An Overview of Chinas Traffic Troubles

An Overview of China's Traffic Troubles China hasn’t always had a problem with traffic, but over the past couple of decades, as China rapidly urbanizes, the country’s urban denizens have had to adapt their lives to a new phenomenon: gridlock. How Bad Is China’s Traffic Problem? It’s really bad. You may have heard about the China National Highway 10 traffic jam on the news back in 2010; it was 100 kilometers long and lasted ten days, involving thousands of cars. But outside of the mega-jams, most cities are plagued with daily traffic that rivals the worst gridlock in Western cities. And thats despite a plethora of affordable public transportation options and anti-traffic legislation in many cities that mandates (for example) that cars with even and odd-numbered license plates must drive on alternating days, so only half of the city’s cars can legally take to the road at any given time. Of course, China’s urban traffic jams are also a major factor in its pollution problems. Why Is Traffic in China so Bad? There are a number of reasons for China’s traffic congestion woes: Like most older cities around the world, many of Chinas cities were not designed for cars. They were also not designed to support the massive populations they now boast (Beijing, for example, has more than 20 million people). As a result, in many cities, the roads are simply not big enough.Cars are considered a status symbol. In China, buying a car often isn’t as much about convenience as it is about showing that you can buy a car because you’re enjoying a successful career. Lots of white-collar workers in Chinese cities who might otherwise be satisfied with public transportation buy cars in the name of keeping up with (and impressing) the Joneses, and once they’ve got the cars, they feel obliged to use them.China’s roads are full of new drivers. Even a decade ago, cars were far less common than they are now, and if you go back in time twenty years. China didn’t break the two million vehicle mark until around the year 2000, but a decade later it had more than five million. That means that at any time, a significant percentage of the people driving on China’s roads only have a few years of experience. Sometimes, that leads to questionable driving decisions, and that can cause gridlock when those decisions lead to blocked roads for one reason or another. China’s driver education is not great. Driver education schools often only teach driving on closed courses, so new graduates are literally taking to the roads for the first time when they get behind the wheel. And because of corruption in the system, some new drivers haven’t taken any classes at all. As a result, China has a lot of accidents: its traffic fatality rate per 100,000 cars is 36, which is more than double the United States, and several times more than European countries like the UK, France, Germany, and Spain (which all have rates under 10).There are just too many people. Even with great driver education, wider roads, and fewer people buying cars, traffic jams would still be likely in a city like Beijing, which is host to more than twenty million people. What Does the Chinese Government Do About Traffic? The government has worked hard to create public transportation infrastructure that takes pressure off cities roads. Nearly every major city in China is building or expanding a subway system, and the prices of these systems are often subsidized to make them extremely enticing. Beijing’s subway, for example, costs as little as 3 RMB ($0.45 as of March 2019). Chinese cities also generally have extensive bus networks, and there are buses going virtually everywhere you could imagine. The government has also worked to improve long-distance travel, building new airports and rolling out a massive network of high-speed trains designed to get people where they’re going faster and keep them off the highways. Finally, city governments have also taken restrictive measures to limit the number of cars on the road, like Beijing’s even-odd rule, which stipulates that only cars with even- or odd-numbered license plates can be on the road on any given day (it alternates). What Do Regular People Do About Traffic? They avoid it as best they can. People who want to get where they’re going quickly and reliably generally take public transportation if they’re traveling in a city around rush hour. Biking is also a common way of avoiding the gridlock if you’re headed somewhere nearby. People also tend to be accommodating when it comes to the realities of rush-hour traffic in China; taxis, for example, often pick up more than one passenger at a time during busy hours to ensure they’re not spending hours sitting in traffic with a single fare. And Chinese subways get jam-packed with passengers during rush hour. It’s uncomfortable, but people have put it with it. Spending 30 minutes getting home in an uncomfortable subway car beats spending 3 hours in a slightly-more-comfortable regular car, at least for most people.

