ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
One of the most peculiar aspects of the modern linguistic discourse, is that the issue of whether one’s ability to speak a particular language should be considered innately (biologically) or environmentally (socially) predetermined, continues to remain highly debatable. Nevertheless, there is a good rationale to think that it is specifically the ‘innate’ theory of syntax, proposed by Noam Chomsky, which should be considered the most plausible of all. After all, the validity of this theory is being supported by the latest discoveries in the field of biology, neurology and linguistics. As Fromkin, Rodman and Hyams noted: “The more linguists explore the intricacies of human language, the more evidence accumulates to support Chomsky’s view” (13). The same discoveries, however, simultaneously undermine the legitimacy of Chomsky’s belief in the existence of what he used to refer to as a ‘Universal Grammar’ (UG). In my paper, I will explore the validity of this suggestion at length, while outlining what can be considered the main strength and weakness of Chomsky’s outlook on the subject matter in question. I will also promote the idea that, despite some of its shortcomings, the ‘innate’ theory of syntax is indeed enlightening, in the linguistic sense of this word. The main provision of Chomsky’s theory is that, contrary to what many people believe, there is a qualitative difference between the notion of ‘verbal behavior’, on one hand, and the notion of ‘linguistic knowledge’, on the other. Whereas, the former refers to one’s ability to communicate with others, within the grammatical framework of a particular language, the latter has to do with the concerned person’s varying degree of psychological compatibility with what appear to be this language’s ‘archetypal’ (innate) subtleties. While defining the conceptual essence of Chomsky’s linguistic philosophy, Higginbotham stated: “Grammar is used to the extent that its rules and the descriptions of sentences that it provides correspond in some experimentally determinate ways to properties of mental activity” (148). This, of course, accentuates the phenomenological overtones of the notion of syntax, as such that cannot be discussed outside of what happened to be the particulars of the affiliated person’s ‘mental wiring’. In other words, syntax is reflective of the quality of the affiliated individuals’ cognitive predispositions. As one of the main proofs that this is indeed being the case, Chomsky mentions the fact that the native carriers of a particular language seem to be capable of distinguishing properly constructed sentences from the incorrect ones – even though there can be no rationale-driven reason to consider the latter illegitimate, as the conveyers of logically formulated ideas. What it means is that the actual process of people resorting to the verbal/written forms of communication cannot be discussed outside of what account for the workings of their unconscious psyche: “Our intuiti
Retail business enterprises form major and imperative drivers of economies. In countries where unemployment ratio is high, retail markets act as job creators to the unemployed. As population of countries enlarges, the consumption rate is also increased leading to thrived business opportunities. In tandem with the increasing population demand, retail markets should be developed to meet the demand of consumers. With the ongoing economic down turn, retailers are now posed with many challenges leaving them in a flux. However, even with warring retail markets, one of the world’s retail overriding player Wal-Mart have continued to increase its sales thus creating a one type commodity retail market. As far as retail trade is concerned, there is one thing that traders can not speculate. The behavior of retail markets today does not reflect its future operations nor can it guarantee tomorrow’s retail market. Retail markets keep on changing each and every period. Hence, there is strong urge to look for future developments that will offer better competition and viable markets. The paper will examine three potential retail forms that are underdeveloped and their future speculations. (Venkatachalam, 2008, Para. 16-39). The first retail market that is underdeveloped is bakery cafes. Consumer survey held by Technomic Consultants in Chicago in 2008, indicated that, about 5o percent of the people interviewed do not know whether this type of retail form exist. Some respondents cited the unavailability of these retail forms within their locality. Most consumers buy bread from supermarkets while it can easily be accessed even at shops around homes. Bakery cafes do not receive attraction from consumers because they are unfamiliar with food items sold by these retailers. Indeed, this is an underdeveloped retail sector with an enormous opportunity. Bakery café retailers now have the opportunity to market their services to consumers for their business to thrive well. The fact that, these bakery cafes are easily accessible to consumers is an advantage to retailers for their future enterprises. What is required is accessibility and creation of awareness to non-customers who will turn to be consumers from retailers. Additionally, consumer cafes can bake other types of breads to create a competition to market existing ones. Furthermore, these cafes will act as social venues for young consumers thus attracting more revenues. (Business Wire, 2009, Para. 1-8). Another retail form which is underdeveloped is farmer’s products in markets. In many countries, farm produces are not marketed well due to unavailable retail markets. Produces like milk, and farm products like vegetables and fruits exhibit a non-competitive retail market due to unavailable market. Most farmers are forced to sell their produces to cooperatives and wholesalers who come from far yet these commodities can find a market locally. Thus, agricultural retail markets can be positively utilized by retailers to become potential income generators in the future; not necessarily taking produces to big markets or selling farm products to companies but creating a retail market for these commodities. Farm groc
