Begla 135

BEGLA-135
English in Daily Life

Indira Gandhi
National Open University
School of Humanities
Block
1
GREETINGS AND GOODBYE
UNIT 1
Starting and Ending Conversations 7
UNIT 2
Social Small Talk 30
UNIT 3
Feelings 44
UNIT 4
Non-Verbal Communication: Body Language 60
EXPERT COMMITTEE
Prof Balaji Ranganathan Prof Romika Batra
Gujarat Central University Indira Gandhi University
Gandhinagar, Gujarat Meerpur, Rewari
Dr Anand Prakash (Retd) Dr Hema Raghavan (Retd)

Formerly at Hans Raj College Formerly at Gargi College
University of Delhi University of Delhi
Dr Rajnish Kumar Mishra Dr Richa Bajaj

Special Centre for Sanskrit Studies Hindu College
JNU, New Delhi University of Delhi
Dr Payal Nagpal IGNOU FACULTY

Janki Devi College Prof Anju S Gupta
University of Delhi Prof Malati Mathur
Prof Nandini Sahu
Prof Parmod Kumar
Dr Pema Eden Samdup
Ms Mridula Rashmi Kindo
Dr. Malathy A
COURSE PREPARATON TEAM EDITOR

Course Writers
Content and Language Editing
Ms. Mukti Sanyal (Unit 1 & 2)
Prof. Anju Sahgal Gupta
Delhi University, New Delhi
School of Humanities, IGNOU
Ms. Vijaya Subramanian (Unit 3)
Course Coordinator
Retired Vice-Principal,
Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, New Delhi Prof. Anju Sahgal Gupta
Ms. Urmila Guliani (Unit 4)
Retired Principal,
Kendriya Vidyalaya
New Delhi
Secretarial Assistance
Ms. Premlata Lingwal, PA
PRINT PRODUCTION
Mr. K.N. Mohanan Mr. C.N. Pandey Mr. Babulal Rewaria
Assistant Registrar (P) Section Ofﬁcer (P) Section Ofﬁcer (P)
MPDD, IGNOU, New Delhi MPDD, IGNOU, New Delhi MPDD, IGNOU, New Delhi
July, 2019
 Indira Gandhi National Open University, 2019
ISBN : 978-93-88980-35-7
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COURSE INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the course English in Daily Life!
English in Daily Life is an especially designed programme for learners who
wish to improve their English so that they can communicate in their daily life. It
is meant for those of you who already have some basic skills in the language and
are now ready to acquire greater proficiency in it.
The Course aims to improve your command over the English language by giving
you extensive practice in reading, writing, speaking and listening. To improve
your accuracy in the language, we have given you practice in grammatical
structures. This will also help you in editing your work as well.
Though this is an ODL Course, it is nevertheless communicative and interactive

in its approach, as you will find out as you attempt it. We have prepared an audio
along with the Course, and we suggest that you avail of the facilities of teaching-
learning and interaction that we will provide you at the Study Centre. Moreover,
most of the activities we have given in the units encourage you to interact and
communicate.
Extensive research informs us that ‘fluency’ precedes “accuracy” We have used

a wide variety of text types to make you fluent in the use of everyday English.
Our selections (both for reading and listening) deal with issues of contemporary
relevance and include topics such as greetings and introductions, travel, health
and fitness, the workplace, social values (class, caste, gender, peace, etc.) and
the future. By drawing examples from day to day life and by involving issues that
concern all thinking people, our programme aims not only to raise your social
awareness but also to give you command over the language to express your ideas
and concerns.
We suggest that you read and reread the passages set in the reading comprehension
section, and as you continue reading and make sense of what you read, you will
gain fluency in the language. The comprehension questions are a teaching device
to check your own understanding of the passage. Do not look at the answers until
you have attempted the exercise. The vocabulary section will enhance your word
power. We suggest that you try to guess the meaning of the difficult words from
the context of the reading passage and use the dictionary for the exact meaning.
While attempting the listening activities, it is a good idea to make notes as you
listen. You must listen to each listening text at least twice.
In the pronunciation and speaking section it would be a good idea to listen first
and then repeat after the teacher.
In the writing section we have given you practice in a variety of text types ranging
from a short descriptive paragraph to essays, letters, reports, posters, speeches,
emails and so on. We have given you a sample answer in each case – treat it as a
model on which you may base your own writing.
The answer key contains answers to all the exercises. For some answers variations
are possible which are also correct. If you don’t understand why some of your
answers are wrong or different from the model answers given, you may need to
consult your tutor at the study center. It is a good idea to look at the answers
AFTER you have completed the exercise—you will learn much better in this
way.
We have not preached to you about ‘how to be proficient’ but given you different
activities and exercises which will help both in making you “fluent” and “accurate”
in the language. We request you to earnestly attempt all the activities, exercises
and questions we have set you. Only the use of a language in reading, writing,
listening and speaking can facilitate language proficiency.
BLOCK INTRODUCTION
Are there moments in your life when you are tongue-tied – when you don’t know
what to say – because you don’t know how to begin a conversation in English?
Did you know that conversation is a speech event, just as a meeting, a speech or
a debate is? And just as you learn the rules of more formal speech, you also have
to learn the rules of an ordinary conversation.
In Block 1 of this course we show you how to begin and end conversations (Unit
1), how to conduct social small talk (Unit 2), how to express your feelings —
likes and dislikes (Unit 3).
But communication is more than conversation—it is also about smiles, gestures,

the way we position our body and so on. In other words it is about our body
language. Unit 4 deals with Body Language.
All these aspects have been dealt with in terms of the language skills of reading,
writing, speaking, and listening. There is also a warm up section, which helps
you to lead into the unit. There is a section in each unit on one or two aspects of
grammar, which is mostly derived from the reading activity. To enable you to
speak accurately, we have included a section on Pronunciation. The answers are
given at the end of each unit. We suggest you attempt each activity before you
turn to the answers.
We hope you find the Block useful.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Some of the Material has been taken from the Certificate Programme in Functional
English (CFE)
The material (pictures and passages) we have used is purely for educational
purposes. Every effort has been made to trace the copyright holders of material
reproduced in this book. Should any infringement have occurred, the publishers
and editors apologize and will be pleased to make the necessary corrections in
future editions of this book.
Starting and Ending
UNIT 1 STARTING AND ENDING Conversations
CONVERSATIONS
Structure
1.0 Objectives
1.1 Warm up
1.2 Reading comprehension: Etiquette
1.3 Listening: Problems in Starting a Conversation
1.4 Samples of Greetings
1.5 Writing: Short Responses
1.6 Listening: How to end a Conversation
1.7 Vocabulary: Informal Expressions
1.8 Farewells and Goodbyes
1.9 Grammar: The Simple Present Tense: Verb “to be”
1.10 Pronunciation
1.11 Let Us Sum Up
1.12 Answers
1.0 OBJECTIVES
After studying this unit, you will be able to:-
• begin and end conversations appropriately;
• have a better understanding of the etiquette to be followed and expressions
to be used;
• monitor your own speech more critically.
1.1 WARM UP
Answer the questions below to know how well you manage your conversations.
Answer each question with Yes/No/Sometimes:-
i) I feel shy and never open a dialogue with strangers.
ii) At a party, I never introduce my friends to my family and colleagues.
iii) I feel nervous and confused if I am left alone with unfamiliar people.
iv) I have often left parties unnoticed without thanking the host.
If your answer has been ‘Yes’ for all the four questions, then this lesson will
especially help you to open up and become more social. Best of luck!
1.2 READING COMPREHENSION: ETIQUETTE

Read the passage to understand how and why etiquette matters. But before
you read do you know what etiquette means? Etiquette is a set of customs and 7
Greetings and Goodbye rules for polite behaviour, especially among a particular class of people or in a
particular profession.
Etiquette is a system of rules that tell you what is the polite way to behave towards
other people. The rules of etiquette cover such things as good table manners,
how to introduce one person to another, what to say or do when someone invites
you for a meal or a visit, and many other things.
Some of the rules of etiquette seem silly, because they began hundreds of years
ago when things were not the same as they are today. Most of the rules of etiquette
are not silly at all. They are based on the fact that you should never hurt other
people’s feelings or make things unpleasant or uncomfortable for other people.
Kindness is always good manners, and unkindness never is.
Many well-established rules of etiquette make more sense when you know how
they originated.
Origins of Etiquette
A man tips or lifts his hat as a polite greeting (usually to a woman) in western
countries because hundreds of years ago knights in armor raised the visors of
their helmets so that their faces could be seen.
People shake hands because long ago men held out their empty hand to show that
they were not holding daggers or other weapons.
A man walks on the outside of the side-

walk because at one time streets were
not paved and were muddy, and by
walking on the inside the woman would
stand less chance of being splashed by
carriages.
A man helps a woman across a street or

out of a car because years ago in western
countries women’s skirts reached to the
soles of their shoes and they had to hold
them up with their hands and also look down to keep from tripping.
Times and manners have changed but some rules of etiquette are followed all
round the world especially in formal situations. It is however interesting to
know about these rules even if you do not need to follow all of them.
Some Rules of Etiquette

Introductions: Always introduce a younger person to an older one; for example,
“Ms. Verma, may I introduce my friend Nita Kumar.” Among grownups, a man is
generally introduced to a woman; “Ms. Verma may I introduce Mr. Kumar.”
When you are with one friend and meet another, you must immediately introduce
them if they do not already know each other. When you have been out with a
friend and s/he accompanies you home, you must ask him/her to come in and meet
any members of your family who are there unless s/he already knows them. It is
very rude to fail to make or offer these introductions.
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Table manners: Different countries have Starting and Ending
Conversations
different ‘polite’ ways to use the knife, fork,
and spoon, and any one of the ways is all right.
Only the fork or spoon may be used to carry
food to the mouth, and when the table is set
with several knives and forks, the one on the
outside is always the one to use next. A napkin
should be laid in the lap and never tucked into
any part of the clothing. It is considered
impolite to lean on the table with your elbows.
You should not begin to eat until your host or
hostess has begun. It is bad manners to take too
large mouthfuls or to talk while there is any food in your mouth. One bite of food
should be cut and eaten before another is cut. These are the main rules of table
manners, but there are many more.
Gifts: Gifts should not be too expensive or too personal (like clothing) unless
you know the person very well. Flowers and chocolates are proper gifts from
boys to girls. Nowadays young people give treats to friends.
Acknowledgment: Before leaving any house in which you are a guest, you must
find your host and hostess and thank them. If you have spent the night with them
you should write a letter within a few days at most, and thank them. A thank you
note must also be sent promptly for any gift, and it is polite to telephone the next
day when you have been at a party or at dinner at somebody else’s house.
Courtesy to ladies: Fifty years ago it was not polite for a man to remain seated
when a woman was standing, unless the woman asked him to. When a woman
entered a room, every man in the room immediately stood up and remained standing
until she sat down or asked them to sit down. A man normally lets a woman go
before him through a doorway, or upstairs, or downstairs, and he would not get
into a car until she was in it and the door on her side was closed. In taking places
at a table, the men did not sit down until the women were seated.
Nowadays these rules are not followed except on very formal occasions and
mostly in the Army. With women joining the work force in large numbers, norms
have changed. Today the relationship between the sexes is much more democratic
and less formal. Yet everyone appreciates a young man giving his seat to women
in a bus or his waiting to allow children and women into the bus first.
There are many books that could give you rules of formal etiquette. Most of these
rules are seldom needed. Many of them would be ridiculous if used in ordinary
circumstances. The ones that matters are of good taste, kindness, and being
sensitive to other people.
Check Your Progress 1
1) Say whether the following statements are True or False. Re-read the passage
to correct the false statements:
i) Rules of etiquette are all silly.
ii) A younger person should be introduced to an older person.
iii) It is rude to send a friend away from the door without introducing him/
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Greetings and Goodbye her to your family.
iv) It is polite to rest your elbows on the table and eat rapidly in big
mouthfuls.
v) Expensive clothing can be given to new friends.
2) Fill in the blanks choosing appropriate words from the text:-
Etiquette tells us how to behave in society. If we follow good manners, we

will not hurt people’s (i)________ and our interaction will be pleasant and
(ii) ________. Some rules of etiquette become meaningful if we study their
(iii) _______. For example, shaking hands began when men had to show
they were not carrying (iv) _______ .
Some rules of etiquette are not strictly followed, especially those that deal
with (v) _______ to ladies. However, one like (vi)________ your host and
hostess before leaving a party is always followed.
3) Answer the following briefly:
i) How should introductions be carried out? What expression will you

use?
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ii) List three good table manners.

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iii) What gifts are acceptable among newly made friends?

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iv) What should you do before leaving a party or a friend’s house?

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v) How did the custom of shaking hands start? Starting and Ending
Conversations
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vi) Why does a man walk on the outside of the sidewalk?

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1.3 LISTENING: PROBLEMS IN STARTING A

CONVERSATION
Read the heading of 1.3. What do you expect to hear? We rarely listen to something
without some idea of what we are going to hear. Usually we have some
preconceived notion of the subject matter, formality level and so on, of what we
are to hear. Our expectations, of course, are linked to our purpose in listening.
For example, if we look at the heading, we know we are going to read about
some “problems” about “starting conversations”.
If none of these conditions are true, then we will not listen at all, let alone
understand what is spoken. Therefore there is a close association between listener
expectation, purpose and comprehension. Heard discourse, which closely
corresponds to what the listener expects and needs, is more likely to be understood
than that which is unexpected and irrelevant.
Listen to the conversation and answer the questions given below. You may listen
to the audio as many times as you require. Please note the text of the audio has
been provided in the Answers section.
1) Say whether the following statements are True (T) or False (F). For each of
the statements either correct it if it is false or, give evidence from the listening
passage to prove that the statement is True.
i) Dev is the new boy in class.
ii) Rinku and Neha are close friends.
iii) Neha and Dev are close friends.
iv) Rinku appears to be a quiet and shy person.
v) Neha makes friends easily.
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Greetings and Goodbye 2) Answer the following questions briefly. You may have to listen to the
conversation again:
i) Find three words that tell us the conversation is taking place between
students.
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ii) How does Rinku make fun to Dev?

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iii) How does Dev make fun of Neha?

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iv) What is polite behavior with newcomers?

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v) Is Neha able to end conversations effectively? How do you know?

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Starting and Ending
1.4 SAMPLES OF GREETINGS Conversations
Starting a conversation involves making people feel relaxed and comfortable.

You may have to start a conversation while welcoming visitors. And, when you
don’t know others at a meeting, party or social gathering, you may have to start a
conversation.
Starting a conversation involves three steps:-
(a) greeting; (b) introducing yourself; (c) asking after the other person’s well-
being.
The formulas for these are fixed and usually carry no literal meaning. We say
‘Good morning’ even if it is not a good morning and the answer for ‘How are
you?’ is ‘Fine, thanks,’ even if you are not well. No one except your close
friends really wants to know about your troubles. These are routine courtesies
that are followed. The expression you use will vary according to your relationship.
You could use some of these expressions when you are introducing:
Informal Introduction
Renu: Have you met Gita? Gita this is

Ahmed, a friend of mine from the office.
Gita: Hello Ahmed!
Ahmed: Hello, nice to meet you.
Formal Introduction
Mukti: Mr. Parikh, May I introduce you to my

husband Subhash? Subhash this is Mr. Parikh our
Manager.
Mr. Parikh: How do you do?
Subhash: How do you do?
Introducing Yourself
May I introduce myself?

I’m Anju Sahgal from IGNOU.
13
Greetings and Goodbye
I have an appointment to see the

Director, Mr. Ahuja at 3.30. My name
is Sunil Arora and I’m from Price
Waters

1) Read the short pieces below and decide on the following for each dialogue:-
• Where is the conversation taking place?
• What is their relationship? Strangers/friends/family/acquaintances/
colleagues/neighbours
• Underline the words/ expressions that tell you about their relationship.
i) Ramesh Dixit: What a pleasure to see you, Mr. Sharma! How are you
keeping?
Vikram Sharma: Not bad. How are you doing, Mr. Dixit?
ii) Nitoo: Good morning. Welcome to Fergusson College, ma’am. The
seminar is in Room number 16 down this corridor.
iii) Krishan Kumar: Mr. Peter Walsh, how do you do? I’m Krishna
Kumar, Personnel officer. Welcome to BHEL.
Peter Walsh: Thank you, Mr. Kumar. How do you do?
iv) Vikram Sharma: Good morning, Sir!
Anil Ratan: Good morning, Vikram. I didn’t see you in class
yesterday. Are you keeping well?
Vikram Sharma: Yes Sir, thank you very much.
v) Amrita Gill: Hi! I’m Amrita Gill. We’ve just moved into this locality.
RK: Hi! I’m RK and this is Anu. Anu’s in the ninth at Sprindale’s and
I’m in the twelfth at Father Agnel. What about you?
vi) Students: Good morning, ma’am.

Teacher: Good morning? It’s well past 12 o’ clock.
vii) Visitor: Good evening, I have an appointment with David Lee.

Reception: Good evening, could you sit down for a moment? I’ll find
out whether Mr. Lee is in.
Visitor: Of course, I’m Ajay Makeja from ICICI.
1.5 WRITING: SHORT RESPONSES

Starting a conversation with a stranger is a rather difficult task. Let us practice
some situations where you may be required to begin conversations.
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Check Your Progress 4 Starting and Ending
Conversations
1) Think of a comment you could make in the following situations. It needn’t be
more than a sentence or so.
i) You’re waiting on a platform at the railway station. A foreigner who is

also waiting says ‘It’s a nice day, isn’t it? What would you say?
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ii) You are traveling on the train to a conference in Jaipur. You notice that
the man sitting opposite you is also traveling to Jaipur and probably
staying at the same guest house as you and attending the same conference.
Speak to him.
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iii) The presentation of one of the speakers at the conference was very
interesting. You want to tell her about it and you find yourself standing
next to her during the tea break. What would you say?
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iv) You sit down at the conference dinner next to someone you don’t know.
Start a conversation.
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Greetings and Goodbye ......................................................................................................................
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v) You are at a movie theater. You recognize the man sitting in front of you,
but cannot remember where you met him. Speak to him.
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2) Reply to the different remarks in a sentence. It is a good idea to learn these

remarks; you may often use them in your interactions.
i) Hello Rahul, how are you?
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ii) Thanks Aditya, for the chocolates.
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iii) How do you do?
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iv) How did the meeting go? Starting and Ending
Conversations
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v) How’s business?
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vi) Should we stop for coffee on the way home?
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vii) Sunita sends you her regards.
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viii) Right then, I’m off.
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Practice these dialogues with your friend.

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1.6 LISTENING: HOW TO END A
CONVERSATION
Listen to the conversation between three friends on how to end a conversation.
Answer the questions that follow. You will notice that the conversation is in
informal style. Can you suggest some reasons for this?
Before you listen, you must read the questions below.

1) Say whether the following statements are True (T) or False (F):-
i) Dev signals that the conversation is drawing to a close.
ii) Dev uses an inappropriate parting salutation (greeting).
iii) Rinku feels that Neha is good at ending a conversation.
iv) You can use body language (signs and gestures) to indicate that you
wish to close a conversation.
v) Age and status are of no importance in closing conversations.
vi) An apology or an excuse can be a polite way of drawing a conversation
to a close.
2) Listen to the audio again. Find the exact words, phrase or sentence that is
used in the dialogue to do the following:-
i) Expression used by Dev to signal end of conversation:
Answer: So long then!
ii) Parting salutation used by Dev:

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iii) Parting salutation used by Rinku:

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iv) Body language to signal the end of conversation: Starting and Ending
Conversations
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v) Example of excuse to close conversation:

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As you listen to the dialogue, you have to note down specific information from it,
and ignore other parts of it. This reproduces a common ‘real-life’ situation,
where we “listen” for what we want to know and treat the rest of the information
as redundant.
1.7 VOCABULLARY: INFORMAL EXPRESSIONS

Here are some expressions which are important to note and practice in your daily
life.
1) Match the informal expressions in Column A with their more formal
expressions given in Column B:
Column A Column B
i) Oh Hi! a) Good night!
ii) Keep quiet! b) Good morning, what a pleasant surprise!
iii) Hello Dev! c) Good bye!
iv) Lucky fellow! d) This is indeed a stroke of good luck.
v) So long e) Please accept my apology.
vi) Bye then f) Would we all maintain a moment’s silence, please?
vii) Sorry Yaar! g) Good morning, Mr. Dev Kumar. How do you do?
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Greetings and Goodbye 2) Match the idioms/expressions used in the two listening tasks listed in Column
A with the meanings in Column B:-
Column A Column B
i) bunk (class) a) make people feel comfortable by cracking
a joke, etc.
ii) keep away from b) go beyond one’s usual boundary/
activities.
iii) seem lost c) find fault with another person when the
speaker (fault-finder) has the same defect.
iv) spread wings d) appear confused and uncomfortable.
v) pot calling the kettle black e) go away (to avoid duty or responsibility).
vi) break the ice f) not to go somewhere
3) This is a summary of some of the learning items presented in the two listening
tasks in this unit. Use idioms/expressions from Column A of task 2 above to
fill in the blanks. Make necessary changes in verb endings, if required.
A new student to a school or college (i) ________ for the first few days.
Usually a friendly class-mate takes the initiative to (ii) _______ with him or
her. The new student is often told the do’s and don’ts; especially who or
what to (iii) ________. By and by, he (iv)________and becomes an insider.
1.8 FAREWELLS & GOODBYES

Along with greetings, farewells are an important part of a social interaction both
in informal and formal situations.
Read the short dialogues below and decide on the following for each piece:-
i) Where is the conversation taking place?
ii) What is their relationship? Strangers/friends/family/acquaintances/

colleagues/neighbours.
iii) Underline the words/expressions used in each case to: a) signal that the
conversation is coming to a close; (b) parting salutation used.
1) Anju: O my gosh! It’s already five. I’d better rush. Mum will be wondering
what happened to me.
Preeti: We must get together again soon.
Anju: Yes, we must. Bye now!
Preeti: Bye, Anju. Take care.
2) Ms. D’Souza: Excuse me, Mr. Verma. Here is the report you wanted.
Mr. Verma: Ah yes. Thank you, Ms. D’Souza.
20
Ms. D’Souza: Er, I was wondering, sir, if I could leave an hour earlier Starting and Ending
Conversations
today. My son is rather ill and needs to be taken to the doctor.
Mr. Verma: Oh, what’s the matter with him?
Ms. D’Souza: He’s been running a temperature for the past few days, and the
doctor had asked for some tests to be done. I’ve got to pick up the reports
before five.
Mr. Verma: Well, all right. Do be on time tomorrow. There are some urgent
letters to be typed.
Ms. D’souza: Thank you, sir. I will. Good night, Mr. Verma.
Mr. Verma: Good night, Ms. D’Souza.
3) Mr. Martin: Well, that’s all for now. Shall we call it a day?
All: Yes, most certainly sir.
Neeta: I don’t think we can take more of this.
Ashok: Yes, sir. It’s Friday night. We’ve friends and movies to catch up
with.
Mr. Martin: That’s fine by me. Good bye, then. Have a nice week-end.
All: You, too, sir.
4) Rakesh: Hello, Sudha! Fancy bumping into you here!
Sudha: Hi Rakesh! Nice to see you. What are you doing here?
Rakesh: Shopping-buying vegetables. And you?
Sudha: Come to see my grandmother. Sorry, can’t wait. She’ll get anxious.
Rakesh: Drop in at my place on your way back.
Sudha: I’ll try. See you. ‘Bye.
Rakesh: Bye.
5) Jim:Thanks for the lovely evening, Lata. It was a nice get-together. And the
food was absolutely delicious.
Lata: I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. Do drop in again, whenever you have
the time.
Jim: Yes, I will. Good night, Lata, and thanks once again.
Lata: Good night and take care.
6) Maria: Good evening, I’m Manisha Kartik from Net Challenged, Bangalore.
Are you Jack Svenson from Toronto?
Mike: No, I’m Mike Watson from London.
Maria: Oh! Sorry about that. I’ve made a mistake. Good night, Mr. Watson.
Mike: Good bye, Ms Kartik.
21
1.9 GRAMMAR: THE SIMPLE PRESENT
TENSE: VERB “TO BE”
Notice the words in bold:
I am, You are, s/he/it is, we are, they are
In conversation and informal writing, we use contractions:
I’m, you’re, he’s, it’s, Anju’s, we’re, they’re
1) Insert am, is, are in the following sentences
i. He......................... late, isn’t he?
ii. We.......................very well, thank you.
iii. Ritu and Rohit...............in Canada
iv. I .....................................extremely happy today.
v. I think you ....................really busy today.
2) Write these sentences with contractions.
i. We are all very busy. …………………………………….
ii. Rita is here already. …………………………………….
iii. I am sorry, indeed. …………………………………….
iv. My name is Parul. …………………………………….
v. The train is late again. …………………………………….
Read the passage given below and underline the verbs in it.
There is (1) no need to education. It is (2) not that you read a book, pass an
examination, and finish with education. The whole of life, from the moment you
are (3) born to the moment you die, is (4) a process of learning.
J. Krishnamurthy
You will notice that the verbs ‘read’, ‘pass’ and ‘finish’ depict some action and
are called action verbs. On the other hand the verbs ‘is’ and ‘are’ depict states
and not actions. They are called stative verbs. Pick the subjects for which these
have been used.
1)………..is
2)…………is
3)……….are
4)………..is
‘Is’ and ‘are’ the simple present forms of the stative verb ‘be’. Other stative
verbs are ‘have’, ‘like’, ‘think’, ‘hope’ etc.
Check your progress 9
1 Read the passage below and notice the subjects and their verbs.
22
(1) I am aware of the change in the attitude of the youth today. (2) They are Starting and Ending
Conversations
more focused and are ready to put in a lot of hard work. (3) The job scenario
too is no longer the same. (4) Many young women are now in positions that
were considered male bastions. (5) This is a very encouraging trend. (6) On
the other hand another trend is prevalent. (7)The young are more focused on
earning money whether through lucrative jobs or through stocks and shares. (8)
I am of the opinion that our youth need to be guided a little better by their
seniors. (9) But most of us are concerned with our own lives and let the
youngsters be.
1) I ……
2) They………..
3) The job scenario………
4) Many young women ………
5) This ……..
6) ...another trend …….
7) The young …….
8) I …….
9) But most of us ……….
Subject-verb concord: You will notice that the Simple Present Forms of the
verb ‘be’ differ according to the number and person of the subject/s.
I am…… (Singular I Person)
You are……. (Singular II Person)
He/She is…… (Singular III Person)
It is……… (Singular object)
This is……….. (Singular object/idea/concept etc.)
These are……… (Plural III Person)
We are ……….. (Plural I Person)
2) Complete the passage below using the correct form of the verb ‘be’.
There ……. people who ask me whether I ……… the same man that I was in
1920, or whether there has been any change in me. You …….. right in asking
that question. Let me, however, hasten to assure that I ….. the same Gandhi as
I was in 1920. I have not changed in any fundamental respect. I attach the same
importance to non-violence that I did then. If at all, my emphasis on it has
grown stronger. There …….. no real contradiction between the present
resolution and my previous writings and utterances.
(Excerpts from Gandhi’s ‘Quit India Speech, 8 August, 1942)
3) Select the correct alternatives and complete the passage given below.
Hindustan Times ……..(is/are) the paper that brought out the news of the birth
of the quadruplets. According to the news each of the babies……… (weigh/
weighs) about 500 gms and …….(is/are) doing well. Three of them…….(is/
are) girls. Everyone in the pediatric department of the hospital ……(is/are) 23
Greetings and Goodbye surprised since neither of the parents ………(has/have) any history of twins in
the family.
On the other hand, the father is a worried man since he does not earn much.
Five thousand rupees …….(is/are) a very small amount of money if one has to
feed four babies, he feels. He has two options. Either his brother or his sister
……..(adopt/adopts) two of the babies, or he seeks the help of ‘Women for
Women’. Women for Women …….(is/are) a non government organization that
provides help to needy families with girls.
1.10 PRONUNCIATION
Practice these greetings and introductions:
1) A: How are you?
B: Very well, thank you. And you?
2) A: Pleased to meet you.
B: Please to meet you, too.
3) A: How do you do?
B: How do you do?
4) A: Please call me Anju
B: Then you must call me Rahul.
5) A: How’s life?
B: Not too bad, but rather busy.
1.11 LET US SUM UP

This unit has dealt with the importance of starting and ending conversations. It is
an aspect of etiquette and social grace that is increasingly important in the global
world. The reading passage on “Etiquette” deals with its origin and details some
rules of etiquette related to introductions, table manners, gifts, etc. These primarily
pertain to western culture, Indian norms may be different.
The listening passages and sample dialogues make students aware of the finer
issues involved is starting and ending conversations. For example,
i) Starting involves three steps: greeting; introducing yourself; asking after.
ii) Ending involves two steps: signaling the end; parting salutation.
iii) The choice of the expressions/words/phrases to be used depends on the
situation (formal/informal), relationship, age, etc. of the persons
speaking.
iv) The younger/junior person is presented/introduced to the senior/older
person.
v) The initiative to close a conversation must come from the older person.
vi) You may indicate your desire to end a conversation through body language
or by making excuses, apologies, etc.
24
Starting and Ending
1.12 ANSWERS Conversations

1) i) False: They are used to remove unpleasantness.
ii) True
iii) True
iv) False: It is impolite to lean on the table with your elbows. One bite
should be cut and eaten before another is cut.
v) False. Flowers and chocolates are proper gifts to new friends.
2) i) feelings (ii) comfortable (iii) origin (iv) weapons (v) courtesy (vi) thanking
3. i) Always introduce a younger person to an older person. Expressions-

“Mr./Ms.,
4. May I introduce my friend/son to you?” And, in more formal situations:

“Mr./Ms.—Allow me to present—to you.”
ii. (a) use a fork or spoon to carry food to the mouth; (b) lay the napkin on
the lap; (c) one bite should be cut and eaten before another is cut.
iii) Flowers and chocolates.
iv) Find the host and the hostess and thank them.
v) Long ago men held out their empty hands to show that they were not
holding daggers or other weapons.
vi) In olden days roads were not paved and were muddy. By walking on
the inside, the woman would stand less chance of being splashed by
mud brought up by carriages.
Tape Script: Problems in starting a conversation
Rinku: Hello Dev! Bunked the class as usual?
Dev: Oh Hi! Yes, I had to miss either the class or my breakfast. You know
how it is in the hostel!!
Rinku: Yes, of course I do! Food for thought can always wait but real food
can’t! (Both laugh)
Dev: Well, why aren’t you in the class? Don’t tell me…
Rinku: Well, I missed the Youth Special…I was waiting for Neha. I wonder
what’s keeping her away?…..(Seeing Neha coming) Hi, Neha! Where have
you been?
Dev: Hello Neha. How are you?
Neha: Hello! How are you?
Dev: Fine, thank you.

