The Many Uses of Best

The Many Uses of Best The Many Uses of â€Å"Best† The Many Uses of â€Å"Best† By Maeve Maddox Besides its use as a simple adjective meaning,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"of the highest excellence, excelling all others in quality,† the word best serves as other parts of speech and occurs in many English idioms. As a verb, to best means to get the better of, get an advantage over, outdo; to outreach, outwit, circumvent. â€Å"Jack’s wife always bests him at bridge.† Best can be a noun. â€Å"Marilyn wanted nothing but the best for herself and her family.† As an adverb best modifies a verb. â€Å"All the boys are good at drawing faces, but James does it best.† Here are several common idioms that make use of the word best. The list is by no means exhaustive. best man: the chief male attendant who stands up for the groom at a wedding. With the advent of same-sex marriage, the term is beginning to lose its gendered meaning. the best people: people considered better than most, either because they come from old, established families, or because they possess superior moral qualities. â€Å"The best people possess a feeling for beauty, the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth, the capacity for sacrifice.† Ernest Hemingway best boy: the principal assistant to the chief electrician in a film crew best seller: what every writer wants to have or to be. The term usually applies to a book or other product, but sometimes it stands for a best-selling author. (Yes, best-selling takes a hyphen.) second best: next in quality to the first. No one wants to be â€Å"second best,† but whether or not it’s a bad thing depends upon who or what is â€Å"first best.† For example, in the Forbes list of the richest people in the U.S., Warren Buffett is â€Å"second best.† His net worth of a mere $58 billion puts him in second place after Bill Gates. Gates has $72 billion. to do one’s best and to give it one’s best shot: both expressions mean â€Å"to do something to the best of one’s ability,† but they have differing connotations: â€Å"I always try to do my best.† (applicable to any situation) â€Å"I may not have time to pick up the laundry, but I’ll do my best.† (implies that the effort may be futile) â€Å"Everyone else in the contest has more experience, but I’ll give it my best shot.† (the odds of failure are greater than those of success.) to make the best of it: adjust to a bad situation. â€Å"The tornado destroyed our house, but we’ll make the best of it.† for the best: better than it seems or seemed at the moment. â€Å"His bride left him at the altar, but it was for the best because he met and married someone better.† the best of both worlds: a situation in which you can enjoy two very different things at the same time. Nina Dobev, who portrays both human Elena and her doppelganger, former vampire Katherine in [ The Vampire Diaries] said she gets the best of both worlds. Some â€Å"best† expressions are hyphenated: best-built best-aimed best-bred best-dressed best-kept best-laid best-managed best-meaning best-meant best-preserved best-intentioned best-natured best-tempered Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 English Grammar Rules You Should KnowHow to Play HQ Words: Cheats, Tips and TricksTypes of Ignorance

Divergent Evolution

Divergent Evolution The definition of evolution is a change in a population of a species over time. There are many different ways that evolution can happen in a population including both artificial selection and natural selection. The evolutionary path a species takes can also differ depending on the environment and other biological factors. One of these paths of macroevolution is called divergent evolution. In divergent evolution, a single species interbreeds, either through natural means or artificially chosen traits and selective breeding, and then that species begins to branch off and become a different species. Over time as the two new different species continues to evolve, they become less and less similar. In other words, they have diverged. Divergent evolution is a type of macroevolution that creates more diversity in species in the biosphere. Catalysts Sometimes, divergent evolution occurs through chance happenings over time. Other cases of divergent evolution become necessary for survival in a changing environment. Some circumstances that can drive divergent evolution include natural disasters like volcanoes, weather phenomena, the spread of disease, or an overall climate change in an area in which the species lives. These changes make it necessary for the species to adapt and change in order to survive. Natural selection will select the trait that is more beneficial for the species survival. Adaptive Radiation The term adaptive radiation is also sometimes used interchangeably with divergent evolution. However, most science textbooks agree that adaptive radiation is focused more on the microevolution of a rapidly reproducing population. Adaptive radiation may lead to divergent evolution over time as the new species become less similar, or diverge, in different directions on the tree of life. While it is a very fast type of speciation, divergent evolution generally takes more time. Once a species has diverged via adaptive radiation or another microevolutionary process, divergent evolution will occur more quickly if there is some sort of physical barrier or a reproductive or biological difference that keeps the populations from interbreeding once again. Over time, significant differences and adaptations can add up and make it impossible for the populations to ever interbreed again. This may be caused by a change in chromosome number or as simple as incompatible reproduction cycles. An example of adaptive radiation that led to divergent evolution is Charles Darwins finches. Even though their overall appearances seemed to be similar and were clearly descendants of the same common ancestor, they did have different beak shapes and were no longer able to interbreed in nature. This lack of interbreeding and the different niches the finches had filled on the Galapagos Islands led the populations to become less and less similar over time. Forelimbs Perhaps an even more illustrative example of divergent evolution in the history of life on Earth is the forelimbs of mammals. Even though whales, cats, humans, and bats all are very different morphologically and in the niches they fill in their environments, the bones of the forelimbs of these different species are a great example of divergent evolution. Whales, cats, humans, and bats clearly cannot interbreed and are very different species, but the similar bone structure in the forelimbs indicate they once diverged from a common ancestor. Mammals are an example of divergent evolution because they became very dissimilar over a long period of time, yet still retain similar structures that indicate they are related somewhere on the tree of life. The diversity of species on Earth has increased over time, not counting the periods in the history of life where mass extinctions occurred. This is, in part, a direct result of adaptive radiation and also divergent evolution. Divergent evolution continues to work on the current species on Earth and leading to even more macroevolution and speciation.

