Inference Questions in ACT Reading Strategies + Practice

Inference Questions in ACT Reading Strategies + Practice SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Questions that ask you about what infomation can be inferred from a line or series of lines on ACT Reading comprise about 15% of ACT Reading questions (based on my analysis of 4 publicly available ACTs). In order to answer these inference questions correctly, you must be able to understand what is written in the text and take one tiny, logical step beyond what is directly stated. But how are inference questions asked, and what ACT Reading strategies can you use to answer them? Keep reading to find out and prep for this important question type! feature image credit: Stevie Nicks by Trish Hamme, used under CC BY 2.0/Cropped from original. What Are Inference Questions? Inference questions on ACT reading ask you to interpret or infer the meaning (rather than function) of a phrase, line, or series of lines. Unlike with detail questions, this meaning asked about in inference questions will not be directly stated in the text, which is why inference questions use wordings like â€Å"can be reasonably inferred that† or â€Å"suggests that.† Since there can only be one correct answer, however, the answers to inference questions cannot be subjective or ambiguous. On ACT Reading, there are three main subcategories of inference questions: deduction, speculation, and examination questions. Type 1: Deduction Deduction questions are the simplest type of inference questions, because they only ask you to fill in missing information. In some ways, they are very similar to detail questions, except the paraphrasing that you must do in order to answer them requires you to make a logical deduction. Here's an example of a deduction question: It can reasonably be inferred from the passage that the woman most strongly desires to attain which of the following qualities from dreaming? A. RelaxationB. Self-awarenessC. EntertainmentD. Self-control For this example, I’ll save you the work of having to go through the passage and find the relevant lines (although that’s part of what makes inference questions challenging on the ACT). Here is an excerpt from the opening of the passage with the information you need: The woman never dreams and this makes her intensely miserable. She thinks that by not dreaming she is unaware of things about herself that dreams would surely give her. She doesn’t have the door of dreams that opens every night to question the certain- ties of the day. She stays at the threshold, and the door is always closed, refusing her entrance. My thoughts: So the woman â€Å"never dreams† which makes her â€Å"intensely miserable.† Why is she miserable? Because â€Å"she thinks that by not dreaming she is unaware of things about herself that dreams would surely give her.† So she’s unhappy about not dreaming because she thinks it’s stopping her from gaining awareness about herself (self-awareness). To take a step further, then, self-awareness is something that she wants to gain. The answer to this question is B. There will be a more full walkthrough of an inference question later on in this article – the point of that was to show the itsy bitsy step you have to take beyond what is written to answer inference questions. This is not like high school English literature classes, where you’re encouraged to make any interpretation you can, as long as you can back it up with enough words/rambling; you are really only making a logical extension from things that are directly stated in the passage. Some examples of how these questions have been asked on the ACT (modified for your entertainment): â€Å"It can most reasonably be inferred that the narrator’s discovery that an error has been made in programming the Mars probe is for him a source of:† â€Å"It can reasonably be inferred from the passage that before Harrison’s efforts, other individuals trying to solve the problem of space travel had failed to:† â€Å"The passage suggests that Armstrong’s most important contribution to science was his:† Type 2: Speculation This second subtype of questions ask you to speculate (hence the name) about the meaning of a statement, description, or something else in the passage. Speculation questions can be worded similarly to function questions, but the answer choices and the skills needed to answer the questions differentiate them. Example: In the context of the passage, the statement â€Å"All the guitars are made from certified wood† (lines 34–35) most nearly suggests that Gomes’s workshop: To turn this into a function question, the question would have to change to the following: â€Å"In the context of the passage, what is the function of the statement ‘All guitars are made from certified wood (lines 34-35’)." ...to which the answer would be something like "demonstrate that there is accountability at every level of the instrument making process." Instead, the question as it is currently worded asks "what does [the description] say/what’s the implication or suggested meaning of this statement/what does this emphasize about that other thing?" Here are a few more examples of how this sort of inference question is asked: â€Å"The last paragraph suggests that the author’s main reason for leaving the hospital to visit his patients is to allow him to:† â€Å"The paradox mentioned in the second paragraph (lines 9–14) is best described by which of the following statements?" â€Å"It can most reasonably be inferred from the passage that when the narrator says, â€Å"I didn’t see the red, yellow, and purple clusters that meant flowers to me† (lines 30–31), she is most nearly indicating that:† â€Å"When the narrator says, â€Å"I began to think of the present more than of the future† (lines 80–81), she most likely means that meeting Eugene led her to:† â€Å"It can most reasonably be inferred that for the narrator, the image of the diver bursting through the ocean’s sparkling membrane† (line 52) symbolizes her:† â€Å"By her statements in lines 77–80, the narrator is most nearly asserting that:† Type 3: Examination The wording of examination questions is very close to that of deduction questions, often starting with the phrase "It can reasonably be inferred that..." Rather than asking about specific facts, however, examination questions ask about the internal thoughts, feelings, or motivations of the narrator, author, or someone mentioned in the passage. Every examination question can basically be boiled down to "What would [that person] think about [this thing]?" Examination questions are the most complex type of inference question, because they ask you to get into the head of the author, narrator, character, or other person mentioned in the text. Furthermore, these types of