information from the community-wide enterprises (Director of National Intelligence, 2008). Some of the new information-sharing models include Security model and Access model. Under security model, the full information concerning security issues are built into the data and the environment of operation, example being use of data tags. Access model has been renovated to be attribute-based; this means that all information is treated with equal measure that goes beyond the limits provided by security classification. This ensures that the government operates in trustworthy environment which promotes confidence in handling the issues and risks associated with intelligence information. The new model promotes greater relationship amongst those partnering with intelligence within community set-ups (Director of National Intelligence, 2008). Summary of available technology to support information sharing models The available technology enables users and all the partners involved in the whole intelligence processes to easily obtain the relevant information required appropriately and in time. It makes it easier for retrieval and dissemination of available information whenever it is