25
Rinku: What took you so long? Thought you were never coming!
Neha: There’s a new student in our class-Shakeel Ahmed. I was introducing

him to some of the others. He seemed so lost…
Rinku: Well! Well! Well! Neha is sure spreading her wings! I’ve never known
her to talk to strangers!
Dev: (hurt tone) Yes, not so long ago, I was the new one in the class. You
didn’t take me around or introduce me to friends!
Neha: Well, Rinku you weren’t in the class! And, as usual the others ignored
him completely. So someone had to break the ice!
Dev: Of course, someone had to introduce him around and make him feel
good. And that some one had to be Neha! Lucky fellow!
Rinku: Shut up, Dev. Enough of your fooling. But Neha, a round of introduction
shouldn’t have taken you so long…
Neha: Well, once he began, he went on and on. And I didn’t know how to
come out of it without seeming rude.
[They all laugh]

1) i) False. Shakeel Ahmed is the new boy in class.
ii) True. Rinku says “Well! Well! Well!………. strangers. This shows
intimacy; closeness.
iii) False: Dev says “How are you?” Uses formal language. They know
each other well but are not close friends.
iv) False: Knows both Dev and Neha well. Laughs a lot.
v) False. Both Dev and Rinku are surprised that she talked to the new
student.
2) i) Bunk the class; hostel; youth special
ii) Makes fun of him because he prefers food to studies. “Food for thought
can always wait but real food can’t”.
iii) Makes fun of Neha for starting a friendship with the new boy in the
class—, “Lucky fellow!”
iv) Someone should start a conversation with the newcomer. He must be
introduced to the others in the class/department/office.
v) No. Though Neha wants to end the conversation, she allows Shakeel to
continue talking. She is unable to make an excuse and come away.
i) Formal situation like office or neighbourhood, could be colleagues or
neighbours who do not know each other well.
ii) Formal; College student and a visitor to the college.
26
iii) Formal; Office; New colleague or a visitor. Starting and Ending
Conversations
iv) Formal; Outside class; Teacher and student.
v) Informal; Teenagers-Neighbourhood-Strangers.
vi) Formal; Classroom; Teacher and class.
vii) Formal; Office-Meeting for the first time.
1) i) Yes, it’s rather pleasant, isn’t it?
ii) I’ve noticed that you’re going to the Circuit House? Would you be
attending the conference on “Nuclear Disarmament?”
iii) Hello, I must say I enjoyed your talk very much. What I found particularly
interesting was……….
iv) Hello, I’m Rakesh Gupta. It was a very interesting session, wasn’t it?
v) Excuse me, haven’t we met before? Was it at the conference on ‘Nuclear
disarmament?’
2) i) I’m fine thanks, and you?
ii) You’re very welcome. I’m so glad you liked them.
iii) How do you do?
iv) Rather well, thank you.
v) Very good indeed. Things are busy right now.
vi) Certainly. Where shall we go?
vii) That’s kind of her. How is Sunita?
viii) So long then.
Text for audio for Listening exercise:

Dev: Well, everything’s sorted out finally. I’ll go check with the caterers
about the lunch. So long then!
Rinku: Yaar, why don’t you wait for a bit? Neha hasn’t yet turned up and she
has the money.
Dev: Sorry, I don’t think I can afford to wait. If the caterer packs off,
there’ll be no lunch at the Seminar tomorrow. See you!
Rinku: Bye then, take care.
Neha: (hurrying) Sorry to keep you waiting. This new lecturer does not
know how to draw a discussion to a close. He’s just too
democratic…allows each person to go on and on.
Rinku: Look who is talking! It’s the pot calling the kettle black! You don’t
know how to end a conversation either!
Neha: Of course not. I do know that ending a conversation involves two
steps. At first, signaling that the conversation is coming to an end,
and then…….
27
Rinku: That’s precisely the point! You never ever give any indication to the
person you are speaking to that you need to go; get on with something
else. You give such exclusive attention.
Neha: No, that’s not true! I did look at my watch twice; kept looking at the
door. Even tried shuffling around my books on the desk and stamping
my feet. But the teacher wouldn’t take the hint!
Rinku: (laughs) I know it is important to be able to recognize these signals; in

formal situations it is considered rude to ignore them.
Neha : That’s precisely my point! It is normally the one who is superior in

age or status who signals the end of a conversation. And, on the
telephone, it is the caller who does so. So the teacher should have
brought the discussion to a close.
Rinku: (laughs) Poor you! That’s right. This tutor is a bit thick. Just body
language doesn’t work with him. You should have made an excuse,
“Sorry Sir, we’ve got another class after this.” Or something like
that.
Neha: It’s not that I didn’t try. I thanked him for an insightful lecture. But he
just got carried away and went on and on.
Rinku: (laughs heartily) What about the others? Don’t tell me they were
waiting that long.
Neha: Well, most left quietly by the back door without being noticed. Don’t
expect me to do that! It’s so awfully rude!
[fade out.]
1) i) True ii) False iii) False iv) True v) False vi) True
2) ii) So long then/see you.
iii) Bye then, take care.
iv) Looking at the watch; looking at the door; looking restless by stamping
feet or moving things.
v) “Sorry Sir, we’ve got another class after this.”
1) i) b; ii) f; iii) g; iv)d; v) c; vi) a; vii) e
2) i) e; ii) f; iii) d; iv) b; v) c; vi) a
3) i) seems lost; ii) break the ice; iii) keep away from; iv) spreads his wings
1) Friends at college or some informal place.
2) Office-between boss and secretary.
3) Classroom-Teacher and teenage students
28
4) Friends at the market place Starting and Ending
Conversations
5) Friends-Thanking the hostess ‘Lata’
6) Formal-office-strangers.
1) i) is ii) are iii) are iv) am v) are
2) i) We’re ii) Rita’s iii) I’m iv) My name’s v) The train’s
1)
1. I am
2. They are
3. The job scenario is
4. Many young women are
5. This is
6. ...another trend is
7. The young are
8. I am
9. But most of us are
2) There are people who ask me whether I am the same man that I was in 1920,
or whether there has been any change in me. You are right in asking that
question. Let me, however, hasten to assure that I am the same Gandhi as I
was in 1920. I have not changed in any fundamental respect. I attach the
same importance to non-violence that I did then. If at all, my emphasis on it
has grown stronger. There is no real contradiction between the present
resolution and my previous writings and utterances.
(Excerpts from Gandhi’s ‘Quit India Speech, 8 August, 1942)
3) Hindustan Times is the paper that brought out the news of the birth of the
quadruplets. According to the news each of the babies weighs about 500
gms and is doing well. Three of them are girls. Everyone in the pediatric
department of the hospital is surprised since neither of the parents has any
history of twins in the family.
On the other hand, the father is a worried man since he does not earn much.
Five thousand rupees is a very small amount of money if one has to feed four
babies, he feels. He has two options. Either his brother or his sister adopts
two of the babies, or he seeks the help of ‘Women for Women’. Women for
Women is a non-government organization that provides help to needy families
with girls.
29
UNIT 2 SOCIAL SMALL TALK
Structure
2.0 Objectives
2.1 Warm Up
2.2 Reading: Short Dialogues
2.3 Listening Conversation: Dialogue
2.4 Vocabulary: Describing People
2.5 Grammar: Questions
2.6 Writing: Short Descriptions
2.7 Pronunciation: Contracted Forms
2.8 Let Us Sum Up
2.9 Answers
2.0 OBJECTIVES
Do you feel comfortable talking to strangers? Or do you feel shy and awkward?
Are you at a loss for words after greetings are exchanged? Do you like or avoid
parties and gatherings? This unit will help you improve your social skills.
After studying this unit, you will be able to:

• initiate and sustain a conversation;
• pick and/or avoid topics depending on the degree of intimacy with the
interlocuter;
• evaluate the impact of our own and other people’s small talk; and
• use language and expressions appropriate to the relationship with the
interlocuter(s).
2.1 WARM UP
Read the statements given below. Decide which of them express your own point
of view. Ask a friend to do the same. Then discuss the reasons for your agreement/
disagreement.
i) “I never indulge in small talk. It’s such a waste of time.”
ii) Socializing is the art of breaking the ice and making friends.
iii) “What we say and how we say it is important because this reveals our
personality.”
iv) “I love chatting with friends. It’s such fun.”
2.2 READING: SHORT DIALOGUES

As you are well aware there are two main reasons for reading: Reading for
pleasure and reading for information. There are also different ways of reading –
30
for instance when we quickly run our eyes over a text to get the main idea in it. Social Small Talk
This is known as skimming. When we dart our eyes over much of a text to search
for a specific piece of information, it is known as scanning. In the short
conversation given below, you will both use the technique of skimming and
scanning.
Read the short pieces of conversation and decide on the following for each
dialogue:
i) Where is the conversation taking place?
ii) What is the approximate age of the interlocutors? How is their
relationship?
iii) What is the topic of the conversation?
iv) Are they casual/friendly/angry with each other?
1) Vikram: Hello! My name’s Vikram Yadav. I’ve an appointment.
Jaya: Hello Vikram. I’m Jaya Iyer. We’ve spoken to each other a couple of
times…
Vikram: Oh yes, of course. Glad to meet you, Jaya.
Jaya: Welcome to Pravah. Come, let me show you around. Would you care
for some coffee?
Vikram: Thank you. It’s very kind of you. It’s nice to be here.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
2) Ms. Goel: Good evening, Ms. Karl. You’re taking your evening walks rather
seriously these days.
Ms. Karl: Namaste ji. Yes, I’ve started all right. Let’s see how long it lasts.
You know, all this fitness regime is not my cup of tea.
Ms. Goel: No, no don’t say that, Ms. Karl. At our age we should take our
walks seriously. It’s good for B.P, diabetes and….
Ms. Karl: Yes, yes, I know all that. But more than my doctor, it is my
daughter who has pushed me outdoors.
Ms. Goel: Yes, indeed. Children nowadays are very particular about their
parents.
3) Sarita: May I sit here on the bed?
Lata: Go right ahead.
31
Greetings and Goodbye Sarita: What’s that
you’re reading?
Lata: See?
Sarita: I’ve been
feeling a bit low today.
Lata: oh…Are you
feeling unwell?
Sarita: No.
Lata: What’s the matter,
then?
Sarita: Oh, nothing, I
don’t know what it is. I
just feel this way
sometimes-lately, quite
a lot. Maybe it’s Pran’s health.
Lata: (affectionately) Do you love Pran?
Sarita: Of course I do.
Lata: Why “of course”, Didi?
Sarita: I don’t know. I love him. I feel better when he’s here. I feel worried
about him. And sometimes I feel worried about his baby.
Lata: Oh, he’ll be all right, judging from his kicking …do you like being
pregnant?
Sarita: yes
Lata: Do you like being married?
Sarita: Yes
Lata: To a man who was chosen for you-whom you didn’t know before your
marriage?
[from A Suitable Boy-Vikram Seth]
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
4) Lokidas: Mother, I’m back from school.
Mother: Yes, dear. Wash your hands and have your lunch; it’s on the table.
Lokidas: But I don’t want lunch. It’s the same old thing everyday.
Mother: Please, Loku, don’t make a fuss and eat up your lunch. I’ll make
you something nice for tea. And, what did you do at school?
Lokidas: Nothing….
32 Mother: Why? You had a composition period. Let me see what you wrote.
Social Small Talk
Lokidas: No…no nothing.

Mother: Let me see. (Reading) “My Parents”
“My mother’s name is Kaveri. My father’s name is Sankaran. My mother
likes boys who listen to their parents. My father reads the paper. We have
TV in our house. When I grow up I won’t be an engineer”
Lokidas: (Angrily) The teacher says this lacks logical order and gave it one
out of ten. What a shame.
[Adapted from A Purple Sea-Ambai]

......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
Criteria for Socializing

By now you already have a fairly good idea of what is meant by socializing or
small talk. Small talk happens all the time: between casual acquaintances, people
whom you meet in the course of your work. You may meet them just once in your
life time or the relationship once started may grow to be a long and lasting one.
You may come together because you are attending the same conference or meeting
or staying in the same hotel or traveling on the same train.
It is very much like socializing or chatting with friends except that you have to be
careful about the topics you choose. Since the main aim of small talk is to make
the guest or person comfortable, you must avoid any topic that may give offence.
You must also avoid asking probing personal questions; especially when you
hardly know each other. 33
Greetings and Goodbye Normally, the conversation arises from the immediate physical environment: the
weather, buildings and places, hotels, arrival and departure, meals, the time of
day, entertainment, etc. Very often, the topics flow from the conversational context.
In any conversation, the answers to questions and the comments that follow can
provide a lead in to the next comment, or even the next topic in the conversation.
Effective conversation requires that speakers recognize and pick up on these
leads.
Though small talk takes place in a carefree informal atmosphere, you must choose
your topics with care. After all, what you say says a great deal about you. “Speak
that I may see thee”, Shakespeare had said; this is indeed true..
2.3 LISTENING CONVERSATION: DIALOGUE

It is important that you are prepared for a listening activity. For example, read the
questions beforehand so you know what is expected of you. You may listen more
than once if required.
Listen to this conversation between two people who have met after a long while.
They exchange news about each other and about a mutual acquaintance. Please
note the text of the audio has been provided in the Answers section.
Listen to the dialogue from the audio and answer the following questions. Listen
to it again and complete your answers.
1) Tick the correct answer.
i) Venkat and Radha are
a) friends
b) acquaintances
c) colleagues
d) related to each other
ii) Venkat and Radha
a) met after six years
b) met after a long time
c) keep meeting each other regularly
d) met each other for the first time
iii) At school, Savitri was
a) quiet and serious
b) full of fun
c) sulky
d) studious
iv) Venkat
a) works for Computer’s India
34 b) is jobless
c) works for a newspaper Social Small Talk
d) is a doctor
2) Complete the following grid:
Name Appearance Occupation Family
Venkat
Radha
Savitri
2.4 VOCABULARY: DESCRIBING PEOPLE

You must have noticed in 2.3 that when we engage in small talk, we often describe
people’s appearances. In the conversation between Radha and Venkat there are
three comments on personal appearances. (However, when you comment on
appearances make sure you make only positive comments).
You could have 3 criteria for describing personal appearance:
1) General appearance
• Rani is a very smart and elegant woman, while her sister is sloppy and
untidy looking.
• Sonal is a beautiful girl and her brother is handsome too.
• They make a lovely pair, he’s good looking and she’s attractive.
2) Specifics: Skin, complexion, hair, face
• Skin and Complexion: dark skin, fair skin, beautiful complexion, sallow
complexion, tanned
• Face: thin faced, round faced, chubby faced, wrinkles on face
• Hair: long hair, straight hair, curly hair, a crew cut, bald, receding hair
line
35
Greetings and Goodbye 3) Height and build
• Tall
• Short
• Medium height
• Plump or stout person
• A bit over weight
• Slim
• Obese
• Thin
• Fat
• Stocky
• Well-built
Write the opposite descriptions of the following:
i) a slim woman ..............................................................................
ii) short and chubby faced.....................................................................
iii) curly hair and dark skinned....................................................................
iv) an obese person............................................................................
v) a well-dressed man...................................................................................
vi) a smart and elegant women.........................................................................
vii) he’s very good looking.............................................................................
viii) a handsome man...........................................................................
2.5 GRAMMAR: QUESTIONS

There are basically two types of questions: open and close. The open questions
are those which can have many answers. For example, to the question
• What’s that you’re reading?
The listener can reply: Pride and Prejudice/The Thakur’s Well/Oliver Twist i.e.
the number of possible answers is really open. Since these questions generally
begin with wh-words, they are called wh- questions. Wh-words include who,
what, which, when, where, how, why, whom and whose.
The number of possible answers is limited in the case of closed questions. There
are only two answers possible to the question
• “May I sit here on the bed?”
Go right ahead (yes)
No
Similarly, to the question
36
• Are you feeling unwell? Social Small Talk
You can reply by saying yes or no.
In fact, this is the most common type of closed question. In this case the alternatives
are limited to two: Yes or No. Such questions are therefore frequently called Yes
/ No questions.
Here are some details about Wh questions and Yes / No Questions.
Wh-Questions
1) We use who, whom and whose to ask about people, and which to ask about
people or things.
Who are you going to London with?
Which actor are you talking about?
Whose house is the party in?
Whom/who did you meet yesterday?
2) We use what to ask about things, and what…for to ask for reasons and
purposes.
What are you planning to do after the exams?
What are those beautiful bottles for?
3) We use how to ask about the way something happens or is done.
How did the accident happen?
How does the computer work?
How is also used

i) With adjectives to ask about the degree of a quality that someone or
something possesses.
How competent are you with computers?
ii) With adjectives to ask about size, distance and age.

How big is the town?
How far do you live from the study center?
How old is your sister?
4) We use when to ask questions about time.
When do you plan to migrate to Canada?
5) We use why to ask for reasons.

Why did she leave the class so early?
Yes / No Questions
When we want to ask a question which lead to a yes/no answer, we use the verb
(or the first verb in the group of verbs) before the subject.
37
Greetings and Goodbye Is he annoyed with me?
Have you telephoned the doctor?
1) Match the questions in box A with the answers in box B.
A B
i. Shall I help with your baggage? a. I’ve too much work to complete
ii. Where can I buy the course books? b. Rajiv Sharma
iii. What’s your name? c. Yes please, thanks very much!
iv. Why aren’t you going on a vacation? d. No, I’m quite bored, really.
v. Aren’t you happy with your job? e. In the college bookshop near the
canteen.
2) Here are some answers. What do you think are the questions? Write down
the questions.
i) ...............................................................................................................
Ajmal Andani
ii) ...............................................................................................................
In Canada
iii) ...............................................................................................................
I’m an engineer
iv) ...............................................................................................................
About twenty-five
v) ...............................................................................................................
A brother and two sisters.
vi) ...............................................................................................................
No, they don’t.
vii) ...............................................................................................................
In a small flat in Unionville.
viii) ..............................................................................................................
No, but I can speak a little German.
ix) ...............................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................
I watch T.V. or go out with friends.
x) ...............................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................
No I don’t, but I like dancing.
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Social Small Talk
2.6 WRITING: SHORT DESCRIPTIONS
1) In two or three sentences describe each of the following people giving
information about their face, complexion, height, build and general
appearance.
i) about yourself
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ii) your grandmother/grandfather

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iii) your mother/father

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iv) your best friend

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Greetings and Goodbye v) a neighbour
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2.7 PRONUNCIATION: CONTRACTED FORMS

Listen to the contracted forms in these sentences and then repeat them after the
teacher.
i) She’ll see you in ten minutes.
ii) She’d look better with short hair.
iii) You’re taking it very easy!
iv) I haven’t seen him.
v) They’d met before.
vi) It isn’t working.
vii) We’ve seen the film already.
viii) I can’t hear any thing, can you?
2.8 LET US SUM UP

In this unit you have been given some tips to improve your social skills. The
warm up task helps you to understand that different people can have different
views about socializing or chatting. Through the unit, with the help of literary
examples, you are made aware of both what to avoid and adopt. Self-praise or
bragging should be avoided at all costs. Neutral topics or those arising from the
situation or context are to be preferred. Care should be taken to keep the
conversation friendly and inoffensive. In the course of the unit, we have touched
on some words which can be used for describing people. In the grammar section
we have introduced Wh and Yes-No questions.
2.9 ANSWERS
1. Office colleagues who are meeting for the first time; fairly young; making
the guest comfortable; friendly.
2. Two women in a park in the evening; middle aged; neighbours, health and
fitness; friendly.
3. Two sisters in their home, one married, the other is not married, very intimate
and personal.
40
4. Home after school, very young boy and his mother; mother –irritated; son- Social Small Talk
withdrawn.
Tape Script: Dialogue
Radha: Venkat! I can’t believe it’s you. I haven’t seen you for ages. And you
haven’t changed a bit. How’re things? What are you doing?
Venkat: Radha, is that you? I hardly recognized you. You’ve put on weight.
Radha: Come, come. Don’t exaggerate. I’m not fat. Besides, I had a baby
recently.
Venkat: Congratulations! When did you get married? What does your husband
do?
Radha: Oh, six years ago. My husband works for Computer’s India.
Venkat: Really? I’d love to meet him. I’m interested in computers too. I’ve
just done a Master’s degree in computer software.
Radha: That’s interesting! Where do you work?
Venkat: Well, I’m jobless at present. In fact I’m exploring the possibility of
starting a consultancy in computer programming.
Radha: Sushil would love to meet you. How about having dinner with us one
evening?
Venkat: I’d love to. When would you like me to come?
Radha: Well, I’m busy on weekdays. Will Saturday suit you?
Venkat: That’ll be fine. By the way, what are you busy with?
Radha: I work for a newspaper. At present I’m working on a project on adult

education in rural areas. So I have to visit villages on the outskirts of the city.
And guess who I met at Kheri?
Venkat: Who?
Radha: Savitri. D’you remember her?
Venkat: You mean that tall girl with very long hair?
Radha: Yes.
Venkat: What was she doing there?
Radha: She’s a doctor now. She’s opened a clinic there.
Venkat: That’s surprising. One wouldn’t expect a lively city-bred girl like her
to work in a village. Is she married to a doctor?
Radha: Oh no. She doesn’t intend to marry unless she meets a man who is also
interested in working in villages.
41
Greetings and Goodbye Venkat: She must have changed so much.
Radha: She has. She’s very sober now.
(From FEG-01)
1) i) a ii) b iii) b iv) b
2)
Name Appearance Occupation Family
Venkat Not changed Without job Unmarried
Radha Slightly plump Works for a newspaper Married
Savitri Tall girl with long hair doctor Unmarried

i) an overweight woman
ii) tall with a thin face
iii) straight hair, fair skin
iv) a slim person
v) scruffy and untidy
vi) a dowdy woman
vii) he’s rather ugly
viii) a rather unattractive man
1) i. c, ii. e, iii. b, iv. a, v. d
2) (Suggested answers)
i) What is your name?
ii) Where do you live?
iii) What do you do?
iv) How old are you?
v) How many members do you have in your family?
vi) Do they live with you?
vii) Where do you live?
viii) Can you speak French?
ix) What do you do on weekends?
x) Do you like watching movies?
42
Check Your Progress 5 Social Small Talk
(Suggested answers)
i) My name is Meenakshi Puri. I’m of medium height and I’m neither fat nor
slim. I wish I could lose a few kilograms. I have a fair complexion. I would
say I’m quite smart and very active.
ii) My grandmother was of medium height, and when I knew her she was rather
plump. She had a wheatish complexion and was quite beautiful.
iii) My father was a tall man, rather overweight, but had quite an attractive
personality. He had a round face and very straight hair
iv) My best friend is Freda Swaminathan. She has a fair complexion with a
round face. She is tallish and carries herself well. She is quite lovely
looking.
v) My neighbour is Rupali Sharma. She is quite elegant and stylish. She has
curly hair which she keeps quite short. She has a dusky complexion and is
very tall.
43
UNIT 3 FEELINGS
Structure
3.0 Objectives
3.1 Warm Up
3.2 Reading: Love
3.3 Vocabulary
3.4 Grammar: Adverbs
3.5 Speaking: Being Polite
3.6 Listening: Completing a Text
3.7 Writing: Paragraphs
3.8 Pronunciation
3.9 Let Us Sum Up
3.10 Answers
3.0 OBJECTIVES
In this unit our aim is to help you:
• Read and enjoy a passage and comprehend the feelings involved;
• Make oral requests using different tones;
• Differentiate words which convey positive/negative feelings;
• Imagine and write about feelings;
• Write and describe people by looking at a photograph;
• Make a tree diagram;
• To listen to situations and suggest a course of action; and
• Listen to situations and associate appropriate feelings with them.
3.1 WARM UP
Read the following lines:
I’m happy, I’m sick, I’m good, I’m beautiful
I’m a loser, I’m a winner, I’m dumb, I’m fine
I’m okay, I’m bad, I’m clumsy, I’m a gossip
I am neurotic, I am a bore, I am a mess, I’m cool
I’m successful, I’m a failure, I’m loveable, I’m tough
I am smart, I am glad, I’m a teacher,
I’m a good person, I’m a slow learner, I’m not okay.
• Which of these sentences describe you?
• Draw a circle around each sentence that expresses how you feel most of the time.
• When you look at your responses in this light, what kind of picture do you
get of yourself? That picture is a little glimpse of a tiny part of your self-
44 concept.
• Your self- concept is composed of all the beliefs and attitudes you have about Feelings
yourself. They actually determine who you are, what you do and what you can
become.
• Of course, you can change your self-concept if you work on yourself.
3.2 READING: LOVE

Read this story by Guy Maupassant and answer the questions that follow:
I am a simple man with simple tastes. I was born in the countryside and never
left it. So I love the earth, the fresh air, everything that grows, animal and the
wind and the sky. I am also very fond of hunting, yet the sight of the wounded
creature, of the blood in its fur or feathers on my hands, affects my heart and
almost makes it stop.
That year the cold weather got in suddenly towards the end of autumn, and I was
invited by one of my cousins, Karl de Ranville, to go with him and shoot ducks
on the marshes. We were to set out one day at daybreak, and were expected to get
back at sunset.
My cousin was a typical country gentleman – stout, red-face, jolly, good natured
and rather dull. He lived in a house, half farm-house, half castle, situated in a
charming valley.
I arrived at my cousin’s in the evening. It was freezing cold and we had an early
dinner in the large room whose walls and ceiling were covered with stuffed
birds, herons, owls, nightjars, vultures and falcons, and every kind of hunting
weapon.
We were to be up at half-past three in the morning, in order to be at the spot
where we could wait for the birds.
On that spot a hut had been built, to shelter us somewhat from the piercing wind
which comes before day-break.
My cousin said, “I think there’ll be a very sharp frost. We had better turn in early
tonight, as we shall have a hard day tomorrow.”
At three o’ clock he woke me. Dressing quickly, I went downstairs and was
given hot coffee and sandwiches. Then we had some brandy, put on our fur coats,
and accompanied by the keeper and two dogs, Plunger and Pierrot, we set out.
We were soon on the edge of the marsh and took one of the little paths through the
rushes to the hut. I went in, and as we had nearly an hour to wait before the birds
would awake, I rolled myself up in my rug to try and get warm. Karl ordered a
fire, for I had begun to cough and my cousin was anxious that I should not catch a
cold.
But suddenly a peculiar cry, a lost, wandering cry, passed over our heads and the
light from our fire showed us the wild birds. And suddenly it began to be light
and dawn shone in the valley.
“Put out the fire,” said Karl, “it’s nearing daylight.”
And then we saw the splendid sight of long lines of ducks rising from the marshes
and beginning to fly away in perfect formation towards the horizon.
45
Greetings and Goodbye There was a flash of light from Karl’s gun, and a loud report. The two dogs ran
forward.
From then, nearly every minute, we shot in turn, and Plunger and Pierrot, out of
breath but pleased, kept bringing us the bleeding birds, whose eyes, fixed on me
sometimes, made me uneasy.
The sun had risen, and it was a bright day with a blue sky, and we were just going
to return when two birds with outstretched necks and spread wings flew rapidly
over our heads. I fired, and one of them fell almost at my feet. It was a teal, with
a silver breast, and then in the blue space above me, I heard a voice, the voice of
a bird. It was a short, repeated, heart-rending lament, the cry of the other bird,
the male of the one I had killed. It circled round and round, looking at its dead
companion which I was holding in my hand.
Karl was on his knees, his gun to his shoulder, watching it eagerly, until it should
be within shot.
“You’ve killed the female,” he said, “and its mate will never fly away.”
It was true. The bird circled over us continually, and continued his cries. Never
in all my life have I heard sounds of such pain as came from that bird.
He was alone and lost. Now and then he would fly away under the menace of the
46 gun which followed his movements but he came back again and again.
I felt the sting of tears starting in my eyes. Feelings
“Leave the dead bird on the ground,” said Karl. “Let him come to it.”
And at last he did come near us, careless of danger, seeking his mate, in an agony
of love….
Karl fired and I heard the splash its body made in the water.
Pierrot sprang forward and in a few minutes brought it to me.
Karl held the game bag open.
I shook my head.
“What on earth are you doing?”
I did not answer. I could not stop what I was doing. When I had finished making
a large hole in the ground with my gun, I said to Karl, “Please take the dogs and
go. I’ll put these birds in the ground and then I’ll catch up with you.”
He looked at me for a few moments, then whistled to the dogs and tramped off.
I buried the two dead birds in the same grave, under the sky, with rushes growing
all round and in their own home at the heart of the cold and lonely marshes.

1) Answer the following questions:
i) In what way is the narrator a simple man?

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ii) How long did they wish to spend shooting ducks?

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iii) What do we get to know about the narrator’s cousin from paragraph 4?
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47
iv) In paragraph 10 which word means ‘day break’?

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v) Why did Karl ask for the fire to be put out?

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vi) What were the reactions of the narrator and Karl when they saw the birds?
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vii) Why were Plunger and Pierrot out of breath?

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viii) How did killing the female bird affect Karl and the narrator?
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48
ix) Why did the male bird ignore danger? Feelings
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x) What did the narrator wish to do with the two dead birds?
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xi) In what ways were the narrator and Karl different from each other?
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2) Given below are the main ideas of the story ‘Love’. However, these ideas
are not in the correct sequence. Arrange them in the right sequence.
i) I did not allow Karl to put the birds in the game bag.
ii) When we were about to return home, we saw two birds fly rapidly
over our heads.
iii) The male teal circled round and round making heart-rending cries of
grief.
iv) My cousin Karl de Ranville invited me to go shooting ducks with him
in the marshes.
v) I fired and a female teal fell almost at my feet.
vi) After about an hour’s wait, the birds came out and we kept shooting
them in turn much to the delight of the dogs.
vii) Karl suggested that we leave the dead female teal alone, so that when
the male comes near, we can end its pain by killing it.
viii) At about three in the morning we set out with Karl’s dogs Plunger and
Pierrot.
ix) I felt tears well up in my eyes.
x) I buried the two dead birds together in the same grave.
3.3 VOCABULARY
1) Find words from the reading passage which mean the same as the following:
i) hurt
ii) an area which is very wet and muddy
49
Greetings and Goodbye iii) rather fat
iv) place
v) wonderful
vi) expressing great sadness
vii) something which is likely to cause serious harm
viii) not worried about danger.
2) Look at the words in the box. Some of them are positive and some of them
are negative. Put them in appropriate columns:
amusing, awful, boring, brilliant, disappointing, dull,

dreadful, enjoyable, fascinating, terrible, terrific,
entertaining, exciting, wonderful, indifferent, suspicious, blissful,
miserable, sad, sympathetic
Positive Qualities Negative Qualities
Now use these words in sentences of your own. Do not hesitate to consult the
dictionary if you need to know the meaning of any word.
3) How would you feel in these situations? Choose the best word from the box.
angry, annoyed, depressed, embarrassed, excited, frightened,

jealous, nervous, relaxed, upset, worried, anxious
i) You are chatting with your friends after a hearty meal.
ii) Someone has punctured the tyres of your car.
iii) You are introducing your friend to someone and you get her name wrong.
iv) Your friend is much more popular than you are.
v) You have lost your train ticket.
vi) All news in the papers is about accidents, disasters and wars.
50
vii) You are alone at home and you hear someone walking in the next room. Feelings
viii) You are about to make a speech in public for the first time.
ix) Your neighbour keeps borrowing things from you every day.
x) It is your 21st birthday tomorrow.
xi) You have heard a rumour that the factory that you work in is going to
close down.
3.4 GRAMMAR: ADVERBS

Read the following sentences
• Karl watched the birds eagerly.
• ……. we shall have a hard day tomorrow.
• We were soon on the edge of the marsh.
• I went downstairs
Notice that the underlined words answer the questions how, when or where.
Therefore all these words are adverbs.
Here are some more adverbs
How? When? Where?

ran fast leave tomorrow place them on the shelf
ate clumsily study daily pour water in the glass
screamed loudly exercise in the evening lives at the end of the street
1) Underline the adverbs in the following sentences and write ‘how’, ‘when’,
or ‘where’ at the end of each sentence. The first one is done for you.
i) She sang melodiously. How
ii) Shyama ran the race confidently. ...........................
iii) All flights landed late due to bad weather. ...........................
iv) I will finish reading the book by day after tomorrow............................
v) Put the dustbin outside the room. .............................
vi) The birds build their nest on top of the tree. .............................
Adverbs consisting of more than one word
You have just looked at single-word adverbs. Adverbs may also consist of more
than one word. These adverbs are known as adverb phrases.
Look at the examples given below.

i) I was born in the countryside.
ii) We were soon on the edge of the marsh…
51
Greetings and Goodbye iii) I buried the two birds in the same grave under the sky…
You will notice that all the underlined phrases answer the question: Where? The
phrases generally begin with prepositions such as in, on, under, from, to, at.
1) Match the phrases in column A with adverb phrases in Column B
Column A Column B
i) Put the crockery a) at the restaurant
ii) She was born b) on the floor
iii) Don’t sit c) in the house
iv) I used to live there d) in Jaipur
v) Salman does his work e) at the back of the envelope
vi) We were waiting for him f) as a child
vii) I will meet you g) very efficiently
viii) Write your name and address h) in the shelf
2) Now complete the following sentences using an adverb or adverb phrase

i) The child behaved ....................................................................................
ii) Several guests arrived .............................................................................
iii) You will find the parcel ............................................................................
iv) The singer sang ........................................................................................
v) Sonu’s house is the pink one......................................................................
vi) I buried the two dead birds .....................................................................
3.5 SPEAKING: BEING POLITE

When we speak to each other in a foreign or a second language, there is always a
danger of speaking rudely – not because we intend to, but because we do not
know the polite phrases/sentences. We will now practice both the rude as well
as polite ways of saying things. Note that some of the polite ways of saying things
may be rather formal.
Example - getting someone to get you the key.

