An Introduction to the CYC Knowledge Base Essay -- CYC Project Technol

An Introduction to the CYC Knowledge Base I. Abstract This paper is intended to be an introductory tutorial on the Very Large Knowledge Base (VLKB) called CYC. Described herein is the reasoning for the origination of the CYC project, the intended usefulness of the project (application areas), how CYC is being constructed, and a brief introduction to the supporting tools that have been developed to interact with the CYC knowledge base. II. Introduction Many Knowledge Bases (KB) have been developed to help people solve problems in very specific applications. These are relatively simple to build since the knowledge required by the specific system needs to be only those facts required to solve the problem in that particular application. An example of this type of KB would be one that contains only the information needed to diagnose particular fungal and bacterial infections. The KB would need to know about the different attributes of the microscopic organisms and their affects on the host but would not need to know that the grass is green or that the earth revolves around the sun. The CYC common sense Knowledge Base takes the opposite approach. CYC is being created to hold information that most people would consider to be common sense knowledge. The idea is to create a KB that would supply the basic knowledge needed to be applicable to many different applications. By building a KB with this general knowledge, it is hoped that the KB will be able to learn (create new inferences) by itself and be able to tell when it does not have enough information in a particular domain to resolve a problem. The CYC project was started by Doug Lenat at MCC (Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation, now Cycorp, Inc.) in Aust... ...nology", Cycorp, Inc, http://www.cyc.com Ginsberg, Matthew L., Essentials of Artificial Intelligence. Morgan Kaufmann, 1993. ISBN 1-55860-221-6 Lenat, D.B., Guha, R.V., "Ideas for Applying CYC", Cycorp, Inc, http://www.cyc.com/tech-reports/act-cyc-407-91/act-cyc-407-91.html Mayfield, James; Finin, Tim; Narayanaswamy, Rajkumar; Shah, Chetan; MacCartney, William; Goolsbey, Keith, "The Cycic Friends Network: getting Cyc agents to reason together", University Of Maryland - Baltimore County, http://www.cs.umbc.edu/~cikm/iia/submitted/viewing/mayfield Pratt, Vaughan, "CYC Report", Stanford University, April 16, 1994, http://www.cs.umbc.edu/~narayan/proj/cyc-critic.html Rajkumar & Shah, "A Study to assess the usefulness of CYC in a mediated architecture", University Of Maryland - Baltimore County, CYC KQML Project, http://www.cs.umbc.edu/~narayan/proj/doc.html

The Tet Offensive :: essays research papers

The Tet Offensive was a series of battles which took place during the Vietnam War. It was a major offensive by the North Vietnamese Army, and the Viet Cong, beginning on the night of January 30-31, of 1968, which was the Chinese New year. The objective of the 1968 Tet Offensive was to take the Nationalist and the US armies by surprise since North Vietnam's government proposed a ceasefire for the celebration of the Lunar New Year. There were three major battles of the offensive, which we discussed in class. The battle of Hue City was one of these major attacks. The city of Hue was attacked by ten NVA battalions and almost completely overrun. Thousands of civilians believed to be potentially hostile to Communist control, including government officials, religious figures, and expatriate residents, were executed in what became known as the Massacre at Hue. The city was not recaptured by the US and ARVN forces until the end of February. The US and ARVN lost 482 men and the NVA around 7,500. The second major battle of the offensive was the battle of Khe Sanh. The fighting began on January 29 as a number of Vietnamese units began their attacks prematurely. The rest of the NLF/NVA attacks began on the night of 30-31st. It was in Huế, the ancient capital, and Saigon that the NVA had significant success. The morale of the ARVN was being badly eroded. The third major battle of the Tet Offensive took place in and around the city of Saigon. Around five battalions of NLF had infiltrated the city. The headquarters of the ARVN was attacked by around 700 men and there was heavy fighting but only 110 American casualties. The Vietnamese casualties in this assault and other actions in Saigon were over 1,100 men but aided in their gained control of large parts of the city. Fighting lasted almost a week and some sections of the city were in ruins due to US airstrikes and artillery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  General Giap's plan was divided into three phases. In the first phase, the PAVN would launch attacks on the border regions of South Vietnam to draw American forces away from South Vietnamese cities. Giap knew this could be a risky move, but reasoned that it would be worth the cost. Phase two saw widespread attacks by the Viet Cong all over South Vietnam's cities, which would prod the civilians into full fledged revolt against the 'hated' Americans and the South Vietnamese government.

