The Silk Road - 1345 Words

The Silk Road united China and the Roman Empire economically, but the territories and cities in-between the two empires truly were the backbone of the Silk Road. The webbed trade routes had a strong impact that they lasted for over 1000 years. The greatness of both nations and their accomplishments economically are astonishing and have changed the history of the world through culture, war, disease, religion, and technology. Culturally the spread of languages and major religions in the world today traversed the Silk Road including Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Also, the scope of ideas and inventions like the crossbows, sail designs, infrastructure, and government. However, the main purpose for the use of the silk road was its economic impact of transferring and acquiring foreign goods. The Romans throughout the time it held imperial status was an ever-growing empire. They continued to expand their empire to provide land for their soldiers once they retired from the military. Their sphere of influence covered the entire Mediterranean Sea and some areas to the north and east extended ever further. The Roman economy was made up of gold and silver coins and whatever goods they could get their hands on from the vast further-reaching arms of the Empire. Resources that the Roman Empire had to offer included gold, silver, elaborate metal working and glass making (Liu). The Romans were interested in all that was offered from the Silk Road. The Romans related to the silkShow MoreRelatedSilk Road1687 Words   |  7 PagesThe Silk Road was a trade network the connected the East to the West on the Eurasian continent. This trade included both overland and maritime routes. The central Asian kingdoms and peoples became the nexus point for much of this trade which lasted from the 3rd century B.C.E. to the 15th century C.E. Many products and other cultural expressions moved along the Silk Road and diffused among various kingdoms along it. In breaking down and separating the patterns of interaction that occurred along theRead MoreThe Silk Road and the Internet801 Words   |  4 PagesSilk Road and the Internet Inside every working anarchy theres an Old Boy Network. The internet is a great and popular invention that has changed, developed and improved today’s society. Yo-Yo Ma, once described the famous historical Silk Road as the ‘Internet of Antiquity’ meaning, the ancient internet, how and why would Yo-Yo Ma come to such a theory, the Silk Road and the internet may not have existed during the same period of time but there are similarities and difference to prove Yo-Yo Ma’sRead MoreThe Silk Road Essay1623 Words   |  7 PagesThe Silk Road was an intricate and evolving network of overland trade routes that linked China, India, and western Eurasia for centuries. The trade route was key to the diffusion and transportation of technology, goods, religions, and language throughout Asia, the Mediterranean, Africa and southern Europe. As the strongest link between major population centers in the largest landmass on earth, the Silk Road was one of the most important of all long-distance trade routes in human history. Study ofRead MoreThe Influence of Silk and the Silk Road in China808 Words   |  3 Pagesof history and has changed dramatically over time. Silk and the Silk Road were both responsible for much of the change, beginning when silk became well known and frequently demanded by other countries. Many routes were created, running through all parts of the world exporting silk. As the invention flourished, the routes intertwined to form a trading system that was created and expanded over time. This influential route became know as the Silk Road and soon channeled merchants, pilgrims, immigrantsRead MoreTraders and The Silk Road510 Words   |  2 PagesThroughout history roads and routes has been an important means of transportation to the world. In today’s society roads connect us to different cities, and used for shipping valuables. Human beings constantly use these routes as a way to trade their product repeating what others have done throughout history. The Silk Road was one of t he main routes used for trading valuables and merchandise. The road stretched from China and along the Mediterranean Sea being used by mankind for thousands of yearsRead More The Silk Road Essay1198 Words   |  5 Pagestrains, ships and airplanes to transport goods from one place to another, there was the Silk Road. Beginning in the sixth century, this route was formed and thus began the first major trade system. Although the term â€Å"Silk Road† would lead one that it was on road, this term actually refers to a number of different routes that covered a vast amount of land and were traveled by many different people. Along with silk, large varieties of goods were traded and traveled along this route both going to andRead MoreThe Silk Road Essay1857 Words   |  8 PagesThe Silk Road was an elaborate and ever-changing network of overland trade routes that linked China, India, and western Eurasia for thousands of years. The trade route was key to the diffusion and transpo rtation of technology, goods, religions, and language throughout Asia, the Mediterranean, Africa and southern Europe. As the most durable links between major population centers in the largest landmass on earth, the Silk Road was one of the most important of all long-distance trade routes in humanRead MoreEssay about The Silk Road1186 Words   |  5 Pagesa person having key situations in life can also be applied to events or systems such as the Silk Road. The Silk Road was one of the largest international collaborations of its time as many countries worked to ensure that the silk coming from China was able to make its way west as gold and other items from places like Rome worked their way east. Because of its size, the were always issues with the Silk Road ranging from the nomadic steppe people raiding the caravans to the sheer length of such a trekRead MoreArtistic Gateway Of The Silk Road1738 Words   |  7 PagesArtistic Gateway to the Silk Road As history has progressed and ideas have travelled the globe, there