Rebecca Walker Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Rebecca Walker - Essay Example The anthology may have given ‘Third Wave Foundation’1, the multicultural network of young feminist activists co ­-founded by Rebecca Walker. In this paper, I examine Walker's Black, White and Jewish: Autobiography of a Shifting Self. In this mixed race fictional autobiography, Walker develops her multiracial identity, as she explores and expresses her experience growing up racially mixed in the United States in the 1970s and 1980s. I read Walker and identify a historical experience, thematic thread, and expression to show that it differs from received conceptions and descriptions of race and mixed race that have been understood in society and portrayed in the canons of American and American Ethnic literature in the categorical, dichotomous, and hierarchical terms of the binary racial idiom. The binary racial idiom has worked to suppress and distort mixed race bodies and lived realities in the culture at large insofar as it designates Americans as either white or black, white or other, and maintains, in conjunction with the social and legal rule of hypodescent (also known as the one-drop rule), the hierarchical valuation of whiteness over blackness by defining as black any racially mixed person with a quantum of African ancestry. Hence, following American racial common sense, the sum of black, white, and Jewish has been black. Nonetheless, Walker attempts to expose into view suppressed and silenced multiracial experience, complexity, and possibility. Body There have always been mixed race people in American history who have attempted to resist and circumvent the binary racial system. For a countless number of mixed race people "of a more European American phenotype and cultural orientation" (Daniel 49), the strategy of passing has been the most common form of resistance. In addition, sociologists and historians have identified groups of tri-racial isolates, mixed race people of black, white, and American Indian ancestry, who lived in rural communi ties in the mountains and in the backwoods apart from blacks and whites. There are also the Louisiana Creoles of Color who emerged as a community when Louisiana was a territory of Spain and then of France. In the US state of Louisiana, they resisted social and legal designation as black for more than a century to protect the rights and opportunities that had been granted to them under French rule. Furthermore, there existed blue-vein societies of mixed race people in the major Northern cities such as Washington D.C. and New York. Nevertheless, in nearly all cases, the mixed race people who attempted to resist the binary racial system nevertheless accepted the dichotomization between European Americans and blacks, as well as the hierarchical valuation of whiteness over blackness. For instance, tri-racial isolate communities accepted their status on the outskirts of organized society and tended to identify as Native American (Daniel 71). Blue-vein elites privileged and sought European culture, education, and somatic features, and the primary concern of Louisiana Creoles of Color was the preservation of the rights and privileges that had been allotted them because of their European heritage and education. It is an historical irony that a

International management - Ethics - Moral relativism vs moral Essay

International management - Ethics - Moral relativism vs moral universalism - Essay Example This analysis starts with a brief description of the debate between moral relativism and moral universalism. The second section presents an analysis of the case, which is Google in China, in terms of its connection to the ethics debate. Particularly, the analysis tries to determine whether China’s Internet censorship approach is universalistic or relativistic, and, more importantly, whether Google’s response to the impenetrability of China’s culture and ideals reflects a universalistic or relativistic model of morality. Overview of the Moral Relativism and Moral Universalism Debate Moral relativism is the view that moral standards are particular or distinct to culture and personal judgments. It argues that a universal moral standard does not exist. On the other hand, moral universalism argues that morality is valid universally, irrespective of gender, race, religion, culture, nationality, or other unique attributes; in the debate, Universalists claim that moralit y have been concretely delineated in different international agreements and declarations whereas relativists relate to distinct cultural viewpoints (McDonald, 2010). The various morality theories are generated by various view of morality. These theories have built divisions and barriers in human society. The influence of these moral views on people’s lives is considerable. It affects the moral attitude and behavior of individuals. Hence, there are dilemmas of ethical conflicts and double moral standards. Individuals are not certain of the form of morality they should conform to, either moral universalism or moral relativism. This predicament is continuously experienced by Google in their operation in China. Moral relativism, in business, usually becomes traditional morality and unethical decisions are usually defended on the theory of ‘commonly accepted practice’ (McDonald, 2010, 451). A number of scholars in international business have been distrustful of circum stances where moral relativism has been employed as a kind of ‘moral sanctuary’ (McDonald, 2010, 451). For instance, companies may have carried out a decision which generally would be viewed as unethical but have asserted that the decision is ethical, or reasonable, since it falls within a particular cluster of moral norms promoted by the society where in they are in service. In reaction to this argument, which basically reinforces the arguments that deeds are impervious to common moral standards because they originate from a particular set of standards or codes that surpass general norms, Roberts (1986 as cited in McDonald, 2010) has argued that, because of the intricacies of international business, there is a certain extent of excuse for companies demanding immunity from moral censure by sheltering behind premises of moral relativism, particularly because of their need to make room for diverse cultural situations. Unsurprisingly, this argument is controversial. It may be appealing to refuse to believe that there are universal principles that can provide direction to those whose trade has to be carried out on a global arena. Maybe, multinational business firms should recognize and applaud relativism as a principle and proclaim itself in support of an ethic of conduct that is situational, domestic, and local. The strength of relativism in international

