Middle East Final Exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Middle East Final Exam - Essay Example This was followed by Christian anti-Semitism, which occurred in the middle epoch and was principally religious in nature. This was further followed by conventional or olden Muslim anti-Semitism, which was apparently nuanced due to the case of Jews being protected socially. Socio-political and economical anti-Semitism associated with Europe in the period of enlighten and post enlightenment which crafted the basis for racial anti-Semitism. Racial anti-Semitism was inculcated in the era of Nazism around the 19th century (Falk 5). Modern anti-Semitism has emerged lately and is acknowledged as fresh anti-Semitism. However, in our study, we will deal with the anti-Semitism occurring in the 19th century. The introduction of the era of industrialization and the scientist revolution in Europe encouraged and was characterized by extreme anti-Semitism (Falk 25). Zionism is a Jewish political affiliation that aims at empowering and boosting the self esteem of the Jewish people in a sovereign nat ional homeland of the Jews. It advocates for the Jewish people and addresses the critical intimidation and threats to their affluence and continued existence. Liberal Zionism, being our major focus, included advocacies by Zionist leaders such as Herzi and Weizmann, although not directed to a single party, for democracy and human rights adherence and free market capitalism. Kadima, however, diverted his advocacy towards the establishment of a democratic society in Israel, the dire need for Palestinian statehood and granting of equal rights for Israeli Arab citizens among other grievances (Falk 5). Theodor Herzl is the father to modern Zionism and emergence of the Israeli state. The imminent rise of anti-Semitism was what pickled Herzl’s attention and caused him to inculcate the fight against it. Despite the fact that he was steeped into the European culture, Herzl was perturbed by the augmenting hate for the Jews and, thus, started fighting for his dignity (Falk 55). With cont inued fight against Zionist movement by various Jewish leaders, Herzl pressed for more attention on the congress to conquer the communities or work with the Jewish communities in addition to political focus on the Palestine community. Thus, he elicited cohesion and serenity in the Jewish and Palestinian communities through activism as he wrote news articles discouraging anti-Semitism. Thus, he addressed the plight of the Jews and pressed for independence of Palestine and freedom foe Jewish people to his grave. Chaim Weizmann was brought up in a Jewish steeped setting and grew up aware of the plight of Jews. He played a big role in fighting for Zionism. In his liaison with Balfour for the enforcement of the Balfour’s declaration, Weizmann confessed that all he needed was home for his people. He secured a credit as one of the founding fathers of Israel. In 1919, Weizmann and his acquaintance Faisal, the future crown of Iraq, stroke an accord dubbed the Faisal-Weizmann agreement , which inculcated peaceful relations between Arabs and Jews within the Middle East. This accord lobbied for the settlement of Jews in Palestine (Falk 55). After this accord, Weizmann became the influential leader of the world Zionist movement where he liaised with Albert Einstein to raise funds for the construction of the Hebrew university in Jerusalem. He ended up as the first president of Israel where he brought people together. Before and after the Second World War,

Evidence based design-healthcare Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Evidence based design-healthcare - Assignment Example Some of the factors considered in evidenced based design include the impact of getting connected to the natural environment on human biology and use of daylight, improving movement of people within a healthcare facility to improve safety, ergonomics, efficiency and hygienic issues which are very important for a healthcare facility. According to Kirk (95), improving outdoor views as well as optimizing daylight exposure has been considered as one of the design objectives especially for a wellness centre. Previous studies have also suggested that the provision of patients with a view of the natural world reduces their need for pain medication thus has the impact of shortening their stay in the hospital. Other studies have also suggested that the improved view of the biological world while patients are in hospitals reduces their length of stay. According to Verderber et al (238), this evidence based design discovery positively affects circadian rhythms of sleep as well as alertness thus improves the general experience of patients. When patients get access or are exposed to abundant sunlight. An example of this was seen at the Butter County healthcare center in David city in which a new wellness center featured a unique three thousand plus square foot curved glass curtain wall that goes up to twenty two feet high. This design offers beautiful views of a park and the surrounding natural environment. The design of the building was aimed at creating a more comfortable healing environment and provides a connection through which patients and healthcare staff meet the outside environment. Designs at this healthcare center used building information management technology as well as sun tracking analysis software to create a comfortable environment. Researchers on the impacts of natural environment have also suggested that the impacts

Cultural Context Essay Example for Free

