Saturday, January 25, 2020

The Border Cave South Africa History Essay

The Border Cave South Africa History Essay Mr. Barton W. E at first exhumed Border Cave in the year 1940. Throughout the periods of 941-1942, numerous Middle Stone Age industries were exposed. Additionally, an infant interment was established in the assemblage. These discoveries directed archaeologists to believe that there might have been previous hominid occupation in the Border cavern location. Geologist H. B. S. Cooke did geological studies of the Border Cave assemblages. In 1974, a hominid mandible was found during an excavation along with younger MSA layers. In recent years, other archaeologists including K. W. Butzer, P. B. Beaumont, and J. C. Vogel have done further excavations that revealed the youngest layers of the MSA to be 49,000 BP (Butzer, Beaumont, and Vogel 317). Location Border Cave is a cave, which is located within Zululand in South Africa. This is approximately about 400 m from Swaziland. The caves mouth opens west towards the Lembobo Mountains. These mountains are 650 meters in height and stretch north and south along 35 km wide Loweld plain. At the steps of the mountain, there are steep cliffs and escarpments. The major river of Ngwavuma River cuts through the Lembodo Mountains. The drainage lines in this area flow from west to East and have created many valleys. The Lembodo Mountains consist of many different types of rocks, but most of these types of rock are geomorphic including basalts, and ecca shales. The formation of The Border cave is attributed to differential weathering. Due to the rates of erosion, it has been determined that the large amount of the cave formed during the Pleistocene. Today, the Border Cave is circular in shape and is 40 m in width (20). The climate at Border Cave is hot in the summer and dry during the winter. From Mozambique to the Coastal Plain, the climate is a warm tropical savannah. In addition, the Lowveld is warm-mesothermal, semi-arid, without any large areas of water. Finally, the Lebomdo Mountains has climate that is sub humid. Actual rainfall numbers vary from 500m in the lowlands and 900 m in the highlands. Most of the rainfall about 75-80 % occurs during the summer. The average temperatures as measured in Nsoko records the highest mean temperature occurring during the month of January 25-26 degrees Celsius, and that the coldest monthly average occurs during June 10-0 degrees Celsius. Daily ranges can be extreme in a tropical climate. Although frosts due occur sporadically at Lowveld; Border Cave is frost-free (24). Dates The four hominid specimens found in Border Cave site layers of BC1, BC2, BC3 and BC4 are believed to be examples of anatomically modern humans. According to the assemblages and dates, these layers represent the MSA industries. The hypothesis of an early Pleistocene appearance of Modern Homo sapiens is supported by the findings at Border Cave. However, many archaeologists have questioned the validity of these findings because of the inconsistencies in the stratigraphic sequences (Rainer Beaumont and Christopher 22). The archaeologists used a number of dating methods in order to accurately date the layers of BC1, BC2, BC3, and BC4. Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) was used on 25 teeth found in the layers. The ESR measurements were done by two to four pieces of enamel from each tooth. Next, the uranium concentrations of the enamel and dentin were measured by neutron activation analysis (Grun, Beaumont and Stringer 1990). Based on these findings, BC1 and BC2 is ~less than 90 kya, BC3 is ~70-80 kya, and BC5 is ~50-65 kya. In addition, based on the ESR results the MSA-LSA transition is shown to occur ~35 kya earlier than often believed, and Howiesons Poort lithic industry is 45-75 kya (68). The dating of the lower levels at Border Cave has never been dated by one method. The Radiocarbon dating of these layers has been characterized as unreliable in the past. Due to this fact, it has been impossible to compare oxygen isotope record with the paleo-environment matches (Grun, Beaumont and Stringer 1990). According to the radiocarbon dating done on charcoal, the ages of the Border Cave are as follows, .65 kyr to 28.5 kyr for level 1BS.UP (below iron age layers), 33 kyr to 38.6 kyr for level 1BS.LR, 33 kyr to 45 kyr for level 1WA, and >41 kyr to 49.1 kyr for level 2BS.UP (33). Activity Areas Much evidence is present that shows that fires were quite abundant in the many of the layers of Border Cave. For example, in unit 1B, the bedrock is weathered and the colours of the sediments are discoloured to yellowish-brown. Diffuse organic matter causes this discoloration. Very dark-gray or black lenticular hearths can be found in about half of the strata. In addition, reddish oxidized aggregates have been found in unit 8. These findings show that the fires that were made in these areas burned longer and hotter than those in other areas. Also, bone ash has been found in units 3, 6, 8, and 11a. 139,000 bone fragments have been found in excavation 3A; however, only 313 bones can be identified that are not rodent. Excessive trampling of the bones around the fires caused many of the fragments to become unrecognizable (Butzer, Beaumont, and Vogel 1978).With regards to artefacts, micro-debitage was found in samples from units 3, 4, 9, 11a and 13. Most of the tools were found in units 5c, 6, 7b, and 10. The raw materials that were used include chert, rhyolite, quartz, and chalcedony. Some bone and wooden tools have been found in the later MSA layers, and ostrich egg shell beads have been found in the LSA layers (44). Given that written language was not rampart in several African cultures until the last century or two, past records of Africas history are uncommon. Yet, broken pots and buried beads, bricks and stones, as well as graves and bones may articulate as clearly as words on a page to palaeontologists, archaeologists, in addition to others competent to interpret them. Archaeology, the study of the material traces left by persons of the ancient times, is the most important resource regarding how Africans have lived at various times in the during their long history. Between 1920 and 1930, Archaeologists first discovered fossils of humanlike australopithecines. The significance of these finding was not instantaneously acknowledged, but ultimately palaeontologists become conscious of the fact that australopithecines are the most primitive human ancestors. Most possible they survived on wild foods as well as scavenging carcasses slain by large animals. A number of of the australopithecine fossils discovered in the region were persons exterminated by animals, and the sites where they were established do not essentially signify the places where they lived or made stone and bone equipments. a number of archaeological sites in southern Africa, such as Klasies River Mouth on the coast of South Africa and Border Cave in Swaziland, harbour skeletons of Homo sapiens alongside the substantiation of modern behaviour such as the progress of family groups, food sharing, and the premeditated use of resources. These locations may be more than 100,000 years old. Archaeological substantiation has revealed that, throughout the Late Stone Age, individuals of southern and central Africa were principally nomadic, moving with the periods linking low-lying lands and mountainous areas. They ensnared and hunted animals, collected a wide range of plant foods, and used aquatic resources such as shellfish. In addition, they also carefully buried their deceased, occasionally placing different objects in the grave, as well as decorated multifarious