1001 Vocabulary Spelling Questions Essay Example

1001 Vocabulary Spelling Questions Essay Example 1001 Vocabulary Spelling Questions Paper 1001 Vocabulary Spelling Questions Paper or word root; the meaning of that word; and a sentence that demonstrates the meaning of that word. Refer to this section often to refresh your memory and improve your vocabulary. FA M I L I A R I T Y W I T H C O M M O N A xi –P R E F I X E S , S U F F I X E S , A N D C O M M O N W O R D R O O T S – P r e f i xe s Pre? xes are syllables added to the beginning of words to change or add to their meaning. This table lists some of the most common pre? xes in the English language. They are grouped together by similar meanings. Pre? x uni unify (v) De? nition to form into a single unit, to unite Sentence The new leader was able to unite the three factions into one strong political party. monobiduotriquadritetraquintpentmultipolyomni- one two two three four four ? ve ? ve many many all monologue (n) bisect (v) duality (n) triangle (n) quadruped (n) tetralogy (n) quintuplets (n) pentameter (n) multifaceted (adj) polyglot (n) a long speech by one person or performer to divide into two equal parts having two sides or parts a ? gure having three angles an animal with four feet series of four related artistic works, such as plays, operas, novels, etc. ?ve offspring born at one time a line of verse (poetry) with ? e metrical feet having many sides one who speaks or understands several languages I was very moved by the monologue in Scene III. If you bisect a square, you will get two rectangles of equal size. The novel explores the duality of good and evil in humans. In an isosceles triangle, two of the three angles are the same size. Some quadrupeds evolved into bipeds. â€Å"Time Zone† was the fourth and ? nal work in Classman’s tetralogy. Each quintuplet weighed less than four pounds at birth. Most of Shakespeare’s sonnets are written in iambic pentameter. This is a multifaceted issue, and we must examine each side carefully. It’s no wonder he’s a polyglot; he’s lived in eight different countries. My teacher must be omniscient; she always knows when I’m not paying attention. omniscient (adj) knowing all micro De? nition or main room Sentence The panel of jurors waited in the antechamber before entering the court room. The appetizers preceded the main course. His postscript was almost as long as his letter! Romeo, trying to make peace, intervened in the ? ght between Tybalt and Mercutio. antechamber (n) a smaller room leading into a larger prepostinter- before after between recede (v) postscript (n) intervene (v) to come before in time or order message added after the close of a letter to come between interintraintro- together within into, within interact (v) to act upon or in? uence each other The psychologist took notes as she watched the children interact. She could not eat and had to be fed intravenously for three days. Unlike his ? amboyant sister, quiet Zeke was a real int rovert. She was inducted into the honor society. The rebels expelled the invaders. She carefully circumscribed the space that would become her of? ce. His attempt to subvert my authority will cost him his job. Alex accepted the promotion to supervisor and was comfortable with the duties and responsibilities of the of? ce. intravenous (adj) within or into a vein introvert (n) a person whose attention is largely directed inward, toward himself or herself; a shy or withdrawn person inexcircumsubsuper- in, into out, from around under above, over induct (v) expel (v) to bring in (to a group) to drive out or away the limits of circumscribe (v) to draw a line around; to mark subvert (v) supervisor (n) to bring about the destruction of, overthrow; to undermine one who watches over con- with, together consensus (n) general agreement After hours of debate, the group ? nally reached a consensus and selected a candidate. non antipode (n) counterproductive (adj) dispel (v) De? nition exact or direct opposite working against production to drive away; not having order Sentence North is the antipode of south. Complaining is counterproductive. To dispel rumors that I was quitting, I scheduled a series of meetings for the next three months. disorderly (adj) messy, untidy, uncontrolled or unruly Two people were hurt when the disorderly crowd took control of the protest. mismal broaden (v) De? nition to make more broad, widen Sentence Traveling around the world will broaden your understanding of other cultures. electrify (v) alphabetize (v) practical (adj) commercial (adj) De? nition to charge with electricity to put in alphabetical order suitable for use; involving activity as distinct from study or theory of or engaged in commerce Sentence The singer electri? ed the audience with her performance. Please alphabetize these ? les for me. He has years of practical, on-the-job experience. Commercial vehicles must have special license plates. Though he was never rich or powerful, he has very aristocratic manners. aristocratic (adj) of or pertaining to the aristocracy -ly resembling, having the qualities of tenderly (adv) done with tenderness; gently, delicately, lovingly He held the newborn baby tenderly in his arms. Despite his fear, he stepped boldly onto the stage. When Robert walked into the room with Annette, she cast a meaningful glance to me. ly -ful in the manner of full of boldly (adv) in a bold manner meaningful (adj) signi? cant, full of meaning -ous/-ose full of humorous (adj) full of humor, funny His humorous speech received laughter and applause from the audience. -ive having the quality of descriptive (adj) giving a description The letter was so descriptive that I could picture every place he had been . -less -ish lacking, free of having the quality of painless (adj) childish (adj) without pain, not causing pain like a child; unsuitable for a grown person The doctor assured me that it is a painless procedure. He didn’t get the job because of his childish behavior during the interview. He has a high level of tolerance for rudeness. The indeterminacy of his statement made it impossible to tell which side he favored. The second siren signaled the completion of the ? re drill. A ? rst arboretum (n) sanctuary (n) De? nition a garden devoted primarily to trees and shrubs a sacred place, refuge Sentence They built a deck with an arboretum for their bonsai tree collection. With three noisy roommates, Ellen frequently sought the quiet sanctuary of the library. -cide -ism ill quality, state or condition of; doctrine of pesticide (n) optimism (n) substance for killing insects belief that things will turn out for the best; tendency to take a hopeful view of things This pesticide is also dangerous for humans. Her optimism makes people want to be around her. He argued that the basic morality of civilized societies hasn’t changed much over the centuries. -ity quality or state of morality ( n) state or quality of being moral -itis in? ammation tonsillitis (n) of in? ammation and infection of the tonsils Her tonsillitis was so severe that doctors had to remove her tonsils immediately. He exercised good judgment during the meeting and did not challenge his supervisor. Because of her strong interest in zoology, she took an unpaid summer job at the zoo. amorous (adj) De? nition readily showing or feeling love Sentence She told him to stop his amorous advances as she was already engaged. audire bellum to hear war audience (n) assembled group of listeners or spectators; people within hearing The audience listened intently to the riveting speaker. In American history, antebellum refers to the period before the Civil War. antebellum (adj) before the war xvi –P R E F I X E S , S U F F I X E S , A N D C O M M O N W O R D R O O T S – Root capere Meaning to take Example captivate (v) De? nition to capture the fancy of Sentence The story captivated me from the beginning; I couldn’t put the book down. dicere duco equus facere lucere manus to say, speak dictate (v) to lead equal to make or do to light hand lucid (adj) manicure (n) conduct (v) equilibrium (n) manufacture (v) to state or order; to say what needs to be written down to lead or guide (thorough) a state of balance to make or produce very clear cosmetic treatment of the ? ngernails She began to dictate her notes into the microphone. He conducted a detailed tour of the building. I have ? nally achieved equilibrium between work and leisure. The clothes are manufactured here in this factory. No one could possibly have misunderstood such a lucid explanation. A manicure is not only important hygiene, but clean and neat nails also tell a great deal about a person. medius middle median (n) middle point; middle in a set of numbers The median household income in this wealthy neighborhood is $89,000. The message was transmitted over the intercom. That top-40 song is omnipresent; everywhere I go, I hear it playing. His loan application was denied because of his poor credit history. Although he is only 22, he holds a very powerful position in the company. mittere omnis plicare ponere/ positum protare quarere scribere to send all, every to fold to place transmit (v) omnipresent (adj) application (n) position (n) to send across present everywhere putting one thing on another; making a formal request the place a person or thing occupies to carry to ask, question to write transport (v) inquiry (n) scribe (n) to carry across act of inquiry, investigation, or questioning person who makes copies of writings The goods will be transported by boat. The inquiry lasted several months but yielded no new information. The scribe had developed thick calluses on his ? ngers from years of writing. After reading the collection of letters, it was easy to tell the sentiments of the writer. sentire to feel sentiment (n) personal experience; one’s own feeling xvii –P R E F I X E S , S U F F I X E S , A N D C O M M O N W O R D R O O T S – Root specere Meaning to look at Example spectacle (n) De? nition striking or impressive sight Sentence The debate was quite a spectacle; the candidates made accusations about each other that were unexpected and slightly unprofessional. spirare tendere to breathe to stretch respiration (n) extend (v) he act of breathing to make longer, stretch out His respiration was steady, but he remained unconscious. Please extend the deadline by two weeks so we can complete the project properly. verbum word verbatim (adj) word for word The student failed because she had copied an article verbatim instead of writing her own essay. C o m m o n G r e e k Wo r d R o o t s Many English words have their origins in the ancient Greek language. The table below shows the Greek words that have been used to create various English words. The Greek words serve as roots, providing the core meaning of the words. Pre? xes, suf? xes, and other alterations give each word its distinct meaning. The word roots are listed in alphabetical order. Root bios chronos Meaning life time Example biology (n) chronological (adj) De? nition the science of living organisms arranged in the order in which things occurred branch of medical science dealing with the skin and its diseases Sentence He is majoring in biology and plans to go to medical school. The story is confusing because she did not put the events in chronological order. She has decided to study dermatology because she wants to ? nd a cure for skin cancer. Polygamy is illegal in the United States. The recent genocide in Bosnia has created a crisis in orphaned children. The