Are viruses living entities? Essay -- Virus Biology

Viruses change every form of life. All life forms can be divided into two states, one that stores and second that acts upon information, to duplicate an organism (Levine 1992). They populate the world between the living and non-living, the ability to duplicate themselves and ones that cannot. Viruses are inherent in organization and their properties are many of secrets of life processes and life (Levine 1992). Viruses may be present in living organisms almost since the origin of life (Levy, Owens 1988). Evidence has showed that viruses can be found in many species, which means every species on this planet carries viruses (Levy,Owens 1988). Most researchers had indicated that viruses have played an important role in understanding how cells functions over the years. Scientists identified the major factors contributing to viruses, such as DNA repair, translation of mRNA, transcription and elucidation of chemical nature of genes. (Levy, Owens 1988). Viruses are regarded as phenotypic modification by the host cells. Through ageing, viruses incorporate host genes in their genomes and vice versa (Morse 1993). Are viruses impossible feature of our life on earth or just a complex chemistry in life? Scientists have yet to state whether viruses are non- living systems or living systems in life. We argue in this discussion whether virus can be living or non living entities. What is a virus? Its roots come from the word Latin, known as â€Å"Poison†. Viruses were first discovered in nineteenth century. Scientists discovered that certain disease such as foot-and mouth disease, rabies were caused by particles that resembles bacteria, however they have the ability to pass through fine filters that bacteria are not capable of. Viruses were... ...s to produce virus specified products. Works Cited 1. Carter, John. Saunders, Venetia. (2008). `Virology Principles and Applications`. Pg6-7. 2. Jalasvuori, Matti, Bamford, K.H. Jaana. Viruses and Life: Can there be one without the other? `Journal of Cosmology`. [August 2010]. Available (Online) Available from: [Assessed 20/11/2010]. 3. Playfair, John. (1995). `Infection and Immunity`. Pg 7, 12. 4. Levine, J. Arnold. (1992). ` Viruses`. Pg1, 8. 5. Levy, A. Jan. (1998). `Virology`. Pg1,2,12 6. Mims, Cedric. (2004). ` Medical Microbiology`. Pg 39-30 Third Edition. 7. Morse, S. Stephen. (1993). `Emerging Viruses`. Pg 3-6. 8. Villarreal,P. Luis. Are Viruses Alive [December 2004]. (Online) Available from: Scientific American [Assessed 18/11/2010].

Huck Finn - Life on the raft vs land Essay -- essays research papers

In the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, Huck lives in two different settings. One of the settings is on land with the widow and with his father and the other is on the river with Jim. There are many differences of living on land as opposed to living on the Mississippi River. On land, Huck has more rules to live by and he has to watch himself so as not to upset the widow or his father. On the river, Huck didn't have to worry about anything except people finding Jim. He also had to worry about the king and the duke for a while. Even thought there are many differences of the two living styles, there are also some similarities. Life on land was filled with many difficulties. There were many rules that Huck had to follow set by both the widow and his father. The widow’s main goal was to â€Å"civilize† Huck into a member of society. She expected Huck to go to school, wear clean clothes, sleep in his bed, and go to church. She just wanted him to be like a normal child of his age. Even though Huck bends the rules a bit and tries to sneak a smoke here and there, he eventually grows to like living under the widow’s protection. He proves this point when he says, "Living in a house, and sleeping in a bed, pulled on me pretty tight, mostly, but before the cold weather I used to slide out and sleep in the woods, sometimes, and so that was a rest to me. I liked the old ways best, but I was getting so I liked the new ones, too, a littl...