images on the walls of the shelters made of stone. The potential significance of the findings to be discovered derives largely from their relevance. During analysis of the stone artefact assemblage, a small particularly with reference to Border Cave was found to have potential for future research and significant contribution to future MSA studies. The artefact was recovered from an MSA context and thus necessarily Lithostratigraphy of Border Cave, Kwa Zulu, South Africa: a Middle Stone Age sequence beginning c.195000 from Sibudu. The micro mammalian fauna from Border Cave is analysed in terms of community composition and structure. Changes in these aspects are interpreted as indicative of changes in vegetation and climate in the vicinity of the cave during the period of deposition. It would appear that vegetation comprised relatively extensive forest or thick bush and dense grass during wetter phases and fairly open savannah woodland, even open grassland, during drier periods. Variation through time in mean mandibular size in two species of Crocidura (musk shrew) was different both in the two species and from what was expected. It now seems likely that the size change constitutes a response to complex phenomena and not simply to changes in temperature. Comparison with the Boomplaas A sequence indicates that the same general pattern of change is reflected at both sites but that there was greater amplitude of change at Boomplaas A and that 18O stage 4 was dry at this site but wet at Border Cave. Evidence for periodic changes in the distribution of various species, and in some cases the mutually exclusive occurrence of ecologically equivalent species, has implications for the zoogeography of the species involved. In particular, the occurrence of Pelomys fallax (creek rat) in the lower half of the sequence is of interest in view of its present distribution 600 + km north of Border Cave. Hominids from the site of Border Cave purportedly provide direct evidence for the early emergence of anatomically modern humans (AMH) in Southern Africa. ESR dating of Border Cave faunal enamel has confirmed the antiquity of the sediments, although questions persist regarding the provenience of the hominid specimens. Here we establish that, at Border Cave as elsewhere, bone mineral crystallinity, measured as the infrared (IR) splitting factor (SF), distinguishes between contemporary and recent bones on the one hand, from Middle Stone Age (MSA) bones on the other. Two hominid postcranial bones recovered in 1987 from a slumped profile, having essentially no provenience, are shown to have crystallinity indices consistent with the MSA fauna, while two of the purportedly ancient AMH specimens (BC3 and BC5) have values consistent with recent fauna. We conclude that BC3 and BC5 may be considerably younger than the sediments from which they were recovered. The archaeological deposits at Border Cave date back more than 150 000 years and are evidence of Africa having most certainly been the origin of modern humans. The site was first investigated by Prof. Raymond Dart in 1934 and he demonstrated a Middle Stone Age sequence to be present to the bedrock. In 1941 and 1942 H.B.S. Cooke, B.D. Malan and L.H. Wells returned to the site and extended Darts excavations Theirs, and subsequent excavations, have yielded incredibly rich archaeological material, including the remains of an infant, dating back about 100 000 years, buried in a grave with a shell pendant and red ochre staining suggesting that the body had been sprinkled with ochre at burial. Recent excavations have helped to clarify the cultural and stratigraphic sequences at Border Cave, and human skeletal remains recovered at this South African site may well be associated with a Middle Stone Age industry. A partial adult cranium is of particular interest, and this was originally described as quite different both from African Negro and from Bushman individuals. Eleven measurements were taken on the fossil, and these provide a basis for comparison of Border Cave with other crania drawn from extant African populations. Discriminate analysis shows clearly that the cranium lies close to the Hottentot male centroid and is within the range of modern African variation for the measurements employed. It is heavily constructed but not archaic in the fashion of Florisbad or Broken Hill. If the case for antiquity is regarded as firm, then the Border Cave skeleton suggests the presence of Homo sapiens in southern Africa before 50,000 B.P. and perhaps as early as 115,000 B.P. Hottentot or Bushman-like people may thus have inhabited southern Africa for a long time. This would be consistent with a phyletic view of human evolution, postulating an in situ transition from archaic to more modern man. Whether migration and replacement of populations may have occurred elsewhere is another question, and there is no reason to exclude this as a possibility on a local level, even if waves of replacement did not sweep the Old World late in the Upper Pleistocene. The hominid and archaeological site of Border Cave (KwaZulu, South Africa) has a stratigraphic progression that covers the Middle and Later Stone Ages. It has been projected that four hominid specimens discovered there characterize very early instances of anatomically present humans, and thus supporting the idea of an early late-Pleistocene emergence of modern Homo sapiens in Africa. This early emergence, on the other hand, has been queried, basically because of suspicions concerning the stratigraphic positions linked with the specimens and for the reason that of short of a steadfast chronology for the stratigraphic sequence. The results of the first complete radiometric dating study of Border Cave, by means of electron spin resonance (ESR) on teeth within sediment layers although younger than some age estimates supported the early incident of anatomically modern humans at Border Cave. Recently, human geneticists and some paleoanthropologists have also proposed an African origin for anatomically modern humans (Homo sapiens), although much of the proof cited is from non-African sources mainly Europe and the Middle East. Fortunately these models have stimulated reassessment of the sub-Saharan Middle Stone Age (MSA), the archaeological phase between 200,000 and 30,000 years ago which represents the beginnings of regional variation in technology and cultural adaptation as well as the period in which modern humans appeared. Long ignored by East African archaeologists in favour of the earliest cultural record, or, at the other extreme, Neolithic and Iron Age research, the MSA is critical to the evaluation of models of the emergence of our own species. The current arguments concerning the origin and dispersal of modern humans have been reviewed, and the importance of the MSA for the resolution of the problem. It also describes the results from a 1990 survey for MSA sites conducted in south-western Tanzania within the framework of these current models. Industrial development is represented in terms of early industries like Oldowan , Acheulian, Middle Stone Age, Later Stone Age, Lupemban Industry and Sangoan Industry Paleolithic archaeologists working in Africa divide pre-history into the Earlier, Middle and Late stone Ages, while the workers in Europe use the terms Lower, Middle and Upper Paleolithic. Lupemban industry a sub-Saharan African stone tool industry dating from the late Pleistocene, and began in like 40,000 years ago. This industry was copied from and substituted by the Sangoan industry, which is eminent in the sub-Saharan forested areas of Africa. The Lupemban industry is characterized by reasonably