This door is locked, get me the key fast, will you? [rude manner]
I’m afraid this door is locked, could you please get me the key.[polite manner]
Given below are a few situations, respond to them both politely and not so politely.
Situations
i) asking your friend to lend you some money.
ii) asking a colleague to give back something he has borrowed.
52
iii) asking a noisy neighbour to be quiet. Feelings
iv) asking help to lift something heavy.

v) telling a junior that an important plan has been changed.
vi) canceling a dinner appointment.
vii) telling a junior to do something all over again.
viii) telling a junior that his/her work is not up to the mark.
ix) asking a colleague to give you a lift into town on his way.
x) objecting to someone smoking on the next table in restaurant.
3.6 LISTENING: COMPLETING A TEXT

Listening requires a lot of practice. Our aim is to help you become good listeners.
You may have to listen to the audio more than once.
The passage below has some words which are omitted. Listen carefully as we
read the passage to you and fill in the blanks. Listen again, if you have missed
some blanks.
My father died when I was eight years old and I __________when I heard of his
death, for ___________him and all my memories of him are __________ones.
He was a strict man, always ___________to be obeyed without question. He
ruled his family with ___________but only once did he __________me. Until
the day I die I__________I shall forget ________beating my father gave me. I
was _______for days afterwards and he had to treat me with some
__________medicines.
My father was for many years ____________of the school but, in later life, he
was _________as a minister of the church. This ___________ meant that he
frequently went off on tours round the villages visiting his________. My dearest
memories of him concern the family hour before he _________ on these tours.
He would call my mother and my brothers and sisters and we would sing some
_________ and he would pray with us. How I loved to sing with him. The sweet
music of those hymns in the soft ________ of Bemba, my mother tongue, gave me
my first love of __________which has never left me.
3.7 WRITING: PARAGRAPHS

What is a paragraph?
A paragraph is a group of related sentences with a single, unified idea that has
been sufficiently developed. This idea usually occurs at the beginning of the
paragraph and is known as the topic sentence. The rest of the paragraph develops
this topic sentence in various ways. Read the paragraph below:
Lots of people are creating new habitats such as ponds and wildflower meadows,
in gardens and school grounds. In fact some species thrive best in special artificial
habitats. Many starlings, for instance, spend the cold winter nights roosting on
the windowsills of centrally heated office blocks in towns, and then feed all day
53
Greetings and Goodbye on the grubs and worms that live in the soil beneath school playing fields, sports
pitches and parks. Most of the wildflowers we call weeds can survive only if a
farmer or a gardener cultivates the soil and accidentally makes a new seed bed
for them each year.
What is the topic sentence of the paragraph given as a sample? Yes, it is the first
sentence and you will notice that the rest of sentences give details to substantiate
the first sentence. When you write a paragraph you must very clearly write the
topic sentence.
Now in about 150 words write about your closest friend.
Given below are some points about our feelings towards our closest friends.
You may add some more.
• Someone we can trust completely
• Call on for help in times of need
• Meet often and do things together
• Have fun together
On the basis of these points, we can write a paragraph about ‘My closest Friend.’
Read the paragraph below as a sample:
My closest friend is Freda Swaminathan. I have known her since my school

days. She is someone I can trust completely, and I feel she trusts me too. She
lives at quite a distance from my house, but we still try to meet each other about
once a week, when we may catch a movie or see a play. Sometimes, we just go to
the Barista for a cup of coffee and a chat. She’s really witty and intelligent and
fun to be with! Even though, we do not meet so often, we speak to each other on
the phone everyday. We discuss our day-to-day happenings and our hopes and
aspirations for the future.
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54
2) Choose a photograph of a happy occasion from your album and write about Feelings
it. You could keep the following in your mind:
• What was the occasion?
• What made everyone happy?
• Who took the photo?
• How are the people in the photograph related to you?
• What does the photo mean to you now?
Write a well-connected and coherent passage of about 150 words.
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3.8 PRONUNCIATION
Listen to these words which express feelings and say them after the teacher.
Notice the stress placement in these words.
a'musing 'terrific
'awful enter'taining
'boring ex'citing
'brilliant 'wonderful
disa'ppointing in'different
'dull sus'picious
'dreadful 'blissful
en'joyable 'miserable
fasci'nating 'sad
'terrible sympa'thetic
55
3.9 LET US SUM UP
In this unit you learnt the vocabulary of expressing feelings which are both negative
as well as positive. You read a story of two teal birds and their love for each
other. You learnt to say things politely and listened attentively to an account of a
father who had died early. You also became acquainted with adverbs and adverb
phrases. Finally, you learnt to write a short paragraph keeping in mind the topic
sentence.
3.10 ANSWERS
i) Lived in the country side, loved the earth and fresh air, wind and the sky.
ii) Morning till evening (We were to set out one day at daybreak, and were
expected to get back at sunset.)
iii) He enjoyed hunting. He was proud to be one and liked to display his trophies
of birds.
iv) Dawn
v) It was not needed any longer, it was morning.
vi) The narrator – appreciated the beauty of the birds.
Karl – Took the gun and shot them one by one.
vii) They had to keep running to bring back the dead birds.
viii) Karl – reacted in a matter of fact manner.
Narrator – felt the pain of separation that the male bird felt.
ix) to be with his beloved.
x) He felt guilty and he wanted them to be together in death and he buried them
together.
xi) Karl – no feelings involved in anything, therefore no pain.
Narrator – very sensitive even though he was a hunter, felt the pain of the
birds, felt a sense of guilt.
2) iv, viii,vi, ii, v, iii, ix, vii, i, x
1) i) wounded
ii) marshes
iii) stout
iv) spot
v) splendid
vi) lament
vii) menace
viii) careless
56
2) Positive Negative Feelings
amusing awful
brilliant boring
enjoyable disappointing
fascinating dull
terrific dreadful
entertaining terrible
exciting indifferent
wonderful suspicious
blissful miserable
sympathetic sad
2) i) Relaxed
ii) Angry
iii) Embarrassed
iv) Jealous
v) Worried
vi) Depressed
vii) Frightened
viii) Nervous
ix) Annoyed
x) Excited
xi) Upset
1) i) confidently, how
ii) late, when
iii) day after tomorrow, when
iv) outside, where
v) on top of the tree, where
1) Match the Columns:
i–h, ii – d, iii – b, iv – f, v – g, vi – c, vii – a, viii – e

2) i) very badly
ii) at the same time
iii) in the letter box.
iv) beautifully
v) around the corner
57
Greetings and Goodbye vi) in the marshy land
i) Give me some money, I need it
Could you please lend me some money?
ii) When you borrow something, you should give it back! Don’t you know that?
You borrowed a book from me a month ago, could I have it back please.
iii) You have no right to be so noisy and disturb the others.
I know you are enjoying your party but may I request you to lower the
noise level please.
iv) Help me lift this machine, its heavy.
I’ll be very grateful if you could kindly help me lift this heavy machine.
v) We had to change the plan. Couldn’t help it.
We really did not wish to make the change, but it was essential. Please bear
with us.
vi) I can’t come for dinner tonight; I have other things to do.
I’m sorry I won’t be able to come for dinner tonight. Please excuse me for
any inconvenience I may have caused.
vii) You better repeat it and this time do it properly.
I’m afraid you need to do this again, to make it better.
viii) This is substandard work. It can’t be accepted.
It would be very nice of you to redo it, keeping in mind all the suggestions.
ix) Give me a lift, will you.
I’d be grateful if you give me a lift today – I haven’t brought my car.
x) You have no right to smoke – its illegal.
Please don’t smoke, its disturbing us.
Text for the audio
My father died when I was eight years old and I cried bitterly when I heard of
his death, for I loved him and all my memories of him are sweet ones. He was
a strict man, always expecting to be obeyed without question. He ruled his
family with a firm hand but only once did he beat me. Until the day I die I do
not think I shall forget the beating my father gave me. I was sore for days
afterwards and he had to treat me with some soothing medicines.
My father was for many years headmaster of the school but, in later life, he
was ordained as a minister of the church. This responsibility meant that he
frequently went off on tours round the villages visiting his parishioners. My
dearest memories of him concern the family hour before he departed on these
tours. He would call my mother and my brothers and sisters and we would
sing some hymns. How I loved to sing with him. The sweet music of those
hymns in the soft language of Bemba, my mother tongue, gave me my first love
of singing which has never left me.
58
Check Your Progress 6 Feelings
i) cried bitterly
ii) I loved
iii) sweet
iv) expecting
v) a firm hand
vi) beat
vii) do not think
viii) the
ix) sore
x) soothing
xi) headmaster
xii) ordained
xiii) responsibility
xiv) parishioners
xv) departed
xvi) hymns
xvii) language
xviii) singing
59
UNIT 4 NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION:
BODY LANGUAGE
Structure:
4.0 Objectives
4.1 Warm Up: What does Your Body Language Say about You?
4.2 Reading Comprehension: Five Situations
4.3 Vocabulary: Words in Context
4.4 Speaking: Role Play
4.5 Grammar: Simple Past Tense
4.6 Listening: Presentation on Body Language
4.7 Writing skills: Describing Body Language
4.8 Pronunciation
4.9 Let Us Sum Up
4.10 Answers
4.0 OBJECTIVES
Understanding body language and non-verbal communication is just as important
as understanding verbal communication.
In this unit you will learn:

• What is body language?
• The importance of understanding body language in day-to-day life.
• How different people convey things not only through what they say but also
through non-verbal communication.
• Vocabulary related to communication.
• How to write a description.
• How to join sentences so that there is a flow of ideas in your written
communication.
• How to role-play.
• To develop your speaking and listening skills.
4.1 WARM UP: WHAT DOES YOUR BODY

LANGUAGE SAY ABOUT YOU?
Non-verbal communication is just as important as verbal communication in day-
to-day interaction with people.
Body language and facial expressions can speak a lot about you as a person. Our
dress, our appearance, the way we sit or stand, the way we touch other people,
our gestures – all these have something to say about us.
60
It is important to understand what our body language conveys about us so that we Non-Verbal Communication:
Body Language
are conscious of it. We could make some changes in it for our own benefit and
for better interaction and communication. In this unit you will read all about
body language.
Answer the following questions truthfully:
What does your body language say about you?
1) You’re in the middle of an argument and getting very angry. What are you
doing with your arms?
• waving them wildly
• holding them at your sides
• they are crossed
2) Your friends are supposed to meet you at a party but they are late. You
decide to:
• strike up a conversation with the nearest person
• pour yourself a drink and take a seat
• wait for your friends outside
3) You’re in a job interview and all of a sudden things get very quiet. What do
you do?
• ask the interviewer a bunch of questions
• show and/or discuss another example of your past work
• stare back at the interviewers, waiting for them to proceed
4) When you’re in a crowded place, for instance a Shopping Mall, how would
you describe your walk?
• slow, looking at everything
• medium, stopping only where you need to
• fast, getting what you need and leaving
5) You’re standing in the rain waiting for a bus when a car drives through a
huge puddle and soaks you with muddy water. You would:
• yell at the driver and kick the side of the car
• buy yourself a new outfit on the way to work
• hide in your cubicle all day.
6) The last picture you saw of yourself was:
• so nice-you framed it
• not that bad, actually
• the worst photo ever
61
Greetings and Goodbye If you have ticked the second option in at least four of the six questions asked,
your body language suggests that you are quite a balanced person and do not get
nervous or agitated easily: For example, showing and discussing another example
of your past work when things get very quiet all of a sudden, suggests that you are
quite a balanced person and know how to tackle such a situation. Instead of
staring back at the interviewers, you get into conversation about something that is
likely to benefit you. Yelling at the driver and kicking the side of the car when a
car drives through a puddle and soaks you or waving your hands wildly if you are
upset in the middle of an argument are non-verbal ways of communicating that
you get upset easily.
Read the questions again and consider what should be done in each of the
situations.
4.2 READING COMPREHENSION: FIVE

SITUATIONS
The meaning of any reading material operates at least four levels: literal,
interpretive, critical and creative. In the reading passages of this unit, you will
come across the literal and the interpretive or inferential levels.
The literal level involves comprehension of the information which is directly

stated in the text. At the inferential level, we read “between the lines” and recognize
ideas and information which is not directly stated.
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow in brief:
Situation 1: Ravi hides his disappointment.

Ravi has just been told that he has not received the promotion that he had expected.
He feels very disappointed and angry, but manages to control his expression and
gestures. Back at his desk, he is aware that his eyes are smarting, and he can feel
his mouth trembling.
Ravi needs a little time alone. His mannerisms indicate that he does not want to
talk to anyone. He looks down at his desk with his hands on either side of his face
and spreads his elbows so that they create a physical barrier. This gives the
signal that he is concentrating and does not want to be disturbed. He reinforces
this impression by surrounding himself with piles of books and paper. Throughout
the day he does not communicate with anyone. Amit his friend tries to speak to
him a couple of times, but Ravi does not respond.
1) What sort of body language does Ravi use to keep others away?
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2) Why does Ravi want to keep others away? Non-Verbal Communication:
Body Language
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3) Without using words Ravi conveys something to his colleagues. What does
he convey through his body language?
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Situation 2: Robert is evasive about his previous career

Vikram is interviewing Robert for a job as a supervisor in the packaging
department. Robert has answered his questions openly and confidently. Vikram
moves on to discuss Roberts’s previous experience.
“Can you tell me something about managing the team at Softcell?”
Robert clears his throat and does not respond as fluently as before. “Well, I
…..er….let me see… I was there for three years and got on very well with
everyone.” His hand goes up to his face and he shifts in his seat tentatively.
Vikram can see that Robert’s foot is twitching. He is not as confident as he

appeared at the beginning of the interview. Vikram thinks that Robert is hiding
something, and feels that it is important to find out what it is. Vikram decides to
adopt a confrontational approach to make Robert reveal what it is he is hiding.
He leans forward into Robert’s space and engages him in eye contact for a longer
period than usual ‘I’d like to hear a bit more about your time at Softcell, he says.
Robert goes red and says, ‘There is not much more to say.’ He clears his throat
and gives brief answers to Vikram’s further questions.
Answer the following questions:-
1) What sort of body language does Vikram observe when he asks Robert about
his job at Softcell?
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63
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2) Why does Robert behave this way?

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3) If Vikram had to make inquiries about Robert’s job at Softcell, what would
he find out?
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4) Robert goes red and says, ‘There is not much more to say’. Why does he go
red and why does he make this statement?
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5) Which words/phrases in the text mean the opposite of:
i) Conceal..................................................................................................
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ii) Harmonious ...........................................................................................

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64
Situation 3: Rama joins the group Non-Verbal Communication:
Body Language
Rama has just joined the telesales team and would like to be friendly with the
group who have lunch together each day. They look as if they are having good
fun, that is why they always come back laughing and joking from the lunch room.
The problem is that they seem very established as a group, and rather off-putting
to outsiders.
Rama begins by staying on the edge of the group, and building rapport with them
by matching their body language. The first time that she joins them for lunch she
is careful to follow rather than take the lead. Because of this she holds back from
sitting down until everyone has taken their place. She knows that such a well
established group will have habits and rituals that she must respect if she wants
to establish a good relationship with them. She makes sure that her posture and
gestures are open and neither defensive nor pushy, and she takes care not to
invade any one’s space. At first she listens, showing attention and interest with
her use of eye contact and facial expressions. She notices that most of the laughter
follows something that Wendy has said. Rama begins to contribute gradually to
the conversation. She makes careful observations of the others’ responses. She
sees that they listen to her without turning away or fidgeting, and that they make
eye contact as she speaks. She feels accepted and able to make a greater
contribution.
1) What are the indications that the group is a cohesive one?
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2) Notice that Rama treads very carefully in her effort to be accepted by the
group. What are the things she does?
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Greetings and Goodbye 3) Write two positive steps taken by Rama so that she gets accepted by the
group.
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4) Write two things about Rama that impress you. Do you think she will get
along with the group she is joining? Give reasons for your answer.
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Situation 4: Amelia is agitated.

Amelia knocks on the Head’s door. ‘Can I talk to you about that incident
yesterday?’
‘Come in and sit down,’ says Lesley. She notices that Amelia seems agitated.
She is breathing rapidly and twisting her hands together and when she starts to
explain what happened, her voice is shrill and shaky.
Lesley feels very sympathetic towards Amelia’s nervous state, but wants her to
calm down so that they can discuss the matter. She speaks to Amelia in a low and
calm voice, and sits in a relaxed position with her hands open, hoping that Amelia
will respond to these cues and behave in a less agitated way. Lesley is very
surprised when Amelia gets up and goes to the door.
‘I knew you would not understand,’ she says. I knew it would be a waste of time
trying to talk to you.’
Lesley is baffled.
1) What are the indications that Amelia is very disturbed?

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66
2) What went wrong even though Lesley was sympathetic and wanted to be Non-Verbal Communication:
Body Language
helpful?
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3) What makes Amelia think that Lesley is not sympathetic towards her?
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4) Why is Lesley baffled?

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Situation 5: The angry customer.

Luke is furious because the supposedly ‘fixed’ fault in his car has recurred. Before
he says a word, it is clear to everyone in the garage workshop that he is very
angry. He drums his fingers on the counter and looks around impatiently. His
mouth and jaw are tight and his eyebrows are drawn together. Sridhar is sitting
behind the counter. He does not stand up or come round immediately, which may
appear confrontational, but instead lets Luke talk. Sridhar sits upright with head
forward and a slight frown, in order to show that he is acknowledging Luke’s
anger. He does not interrupt or argue, but gives little nods to show that he is
taking in what Luke is saying, with his whole body turned towards him. Sridhar
speaks a little faster than he would normally, matching Luke’s pace of speech,
then gradually slows down. Luke’s rate of speaking becomes less rapid. Sridhar
makes a point of using Luke’s name, and keeps his body language still and non-
threatening.
67
Greetings and Goodbye Check Your Progress 5
1) Why is Luke angry and upset?
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2) How does everyone in the garage come to know that Luke is very upset and
angry?
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3) Sridhar seems to understand how to handle Luke. List five things Sridhar
does to tackle Luke cleverly.
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4) What would Sridhar have lost if he had come out from behind the counter
and stood in front of Luke?
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1) Say whether the statements are true or false. Correct the false statements.
i) Amit is upset because he has not got the promotion he expected.
ii) Throughout his interview Robert is very confident and open.
68
iii) One can make out that somebody is lying by watching his face and body Non-Verbal Communication:
Body Language
language carefully.
iv) Rama manages to join the lunch group and be accepted by them because
she understands body language well.
v) Luke uses body language to convey to the workshop owner that he is

very very angry.
vi) By speaking to someone in a calm and relaxed manner you make him/
her also calm.
vii) However much you may try, you cannot know what is in the mind of a
person.
2) Answer the following questions by giving supporting examples from the

situations you have read about.
i) What body language and facial expressions does a person use when s/
he is very upset? Quote examples from the situations you have read.
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ii) How do we know that a person is lying? Which of the persons described
in the preceding passages seems to be lying?
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iii) How does one convey that he is angry without saying anything? Which
of the five persons you have read about is angry?
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69
Greetings and Goodbye iv) ‘You can tackle people better if you understand body language and
expressions well’. Elaborate by giving examples from the passages
you’ve read. Write at least one example from your own experience.
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4.3 VOCABULARY: WORDS IN CONTEXT

Words must be understood in the context in which they occur. Improve your
vocabulary by reading a lot.
Insert suitable words from the box to complete the following text on “Interviewing
With Body Language”
mannerisms,firmly, tentative, facial expressions, critical, body language,

conversational style, eye contact, confidence, styles.
Body language and i)__________ can send signals that you have no energy, can’t
focus or just don’t care. Regardless of stellar qualifications and positive words,
you’re not likely to get a job offer, career experts say.
A job seeker should have someone check his or her ii)____________ before
going to interviews, should eliminate irritating and fidgeting habits, and try to
match the speaking style and iii)___________ of the interviewer.
“You could be saying all the right things and be sending a completely different
message with your body,” said Kathi Vanyo, managing partner at DBM in Phoenix.
Body language is judged from the moment you walk into an interview room. If
you’re iv) ________, poking your head in or knocking lightly, you may be
perceived as someone who lacks v)_________. Better walk straight in, with a
spring in your step.
Shake hands vi)_______, but not so strongly that you give the impression of
having been an arm wrestler.
If you’re not offered a chair, pick the one directly opposite or adjacent to the
interviewer. Don’t ask where to sit; it may seem that you can’t think for yourself.
How you sit is vii)________ too. Avoid the “good student syndrome”- ramrod
straight, feet flat on the floor and hands folded in your lap.
“The message you are sending to your interviewer is that you’re someone who is
uptight, maybe too serious,” Vanyo says.
70
You also don’t want to be too lax, like a long-time friend who happened by. Non-Verbal Communication:
Body Language
Crossing legs, resting an arm along the back of the chair and tapping toes in
rhythm aren’t going to win over the interviewer.
Try to “mirror” the viii) ________ of your interviewer. If he or she speaks

softly, bring down your level; if the talk sounds quick and excited, pick up your
pace. Matching ix) _________will allow the interviewer to focus on what you
are saying, not how you are saying it, she says.
Maintain ________ but don’t get into some kind of staring match. When asked a
question, you can look off as you formulate a response, but reply by looking your
interviewer in the eye.
4.4 SPEAKING: ROLE PLAY

Role play with another student at your study centre the following situations. Try
to use body language and facial expressions according to the role.
Situation
1) Amit visits a friend Mohan. He finds Mohan very quiet and withdrawn but
he does not tell Amit what’s upsetting him. Mohan’s clutched hands and
nervous speech gives away the fact that he is agitated.
As Amit try to handle him in a very understanding manner, get Mohan to

speak up and to tell you what is troubling him. Use body language to show
that you care.
As Mohan use body language and non-verbal signals of being withdrawn.

Create a barrier by keeping your books in front of you.
2) Imagine one of you is Luke and the other is Sridhar.
As Luke act in a very angry and agitated manner. Your body language should
express your anger and show you are upset.
As Sridhar, your facial expressions should show that you understand Luke
very well. You understand from Luke’s mannerisms that he wants assurance
that his car will be repaired properly.
3) Imagine you are Geet Seth. You work as a software engineer with a computer
company which has promised to send you abroad on a project. At the eleventh
hour your manager tells you that someone else is being sent. You are
extremely upset.
As Geet Seth play the role with appropriate body language and expressions.
Your partner will play the role of the manager. He has to tackle you very
carefully and understand your body language and facial expressions that
reveal much more than what you say.
As Geet Seth use the following cues:
Your body language should show:
i) smarting eyes
71
Greetings and Goodbye ii) trembling voice
iii) jaws tight
iv) hands held tightly
v) swallowing as you speak
vi) agitated tone
As the manager use the following cues:
i) through your body language and expressions show that you understand his
feelings.
ii) observe his body language well to know how upset he is
iii) use signs of assurance – touching him, patting him, saying his name, etc.
4.5 GRAMMAR: SIMPLE PAST TENSE

Simple Paste Tense
Look at these sentences. They indicate that something has happened in the past.
1) She belonged to an oppressed nation
2) There she met a man whose genius was akin to hers.
3) Later on he gave her advice…
All the underlined words are verbs showing some action that took place in the
past. We say that these verbs are in the Simple Past Tense.
In the Simple Past Tense many verbs are formed by adding ‘-d ‘or -ed to the
verb.
Examples:
belong belonged
cook cooked
talk talked
work worked
Many other verbs, which end in a consonant, double the consonant before adding
-ed
Examples:
stop stopped
crop cropped
stir stirred
But many other verbs have an irregular Simple Past Tense form.
Examples:
meet met
give gave
72
The Simple Past Tense is used to express actions or states which occurred in the Non-Verbal Communication:
Body Language
past and are now finished.
Note:
We often use the Simple Paste Tense with words like:
yesterday last week
five days ago last Sunday
1) Rewrite the following sentences using the Simple Paste Tense.
i) Yesterday we (talk) a great deal on the subject.
ii) He (become) the President last year.
iii) We (get up) late yesterday.
iv) They (move) house last September.
v) He (die) in an accident last month.
2) Complete the post card using the Past Simple form of the verbs in the box
below:
come have meet visit drive
tour do spend rent see
Dear Omair
Greetings from Jodhpur. We ………..to Rajasthan ten days ago and ………..a
day in Jaipur. We ……….. some sightseeing there and ………..the Amer Fort,
then we ………..a car and ………..through the Rajasthan. We ………..to Udaipur
and ………..some beautiful palaces, and ………..dozens of friendly local people.
………..you ………..a good holiday last month?
Love
Shaheda
4.6 LISTENING: PRESENTATION ON BODY

LANGUAGE
Listen to the following presentation on Body Language carefully and fill in the
blank spaces in the exercise with appropriate words/phrases. You may listen to
the audio as many times as you require.
i) People who are emotionally upset will at once jump to the conclusion that
they are a ________, thus increasing their tension.
ii) One way of learning body language is to _________ the sound of your
television. You will notice that what people _________ is not always what
their body language________.
73
Greetings and Goodbye iii) Parents who believe that it is healthy to go to bed early must practice what
they preach.
iv) The ability to read others’ __________makes it easier to know whether the
person you are talking to is happy or sad or ________.
v) Understanding your own body language will ________for you to

________others body language.
vi) Hidden _________ and intentions can be known by observing people.
vii) Pushing your hair behind your ear or rolling your _________ could mean
that you are _________.
viii) A smile can be considered genuine only if it extends to the _______as well.
You may check your answers by comparing them with sample answers given at
the end of the Unit.
4.7 WRITING SKILLS: DESCRIBING BODY

LANGUAGE
Observe any one person at your work place or at your study center/in your home/
at your college/at the bus stop. Describe him/her briefly. Note his/her body
language very carefully and write about it in your note book under the following
heads:
i) Description-Tall/short, fair, thin, good looking
ii) Verbal Communication – what he/she conveys in words when you talk to
him/her – loud/soft spoken.
iii) Non-verbal-note what he/she conveys through body movements/posture/eye

movement, etc.
iv) Hand movement – do the hands/gestures make a statement? What does s/he
do with her hands while talking to you about something?
v) Eye movement-What do the eyes convey? Furtiveness/shrewdness/kindness/

sincerity…?
vi) Dress-how does she/he dress? Does it convey something about him/her as a
person? About her likes and dislikes? About the impression he/she wants
to make on others? Colours he/she wears –do they convey something to
you?
vii) Habits-What he/she likes to do, ways of behaviour observed by you while
speaking to you.
You could use the following words while describing the person’s body
language:
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Non-Verbal Communication:
facial expression, gestures, communication, convey, greet, habits, message, Body Language
experience, impression, inner feelings, outward appearance, insecurity,
pleasant, relaxed, comfortable, stylish, furtive, darting quickly.
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4.8 PRONUNCIATION
Here is a list of broad categories of emotions. Say them after the teacher.
acceptance agitation
openness anger
expectancy suspicion
readiness boredom
cooperation frustration
confidence nervousness
defensiveness disappointment
4.9 LET US SUM UP

In this Unit, we have discussed non-verbal aspects of communication – body
language, which in many ways is as important as anything we may speak or write.
75
Greetings and Goodbye In the Reading Comprehension section we gave you five situations where perhaps
body language conveyed more than words. The Speaking section involved role
play using different cues. In the Grammar Section we gave you practice in Simple
Past Tense. The Listening section had a gap-filling exercise. The Writing Section
involved descriptive writing.
4.10 ANSWERS
1) a) creates a physical barrier by covering his face.
b) surrounds himself with piles of books and papers.
2) He is disappointed and angry because he has not got the promotion he
expected.
3) that he wants to be left alone.
1) Robert is hesitant. He clears his throat, shifts in his seat tentatively, is not as
confident as he appeared earlier.
2) Probably because he is hiding something.
3) Things would not have been very good for Robert at Softcell.
4) He goes red because he seems to be embarrassed at the question. He does
not want to continue the discussion.
5) i) reveal
ii) confrontational
1) They eat together, have fun, laugh and joke together.
2) i) Stays on the edge of the group
ii) follows, rather than leads
iii) respects the groups’ habits and rituals
iv) does not invade anyone’s space
v) starts making contributions slowly, once she feels accepted by the group
3) i) tries to understand the group ethos
ii) respects their likes and dislikes
4) i) very observant. She observes carefully and then decides what to do.
ii) goes about getting membership slowly and steadily.
1) Breathes fast, twists her hands together, voice is shrill and shaky, impatient
and rude, leaves before the conversation has ended.
2) Her low voice, calmness and relaxed manner made Amelia feel that she was
not being helpful/taking her problem seriously.
76
3) Amelia thinks that Lesley is not sympathetic towards her because Lesley Non-Verbal Communication:
Body Language
does not react at all. She wants Amelia to calm down first, whereas Amelia
wants an immediate response.
4) She is accused of not understanding, which is not true.