Districts of Dickens London Essay Example for Free

Districts of Dickens London Essay Charles Dickens was born on Friday 7th February 1812 at Portsmouth. His father John Dickens continually living beyond his means and then was finally imprisoned in 1824. 12 year old Charles was removed from school and sent to work in a factory the most terrible period of his life, this child hood poverty and adversity influenced dickens later views on social reform in a country in the throes of the industrial revolution. In the Victorian age queen Victoria was on the throne and reigned over an empire, we were seen as very strong and powerful. All the British people became very arrogant and we thought we were more superior to the rest of the world. In the workhouse north of London a young woman who has arrived in an exhausted conditions gives birth to a boy, and dies. Looked after over by the ill-natured Mrs Corney. Mr bumble, transfers him aged nine to the workhouse itself and he is set to work picking oakum. When Oliver causes some trouble by asking for some more food the authorities decide to put Oliver into the trade. He becomes apprenticed to Sowerberry, an undertaker. Another apprentice Noah Claypole insults Olivers dead mother, Oliver attacks him and is cruelly punished by the Sowerberrys. He runs away to London, and in Barnet he meets with a boy thief, Jack Dawkins, The Artful Dodger, a member of a pickpocket gang run by Fagin, a Jew. Oliver is horrified to see them pick pocket of an old gentleman, Mr Brownlow, at a book stall, runs away, and is captured and taken before a magistrates but the bookstall keeper has seen the true robbers. Oliver is taken to MR Brownlows house in Pentonville, where the housekeeper, Mrs Bedwin, nurses him through an illness. He is treated with kindness and affection for the first time in his life and is delighted. But Fagin plots to recapture him. He engages Bill Sikes, a brutal robber, and Nancy, his mistress, also a member of the gang, to bring Oliver back. Sikes takes Oliver by night to Chertsey to carry out a robbery on the house of a Mrs Maylie. When the alarm is given Sikes takes fright and escapes, and Oliver is shot and wounded. Mrs Maylie and her adopted niece, Rose, takes him in, and he settles with them, becoming a house hold favourite. Rose gets a serious illness. Mrs Maylies son, Harry arrives on her recovery and begs her to marry him. She refuses. During his good life with the maylies, Oliver catches glimpses of MONKS a sinister man who works with Fagin to try and recapture him. Nancy tells rose about Fagins and Monks conspiracy. Sikes, maddened by Nancys supposed treachery, rushes back to his own room, awakens her from sleep and clubs her to death. A police raid in which Fagin was arrested. Sikes attempts to escape across the roofs but falls and dies. Oliver returns to Mr Brownlow. Monks, otherwise Edward Leeford, is Olivers half brother. The provisions of fathers will leave money to Oliver on conditions that he maintains a spotless reputations, and for this reasons Monks has tried to keep the boy in Fagins gang in order to discredit him. Mr Brownlow then adopts Oliver. The structure of Oliver Twist is full of highs and lows because of the sequence of cliffhangers. The structure of the novel makes it more intriguing when Charles Dickens wrote Oliver Twist They were published in instalments, the effect of this made the novel more compelling and made the reader crave for more. The instalments lead to recaps to tie in the events, and the chapter titles worked as a summary of what was going to materialize in each chapter. Dickens narrative technique is known as the third person. The third person uses a narrator who watches over events, this helps Dickens to deepen the emotions for Oliver because he can describe everything that happens to him. London was seen as the place for work, money and dreams. But there was also a considerable high amount of poverty and hardship, Olivers grievance began in the workhouse and later having to thieve for Fagin in return for shelter and food. Crime doesnt pay, but crime was quite common because of the amount of adversity. Good triumphs over evil, Fagin, Bill Sikes and Monks are immoral and corrupt. Mr Brownlow Rose Maylie and Nancy were the trustworthy honest citizens. The moral of the the novel shows Fagin being tried and executed for his crimes, Bill Sikes was hunted down and he hung him self trying to escape from the law. Monks confessed to trying to discredit Oliver and has to sign over Olivers inheritance. This proves that crime doesnt pay! The London setting in Oliver Twist has distinct wealthy and deprived areas. Kennels over flowing, the noise of traffic increasing as you get nearer to the heart and the roads nearly ankle deep with filth and mire, are just some of the problems facing the poorer, slum districts of Dickens London. London is very important in the novel because Dickens uses the every day reality he witnessed to make a social comment about the rich and the poor areas. London is also viewed as a big adventure to the young Oliver and yet in Londons criminal world, dirty deeds take place in the dark, gloomy, dismal surroundings that Dickens describes and it is here in this place of dirty squalor that where all the bad behaviour fits. London is the key, which changes Oliver. His dark and bleak emotions match the locations and this is because of the grim surroundings. The cold, wet shelter less midnight streets of London is meant to make the reader feel depressed and sorry for Oliver and show you the reality of London. As Dickens saw it. The historical and cultural text of the novel tells the reader about the miserable reality. Dickens knew that many of his readers had a lack of sense of humour you can tell this by the way Dickens wrote because he included scenes of reality rather than humorous clips. Original readers would of reacted strongly to the setting and some found the descriptions unpleasant and too detailed. The links between crime and poverty are that in many cases people have to steel to live. Dickens showed the injustice between the wealthy and the poor, and how the poor were badly treated and living in slum housing Dickens also responded to this by saying that crime really does exists such as Jack Dawkins, Fagin, and Bill Sikes should be painted in all their wretchedness, in all their deformity and in all their squalid misery of their lives, to show them as they really are, for ever skulking uneasily through the dirtiest paths of life. When Oliver was young he lived in a workhouse, it was an extremely appalling and uncompromising place. The staff that ran the institute were ruthless, threatening and harsh. They treated the inmates badly and inadequately. They worked long hours, with little poor quality food. The staffs were more often than not corrupt eating and drinking luxuriously whilst the inmates starve.