Breaking the Glass Ceiling

Politics and human rights policy have changed significantly throughout the second half of the twentieth century, notably in relation to attitudes about race, gender, and sexuality, and although they have nurtured a particular vision of social justice. Unfortunately, not all the problems of equal opportunities at the workplace have been solved. For female employees, glass ceiling proposes great opportunities to be equally treated and protected (to some extent).During half a century, â€Å"breaking glass ceiling† policies have proved their effectiveness, but cannot â€Å"abolish† gender and racial inequalities. For this reason, training and promotion activities as a part of â€Å"breaking glass ceiling† policies are vital for successful organizational performance. The significance of â€Å"breaking glass ceiling† policies is that it gives women opportunities to be promoted and highly paid, occupy high administrative posts according to their skills and profes sionalism.Findings were provided by Federal Glass Ceiling Commission and revealed that â€Å"95 percent of senior level managers are men and of that 95 percent, 97 percent are white. And of the five percent of these managers who are women, only 5 percent are minority women† (Redwood, 1996). In spite of the fact that equal opportunities policies have implemented for decades and women occupy â€Å"44 percent of the total persons employed in executive†¦ this category is extremely broad, and women are grossly underrepresented at the top executive positions of Fortune 500 corporations† (Jackson, 2001, p.30). To over come these possible threats organizations should conduct programming of specific human resources activities, based on personal development and human capital policies. The problem is that many women are deprived their right to occupy high administrative position. The necessity of breaking glass ceiling is caused by dominance by white males in American workfo rce. At the beginning of the XXI century they occupy the majority of managerial positions and many of the more important blue-collar jobs. The role of women is to occupy lower-paying positions.On the other hand, women racial minorities found considerable barriers to entering the labor market at the higher paying levels. Following Chaffins et al (1995) glass ceiling is â€Å"the form of discrimination has been depicted as a â€Å"barrier so subtle that it is transparent, yet so strong that it prevents women and minorities from moving up in the management hierarchy (Morrison & Glinow, 1990 cited Chaffins et al 1995, p. 380). The glass ceiling has been evident in both position and pay within organizations (Frieze et al. , 1990 cited Chaffins et al 1995, p. 380).In general, glass ceiling means the invisible barrier for women and minority groups that prevent them to be appointed to high administrative and managerial positions. Glass ceiling is a symptom of a big problem of equal opport unities and discrimination at work, and a part of diversity management. Equal opportunities policies play a major and continuing role in the lives of people, especially with the growth of large-scale business organisations and the divorce of own ¬ership from management. Organisations of one form or another are a necessary part of a society and serve many impor ¬tant needs.The decisions and actions of management in organisations have an increasing impact on individuals, other organisations and the community. It is important, therefore, to understand the role of equal opportunity policies and the perva ¬sive influences which it exercises over the behaviour of people. Heated discussions concern the role of glass ceiling in organizational development and its impact on HR management. Discrimination on the grounds of sex or national status is unlawful, and has to be overcome in the work place (Morrison, 1994, 72).The necessity of breaking glass ceiling policies is an issue of the da y, because women and minoroties are discriminated in many aspects of our life and work. The selec ¬tion process in particular directly discriminates between people in order to offer the reward of a job to one but not the others. Certain forms of discrimination are acceptable but others are not, and have been made unlawful. Topical Area Legislation, voluntary codes of practice and equality initiatives have resulted in some progress towards equality of treatment for women, but there remains inescapable evi ¬dence of continuing discrimination.More recent approaches of the business case for breaking the glass ceiling, the economics of equal opportunities, the valuing and managing of diversity in organisations, and the mainstreaming of equal opportu ¬nities are a response to the insufficient progress made so. The main problem is that women do not have a chance to rich high management and administrative positions in some organizations that deprived them from challenges to achieving recognition, promotion and resulted in discriminating policies. The article by Thomas R. Miller and Mary A.Lemons â€Å"Breaking the glass ceiling: lessons from a management pioneer† describes a personal example of Lillian Gilbreth (1878-1972), and difficulties based by this woman based on gender discrimination. This article shows that there is a necessity of breaking the glass ceiling strategies because there are always certain groups in any society that are discriminated against unfavourably due to the prejudices and preconceptions of the people with whom they have to deal. Lillian Gilbreth was one of the woman faced by â€Å"glass ceiling†: at the beginning of her career.The authors explain that preconceptions were sometimes verbalised, and the male managers and executives holding these preconceptions were unaware of the way that they saw and judged things and people, especially women employees. Lillian Gilbreth had to prove that she was worthy high managerial posit ion working hard for years and had to complete more work than male employees had to do. The authors portray that this glass ceiling policies within organizations went deep, and in relation to women concerned challenging a system of institutional discrimination and anti-female conditioning in the prevailing culture.The another article â€Å"Designing Women: A Qualitative Study of the Glass Ceiling for Women in Technology† written by Mary A. Lemons , Monica J. Parzinge represent an interesting problem concerning the role of women in engineering and technology management, and dominant role of men in this sphere. The statistical results from IT industry suggest that: â€Å"In 1971, the female portion of computer systems analysts and other specialists was only 9%. By 1990, this proportion had jumped to 35%. In 1996, the Department of Commerce noted a decline in the proportion of females to 30% (Foster, 2000, cited Lemons, Parzinge, 2001, p.4). The authors explain that males cultu re is important in two ways in glass ceiling – first, in respect of the whole range of approaches to cultural diversity, organisational culture is a determinant of the way that organ ¬isations treat