Deism and Changes in Religious Tolerance in America Essay

Deism and Changes in Religious Tolerance in America Religious conscience in America has evolved considerably since the first settlers emigrated here from Europe. Primary settlements were established by Puritans and Pilgrims who believed their errand into the wilderness [America] was above all else a religious errand, and all institutions - town meeting, school, church, family, law-must faithfully reflect that fact (Gaustad 61). However, as colonies grew, dissenters emerged to challenge Puritan authority; indeed, many of them left the church to join untraditional religious sects such as the Ranters, the Seekers, the Quakers, the Antinomians, and the Familists (Westbrook 26). Debates over softening the stance on tolerance in†¦show more content†¦Rejecting the assumption that God controls all actions on earth, most Deists believe that God created the universe, [. . .] and then disassociated himself from his creation (Robinson 3). This definition leads to the supposition that deistic thought was partly conceived out of scientific discovery: a Darwinian takeover theory. Perhaps the nuances of scientific knowledge manifested a directive in the argument for religious freedom. Certainly, Deists supported what Benjamin Franklin termed, spiritual Liberty, which asserted that no man ought to resign his Liberty, in mak[ing] Choice of his Minister as his Judgement and Conscience direct him (qtd. in Walters, Franklin 138). Thomas Paine, Deisms most notable advocate, maintains this line of thinking saying, I do not believe in the creed professed by [. . .] any church that I know of, but, I do not mean this declaration to condemn those who believe otherwise; they have the same right to their belief as I have to mine (22). Religious tolerance would gain many formidable voices among Americas Founding Fathers, a development that poses a challenge to the harsh dogmatic attitude of early Puritan leaders. Intolerance for opposing views in religious matters was a renowned element in Puritanical practices during the seventeenth century. Few persons had the courage to speak against church doctrine, as it would certainly pronounce their expulsion. One such person, Roger Williams,Show MoreRelatedPuritan Verse Twenty Century Deist Thinking2525 Words   |  11 Pagesview of God has constantly evolved. During the formation of America this is made evident when the 17th century Puritan idealism is confronted with 18th century Enlightenment. This collision of religious ideas would spark a change, and a new age in America. My research will shows the original American settlers had concepts and, emerging different understanding of the biblical scripture and, needed to come to grips with social and religious freedom from being exclusive to being more inclusive. PuritansRead MoreJames C. Modern Christian Thought Volume 1 : The Enlightenment And The Nineteenth Century1808 Words   |  8 PagesMinneapolis: Fortress Press, 1997. ISBN-13: 978-0-8006-3795-8. 448. pp. (Kindle Edition: 10285 locations). By: TidSureyah Tach, ID# 339560 October 21st, 2014 Bibliographic data: James C. Livingston (died July 31st, 2011 at age 81) was a faculty member in Religious Studies and administration at the College of William and Mary from 1968 to 1998. Professor Livingston was the founding chair of the Department of Religion, when he earned a promotion to full professor in 1973. He became the Walter G. Mason ProfessorRead MoreJohn Locke And The Locke Of The United States5485 Words   |  22 Pages The writings of John Locke were basic in the idea that they focused on the natural rights of people, the rights given by God. Locke had theories when it came to religious tolerance. Locke believed that earthly judges, the state in particular, and human beings generally, cannot dependably evaluate the truth-claims of competing religious standpoints. InA Letter Concerning Toleration, Locke argues for freedom of religion, which became one of the bedrock principles which the country was founded on.Read MoreMy Son Christian By Mark Carrasco Essay11672 Words   |  47 PagesOne can be open minded and still obedient to their God and His word. Open-mindedness and obedience are two different ideas. While many a soldier may not agree with his superior’s orders, he still obeys them. My political stance often mirrors my religious stance. Very often I will have moments where I agree with a liberal on a position or two, yet I never agree with a militant liberal. While I have empathy for a woman who screams in my face, â€Å"My body; My choice,† she fails to understand that I do

University Study Skills Free Essays

Students need to make a number of adjustments when starting university. Critically discuss some of these adjustments in terms of skills brought with them, and new skills that must be developed. Draw on relevant SSK12 material in your essay. We will write a custom essay sample on University Study Skills or any similar topic only for you Order Now ————————————————- In this essay it will be argued that even though students may bring with them such skills as competence in writing secondary school essays and reports, good comprehension and grammar and motivation to succeed with them to university, there are other skills they will need to develop as well as refine those they already possess. The main skills which any new student will need to develop in order to succeed at university are critical thinking, which also includes critical reading, reflective thinking, learning independently and adjusting to the concept of the university culture which has its own languages and behaviours. New students are likely to experience a cultural clash as university possesses its own culture, and sub-cultures. Adjustments will have to be made with students needing to develop bicultural habits. As Kolb asserts, students entering higher education will have to engage in ‘learning how to learn’ (Kolb 1981). The lead-up to the first study period, as well as the first study period itself, of a student’s beginning in university can be a massive culture shock. Some students may develop the feeling of uncertainty as to whether they have made the right choice about pursuing higher education and whether they are even likely to succeed. This can be observed by reading some of the student comments on the SSK12 Facebook page during the first weeks of the first study period. In other cases we may see students that take on a particular discipline and after a period of time find that they no longer have a desire to pursue that discipline. There may be few opportunities for students in these positions to change disciplines. This is primarily due to the fact each discipline has its own sub-culture within the greater university culture. As Kolb has discussed, there are many faculties within the university, each have their own conventions that are unique to themselves such as language, values, ideas and norms (Kolb 1981). This impending transition may be too much for a student who has already had to become acculturated and has potentially experienced a culture shock. The average individual can be affected by several cultures, for example and not necessarily restricted to, culture of family, culture of the workplace and culture of religion. The culture of university is but one of the cultures that can make a big impact on the individual. Students are faced with a new workload that may come with a pace of instruction that is probably faster and more intense than what they may be used to. There is a potential to feel overwhelmed at first and ways to overcome this may be to develop habits of early preparation, prioritising and time management. There is an expectation that students need to be self-motivated and independent. There will be some guidance available but the general expectation is that the individual should know their own deadlines and the amount of study that is required. This may take some adjustment for individuals as they may be reeling from the cultural demands that university has already begun to place upon them. If they are studying more than one subject in their first study period they will have already potentially experienced the distinction in sub-cultures. For example, Ballard and Clanchy have noted that each sub-culture will have its own language and values and the new student will have to navigate themselves through an unsteady transition between cultures (Ballard and Clanchy 1988). Individuals also need to develop critical thinking as it is a cornerstone of university studies. Warren contends that critical thinking is necessary to university studies as an individual cannot â€Å"process information, form reasoned opinions, evaluate beliefs, construct positions, or articulate a thesis without the use of critical thinking† (Warren 1995, 4). I can support this through my own experience as critical thinking has been an important component of my university studies to date. One may see, however, that some individuals may have difficulties bringing themselves around to this mode of thinking as critical thinking involves developing an impersonal approach and attempting to put aside any biases that the individual may possess about particular subjects. Critical thinking may also involve critical reading and this may also be a foreign concept to the new student. One needs to get into the habit of identifying theses in readings rather than just ‘reading’ – ‘sorting the wheat from the chaff’, as it were. Once the thesis has been identified the argument then needs to be analysed and criticised. Any evidence within the reading needs to be assessed. Any conclusions reached need to be examined as well as whether they are supported by evidence. Any other alternatives also need to be considered. In short, the individual will need to read more widely than what they may be used to and in a more analytical fashion. Reflective thinking is another skill that students must develop as it is a valuable tool. Reflection is integral to learning and assists in critical thinking as it starts with being self-critical in order to learn and improve. As Marshall and Rowland assert, ‘thinking about your own thinking, or metacognition, will give you insights into how you go about your learning, and is important if you want to change or adapt study behaviours’ (Marshall and Rowland 2006 9). Warren further asserts that ‘critical thinking is necessary to learning. One cannot process information, form reasoned opinions, evaluate beliefs, construct positions, or articulate a thesis without the use of critical thinking. As such, the critical self is integral to learning itself’ (Warren 1995). Reflective thinking makes the individual ask themselves what may be working, what is not working and what may require improvement. Some students may already bring a form of this skill with them to university. I can support this through my personal experience in this area. I served in the police force for thirty years and the procedure in the police force was to conduct ‘debriefs’ of incidents that we were involved in. The police debrief was always framed in the format of discussing what went well and what could be done better. Every individual involved in that particular incident was expected to contribute. The expectation was that this process would lead to constant improvement in performance. It is a very similar process to reflection within university learning. One method of reflective thinking that students may learn a great deal from is through the keeping of a reflective journal, also known as a learning log. Pavlovich asserts that reflective journals are an invaluable aid in the development of self-awareness and inner leadership (Pavlovich 2007). The use of a reflective journal aids in developing the individual as a critical thinker as the very nature of its use forces the user to be critical of themselves and lead to change and improvement. Students will also need to develop the skill of speaking and writing in academic English. This is part of the acculturation to the university culture of which language is a major part. Students will have to learn very quickly to become bicultural. In their written work they will have to learn to avoid contractions and develop the passive voice over the active voice. Academic English is specific whereas informal English, that the student may be used, to is rather vague. Academic English is also often structured in a cautious manner whereas informal English is often structured in a more definite manner. Using my own personal experience to add support to this, I thought I had a reasonable grasp of formal English having come from the police force where, for example, great care goes into compilation of files for the prosecutors to proceed with, but I have also had to make adjustments and become bicultural through working on my own understanding and application of academic English. The new student may bring skills with them to university but they will be confronted with the need to refine these skills and indeed develop new skills in order to survive at university. Skills that will need to be developed will include the need for critical and reflective thinking, critical reading and adjustment to independent learning. Students will also have to become acculturated to university which possesses its own culture and sub-cultures which are separate to what they may be used to. REFERENCES Avruch, Kevin. 2002. Culture and Conflict Resolution. Washington: United States Institute of Peace Press. Ballard, Brigid, and John Clanchy. 1988. Literacy in the university: An ‘anthropological’ approach. In Literacy by Degrees, ed G. Taylor, et al. , 7-23. Milton Keynes: The Society for Research into Higher Education Open University Press. Beasley, Colin. 2012. Communicating at University. Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia. Bizzell, Patricia. 1986. What Happens When Basic Writers Come to College? College Composition and Communication. 37(3). Grant, Barbara. 1997. Disciplining Students: the construction of student subjectivities. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 18(1): 101-114. Hobson, Julia. 1996. â€Å"Concepts of the self: Different ways of knowing about the self†. SSK12 lecture transcript. Ed. Lorraine Marshall. Perth: Murdoch University. Kolb, David A. 1981. â€Å"Learning styles and disciplinary differences. † In The Modern American College. Ed. A. W. Chickerine Associates, 232-235 and 251-252. San Francisco: Jossey Bass. Marshall, Lorraine, and Frances Rowland. 2006. A guide to learning independently. th ed. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Education Australia. Pavlovich, Kathryn. 2007. The development of reflective practice through student journals. Higher Education Research and Development 26 (3): 281-295. Samovar, Larry A. , and Richard E. Porter. 2004. Communication Between Cultures. 5th ed. Belmont, California: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. Vivekananda, Kitty, and Penny Shores. 1996. Uni is Easier When You Know H ow: Success Stories, Study Secrets, Strategies. Sydney: Hale and Iremonger. Warren, Karen. 1995. ‘The critical self’. Perth: Murdoch University. How to cite University Study Skills, Papers

