Standardized Test Prep The Wisdom of the Blenders

Yes. Yes, it will. As a GRE and SAT tutor in Boston, I find that many of my students have a hard time thinking about functions. What do they mean? What are they like? Even talking about them can be confusing: F of X this, G of Y that. Even though they are hard, students need to be familiar with functions to succeed on the SAT or the GRE. Starting with pre-calculus, math depends more and more on understanding functions. I’ve found that giving concrete examples helps students retain concepts for SAT math and GRE math tutoring. So, in this blog post, I hope to give an example that sticks in your head. Several years ago Blendtec, a company that sold blenders, became popular for its inventive web advertisements. Traditionally, blenders are a pretty boring part of the consumer-goods market. Mostly, they just turn big chunks of food into little chunks of food. When this company started a new line of more-powerful blenders, they didn’t just say â€Å"it makes ice small in 7.5 seconds while your old blender takes 15 to do it.† Instead, they went for a more memorable approach. To advertise the power of Blendtec blenders, Blendtec started putting out a series of charming 2-minute videos where they asked â€Å"will it blend?† In early episodes, the company tried common items like marbles, hockey pucks, and pens. They all blended. Later, they blended more extreme items like lighters, plungers, or Cheez-Whiz. All liquefied. Eventually, the company started blending iPads, iPhones, and skis. The answer: Yes. No matter what you put into one of these blenders, it gets reduce d to tiny little chunks. Functions are the same way. Say f(x)=2x2+x-4. If you put 3 in, you get 2(3)2+(3)-4 and evaluate 18+3-4=17. If you put in 1, you would get 2(12)+1-4-=2+1-4=-3. Put in x, and get out 2(x)2+(x)-4. Great, it blends. Just like the blender, what you plug into any function comes out looking the same; sort-of. If you put marbles in the blender, you get marble dust. Lighters: lighter dust; iPads: iPad dust. But, like the people at Blendtec, let’s get a little fancier. Given my f(x), what is f(x-4)? To get the answer, follow the same process and plug in (x-4) anytime you see an x. If you’re following along, you should get: 2(x-4)2+(x-4)-4. Then, it’s simply a matter of applying multiplication rules. As a SAT math tutor, I always tell my students to avoid doing too much math at once. Solve the problem in little chunks. Write out 2(x2-4x-4x+16)+(x-4)-4, then distribute through to get 2x2-8x-8x+32+x-4-4. Once you’ve turned your knot of parentheses and coefficients into a simple chain, the expression becomes easy to evaluate: 2x2-15x+24. Seeing function as an appliance that does a specific action to whatever is â€Å"thrown in† makes learning and using functions easier. For high school students taking the SAT who want to do more math, there will only be more functions as you advance. Talk with a tutor to learn more about functions, how they work, and how frequently they appear in places you wouldn’t expect. Now, after you’ve read all that, you deserve some fun. Go watch the video where they blend lighters. It’s†¦illuminating. ;