1) Because the fault in the car that was supposedly fixed at the workshop, has
come up again.
2) Drums fingers on the table; looks around impatiently; mouth and jaw are
tight, eyebrows drawn together
3) lets Luke talk
does not interrupt/argue
nods his head to show he is listening
sits in front of Luke – facing him directly
calls him by his name, keeps his body still
4) It would have appeared as if he was confronting Luke and was not sympathetic
or understanding. Sridhar would have lost a customer.
1) i) False. Ravi has not got his promotion and is upset.
ii) False. He is confident at first, but not later.
iii) True.
iv) True
v) True
vi) Not true always. Lesley is not able to calm down Amelia where as
Sridhar is able to calm down Luke.
vii) False: Body language and facial expressions do reveal what is in the
mind.
2) i) Creates a barrier.
covers his face, looks down
gives signals that he wants to be left alone
eyes smart, mouth trembles
Ravi does all the above.
Mouth and jaw are tightened, eyebrows are drawn together

Looks around impatiently, drums on the table
Speaks loud and fast
Body language is threatening
Luke does all the above
77
Greetings and Goodbye ii) A person is observed to be lying when he suddenly become evasive and
chooses not to answer questions openly. He hesitates, clears his throats,
shifts his position, covers his face, etc.
Robert in situation 2 seems to be lying.
iii) Body language and facial expressions convey this. In Situation 1 Ravi
is angry and his body language indicated this. In Situation 4 Amelia is
agitated and angry and in situation 5 Luke is furious and therefore
extremely disturbed.
iv) Ravi is extremely upset and disappointed. If Amit could understand
from his body language that Ravi needs to be left alone for some time,
he could help Ravi better.
Rama is good at understanding body language. She works her way
around the group very carefully. She knows that she must respect the
group norms. She matches her body language with that of the group.
Vikram is also good at understanding body language. He is therefore
able to know that Robert is being evasive and this needs further
investigation.
Lesley understands that Amelia is agitated but does not manage to give
reassurance to Amelia the way she wants it. Her low and calm tone
does not calm Amelia.
Sridhar understands from Luke’s body language that he is very upset but
tackles him well. He lets him talk and let off steam. He uses Luke’s
name and gives him positive signals.
i) facial expressions
ii) body language
iii) mannerisms
iv) tentative
v) confidence
vi) firmly
vii) critical
viii) conversational style
ix) styles
x) eye contact
1) i) talked
ii) became
iii) got up
iv) moved
v) died
78
2) Dear Omair Non-Verbal Communication:
Body Language
Greetings from Jodhpur. We came to Rajasthan ten days ago and spent a day
in Jaipur. We did some sightseeing there and saw the Amer Fort, then we
rented a car and toured through the Rajasthan. We drove to Udaipur and
visited some beautiful palaces, and met dozens of friendly local people. Did
you have a good holiday last month?
Love
Shaheda
Text for audio on "Presentation on Body Language"

Body language is noticed by everybody but is not always given enough attention.
We sometimes ignore it and try to hide behind words, but we should never
forget that we cannot fool everyone.
Children react to body language because they experience the world through
intuition. The same can be true for adults when feelings are involved. People
who are in bad shape emotionally place great importance to it. In fact, they
often pick up the smallest hint of a lapse in attention in the person they are
speaking to. And they frequently jump to the conclusion that they are boring or
a nuisance – thus compounding their sense of depression or poor self esteem.
A way to learn body language is to watch television with the sound turned off
and try to interpret what’s being said simply from reading body language. You
will experience that humans say a lot with their mouth which is contradicted
by their body, gestures and other channels of communication.
If a child believes the parents who say that it’s healthy to go to bed early, it
usually doesn’t make much sense unless the parents express it with both words
and body language. Otherwise, the child may get the impression that it is only
good for the parents that the child is put to bed early.
If we develop increased sensitivity to our own body language, our ability to

read others’ body language is increased.
This makes it easier to tell whether a person you are talking to is happy, sad
sullen or irritated. Or whether he or she is lying to you, or is impatient, or
bored. You should also be able to register whether the person appears to like
you, agrees or disagrees with you, is aggressive to you, or is suspicious, angry
or worried.
Increased attention to body language will allow you to observe hidden feelings,
prejudices and sexual intentions.
Body language also includes the movement of arms and legs, body posture, the
manner in which you sit, facial expression, gait, eye movements and regular
gestures such as stroking your hair, touching your nose etc.
Perhaps you hold your hands close to your face when you talk generally, this is
a sign of insecurity. The same is true if you roll a beard or moustache with
your hands or fix your hair, perhaps pushing or curling it behind an ear.
79
When you try to interpret body language, you must try to interpret it in relation
to what is being said with words; otherwise misunderstandings can easily
arise. It must be judged as a whole. Several elements must be in accordance if
you are to draw any firm conclusions about a person.
In order to reach your conclusion you must also pay attention to facial
expression, the mouth’s position, eye movements and pupil dilation and
retraction.
Research has shown that the speaker’s face is the most reliable source of
information about the mood of a person. It is through visual experiences that
happiness, surprise, anger or contempt is communicated while auditory
experiences communicate fear. In order to ascertain the mood of the speaker
you must observe facial muscles. How they are tightened and loosened, how
the lines around the mouth are softened, how the wrinkles around the eyes can
made them shine with happiness when that is the feeling the face has to express.
The same features express anger and contempt, while softer features are taken
to express kindness and friendliness-but note; only if the feelings also extend
to the eyes. A mouth that smiles without the eyes smiling as well sends signals
of falseness and unreliability.
i) nuisance
ii) turn off, say, suggests
iii) practice
iv) body language, sullen/irritated/bored/lying/impatient
v) make it easier, understand
vi) feelings, prejudices
vii) moustache, insecure
viii) eyes
I have a friend who has very interesting body language. He is tall, a little dark
and fairly good-looking. He has a rather special way of communicating with
others. He is not very outspoken and doesn’t have a very good vocabulary.
However, he always makes eye contact and involves everyone in the conversation.
He also uses hand gestures to a great extent and always manages to make his
point while talking. His facial expression is fairly relaxed. He doesn’t get too
enthusiastic to share his opinion. He has a good dressing sense. He doesn’t
experiment too much with his appearance and is always very prim and proper.
Initially, he comes across as a serious and introvert person. However, there is a
fun side to him. He is extremely witty and funny in a sarcastic way. All in all he
has a very pleasant and likeable personality.
80
BEGLA-135
Indira Gandhi
Block
2
THE WORLD AROUND US
UNIT 1
Family and Friends 5
UNIT 2
Describing Daily Events 21
UNIT 3
Money Matters 38
UNIT 4
Public Services 53
EXPERT COMMITTEE



Prof Nandini Sahu
Prof Parmod Kumar
Dr Pema Eden Samdup
Dr. Malathy A

Course Writers
Ms. Vijaya Subhramaniam (Unit 1)
Formerly Vice-Principal
Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, New Delhi
Now ELT Consultant Course Coordinator
Ms. Vinita Rohtagi, (Unit 2) Prof. Anju Sahgal Gupta
Ex Amity School, School of Humanities, IGNOU
New Delhi
Prof. Iqbal Judge (Unit 3)

Punjab University, Punjab
Ms. Suchita Srinagesh (Unit 4)

Ex NCERT, New Delhi
PRINT PRODUCTION
July, 2019
Indira Gandhi National Open University, 2019
ISBN : 978-93-88980-35-4
or any other means, without permission in writing from the Indira Gandhi National Open
University.
Further information on Indira Gandhi National Open University courses may be obtained
from the University's office at Maidan Garhi. New Delhi-110 068 or visit University’s web
site http://www.ignou.ac.in
by Registrar, MPDD
BLOCK INTRODUCTION
In our daily lives we have several needs and desires; we are confronted with
both major and minor problems; we may face grief and happiness. In order to
express the above, we often have to communicate in English.
Necessarily, in the four units of this Block, we cannot cover all aspects of our
daily lives. We have, therefore, rather arbitrarily chosen four areas and given
you the vocabulary, grammar, speaking, listening, reading and writing skills to
engage with the issues of daily living.
The Units are as follows:
Unit 1 Family and Friends
Unit 2 Describing Daily Events
Unit 3 Money Matters
Unit 4 Public Services
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
future editions of this book. Units 1 and 2 have been taken from BEG-004
Block-1. Pronunciation section for Unit 1 has been taken BPOI-006 (Block-1).
Family and Friends
UNIT 1 FAMILY AND FRIENDS
Structure
1.0 Objectives
1.1 Warm Up
1.2 Reading Comprehension: Our Son the Between-Ager
1.3 Vocabulary
1.4 Listening
1.5 Speaking
1.6 Grammar: The Apostrophe
1.7 Writing: Describing People
1.8 Pronunciation: Silent Letters
1.9 Let Us Sum Up
1.10 Answers
1.0 OBJECTIVES
Our aim in this unit is to develop in the learner, the ability to:
Read and comprehend a personal experience;
Make inferences from the text;
Evaluate a situation and provide a personal opinion;
Listen to children’s experiences in the family;
Use apostrophe (’) showing possession;
Use the three forms of adjectives: Positive, Comparative, Superlative; and
Write a paragraph describing a person.
1.1 WARM UP
What is a generation gap?
List some issues over which you disagree with your parents.
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1.2 READING COMPREHENSION: OUR SON THE

BETWEEN-AGER
You may come across several events, words in the passage which are unfamiliar
in your cultural context. It is always interesting about how teenagers behave in
different parts of the world. There is similarity as well which you may notice.
5
The World Around Us Read the following passage and answer the questions given below it:
“Don’t talk with your mouth full.”
“I haven’t got my mouth full.”
“You are still talking with your mouth full. Stop it!”
“I haven’t got my mouth full,” The boy said distinctly. He opened his mouth
wide so that I could observe the pink interior of the empty cavity.
“You had it full when I spoke to you”, I said. He knew it. I looked at the lanky
kid sitting across the table from me, clicking his teeth with his fork and laughing
at me secretly, and I knew he had won again. True, I could use brute force and
send him off to his room, but the use of violence would only prove that I’d lost.
He doesn’t need to shave. There is only the faintest shadow on his upper lip, but
the way he waters it and croons to it you would think he was growing prize
petunias. One day he darkened those sparse hairs with his mother’s eyebrow
pencil and asked to use my razor. I gave him a reasoned answer; ‘Certainly not!’
I suppose it was inevitable that the Young Bull should take this as an affront ¯
and of course, he used the razor.
He got lather all over the bathroom because he had the can’s spout pointing in
the wrong direction. He used two new blades to cut his straggly garden of limp
whiskers and he left the basin full of soapy water, the floor littered with sopping
towels.
“Disobedience!” I thundered. “No pocket money for two weeks!” But this didn’t
work very well because I owed him $ 38. He had a job for a while and earned $
19 a week. And asked me to put $38 of those earnings in the bank for him.
Being short at that time, I borrowed the money. So now he says cheerfully, “All
right, Dad, no pocket money, but could I have the $38 you owe me?” Once
again the Young Bull has locked horns with the Old Bull.
It’s the same process with his mother. Her job, as she sees it, is to keep the boy
clean and properly dressed, and help him with his homework. Her worst problem
with him is cleanliness. Did I mention that his feet look as if he’s been padding
round in river mud? Well, a few days ago he developed a minor skin rash.
“Wash!” commanded his mother. “What you need is soap and water!”
He went away and yesterday he said to his mother, “Remember that sore I had?
It’s gone.”
‘See?” She said triumphantly. “Soap and water!”
“I don’t use any,” he said, “I didn’t wash at all.”
His big problem in homework is Mathematics. “Mother, how do you expand a

number?”
“I don’t know, ask your father.”
“Dad, how do you…………..?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well. You want me to pass, don’t you? You always say….”
“Oh, all right,” I sigh. I look in his textbook. Finally I say, “You do it like this.”
6
“That’s not the way you do it, Dad,” he says, “You do it like this.” And he fills Family and Friends
a page with incomprehensible squiggly brackets.
“Well,” I say, “if you know all about it then why did you ask me?”
“I just wanted to see if you could do it. Will you help me draw an outline map
of Australia?”
He also competes more violently than before with his brother and sister. In his
endless search for attention, he enjoys causing chaos where there is peace.
Well, it sounds terrible, doesn’t it? A boy who fights all the time, tortures the
younger ones, never has a bath isn’t very lovable. Right?
Wrong! That’s the funny part of it. I mean if he were anybody else’s son, I
wouldn’t want him around. But this one is welcome to stay.
He’s all mixed up and full of conflicts he can’t resolve because he doesn’t really
know what they are. And he’s irritable and far too talkative but most of all,
really rather lovable. He’s a ‘between-ager’. Not a boy any more. Not yet a
man. Just a something in between.
(by H T Baker)
From Explorations 8
1) Answer the following questions
i) In what two ways does the boy in the story break table manners?
...............................................................................................................
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ii) What happened when the son shaved for the first time?
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iii) Why was the son not disturbed when his pocket money was stopped?
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iv) How did the boy irritate his mother?

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The World Around Us v) What kind of a father was the author?
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2) Drawing inferences
i) What important inferences can you draw from the following?
a) “I haven’t got my mouth full” the boy said distinctly.”
b) “All right, Dad, no pocket money, but could I have the $38 you
owe me?”
ii) Who are the Young and the Old bull?
a) ‘Once again the Young Bull has locked horns with the Old Bull’
iii) laughing at me secretly’
a) Who is laughing and at whom?
b) Why is he/she laughing secretly?
1.3 VOCABULARY
1) Find words/phrases from the passage which mean the same as the
following
i) cruel strength
ii) insulting action
iii) confusion and lack of order
iv) wound
v) red spots on the skin
vi) things lying around in an untidy way
vii) to speak clearly
viii)present in small numbers or amount.
Read the phrase below
................................. the way he waters it ...................
As you know ‘water’ is usually used as noun e.g. Water is necessary for
life.
However in the sentence above water is used as a verb. Now look at some
more sentences where a noun is used as a verb:
The army policed the city.
We motored down to Belgium.

8
2) Fill in the blanks with the words in the box. Use them as verbs in the Family and Friends
sentences. (Notice that these words are originally nouns)
elbow, shoulder, captain, pilot, tutor
i) Who will …………..the team?
ii) He …………..the students in Physics and Mathematics.
iii) He …………..the plane in a most skilful manner.
iv) The bully …………..me out of the way.
v) After his father’s death, he had to …………..all the responsibilities of

the family.
1.4 LISTENING
Before you listen to the audio, you need to read all the questions given below.
These questions will give you an idea about what you need to focus on. Listen
to the audio once through and then listen again to complete the questions given
below.

What do you think are the main advantages and disadvantages of being
an only child?
one of a large family of brothers and sisters?
the oldest child?
the youngest child?
You will hear four people talking about their position in their family as children
and how they felt about it. Complete the table as soon as you have listened to the
audio. You may listen to the audio as many times as you require.
Position in Advantages Disadvantages
the family
Tasia
Roger
Rini
Adeel
1.5 SPEAKING
What is your position among the siblings in your family? What are the advantages
and disadvantages? Speak about it at your study center (Prepare a short speech
of about a minute). We give you one as an example.
9
The World Around Us I am the youngest in my family. I have three elder sisters. They are all much
older than me. Because of the big difference in our ages, they all look after me
and really take care of me. All of them bring me presents and organize new
games and activities for me. They love doing my work for me, so I never have
to do any work. However, they all think that I should study very hard and become
a doctor. All the time, one sister or the other gets after me to study. Each one
feels that she should teach me and help me with my homework. Because of this,
sometimes I have to do my homework three times in a day!
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1.6 GRAMMAR: THE APOSTROPHE

a) The razor belongs to the father.
It is father’s razor.
b) The shawl belongs to the mother.

It is mother’s shawl.
c) The toys belong to the babies.

These are the babies’ toys.
d) The books belong to the children.

These are the children’s books.
The ‘apostrophe’ is used to show the ownership of something, i.e. shows
possession.
Now let us understand the rules of the possessive.
Read these singular nouns and their possessives
A) father – father’s razor
mother – mother’s shawl
bank – bank’s address
B) boss-boss’s
countess-countess’s
princess-princess’s
C) Read the plural nouns and their possessive
boys-boys’ men-men’s
dresses-dresses’ mice-mice’s
ladies-ladies’ children-children’s
10
Family and Friends
A possessive is formed by adding
a) apostrophe +s to any singular noun e.g. mother’s
b) apostrophe + s to a plural noun not ending in ‘s’ e.g. children’s
c) only apostrophe to a plural nouns ending in ‘s’ e.g. boys’
1) Rewrite the following sentences using an apostrophe.

i) The dance of the gypsies was delightful.
ii) The tail of the donkey went up in the air.
iii) This box belongs to Ravi.
iv) Where is the bag that belongs to Mr. Rizvi?
v) The speed of the car was amazing.
vi) A lot of VIPs were present at the launch of a new magazine for women.
vii) The reputation of the team was at stake when one of the members
took drugs.
viii) The health of his father was delicate.
ix) The cabin where the boss sits is on the left.
x) The anxiety of all parents is understandable.
2) Look at this family tree.
Sara Rustom
Farah-Fred Robin Soheb-Alice
Ali Bob Rita Tom Susie
Frame at least five questions using apostrophes. One is done for you. Give
their answers too. For example:
Who are Ali’s parents?

Farah and Fred are Ali’s parents
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3) Complete the news story. Use the apostrophe appropriately.
Two girls disappeared from (their uncle) their uncle’s house in London
yesterday evening. Jaya and Rita Nader aged 6 and 10 were staying at (their
uncle) (i) house for a week. They were in London for a (children) (ii) Acting
11
The World Around Us course. The police have asked the course teachers for the other (children)
(iii) names and addresses and they have also put Jaya and (Rita) (iv) photos
on National television. The two (girls) (v) mother, Ms. Anita Nader has
appeared on TV as well. A lady witness thinks she saw Jaya and Rita
getting into a (man) (iv) car.
Comparison of Adjectives
Forms of adjectives
Positive - Sweet
Comparative - Sweeter
Superlative - Sweetest
· The Positive degree of the adjective denotes some quality.
· The Comparative degree of the adjective denotes a higher degree of the
quality when two things or two sets of thing are compared.
· The Superlative degree denotes the highest degree of the quality and is
used when more than two things or two sets of things are compared.

1) Tick the correct form of adjective from those given in the brackets.
i) The (tall, taller, tallest) of the two villagers brought the buffalo.
ii) Who was the (wise, wiser, wisest) of all the villagers?
iii) The young man was (strong, stronger, the strongest) man in the village
but he was not (clever, cleverer, the cleverest).
iv) The village headman’s daughter was (pretty, prettier, prettiest).
v) It was the (tough, tougher, toughest) question in the exam.
vi) No one can run as (fast, faster, fastest) as Kareem.
vii) Ground floor flats are (cool, cooler, coolest) than the flats on other
floors in summer.
viii)The skin on our cheeks is (soft, softer, softest) than our palms.
ix) The deserts are (hot, hotter, hottest) during day time and (cold, colder,
coldest) at night.
x) My mother cooks (tasty, tastier, tastiest) chicken than my grandmother.
We add –‘er’ and ‘-est’ to short adjectives. But in many longer adjectives
we add the words ‘more’ or ‘most’ to show comparison.
For example
Grateful more grateful most grateful
Beautiful more beautiful most beautiful
And here now are the ‘unruly’ ones – these words just do not follow any
rules:
Much more most
12 Good better best

Bad worse worst Family and Friends
Little less least
2) Complete the following passage with appropriate degree of adjectives:

Carrot Halwa Rice Pudding Almond Delight
Carrots 250 gm Rice 10 gm Almonds 100 gm
Milk 1 litre Milk ¾ litre Milk 1½ litres
Sugar 60 gm Sugar 55 gm Sugar 100 gm
Almonds 30 gm Cardamom 3 Cardamom 6
Cardamom 4 Butter 200 gm
Raisins 10 gm
These are the ingredients for three sweets. Complete the following, with the
appropriate comparative or superlative forms of the words in brackets.
The carrot halwa has the ................................ (large) number of ingredients. It

has ............................ (much) sugar than the rice pudding. The almond delight
has butter in it, so it is likely to be the .................................... (rich). It also has
the ................................... (much) sugar. Almond delight is the ........................
(expensive) dish, whereas the rice pudding is the ............................ (cheap). The
carrot halwa would cost ...................................... (little) than the almond delight
but ...................................... (much) than rice pudding. The carrot halwa is
................................... (taste), the rice pudding is ............................... (taste) but
the almond delight is the .............................................. (taste).
1.7 WRITING: DESCRIBING PEOPLE

1) Read the following descriptions of various persons and write a paragraph

describing a real person you know. You can use some of the expressions
given in the box.
fair, oval, pointed, close-cropped, curly, long, wavy, twinkling, short, dark,
grey, pale, bearded, unshaven, sharp featured, lanky, hefty, balding,
protruding, gapped teeth, hooked nose
i) He is quite old. He has thick grey hair and a bushy moustache. His face is
wrinkled and he has a high forehead. His eyebrows are quite dark. He
looks a very kind, soft and artistic person.
ii) It is hard to say how old she was when they took this picture. She has a
roundish face and a double chin, lots of curly black hair, bright twinkling
eyes and a very friendly smile. She looks a very cheerful and pleasant
person.
iii) She was probably in her twenties when they took this picture. Her hair is
short and curly and she looked very beautiful. She has bright, big eyes.
She looks a calm and sophisticated person.
iv) He has a squarish face with large ears, a long pointed nose and small eyes.
He is completely bald and has a serious and stern look on his face. He looks
quite unfriendly. 13
The World Around Us ......................................................................................................................
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2) Match each quality of Edison with an example from his life and join them.
One is done for you.
For example:
He was energetic. For instance, he always worked hard and seldom slept
more than four hours a day.
Qualities Examples
i) He was energetic a) Edison constantly asked questions
ii) He was creative b) he worked on things people
wanted. He tried to make things
that did not break easily, that were
easier to fix.
iii) He was a good organizer c) he went to school only for three
months.
iv) He was self educated d) he made over 1000 inventions
during his lifetime.
v) He was practical e) Edison always worked very
hard and seldom slept more than
four hours a day.
vi) He had intense curiosity f) he organized the first industrial
research lab.
vii) He had great determination g) He often conducted thousands
of experiments to perfect an
invention
Now use all this information to write out a
coherent paragraph on Edison. Think of
opening and concluding sentences.
…………………………………………….
…………………………………………….
…………………………………………….
…………………………………………….
…………………………………………….
…………………………………………….
14
3) Write a descriptive passage about any person you know. Family and Friends
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1.8 PRONUNCIATION: SILENT LETTERS

In English you generally do not pronounce all the letters in a word. Some letters
in words are silent. In other words, they are not pronounced. Listen to them
carefully and repeat each word.
i) b is silent in the spelling mb and bt occurring in the final position in words.
Example:
thumb bomb debt
comb climb doubt
tomb
ii) d is silent in the spelling sequence dj. Example:
adjective adjoin
adjust adjacent
adjourn
iii) g is silent in the spelling sequences gm or gn. Example:
phlegm gnarl champagne sign
paradigm gnash poignant resign
gnat physiognomy assign
gnaw
iv) h is silent in the spelling sequence gh and in the word final position. Example:
ghost ah
aghast eh
ghetto oh
v) k is silent in these words:
knee knob know
knock knife
vi) l is silent before k and in the word – final spelling sequences lk and lm.
Example:
walk balm
talk palm
folk calm
15
The World Around Us vii) n is silent in the word – final spelling sequence mn. Example:
column
condemn
solemn
viii) p is silent in the word – initial spelling sequences pn and ps. Example:
pneumonia psalm pseudonym
pneumatic psychology
p is also silent in the final spelling sequence pt, e.g. unkempt.
ix) t is silent when it occurs between s and l, and s and e. Example:
castle listen
wrestle fasten
bustle glisten
wrestle
x) w is silent in the final position, in the initial spelling sequence wr and
sometimes the initial spelling sequence wh. Example:
saw write who
raw wrest whole
claw wrist whose
blow wreck whom
snow wrap
show
1.9 LET US SUM UP

In this unit we gave you practice in:
Reading and understanding a personal experience.
Making inferences from the text.
Expressing personal opinion.
Listening to people’s personal experience and comprehending it.
Using the apostrophe and comparison of adjectives.
Writing a descriptive passage about a person.
Practicing silent letters.
1.10 ANSWERS
i) talks with his mouth full
clicks his teeth with a fork
ii) lather all over the bathroom
16
used up two new blades Family and Friends
left a basin full of soapy water

left a lot of wet towels
iii) because his father had earlier borrowed money from him, the son asked
him to merely return it.
iv) spoke with his mouth full
used her eyebrow pencil
did not wash himself.
v) reasonable
understanding
mature
loving
2) Drawing Inferences
i) a) The boy had his mouth full but he quickly swallowed and showed his
empty mouth to his father.
b) The son wins again. He appears to obey his father but demands the
money his father owes him.
ii) a) Young bull — Son, Old bull — father
b) The father and son are arguing with each other like two bulls fighting.
iii) a) The son is laughing at his father.
b) He is laughing secretly as he has managed to irritate his father and got
the better of him.
1) i) brute force
ii) affront
iii) chaos
iv) sore
v) rash
vi) littered
vii) distinctly
viii)sparse
2) i) captain
ii) tutors
iii) pilots
iv) elbowed
v) shoulder
17
The World Around Us 1.4 Listening Text for Activity 3
Tasia
Being one of five, I grew up in a very crowded family. We had good times at
home. I enjoyed being with my brothers and sisters. We had lots of fun-we
still laugh when we get together. I never had a room to myself. There was
always a brother or a sister sharing my room, my clothes and just about
everything. I had no privacy. I treasure solitude. By the way, I was the eldest
and could boss over others once in a while.
Roger
I was the second child in a family of three children. I have an older sister and
a younger brother. As the middle one I was never sure of my role in the family.
I was not the first born nor the baby of the family. The advantage was that if
my sister scolded me, I could take it out on my brother. I could easily take
sides and sometimes be with the older one and sometimes with the younger
one. The best part was that if you fought with one, you had the other one to
turn to.
Rini
I’m the youngest in the family. I have an elder sister. We had a very nice
relationship. My sister used to look after all my needs. I was quite a spoilt
child. My sister was always blamed for my mistakes. I could get away with a
lot of things. I had no responsibilities at home. But the problem was that I was
treated like a baby even when I grew up. Was never involved in decision
making. My sister was consulted in all matters.
Adeel
Well I was and I am an only child, and there was just me and my parents and
grandparents living at home. I was at the centre of everything and so everybody
always had time for me. I never had to wait for anything. I had no competition.
I was never denied anything.
But I suppose I was a bit lonely. My friends who had brothers and sisters never
got bored. But if I wanted to play then I had to go to the park or someone’s
house to see if there was anyone to play with. There was also no one to share
my secrets at home. I never learnt to share anything. And now as an adult I’m
a very private person.
Position in the Advantages Disadvantages
family
No privacy
Tasia Eldest of five Enjoyed and had fun with
children. brothers and sisters. Had to share
Could boss over others everything
Roger 2nd child in Could pass on the scolding to Never sure of his
family of three the younger one. role.
children Fought with one, the other was
there.
Rini Youngest of Good relationship with sister Not involved in
two children Got away with a lot decision making
18
Family and Friends
No responsibilities
Adeel Only child Centre of attention Lonely, got bored
Never denied anything No one to share secrets at home.
Never learnt to share anything.

Do it yourself.
1) i) The gypsies’ dance was delightful
ii) The donkey’s tail went up in the air.
iii) This is Ravi’s box.
iv) Where is Mr. Rizvi’s bag?
v) The car’s speed was amazing.
vi) A lot of VIPs were present at the launch of a women’s magazine
vii) The team’s reputation …
viii) His father’s health …
ix) The boss’s cabin …
x) Parent’s anxiety …
2) i) Who is Farah’s mother?
Sara is Farah’s mother.
ii) Who is Soheb’s wife?
Alice is Soheb’s wife?
iii) Who are Robin’s parents?
Sara and Rustom are Robin’s Parents
iv) Who are Rita’s brothers?
Ali and Bob are Rita’s brothers
v) Who are Robin’s nieces?
Rita and Susie are Robin’s nieces.
3) i) uncle’s ii) children’s
iii) children’s iv) Rita’s
v) girls’ vi) man’s
1) i) taller
ii) wisest
iii) the strongest, the cleverest
iv) pretty
v) toughest
vi) fast
19
The World Around Us vii) cooler
viii)softer
ix) hot, cold
x) tastier
2) i) largest
ii) more
iii) richest
iv) most
v) most expensive
vi) cheapest
vii) less
viii)more
ix) tasty
x) tastier
xi) tastiest
1) Do it yourself.
2) ii) He was creative, for example he made over 1000 inventions during his
lifetime
iii) He was a good organizer. Once he organized the first industrial research
laboratory.
iv) He was self educated as he went to school only for three months
v) He was practical. Many times he worked on things people wanted…
vi) He had intense curiosity as he asked a lot of questions
vii) He had great determination, for example, he conducted thousands of
experiments to perfect an invention.
3) This is a sample answer.
Today I wish to write about my brother. He is two years older than me. He
has a round and chubby face. He has bushy eyebrows and thick, black hair.
He always has a twinkle in his eyes. He has a strong and determined look
on his face.
I greatly admire him. He has a lot of qualities that I’d like to emulate. His
greatest quality is his concern for the family, for instance he stayed up the
whole night to help father finish his project that he had to submit the next
day. Another time, he cooked all meals for the family when mother was ill.
He loves music. He plays the piano at the community center every Sunday.
He is very practical. One time we had planned a family holiday, but all of
us couldn’t fit into the car. He was looking forward to this holiday, but
decided to stay home.
20
Family and Friends
UNIT 2 DESCRIBING DAILY EVENTS
Structure
2.0 Objectives
2.1 Warm Up
2.2 Reading: From Dawn to Dusk
2.3 Vocabulary: Word Search
2.4 Grammar: Linkers
2.5 Speaking: Interviewing
2.6 Listening: Time Management Tips for Students
2.7 Study Skills: Planning Ahead
2.8 Writing: About Myself and Others
2.9 Pronunciation: FAQs at Interviews
2.10 Let Us Sum Up
2.11 Answers
2.0 OBJECTIVES
We all know the importance of maintaining discipline in our daily lives. Sticking
to a time schedule and managing our time in the most effective and constructive
manner produces amazing results. In this unit, you will read about a florist and
her daily routine. The benefits of a well regulated life style are immense as can
be seen in the unit. In the Listening section, you will listen to a speech on time
management and in the Grammar section, you will learn about linkers and how
to use them correctly. Under the Writing activity, a planner has been designed
which will help you to schedule your activities in a more planned and effective
manner.
2.1 WARM UP
This world goes on with the help of people who do what their jobs demand of
them. They manage their time efficiently and with consistency and regularity go
about their work in the most disciplined manner. Think about someone….anyone,
it could be a newsreader, a newspaper delivery boy, a postman, your teacher, the
butcher in the market…anyone. Write a paragraph about his or her daily life.
.............................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................
The pictures given below are of people engaged in different activities. Can you
identify the activities that they are doing?
21
The World Around Us
Which of these activities do you do?

i) Everyday
ii) Sometimes
iii) Occasionally
iv) Rarely
v) Never
2.2 READING: FROM DAWN TO DUSK

Read the passage and answer the questions below:
“Early to bed and early to rise makes Jack healthy wealthy and wise”. My life
revolves around this concept and I wake up around 6 o’clock in the morning,
22
switch off the alarm clock and spring out of bed. After drinking a nice hot cup of Describing Daily Events
tea and preparing my lunch I set out to face what the day has in store for me.
I am a florist by profession and am self-employed. Right in the middle of the

hustle bustle of a metropolis, I own a little shop, which stocks flowers, called
Flourish Fauna.
At around 7:30 I go to the suburbs to buy beautiful fresh flowers at cheap rates
so as to get more variety there at reasonable rates. As soon as I reach the city, it
is no longer as I had left it. It is bustling with activity. At my shop, my assistants,
Hamid and Abdul, help me open and decorate it with the beautiful flowers
procured by me.
As the arm of the clock strikes 9, the shutters of my shop open with customers
pouring in from all over the city – women buying flowers to decorate their
houses with the colorful blooms, students wanting to gift their teachers, or fellow
shop keepers drop in to have a little chat or buy something for their girl friends/
wives or mothers. But the first to enter every alternate day is Mrs. Bose the
grandmother of a little boy in my neighborhood, called Sumit, who always buys
white roses with ferns.
23
The World Around Us Lunch for me begins at around 2:30 or 3:00 depending upon the customers.
Joseph my friend, who works in the shop next to mine selling electrical fittings,
joins me for lunch. Since the number of customers reduces in the afternoon due
to the overhead blazing sun, we have a nice chat as well.
I close my shop at around 8:30 in the evening after closing the shutters and
bidding my assistants goodbye. I reach home in an hour’s time. I prepare my
dinner which is usually the lightest meal of my day. After watching the 10 o’clock
news, I switch off the TV to retire for the night.
Although my day begins early and I wind up late, I love my work and I want to
keep on expanding my business.
Despite my mundane routine I am thankful to god for giving me the gift called
life. I believe in punctuality and regularity in work. Along with this, I also believe
in honesty and sincerity, which is why, perhaps, I am successful. Above all, I
love being surrounded by nature, in all its colours and contours.
1) Answer the questions based on the passage.
i) What kind of work does the author do?
..............................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................
ii) Who buys flowers regularly from her? What does he or she buy?
..............................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................
iii) What is the name of the shop?
..............................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................
iv) What makes you think that the author is a social person? Pick out a
sentence from the text to support your answer.
..............................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................
v) How does the writer relax once she gets home?
..............................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................
vi) Why does the writer go to the suburbs to buy the flowers?
..............................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................
vii) What is the author’s philosophy of life?
..............................................................................................................
24
viii)What is her ambition? Describing Daily Events
..............................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................
2) Complete the following schedule which describes the florist’s day.