small, well-shaped tools such as chisels, adzes, planes (probably demonstrating intensive woodworking), side scrapers, and blades (Archaeology and Prehistory  ¶1-6). The most distinguishing feature of Lupemban tool is an elongated, lance late bifacial tip that is habitually very beautifully and finely flaked. Sangoan industry,  sub-Saharan African stone tool industry of Acheulean origin dating from about 130,000 to 10,000 years ago. It is more or less contemporary with the Faure smith industry of southern Africa. The Sangoan industry was discovered in 1920 at Sango Bay, Uganda, and is also found in other countries such as Zambia, Kenya Congo and Angola. Alternative forms of Sangoan are found in South Africa and Zimbabwe. The Sangoan industry is categorized by a class of pick, huge planes for woodworking, flake knives, scrapers, and hand axes. Early Oldowan sites span ~2.0 to 2.6 Ma and are found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Zaire, Malawi, possibly South Africa, and are associated with Homo sapiens, Homo habilis and Homo rudolfensis. Classic Oldowan industries are characterized by bipolar and direct percussion, cores and flakes plus choppers, discoids, spheroids, and standardized small tools, including scrapers on flakes or fragments, rare burins and protobifaces, utilized unmodified flakes; and rare worked bone. Developed Oldowan stone technology is similar to Classic Oldowan but with a reduced percentage of core-choppers, discoids, polyhedrons and heavy-duty scrapers; more refined light-duty scrapers, denticulates, burins, the first appearance of awls and edge-trimmed flakes. Working of bone tools continues. In later phases of the Developed Oldowan a few crude bifaces may appear, at least where there is influence of contemporaneous Early Acheulian as in Africa. The Early Acheulian represents a major new innovation in stone knapping, the production of flake blanks, which are, in turn, used as cores for flaking more useable flakes. Products include crude hand axes with sinuous edges and large flake scars, trihedral picks, rare cleavers. The Early Acheulian has a large component of flakes; chopper, polyhedron, spheroid, heavy-duty scrapers. There is an absence of Levallois or other prepared core reduction techniques. Middle Acheulian tool technology (~500 ka to ~1 Ma) is characterized by standardization of blank shape and reduction techniques (e.g., Kombewa, Victoria West in Africa); more regularized hand axe shapes (cord form, amydaloid, lanceolate, oval), cleavers with bits made using a single flat surface scar, trihedral picks, and flake tools (mostly denticulates, notches, scrapers). Some assemblages have only core-choppers and flakes and these may be interpreted as different technological traditions, for example, persistence of Developed Oldowan, or just different function assemblages within the same tradition. Later Acheulian tool technology is characterized by bifaces that are more symmetrical and refined than in the Middle Acheulian, with well-made, sometimes beautiful, cordiform, amygdaloid, and ovate hand axes. In some assemblages ovates dominate. There is greater use of soft hammer; increase use of Levallois technique, but some sites no Levallois; disappearance of core-choppers; and often the length of hand axes decreases. Denticulates, notches, and scrapers continue. In Africa late sites contemporaneous with Final Acheulian, may have stone assemblages that contain a few blades. Just as the Developed Oldowan was contemporaneous with the Early Acheulian innovation, so the Final Acheulian is contemporaneous with the Middle Paleolithic/Middle Stone Age. Final Acheulian tool technology is characterized by multiple reduction strategies, Acheulian bifaces, sometimes made on Levallois flakes, Levallois and disc cores; variable presence of hand axes, cleavers as well as points and blades. Early Middle Paleolithic (Early Middle Stone Age) (~150 to 300 ka). Just as the Early Acheulian innovation was contemporaneous with the Developed Oldowan, so the MiddlePaleolithic (Middle Stone Age) is contemporaneous with the Final Acheulian. First appearing in Africa and Southwestern Asia, Early Middle Paleolithic/Middle Stone Age tool technology is characterized by elongated or large, relatively thick, blades and point blanks flaked from radial, single or opposed platform cores, recurrent and some Levallois, with minimal preparation of striking platform; retouched points-many elongated, prismatic blades, end scrapers and burins common; no backed microliths; evidence of hafting points and blades (tangs, grooves, mastic); intra-regional point styles suggesting diverse cultural traditions; and use of colour pigments, which becomes extensive by Mid-MSA/MP. This technological innovation is associated with archaic Homo sapiens, such as Homo helmei in Africa. Mid-Middle Palaeolithic (Mid-Middle Stone Age) (~60 to 150 ka). This is the key time period for Homo sapiens out-of-Africa hypotheses. The Mid-MSA/MP technological mode appears in Africa around 150 ka and fades into the Late-Middle Paleolithic (Late MSA), which, in Africa, marks the emergence of the Later Stone Age (Upper Paleolithic) technology mode around 60 ka. I acknowledge this 60 ka lower boundary for the Mid-MSA as somewhat arbitrary; it is for purposes of simplification but also perhaps-at least from the limited perspective of my review-more fitting than, for instance, a 50 ka boundary as some would argue. In palaeoclimate terms, Mid-MSA assemblages appear to correlate pretty much with Oxygen Isotope Stage (OIS) 4 (~59-74 ka) and OIS 5 (~74-130 ka). Upper Paleolithic (Later Stone Age) (~5 to 60 ka; OIS3 ~24-59 ka; African dry spell 20- 60 ka). Early, Middle and Late Upper Paleolithic/Early, Middle and Late Later Stone Age tool industries are characterized by retouched blades and bladelets, scrapers on blades, small and microlithic tools; bone tools, soft hammer, and even more art than prior periods. Micro-Bladelet Mid- and Late-UP. As the focus of this meta-review has been the question of the occurrence of major waves of globalization in modes of tool making and symbolic behaviour and given the mass of research findings available on Upper Paleolithic sites across the regions, I gathered only highlights of a partial subset of sites. Keeping this limitation in mind, considering Mid-UP assemblages, especially those using micro blade core reduction for bladelets and backed blades and bladelets, by region it appears that this specialized technology appears in Africa around 30 ka. Backed microliths occur at Enkapune ya Muto Shelter, Kenya, from the earliest EUP level almost ~50 ka (AS1998), though if counted as EUP, then early micro blades occur, for example, at Ntumot, Ntuka River, Kenya, (14C, AAR) ~30-32 ka (AS2002). Border Cave has now yielded more than one million Stone Age implements, as well as the remains of at least 43 mammal species, including elephant and three others that are now extinct. Also revealed in the cave was the Lebombo Bone,one of the few oldest known artefact related to the essential arithmetical activity of counting. Dated to 37 000 BP, the Lebombo Bone is a little section of baboon fibula which has been engraved with 29 notches, similar to the calendar sticks still used by Bushmen in the Kalahari today. The remains of Early and Middle Stone Age people have been found, especially Middle Stone Age from the pulse in the warm period, maybe 125,000 years ago. The Border Cave archaeological site in the Lebombo Mountains on the modern border between KwaZulu-Natal and Swaziland are of more importance in Africa, and the world, with continuity of occupation at least from that time.