have been many locations that may be considered cultural hubs. These places are often at the meeting place of cultures, wherein religious ideas and artistic styles are traded as often as food and money. One such religion that spread through these cultural hubs was Buddhism, which found its beginning India, and it traversed the world as followers of this belief system grew and expanded their worldlyRead MoreWriters And Artists Of The Silk Road1836 Words   |  8 Pagesof the Silk Road, they were both just as equally in demand and popular. At some points, one was more popular and in demand than the other but it all equaled out eventually. The most important thing about the writers and artists is the stories that they both leave behind. Without them we would have no idea how we all came to be and we would be left wondering about our ancestors and the past in general. Here are the similar yet different stories of t he writers and artists of the Silk Road. Writers

Essay on Education as an Absolute Necessity - 548 Words

Education as an Absolute Necessity Today in American society, higher education has become an absolute necessity. The pride and status that once accompanied a high school diploma is longer existent. In the present day job markets, a college degree has become something of a minimal standard integral in obtaining even a mediocre occupation. However, higher education is an expensive investment that many minorities of the United States have found to be an unattainable reality for themselves and their children. College is without question an unforgettable experience, but only for those who can afford it. Yet, should education be only available to the deep pockets, to those who probably could afford not attending at all. No, I believe†¦show more content†¦The average tuition for a top ranking college ranges between forty and thirty thousand dollars a year. For many minorities these numbers just might as well be in the millions. Usually, many students of color find it very difficult to pay for college. Their parents, who probably hold low paying jobs, never planned ahead for higher education. Therefore, these students must struggle with working part-time jobs and commuting to low-grade universities and public colleges that are close-to-home. I see education as a basic human right that everyone is entitled to. Education instills power and freedom in those who seek it. Many believe that education is for the rich and well off, when in fact education is for those who want it. Yet, how can those who desire it, afford it? Some could argue that the establishment of community colleges and certain programs such as the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) and C-Step are put in place to help those who otherwise are financial incapable to reach their full potential. I can acknowledge that community colleges are helpful, but extremely inadequate to meet the demands of other private universitys standards. And I believe these programs, such as HEOP and C-Step, are also helpful, but dont entirely meet the needs of the students they are in place to support. For example, these programsShow MoreRelatedRich And Poor By Peter Singer Essay1632 Words   |  7 Pagesarticle Rich and Poor, Peter Singer sees extreme poverty as â€Å"not having enough income to meet the most basic human needs for adequate food, water, shelter, clothing, sanitation, health care or education† (pg. 234). Singer does not fail to compare those in extreme poverty to people who are living in absolute affluence. He suggests that it is the responsibility of those living in affluence to help those who are in need of obtaining even the basic human needs. He also argues that the affluent not helpingRead MorePoverty Is A Problem That Affects Millions Of People On A Daily Basis1387 Words   |  6 Pageswith many critiques one definition has yet to be fully agreed upon. The two definitions that are vastly discussed and debated upon is the absolute and relative poverty dichotomy. This essay will dis cuss the difference between absolute and relative poverty in reference to how they are defined and measured and then it will discuss how they are similar. Absolute poverty derived from the works of Charles Booth and Seebohm Rowntree in the ninetieth and twentieth century. Charles Booth ‘was a BritishRead MorePoverty And Lack Of Poverty1493 Words   |  6 Pagescould be considered a difficult concept to define due to its subjective and personal nature; what poverty means to one person doesn’t necessarily mean the same to another. Different aspects of life including: income, living conditions, access to education, access to nutritional food and clean water are all factors that contribute towards an understanding of what ‘poverty’ actually is. Therefore, deciding whether poverty exists in the United Kingdom is challenging as it is crucial to establish a universalRead MoreTo what extent is reducing the number of people living in absolute poverty sufficient to achieve economic growth and development?1222 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿To what extent is reducing the number of people living in absolute poverty suffici ent to achieve economic growth and development? Absolute poverty measures the number of people living below a certain income threshold or the number of households unable to afford certain basic goods and services. Much of the poverty in developing countries, such as South Africa, tends to be absolute poverty. Economic growth can be defined as steady growth in the productive capacity of the economy. Short term growthRead MorePoverty Is A Problem Of Poverty1398 Words   |  6 Pagesmost difficult aspects to change. With enough education and knowledge, poverty will one day be a problem of the past. Many people have different opinions on what poverty means. There are two types of poverty, absolute and relative. Absolute poverty is when the people affected can’t provide themselves with the necessities they need such as shelter, food, water, etc. Relative poverty is poverty in which the people affected are provided with the necessities but live below the standards of others. RelativeRead More Individual and State Roles in Communism According to Marx and Engels1169 Words   |  5 Pagesmeans of communication and transport in the hands of the state [†¦.] Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the state [†¦] Free education for all children.1 The state obligates itself to control numerous aspects of everyday life. It controls all means of production, communication, transportation, property, credit, money, and education. If the state controls all capital, the government could ensure that every citizen receives the share of the wealth they were entitled to. IndividualsRead MoreThe University Of Texas Of The Permian Basin Essay1002 Words   |  5 Pageswomen are agriculture landowners. There are different types of poverties, relative, absolute and subjective poverty. Relative poverty is a state of living where people can afford necessitates but are unable to meet their society’s average standard of living. Relative poverty is the idea of keeping up with those individuals around you. Second, there is absolute poverty that demonstrates the lack of basic necessities, which include food, clean water, safe housing and access to healthcare. Those whoRead MoreA Reflection On The Educational Action Plan Essay1389 Words   |  6 PagesHowever, the situation needs proper judgment of it by comprehensively monitoring the situation and its severity. The scenario of a pessimistic school with a workforce that needs to be adopting an innovative perspective of viewing things is the absolute necessity of the situation. According to Fullan, the most critical problem that is ever faced by an educational institute is not the resistance to innovation. The critical problem of a ny educational institute is the overload, fragmentation and incoherenceRead MorePoverty : Causes And Consequences Of Poverty1484 Words   |  6 PagesPROFESSOR: BOB GREGORY CAN275NBB (CURRENT CANADIAN ISSUES) TITLE: POVERTY IN CANADA DUE APRIL 12, 2017  SECTION A: Cause and Consequences of Poverty: a) Cause of Poverty: When a country is facing a change in its’ trends such as economy, inadequate education, high rate of divorce, overpopulation, epidemic and spreading diseases such as AIDS, climate and environmental issues such as insufficient rainfall, it could be a potential victim of poverty someday. Poverty is becoming so broad across Canada andRead MoreImportance Of Declaring A Change In Education882 Words   |  4 PagesDeclaring A Change in Education! When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for students to dissolve the Educational bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the authorities of Dorchester 2 County, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Education and of the entitlement we as students have towards them, a decent respect to the opinions of students in Dorchester 2 County which enables them to declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

Chapter 13 Gryffindor Versus Ravenclaw Free Essays

It looked like the end of Ron and Hermione’s friendship. Each was so angry with the other that Harry couldn’t see how they’d ever make up. Ron was enraged that Hermione had never taken Crookshanks’s attempts to eat Scabbers seriously, hadn’t bothered to keep a close enough watch on him, and was still trying to pretend that Crookshanks was innocent by suggesting that Ron look for Scabbers under all the boys’ beds. We will write a custom essay sample on Chapter 13 Gryffindor Versus Ravenclaw or any similar topic only for you Order Now Hermione, meanwhile, maintained fiercely that Ron had no proof that Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers, that the ginger hairs might have been there since Christmas, and that Ron had been prejudiced against her cat ever since Crookshanks had landed on Ron’s head in the Magical Menagerie. Personally, Harry was sure that Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers, and when he tried to point out to Hermione that the evidence all pointed that way, she lost her temper with Harry too. â€Å"Okay, side with Ron, I knew you would!† she said shrilly. â€Å"First the Firebolt, now Scabbers, everything’s my fault, isn’t it! Just leave me alone, Harry, I’ve got a lot of work to do!† Ron had taken the loss of his rat very hard indeed. â€Å"Come on, Ron, you were always saying how boring Scabbers was,† said Fred bracingly. â€Å"And he’s been off-color for ages, he was wasting away. It was probably better for him to snuff it quickly — one swallow — he probably didn’t feel a thing.† â€Å"Fred!† said Ginny indignantly. â€Å"All he did was eat and sleep, Ron, you said it yourself,† said George. â€Å"He bit Goyle for us once!† Ron said miserably. â€Å"Remember, Harry?† â€Å"Yeah, that’s true,† said Harry. â€Å"His finest hour,† said Fred, unable to keep a straight face. â€Å"Let the scar on Goyle’s finger stand as a lasting tribute to his memory. Oh, come on, Ron, get yourself down to Hogsmeade and buy a new rat, what’s the point of moaning?† In a last-ditch attempt to cheer Ron up, Harry persuaded him to come along to the Gryffindor team’s final practice before the Ravenclaw match, so that he could have a ride on the Firebolt after they’d finished. This did seem to take Ron’s mind off Scabbers for a moment (â€Å"Great! Can I try and shoot a few goals on it?†) so they set off for the Quidditch field together. Madam Hooch, who was still overseeing Gryffindor practices to keep an eye on Harry, was just as impressed with the Firebolt as everyone else had been. She took it in her hands before takeoff and gave them the benefit of her professional opinion. â€Å"Look at the balance on it! If the Nimbus series has a fault, it’s a slight list to the tail end — you often find they develop a drag after a few years. They’ve updated the handle too, a bit slimmer than the Cleansweeps, reminds me of the old Silver Arrows — a pity they’ve stopped making them. I learned to fly on one, and a very fine old broom it was too†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She continued in this vein for some time, until Wood said, â€Å"Er — Madam Hooch? Is it okay if Harry has the Firebolt back? We need to practice†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Oh — right — here you are, then, Potter,† said Madam Hooch. â€Å"I’ll sit over here with Weasley†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She and Ron left the field to sit in the stadium, and the Gryffindor team gathered around Wood for his final instructions for tomorrow’s match. â€Å"Harry, I’ve just found out who Ravenclaw is playing as Seeker. It’s Cho Chang. She’s a fourth year, and she’s pretty good†¦I really hoped she wouldn’t be fit, she’s had some problems with injuries†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Wood scowled his displeasure that Cho Chang had made a full recovery, then said, â€Å"On the other hand, she rides a Comet Two Sixty, which is going to look like a joke next to the Firebolt.