Reasons For the Annexation of Texas Essay - 2485 Words

Reasons For the Annexation of Texas The Annexation of Texas was one of the most debatable events in American history. The question at hand would deeply impact the United States for generations to come. There was on one side a long list of reasons for why to not allow annexation, but there was the same kind of list on the other side for reasons to push forward for annexation. Some of these reasons of both sides were slaves, war, manifest destiny, politics , and constitutional rights. Also the way Texas began in a way said that they should be apart of the United States In the end there were more important reasons for annex Texas into the union, than to leave Texas the was she was. From the early days of pioneers and settlers,†¦show more content†¦It was said that six hundred thousand signatures were presented against annexation in a single session. One of the major voices against annexations was ex-president, John Quincy Adams. He was at that time a member of the House of Representatives. Near the close of the session for that year, Adams made a three weeks’ address in opposition to annexation. He is quoted in his diary for saying â€Å"The annexation of Texas to the Union is the First maritime, colonizing, slave-tainted monarchy, and of extinguishment of freedom†(Wharton). For fear of the northerns’’ and abolitionists, neither Jackson or Van Buren dared to push hard for annexation. Though the reasons for ending slavery were not their prime concern. If Texas was admitted into the union the new slave state would wreck the hard won balance of slave and free states in the Senate. Thus giving the south an advantage over the north. The abolitionists believed that this would eventually lead to the south pushing for laws inferior of their ways of life, being new slave laws, and disunion in the country.(Haley) Once Texas is annexed its territory could become as many as 11 new slave states with 22 new pro-slavery senators. This would be a political nightmare for the north’s anti-slavery politations. Though they could not fully see the end result at that time, the annexation of Texas was another stronger push of the ball of dis-unification.Show MoreRelatedThe Annexation Of The United States1515 Words   |  7 PagesThe annexation of Texas wa s a path that many Texans wanted. Nearly ninety percent of Texans wanted to become part of the United States. â€Å"People hadn’t come to Texas to become part of the British Empire; most were particularly incensed by the British insistence on emancipation of the slaves; responding to public sentiment, the Texas Senate demanded that President Houston give them a full accounting of his dealings with Great Britain†. Before annexation, The Republic of Texas was a sovereign nationRead MoreEssay On Manifest Destiny1432 Words   |  6 Pagesfrom, the Annexation and war with Mexico being one of them. Annexation is the action of invading, most times it was about invading land. There were more Americans living in Texas then there were Mexicans. Eventually Texas became an independent republic in 1836, this simply added to the events leading up to the war with Mexico. The purpose of this essay is to understand the Annexation of Texas, how the war with Mexico began, what happ ened in the Mexican war, who contributed to the Annexation of TexasRead MoreAp American History - by: Alberto Alonso937 Words   |  4 PagesAlberto Alonso December 8, 2012 A.P. American History DBQ Essay #2 ------------------------------------------------- 1. â€Å"The opponents of the annexation of Texas and the Mexican War attacked slavery as the root cause of expansion, but in fact it was no more important than other causes.† Assess the validity of this statement, using the documents and your knowledge of U.S. history from 1820-1860 to support your answer. During the early-mid part of the 19th century (mainly 1820-1860)Read MoreThe Mexican American War : A War Between Mexico And The United States1229 Words   |  5 Pagesinitiated in 1846 and finished in 1848 in the wake of the U.S capture of Texas, which Mexico considered part of its land. After independence from Spain in 1821, Mexico inherited the provinces of California, New Mexico and Texas. Enervated and virtually bankrupt after the war, the new Mexican government could not control its northern territories that were thousands of miles away from the capital. Seeking to control the border region of Texas, the Mexican government authorized a few hundred Americans to settleRead MoreThe First Puritan Settlement Of America1401 Words   |  6 Pagesthe prides that characterized American Nationalism in the mid 19th century, and the idealistic vision of social perfection through God and the church. Both fueled much of the reform energy of the time. Individually, the components created s eparate reasons to conquer new land. Together they exemplified America s ideological need to dominate from pole to pole. To some, the Manifest Destiny Doctrine was based on the idea that America had a divine providence. It had a future that was destined by GodRead MoreThe Mexican American War : A Controversial Event1543 Words   |  7 PagesThe Mexican American War was a very controversial event. The Americans believed in their â€Å"Manifest Destiny† which prompted them to annex the territory of Texas which, in turn, initiated the war on April 25, 1846. Texas was annexed to the Union as a slave state on December 29, 1845. This upset all of the Free states along with the Mexicans but the Southerners were in favor of the war because it gave them more strength when fighting for slavery. While there were many different beliefs about the Mexican-AmericanRead MoreManifest Destiny1380 Words   |  6 Pagesand would eventually lead up to the Civil War, literally dividing the nation into two. Territorial expansion fashioned racial and social divisions in the American society due to slavery, created ne w enemies for the States as a result of the annexation of Texas against the will of Mexico, and endangered the harmony between the North and the South by cause of the Dred vs. Scott decision. Slavery, considered somewhat unethical in the North, flourished in the South, mainly due to the fact that theRead MoreHistory Of Relations Between Mexico And The United States862 Words   |  4 Pagesbetween Mexico and the United States took place a century and a half ago.† (Document C, Paragraph 1) The Mexican War started in 1846, and ended in 1848. President Polk and Texas agreed that the Texas-Mexico border was the Rio Grande River. But when President James K. Polk heard Mexicans were the first to fire upon Americans at Texas, America was prepared to go to war. The majority of Congress agreed on the war vote too. In the Senate, the votes were 40 to 2, and in the House of Representatives it wasRead MoreGeorge Douglas And Abraham Lincoln903 Words   |  4 Pagestropics, according to May, was the reason the Union dissolved. Their parties preferences and notions of slavery are what led to the diverging positions of Stephen Douglas and Abraham Lincoln on the issue of southward expansion. May states, â€Å"Douglass and Lincoln arrived at their starkly different positions on Americans expansion southward after the United States and Mexico became embroiled in war, less than a half year after congress finalized Texas’s annexation† (38). Lincoln did not approve ofRead MoreMexican American War And The Mexican War1380 Words   |  6 PagesThe Mexican American war better known as the Mexican war, was a conflict between The united states of America and Mexico. from 1846 to 1848. It followed in the wake of the 1845 US annexation of Texas, which Mexico considered part of its territory, despite the 1836 Texas revolution. After its independence in 1821 and brief experiment with monarchy, Mexico became a republic in 1824, characterized by considerable instability, so that when war broke out in 1846, Mex ico was ill-prepared for this conflict

The Impact Of Social Media Technology On The Context Of...