geography of this region made it dif? cult for the different tribes to interact. She used calligraphy to address her wedding invitations. derma skin dermatology (n) gamos marriage, union polygamy (n) the practice or custom of having more than one spouse or mate at a time genos geo race, sex, kind earth genocide (n) geography (n) the deliberate extermination of one race of people the study of the Earth’s surface; the surface or topographical features of a place graphein to write calligraphy (n) eautiful or elegant handwriting xviii –P R E F I X E S , S U F F I X E S , A N D C O M M O N W O R D R O O T S – Root krates Meaning member of a group Example democrat (n) De? nition one who believes in or advocates democracy as a principle of government concealing meaning, puzzling Sentence I have always been a democrat, but I refuse to join the Democratic Party. He left such a cryptic message on my answering machine that I don’t know what he wanted. kryptos hidden, secret cryptic (adj) metron to measure metronome (n) device with a pendulum that beats at a determined rate to measure time/rhythm She used a metronome to help her keep the proper pace as she played the song. Most mythologies have a polymorphous ? gure, a â€Å"shape shifter† who can be both animal and human. morphe form polymorphous (adj) having many forms pathos philos phobos photos podos psuedein pyr suffering, feeling loving fear light foot to deceive ? re pathetic (adj) xenophile (n) xenophobe (n) arousing feelings of pity or sadness a person who is attracted to foreign peoples, cultures, or customs or strange cultures or customs Willy Loman is a complex character who is both pathetic and heroic. Alex is a xenophile; I doubt he’ll ever come back to the States. e’s a xenophobe. Plants are photobiotic and will die without light. toenail had become infected. George Eliot is a pseudonym for Mary Ann Evans. The warehouse ? re was not an accident; it was set by a pyromaniac. In a psychosomatic illness, physical symptoms are caused by emotional distress. person who fears or hates foreigners Do n’t expect Len to go on the trip; photobiotic (adj) living or thriving only in the presence of light podiatrist (n) pseudonym (n) pyromaniac (n) of ailments of the human foot false name one who has a compulsion to set things on ? re an expert in diagnosis and treatment The podiatrist saw that the ingrown oma body psychosomatic (adj) of or involving both the mind and body tele distant telescope (n) optical instrument for making distant While Galileo did not invent the objects appear larger and nearer when viewed through the lens telescope, he was the ? rst to use it to study the planets and stars. The thermos kept my coffee hot all afternoon. therme heat thermos (n) insulated jug or bottle that keeps liquids hot or cold xix 1001 VOCABULARY SPELLING QUESTIONS S E C T I O N 1 T Synonyms, Antonyms, Verbal Classi? cation, and Analogies of ? ve chapters of different types of vocabulary questions. Questions vary from ? nding similar words to ? nding dissimilar words, from identifying analogies, to identifying the three words that are similar within a group of four words. Most standardized tests use synonym and antonym questions to test verbal skills. The ? rst chapter in this section is on synonyms. A synonym is a word that means the same or nearly the same as another word. You will be asked to ? nd synonyms, or choose the word that has the same or nearly the same meaning. In Chapter 2, you will identify antonyms, or words that are most nearly the opposite of the word in italics. The questions in Chapter 3 ask you to identify the word that is most similar or dissimilar to another word, effectively testing your knowledge of two words. Chapter 4 tests your ability to identify groups of word as similar to one another. You do this by ? nding the word in the list of four that does not belong with the other three words. Finally, in Chapter 5 you are asked to identify word analogies. Analogies are comparisons. To answer an analogy question, look for a relationship between the ? rst set of words. Then, look for a similar relationship in the second set of words. Choose the answer that best completes the comparison. HIS SECTION CONSISTS 1 C H A P T E R 1 Synonyms Choose the synonym for each of the words in italics. 1. Which word means the same as erroneous? a. digressive b. confused c. impenetrable d. incorrect 2. Which word means the same as grotesque? a. extreme b. frenzied c. hideous d. typical 3. Which word means the same as garbled? a. lucid b. unintelligible c. devoured d. outrageous 4. Which word means the same as expose? a. relate b. develop c. reveal d. pretend 3 –S Y N O N Y M S – 5. Which word means the same as coerce? a. force b. permit c. waste d. deny 6. Which word means the same as abrupt? a. interrupt b. sudden c. xtended d. corrupt 7. Which word means the same as apathy? a. hostility b. depression c. indifference d. concern 8. Which word means the same as despair? a. mourning b. disregard c. hopelessness d. loneliness 9. Which word means the same as contemptuous? a. respectful b. unique c. scornful d. insecure 10. Which word means the same as tote? a. acquire b. ca rry c. tremble d. abandon 11. Which word means the same as distinct? a. satis? ed b. imprecise c. uneasy d. separate 12. Which word means the same as ? agrant? a. secret b. worthless c. noble d. glaring 13. Which word means the same as oration? a. nuisance b. ndependence c. address d. length 14. Which word means the same as libel? a. description b. praise c. destiny d. slander 15. Which word means the same as philanthropy? a. sel? shness b. fascination c. disrespect d. charity 16. Which word means the same as proximity? a. distance b. agreement c. nearness d. intelligence 4 –S Y N O N Y M S – 17. Which word means the same as negligible? a. insigni? cant b. delicate c. meaningful d. illegible 18. Which word means the same as vigilant? a. nonchalant b. watchful c. righteous d. strenuous 19. Which word means the same as astute? a. perceptive b. inattentive c. stubborn d. legant 20. Which word means the same as collaborate? a. cooperate b. convince c. entice d. elaborate 2 1. Which word means the same as insipid? a. overbearing b. tasteless c. exhilarating d. elaborate For each of the following words, choose the word that has the same or nearly the same meaning. 22. navigate a. search b. decide c. steer d. assist 23. tailor a. measure b. construct c. launder d. alter 24. yield a. merge b. relinquish c. destroy d. hinder 25. eternal a. timeless b. heavenly c. loving d. wealthy 26. stow a. pack b. curtsy c. fool d. trample 27. intimate a. frightening b. curious c. private d. characteristic 28. onsider a. promote b. require c. adjust d. ponder 5 –S Y N O N Y M S – 29. humidify a. moisten b. warm c. gather d. spray 30. arouse a. inform b. abuse c. waken d. deceive 31. harass a. trick b. confuse c. betray d. pester 32. forti? ed a. reinforced b. distorted c. disputed d. developed 33. delegate a. analyze b. respect c. criticize d. assign 34. accountable a. applauded b. compensated c. responsible d. approached 35. philosophy a. bias b. principl es c. evidence d. process 36. custom a. purpose b. habit c. buyer d. role 37. harbor a. halter b. statement c. refuge d. garment 38. muse a. tune b. ponder c. encourage d. ead 39. vessel a. container b. furniture c. garment d. branch 40. dispute a. debate b. release c. divide d. redeem 6 –S Y N O N Y M S – 41. site a. location b. formation c. speech d. view 42. compensate a. help b. challenge c. defeat d. pay 43. journal a. trip b. receipt c. diary d. list 44. opportunity a. sensitivity b. arrogance c. chance d. reference 45. invent a. insert b. discover c. apply d. allow 46. sphere a. air b. spread c. globe d. enclosure 47. re? ne a. condone b. provide c. change d. purify 48. pledge a. picture b. idea c. quote d. promise 49. gangly a. illegally b. closely c. ugly d. lanky 50. sage a. ise b. obnoxious c. conceited d. heartless 51. dormant a. hidden b. slumbering c. rigid d. misplaced 52. banish a. exile b. decorate c. succumb d. encourage 7 –S Y N O N Y M S â₠¬â€œ 53. croon a. swim b. sing c. stroke d. yell 54. hostel a. turnstile b. cot c. trek d. inn 55. mesa a. brain b. plateau c. wagon d. dwelling 56. ado a. idiom b. punishment c. cost d. fuss 57. obscure a. concealed b. obvious c. reckless d. subjective 58. malicious a. spiteful b. changeable c. murderous d. dangerous 59. obsolete a. current b. dedicated c. unnecessary d. outmoded 60. expansive a. talkative b. relaxed c. humorous d. grateful 61. elinquish a. abandon b. report c. commence d. abide 62. submissive a. raucous b. obedient c. virtuous d. sel? sh 63. ponderous a. heavy b. thoughtful c. hearty d. generous 64. stoical a. impassive b. loud c. curious d. intense 8 –S Y N O N Y M S – 65. haggard a. handsome b. honest c. gaunt d. intense 66. enigma a. laughter b. mystery c. enclosure d. shadow 67. jocular a. lenient b. strict c. powerful d. jolly 68. rebuke a. scold b. deny c. distract d. protect 69. renown a. attitude b. fame c. health d. strength 70. robust a. ea ger b. rough c. old-fashioned d. vigorous 71. mundane a. proper b. ordinary c. greedy d. urky 72. remiss a. recent b. false c. negligent d. broken 73. imminent a. sturdy b. actual c. soon d. later 74. inordinate a. excessive b. exclusive c. purpose d. hesitant 75. disheveled a. rumpled b. divorced c. marked d. dedicated 76. disillusioned a. disadvantageous b. distracted c. disenchanted d. disarming 9 –S Y N O N Y M S – 77. query a. inspect b. quote c. succeed d. inquire 78. clemency a. competency b. certainty c. destiny d. mercy 10 C H A P T E R 2 Antonyms Choose the antonym for each of the words in italics. 79. Which word is the opposite of alert? a. attentive b. inattentive c. careful d. trivial 80. Which word is the opposite of cautious? a. considerate b. noble c. proper d. reckless 81. Which word means the opposite of shameful? a. honorable b. animated c. ?ckle d. modest 82. Which word means the opposite of vague? a. hazy b. skilled c. de? nite d. tender 11 –A N T O N Y M S – 83. Which word means the opposite of vulnerable? a. frantic b. feeble c. secure d. complicated 84. Which word means the opposite of distress? a. comfort b. reward c. trouble d. compromise 85. Which word means the opposite of unity? a. discord b. stimulation c. consent d. neglect 86. Which word means the opposite of clarify? a. explain b. dismay c. bscure d. provide 87. Which word means the opposite of grant? a. deny b. consume c. allocate d. provoke 88. Which word means the opposite of impartial? a. complete b. prejudiced c. unbiased d. erudite 89. Which word means the opposite of prompt? a. punctual b. slack c. tardy d. regular 90. Which word is the opposite of delay? a. slow b. hasten c. p ause d. desist 91. Which word is the opposite of soothe? a. increase b. comfort c. aggravate d. delight 92. Which word means the opposite of moderate? a. original b. average c. ?nal d. excessive 93. Which word means the opposite of reveal? a. disclose b. achieve c. retreat d. onceal 94. Which word means the opposite of initial? a. ?rst b. crisis c. ?nal d. right 12 –A N T O N Y M S – 95. Which word means the opposite of brittle? a. ?exible b. breakable c. grating d. thin 96. Which word means the opposite of capable? a. unskilled b. absurd c. apt d. able 97. Which word means the opposite of stray? a. remain b. inhabit c. wander d. incline 98. Which word is the opposite of dainty? a. delicate b. coarse c. harsh d. delicious 99. Which word means