† He gave Harry’s broom a look of fervent admiration, then said, â€Å"Okay, everyone, let’s go –â€Å" And at long last, Harry mounted his Firebolt, and kicked off from the ground. It was better than he’d ever dreamed. The Firebolt turned with the lightest touch; it seemed to obey his thoughts rather than his grip; it sped across the field at such speed that the stadium turned into a green-and-gray blur; Harry turned it so sharply that Alicia Spinnet screamed, then he went into a perfectly controlled dive, brushing the grassy field with his toes before rising thirty, forty, fifty feet into the air again — â€Å"Harry, I’m letting the Snitch out!† Wood called. Harry turned and raced a Bludger toward the goal posts; he outstripped it easily, saw the Snitch dart out from behind Wood, and within ten seconds had caught it tightly in his hand. The team cheered madly. Harry let the Snitch go again, gave it a minute’s head start, then tore after it, weaving in and out of the others; he spotted it lurking near Katie Bell’s knee, looped her easily, and caught it again. It was the best practice ever; the team, inspired by the presence of the Firebolt in their midst, performed their best moves faultlessly, and by the time they hit the ground again, Wood didn’t have a single criticism to make, which, as George Weasley pointed out, was a first. â€Å"I can’t see what’s going to stop us tomorrow!† said Wood. â€Å"Not unless — Harry, you’ve sorted out your Dementor problem, haven’t you?† â€Å"Yeah,† said Harry, thinking of his feeble Patronus and wishing it were stronger. â€Å"The Dementors won’t turn up again, Oliver. Dumbledore’d go ballistic,† said Fred confidently. â€Å"Well, let’s hope not,† said Wood. â€Å"Anyway — good work, everyone. Let’s get back to the tower†¦turn in early†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I’m staying out for a bit; Ron wants a go on the Firebolt,† Harry told Wood, and while the rest of the team headed off to the locker rooms, Harry strode over to Ron, who vaulted the barrier to the stands and came to meet him. Madam Hooch had fallen asleep in her seat. â€Å"Here you go,† said Harry, handing Ron the Firebolt. Ron, an expression of ecstasy on his face, mounted the broom and zoomed off into the gathering darkness while Harry walked around the edge of the field, watching him. Night had fallen before Madam Hooch awoke with a start, told Harry and Ron off for not waking her, and insisted that they go back to the castle. Harry shouldered the Firebolt and he and Ron walked out of the shadowy stadium, discussing the Firebolt’s superbly smooth action, its phenomenal acceleration, and its pinpoint turning. They were halfway toward the castle when Harry, glancing to his left, saw something that made his heart turn over — a pair of eyes, gleaming out of the darkness. Harry stopped dead, his heart banging against his ribs. â€Å"What’s the matter?† said Ron. Harry pointed. Ron pulled out his wand and muttered, â€Å"Lumos!† A beam of light fell across the grass, hit the bottom of a tree, and illuminated its branches; there, crouching among the budding leaves, was Crookshanks. â€Å"Get out of here!† Ron roared, and he stooped down and seized a stone lying on the grass, but before he could do anything else, Crookshanks had vanished with one swish of his long ginger tail. â€Å"See?† Ron said furiously, chucking the stone down again. â€Å"She’s still letting him wander about wherever he wants — probably washing down Scabbers with a couple of birds now†¦.† Harry didn’t say anything. He took a deep breath as relief seeped through him; he had been sure for a moment that those eyes had belonged to the Grim. They set off for the castle once more. slightly ashamed of his moment of panic, Harry didn’t say anything to Ron — nor did he look left or right until they had reached the well lit entrance hall. Harry went down to breakfast the next morning with the rest of the boys in his dormitory, all of whom seemed to think the Firebolt deserved a sort of guard of honor. As Harry entered the Great Hall, heads turned in the direction of the Firebolt, and there was a good deal of excited muttering. Harry saw, with enormous satisfaction, that the Slytherin team were all looking thunderstruck. â€Å"Did you see his face?† said Ron gleefully, looking back at Malfoy. â€Å"He can’t believe it! This is brilliant!† Wood, too, was basking in the reflected glory of the Firebolt. â€Å"Put it here, Harry,† he said, laying the broom in the middle of the table and carefully turning it so that its name faced upward. People from the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables were soon coming over to look. Cedric Diggory came over to congratulate Harry on having acquired such a superb replacement for his Nimbus, and Percy’s Ravenclaw girlfriend, Penelope Clearwater, asked if she could actually hold the Firebolt. â€Å"Now, now, Penny, no sabotage!† said Percy heartily as she examined the Firebolt closely. â€Å"Penelope and I have got a bet on,† he told the team. â€Å"Ten Galleons on the outcome of the match!† Penelope put the Firebolt down again, thanked Harry, and went back to her table. â€Å"Harry — make sure you win,† said Percy, in an urgent whisper. â€Å"I haven’t got ten Galleons. Yes, I’m coming, Penny!† And he bustled off to join her in a piece of toast. â€Å"Sure you can manage that broom, Potter?