questions often show up on paired passages, asking with the author of one passage would think about something the author of the other passage discussed. See below for some examples: â€Å"It can reasonably be inferred from the passage that the narrator regards her initial discovery of the truth about the reason the Mars probe failed as:† â€Å"It can reasonably be inferred from the passage that within the scientific community the year the passage was published, the small-comet theory was:† â€Å"It can most reasonably be inferred from the passage that regarding NASA, the author feels:† It can reasonably be inferred that after seeing the first man walk on the moon, compared to the narrator of Passage B, the narrator of Passage A felt: 20-Funny-Shocked-Cat-Memes-3 by Sparkle Motion, used under CC BY 2.0. As I believe I've said before, it’s a shame the answers to questions on the ACT cannot be cat pictures. Because that's probably the most concise description of how the narrator of Passage A felt. 5 Fabulous Strategies to Attack ACT Reading Inference Questions Today, I have gathered together for you five top strategies here to help you with inference questions. Some of these strategies are more useful for certain passage approaches (for instance, if you read the pasage thoroughly, you probably don't need to look for context as much as students who skim or start with the question first). Some advice, however, is useful for everyone Look For Context One weird thing that the ACT Reading section likes to do (and the SAT Reading does NOT do) is to ask you to make inferences about things from the passage...without providing any location information. I personally think that this is a pointless exercise, because all it does is give you less time to think because you're scrambling through the passage to even find the information being asked about in the first place. Although I suppose that this is a skill that could come in handy in college/university if you haven't done the reading for the class and are unexpectedly called upon to answer a question about it. In any case, even after you’ve found the thing being asked about in an inference question on ACT Reading (for instance, â€Å"the first woman to command a mission to the International Space Station†), you might find that that sentence may not contain all the information you need to answer the inference question. If you're struggling with an inference question because you need more context, the best places to look are at the sentences directly before and after the phrase, sentence, or lines you're given in the question. In those cases where you need even more context to answer inference questions, like knowing the bigger picture/main point/perspective of the text/author, I find the best strategy is to circle the question and come back to it after you’ve answered relevant big picture questions (such as questions about the paragraph/section the lines in question are in, or even questions about the whole passage). Answer In Your Own Words I believe that this is the most important strategy for answering inference questions correctly. If you can come up with the answer in your own words before you look at the answer choices, you will more easily be able to sidestep the traps the ACT has set for you. Why? Because if you answer the question using your own words, you're far more likely to only include relevant (and accurate) information. Your answer for â€Å"Garrison mentions the impact of a certain kind of meteor in order to illustrate†¦Ã¢â‚¬  will probably not be as elegant as the answer choices, but if you've done your job and only based your answer on the text, you will have a far easier time of picking the right answer (all you have to do is choose the answer choice that best matches your own). Wrong answer choices often have irrelevant information, or contain interpretations that â€Å"seem like they could be true.† This is especially annoying because, as I stated earlier, high school classes train you to see a situation from as many points of view as possible, so your impulse may be to try and prove how each answer COULD be true. No! Don't listen to it! There is only one right answer on the ACT, and even inference questions will not require you to assume much beyond what is written. If you start with your own answer in your own words, it's a lot easier to choose the right answer choice (which has the correct answer, but in the ACT's own words). Nail Down Other ACT Reading Skills As I was completing my analysis of ACT Reading sections by question type, I had this realization: inference questions are often the trickiest type of questions because you need several of the other Reading skills in order to answer them successfully. Take this question: It can reasonably be inferred from the passage that the narrator thinks her hometown has: F. improved significantly over the years.G. made little genuine progress.H. remained about the same as it was years ago.J. a chance of being rebuilt as it used to be. To answer this question correctly, you need... Little Picture skills. You need to figure out where in the passage the narrator indicates she is thinking about her home town and how it has changed. Big Picture skills. You need to be able to scan passage to get a sense of the attitude of the narrator. Even if all you're able to figure out is the general tone of the passage (is it positive or negative towards her hometown? Which answers are positive and which are negative?), you might be able to get rid of some answer choices. hammer time by Seniju, used under CC BY 2.0/Cropped from original. Let your will be as the hammer and the nails as the ACT Reading skills you will hammer into the surface of your brain. I don't know what your fingers are in this analogy, though. Answer ACT Reading Questions In The Order That Works For You Something that it can be hard to wrap you mind around is that you don't have to answer questions in the order of they appear on ACT Reading. Going out of order runs you the risk of accidentally skipping questions, but the time you may save from answering questions in a particular order could make up for it (since you could use that extra time to make sure you've answered all the questions and filled out the right answers). I've created three different scenarios of the order in which you could answer questions, depending on how you approach the passage. If you are a quick and thorough reader, and read each passage in full before answering questions, I recommend that you start with big picture questions before moving on to inference and function questions. The advantage of being able to read quickly (and thoroughly) is that you can answer questions about larger amounts of text while they're still fresh, so it makes