Reaction to Beloved Essay Example For Students

Reaction to Beloved Essay Reaction To BelovedThe movie Beloved was a tale of a woman who is so devastated by the evil of slavery. Therefore she is willing to kill her toddler daughter rather than allow her to be taken back into the horror. This murderous act proves itself to be a choice, which only further enslaves her soul as her daughters ghost haunts her life. The movie was set in the 1800s. Sethe is a pregnant slave on a Kentucky plantation named Sweet Home. She was under control by a violent slave master. To me there is no reason or excuse for this kind of evil. The enslavement and brutal treatment of our fellow human beings is a spiritual scar. When Sethe gives birth to Beloved and is reunited with her children in Ohio. The happiness of this reunion is turn into a tragic event as she sees her former master riding up to the house with the local sheriff. Sethe knows that he is coming back to take her children back into slavery, she runs into the shed, cuts the throat of her two year old daughter, Beloved, and hits her sons heads with a shovel. Her sons didnt die but beloved did. Soon after the tragic event the spirit of Beloved haunts Sethes house. The scene of seeing Sethe kill Beloved is very disturbing to witness. The ghostly tantrum of Beloved comes back over and over again to disrupt Sethes home. Her two sons become very scared by the haunts of Beloved. Sethes younger daughter, Denver becomes calm with her mother and the ghost, and she never leaves the house and yard. Sethe also becomes ok with the ghost presence in the house. She keeps denying that she did anything wrong by killing Beloved. So she feels that she doesnt need any help.This is often the way evil take over our lives. Rather than having the courage to face the evil we suffer, as Sethe did she affected her own children with this violence. Sethe became in denial with her responsibility. She accepted the pain of her guilt and shame with a lie towards her dignity. She felt everything was right and didnt want to ask for forgiveness and victory over the evil. But soon a physical form of Beloved comes to Sethes house. The girl who act as Beloved is real and demanding like a spoiled child. She is a grown woman who has a toddlers tastes, emotional needs and self-centeredness. The girl destroys everything in her path, mainly because she is packed with evil.When Denver confesses to her grandmothers friend about her mother and what happen, this is where the healing begins to take place. A group of former slave women who are Christians come to Sethes home to sing, pray and hold up crosses. Sethe may have been destroyed by the evil she experienced, but the intervention of God helps her. Through his people they provide Sethe and her daughter a path for healing.In conclusion, the movie Beloved is a disturbing film about the impacts of the evil of slavery on multiple generations. From my perspective, Beloved was a spiritually harsh experience for Sethe. It left her enslaved in her obsessed pain for her daughter Beloved. But some people probably felt that the movie had a sense of hope. Thinking that Christ had entered into the deepest evil of slavery and freed its daughters with a faith that is deeply felt to this day.

YCJA good or bad free essay sample

If you were a young offender of a misdemeanor would it be harsh for the judge to treat them as if they were an adult? Would you think by giving them equal consequences it could make their whole future more challenging? The YCJA (youth criminal justice act) is positive legislation that must be upheld but should be amended when it comes to violent crimes. This act allows for youth offenders who are less mature to not be exposed and have a second chance for a bright future. At the same time giving them a fair, long consequence to teach them a lesson. Some suggest that by giving them a more adult like punishment it would force the young offenders into not repeating their actions again. Are they right? Do we need to make changes to this act to accommodate the opinion of these people? Some may argue that the judges are too merciful and that the young offenders and adults should be treated equally. We will write a custom essay sample on YCJA good or bad? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This is because they think the offenders aren’t getting a â€Å"Harsh† enough punishment. Thus causing them to just go back and repeat their actions, and may even be escalated to more violent crimes causing the safety of the community to decrease. They are wrong because adolescent offenders are generally more immature and most likely more peer pressured into committing crimes. They are quick to act and don’t think ahead before they say or do something that might affect them in the long run. YCJA Good †¦ and Bad? If you were a young offender of a misdemeanor would it be harsh for the judge to treat them as if they were an adult? Would you think by giving them equal consequences it could make their whole future more challenging? The YCJA (youth criminal justice act) is positive legislation that must be upheld but should be amended when it comes to violent crimes. This act allows for youth offenders who are less mature to not be exposed and have a second chance for a bright future. At the same time giving them a fair, long consequence to teach them a lesson. Some suggest that by giving them a more adult like punishment it would force the young offenders into not repeating their  actions again. Are they right? Do we need to make changes to this act to accommodate the opinion of these people? Some may argue that the judges are too merciful and that the young offenders and adults should be treated equally. This is because they think the offenders aren’t getting a â€Å"Harsh† enough punishment. Thus causing them to just go back and repeat their actions, and may even be escalated to more violent crimes causing the safety of the community to decrease. They are wrong because adolescent offenders are generally more immature and most likely more peer pressured into committing crimes. They are quick to act and don’t think ahead before they say or do something that might affect them in the long run. YCJA Good †¦ and Bad? If you were a young offender of a misdemeanor would it be harsh for the judge to treat them as if they were an adult? Would you think by giving them equal consequences it could make their whole future more challenging? The YCJA (youth criminal justice act) is positive legislation that must be upheld but should be amended when it comes to violent crimes. This act allows for youth offenders who are less mature to not be exposed and have a second chance for a bright future. At the same time giving them a fair, long consequence to teach them a lesson. Some suggest that by giving them a more adult like punishment it would force the young offenders into not repeating their actions again. Are they right? Do we need to make changes to this act to accommodate the opinion of these people? Some may argue that the judges are too merciful and that the young offenders and adults should be treated equally. This is because they think the offenders aren’t getting a â€Å"Harsh† enough punishment. Thus causing them to just go back and repeat their actions, and may even be escalated to more violent crimes causing the safety of the community to decrease. They are wrong because adolescent offenders are generally more immature and most likely more peer pressured into committing crimes. They are quick to act and don’t think ahead before they say or do something that might affect them in the long run. YCJA Good †¦ and Bad? If you were a young offender of a misdemeanor would it be harsh for the judge to treat them as if they were an adult? Would you think by giving them equal consequences it could make their whole future more challenging? The YCJA (youth criminal justice act) is positive legislation that must be upheld but should be amended when it comes to violent crimes. This act allows for youth offenders who are less mature to not be exposed and have a second chance for a bright future. At the same time giving them a fair, long consequence to teach them a lesson. Some suggest that by giving them a more adult like punishment it would force the young offenders into not repeating their actions again. Are they right? Do we need to make changes to this act to accommodate the opinion of these people? Some may argue that the judges are too merciful and that the young offenders and adults should be treated equally. This is because they think the offenders aren’t getting a â€Å"Harsh† enough punishment. Thus causing them to just go back and repeat their actions, and may even be escalated to more violent crimes causing the safety of the community to decrease. They are wrong because adolescent offenders are generally more immature and most likely more peer pressured into committing crimes. They are quick to act and don’t think ahead before they say or do something that might affect them in the long run.