† said a cold, drawling voice. Draco Malfoy had arrived for a closer look, Crabbe and Goyle right behind him. â€Å"Yeah, reckon so,† said Harry casually. â€Å"Got plenty of special features, hasn’t it?† said Malfoy, eyes glittering maliciously. â€Å"Shame it doesn’t come with a parachute — in case you get too near a Dementor.† Crabbe and Goyle sniggered. â€Å"Pity you can’t attach an extra arm to yours, Malfoy,† said Harry. â€Å"Then it could catch the Snitch for you.† The Gryffindor team laughed loudly. Malfoy’s pale eyes narrowed, and he stalked away. They watched him rejoin the rest of the Slytherin team, who put their heads together, no doubt asking Malfoy whether Harry’s broom really was a Firebolt. At a quarter to eleven, the Gryffindor team set off for the locker rooms. The weather couldn’t have been more different from their match against Hufflepuff. It was a clear, cool day with a very light breeze; there would be no visibility problems this time, and Harry, though nervous, was starting to feel the excitement only a Quidditch match could bring. They could hear the rest of the school moving into the stadium beyond. Harry took off his black school robes, removed his wand from his pocket, and stuck it inside the T-shirt he was going to wear under his Quidditch robes. He only hoped he wouldn’t need it. He wondered suddenly whether Professor Lupin was in the crowd, watching. â€Å"You know what we’ve got to do,† said Wood as they prepared to leave the locker rooms. â€Å"If we lose this match, we’re out of the running. just — just fly like you did in practice yesterday, and we’ll be okay!† They walked out onto the field to tumultuous applause. The Ravenclaw team, dressed in blue, were already standing in the middle of the field. Their Seeker, Cho Chang, was the only girl on their team. She was shorter than Harry by about a head, and Harry couldn’t help noticing, nervous as he was, that she was extremely pretty. She smiled at Harry as the teams faced each other behind their captains, and he felt a slight lurch in the region of his stomach that he didn’t think had anything to do with nerves. â€Å"Wood, Davies, shake hands,† Madam Hooch said briskly, and Wood shook hands with the Ravenclaw Captain. â€Å"Mount your brooms †¦ on my whistle †¦ three — two — one –â€Å" Harry kicked off into the air and the Firebolt zoomed higher and faster than any other broom; he soared around the stadium and began squinting around for the Snitch, listening all the while to the commentary, which was being provided by the Weasley twins’ friend Lee Jordan. â€Å"They’re off, and the big excitement this match is the Firebolt that Harry Potter is flying for Gryffindor. According to Which Broomstick, the Firebolt’s going to be the broom of choice for the national teams at this year’s World Championship –â€Å" â€Å"Jordan, would you mind telling us what’s going on in the match?† interrupted Professor McGonagall’s voice. â€Å"Right you are, Professor — just giving a bit of background information — the Firebolt, incidentally, has a built-in auto-brake and –â€Å" â€Å"Jordan!† â€Å"Okay, okay, Gryffindor in possession, Katie Bell of Gryffindor, heading for goal†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Harry streaked past Katie in the opposite direction, gazing around for a glint of gold and noticing that Cho Chang was tailing him closely. She was undoubtedly a very good flier — she kept cutting across him, forcing him to change direction. â€Å"Show her your acceleration, Harry!† Fred yelled as he whooshed past in pursuit of a Bludger that was aiming for Alicia. Harry urged the Firebolt forward as they rounded the Ravenclaw goal posts and Cho fell behind. Just as Katie succeeded in scoring the first goal of the match, and the Gryffindor end of the field went wild, he saw it — the Snitch was close to the ground, flitting near one of the barriers. Harry dived; Cho saw what he was doing and tore after him — Harry was speeding up, excitement flooding him; dives were his specialty, he was ten feet away — Then a Bludger, hit by one of the Ravenclaw Beaters, came pelting out of nowhere; Harry veered off course, avoiding it by an inch, and in those few, crucial seconds, the Snitch had vanished. There was a great â€Å"Ooooooh† of disappointment from the Gryffindor supporters, but much applause for their Beater from the Ravenclaw end. George Weasley vented his feelings by hitting the second Bludger directly at the offending Beater, who was forced to roll right over in midair to avoid it. â€Å"Gryffindor leads by eighty points to zero, and look at that Firebolt go! Potter’s really putting it through its paces now, see it turn — Chang’s Comet is just no match for it, the Firebolt’s precision — balance is really noticeable in these long –â€Å" â€Å"JORDAN! ARE YOU BEING PAID TO ADVERTISE FIREBOLTS? GET ON WITH THE COMMENTARY!† Ravenclaw was pulling back; they had now scored three goals, which put Gryffindor only fifty points ahead — if Cho got the Snitch before him, Ravenclaw would win. Harry dropped lower, narrowly avoiding a Ravenclaw Chaser, scanning the field frantically — a glint of gold, a flutter of tiny wings — the Snitch was circling the Gryffindor goal post†¦ Harry accelerated, eyes fixed on the speck of gold ahead — but just then, Cho appeared out of thin air, blocking him — â€Å"HARRY, THIS IS NO TIME TO BE A GENTLEMAN!† Wood roared as Harry swerved to avoid a collision. â€Å"KNOCK HER OFF HER BROOM IF YOU HAVE TO!† Harry turned and caught sight of Cho; she was grinning. The Snitch had vanished again. Harry turned his Firebolt upward and was soon twenty feet above the game. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Cho following him †¦She’d decided to mark him rather than search for the Snitch herself†¦All right, then†¦if she wanted to tail him, she’d have to take the consequences†¦ He dived again, and Cho, thinking he’d seen the Snitch, tried to follow; Harry pulled out of the dive very sharply; she hurtled downward; he rose fast as a bullet once more, and then saw it, for the third time — the Snitch was glittering way above the field at the Ravenclaw end. He accelerated; so, many feet below, did Cho. He was winning, gaining on the Snitch with every second — then — â€Å"Oh!