Time Activity
6.00 a.m. wake up
7.30 a.m. ..................
.................. shop opens
2.30 p.m. __________
.................. close shop
.................. reach home
10 pm ..................
2.3 VOCABULARY: WORD SEARCH

1) Find words in the passage whose meanings have been given below:
i) city dweller
ii) area that is outside the center of the city
iii) people moving about in a busy manner
iv) to make something look more attractive by putting things on it
v) extremely hot sun
vi) sensible
vii) obtained
vii) flowers
2) Look at the jumbled words below, and find the names of some
professionals. Find out what work they do by looking at the dictionary.
i) TOTAUNSAR
ii) EOOLTSIGG
iii) TCEACHRTI
iv) TTSINICSE
v) FOPRSSROE
vi) CERTEYRAS
3) Choose the nearest meaning of the words from the list given below:
i) mundane
a) boring b) happy c) cheerful d) interesting
25
The World Around Us ii) chat
a) dinner b) unfriendly talk c) a conversation
d) formal conversation
iii) alternate
a) two things happening one after another \
b) regularly c) punctually
d) two things happening together.
iv) customers
a) friends b) enemies
c) people who come to buy things d) patients
v) retire
a) die b) to stop doing your job
c) to begin working d) to go to bed.
2.4 GRAMMAR: LINKERS

Conjunctions or linkers are words used to join other words, groups of words or
sentences.
We use ‘and’ to join similar facts or statements. Conjunctions belonging to this

group are:
AND, MOREOVER, AS WELL AS
*Early to bed AND early to rise.
*The driver applied the brakes AND the car stopped.
We use BUT to express opposition or contrast. Conjunctions of this group are
BUT, YET, HOWEVER
*I sent him an urgent message BUT he didn’t come.
*Her interview didn’t go well, YET she was given the job.
BECAUSE suggests the reason for something. Other conjunctions that can
express reason are SINCE, AS:
*We haven’t shifted to our new house BECAUSE it hasn’t been painted as yet.
ALTHOUGH, EVEN THOUGH, EVEN IF suggest CONTRAST.
ALTHOUGH my day begins early, I wind up late
*We won’t support him EVEN THOUGH he is a dear friend.
*I won’t work for them EVEN IF they offer me double my present salary.
WHEN suggests time. Other conjunctions suggesting time are:
AS, WHILE, SINCE, UNTIL, BEFORE, AFTER, AS SOON AS
*I’ll ring up AFTER I reach the office.
SINCE the number of customers reduce in the afternoon, Nassir and I have a
nice chat.
26
*Mother prepared dinner for me WHILE I changed my dress. Describing Daily Events
WHERE AND WHEREVER suggest place

1) Join these sentences using the conjunctions given in the brackets.
Example: The sun went down. A cool breeze began to blow. (as)
As the sun went down, a cool breeze began to blow.
i) The train slowed down. He jumped on to the platform.(as soon as)
ii) I reached the school. The assembly had already begun. {when)
iii) She left Delhi last week. We haven’t heard from her after that. (since)
iv) I read the letter. Tears came into my eyes. (whenever)
v) Our car neared the village. My heart was filled with old memories.(as)
vi) Her father was abroad last week. She has been feeling lonely after that.
(since)
2) Solve the crossword below using the conjunctions given in the box
FOR,
MOREOVER,
WHEN, DESPITE,
HOWEVER,
SINCE,
BUT, BECAUSE,
ALTHOUGH.
Across
3) He must be very popular, ___ everyone in school knows him.
5) John wanted to stay, ___ his sister persuaded him to go.
6) ___ the rain, we went to the beach.
7) ___ I got home, my sister had already left.
8) It’s too late to go out, ___ it’s beginning to rain.
Down
1) She wanted to go to the party; ___, she was not invited.
2) ___ it was cold, he went out without a sweater.
4) We can’t buy it ___ we don’t have enough money.
5) John had to go to the doctor ___ he was not feeling well.
27
The World Around Us 3) Choose the correct option and fill in the blanks -
i) Don’t go out ___ you’ve finished your work.
a) as
b) while
c) until
ii) Make sure you close all the windows ___ it starts to rain.
a) after
b) before
c) for
iii) I think I know __________ he left the job.
a) why
b) until
c) where
iv) __________ I had known how much I would disappoint him, I wouldn’t
have done it.
a) Whether
b) When
c) If
v) __________ he saw me get into the house, thief rushed out through the
window.
a) As soon as
b) While
c) Whether
vi) It’s usually quite simple to cross the border between the USA and
Canada __________ these two countries have friendly relations.
a) yet
b) and
c) because
4) Rewrite these sentences beginning with the words shown. Again, the first
is done for you as an example.
i) The reason why he applied for a job abroad was to earn more money.
So that he could earn more money, he applied for a job abroad.
ii) A single person couldn’t lift the package because it was very heavy.
The package was so ..........................................................
iii) The order arrived late but we were able to supply the goods on time.
Although ..........................................................
iv) There was fog at the airport, but our place landed safely.
28
In spite of .......................................................... Describing Daily Events
v) As there was a mistake in the hotel booking, I had to find another

hotel.
Because of ..........................................................
vi) The reason why I sent them a fax was to give them the information at
once.
In order to ..........................................................
vii) During the time we’ve been talking, my assistant has handed me the
file.
While ..........................................................
2.5 SPEAKING: INTERVIEWING

1) Imagine you are a student and have been asked to interview the Florist you
read about for your college magazine. Make a list of about six questions
that you would like to ask her. Some of the questions could be about her
daily routine and others about anything you might like to know. Example:
What kind of flowers do you like to keep? Why did you choose this
profession?
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
2) Imagine you are the Florist. Answer the questions you are asked. You may
consult the text material as well as invent suitable answers for questions
whose answers aren’t available from the text. Example:
Q) Where do you go to buy the flowers and why?
A) I go to the suburbs where I get a variety of flowers at very reasonable

rates.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
2.6 LISTENING: TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS

FOR STUDENTS
Managing your time efficiently is a skill which sets you up for success in life.
29
The World Around Us Here is an extract from a speech given by a School Counselor to students on
how to manage their time most effectively and constructively so as to produce
the best possible results and achieve the goals they have set for themselves.
1) Summarize the tips given by the counselor for your friend who was absent
on the day it was given.
Begin with …Time management is one of the most important factors that
determine our success or failure….we should make a list of the most
important things and then prioritise them.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
2.7 STUDY SKILLS: PLANNING AHEAD

“This Lifetime will never come again; it is precious and irreplaceable.
To live without regret, it is crucial for us to have a concrete purpose
and continually set goals and challenges for ourselves.
It is equally important
that we keep moving toward specific targets
steadily and tenaciously, one step at a time.”
Daisaku Ikeda, For Today and Tomorrow, page 55.
We all know we need to make lists and write down our targets and goals. There
have been studies that show that college graduates with clear goals achieve
more success than others who don’t have written goals. But still, somehow it is
difficult to write them out.
All of us make resolutions at the beginning of the year and fail to keep them.
These failures mean nothing. We should attempt to make goals anyway. Goals
that can happen quickly are called short-term goals. These goals pertain to
something that you want to do in the near future i.e. on that day, week, month,
etc. Goals that take a long time to achieve are called long-term goals. These
goals usually take 12 months or more to achieve.
How do you decide what to do first? How do you adjust your goals? This is
called prioritizing. All your goals are important, but it’s impossible to work on
all of them at the same time. You must decide which goals you need to achieve
right away. Therefore, you need to make sure: (i) What is most important to you
right now, (ii) Focus mainly on that goal, (iii) Go on the next important goal.
(iv) Be flexible. You may sometimes need to change your goals as you move
along.
Developing a Specific Goal
SMART goals are:

30
S = Specific Describing Daily Events
M = Measurable
A = Attainable
R = Relevant, Rigorous, Realistic, and Result Focused
T = Timely and Trackable
When you are writing your goals, please write in points succinctly. You need
not write in complete sentences. It is a good idea to indicate the time that you
will take for the task.
Look at the planner given below. Write your daily short term goal along with the
time that you will take to achieve it.
2.8 WRITING: ABOUT MYSELF AND OTHERS

1) What sort of person are you? Tell us about yourself…
i) I enjoy….
ii) I like….
iii) My favourite singer/musician is…
iv) The song I love …
v) The book which has influenced me…
vi) The people I admire…
vii) I get angry when… 31
The World Around Us viii)I am flattered when…
ix) I pray when…
x) I am proud of…
xi) I have a flair for…
xii) My special talent…
2) Now that you’ve jotted down some of the things that make up your
personality, expand on them a little more, and write an autobiographical
pen-portrait about yourself in about 250 words along with the points listed
above. You must also mention your immediate goals as well as your long-
term ambitions, and the values you believe in. So, hurry up and write all
about yourself!
Let’s imagine and write.

......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
3) Think about the lives of the people mentioned below, and discuss their
daily routines:
i) Imagine that you are a salesman in a shop. (electronic goods/ ready-

made garments/ shoes/ cars). Write five activities that you normally
do.
ii) What could be the daily routine of a mother of three children? Write
five activities that she normally does.
iii) Imagine that you are a politician. When do you meet your party workers?
Do you discuss the day’s programme with your secretary? Do you go
to your office/ constituency everyday? Write about five of your usual
activities.
iv) What is the daily routine of a sports person? Imagine that you are Virat
Kohli/Messi. What is your daily routine like?
...............................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................
32
Describing Daily Events
2.9 PRONUNCIATION: FAQS AT INTERVIEWS
These are the ten most frequently-asked interview questions that you can expect
to face. Repeat these questions after the teacher. You may also practice the answers
to these questions.
1) What can you tell me about yourself?
2) Can you list your strengths?
3) What weaknesses do you have?
4) Why should I consider hiring you?
5) Where do you see yourself five years from now?
6) Why do you want to work here?
7) What is your salary expectation?
8) What motivates you?
9) What makes a good team player?
10) Is there anything that you would like to ask me?
https://www.monster.co.uk/career-advice/article/what-are-the-most-common-job-interview-
questions
2.10 LET US SUM UP

In this unit we have used the example of an ordinary florist to describe the daily
routine of an ordinary person. We have given you three activities in the vocabulary
section which will improve your word power. The grammar section deals with
linkers. The listening section is a talk on Time Management where the activity
involves summarizing the talk. In the writing section we gave you practice in
writing about yourself and others. The pronunciation section includes FAQs for
interviews.
2.11 ANSWERS
i) She is a florist by profession and is self employed, running a shop.
ii) Mrs. Bose buys flowers regularly from her. She buys white roses with ferns.
iii) The name of the shop is ‘Flourish Fauna’.
iv) “Joseph my friend ………. joins me for lunch”
v) Once she is home, she relaxes by watching T.V.
vi) She goes to the suburbs to buy flowers because she gets more variety there
and moreover, they are more reasonably priced.
vii) Her philosophy is that one should be regular and consistent with work along
with being honest and sincere.
viii) Her ambition is to keep on expanding her business.
33
The World Around Us 2) Time Activity
6.00 a.m. wake up
7.30 a.m. go to suburbs to buy fresh flowers
9.00 a.m. shop opens
2.30 p.m. eat lunch
8.30 p. m close shop
9.30 p.m reach home
10.00 p.m. watch the news
1)
i) urbanite
ii) suburbs
iii) bustling
iv) decorating
v) blazing
vi) wise
vii) procured
viii)blooms
2) i) Astronaut
ii) Geologist
iii) Architect
iv) Scientist
v) Professor
vi) Secretary
3)
i) mundane a) boring
ii) chat c) a conversation
iii) alternate a) two things happening one after another
iv) customers c) people who come to buy things
v) retire d) to go to bed
1) Joining sentences:
i) As soon as the train slowed down, he jumped on to the platform.
ii) When I reached school, the assembly had already begun.
iii) Since she left Delhi we haven’t heard from her.
iv) Whenever I read the letter, my eyes filled with tears.
34
v) My heart was filled with old memories as our car neared the village. Describing Daily Events
vi) She has been feeling lonely, since her father is abroad.
2) Cross words puzzle:
ACROSS
3) FOR
5) BUT
6) DESPITE
7) WHEN
8) MOREOVER
DOWN
1) HOWEVER
2) ALTHOUGH
4) SINCE
5) BECAUSE
3) i) until
ii) before
iii) why
iv) If
v) As soon as
vi) because
4) ii) The package was so heavy that a single person could not lift it.
iii) Although the order arrived late we were able to supply the goods on
time.
iv) In spite of fog at the airport our plane landed safely.
v) Because of a mistake in the hotel booking I had to find another hotel.
vi) In order to inform them at once I sent them a fax.
vii) While we’ve been talking my assistant has handed me the file.
Q1) What time do you get up in the morning?
A: About six o’clock.
ii) Q: How many customers do you have during the day?
A: On an average about 30.
iii) Q: Who is your favourite customer?
A. Mrs. Bose, of course
iv) Q. When did you decide to be a florist?
A. When I was thirteen years old. I always loved flowers.
35
The World Around Us v) Q How do you plan to expand your business?
A. By including more varieties of flowers. Also opening a nursery.
vi) Q. Which is your favourite flower?
A. The blue orchid.
Tape script: Time Management Tips for Students
It’s 10:00 — Do You Know Where Your Homework Is?
Does it seem like there’s never enough time in the day to get everything done?
Feel like you’re always running late? Here are some tips for taking control of
your time and organizing your life.
1) Make a “To Do” List Every Day
Put things that are most important at the top and do them first. Use a planner
to track all of your tasks. And don’t forget to reward yourself for your
accomplishments.
2) Use Spare Minutes Wisely

Get some reading done on the bus ride home from school, for example,
and you’ll kill two birds with one stone.
3) It’s Okay to Say “No”

If someone asks you to work on a Thursday night and you have a final
exam the next morning, realize that it’s okay to say no. Keep your short
and long-term priorities in mind.
4) Find the Right Time

You’ll work more efficiently if you figure out when you do your best work.
For example, if your brain handles Mathematics better in the afternoon,
don’t wait to do it until late at night.
5) Review Your Notes Every Day

You’ll reinforce what you’ve learned, so you need less time to study. You’ll
also be ready if your teacher calls on you or gives a sudden quiz.
6) Get a Good Night’s Sleep

Running on an empty stomach makes the day seem longer and your tasks
seem more difficult.
7) Communicate Your Schedule to Others

If phone calls are proving to be a distraction, tell your friends that you take
social calls from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. It may sound silly, but it helps.
8) Become a Taskmaster
Figure out how much free time you have each week. Give yourself a time
budget and plan your activities accordingly.
36
Describing Daily Events
9) Don’t Waste Time Agonizing
Have you ever wasted an entire evening by worrying about something that
you’re supposed to be doing? Was it worth it? Instead of agonizing and
procrastinating, just do it.
10) Keep Things in Perspective

Setting goals that are unrealistic sets you up for failure. While it’s good to
set high goals for yourself, be sure not to overdo it. Set goals that are
difficult yet reachable.
Consider these tips, but personalize your habits so that they suit you. If
you set priorities that fit your lifestyle, you’ll have a better chance of
achieving your goals.
1) Time management is one of the most important factors that determine our
success or failure….we should make a list of the most important things and
then prioritise them.
A ‘to Do’ list should be made daily and our spare minutes should be used
wisely. There are times when we should say NO when we have an important
task to accomplish. We should know when to find the right time to work
most efficiently. We must also review our notes to make things simpler. We
must sleep well and communicate our schedule to others so that we are not
distracted. We must also learn to give ourselves a time budget and plan our
activities accordingly. Instead of wasting our time getting worried, we should
utilize time most effectively. Finally, we must not set out unrealistic goals
for ourselves.
1) This is just a sample written by a 15-year old boy of Amity International
School.
My name is Aditya Gupta. I am a 15 year old student of Amity International

School. I have a number of hobbies. I enjoy playing outdoor sports such as
tennis, basketball and cricket. I’m also a good swimmer. In my spare time
I like to read, watch television and surf on the internet. I also like to listen
to different kinds of music. My favourite musician is a rock band called
‘Greenday’. The song I love is called ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’ by
Greenday. The book which has greatly influenced me is ‘David Copperfield’
by Charles Dickens. It has taught me that with determination and
perseverance one can achieve all his/her goals. The people I admire are
Bill Gates and Mahatma Gandhi. I get angry when people interfere in my
life too much. I pray when my exam results are going to be declared. I
have a flair for acting. My special talent is that I am a good singer. My
short term goals are to do well in my school and get admission in a good
university. My long term ambition is to become a computer engineer and
work for one of the top multi-national companies. I believe in creating
value in every action I do.
3) Do it yourself.
37
The World Around Us
UNIT 3 MONEY MATTERS
Structure
3.0 Objectives
3.1 Warm Up
3.2 Reading Comprehension-1: Managing Money
3.3 Reading Comprehension-2: Insure and Be Secure
3.4 Vocabulary
3.5 Grammar: Conditional Clause Type I and II
3.6 Pronunciation
3.7 Writing: Filling an Application Form
3.8 Let Us Sum Up
3.9 Answers
3.0 OBJECTIVES
In this unit we will
acquaint you with vocabulary pertaining to financial matters, especially
investments and taxes;
help you understand and discuss issues relating to finance;
enable comprehension of share bulletins, brochures on bonds/equities/
insurance schemes;
help you fill an application form
make you aware of the conditional clause and its usage.
3.1 WARM UP
Activity 1
1) Listen to the audio on two short conversations and decide:

Who the speakers are
What they are discussing
You may listen to the audio as many times as you require. Please note the
text of the audio has been provided in the Answers section.
2) Match the words in column A with the correct meanings in column B:

A B
Shares Certificates issued by a company/govt. promising a fixed rate
of interest
Investment Profits
Rebate Amount paid at fixed intervals by the investor/policy holder
38
Returns Money saved for financial gain Money Matters
Bonds Concession, discount

Premium Ownership of equal parts of a company’s capital, with
proportionate profits.
3.2 READING COMPREHENSION-1:

MANAGING MONEY
Saving for a ‘rainy day’ is an age-old concept. People who put aside a little cash
regularly, to tide themselves through tough times, especially in old age, are
considered to be wise and farsighted. Nowadays, the idea of ‘saving’ has changed
vastly; it is no longer a simple matter of stashing away gold or buying a piece of
land. There are professional ‘fund managers’-experts with a specialized
knowledge of investment options and financial markets-who offer their services
and invest your money in keeping with your needs and risk-taking ability. Let
us read the following passage to get an idea about mutual funds.
I) Mutual funds – the power of money

A mutual fund is a corpus or collection of funds, received from various investors,
with the objective of investing in a certain category of financial institutions.
The returns are paid to the investors in the same ratio as their original investment.
For example, you are a group of five friends who have saved rupees one thousand
each. You give the total of five thousand to a fund manager who invests this
corpus in a ‘low-risk’ scheme with a 10% return, which then gives you a total of
Rs. 5,500. This is shared equally among your group, so each gets Rs. 1,100.
The advantage of this is that you can invest even small amounts, and share in
the performance of various companies, since the mutual fund will have many
investors and can buy more shares with its large corpus of money. You will get
a share in the profit in proportion to the amount you have invested. Another
benefit is that professional companies will manage your money for you and
invest it in high-growth companies.
There are various types of mutual funds available in the market. Some of them
are:
a) Equity funds: In this mutual fund, the investor’s money is put into the
equity market (also called the share market). The fund manager uses the
corpus to buy up shares from the stock exchange. The investment registers
losses or gains depending on the value of the shares held by the mutual
fund. If the share prices go up, you make a profit; if not, you suffer a loss.
The net asset value (NAV) of the fund thus fluctuates with market price
movements.
Two common types of Equity funds are diversified equity fund, and
sectoral equity fund.
Diversified equity fund: This is a fund in which the fund manager invests
in shares of companies spread over different sectors of the industry, for
example, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, information technology, the finance
sector, etc. The ‘diversity’ of industries gives this fund its name. The risk
is also spread over a large area. For example, if there is a growth in the iron
39
The World Around Us and steel sector, but a slump in the technology sector, the loss in one will be
balanced by the gain in the other.
Sectoral equity fund: Here the fund manager invests in only one sector of
the economy. For example, an FMCG fund is one which invests only in
companies from the ‘fast moving consumer goods’ sector-like Hindustan
Lever, Colgate, Nestle, etc.-but will not invest in companies such as Infosys
or Wipro, which are part of the technology sector.
b) Debt funds: These invest primarily in the ‘debt’ market. The mutual fund
becomes a ‘lender’ and earns interest on the corpus of money that it ‘lends’
to the ‘borrowers’. The interest earned is then distributed among the
investors of this fund. The risk in bond funds is comparatively lower than
in equities. Some common types of debt funds are bond, gilt funds, and
liquid funds.
Gilt funds: This is a debt fund which invests in the government securities
market. ‘Gilts’ is a term used for bonds issued by the government to borrow
money from the public.
Liquid funds: Here the investment is for a very short term period, for
example, the ‘overnight debt market’, also known as the ‘call money’ market
or ‘money market’, where the money can be ‘called back’ by the lender the
next day. This fund is meant for investors who are keen to invest for a short
period of time, with least risk.
All mutual funds carry some risks-after all, they are investing in the volatile
share market! If the value of the shares falls, chances are that the value of the
mutual fund will also fall, resulting in a drop in your returns. Equity funds are
more risky than debt funds, but they can offer higher returns, too. So it is wise
to consult an investment advisor/mutual fund broker who is registered with the
AMFI-Association of Mutual Funds of India. Tell him how much you can invest,
the time period you wish to invest for, the corporate areas you are interested in,
and the level of risk you are willing to take. Having invested, keep in touch
with your advisor, and adjust your investment portfolio regularly in accordance
with market trends.
1) Mark the following statements as true or false:
i) Mutual fund investors are like share holders in a fund.
ii) A ‘corpus’ is the total amount of money invested.
iii) Equity funds carry low risks.
iv) Debt funds are the same as bond funds.
v) In gilt funds, the government borrows money from the investors.
vi) Sectoral equity funds invest money in various areas of the economy.
2) Choose the right answer:
i) Among mutual funds, the highest risk is in:
a) bonds b) gilt funds c) sectoral equity funds. d) diversified equities
40
ii) Short-term investors should choose: Money Matters
a) equity funds b) bond funds. c) gilt funds d)liquid funds

iii) The advantage of mutual funds is that:
a) money is safe b) returns are guaranteed c) percentage of shares can
be owned
3) What is meant by the term ‘call money’ market?
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
4) From the information given in the passage, complete the following tree
diagram of mutual funds and their types.
Mutual Funds
Debt Funds

Given below are some newspaper headlines. Put them into two groups for
investors: A: the good news, B: the bad news.
Share prices tumble Sensex drops
Market turns bullish Major shares rocket
Downward trends Telco Advances
Slump in major holdings Sensex shoots up
Bearish outlook for Wipro ICT Plunges
41
The World Around Us Good News Bad News
3.3 READING COMPREHENSION-2: INSURE AND

BE SECURE
Let’s read this extract from an article on Life Insurance, and then answer the
questions given below:
The ideal anniversary gift for her:

An LIC policy for yourself.
Life Insurance can protect your

loved ones, in the event of an
unforeseen tragedy
Life Insurance is an essential part of financial planning. The reason most people
buy life insurance is to replace income that would be lost with the death of an
income earner in the family. The premature death of the income earner could
result in a drastic reduction in the family’s life-style. The cash provided by Life
Insurance can also help ensure that the dependents are not burdened with any
great debt left behind by the deceased. An added benefit is that life insurance
proceeds are tax-free.
Basically, when you take a life insurance policy, you become the policy holder,
as well as the beneficiary, i.e. the person receiving the benefits of the policy.
You can also nominate someone as the beneficiary. This could be a blood
relative—father, mother, sister, brother, child—or your spouse. You have to
pay a fixed amount, called premium, at regular, fixed intervals. You can insure
yourself for a minimum of rupees fifty thousand, though different companies
have varying amounts. The insured amount is called the face-value of the policy.
There are three basic kinds of insurance, each offering various benefits.
1) Endowment plan: Under this plan, the specified sum assured is paid to the
nominee or beneficiary of the policy holder, if s/he dies within the duration
42
of the policy; or to the holder, on surviving the term or time period of the Money Matters
policy.
2) Term insurance: This offers ‘death protection’ for a term of one or more
years. The sum assured is payable only if the death occurs during the
specified, per-determined term. If the policy holder does not die, the total
amount of premium paid is not returned, and no survival benefits are
provided.
Some term insurance policies are also convertible-before the end of the
term/time period of the policy, you can change to an endowment or whole
life policy, even if you are not in good health.
3) Whole life insurance provides for the payment of the face value of the
policy upon the death of the insured, regardless of when it may occur.
The market for life policies has opened up recently, with a lot of private,
multinational companies setting up shop. Earlier, the Life Insurance Corporation
of India ruled the roost, but now you can shop for a suitable policy from various
private players.
With increasing competition, companies are offering attractive ‘riders’ along

with the base policy. Riders are flexible options that add value to the customer’s
policy needs. Some of these are:
Accidental death,
Partial disability,
Critical illness-risk cover against cancer, stroke, heart disease, etc.
Double sum assured.
You also have the choice of payment options: single premium, annual, quarterly,
etc. Most companies even link your policies with unit schemes/mutual funds, so
that your returns increase. You thus get dividends or bonuses on your premiums!
The best time to buy insurance is while you are healthy and young-the older you
get, the higher the premium you have to pay. A competent professional will help
you to select a policy that fits in with your needs. You must take into account
your existing financial resources and assets, your income needs, liabilities, and
your goals.
Here is needs analysis reckoner you can refer to:

Need Type of insurance product
Life protection Pure term/life term
Protection plus savings Endowment/whole life
Children’s education/marriage Money back/endowment plan
plan plus protection
Retirement planning Pension product/endowment/annuity
Home loan protection Mortgage redemption plan
Medical expenses Health insurance/critical illness rider
43
The World Around Us Check Your Progress 3
1) Mark as true or false:

i) Life insurance isn’t necessary for everyone.
ii) People buy life insurance to earn money
iii) A nominee is the person who pays the premium.
iv) The face value of the policy is the total amount for which insurance is
made.
v) Under term plan policies, if you do not die within the term period, you
get the benefits and payment.
vi) All policies provide change-over from one plan to another.
vii) Riders are compulsory conditions in the policy.
viii) The best time to buy a policy is when you are young and healthy.
2) Complete the sentences with information from the passage:
i) Rupees fifty thousand is…….
ii) A policy holder can choose from options such as double sum assured….
iii) The main types of policies are…..
iv) Under a term policy, the sum insured is not paid if……..
v) If you have taken a home loan, you can choose……..
vi) To cover doctor’s/hospital charges, choose……..
3.4 VOCABULARY
In the previous passages, you read a number of new words. Let us study them a
little more closely and find out what other meanings they have, apart from the
context of finance.
1) Mutual: (adjective) (of feelings, actions, etc.) experienced or done by two
or more people or groups e.g. If two people like each other, their liking is
mutual.
Mutually-(adverb) e.g. The agreement was mutually signed by the brothers.
2) Share: (noun) i. portion of a whole given to or taken from another; ii. each
of equal parts into which a company’s capital is divided, giving the owner
a proportion of profits.
e.g. i) Where is my share of ice-cream?
ii) My uncle has bought shares of Telco.
Share (verb): have or use with others; participate in.
e.g. Please share these notes among yourselves. / We attended the party to
share in the celebrations.
3) return: (verb): i. Come or go back, send or bring back ii. Send the ball back
(in tennis) iii. Profit (returns-plural)
44
4) register (noun) i. official list; book in which items are recorded for reference. Money Matters
ii. form of language used in particular circumstances, e.g. Legal matters
are written in a legal register.
(verb) : i. note down formally in writing ii. make a mental note of; iii. show
emotion on face.
registered post: postal procedure with special precaution in case of loss.
5) i) gilt: (adjective) overlaid with gold e.g. The gilt dome of the temple
glittered in the sky.
ii) gilt-funds: (of securities, etc.) having high degree of reliability.
6) asset: (noun) useful or valuable person or thing;
(assets-plural) property and possessions.
Fill in the blanks with suitable words from the list discussed above:
1) I sent my application form to the university by ......................................
2) Leander Paes’s ...................................... are very strong and well-placed.
3) You have invested in a ...................................... scheme, so you are secure

and it will give you good ......................................
4) When he was scolded, his face did not ...................................... any

expression.
5) The son asked for his .................................................................... of his

father’s ......................................
6) The couple got divorced by ...................................... consent.
7) Rani is very hard working, she will be an ...................................... to any

organization where she works.
3.5 GRAMMAR: CONDITIONAL CLAUSE – TYPE

I & II
A conditional clause is a type of subordinate clause, most commonly introduced
by the conjunction if or unless. Like most subordinate clauses introduced by a
conjunction, the conditional clause can either go before the main clause, or
after it.
Conditional Clause - Type 1
Read the following sentences and note:
· The first word in each sentence
· The number of clauses in each sentence
· The verb forms used.
45
The World Around Us 1) If you don’t invest money now, you won’t be able to save enough for a new
car.
2) If a person buys gilt funds, his investment is quite secure.
3) If you spend all that you earn, you will not develop the habit of saving
money.
4) If you don’t like our plan, we can suggest another one.
5) If we leave at 6 o’ clock, we can reach Delhi by 11.30.
Did you note?
· All the sentences begin with ‘if’. All of them indicate a condition that is
being fulfilled.
· The sentence consist of two clauses: an ‘if’ clause indicating a condition,
and another (main) clause indicating the result or effect of that condition.
· The verb in the “if” clause is in the Present tense.
· The verb in the other clause is in the Present tense, indicating a result or
effect in the near future.
These types of sentences are called Type 1 Conditionals.
Sometimes, the ‘if’ clause comes after the main clause, for example: You will be
late for class, if you don’t hurry up.
Complete the following sentences with a suitable clause:
1) If there is too much traffic, I ..................................
2) I won’t be able to do much shopping if ..................................
3) If the baby wakes up, he ..................................
4) If they offer me the job, ..................................
5) If Mr. Kumar invests in shares now, he ..................................
6) If one drives a scooter without a helmet, ..................................
7) If you read a lot, ..................................
8) People will become overweight if ..................................
9) She will take up a new job if ..................................
10) He plans to buy an apartment if ..................................
Conditional Clause - Type 2
We have read above about the Conditional Clause - Type I
If it rains, we won’t be able to play cricket outdoors.
Now read the following sentences and note the changes in the verb forms, as
compared to the earlier Conditional sentences:
1) If they offered me a job, I would accept it.
2) If I had money, I would go for a long holiday in Goa.
3) Most people would have migrated to USA if the laws had not been so strict.
46
4) If he joined a coaching class, he would learn how to prepare for the entrance Money Matters
tests.
5) If I were the Finance Minister, I would decrease taxes.
Did you note?
The verb in the ‘if’ clause is in the Past tense, while the verb form for the main
clause is ‘would + verb first form.’
What is the difference in meaning and use between type I and type II conditionals?
Compare these examples:
If it rains, we won’t be able to play cricket.
If it rained, we wouldn’t be able to play cricket.
In the first sentence, there is a real possibility that it will rain. But in the second
sentence, the situation is imagined, and really not expected to happen. The
same is the case with sentences 1-5 above. In none of the cases, is the ‘if’
condition expected to happen; it is only an imagined possibility. In all such
cases, we use the Past Tense for the ‘if’ clause, and would+ verb first form for
the main clause.

