Narrative style of the novel Essay Example for Free

Narrative style of the novel Essay Comment on how the language contributes to the understanding of the character, plots, theme and narrative style of the novel Chapter 6 is presented to the audience entirely in the past with no hindsight. Once again it develops the plot showing the children developing closer to adulthood, yet still not quite there, not understanding the consequences of their actions : was it you two? , I look away. The language from the passage in the hard back page 111 to 113 contributes to the understanding of the characters, plots, themes and narrative style of the novel. The section about the hierarchy in trees only further reinforces the naivety and stupidity to the character Stephen. Stephen has an obvious sense of hierarchy and in this case the sour smell of the elders and its humiliating position at the very bottom of the hierarchy of trees. This continues into the familiar world out here at the end of the Lanes, ie: the hierarchy of humans where the levels convey Stephens actual opinion of the concept of hierarchy and social status. This shows how immature Stephen is and however evident is his naivety. See more: what is a narrative essay In hindsight Frayn exposes the audience to the intentional irony of the sliver framed heroes at the highest to the lowest an old derelict taking refuge who are the same person. Frayn has emphasised this hierarchy from the beginning. Stephen feels in triumph that for once he perceives himself higher than someone else in the human precedence and the language emphatically robusts this. This only reinforces that younger is obsessed with hierarchy only after the discussion of hierarchy is there a sense of realisation. The language in this passage contributes the understanding in the theme of mystery and adventure. Stephen relies on this adventure to prove himself to Keith and in doing so show Keith that hes not the only one who can think of plans and projects. The use of personal pronoun I used more frequently than other times (7) conveys Stephens awareness that at this point in the adventure, wherein he can contribute, is a way he can gain approval of others even at the exploitation of the tramp. The passage for the first time shows an all time low in the adventure and rain blows as deliberate violence. This marks a key turning point in the plot as they have to fine some reason for their expedition as they have lost Mrs Hayward. The language used to describe the old mans feelings are just some of the feelings evoked that explain exactly what the boys have been doing bullying, and in doing so, the language also introduces the theme of memory. Frayn draws attention to this key theme by making older Stephen interrupt his story to remind the audience that the Stephen who was once a victim of bullying is now the perpetrator. This narrative style is a device that suggests implausibly that older Stephen is telling the story and also draws attention to memory as a concept and theme. Not only that, but it helps the reader understand that the reason I (Stephen) throw down my iron bar, is to reflect what Stephen knew at that point in time is that what he was doing was bullying. In this passage Frayns presents the language as a way of children going on to do adult things but without adult hindsight and therefore reminds the audience that they are still developing unable to foresee the consequences of their actions. The language is deceptively simple in style, but the passage in Chapter 6 shows a subtlety in language. From the beginning of the passage Stephen shows this middle class social ranking which leads him into his so called heroism that is particularly associated with middle class values. This duty he is estranged with towards Keith was particularly powerful conception in times of war and for Stephen it shows a development in his character and what he is prepared to do out of duty for Keith. Thus, Frayn cleverly uses linguistic devices and in this case exploits the language in order to contribute to the understanding of the characters, plot, themes and narrative style of the novel.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in Tesco

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in Tesco Customers have always been the main source of profit to a business. In order to retain and attract consumer, the company should practice on Customer Relationship Management  [1]  which is a strategy that have always been practicing by most of the businesses worldwide to gain a greater profit. Tesco which is one of the largest linked hypermarkets are also applying the similar strategy to gain more profit. Hereby a research is conducted on how customer relationship management strategies are used by Tesco as a tool to assist them in pursuing their sales growth. First approach towards CRM is by targeting the employee efficiency and consumer behavior. Employees of a company always reflect a companys image and the management of a company. In order to have a good image reflection of a company from consumers, employees should have a positive attitude towards consumers and practice to be efficient on treating consumers well. For instance, a consumer would like to acquire the location of a product from a Tesco employee and the Tesco employee politely assists them to the location they acquire. These positive attitude and efficiency on treating consumer will create a friendly environment to consumer whereby they will feel much comfort purchasing from Tesco. In order to create a friendly environment to consumers, Tesco will provide training to newly employed employees which are chosen after being filtered based on their behavioral test. By targeting the people surrounding the consumers, it will greatly decrease the chances whereby consumers will choo se to purchase similar product which could be purchased from Tesco from another grocer shop. Consumers behavior should be taken as a factor in order to retain and increase profit. Consumer will