the opposite of craving? a. desire b. repudiation c. motive d. revulsion 100. Which word means the opposite of ferocious? a. docile b. savage c. explosive d. oble 101. Which word means the opposite of grueling? a. effortless b. ca sual c. exhausting d. empty 102. Which word means the opposite of forsake? a. admit b. abandon c. submit d. cherish 103. Which word is the opposite of restrain? a. control b. liberate c. maintain d. distract 104. Which word is the opposite of bleak? a. desperate b. dreary c. bright d. fond 105. Which word is the opposite of unruly? a. controllable b. disorderly c. honest d. covered 106. Which word is the opposite of solidarity? a. union b. disunity c. laxity d. rigidity 13 –A N T O N Y M S – 107. Which word is the opposite of retract? a. assert b. ithdraw c. impugn d. follow 108. Which word is the opposite of concise? a. generous b. lengthy c. loose d. brief 109. Which word is the opposite of omit? a. eliminate b. perform c. depart d. include 110. Which word means the opposite of prohibit? a. surrender b. permit c. involve d. embrace 111. Which word means the opposite of disclose? a. succeed b. conceal c. restrain d. possess 112. Which word means the opposite of sti? e ? a. encourage b. familiarize c. deny d. overcome 113. Which word means the opposite of belittle? a. arrange b. compliment c. criticize d. presume 114. Which word means the opposite of aimless? a. nactive b. faithful c. purposeful d. impartial 115. Which word means the opposite of detest? a. prohibit b. hate c. examine d. admire 116. Which word means the opposite of valiant? a. instinctive b. cowardly c. cynical d. worthy 117. Which word means the opposite of lenient? a. capable b. impractical c. merciful d. domineering 118. Which word means the opposite of tarnish? a. absorb b. endure c. shine d. sully 14 –A N T O N Y M S – 119. Which word means the opposite of mandatory? a. apparent b. equal c. optional d. required 120. Which word means the opposite of chagrin? a. conviction b. irritation c. pleasure d. humanity 121. Which word means the opposite of commence? a. initiate b. adapt c. harass d. terminate 122. Which word means the opposite of conscientious? a. careless b. apologetic c. diligent d. boisterous 123. Which word means the opposite of de? cient? a. necessary b. adequate c. ?awed d. simple 124. Which word means the opposite of lucid? a. ordinary b. turbulent c. implausible d. vague 125. Which word means the opposite of judicious? a. partial b. litigious c. imprudent d. unrestrained 126. Which word means the opposite of dissonance? a. harmony b. carefulness c. speci? city d. value 127. Which word means the opposite of erudite? a. neducated b. polite c. unknown d. agitated For each of the following words, choose the word that means the opposite or most nearly the opposite. 128. harmony a. noise b. brevity c. safety d. discord 129. insult a. compliment b. contempt c. argument d. attitude 15 –A N T O N Y M S – 130. general a. speci? c b. total c. insigni? cant d. substantial 131. imaginary a. sober b. ordinary c. unrealistic d. factual 132. demolish a. attend b. consider c. create d. sti? e 133. absorb a. acquire b. repel c. consume d. assist 134. critical a. inimical b. judgmental c. massive d. trivial 135. infantile a. despicable b. adolescent c. mature d. erpetual 136. retain a. withhold b. release c. succumb d. incise 137. impulsive a. secure b. mandatory c. rash d. cautious 138. competent a. incomplete b. intense c. inept d. massive 139. promote a. explicate b. downgrade c. concede d. retain 140. requirement a. plan b. consequence c. option d. accident 141. irritate a. soothe b. drain c. resist d. solve 16 –A N T O N Y M S – 142. punctual a. random b. smooth c. intermittent d. tardy 143. virtue a. reality b. fact c. vice d. amateur 144. fortunate a. excluded b. hapless c. hardworking d. lucky 145. notable a. oral b. graceful c. legal d. ordinary 146. prim a. outrageous b. ast c. ugly d. cantankerous 147. prosperous a. af? uent b. destitut e c. cowardly d. receptive 148. nimble a. sturdy b. sluggish c. thoughtless d. relaxed 149. tranquil a. agitated b. explicit c. sluggish d. composed 150. sprightly a. eager b. lofty c. dull d. local 151. amiable a. dangerous b. permissive c. aloof d. congenial 152. prudent a. rash b. licentious c. libertine d. demonstrative 153. scant a. pellucid b. meager c. copious d. vocal 17 –A N T O N Y M S – 154. steadfast a. envious b. ?ckle c. improvident d. sluggish 155. stringent a. obese b. lax c. obtuse d. ?uid 18 C H A P T E R 3 156. Rational is most similar to a. eliberate. b. invalid. c. prompt. d. sound. 157. Attribute is most similar to a. quality. b. penalty. c. speech. d. admission. Synonyms and Antonyms Read each question carefully and select the word that is most similar or most dissimilar in meaning to the word provided. 158. Subdue is most similar to a. conquer. b. complain. c. deny. d. respect. 159. Animated is most similar to a. abbreviated. b. civil. c. secret . d. lively. 19 –S Y N O N Y M S A N D A N T O N Y M S – 160. Awe is most dissimilar to a. contempt. b. reverence. c. valor. d. distortion. 161. Intricate is most similar to a. delicate. b. costly. c. prim. d. omplex. 162. Skeptic is most dissimilar to a. innovator. b. friend. c. politician. d. believer. 163. Hypothetical is most dissimilar to a. uncritical. b. actual. c. speci? c. d. imaginary. 164. Enhance is most dissimilar to a. diminish. b. improve. c. digress. d. deprive. 165. Manipulate is most similar to a. simplify. b. deplete. c. nurture. d. handle. 166. Subjective is most dissimilar to a. invective. b. objectionable. c. unbiased. d. obedient. 167. Succinct is most dissimilar to a. distinct. b. laconic. c. feeble. d. verbose. 168. Enthusiastic is most similar to a. adamant. b. available. c. cheerful. d. eager. 169. Adequate is most similar to a. suf? cient. b. mediocre. c. pro? cient. d. average. 170. Uniform is most dissimilar to a. dissembling. b. diverse. c. bizarre. d. slovenly. 171. Ecstatic is most similar to a. inconsistent. b. positive. c. wild. d. thrilled. 20 –S Y N O N Y M S A N D A N T O N Y M S – 172. Affect is most similar to a. accomplish. b. cause. c. sicken. d. in? uence. 173. Wary is most dissimilar to a. alert. b. leery. c. worried. d. careless. 174. Novel is most dissimilar to a. dangerous. b. unsettled. c. suitable. d. old. 175. Continuous is most similar to a. intermittent. b. adjacent. c. uninterrupted. d. contiguous. 76. Courtesy is most similar to a. civility. b. congruity. c. conviviality. d. rudeness. 177. Fallacy is most dissimilar to a. truth. b. blessing. c. weakness. d. fable. 178. Frail is most similar to a. vivid. b. delicate. c. robust. d. adaptable. 179. Recuperate is most similar to a. recover. b. endorse. c. persist. d. worsen. 180. Subsequent is most dissimilar to a. necessary. b. insigni? cant. c. primary. d. previous. 181. Nonchalant is most dissimilar to a. intelligent. b. popular. c. concerned. d. reckless. 182. Hoax is most similar to a. logic. b. crusade. c. embargo. d. ruse. 183. Composure is most similar to a. agitation. . poise. c. liveliness. d. stimulation. 21 –S Y N O N Y M S A N D A N T O N Y M S – 184. Excise is most dissimilar to a. sleep. b. retain. c. organize. d. staple. 185. Disperse is most dissimilar to a. gather. b. agree. c. praise. d. satisfy. 186. Eccentric is most similar to a. normal. b. frugal. c. peculiar. d. selective. 187. Commendable is most similar to a. admirable. b. accountable. c. irresponsible. d. noticeable. 188. Domain is most similar to a. entrance. b. rebellion. c. formation. d. territory. 189. Passive is most similar to a. inactive. b. emotional. c. lively. d. woeful. 190. Liberate is most dissimilar to a. onserve. b. restrain. c. attack. d. ruin. 191. Faltering is most dissimilar to a. steady. b. adoring. c. explanatory. d. reluctant. 192. Vast is most similar to a. attentive. b. immense. c. steady. d. slight. 193. Comply is most similar to a. subdue. b. entertain. c. ?atter. d. obey. 194. Optimum is most dissimilar to a. mediocre. b. victorious. c. worst. d. rational. 195. Enlighten is most similar to a. relocate. b. confuse. c. comply. d. teach. 22 –S Y N O N Y M S A N D A N T O N Y M S – 196. Tedious is most dissimilar to a. stimulating. b. alarming. c. intemperate. d. tranquil. 197. Exonerate is most dissimilar to a. inimize. b. respect. c. irritate. d. blame. 198. Ephemeral is most dissimilar to a. internal. b. enduring. c. temporary. d. hidden. 199. Predecessor is most dissimilar to a. successor. b. antecedent. c. descendant. d. ancestor. 200. Refrain is most similar to a. desist. b. secure. c. glimpse. d. persevere. 201. Affable is most dissimilar to a. disagreeable. b. hollow. c. simple. d. eager. 202. Rigorous is most s imilar to a. demanding. b. tolerable. c. lenient. d. disorderly. 203. Orient is most dissimilar to a. confuse. b. arouse. c. deter. d. simplify. 204. Levitate is most dissimilar to a. plod. b. undulate. c. whisper. d. ink. 205. Oblivious is most similar to a. visible. b. sinister. c. conscious. d. unaware. 206. Verify is most similar to a. disclose. b. con? rm. c. refute. d. unite. 207. Pacify is most dissimilar to a. complicate. b. dismiss. c. excite. d. atomize. 23 –S Y N O N Y M S A N D A N T O N Y M S – 208. Plausible is most dissimilar to a. insuf? cient. b. apologetic. c. unbelievable. d. credible. 209. Idle is most similar to a. working. b. effective. c. immobile. d. functional. 210. Avid is most dissimilar to a. partial. b. unenthusiastic. c. equal. d. unkind. 211. Meek is most dissimilar to a. mild. b. painful. c. forceful. d. olite. 212. Complacent is most dissimilar to a. concerned. b. pleasant. c. happy. d. convinced. 213. Ambiguous is most dissimilar to a. apathetic. b. certain. c. equivocal. d. inde? nite. 214. Confer is most similar to a. con? de. b. consult. c. refuse. d. promise. 215. Repast is most similar to a. meal. b. debt. c. book. d. goal. 216. Esteem is most dissimilar to a. disrespect. b. disregard. c. dissent. d. disabuse. 217. Eloquent is most dissimilar to a. shabby. b. ?uent. c. inarticulate. d. plain. 218. Apathetic is most similar to a. pitiable. b. indifferent. c. suspicious. d. evasive. 219. Deterrent is most dissimilar to a. ncouragement. b. obstacle. c. proponent. d. discomfort. 24 –S Y N O N Y M S A N D A N T O N Y M S – 220. Impertinent is most dissimilar to a. animated. b. rude. c. relentless. d. polite. 221. Augment is most similar to a. repeal. b. evaluate. c. increase. d. criticize. 222. Ludicrous is most dissimilar to a. absurd. b. somber. c. reasonable. d. charitable. 223. Archaic is most dissimilar to a. tangible. b. modern. c. ancient. d. haunted. 224. Incredulous is most similar to a. fe arful. b. outraged. c. inconsolable. d. disbelieving. 225. Vindictive is most similar to a. outrageous. b. insulting. c. spiteful. d. offensive. 226. Sullen is most dissimilar to a. morose. b. impetuous. c. provocative. d. jovial. 227. Menial is most similar to a. lowly. b. boring. c. dangerous. d. rewarding. 228. Panacea is most similar to a. cure. b. result. c. cause. d. necessity. 229. Taut is most dissimilar to a. neutral. b. relaxed. c. rigid. d. vague. 230. Rile is most dissimilar to a. appease. b. prosper. c. oppress. d. irk. 231. Glib is most similar to a. angry. b. insulting. c. dishonest. d. insincere. 25 –S Y N O N Y M S A N D A N T O N Y M S – 232. Mar is most dissimilar to a. delineate. b. bolster. c. clarify. d. repair. 233. Cognizant is most similar to a. conscious. . educated. c. mysti? ed. d. confused. 