How European begun to move ahead of the rest of the world in the scientific knowledge Europe has a very strong base in scientific knowledge, which it utilizes at a very important asset over other continents in the world. Due to this scientific base, Europe has become a world class in various researches. Europe has well-improved scientific knowledge transfer in its institutions. The scientific knowledge in Europe has had its history. During the middle ages, Europe had a lot of difficulties that affected its intellectual production. However, there were the medieval scientific texts available to be read leading to the understanding that nature functions under laws that when there is reason, comprehension can be achieved very fast. The phenomena of the universe were approached through scientific study through elaboration of texts. It was possible for the European to question the doctrines of science, and do research to find new answers in science leading to developments in science in Europe. Europe had many learned and thoughtful people who even when there were problems in royal absolutism had better vision for the future, and anticipated for a community that was very happy. Scientists in the world have been looking for order, and more specifically this was the ultimate goal for the European scientists. This vision for order in Europe let to the discoveries in astronomy, physics and all other sciences such as chemistry and biology. These advances in science showed that nature was constituted by different parts that worked harmoniously; from the particles to the stars (Yasmeen 391–396). Through scientific knowledge, it was easy to formulate explanations for the realities in nature. This led the scientists to under look the religious stories to new ways of thinking and explaining nature. In the late seventeen century, science had been accepted in Europe and almost every European was dominated by it. The European bit the odd of religious and traditional theories, and took science to find answers to the many problems in nature. Many advances were made in medicine and astronomy even though this work was considered irreligious and inconsequential. Even though many of the scientists who took seriously their work were killed, Europeans did not give up on science and continued to develop more advances in various sciences. For example, the work of Copernicus was disregarded as a description of reality to a mathematical e
The suitability of any literary publication is gauged by the impact it makes to the target audience. To achieve the key objective of this task, the authors have discussed the key aspects related to developing economic and social architectural solutions with succinctness at all levels. The growth of the number of tourists visiting Kish Island and the housing problem in the area is a typical reality of what takes place across the globe. The first article by Afshar et al explores the aspect of affordable housing design. From the onset of the article, there is great coherence and flow of ideas that makes a reader to follow every section with ease. The article opens with an abstract which informs the reader of the expected flow and results. At this point, it becomes easy for readers to relate the presented concepts with the expected results at all stages (Afshar, Alaghbari, Salleh, and Salim 90). The author summarizes the whole article’s purpose, research design, and findings in a manner that guides the process of using vernacular architecture to develop affordable housing. Analysts indicate that for a report to effectively communicate its purpose, its content must be effectively analyzed and supported to meet its purpose. This is because despite providing an attractive outlook, without good content, it will fail to address the underlying problem. The content of this report indicates not only the intrinsic ability of the author’s understands of the problem, but of his ability to search and get the most relevant information related to the study. To begin with, the problem of insufficient houses to accommodate the local Kish population, poverty and the surging number of tourists visiting the area provides a clear and progressive derivation over a period indicating how the problem has culminated (Afshar et al. 91). Besides, the purpose of the report brings out the recommendations of the study overtones; a consideration that enhances focus to readers as they progress reading the report. Most importantly, it is the succinctness of the suggested solutions of vernacular architectural designs that is more captivating. Notably, all the methods and the application using diagrams are presented in a highly convincing mode that leaves no doubt that the solution id affective (Afshar et al. 93). This outlook should indeed be maintained as a guarantee of a conviction. Of particular consideration, is the use of supplementary diagrams and pictures to create a clearer picture of the new housing designs (Afshar et al. 95). One area in which there is needed greater contextual involvement is the cost of planning, design, and construction of vernacular designed houses. The provided cost-benefit-analysis appears to be highly summarized; a notion that may culminate in major generalizations (Afshar et al. 96). It is worth noting that the report’s recommendations applications are entirely dependent on this section due to budgetary considerations. It is therefore essential that the costs associated with each