always want to try new things and this would be a great impact to the profit of Tesco. For instance, a new GAINT Hypermarket is build nearby Tesco. Consumers will start changing location to GAINT where it is newly build. This type of phenomena could not be changed because each consumer has a high curiosity in trying new things. To ensure that consumer will be loyal to Tesco, Tesco should create monthly event to attract consumers coming back to Tesco and provide consumers with new things since their curiosity are high. Secondly in approaching CRM is by targeting the product and promotion of a company. Tesco had been practicing Total Quality Management  [2]  to ensure that the products that they are selling to consumers are the best product that the consumer need. Other than that, Tesco also produces product of their own and selling the product which is similar to the other product at a lower retail price. These are other factors that will affect the profit of Tesco. In order to retain the current consumers in Tesco, Tesco products are being sold at the lowest retail price whereby the products created by Tesco will also undergo the same process of quality test before being sold at Tesco. This is to boost up the confidence in consumers so that they would not be practically having a thought that products created by Tesco are bad. Besides having their own product, the kitchen groceries at Tesco are always fresh. It is always fresh because the kitchen groceries are always freshly delivered to Tesco daily so that consumers can purchase fresh kitchen groceries as fresh as the one being sold at the market. In order to make sure that consumers are able to get fresh groceries, Tesco are always starting their business as early as 8 a.m. where no other grocer shops are open besides the market. Other than that, this will also create a great perception of Tesco and providing an idea of listing Tesco as their 1st priority grocer to purchase groceries. Besides that, the prices of the groceries sold at Tesco are the cheapest of among Tescos competitors such as GAINT, JUSCO and CAREFOUR. The price of grocer have been increasing day by day due to the drop in the world economy but this phenomena still does not affect the price of product at Tesco. These have been one of the greatest strength of Tesco and also one of the main attractions for consumers to go to Tesco. Other than that, the promotions made at Tesco are cheaper than its competitor because most of Tesco competitors are selling promotion product based on a concept of purchase with purchase  [3]  whereby the product consumer desire have to be purchase after purchasing other product at the retail shop. By not practicing the strategy of purchase with purchase, Tesco would be able to attract more consumers to purchase at Tesco. Besides that, the departmentalization of product which will create a discomfort to the Muslim consumer are well organized compared to other grocer sho p. At Tesco the Non-Halal  [4]  product are safely contained at a room created just for the Non-Halal product but at other grocer shops, non-halal product are place at a separate place from the foods but it is sometimes being mixed around by mischievous kids at the grocer and will create a discomfort to the Muslim consumer. Besides creating promotion, Tesco had always sponsored many events in the world. By creating an event, Tesco would not only be able to promote their name but also help to create a better social environment and awareness. Recently, Tesco have been participating in a event called Walk for School. It is use to raise fund to help 100 schools at Klang Valley because the facilities at the Klang Valleys schools have not being up to date which will slow down the learning process of the students there. The fund which was raised is to improve the infrastructure of the school, learning facilities and the library of each school to improve the learning conditions of the students. Lastly in approaching CRM is the technology of Tesco. Tesco online purchase and delivery have been started few years back. All products can be purchased online and delivery is provided for free to those who are Tesco Club member. This would be an advantage for those consumers who are working and those who could not spend time purchasing products directly from Tesco. Though the online system had been established for few years but not all consumers are aware of the system. Hereby a recommendation is made so that Tesco will be able to have a session to teach regular customer that this system had been created in order to let them know about the existence of this system. Besides providing online purchase and delivery facilities, Tesco practically use CRM system  [5]  in assisting them to provide the best services. By using CRM system, Tesco will be able to contact customer and ask for opinion from each of them. This method will provide the knowledge of customer understanding to help T esco to improve in order to provide the best customer service that will fulfill the need of each consumer. Other than that, Tesco will be able to check on the best selling products and hereby they would be able to increase the production of the product to attain all consumers need. For conclusion, by practicing CRM in Tesco it will assist a lot in increasing the rate of profit growth. The main steps in CRM are to target the people, process and the technology. In the 1st step which is people, Tesco have studied on employee, management, consumer behavior and the environment. For the 2nd step which is process, Tesco had make a few changes in the product, create club card, provide the best price, arrangement of products, operating hours and participating in awareness events in order to be sure that Tesco is known by all consumers. As for the last step which is the technology, Tesco has been focusing on improving their technology from time to time. All these steps are being practiced by all Tesco outlets in order to provide the best services and product to the consumers.