Colonialism and Imperialism in Heart of Darkness and A Passage to India

It is best to analyze the works, Heart of Darkness and A Passage to India, applying the historical and cultural conditions of the society in which they were produced. The relations between groups and classes of people that imperialism sets up, and that these two works explore, starkly reveals the contradictions within capitalism in a way that a similar piece of fiction set within one culture and dealing with characters from that culture alone cannot. Prior to the analysis however, I would like to give a brief, pertinent explanation of the Marxist approach to the analysis of literature and of the terms I will be using. After years of study and research, Karl Marx published the first volume of his monumental Das Kapital in 1867. In it Marx presents his theory of the materialist conception of history in which the economic base of a society gives rise to and interacts in a dialectical way with the societal superstructure of culture, law, religion and art. Among other things, Das Kapital traces the historical development of industrial capitalism as arising out of feudalism, predicts capitalism's further evolution, and sets forth theories of class structure and class struggle. It also critiques the methods by which industrial capitalism organizes the means of production so that capital and labor are separated and held by distinct and antagonistic groups within the society. This separation overwhelmingly benefits the holders of capital, politically and economically, to the corresponding detriment of those who sell their labor. Though this is by no means an adequate summary of Marx' ideas and contribution s, my aim is to provide this simple theoretical framework within which to focus on more particular elements of Marxist theory. Fo... ...ieve that imperial rule, if inevitable in the short run, was an inglorious enterprise that deformed both those who ruled and those who submitted" (153). I believe that Joseph Conrad and E. M. Forster were two such artists and that the two works in question reflected their growing awareness of imperialism as an "inglorious enterprise" whether this was consciously expressed by the author(s) or not. This study will also attempt to tease out the ways in which each work both supports and subverts the imperial mission and its ideology and I will also speculate to a certain extent as to how these contradictions in the works reflected contradictions in the society in which they were written. Works Cited: Conrad, James. Heart of Darkness and Other Tales. Great Britain, BPC paperbacks ltd. 1990. Forster, E.M. A Passage to India. Neew York: Harcourt Brace, 1984.

Health Care Communication

University of Phoenix Material Health Care Communication Methods The following assignment options provide the opportunity for you to explore communication methods for different kinds of health care scenarios. The assignment options also allow you to examine the effects of HIPAA and other regulations on health care communication. Select and complete one of the following assignments: Option 1: Nursing Home Administrator Option 2: Communications Coordinator Option 1: Nursing Home AdministratorRead the following scenario: * As the administrator of a local nursing home, you have just received notification that the organization is being purchased by a national group. Because of new policies to be implemented, many of the residents will be displaced. To make the situation more challenging, some of these residents have difficulty communicating, have no local family, and have not indicated that they approve the release of their medical information. Arrangements must be made for these individu als.Write a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper on the different types of communication methods for the health care organization described in the scenario. Include the following in your paper: The advantages and disadvantages of using traditional, electronic, and social media for health care communication The effects of HIPAA and other regulations on the use of these media for health care communication Cite a minimum of two sources, one from the University Library and the other from the course textbooks or Electronic Reserve Readings, to support your position.Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. Option 2: Communications Coordinator Consider the following scenario: * You are the communications coordinator for a national drug manufacturer. Recently, there have been reports of significant negative effects caused by one of your medications that is used by a significant population. News reports have alleged that one of the individuals affected is a well-known public figure. You are t asked with addressing the news reports and the general public regarding this situation.Write a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper on different types of communication methods for the health care organization described in the scenario. Include the following in your paper: The advantages and disadvantages of using traditional, electronic, and social media for health care communication The effects of HIPAA and other regulations on the use of these media for health care communication Cite a minimum of two sources, one from the University Library and the other from the course textbooks or Electronic Reserve Readings, to support your position. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. Health Care Communication The patient who is distrusting of their nurse will not be compliant or may not take part in self-care. Nurses communicate each day with patients and coworkers. Building effective communication skills in the healthcare industry can lead to optimal outcomes. The first step to communication is to determine what the message to be conveyed is and put it in a logical order. Make the message brief. Choosing your words correctly will allow the receiver to understand what you are saying. Be considerate of the patient's education, cultural, knowledge base and level of understanding.When you begin to speak be sure that you have the attention of the receiver, at the end of the conversation get feedback to ensure that your message was conveyed correctly. This paper will discuss the definition of health care communication, the relevancy of effective personal healthcare communication with other health care professionals and