Complete the following sentences:
1) If you lived in London..................................
2) If we had the choice, we would work..................................
3) If I were you, I..................................
4) You would be much healthier if..................................
5) People would be financially secure if..................................
6) If jobs were easily available..................................
7) I would choose a Mediclaim life policy if..................................
8) If I had college-going children, I would..................................
3.6 PRONUNCIATION
I) Learn to pronounce the following words pertaining to “money matters” by
listening to the audio and repeating after the teacher.
i) 'finance
ii) fi'nancial
iii) 'share
iv) 'bulletin
v) 'brochure
vi) 'equity 'fund
vii) in'surance
viii) 'mutual 'funds
ix) di'versified 'equity 'fund 47
The World Around Us x) sec'toral 'equity 'fund
xi) 'gilt 'funds
xii) 'asset (noun)
xiii) 'sensex 'shoots up
xiv) en'dowment plan
xv) 'premium
II) Words such as ‘share’, ‘fair’, ‘dare’ are often mispronounced as sheer, fear,
deer respectively’.
Listen to the difference in the following pairs of words.
share sheer
dare deer
air ear
fair/fare fear
hair/hare hear
mare mere
stare steer
3.7 WRITING: FILLING AN APPLICATION FORM

Given below is a registration form for starting a new account in a bank. Read it
carefully and fill it in with your personal details.
ABC BANK
REGISTRATION FORM
Name of Customer (Block Letters)
Off. Address
Pin Code
Ph. No. - Ext.
D D – M M – Y Y Y Y
48
Date of Birth - - Money Matters
Guarantor’s Information (Block Letters)

First Name Last Name
Account No. Account Type
New Account’s Information (Mark × )

Account Type Saving Current Joint
3.8 LET US SUM UP

In this unit, we have attempted to acquaint you with the specialized discourse
and vocabulary of finance. Do read the business section of the newspaper to
further hone your skills. We have given you two reading passages, so that you
can read on financial matters with a degree of felicity and understanding. The
section on grammar comprises the conditional clauses. We have also given you
an example of a bank form. We hope you find the unit useful and interesting.
3.9 ANSWERS
Activity 1
Text for audio – Short Conversation 1
A) What’s all this share and bond business? I just don’t understand it. In
our time, we used to simply buy gold and keep it in our lockers…We’d
sell it when we needed money. I sold some of my wedding jewellery to
buy this house and pay for your father’s education.
B) Ah, Dadiji, we don’t do that nowadays…we simply take a loan! And
gold-especially jewellery—isn’t really considered to be a good
investment nowadays. People want quick returns, so they prefer to invest
in shares of big companies. Bonds and mutual funds are very popular,
too. That’s where the big bucks come from!
The speakers: 1) The paternal grandmother, 2) a grandchild who is aware
of modern day saving strategies and investment trends.
They are discussing various ways of saving and investing money. The
grandmother is doubtful about shares and bonds, but the grandchild is well-
informed and confident.
Text for audio – Short conversation 2
A: Here are my documents –salary statement, details of TDs paid-I’ve
been paying Rs. 2000/- income tax every month— and here are the
LIC policy premium receipts. Do you need anything else?
B: Er, let me see. Yes, I’ll need details of your savings—GPF, NSC,
bonds, etc. Have you taken up a pension plan?
A: No, but I’m thinking of taking a Sunlite Flexi-life policy. Is it good?
B: Yes, it is. You’ll get IT rebate on it.
49
The World Around Us
A: ah, hmm? Well, I’ll go in for it then. Ah, here are the copies of my
GPF savings…
The speakers: a client and an income-Tax advisor/consultant. The client

is giving the consultant his documents regarding salary, savings and
taxes paid. The consultant asks for some more details and advises his
client to take a pension plan.
Activity 1
1) Done above.
2) Matching exercise:
Shares - ownership of equal parts…
Investment - money saved for financial gain
Rebate - concession
Returns - profits
Bonds - certificates issued by a company/government
Premium - amount paid at fixed intervals

1) i-T, ii-T, iii-F, iv-T, v-T, vi-F
2) i-c, ii-d, iii-c
3) This is the money market in which investments are made for a very short
term, where the money ‘lent’ can be ‘called back’ from the borrower the
next day.
4)
Mutual Funds
Debt funds
Equity funds
Diversified Sectoral Liquid

equity funds Bond Gilt
equity funds
funds funds
funds
50
Check Your Progress 2 Money Matters
Good News Bad News

Major shares rocket Share prices tumble
Telco advances Sensex drops
Sensex shoots up Bearish outlook for Wipro
Market turns bullish ICT Plunges
Slump in major holdings
1) i-F, ii-F, iii-F, iv-T, v-F, vi-F, vii-F, viii-T

2) i. the minimum face value of an insurance policy.
ii. accidental death, partial disability, critical illness.
iii. endowment, term insurance, whole life.
iv. the policy holder does not die within the term.
v. a policy with a mortgage redemption plan.
vi. health insurance/critical illness rider.
1.registered post 2. returns 3. gilt; returns. 4. register 5. share; assets 6. mutual

7. asset

These are sample answers. Yours could be different.
1) …will be late for office
2) …there is a lot of rush/I reach the market late.
3) …will cry/will ask for milk/will want his mother
4) …I will accept it
5) …will get good returns/will make a profit/will lose his investment/will suffer
a loss.
6) …one can get challaned by the police.
7) …you will improve your general knowledge
8) …they eat too much.
9) …she gets a good offer.
10) …he gets a loan.
These are sample answers. Yours could be different.
1) we would come and stay with you.
2) five days a week.
3) would take a Whole Life Policy. 51
The World Around Us 4) you exercised regularly.
5) they saved and invested money wisely.
6) there would be less frustration among the youth.
7) I had money to spare.
8) choose a money-back policy.
This is a sample answer. Yours could be different.
ABC BANK
REGISTRATION FORM
Name of Customer (Block Letters)

R A H U L M O U R Y A
Father’s Name S H A S H I M O H A N
Res. Address B - 6 9 8 7 C / 2 2 N D F L O O R
S A F D A R J U N G E N C L A V E
N E W D E L H I Pin Code 1 1 1 0 1 1
Ph. No. 0 1 1 - 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 Email rahul@gmail.com
Mobile No. 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9
Off. Address I N T E R N E T C O . L T D .
2 6 8 - K / G 1 R . K . P U R A M N E W
D E L H I Pin Code 1 1 1 0 1 1
Ph. No. 0 1 1 - 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 Ext. 0 0 7
D D - M M - Y Y Y Y
Date of Birth 3 0 - 0 4 - 1 9 8 1
Guarantor’s Information (Block Letters)

N E E R A J P R A K A S H
Account No. 7 7 7 7 7 7 Account Type SAVING
New Account’s Information (Mark × )

Account Type Saving × Current Joint
52
Money Matters
UNIT 4 PUBLIC SERVICES
Structure
4.0 Objectives
4.1 Warm Up
4.2 Listening: Just Dial This Number…
4.3 Reading Comprehension
4.4 Vocabulary
4.5 Speaking and Writing Activities
4.6 Grammar: Future Actions
4.7 Pronunciation: Words of Two Syllables
4.8 Let Us Sum Up
4.9 Answers
4.0 OBJECTIVES
From time to time we have to make use of “public services” such as booking
tickets at railway stations/airports; or we are tense about an exam and need to
speak to a phone helpline for solace, or we may like to volunteer for an NGO
project. This unit helps you to understand and communicate in some of these
areas. It also makes you aware of some of the ways of indicating the future, i.e.
will/going to. Finally, it gives you practice in dialogue writing.
4.1 WARM UP
Activity 1
1) What do you mean by “Public Services?” Fill in the Web Chart given
below.
Public Services
53
The World Around Us 2) Choose one of the public services which you think is very useful to the
public. Mention why you like that particular service and how it is useful.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
4.2 LISTENING: JUST DIAL THIS NUMBER…

Organising a telephone helpline
There are a number public utility services available in the telephone directory.
Some of them are police, fire, ambulance, cooking gas booking and complaint,
electricity board, tourism, medical services, airways/roadways/train services.
A telephone directory always contains valuable information and instructions
that a customer needs. It is user friendly, comprehensive, and error free.
But there are a few public services now available which are not listed in the
directory. One of them is a helpline service which is in great demand all over
the country. This service caters to a large section of society which needs
emotional and psychological support during times of distress. These helpline
services have saved lives of people by giving them the right advice at the right
time. Let us now go into the details of one such helpline service which students
like you have found very supportive and encouraging.
Telephoning for advice

It is now possible to dial a number and listen to a few minutes of recorded
advice on the telephone.
How to appear for the examination with confidence.

1) Listen to this recorded advice about how to be confident before appearing
for an exam. As you listen, look at the list given below.
Tick the ideas the speaker mentions in the audio. What other ideas in the
recorded advice are missing from the list?
Then with a friend at the study centre choose any three which you think are
most important – you can add your own if you prefer.
i) Don’t study late into the night just before your exam.
ii) Think positively all the time.
iii) Don’t get worried if your friend says he sat up till 2 a.m.
iv) Read a magazine or watch T.V just before you go for your exam.
v) Don’t carry any books or material with you when you go for the exam.
vi) Don’t discuss anything about the exam with your friends just before
54 you walk into the hall.
..................................................................................................................... Public Services
.....................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................
2) What advice would you give to someone who is very nervous about
appearing for an exam?
.....................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................
3) Imagine that your group is a company that records advice over a telephone.
Every month you record a new message for your listeners. Talk about the
problems that most people need help with and then choose a subject for this
month’s message. Prepare a short message of advice on one of the following,
or choose your own.
· how to cope with the generation gap
· how to learn English
· how to look after your pets
If you can, record your message on your mobile/laptop. Remember to try
to keep your tone as friendly and as cheerful as possible.
.....................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................
4.3 READING COMPREHENSION

1) Call centres
The text below is about Call centres. Read the passage and be prepared to
answer questions
A customer making a call (via a phone, e-mail, web site or fax) to a centre
(point, area, person or thing) is the fundamental definition of a call centre.
Call Centre, Contact centre or Customer Interaction Centre- whatever name
you give it (we still call it a call centre)-operates on the principles of meeting
customer needs.
55
The World Around Us A call centre is sometimes defined as a telephone based shared service centre
for specific customer activities and used for customer related functions like
marketing, selling, information dispensing, advice, technical support, etc. Thus,
a call centre is a service centre which has adequate telecom facilities, trained
consultants, access to a wide data base internet and other online information
support infrastructure to provide information and support to customers. It
operates to provide round the clock and year round service i.e. 24/7/365 days
service.

i) Why would a customer make a call to a call centre?
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
ii) What are the facilities a call centre should have?
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
iii) What are the working hours of a call centre?
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
iv) Why is it defined as a telephone based shared service?
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
v) Even though a call centre is called by different names, what is the
basic function of a call centre?
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
2) Complete these sentences.
i) ‘Call’ (verb) means…………………. .
ii) A call centre’s function is mainly to meet ………………….needs.
iii) It is basically a ………………….centre which has adequate

infrastructure support.
56
iv) A call centre provides service during …………………. Public Services
v) A call centre deals with ………………….customer activities.
2) Telemedicine
Read the passage given below on health service and answer the question
given below.
Telemedicine brings international expertise to the Indian people.
Indo American Medical Services is a joint effort of doctors from India and
abroad. Now you can consult eminent specialists situated on the other side
of the globe, without moving an inch from your place. Yes! Telemedicine
makes this possible. India is a land of extremes. We have mountains and
valleys, snow and deserts, floods and drought, the rich and the poor. The
rich can go to corporate hospitals to get treatment. It is the poor class who
suffer silently, missing the fruits of science and technology. A farmer living
in a remote village in Andhra Pradesh can consult a pediatric cardiologist
practicing in New York regarding the best course available for his son who
is suffering from a congenital heart disease.
A sixteen-year old girl lost her hand in a motor cycle accident. Having read
in the newspaper about tissue culture and growing new organs, the father
went to IAMS and asked if a new hand can be grown for her. The doctors
said it was not possible but the father was adamant that they must do
something for her. After a frantic search they got some useful news.
Growing a biological hand is not possible – at least for the present. But
there are 2 research units working on artificial limbs. The one in New
Jersey was contacted, where research on an artificial hand is at an advanced
stage. The hand is functional. One can write and even play piano with it.
IAMS aims to bring the most advanced, up to date, reliable and accurate
information to every doctor and through him/her to his/her patient. It helps
the patient in getting the best treatment in his/her own environment. This
is delivered at a reasonable and affordable cost to everyone. They have
resolved to build a nationwide network to deliver this service to every nook
and corner, and this is their Mission.
IAMS is the first organization in India to adapt Telemedicine to bring quality

medical information to the Indian doctors and expert advice to the needy
patients. This is how the telecommunication technology works: the
information about a patient’s report (CT scans, Ultrasound studies, pathology
images, video images, etc.) are transmitted through computer networks
(medical informatics) to a foreign specialist and the advice and treatment is
sent back from there through the computer.

Say whether the following statements are true or false
i) Telemedicine has helped patients and local doctors to get expert advice
from other parts of the world
ii) The rich are the only beneficiary of the service
57
The World Around Us iii) It is now possible to attach a new artificial limb which can perform every
function of a normal hand.
iv) This service is affordable for most people.
v) This service works primarily through the telephone.
4.4 VOCABULARY
1) Insert the following words in the correct list:
i. chat vi. hospitality xi. ledger xvi. resuscitate
ii. emergency vii. credit card xii. banquet xvii. browsing
iii. cross connection viii. verification xiii. cable xviii. currency
iv. overdraft ix. check in xiv. email xix. tinkle
v. bounce x. log in xv. cuisine xx. internet
Bank Cyber cafe Ambulance Telephones Hotel
.................. ..................... ...................... ....................... ....................
.................. ..................... ...................... ....................... ....................
.................. ..................... ...................... ....................... ....................
.................. ..................... ...................... ....................... ....................
.................. ..................... ...................... ....................... ....................
.................. ..................... ...................... ....................... ....................
2) Write definitions explaining what jobs each of these people involved in

public services do.
Example: An air hostess serves the passengers on the plane
i) Forensic Accountant iv) A Web Designer vii) A Sound Mixer
ii) Social Media Coordinator v) A Chef viii) Concierge
iii) Software Developer vi) A Skydiving Instructor ix)A Business Analyst
4.5 SPEAKING AND WRITING ACTIVITIES

Have a telephone conversation with a friend or classmate at the study centre.

Student A should be making a complaint/asking for a favour. Student B should
receive the calls and also mention who is responding before replying.
A B
i) Good morning sir. Could I speak Good morning. I am the
to the area manager please. area manager speaking.
ii) My telephone has been out of order Could you kindly give me
for 2 days. I have been calling up your telephone number
the department regularly but nobody and the area you stay in?
58
seems to be interested. We will attend to your problem. Public Services
Sorry for the inconvenience
caused.
ii) Hello, is that Hotel Oberoi? Good Morning Sir, This is
Hotel Oberoi. How can I
help you sir?
iii) I want to book a room for a Just hold on for a minute, Sir.
friend who will be arriving from I will check if…a
Kolkata on the …22nd. room can be made
available for the 22nd.
Sorry to have kept you waiting, Sir.
Yes we can make a booking for your
friend for the 22nd. Could you please
give us some details sir?........
iv) I want to book my tickets to Delhi
........................................................ ........................................................
........................................................ ........................................................
........................................................ ........................................................
v) There has been a theft in my house. ........................................................
........................................................ ........................................................
........................................................ ........................................................
........................................................ ........................................................
vi) A fire has broken out in the building ........................................................
We .................................................... ........................................................
2) Read the advertisement below and volunteer for the ‘Each One Teach One’
programme. Complete the following dialogue:
Do you want to serve the people of your city? Here’s an opportunity for
you.
Volunteer for “Each One Teach One” programme in our organization.
For more details contact Mr. Shirish Barua, Phone: 2648100
Mr. Shirish Barua is the president of a welfare organization in Ahmedabad.
He has placed the above advertisement in the local paper. You want to do
some voluntary work and want to know more about the ‘Each One Teach
One’ scheme. Complete the following dialogue:
You: Good morning, Sir.
Mr. Barua: Good Morning
You: I am Nidhi Rajpal. I’m a first year student and have just finished my
exams. I’m free right now. I saw your advertisement in the ‘Times of
Himachal’ asking for volunteers. Could you give me some more details?
59
The World Around Us Mr. Barua: Well, I am glad you are interested in working with us. What
would you like to know?
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
4.6 GRAMMAR: FUTURE ACTIONS

The future can be expressed in several ways. Here we give you two forms.
I will and I’m going to
Future actions
Study the difference between will and going to:
Radha is talking to Savitiri
Radha: Let’s go for a movie.
Savitiri: That’s a good idea. We’ll have dinner as well.
Will (’ll): We use will when we decide to do something at the time of speaking.
The speaker has not decided before. The movie is a new idea.
Later that day, Savitri meets Arun
Savitri: Radha and I are going for a movie. We’re going to have dinner as well.
Going to: We use (be) going to when we have already decided to do something.
Savitri had already decided to have dinner before she spoke to Arun.
Compare:
· “Shobha phoned while you were out”. “Ok. I’ll phone her back”.
But
‘Shobha phoned while you were out.’ ‘Yes, I know. I’m going to phone
her back.
· ‘Sudha phoned while you were out.’ ‘Oh, is it? I didn’t know. I’ll go and
visit her.
But
‘Sudha is in hospital.’ “Yes, I know. I’m going to visit her tomorrow.
Sometimes there isn’t much difference between will and going to. For
example, you can say
I think the plane will be late today.
I think the plane is going to be late today.
When we say ‘something is going to happen’, we know this because of the
situations now. For example
Look at that tree. It is going to fall just now (not it will fall)
60
I feel awful. I think I am going to puke. (not I think I will puke)- I feel Public Services
awful now.
(Do not use will in situations like these. In other situations it is safer to use
will).
Ram will probably arrive at 8 p.m.
I think Raj will like the new car.
1) Read the situations and complete the sentences using will or going to.
i) The door bell rings and somebody is at the door to meet your father.
You: Just a moment I……………him. (get)
ii) It’s a nice day. You’ve decided to go for a swim. Before leaving the
house, you tell your friend.
You: It is a lovely day for a swim. I ….………….. the club.
Friend: That’s a good idea. I think I ….……………..join you.
iii) Your mother is worried because she has lost her purse.
You: Don’t worry about your purse. I am sure you ……………find it.
iv) You have decided to write some letters this evening.
Friend: Are you going out this evening?
You: No, I’m………..…….write some letters.
v) Jaya has to go to Chennai in the evening.
Jaya: Vijay, I need somebody to take me to the station this evening.
Vijay: That is no problem. I…………… the market. I … ……….take
you later. What time is your train?
Jaya: 10.30.
Vijay: O.K, We…………………….leave at about 9 p.m. then.
2) Complete the following sentences with was/were going to or will +one of
these verbs.
give up; show; lend; visit; play;
i) Oh! I’ve just realized. I haven’t got any money.
Haven’t you? Don’t worry. I……………you some.
ii) We were………….. …. football yesterday, but it rained all day.
iii) When I last saw Eshwar, he was…………….. his job but in the end
he decided not to.
iv) I don’t know how to use this camera.
It’s quite easy. I …………………you.
v) I was………………visit Rita, but I decided to write her a mail instead.
61
The World Around Us
4.7 PRONUNCIATION: WORDS OF TWO
SYLLABLES
In English it is absolutely essential to stress the correct syllable in polysyllabic
words. If you do not know which syllable is stressed in a particular word, make
it a point to consult the dictionary. In addition to the sounds, the correct stress is
also part of the character of an English word. English words can have as many
as 8 syllables.
Listen to these words carefully and notice the placement of stress.
Words of two syllables
1) Stress on the first syllable.
i) 'public
ii) 'honor
iii) 'knowledge
iv) 'masses
v) 'welfare
vi) 'business
vii) 'message
viii) 'banquet
2) Stress on the second syllable.
i) ad'vice
ii) ca'ssette
iii) de'fined
iv) a'broad
v) al'though
vi) mi'stake
vii) to'ward
viii) a'go
4.8 LET US SUM UP

In this unit, we acquainted you with the language associated with some of the
public services. We gave you practice in dialogue writing and in writing some
help line messages. We also gave you practice in using the structure going to
and will to indicate future time. With regard to pronunciation, we gave you
practice in the stress pattern of words of two syllables.
4.9 ANSWERS
Activity 1
1) This warm-up activity will help you to become aware of a large number of
62 services concerned with education, health and internet services.
Some of the other public services are: Public Services
Traditional Modern
Banking services Internet banking
Hotel services Credit cards
Petrol pumps/stations Call centres
Telephone services Helpline services
Electricity Mobile libraries
Government dispensaries Mobile clinics
Bus/train/air services Take away food/Home delivery
Online services
Text for listening “Just dial this number…”

How to appear for the examination with confidence
The examination fever has struck you, eh? Well, well that is a bug very
easy to get rid of. If you don’t smother it, it will smother you. So, here are
a few tips for you from a man who has suffered for years the agony of
appearing for an exam.
Yes, just like you I was scared, really terrified of examinations. I feigned
sickness, puked on my mother’s dress, complained of an unbearable
stomach ache. I sometimes even pretended I was dying.
But one day, all this changed. My Uncle who lived in Mumbai came home
and saw this drama being played out with professional histrionics. He
immediately understood it all. He put his arm around my shoulder and
said to me, “Son, I thought you were a strong boy. How could you allow
something like this destroy your happiness and your future? Listen to me
carefully. Tomorrow is the day of your exams, right? You have done all
your studies, isn’t it?
Now put your books away and forget all about it. Come on let’s go for a
walk. You come back, have a tall glass of milk and go to bed soon and
have a good night’s sleep. In the morning wake up smiling and tell yourself
“I can remember everything I’ve read”. Do some yoga and breathing
exercises if you can. Don’t ring up any of your friends. Have a good
breakfast and sit with the family and talk about everything else except the
exams. Listen to some light, soothing music. Now you are ready to take
on the world, not just the exams.
I followed everything he said and believe me, I walked into the examination
hall as if I were a walking encyclopedia, and I felt like a king. When I
began to write, all that I had studied twenty four hours earlier came back to
me like a flash. I felt confident and on top of the world. Ever since that
day, I have never been the same. In fact I have looked forward to exams.
So, put on your dancing shoes and dance away your blues.
63
The World Around Us Check Your Progress 1
1) Ideas mentioned by the speaker
i), ii), vi)
Ideas missing in the list
a) going for a walk, having a glass of milk.
b) do yoga and breathing exercises
c) have a good breakfast, sit with family and make small talk.
i) H/She would make a call for some specific service like wanting some
information, advice, technical support, etc.
ii) A call centre should have telecom facilities, trained consultants, internet
facilities, and other online information support.
iii) A call centre works round the clock and all through the year.
iv) … because their service is basically offered through telephones.
v) …meeting customer needs.
2) i) to make a request or demand.
ii) customer
iii) service
iv) the entire day and year.
v) specific
i) T, ii) F, iii) F, iv) T, v) F
1)
Bank Cyber cafe Ambulance Telephone Hotels
overdraft chat emergency chat hospitality
bounce email resuscitate cross- credit card
verification browsing connection check in
ledger internet cable banquet
currency log in tinkle cuisine
2) Definitions:
i) Forensic accountant is someone who uses accounting skills to
investigate fraud or embezzlement and to analyse financial information
for use in legal proceedings.
ii) Social media coordinators help implement and maintain online
marketing strategies through social media. By using various forms of
new media, such as blogging, social networking sites, chat rooms,
discussion boards, wikis, RSS feeds, and search platforms, they help
represent a company through an online channel.
64
iii) A software developer is a person concerned with facets of the software Public Services
development process, including the research, design, programming,
and testing of computer software. Other job titles which are often used
with similar meanings are programmer, software analyst,
and software engineer.
iv) A Web designer is someone who prepares content for the Web. This
role is mainly related to the styling and layout of pages with content,
including text and images. Web designers use many technologies but
commonly rely on hypertext and hypermedia resources including
HTML, CSS and additional Web design tools.
v) A chef is a trained professional cook who is proficient in all aspects

of food preparation. He is in charge of the whole kitchen.
vi) Skydiving Instructor: Tandem skydiving or tandem parachuting refers

to a type of skydiving where a student skydiver is connected to a
harness attached to a tandem instructor. The instructor guides the
student through the whole jump from exit through freefall, piloting
the canopy, and landing.
vii) A production sound mixer, location sound recordist,

location sound engineer or simply sound mixer is the member of a
film crew or television crew responsible for recording
all sound recording on set during the filmmaking or television
production using professional audio equipment, for later inclusion in
the finished product, or for reference to be used by the sound designer,
sound effects editors, etc.
viii) Concierge is a hotel employee whose job is to assist guests by booking

tours, making theatre and restaurant reservations, etc.
ix) A business analyst (BA) is someone who analyzes an organization or

business domain (real or hypothetical) and documents its business or
processes or systems, assessing the business model or its integration
with technology.

1) iv) I want to book my tickets to Delhi Good Morning. Yes sir,
from the 18th of July. I would like I will make sure your tickets
2 economy class seats in Indian are booked by tomorrow
Airlines. afternoon. And I will try the
I would prefer the morning hours. 10 am flight.
v There has been a theft in my house. Ma’am please don’t panic.
I am extremely worried. All my Just give me your address
jewels and other belongings have and I will send police
been stolen. I need immediate help. officials to assist you
as soon as possible.
vi) A fire has broken out in the The fire department will be
building. We are trapped on the there shortly. Sir, please
second floor remain calm.
65
The World Around Us 2) You: I would like to know more about the ‘Each One Teach One’ scheme.
Mr. Barua: Well, we have adopted a slum, and would like you to teach one
child the subjects. As you know this is the century of knowledge, and
spreading education to the masses is essential for the development of the
country.
You: Yes, I totally agree with you and I assure you that you have my complete
support in this regard.
Mr. Barua: Thank you, ma’am. It is people like you that keep our dream
alive.
You: It would be an honor for me to join your organization. When can I
start?
Mr. Barua: Just come to my office on Monday and I will give you all the
details.
You: I will do that. Nice meeting you. Good bye.
Mr. Barua: Good bye.
1) i) The door bell rings and somebody is at the door to meet your father.
You: Just a moment I will get him. (get)
ii) It’s a nice day. You’ve decided to go for a swim. Before leaving the
house, you tell your friend.
You: It is a lovely day for a swim. I am going to the club.

Friend: That’s a good idea. I think I will join you.
iii) Your mother is worried because she has lost her purse.
You: Don’t worry about your purse. I am sure you will find it. (find
it)
iv) You have decided to write some letters this evening.

Friend: Are you going out this evening?
You: No, I’m going to write some letters.
v) Jaya has to go to Chennai in the evening.

Jaya: Vijay, I need somebody to take me to the station this evening.
Vijay: That is no problem. I am going to the market. I will take

(take) you later. What time is your train?
Jaya: 10.30.
Vijay: O.K, We will leave at about 9 p.m. then. (leave)
2) i) Oh! I’ve just realized. I haven’t got any money.
Haven’t you? Don’t worry. I will lend you some.
ii) We were going to play football yesterday, but it rained all day.
66
iii) When I last saw Eshwar, he was going to give up his job but in the Public Services
end he decided not to.
iv) I don’t know how to use this camera.

It’s quite easy. I will show you.
v) I was going to visit Rita, but I decided to write her a mail instead.
67
Notes
BEGLA-135
Indira Gandhi
Block
3
MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT
UNIT 1
The Media 5
UNIT 2
The Floating Markets of Thailand 20
UNIT 3
People at Work 35
UNIT 4
The Smell of Food 47
EXPERT COMMITTEE



Prof Nandini Sahu
Prof Parmod Kumar
Dr Pema Eden Samdup
Dr. Malathy A

Course Writers
Ms. Nita Mukherjee (Unit 1)
Ex. St. Columbus School, New Delhi
Ms. Shefali Ray (Units 2 & 4)
Course Coordinator
Lecturer, Ex. SCERT
Ms. Snehlata Gupta (Unit 3) School of Humanities, IGNOU
Sr. Teacher, Rajkiya Pratibha Vikas
Vidyalaya
PRINT PRODUCTION
July, 2019
ISBN : 978-93-88980-37-1
University.
by Registrar, MPDD.
BLOCK INTRODUCTION
Welcome to Block 3 of the Course!
In the first two blocks our focus was on your immediate environment, i.e.
greetings, introductions, family and friends and so on.
In this block our focus is on a wider scope – on topics such as media, shopping,
people who service us and entertainment.
We have dealt with these topics through different text types i.e, descriptive pieces,
a biographical account and a play.
Besides reading comprehension, we also have the other skills of listening,
speaking and writing. In the writing section we give you practice in writing
longer pieces such as writing a brief report, story building and describing places.
The grammar section will help you think about language. We have covered the
following items: passive voice, ‘used to’ and ‘would’, phrasal verbs, present
perfect and present perfect continuous.
We request you to spend time on all the activities in each unit. This will enhance
both your fluency as well as accuracy in the language.
While performing the listening tasks, please take notes as you listen. This will
aid your comprehension as well as concentration.
Look at the answers at the end of the Unit only after you have attempted them.
If you answer incorrectly, try to analyse why; if you are still unsure consult the
teacher at the study centre.
Do write to us if you have any problem.
Good luck with the block.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
future editions of this book. The Units have been taken from CFE Course BEG-
004, Block-2.
The Media
UNIT 1 THE MEDIA
Structure
1.0 Objectives
1.1 Warm Up
1.2 Reading: A News Article
1.3 Vocabulary: Accessing
Sites
1.4 Listening: World Wildlife
Fund
1.5 Speaking: Indicating Your
Preference
1.6 Writing: A Brief Report
1.7 Grammar: The Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous Tense
1.8 Pronunciation: Word Stress
1.9 Let Us Sum Up
1.10 Answers
1.0 OBJECTIVES
In these modern and “high tech” times, the term “media” covers both print and
electronic media, which acts as means of mass communication. The media we
are most familiar with are newspapers, magazines, the radio, TV, and now, the
mobile phone and the internet. This Unit will attempt to give you a glimpse of
some diverse types of media and encourage you to think about them. We very
often think of news items dealing with politics, economic issues, wars, crime,
etc. as the only news in the media. The first two sections are examples of the
diversity of news items, which will increase your knowledge as well as
vocabulary.
For example, you will see what a page on the internet looks like, and how you
can use it to your advantage.
In the listening and speaking sections, you will be able to discuss and make
choices that you are faced with everyday.
The task given in the writing section will require you to use your imagination
and write an interesting report.
The grammar section will help you to see the difference between the present
perfect and the present perfect continuous tense and learn about contractions in
English. In the pronunciation section you will learn to pronounce correctly words
from the Unit.
1.1 WARM UP
Look at any newspaper, and note the following:
5
Media and Entertainment Is it a national/international/
local edition?
What is the language of the
paper? Why?
How many pages does it have?
What are the main news items
on each page?
Which is your favourite page?
Why?
1.2 READING: A NEWS ARTICLE

Now read this interesting news article, and work on the exercises that follow.
In the news – 19th Jan. 2006

NASA scientists hope the third time is the lucky charm for their $700-million
unmanned mission to Pluto. The space agency planned to make a third attempt
to launch the New Horizons probe on Thursday, a day after a storm knocked out
power at the Maryland-based laboratory that will command the mission. Strong
winds in Laurel, Maryland, knocked out power at the John Hopkins University
Applied Physics Laboratory and mission managers were wary of launching the
spacecraft without back-up power at the facility. “The air conditioning was off.
The flight controllers were sitting there wiping sweat,” said Alan Stern, the
mission’s principal investigator.
High winds at the launch pad also kept the spacecraft from lifting off on Tuesday.
Winds in the Orlando area were expected to be 16kph to 24kph. Scientists have
been working 17 years on the nine-year voyage to Pluto, and they were unfazed
by the back-to-back postponements. “Two or three days doesn’t mean a hill of
beans,” Stern said. The space agency has until mid-February to send the spacecraft
on its way, but a launch in January would allow the spacecraft to use Jupiter’s
gravity to shave five years off the five-billion-kilometre trip, allowing it to arrive
as early as July 2015. The spacecraft is about the size and shape of a concert
piano attached to a satellite dish. It will study Pluto as well as the frozen, sunless
reaches of the solar system known as the Kuiper Belt. Scientists believe that
studying the region’s icy, rocky objects can shed light on how the planets formed.
The planned launch has drawn attention from opponents of nuclear power because
the spacecraft is powered by 10.8 kg of plutonium, whose natural radioactive
decay will generate electricity for the probe’s instruments. NASA and the
Department of Energy estimated the probability of a launch accident that could
release plutonium at one in 350. As a precaution, the agencies brought in 16
mobile field teams that can detect radiation, plus air samplers and monitors. –
Sapa - AP

i) What led to a power failure at the laboratory?
..............................................................................................................
6
ii) For how many years have scientists been working on this project? The Media
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iii) What would be the advantage of a launch in January?
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iv) What is the spacecraft powered by?
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2) Write true or false:
i) The spacecraft could not take off due to high winds.
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ii) The voyage to Pluto would take 19 years.
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iii) The spacecraft will not be able to take off after January.
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iv) The Kuiper belt is part of the solar system.
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3) Look at this paragraph. It has 3 pieces of information.
The spacecraft is about the size and shape of a concert piano attached to a
satellite dish. It will study Pluto as well as the frozen, sunless reaches of the
solar system known as the Kuiper Belt. Scientists believe that studying the
region’s icy, rocky objects can shed light on how the planets formed.
Frame three questions which can be answered by the information given
above.
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7
Media and Entertainment
1.3 VOCABULARY: ACCESSING SITES
The computer has become a common means of communication and source of
news today. There are many sites which give us news and other information.
There are search engines like “Google” and “Yahoo” which respond to our queries
and guide us to relevant sites.
One interesting way to increase your vocabulary is to look for information on a
subject of your interest, and find the meanings of words that you may not know.
Here is a page from ‘Google’ which gives you information on social networking
sites.
https://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/biztools/article.php/3813971/What-
is-Social-Networking-and-Why-Should-You-Care.htm
What is Social Networking?

Social networking, also referred to as social media, encompasses many Internet-
based tools that make it easier for people to listen, interact, engage and collaborate
with each other. Social networking platforms such as Facebook, Instagram,
YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, blogs, message boards, Wikipedia and countless
others are catching on like wildfire.
People use social networking to share photos, ideas, recipes and to keep friends
updated on our lives. You can use social networking tools from mobile devices,
such as smart phones, as easily as from a PC or laptop.
By its very nature, social networking is interactive. You can tell anyone (that
you want to talk to, and that wants to listen to you) anything about your opinions
and experiences — and vice versa – through blogs, Facebook pages, videos and
even 140 character messages called tweets. You can also build communities
based on common interests, causes and concerns.
While we don’t have room to discuss all of the social networking sites, here’s a
sampler to help you get your head around today’s most popular social networking
tools:
Blogs are sites that people set up to provide information and opinions about
events, ideas or anything else they want to discuss. Blogs can include links
to other related sites, photos, videos and sound as well as text. The number
of bloggers is growing exponentially.
Twitter is a micro-blogging site. It is a free micro
blogging service that allows registered members
to broadcast short posts called tweets either using
a computer or a cell phone. Other Twitter users can
“follow” your posts but you can decide if you want
to let them follow you or not.
Facebook is a popular free social networking
website that allows registered users to create
profiles, upload photos and video, send
messages and keep in touch with friends,
family and colleagues.
8
LinkedIn is a business and employment- The Media
oriented social networking service that
operates via websites and mobile apps. It is
mainly used for professional networking, including employers posting jobs
and job seekers posting their CVs.
Telegram is a non-profit cloud-based instant
messaging service. Users can send messages and exchange
photos, videos, stickers, audio and files of any type. Users
can have a secret chat, which can be deleted from the
receivers phones too within a period set.
Wikipedia is a free, open content online encyclopedia
created through the collaborative effort of a community
of users known as Wikipedians. Anyone registered on the
site can create an article for publication; registration is
not required to edit articles.

1) Match the following idioms with their meanings. There are two extra
meanings.
Idioms Meanings
i Catch like wildfire a Easily available
ii Having green fingers b Share the same point of view
iii Caught red-handed c To circulate or disseminate
very quickly.
iv Back to square one d To apprehend someone when they
are doing something wrong
v At the eleventh hour e Good at gardening
f Back to where one started with
no progress shown
g Latest possible time
2) Use these idioms in sentences of your own.

