Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Advanced Word Formation Charts for ESL Learners - A

Advanced Word Formation Charts for ESL Learners - A Word formation is one of the keys to success for advanced level ESL learners. Advanced level English exams such as the TOEFL, First Certificate CAE and Proficiency use word formation as one of the key testing elements. These word formation charts provide the concept noun, personal noun, adjective and verb forms of key vocabulary listed in alphabetical order. Word Forms Concept noun Personal noun Adjective Verb absenteeismThe rate of absenteeism is rising in middle and high schools. absenteeWell send the absentees notes from the meeting. absent-mindedThe absent-minded professor wandered into the wrong classroom. to be absentUnfortunately, Ill be absent from class on Friday. accountingCan you take care of the accounting on this project? accountantIll need to ask my accountant for advice on this business deal. accountableDo you think we should hold everyone accountable for their mistakes? accountI think we should open a new bank account. accusationThe lawyer rebuffed the accusation and stated his case. accuser / accusedThe accuser should always try to understand the motivations of the accused. accusingHes an accusing figure in the company and needs to go! accuseDo you really want to accuse him of bribery? achievementThe victory was an amazing achievement. achieverAchievers tend to be outgoing people who dont mind making mistakes. achievedHis achieved status at the company was due to his work ethic. achieveShes achieved many things in very long career. addictionDrug addiction is a huge problem for many people around the world. addictThe addict struggled with drug abuse for many years. addictive/addictedYoull find that many addictive drugs are opiates. to become addictedA number of students have become addicted to so called study drugs administrationThe administration has made many mistakes over the past eight years. administratorThe head administrator will take your questions. administrativeAll administrative tasks are taken care of by human resources. administrateWe should use a third party to administrate our accounts. admirationShe showed a lot of admiration for her help. admirerHave you ever had a secret admirer? admired / admiringThe admiring young man stood and gazed. admireI enjoy going to the museum to admire fine art. advertisementThe advertisement was very entertaining. advertiserWe need to find an advertiser to help pay for expenses. advertisedThe advertised medicine didnt work as expected. advertiseHave you ever advertised your products online? adviceI think you should take his advice. adviserIm going to see my adviser next week on campus. advisoryThe advisory committee decided to postpone the decision. adviseWhat would you advise me to do? aggravationIve certainly had my fair share of aggravation. aggressorThe aggressor was caught and thrown into jail. aggravatingShe has an aggravating backache. aggravateI aggravated my brother with my remarks about his wife. agitationI felt a lot of agitation when I heard the news. agitatorThe agitator was taken to jail by the police. agitatedThe agitated citizen screamed at the reporter. agitateBe careful to not agitate the situation with your remarks. analysisThe analysis of the situation is very interesting. analystThe analyst was very expensive, but necessary for our case. analyticalHe cast an analytical eye on the situation. analyseDo you think you could analyse the evidence? antagonismShe felt his antagonism was misplaced. antagonistThe antagonist made a convincing case against the hero. antagonisticHer antagonistic attitude got her into trouble at work. antagonizeYoull be sorry if you antagonize them. arbitrationThe arbitration went on for three weeks. arbitratorThe arbitrator in the case made a decision. arbitraryI think he made an arbitrary decision that be ignored. arbitrateThe judge will arbitrate the case. assassinationThe assassination stunned the nation. assassinThe assassin was caught within three days. assassinatedThe country wept over the assassinated president. assassinateMost people could not assassinate anyone. authorizationI gave him complete authorization on the project. authorityHes an authority in his field. authoritarian / authoritativeHer authoritarian approach scared the students. authorizeCan you authorize this request?

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Seven Things You Need to Know About the Ocean

Seven Things You Need to Know About the Ocean Its a fact that you may have heard before, but it bears repeating: scientists have mapped more terrain on the surface of the Moon, Mars, and Venus than they have of Earths ocean floor. There is a reason for this, however, beyond apathy towards oceanography. It is actually more difficult to map the surface of the ocean floor, which requires measuring gravity anomalies and using sonar at close ranges, than the surface of a nearby moon or planet, which can be done by radar from a satellite. The entire ocean is mapped, its just at a much lower resolution (5km) than the Moon (7m), Mars (20m) or Venus (100m). Needless to say, Earths ocean is vastly unexplored. This makes it hard for scientists and, in turn, the average citizen to fully understand this powerful and important resource.  People need to understand their impact on the ocean and the oceans impact on them- citizens need ocean literacy.   In October 2005, a group of national organizations  published a list of the 7 major principles and 44 fundamental concepts of Ocean Science Literacy. The goal of Ocean Literacy is threefold: to understand the science of the ocean, to communicate about the ocean in a meaningful way and to make informed and responsible decisions about ocean policy. Here are those seven Essential Principles.   1. The Earth Has One Big Ocean With Many Features Earth has seven continents, but one ocean. The sea is not a simple thing: it hides mountain ranges with more volcanoes than all those on land, and it is stirred by a system of currents and complex tides. In plate tectonics, the oceanic plates of the lithosphere mix the cold crust with the hot mantle over millions of years. The oceans water is integral with the freshwater we use, connected to it through the worlds water cycle. Yet as large as it is, the ocean is finite and its resources have limits. 2. The Ocean and Life in the Ocean Shape the Features of Earth Over geologic time, the sea dominates the land. Most of the rocks exposed on land were laid down underwater when sea level was higher than today. Limestone and chert are biological products, created from the bodies of microscopic sea life. And the sea shapes the coast, not just in hurricanes but in the persistent work of erosion and deposition by waves and tides. 3. The Ocean Is a Major Influence on Weather and Climate Indeed, the ocean dominates the worlds climate, driving three global cycles: water, carbon and energy. Rain comes from evaporated seawater, transferring not just water but the solar energy that took it from the sea. Sea plants produce most of the worlds oxygen; seawater takes up half the carbon dioxide put into the air. And the currents of the sea carry warmth from the tropics toward the poles- as the currents shift, the climate shifts as well. 4. The Ocean Makes the Earth Habitable Life in the ocean gave the atmosphere all of its oxygen, starting in the Proterozoic Eon billions of years ago. Life itself arose in the ocean. Geochemically speaking, the ocean has allowed Earth to keep its precious supply of hydrogen locked up in the form of water, not lost to outer space as it otherwise would be. 5. The Ocean Supports a Great Diversity of Life and Ecosystems The living space in the ocean is vastly greater than the habitats of the land. Likewise, there are more major groups of living things in the sea than on land. Ocean life includes floaters, swimmers and burrowers, and some deep ecosystems depend on chemical energy without any input from the sun. Yet much of the ocean is a desert while estuaries and reefs- both delicate environments- support the worlds greatest abundances of life. And the coastlines boast a tremendous variety of life zones based on the tides, wave energies and water depths. 6. The Ocean and Humans Are Inextricably Interconnected The ocean presents us with both resources and hazards. From it we extract foods, medicines and minerals; commerce relies on sea routes. Most of the population lives near it, and it is a major recreational attraction. Conversely ocean storms, tsunamis and sea-level change all threaten coastal lives. But in turn, humans affect the ocean in how we exploit, modify, pollute and regulate our activities in it. These are matters that concern all governments and all citizens. 7. The Ocean Is Largely Unexplored Depending on resolution, only .05% to 15% of our ocean has been explored in detail. Since the ocean is approximately 70% of the entire Earths surface, this means that 62.65-69.965% of our Earth is unexplored. As our reliance on the ocean continues to grow, marine science will be even more important in maintaining the oceans health and value, not just in satisfying our curiosity. Exploring the ocean takes many different talents- biologists, chemists, technicians, programmers, physicists, engineers and geologists. It takes new kinds of instruments and programs. It also takes new ideas- maybe yours, or your childrens. Edited by Brooks Mitchell

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Bridge on River Kwai Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Bridge on River Kwai - Movie Review Example b. What was the best thing about the movie? What was the worst?   The best thing about the movie is how it portrayed dynamics of people in a prison camp. The interplay and complications of people with various cultural backgrounds negotiating, interacting was quite enlightening. But above all, the movie just depicted how one group of people can subjugate another group of people through war. The worst thing about the movie was that the racial bias was obvious. During the duration of watching the film, I told myself that the producer of this film must be British because the British character Nicholson was positively portrayed in the film. Nicholson was a captive British officer but despite his situation, he held himself with dignity and poise in a proud bearing consistent with â€Å"Her Majesty† would like to portray. True enough, when I did some research about the producer David Lean, he was indeed a Brit which was already obvious in his film. c. What did you find to be the mo st interesting or surprising element of the film? Why?   The war itself was already interesting but what the film became more interesting is the angle that the movie would like to tackle which is the dynamics of the relationships of POWs and its captors. The content of the film involves the relationship between the POWs (Prisoners of War) and its captors which is already unnerving. In the movie, the hard labor forced among POWs under the intense heat of the tropical sun was vividly portrayed that you can almost feel the heat especially with how the sun deteriorated the skin of the British and American POWs. But while in general the film depicted the reality of war, it was however unrealistic in portraying some dimensions of war especially in the negotiation aspect where Lt. Colonel Nicholson refused to do hard labor when he was asked by Colonel Saito. That caught me by surprised especially when I already had some readings about World War II and how Japanese treats its prisoners. N icholson acted as if he is not a prisoner of war and that they are in equal footing with their Japanese captors. In highlighting this, it is not to say that forced hard labor among POWs is okay but I just find the manner he negotiated with Col. Saito to be unrealistically surprising especially when he used the Geneva Convention ruling as leverage that officers are exempted from work. Japanese as captors are brutal and I doubt that if Nicholson would still be alive in real life had he talked to a Japanese Colonel the way he did in the film. The same instance can be cited here with the American and Filipino POWs held captive by the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II where thousands of both American and Filipino officers died in a merciless march in Bataan called the â€Å"death march† that no officers, both Americans and Filipinos were documented to even have the nerve to negotiate with their captors nor did the Geneva Convention made the Japanese spare their lives from the brutal march. This reality was not depicted in the film and instead, the British through Nicholson are portrayed as brave soldiers who would assert against anybody proudly whatever their circumstances. This is far from the truth and this only tells that the movie was produced, directed and intended by western Hollywood intended for a western audience. In the same vein, it is quite perplexing why among the prisoners who attempted to escape and it was

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Ethics and Apprehend Criminals Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethics and Apprehend Criminals - Research Paper Example On the first argument, the fruit of the forbidden tree doctrine, also known as the exclusionary rule, states that â€Å"not only is the Government precluded from basing a conviction on illegally obtained evidence, but also is forbidden any use of evidence derived solely from the product of the unlawful search and seizure.† (Bartlett, 1967: 251). A usual example of this is confessions extracted through torture. An accused in custody who was subjected to water treatment or psychological duress in order to extract and admission that he committed the crime, when he is subsequently brought to court to be tried, his confession cannot be used to evidence his guilt. It can, however, be used to prove irregularity in his arrest and custody. These are â€Å"procedural safeguards† (Brandsdorfer, 1987: 1082) designed to ensure that constitutional precepts are followed and that a fair trial will be given to the accused. Indeed, even the right of the accused to be given a Miranda warn ing is of such a high value that failure of the policemen to comply with this renders the arrest irregular. No doubt, if the police officer decides to violate the law and ignore the rules on arrest and custody, the courts will afterwards use it to acquit the accused, even though he or she may be guilty of the crime charged. A very powerful criminal who can hire the best lawyers, for example, will be exculpated from the crime and violance he committed because the police officers were careless in the application of the rules. At the end of the day, this renders law enforcement and the criminal justice system inutile in the apprehension of criminals. â€Å"Outrageous Government Conduct† The jurisprudence surrounding entrapment and outrageous government conduct as valid defenses in a criminal prosecution remains to be much discussed, and the debates on whether and when these defenses may be employed remain to be the subject of much debate and controversy. The need to balance the demands of law and order, on the one hand, and the rights of the accused to due process on the other, is the central dilemma that undergirds the debate. The notion that behavior of state agents that â€Å"shocks the conscience† could constitute a violation of the right to due process of the accused and consequently, could secure the dismissal of the charges against him was first laid down in the case of Rochin v. California [342 us 165 (1952)]. In that particular case, the officers forcibly induced the accused to vomit capsules that they believed to be containing drugs.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Adult Learning Essay Example for Free

Adult Learning Essay Adult learning is a complex subject that in recent years has become more of a necessity than a personal pursuit. There are three factors present in the American society today that necessitate the need for adult learning. These factors are: Dramatic changes in demographics, the global economy, and technology. (5) Demographics are concerned with growth and development of adult learners and emerging groups of learners with special needs. There are more adults in our society than ever before and the population will continue to age and increase in the number of older adults. This fact along with the growing cultural and ethnic diversity existing in America today, although, provides many benefits for the society by mixing talents from many lands, but it also, requires a certain amount of familiarization and education to minimize the risks involved by diversification. The second factor influencing the need for adult learning is the global economy. The birth of global interdependent economy has led to changing work practices, which require different kinds of preparation and training. The emphasis has been shifted to improved product and service quality, having more educated workers with more responsibility and stronger team work. This has resulted in control of education shifting more to business. More and more companies opt to provide work place literacy programs, training and development packages, and encouraging their employees to learn how to learn, to keep up with a constantly changing global service based economy. Ethnic make up and increased number of women in the work force are also contributing factors for adult learning. (5) The third factor that should be considered is the explosion in the information technology sector. With the development and advancement of computers within the last decade or two, an environment has been created in which the settings for a formal training session, has been outdated. The society is experiencing an increase in mental ability which is growing drastically with the availability of horizontal networks and the advancement of telecommunications. Information is rapidly distributed and easily available and accessible. This causes for efficient use of information. This allows the learner to have better access with those who teach information access skills, it helps the development of higher levels of thinking skills while at the same time, it creates a comfortable environment for the educators. Although consideration must be given to the ethical implication of the information access creates. (1) The three factors above have become intertwined forces. Demographics, the global economy, and technology have come together in adult education in the blurring of the field’s content and delivery mechanisms, dividing up the setting for adult education into formal, non-formal and informal activities. Blurring is also occurring in higher education sector where older students are now making up for about 50 percent of the college attendees, and finally, a blurring of content and delivery is found in such popular slogans as â€Å"workplace literacy† and â€Å"critical thinking. † which focuses on development of skills needed to be productive and informed members of a highly technical society. There are three types of opportunities in which learning occurs for adult: Formal institutional setting, non-formal setting and informal setting. For most adult, learning in adulthood brings to mind a classroom setting. Yet when we ask these same adult about what they have learned informally over the last year, they typically respond with descriptions of learning activities outside these formal settings. However, the use of technology has increase the delivery of learning programs, expanding our picture of learning in an informal setting. Informal learning occurs most often in ones natural setting in which we learn things from our daily experiences. On the other hand, non-formal settings have been used most often to describe learning opportunities outside the formal educational setting that complement the needs of underserved adults such as churches. Knowing why some adults participate in adult education does not tell us why many don’t . The two often cited reasons for non participation are lack of time and money. There is no single theory or model that can explain or predict participation in adults education . The main reasons most commonly used are cite job-related motives, achieving some other personal goal, sake of the activity itself, social relationship (making a new friend), external expectation (complying with the wishes) and cognitive interest engaged for sake of learning itself. Nonparticipation has been from the perspective of the individual’s motivation, attitudes, beliefs, and so on .However they may be social factors that influence the decision . This can also be family-related. (2) Whatever the stated or actual purposes of a learning activity, adult education is usually a form of social intervention that often begins with a problem that needs to be solved . What is seen as problematic depends on one’s values, social position, and perspective. The purpose of adult education today for which there is public support, clusters around the ability of the United States to sustain a competitive edge in the global economy. Purpose of adult education is to improve the self and to improve society. In America all individuals have access and the opportunity to benefit through education. (4) In total the answer to the question of who benefits is clear: It is those who have benefited in the past, and those who have the â€Å"cultural capital†. Those most likely to be the recipients of the dominant cultures are those who, as a result of birth and upbringing, have already acquired the cultural capital to receive it and to take advantage of opportunities. Everyone can improve his/her life situation through learning, every adult can choose to participate in any adult learning activity . There are other reason that certain adults have more access to learning opportunities than other adult . Where one happens to live, what color, age, or sex one happens to be, what one does for a living, all contribute to the participation pattern in adult education (framework) by way of illustrating how these framework conditions can determine who is more likely to benefit from adult learning opportunities. Where and how one lives makes a difference. (3) Individual educators and individual learners are likely to be fairly explicit about why they are engaged in a particular learning activity. Such easily identified objectives are usually aligned with the content of the activity. Underlying many of the state purposes of adult education in America is the assumption that the idea of a society must be maintained, and that education is one way to do this. Individualism, Independence, and a protestant-capitalist work ethic frame the actual provision of adult education in America. (1) Several things are known about self-directed learning: (a) Individual learners can become empowered to take increasingly more responsibility for various decisions associated with the learning endeavor; (b) Self-direction is best viewed as a continuum or characteristic that  exists to some degree in every person and learning situation; (c) Self-direction does not necessarily mean all learning will take place in isolation from others; (d) Self-directed learners appear able to transfer learning, in terms of both knowledge and study skill, from one situation to another; (e) self-directed study can involve various activities and resources, such as self-guided reading, participation in study groups, internships, electronic dialogues, and reflective writing activities; (f) Effective roles for teachers in self-directed learning are possible, such as dialogue with learners, securing resources, evaluating outcomes, and promoting critical thinking. (g) Some educational institutions are finding ways to support self-directed study through open-learning programs, individualized study options, non-traditional course offerings, and other innovative programs. ( 1) self –directed learning as a process of learning , in which people take the primary initiative for planning, carrying out, and evaluating their own learning experiences, has received a great deal of attention in the literature. This form of learning can take place in both inside and outside institutionally based learning programs. (2) Staff development that improves the learning of all students applies knowledge about human learning and change. No matter the age at which it occurs, human learning is based on a common set of principles. While adults have more life experience to draw on than younger learners and are often clearer about what they want to learn and why it is important, the means by which the learning occurs is remarkably similar. Consequently, it is important that the learning methods used in professional development mirror as closely as possible the methods teachers are expected to use with their students. It is essential that staff development assist educators in moving beyond comprehension of the surface features of a new idea or innovation to a fuller and more complete understanding of its purposes, critical attributes, meaning, and connection to other approaches. To improve student achievement, adult learning under most circumstances must promote deep understanding of a topic and provide many opportunities for teachers and administrators to practice new skills with feedback on their performance until those skills become automatic and habitual. Such deeper understanding typically requires a number of opportunities to interact with the idea or procedure through active learning processes that promote reflection such as discussion and dialogue, writing, demonstrations, practice with feedback, and group problem solving. Because people have different learning styles and strengths, professional development must include opportunities to see, hear, and do various actions in relation to the content. It is also important those educators are able to learn alone and with others and, whenever possible, have choices among learning activities. Another important dimension of adult engagement in change processes is the feelings that such change often evokes in individuals. Even under the best of circumstances, pressure for change, no matter what its source, may produce feelings of anxiety, fear, and anger. Such feelings are most effectively addressed through skillful listening and problem solving within a respectful and trusting school culture. It is helpful for educational leaders to appreciate that, to some degree, such feelings are natural and an inevitable part of the change process. Such appreciation is aided when leaders have a deep understanding of the change literature, particularly the Concerns- Based Adoption Model, and are able to apply its insights when planning and implementing new practices in schools. A third dimension of change is the life stage of individuals engaged in the change process. While recognition of life stage differences would not alter expectations for performance, it may affect an individuals availability and interest in additional work responsibilities during different phases of his or her life. Recognition of life stage differences may also help staff development leaders in tapping educators strengths and talents, such as asking skillful veteran teachers to serve as mentors or coaches for their peers. Electronic forms of learning may prove particularly helpful in providing alternatives that respond to differences in learning styles and availability due to life stage issues. Staff development content may be accessed via the Internet or other forms of distance technology that will enable learning throughout the day in various settings using media that appeals to different learning preferences. (6) References: 1-What is self directed learning? Http://home. twcny. rr. com/hiemstra/sdlhdbk. html 2-Read write plus, DFES, Quality and Training Http://www. dfes. gov. uk/readwriteplus/quality 3-Finding from a national survey of States Directors of Adult Http://www. ncsall. net/fileadmin/resources/reasearch/rep9. pdf 4-Acve-Race and Gender in Adult Education Http://www. calpro-online. org/ERIC/docgen. asp? tbl=tiaID=92 5-How adults learn: Ageless learner Http://www. agelesslearner. com/intros/adultlearning. html 6-NSDC-Standards: About the Standards-Learning Http://www. nsdc. org/standards/learning. cfm.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Queen Elizabeth 1 Essay -- essays research papers

Elizabeth I (also known as Elizabeth the Great, or the "Virgin Queen") was born in 1533 into a dangerous world of political intrigue. When she was only two years old, her father, King Henry VIII killed her mother, Ann Boleyn, because she had not yet produced a male heir. Henry's routine killing of her successive stepmothers every few years traumatized Elizabeth, who loved her father. Although Henry finally did father a son, Edward VI, the boy did not live long, dying at the age of sixteen after a six-year reign, and thus Elizabeth's older sister Mary I came to the throne in 1553. Meanwhile, the young Elizabeth showed exceptional intelligence, excelling at her studies well beyond any of the other royal children. A Catholic, Mary married the Hapsburg prince of Spain, the soon-to-be Philip II. Mary would come to be known as "Bloody Mary" for her harsh treatment of English Protestants in her attempt to restore Catholicism to England. When Sir Thomas Wyat the Younger's Rebellion threatened Mary's rule, she believed Elizabeth to have been involved in the plot and imprisoned her in the Tower of London. By a combination of luck and skillful persuasion on the part of her political allies, Elizabeth survived this ordeal and became queen when Mary died in 1558. Elizabeth quickly consolidated power and returned the country to Protestantism, passing the Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity, although by Reformation standards Catholics fared well under these acts. Wi...

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

The RSC Production of Beauty and the Beast

When watching the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of â€Å"Beauty and the Beast† I noticed several aspects of the production that I found particularly impressive. One such aspect was the use of lighting and shadows on stage. Spotlights and floodlights were the main types of lighting used. In many of the scenes that did not take place in the Beast's house, a relatively bright yellowy-orange light filled the stage showing there was nothing particularly important or magical about these scenes/ As soon as the audience's attention was required to be focused on a particular character, lights would fade out and a spotlight placed on the character. One such example of this was when Mama dies and Beauty sang a solo part. In the Beast's house, lighting was taking to a much darker level, reflecting the magical and mysterious characteristics of the house. Once particular use of lighting in the house was very effective, the use of different coloured lights when Beauty and the Beast were eating supper. When the bowls were placed on the floor, trapped doors beneath them were opened so that floor lights could flood through the translucent bowls, giving the effect of different magical foods. One bowl lit up red, to which Beauty responded with â€Å"Oh! Strawberries!† then, as Beauty put the lid back down, the colour of the lighting changed to blue and then to green. At the same time, the stage was slowly filling with dry ice, which had lights from different places shining into it. This dry ice gave the magical side that the scene needed, and the colouring in it added even more mystery and magic. Another effective use of lighting was the mirror ball in the room/hall of mirrors. This reflected onto the audience and made them feel more involved in the scene. The music used in the production added a depth of atmosphere, causing slight unrest when in the Beast's home, and a sad, emotional ambience at the death of Beauty's mother. In the Beast's house, a man on the balcony sang notes rather that words, backed by eastern, slightly oriental instruments. These instruments had the ability to make a strange, but somehow welcoming atmosphere feel apparent in the Beast's house – something that was important in understanding both the setting and the character of the Beast. The music that played during the dance in which the mother played the horse was sharp and almost violent, mirroring the movements of the horse. At one point, the chorus used large wooden sticks to bang off the floor as a way of backing up the music and adding a stronger beat, possibly shadowing the horse's hooves as it ran. When Beauty's mother died, she sat on the floor and sang a classic French song that was repeated at certain points in the play. Another time repetition was used was when a woman on the balcony repeatedly sang the word â€Å"Beauty†¦ Beauty†¦ Beauty†¦Ã¢â‚¬  when Beauty sat alone on the stage. Both of these examples of repetition create a slightly eerie, but at the same time calming atmosphere, which made me feel rather uneasy in the audience. The set, although rather simplistic, was highly effective, and very symbolic at times. It began with a taut cotton sheet with the front of a Parisian style house painted on. Two workbenches were at either side of the ‘door'. This sheet was pulled down, revealing the family standing on more benches, this time of different heights; the parents were in the middle, on the highest of the benches, the boys were standing on the right, slightly lower and the girls were on the left and were at the lowest level. When the family lost their wealth the benches were taken away and the backdrop pulled up, leaving an empty stage. A row of coat hangers came down from the ceiling and each family member hung up their expensive clothing. This showed it was the end of an era, and that they had to move on. The hangers going up, rather that just backwards or to the sides, showed that the life the family once had was now out of their reach and they had no way of getting back to it. This is an imaginat ive and cleaver way of showing the loss. A swing then came down and the family climbed onto. It swung back and forth and as a way of illustrating the family how the family had to move far away, to the downtrodden cottage in the countryside. Having the family on the swing gave time for us to see how each of the characters were reacting to the change, I think this helped the audience to understand the characters on a more personal level. When the family got off the swing, it was onto a silky brown sheet of material that was hooked onto the edges of the stage, around 0.75m off the ground at the back, but slowly sloping down to meet the floor at the front of the stage. This was used to symbolise the mud near to the cottage – a sign of how basic what they actually had was. The chorus had crawled underneath the fabric and when the family stood on the mud, they used their arms and heads to create shapes to show the mud and gloopiness. After a time, the family lay down in the ‘mud' and the chorus sat up, cradling the c ast in their arms as a way of showing acceptance from the family and the countryside that this is how things were going to be. When this was got rid of, a house folded up from the floor that used two panels from the floor as the roof and thing, what looked like wooden, panels for the walls. This use of thin materials for the house was a direct symbol of the family's situation and, although the house was very simple, it had a certain fairytale-cottage-like look about it. The Beast's palace was far more extravagant and impressive than the family's cottage. When the father first went into the house big bamboo sticks bowed down from the ceiling, with lights inside. This gave a striking, slightly imposing entrance to the palace and led to a circular doorway at the back of the stage that was blacked out, creating a sensation of mystery and curiosity. When Beauty went into the palace, and we saw her room, the swing that had carried to the family to the countryside had now turned into a four poster bed, with pink covers, which swung to help relax Beauty and make her feel more welcome. As it swung, the audience could see that Beauty was warming to the palace, which is something we had not seen before this scene. At one point in the play, when the Beast was feeling particularly low, he climbed a ladder on the back wall of the stage and crawled into a small compartment, only big enough for himself. The fact that he was completely alone in there shows that he w anted to be cut off from civilization, possibly because he did not feel worthy enough to be around humans in his beast-state, however the compartment was above everything so it was symbolic of how he was the supreme leader of his palace and had overall control. This helped to give us an insight into the character's feelings at the time, which aids our understanding. As if to show a passage of time, when Beauty returned home to the country cottage the house has gained another story and big fans decorated with painted roses were surrounding the house. The overall view of the house gave a sparkling, happy fairytale effect and showed that the family were now more comfortable in the house, that they had settled in and were gaining from the experience. The final aspect I have chosen to look at it the costume designs. At the very start, all the family members were in white, expensive looking outfits – obviously a sign of their status and showing that they are good people. When the family had to hang up their clothes, they stayed in the undergarments they had on for a while, until after they had arrived in the countryside when they put on plain overalls. These overalls may have been a sign that, although they were not best pleased with being stuck in the countryside, they were aware that they had no choice and were willing to work for their money. Beauty did not change her clothes, and for the entirety of the play, she wore a plain – but pretty – white dress. The witch, who was played by the same actress as who played Mama, wore an extravagant ball gown that was sparkly and dark, with a very large headdress that showed she was an important character in the story. The dress was very dark, as you would expect a witch's clothing to be, however when the light hit it just right it glittered a lot, which showed to be lighter, which is something that is perhaps portrayed in her character. The Beast was wearing brown rags that had hints of a goldy material in them. At times, when the light hit the fabric just right, a tiny patch shone gold and sparkly. This hidden colour shows the character of the Beast well ~ we know he doesn't like who he is, or what he is, but we cannot escape the fact that he is of authority and high status. He wore a claw on his one hand and make up that created the physical aspects of the character. When he became a man, the rags were removed and he wore simple leggings with a chiffon type robe that showed off his muscles and body shape, emphasising the fact that he was a proper man. When Beauty returned home late on in the play the family were dressed in bright clothing that looked far less grand – this showed that they had accepted their life and lost all sense of importance of appearance because they had found true happiness in the countryside. Many of the different examples above give us a better insight into a character, or a place – for example, the Beast showed us that he felt isolated and alone at one point in the play simply by climbing into a compartment only big enough for him. The aspects of the play I have talked about work together in the performance to create atmospheres and to explore characters' emotions. An example of atmosphere being created may be how costume and music were entwined to create the sombre moment in which Beauty, wearing her pure white dress and holding the doll that symbolised her for the beginning part of the play, sing almost as a tribute to her dead mother. We are meant to feel sympathy for Beauty, and we do because she looks so pure and innocent in her dress, however if she were in a black dress this feeling may not have been stirred as our basic minds associate white with good and black with bad. Lighting and costume also worked together well, such as in the witch's costume. The headdress was very elaborate and when the lights shone onto her, a huge shadow fell on a section of the stage. The imposing shadow, with the spikiness and movements made me feel quite unnerved and was an impressive way of showing that she has high importance and power. Every one of the aspects I have discussed came together in the Beast's house. The overall effect was only created well by using suitably magical lighting, the creepy voices and instruments, a good set or in some cases using the chorus line to create the feeling of magical furniture, and costumes that gave us an insight into the character, such as Beauty's dress or the Beast's costume, whilst also serving well in the purpose of making the play feel alive. This mix of all the different aspects came together to create an aura of a mystical and scary palace.