patients, relevancy of effective healthcare communication to health outcome s, and how the lack of effective personal and professional healthcare communications contributes to poor health outcomes. Healthcare communication can be defined as when an individual seeks information n health related issues.According to Healthy People 2010, (n. D. , overview), â€Å"Health communication encompasses the study and use of communication strategies to inform and influence individual and community decisions that enhance health. â€Å"The dissemination of information can be done via public communication or in an organizational context. Public communication refers to, â€Å"presentations, speeches, and public addresses made by individuals on health-related topics†. (Morehouse, 1998, p. 4). Health communication in the organizational context refers to how administration or staff provides information in regard to healthcare.The use of communication for healthcare issues is important to many people in that it increases awareness of healthcare risks, benefits, availab ility and support systems. Public communication utilizes pamphlets, public service announcements, etc. , to alert persons to health issues which can â€Å"encourage healthy behaviors, create awareness, change attitudes, and motivate individuals to adopt recommended behaviors. â€Å"(Healthy people 2010, n. D. , overview). When communicating with patients the nurse needs to look at the overall picture of the patient. This is his or her values, beliefs, culture and knows the health literacy of the attain.The degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. When a patient understands his or her disease process it helps that individual make the right decisions regarding their healthcare. A nurse who is able to understand a patient's values, culture, beliefs, and incorporate them into the patients care builds a sense of trust between the patient and nurse. Communicating wi th other healthcare professionals also requires effective healthcare communication.Some nurses may not know their role responsibilities. As a charge nurse on the floor you can explain to that nurse what her role is. The charge nurse will need to be accurate in the information she provides, consistent, reliable in that the content is correct and up to date. When positive, caring relationships establish between patients and caregiver, patients report a greater ability to cope effectively with their illness and greater compliance with health care regiments. â€Å"(Morehouse &Northouse, 1998, up. 79-80). Patients fear the unknown.Being in a hospital can be scary if they do not know what is happening to them. A nurse who speaks to a patient regarding his plan of care and shows empathy will give that patient a sense that he or she cares. A patient who understands his disease process will be able to make sound decisions, discuss treatment with family and cope with the situation. According to Williwaw, (2007), â€Å"There are five elements in the process of communication; the sender, the receiver, the message, the medium and internal and external static. â€Å"A problem with any of these elements can distort the meaning of what is trying to be conveyed.

A study on the methods of Teaching

Albert Einstein one time said: â€Å" It is the supreme art of the instructor to rouse joy in originative look and cognition. † Indeed, being a instructor is really ambitious. Teaching, as a profession, it is both a scientific discipline and an art. It is a scientific discipline because you have to do certain that the methods and contents used are all backed by sound scientific research. It is besides an art because you have to excite and be originative in act uponing your pupils to larn. As a instructor, my chief aim is to help the pupils be taught and develop while fostering their ain â€Å" creativeness and wonder † ( Sliva, 2004 ) .A By learning the pupils the conventional course of study in a non-traditional, I want to give them the inspiration to larn, open up their heads to fresh thoughts, and allow them detect these thoughts on their ain. Harmonizing to Highland Council Education, Culture and Sport Service ( 2010 ) , instructors are indispensable and do a differentiation. The value of instruction is a of import factor in promoting efficient larning in schools. Successful instruction entails individuals who are academically capable and who be concerned sing the wellbeing of kids and young person. Educational psychologist Albert Bandura emphasized societal cognitive theory as a extremely important combination of behavioural, cognitive and social factors where the procedure of experimental cognition in which a scholar ‘s actions alterations as a consequence of detecting others ‘ workss and its costs ( Schunk & A ; Hanson, 1985 ) . I think a schoolroom like this will advance a kid ‘s capacity to be inventive, self motivated, and to detect societal accomplishments that are of import in the existent universe. To congratulate this doctrine, the deliberate usage of hand clapping and wagess to update pupils on their public presentation instead than as a step of commanding pupil actions is a really good wages system in learning. In order to exert wagess to edify pupils about their workss, instructors must emphasize the worth of the actions that is rewarded and besides clear up to pupils the definite skills they established to have the wages. Teachers ought to besides back up â€Å" student coaction in choosing wagess and specifying appropriate behaviours that will gain wagess † ( Bear, 2005 ) . An experiment by Schunk and Hanson, that considered grade 2 pupils who had beforehand encountered problem in larning minus, point up the manner of research inspired by societal larning theory. Students who observed equal illustrations scored better on a minus post-test and besides accounted greater confidence in their minus accomplishment. The result were translated as behind the hypothesis that supposed similitude of the theoretical account to the scholar raises self-efficacy, taking to added helpful acquisition of sculptural public presentation. It is thought that equal mold is largely utile for pupils who have dwindling self-efficacy. I consider that each instruction doctrine has its first-class characteristic and associating all doctrines will be most valuable for my scholars and for my schoolroom. However, I think that utilizing a blend of