sense to start out with those questions, rather than getting bogged down in detail with little picture or vocab in context questions. If you read quickly enough to get through the passage and still have plenty of time to answer the questions, going in order is possible, but as someone who reads a book every couple of days (that is, I read quickly), I would still recommend starting with big picture questions and then moving on to inference questions. If your approach to ACT Reading involves reading the questions, then going back to the passage as needed, my advice is the complete opposite: start with little picture and vocab in context questions before moving on to inference questions. The answers to those kinds of detail questions will provide more information about the author and topic being covered, which in turn will provide context that might be useful for answering inference questions. If it turns out that you need "big picture" information to answer a particular inference question, you can always mark that question and come back to it later. If you start out ACT Reading by skimming the passage, then answering what questions you can before going back to the passage, I recommend getting both big and little picture questions out of the way before you move on to inference questions. Unless the phrase, sentence, or lines being asked about in an inference question was/were in the part of the text you read in your skim-through, it's unlikely you would be able to answer it right off the bat, whereas you might have the information you need to answer big picture questions and little picture questions (because you know where those details are likely to be) from skimming. Eliminate Answers The fundamental rule to answering every ACT Reading question is that you must eliminate three wrong answers. While answering the question in your own words first can make eliminating wrong answers easier (since you're looking for answer choices that match the answer you came up with), this is not always the case for inference questions. On occasion, I have found myself frustrated with inference questions because the inference I make from the text is correct, but it's not the information the ACT is looking for. As an example, for the question "It can most reasonably be inferred that the narrator’s discovery that the last of Boston's excessive snow melted on July 14th was to her a source of:" my initial instinct was that this fact was an endless source of jokes for the narrator, when in fact the question was asking about the narrator's feelings (and so none of the answer choices matched my inference, even though it was possibly also correct). So if you are in a situation where you haven't been able to use context and answer the question in your own words in a way that matches up with the answer choices, what do you do? Going through each answer choice might seem daunting at first, since each answer is has multiple facets to it. In actuality, though, complicated answer choices are easier to eliminate, because if any part of the answer choice is false, you can cross it out. Here's an example: Each of the three projects described in the passage reveals: A. the increasing antagonism between the grandfather and grandson.B. the errors the narrator makes and the disapproval they bring from others.C. that such incidents set the stage for the Bryant family traits to emerge.D. that the narrator is determined to avoid being ungrateful, hateful, or overly fastidious. If you can eliminate any part of the answer choice, you can eliminate the whole thing. Take answer A. the increasing antagonism between the grandfather and grandson. Is there antagonism between grandfather and grandson? If not, ELIMINATE (spoiler: there is not) Is that antagonism increasing? If not, ELIMINATE Do the projects show that the antagonism between the grandfather and grandson is increasing? If not, ELIMINATE As you can see, there are many chances for elimination – it should be really hard for an answer to make the cut. For this question, the correct answer, C, passes this test: there are incidents (the three projects) and they do set the stage for Bryant family traits to emerge. Inference Questions: A Walkthrough through Real Questions Before giving you some practice inference questions to work on, I wanted to do a walkthrough of answering an inference question. I'll have way more in depth explanations in this walkthrough than you would have to justify to yourself on the test, because I want to make sure my reasoning is clear, so don't be intimidated by how detailed it gets. My internal thought process is presented in italics. Here's the question: The last paragraph suggests that the author’s main reason for leaving the hospital to visit his patients is to allow him to: A. feel more like a patient than a physician.B. become a more important part of the real world.C. understand his patients’ illnesses better.D. see if being a naturalist is like being a physician. Rephrase the question: change it from â€Å"why does the author leave the hospital† to â€Å"what’s the main thing that leaving the hospital let the author do?† Here is that last paragraph: With this in mind, I have taken off my white coat, deserted, by and large, the hospitals where I have spent the last twenty-five years, to explore my subjects’ lives as they live in the real world, feeling in part like a naturalist, examining rare forms of life; in part like an anthropologist, a neuroanthropologist, in the field- but most of all like a physician, called here and there to make house calls, house calls at the far borders of human experience. Step one: Look for context Luckily, this question gives specific location information (last paragraph), so I don’t have to hunt all through the passage for the information to answer the question. magellan by fPat Murray, used under CC BY 2.0/Cropped from original. Monkey and binoculars: not necessary for finding the answers to inference questions, but still adorable. Step two: Answer in my own words So the main thing that leaving the hospital to visit his patients lets the author do is â€Å"explore my subjects’ lives as they live in the real world,† which involves â€Å"feeling in part like a naturalist, examining rare forms of life; in part like an anthropologist, a neuroanthropologist, in the field- but most of all like a physician† Step three: Can I eliminate any answers based on my answer in my own words? The last paragraph suggests that the author’s main reason for leaving the hospital to visit his patients is to allow him to: A. feel more like a patient than a physician. No, because it says he feels â€Å"most of all like a physician.