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Media and Entertainment A definition is a statement of the meaning of a term (a word, phrase, or
other set of symbols). Definitions can be classified into two large
categories, intensional definitions (which try to give the essence of a term)
and extensional definitions (which proceed by listing the objects that a term
describes).
3) Notice the definitions given of Blog, Twitter, Facebook and so on. Look up
the Internet for the definition of the following terms
i) Instagram
ii) Whatsapp
iii) Hike Messenger
iv) YouTube
v) Skype
1.4 LISTENING: WORLD WILDLIFE FUND

You may have heard of the term “endangered species”. It means species which
are in danger or threatened with extinction, often due to the activities of human
beings. Please listen to this excerpt and answer the questions given below:

1) After listening to the excerpt, what do you understand about the work of
the WWF?
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2) Mention the interesting features about the shape of the coral reefs.
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3) Name some of the marine life that live among coral reefs.
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4) What is the main cause of coral destruction?
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5) Give two uses of coral reefs
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10
The Media
1.5 SPEAKING: INDICATING YOUR
PREFERENCE
There are countless TV channels today, some of which are given below. Study
them carefully:
Discovery Channel
India creates world-class Inspiring people to care about the
documentaries on food, science, planet! A Channel for science,
survival and more. exploration, and adventure.
Features full episodes of Fashion TV is an international

HISTORY series, and thousands of fashion and lifestyle broadcasting
historical articles and videos. television channel.
NDTV.com provides latest news BBC News is a 24 hour news and

from India and the world. information channel.
Videos of wild animal on an

encyclopedic level, from the plight Star Sports is a group of Indian
of endangered species to the hope sports channels.
of adorable baby animals.
Hindi TV
channel of popular
reality TV shows
Provides viewers with access to
and soaps.
award-winning block buster
movies.
11
A music channel with English and

A platform for Bollywood film international music, also
soundtracks, the revival of the independent Indian music bands
golden oldies and upcoming artists. playing English music to showcase
their talent.
An Indian Hindi
news channel
with Daily News
Updates and
News Headlines
– national and
The first kids’ channel in India. It International
primarily airs animated shows in along with
four different languages: English, entertainment
Hindi, Telugu and Tamil features

1) Look at the channels listed above. Do you watch any of these? If so, which
ones, and why?
Do not make a vague comment like “It is interesting!” or “It is nice!” You
need to give a convincing reason which will encourage your audience to
view it. If you do not watch any of the above, which ones do you watch and
why? We have given our responses to the programmes we watch and like:
Some responses:
The History Channel is interesting because it has a variety of
programmes, ranging from biography to solving crime, lifestyles to
major events.
I like the Discovery Channel because of the different kinds of
programmes covering facts on nature, places and people.
The National Geographic Channel has beautiful photography of the
natural world.
I enjoy Fashion TV as it tells me about the current styles of dress and
accessory around the world.
Channel V brings us the latest pop hits from around the world. The
star of the month features one artist, and his/her songs are played
regularly through the month.
BBC is a good news channel, and I like following current affairs.
12
Hallmark/HBO/Star movies [choose one] shows famous movies/ The Media
classics/new movies.
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1.6 WRITING: A BRIEF REPORT

Here are a couple of headlines from the newspaper:
2 injured as truck collides with van
Bird Flu strikes-thousands of chicken culled
1) Choose one of the headlines, and pretend that you are the reporter reporting
first hand from the scene. Before you start, make a list of points that will
interest the reader. This should include: the scene/setting, characters
involved, what actually happened, why, consequences, importance. You
could use an imaginary setting, etc. and write in the present or past tense.
Here is a sample of how you can write a report.
Headline: Protesters arrested; army called out.
Report: As I walked down to the town hall, I could hear sounds of shouting,
gunfire, sirens and police vehicles. There was a massive crowd protesting
against the arrest of their local leader, and demanding his release. Protesters
began to throw stones at the police who prevented them from proceeding
towards the hall, where the mayor was giving a speech. Soon, the scene
turned ugly, as the police burst tear gas shells, and finally resorted to opening
fire. There were shouts of anguish and rage, and soon, injured people were
being taken away. There was utter chaos with the arrival of ambulances
and more police jeeps. I could hear the frustration and panic in the voices
of the organizers of the meeting being held at the hall. They came out to
talk to the senior police officer on the spot. Next, I heard him calling on his
cell phone to the police commissioner, asking for help from the para military
forces. The situation looked grim.
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13
Media and Entertainment 2) Look at the first news story [under reading comprehension] again, and give
it a heading.
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1.7 GRAMMAR: THE PRESENT PERFECT AND

THE PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
TENSE
Read the following sentences:
1) The planned launch has drawn attention from opponents of nuclear
power…..
2) Scientists have been working for 17 years on the nine year voyage to Pluto….
In sentence 1, has drawn is an example of the Present Perfect which is used to
describe a complete action. In sentence 2, have been working is an example of
the Present Perfect Continuous which is used for an action over a period of
time upto now. We often use for and since with it.
Complete the following sentences by putting the Present Perfect or Present Perfect
Continuous forms of the verbs in brackets.
i) My cousin ................................... (build) his house for nearly one year.
ii) We ....................................... (finish) our breakfast and are ready to leave.
iii) She .............................................. (repair) her bike. It is ready to be used.
iv) My grandfather has a backache. He ................................. (water) the plants
since morning.
v) The roads are full of water. It ............................. (rain) since yesterday.
vi) He ......................................................... (stop) smoking.
vii) Rahul ........................................... (play) on the piano since he was six.
viii) The telephone bell ...................................... (ring) for the last five minutes.
ix) Rita has no money left. She ................................. (shop) for the whole day.
x) Neha ......................................... (do) a part time job for nearly three years.
Look at the following sentences:
We’re going home.
I know it isn’t easy.
They’re coming today.
14
What do you notice about the underlined words? They are short forms or The Media
contractions of two words. The apostrophe is inserted in place of a missing
letter or letters. Examples:
We’re= we are
Isn’t= is not
They’re= they are
We’ve=we have
They’d=they would
1) Can you write the full forms of the following?
i) I’m ………………….
ii) It’s ………………….
iii) They’ve ………………….
iv) Haven’t ………………….
v) Doesn’t ………………….
vi) Don’t ………………….
vii) Didn’t ………………….
viii) They wouldn’t ………………….
ix) I’d ………………….
x) She’s ………………….
2) Write the short forms of the following:
i) They have not ………………….
ii) We were not ………………….
iii) We would ………………….
iv) He is ………………….
v) You are ………………….
1.8 PRONUNCIATION: WORD STRESS

Say these words after the teacher, using the correct stress.
inter'national aca'demic
hori'zons 'radiation
'agency communi'cation
la'boratory 'accessing
investi'gator 'Instagram
'voyage 'Twitter
'January 'LinkedIn
15
1.9 LET US SUM UP
Now that you have completed this unit, you can:
make use of the media to increase your knowledge and vocabulary.
make informed and intelligent choices from the range of radio and TV
channels.
practise writing reports giving a first person account
use the present perfect and present perfect continuous tense.
use the correct contractions.
1.10 ANSWERS
1) i) Strong winds in Maryland knocked out power at the laboratory.
ii) Scientists have been working on it for 17 years.
iii) A launch in January would reduce the trip by 5 years.
iv) It is powered by plutonium.
2) i) true
ii) false
iii) false
iv) true
3) i) What is the size and shape of the spacecraft?
ii) What is the purpose of the mission? OR What will the spacecraft do?
iii) How will this study help?
1)
Idioms Meanings
i Catch like wildfire a To circulate or disseminate very quickly.
ii Having green fingers b Good at gardening
iii Caught red-handed c To apprehend someone when they are
doing something wrong
iv Back to square one d Back to where one started with no
progress shown
v At the eleventh hour e Latest possible time
2) Do it yourself.
3) Definitions of the terms:
16
i) Instagram is a mobile, desktop, and Internet-based photo The Media
sharing application and service that allows users to share
pictures and videos either publicly, or privately to pre-
approved followers.
ii) Whatsapp is an ad-free instant messaging service for all

major smartphones. It uses the internet to send messages,
images, audio or video.
iii) Hike Messenger is a cross-platform instant messaging

service for smartphones that uses the Internet for
communication. In addition to text messaging, users can
send each other graphical stickers, emoticons, images,
videos, audios, files, voice messages, contacts and user
location.
iv) YouTube is a site to share and watch

videos. Anyone can record a video and
then upload and share it via the YouTube
site. Everyone can watch the videos on YouTube.
v) Skype: With Skype, you can share a story, celebrate a birthday,

learn a language, hold a meeting, work with colleagues –
just about anything you need to do together every day. It is
free to start using Skype - to speak, see and instant message
other people on Skype.
Audio Text for “World Wildlife Fund”
Coral reefs are the most biologically diverse ecosystems of the ocean. As
divers know, thousands of beautiful fish, mollusks and urchins are among
the amazing marine life that live among coral reefs. In fact, the corals
themselves are also marine animals. Almost a thousand coral species
currently exist in fantastic shapes ranging from mushrooms to moose antlers,
cabbages, tabletops, wire strands and fluted pillars.
With the majority of humankind living in coastal regions, many people

depend on living coral reefs for food and protection from storms and erosion,
as well as the additional benefits of medical research, tourism and natural
beauty. Coral reefs contribute about 25 percent of the total fish catch in
developing countries, providing food for one billion people in Asia alone.
Unfortunately, human activities, including those associated with global
warming are threatening these animals. Increasing sea temperatures stress
corals and cause damage.
WWF is working to develop and test conservation strategies to better protect

coral reefs while also working to stop global warming, the root cause of
their destruction.
17
Media and Entertainment Check Your Progress 3
1) WWF tries to conserve
endangered species, and
stop the causes of their
destruction.
2) They are found in fantastic
shapes ranging from
mushrooms to moose
antlers, cabbages, tabletops,
wire strands, fluted pillars.
3) Beautiful fish, mollusks, and
urchins are among the
amazing marine life that live among coral reefs.
4) Global warming and increasing sea temperatures destroy coral reefs.
5) People depend on living coral reefs for food and protection from storms
and erosion, as well as the additional benefits of medical research, tourism
and natural beauty.
Do it yourself.
1) Suggested answer: this is only an example of what you could write. We

encourage you to use your imagination and describe the events in your own
way, and write longer pieces.
Two injured as truck collides with van
I am standing at the junction of Park Avenue and Palm Street, which has
seen yet another accident a little while ago. A truck carrying grains and
vegetables collided with a pick up van, which was carrying 5 passengers.
Eye witnesses say that the truck had just taken the sharp turn, when the van
appeared from nowhere, apparently at high speed. It is believed that the
driver lost control, and headed towards the truck. It was only the truck
driver’s presence of mind that averted a greater tragedy. He swerved to the
left, and hit his side of the van. The driver and the passenger in the front
seat of the van sustained severe injuries, and were rushed to the hospital.
2) Mission delayed again…../strong winds delay spacecraft…/Pluto must wait!
1) has been building, 2. have finished, 3. has repaired, 4. has been watering 5.
has been raining, 6. has stopped, 7. has been playing, 8. has been ringing, 9.
has been shopping, 10. has been doing.

1) i) I am
18
ii) It is The Media
iii) They have

iv) Have not
v) Does not
vi) Do not
vii) Did not
viii) They would not
ix) I would
x) She is
2) i) They haven’t
ii) We weren’t
iii) We’d
iv) He’s
v) You’re
19
UNIT 2 THE FLOATING MARKETS OF
THAILAND
Structure
2.0 Objectives
2.1 Warm Up
2.3 Vocabulary
2.4 Listening: Following Directions
2.5 Speaking: Dialogues
2.6 Grammar: Passive without an Agent
2.7 Writing: Describing Places
2.8 Pronunciation
2.9 Let Us Sum UP
2.10 Answers
2.0 OBJECTIVES
In this unit you will be able to:
read an expository piece and understand its main points
comprehend new lexical items using cues from within the text
make inferences from the text
evaluate a situation and provide personal opinion
look for patterns and generalize
utilize the information gleaned from the text in real life situations
use the passive without the agent.
make comparisons using information given in pictures
2.1 WARM UP
The words ‘market’ and ‘mall’ are places where one can buy things.
Here are a few more names of different kinds of shops or places where one can
buy things. Match the words with their meanings.
a) A Kiosk 1) A place which has many shops of gold
under one roof
b) A Showroom 2) A market with many small shops
c) A Takeaway 3) A small shop selling cigarettes, newspapers
or cold drinks
d) Factory Outlet 4) A large shop/store in which goods for sale
are displayed
20
e) A Gold Souk 5) A large store selling goods at a discounted The Floating Markets of
Thailand
price
f) A bazaar 6) A restaurant that cooks and sells food that
you can take away and eat somewhere else

Read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.
In every country markets of different kinds exist. In India, for instance, one can
see the posh shopping areas and multi-storeyed malls on the one hand and the
small weekly bazaars on the other. This bazaar is a kind of mobile market that
shifts from area to area on different days of the week. The shopkeepers need
nothing but some clean pavement or some open space to settle on as they carry
on their transactions.
Then there is the common and easy to locate shopping centre in every residential
block. Though small, it has all the things that are necessary for survival. It has a
green grocer, a shop selling daily provisions and items of food, a stationer, a
haircutting saloon, a drycleaner and a gift shop.
We also have the huge whole- sale markets devoted to particular kind of goods
be it automobile spare-parts or hosiery.
Just as the cities of different countries boast of markets for people to shop in, the
rivers of Thailand offer colourful markets, which sell various kinds of farm
produce and handicrafts. Early morning one can see a scene of hectic activity of
bargaining, buying and selling here.
21
Media and Entertainment These floating markets are called ‘talaat naam’ in Thai. These are made up of
large clusters of boats, which serve the purpose of both sales counters and
transport vehicles for the farmers who gather here to sell their wares every
morning. As dawn breaks over the horizon, small wooden boats paddled by
women snake their way towards the market. One can see these women almost
always in the blue dress that is common amongst the farmers of Thailand. On
their heads the women wear flat -topped conical hats that one can find in all
parts of this country.
The boats are laden with the produce from the nearby orchards and community
farms. There are a wide variety of tropical fruits, flowers and vegetables and
they offer a very colourful sight. The boat vendors trade their agricultural produce
largely by the traditional barter system. For the tourists there are baskets and
cane products, cloth and other hand made items, which they can buy for money.
Tourists throng to the markets, coming from the cities by bus. The most popular
floating market is in Ratchabury province about 101 kilometres from Bangkok,
the capital of Thailand. Bangkok too has a few floating markets of its own. The
Taling Chan market is right in front of the district office of Taling Chan.
The floating markets always open in the morning, some as early as 4 a.m. There
is hectic trading amongst the vendors and buying and selling with the tourists
till late in the morning. By about noon time all the vendors would have left only
to return again early the next morning. Many of these markets open daily while
some operate only on weekends. The Damnoen Saduak market is open daily,
while the Taling Chan market is a weekend market.
In fact, Thailand’s floating markets are so popular amongst the tourists that
hardly anyone ever goes away without buying something or taking a picture of
the colourful market. Some of the popular markets are Damneon Saduak Floating
Market, Taling Chan Floating Market, Tha Kha Floating Market and Bang Khu
Wiang Floating Market.
These markets give one a glimpse of the traditional way of life in Thailand.
Looking at them one can imagine how daily life must have been in earlier times.
Efforts are being made to revive the old markets and reorganize them to attract
more tourists.
So, if you want a real taste of Thailand and wish to fully appreciate a floating
market, you should get up really early and hire a long tailed boat for the day.
The boat ride along the river will also enable you to see Thai homes and gardens.

1) Read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below.
i) What are the different kinds of markets one can usually find in India?
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ii) Though small, the local shopping centre serves a great purpose. Can
you say how?
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22
iii) How does the ‘Talat Nam’, the floating market of Thailand differ from The Floating Markets of
Thailand
other markets? Cite two examples.
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iv) What is the main commodity sold in these markets?
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v) Who are the vendors in the market?
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vi) What system of trade do these vendors follow? Is it the same system
for the tourists as well?
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vii) How does the Damnoen Saduak market differ from the Taling Chan
market?
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viii) What are the added benefits of taking a boat ride to the market?
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2) Read the sentences given below and say whether they are true or false.
i) The vendors of a mobile market really do not need any shops to sell
their goods.
ii) The ‘Talat Nams’ open by mid morning and close by the evening.
iii) If one wishes to buy fresh flowers one must go to the floating markets.
iv) These floating markets are often quite noisy places.
v) Tourists can buy handicrafts of cane and the local dress material from
these floating markets.
vi) Going to these colourful markets gives you no idea about the traditional
marketing system of Thailand.
vii) If one wishes to see the ‘Talat Nam’ in full swing, one needs to get up
early and go there.
viii) If there are so many floating markets then there must be many canals
or rivers in Thailand.
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2.3 VOCABULARY
1) Match the words in A with their meanings in B.
A B
i) mobile a) a lot of movement and action
ii) survival b) a person who sells things like food
outside on the street (not in a shop)
iii) hectic activity c) not fixed to a place
iv) horizon d) crowd, go in large numbers
v) vendor e) customs that have not changed for a long
time
vi) traditional f) the state of continuing to live or exist
vii) barter g) giving goods in exchange for goods
viii) throng h) to begin something again
ix) revive i) heavily loaded with
x) laden with j) the circle in which the earth and the sky
appear to meet
2) Given below are certain action words that are thematically related to markets.
Read the sentences given below and complete them using appropriate words
from the list.
buying selling trading bargaining hawking dealing
i) The natives on the island sometimes came to the
shore…………….their handicrafts for items of daily use.
ii) This is a very popular market for the common man and often there is
a lot of …………………….before a deal is struck.
iii) Nowadays one can find people …………………different kinds of
things to the motorists waiting at the traffic lights.
iv) ……………….in garments has become a more profitable business.
v) ………………a house with your life’s savings makes better sense
than investing it in an expensive car.
vi) On the pavements one can often see people ………………..things
from boiled eggs to ball point pens and calculators.
3) a) Look up the word ‘bargain’ in the dictionary and understand the various
ways the word can be used idiomatically.
b) Now read the sentences given below and complete them with
appropriate phrases. Use the correct form of the verb wherever
necessary.
24
bargain for, drive a hard bargain, bargain away, in the bargain The Floating Markets of
Thailand
i) The new job was well-paid. But it was demanding too. He felt that by
taking it up he had………………………………his peace of mind.
ii) They are smart people and will ……………………over prices.
iii) I had not ………………………… freezing nights on our expedition.
iv) Children learn a lot from the internet and enjoy themselves
…………………………………………as well.
2.4 LISTENING: FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS

Given below is a map of a locality. You have to reach the market place. Listen to
the directions carefully and trace the path that you would take to reach the Market.
2.5 SPEAKING: DIALOGUES

1) We often have to go and buy things from the shops where only English is
understood. Let us see what these people are saying at the shops. Listen to
the audio.
Listening text:
1) Lady: May I have a copy of the Oxford Dictionary?
Shop Assistant: Of course. Here you are Ma’am.
Lady: And could I have the latest book by Mr. Sellwell?
Shop Assistant: Sorry, we have run out of copies.
2) Old man: Have you got any woollen socks?
Sales Girl: Yes, what size do you want?
3) Little girl: May I have a box of colour pencils, please?
Shopkeeper: Certainly. Here you are.
4) Young Man: I’d like some shaving cream.
Salesman: Sure, which kind do you want?
25
Media and Entertainment 2) Work with a partner. Select appropriate phrases from the box and ask for
things. Your partner will give a suitable response. Change roles.
Could I have…………..
Please ?
Have you got………….
May I have……………
I’d like ………………..
Can I get………………
some tea, some oranges, a packet of chips, a sandwich,

some red kite paper, a tennis ball, a pair of green slacks,
five stamps for Egypt, two lithium batteries, some bread
Sure. Here you are.

Yes, certainly.
How many/much would you like?
I’m sorry but we’ve run out of them.
What size do you want?
Certainly. What kind do you want?
What denomination do you want?
2.6 GRAMMAR: PASSIVE WITHOUT AN AGENT

Look at these sentences from the passage:
1) The boats are laden with the produce from the nearby orchards and
community farms.
2) These (floating markets) are made up of large clusters of boats, which serve
the purpose of both sales counters and transport vehicles for the farmers
who gather here to sell their wares every morning.
3) These floating markets are called ‘talaat naam’ in the Thai language.
You will find that the subjects of the three sentences namely, ‘The boats’, ‘These
(floating markets)’ and ‘These floating markets’ are not doing the action but
receive the action done by others. In the first sentence it is obvious that the doer
of the action not mentioned in the sentence are ‘the farmers or the sellers’ who
come to do business in the floating market.
The second and the third too indicate that the doers of the action are the people
who make up the market in the form of ‘sellers’ or the common people.
The sentences are in the passive voice. We add a helping verb to the past
participle according to the tense or the time indicated i.e. is shown, are broken,
has been made etc.
26
Check Your Progress 5 The Floating Markets of
Thailand
1) Read the following sentences and complete them using the passive forms
of the verbs.
i) The letter……….. loudly ………… (read) out for everyone’s benefit.
ii) When they returned to the site of the Tsunami they found that many
houses……………………………… (rebuild) and many makeshift
shops…………………………………(erect) over the year.
iii) Preparations …………………… (make) for the visit of the Prime
Minister. Hence no one will be free to talk to you this week.
iv) When she returned from work she discovered that her lovely cake
…………………….. (ruined) by the visiting monkeys. Some of it
………………. (eat) and some …………….(drop) on the floor.
v) Many families ………………………………… (hit) by the
downsizing of the companies. Many young men and women lost their
jobs.
We notice that we almost always use the passive voice without the agent in
particular cases like:
when the doer is not known
when there are multiple doers
when we do not want to disclose who the doer is
in legal language
in official language
2) Read the sentences below and complete them using appropriate verbs
in the passive voice.
i) We regret to inform you that a mistake…………………………………
We assure you that it shall ………………………………..as soon as
possible.
ii) Many flyovers and underpasses …………………………………….to
ease the flow of traffic but the problem persists.
iii) It………………………… to the incumbent that he ……...……
hereby……………….to make the full and complete payment to the
aggrieved party.
iv) As I was on my way to the Mall yesterday my pocket
………………………and so I ended up buying nothing.
v) All the officers of the Production Wing ………………………..to
attend the 6p.m. meeting today.
request, commit, built, pick, direct, notify, rectify
2.7 WRITING: DESCRIBING PLACES

1) Look at this picture and write a description of it.

27
You might like to mention the following:

The place
The shops and their structures
The kind of shops and the goods they are selling.
The difference between the shops and the pavement hawkers/vendors
The people seen at the different shops and your interpretation of their
dress, stance, actions or what they seem to be doing.
2) Now look at the picture of this Multiplex Mall. Compare the first market to
this mall and mention how this differs from the market you have already
written about.
28
Picture credit: The Floating Markets of
Thailand
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Select_Citywalk
https://www.whatsuplife.in/delhi/blog/new-stores-select-city-walk-delhi/
http://www.groupfirst.com/news/?attachment_id=1071
https://novy-smichov-en.klepierre.cz/Services/CHILDREN-S-CORNER-TIME-OUT
You might like to use expressions denoting comparisons like: as….as, like/unlike
the …….this……., it is……..earlier (comparative degree of adjective) than the
………… etc.
You might also like to use connectors like these: while/whereas/on the other
hand/in comparison/contrastingly etc.
2.8 PRONUNCIATION
Listen to the following dialogue and practice it with your partner.
A customer calls because she wants to know when the free service that she had
been promised for six months after she bought a washing machine, will be
provided.
Executive : Good morning, Efficiency Machines. This is Ramesh.

How may I assist you?
Customer : I bought a washing machine from your company and I
was told I would receive a free service after six months.
It has been six and a half months we still haven’t got the
free service. I was told it would be done last week, but
nobody has come so far.
Executive : I can understand why that must have upset you. I’ll
arrange for a service engineer to be sent to your place
today.
Customer : But I don’t understand why I need to call and remind you
of this.
Executive : I apologize for the inconvenience and assure you this
won’t happen again. In fact I’ll put in another free service
on your service card. All you have to do is fill in the date
on which you would like him to come for the next service,
and he will be there.
Customer : Thank you.
Executive : You’re welcome, and have a good day.
2.9 LET US SUM UP

In this unit, you read an expository piece and answered questions on it. Since
the topic was the market place, albeit with a difference, you greatly enhanced
your vocabulary in this specific area. We also gave you practice in using certain
idioms pertaining to this topic.
29
Media and Entertainment When shopping, we often have to use polite phrases of inquiry to the shopkeeper.
In the speaking section, we give you practice in the use of these phrases.
The listening section pertained to following directions based on a road map. We

hope that now you will be able to give directions appropriately.
The writing part taught you the skills of comparison and contrast using a modern
mall and a traditional market place.
Finally, we gave you practice in the use of the passive without the agent.
2.10 ANSWERS
Warm Up
a) 3
b) 4
c) 6
d) 5
e) 1
f) 2
i) The posh multi-storied malls on the one hand and the small weekly markets
on the other. Of course, there are the local markets within each residential
area.
ii) It has all the things one needs for daily life such as food stuff, stationery
items, provisions, toilet goods, a hair cutting saloon and the green grocer.
iii) It has no fixed shops but comprises small boats laden with farm produce.
The sellers are mostly women.
iv) The main commodity sold here are things grown on a farm like vegetables,
fruits, flowers or grain.
v) The vendors are the women farmers of nearby areas who come into the
market rowing the same boats.
vi) They follow the barter system for the residents. For the tourists it would be
different. The tourists pay in cash for the goods they buy.
vii) The Damnoen Saduak market is open daily while the Taling Chan market
is a weekend market.
viii) One can see the traditional life style of the Thai people.
2) i) The vendors of a mobile market really do not need any shops to sell
their goods. (T)
ii) The ‘Talat Nams’ open by mid morning and close by the evening.(F)
iii) If one wishes to buy fresh flowers one must go to the floating markets.
(T)
30
iv) These floating markets are often quite noisy places. (T) The Floating Markets of
Thailand
v) Tourists can buy handicrafts of cane and the local dress material from
these floating markets. (T)
vi) Going to these colourful markets gives you no idea about the traditional
marketing system of Thailand. (F)
vii) If one wishes to see the ‘Talat Nam’ in full swing, one needs to get up
early and go there. (T)
viii) If there are so many floating markets then there must be many canals
or rivers in Thailand. (T)

1) i) c
ii) f
iii) a
iv) j
v) b
vi) e
vii) g
viii) d
ix) h
x) i
2) i) The natives on the island sometimes came to the shore trading their
handicrafts for items of daily use.
ii) This is a very popular market for the common man and often there is
a lot of bargaining before a deal is struck.
iii) Nowadays one can find people hawking different kinds of things to
the motorist waiting at the traffic lights.
iv) Dealing in garments has become a more profitable business.
v) Buying a house with your life’s savings makes better sense than
investing it in an expensive car.
vi) On the pavements one can often see people selling things from boiled
eggs to ball point pens and calculators.
3) i) The new job was well-paid. But it was demanding too. He felt that by
taking it up he had bargained away his peace of mind.
ii) They are smart people and will drive a hard bargain over prices.
iii) I had not bargained for freezing nights on our expedition.
iv) Children learn a lot from the internet and enjoy themselves in the
bargain as well.
31
Media and Entertainment Check Your Progress 3
Audio Text
1) You are on Longwell Road. You have the library on your right and the
Metro station on your left.
2) Walk straight. Do not turn at the crossing. You will pass the Primary
school, which will be on your left and the District Hospital, which will
be on your right.
3) Keep walking. You will reach another turning. You will notice a huge
tree with a raised platform around it. Do not turn here. Keep walking.
This means you leave two turnings and you are still on Longwell Road.
4) Then you will see the Computer Software Company to your left. You
can’t miss it. It is a big cream and blue building with Comp-Soft written
on it.
5) As you look to your right you will see a road going at an angle next to a
triangular park.
6) Turn right here and follow that road. You now have the cinema theatre
to your right and the park to your left.
7) The market is at the end of the road.
8) The STD booth is in the sixth shop between the Dry Cleaner and the
Baker.
2) Some of the dialogues would be like these;

i) Could I have some oranges, please?
How many would you like?
ii) Have you got any slacks?
I’m sorry but we’ve run out of them.
Sure. What kind/colour/size do you want?
iii) May I have a glass of water, please?
Sure. Here you are
iv) I’d like some red kite paper.
Sure. How much do you want?
v) Can I get five stamps for Egypt?
Yes. Certainly.
1) i) The letter was loudly read out for everyone’s benefit.
ii) When they returned to the site of the Tsunami they found that many
houses had been rebuilt and many makeshift shops had been erected
over the year.
iii) Preparations are being made for the visit of the Prime Minister. Hence
32 no one will be free to talk to you this week.
iv) When she returned from work she discovered that her lovely cake The Floating Markets of
Thailand
had been ruined by the visiting monkeys. Some of it had been eaten
and some had been dropped on the floor.
v) Many families were hit by the downsizing of the companies. Many
young men and women lost their jobs.
2) i) We regret to inform you that a mistake has been committed. We assure
you that it shall be rectified as soon as possible.
ii) Many flyovers and underpasses have been built to ease the flow of
traffic but the problem persists.
iii) It is notified to the incumbent that he is hereby directed to make the
full and complete payment to the aggrieved party.
iv) As I was on my way to the Mall yesterday my pocket was picked and
so I ended up buying nothing.
v) All the officers of the Production Wing are requested to attend the 6
p.m. meeting today.
1) This is a market. Perhaps it belongs to one of the Middle East countries.
It is an ordinary and common market. It has simple shops selling goods
in a humble way. The shops are small and have awnings to keep the harsh
sun out.
If one looks carefully one will notice that the signboards are in Persian.
Some shops have the signboards in two languages, either Persian and
English or Persian and French.
There is a shop selling clothes, a shop selling gadgets, another shop selling
provisions, a small shop selling oils and cosmetics and an STD booth
claiming internet connection. There are a few palm trees in a distance,
one or two slight bushes nearby.
People are moving about making their purchases. They are wearing loose
fitting Arab dresses which are largely white in colour. There are women
too but they are in long dark cloaks called the Burkha. Children accompany
the women.
There are a few pushcarts and a few pavement shops. The pushcarts are
vending some eatables, hankies and keys, certain things like cups, saucers,
plates and pots, etc.
2) This looks like a modern multiplex mall. Unlike the earlier market it is a
plush building. It has a cinema theatre, huge showrooms, a coffee shop
and a restaurant.
Whereas the earlier market was spread out on a large piece of land, this
one rises up to many storeys. It has an external glass elevator, which
indicates that this is not a place for ordinary people to make their purchases.
But like the earlier market this one too sells things of daily requirements
but the things would be quite expensive. Unlike the humble market this
market boasts of a posh building, modern gadgets and sleek shops with
33
smart sales persons in place of the simple shopkeepers of the earlier market.
There is also a small play corner for little children.
In comparison to the buyers moving about on foot, this mall has a line of
cars parked outside. This means that people who have come here in their
cars are richer than the shoppers in the earlier market.
In contrast to the simply attired men and women of the market place, the
people here are dressed sleekly and seem well-to- do.
34
The Floating Markets of
UNIT 3 PEOPLE AT WORK Thailand
Structure
3.0 Objectives
3.1 Warm Up
3.2 Reading Comprehension: A T.V. News Anchor
3.3 Vocabulary: Word Map
3.4 Listening: A Poem
3.5 Speaking: An Interview
3.6 Writing Descriptions
3.7 Grammar: Phrasal Verbs
3.8 Pronunciation
3.9 Let Us Sum Up
3.10 Answers
3.0 OBJECTIVES
In this unit we introduce you to a description of a T.V. news anchor. In fact, a lot
of us often see and listen to our favourite news anchor to catch the news. In the
process you will come across vocabulary related to T.V. news journalism. The
listening text is a poem on various professions by Walt Whitman, the famous
American poet. In the speaking section, we show you how to conduct a short
interview.
Taking our cue from the reading passage, in the writing activity we gave you a
description of a pilot. This is just a sample for you to write your own descriptions.
The grammar section is on phrasal verbs — verbs which combine mostly with
prepositions to give an entirely new meaning.
3.1 WARM UP
From the moment we get up in the morning till the time we go to bed, and from
the time we go to bed and wake up again in the morning, a number of people
work to make our lives comfortable, safe and pleasant. Let’s learn about their
work and their world.
Can you think of some people who work for us during the day? E.g. a newspaper
delivery boy, a milkman, a florist, the grocer and so on.
And some people who work for us during the night? E.g. night shift workers in
a power plant, printing press operators in a newspaper office, a nurse in a
hospital, a watchman patrolling our streets…
3.2 READING: A TV NEWS ANCHOR

Sahil De works for CBRC TV station. He has a cool job as a TV News Anchor.
“Exhilarating and demanding”... is how CBRC News Anchor Sahil De describes
his job. 35
Media and Entertainment De has a BA in Communications with an emphasis in Broadcasting. While at
college, he worked as a sportscaster at a tiny low powered TV station. Then
worked 3 years at a small ABC affiliate as an anchor, reporter, and morning
show host. Sahil De is currently at CBRC TV in Jaipur City as morning news
anchor and field reporter.
A Day In The Life Of: De is up at 3:00 am, at work by 3:45 to look over scripts
for the day. At 4:30 am, he spends 15 minutes in the make up room and at 4:45
am he begins his newscast with a live teaser and then he broadcasts live news
from 5:00 am to 7:00 am. After the morning broadcast, he goes out on an
assignment and reports live stories from 7:00 am to 9:00 am. “I also do special
projects, investigative, consumer and health reports.” These are stories with a
local angle.
What De has to say about:

The advantages of his job: “I get to go to cool places and meet politicians and
celebrities that the general public doesn’t usually get to see.”
The down side of his job: “You don’t have a normal life, you work weird hours
and holidays, get up in the middle of the night, go to bed early and are away
from your family a lot.”
What he would like to change about his job: “Move the morning show to 9:00
am! Seriously, we tend to do more blood and guts stories and I’d like to do more
feel good stories.”
His family and other interests: “I have 2 young kids and a great wife and we
like to check out different restaurants and travel. I also play volleyball.”
Advice for aspiring TV Reporters: “Get an internship (usually unpaid) and

produce a video of your reporting. You will need this to show your wares. You
have to start out at a small station and work your way up. It’s a tough road with
an intense weeding out process as you move up the ladder. But if you start out at
a small station, everyone is bad, they expect you to be bad, you can make your
mistakes and you are still low profile. The best broadcasters started small and
didn’t fizzle out.”