Four Powerful Women in Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck Essay

One of the most important attributes seldom attributed to women is the innate ability to keep the family as a cohesive whole. Women are the rock in the midst of familial turmoil, the solid foundation on which a husband or head of a household can stand firm. Fully assured that womanhood will stand back of the ranks and take care of domestic needs. Women have qualities that keep the family strong, these unique attributes can divided into several standards. One being the physical aspect of â€Å"mother† nature, two virginity representing the religious type of the standard, three is the young bitch who represent the physical state while four is the old bitch who also has a spiritual side of the woman standard. In the Grapes of Wrath by J. Steinbeck these four standards are possessed by the characters which take on responsibility and eventually help the family succeed in achieving the American dream. The rock of the family, Ma Joad is a woman of hope and strength. Ma represents the â€Å"mother† nature archetype and also has the characteristic of staying strong when depended on by her family and also guiding her family that is attributed to this standard. The sentence structure used to describe Ma by Steinbeck proves the importance of Ma’s character. â€Å". " Ma was heavy, but not fat; thick with child-bearing and work...her ankles, and her strong, broad, bare feet moved quickly and deftly over the floor", by Steinbeck using these features to describe her as a mom he shows that Ma has the ability to thrive and survive in hard situations as well as that she has control of her family (95). Steinbeck’s later goes on to describe in detail her feet being one with the earth, showing her â€Å"mother† nature standard. Mother Nature produces, births, sustain... ... of the trials and hardship endured along the road to get to the Promised Land (California), the Joad’s survive as a family. It may not have been the perfect expedition and migration which was intended but when all hope was lost Ma was there to lead and comfort. The need to push on and reassurance that things would be ok was prevalent after the deaths. When one life ended another was started, and when situations were at their worst, there came a helping hand and were saved. These women are the foundation to the Joad family and help them successfully live their dream to make it to California. Without these four women possessing these archetypes they may have never made it as a family, with such hope and dreams as they did. Work Cited Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. Web. 25 September 2014.

Dragons Essay example -- Expository Animals History Essays

Dragons What’s the first thing people think when they hear the word â€Å"dragon?† Most Americans and Europeans probably envision a huge scaly green beast, one that sits on a hoard of golden treasures and breathes fire. Asians are more likely to think of a benevolent snake-like creature, one that controls rains and rivers. And some people will think of the dragons in movies, or in books, which come in innumerable shapes, sizes, and dispositions. Practically every culture on Earth has dragons of some kind. The broadest way of categorizing dragons is into Western and Eastern dragons, though some of the dragons in the media have distinct characteristics as well. And then, of course, is the ultimate question: did they exist? Western dragons are the storybook monsters that most Americans recognize. The most common variety have four legs, two bat-like wings, a long tail, and a lot of teeth. They breathe fire, are covered in scales, hoard treasure, and have dangerous claws. They vary in color, and can be any shade of the rainbow, white, black, or any of various metallic shades. They are usually fierce, and feast on young virgins or sheep sacrificed by nearby villagers in an attempt to pacify the beast (Blumberg 6-7, Lurie