† I can eliminate this straight off the bat! The last paragraph suggests that the author’s main reason for leaving the hospital to visit his patients is to allow him to: B. become a more important part of the real world. Mentions something about the real world in the passage. not sure. Can’t eliminate it just yet. The last paragraph suggests that the author’s main reason for leaving the hospital to visit his patients is to allow him to: C. understand his patients’ illnesses better. Mentions exploring his patients’ lives†¦maybe related to understanding illnesses? Can’t eliminate just yet. D. see if being a naturalist is like being a physician. Does say something about â€Å"feeling in part like a naturalist,† and â€Å"but most of all like a physician,† which I guess could be comparing them? I don’t know. Need to examine the next more closely. Let’s go back to the text again: With this in mind, I have taken off my white coat, Wait, hold up. The first sentence of the paragraph begins, â€Å"With this in mind.† NO no no no this is not how we start paragraphs. Not with an unclear antecedent! But since the author made that choice, I GUESS I need to figure out what the â€Å"this† that he’s keeping in mind is. To the previous paragraph for more context! The study of disease, for the physician, demands the study of identity, the inner worlds that patients, under the spur of illness, create. But the realities of patients, the ways in which they and their brains construct their own worlds, cannot be comprehended wholly from the observation of behavior, from the outside. Aha! So the doctor decided to visit patients at home keeping in mind that â€Å"The study of disease†¦demands the study of identity†¦But the realities of patients†¦cannot be comprehended wholly†¦from the outside.† Does the paragraph make more sense now? With this in mind, I have taken off my white coat, deserted, by and large, the hospitals where I have spent the last twenty-five years, to explore my subjects’ lives as they live in the real world, feeling in part like a naturalist, examining rare forms of life; in part like an anthropologist, a neuroanthropologist, in the field- but most of all like a physician, called here and there to make house calls, house calls at the far borders of human experience. Okay. So the answer to â€Å"what’s the main thing that visiting patients at home allows the author to do† is that it allows him to â€Å"explore my subjects’ lives as they live in the real world† because figuring out what’s wrong with them can’t be done just â€Å"from the outside† Another look at the remaining answers: The last paragraph suggests that the author’s main reason for leaving the hospital to visit his patients is to allow him to: B. become a more important part of the real world. Seems broad. I’m already making the inference that the doctor wants to explore his patients’ lives from the inside to figure out what’s wrong with them because doing it from the outside isn’t enough – taking another leap to having him do it to â€Å"become a more important part of the real world† seems too iffy for the ACT. Tentatively cross this one out. The last paragraph suggests that the author’s main reason for leaving the hospital to visit his patients is to allow him to: C. understand his patients’ illnesses better. Oh. Well. Yes. That is the reason, except instead of â€Å"figure out what’s wrong with his patients† the ACT is way more elegant and went with â€Å"understand his patients’ illnesses better.† I guess I’ll check the last answer, just in case. The last paragraph suggests that the author’s main reason for leaving the hospital to visit his patients is to allow him to: D. see if being a naturalist is like being a physician. Nope, he doesn’t care about being a naturalist! It’s a red herring! The answer must be C. Red herring @ Lowestoft, Suffolk by Tim Parkinson, used under CC BY 2.0. Don't be fooled by red herring answer choices! ACT Reading Practice Questions on Inferences: Your Turn! Now that you've made it through that walkthrough of an inference question, it's time for you to practice on your own! Click on the image below for a larger version of the passage. 1. It is reasonable to infer from the passage that the narrator looks back on the dinner-dances as a time when: F. her parents were in conflict over her mother’s work.G. the entire family was filled with excitement and anticipation.H. she and her father had a much easier relationship with each other.J. her mother and father had renewed hope for the future of the family. 2. When the narrator says, â€Å"I solemnly would nod- the honored recipient of this arcane cultural wisdom† (lines 53–54), she most likely means that: A. she felt intimidated when her father was giving her information that she did not understand.B. her father was honored to be able to share personal information with his daughter.C. when her father put on his tie, she pretended to be honored, even though she thought his comment was silly.D. the information her father was giving her seemed important and made her feel valued. 3. The sentence â€Å"Like an eagle, her words slipped regally down a great distance and struck with awful ease† (lines 75–76) indicates that the narrator: F. was not sure what her mother expected of her.G. recognized that her mother was being demeaned.H. wanted to distance herself from her mother.J. was ill at ease with her position in the family. 4. Based on the last two paragraphs (lines 78–92), which of the following statements indicates what the narrator’s father and mother have in common? F. They both want control of the family finances. G. They are both fighting for their self-respect. H. They both want to teach a lesson to their children. J. They are both angry at the woman who came for the fitting. Answer key (scroll down when ready): 1. G 2. D 3. G 4. G In Conclusion... Inference questions ask you about the meaning of a phrase, sentence, or series of lines in a passage Look for context to help you answer the question Answer the question in your own words before looking at the ACT’s answer choices Nail down other ACT Reading skills to help you answer inference questions Attack questions in an order that makes sense, based on the way you read the passage/your own test-taking style Eliminate 3 wrong answers What’s Next? Want to up your ACT Reading game? Check out more of our ACT Reading Skills articles, including articles on vocab in context, big picture, little picture, function and development, and paired passage questions. For a deeper look at paired passages, also be sure to read about why ACT Reading paired passages are so difficult. Feeling overwhelmed and not sure how to read the passage? Find out the best way to practice ACT Reading and what's actually tested on ACT Reading. Worried about running out of time on ACT Reading? You’re not alone. Read more about how to avoid a time-crunch here! Do you find that breaking down questions by skill type and drilling them really works for you? Consider the signing up for the PrepScholar platform to jumpstart your test prep! Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Reading lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Sports and Entertainment Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sports and Entertainment Management - Case Study Example The most important part of this whole project was the redevelopment of East Village. People were beginning to be drawn away from East Village because they were running out of reasons to be there. The location was such that was once very lively but it had little left to attract local people and the visitors. This area required some serious redevelopment and its prayers were answered when Padres choose it for the construction of their new ballpark. It was the very first time that redevelopment was made integral part of a project in which a sports facility was being publicly financed. Further, the Padres made redevelopment a part of the Memorandum of Understanding in which they obtained the approval of public. This meant that even politicians were unable to disallow this project as they had to do what the people wanted. The road to success was not a smooth one for Padres. They had had to face many bumps in the form of oppositions and lawsuits by the people who had to relocate. The prota gonist of this case, John Moores, faced a very difficult time because of all the lawsuits and the delays. There was a two year delay in the construction in the area which was now known as the Ballpark District. Conditions had significantly changed in the two year period due to 9/11 and the bursting of the Internet Bubble. One of the setbacks was the departure of Larry Lucchino. Lucchino kept the people of San Diego, particularly the diehard baseball fans, involved in the process so that their support and sympathy was always with the team. This was very difficult to maintain as Lucchino left. Moores handled the matter with great patience and maturity. There were times when it felt like Moores might leave San Diego and take his team to another city. Instead, Moores kept his head poised in the game in which he was involved. He knew that the redevelopment of East Village was not only good for the area itself, but it was also the biggest argument in favour of his project. PETCO Park was an enormous success. From this experience, one can learn that there are always numerous extraneous circumstances that are to be accounted for while pursuing a project of such magnitude. No matter how careful one is, there is always a potential of oversight. ‘There is no such thing as a perfect research’. We can look at the experiences of others and we should learn from them. Similar mistakes must not be repeated. We can clearly see that Moores’ team selection was brilliant but not flawless. He made sure that the team that was working on this project was diverse. Therefore, everyone brought something new to the table. However, it was a slip by one of the team members that resulted in the allegations of corruption. Moores, of course, was not guilty but the two year delay was like a punishment for him too. A punishment for a wrong he did not commit himself, but one of his team members did. Perhaps, everyone else who was involved in the project also suffered greatly. But one tends to think that maybe Moores could have done something to avoid all of this. There might have been no corruption if the team members had a clear knowledge of their limits and boundaries. Moores could

How far could ancient tribal traditions and religious beliefs be held Thesis

How far could ancient tribal traditions and religious beliefs be held to blame for the problems between African nations or What - Thesis Example ’ I believe that the proposed assignment has much relevance in the present context where the international relationships between nations are at stake and the tuck of war is undergoing in many countries. As a student I am much interested in the international relations of the nations. Even though I don’t have much knowledge in it, I believe that if the international ties between the nations are strengthened up, much of the problems among the nations will come down. The international court has a predominant role to guide the nations through peace and security. In the field of international justice, day by day, many issues related to the encroaching, terrorism, territorial dispute, and unhealthy competitions between and among nations are rising to an intimidating level. As this topic is dealing with the present situations of the world and it has become a focus for interest, I wish to take up this assignment. I believe that this study has some relevance for studying. As far as I am concerned I wish to have a thorough study on the topic. The knowledge about the various elements of international law and the implementation of it in the present situation are to be studied. ... I believe that the aspect of international law and the strategies for settling the disputes among the nations is a major concern that the law should look through. At many times the international law has failed to judicially execute the disputes that emerged from different parts of the world. There should be enough clarification in the implementation of law by the different agencies. I plan to give more stress on this aspect in my research. It is sure that if ever I get a chance to meet an expert on this subject I would ask certain questions which is puzzling in my mind. Of course the major doubts of mine will be in the reforming of the international law. I want to know the how this law can take reforms and how this law will arbitrarily make decisions on different issues that are coming up day by day. I would like to list out some of the questions that I ask to the expert. I will ask him about the shift in that occurred in the international level as the powerful nations consider this as a tool of their supremacy. It is also good to ask about the modern changes that are to be there in the international law. I propose to ask on how the international court can exercise power in dealing with the dominant nations of the world. I will ask him what the reforms are proposed by the international law committee regarding the upcoming elements of terrorism in each country. By asking many questions I believe that I will get a clear cut idea on the international law and its role in maintaining peace among nations of the world. If ever I was asked to get a book on their reforms of International law I would suggest the article, ‘International Law in Times of Hegemony: Unequal Power and the

What Constitutes a Healthy Person?