Rogerian Argument - ProNapster essays

Rogerian Argument - ProNapster essays Lately, there has been a significant amount of concern regarding software programs that promote the sharing of songs at a minimal cost to the consumer. These networks allow users to swap computer files in the form of MP3s among one another via the World Wide Web. In return, this allows for users to download music for free. One such music service that has become the subject of debate was developed by Shawn Fanning and was made available to the public in 1999. This program is better known as Napster. As a result of these debates, Napster critics carry with them several valid points in their claim against these software programs. One such argument is that users should not be allowed to obtain music from the artists and songwriter for free. They claim that Napster should pay royalties to the recording artist in an effort to make up for the loss in potential CD sales. Moreover, they claim that artists have no say as to whether or not their music can or cannot be traded within the network. More specifically, artists say that their music is just automatically made available to the public, without the written or lawful consent of the artist themselves. Furthermore, critics claim that recording songs off the radio is totally different than that of the service provided through networks like Napster. They say that music from the radio is not as easily obtained and the quality is not even remotely similar to that of an MP3 file. They also claim that because of Napster, artists have no say as to where on the Internet their music can be made available, which may draw away crowds from a certain bands website which is their means of advertising. This may have an ultimate effect on new releases and concert announcements. All of these valid concerns are frustrating to those who oppose Napster, and as a result, they have taken action in court. But then again, I have found common ground and can actuall ...

Applying Ecological Principles for Koala

Ecology has been defined as the branch of science that deals with the biotic and abiotic environment surrounding an organism. It takes into accounts the different types of relationships prevailing between an organism and their immediate surrounding and the environment. The study of ecology emphasizes on the significance of such relationships on sustainability of organism. Various ecological principles are set for maintain an optimum natural environment and ensure the safety of endangered species of Australia. Our current report focuses on a particular animal of Australia, the Koala, which is considered to be one of the threatened species in the country. The report elaborates the ecology of the concerned animal, the relevant ecological issues concerning the species and tries to manifest how ecological principles can be applied in order to create a sustainable environment for conservation of our chosen animal species. The scientific name of the animal is Phascolarctoscinereus. Following is the detailed taxonomic classification of the animal: Kingdom: Animalia; Phylum: Chordata; Sub-phylum: Vertebrata; Class: Mammalia; Sub-class: Marsupialia; Order: Diprotodontia; Sub-order: Vombatiformes; Family: Phascolarctidae; Genus: Phascolarctos; Species: Cinereus(Iucnredlist.org, 2016). It is classified as Animalia because of its capability of locomotion and its multicellular and heterotrophic characteristics. Presence of Spinal cord classifies it as Chordate and Vertebrate. Koalas produce milk to feed their young ones, hence they are Mammals. Presence of pouches to carry their young ones qualifies them as Marsupials. The arrangement of their teeth on the jaw and fusion of the second and third digits in its back paw puts it in the order Diprotodontia. Koala is the only still existing member of its family Phascolarctidae. Several characteristics like type and number of teeth and digits are considered to classify it into this family. Considering the features of its urogenital tract, spermatozoa, karyotype and serology it is stated to belong to the genus Phascolarctos.Ecology of Koala Koalas are one of the few animal species of Australia that solely depend on the foliage of Eucalyptus for the source of energy and nutrient. However, specific species of eucalyptus are preferred by the animal and accordingly their population is distributed with their preferred tree species.In general Koalas have a sedentary lifestyle and are solitary animals. Most of them live in overlapping home ranges, which aid them in the process of mating. Both males and females start mating at an age of around two to three years and generally give birth each year. Over-browsing of trees has been a sustainability issue in many areas, which has led to undertaking of several actions like habitat protection, fertility suppression and translocation (Mc Lean 2003). Studies have shown that the tree species koalas use for resting are not necessarily the same species they use for feeding purposes and hence studying their feeding patterns are somewhat difficult (Marsh et al 2014).It has been reported that Koala population increased dramatically in the late 1800s and suffered a considerable decline in the late 1900s due to ecological factors. Currently Koalas are found in Queensland, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and South Australia (Melzer et al 2000). In most of the regions the animal has been declared to be Vulnerable by the Australian Government. Koalas were declared to be a threatened species in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) by the Australian Government. Further the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has declared Koala to be a â€Å"Potentially Vulnerable† species(Savethekoala.com, 2016). Several ecological factors have been identified that have a direct impact on the survival of the animal. Loss of habitat is the most significant of all the issues in this regard. Expansion of human settlement and demands of modern life like roads, factories, agriculture and housing has caused much loss of the wildlife habitats where the animals were already found. Due to increased human population, subsequent increase in cars and dogs has turned to be a serious threat to the animal species. Around 4000 koala deaths have been reported to be caused by cars and domestic dogs each year (Cork et al 2000). It has been reported that Koalas suffer from various diseases such as conjunctivitis, pneumonia, urinary tract infection and reproductive tract infection that might lead to infertility. Chlamydia is most prevalent pathogen found to be affecting the species (Waugh et al 2016). Other threats faced by koalas are bushfires and danger from other wild animals. Ecology deals with the interactions and interrelationships at various levels ranging from populations and communities to ecosystems and biospheres. Populations comprise interbreeding groups of animals belonging to the same species and inhabiting in the same habitat. When populations of different species interact, communities are formed. Ecosystems are the abiotic and biotic components of a predefined area that influences all the populations and communities of that region. Biosphere includes all the biological and physical processes that directly or indirectly influence life on Earth. Several ecological principles play an important role in maintaining a harmony between all the components of an ecosystem. Ecological interdependence is a key factor that determines the survival of a species. Despite of dynamic changes in the ecological systems each and every species residing in a particular area are dependent on other animals and plants. This dependence arises mainly from the food chain and for obtaining energy and nutrients. Each component of an ecosystem aims at reaching goals that are beneficial for the whole and any organism that acts against this notion is considered as a disturbing factor for the overall ecological harmony. Human beings play a huge role in altering ecosystems by changing the physical environment of the same and disturbing the residing organism of the particular region. This proves to be detrimental to the human species itself on the long run. It has been already discussed that changes in the habitat is the most concerning ecological issue for koalas, where human play a significant part(Little et al 2007).Loss of habitat can cause longstanding impacts on the intera ction between the biotic components of an ecosystem. Human intervention must be stopped to conserve the Koala habitats. This can be done by forming certain legislations and laws on part of the government and thus restricting human impact on concerned regions. Koalas solely thrive on eucalyptus plants that too on certain species of the plants are preferred by the animal. Loss of habitat may lead to loss of certain species of the plant essential for survival of Koalas. Disruption of the food chain due to such losses is often life threatening for animals species. Even natural disturbances affect the population and species of an ecosystem. Natural disturbances can influence the shape size     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   and distribution of ecosystems and subsequently thre animal species residing there. The intensity and frequency of forest fires have shapes ecosystems in several regions of the earth. Composition and structure of habitats need to be studied at a landscape level to get an insight about the impacts of natural disturbances. For terrestrial ecosystems the species and community composition and the patch size distribution are of utmost relevance. Bushfire have caused much harm to Koalas consistently. Certain measures are necessary to prevent such fires and deaths of the vulnerable species. Chlamydial diseases in Koalas continue to be one of the most common diseases occurring in the animal (Timms 2005). The causes of preventable disease caused by Chlamydial infection needs to be identified and preventable measures should be taken to avoid further deaths due to such causes. Koalas of Australia are already considered a vulnerable species. Several ecological factors that influence the habitat and consequently their survival of the species have been addressed. Loss of habitat being the most determining factor for the decline in the animal population in recent years needs immediate attention. The indispensible step that needs to be taken is preventing and/or restricting impact of humans on the habitat of the animal. Certain natural disturbances like diseases and bushfires needs to be studied to figure out preventive measures. The role of the government is crucial in this regard. Laws and guidelines must be set considering the significance of the alarming situation. After formulation of such laws the government must ensure effective implementation of the same in order to reach the desired goals.   Bioweb.uwlax.edu. (2016).Classification. [online] Available at: https://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2007/mundt_meli/classification.htm [Accessed 22 Oct. 2016]. Cork, S.J., Clark, T.W. and Mazur, N., 2000. Introduction: an interdisciplinary effort for koala conservation.  Conservation Biology,  14(3), pp.606-609. Iucnredlist.org. (2016).Phascolarctoscinereus (Koala). [online] Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org/details/16892/0 [Accessed 22 Oct. 2016]. Little, G., Lau, T.A., Cypher, A., Lin, J., Haber, E.M. and Kandogan, E., 2007, April. Koala: capture, share, automate, personalize business processes on the web. In  Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference on Human factors in computing systems  (pp. 943-946). ACM. Marsh, K.J., Moore, B.D., Wallis, I.R. and Foley, W.J., 2014. Continuous monitoring of feeding by koalas highlights diurnal differences in tree preferences.  Wildlife Research,  40(8), pp.639-646. Mc Lean, N., 2003.  Ecology and management of overabundant koala (Phascolarctoscinereus) populations  (Doctoral dissertation, The University of Melbourne). Melzer, A., Carrick, F., Menkhorst, P., Lunney, D. and John, B.S., 2000.Overview, critical assessment, and conservation implications of koala distribution and abundance.  Conservation Biology,  14(3), pp.619-628. Savethekoala.com. (2016).The Koala - Endangered or Not? | Australian Koala Foundation. [online] Available at: https://www.savethekoala.com/about-koalas/koala-endangered-or-not [Accessed 22 Oct. 2016]. Timms, P., 2005. Chlamydial infection and disease in the koala.  Microbiology Australia,  26(2), pp.65-68. Waugh, C., Hanger, J., Timms, P. and Polkinghorne, A., 2016. Koala translocations and Chlamydia: Managing risk in the effort to conserve native species.  Biological Conservation,  197, pp.247-253. With a decade's experience in providing essay help,

