Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Competitive examination

Efficiency Ratios

Inventory Turnover

Determines if sales are sufficient to turn over or utilize inventory effectively. It indicates whether too much or insufficient inventory is being purchased.

Assets Turnover

A higher Assets Turnover Ratio (ATR) suggests that the company's management is utilizing its assets efficiently to generate sales.

Receivables Turnover

A higher receivables turnover indicates that a company is more efficient than its competitors in collecting its accounts receivables.

Profitability Ratios

Return on Sales (RoS)

"For every dollar sold, the company earns x profit." Measures operational efficiency.

Return on Equity (RoE)

"For every dollar invested by shareholders, the company earns x profit." Measures profitability relative to shareholders'... Continue reading "Key Financial Ratios for Business Performance Analysis" »

Golden circle:

This relates to the innovation. If a company is able to attract those who share its beliefs, it is also able to connect easier with innovators.

This is a graph made up of three circles, each inside the other. Each circle has a meaning and a way to apply it to our business efficiently.

We can explain the operation of the Golden Circle in such a way that while most companies ask themselves the answers to the question 'what' as their starting point, they are fully aware of the 'how', but very few companies are clear about the 'why'.

The 'what' responds to what we do and what we want to do. The 'how' responds to the processes through which we carry out our actions, and the 'why' would respond to the reason why we develop our business.... Continue reading "The Golden Circle: Driving Innovation and Quality Management" »

1. Grimm's Law

Jacob Grimm formulated a law in 1822 by which he accounted for an explanation about Indo-European and Germanic consonants and their corresponding development. In other words, he explained how certain consonant sounds changed and developed. According to him, the original Indo-European voiceless stops p/t/k were changed to the fricatives f/þ/h in the Germanic languages. Also, the aspirates bh/dh/gh became voiced fricatives β/đ/y, and then, the voiced stops b/d/g. The original voiced stops b/d/g changed later to voiceless stops in the Germanic languages so b/d/g turned into p/t/k (h). The Germanic Sound Shift is the most distinctive feature marking off the Germanic languages from the languages to which they are related.

2. Verner'

Romanticism

Romanticism was a cultural and political movement that took place in both Germany and England. The great majority of critics and historians agree that the Romantic period began in 1798, when Wordsworth and Coleridge published Lyrical Ballads. This period would last until 1837, with the beginning of the Victorian Era. Romanticism arose as a reaction against the rationality of the Enlightenment and neoclassical precepts. Thus, this movement can be understood as a break with reason.

Romanticism in the Arts

Romanticism reached preponderance in all artistic facets. Although the name "romantic" has been given to people of those times, the word is anachronistic; in other words, these people did not consider themselves as Romantics. This term... Continue reading "Romanticism in Literature: Key Features and Influence" »

Key Concepts in English Language Teaching

1. Language as Communication

Oral and written language. Factors that define a communicative situation: transmitter, receiver, function, and context.

2. Communication in the Foreign Language Classroom

Verbal and non-verbal communication. Extralinguistic strategies: non-verbal reactions to messages in different contexts.

3. Development of Linguistic Skills

Oral expression and comprehension, written expression and comprehension. Communicative competence in English.

4. Evaluating Foreign Language Knowledge

Evaluating foreign language knowledge as an instrument of communication between people. Interest in linguistic diversity through the knowledge of a new language and its culture.

5. The Cultural Framework of English

Antipositivism in Sociology

Sociology, as a non-empirical field, studies social action through subjective means. If society is viewed as separate from individuals, the state might be perceived as totalitarian. However, the state is the highest form of social organization, while society represents the lifestyle and organization of individuals. The state aims to defend common interests, and individuals are subordinate neither to society nor to the state.

The Interplay of Law and Society

Laws originate from society, making all legal phenomena social phenomena. However, not all social phenomena are legal. Examples of social phenomena include fashion, good manners, and sports. Legal sociology explores the relationship between social structure and... Continue reading "Understanding Social Action: A Weberian Perspective" »

Analysis of a Journalistic Opinion Piece

Textual Characteristics

This journalistic opinion piece, extracted from a newspaper, explores the subject of ... . The author's primary aim is to present their perspective and persuade the reader of its validity. The text blends expository and argumentative writing styles, explaining events while advocating for a specific viewpoint.

Structure

The text follows a traditional three-part structure:

• Introduction: ...
• Development: ...
• Conclusion: ...

Main Ideas

The central arguments presented are:

• ...
• ...

Further details and explanations complement these core ideas.

Author's Thesis

The author's main contention is that ............................. This thesis is strategically positioned within the text to ... .

Language

Selection of Leaders

The selection of rulers is divided into the following stages:

1. Stage 1: Childhood to Age 20

   Children are raised apart from their parents to minimize the influence of undesirable habits. Those not selected for leadership by age 20 join the artisan class. During this stage, education focuses on arithmetic, geometry, gymnastics, and observing war.

2. Stage 2: Age 20 to 30

   Studies include arithmetic, plane and solid geometry, astronomy, and harmony. Those who excel advance to Stage 3 and begin studying dialectic.

3. Stage 3: Age 30 to 35

   Students delve into ascending dialectic. Mastery without reliance on the senses is required to proceed to the next stage.

4. Stage 4: Age 35 to 50

   This stage involves descending dialectic, applying learned

Understanding Moral Reasoning

The Moral Practical Reason for Moral Action: Essentially, human behavior (conscious and free), controlled by values and rules (expressions of such values) that allow us to distinguish between morally good and bad.

Conscience and Moral Awareness

Conscience: Awareness is the ability to move humans to notice something.

Moral Science and Principles

Moral Science: The ability of practical reason to capture the moral principles which can distinguish between morally good and bad. The individual must be aware of the following elements:

• The Reasons: Impel us to act in one way or another.
• The Purpose: To want to achieve and moves the will.
• Means: To be used for the end result.
• The Result: The achievement of the end pursued.

Piaget