Social Work Essay Example for Free

Social Work Essay There is a crisis in social work which requires a radical analysis of the contradictions within contemporary social work. The confusion about the role of social work and the declining morale and self-confidence of social workers have resulted in the loss of experienced staff and reluctance of young people to consider a career in social work. This analysis inevitably challenges the present culture of professional training. Proposals to increase the professionalism among social workers have created a crisis in social work. Increasing professionalism will remove social workers further from the people they serve. Questions are already being asked about the value of academic social work training and whether it adequately prepares people for the realities of the job. The social work task is best learned by students working with people in the community who are committed to social change. There is more to social work than simply conforming to, and fitting in with organizations that employ social workers. The ability to show a certain independence of thinking is what makes the social worker a professional. Social work has a rich history of this independent thinking. Social work as a profession should assert that the assessment of a clients needs should not only be driven by the availability of resources but should also be concerned with the reduction of inequality and social injustice. Unfortunately, the social work profession now seems divorced from its roots in socialist ideology and too narrowly concerned with its promoting itself. These elitist pressures are contributing to the current crisis in social work and must be resisted. Proposals to increase the length of training of social workers and elevate their status are not the answer. Increasing professionalization will remove social workers further from the people they serve. Questions are already being asked about the value of academic social work training and whether it adequately prepares people for the realities of the job. The social work task is best learned by students working with people in the community who share their expertise and knowledge with each other and are committed to social change. At present the middle class training establishments are blind to class issues. They claim to be teaching non-oppressive practice but in reality it is a myth. Anti-discriminatory training has failed to put the spotlight on the position of the invisible oppressed i.e. the working class. It can only be assumed that social work  training takes the view that the s ituation of the working class is the natural order of things. If social workers genuinely seek to serve all the members of society there must be an overhaul of training and a radical shift in social work practice to ensure it reflects the centrality of class issues. Social workers today need to draw upon this rich heritage and challenges the increasingly conservative environment within which it operates. The gulf between the services that social service organizations say they deliver and the services that they actually they deliver. Departments may claim to provide services for people in need but social workers know that many people who are suffering material and social deprivation do not get essential services. Many service organizations today have actually become narrower in their focus because of new reforms such as welfare reform. In many instances, social workers titles have actually been changed to that of Case Managers where their roles have been reduced to that of mediator between the client and services they locate for them with other organizations. The overall effect of such changes has been to obscure the high level of poverty and deprivation of service users and to seriously undermine social work values. There is a crisis in social work which requires a radical analysis of the contradictions within contemporary social work. The confusion about the role of social work and the declining morale and self-confidence of social workers have resulted in the loss of experienced staff and reluctance of young people to consider a career in social work. This analysis inevitably challenges the present culture of professional training. Proposals to increase the professionalism among social workers has created a crisis in social work. Increasing professionalism will remove social workers further from the people they serve. Questions are already being asked about the value of academic social work training and whether it adequately prepares people for the realities of the job. The social work task is best learned by students working with people in the community who are committed to social change. There is more to social work than simply conforming to, and fitting in with organizations that employ social workers. The ability to show a certain independence of thinking is what makes the social worker a professional. Social work has a rich history of this independent thinking.  