Dell Computers - Supply and Demand Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Dell Computers - Supply and Demand - Assignment Example However, the ethical issue of upholding the interest of the disadvantaged groups requires that the HR professionals should treat these groups as special interest groups, by granting them some favorable measures, which would make them have equal opportunities with others (Flynn, Mathis, Jackson & Langan, 2007). These two aspects create a sense conflict, since the HR professional are required to favor the disadvantaged group on one hand, while ensuring the principle of equality is upheld. For example, in an interview for the post of a staff accountant, the HR team was faced with a dilemma in selecting between an individual who was rated highly during the interview, and another one who had a slightly lower rating, yet belonged to the disadvantage group. While the law would require that the most qualified candidate takes up the position, it would be ethical to grant the position to the member of the disadvantaged group, who may not have many opportunities like the others. The similarity between the legal and the ethical responsibility is that they both advocate for the creation of equal of opportunities for all. However the contrast is; while the legal responsibility requires all people to be treated equally, the ethical responsibilities calls for the favor of some

Pythagoras and the Musical Ratios Research Paper

Pythagoras and the Musical Ratios - Research Paper Example The then difference in sound pitch was attributed to differences in weight of hammers that were being used in the shop. Pythagoras then ventured into an exploration mission of researching on creation of different pitches of sound based on ratios. Using a one stringed instrument, the mathematicians varied the lengths at which the string would be stopped and he observed the generated sound pitches (Richards, p. 30, 31). Through the experiments, Pythagoras and his followers observed that by using different ratios, different sounds could be created that, when played together, resulted in a pleasant music to the audience. He then identified three particular ratios that are still applicable in the present music. The first ratio, known as the musical octave, is obtained by using the ration 2:1 on a stringed instrument. The other ratios, â€Å"musical forth† and â€Å"musical fifth† are generated by the ratios 4:3 and 3:2 respectively. The ratios were later found to bear a relationship with the weights of the hammers that were used in the workshop from which Pythagoras heard sounds with varying pitches (Karamanides, p.

Law Enforcement Today Essay Example for Free

Law Enforcement Today Essay The individuals that work in the field of law enforcement today are presented with issues and concerns unlike any faced by those of the past. The changing face of crimes and criminal activity in this country and around the world are at the root of many of these challenges. In this country, the most significant issue is the shift to a more multicultural society. There are also concerns regarding police corruption, use of deadly force, racial profiling and the job hazards of policing in an increasingly dangerous world. The way police agencies enforce the laws and work to provide a safe environment to those they serve has perhaps never been more complex than it is today. The new threat of terrorism only exacerbates the issues and adds a new element to an already difficult situation for law enforcement officials in America. The United States today is full of citizens from a number of different ethnic backgrounds and different religious and cultural beliefs. In any field where your job is to provide a service to the public, it is important to have a basic understanding of the people you serve. The same is true for those who work in law enforcement, but because of the nature of their duties, it is an issue for serious concern. The multicultural shift in America means that there is more representation of various minority groups, all of whom have differing historic relations with those in law enforcement, and often times an unfavorable one. Whether these groups are newly represented in American society or have been part of the society for generations, most often there is a history of unfair or unequal treatment under the law that is difficult for parties on both sides of the issue to overcome. This lies at the core of the problems with police-community relations (PCR). In order to serve the public to the best of their abilities, those whove taken the oath to do so need involvement from the community they represent, a community that seems to be ever changing. The idea of providing new training and policies to address the concerns of the sworn officers, and the public at large, in regards to ethnic understanding is growing. Many officials in the position of management have adopted training procedures to help address the concerns of both the officers they employ and the general public they serve. The importance of this cant be underestimated. Policing in America today has grown to be a global issue with the spread of terrorism. Law enforcement agencies on the local, state and federal level have a new reliance on one another in the fight against terrorist activity and having an understanding of the changing culture around them is vital at all levels. Never before, in the history of law enforcement in this country, has there been such a comprehensive collaboration between the three levels of policing agencies. The world as we know it changed on September 11, 2001 and that change is still occurring today. Anti-terrorism efforts are no longer limited to agencies on the federal level. In the wake of 9/11, the federal government formed the Homeland Security Agency whose prime objective is to protect the country from possible terrorist acts. The process of gathering intelligence regarding terrorism is global. British intelligence relies on shared intelligence from the U.S. and vice versa. It therefore only makes sense to include state and local authorities as well. Over recent years, officials have taken a more proactive approach on these levels by providing anti-terrorism training to local and state law enforcement officers. The officials in the department of Homeland Security now work more closely with state and local departments in anti-terrorism initiatives because they realized that in most instances, these departments are the first line of defense. The changes in the NYPD following the 9/11 attacks signaled the beginning of a national network of law enforcement agencies working together in the fight against terrorism. In response to this new domestic threat, training programs have been implemented to educate officers on the state and local levels on how to help prevent attacks from terrorists. But another important element of the fight is how to respond should an attack occur. The local and state authorities  must have the knowledge required to help stabilize the community after an attack. Their efforts also entail coordinating evacuations and providing initial emergency medical care. The anti-terrorism initiatives have also become part of a how a law officer goes about performing his or her daily tasks. Many agencies assign officers to patrol possible targets such as important landmarks, transportation systems such as trains and ports of entry, and also nuclear power plants. An increased police presence is visible at places where large crowds gather for public events like sporting events, parades and public speeches. Any intelligence the local agency obtains is shared with officials in Homeland Security, and any intelligence Homeland Security gains with respect to a specific municipality, it is shared with that police department as well. Today, the face of the criminal and the activities in which they engage has changed. So too has the procedures, practices and policies of the various law enforcement agencies around the country changed. The task of protecting and serving for law officers has never been more important, or difficult. But with an increase in community involvement through efforts to promote better PCR, and the collaborative efforts of the local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, the task at hand is achievable by those committed to making the world around us just a little bit safer, one day at a time. WORKS CITED Schmalleger, F. (2011). _Criminal Justice Today: An Introductory Text for the 21st Century._ Prentice Hall.

Anthem Paper -- essays research papers

â€Å"We do not think of them as Liberty 5-3000 any longer. We have given them a name in our thoughts. We call them the Golden One. But it is a sin to give men names which distinguish them from other men. Yet we call them the Golden One, for they are not like the others. The Golden One are not like the others.† In Anthem, by Ayn Rand, the character Equality 7-2521 writes this passage about the female character Liberty 5-3000. He states that he (rather, ‘we’, since he still refers to himself in the plural) has given her a name, other than the noun and number she was assigned. Throughout the book, the significance of names is that, among other things, they imply independence, and freedom from the collective ‘we’ of society. A name is inherent to the person to whom it belongs, and by having a name, the Golden One automatically rises above the other members of the city. The fact that her name is given to her by someone else, as opposed to being chosen by herself, implies possession. By naming her ‘in his thoughts’, Equality has made her inherently his as well. Her name is a part of her identity which belongs to him, since he is the one who has bestowed it upon her. The name itself is a statement of individuality for both Liberty and Equality. For her because it singles her out among the others as being better and worth naming. For Equality, it is a testament to how much he has progressed in his thinking. He calls her the Golden One, implying singularity and individuality in a socie...