women. Breaking glass ceiling tended to concentrate on behaviour and, to a small extent, attitudes, whereas management recognise a need to go beneath this. Glass ceilings for women in IT results in lack of understanding between male and female employees and prejudices towards the role of women in information technology field.However, these preconceived ideas influence the actions of the people who hold them, and the way they deal with others. The effects of this can be seen in the employment arena, as this is inextricably linked with discrim ¬ination in the rest of society. These offer some useful perspectives and practices, although the underlying concepts also raise some issues and concerns. In the article, â€Å"The glass ceiling: are women where they should be† Step hanie Chaffins et al raise a question concerning biased perception towards women and stereotypes that influence decision making of executives.In essence, women are working in occupations which reflect their perceived role in society, and are generally found servicing and caring for oth ¬ers. It is recognized that many organisations are adopting breaking glass ceiling policies and are seriously examining whether they are fulfilling the potential of all their staff. The interrupted pattern of women's employment therefore decreases the incentives for both women and employers to engage in their training. Although this may explain the position for some it does not explain the posi ¬tion of women who do invest their time in education and training.Neither does it explain the disparities in earnings which exist between men and women where neither have committed themselves to education and training The article â€Å"Breaking the glass ceiling: African-American women in management positi ons† by A. Mitra the author unveils another important issues of double glass ceiling policies: gender and racial discrimination. This article reveals disturbing results and shows that â€Å"among supervisors with a high school and college education, black women earn lower wages than black men even after controlling for detailed background, personal, and human capital characteristics.The lower earnings of black female supervisors can partly be attributed to the fact that they are segregated in predominantly female jobs† (Mitra, 2003, p. 67). These facts help to understand the causes and reasons why women cannot achieve high managerial position at the same as men employees and factors that prevent them. From the managerial point of view, disadvantaged groups, who have already been iden ¬tified, are women, people from other racial backgrounds, disabled people and older people, and in the USA there is legislation protecting the employment rights of the first three of thes e four groups.Causes Taking into account the information mentioned above, it is evident that glass ceiling has deep roots and requires special programs and policies in order to provide equal opportunities for women and racial minorities at work. The main caused of glass ceiling is prejudices against â€Å"female wit†, lack of recognition and discrimination. The fact that prejudices has been taken seriously by organizations despite initial ridicule, especially in the popular press, suggests that feminist concerns have become more publicly acceptable.There are other signs of responsiveness to feminist criticism – for example â€Å"female wit†. Though there is disturbing evidence that only a small minority of women feel able to report discrimination at work based on low recognition and appraisal. It should, however, be framed so that it is easy to derive from it policies on these and other aspects of conduct at work. It should also provide a basis on which to build training on such problem themes in a way which is convincing even to people who might otherwise consider them to be matters only for campaigning special interest groups.Cultural values and traditions supported by years of discrimination policy towards women is other cause of glass ceiling. There has been a significant shift in attitudes towards greater acceptance of equality, despite abundant evidence of continu ¬ing prejudice, inertia and discrimination; and there are indications of a greater willingness to respond sympathetically to women suffering sexual harassment or physical violence from men. But the role of groups and individuals committed to achieving equal rights and fair treatment is clearly still essential.â€Å"It translates into a syndrome that people who do the hiring feel most comfortable â€Å"hiring people who look like them. † (Redwood, 1996). The other important facts represent by Rene Redwood who suggests that: â€Å"the underlying cause for the exist ence of the glass ceiling is the perception of many white males that they as a group are losing – losing competitive advantage, losing control, and losing opportunity as a direct consequence of inclusion of women and minorities† (Redwood, 1996). The image of women as a weak member of society and housewife creates a negative image of an employee able to manage effectively.In addition, economic position of many women has deteriorated, some being forced to accept lower wages and many losing protection of their rights at work. High unemployment, changing job patterns policies have meant that the position of working-class women has tended to worsen. This cause Rene Redwood calls â€Å"societal barriers, which include a supply barrier related to educational opportunities and the level of job attainment† (Redwood, 1996). Lack of training and promotion is also a cause of glass ceiling. Performance deficiencies can result from lack of women training which is closely conne cted with lack of skills.Many companies do not propose equal training facilities for female and male supposing that women are more likely to leave job for looking after the children than men, so they see investments in female employees unnecessary and ineffective. Solutions If organizations do not take actions and do not implement appropriate policies aiming to break glass ceiling they can face with strong feminists movement and equal right movement. Also, female employees can organize antidiscrimination campaigns in order to protect their rights and equal opportunities.Also, glass ceiling deprives organizations from highly skilled work force and high qualified professionals. Women can leave an organization if they do not promote for a long time and face with discrimination policies. Today, the debate concerns the action that should be taken to alleviate the disadvantages of women. One company supports legislative action, while the other argues that this will not be effective and th at the only way to change fundamentally is to alter the attitudes and preconceptions that are held about women. However, there have been some efforts to change attitudes directly in addition to this.The major reason for breaking glass ceiling can be explained by the fact that discrimination against various groups in an organization has been made unlawful and legislation designed to avoid discrimination have been introduced, but