Nature of the Problem The United States’ residential housing market has remained robust over the recent past as individuals struggle to purchase their own homes. The real estate industry was significantly affected by the 2008 global economic recessions, as Schwartz (2014) observes, but it has since recovered and is currently registering impressive growth. A study by Hunt-Ahmed (2013) shows that although the demand for housing units has remained high over the past decade, competition is growing as new construction firms continue to penetrate the local market. Buyers are keen on getting the best value for their money. When making their buying decisions, the principal factors they always consider is the price of the house, its location, and the quality of the unit. It means that the developers who fail to understand these factors may find it difficult to achieve success in this market. Putting up a residential house in the United States is a costly process. If a developer is unable to sell the product at the desired time, the company’s operations may be halted. The longer it takes for a company to sell its housing units, the lesser the profit margin will be. That is why it is important to have a comprehensive understanding of the market in terms of customers’ tastes and preferences, the best locations, and the best pricing strategies. The construction companies with the largest market share have learned how to cut their unit cost of operations as a way of gaining a competitive advantage over their rivals in the market. On the other hand, homeowners must understand when and where to buy their homes. Andritzky (2014) advises that it is not prudent to purchase a housing unit before understanding the location. Such a mistake may force a person to vacate the home because of various undesirable factors within the surrounding environment that one failed to detect because of a lack of due diligence when purchasing the unit. Timing is also critical in ensuring that one gets a housing unit at the best price possible. In this paper, the researcher will conduct a comprehensive analysis of the United States residential market. Research Questions Homeownership is one of the most desired things in the United States. However, not everyone can own a decent house because of varying reasons. The residential housing market has been growing consistently over the years despite the natural, economic, and socio-political challenges. In this study, the goal is to analyze the market in a way that outlines the challenges and opportunities that the players in the industry have. The study should provide comprehensive information that can be instrumental in the decision-king processes of both developers and buyers. The following are the guiding questions used in this research:   * What are the fundamental challenges in the residential housing market?   * Wh
Introduction It is important to note that the chemical sector is vulnerable to a wide range of major risk elements, which require proper risk management measures in order to both mitigate them as well as ensure minimization of their impact on the operations. More specifically, there are five significant and primary chemical sector risks identified in the assessment, which include pandemics and biohazards, terrorism and deliberate attacks, extreme weather and natural disasters, cyber threats, and insider threats. In order to ensure the continuity of the essential services, a collaboration of local governments, critical infrastructure sectors, private sector entities, non-governmental organizations, communities, individuals, households, families, the federal government, tribes, as well as territorial and state governments is necessary. Primary Areas of Risks Pandemics and Biohazards It should be pointed out that the chemical sector is vulnerable to five groups of major risks. Firstly, pandemics and biohazards are the most prominent form of risk at the moment due to the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is stated that “the likelihood of foreign-born viruses being introduced into the United States’ population is increasing, which may bring pandemics that adversely affect the sector’s workforce and operations,” which is further evidenced by the pandemic (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2015, p. 5). A recent chemical industry trend analysis reveals that “consumer preferences have shifted rapidly towards more environmentally friendly, sustainable and ethical purchases, and dramatically accelerated FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) manufacturer responses” (Gomez & Elser, 2021, para. 10). Therefore, the given risk group can make operations challenging due to imposed regulatory restrictions, such as supply chain disruptions, as