Friday, January 17, 2020

Dreams of Men versus Women: Heineken Commercial Essay

The host shows her new walk-in closet, full of clothes, shoes, and jewelries, and her friends react with high-pitched screams and hugs. This action goes in hand with their flat characters, as the audiences anticipate women to express and over-exaggerate emotions. In the mid-excitement, a new group of characters are introduced. A group of four European males in their 30s, much like the female group of four, are screaming, squealing, yelling, Jumping, crying, and fanning inside a walk- in fridge, full of Heineken beers. These males are round characters, because their actions are unpredictable to the audiences. There is no narrator in this video. The story is communicated directly to the audiences without any added commentaries. There is a short statement at the end of the video: â€Å"Heineken, serving the planet†, which serves as a logo and theme of the product. The event takes place in someone’s home, most likely a condo. There is a house- warming party taking place, and the atmosphere is happy and lively. The major active event of this video is the group of four European males reacting and expressing their motions to the walk-in fridge full of Heineken beer. This event is shown in much detail, including close-ups of each man’s facial expressions and body language. The major stative events of this video are excitement, cheeriness, and happiness. These events are portrayed throughout the video, from the beginning to the end. The minor events of this video are: the house-warming party and the group of European females reacting to the walk-in closet. The video displays enough information to let the audience know that there is a house-warming party taking place – there are eople hanging out, drinking and talking in the apartment, and the host is guiding ner guests and gesturing around each room. Reaction ot the temale group is shown in some detail so that the audience can see the resemblance between the female and male groups. There are a number of cause-and-effect relationships that can be pointed out in the Heineken beer advertisement video. The relationship that is most important to the purpose of the video is Heineken beer walk-in fridge causing the group of males to overly express their excitement. Another relationship that has an effect on the goal of his video is walk-in closet causing the group of females to overly express their excitement. These two relationships are independent of each other, but must be compared with each other to deliver the message effectively. Another cause-and- effect relationship that can be mentioned is the house-warming party causing the male and female hosts to show off their new home. This relationship is the beginning of the story, but is not absolutely necessary to deliver the message. All three effects are caused by human action – showing around the house and expressing excitement. The temporal relation of the Heineken beer commercial is syntagmatic, because one event leads naturally to another. The story maintains the same speed throughout the video, and the temporal speed is similar to the real world. The intended audience of this Heineken beer advertisement is mature middle-class adults. This video is targeted towards men, more so than women. The video is portraying Heineken as a passion of men and mocks women during the process. The audiences are presumed to have stereotypes toward men and women: women express their emotions much more dramatically compared to men, and women are uch more noisy and bouncy compared to men. This advertisement is suggesting that the worth of beer to men is comparable to women’s passion for fashion. The event seems to be the most important in terms of contributing to the ultimate moral. The characteristics of actors and actresses also play an important role, especially in identifying the intended audience. However, the main method of getting the message across was the action of men expressing their excitement and bouncing up and down like little girls. There are several potential implications of this advertisement to a bigger matter. This ideo is reinforcing the existing stereotypes of men and women. Actions and reactions of actors and actresses imply that it is abnormal for men to express their excitement. The video also reinforce that women are suppose to love and have passion for fashion. In many families, boys are raised to be tough and to hide their emotions, whereas girls are raised to look pretty and to express their feelings. The Heineken advertisement implies that it is normal to have gender stereotypes. Although there are undeniable differences between genders, popular culture encouraging stereotypes can lead to sexism in our lives.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

What is Evidence in Essay

What is Evidence in Essay In order to gain the hearts of your readers, it is important to possess strong arguments. What is a strong argument? Usually, it is the one which is convincing enough and is presented in the clearest manner possible. In order to create convincing argument, one should take into consideration one of the most significant convincing argument’s elements – evidence. In general, one uses evidence in order to: Plan the debate. Point out where his argument is incorporated in the debate. In particular, evidence can be used in several ways: To show the difference between several opinions. To build up cause-effect relation. To disprove the opinion of an opponent. For confirmation of one’s claims and logic. To compare different things that will be the stimulation for some further argument. It is essential to use quotations in order to make your position differ from the other ones in this argument’s spectrum. You can do it in different manners. For example, you can summarize the argument of some person and mention her/his name. In this case, there should be a reference to the source so that your reader could have an opportunity to check it. One can also use short quotations in order to sum up the argument. In this case, you have to provide your readers with the author’s exact words and proper citation. Sometimes, the position of writer can be very important and capture the main idea very well. In such cases, you can use some long quotation. It can turn out to be very effective, especially if it is a springboard for your future study. If the quotation you use to support your argument is, for example, longer than 30 words, you can decrease the margins. If the quotation is indented, there’s no need to use quotation marks. For further information on quotations’ formatting style you can view specific citation style manuals.

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Divergence of Hungarian and Finnish Languages

Geographic isolation is a term commonly used in biogeography to explain how a species might diverge into two distinct species. What is often overlooked is how this mechanism serves as a major driving force for many cultural and linguistic differences among different human populations. This article explores one such case: the divergence of Hungarian and Finnish. Origins of the Finno-Ugrian Language Family Also known as the Finno-Ugrian language family, the Uralic language family consists of thirty-eight living languages. Today, the number of speakers of each language varies immensely from thirty (Votian) to fourteen million (Hungarian). Linguists unite these diverse tongues with a hypothetical common ancestor called the Proto-Uralic language. This common ancestral language is posited to have originated in the Ural Mountains between 7,000 to 10,000 years ago. The origin of the modern Hungarian people is theorized to be the Magyars who resided in the dense forests on the Western side of the Ural Mountains. For unknown reasons, they migrated to western Siberia at the beginning of the Christian era. There, they were vulnerable to the onslaught of military attacks by eastern armies such as the Huns. Later, the Magyars formed an alliance with the Turks and become a formidable military power that raided and fought throughout Europe. From this alliance, many Turkish influences are evident in the Hungarian language even today. After being driven out by the Pechenegs in 889 CE, the Magyar people searched for a new home, eventually settling on the outer slopes of Carpathians. Today, their descendants are the Hungarian people who still inhabit the Danube Valley. The Finnish people split off from the Proto-Uralic language group approximately 4,500 years ago, traveling west from the Ural Mountains to ​the south of the Gulf of Finland. There, this group split into two populations; one settled in what is now Estonia and the other moved northward to modern-day Finland. Through differences in region and over thousands of years, these languages diverged into unique languages, Finnish and Estonian. In the middle ages, Finland was under Swedish control, apparent from the significant Swedish influence present in the Finnish language today. The Divergence of Finnish and Hungarian The diaspora of the Uralic language family has led to geographic isolation between members. In fact, there is a clear pattern in this language family between distance and language divergence. One of the most obvious examples of this drastic divergence is the relationship between Finnish and Hungarian. These two major branches split approximately 4,500 years ago, compared with Germanic languages, whose divergence commenced an estimated 2,000 years ago. Dr. Gyula Weà ¶res, a lecturer at the University of Helsinki in the early twentieth century, published several books about Uralic linguistics. In Finland-Hungary Album (Suomi-Unkari Albumi), Dr. Weà ¶res explains that there are nine independent Uralic languages that form a language chain from the Danube valley to the coast of Finland. Hungarian and Finnish exist on the polar opposite ends of this language chain. Hungarian is even more isolated due to its peoples history of conquering while traveling across Europe toward Hungary. Excluding Hungarian, the Uralic languages form two geographically continuous language chains along major waterways. Coupling this vast geographic distance with several thousand years of independent development and vastly differing history, the extent of the language diversion between Finnish and Hungarian is not surprising. Finnish and Hungarian At first glance, the differences between Hungarian and Finnish seem overwhelming. In fact, not only are Finnish and Hungarian speakers are mutually unintelligible to each other, but Hungarian and Finnish differ significantly in basic word order, phonology, and vocabulary. For example, although both based on the Latin alphabet, Hungarian has 44 letters while Finnish has only 29 in comparison. Upon closer inspection of these languages, several patterns reveal their common origin. For example, both languages employ an elaborate case system. This case system uses a word root and then the speaker can add several prefixes and suffixes in order to tailor it for their specific needs. Such a system at times leads to extremely long words characteristic of many Uralic languages. For example, the Hungarian word megszentsà ©gtelenà ­thetetlensà ©ges translates to a thing that is almost impossible to make unholy, originally coming from the root word szent, meaning holy or sacred. Perhaps the most significant similarity between these two languages is the relatively large number of Hungarian words with Finnish counterparts and vice versa. These common words generally are not exactly alike  but can be traced to a common origin within the Uralic language family. Finnish and Hungarian share approximately 200 of these common words and concepts, most of which concern everyday concepts such as body parts, food, or family members. In conclusion, despite the mutual unintelligibility of Hungarian and Finnish speakers, both originated from a Proto-Uralic group that resided in the Ural Mountains. Differences in migration patterns and histories led to geographic isolation between language groups that in turn led to the independent evolution of language and culture.