Social work as a profession should assert that the assessment of a clients needs should not only be driven by the availability of resources but should also be concerned with the reduction of inequality and social injustice. Unfortunately, the social work profession now seems divorced from its roots in socialist ideology and too narrowly concerned with its promoting itself. These elitist pressures are contributing to the current crisis in social work and must be resisted. Proposals to increase the length of training of social workers and elevate their status are not the answer. Increasing professionalisation will remove social workers further from the people they serve. Questions are already being asked about the value of academic social work training and whether it adequately prepares people for the realities of the job. The social work task is best learned by students working with people in the community who share their expertise and knowledge with each other and are committed to social change. At present the middle class training establishments are blind to class issues. They claim to be teaching non-oppressive practice but in reality it is a myth. Anti-discriminatory training has failed to put the spotlight on the position of the invisible oppressed i.e. the working class. It can only be assumed that social work training takes the view that the situation of the working class is the natural order of things. If social workers genuinely seek to serve all the members of society there must be an overhaul of training and a radical shift in social work practice to ensure it reflects the centrality of class issues. Social workers today need to draw upon this rich heritage and challenges the increasingly conservative environment within which it operates. The gulf between the services that social service organizations say they deliver and the services that they actually they deliver. Departments may claim to provide services for people in need but social workers know that many people who are suffering material and social deprivation do not get essential servi ces. Many service organizations today have actually become narrower in their focus because of new reforms   such as welfare reform. In many instances, social workers titles have actually been changed to that of Case Managers where their roles have been reduced to that of mediator between the client and services they locate for them with other organizations. The overall effect of such changes has been to obscure the high level of poverty and deprivation of service users and to  seriously undermine social work values. The Crisis in Social Work There is a crisis in social work which requires a radical analysis of the contradictions within contemporary social work. The confusion about the role of social work and the declining morale and self-confidence of social workers have resulted in the loss of experienced staff and reluctance of young people to consider a career in social work. This analysis inevitably challenges the present culture of professional training. Proposals to increase the professionalism among social workers has created a crisis in social work. Increasing professionalism will remove social workers further from the people they serve. Questions are already being asked about the value of academic social work training and whether it adequately prepares people for the realities of the job. The social work task is best learned by students working with people in the community who are committed to social change. There is more to social work than simply conforming to, and fitting in with organizations that employ social workers. The ability to show a certain independence of thinking is what makes the social worker a professional. Social work has a rich history of this independent thinking. Social work as a profession should assert that the assessment of a clients needs should not only be driven by the availability of resources but should also be concerned with the reduction of inequality and social injustice. Unfortunately, the social work profession now seems divorced from its roots in socialist ideology and too narrowly concerned with its promoting itself. These elitist pressures are contributing to the current crisis in social work and must be resisted. Proposals to increase the length of training of social workers and elevate their status are not the answer. Increasing professionalisation will remove social workers further from the people they serve. Questions are already being asked about the value of academic social work training and whether it adequately prepares people for the realities of the job. The social work task is best learned by students working with people in the community who share their expertise and knowledge with each other and are committed to social change. At present the middle class training establishments are blind to class issues. They claim to be teaching non-oppressive practice but in reality it is a myth.  Anti-discriminatory training has failed to put the spotlight on the position of the invisible oppressed i.e. the working class. It can only be assumed that social work training takes the view that the situation of the working class is the natural order of things. If social workers genuinely seek to serve all the members of society there must be an overhaul of training and a radical shift in social work practice to ensure it reflects the centrality of class issues. Social workers today need to draw upon this rich heritage and challenges the increasingly conservative environment within which it operates. The gulf between the services that social service organizations say they deliver and the services that they actually they deliver. Departments may claim to provide services for people in need but social workers know that many people who are suffering material and social deprivation do not get essential services. Many service organizations today have actually become narrower in their focus because of new reforms   such as welfare reform. In many instances, social workers titles have actually been changed to that of Case Managers where their roles have been reduced to that of mediator between the client and services they locate for them with other organizations. The overall effect of such changes has been to obscure the high level of poverty and deprivation of service users and to seriously undermine social work value