they cannot solve all the problems arisen at the work place, and glass ceiling exploited by managers is the only possible way to manage diversity. Also, it was found that â€Å"Female ways of managing life are much better suited to tomorrow's business than is traditional male behavior. † (Lemons, Parzinger, 2001, p. 4). The concept of the learning curve is important in breaking glass ceiling policies.It ascends quickly, showing increasing proficiency. There are various levels in the curve, where a woman is consoli ¬dating and developing her knowledge . Where a group of persons is trained, the group may set ‘norms' which may stop individuals from moving ahead, and therefore it is important to ensure that the group norms are the same as the objectives of the trainer, so that individuals can progress. For managers, it is important to propose equal opportunities for males and female at the workforce avoiding violation of human rights and dignity.A policy for promotion is needed and its contents may be: all promotions to be made, as far as possible, within the firm; the main basis of promotion to be merit and ability. Seniority (often the number of years' service) to be considered but not to form the sole reason for promotion; opportunities given to all employees to reach the highest grades; vacancies be advertised and be kept open to all employees; accurate personnel records must be kept and these must include grading and merit ratings and other relevant details.These occur from one department or job to another or both and may solve a number of problems. Clear records are essential to obtain knowledge of the new job's requirements and the qualities needed for it. The employee, or department head, may have requested the transfer. Care and tact are needed in these situations. After identifying the development needs of the individual the choice of course must be made. Some firms have noted the waste of money on affirmative action. Nevertheless, this policy deprives individuals to be given an opportunity to use the knowl ¬edge gained.â€Å"The evolution of today's organizations â€Å"requires a different emphasis on attributes in developing future managers. These attributes include team working, high interpersonal skills, negotiating, consensus management, and the ability to handle several issues or projects at one time† (Lemons, Parzinger, 2001, p. 4). Breaking glass ceiling policy cannot be considered in isolation from the remuneration policy. Wages may account for up to 80 per cent of total cost s in some industries.The objects of a policy of remuneration are: to attract and retain sufficient staff of the required calibre to meet the orga ¬nization's objectives; to provide staff with incentives for better work; to have a policy which is logical and consistent, easily understandable and flexible. After objectives, policies and priorities have been determined, the methods of remuneration to be used to achieve them should be considered, i. e. job evalu ¬ation, merit rating, incentive schemes and fringe benefits. ReflectionWomen with a high achievement motivation may perceive that successful performance is caused by their own internal forces, and their ability and effort, rather than by the nature of the task or by luck. An employee (and woman as well) may expect promotion as an outcome of a high level of contribution in helping to achieve an important organisational objective. They determine the perceived equity of their own position. Feelings about the equity of the excha nge is affected by the treatment they receive when compared with what happens to other people.Today, breaking glass ceiling covers a range of approaches and emphases, some closer to equal opportunities, some very different. In reality, there remains the question of the extent to which approaches have really changed in organisations. Equal opportunities in may just be a way of making it more palatable in today's climate, may be used to revitalize the equal opportunities agenda. In professional activity and personal leadership these strategy will help to overcome possible difficulties and help to sustain strong position within the company.For academic purpose breaking glass ceiling can be seen as reflective as it deals with people already in the organisation, rather than getting people into the organisation -managing rather than expanding diversity. Many organizations prefer not to invest in women, because they are not sure that it will be repaid with interests. Nevertheless, knowledg e of these facts will help to find appropriate solutions and consensus in training and promotion activities. For leadership policies, breaking glass ceiling should play a major and continuing role on the organization-employee relations.The decisions and actions have an increasing impact on individuals, other organisations and the community. For HR manager breaking glass ceiling policies will help to have a clear understanding of the following concepts of indi ¬vidualism and membership in a group, impor ¬tant of a personality in the group, important to held meetings privately and in public. For a manager and a leader, breaking glass ceiling should involves set ¬ting policies, formulating plans, and trying to make the best deci ¬sions possible.All this is done in a context of how the organisation as a whole, and the HR manager in particular, see the role of glass ceiling, the environment of the business, and the situation in which it operates. The importance of breaking glass ceiling can be explained by the fact that these policies create an environment which encourages the creativity of all, and enables everyone to work without feelings of insecurity, and with ¬out insult. Equal treatment of all employees and absence of glass ceiling is vital in every organization.For future manager nn important priority is to create an environment of trust and shared commitment, and to involve staff in decisions and actions which affect them. References 1. Chaffins, S. , Cangemi, J. P. , Forbes, M. , Fuqua Jr. , H. E. (1995). The Glass Ceiling: Are Women Where They Should Be, Education, Vol. 115, p. 380. 2. Jackson, J. C. (2001). Women middle managers’ perception of the glass ceiling. Women in Management Review. Vol. 16, Iss. 1, pp. 30 – 41. 3. Lemons, M. A. , Miller, T. R. (1998). Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Lessons from a Management Pioneer. SAM Advanced Management Journal, Vol. 63, pp. 4-5.4. Lemons, M. A, Parzinger, M. (2001). Designing Women: A Qua litative Study of the Glass Ceiling for Women in Technology, SAM Advanced Management Journal, Vol. 66, p. 4 5. Mitra, A. Breaking the glass ceiling: African-American women in management positions, Equal Opportunities International. Vol. 22, Num. 2, Feb. 2003, pp. 67-79. 6. Morrison, A. M. , White, R. P. , Velson, E. V. Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Can Women Reach the Top of Americas Largest Corporations? Addison Wesley Publishing Company, 1994. 7. Redwood, Rene. The Findings and Recommendations of the Federal Glass Ceiling Commission. Retrieved from http://www