well as alter consumer preferences rendering long-term projections and related strategic plans useless (Agrawal et al., 2020). In other words, one should be aware that this category of risks can have a multifaceted form of influence on the sector. Terrorism and Deliberate Attacks Secondly, terrorism and deliberate attacks still pose a serious threat to the chemical sector. It is stated that “chemical sector facilities may be a target for attack or terrorism because they hold specific chemicals that could cause significant immediate and long-term damage to people and/or surrounding environments” (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2015, p. 5). The given category of risks is substantiated by the recent international events, such as the Taliban’s overtake of Afghanistan. Experts suggest that this occurrence will most likely increase the instances of terrorist attacks across the globe, including in the Un
The mural ‘Emperor Xiaowen and His Court’ depicts a walking-procession (presumably a religious one) that involves at least twenty members of the Emperor’s entourage. The Emperor himself heads the procession. He appears to be intending to dip his fingers in the cup filled with water (?), which is being held in front of him by one of his servants. The Emperor’s facial expression radiates calmness, which sets him visually apart from the rest of the entourage’s members that seem to be experiencing an array of different but predominantly positive emotions. The artist went about emphasizing the Emperor’s royal status by the mean of having him slightly elevated above others, within the composition’s spatial framework. The fact that the procession’s participants are being depicted wearing richly decorated garments, and the fact that due to these garments’ sheer length they can be hardly considered the items intended for an everyday use, we can assume that the portrayed event is indeed rather extraordinary. What adds to the mural’s aesthetic value is that the author succeeded in accentuating the depicted event’s transitional subtleties (viewers do perceive it as such that is being in the state of motion). As it was already mentioned, the mural ‘Emperor Xiaowen and His Court’ is carved in the limestone rock. What it means is that at the time of its making (522-523), the Chinese already possessed the knowledge of metallurgy, which in turn allowed them to make carving-chisels out of iron. Because limestone is particularly prone to the forces of erosion, the state of the mural’s preservation suggests that, apart from knowing how to carve depictions in stone, the ancient Chinese artists also knew how to lessen the extent of the produced artifacts’ susceptibility to the elements of nature. Another technical aspect of the mural in question is that the applied polishing appears being of a supreme quality. Given the fact that this polishing needed to be applied manually (by hand), we can well assume that there were a number of people involved in the process. In its turn, this serves as yet another indication that there is much of not only technological but also logistic complexity to the discussed mural. Such our assumption correlates rather well with what historians know about the developmental phases of the Chinese ancient civilization. [1] There can be a few doubts, as to the fact that the carved mural ‘Emperor Xiaowen and His Court’ was meant to commemorate the Emperor and the members of his court, as such that never ceased being observant of the early Buddhism’s ritualistic provisions. [2] In its turn, this was intended to convince the Emperor’s subjects that their ruler’s main agenda was concerned with acting on behalf of ordinary people (representing the bulk of believers). Moreover, because the
Amidst the COVID-19 crisis and the desperate attempts to retain their sanity, people might start believing that being cheerful is somehow unfair to those in need and overall inappropriate. However, when facing the threat of such a scale, keeping the ability to laugh and be amused is critical to one’s mental health. Therefore, the Steve Martin Tribute performed at the forlorn theater in Orlando, FL during the fringe festival has special significance. The performance in question might seem as an odd event given the seriousness of the health issue and the lack of viewers, yet the tribute has helped to recognize the need to fight depression and focus on positivity. Lifting people’s spirits and raising hope, the Steve Martin tribute has had a major impact on its target audience despite the lack of physical viewers. Thus, the performance allowed exploring the purposes and effects of comedy. In addition, the show provided a deep insight into the functions that comedy plays in people’s daily lives. As a result, the evolution of comedy as an art form from Ancient Greece to its contemporary state could be tracked down after considering the specifics of the performance under analysis (“Steve Martin Tribute”). Although there were very few people actually present at the Fringe Festival to see the performance tribute to Steve Martin, the effects that the artist produced were tremendous. The stand-up comedian showed all those viewing the piece from the confinements of their own homes that being able to laugh, specifically, to keep one’s sense of humor and the ability to feel happiness were crucial in fighting the crisis. Thus, the tribute in question should be recognized for its focus on the promotion of well-bei