Blockbuster Hbr Case Essay Example for Free

Blockbuster Hbr Case Essay One of Blockbuster’s biggest value drivers is geographic location. Most people, especiall in urban areas live pretty close to a Blockbuster location. Availability of titles is also a value driver that not all video stores can provide. Their reputation is also a value driver. Economies of scale are one of Blockbuster’s largest cost drivers. The ability to negotiate with movie studios with leverage while their competitors can’t as effectively win lower prices for inventory purchases gives a huge advantage. The aforementioned reasons are ammunition to defened against competitors. Geographic location and leveraging the brand name recognition are two of the most important advantages that Blockbuster has that none of its competitors can easily overcome. After the formation of Blockbuster, the first major technological substitute to come along was the DVD (the digital versatile disc) and the DIVX (digital video express disc). There was a fierce battle between these two rival substitutes as they waged war. Both were looking to become the sole technology that would replace VHS. Blockbuster remained on the sidelines for the first few years after these technologies were introduced even though 8 major motion picture studios had committed to either DIVX or DVD (6 for DIVX and 2 for DVD) Once Antioco had made a decsion as to back DVD for a multitude of reasons, Blockbuster’s decision would lead to the demise of DIVX. Antico decided that DVD offered the most promise. They were more widespread, DVD player units were more readily available and they were cheaper. About a year after Blockbuster decided to back DVD, Circuit City decided to give up on the DIVX technology. Blockbuster also faced competition from consumer’s decsion to buy DVDs as opposed to renting them(sell through). Antioco saw this as a potential threat and decided to sell through used DVDs at a discount at Blockbuster stores. Along with some promotions, such as a free rental with the purchase of a movie, Antioco’s plan was expected to triple Blockbuster’s share of the video sales market. In 2003 Disney developed a technology much like DIVX called EZ-D. The plan was eliminate the return of rented videos as the disc would be discared 48 hours after opening because a chemical would render it useless. The technology ultimately failed as Blockbuster did not back the technology because for just a few dollars more (EZ-D discs retailed at $5-$7) consumers could outright purchase a DVD with unlimited use. One of the newest substitutes to threaten blockbuster is online video sales. This market is cannabilizing Blockbuster’s sell through numbers and Blockbuster is countering with their own online sales. Another is home delivery service. Even though this service had promise with more than a few firms, they all failed for a multitude of reasons and never posed a real threat. Netflix, a video subscription service with no late fees is also a substitute that Blockbuster is facing. After much initial success, Blockbuster decided to start their own subscription pricing model in which consumers can pay a flat fee each month for unlimitied rentals at their retail outlets. Eventually adding the feature where consumers can opt to either receive/return the discs through the mail similar to netflix or to receive/return them at a retail location to satisfy an immediate need. This option gives them a competitive advantage over Netflix.