Tuesday, December 24, 2019

The House On Mango Street Character Analysis - 760 Words

Facing Maturity Maturity is reaching to the point where one asks themselves who they are as a person and who they want to be. It’s when one starts searching for the answers. Maturity is when one becomes their own best friend, their own priority. It’s when one knows what is and who is good for themselves and to protect them. In the novel The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros the narrator, Esperanza, reveals her story about how she tries to find her true self. As she enters womanhood, she develops her identity and changes drastically as she gets a better understanding of her sexuality, heritage, and her as a person. In Cisneros’ House on Mango Street, Esperanza evolves from an insecure girl to a mature young lady as she becomes†¦show more content†¦When Esperanza wears the shoes, she gets comments from boys and men for the first time of her life, which shows her pleasure of wanting people to notice her. Overall, Esperanza changes from being self-c onscious to confident. Esperanza also evolves as she becomes aware of her responsibilities. In the beginning of the story, Esperanza was only concerned with her own desires. This is displayed in the vignette â€Å"The House on Mango Street† when she wishes for a â€Å"real house that would be [theirs]...[their] house would have running water...real stairs...like the houses on TV†¦[their] house would be white...a great big yard†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (4) This portrays the American Dream. The way Esperanza describes the house she dreams of having one day, displays her insecurity at being poor since she has never lived in a house where there was running water or more than one bathroom. Moreover, dreaming of this house shows how desperate she is to escape her neighborhood because she does not want to be identified with, in her eyes, an ugly house. Esperanza is so invested in having a beautiful house instead of an ugly house, that she isn’t thinking about anyone but herself. However, Esperanzaâ€℠¢s maturity becomes evident when she starts to accept the responsibilities of a woman. For instance, in the vignette â€Å"Mango says Goodbye Sometimes† she says that â€Å"[she] [has] gone away to come back.Show MoreRelatedThe House On Mango Street Character Analysis1048 Words   |  5 Pagesworld. It usually isn’t an encouraging judgement though. Throughout the book, The House on Mango Street, the message of judgement of others being cruel is revealed. This isn’t just in Esperanza, the main character, but everyone in the book. It is important that everyone in the book progresses and matures as a person because, it causes everyone to become more together. This all proves the claim of, The House on Mango Street portrays an aspect of maturity by showing that what people imagine about othersRead MoreThe House On Mango Street Character Analysis706 Words   |  3 Pagescome to be. The main character, Esperanza from The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, i s an excellent example of that; Esperanza is an insecure young Latina girl who is shaped by her family as she grows up. In the novel, Esperanza has the perspective of life from the experience of living in poverty. Esperanza dreams of a perfect home with amazing flowers and enough rooms that everyone in her family would each have one. However, she moves to the house on Mango Street, and reality is so differentRead MoreThe House On Mango Street Character Analysis1116 Words   |  5 Pages000 people in the United States move annually. In the book The House on Mango Street the main character Esperanza and her family are included in this number. They Come very poor roots, and they dont have much money. They move often, one day dreaming to live in a real house, one they dont have to share, one with their own yard, with stairs that are not hallway stairs, etc. They finally move into this beaten up house on Mango street, Her family is in love with it and act like its their dream, however Read MoreCharacter Analysis of Esperanza in The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros1207 Words   |  5 PagesEsperanza, a strong- willed girl who dreams big despite her surroundings and restrictions, is the main character in The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. Esperanza represents the females of her poor and impoverished neighborhood who wish to change and better themselves. She desires both sexuality and autonomy of marriage, hoping to break the typical life cycle of woman in her family and neighborhood. Throughout the novel, she goes through many different changes in search of identity and maturityRead MoreThe House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros766 Words   |  3 Pageswriting a literary analysis on â€Å"The House on Mango Street† by Sandra Cisneros. This story takes place in the center of an over populated Latino neighborhood in Chicago, a city where many of the poor areas are ethnically segregated. This novella uses two main symbols shoes and trees. Later in the literary analysis I will explain what these mean to the main characters. There are three main characters in the novella Esperanza, Sally and Nenny (short for â€Å"Magdalena†). The House on Mango Street tells the lifeRead MoreAnalysis Of The House On Mango Street 1367 Words   |  6 PagesBaker ENG 102 – 2006 14 April 2017 Esperanza’s Mango Street The House on Mango Street is a short novel that packs a strong and deliberate message. At first, when reading the first few chapters, one assumes that this book is going to be a simple story about some young girl’s life, but as the reader continues to read on, that perspective about the story changes because of the story’s complexity. The House on Mango Street has received many praises amongst critics for its well-definedRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of The House On Mango Street1163 Words   |  5 PagesEzra Collins English 9: Tetlak Literary Analysis: The House on Mango Street November 3, 2017 Remember Where Your From The House on Mango Street On average 40,093,000 people in the United States move annually. In the book The House on Mango Street the main character Esperanza and her family are included in this number. They Come very poor roots, and they don t have much money. They move often, one day dreaming to live in a real house, one they don t have to share, one with their own yard, withRead MoreWorld History Essay1533 Words   |  7 PagesSummer Reading Assignment Name: ____ __________________ 10th Grade The House on Mango Street Before returning to school next school year, you will need to read The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros and complete this assignment. This organizer is intended to guide your reading and focus your thoughts in preparation for the discussions, summer reading quiz and writing assignments you will engage in when you return in September. By carefully completing this assignment overRead MoreEssay on House On Mango Street1074 Words   |  5 Pagesdegradation of them was a recurring theme in the book House on Mango Street. Many of Esperanza’s stories were about women’s dreams of marrying, the perfect husband and having the perfect family and home. Sally, Rafaela, and Minerva are women who gave me the impression of [damsel’s in distress].CLICHamp;Eacute;, it’s ok though. It’s relevant They wished for a man to sweep them of their feet and rescue them from their present misery. These characters are inspiring and strong but they are unable to escapeRead MoreThe Development Of Girls1172 Words   |  5 Pagesthe ideal that Western culture has insisted upon†¦ long legs, long arms, small waist, high round bosom, and long neck† (DuCille 217). Society has perpetuated a culture where girls strive to be perfect – craving this Western ideal of beauty with a big house and nice c ar. Society has also created a stereotype women are expected to fit into. Philosopher Marilyn Frye explains oppression and describes how, â€Å"There is a women’s place, a sector, which is inhabited by women of all classes and races, and it is