Cultural Context Essay Even though construction is usually considered as originally the activity of men and machines in digging, moving, shaping, erecting, and so forth, the relative use of building materials by the construction industry far exceeds its share in the gross domestic product. Specifically is construction of great significance for that special class of materials sometimes called as the â€Å"physical-structure† materials, which made major things of human civilization. Out of these â€Å"physical-structure† materials the more or less long-lasting and reliably shaped are wood and concrete. They are basic building materials for thin-shell roof construction, walls, tanks, large-diameter pipes, runways, highway bridges and many other structures. Main Body Concrete is related to the most significant building technologies in twentieth and the early twenty first century. However, other important building materials, such as wood, also figure in the construction picture. The poured method of concrete building has been so improved that buildings of this material are now erected as rapidly as a wood structure. Engineering departments all over the world are now prepared to assist engineers, architects and builders to apply concrete and wood to their construction work. Increasingly in the beginning of the twentieth century, when builders were asked how they should build the foundation possessing good physical strength, their answer was concrete. Either by placing the steel frame upon concrete foundations or by placing it upon a more spacious concrete raft foundation, architectural constructors in most cases complement steel with concrete as a problem-solving building material. By reinforcing concrete with steel rods, or by using steel machinery to form concrete blocks as prefabricated building blocks, builders further diversified their architectural techniques. The most approved composition of concrete for general construction consists of a mixture of broken limestone, granite or clean screened mixture of rock fragments, clean coarse sand and cement, in such proportions that the voids between the stone are completely filled by the sand and the voids in the sand completely filled with cement, with a slight excess of cement to guarantee a perfect connection with the stone. To create top-quality concrete, manufacturers need equally high-grade cement. By 1900 approximately three-quarters of that material was Portland cement, named after the tiny island of Portland in the U. K. where a desirable limestone used in its manufacture was descovered. In 1824 Joseph Aspdin, from Leeds, was the first to provide the world with Portland cement, but after 1872 the material was produced in the United States and its popularity spread rapidly (Collins, 1998). At the 1876 Philadelphia Exhibition, American Portland cement was displayed to the public as a useful and practical building material, but production only began in earnest in 1880 and domestic cement only began to overtake European imports in 1897, by which time American machinery for crushing aggregate and making concrete had also begun to substitute European machines, even in Europe itself (American Exporter, 1906, 58 (3), pp. 79-87). Wood structures can be constructed more quickly and inexpensively than other kinds. Wood still is used for finish flooring in the living areas of about four out of five homes, although plastic tiles and other materials are gaining ground. Flooring generally involves both the visible flooring and a subflooring. Most frame houses utilize boards for subflooring, but plywood is gaining ground. In buildings which use concrete beams, concrete flooring slabs are generally poured right along with the beams. Steel structures may be floored with poured concrete or with precast concrete or gypsum slabs. Roofs of houses, which have a timber framework and cladding, are likely to have as the foundation wooden board, plywood, or composition planking. However, the current general tendency in home building toward flat, or low-pitched, roofs has led to a partial shift from tile, wood, and asbestos tiles to concrete materials and poured concrete. Because of its important role in residential buildings, wood does only slightly less well than concrete. Although its relative cost has increased with time, it is still the most popular building material all over the world. The open-grained wood of any of numerous coniferous trees, such as pine and cedar, as distinguished from that of a dicotyledonous tree, enters the English home as framing, siding, shingles, finishing panels, sash, millwork, and boarding, used to cover the wall studding or roof joists of a timber frame; the wood of any of numerous broad-leaved dicotyledonous trees, such as oak, beech, ash, etc. principally as flooring, material used for making panels, and trim. In non-residential buildings, wood is put to practice as the most widely used building material for concrete formwork, railroad ties, telephone poles, railings, fences, and many other purposes (BLAIRSLTD). The chief advantages of wood in construction industry include its ease of production and of process by which wood is packaged and transported, its low thermal conductivity, and its strength-to-weight ratio (which is greater than that of cast iron and is identical to that of the stronger concretes) (Rowell 9). Yet, because of its peculiar weaknesses as an organic material, such as vulnerability to fungi and various insects, its relative lack of versatility in terms of design, and its long-term rise in price in comparison with concrete, the relative role of wood as a building material may to some degree decrease in the future, and further replacement may be projected. If considered as a structural material in large building construction, wood has already been largely replaced by concrete framing, brick or concrete walls, and concrete floors. This trend will probably continue in the future. On the other part, wood framing probably will retain its dominating position in the residential building, although giving way a bit to steel, concrete, perhaps aluminium, and sandwich panel method of building. The advantages of metal roof frameworks are gradually reducing the amount of wood required for roof structures. Moreover, for exterior trimming wood is being increasingly substituted by brick exterior and by panels of such building materials as asbestos, metal, and organic materials with a polymeric structure. Dry wall building and the utilisation of gypsum plasterboard and of metal lath are also considerably lessening the need for wood. The most important role for wood is probably in finished flooring, but there are modern trends toward replacement of composition and various types of synthetic materials even in living areas. Wood, like steel, is yielding to aluminum as the leading building material for window frames, door frames, doorways, trim, and other such purposes. In concrete building the formwork is tending change from wood to steel and plywood and also to plastics. Growing popularity of plywood and of laminated structural members may slow down the trend away from wood. Laminated wood arches, structural frameworks of wood, and roof systems have proved appropriate for spanning distances up to 120 