What Constitutes a Healthy Person? This chapter focuses on the features of a healthy physical constitution of a person, definitions of sleep, as well as key concepts associated with disease management such as etiopathogenesis, clinical presentation, prognosis, and management of atisthula. Some key etiological factors of atisthula include dietary lifestyle indicators (e.g., sedentary habit and high-calorie diet), and genetic and hereditary factors. This chapter also describes the pathogenesis of atisthula in detail, involving rasa (plasma) and meda (adipose tissue) as important dushyas (affected tissues). The significance of meda (adipose tissue) as the principal dushya has been recently confirmed in modern medicine where the central obesity and dyslipidemia are being considered as the main components of the basic matrix of this disease and its related disorders. [1,2,3] The recent concept of metabolic syndrome was already recognized in Ayurveda. Biomedical science points that overweight individuals experience greatly elevated morbidity and mortality from various ailments including cardiovascular diseases. 4,5 Obesity research is focused on preventive measures and management of complications like prediabetes, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, stroke, coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy, and arrhythmia/sudden death. [6] In the modern world, obesity has emerged as a serious health issue in both developed and developing nations and is recognized as one of the most serious public health problems of the 21st century. In 2008 the WHO estimated that globally, at least 500 million adults (or approximately 1 in 10 adults) are obese, with higher rates among women than men. Obesity is the reason for about 80% of type 2 diabetes, about 70% of cardiovascular diseases, and 42% of breast and colon cancers today. In the past two decades, the number of overweight children and adolescents has doubled. [7] The rate of obesity also increases with age at least up to 50 or 60 years old. Once considered a problem specific to only high-income countries, obesity has acquired pandemic proportions and is affecting people globally [8,9] Most researchers agree that once it is established in the body, obesity mostly takes an incurable course and continues to develop many progressive complications a fact that was already acknowledged in Ayurveda. [10] Any course of treatment for obesity suggested by modern medical practitioners primarily includes dietary changes and physical exercise followed by anti-obesity drugs that help reduce appetite or inhibit fat absorption. In severe cases, various invasive and non-invasive surgical procedures could be prescribed such as partial gastrectomy, gastric bypass, banding, gastric balloons, etc.[11]   However, Ayurvedas approach to weight management is very different in that it does not recommend pills or surgeries for inducing drastic weight-loss. Instead, Ayurveda advocates dietary restrictions according to the Prakriti (predisposition or temperament of the patient), moderate exercise, practice of yogÄ sanas and pranayama, besides certain ayurvedic medications and b io-purificatory measures for its management [12] The etiology, pathogenesis, clinical features and consequences of extreme leanness (atikrisha), as an outcome of rasakshaya (decrease of rasa), medokshaya (decrease of meda) and mamsakshaya (decrease of mamsa) have also been described in this chapter. The two basic approaches for management of atikrisha and atisthula are augmentation (brimhana) and depletion (karshana) of body tissues respectively. Various drug and non-drug modalities have been suggested for the replenishment of dhatus and their nourishment to attain good health.   In this regard, Rasayana drugs of Ayurveda help balance hormones, promote essential nutrition and enhance immunity to atisthula and atikrisha respectively. As mentioned earlier, this chapter also emphasizes the role of good Nidra (sleep) in maintaining a healthy life. In fact, as per Ayurveda, after Ahara (diet), Nidra is one of the three sub-pillars of life (trayopastambha) and has a significant place in preventive medicine because normal sleep hel ps prevent diseases and unwholesome sleep may lead to fatal diseases. In Ayurveda, Nidra is considered a brimhana (nourishing) agent that promotes physical mental health and enhances immunity.

Youth Violence on the Possession of Firearms in School

Despite nationwide gun-free school laws that prohibit possession of a firearm on or near the property of a public or private school, students are bringing guns to school and using them against their fellow students and teachers with increasing frequency. What possesses these students to gun down their classmates? How are these students getting access to firearms? Who is ultimately responsible for these tragedies? What stresses contribute to these shootings? And how are parents and educators missing the warning signs that these children have reached the breaking point? Over the past few years, there have been an astronomical number of school shootings across the country, sending policy makers, parents, teachers, and other concerned citizens into a tailspin. These events are becoming more frequent and have shattered the sense of safety that children should have when they are in school. Shootings by students, some as young as 10, have occurred at sickeningly regular intervals in urban towns like Pearl, Mississippi, Jonesboro, Arkansas, Fayetteville, Tennessee and most recently Littleton, Colorado, where 12 students and 1 teacher lost their lives at the hand of two teen shooters who took their own lives. Firearm violence falls second only to automobile-related deaths, as the leading cause of injury-related death, in the United States. By the year 2003, firearm fatalities are projected to become the United States leading cause of injury-related death, unless the violence is curbed. In 1991, Texas and Louisiana saw firearm fatalities surpass automobile fatalities, and Virginia and Nevada also have continued this trend. In fact, the firearm death rate is increasing faster than any other cause of death except AIDS related fatalities. Recent public attention has focused on the problem of gun violence in the nation†s schools. A 1994 Gallup poll of Americans, for the first time, fighting, violence, and gangs have moved to the top of the list to tie with lack of discipline as the biggest