It Should NOT be a Crime to Smoke :: essays research papers

It Should NOT be a Crime to Smoke Out in the cold, a lone member of society stands alienated from the rest of the world. A plume of smoke rises from her mouth; this is what sets her apart from the rest of the population, the fact that she smokes. In the last decade, this has been happening as people become staunchly more politically correct. It has almost become a crime to smoke in this country as the year’s progress. Is this right? Should smokers be treated this way, are they worse than the rest of society just because of their habit?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Smokers have been banned from almost ever facility in this nation, save some fast food restaurants and bars. Almost all the nice restaurants have eliminated smoking sections, and for what reason: to quell the cry of all the nonsmokers in this world? If these people had their way all the smokers would be crammed into a rocket and shot off to farthest reaches of the universe. Why have smokers been driven out of public places when there are efficient ways of eliminating secondhand smoke? There are machines called smoke eaters that have been scientifically proven to eliminate 98% of the toxins found in secondhand smoke. Why are these overlooked when legislation is passed making it illegal to have smoking sections in public buildings? I do not have the answers to these questions, only the politicians do.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ithaca College is not above these ridiculous laws. Ithaca College is trying to pass legislation that bans smoking from certain out door areas of the campus. How ridiculous is this. Smokers are not only banned from all indoor areas but now we are confined to certain outdoor areas. President Peggy Williams wants this to go through and says it is time to make a stand. I say that all the smokers of this nation should ban together and put an end to this tyranny that makes our lives more difficult every year. We must stop them from discriminating against us.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I believe that smokers should have the right to smoke anywhere outdoors and in certain areas indoors where efficient second hand smoke elimination procedures are in place. I need no backing for the outdoors claim because if smokers are not permitted to smoke outdoors than where are they allowed to smoke, only in their houses with the windows closed and the blinds drawn?