n.p, Walker, Tempest). The Eastern dragons, by contrast, are benevolent water spirits. They are long and sinuous, covered in scales, and wingless, though they have four legs. They have whiskers, horns and often a mane, and always have a pearl either under the chin, in the mouth, or in the claws. Eastern dragons govern rain and rivers, and breathe clouds rather than fire. They are fond of swallow’s meat, and afraid of centipedes. The Chinese and Japanese emperors were believed to be descended from dragons (Ayles... ...gons have over the human imagination is as legendary as the great beasts themselves. Works Cited Aylesworth, Thomas. The Story of Dragons and Other Monsters. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1980. Blumberg, Rhoda. The Truth About Dragons. New York: Four Winds Press, 1980. Dickinson, Peter. The Flight of Dragons. New York: Harper and Row, 1979. Dragonheart. Dir. Rob Cohen. , 1996. Lurie, Alison. Fabulous Beasts. New York: Rae Publishing Company, 1981. McCaffrey, Anne. Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern. New York: Ballantine Books, 1983. Mulan. Dir. Barry Cook and Tony Bancroft. Disney, 1998. Pete’s Dragon. Dir. Don Chaffey. Disney, 1977. Tempest. â€Å"Advanced Dragon Description.† D.R.A.G.O.N.S. n.d. 14 May 2002. . Walker, Jennifer. â€Å"Physiology of a Dragon.† Here Be Dragons. n.d. 14 May 2002. <

Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Good evening, everyone. Now is the time for me to come in front of these 400 students in identical caps and gowns and tell them to go out and be individuals. Looks like I have my work cut out for me. Seriously, though, consider what we've gone through. 13 years of schooling, 18 years of growing up! And reflecting back on these years, what do we have to show for it? We have our memories. Some of you may know the old saying, "Knowledge is not what the pupil remembers but what he cannot forget." What will remain in our minds after tonight? What memories will become those valuable gems of unforgettable knowledge? Who in the audience knows the phases of Mitosis, or can name the capitol of Togo? Not many. But one of us will ever forget that counselor who listened to us when no one else would ... that librarian who, with the kind of vision that would put Superman to shame, saw one single book out of order on the shelves, and made sure you knew about it ... or how about that custodian who astounds us all with his uncanny ability to scoop up spilled ketchup with feline grace. We can develop our minds with information as much as we want, but the truth is, those simple, rare smiles from a caring teacher mean more to all of us than any amount of knowledge ever could. Simple gratitude is all we have to offer these educators who have shaped our lives, and still these teachers continue to give every day. Routinely, we blame them for such things as the Culminating Exhibition, overcrowded lunches, and that disgusting feeling we all have when we realize there is, once again, no soap in the bathroom. But these teachers have shaped the lives of the 150 students they see daily and have given of themselves something that is irreplaceable. Who t... ... journey now to make new memories, casting off the skin of adolescence and stepping forward into independence. Some of us will become preachers, presidents, accountants, clerks. We have in this room future post office workers, caretakers, custodians, soldiers. We even have a select few who are insane enough to pursue a teaching career. In essence, it matters not what we do, but how we do it. Walk through a room, and make it just a little brighter as you leave it. In the words of Vince Lombardi, "The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor." As we venture out into the world, take with you the riches of kindness, excellence, and caring that we have gained in our years here at Hosea. Keep them with you as you create new memories that will make us proud. Thank you, and God bless.