feet, and, because of their attractive and pleasant appearance, are today in frequent use in the building of churches and temples, buildings for public gatherings or meetings, shopping areas, and the similar places. Plywood, which to some degree possesses more physical strength than lumber, may replace lumber in almost any of its uses; it is already extensively used in subflooring, boarding, interior panelling, concrete forms, and so forth. Thus, it may be expected to grow in total use at almost twice the rate predicted for lumber. Use of concrete in building is constantly increasing today. It is a changeable mixture of portland cement, fine aggregates (almost always sand), and coarse aggregates (crushed stone, gravel, cinder, slag, or whatever else is available within a particular area). The proportions of these ingredients are influenced by the particular use to which the concrete is to be intended, but they are at most times 1:2:4. As can be seen, cement is the minor component in this mixture. The fact that concrete is the most extensively used building material can be explained by its advantages related to wood among which are versatility, its high breaking strength relative to bricks and other kinds of masonry materials, the low price which makes it comparatively inexpensive material relative to structural steel, and in essence the presence of concrete components almost in all areas (Classic Encyclopaedia). The main uses of concrete in England are in dams, water tanks, pipes and sewers, heavy walls, piers, caissons, columns, and road and sidewalk pavements. In addition, concrete is utilised in the form of units cast in a particular form before being used in building, such as concrete blocks and cast stone, whose principal advantage over wood, brick, and structural tile is that they are costing relatively little. Because of the low flexural strength of concrete, it is combined with steel in most of its construction applications (Classic Encyclopaedia). This combination is made possible by the match of coefficients of thermal expansion of these materials. The amount of reinforcing steel rods, wire, wire-mesh, and so forth needed for a concrete structure is only one-third to one-half the amount needed for a similar completely steel structure. In England, the possibilities of this technique of construction are just beginning to extend its use beyond massive complex constructions. The chief disadvantages of reinforced concrete (also known as ferroconcrete or armoured concrete) in comparison with structural steel are the time and costs of construction, even if one takes account of the applying paints to the surface of steel members and their trimming. It is costly to build and remove forms, shores, and temporary metal or wooden frameworks. Most of the developments, which been made not long ago, in methods of concrete building are somehow related to reducing expense on forms, First, as an alternative to the traditional lumber and plywood, steel and more recently, plastic with fibrous matter to confer additional strength forms have been experimented. Plastics are especially showing great promise, in view of the fact that they are smooth and easily utilised, able to keep water, may be given extraordinary shapes, and may be use again and again from fifteen to twenty times. Second, â€Å"slip-form† pavers have been successfully employed in laying road pavements (Green 1-2). Third, precasting of concrete members has been used as a mass production technique and to provide solid and robust in construction, more unchanging in form concrete, but presents some transportation problems. Fourthly, so-called tilt-up construction and lift-slab construction has permitted walls, floors, and columns to be poured on a horizontal surface and then either tilted or lifted into place. Finally, able to be used more than once, adjustable length steel trusses have removed the need for the multiple strengthening which differently has to be placed under the conventional built-up forms. The faster such form-saving processes are improved and used by engineers and constructors, the faster steel concrete is likely to be used as a structural material. One more limitation of usual concrete is its low heat insulation value. That is why concrete walls are occasionally of a non-load bearing, sandwich type, being composed of a layer of insulating material cast between two concrete slabs. In this application, concrete is to a serious degree threatened by other types of curtain walls, including various types of sandwiches. Alternative way to give concrete protecting properties is to make it with relatively light weight aggregates – such as vermiculite, expanded clay, and so forth. In this form, it not any more has sufficient quality of being physically strong to be used for load bearing purposes, although it has been very well utilised in long-span roof building. Prestressed concrete has gotten great significance as a building material. The basic characteristic of prestressed concrete is that, by compressing concrete and keeping it under compression, the tensile stresses caused by loads are neutralized (CEMENT). The compression is accomplished by casting the concrete around stretched rods or cables, the tension on which is released as the concrete sets. A prestressed beam needs only one-fourth the weight of the steel and one-half the weight of concrete which is needed to support the same load by a usual reinforced concrete member. Although it was patented by a San Francisco engineer in 1886, prestressed concrete did not emerge as an accepted and effective building material until a half-century later. Since then it had been intensively used in Europe for structural purposes. Up to the present moment, prestressed concrete’s applications have been limited mostly to pipes, tanks, runways, and from time to time highway bridges. As engineers and constructors gain experience and manage to reduce the manufacturing expenses, prestressing may become competitive with steel and with reinforced concrete building. After weighing up all the factors, the trend is more toward a substitution of concrete for other building materials than of other building materials for concrete. The use of portland cement which is made by heating a slurry of clay and crushed chalk should more than double in the next decades, may presumably triple, and at its lowest is expected to become greater by at least one-third.