Alternative and Traditional Medicine Term Paper

Alternative and Traditional Medicine - Term Paper Example A sick person often seeks treatment from a practitioner who admire the most and belief. Traditional is regarded as the conservative kind of approach to treatment. Traditional medicine also referred to as western medicine specializes more on drugs and surgeries. It is often preferred in cases that are very serious and likely to cost someone life. Each style however has its own advantages and disadvantages and there is certainly no practitioner that has all answers regarding treatment. They are both good and complementary to each other. Traditional medicine includes modern health science such as surgery and associated practices. It is also referred to as contemporary or Western medicine (Gordon, 1993). On the other hand, Alternative medicine refers to the collection of skills, practices and knowledge based on old theories or experiences and comprising a wide range of procedures native to diverse cultures across the world. Alternative science refers to a combination of unconventional practices to diagnose, prevent or treat any form of illness (Gordon, 1993). It has been proven that traditional medicine, in most cases focuses on the factors causing the disease, prevention and remedies but the environment and circumstances under which the disease occurred is not considered as the system is limited to the study of an anomaly and ways to remove it (Gordon, 1993). Since it has evolved over the ages, the alternative approach varies according to person and place. An example of a practice under this category is the Chinese medicine. The underlying principle of this system is to consider the ailment as a dynamic entity of the system and seek a means to uproot its foundation. It considers the illness as an upset of balance between the body and its surroundings. Thus, it focuses on cleansing the whole system rather than eliminating the immediate cause of the disease. Traditional medicine practices focuses on a single

Animals and the Myriad Ways They Can Kill or Heal Us Essay - 3

Animals and the Myriad Ways They Can Kill or Heal Us - Essay Example This is in as much as the sting from the bee itself is fatal if the subject in discussion has encountered a fierce be attack from many bees whose result is incapacitation if not death. On the bright side, controlled bee stings are probably one of the first natural cures for arthritis (Krylov et al., 2007, p. 23). In the ancient civilization of countries like Egypt, India, Greece, Babylon and china bee venom was used for apitherapy. The bee venom in itself is composed of very complicated mixtures and combinations of peptides, very low molecular components and proteins (Bogdanov, 2012). In this mixture the main compositions are proteins and peptides. Its fresh counterpart mainly differs from it in regard to the volatile components but the biological activity is similar. Polypeptides: the constituents of polypeptides are the very small organelles that are composed of more than one amino acid with the main component of it being the melittin. This main component contains 2840 daltons and as a result it assumes a tetrameric form (Giri, et al., 2010, p. 95). The melittin and the protein electrophoretic patterns are typically of the honey bee species. Proteins: this component in itself is one that is catalysts specific in its reaction and since bee venom has around 5 enzymes, there is existence of very small quantities of very minimum or low molecular compounds which in themselves are not similar in any way (Bogdanov, 2012, p. 6). These may include amino acids, sugars, minerals and catecholamines. In the case of sugars, we see that they have been identified in bee venom preparations which is collected with a collector while preventing the likelihood of a contamination by pollen and nectar thus in most cases if not all, it usually does not contain carbohy drates. Composition of the dry matter of bee venom: The protein group has components that include Phospholipase A2, phospholipase B and hydraluronidase. Its counterpart i.e. peptides has