Satisfaction of Customer in Fast Food

What is fast food and why is it so popular? Fast food refers to food that can be prepared and served quickly. Fast food restaurants usually have a walk up counter or drive-thru window where you order and pick up your food. Fast food restaurants are popular because they serve filling foods that taste good and don't cost a lot of money. However, fast food is usually cheap because it's often made with cheaper ingredients such as high fat meat, refined grains, and added sugar and fats, instead of nutritious foods such as lean meats, fresh fruits, and vegetables.Is fast food bad? There is no such thing as a â€Å"bad† food, but there are some foods you should try not to have on a regular basis. Because fast food is high in sodium, saturated fat,  trans  fat, and cholesterol, eating too much over a long period of time can lead to health problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and obesity. Fast food also lacks many of the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals our bodies need. It's helpful to remember that with fast food, moderation is important. Is some fast food healthier than others?Many fast food chains are changing their menus so there are more healthy options to choose from. For example, some chains no longer serve foods with  trans  fat, and many have menu items that contain fruits and vegetables. If you're having fast food more than once a week, try to make healthier choices. Here are some tips: A food service worker's training usually includes teaching employees how to properly greet customers. Food service workers often work various stations in a restaurant or concession stand.In addition to food preparation, food service worker training may entail teaching employees how to run the cash register or how to properly stuff a customer's bag at the drive-through. Food workers must also learn how to work the drink dispensers and how to properly time the removal of expired food from display bins. Sanitation and Food Temperature * Food service workers must be properly trained on sanitation, such as when to wash their hands and for how long. For example, a person handling money would be trained to wash her hands before touching any food.Food service worker training can also entail teaching employees the proper temperatures at which to store or serve hot food, especially beef or meat items. Sanitation training is extremely important for preventing various food-borne illnesses. Cleaning * Food service workers must learn how to properly clean dishes, counters, tables, floors, windows and restrooms. Moreover, part of the food service worker's training will likely include the proper procedures for performing more detailed cleaning, emptying trash or scrubbing the parking lot.A food service worker's training will also include learning how to store cleaning substances so they are not near food items Considerations * Food service worker training can also include instruction in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's g uidelines for food compliance standards. A restaurant must adhere to these guidelines because they are usually required by both state and federal law. For example, there are certain ways to lift boxes or clean equipment that must be enforced for safety reasons.Trained workers ? Give your new employees a tour of the facility they will be working at. Get them acquainted with all areas of the restaurant, including the front counter, drive-thru window, bathrooms, kitchen, office, storage areas and the refrigerator and freezer areas. Inform employees of which doors to use to take out the trash, where to find cleaning supplies, where all of the food ingredients are held and where they can find important information like company notices and time sheets. Inform new employees of proper customer service etiquette. Many fast food restaurants require their cashiers and employees to keep a friendly, cheery demeanor and have their employees greet every customer, thank him and wish him a good day. Make clear what is acceptable to say to a customer and what is not. Employees, especially cashiers, are the face of every fast food restaurant and thus their attitude toward customers is important. Job Description Fast food workers are the initial contact between customers and fast food establishments.They are responsible for ensuring customer satisfaction, resolving customer complaints and addressing any questions or comments that customers may have. Fast food workers perform many tasks; they take customers' orders, assemble the orders and act as cashiers. Fast food served is then served through drive-through windows or over counters in the  restaurant. In some fast food restaurants, such as take-out establishments, workers may be responsible for serving food on dishes or trays.

How The Maya Civilization Was A Major Social Entity From...

Mesoamerica Essay The Maya civilization was a major social entity from approximately 2600 B.C.E. to 1521 C.E. The Maya civilization was never a fully unified society; it was primarily made up of numerous small states, in and around what is now known as the Yucatan Peninsula. These states, each apparently centered on a city, were ruled by individual kings. Sometimes, a stronger Maya state would dominate a weaker state and be able to exact tribute and labor from it. The development of agriculture gave rise to villages which eventually developed into larger and more complex societies. These became city states that were tied together by trade. (1, 4) The basic staples of the Maya diet were maize, beans, and squashes. These were supplemented†¦show more content†¦(2) Mayan architecture incorporated various forms of art and hieroglyphs. Pyramid temples devoted to their many deities, royal palaces, and ball courts were the most elaborate structures. Architectural styles varied by region, and were influenced by locally available construction materials, climate, topography, and the preferences of the ruling class and commoners. (3) Warfare was prevalent in the Maya world. Military campaigns were launched for a variety of reasons, including the control of trade routes and tribute, raids to capture enemies for religious rituals, up to the annihilation of an enemy state. Little is known about Maya military organization, logistics, or training. Warfare is depicted in Maya art, and tales of battle are mentioned in hieroglyphic inscriptions. Unfortunately, the inscriptions do not provide information upon the causes of war, or the form it took. (5) Political unrest, warfare and drought are believed to have been the beginning of the downfall of the Mayan people. When the Spanish arrived led by Hernan Cortes in 1521 C.E. in Central America, the diseases they brought, including smallpox, decimated the Mayan population. In addition to spreading fatal disease, the Spanish forced the Maya to convert to their religion, namely Christianity. The Spanish even destroyed the Mayan literature, which is the reason that so little of their writings are