Quantitative risk assessment Essay

Monte-Carlo simulation is carried out using a large number of computations, using a computer, with random inputs. This method is particularly useful when it comes to â€Å"predicting† the outcome a complex eventuality. Typically, the Monte-Carlo simulation is useful when predicting the outcome of a large number inter-related factors that are â€Å"uncertain†. Predictivity using Monte-Carlo simulation is far more accurate where variables under consideration are many, uncertain and random. For this particular reason, using Monte-Carlo simulation for this study is the best choice as there are many uncertain factors that need to be analyzed for computing a risk assessment. In this study, the first step begins with the production of meat and ends with health effects that meat can probably induce in consuming subjects. There is a large interplay of uncertain factors, and the entire food chain model proposed in the study has inherent variability across most levels. 2. What comment would you make about the source of data used for the concentration of E. coli in cattle feces? Prevalence and concentration of E. Coli in cattle fecal matter was used to assess the level of contamination of the meat. The level of contamination of the meat is a pointer to the probable exposure that a consuming subject could possibly have, to E. Coli. Concentration of E. Coli in cattle fecal matter is directly related to factors like seasonality, geographical properties, and feeding practices. However, the data related to concentration of E. Coli in the cattle fecal matter was constructed without consideration for these factors. Data used for concentration of E. Coli in fecal matter was obtained using enrichment methods. The results show a wide bipolar variation, from as low as undetectable E. Coli levels to as much as 5. 0 log10 CFU/g. The data for prevalence of E. Coli in cattle fecal matter was obtained from previously held studies. However, only data from those studies was used, that primarily aimed at detecting E. Coli prevalence rates in cattle fecal matter for beef that was supposedly slated for human consumption. 3. What comment would you make about the following: †¢ modeling the distribution of feces on carcass as Uniform? Slaughtering invariably causes the fecal matter to come in contact with the meat. Skinning a carcass will lead to contamination of exposed meat due to contact with the hide. Although, fecal matter is the main source of bacterial reservoir, the nature and number of agents that can directly or indirectly participate as contaminating agents is uncertain. However, the concentration of E. Coli in fecal matter is directly proportional to the extent of meat contamination. The distribution of fecal matter on carcass surface is uneven. A dilution factor was used as a model simplification. †¢ modeling fecal contamination only on the carcass surface? As a fact, E. Coli are present in the fecal matter but not inside red meat. Contamination of red meat, therefore, occurs only when fecal matter comes in contact with it. This will usually happen during slaughtering, and the following processes like packaging and trimming. For this reason fecal contamination has been modeled only on the carcass surface. 4. Briefly (less than 500 words), discuss the practicalities and likely success of implementing each of the proposed hypothetical mitigation strategies in the paper. The author has proposed three hypothetical risk mitigation strategies for risk reduction. However, the strategies have been proposed to reduce risk as per mentioned figures, assuming that the strategy is being implemented and the desired goal is being achieved. For instance, the first strategy of regulating storage temperature control norms shows a reduced risk to over 80%. Practically, this strategy can indeed cause a large risk reduction but a protocol will need to be developed that incorporates all the levels of the proposed beef-cold-chain, starting right from the farm to the retailer. Even with a concrete legislature to make sure this strategy works, it needs to be evaluated how far would this strategy prove to be practically enforceable. With definite legislature, a good compliance can be expected out of this strategy and apparently this strategy is far more practicable, and could prove successful. Pre-slaughter screening proposes to reduce risk by over 46%. However, more variables like feeding practices, geographical locations, and seasonal variation (that affect E. Coli fecal load) need to considered, before a definite â€Å"control† level can be instated to rule out slaughters for animals that have more than a certain level of bacterial fecal concentration. The consumer information program, although with a risk reduction of 16%, is certainly a very important level wherein proper intervention can dramatically decrease E. Coli related health morbidity. Even though anticipated risk reduction is only 16%, simple measures like adequate promotional tools, could significantly increase risk reduction through mass communication; the biggest limitation however, is that compliance in this case cannot be ascertained, nor enforceable. Keeping in mind the practical limitations of each of these strategies, a prudent approach would involve application of all the three strategies in conjunct, to ensure greater risk reduction. A good reason for this approach is that due to the uncertain nature of all the factors involved in E. Coli contamination and delivery to consuming host, it