The Transcendental Movement: History and Concepts

The Transcendental Movement: History and Concepts The Transcendental Movement centered on thriving to discover the age-old philosophical question: What exactly is the true meaning of life? In order to find an answer, Transcendentalists focused on five main beliefs. They were individualism, nature, anti-materialism, intuition, and the quest to find the truth of existence (Gura). Notably, the Movement lured in famous names such as authors Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson, and women right’s activist Margret Fuller. Due to the rather extreme liberal views and the controversy that arose from their particular ideology, Transcendentalism barely made a splash in the 1830 society (Blanch). However, as history has played out, the principles of the philosophical movement have clearly had an impact in American revolutions. As much as the movement is often incorrectly labeled as being against Christian belief systems, Transcendentalism roots reach back to Christianity through the already liberal Unitarian denomination. In approximately 1835, young men training to become Unitarian ministers rebelled against their spiritual elders. They found the belief in Christ’s miracles to be outlandish, claiming that his moral teachings were more than enough to make him a prophet (Gura). The men also rejected the blanket theory that human knowledge directly comes from senses; rather, they argued that spiritual principles that come from within one’s self consequently lead to a better comprehension of the world. Due to these first principles, the main ideas of Transcendentalism’s â€Å"intuition† and â€Å"conscience† were quickly embraced. Founders claimed that through these ideas, one can move beyond- or â€Å"transcend†- past the dull experiences of the lower domain, and on to spiritual bliss. This euphoric state was only made possible through, as named by Ralph Emerson, the Oversoul, which is virtually defined as being a universal force in which every soul partakes. Through this Oversoul, one exceeds individual consciousness (Goodman). At the core, Transcendentalists thoroughly believed in equality, for there was no distinct line between the saved and the damned. It was truly up to the individual whether or not to take advantage of the Oversoul that takes them into the spiritual world. Because of the main theme of equality, the philosophy seemed perfectly fitted for a nation that claimed to be founded upon equivalence (Gura). However, as history has proven, the United States has, by no means, been the perfect picture of social fairness. Obviously, the transcendental theory conflicted with the antebellum efforts of social reform. The new philosophy deemed that if all, regardless of race and gender, were created equal, then they should be treated as such. From the start, the movement’s ideals have played a strong role in American social progression. Phillip F. Gura states, â€Å"For some, such reform activities were the natural outgrowth of Transcendentalist thought, and they made social reform virtually the entire focus of their Transcendentalism.† Transcendentalism deeply influenced the women right’s development (Reuben). This philosophy was one of the first to make the fight for gender equality seem somewhat acceptable. It had a strong impact on activist Margret Fuller, who is one of the most famous feminists in recorded history. She first broke down the occupational inequality barriers when she became the editor at the Transcendental Club newspaper titled, The Dial. Later on, she wrote Women of the Ninetieth Century, which, due to its political radicalness, became the most known feminist book of its era, and drew mass attention to the cause (â€Å"Margret Fuller†). Two decades before the civil war, this movement was already battling the fight against slavery. These philosophers wrote letters, articles, and provided lectures in hopes of achieving the abolition of enslavement. Their acts were controversial and received little attention, but their attempts quickly rallied the concept that perhaps slavery was indeed wrong. Their ideology fanned the flames of the fire that would eventually lead to the Civil War (Hampson). These outspoken men and women would use the transcendental idea of individuality and equality to justify their beliefs. The Transcendental movement did not only effect gender and racial equality. It was also an innovator for many upcoming changes throughout generations within the United States society. For instance, Bronson Alcott began the Temple School- the first school designed for young children in order to teach their inborn divinity and encouraged early self-discovery (Gura). Due to these radical teachings, parents of the students forced Alcott to shut down the educational program. However, his teaching assistant, Elizabeth Peabody, another famous feminist, went on to develop the first kindergarten movement within the United States (Blanch). Other Transcendentalists moved on to more of a political standpoint, and became what, today, we call socialists (Goodman). Former Unitarian pastor George Ripely left the pulpit and started the Institute of Agriculture and Education. Through his educational experiments that involved living in communal existence, he tried to dissolve the definitive lines that lay between workers and intellectuals. He started dividing the community’s profits into the socialist principles, also making the community members rotate through different jobs. When hearing of this experiment, Alcott decided to institute a new experiment of his own. He and other transcendentalists decided to become vegetarian, and to give up materialistic aspects (Gura). This chain ultimately affected Henry David Thoreau, a transcendental writer. Thoreau moved into a small cabin located near Walden Pond by himself for two years. He lived purely on the bare necessities one needs in order to survive. In this time frame, Thoreau wrote the novel Walden, in which he spoke of his lifestyle, transcendentalism, and the importance of searching spirituality through nature without the burdens of materialistic aspects (Blanch). Lynn Branch describes Thoreau’s impact by saying: Thoreau was also a forerunner of the environmental movement and his book, Walden, about mans fundamental connection to nature, raised a new consciousness about natures role in our spiritual and social lives. He championed the idea of public parks and nature reserves as important links to spirituality and lamented the destruction of the forests as the destruction of our earthly paradise when he declared, â€Å"Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.† Ultimately, over the years, Walden has sold hundreds of thousands of copies. The writings became an extremely popular book, informing audiences of the philosophy of transcendentalism. Thoreau’s novel deeply impacted such times like the Great Depression Era, when learning to live simplistically proved to be essential, and the 1960’s, which, of course, was the decade of individuality (Blanch). Transcendentalists were, for a lack of a better word, the first form of â€Å"hippies.† They stressed the importance of environmental importance, equality, individuality, and spirituality (Gura). Their ideals have greatly impacted the United States society in many forms, including gender and racial reform, environmental protection, economical viewpoints, and education. Although their movement would, by no means, be considered the most direct and known historical force in the progression of American society, their underlying beliefs are nearly identical and parallel to the lifestyle that is evident today. The spiritual and individualistic ideology shaped the modern culture that is displayed today. Works Cited Gura, Phillip. Transcendentalism and Social Reform .gilderlehrman.org. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History , n.d. Web. 18 Feb 2014. . Goodman, Russell . Transcendentalism .plato.stanford.edu. N.p., 07 Mar 2011. Web. 18 Feb 2014. . Blanch, Lynn. Social and Political Effects of Transcendentalists.classroom.synonym.com. Demand Media, n.d. Web. 18 Feb 2014. . Hampson, Thomas. The American Renaissance and Transcendentalism.pbs.org. PBS, n.d. Web. 18 Feb 2014. . Margaret Fuller.transcendentalism-legacy.tamu.edu. Psymon, n.d. Web. 18 Feb 2014. . Reuben, Paul. Chapter 4: Early Nineteenth Century: American Transcendentalism The Womens Rights Impulse.www.csustan.edu. N.p.. Web. 18 Feb 2014. .