5.3 Research Methodology In order to fulfil the objectives of this research, this research needs to be looked from certain frameworks, such as the journalism principles and cultural issues. The research would examine how these frameworks cover the use of social media technology in the practice of curation journalism. It would involve an excavation of qualitative data from informants within the research’s subjects, those are journalists of Kompas.com, Tempo.co and Viva.co.id, three online media in Indonesia. In relation to that, I include this study into a paradigm in the field of qualitative research. This option was taken under consideration the social benefits within this research, which I believe will enrich the information about the construction of meaning and culture shift in the context of curation journalism. Thomas A Schwandt (2000) examines three paradigm stances in qualitative research: interpretivism, hermeneutics and social constructionism. The interpretivists and the philosophers of hermeneutics argue that it is possible to understand human actions by directly grasping the subjective meaning of beliefs, desires and so on. Whereas, the social constructionists view that â€Å"all knowledge claims and their evaluation take place within a conceptual framework through which the world is described and explained† (Schwandt 2000: p. 191-197). Based on the explanation above, and considering the frameworks that mentioned earlier, it is envisaged that this study is laid within

Business Research Proposal for Literature Review- MyAssignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theBusiness Research Proposal for Literature Review. Answer: Introduction The family is a crucial component hence the stability and effectiveness in the flow of activities within it has a direct influence on the nature of happenings within a society. A family set up characterized by good upbringing, stable relations between the parents and children and among themselves as well as an enhanced observation of moral standards leads to a largely peaceful and united society. On the other hand, the decay in moral standards especially among the youths in most environments in the current world could be traced back to failure by parents to executive their responsibilities in ensuring a holistic upbringing of their children. This research analyzes the work life balance and the dual role of men/women as employees and parents. The study focuses on families in Singapore Research Questions How does employment for both parents in Singapore affect their roles as parents? How are the individual roles affected by giving too much attention to one area at the expense of the other? How can individuals create an effective balance between work and parenting? Significance of the research The declining levels of morality in the society today especially among the teenagers could be attributed to lack of effective parenting. Research studies indicate that most individuals tend to focus more on their jobs and the professional requirements at the expense of their family responsibilities. Such trends become harmful to the children who lack proper guidance and effective upbringing. There is therefore a crucial need for research on this issue in a bid to establish some of the ways in which individuals could achieve and hence establish a good balance between work and parenting. Literature Review As noted by Fostre (2002), achieving successful family management needs the input of both the mother and the father as they both ought to be present to the children as the right figures to emulate. However, the dynamic nature of the corporate society has led to enlightenment and rise of support for equality. Both the men and the women have equal opportunities of accessing education and hence good jobs thereafter. The demands of professional obligations may at times be overwhelming causing the parents to be away from their families for long periods of time. This perhaps is where the problem starts from as the children are left exposed to the otherwise harmful environment fueled by the emergence of technology and hence access to bad contents in the various media. As Cinnamon and Rich (2002) put it, there is therefore an inevitable need for parents to establish a good balance between their professional and parental obligations. This research process shall seek to establish the tag betwe en parenting and work and how individuals can arrive at effective balance. According to Baca and Eitzen (2005) most individuals fail to achieve an appropriate balance between work and parenting due to lack of personal objectives which guide their daily endeavors. When one lacks focus on specific areas in which they intend to excel, there is always a high likelihood of failure in either one or both of the two cases. Both work and parenting may demand a lot from an individual. While there is the need to develop oneself professionally, there is an equal need for effective execution of roles as parent. The author notes that most individuals especially in the corporate world tend to sink deeper in to their jobs at the expense of their families. According to Bobel (2004), statistics indicate that more than 30% of families especially in the developed countries are struggling with effective family relations due to excessive attention directed towards professional development and success at the place of work. The studies also indicate a high rise in family breakdowns and increase in crime rates due to deviant behavior in youths which could be attributed to poor parenting. Buskens (2004) further notes that natural parenting has become a major challenge for the 21st century mother. The word has moved from the traditional trends in which the mother were expected to stay and home and take care of the children. In the current world, the women too have equal opportunities for employment in various lucrative jobs and managerial positions. In cases where the demands of work become overwhelming, the women are rarely able to stay effective in their roles as mothers. This works against the family values and the children become the greates t victims of such an imbalanced set up. England (2005) however notes that all is not lost since there is a possibility for individuals to readjust and hence obtain the right balance. Conclusion The review above reveals that most objective individuals have managed to remain responsible parents while still delivering effectively at their place of work. Those struggling with the issue could well set their priorities and address them in order of importance, that way, it will be impossible to neglect vital responsibilities such as those related to proper parenting. The set objectives would be proper guidelines to help both men and women deliver in each of the areas of their responsibilities not only at work but also at home. References Baca Zinn, M. and Eitzen, S. D. (2005) Diversity in families (8th ed.) Boston, MA: Allyn Bacon. Bobel, C. (2004) When good enough isnt: Mother blame in The Continuum ConceptJournal of the Association for Research on Mothering, 6(1), pp. 68-78. Bskens, P. (2004) The impossibility of natural parenting for modern mothers:Mother matters: Motherhood as discourse and practice. Toronto, ON: Association for Research on Mothering. Cinnamon, R. and Rich, Y. (2002) Gender differences in the importance of work and Family roles: Implications for work-family conflict. Sex Roles, 47(1), pp. 531-541. England, P. (2005) Emerging theories of care work. Annual Review of Sociology, 31(14), pp. 381-400. Forste, R. (2002) Where are all the men? A conceptual analysis of the role of men in family formation. Journal of Family Issues, 23, 579-600.