appears quite difficult to determine the individual potency of each of these factors, and they would easily remain relative values. ‘Evaluation of MRSA Select, a new chromogenic medium for the detection of nasal carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus’ 1. What is the ‘gold standard’ used to assess the sensitivity and specificity etc. of the different diagnostic tests? The sensitivity and specificity of a particular diagnostic test needs to be estimated before the test under consideration can be employed for practical purposes, to ensure that the results obtained are accurate, and of consequence. A â€Å"gold standard†, hence, is an absolute, against which results from a particular diagnostic test are compared. The gold standard, also called as the standard frame of reference, is a perfect test for the given condition, and is 100% sensitive and specific as well. 2. Is the ‘gold standard’ the same for all of the tests? Within the context of this paper, the gold standard used is same for all the tests. The gold standard used is identification of methicillin resistant S. Aureus, from nasal swabs of patients, confirmed for the mecA gene using PCR. 3. Can the tests be compared in this way? Yes, the tests can be compared this way. The same samples (n) were subjected to different growth mediums, to ascertain the presence of MRSA. All these media were specifically designed to promote the growth of MRSA. Hence, depending on the growths shown by these different media, results can be drawn and compared. 4. Are the authors’ conclusions valid? I think that the author’s conclusions are valid. Although, PCR will remain the gold standard in ascertaining presence of MRSA, the application of this procedure, to remain practically enforceable, is quite limiting. For instance, considering the sheer number of samples that an urban community hospital has to handle on a daily basis, using PCR for all instances may not be feasible all the times. In this circumstance, using simple tissue culture techniques would definitely prove to be more desirable, especially with faster results and low costs; like using the MRSA Select that will give results within 24 hours with a sensitivity and specificity over 99%. Moreover, simplicity of the test requires no complex skill set, especially compared with handling PCR techniques. References 1. Fishman, G. S. (1995). Monte Carlo: Concepts, Algorithms, and Applications. New York: Springer 2. Bell, B. P. , Goldoft, M. , Griffin, P. M. , Davis, M. S. , Gordon, D. C. , Tarr, P. I. , Bartleson, C. A. , Lewis, J. H. , Barret, T. J. , Wells, J. G. , Baron, R. , Kobayashi, J. , (1994). A multistate outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7-associated bloody diarrhea and hemolytic uremic syndrome from hamburgers: the Washington experience. J. Am. Med. Assoc. 3. Vose, D. , (1996). Quantitative risk analysis: A guide to Monte Carlo simulation modelling. John Wiley and Sons, Chichester England. 4. USDA:APHIS:VS. , 1994a. E. coliO157:H7 issues and ramifications. Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, CO. 5. Gehlbach SH. (1993) Interpretation: sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value. In: Gehlbach SH, ed. Interpreting the medical literature. New York: McGraw-Hill 6. Apfalter P, Assadian O, Kalczyk A, et al. (2002) Performance of a new chromogenic oxacillin resistance screen medium (Oxoid) in the detection and presumptive identification of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis;44:209–11. 7. Murakami K, Minamide W, Wada K, Nakamura E, Teraoka, H, Watanabe S. (1991) Identification of methicillin-resistant strains of staphylococci by polymerase chain reaction. J Clin Microbiol;29:2240–4. 8. Safdar N, Narans L, Gordon B, Maki DG. (2003) Comparison of culture screening methods for detection of nasal carriage of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus: a prospective study comparing 32 methods. J Clin Microbiol;41:3163–6.

McGraw-Hill Financial Performance

It is reported that there was an 8.6% increase in the earnings per share to $2.40 for the year 2006 that due to the increase in the revenue by 4.2% amounting to $6.3 billion.   Another successful year for the McGraw-Hill, but before that, let’s take a look on the past few years where the evaluation on this research must focus. The net income of the McGraw-Hill for the year 2003 is $687.7 million.   During 2004, the net income had reached to an amount of $755.8 million, a 9.9% increase from the previous year.   In addition to this, the company’s revenue increased by 7.4% amounting to $5.3 billion. In accordance with the Emerging Issues Task Force Issue 00-10, â€Å"Accounting for Shipping and Handling Fees Costs†, the corporation had made reclassification of the revenues resulting to an increase in the revenue of $62.5 million and $62.5 million during the year 2004 and 2003 respectively. There is an increased of 14.3% in the McGraw-Hill revenue during 2005 which had reached about $6 billion.   Together with it is the increase in the net income of 11.7% reaching to an amount of $844.3 million and also an increase in the earnings per share of 12.8%.   The company had also returned an amount greater than $924 million to the shareholders prior to the increase of 14.4% compared to as before of 4.9%. Pearson PLC Financial Performance In the year 2003, changes in the company’s portfolios had made revenue to increase by  £89 million and  £24 million on the profit.   