Female Independence in Catharine Maria Sedgewicks Hope Leslie and Kell

Female Independence in Catharine Maria Sedgewick's Hope Leslie and Kelly Clarkson's Song "Miss Independent" Authors have addressed the topic of female independence in various literary styles, including novels, novellas, and poetry. In our society today, independence for women is one of the main topics of many songs. The concept of female independence has changed over the years; people have gone from frowning upon female independence to celebrating it. Both Catharine Maria Sedgewick and pop singer Kelly Clarkson address female behavior that now, in the 21st century, is typical for many women. In Sedgewick’s Hope Leslie, the title character portrays a young woman that defies her society’s repressive Puritanical standards; she portrays independence, courage, and outspokenness. Clarkson, in her 2003 hit, â€Å"Miss Independent† expresses characteristics common in many females of modern American society; they tend to show independence, self-sufficiency, courage, and determination. Hope, in a way, is an anachronism; she represents characteristics of a 21st century woman, tho ugh living in the 17th century. In Hope Leslie, the typical woman of the repressed 17th century Puritan society portrays a very passive demeanor; she tends to behave in a quiet and humble way. Esther Downing and Mrs. Winthrop exemplify this expected behavior. They are quiet, humble, do not express their opinions, and show domesticity – they are the perfect Puritan female. The title character, Hope Leslie, grew up â€Å"among the strictest sect of the puritans† and due to her upbringing, her loved ones expect that her behavior reflect that of women like Esther and Mrs. Winthrop (127). However, Hope does not adhere to the expectations. She depicts outspokenness, e... ...r Philip, or have any sort of relationship with him whatsoever. Instead, Hope decides that she loves Everell and wants to be with him. Once again, Hope symbolizes how the majority of women would begin to behave as the years progressed. Hope is the 17th century version of â€Å"Miss Independent.† Sedgewick uses Hope to portray a woman that has the characteristics of a typical woman of the 21st century. Hope shows assertiveness, courage, independence, outspokenness, and many other qualities not usual for a Puritan woman during the 17th century. Kelly Clarkson’s â€Å"Miss Independence† represents the average female of the 21st century, especially American women. The concept of female independence has changed drastically over the years, and it continues to change. This 21st century song bears a strong representation of an atypical 17th century female, Hope Leslie.

Postion Paper: Nature Vs. Nurture -- essays research papers

Position Paper: Nature vs. Nurture   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The controversy of nature vs. nurture has been going on for many years, and a decision has not yet been reached in which one is the most affective. Using the results of the countless tests done, everyday situations, and the twins experiment, I will prove that nature is a larger contributor to the outcome of our personalities than nurture.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Firstly, many psychologists and Universities, such as Harvard, conducted countless test to determined which traits of our personalities seemed to be inherited, and which seemed to be developed from our own life experiences. For most of the traits measured, more than half the variation was found to be due to heredity. Among these traits were things such as leadership abilities, traditionalism, obedience or lack of, and surprisingly enough, the strict enforcement of rules. An not all the things tested were based on stature and parental ways. Some that tested out at least 50% due to heredity included a sense of well-being, zest for life; alienation; vulnerability or resistance to stress and fearfulness or risk-seeking. All these factors have to do directly with our personality. Our goals for achieving and future were another thing that tested out to be largely due to heredity and genes. The need to achieve, including ambition and inclination to work hard towards goals is an example of that. All these points simply prove that there are very many trai...

Pros and Cons of Outsourcing Essay -- Research Papers, Globalization

Pros and Cons of Outsourcing. 1. Introduction Globalization has lead to increase in international trade and a greater role for multinational corporations. With the rise of globalization many companies are turning to either off shoring or offshore outsourcing. In India and China, companies like IBM, Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, and Novell choose to get services from sub-contractors in these countries or move their development and support jobs there. Outsourcing is to contract out some of company’s activities to a third party company. The company who outsourced and the third party who is going to handle the activities for the company are joined by means of an outsourcing arrangement. This practice became even more popular after the dot-com crash of the early 21st century. As many businesses struggled with cash-flow problems, many investors were leary in investing money in high-tech companies, which many felt were still vulnerable to the dot-com effect. Struggling to do more with less, companies looked for less expensive avenues of development and support. For the United States, Indiaseemed like a perfect resource for these needs since most nationals speak english. A company can hire an engineer in India, for example, for US$10,000 a year where an equally qualified engineer in the U.S. could cost $60,000-$90,000 a year. Outsourcing has been big political issue as highly educated and highly paid IT workers lose their jobs. In this competitive environment, companies have to concentrate on competency and they want to outsource everything to reduce cost so the trend toward offshore outsourcing is increasing. Outsourcing threatens that in future US will not have many technology people. As all the technical work will be ... ...ures/feature.php?wfId=1872298 http://lieberman.senate.gov/newsroom/whitepapers/Offshoring.pdf http://www.iie.com/publications/papers/kirkegaard0204.pdf http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4631368/ http://www.computerworld.com/managementtopics/outsourcing/story/0,10801,78941,00.html http://www.agilemanagement.net/Articles/Weblog/OutsourcingDebate.html http://www.infoworld.com/article/03/12/19/HNoutsourcing2004_1.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36379-2004Mar30.html http://www.iht.com/articles/127188.html http://www.aicpa.org/pubs/jofa/mar2004/miller.htm http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Outsourcing http://www.nysscpa.org/cpajournal/2004/304/perspectives/nv1.htm http://www.nasscom.org/artdisplay.asp?Art_id=1907 http://www.nasscom.org/artdisplay.asp?Art_id=2552 http://www.capgemini.com/adaptive/media/TransOutsourcePOV.pdf