the Social Reconstructionism and Essentialism doctrines will be the most impartial attack to use in my schoolroom. One may inquire how it is assuring to use Essentialism and Social Reconstrutionism, but I have faith in the major end of Essentialism are of import to planing a composed schoolroom. Through existent experience or a simulation, instructors who use Social Reconstructionism challenge their pupils to believe and feel-and to get strong moral values. Through a talk and presentation, instructors who use the Essentialist attack focal point on giving their pupils a sound apprehension of basicss despite of the assorted background factors of the pupils. These factors comprise the scholar ‘s developmental status, the sensed stature and ability of the theoretical account, the effects received by the illustration, the significance of the theoretical account ‘s public presentation and effects to the scholar ‘s nonsubjective, and the scholar ‘s self-efficacy. I do besides see that it is important for pupils to detect the necessities of instruction. If the rudimentss of acquisition ( reading, authorship, and arithmetic ) are taught in a agency that incorporates the attacks of Social Reconstrucionism, pupils will be more likely to do a relationship with what they learned. If pupils retain information and do a association with what they learn they will be more able to tackle it and use it in existent life fortunes. As a instructor, I will advance pupil part in the class of job resolution, asking, argument and â€Å" bombilation group † events. I will besides be treat all students ‘ questions candidly and make non scare or laugh at. Questioning, observation and hearing in will be used as regular informal appraisal schemes. Since persons understand at different rates and in different ways, a mixture of activities, undertakings, and gaits of work will be emphasized. The usage of interruptions and activities to link students ‘ thought and concentration will be fostered by turning to reading and research for new penetrations and linking these to their schoolroom and school and if possible, to their ain lives. It is besides my rule that the schoolroom should be taught environing the pupil, non the educator.A Inquisitive pupils should be responded and their inquiries explored.A Teachers can originate by learning the critical information and can let pupils minds develop in other trend.A Students will be more overzealous about topics they benefit from ; therefore pupil ‘s mentality and public assistance in the capable affair should be one of the highest chief concerns in a schoolroom. In my head, the bottom line is it is of import for pupils to larn and turn. If it means I need to alter the manner I teach every twelvemonth and work really hard at it, so that is what I will make. I feel it is necessary for instructors to non acquire caught in a rut. Teachers need to seek new things and research new possibilities by supplying scholars with apprehensible undertakings, ends, and conditions so update them of development because a cardinal proficiency in instruction is the capacity to edify and exemplify things clearly. I will besides stress and promote my students to reflect, to do connexions, to pattern and strengthen, to larn from other scholars and to see that if they make mistakes, they will non be derided or treated depressingly. On the other manus, it is besides important to use preventive attacks to classroom supervising that engages in making a optimistic schoolroom individuality with shared fear affecting instructor and pupil. Teachers with the preventive attack present heat, acknowledgment, and assistance unconditionally. â€Å" Fair regulations and effects are established † and pupils are given regular and changeless advice about their actions ( Bear, 2008 ) . The most influential individual facet that improves success is feedback – optimistic, constructive, clearly targeted. Effective instructors make ground and content clear, program carefully, utilize organized appraisal and response, make associations, support kids to believe about thought and be theoretical accounts what they want the kids to make, merely as William Arthur Ward says: â€Å" The mediocre instructor Tells. The good instructor explains. The superior instructor demonstrates. The great instructor inspires. † Bear, G, Cavalier, A, & A ; Manning, M. ( 2005 ) . â€Å" Developing self-discipline and preventing and rectifying misbehaviour. † Allyn & A ; Bacon. Bear, G. ( 2008 ) . â€Å" Best patterns in schoolroom subject. † Bethesda, MD. National Association of School Psychologists Schunk, D. H. , & A ; Hanson, A. R. ( 1985 ) . Peer theoretical accounts: Influence on kids ‘s self-efficacy and achievement behaviour. Journal of Educational Psychology, 77, 313-322. Zimmerman, B. J. ( 1998 ) . â€Å" Developing self-fulfilling rhythms of academic ordinance: An analysis of model instructional theoretical accounts. † From learning to self-reflective pattern ( pp. 1-19 ) . New York: Guilford. Hattie, J. , Biggs, J. , & A ; Purdie, N. ( 1996 ) . Effectss of larning accomplishments intercessions on pupil acquisition: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 66, 99-136. Sliva, K. ( 2004 ) . â€Å" Teaching Doctrine. † Accessed on December 20, 2010 at hypertext transfer protocol: //csmstu01.csm.edu/students/ksliva/Philosophy/Philosophy.htm Highland Council Education, Culture and Sport Service ( 2010 ) . â€Å" Learning and Teaching should be Inclusive and Enjoyable: What makes a good instructor? † Accessed on December 20, 2010 at hypertext transfer protocol: //www.highlandschools-virtualib.org.uk/ltt/inclusive_enjoyable/teacher.htm

Housing Industry Research Essay