Product Life Cycle of Nokia Essay

INTRODUCTION In the present context, managing has become one of the most important areas of human activity because of increasing role of large and complex organisations in the society. Because of their increasing role, the organisations have attracted the attention of both practitioners and academicians to find out the solutions for business problems. Concept Defining the term management precisely is not so simple because the term management is used in a variety of ways. Being a new discipline, it has drawn concepts and principles from a number of disciplines such as economics, sociology, psychology, anthropology, statistics and so on. Each group of contributors has treated management differently. For example, economists have treated management as a factor of production; sociologists have treated it as a class or group of persons; practitioners have treated it as a process comprising different activities. DEFINITION â€Å"Management is the art of getting things done through and with people in formally organized groups† — Koontz â€Å"Management is the art of knowing what you want to do and then seeing that it is done in the best and cheapest way† – F.W. Taylor â€Å"Management is the art of securing maximum results with minimum effort so as to secure maximum prosperity and happiness for both employer and employee and give the public the best possible service† — John Mee. â€Å"Management is the accomplishment of results through the efforts of other people† — Lawrence â€Å"Management is simply the process of decision making and control over the action of human beings for the expressed purpose of attaining predetermined goals† – Stanley V. â€Å"Management is a process involving planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling human efforts to achieve stated objectives in an organization.† From the above definitions, the following features are identified:1) Organised Activities: Management is a process of organized activities. Without organized activities, two groups of people cannot be involved in the performance of activities. Where a group of people are involved in working towards a common objective, management comes into existence. 2) Existence of objectives: The existence of objectives is a basic criterion of e very human organization because all organizations are deliberate and purposive creation and, therefore, they should have Introduction to Management some objectives. Without objectives, it becomes difficult to define the direction where organized group of activities would lead to. 3) Relationship among resources: Organised activities meant to achieve common goals are brought about to establish certain relationships about the available resources. Resources include money, machine, material, men and methods. All these resources are made available to those who manage the organization. Managers apply knowledge, experience, principles for getting the desired results. Thus, the essence of management is integration of various organisational resources. 4) Working with and through people: Management involves working with people and getting organisational objectives achieved through them. The idea of working through people is interpreted in terms of assigning and reassigning of activities to subordinates. 5) Decision Making: Management process involves decision making at various levels for getting things done through people. Decision making basically involves selecting the most appropriate alternative out of the several. If there is only one alternative, there is no question of decision making. Nature of Management: – The study and application of management techniques in managing the affairs of the organization have changed its nature over a period of time. The following points will describe the nature of management 1) Multidisciplinary: Management has been developed as a separate discipline, but it draws knowledge and concepts from various disciplines like psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics, statistics, operations research etc.,. Management integrates the idea and concepts taken from these disciplines and presents newer concepts which can be put into practice for managing the organisations 2) Dynamic nature of Principles: Principle is a fundamental truth which esta blishes cause and effect relationships of a function. Based on integration and supported by practical evidences, management has framed certain principles. However, these principles are flexible in nature and change with the changes in the environment in which an organization exists. 3) Relative, Not absolute Principles: Management principles are relative, not absolute, and they should be applied according to the need of the organization. Each organization may be different from others. The difference may exist because of time, place, socio-cultural factors, etc.,. 4) Management: Science or Art: There is a controversy whether management is science or art. An art is personal skill of business affairs. Art is characterized by practical knowledge, personal creativity and skill. The more one practices an art, the more professional one becomes. Management can be considered as an art because it satisfies all these criterion of an art. A science is a systematized body of knowledge of facts. It can establish cause-and-effect relationships among various factors. It involves basic principles, which are capable of universal application. Management can be considered as science because it satisfies all these criterion of a science. Introduction to Management 5) Management as profession: Management has been regarded as a profession by many while many have suggested that it has not achieved the status of a profession. Profession refers to a vocation or a branch of advanced learning such as engineering or medicine. 6) Universality of management: Management is a universal phenomenon. However, management principles are not universally applicable but are to be modified according to the needs of the situation. Importance of Management Management has been important to the daily lives of people and to the organisations. The importance of management may be traces with the following. 1) Effective utilisation of Resources: Management tries to make effective utilisation of various resources. The resources are scarce in nature and to meet the demand of the society, their contribution should be more for the general interests of the society. Management not only decides in which particular alternative a particular resource should be used, but also takes actions to utilize it in that particular alternative in the best way. 2) Development of Resources: Management develops various resources. This is true with human as well as non-human factors. Most of the researchers for resource development are carried on in an organized way and management is involved in these organized activities. 3) It ensures continuity in the organization: Continuity is very important in the organisations. Where there are no proper guidelines for decision making continuity can not be guaranteed. It is quite natural that new people join while some others retire or leave the organization. It is only management that keeps the organization continuing. 4) Integrating various interest groups: In the organized efforts, there are various interest groups and they put pressure over other groups for maximum share in the combined output. For example, in case of a business organization, there are various pressure groups such as shareholders, employees, govt. etc. these interest groups have pressure on an organization. Management has to balance these pressures from various interest groups. 5) Stability in the society: Management provides stability in the society by changing and modifying the resources in accordance with the changing environment of the society. In the modern age, more emphasis is on new inventions for the betterment of human beings. These inventions make old systems and factors mostly obsolete and inefficient. Management provides integration between traditions and new inventions, and safeguards society from the unfavorable impact of these inventions so that continuity in social process is maintained. Functions of Management:To achieve the organisational objectives managers at all levels of organization should perform different functions. A function is a group of similar activities. Introduction to Management The list of management functions varies from author to author with the number of functions varying from three to eight. Writers Henry Fayol Luther Gullick R. Davis Management Functions Planning, Organizing, Commanding, Coordinating, Controlling POSDCORD- Planning, Organising, Staffing, Directing, Coordinating, Reporting, Directing Planning , Organising, Controlling Planning, Organising, Motivating, Coordinating, Controlling Planning, Organising, Staffing, Leading, Controlling Koontz Different authors presented different variations. By combining some of functions, these are broadly grouped into Planning, Organising, Staffing, Directing, and Controlling. 1) Planning: Planning is the conscious determination of future course of action. This involves why an action, what action, how to take action, and when to take action. Thus, planning includes determination of specific objectives, determining projects and programs, setting policies and strategies, setting rules and procedures and prepar ing budgets. 2) Organising: Organising is the process of dividing work into convenient tasks or duties, grouping of such duties in the form of positions, grouping of various positions into departments and sections, assigning duties to individual positions, and delegating authority to each positions so that the work is carried out as planned. It is viewed as a bridge connecting the conceptual idea developed in creating and planning to the specific means for accomplishment these ideas. 3) Staffing: Staffing involves manning the various positions created by the organizing process. It includes preparing inventory of personal available and identifying the sources of people, selecting people, training and developing them, fixing financial compensation, appraising them periodically etc. 4) Directing: when people are available in the organization, they must know what they are expected to do in the organization. Superior managers fulfill this requirement by communicating to subordinates about their expected behavior. Once subordinates are oriented, the superiors have continuous responsibility of guiding and leading them for better work performance and motivating them to work with zeal and enthusiasm. Thus, directing includes communicating, motivating and leading. 5) Controlling: Controlling involves identification of actual results, comparison of actual results with expected results as set by planning process, identification of deviations between the two, if any, and taking of corrective action so that actual results match with expected results. Introduction to Management TAYLOR & SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT The concept of scientific management was introduced by Frederick Winslow Taylor in USA in the beginning of 20th century. â€Å"Scientific management is concerned with knowing exactly what you want to do and then see in that they do it in the best and cheapest way† Since Taylor has put the emphasis on solving managerial problems in a scientific way, often, he is called as father of scientific management and his contributions as the principles of scientific management. Taylor carried experiments about how to increase the efficiency of people. On the basis of experiments, he published many papers and books and all his contributions were compiled in his book â€Å"scientific management†. His contributions are divided into two parts. Elements and tools of scientific management Principles of scientific management FEATURES / ELEMENTS AND TOOLS OF SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT 1) Separation of planning & doing: Taylor emphasized the separation of planning aspect from actual doing of the work. In other words planning should be left to the supervisor and the worker should concentrate only operational work. 2) Functional foremanship: Taylor introduced the concept of functional foremanship based on specialization of functions. In this system, eight persons are involved to direct the activities of workers. Out of these four persons are concerned with planning viz., route clerk, instruction card clerk, time and cost clerk and disciplinarian. The remaining four persons are concerned with doing aspect of the job, viz., speed boss, inspector, gang boss and maintenance foreman. It is against to the principle of unity of command.

Personal Reflection Journal Entry Essay

During times of our lives we deal with stress. For instance, we stress about things from home, financial situations, and jobs as well. I know in dealt with stress in the past and also dealing with it right now. I try to find many ways with coping with my stress by exercising or doing other things to reduce the excessive tension. The term stress is the response of individuals to stressors. Stressors are events that threaten individuals and tax their coping abilities. I was in situations where my coping abilities where threaten. For Instance, last year I was going through a time I had major damages to my vehicle where I couldn’t drive for almost 2 months. I didn’t cope with it very well because I needed transportation to get back and forth to work; I was briefly going to school as well. During the 2 months all I wondered was, how I was going to get my car fixed and how was I going to come up with money. By doing that made things worst. Another stressor I’ve dealt with was, dealing with being unemployed for 6 months. It was times I coped with and other times I didn’t do so well with it. I didn’t worry about being unemployed at the beginning because I was fine financially and if I couldn’t find anything I could always reapply to my previous employer in 2 months. Things got worst when I found out we were moving once again and my mom didn’t have the money she needed to prepare to move again and started to worry me. The reason why I because, don’t like to see my mom struggle and as I embrace being the man of house I start worry about getting a job and coming up with the money to help my mom out. I attempted to try to get my old job back which I felt optimistic about the interview, but as I was waiting patiently for a phone call I never received one. So I decided to call them and they decided to go with another person for the job. I was very disappointed and lost focus on other things I had to deal with in my life. When I was faced with stressors, my body readies itself to handle the assault through a number of physiological changes. The term General adaptation syndrome (GAS) is the common effects on the body when stressors persist. The GAS of three stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion. My stress in my life caused me to loss my appetite at times, stayed to myself; and didn’t want to talk about my issues. The stress on my Immune System  didn’t cope very well. On the job dealing with being critique and major task changes lead to having migraine headaches and a more sinus infections. Environmental Factors whether its big or small produces stress. Life events and daily hassles are things we deal with regularly. One of them is the lack of study-time I had when I first started college a couple of years ago. That came about by me working crazy hours at work and I couldn’t my full effect into my school work which led to me not doing so well. Another daily hassle I’ve dealt with was not getting enough credit on my job for my hard work. I stressed over this because I felt like I was being overlooked for certain job positions and barely got any appreciation for what I do at my job. Another everyday experience that is stressful for me is conflict. Approach/approach conflict is conflict in which the individual must choose between two attractive stimuli or circumstances. My conflict was choosing between keeping my current car and getting a brand new one. I couldn’t go wrong with either decision I would of made because I liked both of the vehicles, my current was finally back in good condition, I don’t have to make payments and its my first car. The new car I looked at was a car I really wanted for quite sometime but at the end I decided to keep my old car and wasn’t disappointed with the decision and didn’t any regrets. Avoidance/avoidance conflict is when the individual must choose between two unattractive stimuli. I dealt with this when I had an oral presentation in high school. I was very nervous about presenting in front of class so I wanted to go last but I didn’t want grade to neither and their were times I didn’t want to show up but I decided my grade was important with through with doing the presentation and got A. That moment was very stressful for me. The approach/avoidance conflict for me was me deciding to eat Chinese food or not. Although it’s delicious but it was something I couldn’t eat because I was trying to lose weight. I handled giving up on well and lost the weight since I gave up on Chinese food. The daily hassles produce me into an overload and started to burnout. This term is a state of physical and emotional exhaustion that includes a hopeless feeling, chronic fatigue, and low energy. Burnout came about in my life when I was working full-time and going to school full-time for two years straight. My body was breaking down and I fatigue on a daily. So I decided to make adjustments in life and  made an unpopular decision by quitting my job and focus on school. That took less pressure off me. In conclusion, in the past, I didn’t cope very well with stress. I took two self-assessments based on I’m vulnerable am I to stress and Stressful events in my life. Based off the two assessments, it showed how stressed I was and couldn’t handle it. The things I do now to adjust stress in my life are that I start to think about the positive/negative effects of stress. I think over major decisions before doing it so. I made a lot of adjustments so I can have less stress in my life. If something major happens, I try not worry about it so much because I’ve realized things happen its apart of life. I managed to make adjustments at home, work, and school by getting things done early, stop worrying over certain situations and most importantly I started to enjoy life more and stressed less.