Sunday, December 15, 2019

CAD/USD Exchange Rate Free Essays

The Canadian dollar has significantly appreciated against the U. S. dollar since the beginning of 2000. We will write a custom essay sample on CAD/USD Exchange Rate or any similar topic only for you Order Now The CAD/USD exchange rate (currency in USD) increased from 0. 686 to 1. 015 as of March 18, 2011. There was a trend of CAD appreciation in 2003-2008, followed by a rapid depreciation in the second half of 2008. Since the beginning of 2009, CAD has risen sharply and has been trading about at par with USD for the last two years. The recent CAD appreciation was caused by a number of factors and lead to certain economic consequences, which are discussed next. Causes of the Canadian Dollar Appreciation Appreciation of the Canadian dollar in the last years can be explained by internal factors, such as performance of Canadian economy and interest rates, and external factors, such as commodity prices and weakness of the U. S. economy. State of Canadian economy. Canada has been quickly recovering from the recent recession. For the year 2010, real GDP grew 3. 1%, following a decline of 2. 5% in 2009. Strong economy makes Canada an attractive target for investors who seek secure returns. This raises the demand for the Canadian currency and, therefore, pushes the exchange rate upward. This argument is supported by the exchange rate fluctuations in the above graph. The Canadian dollar was rising as the economy began to recover in the late 2009. State of the U. S. economy. Rise in CAD/USD exchange rate can be largely attributed to depreciation of the U. S. dollar. The U. S. dollar has historically been a safe investment target for many investors. However, now this situation is changing and demand for the currency is falling. The U. S. economy has been facing serious difficulties in the recent years. The country’s trade deficit was almost $500 billion in 2010, a 33% increase from 2009. The U. S. s also the world largest borrower with a $4,453 billion of foreign debt. Weak economy and high uncertainty are turning investors away from the American dollar, which is supported by its depreciation against other major currencies. Commodity prices. As Canada is a large producer and exporter of raw materials, the Canadian dollar is strongly affected by commodity prices. Many commodity prices, especially gold and copper, have been rising recently, making the associated industries more profitable and strengthening the Canadian economy. Strong economy, in turn, attracts more investor, and the Canadian dollar appreciated due to increased demand. Interest rate differentials. The U. S. Federal Reserved has lowered the interest rate to current 0. 25% since 2008 in order to stimulate the economic growth. Canada currently has a higher interest rate of 1% and thus attracts more investors for its short-term assets. Demand for the Canadian dollar increases and puts an upward pressure on the exchange rate. Consequences of the Canadian Dollar Appreciation Effect on trade. The exchange rate has an important impact on Canadian trade performance, especially with its largest trading partner, the U. S. The Canadian economy significantly relies on its export activity, but stronger Canadian dollar makes the country’s exports more expensive to foreigners and can decrease the trading volume. According to Statistics Canada, exports to the U. S. fell in 2009 by 36. 4%. Exports then increased slightly in 2010, but still the amount was around C$73. 6 billion under the 2008 level. To prevent their exports from falling and keep their market share, Canadian companies have to lower their price and sacrifice some profit. However, decline in exports should not be attributed only to the currency appreciation. The U. S. economical health and trade agreements also affect the trading activity between two countries. On the other side, Canadian importers benefit from the currency appreciation. Canadian manufacturers can acquire materials, machinery and equipment at a lower cost, which leads to increased capital investment and productivity growth. Thus, strong currency is harmful to exporters and beneficial to importers. The dollar appreciation decreases Canadian export and increases imports, which negatively affects the trade balance and lower GDP’s growth. However, lower import costs offset negative consequences of export decline, and the total effect of the currency appreciation becomes muted. Effect on industries and provinces. Not all industries are affected evenly by the currency appreciation. Manufacturers that heavily depend on exports of their production are affected the most. Such industries include forestry, transportation equipment, and machinery. Imported inputs, however, should also be taken into account when assessing the total effect of the appreciation. Industries that use high imported content in their production are less hurt by the rising dollar. For example, transportation equipment industry highly depends on export, but it also has high ratio of imports to production and can profit from cheaper imports. On the contrary, industries that heavily rely on exports but use low foreign content in production, such as forestry, are affected most adversely. The same logic applies to Canadian provinces. Highly export-oriented provinces such as Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia are influenced significantly by the currency appreciation. Effect on unemployment. Rising Canadian dollar makes labour costs comparatively higher and increase the total production costs in export-oriented industries. Profit margin falls, and manufacturers decrease their labour force. They also add more machinery and equipment as the imported capital become more attractive due to the appreciating dollar. For example, in 2010, manufacturing sector experienced a loss of 37,000 jobs compared to 2009. This decrease in employment can be partially explained by the stronger dollar. Effect on productivity. Stronger Canadian dollar can have a positive impact on the country’s productivity. Productivity greatly affects the country’s living standard. Improved productivity results in higher output, profits, wages and, eventually, the standard of living. As exchange rate increases, Canadian output becomes relatively less competitive in international markets, and domestic companies start to lose their profits. Competition among manufacturers gets more intense, and companies try to retain their profits by increasing their productivity through investment in more efficient machinery and equipment. Companies’ capital to labour ratio rises due to lower cost of imported equipment, and increased use of capital leads to improved productivity in the long run. With lower exchange rate, Canadian firms are more profitable and have more money for capital investment, but with stronger dollar, imported capital and materials become relatively cheaper. On the other hand, higher exchange rate makes Canada less attractive for foreign direct investment because of relatively higher labour costs. The extent of this effect is limited, but the country still loses potential productivity gains. It is important for Canada to increase its productivity and relative competitiveness for the long-run strengthening of the economy in order to make the effects the currency appreciation less severe. To conclude, the appreciation of the Canadian dollar caused by a number of factors has a considerable effect on the country’s trade balance, industries, employment and productivity. However, these causes and consequences should not be considered in isolation but rather interdependently, and fundamentals such as economic performance of Canada or the U. S. should be taken into account. How to cite CAD/USD Exchange Rate, Papers