People would often refer to real estate and housing industry as the best way to build up riches, or possibly the best, easiest and fastest way for anybody to get rich. Most of the time, the terms real estate industry and housing industry are being used interchangeably by people, not knowing the very basic distinctions between the two terminologies. Real estate industry more formally refers to the industry that focuses on simply buying and selling real estate properties. Whereas, the housing industry is more concerned on developing and incorporating improvements to a real estate property. Basically, those that are in the real estate industry are doing much more of retail business, while those in the housing industry are doing much more of service and nonetheless, research, design, and manual work. The housing industry is the industry which is primarily concerned in building and developing houses and housing designs for private individuals, for government housing projects and for a local community. Moreover this is also the industry which provides the basic materials such as the building materials, and hard escape materials for a housing project. When you drive or ride through a community, the variety of architecture often reflects some of the history of the community or the locality. Architectural styles of the past are illustrated in the older neighborhoods but also influence the styles of homes built today. In a community, the housing industry is the one which is mainly concerned in all these. For most communities, there is only one housing industry which can be regarded as the main housing industry of the community. This can be a company, or a group of companies that would generally dominate all the housing projects within the locality, be it a private housing project or a housing project from the government. Mostly, these housing industries would dominate the landscaping industry, hard escape industry, and the hardware, building equipments and materials industry as well. Since most people believe in the logical trend that as one industry goes up the black, a counter industry would fall down the red; this would lead many to believe that the immediate spike in the information technology and communications industry would leave other industries such as the real estate industry and housing industry, to experience its most protracted slump for several years. This is actually the opposite of what’s really happening in the economy, for many years, the housing industry has remained as one of the most stable industries all over the globe. Indeed the housing industry has had its share of downs and suffered greatly from economic destabilizations, inflations and other economic fluctuations, but in spite of all these, it has retained itself as still one of the most promising, and stable industry. With nearly 17 million new conventional homes added over the past decade, the home building industry continues to set new records and standards. In 2005 alone, single-family starts exceeded 1. 7 million—far and away the largest number ever. Thanks to a stable economy and low mortgage interest rates, the home building industry has not seen a significant downturn since the early 1990s. This undeniable stretch of strong, stable growth in the home building industry has ushered-in a period of prosperity for major builders and supported a wave of mergers and acquisitions within the industry. In the early 1990s, the top 10 builders in the country accounted for less than 10 percent of all conventional new single-family home sales. By 2004, their share had risen to over 20 percent in most major metropolitan areas; larger builders hold an even greater market share. There are three major reasons for the dramatic increase in the scale among the home builders. The change in the access to capital is one of these reasons. After World War II, the savings and loan industry was the principal source of capital for the home building industry. With the collapse of many of these institutions in the late 1980s, builders had to turn to other sources of financing. Banks and private funds companies have thus, stepped in to fill the need for capitals and investments. These funding companies gave an edge to the housing industries since their presence meant easier access to capitals. Another reason is the change in the land use regulation. More and more communities are restricting residential development in an effort to manage growth. As a result, the development process in many locations takes longer than it once did, with land assembly and entitlement typically more complex and costly. This again creates a premium for scale of operations, since smaller builders often lack the resources to work with local officials over extended periods to secure the necessary approvals. The third reason is the change in economic environment. This has favored large-scale home builder industries. The strong economic environment for home construction over the past decades has ushered a stable growth and low mortgage interest rates that have prevented a major recession in the home building industry since 1991. This combination of market conditions has produced stunning increases in top-line growth and bottom-line financial performance for large home building companies. Between 1999 and 2004, builders of 500 units or more each year realized inflation-adjusted revenue growth of 135 percent. In addition, their gross margins on homes sold and net income each increased about 4. 5 percentage points. With industry consolidation have come new opportunities. To increase their scale and overall capabilities, larger-scale builders have incentives to reinvest in their operations by adding information systems for estimating, scheduling, and purchasing, or investing in panel plants to save time and costs in the construction process. With such investments, larger home builders continue to improve their operating performance, at a much faster rate relative to smaller builders. Better performance encourages even more builder consolidation, which in turn produces even greater scale economies, creates more incentives for investments to leverage these opportunities, and so on. This cycle would dictate further consolidation and greater efficiency in the home building industry in the years ahead. When asked to name the single most important reason for their recent financial performance, over half of the corporate-level survey respondents attributed their success to strong housing market fundamentals, and nearly a third cited their land assembly strategies. Another 13 percent considered improved customer satisfaction the key to profitability. In sharp contrast, few respondents attributed their success to shorter construction cycles, savings on product purchase, man power, on-site construction costs, and other operational efficiencies. Still, evidence of operational improvements does exist, particularly within the divisions of national and international home builders. Although their homes have become bigger and have incorporated higher-quality materials in recent years, national and international home builders have been cut the construction time to minimal, keep cost increases at modest levels, and significantly improve customer satisfaction scores, in parallel to improvements in the quality of finished products. Local divisions of regional builders have been less successful in improving the efficiency of their operations. Improvements in home building efficiency were the most common results from the implementing of innovative operating practices. Studies from Harvard have cited four general types of operating practices that homebuilders especially those at large scale, have used to their advantage. 