The Ultimate SAT Literature Subject Test Study Guide

The Ultimate SAT Literature Subject Test Study Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The SAT Subject Test in Literature, formerly known as the SAT II Literature Exam, is one of the most popular Subject Tests. This might be because you don't necessarily need specialized knowledge, such as foreign language fluency, to do well on it. However, it also has a reputation for being a fairly difficult test. Luckily, I- 800-scoring sorceress of the SAT Literature Subject Test- am here to take you through all the particulars of the exam. We'll go through whether the exam is right for you, its format and content, its question styles, study hacks, practice resources, and test-day tips. Let's get the magic started! Here is a quick guide for those who'd prefer to skip around: Should You Take the SAT Literature Subject Test? SAT Literature Subject Test Format Passage Content Question Formats SAT Literature Test: Question Content and Skills Tested SAT Literature Test: 4 Essential Strategies for Preparation Where to Find SAT Literature Practice Tests and Resources How to Ace the Literature Subject Test: 6 Test-Taking Tips Wrap-Up: What to Know About SAT Literature Bonus: Want to get a perfect SAT score? Read our famous guide on how to score a perfect 1600 on the SAT. You'll learn top strategies from the country's leading expert on the SAT, Allen Cheng, a Harvard grad and perfect scorer. No matter your level, you'll find useful advice here - this strategy guide has been read by over 500,000 people. Read the 1600 SAT guide today and start improving your score. Should You Take the SAT Literature Subject Test? There are, in general, a few reasons why you might take one or more Subject Tests. You might take them because a school you are applying to requires or recommends them, or you might take them because you want to show mastery in a subject that you are particularly gifted in. Beyond that, should you choose the SAT Literature Subject Test in particular? Ask yourself the following three questions to help you decide: Burning questions. #1: Do You Like (or at Least Not Hate) English? Most people don't love all subjects equally. You might feel as though you should take Literature if your other SAT Subject Tests are all math and science so that you can show a diverse set of skills- even if, in reality, English bores you to tears. But trust me- it's going to be much less painful for you, and better for your college applications, if you take SAT Subject Tests in things you are really interested in. This will give a truer picture of who you are as a student anyways. #2: Will You Do Well on It? Obviously, you aren't an oracle and can't know for sure whether the SAT Subject Test in Literature will be a home run for you. But before you register, you should think about whether or not you are positioned to do well on the exam. The College Board recommends three to four years of literary study "at the college prep level." I took the test in the fall of my junior year and was fine, but I wouldn't advise taking it earlier than that. If you've done well in your high school English classes, you can reasonably expect to do well on the Literature exam with the help of some preparation. That being said, you might still want to take a practice test before you register to get a ballpark idea of how much work you have to put in. Don't expect to get an 800 right off the bat! However, if you do really poorly on a practice test, consider going with a different Subject Test or postponing the Literature exam so you have more time to prepare for it. #3: When Are You Applying to College? When you'll be applying to college can help determine how soon you should take the Literature Subject Test. If you take the exam too early in your high school career, you won't necessarily have the skills base you need to do well. Take it too late, though, and you might not have time to retake it if you didn't score as well as you wanted to. I'd advise doing your first go-around sometime in your junior year. (You can take it later in the school year or over the summer if you think you need more time to prepare- see our guide to SAT Subject Test dates.) If you decide to take the Literature exam, you'll want to get familiar with the test format. Read on to learn more, noble scholars of literature! So noble. Very scholarly. Wow. SAT Literature Subject Test Format Like the other Subject Tests, the SAT Literature Subject Test is one hour long. You'll answer about 60 multiple-choice questions, although the number varies slightly among administrations of the test. Each question has five answer choices. Every correct answer is worth 1 point, and incorrect answers are worth -1/4 points as a way to discourage random guessing. Unanswered questions are worth 0 points. On the test, your task will be to answer questions on six to eight passages of English literature. Passages will generally not include authors or titles, but you will be able to find the original date of publication (or estimated date of composition) at the end of each excerpt. Every fifth line will be marked so you can quickly find your way around the passage when answering questions. Each passage has its own set of questions; it's like six to eight little mini-tests ranging from four to 12 questions per passage. The first and last questions for each excerpt will generally be about the passage as a whole, while the ones in the middle will usually ask questions about specific parts of the passage. Unsurprisingly, the questions on this exam will ask you to analyze elements of literary passages. This could be anything from identifying the overall theme, to dissecting the meaning of a phrase in context, to analyzing the use of figurative language. I'll go over more specifics later on, but that's the basic idea. On the exam you could see prose, poetry, drama, etc., from as early as the Renaissance period to as recent as the 20th century. Expect to see literature from the US, England, and occasionally other English-speaking countries. Works have to be originally written in English to be included in the exam, so no excerpts from Les Miserables or One Hundred Years of Solitude. Note that topics and genres are not randomly distributed. In the next section, we'll go into what percentages of different sorts of material you can expect to see on the Literature test. You might see an excerpt from one of these on the exam! SAT Literature Passage Content Passages will generally not come from highly recognizable works, but they will be chosen because they have some literary merit in the eyes of the College Board. In general, the College Board takes pains to select passages that are pretty uncontroversial in their theme and content, avoiding anything that requires a deep level of specialized cultural or religious knowledge to interpret (so no drawn-out allegories about Christianity or anything like that). The six to eight passages you'll need to examine for the SAT Literature Test can be divided along three categorical lines: Author's nationality (American, English, or other) Genre Time period It breaks down like this: #1: Author's Nationality On the Literature Subject Test, 40-50% of passages will be written by an American author, 40-50% by a British author, and 0-10% by another author writing in English. So you can expect about half and half British and American authors, with maybe one passage written by an author from another country. As you might have noticed, this is very much a Western-lit centric test. #2: Genre In terms of genre, 40-50% of passages will be prose; these are mostly short excerpts from fiction or essays. Another 40-50% will be poetry; these are typically full-length poems, though sometimes the College Board will take a shorter section from a long work of verse. Finally, about 0-10% will be drama or another genre, such as a folktale, myth, etc. Once again, you can expect about half and half between poetry and prose, with maybe one passage using a different form of writing. #3: Time Period This breakdown is a little different than the two above. You can expect 30% of passages to come from the Renaissance (late 15th century) through the 1600s. This equals about two passages. Another 30% will come from the 1700s-1800s, so expect another two passages or so there. The remaining 40%- around three passages- will come from the 20th century. As you can see, the test is a little more heavily weighted toward the modern era, but you should be prepared for literature anywhere from the late 1400s to the 1900s. Don't worry- you won't need to read Middle English or Old English for earlier works. Passages will be comprehensible. The language won't be any older than Shakespearean English! You might see stuff by this guy. Extra Advice: Want to get into the best college you can? Read our famous guide on how to get into Harvard, the Ivy League, and your top choice college. In this guide, you'll learn: What colleges are looking for in your application How to impress your top choice colleges Why you're probably wasting your time on activities that don't matter Even if you're not actually interested in Ivy League schools, you'll still learn something fundamental about how to apply to college. Read our top college admissions guide today. SAT Literature Question Formats All questions on the Literature Subject Test are multiple choice with five answer choices each. Within that framework, there are four kinds of questions you can expect to see. I've included an example of each type (though I haven't included the passage). I will use most of the same questions with the passage later on in the article, so if you'd like to see the passage, scroll down (or Google "Aedh Wishes For the Cloths of Heaven" by W.B. Yeats). Note: I wrote all the questions in this article, but they are closely based on real SAT Literature questions written by the College Board. #1: Standard Multiple-Choice Questions About the Entire Passage These are questions that apply to the whole passage; they often ask about things such as theme or tone, or other concepts that can be generalized to the entire excerpt. EXAMPLE The best description of the tone of the poem is: joyful and fanciful despairing and grim serious and triumphant earnest and supplicating witty and lighthearted #2: Standard Multiple-Choice Questions Referring to a Specific Line or Moment in the Passage You will be pointed to a specific part of the passage and asked a question about only that part. Usually, these questions will have a line reference included, but sometimes you are just given the specific phrase, and you'll need to find it in the passage yourself to answer the question. EXAMPLE In the context of the poem, the adverb "enwrought" (line 2) most nearly means: decorated rewarded purchased compensated destroyed #3: NOT or EXCEPT Questions For these SAT Lit questions, you'll need to select the answer choice that does not apply to the passage. "NOT" or "EXCEPT" will helpfully be capitalized, so you should be able to spot these fairly easily. Just remember to read carefully! EXAMPLE The following words all describe the cloths of heaven EXCEPT: embroidered blue dim dark poor #4: Roman Numeral Questions For these questions, you will first be asked a question, and then given a series of statements identified with Roman numerals that are potential answers to that question. Your five lettered choices (A-E) will present different combinations of the Roman numerals. This essentially allows the College Board to ask multiple-multiple choice questions, in which more than one Roman numeral statement correctly answers the question. EXAMPLE Which of the following statements can be inferred about the speaker from the poem? The speaker thinks the person he is addressing is very beautiful. The speaker is not wealthy. The speaker's dreams are very precious to him. I only I and II only III only I, II, and III II and III only You will not be taking the test on a typewriter. SAT Literature Test: Question Content and Skills Tested The SAT Literature Test won't ask you any questions about literary history, though a basic working knowledge of