† screamed Cho, pointing. Distracted, Harry looked down. Three Dementors, three tall, black, hooded Dementors, were looking up at him. He didn’t stop to think. Plunging a hand down the neck of his robes, he whipped out his wand and roared, â€Å"Expecto patronum!† Something silver-white, something enormous, erupted from the end of his wand. He knew it had shot directly at the Dementors but didn’t pause to watch; his mind still miraculously clear, he looked ahead — he was nearly there. He stretched out the hand still grasping his wand and just managed to close his fingers over the small, struggling Snitch. Madam Hooch’s whistle sounded. Harry turned around in midair and saw six scarlet blurs bearing down on him; next moment, the whole team was hugging him so hard he was nearly pulled off his broom. Down below he could hear the roars of the Gryffindors in the crowd. â€Å"That’s my boy!† Wood kept yelling. Alicia, Angelina, and Katie had all kissed Harry; Fred had him in a grip so tight Harry felt as though his head would come off In complete disarray, the team managed to make its way back to the ground. Harry got off his broom and looked up to see a gaggle of Gryffindor supporters sprinting onto the field, Ron in the lead. Before he knew it, he had been engulfed by the cheering crowd. â€Å"Yes!† Ron yelled, yanking Harry’s arm into the air. â€Å"Yes! Yes!† â€Å"Well done, Harry!† said Percy, looking delighted. â€Å"Ten Galleons to me! Must find Penelope, excuse me –â€Å" â€Å"Good for you, Harry!† roared Seamus Finnigan. â€Å"Ruddy brilliant!† boomed Hagrid over the heads of the milling Gryffindors. â€Å"That was quite some Patronus,† said a voice in Harry’s ear. Harry turned around to see Professor Lupin, who looked both shaken and pleased. â€Å"The Dementors didn’t affect me at all!† Harry said excitedly. â€Å"I didn’t feel a thing!† â€Å"That would be because they — er — weren’t Dementors,† said Professor Lupin. â€Å"Come and see — â€Å" He led Harry out of the crowd until they were able to see the edge of the field. â€Å"You gave Mr. Malfoy quite a fright,† said Lupin. Harry stared. Lying in a crumpled heap on the ground were Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Marcus Flint, the Slytherin team Captain, all struggling to remove themselves from long, black, hooded robes. It looked as though Malfoy had been standing on Goyle’s shoulders. Standing over them, with an expression of the utmost fury on her face, was Professor McGonagall. â€Å"An unworthy trick!† she was shouting. â€Å"A low and cowardly attempt to sabotage the Gryffindor Seeker! Detention for all of you, and fifty points from Slytherin! I shall be speaking to Professor Dumbledore about this, make no mistake! Ah, here he comes now!† If anything could have set the seal on Gryffindor’s victory, it was this. Ron, who had fought his way through to Harry’s side, doubled up with laughter as they watched Malfoy fighting to extricate himself from the robe, Goyle’s head still stuck inside it. â€Å"Come on, Harry!† said George, fighting his way over. â€Å"Party! Gryffindor common room, now!† â€Å"Right,† said Harry, and feeling happier than he had in ages, he and the rest of the team led the way, still in their scarlet robes, out of the stadium and back up to the castle. It felt as though they had already won the Quidditch Cup; the party went on all day and well into the night. Fred and George Weasley disappeared for a couple of hours and returned with armfuls of bottles of butterbeer, pumpkin fizz, and several bags full of Honeydukes sweets. â€Å"How did you do that?† squealed Angelina Johnson as George started throwing Peppermint Toads into the crowd. â€Å"With a little help from Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs,† Fred muttered in Harry’s ear. Only one person wasn’t joining in the festivities. Hermione, incredibly, was sitting in a corner, attempting to read an enormous book entitled Home Life and Social Habits of British Muggles. Harry broke away from the table where Fred and George had started juggling butterbeer bottles and went over to her. â€Å"Did you even come to the match?† he asked her. â€Å"Of course I did,† said Hermione in a strangely high-pitched voice, not looking up. â€Å"And I’m very glad we won, and I think you did really well, but I need to read this by Monday.† â€Å"Come on, Hermione, come and have some food,† Harry said, looking over at Ron and wondering whether he was in a good enough mood to bury the hatchet. â€Å"I can’t, Harry. I’ve still got four hundred and twenty-two pages to read!† said Hermione, now sounding slightly hysterical. â€Å"Anyway†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She glanced over at Ron too. â€Å"He doesn’t want me to join in.† There was no arguing with this, as Ron chose that moment to say loudly, â€Å"If Scabbers hadn’t just been eaten, he could have had some of those Fudge Flies. He used to really like them –â€Å" Hermione burst into tears. Before Harry could say or do anything, she tucked the enormous book under her arm, and, still sobbing, ran toward the staircase to the girls’ dormitories and out of sight. â€Å"Can’t you give her a break?† Harry asked Ron quietly. â€Å"No,† said Ron flatly. â€Å"If she just acted like she was sorry — but she’ll never admit she’s wrong, Hermione. She’s still acting like Scabbers has gone on vacation or something.† The Gryffindor party ended only when Professor McGonagall turned up in her tartan dressing gown and hair net at one in the morning, to insist that they all go to bed. Harry and Ron climbed the stairs to their dormitory, still discussing the match. At last, exhausted, Harry climbed into bed, twitched the hangings of his four-poster shut to block out a ray of moonlight, lay back, and felt himself almost instantly drifting off to sleep†¦ He had a very strange dream. He was walking through a forest, his Firebolt over his shoulder, following something silvery-white. It was winding its way through the trees ahead, and he could only catch glimpses of it between the leaves. Anxious to catch up with it, he sped up, but as he moved faster, so did his quarry. Harry broke into a run, and ahead he heard hooves gathering speed. Now he was running flat out, and ahead he could hear galloping. Then he turned a corner into a clearing and — â€Å"AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGHHHHHHH! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!† Harry woke as suddenly as though he’d been hit in the face. Disoriented in the total darkness, he fumbled with his hangings, he could hear movements around him, and Seamus Finnigan’s voice from the other side of the room. â€Å"What’s going on?† Harry thought he heard the dormitory door slam. At last finding the divide in his curtains, he ripped them back, and at the same moment, Dean Thomas lit his lamp. Ron was sitting up in bed, the hangings torn from one side, a look of utmost terror on his face. â€Å"Black! Sirius Black! With a knife!† â€Å"What?† â€Å"Here! Just now! Slashed the curtains! Woke me up!† â€Å"You sure you weren’t dreaming, Ron?† said Dean. â€Å"Look at the curtains! I tell you, he was here!† They all scrambled out of bed; Harry reached the dormitory door first, and they sprinted back down the staircase. Doors opened behind them, and sleepy voices called after them. â€Å"Who shouted?† â€Å"What’re you doing?† The common room was lit with the glow of the dying fire, still littered with the debris from the party. It was deserted. â€Å"Are you sure you weren’t dreaming, Ron?† â€Å"I’m telling you, I saw him!† â€Å"What’s all the noise?† â€Å"Professor McGonagall told us to go to bed!† A few of the girls had come down their staircase, pulling on dressing gowns and yawning. Boys, too, were reappearing. â€Å"Excellent, are we carrying on?† said Fred Weasley brightly. â€Å"Everyone back upstairs!† said Percy, hurrying into the common room and pinning his Head Boy badge to his pajamas as he spoke. â€Å"Perce — Sirius Black!† said Ron faintly. â€Å"In our dormitory! With a knife! Woke me up!† The common room went very still. â€Å"Nonsense!† said Percy, looking startled. â€Å"You had too much to eat, Ron — had a nightmare –â€Å" â€Å"I’m telling you –â€Å" â€Å"Now, really, enough’s enough!† Professor McGonagall was back. She slammed the portrait behind her as she entered the common room and stared furiously around. â€Å"I am delighted that Gryffindor won the match, but this is getting ridiculous! Percy, I expected better of you!† â€Å"I certainly didn’t authorize this, Professor!† said Percy, puffing himself up indignantly. â€Å"I was just telling them all t o get back to bed! My brother Ron here had a nightmare –â€Å" â€Å"IT WASN’T A NIGHTMARE!† Ron yelled. â€Å"PROFESSOR, I WOKE UP, AND SIRIUS BLACK WAS STANDING OVER ME, HOLDING A KNIFE!† Professor McGonagall stared at him. â€Å"Don’t be ridiculous, Weasley, how could he possibly have gotten through the portrait hole?† â€Å"Ask him!† said Ron, pointing a shaking finger at the back of Sir Cadogan’s picture. â€Å"Ask him if he saw –â€Å" Glaring suspiciously at Ron, Professor McGonagall pushed the portrait back open and went outside. The whole common room listened with bated breath. â€Å"Sir Cadogan, did you just let a man enter Gryffindor Tower?† â€Å"Certainly, good lady!† cried Sir Cadogan. There was a stunned silence, both inside and outside the common room. â€Å"You — you did?† said Professor McGonagall. â€Å"But — but the password!† â€Å"He had ’em!† said Sir Cadogan proudly. â€Å"Had the whole week’s, my lady! Read ’em off a little piece of paper!† Professor McGonagall pulled herself back through the portrait hole to face the stunned crowd. She was white as chalk. â€Å"Which person,† she said, her voice shaking, â€Å"which abysmally foolish person wrote down this week’s passwords and left them lying around?† There was utter silence, broken by the smallest of terrified squeaks. Neville Longbottom, trembling from head to fluffy slippered toes, raised his hand slowly into the air. How to cite Chapter 13 Gryffindor Versus Ravenclaw, Essay examples

Economic Class free essay sample

Keeping a good social standard is sometimes difficult to sustain, making it hard to change. Author Gregory Mantsios â€Å"Class in America† in 2003, has many different ideas on the way economic class is. Social standings and consequently life chances are largely determined at birth. Individuals who have gone from rags to riches abound in the mass media, statistics on class mobility show these leaps to be extremely rare (Mantsios711). Most economic success is because of the wealth that these individuals receive at birth. Over 66 percent of the consumer units with incomes of $100,000 or more have inherited assets (Mantsios711). In the stories that are read in most cases there is more wealth due to being born into it than earning it by hard work. Most people do not choose to be put into an economic class; rather it happens on its own. If someone grows up knowing only low income or having very little as a child, they seem to carry that on with them as they get older. It is hard to go from something you’re used to all your life to something so different. Poverty is a very difficult barrier to overcome, no matter where someone is from or where they now live. Author Diana George â€Å"Changing the Faces of Poverty: Nonprofits and the Problem of Representation†. 