However, due to the movements of currency, there is  £181 million reduction on the revenues and  £27 million on the profits. During the year 2004, the revenues of the Pearson PLC had decreased by  £302 million and  £51 million on the profits due to the currency movements that happened that time.   However, the changes in the portfolio had made an increase of  £41 million on the revenues but still the profit dropped down by  £8 million. However, the movements of the currency in 2005 had made a positive effect on the Pearson PLC.   Regarding the continuing business basis, there is an increase in the sails by  £46 million and the profit had also increased by  £12 million.   In addition to this, the portfolio changes also made the sales to increase by  £29 million and profits by  £9 million. Also during the year 2005, the fastest growth of sales happened in comparison on the past five years of the corporation.   The sales increased by 9%.   There is also a 22% increase in the profit amounting to  £509 million and with the margins going up to 12.4%.   There is also an increase of more than 33% in the operating cash flow of Pearson and more than 50% on the free cash flow, reaching to an amount of  £431 million. These results to the most cash generated in Pearson that ever happened before.   The biggest contributor on these success is the –education- having sale of up to 12% generating an amount of  £2.66 billion and making the profit to go up by 22% to the amount of  £348 million. McGraw-Hill Stock Performance A 10% increase was approved by the Board of Directors of the McGraw-Hill Companies on the Corporation’s common stock regular quarterly cash dividend.   It was the 32nd of the consecutive increase in the annual dividend of the Corporation’s common stock. In 2004, an amount of $630 million was returned by the McGraw-Hill Companies to their shareholder.   There was a 50% increase on the dividend payments compared to the previous year (2003).   There is a new annualized rate amounting to $1.32 per share brought by the Corporation’s increase by 3 cents to 33 cents per share in the regularly quarterly dividend on the common stock.   There was a history of continued increase in the McGraw-Hill dividends for 32 consecutive years.   Also, during this year, the acquisition of the 5 million shares of its repurchase range happened on the Corporation. There was an increase of a 10.3% average on the McGraw-Hill Companies annualized total return over the past 5 years. In 2005, the expanded stock repurchase program continued for 45 million shares which is far greater than the outlook of the Corporation on 2004 of between three to five million shares.   In addition to this, it has been a 33 consecutive years of an increase in the dividend.   Since 1974, a 10.3% had been the average compound annual growth rate. Pearson Stock Performance The shareholders had approved the amount of 17 pence per ordinary share as a final dividend in 2005 and the he total dividend had reached the amount of 27 pence (adding the already paid interim dividend).   There is an increase from the previous year dividend from 25.4 pence (2004). In 2004, an adjustment of up to 5% amounting to 30 pence (57.6 cents) per share occurred and also there was an increase on the dividends by 5%. In 2003, a dividend per share amounts to 24.2 pence or 43.3 cents.   The price of the share at this year is  £5.72 and  £6.25 on the following year (2004) and on 2005, the share price is  £6.52. Stock Performance Analysis In 2004, the stock performance of the McGraw-Hill dramatically increased from 17.8% of return putting it on its peak having a record giving a 32.9% in return to the shareholders.   However, it has not been good during the year 2005 due to the currency movement thus dropping down to 14.4%.   However, it was a disaster for Pearson PLC’s stock to be performing to the down low having its percent of return down to its lowest return of 1.5%.   The stock performance trend from 2003 until 2005 has been continuously going down.   Currency movement and the changed company portfolio didn’t make a resistance for the company at these times. Long-Term Commitment Until 2005, McGraw-Hill Companies had succeeded and made the constant average return on investments through dividends of 10.3% for 33 consecutive years since 1974.   By simply looking at these numbers, the possibility of McGraw-Hill to a long-term commitment would bring up more success to the Corporation. Pearson had been facing trouble in their past years before 2003.   Those years have been tough for the Corporation.   But their claim is they had made three of their companies, namely education, business information and consumer publishing to becoming world leaders. These happenings made them to think of two things; making their operations efficient and selling of better products and services compared to their competitors.   This strategy made them sold more than  £250 million worth of products and services through combining of two or more parts of Pearson, both working together.   The results of this had reduced costs, increased revenues, assets, and working capitals that will continue planning on a long-term commitment. McGraw-Hill. (2007). The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.: Financial Statement.  Ã‚   Retrieved March 10, 2007, from http://moneycentral.msn.com/investor/invsub/results/statemnt.aspx?Symbol=MHP&lstStatement=Balance&stmtView=Ann PLC, P. (2007). Financial Statement.  Ã‚   Retrieved March 10, 2007, from http://finance.google.com/finance?fstype=ci&cid=664805