literary movements probably wouldn't hurt- it might even help you orient yourself on the passages. Instead, your main task on the test will be to analyze the passages. In order to be able to answer these analytical questions, the College Board says that you'll need to know "basic literary terminology" and "literary concepts." This might seem a little intimidating, but the truth is that you've likely heard of many of these concepts before- ideas such as tone, theme, stanza, hyperbole, alliteration, etc. And even if you haven't, they're pretty easy to learn. (See the "4 Essential Strategies for Preparation" section below.) All of this might sound daunting, but it's not so bad. SAT Lit questions generally fall into eight easily digestible sub-categories. These categories apply to both prose and poetry, although you will see some kinds of questions appear more often with prose passages (e.g., character analysis), while others appear more often with poetry (e.g., figurative language). In the interest of readability, examples will be grouped together in the middle of this section and at the end so that questions can appear with the relevant passages. Category 1: Reading Comprehension "But Ellen," you might be wondering, "Aren't all these questions more or less about reading comprehension?" Yes, yes they are. But some questions- instead of asking you to do deeper analysis- will ask more basic questions about things such as who is speaking, who's being addressed at a given point in the text, or what events are being described. I will also include in this category the very rare (maybe one per test) grammar question. That's right- very occasionally, the SAT Literature Test will ask you a functional grammatical question on something like subject-verb agreement or identifying the main verb. The purpose of this question is generally to clarify a complex sentence for you so the passage is easier to analyze. Category 2: Meaning of Words and Phrases in Context This is a super-popular category; you can expect about one of this question type per passage. You'll be given a word and asked what it means in the specific context of the passage; this could be either the denotation (literal meaning) or connotation (implied meaning). Sometimes you'll be asked one of these questions because the word is being used in a strange way. Sometimes you'll be asked because the word itself is unusual. You can almost always figure these questions out from context clues, even if you aren't immediately familiar with the usage. Category 3: Questions on General, Sweeping Elements of the Passage A couple of questions per passage will ask you to make a sweeping analysis of the excerpt. These questions might ask about the following elements: Tone of the passage Theme Mood Overall descriptions of the language used Overarching purpose or argument You might also occasionally be asked a question about the structure or the genre of the piece (e.g., Is this prose passage a work of satire, a personal narrative, etc.). Category 4: Literary and Rhetorical Devices This is where knowledge of basic literary terminology will come in handy. These questions ask you to identify and/or analyze the use of literary and rhetorical devices. You might be given a phrase and asked what device is being used (e.g., is it hyperbole, alliteration, personification, etc.). You might also be asked to note where in the text a specific device is being deployed. You will need a little specialized knowledge for this type of question, and it's an important area to do some targeted studying in before you take the exam. Ah, the stars. Perennial subject of poetic imagery. Examples 1-4 Examples 1-4 are based on the following passage: Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths, Enwrought with golden and silver light, The blue and the dim and the dark cloths Of night and light and the half light, (5) I would spread the cloths under your feet: But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. (1899) Example 1: Reading Comprehension The following words all describe the cloths of heaven EXCEPT embroidered blue dim dark poor This is a reading comprehension question because it relies on your ability to understand what words are describing the "cloths of heaven" at various points in the poem and what words are not. "Poor" describes the speaker; everything else describes the cloths: the "embroidered cloths," the "blue" cloths, the "dim" cloths, and the "dark" cloths. The correct answer, therefore, is E. This question tests your ability to reach a fairly basic understanding of what is being said in the poem as opposed to any sort of deeper literary analysis. Example 2: Meaning of Words/Phrases in Context In the context of the poem, the adverb "enwrought" (line 2) most nearly means: decorated rewarded purchased compensated destroyed Any time you have a line reference and are asked what a word or phrase means, what it connotes, or what it is best understood to mean, it's probably a vocab/phrase in context question (unless you're being asked what a metaphor or simile means). "Enwrought" is sort of a weird old word- exactly the kind of word the College Board likes to target for this kind of question. The correct answer is A: decorated because it's the only answer choice that makes sense in the context of the poem- even if you have no idea what "enwrought" means when you first look at it. Example 3: Questions on the Overall Passage The best description of the tone of the poem is: joyful and fanciful despairing and grim serious and triumphant earnest and supplicating witty and lighthearted This question asks you to identify the tone of the entire poem, so it's an overall passage question. Since the poem is so short, you could go back and quickly reread it to answer this question. You might notice that the tone is rather serious in nature; this poem is not meant to be funny or cute but is a deep expression of devotion. By the same token, the tone is not particularly happy or sad but expectant: the speaker is making a request ("tread softly ... on my dreams") and does not yet know whether his request will be honored. A glance through the answers shows that the only answer choice that really makes sense is D. Example 4: Literary Devices Which of the following devices does the poem use most frequently? repetition personification alliteration apostrophe hyperbole This is a pretty typical question you might see in the literary devices category. You're given a list of literary terms, and then you have to pick the one that is most appropriate to the poem. Even if you don't know all the terms here, it's pretty clear that the answer is A. The poem involves the repeated invocation of "cloths," "light," "feet," and "dreams." It'd be hard to top that level of repetition with pretty much any other device. With the first four examples covered, let's move on to the last four question categories on the SAT Literature Subject Test. Tread softly on these dreams. Category 5: Metaphor and Simile- Identification and Interpretation Yes, metaphor and simile are technically literary devices, but I've given them their own subcategory because questions about them are so prevalent on the SAT Literature Test. In general, these questions fall into two categories: identification and definition. For identification questions, you will simply need to identify the metaphor or simile among the choices given; you might also need to identify what is not a metaphor or a simile for NOT/EXCEPT questions. For definition questions, you'll need to choose the answer that best describes what a particular metaphor or simile means or conveys in the text. Category 6: Analyzing the Narrator (Prose) or Speaker (Poetry) The "narrator" and the "speaker" are two different names for the same term; the narrator is the voice that relates a prose passage and the speaker is the voice that relates a poem. This is not the same as the author. The narrator/speaker is a construct created by the author to relate the passage. In a sense, the narrator/speaker functions as a lens through which the passage is conveyed to you, the reader. You might be asked questions about the narrator or speaker's tone, motives, position within the text, point of view, attitude, voice, etc. Essentially, who is the person relating the passage, how are they saying it, why are they saying it, and who are they speaking to? Category 7: Analyzing Character You will be asked to analyze character more often in prose than poetry, but poems do sometimes have characters, so this category applies to both kinds of passages. You will almost certainly be asked to analyze character in dramatic excerpts. You might be asked to identify characteristics of a character as conveyed by the author (characterization), a character's motives, and so on. Category 8: Analyzing Dialogue This is similar to character analysis as character is often conveyed through dialogue, but you might also be asked to identify the tone of a piece of dialogue, its meaning, or its specific function within the piece. This is another category you can expect to see a lot of for drama, and some for prose- but only a little for poetry, if at all. I bet this dialogue would be interesting to analyze. Examples 5-8 Examples 5-8 are based on the following passage: "Nelly, do you never dream queer dreams?" she said, suddenly, after some minutes' reflection. "Yes, now and then," I answered. "And so do I. I've dreamt in my life dreams that have stayed with me ever after, and (5) changed my ideas: they've gone through and through me, like wine through water, and altered the colour of my mind. And this is one: I'm going to tell it- but take care not to smile at any part of it." "Oh! don't, Miss Catherine!" I cried. "We're dismal enough without conjuring up ghosts and visions to perplex us. Come, come, be merry and like yourself! Look (10) at little Hareton! He's dreaming nothing dreary. How sweetly he smiles in his sleep!" "Yes; and how sweetly his father curses in his solitude! You remember him, I daresay, when he was just such another as that chubby thing: nearly as young and innocent. However, Nelly, I shall oblige you to listen: it's not long; and I've no power to be merry to-night." (15) "I won't hear it, I won't hear it!" I repeated, hastily. I was superstitious about dreams then, and am still; and Catherine had an unusual gloom in her aspect, that made me dread something from which I might shape a prophecy, and foresee a fearful catastrophe. She was vexed, but she did not proceed. Apparently taking up another subject, she recommenced in a short time. (20) "If I were in heaven, Nelly, I should be extremely miserable." "Because you are not fit to go there," I answered. "All sinners would be miserable in heaven." (1847) Example 5: Figurative Language The simile "like wine through water" (line 5) reveals that Catherine's dreams ... make her intoxicated reveal the future affect her powerfully. frighten her are very strange SAT Literature will frequently ask you to either identify metaphors/similes or analyze what they mean. It's important in questions like this one to consider only what the specific figurative language means and not whether the other answers are true based on the rest of the passage. Her dreams might be strange (she calls them "queer"), but that is not what the simile means. She says that they are like wine through water in that they "change the colour of her mind." This suggests that the simile means the dreams influence her, in much the same way that adding wine to water would change the water. The correct answer is C. Example 6: Narrator/Speaker Analysis Which of the following statements can be inferred about the narrator from the passage? The narrator is uncomfortable with the supernatural. The narrator believes Catherine is a good and moral person. The narrator dislikes children. I only I and II only III only I, II, and III II and III only. Narrator analysis questions will frequently ask you to identify the viewpoints or opinions of the narrator based on the passage. It's important in these questions to rely only on what is in the text and not make any unsupported inferences. It's pretty clear, for