234. Mediate is most similar to a. ponder. b. interfere. c. reconcile. d. dissolve. 235. Concurrent is most similar to a. incidental. b. simultaneous. c. apprehensive. d. substantial. 236. Induce is most similar to a. prompt. b. withdraw. c. presume. d. represent. 237. Intrepid is most dissimilar to a. belligerent. b. consistent. c. chivalrous. d. fearful. 238. Saturate is most similar to a. deprive. b. construe. c. soak. d. verify. 239. Methodical is most dissimilar to a. erratic. b. deliberate. c. hostile. d. deformed. 240. Latent is most dissimilar to a. slow. b. tardy. c. dormant. d. ctive. 241. Proscribe is most similar to a. measure. b. recommend. c. detect. d. forbid. 242. Prevarication is most dissimilar to a. accolade. b. veracity. c. deprecation. d. mendacity. 243. Mirth is most dissimilar to a. pallor. b. solemnity. c. penury. d. lethargy. 26 –S Y N O N Y M S A N D A N T O N Y M S – 244. Surreptitious is most similar to a. expressive. b. secretive. c. emotional. d. artistic. 245. Trepidation is most dissimilar to a. distribution. b. agitation. c. fearlessness. d. uniformity. 27 C H A P T E R 4 246. a. con? rmed b. tentative c. de? nite d. conclusive 247. a. implied b. distinct c. explicit d. forthright Verbal Classi? cation For the following questions, choose the word that does not belong with the others. 248. a. premeditated b. rehearsed c. spontaneous d. calculated 249. a. rampant b. restrained c. widespread d. pervasive 250. a. ?exible b. rigid c. supple d. limber 29 –V E R B A L C L A S S I F I C A T I O N – 251. a. subdue b. crush c. suppress d. provoke 252. a. comprise b. compose c. exclude d. constitute 253. a. in? nitesimal b. in? nite c. immense d. vast 254. a. heroism b. incompetence c. prowess d. mastery 255. a. rasping b. grating c. abrasive d. polished 256. a. comely b. deformed c. grotesque d. repulsive 257. a. eceptive b. intolerant c. compassionate d. amenable 258. a. sloppy b. disheveled c. orderly d. unkempt 259. a. word for word b. exact c. verbatim d. paraphrased 260. a. recklessly b. carefully c. warily d. prudently 261. a. destitute b. poverty-stricken c. af? uent d. impoverished 262. a. dour b. inviting c. welcoming d. cheery 263. a. clumsy b. n imble c. all thumbs d. maladroit 264. a. compliment b. ridicule c. deride d. gibe 265. a. deprived b. bereft c. replete d. bereaved 266. a. resolve b. fortitude c. mettle d. timidity 30 –V E R B A L C L A S S I F I C A T I O N – 267. a. submissive b. obedient c. acquiescent d. of? cious 268. . pro? cient b. inept c. deft d. adroit 269. a. felicitous b. inopportune c. inappropriate d. ill-timed 270. a. vex b. aggravate c. mollify d. agitate 271. a. stately b. abject c. lowly d. humble 272. a. mercenary b. venal c. honest d. corruptible 273. a. pinnacle b. perigee c. summit d. acme 274. a. demur b. concur c. consent d. accede 275. a. replica b. permutation c. facsimile d. reproduction 276. a. pernicious b. toxic c. innocuous d. virulent 277. a. stentorian b. booming c. thundering d. tranquil 278. a. permissive b. lenient c. indulgent d. implacable 279. a. bedlam b. pandemonium c. repose d. tumult 280. a. stimulating b. omnolent c. sopori? c d. hypnotic 281. a. impassione d b. vehement c. emphatic d. apathetic 282. a. savory b. distasteful c. piquant d. aromatic 31 –V E R B A L C L A S S I F I C A T I O N – 283. a. dissent b. sanction c. concur d. assent 284. a. devout b. fervent c. zealous d. dispirited 32 C H A P T E R 5 Analogies Many kinds of academic and work-related tests include analogies. Analogies are comparisons. To answer an analogy question, look for a relationship between the ? rst set of words. Then, look for a similar relationship in the second set of words. For the following questions, choose the answer that best completes the comparison. 85. polite : gracious :: cordial : ________ a. courteous b. con? dent c. comfortable d. bold 286. embarrassed : humiliated :: frightened : ________ a. courageous b. agitated c. terri? ed d. reckless 287. scarcely : mostly :: quietly : ________ a. secretly b. rudely c. loudly d. silently 288. candid : indirect :: honest : ________ a. frank b. wicked c. truthful d. devious 33 –A N A L O G I E S – 289. control : dominate :: magnify : ________ a. enlarge b. preserve c. decrease d. divide 290. exactly : precisely :: evidently : ________ a. positively b. apparently c. narrowly d. unquestionably 291. meaningful : insigni? ant :: essential : ________ a. basic b. important c. unremarkable d. unnecessary 292. simple : complex :: trivial : ________ a. inconspicuous b. signi? cant c. permanent d. irrelevant 293. neophyte : novice :: pursuit : ________ a. passion b. restraint c. quest d. speed 294. regard : esteem :: ambivalence : ________ a. uncertainty b. withdrawal c. resemblance d. injustice 295. elated : despondent :: enlightened : ________ a. aware b. tolerant c. miserable d. ignorant 296. divulge : conceal :: conform : ________ a. construe b. differ c. retain d. offer 297. restrain : curb :: recant : ________ a. foretell b. retract c. ntertain d. resent 298. admire : despise :: praise : ________ a. ravage b. surrender c. admonish d. warn 299. advance : ret reat :: curtail : ________ a. damage b. discard c. consume d. prolong 300. implant : embed :: expel : ________ a. beseech b. oust c. accept d. examine 34 –A N A L O G I E S – 301. assemble : convene :: categorize : ________ a. systematize b. dismiss c. congregate d. alternate 302. grind : crush :: demolish : ________ a. divulge b. check c. pulverize d. steam 303. continuation : sequel :: scheme : ________ a. supplication b. management c. aftermath d. plot 304. phase : segment :: epoch : ________ a. ocument b. institution c. era d. emotion 305. declare : af? rm :: cringe : ________ a. scorn b. cower c. reason d. arrange 306. ally : enemy :: anonymity : ________ a. restraint b. wealth c. fame d. anxiety 307. personable : agreeable :: friendly : ________ a. genial b. skillful c. willful d. relevant 308. heterogeneous : mixed :: profuse : ________ a. lush b. timid c. scarce d. painful 309. trust : suspicion :: doubt : ________ a. aperture b. reliance c. method d. saga 310. hide : ? aunt :: forget : ________ a. sympathetic b. unappreciative c. retain d. unsociable 311. disclose : reveal :: intimate : ________ a. orbid b. denounce c. announce d. suggest 312. conceal : obscure :: procrastinate : ________ a. anticipate b. relinquish c. delay d. pretend 35 –A N A L O G I E S – 313. ornate : plain :: blithe : ________ a. generous b. morose c. pretentious d. fervent 314. futile : vain :: covert : ________ a. secret b. grand c. seductive d. habitual 315. opposing : differing :: candid : ________ a. conclusive b. strict c. credible d. frank 316. expeditiously : swiftly :: diligently : ________ a. openly b. persistently c. increasingly d. vividly 317. antics : actions :: banter : ________ a. deference b. repartee c. pranks d. candor 318. bstinate : stubborn :: staunch : ________ a. oppressive b. ominous c. faithful d. arrogant 319. persistent : persevering :: spurious : ________ a. false b. dejected c. delightful d. abundant 320. broadcast : obsc ure :: welcome : ________ a. prostrate b. promontory c. strengthen d. eject 321. enthusiastic : blase :: upright : ________ a. deplore b. prone c. unlikely d. passionate 322. sedate : sober :: prim : ________ a. staid b. convalescent c. elaborate d. clairvoyant 323. courtier : aristocrat :: unknown : ________ a. noble b. celebrity c. nonentity d. icon 324. nourish : foster :: abolish : ________ a. continue b. undergo c. aintain d. annul 36 –A N A L O G I E S – 325. undermine : bolster :: reinforce : ________ a. infringe b. boost c. weaken d. forego 326. skim : peruse :: delve : ________ a. scrutinize b. scan c. validate d. memorize 327. comical : witty :: humorous : ________ a. ghostly b. plunging c. facetious d. engraved 328. intersect : diverge :: ratify : ________ a. conceal b. promote c. determine d. nullify 329. proclaim : announce :: restrict : ________ a. invalidate b. stint c. convince d. mystify 330. barter : swap :: irritate : ________ a. annoy b. engage c. a ppoint d. employ 331. design : devise :: upbraid : ________ a. praise b. cclimate c. reprimand d. contrive 332. accord : understanding :: conversion : ________ a. modi? cation b. transition c. concurrence d. con? rmation 333. taint : decontaminate :: enrage : ________ a. provoke b. delve c. rely d. appease 334. judicious : prudent :: wise : ________ a. ill-mannered b. astute c. sophisticated d. satis? ed 335. arbitrator : mediator :: referee : ________ a. manager b. boor c. umpire d. director 336. ensue : follow :: precede : ________ a. pursue b. monitor c. track d. herald 37 –A N A L O G I E S – 337. courage : valor :: chivalry : ________ a. autonomy b. gallantry c. cowardice d. freedom 338. egale : amuse :: impart : ________ a. conceal b. withhold c. bestow d. chance 339. pivotal : crucial :: conventional : ________ a. respectable b. loathsome c. admirable d. conservative 340. fallacy : misconception :: fact : ________ a. logic b. judgment c. evidence d. verdict 341. gratuitous : expensive :: sedentary : ________ a. active b. legitimate c. stable d. selective 342. hypocrite : phony :: lethargy : ________ a. modesty b. stupor c. pride d. disappointment 343. revere : venerate :: esteem : ________ a. deny b. disdain c. respect d. proclaim 344. re? ned : plebeian :: selective : ________ a. unjust b. indiscriminate c. ultivated d. ordinary 345. improbable : plausible :: stable : ________ a. designated b. unilateral c. volatile d. farfetched 346. immoral : ethical :: insuf? cient : ________ a. unscrupulous b. dishonest c. inert d. ample 347. distance : proximity :: economical : ________ a. prodigal b. lenient c. bereft d. dishonest 348. shocked : aghast :: skittish : ________ a. innovative b. restive c. dynamic d. enterprising 38 –A N A L O G I E S – 349. deprivation : af? uence :: capitulation : ________ a. resistance b. potency c. indigence d. complacency 350. dupe : deceive :: exculpate : ________ a. falsify b. disappear c. invade d. bsolve 351. ostracize : banish :: consequence : ________ a. truth b. repercussion c. ritual d. restitution 352. churlish : surly :: steadfast : ________ a. sly b. assertive c. shy d. resolute 353. indirect : forthright :: unashamed : ________ a. evasive b. deceitful c. abashed d. detached 354. superlative : abysmal :: atrocious : ________ a. pallid b. haggard c. sharp d. noble 355. impending : imminent :: calamitous : ________ a. disastrous b. fortunate c. bene? cial d. salutary 356. implant : infuse :: inculcate : ________ a. demand b. instill c. transplant d. consider 357. foreboding : premonition :: qualm : ________ a. onviction b. assurance c. guarantee d. misgiving 358. milieu : environment :: culture : ________ a. commencement b. departure c. customs d. dismay 359. downcast : jaunty :: despondent : ________ a. reticent b. taciturn c. jubilant d. indomitable 360. enumerate : cite :: disregard : ________ a. ignore b. contain c. list d. ?le 39 –A N A L O G I E S – 361. ?ashy : garish :: gaudy : ________ a. re? ned b. muted c. tawdry d. subdued 362. traitor : deserter :: renegade : ________ a. diehard b. driver c. loyalist d. insurgent 363. etiquette : protocol :: statute : ________ a. decree b. promotion c. modicum d. contradiction 364. rominent : conspicuous :: gaunt : ________ a. haggard b. elated c. ostentatious d. familiar 365. outlandish : conservative :: reserved : ________ a. modest b. garrulous c. appeased d. failed 366. belief : doctrine :: hesitation : ________ a. desecration b. communication c. vacillation d. transportation 367. amateur : novice :: representative : ________ a. opposition b. proxy c. author d. philosopher 368. skyrocket : plummet :: diminish : ________ a. withdraw b. retreat c. augment d. control 369. excitable : stoical :: delighted : ________ a. rankled b. con? ned c. restrained d. entertained 370. mendicant : vagabond :: scavenger : ________ a. cout b. recipient c. forager d. explorer 371. friendship : amity :: e nmity : ________ a. companionship b. camaraderie c. chaos d. animosity 372. indiscernible : perceptible :: incalculable : ________ a. genuine b. in? nitesimal c. serious d. solemn 40 –A N A L O G I E S – 373. veritable : actual :: specious : ________ a. sanctimonious b. overdone c. false d. roomy 374. anxiety : trepidation :: lethargy : ________ a. vitality b. mutuality c. empathy d. lassitude 375. absorbed : engrossed :: bored : ________ a. unrealistic b. inured c. excluded d. stulti? ed 376. involvement : aloofness :: clumsiness : ________ a. ?nesse b. ndecision c. authority d. awkwardness 377. incoherent : articulate :: ? uent : ________ a. eloquent b. halting c. lethargic d. expressive 378. shiftless : lackadaisical :: hardworking : ________ a. sloppy b. careless c. assiduous d. slipshod 379. pert : lively :: impudent : ________ a. insolent b. gloomy c. morose d. sullen 380. native : foreign :: commonplace : ________ a. routine b. exotic c. ordinary d. mundane 381. compassionate : insensitive :: conceited : ________ a. disarming b. pretentious c. modest d. unassuming 382. characteristic : attribute :: ingredient : ________ a. component b. recipe c. vegetarian d. ormula 383. capricious : whimsical :: shrewd : ________ a. cruel b. different c. grateful d. astute 41 –A N A L O G I E S – 384. gluttonous : abstentious :: complimentary : ________ a. prominent b. permissive c. disparaging d. calculating 385. yielding : submissive :: tractable : ________ a. amenable b. unruly c. refractory d. obstreperous 42 S E C T I O N 2 T Vocabulary in Context in this section test your skills in identifying vocabulary in context. By using the sentences provided, you will ? gure out which answer choice best ? lls each blank. In Chapter 6 you are provided with a sentence that gives you clues to ? ding the appropriate word or phrase. In Chapter 7 you are provided with reading passages that offer clues to ? nding the correct answer. For each passage, yo u will be asked a few reading comprehension questions. In Chapter 8 you will replace a common word or phrase with a more descriptive one that has the same or a very similar meaning. This is called identifying synonyms in context. Finally, in Chapter 9, you will be given a pair of words to choose from in order to best complete the sentences provided. HE FOUR CHAPTERS 43 C H A P T E R 6 Sentence Completion Choose the best word to ? ll the blank. 386. To get the promotion she wanted, Priya ________ that it was best to go back to school to get her master’s degree as soon as she could. a. anticipated b. hindered c. augmented d. resolved 387. The car rental company considered the scratches on the driver’s door to be caused by a minor ________. a. mishap b. coercion c. in? ltration d. quirk 388. Being a direct relative of the deceased, her claim to the estate was ________. a. optional b. vicious c. prominent d. legitimate 45 –S E N T E N C E C O M P L E T I O N – 389. The hail ________ the corn? eld until the entire crop was lost. a. belittled b. pummeled c. rebuked d. ommended 390. The Earth Day committee leader placed large garbage bins in the park to ________ Saturday’s cleanup. a. confound b. pacify c. integrate d. facilitate 391. Her rapport with everyone in the of? ce ________ the kind of interpersonal skills that all of the employees appreciated. a. prevailed b. diverged c. exempli? ed d. dele gated 392. When you discuss the characters from The Catcher in the Rye, please be sure to give a ________ description of the narrator. a. principled b. determined c. comprehensive d. massive 393. ________ elephants from the wild not only endangers the species but also upsets the balance of nature. . Contriving b. Poaching c. Provoking d. Hindering 394. The two cats could be ________ only by the number of rings on their tails; otherwise, they were exactly alike. a. separated b. diversi? ed c. disconnected d. differentiated 395. Despite her ________ dress, she was a simple girl at heart. a. sophisticated b. casual c. shoddy d. personable 396. The non-pro? t agency bought of? ce supplies using a tax ________ number. a. liability b. exempt c. information d. accountability 397. With great and admirable ________, the renowned orator spoke to the crowd gathered in the lecture hall. a. toil b. ado c. ?nesse d. edium 398. ________, the skilled pediatric nurse fed the premature baby. a. Carel essly b. Precariously c. Gingerly d. Wantonly 46 –S E N T E N C E C O M P L E T I O N – 399. For the ? rst assignment of the fall term, the students in Professor Norman’s English 101 class had to write a/an ________ to summarize the short story they had read. a. reconciliation b. acronym c. precis d. proclamation 400. She pretended to be ________ about her upcoming performance, but secretly she was very excited. a. agitated b. receptive c. candid d. blase 401. We were tired when we reached the ________, but the spectacular view of

How to Read and Understand a Difficult Book or Chapter

How to Read and Understand a Difficult Book or Chapter Weve all encountered chapters or books that we just cant get into or we dont understand. There are lots of reasons for this: sometimes were required to read about a topic that is just plain boring, sometimes we try to read material that is written way above our current reading level, and sometimes we find that the writer is just plain bad at explaining things. It happens. If you find yourself reading an entire chapter or book several times without understanding it, try taking the following steps. Be sure to do steps 1 to 3 before you jump in to read the text. Difficulty: Hard Time Required: Differs by length of written material What You Need: A difficult book or passageNote paperPencilSticky note flagsQuiet room How to Do It 1. Read the introduction and reflect.  Any nonfiction article or book will have an introductory section that gives an overview of the main points. Read this first, then stop, think, and soak it in.Reason: All textbooks on a certain topic are not created equal! Every writer has a certain theme or point of view, and that will be introduced in your introduction. Its important to understand this theme or focus  because it will help you to recognize why certain examples or comments appear in your reading. 2. Look at the sub-headings. Most books or chapters will progress in some manner, whether they show a progression of time or an evolution of ideas. Look over the topics and try to find the pattern.Reason: Writers begin the writing process with an outline. The subheadings or subtitles you see in your text show you how the author started when organizing his/her thoughts. Subtitles show the overall subject broken down into smaller segments which are arranged in the most logical progression.   3. Read the summary and reflect.  Right after you read the introduction and subheadings, flip to the back of the chapter and read the summary.Reason: The summary  should re-state the points that were mentioned in the introduction. (If they dont, then this really is a difficult book to understand!) This reiteration of the main points may offer the material in more depth or from a different viewpoint. Read this section, then stop and soak it in. 4. Read the material. Now that youve had time to understand the points the author is trying to convey, youre more apt to recognize them when they come along. When you see a major point, flag it with a sticky note.   5. Take notes. Take notes and, if possible, make a brief outline as you read. Some people like to underline words or points in pencil. Only do this if you own the book. 6. Watch for lists. Always look for code words that tell you a list is coming. If you see a passage that says There were three major effects of this event, and they all impacted the political climate, or something similar, you can be sure there is a list following. The effects will be listed, but they may be separated by many paragraphs, pages, or chapters. Always find them and make note of them. 7. Look up words you dont understand. Dont be in a rush! Stop whenever you see a word that you cant immediately define in your own words.Reason: One word can indicate the entire tone or view of the piece. Dont try to guess the meaning. That can be dangerous! Make sure to look up the definition. 8. Keep on plugging through. If youre following the steps but you still dont seem to be soaking in the material, just keep reading. Youll surprise yourself. 9. Go back and hit the highlighted points. Once you get to the end of the piece, go back and review the notes youve made. Look over the important words, points, and lists.Reason: Repetition is the key to retaining information. 10. Review the introduction and summary. When you do, you may find that youve absorbed more than you realized. Tips Dont be hard on yourself. If this is hard for you, its probably just as hard for other students in your class.Dont try to read in a noisy environment. That might be ok under other circumstances, but its not a good idea when attempting difficult reading.Talk to others who are reading the same material.You can always join the homework forum and ask advice from others.Dont give up!

Moral, Legal, Political and Practical Dimensions of Assassinations and Research Paper

Moral, Legal, Political and Practical Dimensions of Assassinations and The Assassination of John F. Kennedy - Research Paper Example Publicly, a man named Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested as the sole perpetrator of the crime but intense questioning of Oswald was prevented by another fatal shooting, this time conducted by a man named Jack Ruby who shot Oswald as he was being transported and then died in prison shortly afterward as a result of illness. However, reports continued to come in that shots were heard from another direction from that in which Oswald was hidden, reports that were given more credence once the president’s body was examined. In order for Oswald to have killed the president, it was argued, he would have had to have had a ‘magic bullet’ that was capable of ricocheting around inside the president’s body in an unnatural way before finding an exit. While this report does not promise any definitive answers to what actually happened that day in Dealey Plaza, it does take a look at the event as it is known and some of the controversy that has emerged surrounding the Warren Com mission’s report. President Kennedy was the nation’s 35th president, was the youngest president up to that time and was the first Irish Catholic president to serve (â€Å"John Kennedy†, 2007). As president, Kennedy worked to further the cause of Civil Rights and worked for the rights of the common man, extending America’s hand to other nations as an aid and support for these same efforts. Also under Kennedy, the Cold War heated up, coming to near blows with the Cuban Missile Crisis in early 1963. Following this event, Kennedy began working for â€Å"a world of law and free choice, banishing the world of war and coercion† (â€Å"John Kennedy†, 2007).  