1. Coordination with subcontractors. Subcontractors are typically the ones who purchase the materials used in home building, making payments to contractors a major expense category for homebuilders. Innovative builder practices in this area include initiatives such as making scheduling information easily accessible to subcontractors, automatically notifying subcontractors of schedule changes, and frequently updating the job site production schedule. As a result, increased efficiencies in the building process and lower production costs is maintained. 2. Component preassembly. Preassembling major components such as roof trusses allows greater precision in manufacturing and often provides cost savings by substituting semi-skilled off-site labor for skilled on-site labor. The preassembly process is also more efficient when done off-site, thereby creating the potential for shorter construction cycle time, and even so, smaller labor costs. 3. Supplier installation. In many product categories, builders have begun to purchase installation services from the manufacturers or distributors. Supplier installation helps to limit product disputes over the source of any problems. In addition, this practice can reduce construction labor needs since product manufacturers and distributors typically serve broader geographic areas than subcontractors. 4. Supply chain management. Supply chain management covers a broad range of practices from price negotiations for products and value-added services to the implementation of information systems to support purchasing and inventory management. Supply chain management is an area where scale economies give larger builders an obvious edge over their smaller competitors. Innovative operating practices help large home builders not only run their operations more efficiently and use their market power more effectively, but also better manage risk especially financial risks and risks in operations. Builders have reduced their exposure by controlling more land through options, joint ventures, and other approaches that keep land costs off their books until they buy the entitled lots. In this way, builders only incur these expenses close to the time of construction. With more efficient operations and better management controls, large builders typically do not begin construction until a home is pre-sold. Across builders surveyed, 73 percent of all homes closed in 2004 were sold before construction began an increase from 70 percent in 1999. National builders pre-sold over three-quarters of homes closed in 2004, while regional builders pre-sold about two-thirds. Larger builders have incentives to adopt innovative operating practices because they have the market power to implement these efficiencies and can leverage the benefits across a broader range of operating divisions. The financial payback for these improvements, however, depends greatly on conditions in the local market. Over the past years, consolidation of the home builders has dramatically changed the home building industry. In addition to improved financial performance, the adoption of innovative practices and methodologies related to product distribution and assembly line and development, has improved the operational performance of large builders along such dimensions as construction cycle time, efficiency of the building process, stability, style, and overall quality of structures, and customer satisfaction. In generating these efficiencies, builders have helped to streamline processes throughout the entire homebuilding industry. Home buyers have also benefited in parallel to the home building improvements. More efficient builder operations have kept construction costs low and customer satisfaction levels high, allowing builders to offer more model home options and more product choices without any corresponding increases in prices. In addition, greater efficiency has enabled builders to pre-sell more homes, which in turn has reduced the risk of overbuilding, and thus reduced the risk or putting the company financial trend line on the red. By keeping supply in line with demand, home builders have helped to bring greater stability to house prices, since overbuilding has historically been a principal cause of house price declines. Whether these improvements will continue as market conditions change remains to be seen. One encouraging sign is that operating efficiencies, as opposed to financial performance, have increased most in more competitive markets. If the housing market weakens in the years ahead and competition increases, larger builders still have the potential to improve their operations and maintain their strong financial performance. In communities where demand is strong but residential development opportunities are limited, house price appreciation tends to be high. In markets where price appreciation is low, land is generally more accessible and builders face fewer barriers to entry. As a result, construction activity can respond very quickly to changes in demand. As market conditions shift, however, builders can get caught with excess inventory, which drives down area-wide house prices. In these markets, builders must run their operations efficiently to remain profitable. In high-appreciation markets, demand for new homes is generally greater than the number of homes that can be added under existing land use and building regulations. This limits the risk of rapid overbuilding. Given that it takes more time and resources to build in these markets, higher barriers to entry and higher land costs push up the average price of homes sold. Builders working in these communities generally put a premium on their land acquisition and development strategy. Since they are often able to achieve higher margins on homes sold in these