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Business Corporates Report Business Report

Question: You need to do an essay (covering the materials in your class notes) - considering accounting, conceptual framework (prudence) and a critical analysis of the existing system and what is working, perhaps why the system is not operating at optimum level - consideration of the role that executive remuneration (eg bonus) may be a contributing factor but also more detailed discussion of other reasons also. Please do this by referencing corporate reports of company(s) of your choice to demonstrate your understanding. Answer: Introduction: Caltex- a company associated with oil and lubricants is the largest retailer and transport fuel suppliers have petroleum branches all over the world. The corporation was started in the year 1936 as a joint venture between the company of Texas and the standard oil company of California. It sources and refines around 61 million barrels of crude oil in a year and supplies almost Australias transport fuel (2014). As per the Australian Securities Exchange Caltex is the only marketing and oil refining company. As per the reports up to March 2015, half of the Caltex was owned by the Australian shareholders and the rest by the Chevron. It operates the largest retail network of oil in Australia. By August 2012, it has two petroleum refineries in Australia. The company has both managerial and non-managerial heads. Generally, the company basically focuses on executive directors rather than non-managerial directors. The part given to the executive directors is to run and direct the company effic iently (Gibbs 2014). This study investigates about the position of non-executive directors of the company. In the given case after analyzing the annual report of the company we came to know that the company needs to present an audited report to meet the certain queries of the public. Analysis of Remuneration Report of the company: Before giving any decision let us understand the meaning of Directors Report. It is made in order to get an idea about the companys financial position, its structural capacity and so on. In the present case after analyzing the directors report from companys annual report 2015 we got an idea about companys market position. We can see that company has made certain changes in his management during the year. The remuneration structure of the directors is cited below: As per companys policy non-executive directors are entitled to get remuneration with an increase of 3% during the year. After summarizing the balance sheet of the company we can get a basic idea about companys turnover during the year. As per the given data we can easily see that the companys market position according to balance sheet is not good in comparison to last year balance sheet. The investment made in joint ventures shows a huge downfall of 15,715 thousands of dollars. It does not create a good impact on companys goodwill. But if we look through the income statement we can see that the company has a good provision to meet with the net loss in their joint venture during the year in comparison to past year. Earlier the company had a negative balance but now it has a positive balance of 1,326 thousands of dollars. If we compare both the reports we can get a brief idea that the company is trying to obtain profit in order to receive bonus payment which is not beneficial for the c ompany in the long run. Issues regarding Remuneration: According to the law the company can increase the remuneration of its director up to 11% after passing a resolution in the meeting. This amount does not include non-executive directors. In case of non-executive directors the company is necessary to pay an amount which cannot exceed 3% of the net profit. In this case the company has increased the required percentage according to the guidelines as prescribed by the board. The company can give further benefits to the non-executive directors based on their effort and time given to the company. Non-Executive directors have an increased role in the company so proper attention is needed to be paid towards them otherwise they can lead to weaker governance by advancing their self interest ahead of companys interests. While comparing the financial statements of the company we can assume that non-directors of the company have created some kind of self-interest because of this reason the financial statement is not matching. As per Australian Acc ounting Board the company has to make certain disclosures in their cash flow statement. In the given case the company has disclosed all the relevant disclosures in their statement, all the necessary details of cash outflow and inflow have been mentioned by the company in a relevant manner. So, it can be said that non-executive directors are not damaging the companys control in the market. Consolidation of the records as per GPFR method: It should be noted that a form of differential financial reporting has been integrated under the Australian Accounting Standards as a body in Reporting concept. A reporting entity should be prepared for General Purpose Financial Report, which complies with the AAS. On the other hand, non-covering business organizations must prepare the Special Purpose Financial Report, which is in less observance with the Australian Accounting Standard. There are quite a lot of companies, which depends on the Australian Accounting Standard so that it can evaluate the future significance of profitability under the reporting concept within the aspects of AAS. To facilitate the profitability of a business entity a changeover has been made which covers the differential aspects of reporting framework in accordance with the GPFRs (Deegan 2013). It is noteworthy to denote that the makers of financial statements and their accountants should constantly assess whether the current fiscal reporting structure is appropriate and if essential may take required steps to guarantee gentle operation of business entity. GPFRs are intended to meet the needs of the users who are not in the desired point to control the financial report modified to meet up the needs of the users. Consolidation of Inventory: Inventory means goods or material which a company holds with the purpose of resale in the next year. It takes into consideration the carrying cost of the material, valuation of inventory, forecasting of demand and inventory, and so on. The reason behind keeping an inventory is to manage scale of economies, uncertainties and seasonal demand. Demand and supply keeps on changing so the company needs to keep a track record of the stocks to meet the proper demand. As in the given case the company has an opening balance of 14,574 thousands of dollars for the year 2016. After looking the other annualized report the company has a good stock to meet its demand during the year in case of crisis. The company has not overvalued or undervalued its stock to ascertain extra profit. So, it can be said that the act of the company is as per the law. Hence, the company is not trying to create any false profit. Consolidation of Accounts receivable: An important framework denotes that the companies record their accounts receivable in the financial statement, which is based on the sales record. It should be noted that overstating the accounts receivable might straightforwardly inflate the dimension of a company balance sheet. According to the Australian Accounting Standards Boards, companies usually report their assets at their actual cost but they re-examine and make necessary arrangements over time based on an assets changing fair market value (Kang and Gray 2013). Accounts receivable are recorded in the form of current assets in the financial statement and hence, overemphasizing the receivable of accounts will result in unadjusted thus carrying an inflated value of the originally reported accounts receivable. It should be noted that the carrying value or the fair market value of outstanding accounts receivable is the sum of actually recorded accounts receivable deducted by the sum of incalculable or doubtful accounts. Any incalculable accounts receivable are unpaid obligations by consumers becomes a part of a write off expenses for the enterprise. However, it should be noted that not considering any uncollectible customers accounts, overstating accounts the