Preventing Teenagers from Smoking

Preventing Teenagers from Smoking Problem statement It is well documented that tobacco use has caused many smoking related diseases yearly; De Meyrick (2000) reported that almost 20,000 people died each year from smoking related diseases. Smoking has been steadily declining in Australia but there is a need to prevent teenagers from even taking up smoking. According to statistics provided by Quit Victoria (2014), the overall rate of smokers among Australian students aged 12 to 17 was 6.7% in 2011, with 4.1 percent of students within the age bracket of 12 to 15 being current smokers and 12.9 per cent of current smokers being in the age bracket of 16 to 17 years of age. Further, it was reported that the majority of adult smokers adopted the habit as teenagers, with the average age of initiation in 2010 being 16 and these smokers took up the habit seriously after progressing from the experimental stage (Tobacco in Australia 2014). It was also found that 16% of males and 13% of females had become regular smokers by the age of 17 (Tobacco in Australia 2014). A study by Chang et al (2005) also found that tobacco smoking among teenagers has been associated with substance abuse and depression as well as a host of mental health problems in both male and female adolescents. Chang et al (2005) further reported that prevention and early intervention into teenage smoking will not only avert later daily smoking but it can also prevent or mitigate the risk for substance use and psychiatric problems. Considering that smoking has caused many health related problems and has also contributed to other social costs, it becomes crucial to prevent teenagers from even adopting the smoking habit. While there are many anti-smoking campaigns, a specific programme targeting teenagers in Victoria is needed to significantly reduce the statistics of 16% male and 13% female teenage smokers by age 17. Needs Analysis Plan The identified problems and service gaps There was no secondary research on the suburbs most at risk of teenage smoking in Victoria. However, interviews with community health care centres, social workers and schools found that the suburbs of Broadmeadows, Dallas, Coolaroo, Frankston North and Bangholme are most at risk of teenagers adopting the smoking habit. The low socio-economic background of the teenagers and poverty associated and family problems have placed these teenagers at the highest risk of not only adopting the smoking habit but also substance and alcohol abuse. There are high incidences of teenagers presenting themselves with problems associated with substance and alcohol abuse, such as depression and self-harm, at the community health care centres. These findings are typical in other research studies research as well (Johnston Thomas 2008). Local police also reports incidences of teenage brawls and fights as well as an overall higher crime rate in these rough suburbs. It has been found from interviews with local support groups, including schools and community health centres as well as social workers that these teenagers feel displaced and isolated. Due to the shortage of resources, there have not been any specific programmes targeting at these teenagers to address smoking, substance or alcohol abuse. There are programmes by local church groups, schools and community health centres to help the residents of these suburbs. However, these programmes are not properly coordinated and are sporadic and short-lived at best. For this reason, the benefits of any community-based programme to help the teenagers cannot really be realised. Interviews with teenagers in these suburbs found that many of them form friendship with other teenagers in schools. Due to cases of bullying or simply for the need of peer support, children as young as pre-primary form friendship with the older children and teenagers, expecting protection from these ‘gangs’. These children learn their habits and emulate behaviour of the older children of the gangs. Interviews with teenagers found that most consider smoking, substance use and alcohol consumption as a rite of passage that they have grown up and accepted as full member of the gangs. For this reason, some teenagers started smoking and drinking as young as 9 years. The fact that many of the parents are also smokers do not help. The high crime rate in these suburbs is due to the lack of employment for teenagers and the need to support their smoking and alcohol habit. As such, the target audience for the proposed funding is primary school children and high school children livin g in the identified suburbs. The service gaps found are the lack of a sustained programme specifically targeting the children and teenagers in the suburbs of Broadmeadows, Dallas, Coolaroo, Frankston North and Bangholme against taking up smoking as well as support programmes for teenagers to quit smoking. While there are attempts in reaching out to our target market in reducing or preventing smoking by various community groups, there is no concerted effort in pooling the efforts of the community support groups through any programme to address the issues that contribute to early adoption of smoking in these communities. This is due to the absence of a person or community group that is solely responsible for such a programme and the lack of funding. After the funding has been proven successful with the proposed interventions, this can be considered for other suburbs in Melbourne and Victoria in the future. Proposed interventions/solutions It is proposed that a Quit Teenage Smoking Project be the responsibility of Quit Smoking Victoria with a dedicated trained personnel (probably a nurse) and two other full-time staff members in a team to oversee the project. A multi-pronged approach with several partners is needed to address teenage smoking in the identified suburbs. Li Powdthavee (2014) reported from their study that people who stay longer in schools tend to be at a lower risk of taking up the smoking habit. For this reason, it is vital to include the schools as an important partner in this project. It is also crucial to include community health care centres as an important partner in this project, for the simple reason that they are the health authority that can discuss health issues with the teenagers who present themselves at these centres for health related issues. Churches and community groups are also critical partners in this project due to their outreach programs and their network in the community to help th ese teenagers. It is also vital to include businesses’ participation as these businesses can offer casual employment to keep the teenagers off the street where they learn how to smoke. The extra money earned can be useful to teenagers to feed themselves and they also learn a skill and feel respected. Businesses can also be involved through some corporate sponsorship. The multi-pronged approach requires the teenagers to be segregated into two different target groups – the non-smokers and the smokers. The objective for the non-smokers is to prevent them from smoking while the immediate objective for the smokers is to reduce smoking. The interventions are discussed as follows – Conclusion The Quit Teenage Smoking Project/Campaign is a proposed project that needs funding by the Victorian Department of Health to prevent teenagers from taking up smoking. Due to the limited funds available, it is proposed that this campaign be carried out in the poorest suburbs of Victoria. The campaign is a multi-pronged approach that engages not only the community health centres in these suburbs but also schools, churches and community groups as well as businesses because smoking is more than a health issue but also a social and emotional one. The main reason why teenagers take up smoking is because they feel that it is a rite of passage and they want to be accepted in their peer groups. Hence, it is important that these teenagers are occupied with better things than getting into trouble and taking up smoking, which can also lead to alcohol and substance abuse. It is proposed that schools be responsible for keeping the students engaged with several proposed programmes while the churches and community groups keep the students occupied with interesting activities so that these teenagers find meaning in their lives with other activities than getting into trouble and smoking. Businesses can actively recruit teenagers to work for them after school and businesses can also provide sponsorship, such as free meals in schools so that students have incentives to go to school. Of course, the community health centres help by providing medical and emotional counselling support. In order to ensure that the campaign is a success, three monthly review of objectives and measurement of goals are important so that adjustment can be made to the campaign to achieve the best results. References Chang, G., Sherritt, L., Knight, J. R. (2005). Adolescent cigarette smoking and mental health symptoms.Journal of Adolescent Health,36(6), 517-522. De Meyrick, J. (2010). Tobacco smokings changing trajectory in Australia.Journal of Business Research,63(2), 161-165. Johnston, V., Thomas, D. P. (2008). Smoking behaviours in a remote Australian Indigenous community: the influence of family and other factors.Social science medicine,67(11), 1708-1716. Li, J., Powdthavee, N. (2014). Does More Education Lead to Better Health Habits? Evidence from the School Reforms in Australia.Social Science Medicine. Quit Victoria Resource Media Centre 2014 http://www.quit.org.au/resource-centre/fact-sheets/smoking-rates Tobacco in Australia 2014, Cancer Council, http://www.quit.org.au/news/

Catcher in the Rye Essay: Levels of Meaning -- Catcher Rye Essays

Levels of Meaning in The Catcher in the Rye Protected by a cocoon of naivetà ©, Holden Caulfield, the principal character in the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, therapeutically relates his lonely 24 hour stay in downtown New York city, experiencing the "phony" adult world while dealing with the death of his innocent younger brother. Through this well-developed teenage character, JD Salinger, uses simple language and dialogue to outline many of the complex underlying problems haunting adolescents. With a unique beginning and ending, and an original look at our new society, The Catcher in the Rye is understood and appreciated on multiple levels of comprehension. The book provides new insights and a fresh view of the world in which adolescents live. One way for readers to measure their level of comprehension in this story, is to explore the meaning of the title, it's effect on the book's theme and how it provides a deep look into Holden's character. Being an attention demanding tool, the title also can provide a mystery to which the reader can understand by pulling together the clues, hidden in the text. To an experienced reader, who may be familiar with the book, imagery of a catcher in the rye is apparent throughout the story. However, for a new reader the journey begins past the middle of the book. While analyzing the city around him, Holden sees a kid walking in the street "singing and humming." As Holden nears he realizes the child is signing that song, "If a body catch a body coming through the rye" in a very pretty voice, making traffic come to a screeching halt, and making Holden feel "not so depressed."(116) So far, the title's words are just a catchy song, though their repetition, at a key mo... ...ginal tune, by Robert Burns, has the line "If a body meet a body comin thro' the rye," not "If a body catch a body comin thro' the rye." This is not the first time Holden has distorted something, though this lie has meaning. The original poem talks of the love of two people meeting each other, while Holden's image is that of falling children being caught. Love is replaced by Holden protecting children, who are facing a death-like situation, a change showing how much of an impact Allie's death made on Holden's life. One might also see that Holden himself is falling out of innocence and needs a Catcher in the Rye himself, the book's central paradox. In the end any reader could say that "The Catcher in the Rye" is Holden Caulfield, though this title opens up a door into understanding his deep personality, the books theme, while exploring the central paradox.

Graduation Speech: Show the World Your True Self :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

There was a time when I dreaded going to high school. During the weeks before I started my freshman year, all I could picture were mazes of hallways and classrooms, unfamiliar faces of students and teachers, and upperclassmen who loved to torture frightened freshmen. Fortunately, my visions were exaggerated. I soon got into the swing of things in high school. I figured out which teachers really did give you detention if you were late to class, which classmates were safe and those I didn't want as my lab partners. I began to find my place in the school, as well as everyone else's place there. By October, I knew who was who and what was what. In November, everything changed. I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, a cancer of the lymph nodes. I went through chemotherapy, lost all my hair and missed 40 days of school. Most people didn't know I was sick. My teachers helped me keep up in class, my friends were as supportive as they could be and I wore a wig to hide my bald head. It was at this point that I dreaded going to school again. I didn't feel like I fit in anymore. I had lost my place, and didn't know how to find it again. Ironically, the one thing about myself that I was most ashamed of helped me to fall back into place. Towards the end of my treatment, in a small burst of bravery, I decided to stop wearing my wig. I declared I didn't care what people thought, that I didn't want to hide anymore. But inside I was very scared. How would people react to a bald girl? But despite my doubts, one Monday in April I came to school with only a baseball hat covering my baldness. I had never had so many people stare at me before. They tried to hide it. I could tell they didn't want to be rude -- they just couldn't help themselves. I didn't say anything, mostly I just looked at the floor. That's what I did until the end of the day when one girl blurted out what I'm sure everyone else was thinking, but was afraid to say, "So why did you shave your head?" You can imagine my reaction to that one. But, oddly enough, after that one question, things were easier. Over the next three years, I became a typical high school kid again.

Net Present Value and Correct Answer

Question 1 2 out of 2 points | | | Assume that the economy is in a mild recession, and as a result interest rates and money costs generally are relatively low. The WACC for two mutually exclusive projects that are being considered is 8%. Project S has an IRR of 20% while Project L's IRR is 15%. The projects have the same NPV at the 8% current WACC. However, you believe that the economy is about to recover, and money costs and thus your WACC will also increase. You also think that the projects will not be funded until the WACC has increased, and their cash flows will not be affected by the change in economic conditions.Under these conditions, which of the following statements is CORRECT? Answer | | | | | Selected Answer:| You should recommend Project S, because at the new WACC it will have the higher NPV. | Correct Answer:| You should recommend Project S, because at the new WACC it will have the higher NPV. | | | | | Question 2 2 out of 2 points | | | Which of the following statements is CORRECT? Answer | | | | | Selected Answer:| Multiple IRRs can occur only if the signs of the cash flows change more than once. | Correct Answer:| Multiple IRRs can occur only if the signs of the cash flows change more than once. | | | | Question 3 2 out of 2 points | | | Which of the following statements is CORRECT? Answer | | | | | Selected Answer:| One advantage of the NPV over the IRR is that NPV assumes that cash flows will be reinvested at the WACC, whereas IRR assumes that cash flows are reinvested at the IRR. The NPV assumption is generally more appropriate. | Correct Answer:| One advantage of the NPV over the IRR is that NPV assumes that cash flows will be reinvested at the WACC, whereas IRR assumes that cash flows are reinvested at the IRR. The NPV assumption is generally more appropriate. | | | | Question 4 2 out of 2 points | | | Which of the following statements is CORRECT? Answer | | | | | Selected Answer:| One defect of the IRR method is that it assumes that the ca sh flows to be received from a project can be reinvested at the IRR itself, and that assumption is often not valid. | Correct Answer:| One defect of the IRR method is that it assumes that the cash flows to be received from a project can be reinvested at the IRR itself, and that assumption is often not valid. | | | | | Question 5 2 out of 2 points | | | Which of the following statements is CORRECT?Assume that the project being considered has normal cash flows, with one outflow followed by a series of inflows. Answer | | | | | Selected Answer:| If a project has normal cash flows and its IRR exceeds its WACC, then the project’s NPV must be positive. | Correct Answer:| If a project has normal cash flows and its IRR exceeds its WACC, then the project’s NPV must be positive. | | | | | Question 6 2 out of 2 points | | | Assume that the economy is enjoying a strong boom, and as a result interest rates and money costs generally are relatively high.The WACC for two mutually excl usive projects that are being considered is 12%. Project S has an IRR of 20% while Project L's IRR is 15%. The projects have the same NPV at the 12% current WACC. However, you believe that the economy will soon fall into a mild recession, and money costs and thus your WACC will soon decline. You also think that the projects will not be funded until the WACC has decreased, and their cash flows will not be affected by the change in economic conditions. Under these conditions, which of the following statements is CORRECT?Answer | | | | | Selected Answer:| You should recommend Project L, because at the new WACC it will have the higher NPV. | Correct Answer:| You should recommend Project L, because at the new WACC it will have the higher NPV. | | | | | Question 7 2 out of 2 points | | | Which of the following statements is CORRECT? Assume that the project being considered has normal cash flows, with one outflow followed by a series of inflows. Answer | | | | | Selected Answer:| The highe r the WACC used to calculate the NPV, the lower the calculated NPV will be. Correct Answer:| The higher the WACC used to calculate the NPV, the lower the calculated NPV will be. | | | | | Question 8 2 out of 2 points | | | Which of the following statements is CORRECT? Answer | | | | | Selected Answer:| An NPV profile graph is designed to give decision makers an idea about how a project’s contribution to the firm’s value varies with the cost of capital. | Correct Answer:| An NPV profile graph is designed to give decision makers an idea about how a project’s contribution to the firm’s value varies with the cost of capital. | | | | Question 9 2 out of 2 points | | | Which of the following statements is CORRECT? Answer | | | | | Selected Answer:| If two projects have the same cost, and if their NPV profiles cross in the upper right quadrant, then the project with the lower IRR probably has more of its cash flows coming in the later years. | Correct Answer:| I f two projects have the same cost, and if their NPV profiles cross in the upper right quadrant, then the project with the lower IRR probably has more of its cash flows coming in the later years. | | | | Question 10 2 out of 2 points | | | Which of the following statements is CORRECT? Assume that the project being considered has normal cash flows, with one outflow followed by a series of inflows. Answer | | | | | Selected Answer:| If a project’s NPV is less than zero, then its IRR must be less than the WACC. | Correct Answer:| If a project’s NPV is less than zero, then its IRR must be less than the WACC. | | | | | Question 11 2 out of 2 points | | | Which of the following statements is CORRECT?Answer | | | | | Selected Answer:| The NPV method assumes that cash flows will be reinvested at the WACC, while the IRR method assumes reinvestment at the IRR. | Correct Answer:| The NPV method assumes that cash flows will be reinvested at the WACC, while the IRR method assumes re investment at the IRR. | | | | | Question 12 0 out of 2 points | | | Which of the following statements is CORRECT? Assume that the project being considered has normal cash flows, with one outflow followed by a series of inflows.Answer | | | | | Selected Answer:| If a company uses the same payback requirement to evaluate all projects, say it requires a payback of 4 years or less, then the company will tend to reject projects with relatively short lives and accept long-lived projects, and this will cause its risk to increase over time. | Correct Answer:| One drawback of the regular payback for evaluating projects is that this method does not properly account for the time value of money. | | | | | Question 13 2 out of 2 points | | | Which of the following statements is CORRECT?Assume that the project being considered has normal cash flows, with one outflow followed by a series of inflows. Answer | | | | | Selected Answer:| A project’s IRR is the discount rate that causes the PV of the inflows to equal the project’s cost. | Correct Answer:| A project’s IRR is the discount rate that causes the PV of the inflows to equal the project’s cost. | | | | | Question 14 2 out of 2 points | | | Which of the following statements is CORRECT? Answer | | | | | Selected Answer:| Projects with â€Å"normal† cash flows can have only one real IRR. Correct Answer:| Projects with â€Å"normal† cash flows can have only one real IRR. | | | | | Question 15 0 out of 2 points | | | Which of the following statements is CORRECT? Answer | | | | | Selected Answer:| If a firm uses the discounted payback method with a required payback of 4 years, then it will accept more projects than if it used a regular payback of 4 years. | Correct Answer:| Multiple IRRs can exist, but not multiple MIRRs. This is one reason some people favor the MIRR over the regular IRR. | | | | | Question 16 0 out of 2 points | | When evaluating a new project, firms should include i n the projected cash flows all of the following EXCEPT:Answer | | | | | Selected Answer:| The salvage value of assets used for the project that will be recovered at the end of the project’s life. | Correct Answer:| Previous expenditures associated with a market test to determine the feasibility of the project, provided those costs have been expensed for tax purposes. | | | | | Question 17 2 out of 2 points | | | A firm is considering a new project whose risk is greater than the risk of the firm’s average project, based on all methods for assessing risk.In evaluating this project, it would be reasonable for management to do which of the following? Answer | | | | | Selected Answer:| Increase the cost of capital used to evaluate the project to reflect its higher-than-average risk. | Correct Answer:| Increase the cost of capital used to evaluate the project to reflect its higher-than-average risk. | | | | | Question 18 2 out of 2 points | | | Which of the following stateme nts is CORRECT? Answer | | | | | Selected Answer:| A sunk cost is a cost that was incurred and expensed in the past and cannot be recovered if the firm decides not to go forward with the project. Correct Answer:| A sunk cost is a cost that was incurred and expensed in the past and cannot be recovered if the firm decides not to go forward with the project. | | | | | Question 19 2 out of 2 points | | | Which of the following statements is CORRECT? Answer | | | | | Selected Answer:| An example of an externality is a situation where a bank opens a new office, and that new office causes deposits in the bank’s other offices to increase. | Correct Answer:| An example of an externality is a situation where a bank opens a new office, and that new office causes deposits in the bank’s other offices to increase. | | | | Question 20 2 out of 2 points | | | Which of the following statements is CORRECT? Answer | | | | | Selected Answer:| Simulation analysis is a computerized version of scenario analysis where input variables are selected randomly on the basis of their probability distributions. | Correct Answer:| Simulation analysis is a computerized version of scenario analysis where input variables