markets, they may put less emphasis on operational efficiencies. The market conditions that have helped to create a more efficient home building industry over the past years have also, in turn, favored the housing consumers. A more stable economy, with more muted cycles and low inflation, has produced some of the lowest long-term interest rates in a generation. Low interest rates, together with low unemployment rates, have also provided greater financial security for many citizens and thus given them more initiative to build their own households or improve their current household. Internationally, house prices have raised an average of 127 percent since 1990, with nearly half of this increase coming since 2000. Until recently, economic cycles interacted with housing cycles to produce tremendous volatility in home prices. From 1975 to 1993, house prices rose more slowly than overall inflation in 10 of the 19 years, or over half of the time. In each of the 12 years since 1993, however, house price appreciation has exceeded the pace of inflation. Builders that have already adopted more innovative practices have clearly profited from their investments. New practices related to product distribution and assembly has improved the operational performance of large builders, particularly in terms of construction cycle time and customer satisfaction, and thus greatly increasing their profits. Although being in the housing industry has a lot of economic advantages it is undeniable that there are still various external, economical, factors that can negatively affect this industry. A low economy, and low living standards, would most likely correspond to a decrease in the demands for housing industries. Natural disasters and calamities such as earthquakes, floods and typhoons that would occur at an unfortunate time, would leave home builders hanging in the deadlines for finishing their projects, since building cannot continued during such occasions. Generally speaking, the housing industry reflects the type of economy in a given region or locality. A region with a high economic state, low inflation, and high monetary value would most likely have a high level of housing industry in turn. The houses in the said region would also be of high quality; however, man power for construction would also come at higher rates at such an area. A stable economy in terms of monetary value and inflation would be the most ideal economy for a successful housing industry. Even high-performing builders still have the potential to make more improvements. Given that their strong financial performance has largely resulted from their leading land positions in booming housing markets, builders just have not to focus on implementing innovative practices and on maximizing operational efficiencies. Larger builders are those that would especially benefit from focusing on efficiency. Local builders with closings of 10,000 homes or more in 2004 reported implementing only half of the common innovative practices, while the divisions of builders with sales of 2,500 to 10,000 homes implemented less than 40 percent of the innovative practices. There are many valid reasons why implementation has been relatively weak. The corporate offices of larger builders report above-average development of innovative procedures, but implementation at the division level has often lagged. With the increase in the number of acquisitions in recent years, many of these divisions have only recently come under management of the acquiring builder and may thus need additional time to implement new systems and procedures. Furthermore, given their strong financial performance in recent years, corporate offices have less incentive and reason to develop new procedures for their local divisions, and local divisions have less incentive and reason to implement such changes. Whether builders will seize these opportunities remains to be seen. One encouraging sign, however, is that operational improvements have increased the most where house price appreciation is relatively low and no one builder dominates the market. If the house building industry weakens in the years ahead, house price appreciation is likely to slow and more builders are likely to compete within individual markets, these are exactly the conditions that lead to the development and implementation of operational improvements made in recent years. This means that a crisis such as the weakening of the economy leading to the weakening of the housing market, although has its undeniable negative effects in the housing industry, on the positive side, it would somehow force the home building industry to continuously and further develop and implement more and more innovations in their systems. Nonetheless, this would consequently lead to further innovations and efficiencies in the home building industry, and thus more high quality and affordable choices of homes for the consumers. References What’s next for housing industy CIOs. Retrieved April 20, 2008, from http://www. cio. com/article/134004 Seiders, D. F. (2006, September 19). Housing economics. Retrieved April 20, 2008, from http://www. nbnnews. com/houseecon/issues/2006-09-19. html Milt N. (2005, April 27). Housing market crisis threatens economy. Retrieved April 20, 2008, from http://www. workers. org/2005/us/housing-0505/ Schoen J. W. (2007, June 19). Housing industry still looking for the bottom. Retrieved April 20, 2008, from http://www. msnbc. msn. com/id/19311316/ Buban C. E. (2007, December 22). Housing developers and current industry trends. Retrieved April 20, 2008, from http://showbizandstyle. inquirer. net/ lifestyle/view_article. php? article_id=108293 Zito K. (2006, June 16). Billions to state from housing. Retrieved April 20, 2008, from http://www. sfgate. com/cgi-bin/article. cgi? f=/c/a/2006/06/16/BUG77JER951. DTL Housing slump reflects worsening economic crisis. Retrieved April 20, 2008, from http://en. internationalism. org/inter/144/housing-slump A new paradigm of the housing industry. Retrieved April 20, 2008, from http://www. meti. go. jp/english/newtopics/data/nBackIssue20080408_01. html Brief overview of the housing economy. Retrieved April 20, 2008, from http://www. oppapers. com/essays/Brief-Overview-Housing-Economy/116741 Barry S. Housing industry, subprime loans and mortgage woes: how serious is it? Retrieved

“Friendship. Does It Exist Nowadays?”