Marriage and Obedient Christian Head Essay

For almost 4 years I was married to a beautiful and adulterous woman. In terms of our friends and acquaintances and the public, we were a perfect couple. We held hands when at comedy shows and in malls. We kissed anywhere and everywhere, no matter who was watching or whose paths we crossed. But when night fell on any given evening, my beautiful wife would leave only to return in the wee hours of the morning, just before daylight. What a lovely person she was when we on the town together. I admit that I hung in there for almost two years and was the â€Å"good† husband and obedient Christian â€Å"head†. I ran my companies from home and rarely met clients in person, opting to use Skype for my meetings. When I approached my wife about going to church and seeing a marriage counselor, she balked and I felt abandoned. Too much of that began to make me feel worthless, helpless, and heartbroken. And then came the need to find attention and a woman who would show me appreciation and value; things my wife did not or could not. I began to meet clients out in lounges and at happy hours. Or travel everywhere out of state, or the country to find â€Å"other† women who would welcome this gentleman. I stayed out until daylight many nights. Bedded many women. Travelled on many excursions with strange women. In final, after a sadistically short marriage and nasty divorce, I came to terms with the way I react to pain. Ashamed am I to have turned to my ex-wife’s ways. Ashamed am I to have left my obedience to the Lord. Ashamed am I to have to write about the truth. Though, I know, now, that I would be better if I was ever cheated on again.