Reading for Pleasure Can Be Better Develped in Imagination and Language Sklls Than Watching Tv

Today, I will talk about an ancient city of China—Langzhong. My purpose in giving this presentation is to show you detailed geographic features of Langzhong, and recommend this famous place to you for travelling, so this presentation will have two parts, that is geography and tourism. Different from big modern cities, ancient cities can offer tourists an incredible variety of special sights and activities. This city is often referred to as a famous historical town. It’s one of the best preserved ancient towns in China. Langzhong city is a 2300-year-old city located in Nanchong, Sichuan Province.It is located in the north-east of the Sichuan basin and the middle reach of the Jialing River. The city is known as the wonderland of Sichuan. In terms of the geography of Langzhong, it is best to imagine the area as a main center surrounded by countless mountains and rivers with the northern part is higher than the southern part. Langzhong has plenty of natural resources such a s water resources, mineral resources and open space. Langzhong’s numerous rivers also ensure that our whole country has a major source of hydroelectric power. The government is also reclaiming these open spaces to improve agriculture.What’s more, Langzhong is rich in oil, gas, and gold. When people refer to Langzhong, they always talk about its long history. It was given the title of the best preserved ancient city around the world by the United Nations. As a travelling destination, Langzhong has something to offer almost every visitor. The first place that gives me a deep impression is Huaguang Tower. Huaguang Tower is also named Southern Tower or Zhenjiang Tower. It was first built in the Tang Dynasty, but it suffered several fires and was rebuilt repeatedly by past dynasties.The existing tower was renovated in the sixth year of the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty. The base of the tower is 5 meters high and the total height is 25. 5 meters. With a three-layered ro of, the tower seems tall and straight as well as elegant and delicate. It has unique architectural features of the Tang Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty, winning the reputation of â€Å" the number one tower of Langyuan Garden†. In addition, few Langzhong sites are as impressive as the pavilion of Prince Teng, you can climb the pavilion to see the whole scenery of Langzhong City.The famous Chinese poet DuFu wrote an essay to praise this tower’s elegance and uniqueness highly–â€Å"The mountain is cloud-kissing, and people ascend it to enjoy a distant view. † If you want to know a lot about Chinese history and you are interested in the Han Dynasty, you can’t miss the chance to visit the Temple of Zhangfei. This temple has a history of 1700 years. It is well-known for its striking architecture, beautiful calligraphy, exhibition, and long history. Langzhong city is also famous for its examination hall.This hall was a special place for the imperial competi tive examination, which selected the most talented people and sent them to the emperor. Langzhong was called the town of number one scholars because it had so many geniuses who made great contribution to the entire world. What’s more, my favorites are the ancient streets and ancient houses. The preservation of the ancient city is a precious legacy for our whole world. Historians can learn a lot from this city. As for me, when I walked into the city, I simply wanted to spend a whole day strolling along the streets with my best friends.You can also take a boat to enjoy the scenery of Langzhong city along the Jialing River. This city is more peaceful than Lijing ancient city. Another thing the city has to offer is its excellent food. You can have a barbecue at night and drink specially-made plum wine or a beverage made of vinegar, both of which are delicious. The chafing dish has local features that are totally different from what I have ever eaten. That’s why I really wa nt to recommend it to you. There are some Langzhong’s tourist attractions, now, I want to talk about my trip to Langzhong. On that trip, I travelled with five friends.It was the first time that we took a trip without parents. We had to arrange everything in advance, but to be honest, it was hard to depend on ourselves completely. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed the trip and had great fun with my friends. We could visit any place we are interested in without a touring party. I think you can imagine how free we felt. In fact, I was not very close with two of those guys. Although we were classmates in middle school, we lost contact with each other after we graduated. After those five days, we had already become close friends and talked all the time.Yes, this trip was an valuable experience for me. Because of it, I understand it is difficult but important to be independent, I find it is so good to have such kind friends and I have fallen in love with this ancient city. It was just a five day long trip, but it becomes an precious part of my life. I know I will cherish it forever. That’s my speech. I hope everyone has learned something about Langzhong ancient city from it. If you want to experience the atmosphere of ancient China with your best friends, Langzhong is the place to do it! Thank you for your time.