Health and social unit Essay Example for Free

Health and social unit Essay Outcome 1 understand the importance of equality and inclusion 1.1 Diversity- Diversity literally means difference. Diversity recognises that though people have things in common with each other, they are also different and unique in many ways. Diversity is about recognising and valuing those differences. Diversity therefore consists of visible and non-visible factors, which include personal characteristics such as background, culture, personality and work-style in addition to the characteristics that are protected under discrimination legislation in terms of race, disability, gender, religion and belief, sexual orientation and age. Equality- Equality means treating people in a way that is appropriate for their needs. For example, if someone with a disability wanted to board the plane and was in a wheelchair, it would be no good saying to them, â€Å"you have to take the stairs like everybody else†. What is needed is a way of getting on the plane that will suit everybody’s needs without showing them up and treating them in a way that is worse than other people. Inclusion- Inclusion is about equal opportunities for all pupils, whatever their age, gender, ethnicity, attainment and background. It pays particular attention to the provision made for, and the achievement of, different groups of pupils within a school. Discrimination- Giving preference over one kind of people over another because of race, color, creed, national origin, disability, sexual preference, age, maritial status, looks, etc. 1.2 In a work place discriminatin can diliberatly occur, I.E for example if you celebrate christmas and make everyone get involved with secret santa or christmas gifts but not everyone may not celebrate christmas some may have differant religions and beliefs,this is why you should see things with an  open mind and not discriminate anyone just because of your own beliefs. 1.3 By supporting a person’s equality you are treating them as equal and including them in all activities, you will be reducing the likelihood of discrimination Outcome 2 2.1 Equality Act Humans Rights Act GSCC = The General Social Care Council.

Reading Nightmares :: essays papers

Reading Nightmares Reading nightmares exist at many different levels. There are nightmares at the national and state levels. There are nightmares within the field of reading education, and with teachers across all subject areas. This is a key point in the article â€Å"Exploring reading nightmares of middles and secondary school teachers† by William P. Bintz. At the national and state levels, research indicates that students experience a declining interest and slowing development in reading from the seventh grade on (Farr, Fay, Myers , & Ginsberg, 1987). They â€Å"demonstrate gains in reading during the early years, these gains seem to taper off in the middle and upper grades, and decline during the high school years.† (Chall 4) Many studies give strength to this argument that reading nightmares occur nationally. They show that students have difficulty with tasks requiring interpretations of what they read, that students do little, if any, reading in school and for homework, and that there is a decline in reading skills amongst 12th graders. (Bintz 13). Goodland (1984) believes that this problem may exist because of the relationship between time spent on reading instruction and the decline in reading abilities. He points out that â€Å"reading occupies only approximately 6% of class time in elementary school, 3% in junior High school, and 2% in senior high school. â€Å" (p 106-107). It is noted that 8th grade students watch TV, on average, almost 22 hours per week. They read for less than 2. (Humphrey 23). Reading instruction, as a field of study, is also ripe with nightmares. Too often, educators make assumptions about reading and its’ instruction. These include â€Å"(a) Reading instruction is primarily, if not exclusively, the role of elementary, not middle and secondary school teachers; and (b) reading is an isolated skill; once mastered in the elementary grades students require no further instruction.† (Bintz 14) As Burnett is keen to show, these attitudes are changing, but slowly. Teachers on the secondary level are still hesitant to get involved in reading instruction. They see themselves as teachers of content. But, perhaps, as Summers states, maybe the content area teachers are hesitant because they, along with many language arts teachers, aren’t properly trained to provide reading instruction. Regardless of content area, all teachers are seeing the same nightmares.

The Basseri of Iran: the Tent People

The Basseri are pastoral nomads that live in Iran and migrate along steppes and mountains throughout the year. The groups they live in are typically divided by independent households referred to as tents. They have a very deliberate political structure and are well organized. Their leaders have to lead somewhat for the people because if the common Basseri do not agree or believe in the chief then they will take their herd to an alternative chief. The Basseri of Iran are a very traditional and focused community, the following pages should give you a small glimpse into their daily lives, their beliefs values and culture. The Basseri culture is made up of individual households which are referred to as tents. Each tent has independent ownership of the property in the tent unit and the livestock. The man is the head of his own tent. For ease they will combine multiple tents and herds the animals together. The Basseri break camp and move completely every three to four days. This is not uncommon to them, it’s their way of life. The women and children typically break down camp and move to the new location and set camp back up while the men herd the animals. Headmen are leaders of a camp that are recognized by the Basseri chief. There can also be what is called a White Beard, which is an informal leader that represents the camp if there is not a Headmen in the camp. These leaders represent each camp in political and administrative ways. Headmen can communicate much more freely with the Basseri chief than a common tribe member. The chief does not give them authority though. (Johnson, 1996) The Basseri chief is over a large centralized political system. He has extreme authority over all the members of the Basseri tribe. The chief is often own as the Khan. The Khan can give orders to anyone in the tribe and they must obey. This is called the omnipotent Khan. The chief status is shown by his urban villas or larger tents. All the members of the tribe acknowledge his authority and treat his immediate family almost as royalty as well. The Basseri faith is Shia Muslims. However, they do not follow the customs and rituals as the other Islamic followers. Their customers and rituals are based more on the life cycles and not religion. They do rituals and celebrate births, death, coming of age, etc. The fast of Ramadan and the feast of Moharram, which are of central importance to the surrounding Muslims, are observed only by a few Basseri. (Johnson, 1996)