MGT(3900) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

MGT(3900) - Essay Example She says that a smile is very valuable in her job because it makes her look very approachable and likeable which is very advantageous to the business. According to Sharon, one of her jobs is to ascertain customer’s needs and this is perhaps the most important part of her job because when the customers are satisfied with the quality service the company provides through the salesperson, the company grows as a result of clients being faithful to the company and also may help by recommending the company to friends and relatives. She also presents company products and services to the customers. She is always exposed to a lot of people from different walks of life and Sharon says that this makes her job most interesting. She is a natural sociable person and communicating with people is one of the things she loves because she learns a lot from them. However, she says that the job is tiring especially during holidays and summer vacations because these are the times they have many clie nts. She says that technology makes her job a lot

Caffeine Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Caffeine - Research Paper Example Later this turned into the creation of a form of tea by steeping these items in boiling water. The Chinese emperor Shennong, according to Chinese legend, reigned in around 3000 BCE and found out that when leaves fell into boiling water a â€Å"fragrant and restorative drink resulted†(Yu, 35) leading historians to believe that this also aided in the discovery of tea/caffeine use for regular usage. In 900 BCE, â€Å"The Greek historian Homer mentions a bitter drink that is capable of warding off sleep. This was probably strong brewed tea.† (Unknown, 14) Coffee was discovered later on in the 9th century by a goat herder who observed his goats eating berries from a tree that made them more alert and awake. (Yu, 54) At this time, coffee beans were already being used and ground into fat in North America. This substance became a staple for religious practices due to the fact that coffee helped them stay awake longer. As mankind became more and more advanced and developed, soci ety began to see the use of caffeine in more daily use. A German scientist named Friedlieb Runge first synthesized caffeine in the lab. Since then, scientists and pharmacologists have learned how to create and extract the chemical and properties of caffeine from the coca bean and put it into commercial and medicinal use. In today’s society, caffeine is most commonly seen in the use of coffee, energy drinks, candy, etc. Unknown to society is that caffeine is one of the most abused substances across the world and has properties in it’s mechanism of action that can create possible problems for both short term and long term use due to the pharmacokinetics of caffeine and it’s mechanism of action. Caffeine is a stimulant which when it interacts with certain receptors in the body. Specifically, caffeine impacts systems such as the central nervous system and other physiological systems in the body. The typical route of administration is oral and is usually found in consumer food products, but has also been isolated in pill form as well. The chemical nature of caffeine is that it is lipid soluble. Because of this property, caffeine is able to bypass the blood brain barrier and have a direct effect upon the neural synapses in the brain. Primarily, caffeine is an antagonist on the adenosine receptors in the brain. This means that caffeine physically binds to the receptors in the brain causing a release of adenosine into the synapses. This can cause the secretion of norepinephrine and dopamine to occur. Norepinephrine is a stimulating neurotransmitter that is most commonly associated with the â€Å"fight or flight† aspect of the sympathetic nervous system. Dopamine is a pleas ure and rewarding chemical that is regulated by many different reward pathways, but the most common one consists of the dopamine being secreted in the ventral tegmental area and it proceeding on a pathway to the prefrontal cortex through the nucleus accumbens. The rewarding effect is one of the ways in which an individual becomes addicted to the drug. Physiologically, a person can experience the associated â€Å"crash† once the drug is no longer in the system since caffeine has a half-life of approximately four hours. In order to achieve the same effect, the user must continue to use more and more of whatever caffeine source they are

There is no such thing as a neutral question. Evaluate this statement Essay

There is no such thing as a neutral question. Evaluate this statement with reference to two areas of knowledge - Essay Example For example, when conducting research respondents can be asked, â€Å"how many pairs of shoes do you own?† This is a neutral question since the person asking is not interested in whatever answers the respondent gives. The questioner could be someone who does not even know the respondent and happens to interact with them (physically or virtually) basically owing to the research. If a researcher from the United Kingdom goes to the United States to carry out an interview and asks such a question, the answer does not affect them. A question can, therefore, be neutral. How, then, can it be said that such a question is not neutral? The questioner changes the neutrality of a question by either manipulating the answer to suit his objectives or phrasing the question to box the respondent into one corner. For example, the question â€Å"are you going to hit me?† is not neutral because the answer is likely to influence whatever action, or thought that comes next. This is because whether the respondent answers in the affirmative or the negative the questioner is likely to develop certain notions about them2. This is more like a statement or a judgment. One distinct attribute of questions that are neutral is that they raise more questions; non-neutral questions tend to end with an answer. More question marks and doubts surrounding whatever answer given are highly likely3. When a teacher confronts a student who has failed a test and asks â€Å"how did you fail this test?† the teacher is using the question to reprimand the student4. The teacher is concerned about the intricate details of what led to the student failing the test. The student, on hearing the tone of the question, is likely to get defensive, and the communication process will be interrupted. This is because the teacher comes across as angry and judgmental; he is stating a point and not asking a question5. On the other hand, if the teacher asks â€Å"did you study