Paraphrasing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Paraphrasing - Essay Example In the 14th-century, learning was characterized by education reforms which were accredited to Petrarch. For instance, learning was based on classical sources, linear perspective and other practices such as developing a natural touch to painting. â€Å"The Renaissance,† presented substantial changes in artistic and education in Italy. It led to the transformation of the culture of northern Italy. The changes can be traced back from the late fourteenth to the early sixteenth centuries. Some changes in culture and artistic aspects also influence the rest of Europe a great deal. The term â€Å"re-birth† has often been used literally to mean that the cultural accomplishment of antiquity which had been celebrated before was no longer appreciated, and therefore, it needed to be â€Å"re-born†. However, there has been a significant difference between the ancient texts written during the first one thousand years following the fragmentation of Rome and texts written during the fourteenth and ï ¬ fteenth centuries. Major works such as Virgil, Ovid, and Cicero were majorly studied before new works were discovered such as those written by Livy, Tacitus, and Lucretius. The new discoveries complemented and expanded the ancient Greek literature. There was increased contact of the western Europeans with the Islam from the Arabic translation of original Greek via Latin translations. Through such contact, Europeans acquired a lot of Greek’s philosophical and scientific works. However, only a limited number of Europeans were able to read classical Greek. This number increased as many Greek-speaking people fled to Italy following pressure from the Mongols and the Ottoman Turks. Consequently, they spread their knowledge. This new culture become highly commercialized ad materialistic with artifacts of the ancient Rome being used as pawns in the unlimited power games. During renaissance, the papacy was not left behind in the

Week 3 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Week 3 - Coursework Example The Act also has a crucial provision, Â §404 which requires companies to evaluate their internal financial-reporting controls on an annual basis. While the intention of this legislation is clear, the outcome is still debatable in terms of the benefits it brings to the company and the economy as compared to the costs. Some of the provisions that bring this debate include those that cover issues related to insider trading, auditor independence, internal controls, corporate responsibilities, and internal controls. After the collapse of Enron and WorldCom that left shockwaves throughout the corporate world and left investors in the biggest accounting scandal in history, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) was enforced. This act has become the most significant legislation that embraces corporate governance in the United States since the securities laws of the 1930s. SOX has resulted in a number of changes in the regulatory environment and governance in the United States, including requiring separate analysts of the financial statements from underwriters, requiring senior management to certify their company’s quarterly financial statements, heightened disclosure, and requiring attorneys to report fraud or crimes when detected without delay. While the intention of SOX is clear, there has been a debate about its effects. Proponents of this legislation maintain the fact that it helps investors be more confident in the safety of their investments because it has helped in improving the accuracy of th e financial reports and transparency. On the other hand, opponents argue that compliance to this Act results in a greater burden to public firms, especially those which are small because of increased average costs as a result of the new regulations. Studies show that SOX has resulted in a dramatic increase in companies’ compliance costs. Even though this cost has now reduced as