001 writes, â€Å"You don’t have to leave your own country to find third-world poverty. † (George623). Most groups that are asking for money to help the starving children are usually in a different country. As people see Children, Inc. showing photos of children that make people feel helplessness for. People want to help solve the hunger issues by sending money but sometimes feel uneasy with doing it because we are afraid that the money is not always going for what these people think it is. Habitat for Humanity helps individuals here in the United States to get back on their feet and try to overcome a barrier of no food or places to live. Habitat for Humanity aims to eliminate poverty housing from the globe (George 625). Being in small cities is also sometimes a barrier to overcome because there are not as many jobs or access to jobs. There are run down houses that people without jobs, find it hard to find the funding to do upkeep on them. Poverty condemns millions of people throughout the world to live in deplorable and inhuman conditions. These people are trapped in a cycle of poverty, living in places offering little protection from the rain, wind and cold (George 626). Living in run down houses causes many different illnesses and can cause death as well. It is hard seeing young people living in this situation as well as older people. Finding better housing is something most people strive for. It is just more difficult when not living in a better neighborhood with better housing. Author Peter Singer â€Å"The Singer Solution to World Poverty†, writes, an American household with an income of $50,000 spends around $30,000 annually on necessities, according to the Conference Board, a nonprofit economic research organization, (Singer 879). Therefore, for a household bringing in $50,000 a year, donations to help the world’s poor should be as close as possible to $20,000 (Singer 879). When living in run down areas, and communities with having no means to improve, makes it very hard to change. For some people seeing others doing things they would love to do and know they cannot, makes some people feel hopeless and gives them thoughts of never being able to change. Approximately 12 percent of American population-that is, nearly one of every eight people in this country-live below the official poverty line (calculated in 2001 at $9,214 for an individual and $17,960 for a family of four). Among the poor are over 2. million homeless, including nearly 1 million homeless children (Mantsios 701). At last count, nearly 33 million Americans across the nation lived in unrelenting poverty (Mantsios 703). Having extracurricular activities make it hard for poorer people than more wealthy. Some people go to private schools, where they have many options for fun and activities after school. Having options like taking different language classes after, going to sleep away camps, som e with sons of ambassadors and children of doctors. Going on family vacations regularly, two or three times a year is more than likely. They know ahead of time that they will most definitely get into a very good college with or without scholarships with ambitions to be president. As for others, go to a small to medium public school where most options are very little. Going to a YMCA day camp is the most camping experience a lot of poorer people get to experience. They are children of hard working individuals in factory’s and school employees. This is how several of them get to do sports as well. They have ambitions to be presidents as well as school teachers. Racial and gender issues stop people from going farther in life than they would like as well. Racial and gender domination are other forces that hold people down (Mantsios 712). Women experience the effects of sexism whether they are well-paid professional or poorly paid clerks. As women, they face discrimination and male domination, as well as catcalls and stereotyping (Mantsios 712). Similarly, a wealthy black man faces racial oppression, is subjected to racial slurs, and is denied opportunities because of his color (Mantsios 712). The experience of women and minorities are differentiated along class lines. Although they are subordinate positions vis-a-vis white men, the particular issues that confront women and minorities maybe quite different depending on their position in the class structure (Mansios 712-713). Class -oppressed men, whether they are white or black, have privileges afforded them as men in a sexist society. Similarly, class-oppressed whites, whether they are men or women, benefit from white privilege in a racist society. In today’s society, people would think that this would not be an issue anymore, but it seems to still be problems with it. Oppression is cumulative, and those who are poor, black, and female are often subject to all of the forces of class, race and gender discrimination simultaneously (Mantsios 713). It seems that if you are a black woman that you would be in a lower class than a white female. Being female and of ethnic race you would be considered in the lower class and that causes many issues for someone to succeed. Being in a society that does goes by classes has caused many issues for several classes to succeed in a position that is very wanted. Americans judge too many people, and it does show that it can be a major barrier for someone to get past. No one likes for others to know their situations, people try to hide things from others so that no one know if they are in the lower class. Trying to fit in is something that most Americans allow themselves to do. Everyone wants to be considered in the same category of class. Why do people judge so much and why do they say and do hurtful things to people that are in a lower class than themselves? It is just how the human race is and more than likely will always be. It has been this way for many years and will continue to do so. Some people are raised in many different levels of human nature, and it grows with each individual as they become adults, but looking down on someone and belittling them, all because they are not as rich as them, or have as many material things as they do needs to come to a stop. That causes too many people to stop trying to overcome obstacles in their way to make a better life for themselves and their families. Getting out of a rut is a hard thing to accomplish. This is a major barrier to overcome. Works Cited George, Diana. Changing the Face of Poverty: Nonprofits and the Problem of Representation. 2001. The Norton Field Guide to Writing with Readings. Ed. Richard Bullock and Maureen Daly Goggin. 2nd ed. New York: Norton, 2010. 622-33. Print. Mantsios, Gregory. Class in America-2003. 2004. The Norton Field Guide to Writing with Readings. Ed. Richard Bullock and Maureen Daly Goggin. 2nd ed. New York: Norton, 2010. 697 -717. Print. Singer, Peter. The Singer Solution to World Poverty. 2009. The Norton Field Guide to Writing with Readings. Ed. Richard Bullock and Maureen Daly Goggin. 2nd ed. New York: Norton, 2010. 873-80. Print.