problem facing schools. It is difficult to determine what effect the threat of violence has upon the learning of each student, but clearly education takes a back seat to one†s own sense of security and well being. According to a survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, one in 20 high school students carry a gun and one in five students would tell a teacher if he or she knew of another student carrying weapons to school. Theories differ about where young people get their guns. School security experts and law enforcement officials estimate that 80% of the firearms students bring to school come from home, while students estimate that 40% of their peers who bring guns to school buy them on the street. The United States has weaker firearm regulations and higher numbers of deaths involving firearms than all other industrialized nations. The greatest tragedy of gun violence is the tremendous numbers of children and youth killed or injured each year by firearms. These numbers continue to increase at alarming rates. According to Gunfree.Org, in 1985, the number of firearm homicides for youth 19 years and younger was 1,339, in 1995, it was 2, 574. In 1995, guns accounted for 84% of homicides of persons 13 to 19 years of age. Averages of 14 youth each day are killed by gunshots. A group studying juvenile violence in Multhomah County, Oregon identified the inadequate response of the juvenile justice system to students expelled for possessing weapons in schools, the need for additional efforts to detect weapons, and anti-violence education in schools as primary concerns. We must, as a society, recognize that there is a cycle of violence and that violence breeds more violence. There is no single answer to the problem of violence. A multi-faceted approach is needed. Prevention must be a priority. According to a ‘Public Health† Approach, recognition of three levels of prevention activities is essential: Primary prevention: These are interventions directed at people who have no obvious risk factors for development of violence. An example would be teaching grade school children to deal constructively with anger and conflict. Secondary prevention: These activities are directed to those who show clear-cut risk factors for violence. An example would be training in anger management for people who have a history of arguments or fighting. Tertiary prevention: These activities are directed toward minimizing the danger caused by those who have displayed violent behavior. Examples include interventions to allow gang-established patterns of serious or repeated violence. Any approach to violence must include education carried out in various ways and settings including collaboration among community groups, businesses, the schools, and government. Most of all, the parents must get involved. Schools offer the opportunity to reach a substantial percentage of the youth population and teach them skills aimed at the reduction of violence. Teachers are able to identify early on problem youth and families. Schools represent an important site to convey the message of society against weapons and violence. An important part of the anti-violence prevention strategy aimed at all youth is increasing the efforts to detect weapons in schools. While schools are already vigilant about responding to individuals when specific knowledge is available about weapons possession, this approach has not addressed concerns and perceptions that a number of weapons are present in schools undetected. Expanding the commitment to zero tolerance for weapons in schools would also better communicate to youth community standards, assuming that adequate consequences are in place. Most weapons are found through reporting by a concerned student. Such reporting should be praised.

New York v. Quarles Supreme Court Case, Arguments, Impact

In New York v. Quarles (1984), the Supreme Court created the public safety exception to the Miranda rule. Under Miranda v. Arizona, if an officer interrogates a suspect without notifying him of his Fifth Amendment rights, evidence gathered from that interrogation cannot be used in court. Under New York v. Quarles, however, an attorney may argue that evidence should be admissible because the officer acted in the interest of public safety when securing certain information from a suspect without issuing Miranda warnings. Fast Facts: New York v. Quarles Case Argued: January 18,1984Decision Issued: June 12, 1984Petitioner: The People of New YorkRespondent: Benjamin QuarlesKey Questions: Can evidence offered by a defendant prior to receiving his Miranda warnings be used in court if there is a public safety concern?Majority Decision: Justices Burger, White, Blackmun, Powell, and RehnquistDissenting: Justices OConnor, Marshall, Brennan, and StevensRuling: The Supreme Court ruled that, due to a public safety concern, Quarles statement regarding the location of his gun could be used against him in court even though he had not been read his Miranda rights at the time. Facts of the Case On September 11, 1980 officer Frank Kraft entered an AP supermarket while on patrol in Queens, New York. He identified a man, Benjamin Quarles, who matched the description of an assailant armed with a gun. Officer Kraft moved to detain Quarles, pursuing him through the aisles. During the chase, three officers arrived on the scene. Officer Kraft caught up to Quarles and handcuffed him. The officer noticed that Quarles had an empty gun holster on him. Officer Kraft asked where the gun was and Quarles directed the officer to a revolver stashed inside a carton. After securing the gun, Officer Kraft read Quarles his Miranda rights, formally placing him under arrest. Constitutional Issues Was Quarles’ statement about the location of the gun subject to the exclusionary rule under the Fifth Amendment? Can evidence offered by a defendant prior to receiving his Miranda warnings be used in court if there is a public safety concern? Arguments The petitioner argued that it was the officer’s obligation to find and secure the gun in the interest of public safety. The gun could have been within reach of Quarles, placing everyone in the supermarket at risk, the attorney argued. The exigent circumstances of a gun hidden in the supermarket overrode the immediate need for Miranda warnings, the attorney told the court. An attorney on behalf of Quarles argued that the officer should have notified Quarles of his Fifth Amendment