Bureaucratic structure and leadership Research Paper

Bureaucratic structure and leadership - Research Paper Example Fire Administration, 2013). This is a kind of appropriate leadership technique where there is an involvement of serious safety risks (such as working with fire, machinery, dangerous heights and toxic substances (NFPA International, 2002). With these considerations, the paper aims comprehend the different feedbacks provided by the staff in a fire department in a leading southeastern city. Bureaucratic/Organizational Structure Issues Impacting the Fire Department’s Effectiveness Bureaucratic leadership style is a framework which is grounded upon certain fixed rules and regulations. This leadership style is particularly observed to be useful in case of performing routine activities which is generally the work structure of fire departments. With reference to the feedback provided by staff of fire department in a foremost southeastern city, it can be determined that fire department follows bureaucratic style which is a fixed framework but on the job at times the fire fighters requi re to take a lot of flexible decisions which might not be possible within such a rigid framework. Thus, a question arises whether the bureaucratic leadership style is acceptable in this organization or not. ... People do not have any specific idea regarding what their jobs actually are. Public actually perceive them as "dead weight" because they actually are not visible as the department of police. There have been various problems regarding the organizational structure of the fire department (Cochran, n.d.). Though media has been one of the most connective allies of the fire fighter departments, there is a lack of awareness and education about what the fighter does. Thus, there should be proper exposure of the fire department to the public, in terms of establishing greater cultural relationships. Thirdly, the fire fighters generally follow the standardized rating of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). It is observed from the feedbacks that the organizational structure or practices in the department bestow greater emphasis on the ratings of the ISO and less concern towards the needs of the communities. Fourthly, due to globalization new industrial buildings are setting up which is causing an increase in operations for the fire fighters. The fire services and equipment are getting increasingly expensive which may raise questions in the minds of the public regarding the quality of the service they are obtaining. Moreover, quick responses by the fire fighters may not be possible as some of the coverage areas are far from the stations. Training schedule needs to be structured properly so that multiple units of fire are actually not out of service at onetime leaving large areas of the city without protection. Nationally, there is a drop in the percentage of the number of fire fighters by nearly 10 percent from 880000 in 1984 to 790000 in the year 2001. This indicates that the

Whole School Approach To Behaviour For Learning Education Essay

Whole School Approach To Behaviour For Learning Education Essay B4L is a concept that has been developed through a review of effective behaviour management strategies. It has been identified that B4L is a result of a multitude of influences and not merely the desire of a learner to misbehave and unwillingness to learn. B4L identifies the link between students social conduct and behaviour and the way in which they learn. The study will focus on policies and practice to promote B4L. Research has identified the importance of motivating learners by improving teaching, making learning enjoyable in reducing behavioural issues and promoting B4L. Schools with good or outstanding teaching almost always have outstanding behaviour. The most successful schools set expectations of staff to deliver lessons that were varied and interesting, this has proven to increase attendance as well as reduce the incidence of unacceptable behaviour in lessons. The study identifies the importance of consistency within the application of policies, it also identifies a number of areas for improvement to promote B4L including the rewards system and use of detentions. Further research identifies the link between outstanding teaching B4L. Every opportunity to reward praise students should be taken, through verbal communication and point allocation. It is important that any policy in place is agreed and embraced by all staff to ensure that it is delivered consistently. Introduction The need to manage behaviour has long been an issue within schools. With the push on raising attainment, the development of Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision and the increase in policy, to be inclusive of all learners irrespective of their academic level or their social behaviour. It has been identified that 20% of all SEN learners have Social Emotional Behavioural Difficulties (SEBD) (Department for Children, Schools Families, (DCSF) 2009). The schools policy sets out high expectations of students, We expect students to reflect this in their appearance, attitudes and behaviour. We know we are moulding the citizens of the future and will encourage them to care for one another, be open, fair, honest and just. We want them to have a sense of pride in being part of our school community. (Appendix 1). Further to this the schools vision is to raise achievement by developing a culture where learning is at the heart of the school community. To achieve this vision the school identifies whole school priorities for 2010/2011 including improving behaviour and attendance. It also stated that the school will focus on incorporating Social, Emotional aspects of Learning (SEAL) practice in the classroom, which has been identified as an important key in developing learners emotional intelligence (Goleman, 1996 cited in Capel, Leask Turner 2009, p.141) providing learners with the skill set to monitor and improve their behaviour independently. It was clearly identified in the School Development Plan that Behaviour for learning (B4L) is a targeted area for improvement (Appendix 1). This was reinforced as a high priority area during staff meetings and subsequent correspondence from the Head Teacher. Issues that arose were the use of mobile phones MP3 players within lessons, consistency in the application of sanctions and use of rewards (Appendix 2). It is interesting to note that these both encompass the teacher and the learner identifying the diversity of the issues. It would be interesting to further enquire as to whether the use of mobile phones within lessons is a B4L issue or a sign of disengagement due to other factors. Understandably there is a close link between the quality of learning, teaching and behaviour, and therefore raises the question Can behaviour be improved through improving the quality of learning teaching? The school clearly identifies that there is a need to reinforce their policies on B4L. Through i nitial observation around the school it was interesting to note the overall behaviour of students occurring both in and out of lessons, there was frequent use of inappropriate language, fighting and a significant littering problem. During lessons students often refused to do any work, persistently had their mobile phones out and there was significant level of unrequired talking during lessons. This posed the question Is the school being pro-active in managing behaviour for learning or re-active to behaviour that has now reached undesirable levels? Behaviour management is often flagged as an area that Initial Teacher Education (ITE) students feel they would benefit from having greater support in when entering the profession of teaching (Buell et al., 1999 cited in Powell, S, Tod, J, 2004). This has been met by the expectations set by the Teacher Training Agency (TTA) via the Qualifying to Teach, the new standards and requirements for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) (TTA, 2002). B4L is a concept that has been developed through a review of effective behaviour management strategies. It has been identified that B4L is a result of multitude of influences and not merely the desire of a learner to misbehave and unwillingness to learn. It is important to identify the theoretical principles behind the way in which learners manifest themselves in terms of behaviour (Powell, S, Tod, J, 2004). B4L identifies the link between students social conduct and behaviour and the way in which they learn. Recent national policy has moved away from a punitive system where students were punished for doing something wrong, known as being reactive, and are now working towards understanding what causes learners to be off task and display undesirable behaviour, pro-active, as supported by Weare (2004 cited in in Capel, Leask Turner, 2009, p.141) who suggested that a punitive approach tends to worsen or create the problems it is intended to eradicate. Punishment alienates children from their teacher and does nothing to build up trust which is the foundation of relationships. National policy now promotes the inclusion of a greater diversity of learners in schools irrespective of level of achievement or social behaviour (Department for Education Employment (DfEE), 1999). It is important for schools to recognise this and develop strategies to promote B4L as over 20% of SEN provisions are learners with SEBD (DCSF, 2009). SEBD learners by nature can display undesirable behaviour unless managed in a positive way, so would it not be deemed unacceptable from an education professionals view for a learner predisposed to display poor behaviour, to fall victim to punitive actions? It is therefore important for schools to have a well-structured B4L policy that coincides with the SEN policy. In order for schools to develop an effective policy they must be able to identify the complexity of factors that influence behaviour and clearly identify what is considered an unacceptable level. Do schools have a standard response to unacceptable behaviour with clear sanctions regardless of the severity of the behaviour witnessed? The Elton report (1989) defines misbehaviour as such that raises concern to teachers. This clearly has limitations as it is dependent on the individual teacher and within the context of which it occurs. This can cause numerous issues within schools as inconsistencies can arise due to teachers individual views of unacceptable behaviour, as reported by Ofsted (2006). Ofsteds (2008) report identified the importance of all staff sharing clear expectations of pupils. The report showed that the most successful schools had strong senior leaders that supported staff through training. They also had clear behaviour policies instated that are implemented consistently by all staff, which clearly proves that by providing clear instruction of policies to staff and the consistent application of them is fundamental in controlling negative behaviour in schools. Disruptive, challenging, anti-social, emotional behavioural difficulties (EBD) are widely used terms by teachers to describe a students behaviour (Capel, Leask Turner, 2009,). These however do not clearly identify the actual behaviour and the causation. It is important for teachers to not merely state that a child is being disruptive but record what they were doing to be disruptive and why. In order to be proactive rather than reactive staff need to have dialogue with the offender to discuss what happened, who was affected and acknowledge the learners views. This falls within the restorative approach and is essential in developing a learners emotional intelligence. Far too often learners are punished and do not know exactly what they were doing wrong or resolve the underlying issue. It is difficult to define unacceptable behaviour on a National whole school level due to the perceptions, tolerance threshold, and experience management approach of teachers. These inconsistencies can lead to confusion amongst pupils and lead to teachers being pin pointed as being strict and inconsistent in comparison with the rest of the school, which can cause tension and ultimately a breakdown in student-teacher relationships (Weare, 2004 cited in Capel, Leask Turner, 2009, pg141). It is therefore essential that schools adopt a well-structured monitoring and reporting policy which relates to the observable actions of pupils. The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) (2001 cited in Capel, Leask Turner 2009, pg145) generated a list of 15 behaviours by which pupils emotional and behavioural actions could be defined, these were sub-divided into three categories learning , conduct and emotional. Ofsted (2008) identified persistent low-level disruption as the most common for m of poor behaviour. There is an abundance of research on behavioural management strategies. However behaviour still remains an area of concern for schools. It was also raised as an issue for newly qualified teachers (NQT) who expressed that they would benefit from additional support in behaviour management in preparation for teaching (Powell, S, Tod, J, 2004). In response the Behaviour Management Review Group (2004) conducted a review into the theoretical explanations of behaviour, in order to enhance teachers understanding of the causal factor of behaviour. By providing teachers with a theoretical framework to model their management strategies around, Initial Teacher Trainees (ITT) will not feel the need to continually find new strategies to cope with behavioural issues. The review highlighted the complexity of learning behaviour and the contributing factors of societal, family and school environments that influence pupil behaviour basing their model on Bronfenbrenners Ecological Systems Theory (1989 c ited in Powell, S, Tod, J, 2004) (Appendix 3) . This obviously highlights a barrier to addressing B4L, as teachers do not have input during all environments. It is therefore important that schools need to develop and maintain relationships with students, parents carers, which was identified in the Ofsted Report (2009), as still needing some improvement. The conceptual framework used within the review by the Behaviour Management Review Group (2004) identified the importance of relationships in shaping learning behaviour. The model identified the relationship of a learners with others, the curriculum and themselves. When observing a learners behaviour a teacher must consider if the curriculum is relevant in the learners eyes, does the learner feel they can achieve what is asked of them? Does the learner have a strong relationship with their teacher and peers? This is supported by Evans et al, (2003 cited in Capel, Leask Turner, 2009) who suggested the key to promoting a positive lea rning environment by improving learning behaviour is characterised through the development of positive relationships and developing an appropriate emotional climate in the classroom. It is in all teachers interest to take responsibility for B4L focusing on developing positive relationships with learners. Several reports have identified the importance of motivating learners by improving teaching, making learning enjoyable in reducing behavioural issues and promoting B4L. Schools with good or outstanding teaching almost always had outstanding behaviour. The most successful schools set expectations of staff to deliver lessons that were varied and interesting, this has proven to increase attendance as well as reduce the incidence of unacceptable behaviour in lessons. Schools reported improved attitudes towards learning and an improvement in monitoring students achievement (Ofsted, 2001; 2006; 2008). Ofsted (2008) continued to acknowledge the need to improve behaviour as 28% of secondary schools displayed no better than satisfactory behaviour. Other contributing factors to improve B4L included consistent acknowledgement of achievement and use of a reward system to promote positive behaviour. Often schools do not provide consistent administration of reward systems and it has been seen that often teachers cease to use reward systems past Yr7 and very rarely into Key stage 4 (Ofsted, 2001, pg26). This was identified within the study school during a staff meeting where senior management had gathered information during student council raising the issue that older students still liked receiving reward