accounts receivable would understate the bad debts operating expense of an organization. Hence, those bad debts expenses might have been reported under the companys income statement in the form of subtraction from revenue. Therefore, overstating the accounts receivable will indirectly overstate the net income of the company reported in the financial statement (Chua et al. 2012). When net income is near to retained earnings at the end of the financial period, retained earnings in the form of equity in the balance sheet is also overvalued. It is noteworthy to denote that companies have on few occasions have referred to the accounts receivable for calculation of cash flow statement. Nevertheless, business entities avoid having overvalued accounts receivable when they decide to write off those, which are deemed uncalculable. Consolidation of Transfer Pricing: Transfer pricing means a method to set off the price of goods and services in between the subsidiary company to its parent company. It is the tool to avoid tax avoidance in the company. As per the companys given data we can see that there is a huge difference in the tax structure of the company. If we look into the share of net profit of associated entities we can see that the company has more than three times the value from the previous year. To this we can say that the company has maintained a good track record with its associated entities but overall if we look into the total of tax expenses we can see that the company has a high percentage increase in the tax amount. This can burden the company of paying the amount out of its profit. In order to cut off the amount the company may not show the actual value of it profit or may represent wrong financial statement during the year. So, the company has to keep a track on the expenses to accumulate the profit during the year. The property plant and the equipment column are maintained as per the AASB norms by the company. The PPE analysis from the annual report clearly state that the company is able to maintain a sufficient amount of the net carrying amount in compared to the year 2014. The PPE amount for the year 2015 has been observed to be $ 2,602,865 and in the year 2014, it was only $ 2,363,672. In the cash flows from then investing activities of the company, it had been observed that Caltex Australia Limited was able to increase the Net proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment (Hu et al. 2015). This increase was an amount from $ 25290 to $ 43095.The PPE of the companys composed of the various types of the components such as the inclusion of freehold land at cost and the Accumulated impairment losses. The property of the company also takes into the account the cost of the building at both cost and the various type of accumulated depreciation on the impairment of losses. In this section then company was seen an increase in the losses by an amount of 2% (Laing and Perrin 2014). Hence, the company needs to considerably improve the amount of the impairment on the losses. The PPE value also takes into account the various types of the cost related to the lease hold property both at the cost level and the accumulated amortization of the same. Hence, it can be observed that the company adheres to then various type of the guideline provided by the AASB conceptual framework. Under plant section of the company the company is observed to maintain the plant and the equipment both at cost and Accumulated depreciation and impairment losses (Yao et al al. 2013). Liabilities leases intangible assets notes look for evidence of any leasing Contingent legal liabilities where companies have had to pay out legal obligations due to issues From the liabilities and the leases analyses of the company, it can be stated that the company is observed to increase the leasehold property value from $ 74,762 in the year 2014 to $ 76,423 in the year 2015. The various type of the leased assets for the company are grouped under the PPE of them company (Chalmers et al. 2012). The intangibles of the company are seen to be decreased from an amount of $ 157,473 to $ 163,035. The intangibles of the company further states that the companys year endings intangibles was observed to be $ 779000 (Pawsey and Crase 2013). The intangible of the companys groups and the assets was further observed to $ 8101000 which represent the amount of the money paid to Scotts for the purpose of the customer relationship and meeting the criteria for then for the purpose of the various types of the trade requirements. In the statement showing the reconciliation of the net profit of the company it has been observed that the company is seen to be amortization of the various types the intangibles. The decrease in the intangible of the company is observed due to the impairment of the software by $12 million in the year 2015 (Russell 2014). Implementing Prudence Method: Prudence is a method where we cannot overestimate our revenues or underestimate our expenses. In other words it can be said that it is done only when we want to record the revenues which are certain and expenses which are probable. In case of Caltex after examining the given report we came to know that the company has tried to adopt this method so that they can ascertain the actual value of their assets and liabilities during the year. This method somehow becomes useful to them. Conclusion: After analyzing the whole annual report of the company we can conclude that the company has not adopted any wrongful means of business. Certain changes were made by the company during the year so that the company can earn the profit in the future. The company has maintained its goodwill by adopting all the fair means of business without harming any other entities. The market value of the company keeps on fluctuating during the year. If we compare the past historical records of the company we can easily get an idea about the fluctuating financial condition of the company. Not only the historical records if we look the sales figure of the company we can say that during the year company sales were affected by 0.7% in comparison to the last year which is not so high but can affect the companys profit margin. As per the data the company has a huge amount of RCOP during the year in comparison to the last five years record. So, somehow the company is trying to manage the situation and it is expected that the company will overcome the margin in the near future. It manages to promote the confidence of investors by ensuring them that the company is dealing in an informed market. They meet all the disclosures based on the listing rules of ASX. Reference list: Deegan, C., 2013.Financial accounting theory. McGraw-Hill Education Australia. Kang, H. and Gray, S.J., 2013. Segment reporting practices in Australia: Has IFRS 8 made a difference?.Australian Accounting Review,23(3), pp.232-243. Chua, Y.L., Cheong, C.S. and Gould, G., 2012. The impact of mandatory IFRS adoption on accounting quality: Evidence from Australia.Journal of International Accounting Research,11(1), pp.119-146. Henderson, S., Peirson, G., Herbohn, K. and Howieson, B., 2015.Issues in financial accounting. Pearson Higher Education AU. Goh, L. and Gupta, A., 2015. Remuneration of Non-Executive directors: Evidence from the UK.The British Accounting Review. NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORSSELF-INTEREST: FIDUCIARY DUTIES AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE(Doctoral dissertation, University of East Anglia). Chalmers, K., Clinch, G., Godfrey, J.M. and Wei, Z., 2012. Intangible assets, IFRS and analysts earnings forecasts. Accounting Finance, 52(3), pp.691-721. Hu, F., Percy, M. and Yao, D., 2015. Asset revaluations and earnings management: Evidence from Australian companies. Corporate Ownership and Control, 13(1), pp.930-939. Laing, G.K. and Perrin, R.W., 2014. Deconstructing an accounting paradigm shift: AASB 116 non-current asset measurement models. International Journal of Critical Accounting, 6(5-6), pp.509-519. Pawsey, N. and Crase, L., 2013. The mystique of water pricing and accounting. Economic Papers: A journal of applied economics and policy, 32(3), pp.328-339 Russell, M., 2014. Capitalization of Intangible Assets and Firm Performance. Yao, D.F., Percy, M. and Hu, F., 2013. Fair values and audit fees: Evidence from asset revaluations in Australia.