rights as soon as he apprehended him. The attorney noted that the act of restraining Quarles and handcuffing him should have prompted the officer to read the Miranda warnings. Questions about the gun should have been asked after administering Miranda when Quarles was aware of his right to remain silent. The attorney called it a classic coercive situation. Majority Opinion Justice Rehnquist delivered the 5-4 opinion. The court found that Quarles statement, directing the officer to the gun, could be used as evidence. The decision in Miranda v. Arizona, according to the court, aimed to reduce police coercion of suspects in custody by advising them of their constitutional rights. When Officer Kraft apprehended Quarles, he reasonably believed that Quarles gun was loose in the supermarket. His question was prompted by a concern for public safety. The immediate need to find a potentially dangerous weapon outweighed the need to administer Miranda in that instant. Justice Rehnquist wrote: We think police officers can and will distinguish almost instinctively between questions necessary to secure their own safety or the safety of the public and questions designed solely to elicit testimonial evidence from a suspect. Dissenting Opinion Justice Thurgood Marshall was joined by Justice William J. Brennan and Justice John Paul Stevens. Justice Marshall argued that Quarles was surrounded by four officers, weapons drawn, when he was handcuffed. There was no immediate concern for public safety that overpowered the need to provide Miranda warnings. Justice Marshall argued that the Court would create chaos by allowing public safety to create an exception to the practices outlined in Miranda v. Arizona. According to the dissent, officers would use the exception to coerce defendants into making incriminating statements that would be admissible in court. Justice Marshall wrote: By finding on these facts justification for unconsented interrogation, the majority abandons the clear guidelines enunciated in Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U. S. 436 (1966), and condemns the American judiciary to a new era of post hoc inquiry into the propriety of custodial interrogations. Impact The Supreme Court affirmed the presence of a public safety exception to Miranda warnings established under the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The exception is still used in court to allow evidence that would otherwise be inadmissible under Miranda v. Arizona. However, courts do not agree on what constitutes a threat to public safety and whether that threat needs to be immediate or not. The exception has been used in situations where officers need to locate a deadly weapon or injured victim. Sources New York v. Quarles, 467 U.S. 649 (1984).Rydholm, Jane.  The Public Safety Exception to Miranda. Nolo, 1 Aug. 2014, www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/the-public-safety-exception-miranda.html.

Obesity Obesity And Obesity Essay - 1169 Words

Obesity Obesity refers to excess body fat while overweight refers to excess body weight in terms of excess fat, muscles, bone or water. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (2009–2010), about 69% of the adult population in the U.S. is overweight or obese, with more than 78 million adults being obese. Consistent with the survey, at least 2 in 3 adults are overweight or obese and more than 1 in 3 adults are obese. In addition, more than 1 in 20 adults in the U.S. are said to have extreme obesity. The obesity and overweight ranges are calculated using body mass index (BMI). An overweight person has a BMI of 25 to 29.9 while an obese person has a BMI of 30 + (Flegal et al. 493). Obesity and overweight are linked to increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is characterized by insulin resistance, hyperglycemia and impairment in insulin secretion. Obesity induces insulin resistance and predisposes individuals to inflammation and metabolic complications. Consequently, insulin resistance occurs when more than normal amounts of insulin are needed for a normal biological response. With time, the pancreas gets exhausted and blood glucose levels increase leading to hyperglycemia, which has toxic effects on pancreas cells and impairs insulin receptors eventually leading to type 2 diabetes. According to research, about 13% of adults aged 20 and above have type 2 diabetes although 40% of them have not been diagnosed (Ogden et al. 483).Show MoreRelatedObesity : Obesity And Obesity986 Words   |  4 PagesObesity is one of the major health epidemics that human being struggle to deal with it. Obesity is a chronic disease characterized by excessively high body f at in relation to lean body mass. In the last 20 years, people started complaining that fast food is the main cause of rising obesity. 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In recent years obesity is the health topic of choice these days because obesity in America is a growing epidemic. One out of twenty people in America have extreme obesity. According to a 2009-2010 survey conducted by the National Health and Nutrition examination this data states that about one third of children and adolescents ages six to nine are considered to be overweight or obese. Adolescent obesity has more than tripled in young adults and doubled in childrenRead MoreObesity : Obesity And The Obesity2209 Words   |  9 Pages OBESITY in America As the world is growing day by day the problem of obesity is also increasing all over the world. Since from1980 to 2014, the obesity has risen two times as compared to the previous years. The obesity is related to the how much energy is left, but the most important cause of having the obesity is â€Å"dysbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure† (Nazarii Kobyliak 1). The obesity is the excessive fat in the body and it can cause to any age group form child to the oldRead MoreObesity : Obesity And Obesity985 Words   |  4 Pages Obesity is one of the major health epidemic that human being struggle to deal with it. Obesity is a chronic disease characterized by excessively high body fat in relation to lean body mass. In the last 20 years, people started complaining that fast food is the main cause of rising obesity. However, a lot of research proves that fast food is not the source of obesity. The rising obesity problem cannot be blamed on the fast food industry ; there are several other factors leads to obesity.