points, where it had been presumed by staff that it was no longer effective. The study will focus on the schools current policy on behaviour for learning and how this is implemented on a daily basis. Through a review of the schools current policy and staff views the study will hope to identify areas for improving B4L providing recommendations for the future. The study will focus on current school issues including inappropriate use of mobile phones, reward system and sanctions. Methodology The research will aim to identify the current issues within the school surrounding B4L schools current strategies to improve B4L. To gain an in-depth review of the schools current B4L issue the study will focus on the implementation of B4L strategies through direct informal observation. This allows a high degree of validity by monitoring the focus in its setting of actual use. The limitation of this is that actual situations may be skewed due to the presence of the observer and it is therefore important for observation to occur over a period of time so those being observed become less aware of the observers presence. To promote this the observer should not become involved or drawn into the social interactions with those being observed. A significant limitation to observation is that the observer will have to interpret what they witness without confirmation from the subject. This limitation will be reduced by following observations with unstructured interviews as used by Frederikson, et al (1996) which allows subjects to express a more detailed insight into the topic. Data across the school will be analysed to identify any trends in negative behaviour. A view of the whole school approach towards behaviour will be obtained through analysis of the current policies along with statistical data from the Schools Information Management System (SIMS). Further to this, interviews will be arranged with lead staff on B4L. Over a period of a week a number of lessons were observed and followed up with informal discussions with the teacher. The observations were focused on identifying the levels of engagement of students, any behavioural issues and how they are addressed by the teacher and level of teaching learning. Through further discussions post-lesson, staff members were asked on their views of the lesson and how they feel the students level of behaviour impacted on the learning. In addition to this the reward policy was reviewed and the application of it was observed in lessons. The main purpose of this study was to review existing policies on improving B4L including behavioural and reward policies and the consistency of their application. Findings Whole School The schools Ofsted report (2009) identified that students behaviour was not always as good as it should be with instances of boisterous behaviour. Inspectors found behaviour to be satisfactory overall, but variable. The report stated too many lessons lack challenge and do not take sufficient account of students individual capabilities or encourage independent learning. They also noted that the quality of marking and feedback was varied across the school. The report went on to suggest that teaching was not challenging on a whole school stage did not provide students with the opportunity to make progress, develop confidence and develop the skills to work independently. This could contribute to poor B4L as the lack of development of learners emotional intelligence can restrict learners from being able to monitor and improve their behaviour (Goleman, 1996 cited in Capel, Leask Turner 2009, p.141). The report continues to identify that teaching can be too directed and does not take into account the differing abilities of learners; the school needs to ensure that lesson activities consistently challenge students of all ability groups to make better progress and develop their independent learning skills, especially at Key Stage 4. Behaviour Policy In the first instance the school has a well-structured behavioural policy with the aims of providing a caring and secure environment by promoting positive behaviour, regular attendance, self-discipline and respect for others. It clearly states that consistent, yet flexible implementation of the policy by all is essential. This goes on to refer to special considerations for vulnerable groups such as SEN. This initially raises the issue of how flexible the policy should be whilst trying to remain consistent. As identified by the school as a high priority target, the policy states mobile phones MP3s can be confiscated when it disturbs the learning environment. The policy goes on to set out five expectations that should be maintained at all times (Appendix 4, Pg2). The policy has a clearly structured sanction system and identifies methods for recording behavioural infractions through SIMS. Through analysis of data on SIMS it is clear that teaching staff are thorough at recording behavioural incidents that occur during lesson with details of the incident. Some teachers used the data as a motivational tool in tutor time by sharing positive and negative points with students and setting them goals for the week. This was particularly effective with year 7 students who were very keen to see how many points they currently had. Sanctions The school sanction policy followed a ladder system which identified different sanctions for the level of behaviour displayed (Appendix 4, pg11). It was interesting to note that the column labelled examples of behaviour use general descriptive terms such as disruptive behaviour, persistent disruptive behaviour, disrupting the learners of other. It also groups various types of behaviour which a student may display. Many of these behaviours were identified by the QCA (2001) as either being learning behaviours, conduct behaviours and emotional behaviours and therefore individual and definitive in the way they should be met. All of the responses to behavioural issues bar the first incident result in a punitive response primarily of detentions at different levels. It is not until the fourth level when students are displaying persistent disruptive behaviour, three negative SIMS in a week in the same lesson and failing to attend a detention that meetings are set in place with the students a nd senior staff to discuss expectations. During observation of lessons the majority of incidences occur within the first three steps of the sanction flowchart which were often dealt with accordingly. It was however noted that not all staff made contact with parents as suggested when placing students in break lunch time detentions. On most occasion students are asked to stop what they are doing if disruptive to the lesson or asked to sit out as not to hinder the other students learning. The teacher then resolved the issue with the learner, by setting clear expectations of the student, then allowing them to join back in the lesson. If continual disruptive behaviour occurred, staff then proceeds to give the students a break time or lunch time detention depending on the severity of the behaviour. It was noted that the relationship between offences and consequences were inconsistent in application by different staff and dependent upon the individual learners. Often students who were kno wn to staff to be persistently difficult tended to be flagged up quicker for their behaviour compared to others. This often led to some students feeling that they were victimised by staff. During detentions in the Physical Education department students were asked to sit in an allocated area for the duration. Often this area had other students around and friends of the student in detention would come in and sit with them. It was also unclear as to the purpose of the detentions, was it time for the student to reflect on their actions or simply used to punish by taking up the students free time? Most conversations between teachers staff were one-sided and did not necessarily allow the student to resolve or discuss their actions. It was clear that the application purpose of detentions needed to be reviewed as supported by the departments views during a departmental meeting. If students repeatedly offended they were placed on report. This involved the students achieving their individually set behaviour targets each lesson. This allowed closer monitoring of the students behaviour in all lessons. The targets set on some reports were often too general and allowed flexibility in the judgement of the outcomes by teachers. The reports were useful as they facilitated conversation with the student and teacher at the end of lessons developing relationships and providing opportunity for the student to reflect on their actions over the lesson. It was noted that often students would lose their reports or not get their reports completed every lesson with little consequence when given to tutors. This raised an issue of the unimportance and disregard of the severity of being on report by students. If students ultimately did not improve their behaviour this would lead to a behavioural support program and the risk of internal and potentially external exclusion. Data Analysis Data was gathered from the school monitoring reports and SIMS (Appendix 5). Over the last three years there has been a decline in exclusions from 137 to 96 and withdrawals from 380 to 186 within the whole school. However Disruptive behaviour has returned to high levels from a dip in 2009/10 rising from 3983 up to 4424. By analysing the three areas it can be seen that although the amount of exclusions and withdrawals has decreased, this is accounted for by the contributing percentile increase of disruptive behaviour (Appendix 6). By analysing the SIMS reports for the whole school the most prevalently recorded behaviour incidents highest first were; Disruptive behaviour Inadequate work completed in a lesson Defiance Failure to complete homework, Truancy Rudeness to a member of staff Ignoring regulations Use of mobile phone/ MP3 in lesson Failure to attend detentions Dangerous behaviour Persistent lack of equipment Disruptive behaviour was by far the highest rating incident recorded, consistent with the Elton report (1989), which identified low-level disruptive behaviour as the most prevalent poor behaviour in schools. A significant number of reports of disruptive behaviour were due to talking out of turn. Disruptive behaviour levels were consistently high through all years with a decrease in years 10 11, this could be due to the responsibility of learning shifting towards the learners as they start preparing for GCSEs, and that the learners then have the opportunity to personalise their learning programme through options. Mobile Phone MP3s School data for 2010/11 identifies mobile phones as the 8th ranked occurring behaviour incident within the school. Through observation around the school it was clear that the use of mobile phones and music players had reached critical level and were continually causing disruption during lessons. Many students would arrive at lessons with mobile phones in hand and headphones in ears. It was good to see that on the majority of times students were challenged and told to put away their mobile phones and earphones at the beginning of a lesson. However this did not have a lasting affect as students often returned to using their mobile phones during lessons when the teacher was not aware of them. Some students continued to listen to music in lessons without being challenged, clearly identifying the issue of inconsistency with the implementation of the behaviour policy. It was clear that this behaviour was being communicated back to senior management, as during briefing the head teacher reit erated the schools policy and through further correspondence with particular focus on the use of mobile phones and music players (Appendix 2). In reaction to this release of policy staff started to clamp down on mobile phone use in lessons, however there were issues with the length of confiscation as this was not made clear. Some staff confiscated the phones till the end of the lesson, some till the end of the day and some even for the rest of the week. Although this revision and awareness of the policy certainly had an impact as staff soon felt empowered to confiscate students mobile phones it did not tackle the issue of as to why students were continually on their phones during lessons. It soon got to a point in some lessons where teachers were repeatedly taking mobile phones off the same students every lesson. Through discussions with students it was noted that students often resort to going on their mobile phones when feeling bored, disengaged in their learning or unsure of what they are doing. During a whole school meeting on B4L and the revised policy, various departments offered their views and strategies they have implemented to address B4L. The science department had set out a code of conduct with posters clearly indicating to students to put their bags and belongings in a designated area. This is felt to be an issue within the school as a whole as students are continuously carrying their belongings around in lessons and have them at easy reach during lessons, where it was suggested by getting students to leave their bags out of reach has helped reduce the distraction to their learning. Reward System The school operates on a house system where students belong to one of the five houses. Students can gain house points in the form of stickers to the value of 1, 5 and 10 points (Appendix 4, pg8. Each lesson students are able to gain stickers for achieving and taking part in a number of school activities. The ways in which students can achieve house points seem unobtainable on a daily basis for the majority of the school population. Through observations of tutor time students were asked to count up their points during the week, which were recorded onto SIMS. It appeared that on the whole students were receiving reasonably high amounts of points on a weekly basis including those who were known to staff as having regular behavioural problems. It appeared that the amount of points awarded were not consistent with the reward policy as students commented that some teachers were awarding high points for basic expectations of students which according to the policy only merited a single point . During the observation of physical education lessons it was apparent that the points system was not being applied as teachers expressed difficulty in physically awarding stickers during lessons due to the nature of the environment. However the staff did focus on recording positive behaviour on SIMS which the students seemed to respond to and want to achieve. Overall the observation of the reward system identified inconsistency in the administration of the house points and urgently needs reviewing and supported through discussion with staff. It was not clear within the school from a students perspective as to what the points contributed towards. There was no immediate or substantial reward for students who achieved in lessons. It was also clear that for some students particularly those who had been identified as SEN that points were awarded for demonstrating basic good behaviour which contradicts the reward policy that states, Points should not be awarded for students displaying the schools basic expectations as agreed by all staff (Appendix 4, pg9). The policy also states that individuals can have specific targets set to gain house points but this can only be sanctioned by faculty coordinators and year coordinators. Conclusion Based on the findings of this study it is clear that there is need for greater consistency in managing B4L even though the school has the well-structured policies in place. During a whole staff review meeting on B4L the head teacher acknowledged that the policy is not working due to inconsistencies in application. This is current with the rewards system, application of sanctions and addressing of poor behaviour, with particular reference to transition time between lessons and break time (Appendix 2). In order to improve levels of behaviour during break times the school could focus on providing structured sports sessions. Students currently have access to the courts and facilities which are supervised by the PE staff; however there is lack of structure. Through the Physical Education, School Sports Club Links (PESSCL) (2008) investigations it has been shown that by providing a range of clubs for the students, there has been an improvement in behaviour during lunchtime and afternoon l essons. Other schools have had success with students who have poor behaviour records and low motivation by providing them with the opportunity to develop their leadership skills and then run a sporting competition. This had a positive impact on the students self-esteem and attitude to learning (PESSCL, 2008). Ofsted (2000) identified that in schools where teachers agreed to follow procedures for supervision of corridors and outdoor areas between lessons, reduced behaviour incidents and increased punctuality. As identified in this study a large proportion of poor behaviour is due to the inconsistency in applying behaviour policies. Numerous studies have identified that in order to improve behaviour the school must tackle it as a whole school approach including attainment, teaching and attendance Ofsted (2006; 2000). Ofsted (2006; 2000) also highlight the importance of providing effective teaching that is interesting, structured and works to develop personal learning thinking skills. By developing these skills students will be able to work independently and take more responsibility for their learning. It is evident that B4L is directly related to Teaching Learning practice policy. Schools that have poor behaviour have often been seen to have ineffective teaching, this is concurrent with the study school as identified in the Ofsted report (2009).Several studies have identified that good teaching can promote good behaviour, creating a positive learning environment. By providing interesting lessons with clear learning objectives, clear expectations, differentiation and recognition of individual achievement learn ers feel positive about their learning and consequently act in a positive manner (Ofsted 2005;2008). There is a need for schools and teachers to be proactive in developing learning behaviour rather than simply being reactive to behavioural problems. It would be beneficial to prioritise the development of positive relationships with lear

Employee Relations HND 2013 Assignment 1 Essay

Unitarism is considered to be as a family-type system where the association is alleged to be an incorporated and pleasant atmosphere like a happy family. A principal theory of the unitary approach is all employees and the employers as well in the entire organization share the same goals, interests and dedications therefore working hand-in-hand and towards their mutual objectives. Somewhat like an Ant Colony, all of the ants work together for the same goals, and for the colony. Which brings me to another point where in Unitarism has a sort of a paternalistic approach where loyalty of all members is a must, just like ants where the queen is considered the father figure. Trade Unions are not referred to as much and are deemed unnecessary and conflict is alleged to be disorderly. From an Employee’s point of view, The Unitary approach should encompass; Waged work ought to be flexible; Individuals ought to be oriented, multi-talented, effective and efficient in business procedural improvement. If any Trade Union is recognized its purpose is that to improve communications between the employees and the employer. Good relationship is stressed on and the terms and conditions of employment are complete and comprehensive. Employee brainstorming sessions are encouraged therefore bringing out the best solutions to any problems. Also helping employees bring out their innovation, creativity, qualities and it leaves room for improvement. Workers should have a sense of belonging and security at the workplace through the skills and expertise of the managers who are informed regarding their endeavors, therefore allowing them to maximize their efficiency at the workplace. From an Employers point of view, The Unitary Approach should incorporate; The company policies must maximize the unification of employee efforts, inspiration and motivation. The company’s extensive goals must be communicated in an organized and proper manner to all staff. Systems should be established to ensure employee loyalty and commitment such as reward-systems. Line Managers should ensure ownership responsibilities of their team/staff. Staff-management conflicts – from the perspective of the unitary framework – are seen as arising from lack of information, inadequate presentation of management’s policies. Personal objectives of each employee in the entire organization must be discussed with them and then incorporated with the organizations requirements. Pluralist Perspective; Pluralism consists of powerful, divergent sub-groups, managements and trade unions within an organization. This approach responds to conflicts of interest and misunderstandings between managers and workers in regard to distribution of profits as a normal and inescapable problem. In regard to this, Managements would opt less towards administrating and monitoring, and opt more towards convincing and synchronization. Trade Unions are supported a lot here and considered to be legitimate legislatures of employees. Conflict is solved by cooperative negotiations and is regarded not necessarily as a negative entity and if accomplished can in fact be channeled into development and positive energy. Realistic managers cannot deny the fact that conflict occurs and have no choice other than to accept it. There is greater susceptibility for conflict than harmony. They must have procedures in advance for settling any disputes that may arise which may include; Industrial Relations and Personnel Specialists who guide managers and offer specialist services in respect of staffing and matters relating to union consultation and negotiation. Autonomous external negotiators should be incorporated to help in regard to settlement of disputes. Union recognition should be encouraged and union representatives given scope to carry out their representative duties All-Inclusive mutual agreements must be negotiated with unions. The Differences between Unitarism and Pluralism; Unitarism and pluralism are concepts that differ vastly in their definition as well as their procedures. These terms are mainly heard of in employee relations. Unitarism believes that the management or employees of the organization have to be interconnected and work hand in hand with each other to achieve their goals and for the welfare of the company. While Pluralism on the other hand believes that various groups of employees have different needs and necessities therefore making it sort a selected procedure and acknowledging this fact can help the company achieve its goals. Something one must know is that unitarism believes that the employees and company shares the same agenda, the experts call it a â€Å"Unitary Outlook† Pluralism does not believe in the control implemented by the management. . This is one of the main differences between pluralism and Unitarism. Pluralists encourage that a particular system be followed in the interest of the organization. It opines that power is nicely dispersed rather than concentrated in the hands of a few individuals. Pluralism gives ample opportunity for employees to voice out their opinions. On the other hand, unitarism believes in the perception of the entire organization as one big family. The management and the staff share common objectives, interests and purposes according to unitarists. It has a paternalistic approach, and it expects the loyalty of the employees. Pluralism on the other hand, is not paternalistic in its approach and hence, it does not expect the loyalty of the employees. These are the important differences between unitarism and pluralism in the arena of human resources development. Question 2: The past 25-30 years have seen massive overall changes in the regard to employee relations in the United Kingdom’s Organizational sector. The main factors that influenced this change are political, economic, social and technological factors, The influence of the Conservative government played a major role in the political aspect of employee relation change which was performed during 1979-1997. –The Wilderness Years- These years had drastic changes and were very unstable for the Conservative government, they included declines in trade unions, new laws and acts sorted out and the importance of the Labour government from 1997 to the present day which has also brought different changes to employee relations. In regard to legal perspectives the Conservative government has played a significant role in labour law which involved changing the relationship between the employer and employee, the employer and the union and the membership therefore establishing effective communication and understanding. The other changes inaccordance to legal reference were; Removing constitutional supports for collective bargaining. Advertising and Promoting Non-Unionism. Abolition of the obligatory union membership. Restraining industrial action and increasing fines for unlawful action. Regulation of internal Union government. Flagging labour law and social security measures which delivered a level to wages. Removing protection afforded by individual employment rights. Technological Impacts; All organisations function within specific technological limitations which have an impact on its size and structure, whereas the size and structure have an influence on the culture of an organization. As culture affects the relationship between people it can be seen that technology and technological development play an important role in employee relations. It is important for employee relations professionals to understand the meaning of the word ‘technology’ If it simply suggests some form of process or engineering, then does it have any role outside of manufacturing? It is more than an engineering process, in the perspective of an organization it is the application of skills and knowledge. New technology can be viewed in three ways in regard to employee relations; 1.) Its impact on traditional skills acts as a de-skilling agent as well as a creator of un employment. 2.) In a more positive way it creates a chance for old employees to learn new skills. 3.) This perspective views technology as a way to remove previously unpleasant or repetitive tasks from the equation. Question 3: Workers (Employees); The role of the employee is classified over the things he should yearn for in an organization. A good employee will try to develop oneself and seek a variety of assignments, tackle tough problems and ask for feedback. Coaching is also a very helpful activity it can be both ways as one looking for others to coach and another looking for a coach to learn from. Asking for feedback can be very helpful especially when working with different varieties of people in different situations. One should look for developmental relationships that can help provide a lot of learning and understanding. They should identify goals for new skills and abilities and organize how to achieve those goals. Attending classes and workshops would be a great source of filling in conceptual needs. The responsibility of an employee given to him/her by the organization should be recognized by the employee, Things that the employee must ensure and study when starting work towards development; Precise Goals; identifying goals for new abilities and organizing methods to reach those goals. Vigor to make his/her development successful. Diversity of work assignments. Requesting for feedback. Chances to coach other employees and finding good coaches for oneself. Developmental relationships that give a chance for an assortment of learning Managers; Managers are the head of Employee relations and are responsible for creating a rational, respectful, varied and high performance culture allowing employees to give their best effort. The post holder will improve, provide and uphold a business engrossed employee relation strategy that is to the point and ensures that the E.R team achieve their goals and work plan. The main responsibilities of a manager are; Head of discussions with any official union and staff relations with a purpose to successfully achieve positive outcome and comprehensive understandings to proposals which meet organisation objectives. Lead on the employee relations phases of projected variations to organization structure, employment levels and agreements to support the delivery of business goals. Donate to the considered development of the Human Resource function by introducing a progressive, business focused employee relations strategy that validates the current and future needs of an organization. Contribute to the sustained enhancement of the health of the organization by observing performance indicators, like sick leave, levels of grievances and disciplinaries , work/life balance, increasing initiatives and solutions to establish positive trends. Recognize and implement positive employee relations programmes, in discussion with the applicable stakeholder groups, that will increase effeciencey and motivation in the workforce. Deliver approachable and high quality support, training and advice to all parts of the business including senior managers to guarantee the to ensure appropriate management of all employee relations issues, including poor performance, grievances and disciplinary action. Manage and organize the people aspects of any streamlines within the organization, including redeployment and redundancy that must be completed within timescales and using the budgets. Ensure that the appropriate Human Resource support mechanisms are in place for staff. Give advice and direction regarding all the employee relations aspect of pay and reward projects, deviations to pay, terms and conditions of employment, pay reviews and their application. Improve and implement discussing mechanisms with trade unions which support the yearly pay and benefits with any organizational changes. Effectively manage all legal proceedings and Employment tribunal cases for the organization and act as the ‘Intelligent Client’ for retained lawyers, protecting the reputation and finances of the organization. Preserve relationships with internal diversity networks to enable the organizations targets to be met and contribute to the development and implementation of diversity action plans that fulfill the overall goals of employee relations. Lead a team and use good people management practices. Particularly with regard to performance management and career development. Organizations; One of the main functions of an organization in employee relations is to act as the employer’s spokesperson in pursuit to influence the broad policy environment in a manner conducive to their constituents’ interests (in this respect, it might be noted that the IR function was originally, and in many cases has remained, the cornerstone of the operations of many employers’ organizations). This representation role will remain significant. But â€Å"the ultimate credibility of employers’ organizations will depend on the provision of quality services to enterprises and their capacity and skill in negotiating on behalf of employers† (de Silva 1996:3). In this regard, considerable emphasis is now being given within the region to developing employers’ organizations as strong professional organizations. Priority is being given to strategic planning; developing direct services to members across a range of issues (eg, labour law, IR/HRM, labour market information, human resource development, etc); and providing the necessary internal capacities to deliver these services (which requires knowledgeable, well-trained technical staff, supported by sophisticated research and information bases). References: http://books.google.ae/books?id=FuUmIixUldwC&pg=PA96&lpg=PA96&dq=technological+changes+to+employee+relations+in+uk+from+1979&source=bl&ots=Ha2NfkrfnW&sig=DS13XkOYCpc8RFROwW1O2t_2kXY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=-0HlUdDjC4KJrQf4ooCgDw&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=technological%20changes%20to%20employee%20relations%20in%20uk%20from%201979&f=false http://industrialrelations.naukrihub.com/pluralistic-perspective.html http://industrialrelations.naukrihub.com/unitary-perspective.html http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-unitarism-and-vs-pluralism/ http://www.earlhamsociologypages.co.uk/conthatnewright.html