example, that the narrator here is "uncomfortable with the supernatural" since she describes herself as "superstitious of dreams" and fears they might be prophetic. It's also clear that the narrator does not believe Catherine to be good and moral because she says Catherine is a sinner who does not belong in heaven. It doesn't seem that she dislikes children, though; she describes Hareton as "smiling sweetly." The only Roman numeral statement that there is enough evidence in the passage to agree with is I, so the answer is A. Example 7: Character Analysis We can understand from Nelly's admonishment, "be merry and like yourself" (line 9), that Catherine's current mood is ... a portent of things to come unusual given her typical disposition normal for her dangerous to the baby Hareton evidence of her moral perversity This is a character question as we are being asked to analyze Catherine's character based on a specific moment in the passage (Nelly's admonishment). In a question like this which points to a particular line or place in the text, it's important to examine what the particular line means and not make any inferences about the character based on the rest of the text. In this case, it might well be that Catherine's mood is portentous or evidence of her perversity, but this is not suggested by the phrase "be merry and like yourself." It tells us that she is (1) not merry and that this is (2) unusual. So, the correct answer is B. Example 8: Dialogue Analysis The tone of "Because you are not fit to go there," (line 21) can be best described as apprehensive sharp patronizing reverent whimsical This is a dialogue question because you are being asked to analyze the dialogue (specifically its tone) in a way that is not related to a given character. It can be hard to identify the tone of a piece of dialogue when there aren't many cues surrounding the dialogue, as in this passage. It might be easiest to simply imagine the dialogue being said in each tone and pick which makes the most sense and/or is the most consistent with the rest of the passage. It should be pretty clear that, if you do this, the answer is B: sharp. Don't worry- the passages will not be rendered in the authors' original handwriting. Those are the eight question types you can expect to see on the SAT Literature Subject Test. But how should you prepare for them? I'll cover four essential prep strategies next. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Tired of wasting time prepping in ways that don't work? We have the industry's leading SAT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. It's the best prep program available right now. Best of all, we guarantee your money back if you don't improve your score by 160 points or more. Check out our 5-day free trial today: Improve Your SAT Score by 160+ Points, Guaranteed SAT Literature Test: 4 Essential Strategies for Preparation Although you'll learn a decent amount of the knowledge necessary to do well on the SAT Literature exam just from your high school English class, there are still some things you can (and should) do if you really want to hit it out of the park. Here are four essential steps you can take to prepare: Strategy 1: Read Old Stuff The College Board recommends "close, critical reading of English and American literature from a variety of historical periods and genres." It's not likely you'll read anything that will end up on the exam, but reading a wide range of poetry and prose originally composed in English from relevant time periods (i.e., Shakespearean era through the 20th century) will help you feel familiar with English-language literary writing from all the time periods covered on the exam. Also, if you look up any words you don't know when you encounter them in a text, you'll have a leg up on meaning in context questions. So I'd try to read classic literature and poetry from many time periods for a few hours a week. Strategy 2: Learn Literary Terms and Concepts Even if you think you know them all, you should review basic literary terms and make sure you know how various devices are deployed. Some good resources for learning literary terms are as follows: PrepScholar's list of the 31 most important literary devices to know, with definitions, explanations, and examples for each Literary-devices.com (an actual site all about literary devices!) offers an extremely comprehensive list, with examples This list from a high school teacher's AP course also has a pretty good array of major literary terms Strategy 3: Learn and Practice Literary Analysis (Especially Poetry) You've hopefully learned literary analysis techniques in your high school classes, but it doesn't hurt to brush up on these skills. A primary skill needed for the SAT Lit test is the ability to close-read texts- that is, to identify what the author is doing and why he or she is doing it. Most close-reading you do in school is going to involve building your own argument about a text as opposed to answering analytical questions, but the skills are similar. Here are some helpful resources you can use to practice close reading: The writing center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison offers a helpful guide to close reading The Purdue OWL gives good advice on how to close-read poetry specifically The Harvard College Writing Center also has a useful close-reading guide Furthermore, many students, even those who are good at English, are not particularly comfortable with poetry. Never fear! There are resources available to help you get more comfortable with poetry. First things first, reading more poetry will make you more comfortable with it (shocking, I know). Here are some excellent resources you can use in your studies: The Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin has a guide to reading poetry Poets.org has their own guide to reading poetry, along with two close readings of poems Strategy 4: Take Practice Tests If you want to prepare well for the SAT Literature Subject Test, take practice tests! Familiarity with the exam format and the way the questions are worded will keep you from being tripped up on exam day. For more tips on where to find practice tests, read on! Practice, practice, practice! Where to Find SAT Literature Practice Tests and Resources The best resources for SAT Literature practice tests come straight from the source- the College Board. Since they create and administer the SAT Literature Subject Test, it makes sense that they would have the best study resources. The College Board offers a set of 23 practice questions on their online prep interface. You can get the same practice questions in PDF form by downloading their booklet on preparing for the Subject Tests. If you want a complete and official SAT Literature practice test, you will need to purchase The Official Study Guide for ALL SAT Subject Tests, 2nd Edition (about $19 on Amazon). This book offers sample questions with explanations and a complete practice test for every Subject Test. Other than this, official resources are limited. Practice questions in the Kaplan guide bear very little resemblance to actual questions, so I don't advise going there. While The Princeton Review guide questions are much better, they're still not official. How to Ace the Literature Subject Test: 6 Test-Taking Tips All of your general test-taking tips apply here: get a lot of sleep, bring a snack to the testing center, arrive early, and so on. There are also some best practices more specific to the SAT Subject Test in Literature, though. Read on for our top six tips. #1: Read the Passage Carefully This might seem obvious, but you'd be surprised how many students get tripped up on the SAT Lit test just because they didn't read the passage closely. You might find it helpful to mark the text by making notes or circling or underlining parts that stand out to you. Interacting with the text this way will help you to process it better. Some people like to read the questions before they read the passage so that they know what they are looking for. If you find this helpful, go ahead and do it! I personally find that it wastes time and distracts me from fully absorbing the passage, but your mileage might vary. Just remember that the time to experiment with your approach is not test day but while you're taking practice tests. Also, there's no law that you have to address all the passages in order. If you come upon one that just seems hard to process, it's fine to skip it and come back to it later. However, if you do this, be sure to line up your answers on the answer sheet correctly. You don't want to have to erase half a scantron because you didn't count right when you skipped a passage! #2: Think of the Answer Before Looking At the Choices When you read the question, you might find it helpful to think of what you think the answer should be before you look at the answers listed. At the very least, doing this should help you eliminate answers that are clearly wrong. #3: Read All the Answer Choices Carefully This tip probably sounds obvious, too, but, when you're pressed for time, it's tempting to just circle the first answer that looks like it could be right. Don't do this! Read all the answer choices before you choose the best one. #4: Look Back at the Passage When a question refers to a specific place in the passage, go back and look at it in context. Do not rely on your memory alone! Context is everything on this exam. #5: Don't Infer Don't make inferences that aren't supported by the text. It can be tempting to choose answers that the text doesn't explicitly disallow, but you need to choose the answer choice that is the most supported by what's actually written in the passage. #6: Don't Waste Time Since there is some time pressure on this exam, don't waste too much time on any one question. If you find yourself stumped, just skip the question and come back to it later. Odds are that it will be much clearer to you on a second pass. Time is of the essence! Wrap-Up: What to Know About SAT Literature This is all there is to the SAT Subject Test in Literature: you get one hour to answer 60 analytical questions on six to eight passages. Be prepared for a wide range of time periods and make sure you can confront prose, poetry, and the occasional dramatic work. Be certain that you're also ready to answer questions in any of the eight question categories: Reading comprehension Words/phrases in context Questions on the passage overall Literary devices Figurative language Narrator/speaker analysis Character analysis Dialogue analysis What can you do to prepare for the SAT Literature Subject Test? Read works from a variety of time periods, learn major literary terms, get comfortable analyzing prose and poetry, and take as many high-quality practice tests as possible! On test day, remember to read the passages carefully, skip any questions that stump you (and return to them later), and don't make any inferences beyond what's written in the text. With all this in mind, you'll be ready to ace SAT Literature in no time! Get inspired by this magical cat! Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: Raise Your SAT Score by 160 Points(Free Download) What's Next? Once you decide to take the SAT Literature test, you'll need to choose a test date. Read this guide to learn how to find the best test date for you. Taking the SAT Biology Subject Test, too? Check out our ultimate SAT Subject Test guide for SAT Biology to learn what kinds of content you'll need to know to ace the exam. Trying to figure out what's a good SAT Subject Test score? Let us break it down for you. Once you need to send your scores, see out step-by-step guide to sending SAT Subject Test scores. Taking the regular SAT or the ACT? See our expert guide to the best SAT/ACT prep methods. Need a little extra help prepping for your Subject Tests? We have the industry's leading SAT Subject Test prep programs (for all non-language Subject Tests). Built by Harvard grads and SAT Subject Test full or 99th %ile scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so that you get the most effective prep possible. Learn more about our Subject Test products below: