American History Since 1900 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

American History Since 1900 - Essay Example This paper discusses the work of Harriet Jacobs, Incidents of a Slave Girl, as contrasted with the American Pageant (Kennedy et al, 2001). Harriet Jacobs was a slave in America during the slavery period. She wrote her narrative depicting the difficulty the slaves had. She focused her narrative on the impact of slavery on the black community domestic set-up. Her main focus was sexual exploitation in the plantation since she was sexually exploited, and focused on how slavery tore up the family set-up. There was a lot of brutality in how the whites handled the blacks who were their slaves. There was arbitrary rule which was engulfed with violence that ensured the slaves were denied any form of opportunity for personal development. In the book American Pageant, she focuses on the economic impact of slave trade and states either directly or by implication that the slavery system was ‘democratic’ and ‘fair’ as compared to other slaves systems around the world. He delicately applies euphemisms to mask the plight and nature of the black community in the society. The two sources have only one similarity: they both feature the history of American Slavery. However, the authors of the books also have clear cut racial disparities that informed their perspectives of expression. The narrative is written by a black woman who seeks to give a voice to the plight of the women slaves in her society, expressing the agony of uncertainty of the future. However, it has been contended that the incidents narratives were written under a pseudonym and, thus, could have been fiction. There has been evidence in forms of letters from respectable people of Jacobs’ times that validates the authenticity of the book. It then acts like as a platform of self expression and self realization and even as a means of resisting the slavery rule and white supremacy, just like other black narratives. It also serves a personal account of what transpired and the effects the slavery had on the writer. Narratives were written to invoke sympathy to the white community so that they would free their slaves (Kennedy et al, 2001). The book, on the other hand, covers a wider scope from the political arrangements of the time. Further, legislation that legalized slave trade and the positive effects the slaves had in the economy is also covered. Written by white authors who lacked firsthand experience of what really happened, the book fails to show an appreciation of what it means to be a slave and the effects it had on the individuals concerned. It has no platform of self expression, liberalization or supremacy but acts to narrow the thinking perspectives of young Americans, which are a form of undermining their freedom of true and accurate information. The book enhances white supremacy since it euphemizes the plight of the slaves and magnitude of their suffering. The book was written in pursuit of advancing academic in the United States and also for fiduciary b enefits arising from its sale. In her narrative, Harriet Jacobs shows the productive nature of the black people on the plantations of the white men. The labor they provided was unpaid meaning that the profits obtained from the trading of the agricultural products were quite significant. Further, the slaves lived in a squalid environment because their source of income showed that they could not afford a decent abode. Basic human rights that the world witnesses today were not in

Obscenity and pornography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Obscenity and pornography - Essay Example For her, the court can discredit the victim’s rape allegation by â€Å"finding discrepancies in the victim’s story and assuming ulterior motives for reporting the assault†; for this the court can take into account such resources as the â€Å"official reports and records, typifications of rape-relevant behavior, and knowledge of the victim’s personal life and criminal connections† (Frohmann, 1991, p. 213). Thus, the prosecutor-victim complaint filling interview acts as a n integral part of the sexual case processing. Similarly, another major method employed by the legal system to discredit sexual assault cases is by analyzing the accusers mental health records and by offering the defendant an opportunity to prove his innocence. Cases are rejected once the court gets convinced that the victim does not have a good previous mental health record. This rape shield legislation plays a dominant role in sexual assault cases. Another widespread and common met hod employed by the legal systems to reject sexual assault cases is by identifying congruencies in the charges filed by police at arrest with the charge filed by the prosecutor. When there are such evident congruencies, the court can either reject sexual assault cases or discredit victims’ allegations of sexual assault. Therefore, one should bear in mind that mere allegations can easily be rejected by the courts in the case of sexual assaults. Frohmann, Lisa. ‘Discrediting Victims Allegations of Sexual Assault: Prosecutorial Accounts of Case Rejections’. Social Problems, Vol.38, No.2, May 1991. Retrieved 24 September 2010 from:

Enhancement Of Computer Literacy In Primary Students Education Essay

Enhancement Of Computer Literacy In Primary Students Education Essay INTRODUCTION 1. Commencement of use of Information and Communication Technology have been re-engineering almost all the fields of human life from basic needs like communicating with friend living abroad to fundamental needs like education, health and governance. That is not only a technological evolution but also a social revolution that enforces the primary students, to discover new habits, innovative morals and production of new life systems, so that to adapt with global change in human culture and life style. Our education system also to be formulate to meet this concept and to be aligned with this new technology. Hence, the innovative distribution of Information Communication Technology (ICT) for education of primary students is becoming compulsive need since the professionalism is the backbone that could change the culture and the society in time to time towards create outstanding living condition expected by the people. 2. Today, it is extremely important that a primary student should be competent with coherence in the area of computers and technology. It is impossible to be successful in todays job market and high tech lifestyle, if our primary students are failed for timely educate as early as possible to suit the existing requirement to this subject. 3. The computer literacy is now an essential tool that all students must be familiar with in order to complete their routine studies and focusing for future job demand. Whatever our job; Teacher, Planner, Lawyer, Accountant or Salesperson; computer literacy are mandatory them to succeed. Primary students are also need to gain certain level of computer literacy in order to complete basic every day skills to face our future society. In Central Colleges in Sri Lanka most of the primary students are aware with computer studies but they have to use it in a way to achieve mandatory results need for join the future world and join the future community. 4. The use of the internet facility is highly required skill for students and they are to thoroughly master it definitely. Computer literacy and Internet are almost one; in the same thing usually one isnt mentioned without the other tagging along. Without the Internet, there would be no way to instantly find the name of a famous book your favorite writer was in five years ago. Primary students will need to be familiar with the Internet in all types of educational methods whether it is research on any topic or surfing for information. For this purpose primary students need to know what a search engine is and how it works, what a keyword is and how it works, how to open a browser and how to use a link, etc. The Internet is a huge wealth of information that every students should take advantage for gather information skills. There are web sites that will help primary students to find educational tours by posting their resume online. Online skills allow primary students to learn and share social, cultural, environmental facts of other countries, people and religions. Many secondary level students today are now getting their degree online in the comfort of their own homes on their own schedule. Its amazing how today with a couple of clicks, every student can go anywhere in the world in two, three seconds without leaving their computer. 5. Promotion of computer literacy is one of the most essential areas in education. The important role which it plays is intellectual, social, emotional and spiritual development of children. The students normally use sensory perceptions to know his immediate surroundings. It is automatically widens his vision. The computer literacy skills of students are not a one time experience. It is a continuous lifetime experience. It is accepted that a proper skills of Computer Literacy has to be inculcated and nurtured in the early years of age. 6. It must be distinguished as the ability to work with understanding and appreciation. In Sri Lanka computer is mostly a Information Communication Technological skill which is brought about by brute repetition of a given stimulus together with the appropriate response. It is a matter of some doubt whether all children have acquired the ability to learn in the genuine sense, by the time they have reached school leaving age. It needs at least four years to attain the computer skill and is it reasonable to expect these children who drop out after primary level to sustain that skill afterwards? Computer literacy is a not a severe complex process. It is an average simple skill which once learned, can be increased with referral to the Information Technological contented publications. CHAPTER II METHODOLOGY AIM 1. This paper will emphasis and analyze why the children are not skilled in Computer Literacy and for examine the factors which determine computer literacy in children and what steps have to be taken for the enhancement of computer literacy and information technological skills in primary school children in Central Colleges in Sri Lanka. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 2. It is required to study of Primary level students of Central Colleges computer literacy and the present environment to enhance their capabilities in computer literacy. In this research need to focus on their Computer educational system and clarify the difficulties and the to the mechanism that they required to strengthen the computer literacy, information technology aspects, as considering the future job opportunities that can be gained by primary students in Central Colleges Sri Lanka. 3. The question is at present scenario is ,the primary school students in Central Colleges in Sri Lanka have not been able to acquire the required standard of Computer literacy, and information technology to enhance their minimum skills required in Computer field. 4. This paper will identify and analyze why the Computer Literacy in primary students is dwindling, the factors which determine literacy and suggest recommendation for the promotion of mechanism that needs to enhance skills, knowledge in primary level students. RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS 5. Mechanism will be strengthening to face the future job demand. In this aspect is to be achieved in a way of researching experimental computer study of guidance in formulation with Government educational policies on Information Technology for enhancement of Computer Literacy of primary students in Central Colleges SCOPE OF STUDY The scope of this research focused on the primary students in Grade 1 to Grade 5, their teachers and principals are to extract their ideas by questionnaire and interviews. Also the research will analyze educational specialists personal views on what should be the background surrounding the primary school children to promote their Computer literacy. The anonymity of the researcher was maintained by asking questions from certain group heads and teachers under the name of a consented individual. The purpose was to eliminate biased answers which may be given as a result of the fact that the questions are presented by a known IT instructor. This is also to investigate any differences in response for the same questions based on computer literacy. This method is adopted as the topic is of sensitive nature and based entirely on individual attitudes. METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION 7. Data collection methods are as follows. a. Primary source. (1) Primary source of information were collected by interviewing IT educationists and heads of schools. (2) Further data collection done by a questionnaire prepared for the primary school students and their teachers. b. Secondary sources. Books, paper articles and websites used as the secondary sources of information. CHAPTER ORGANIZATION The thesis is structured as follows : a. CHAPTER I Introduction b. CHAPTER II Methodology CHAPTER III Computer Literacy of Primary Students in Central Colleges (1) Computer literacy introduction of primary students (2) Present literacy skills and IT environment of primary students CHAPTER IV Weather educational support and the required guidance and assistance will provide to enhance the computer literacy How teachers adopt educational method to improve computer literacy of students through policies of educational department. How the other aspects on infrastructure facilities given to improve on computer literacy of primary students (3) Enhancement of Computer literacy and IT Skills of Students i Learning interests of students ii Students interests in internet iii College IT Environment iv Teachers opinion about Computer literacy CHAPTER V Impact of Computer Literacy for primary students at Central Colleges and future Job demand at society (1). How the computer literacy help to increase job demand for future society (2). Increase job demands and the computer literacy as main educational aspects of needs in primary students. CHAPTER VI Reasons behind the inefficiency of present practices on computer studies of students. Why the basic computer needs cannot preserve the computer education at Central Colleges Present skills of students and personal interest on computer literacy of primary students. Education level of primary students in line with present technology changes behind computer educational systems. Awareness studies and competency of teachers on newly introduced software systems and theories on computer studies. Other aspects that can be used to increase the computer studies. The malfunction exist in routine and system stability on computer studies of students Advantages and disadvantages of utilizing adequate study hours for increase computer literacy. CHAPTER VI CHAPTER VII j. CHAPTER VIII CHAPTER III LANGUAGE APTITUDE OF PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN 1. Language is a process that helps people to express themselves and to make effective social relationship among people all over the world. It is through language that people could acquire information to improve their basic needs such as health habits, consciousness, scientific changes and different types of skills to earn a living. Piaget, the renowned physiologist believed that the real key to human intellectual development, conceptual development, is language. Language is the most effective mode of communication. The lack of language ability often hinders ones progress.  [1]  The language aptitude and literacy performance of the primary level indicates the standards of childrens reading habits and information skills. LANGUAGE LEARNING OUTCOME IN SRI LANKA 2. Sri Lanka has attained the first generation education objective of providing widespread access to primary education (grades 1-5). However one major challenge that the country has to overcome is the moderate level of learning achievement in language proficiency among primary school children.  [2]   3. According to recent studies carried out by NIE and NEREC, University of Colombo only between 35 to 38 per cent of primary school students have achieved standard level of their mother tongue (Annex B). This is a serious constraint to further learning, as all subsequent studies will draw on the childs mother tongue capability. 4. There is a considerable difference in the achievement of mastery level in their first language between urban and rural schools. According to the above studies more than 40 per cent of urban children achieve mastery level in their mother language contrast to below 34 per cent in rural areas. Also more than 1/3 of pupils have failed to achieve standard level for their mother language. This shows the dwindling of reading habits and information skills among primary school children. 5. The regional disparity in achieving mastery level in first language is clearly shown in Table III.I. 41.24 per cent of Western province Grade 5 students achieve mastery level in contrast to 42.40 percent in Uva province students have failed to achieve the required standard level. This shows how the availability of physical and human resources affects performance. Mastery = 80% 100% Non Mastery = 0 59% Table III.I Achieving mastery levels in literacy in Grade 5 by provincial levels Source Performance of Grade 5 students in literacy and numeracy NIE LITERACY SKILLS OF CHILDREN 5. According to the research project on development of language skills among primary school children carried out by NLDC (Annex C), the overall performance of Grade 2 pupils is satisfactory. There is hardly any disparity between districts or among school types. 6. The Grade 4 assessment revealed disparity in performance among the districts and between school types. AAVG level schools show highest performance while SS level schools show poor performance. These variations in performance pin-point the inequalities in distribution of learning and teaching facilities for the school subjects, particularly in language skills. 7. More than half of the number of pupils in the sample have not been able to attain the expected achievement level for the vocabulary synonyms/ antonyms, spelling and grammatical writing ability and creative wring skills for the Grade, after four years of schooling. This suggests that they are suffering from lack of reading habits.  [3]   CHAPTER IV READING INTERESTS AND INFORMATION SKILLS OF CHILDREN READING INTERESTS OF CHILDREN 1. There is no particular age at which a child should actually begin the process of learning to read. It should appeal to real activity, to spontaneous work based upon personal need and interest.  [4]  Children have an innate desire to know about their surroundings. As the child develops learning through sensory perception, he becomes more and more curious to understand his environment; what has happened and what is happening are his interests. 2. Children may come to understand an important part of their world through the experience of reading. They start to learn about reading in a natural and incidental way.  [5]  If a book satisfies childs needs, he will start reading it for pleasure. A child begins acquaintance with a book by looking at pictures. If the book catches his interest, he returns to the book again. Also he is being exposed to the printed word in the environment such as bus boards, various posters on the highway, road signs, labels of goods in the market, advertisements on television and newspapers. The child sees lots of words in his environment and tries to grasp them meaningfully. Therefore, most children have a form of awareness of the printed word.  [6]   3. According to the study it has clearly shown that children are interested in books, magazines, childrens papers and they have a thirst for information, knowledge and communication. This inbuilt desire and interest found in children has to be harnessed to improve their reading habits and information skills. As such it is the duty and responsibility of the parent, the teacher and the authorities to take the full use of it.  [7]   Table IV.I would like to spend my Table IV.II would like to spend my leisure time à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.- Grade 2 leisure time à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.- Grade 4 CHILDRENS INTERESTS IN MEDIA 4. The child gets motivated to read when he hears stories or when an adult reads aloud a story to him. Today the child could get this type of satisfaction through the mass media. When children watch television or listen to the radio, those programmes which are meant for children create awareness and need for reading and they could be made use of to develop reading habits and information skills. 5. As per the study it is revealed that Both Grade 2 and 4 childrens best television programme is cartoon stories. Most of children like to listen to songs and stories by radio. These interests could be made use of in varied ways to develop reading habits and information skills in the classroom and home. Table IV.V Interest on Television Table IV.VI Interest on Television Grade 2 Grade 4 Table IV.V Interest on Radio Table IV.VI Interest on Radio Grade 2 Grade 4 Table IV.I Grade 2 Table IV.II Grade 4 Childrens interests on childrens paper 6. Above two tables indicate that a very high percentage of children in all three districts read childrens papers. It was found that this is a habit developed by the good teachers of those schools by exchanging papers within the class, when those parents who could afford to buy papers for their children bring them to school. This high percentage suggests that if reading materials are made available to children, and then reading habits and information skills of primary school children could be definitely improved. CHAPTER V READING AND CHILDHOOD ENVIRONMENT 1. As a foundation for the development of reading habits and information skills, the four language skills listening, speaking, writing and reading has to be developed in the classroom and the home. The child should be able to read with ease and facility in order to develop reading as a habit. The first requisite for this is to gain ability to identify letters and words. Then the child has to read words and sentences to infer meaning and gain knowledge, information etc. This is a complex process.  [8]   2. Reading skills could develop only if reading materials are available. Non availability of suitable reading materials create serious limitations in developing reading habits. Hence the laying of foundation on a sound footing is the responsibility of the parent, the teacher and the school. SCHOOL BACKGROUND 3. A teaching-learning situation is significantly affected by the availability of building with sufficient number of classrooms, seating accommodation and furniture. Primary sections of some popular urban schools have more than 50 pupils in one classroom, which could accommodate only 40. This situation has resulted adversely. Neither the teacher nor the pupil could move about freely to give and receive individual attention.  [9]   4. The situation is worse in some schools where the classes are conducted in unpartitioned open halls. In such schools both teaching and learning has become drudgery and some teachers are force to conduct classes under the trees in the garden.  [10]   5. The teacher is the key factor in improving reading skills and habits in pupils when resources are sub standard. In those schools the teacher is the only source of learning. Out of the 25 teachers who supplied information through the questionnaire, 21 are primary education trained and 3 are trained graduates. However the response of head of the schools revealed that there are quite number of teachers who are not trained. The standard of education undoubtedly recedes when teachers are not trained for the profession. 6. Out of 15 schools exclusively primary education is given in only 5 schools. In those schools primary education is entirely managed by a Deputy Head. Of other 8 school primary heads three are trained five are graduates with post diploma. Academic professional status of the head of the school, his attitude toward improving the mother tongue, commitment to his profession, his support in providing reading materials and promoting reading habits is of significance in this context. 7. Out of 15 schools of the sample five schools do not posses libraries catering to the reading needs of primary school children. Out of the 10 school libraries three of them have 100 500 books. Three school libraries have less than 1000 books and two National schools in Colombo district and one National school in each other two districts have a wealth of 3000 or more books. The two schools in the sample which have a few books received as a donation complained that there are no storage facilities available for them even to keep them safely. Out of the 15 schools 7 schools do not buy even a single newspaper. In the mean time out of rest 8 schools only 5 schools buy childrens paper for the primary school children.  [11]   8. Except for the national schools librarians trained for the job are not available in the rest of the schools. In most of these schools a teacher from the staff helps in the library. In three schools a girl is employed for the work in the library paying a nominal fee. 9. This clearly displays the disparity between schools with sub standard resources and schools with above average standard resources. This fact substantiates the view presented earlier that the socio economic level at home and school affect achievement level of children. TEACHERS OPINION ABOUT READING 10. The response presented by the 25 teachers of the schools of the sample revealed that children are really interested in reading and teachers do their best to promote reading by managing classroom libraries under difficult situations. Each child in the classroom brings a story book at the beginning of the year. Sometimes teachers give the names of the list of story books. Also those who can afford to buy childrens paper bring them to the class. These books and papers are exchanged among the pupils. There by teachers help children to develop reading habits. Instead in some schools teachers get a few books, about thirty from the secondary school library and distribute them among children once a month or so. 11. Some teachers are of the opinion that the primary syllabuses contain far too much material for the year that they cannot complete and it is difficult for them to concentrate on developing the reading habits individually. There should be verity in the content of the curriculum to cater individual needs. Also they pointed out that Grade 2 and Grade 4 even Grade 5 text books do not motivate children to read as the stories do not awaken their feeling and curiosity. Stories do not create opportunities for children to think. Therefore the teachers say that children mechanically read by heart, even if they cannot identify letters, words or meaning of what they pretend to read. Therefore the authorities concerned have to be more cautious in the selection and grading curriculum and text book content. 12. Teachers also revealed that in addition to the scarcity of reading material, children of sub standard and average type schools suffer from other deficiencies such as socio economic conditions at home, large families, parents not been educated, their inability to realize the importance of reading. 13. Method of teaching plays an important role in learning situation. What was observed was teachers are more concerned with covering the syllabus, merely using general methods of teaching without thinking of special and innovative techniques and individual differences of learners. There is hardly any system of evaluating reading. Teachers do not seem to undertake feedback programmes and maintain record of it. Lack of teaching aids was observed in most of the schools and teachers depend only on Talk and Chalk. HOME BACKGROUND 14. Research done in western countries has revealed that success in reading had been achieved by children who were provided with plenty of opportunities for reading and access to books. Avid readers had stories read or told to them regularly by parents or grand parents.  [12]   15. Children read anything and everything they get hold of as they are interested in reading. If is therefore the duty of the adults to select suitable books for children, as they cannot discriminate between suitable books and books not suitable for them and evaluate them. 16. It is assumed that when family size is large, children do not get equal need satisfaction enjoyed by children of small families of the same income level. In the questionnaire the family size of pupils was divided in to two categories. a. Category 1 Number of family members four or less b. Category 2 Number of family members five or more Table V.I Indicating family size 17. According to the table V.I in Colombo district smaller sized families percentage is higher than other two districts. This factor seemed to have affected the achievement performance of children, as it is apparent from the highest ML percentage in Colombo district. 18. Parental support in supplying reading materials such as books, papers and magazines undoubtedly helped development of childrens reading habits and information skills. This in turn is conditioned by the socio economic status of parents. Table V.II Table V.III indicate the number of books Grade 2 and Grade 4 children posses is quite eloquent of this factor. Table V.II No. of books children posses for supplementary reading Grade 2 Table V.III No. of books children posses for supplementary reading Grade 4 19. The table V.II shows 10 per cent of Grade 2 pupils in Colombo district have more than 10 books for extra reading while other two districts children have below 10 books. Also the table V.III indicates 54 per cent of Grade 4 pupils in Colombo district have more than 10 books for extra reading while other two districts it is below by 36 per cent. This factor also seemed to have affected the achievement performance of children, as it is apparent from the highest ML percentage in Colombo district. 20. The names of books read by pupils indicate that they read whatever those come in their way, they have no choice. They read anything and everything they get hold of as they are interested in reading. It is therefore, the duty of the adults to select suitable books for children as they cannot discriminate between suitable books and books not suitable for them and evaluate them. Daily % Sundays % Sometimes % Never % Kandy 12.9 40.5 35.3 11.2 Kalutara 19.5 34.5 32.7 13.3 Colombo 22.4 41.3 28.4 7.8 Total % 18.2 38.8 32.2 10.7 Table V.IV Houses that buy newspapers Grade 4 21. 10.7 per cent of the overall sample of childrens parents do not buy a newspaper. However 38.8 per cent of the sample buy Sunday newspapers. This may be due to the fact that other form of mass media like the television and radio are being sought after for enjoyment and getting information. Thereby a good opportunity that the parents could offer in motivating the child to develop his habit of reading is neglected. It is only a very poor percentage of parents buy newspapers daily. Even in Colombo district 22.4 per cent of the sample only buy newspapers daily. It may have been caused by two factors. It may be due to lack of money or of time to read papers. Whatever it is, if the parents could afford to buy newspapers daily it would be a motivation for the child to read and improve their information skills. CHAPTER VI SUMMARY OF FINDINGS 1. More than 1/3 of primary school pupils have failed to achieve standard level for their mother language. 2. Most of Grade 2 pupils have acquired the language skills satisfactorily. 3. a. More than 50 per cent of pupils have not acquired the language skills expected for the grade, at the end of the year. b. Performance of Grade 4 pupils in vocabulary synonyms/ antonyms, spelling and grammatical writing ability and creative wring skills are very poor. 4. There is a marked disparity in achievement of language skills among districts and between school types. 5. There is no equitable provision of physical and human resources available in schools as yet for the promotion of reading habits and information skills. 6. Most of the primary schools of the sample do not posses libraries. Lack of suitable reading materials, librarians, varied kinds of books, a large quantity of books of quality to cater to varied needs and interests of primary children are found to be obstacles which stand in the way of development of reading habits and information skills. 7. The curriculum, text books and methods of teaching do not seem to suit the changed society of the modern day and it will not provide any encouragement to children for the improvement of reading habits. 8. The parental support and encouragement at home is not enough for the children to develop reading habits and information skills. 9. Family size the and the socio economic status of parents affect to the development of reading habits and information skills of children. 10. Children are interested in books, magazines, childrens papers and they have a thirst for information, knowledge and communication. CHAPTER VII CONCLUSION 1. Reading is one of the most important components of language. It is a basic tool subject especially in primary school. Reading helps to learn all the other areas of the school curriculum and provides vital means of learning. Reading is believed as a process of acquiring information, receiving a massage from a print in a meaningful way. 2. Reading is of greatest significance to the educationist because it is their responsibility to guide the child to develop his total personality for the welfare of the individual child and for the welfare of the entire society and also because it is the right of the child to be literate. It is important for children to read good books and develop their reading habits and information skills, in order to grow physically and mentally. Good reading habits are necessary for a healthy intellectual growth. 3. It is a matter of some doubt whether all children have acquired the ability to read in the genuine sense, by the time they have reached school leaving age. Teacher influence, home background and book provision hold the key to an improvement in reading. The main objective of carrying out this study was to find out the reason for deficiency in readi

Eros and The Modern World Essay -- Greek Mythology

In the ancient world there were two different images that could be presented of the god Eros. The first was that of a young man with wings and rings in his hands, illustrated by a statue that was created around 400 BCE by the sculptor Praxiteles (Fig.1). Second is the depiction of a mischievous baby by an unknown sculptor from the first century BCE (Fig.2). This second depiction also had wings but once again the bow was missing. If the god Eros is depicted as a child he is generally with Aphrodite his mother. Of these two depictions the most common in the modern world is the baby depiction. Even though the baby depiction is the most common, in some instances whoever is working with the depiction will choose to use the young man. Since both depictions are still used in the modern world, there are really only two significant changes since antiquity. First is the idea that Eros is one member of a race of mythical creatures. Second is the misconception that Eros is the god of love when he is really the god of sexual desire. Although Eros is commonly depicted in the modern world he is more often recognized by his Roman name Cupid. By using the name Cupid it becomes much easier to find depictions of the god Eros. For this assignment I have chosen to use three depictions from the modern world and one from the nineteenth century. Of these depictions, three come from video clips and one is a painting. All of these depictions encompass different aspects of the god. In some of these depictions he is the only cupid and in others he is just one of many. Another aspect these depictions cannot agree on is whether or not he is the young man or the baby. On top of both of these disagreements, one of the clips seems to contend that... ...ed Fig.6 MrPhanhonnhien. â€Å"Charmedvn tap 18-The Torn Identity_ part2.avi.† 19 July 2011. Youtube. Web. 20 March 2012. Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmbbm1L9hls&feature=related Fig. 7 heatmaster20. â€Å"Charmed-Forever Charmed Part 4.† 19 January 2009. Youtube. Web. 20 March 2012. Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_InMQ7LuXwg&feature=related Fig.8 MrPhanhonnhien. â€Å"Charmedvn tap 18-The Torn Identity_ part3.avi.† 19 July 2011. Youtube. Web. 20 March 2012. Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UnTWByK5hc&feature=related Fig. 9 BluTaiger. â€Å"Pastoral Symphony 2/4: Centaur Courtship.† 12 January 2010. Youtube. Web. 20 March 2012. Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BzfBwyjkYM&feature=related Fig.10 ChrisTheGreek2007. â€Å"Comedy of Arrows part 1.† 7 March 2008. Youtube. Web. 20 March 2012. Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=830frPb6eaA&feature=related Eros and The Modern World Essay -- Greek Mythology In the ancient world there were two different images that could be presented of the god Eros. The first was that of a young man with wings and rings in his hands, illustrated by a statue that was created around 400 BCE by the sculptor Praxiteles (Fig.1). Second is the depiction of a mischievous baby by an unknown sculptor from the first century BCE (Fig.2). This second depiction also had wings but once again the bow was missing. If the god Eros is depicted as a child he is generally with Aphrodite his mother. Of these two depictions the most common in the modern world is the baby depiction. Even though the baby depiction is the most common, in some instances whoever is working with the depiction will choose to use the young man. Since both depictions are still used in the modern world, there are really only two significant changes since antiquity. First is the idea that Eros is one member of a race of mythical creatures. Second is the misconception that Eros is the god of love when he is really the god of sexual desire. Although Eros is commonly depicted in the modern world he is more often recognized by his Roman name Cupid. By using the name Cupid it becomes much easier to find depictions of the god Eros. For this assignment I have chosen to use three depictions from the modern world and one from the nineteenth century. Of these depictions, three come from video clips and one is a painting. All of these depictions encompass different aspects of the god. In some of these depictions he is the only cupid and in others he is just one of many. Another aspect these depictions cannot agree on is whether or not he is the young man or the baby. On top of both of these disagreements, one of the clips seems to contend that... ...ed Fig.6 MrPhanhonnhien. â€Å"Charmedvn tap 18-The Torn Identity_ part2.avi.† 19 July 2011. Youtube. Web. 20 March 2012. Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmbbm1L9hls&feature=related Fig. 7 heatmaster20. â€Å"Charmed-Forever Charmed Part 4.† 19 January 2009. Youtube. Web. 20 March 2012. Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_InMQ7LuXwg&feature=related Fig.8 MrPhanhonnhien. â€Å"Charmedvn tap 18-The Torn Identity_ part3.avi.† 19 July 2011. Youtube. Web. 20 March 2012. Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UnTWByK5hc&feature=related Fig. 9 BluTaiger. â€Å"Pastoral Symphony 2/4: Centaur Courtship.† 12 January 2010. Youtube. Web. 20 March 2012. Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BzfBwyjkYM&feature=related Fig.10 ChrisTheGreek2007. â€Å"Comedy of Arrows part 1.† 7 March 2008. Youtube. Web. 20 March 2012. Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=830frPb6eaA&feature=related

Tax Evasion and Tax Audit

Definition of Tax Evasion: Tax evasion usually entails taxpayers deliberately misrepresenting or concealing the true state of their affairs to the tax authorities to reduce their tax liability and includes in particular dishonest tax reporting, such as declaring less income, profits or gains than actually earned or overstating deductions,. It is an illegal practice where a person, organization or corporation intentionally avoids paying his/her/its true tax liability. Examples of practices which are considered tax evasion: Knowingly not reporting income * Under-reporting income (claiming less income than you actually received from a specific source * Providing false information to the NBR about business income or expenses * Deliberately underpaying taxes owed * Substantially understating your taxes (by stating a tax amount on your return which is less than the amount owed for the income you reported). Tax Audit: A tax audit is an investigation into the background of tax returns submit ted by an individual or business to a tax agency.While it is true that a tax audit may be called due to some perceived irregularity in one or more returns, it is also true that an audit may be done simply as part of a random sampling. Tax audit is when the IRS decides to examine your tax return a little more closely and verify that your income and deductions are accurate. Tax return is chosen for audit when something you have entered on your return is out of the ordinary. There are three main types of IRS audits: the mail audit, the office audit and the field audit.

Blood Promise Chapter Sixteen

Denis and his two unpromised friends, Artur and Lev, were ecstatic that I was going to be part of their posse. But if they expected me to share their crazy enthusiasm for reckless Strigoi hunting, they were about to be sorely disappointed. In fact, it didn't take long after I joined them before they realized that I was approaching the hunt very differently than they were. Denis's friend Lev had a car, and we took turns driving to Novosibirsk. The drive was about fifteen hours, and even though we stopped at a hotel for the night, it was still a lot of continuous time to be cooped up in a small space with three guys who couldn't stop talking about all the Strigoi they were going to kill. In particular, they kept trying to draw me out. They wanted to know about how many Strigoi I'd slain. They wanted to know what the battle at the Academy had been like. They wanted to know my methods. Anytime my mind turned to those topics, though, all I could think of was blood and grief. It was nothing I wanted to brag about, and it took about six hours on the road for them to finally figure out that they weren't going to get much information from me. Instead, they regaled me with tales of their own adventures. To be fair, they'd slain several Strigoi-but they'd lost a number of their friends, all of whom had been in their teens, like these guys. My experiences weren't that dissimilar; I'd lost friends too. My losses had been a result of being outnumbered, though. Denis's group's casualties seemed to have been more due to rushing in to without thinking. Indeed, their plan once we got to Novosibirsk wasn't really that solid. They reiterated that Strigoi liked to hunt at places that were crowded at night, like dance clubs, or in remote places like alleys, that made for easy pickings. No one noticed as much when people disappeared from those kinds of places. So Denis's plans mostly involved trolling those hot spots in the hopes that we'd run into Strigoi. My initial thought was to immediately ditch this group and strike out on my own. After all, my main goal had been to simply get to Novosibirsk. With everything I'd learned now, it seemed logical that Siberia's largest city would be the next best place to look. Then, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that jumping into the Strigoi scene alone would be as stupid as one of the unpromised gang's plans. I could use their backup. Plus, since I didn't actually know where Dimitri was yet, I had to come up with a method of getting some information. I'd need help for that. We made it to Novosibirsk at the end of the second day of driving. Despite hearing about its size, I hadn't imagined it would be anything like Moscow or Saint Petersburg. And true, it turned out to be not quite as large as they were, but it was still just as much a city, complete with skyscrapers, theaters, commuters, and the same beautiful architecture. We crashed with a friend of theirs who had an apartment downtown, a dhampir named Tamara. Her English wasn't very good, but from the sounds of it, she was another unpromised one and just as excited as everyone else to rid the world of Strigoi. She was a little older than the rest of us, which was why she had her own place, and was a cute brunette with freckles. It sounded as though she waited until whenever the guys came to town to hunt, which I took as a small blessing. At least she didn't go out alone. She seemed particularly excited to have another girl around, but like the others, she quickly picked up that I didn't share their enthusiasm. When our first night of Strigoi hunting came around, I finally stepped up into a leadership position. The sudden change in behavior startled them at first, but they soon listened with rapt attention, still caught up in my superstar reputation. â€Å"Okay,† I said, looking from face to face. We were in Tamara's tiny living room, sitting in a circle. â€Å"Here's how it's going to work. We're going to hit the nightclub scene as a group, patrolling it and the alleys behind it for-â€Å" â€Å"Wait,† interrupted Denis. â€Å"We usually split up.† â€Å"Which is why you get killed,† I snapped. â€Å"We're going as a group.† â€Å"Haven't you killed Strigoi by yourself, though?† asked Lev. He was the tallest of the group, with a long and lanky figure that was almost Moroi-like. â€Å"Yes, but I got lucky.† That, and I also just thought I was a better fighter than any of them. Call me arrogant, but I was a damned good guardian. Or near-guardian. â€Å"We'll do better with all five of us. When we find Strigoi, we've got to make sure we take care of them in an isolated place.† I hadn't forgotten Sydney's warnings. â€Å"But before we kill them, I need to talk to them. It'll be your job to restrain them.† â€Å"Why?† asked Denis. â€Å"What do you have to say to them?† â€Å"Actually, it's what they have to say to me. Look, it won't take long. And you'll get to make your kill in the end, so don't worry about it. But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This next part went against my grand plans, but I knew I had to say it. I wouldn't get them killed for the sake of my own quest. â€Å"If we get ourselves in a situation where you're trapped or in immediate danger, forget the talking and restraining. Kill. Save yourself.† Apparently, I seemed confident and badass enough that they decided to go along with whatever I said. Part of our plan involved going â€Å"undercover,† so to speak. Any Strigoi who was close or got a good enough look would immediately recognize us as dhampirs. It was important that we not attract any attention. We needed a Strigoi scanning for victims to pass right over us. We needed to look like other human club-goers. So we dressed the part, and I was a bit astonished at how well the guys cleaned up. Denis, crazy or not, was particularly good-looking, sharing the same dark gold hair and brown eyes that his brother Nikolai had. My few changes of clothes weren't quite up to partying standards, so Tamara delved into her wardrobe for me. She seemed to take a lot of delight in finding things for me to wear. We were actually similar in size, which was kind of amazing. With her tall, super-slim build, Lissa and I had never been able to share clothes. Tamara was my height and had a similar body type. She first offered me a short, tight dress that was so similar to the one Viktoria had worn that I just shook my head and handed it back. The memories of our argument still hurt, and I wasn't going to relive that night or in any way play blood whore dress-up. Instead, Tamara settled for dressing me in black jeans and a black tank top. I consented to hair and makeup too, and studying myself in the mirror, I had to admit she did a good job. As vain as it was, I liked looking good. I especially liked that the guys looked at me in a way that was admiring and respectful-but not like I was some piece of meat. Tamara offered me jewelry too, but the only thing I'd wear was the nazar around my neck. My stake required a jacket, but she found a sexy leather one that didn't take away from the rest of the outfit's appeal. Setting out around midnight, I couldn't help shaking my head. â€Å"We're the goddamned hottest vampire hunters ever,† I muttered. Denis led us to a club where they'd found Strigoi before. It was also apparently where one of their unpromised friends had been killed. It was in a seedy part of town, which I guess added to its appeal for Strigoi. A lot of the people there were middle- and upper-class young people, apparently drawn in by the â€Å"dangerous† aspect. If only they'd known just how dangerous it was. I'd made a lot of jokes to Dimitri about Russia and Eastern Europe being ten years behind in music, but when we entered, I discovered the ground-thumping techno song playing was something I'd heard in the U.S. just before leaving. The place was crowded and dark, with flashing lights that were actually a little annoying to dhampir eyes. Our night vision would adapt to the darkness and then be blasted when a strobe light kicked on. In this case, I didn't need my sight. My shadow-kissed senses didn't feel any Strigoi in the area. â€Å"Come on,† I said to the others. â€Å"Let's dance for a while and wait. There are no Strigoi nearby.† â€Å"How do you know?† asked Denis, staring at me in wonder. â€Å"I just do. Stay together.† Our little circle moved to the dance floor. It had been so long since I'd danced, and I was a bit surprised at how quickly I found myself getting into the rhythm. Part of me said I should have stayed ever vigilant, but my Strigoi alarm system would immediately snap me awake if any danger came. That nausea was kind of hard to ignore. But after an hour of dancing, no Strigoi had appeared. We left the dance floor and started circling the club's edges, then moved outside to sweep that area too. Nothing. â€Å"Is there another club nearby?† I asked. â€Å"Sure,† said Artur. He was stocky, with close-shaved hair and a ready smile. â€Å"A couple blocks over.† We followed him and found a similar scene: another secret club hidden in a run-down building. More flashing lights. More crowds. More pounding music. Disturbingly, what started to bother me first was the smell. That many people generated a lot of sweat. I had no doubt even the humans could smell it. To us, it was cloying. Tamara and I exchanged looks and wrinkled our noses, needing no words to convey our disgust. We moved to the dance floor again, and Lev started to leave to get a drink. I punched him in the arm. He exclaimed something in Russian that I recognized as a swear word. â€Å"What was that for?† he asked. â€Å"For being stupid! How do you expect to kill something that's twice as fast as you while drunk?† He shrugged, unconcerned, and I resisted the urge to hit him in the face this time. â€Å"One won't hurt. Besides, there aren't even any-â€Å" â€Å"Be quiet!† It was creeping over me, that weird stirring in my stomach. Forgetting my cover, I stopped dancing, scanning the crowd for the source. While I was relying on my senses to feel Strigoi, spotting them in the crowd was a bit harder. I took a few steps toward the entrance, and my nausea lessened. I moved toward the bar, and the feeling increased. â€Å"This way,† I told them. â€Å"Act like you're still into the music.† My tension was contagious, and I saw the anticipation sweep them-as well as a little fear. Good. Maybe they'd take this seriously. As we headed in the bar's direction, I tried to keep my body language oriented toward it, like I was seeking a drink. All the while, my eyes swept the crowd's periphery. There. I had him. A male Strigoi was standing off in a corner, his arm around a girl close to my age. In the dim lighting, he almost seemed attractive. I knew closer examination would reveal the deathly pale skin and red eyes that all Strigoi had. The girl might not have been able to see them in the darkened club, or the Strigoi might have been using compulsion on her. Probably both, judging from the smile on her face. Strigoi were able to compel others just as well as a spirit user like Lissa could. Better, even. Before our eyes, I saw the Strigoi lead the girl down a small, unnoticed hallway. At the end, I could just make out a glowing exit sign. At least, I presumed it was an exit sign. The letters were Cyrillic. â€Å"Any idea where that door goes?† I asked the others. The guys shrugged, and Denis repeated my question to Tamara. She answered back, and he translated. â€Å"There's a small alley out back where they keep trash. It's between this building and a factory. No one's usually there.† â€Å"Can we get to it by going around the club?† Denis waited for Tamara's response. â€Å"Yes. It's open on both sides.† â€Å"Perfect.† We hurried out of the club by the front door, and I divided our group into two. The plan was to come at the Strigoi from both sides and trap him in the middle-provided he and his victim were still out back. It was possible he could have led her elsewhere, but I thought it more likely he'd want to subdue her and get his blood right there, particularly if it was as deserted as Tamara said it usually was. I was right. Once my group had split off and peered around behind the club, I saw the Strigoi and the girl lurking in the shadow of a trash can. He was leaning over her, mouth near her neck, and I silently swore. They didn't waste any time. Hoping she was still alive, I came charging down the alley, the others on my heels. From the alley's other side, Denis and Lev also came running. As soon as he heard the first footfall, the Strigoi reacted instantly, his staggeringly fast reflexes kicking in. He immediately dropped the girl, and in the space of a heartbeat, he chose Denis and Lev over Artur, Tamara, and me. Not a bad strategy, really. There were only two of them. Because he was so fast, he probably hoped to incapacitate them quickly and then turn on us before we could flank him. And it almost worked. A powerful hit sent Lev flying. To my relief, a couple of trash cans blocked him from the building's wall. Hitting them wouldn't feel good, but if I had the choice, I'd rather hit metal cans than solid bricks. The Strigoi pounced on Denis next, but Denis proved remarkably fast. Unfairly, I'd assumed none of these unpromised had any real fighting skills. I should have known better. They'd had the same training as me; they just lacked discipline. Denis dodged the blow and struck out low, aiming for the Strigoi's legs. The hit landed, though it wasn't strong enough to knock him over. A flash of silver showed in Denis's hands, and he managed to partially swipe the Strigoi's cheek just before a backhanded slap knocked the dhampir into me. A cut like that wouldn't be lethal to the Strigoi, but the silver would hurt, and I heard him snarl. His fangs gleamed with saliva. I sidestepped Denis quickly enough that he didn't knock me over. Tamara grabbed his arm, holding him so that he wouldn't fall either. She was fast too and had barely steadied him before leaping up at the Strigoi. He swatted her away but didn't manage to hit her hard enough to push her far. Artur and I were on him by that point, our combined force knocking him against the wall. Still, he was stronger and the pinning was brief before he broke free. A responsible voice in my head-that sounded suspiciously like Dimitri's-warned me that that had been my window to kill him. It would have been the smart and safe thing to do. I'd had the opening, and my stake was in my hand. If my crazy interrogation plan failed, the others' deaths would be on my head. As one, Artur and I leapt out again. â€Å"Help us!† I yelled. Tamara threw herself against the Strigoi, landing a swift kick to the stomach as well. I could feel him starting to shake us off, but then Denis joined in too. Between the four of us, we wrestled the Strigoi down so that he lay back-first on the pavement. But the worst wasn't over. Keeping him down wasn't easy. He thrashed around with incredible strength, limbs twisting everywhere. I heaved myself up, trying to throw my body's weight across his torso while the others restrained his legs. Another set of hands joined us, and I looked up to see Lev lending his strength too. His lip was bleeding, but his face was determined. The Strigoi hadn't stopped moving, but I felt satisfied he wouldn't break away anytime soon, not with all five of us holding him. Shifting forward, I placed the point of my stake at his neck. It gave him pause, but he soon resumed his struggle. I leaned over his face. â€Å"Do you know Dimitri Belikov?† I demanded. He shouted something incomprehensible at me that didn't sound very friendly. I pressed the stake in harder and drew a long gash against his throat. He screamed in pain, pure evil and malice shining out from his eyes as he continued swearing in Russian. â€Å"Translate,† I demanded, not caring who did it. â€Å"What I said.† A moment later, Denis said something in Russian, presumably my question since I heard Dimitri's name in there. The Strigoi growled back a response, and Denis shook his head. â€Å"He says he isn't going to play games with us.† I took the stake and slashed at the Strigoi's face, widening the gash Denis had made earlier. Again, the Strigoi cried out, and I prayed club security wouldn't hear any of this. I gave him a smile filled with enough malice to match his own. â€Å"Tell him we're going to keep playing games with him until he talks. One way or another, he dies tonight. It's up to him whether it happens slowly or quickly.† I honestly couldn't believe those words had come out of my mouth. They were so harsh†¦ so, well, cruel. I'd never in my entire life expected to be torturing anyone, even a Strigoi. The Strigoi gave Denis's translation another defiant response, and so I kept on with the stake, making gashes and cuts that would have killed any human, Moroi, or dhampir. Finally, he shot off a string of words that didn't sound like his usual insults. Denis immediately translated. â€Å"He said he's never heard of anyone named that and that if Dimitri's a friend of yours, he'll be sure to kill him slowly and painfully.† I almost smiled at the Strigoi's last effort at defiance. The problem with my strategy here was that the Strigoi could be lying. I'd have no way of knowing. Something in his response made me think he wasn't. He'd sounded like he thought I was referring to a human or a dhampir, not a Strigoi. â€Å"He's useless then,† I said. I leaned back and glanced at Denis. â€Å"Go ahead and kill him.† It was what Denis had been dying to do. He didn't hesitate, his stake striking hard and swift through the Strigoi's heart. The frantic struggling stilled a moment later. The evil light faded from the red eyes. We stood up, and I saw my companions' faces watching me with apprehension and fear. â€Å"Rose,† asked Denis at last. â€Å"What are you hoping to-â€Å" â€Å"Never mind that,† I interrupted, moving over to the unconscious human girl's side. Kneeling down, I examined her neck. He'd bitten her, but not much blood had been taken. The wound was relatively small and bled only a little. She stirred slightly and moaned when I touched her, which I took as a good sign. Carefully, I dragged her away from the trash can and out into the light where she'd be most noticeable. The Strigoi, however, I dragged into as dark a place as I could, almost completely obscuring him. After that, I asked to borrow Denis's cell phone and dialed the number I'd kept crumpled in my pocket for the last week. After a couple of rings, Sydney answered in Russian. She sounded sleepy. â€Å"Sydney? This is Rose.† There was a slight pause. â€Å"Rose? What's going on?† â€Å"Are you back in Saint Petersburg?† â€Å"Yes†¦ where are you?† â€Å"Novosibirsk. Do you guys have agents here?† â€Å"Of course,† she said warily. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Mmm†¦ I've got something for you to clean up.† â€Å"Oh dear.† â€Å"Hey, at least I'm calling. And it's not like me ridding the world of another Strigoi is a bad thing. Besides, didn't you want me to let you know?† â€Å"Yes, yes. Where are you?† I put Denis on the phone briefly so that he could explain our specific location. He handed the phone back to me when he finished, and I told Sydney about the girl. â€Å"Is she seriously injured?† â€Å"Doesn't look like it,† I said. â€Å"What should we do?† â€Å"Leave her. The guy who's coming will make sure she's okay and doesn't go telling stories. He'll explain it when he gets there.† â€Å"Whoa, hey. I'm not going to be here when he arrives.† â€Å"Rose-â€Å" â€Å"I'm out of here,† I told her. â€Å"And I'd really appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone else that I called-say, like, Abe.† â€Å"Rose-â€Å" â€Å"Please, Sydney. Just don't tell. Or else†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I hesitated. â€Å"If you do, I'll stop calling when this happens. We're going to be taking down a few more.† God, what next? First torture, now threats. Worse, I was threatening someone I liked. Of course, I was lying. I understood why Sydney's group did what they did, and I wouldn't risk the exposure. She didn't know that, though, and I prayed she'd think I was just unstable enough to risk revealing us to the world. â€Å"Rose-† she tried yet again. I didn't give her the chance. â€Å"Thanks, Sydney. We'll be in touch.† I disconnected and handed Denis the phone. â€Å"Come on, guys. We're not done tonight.† It was clear they thought I was crazy to be interrogating Strigoi, but considering how reckless they were sometimes, my behavior wasn't quite weird enough for them to lose their faith in me. Soon they grew enthusiastic again, high on the idea of our first kill on this trip. My uncanny ability to sense Strigoi made me even cooler in their eyes, and I grew confident they'd pretty much follow me anywhere. We caught two more Strigoi that night and managed to repeat the procedure. The results were the same. Lots of insults in Russian. No new information. Once I was convinced a Strigoi had nothing to offer us, I'd let the unpromised go in for the kill. They loved it, but after that third one, I found myself growing weary both mentally and physically. I told the group we were going to go home-and then, while cutting around the back of a factory, I sensed a fourth Strigoi. We jumped him. Another scuffle occurred, but we eventually managed to pin him as we had the others. â€Å"Go ahead,† I told Denis. â€Å"You know what to-â€Å" â€Å"I'm going to rip your throat out!† the Strigoi snarled. Whoa. This one spoke English. Denis opened his mouth to begin the interrogation, but I shook my head. â€Å"I'll take over.† Like the other Strigoi, he swore and struggled, even with the stake against his neck, making it hard for me to talk. â€Å"Look,† I said growing impatient and tired, â€Å"just tell us what we need to know. We're looking for a dhampir named Dimitri Belikov.† â€Å"I know him.† The Strigoi's voice was smug. â€Å"And he's no dhampir.† Without realizing it, I'd called Dimitri a dhampir. I was tired and had slipped up. No wonder this Strigoi was so pleased to talk. He assumed we didn't know about Dimitri turning. And like any arrogant Strigoi, he was happy to tell us more, clearly in the hopes of causing us pain. â€Å"Your friend has been awakened. He stalks the night with us now, drinking the blood of foolish girls like you.† In a split second, a thousand thoughts raced through my head. Holy crap. I'd come to Russia thinking it would be easy to find Dimitri. I'd had those hopes dashed in his hometown, nearly causing me to give up, and I'd swung the other way, resigning myself to the near impossibility of my task. The thought that I might be close to something here was staggering. â€Å"You're lying,† I said. â€Å"You've never seen him.† â€Å"I see him all the time. I've killed with him.† My stomach twisted, and it had nothing to do with the Strigoi's proximity. Don't think about Dimitri killing people. Don't think about Dimitri killing people. I said the words over and over in my head, forcing myself to stay calm. â€Å"If that's true,† I hissed back, â€Å"then I've got a message for you to deliver to him. Tell him Rose Hathaway is looking for him.† â€Å"I'm not your errand boy,† he said, glowering. My stake slashed out, drawing blood, and he grimaced in pain. â€Å"You're anything I want you to be. Now go tell Dimitri what I told you. Rose Hathaway. Rose Hathaway is looking for him. Say it.† I pressed the point to his neck. â€Å"Say my name so I know you'll remember.† â€Å"I'll remember it so I can kill you.† The stake pressed harder, spilling blood. â€Å"Rose Hathaway,† he said. He spit at me but missed. Satisfied, I leaned back. Denis watched me expectantly, stake poised and ready. â€Å"Now we kill him?† I shook my head. â€Å"Now we let him go.†