Every person has a devoted friend and their relations are called friendship. Could you give the definition of the word friendship? Friendship means relations between people who help each other, have common interests and hobbies, and share the same opinions. So, it’s great! The title of today’s special lesson called friendship. What words can you bring out as associations with a good friend and with a bad friend? (at the blackboard). Support Appreciate Betray Envy Feel jealous Ignore Honest Quarrel Defend – Children, do you know any proverbs about friends? One man – no man; One for all, all for one.A man is known by his friends. -I see, children, you know a lot! Good for you! -And I have some new proverbs for you. Look and match them! (at the blackboard).- And now I’ll give you a card with a question, you should address this question to any person.Do you have many friends?What is friendship for you?What is special about your friends?What is your friend like?Why do we like our friends?What shows that you are friends?Does your friend support you?Do you appreciate your friend’s advice?Does your friend envy your success?Do you have a friend in your class?Is your friend a kind person?Is your friend talkative?Is your friend honest?Do you like spending time with your friend? How?4. Thank you, children. And now – a special task for you. You see on your papers an extract from Oscar Wilde’s story. Could you translate the title? Let’s listen to the story and say who was the devoted friend. Oscar Wilde. The Devoted Friend. Once upon a time there was a young man whose name was Hans. He lived alone in little house. He had a lovely garden where he worked every day. His garden was the best in the village and there were a lot of beautiful flowers in it. Releted essay –  An Empty Purse Frightens Away FriendsLittle Hans had a devoted friend, big Hugh the Miller. Indeed, the rich Miller was so devoted to little Hans, that he always picked some flowers or took some fruit when he was passing Han’s garden. â€Å"Real friends must have everything in common,† the Miller used to say, and Hans smiled and felt very proud that a friend with such noble ideas. Sometimes the neighbours were surprised that the rich Miller never gave little Hans anything, but Hans never thought about these things. He worked and worked in his garden. In spring, summer and autumn he was very happy.But in winter he had no flowers or fruit to sell at the market, and he was often very hungry and cold. He was also very lonely, because the Miller never came to visit him in winter. â€Å"There is no good in my going to see little Hans in winter,† the Miller used to say his Wife, â€Å"Because when people are in trouble, you must leave them alo ne. That is my idea about friendship, and I am sure I am right. So I shall wait till spring comes, and then I shall go to see him, and he will give me a large basket of flowers, and that will make him happy. † The Miller’s Wife sat in her comfortable arm-chair near the fire. It is very pleasant,† she said. â€Å"to hear how you talk about friendship. † â€Å"But can’t we invite little Hans to our house? † said the Miller’s son. â€Å"If poor Hans is in trouble, I will give him half my supper and show him my white rabbits. † â€Å"What a silly boy you are! † cried the Miller.â€Å"If Hans comes here and sees our warm fire and our good supper, he may get envious, and envy is a terrible thing. Besides, maybe he will ask me to give him some flour, and I cannot do that! Flour is one thing and friendship is another. † â€Å"How well you talk,† said the Miller’s Wife. So, who was the devoted friend in this st ory and why? 5. Say what sentences are true or false. |   |True |False | |1. Little Hans lived in his little house without family. |   |   | |2. The rich Miller was so devoted to little Hans, that he always brought him some flowers or some fruit when he was passing. |   |   | |3. The Miller used to say that felt very proud to have a friend with such noble ideas.    |   | |4. â€Å"There is good in my going to see little Hans in winter,† the Miller used to say his Wife. |   |   | |5. Miller’s son suggested inviting poor Hans to their house. |   |   | |6. Miller didn’t want to make Hans feel bad. |   |   | |7. Hans would be glad to see his friend whenever he came. |   |   | 6. Some people say that there is difference between girls’ friendship and boys’ friendship. Now you’ll read the talk between two teenagers. Try to find out that difference.Tom: Is there any difference between girls’ friendship and boysâ €™ friendship? Mary: Yeah, definitely. I mean, it’s much more important for girls having close friends, we can tell each other everything, you know, our secrets and our feelings. We depend on each other much more. If I am upset, I know, I can get support from my best friend. Well, not, actually, from my best friend, but two or three other good friends, as well. Boys are not just like that. They always talk about things: sports, films, technology, whatever, never their feelings. Tom: OK, that’s true most of the times.But we can be very good, very close friends. I know some of my friends would lend me money or support me in a difficult situation. Mary: Boys don’t stick with their old friends. They are always getting new ones. My two best friends are from primary school, so I’ve known them for 15 years. Haven’t you got a friend from primary school? Tom: Well, no. The thing is they have changed, I’ve changed. I don’t think, it’ s a good thing to keep the same friends forever. I just mean, it’s boring. -So, children, is there any difference between girls’ friendship and boys’ friendship? And now let’s speak about an ideal friend. Make a small message on theme â€Å"An Ideal Friend†. Work in groups of 4. Pay attention to the following aspects: -Character -His or her attention to you 8. In conclusion I want to say that not everybody has a real friend. But if we have such a friend it makes our life happier and more interesting. It’s dear to us and we should care for friendship. Especially nowadays it’s necessary, perhaps more than ever to have a devoted friend. Let’s be patient and love each other. â€Å"Real friendship cannot be bought at a fair†.