are selected randomly on the basis of their probability distributions. | | | | | Question 21 0 out of 2 points | | | Which of the following statements is CORRECT?Answer | | | | | Selected Answer:| The existence of any type of â€Å"externality† will reduce the calculated NPV versus the NPV that would exist without the externality. | Correct Answer:| If one of the assets to be used by a potential project is already owned by the firm, and if that asset could be sold or leased to another firm if the new project were not undertaken, then the net after-tax proceeds that could be obtained should be charged as a cost to the project under consideration. | | | | | Question 22 2 out of 2 points | | | A company is considering a new project.The CFO plans to calculate th e project’s NPV by estimating the relevant cash flows for each year of the project’s life (i. e. , the initial investment cost, the annual operating cash flows, and the terminal cash flow), then discounting those cash flows at the company’s overall WACC. Which one of the following factors should the CFO be sure to INCLUDE in the cash flows when estimating the relevant cash flows? Answer | | | | | Selected Answer:| The investment in working capital required to operate the project, even if that investment will be recovered at the end of the project’s life. Correct Answer:| The investment in working capital required to operate the project, even if that investment will be recovered at the end of the project’s life. | | | | | Question 23 0 out of 2 points | | | Which of the following statements is CORRECT? Answer | | | | | Selected Answer:| Using accelerated depreciation rather than straight line normally has no effect on a project’s total projec ted cash flows nor would it affect the timing of those cash flows or the resulting NPV of the project. Correct Answer:| Using accelerated depreciation rather than straight line normally has the effect of speeding up cash flows and thus increasing a project’s forecasted NPV. | | | | | Question 24 0 out of 2 points | | | Which of the following rules is CORRECT for capital budgeting analysis? Answer | | | | | Selected Answer:| If a product is competitive with some of the firm’s other products, this fact should be incorporated into the estimate of the relevant cash flows. However, if the new product is complementary to some of the firm’s other products, this fact need not be reflected in the analysis. Correct Answer:| Only incremental cash flows, which are the cash flows that would result if a project is accepted, are relevant when making accept/reject decisions. | | | | | Question 25 0 out of 2 points | | | Which one of the following would NOT result in incremental cash flows and thus should NOT be included in the capital budgeting analysis for a new product? Answer | | | | | Selected Answer:| Using some of the firm’s high-quality factory floor space that is currently unused to produce the proposed new product.This space could be used for other products if it is not used for the project under consideration. | Correct Answer:| The cost of a study relating to the market for the new product that was completed last year. The results of this research were positive, and they led to the tentative decision to go ahead with the new product. The cost of the research was incurred and expensed for tax purposes last year. | | | | | Question 26 2 out of 2 points | | | The relative risk of a proposed project is best accounted for by which of the following procedures?Answer | | | | | Selected Answer:| Adjusting the discount rate upward if the project is judged to have above-average risk. | Correct Answer:| Adjusting the discount rate upward if the pro ject is judged to have above-average risk. | | | | | Question 27 2 out of 2 points | | | Dalrymple Inc. is considering production of a new product. In evaluating whether to go ahead with the project, which of the following items should NOT be explicitly considered when cash flows are estimated?Answer | | | | | Selected Answer:| The company has spent and expensed for tax purposes $3 million on research related to the new detergent. These funds cannot be recovered, but the research may benefit other projects that might be proposed in the future. | Correct Answer:| The company has spent and expensed for tax purposes $3 million on research related to the new detergent. These funds cannot be recovered, but the research may benefit other projects that might be proposed in the future. | | | | | Question 28 2 out of 2 points | | Which of the following should be considered when a company estimates the cash flows used to analyze a proposed project? Answer | | | | | Selected Answer:| The new p roject is expected to reduce sales of one of the company’s existing products by 5%. | Correct Answer:| The new project is expected to reduce sales of one of the company’s existing products by 5%. | | | | | Question 29 2 out of 2 points | | | Langston Labs has an overall (composite) WACC of 10%, which reflects the cost of capital for its average asset.Its assets vary widely in risk, and Langston evaluates low-risk projects with a WACC of 8%, average-risk projects at 10%, and high-risk projects at 12%. The company is considering the following projects: Project Risk Expected Return A High 15% B Average 12% C High 11% D Low 9% E Low 6% Which set of projects would maximize shareholder wealth? Answer | | | | | Selected Answer:| A, B, and D. | Correct Answer:| A, B, and D. | | | | | Question 30 2 out of 2 points | | | Which one of the following would NOT result in incremental cash flows and thus should NOT be included in the capital budgeting analysis for a new product?Answer | | | | | Selected Answer:| A firm has spent $2 million on R&D associated with a new product. These costs have been expensed for tax purposes, and they cannot be recovered regardless of whether the new project is accepted or rejected. | Correct Answer:| A firm has spent $2 million on R&D associated with a new product. These costs have been expensed for tax purposes, and they cannot be recovered regardless of whether the new project is accepted or rejected. | | | | | Thursday, November 17, 2011 11:33:19 PM EST OK