1) i) What is Sahil De’s job?
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
ii) What are De’s qualifications for the job?
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
iii) What does De like about his job?
.............................................................................................................
36 .............................................................................................................
iv) What does De not like about his job? People at Work
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v) What are some of De’s interests outside of his job?
.............................................................................................................
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vi) What advice does De have for aspiring TV News journalists?
.............................................................................................................
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2) Complete the following schedule for Sahil De’s work day:

3.00 a.m. wake up
__________ reach work
4.30 – 4.45 a.m. ________________
_________
5.00 – 7.00 a.m. _______________
7.00 –9.00 a.m. ________________
3.3 VOCABULARY: WORD MAP

You can use mind maps to capture your thoughts and bring them to life in visual
form. It is a good way of improving your vocabulary. At a more advanced level
mind maps help to represent ideas and concepts in a graphical way. It is a visual
thinking tool that will help you to structure information so that you are better
able to analyze, comprehend, synthesize, recall and generate new ideas.
1) There are several words and phrases from the world of journalism and news
reporting in the extract above. Pick them out to complete the following
word map. Look up their meanings in a dictionary and use them in sentences
of your own.
37
The World of
News Reporting
2) Match the words in Column A with their meanings in Column B.
A B
i) exhilarating a) someone who has become famous for
something
ii) affiliate b) strange; unusual
iii) assignment c. giving you a strong feeling of happiness
and excitement
iv) investigative d) an organization which has a close
association with or is a member of a larger
organization
v) celebrity e) goods; (here) talents
vi.) weird f) a particular task that you are officially
given to do
vii) internship g) something that starts off strongly and ends
weakly
viii) wares h) to examine details of a situation in order
to find out what is happening
ix) weeding out i) to be trained under supervision
x) fizzle out j) to get rid of useless people
3.4 LISTENING: A POEM

Listen to a poem by Walt Whitman, an American poet. In this poem he describes
different kinds of workers and the work they do.
38
Check Your Progress 3 People at Work
1) Listen to the poem twice and answer the following questions.

i) List at least five different kinds of workers described by the poet in
the poem?
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
ii) If you live in a city which of these workers are you likely to meet?
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
iii) If you live in a rural area, which are some of the workers you might
meet?
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
iv) Who are the people who do work in the home?
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
v) Why do you think the mother’s singing has been described as delicious?
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
vi) Do you find this poem interesting? List any two things that you find
interesting in the poem.
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
vii) Do you think the workmen described in the poem are happy? Give a
reasoned answer. Why do you think the word singing has been repeated
several times in the poem?
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
............................................................................................................. 39
3.5 SPEAKING: AN INTERVIEW
In order to conduct an effective interview you need to keep the following points
in mind.
1) Be sure to pick out the right person.
2) Do your research about the topic and the person interviewed.
3) Adequately prepare your questions.
4) Make notes of the answers given by the interviewee.
5) Take permission from the interviewee if s/he would allow you to record.
1) Imagine you are a student and have been asked to interview Sahil De for an
article on him for the college magazine. Make a list of questions that you
would like to ask him. Some of the questions could be about his daily routine
and others about anything else you might like to know. e.g: How do you
spend your evenings on weekdays? How do you spend your weekends?
How many people do you interview in a month?
2) When replying to questions, you may consult the text material as well as
invent suitable answers for questions whose answers aren’t available from
the text. For example:
Q: What kind of books do you like reading?
Ans: I like reading all kinds of books, especially travelogues and
biographies.
3.6 WRITING DESCRIPTIONS

Descriptive writing is a type of writing which is meant to describe a person,
place, thing or event in vivid details. It does not depend on facts but on the
author’s ability to make the reader see, feel and experience what s/he sees, feels
and experiences. The focus is on “showing” and not “telling” so that the reader
gets a sense of how the subject looks, sounds, smells, tastes, or feels like.
Given below are some pictures of working people. Choose a picture and write a
short composition describing what you imagine his or her working day/life is
like. We give you a write up of a pilot as an example in the Answers Section.
40
People at Work
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3.7 GRAMMAR: PHRASAL VERBS

Phrasal verbs are basic verbs that can combine with other words, especially
prepositions, to make verbs with completely new meanings. Phrasal verbs are
used more in speaking than in writing. There is almost always a more formal
way of conveying the same idea.
De is up at 3 am, at work by 3.45 to look over script for the day.
Here to look over mean’s to read quickly.
Activity 6
1) Choose a phrasal verb from list A and a suitable noun from list B and make
meaningful sentences. The first one is done for your.
41
Media and Entertainment List A List B
i) Go off mother
ii) Check out business
iii) Start out cruel words
iv) Take back offer
v) Get on hotels
vi) Get up decision
vii) Turn down proposal
viii) Catch up holiday
ix) Put off morning
x) Look over news
xi) Set up career
Every summer I go off on a holiday to the hills
2) Fill in the gaps in the sentences below with different phrasal verbs beginning
with look:
look up to look into
look for look up
look on look out
look through look forward to
i) I’m ............................... to starting work.
ii) He has always ............................... his elder brother.
iii) ...............................each day as if it is your last day on earth.
iv) The police are ............................... the case
v) Please ...............................the proposal and tell me what you think.
vi) Could you help me...............................the keys, please.
vii) If you don’t ..............................., she’ll take your job from you.
viii) Business is ............................... at last.
3.8 PRONUNCIATION
These words pertain to various professions. Repeat them correctly after the
teacher.
Accountant Engineer
Physician Veterinary physician
Pharmacist Psychologist
Technician Beautician
Biotechnologist Communication Specialist
Botanist Web developer
Dermatologist Network Administrator
Anesthesiologist Librarian
Gastroenterologist Advocate
42 Journalist Solicitor
People at Work
3.9 LET US SUM UP
In this unit, we gave you a description of the routine of a news anchor, a very
familiar figure in all our lives. We increased your vocabulary in the area of
news journalism, especially pertaining to TV. The listening text was a poem by
Walt Whitman, while in the speaking section we gave you practice in conducting
an interview. The writing part like the reading was also a description —this
time about the life of a pilot. Finally, grammar concentrated on phrasal verbs —
an area very common in spoken English.
3.10 ANSWERS
1) i) Sahil De is a TV news anchor at CBRC station. He is also a field
reporter and does special projects on investigative, consumer and health
issues.
ii) Sahil De has a B.A. in communication with a specialization in
Broadcasting.
iii) He gets to interact with politicians and celebrities that ordinary people
do not get a chance to meet.
iv) He doesn’t like the fact that he has to work at odd hours and has to be
away from the family a lot.
v) He likes to eat out, travel and play volley ball.
vi) His advice to aspiring newcomers is to get an internship and produce
a video of their reporting. They should start their careers at small
stations and work their way up.
2) 3.00 a.m. wake up
3.45 a.m. reach work
4.30 – 4.45a.m. make up
5.00 – 7.00a.m. broadcasts live news
7.00 –9.00 a.m. out in the field doing stories
TV Station
1) Internship
Camera person
Investigative
Journalist World of News Anchor
Journalism
Morning Sportscaster
Show host Reporter
43
Media and Entertainment 2) i - c
ii. - d
iii. - f
iv. - h
v. - a
vi. - b
vii. - i
viii. - e
ix. - j
x. - g
Audio Text for poem by Walt Whitman

I Hear America Singing
I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,
Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,
The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,
The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,
The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand singing
on the steamboat deck,
The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he
stands,
The wood-cutter’s song, the ploughboy’s on his way in the morning, or at
noon intermission or at sundown,
The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of the
girl sewing or washing,
Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,
The day what belongs to the day – at night the party of young fellows,
robust, friendly,
Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.
1) i) Mechanics, carpenter, mason, shoemaker, woodcutter

ii) In the city we are likely to meet: mechanic, carpenter, mason and
shoemaker.
iii) In rural areas we would meet a mechanic, carpenter, mason, shoemaker,
woodcutter, ploughboy, etc.
iv) Mother, young wife and the girl washing or sewing are all working in
the home.
v) The mother’s singing has been described as delicious because she is
probably preparing something tasty for the family as she sings along.
Also, it describes the joy that a mother feels while doing things for
44 her family.
vi) You must give your own views. People at Work
vii) Yes, the workmen described in the poem seem to be a happy lot. They
seem to be enjoying their work and are satisfied with what they are
doing. This is reflected in the repetitive use of the word ‘singing’
which expresses their joy and happiness
Interview questions asked to Sahil De

Student : Good Morning. Thank you for agreeing to an interview for
our college magazine.
Sahil De : It’s my pleasure. (graciously)
Student : What exactly is your job at CBRC TV Station?
Sahil De : Well, I’m a morning news anchor. I also do some special
projects-especially in areas of health and consumer rights. I
do some investigative reporting as well.
Student : That’s an exciting job! Is there anything you don’t like about
your job?
Sahil De : Well, I certainly don’t lead a normal life. I go to bed really
early, because I have to get up at 3 a.m. That’s crazy, isn’t it?
I’m also away from my family a lot. I don’t like that
Student : Do you have any other interests?
Sahil De : I love eating out, traveling and playing softball.
Student : Can you give some suggestions to any aspiring T.V. reporter?
I know several students who would like to be in your shoes.
Sahil De : Well, my advice to young aspirants is to get an internship and
produce a video of your reporting which you can show around.
Start at a small station and work your way up. Work hard, of
course – and don’t get discouraged. Eventually you will
succeed.
Student : Thank you for your time.
Sahil De : Thank you.
Mr. Rustom Khaji is a pilot who flies the Airbus, a job which he thoroughly
enjoys. What he likes best about his job is that he does not have to follow a
boring routine like the regular office goers who have to be at their work place
from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and what’s more they have to go to the same place every
day.
He, on the other hand, has different timings of reporting to work and different
places to visit. He loves traveling and has been to all the continents except
Australia.
The most important aspect of his job is to take his passengers safely to their
destinations. However, he has to understand the machine that he flies really
well.
45
Media and Entertainment He needs very quick reflexes, as well, because in case of any emergency, the
action to be taken has to be very quick and what’s more there is no room for
error. The lives of several people are in his hands!
Each flight is an experience in itself with different weather conditions and with
different people. He loves meeting new people and definitely takes a round of
the plane to talk to his passengers.
His advice to aspiring pilots is: follow your dreams, persist, strive for excellence-
and then literally the sky is the limit.

1) i) We checked out several hotels before we decided to story at the Holiday
Inn.
ii) I started out my career as a shop assistant and rose to be the owner of
a huge Mall.
iii) I wish I could take back the cruel words I said to her.
iv) It will be difficult to get on in life without my mother.
v) I get up at 5 O’clock in the morning.
vi) She turned down their offer of promotion.
vii) I have to catch up on all the news, I’ve been away so long.
viii) He put off taking a decision for another week.
ix) I’ve looked over your proposal and I think it needs to be revised.
x) The bank helps women who want to set up a business.
2) i) I’m looking forward to starting work.
ii) He has always looked up to his elder brother.
iii) Look on each day as if it is your last day on earth.
iv) The police are looking into the case
v) Please look through the proposal and tell me what you think.
vi) Could you help me look for the keys, please.
vii) If you don’t look out, she’ll take your job from you.
viii) Business is looking up at last.
46
People at Work
UNIT 4 THE SMELL OF FOOD
Structures
4.0 Objectives
4.1 Warm Up
4.2 Reading
Comprehension:
The Smell of Food
4.3 Vocabulary: Words
of Laughter
4.4 Listening
Comprehension: A
Story
4.5 Speaking: Talking about Films and T.V. Programmes
4.6 Grammar: ‘Used to’ and ‘Would’
4.7 Writing: Story Building
4.8 Pronunciation: Items of Cooking
4.9 Let Us Sum Up
4.10 Answers
4.0 OBJECTIVES
The best way to learn the language of daily interaction is through reading
and enacting plays. Truly a play comes through best when it is read aloud or
enacted.
The objectives of this unit are to develop your ability to:
read a play and understand the basic story in it

comprehend new vocabulary items using cues from within the text
make inferences from the text
evaluate a situation and provide personal opinion
look for patterns and generalize
utilize the information taken from the text to real life
use ‘used to’ and ‘would’ to talk about past events
make and respond to offers
4.1 WARM UP
The stories of Mullah Nasruddin are famous all over the world and are narrated
over and over again. Known for his simple wisdom and wit he is believed to
belong to one of the countries of the Middle East. Can you cite some examples
of such clever persons who were known for their wit and willingness to help
others?
47
4.2 READING COMPREHENSION: THE SMELL
OF FOOD
Scene 1
A market place in
Baghdad or Kabul.
There are a few shops.
In the background to the
left is a shop which sells
clothes and carpets.
These are hanging from
nails outside the shop.
Some rolled up carpets
are placed in a pile just
outside the shop. A man with a lace cap and the beard customary to the place is
sitting in the shop. To the left in the foreground is a hawker with various jars. On
the right in the foreground is an eatery named ‘Mehboob Husseini Kabab.’ There
are a few chairs on which two men are sitting and waiting for their food.
A man in a long shirt and salwar, who is the waiter, is hurrying in and out. At the
counter is a corpulent man with a turban and a beard. Evidently he is Mehboob
Husseini, the owner of the place.
The main character Abdul (in the same dress of salwar and kameez) strolls
into the market from the left. He comes to the centre and stops. He looks
around.
Abdul: (To himself) What a wonderful place this market is! So many lovely
things to buy and eat! (Looks at the eatery. Then makes a wry face) But all these
are of no use to a man with empty pockets. What lovely smells!! Heavenly, just
heavenly. (Breathes in deeply).
Mehboob Husseini: (Leans over to address Abdul) So? What do you think, my
man? Isn’t Mehboob Husseini’s fare extraordinary?
Abdul: (Breathing in deeply as the hurrying waiter brings in a dish) It is so
wonderful to just smell the food. I can guess how delicious it would be to eat it.
Mehboob Husseini: (Laughs uproariously. Addresses the customers at the table)
Ha, ha, ha, ha! This man is crazy for the smell of my food. (To Abdul) Why don’t
you sample the fare here, sir? Take a seat.
Abdul: Some other time. I am not really hungry at the moment. But these kebabs
are great. (Smells deeply again.)
Mehboob Husseini: Of course you can try a couple of those heavenly kebabs.
(He calls out). Serve this gentleman here. By Allah’s grace here is a true admirer
of our food.
Abdul: No, no. I don’t want to eat. Not today. I have to go. (Moves away as if to
go).
Mehbood Husseini: (Looks desperately at a prospective customer leaving. Then

puts on a hard look and says) Well, go if you must. But how about paying for all
48 the heavenly smells of the food at this eatery?
Abdul: Pay for what? I have not tasted any of the food. What kind of robbery is The Smell of Food
this? I will not pay.
Husseini comes over to Abdul and takes hold of his elbow. There is a mild
scuffle.
Mehbood Husseini: Then we shall see what the Quazi has to say in this matter.
(Shakes his finger at him then looks at the setting sun). Well, you are lucky. The
court would have closed by now.
Abdul: But I can’t pay you even if I wished to. I have no money. No money at
all.
Mehbood Husseini Then you’d better bring the money to the court tomorrow.
And mind you, no tricks! Or, you know what kind of punishments thieves get.
(Curtain)
Scene 2
It is morning. Mullah Nasruddin is sitting at his doorstep on a cot basking in the
morning sun. He too is in the same Afghani dress with a red turban on his head.
Abdul appears from the right.
Mullah: Salaam Aleikkum, Abdul Miyan.
Abdul: (Answers sadly) Walekkum Salaam, Miyan Mullah.
Mullah: What’s up? And why do you look like a goat that is to be slaughtered?
Abdul: Indeed, O Mullah. I am surely going to be executed because I can’t pay
for the smell of Husseini’s food. He meets me in the court today and if I fail to
give him the money ….(Murmurs the story to the Mullah who listens carefully).
Mullah: (Takes off his turban and scratches his head. Thinks deeply and says…)
So that’s the story. One minute. (Goes inside the house and soon emerges in his
customary cloak. He takes hold of Abdul’s hand.) Come let’s go. (They move off
stage to the left.) (Curtain)
Scene 3
The Quazi’s court. The Quazi is sitting on a slightly raised platform with bolsters
and nice covers. A few courtiers can be seen. On the left of the Quazi is seated
Mehboob Husseini. Abdul and the Mullah enter from the right.
Mullah: (Both bow deeply) May Allah bless our great Lord with a thousand
years!
The Quazi acknowledges the greetings with a wave of his hand. Mullah and
Abdul seat themselves on the right side of the Quazi.
Quazi: Let the court begin. Mehboob Miyan, what is your grievance?
Mehbood Husseini: My Lord! This man (Pointing towards where Abdul is
sitting) has taken the smells of my food but now refuses to pay for them. He
stood in front of my shop and took in deep breaths. Now he is refusing to pay for
the food, my Lord. To add insult to injury he calls me a robber, my lord.
Quazi: (To Abdul) Did you or did you not take the smell of his food?
Abdul: I did, my lord. But I did not even taste it.
49
Media and Entertainment Quazi: You have admitted that you did take the smell of his food. You must pay
this hardworking man. Or else, the court shall have to give you appropriate
punishment. (There is a hush in the court. Abdul stands shivering in his shoes.
His head is bowed. The Mullah rises and bows deeply.)
Mullah: My Lord. This man Abdul is like my brother. Can I pay on his behalf?
Quazi: Mehboob Miyan, what do you say to that? Is the arrangement acceptable
to you?
Mehbood Husseini: Yes, my Lord. I want two full dinars. One for my food. And
one for my time. My business is suffering there.
Quazi: All right. That’s fair enough. (To the Mullah) Yes, you may pay for him,
Mullah.
The Mullah gets up and crosses over to the side where Mehboob Husseini is
sitting. He sits very close to him and takes a cloth bag from under his cloak. He
holds it in his left hand and shakes it close to the man’s ear. The coins jingle-
Chink, chink!)
Mullah: (Loudly) Do you hear the money? DO YOU HEAR MY MONEY?
Mehbood Husseini: (Looking a little confused first and then brightening up a
little at the prospect of getting the money.) Yes, I do hear your money.
Mullah: (Repeats the act. This time he shakes it harder to make the coins jingle
louder). CAN YOU HEAR THE MONEY, SIR? DO YOU HEAR THE
MONEY?
Mehbood Husseini: You don’t have to shout. OF COURSE, I HEAR THE
MONEY. I HEAR YOUR MONEY!! Now pay up.
Mullah: The payment’s made. He smelled your food and you heard the (Pointing
to Abdul) money. So the dues are all clear. (Looks around at everyone in the
court. Then bows deeply to the Quazi). Am I wrong, my Lord?
(Courtiers begin to titter. The Quazi too is amused but puts on a dignified
appearance)
Quazi: I guess you are right Mullah. You are indeed an intelligent fellow. COURT
DISMISSED TILL AFTERNOON! (He announces loudly)
(Curtain)

1) Read the play carefully and answer these questions.
i) What caught Abdul’s fancy at the market place?
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
ii) Was Mehboob Husseini proud of the food in his shop? Pick the line
which shows this.
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
50
iii) What did Mehboob Husseini threaten Abdul with? The Smell of Food
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
iv) How did the Mullah help Abdul?
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
v.) Pick the qualities you would attribute to the owner of the eatery. Put a
circle round the ones you select.
warm and friendly, having a sharp business sense, greedy, vain, kind
and hospitable, hones, dishonest and bullying, sly and smooth talking
2) Pick the correct alternatives from those given.
i) The story best illustrates the popular adage ………………………….
a) wrong intentions never pay.
b) tit for tat, nothing’s better than that.
c) don’t count your chicken before they are hatched.
d) make hay while sun shines.
ii) The demand made by Mehboob Husseini was …………............… .
a) just.
b) just but exaggerated.
c) totally unjust.
d) just but improperly made.
iii) Mullah Nasruddin tackled the problem by…………… .
a) making an equally unjust demand.
b) attacking the man for his dishonesty.
c) by making the payment.
d) by proving how unjust the demand was.
iv) Mullah was ………………person.
a) a clever and ambitious
b) a clever but unkind
c) a clever and kind
d) an unwise
v) We sympathize with Abdul because………….. .
a) he was a weakling who could not stand up for his own rights.
b) he was dishonest and greedy for food.
c) he was a quarrelsome man.
d) he was a very simple man.
4.3 VOCABULARY: WORDS OF LAUGHTER

1) Find these words from the play.
i) A word which means the same as ‘greater or better than usual’ (Scene 1) 51
Media and Entertainment ii) A word meaning the same as ‘a short and not very violent fight’.
(Scene1)
iii) A word which means the opposite of ‘succeed’ (Scene 2)
iv) A word which means the opposite of ‘not accustomed to do or wear’
(Scene 2)
v) A word meaning the same as ‘suitable or befitting’ (Scene 3)
2) Look at this sentence from the play.
I stood in front of his shop and smelled the food that he was serving.
The underlined words mean that food was given to the customers for eating.
We ‘serve’ food but do not ‘administer’ it. We ‘administer medicines’.
Given below are different words meaning ‘give’. Use them in the appropriate
contexts in the sentences below. Use the correct forms of the verbs.
administer mete out dole out present award confer
i) The court ………………………severe punishment to the guilty.
ii) The nurse carefully…………………. the medicines specified by the
doctor.
iii) Several countries regularly …………….. money to those who are
without a job. In a way this is good but it also encourages some persons
to become lazy.
iv) The college is so impressed with his work that it has
…………………… on him the title of Professor Emeritus. This means
that he shall keep the title of Professor even though he has retired.
v) I was so happy when my students ………………. me with a book by
my favourite author.
vi) She was ……………. the International Prize for Peace and
Development in the year 2004.
3) Look at this sentence from the play.
Courtiers begin to titter. A titter is a quiet kind of laughter when one is too
embarrassed to laugh loudly or does not want to show one’s amusement.
Just as ‘titter’ is at the lowest end of the continuum for ‘expressing
amusement’, bellow with laughter is at the other end.
Read the words meaning laughter given below and arrange them in the
ascending order according to their loudness and intensity.
titter laugh bellow (with laughter) chortle

guffaw giggle rumble (with laughter) chuckle
roar (with laughter)
52
The Smell of Food
4.4 LISTENING COMPREHENSION: A STORY
Here is a story “The Feast of Punjab” for you to listen. Listen to it carefully and
put the sentences given below in the sequence in which the events happened in
the story.
1) i) Once Afzal visited his friend Imanullah in Kashmir.
ii) Afzal only remarked that the food was good but not like the one they
had in Punjab.
iii) Imanullah did not give up. He called a cook from another city to
supervise. This would be the grandest feast of all.
iv) Imanullah waited but no food arrived for a long time. Then he saw
two servants bring only two chappattis, some vegetables and some
curd for them to eat.
v) Imanullah was happy to see his friend and prepared a good feast in his
welcome. He was sure his friend would compliment him on the good
food.
vi) The second time too Afzal only said that the feast of Punjab was much
better.
vii) Imanullah was disappointed to hear that his friend was not satisfied
with the food. So he decided to give him a bigger feast and all the
cook books were taken out.
viii) This time too Afzal had the same thing to say.
ix) In winter Imanullah went to visit his friend in Punjab. Afzal asked
him to wash himself and take some rest. Imanullah did so and waited
eagerly for the feast of Punjab to arrive.
x) When asked about the feast Afzal said that people in Punjab work
hard and eat simple food which keeps them healthy and happy. The
simple food is their feast.
4.5 SPEAKING: TALKING ABOUT FILMS AND

T.V. PROGRAMMES
Sit in groups of four and exchange notes on the latest films you have seen.
Alternately you can talk about some television programmes as well.
You may say sentences like these:
1) Last night/weekend/month I watched a nice film. It was called…
…………………….……….
It is a story about ……………………………………………….
I loved it. You see I like …………..…………………………… (comedies/
mysteries/murder and suspense/family drama).
2) Last evening I switched on the television and a talk show/comedy soap/a
news story/ a quiz etc. was being telecast. I liked it/did not like it much.
It was about/It showed…………………………………………… 53
Media and Entertainment For instance, for the comedy serial you might get words or phrases like
these:
funny good timing relaxing good acting racy dialogues
pretty actress very true to life original good script
famous director authentic dialogue
You might use sentences like these while carrying on with your discussion:
I think ‘Seinfeld’ is good — it really suits my timing. I can have dinner
while I watch it.
I like it because the theme is so real and true to life.
I simply love the dialogues. The script - writer must be really good.
I find Seinfeld very handsome and intelligent. I watch the serial just to
see him.
I watch it because it deals with life and its various little problems.
Oh! It is so funny. I die laughing when the comical Jason opens his
mouth.
Oh I like the character of Elaine. She is so cute. I like the ways she goes
about her life.
4.6 GRAMMAR: ‘USED TO’ AND ‘WOULD’

Mullah Nasruddin was a teacher. He was very clever and witty. He would always
deal with difficult situations with his wit and presence of mind. He used to help
anyone who came to him with a problem.
The words ‘would’ and ‘used to’ are used to illustrate actions which were regularly
done in the past. ‘Used to’ expresses a state or habit in the past as contrasted
with the present.
We used to live in this house.
My mother used to bake cakes on everyone’s birthday.
The word ‘would’ can also express past habit but with a sense of characteristic
predictable behaviour.
She would carry her little dictionary to all the meetings.
When asked a question, I would just clam up as a young boy.
Activity 5
1) Read the sentences given below and complete them using ‘used to’ or
‘would’.
i) My brother …………………. keep white mice as pets.
ii) I ……………………. know her well. We …………………often meet
at the coffee house and have long discussions.
iii) This …………………….. be a cinema theatre way back in the 1970’s.
iv) The warden…………………………sneak upon us during the night
and catch us reading comics.
v) People in this house…………………………… speak a curious mix
of French and Afrikaans. So we never could talk to them much.
54
vi) There ……………………….be a huge tree at this crossing. It took The Smell of Food
the workers nearly a week to pull it out for replantation.
vii) My sister …………………..play tricks on people. But when someone
tried the same trick with her she…………………….fly into a rage.
viii) There were no children nearby and the gardener and the delivery
boy…………………….be Rob’s only playmates.
2) Here is a brief account of Ms. Randa’s experience as a teacher. Complete
the passage putting ‘used to’ and ‘would’ wherever appropriate.
Ms. Randa had a tough time as an assistant teacher in Modern Public School.
Since she was new to the profession she …………………..make many
small mistakes. The Department Incharge …………………only remind
her to learn to do the job better and simply walk away. Poor Ms. Randa
……………………..wait long hours before her office, waiting to talk to
her and finding out what went wrong. Mrs. Vishwanathan well, for that
was the Incharge’s name, …………………..call her after she had finished
discussing all the other departmental matters. They …………………….then
sit and Mrs. Vishwanathan well would tear Ms. Randa’s lesson to shreds.
She ……………………always point out many mistakes. This left poor Ms.
Randa in tears for she was not ……………………..such treatment. She
………………………..sit up late at night doing and redoing the plan for
the next week. She …………………. dread her so much.
Today Ms. Randa looks back at those times with both amusement and
gratitude. “If it were not for Mrs. Vishwanathan, I would never have been a
good teacher. Thanks to all her harsh words and nit picking!” She laughs.
4.7 WRITING: STORY BUILDING

Activity 6
Story building and story writing can be fun. Look at the sentences/clues given
below and create a story based on them.
You need to remember that a story has:
Characters, each with his/her own personality and characteristics
Conversation
Events that happen in a certain time and place
Perhaps a problem
A way the problem is solved or not solved
A particularly exciting moment/event called the climax of a story
The end of the story.
Here are some clues:
A Jataka Tale (Tales based on Buddha’s life)
A drummer has a son who is also a drummer-used to make a living drumming at
festivals, fairs and occasions-once went to city fair-both played drums well-
audience happy-gives generously in the bowl kept in a corner-drummers collect
a lot of money at the end of the day-problem is to cross the forest with the money
at night-father suggests to go quietly-son suggests to beat drum loudly to show
55
Media and Entertainment many people are going-begins to drum loudly –does not listen to father-some
robbers hear the drumming and come to check- find only father and young boy-
rob them of all the money- both sad- father tells son not to feel so bad and treat
this event as a learning in life.
4.8 PRONUNCIATION: ITEMS OF COOKING

These words pertain to various items of cooking which we use regularly. Repeat
them correctly after the teacher.
Beverages Yolk of egg
Dairy products Asafoetida
Yogurt Turmeric
Lettuce Bacon
Carton of milk Anise
Hamburgers Clove
Stir fry Oregano
Caramelize Zucchini
Tamarind Soy sauce
Cinnamon Sesame oil
Almond Cashew nut
4.9 LET US SUM UP

In this unit you read, you understood and hopefully enacted a play. You also
enhanced your vocabulary. You were given practice in words pertaining to the
qualities of a person. An interesting activity pertaining to words relating to
‘laughter’ was given so that now you can more specifically describe ‘a feeling
of amusement’. You listened to a story and ordered it sequentially, and also
learned to write one from clues. You also learned some phrases about indicating
preferences about films. Finally, in the grammar section you learned the function
of ‘used to’ and “would”.
4.10 ANSWERS
1) i) The delicious food at Mehboob Husseini’s eatery caught Abdul’s fancy.
He stood and savoured the lovely fragrence of the food.
ii) Mehbood Husseini was indeed proud of the food he served at his shop.
The line - ‘Isn’t Mehboob Husseini’s fare extraordinary?’ indicates
this. Moreover he offered Abdul to taste one dish so that he could
know that it tasted as good as it smelled.
iii) Mehboob Husseini threatened to take him to court for stealing the
smell of his food.
iv) The food was not consumed by Abdul. This meant that Mehboob
Hussain was making a ridiculous demand. Mullah Nasruddin showed
him how ridiculous he was being by making him hear the jingle of the
coins. If, payment was to be made for merely smelling the food, then
Mehboob Hussaini should consider himself paid by hearing the ‘jingle
56 of coins.’
v) The qualities of the eating house owner are: having a sharp business The Smell of Food
sense, greedy, vain, dishonest and bullying, sly and smooth talking.
2) i - a; ii - c; iii - d; iv - c; v - d
1) i. extraordinary ii. scuffle iii. fail iv. customary v. appropriate
2) i. The court meted out severe punishment to the guilty.
ii) The nurse carefully administered the medicines specified by the doctor.
iii) Several countries regularly dole out money to those who are without
a job. In a way this is good but it also encourages some persons to
become lazy.
iv) The college is so impressed with his work that it has conferred on him
the title of Professor Emeritus. This means that he shall keep the title
of Professor even though he has retired.
v) I was so happy when my students presented me with a book by my
favourite author.
vi) She was awarded the International Prize for Peace and Development
in the year 2004.
3) titter, giggle, chuckle, chortle, laugh, guffaw, rumble (with laughter) roar
(with laughter) bellow (with laughter).
Audio Text for “The Feast of Punjab”
Afzal lived in a village in Punjab. One day he visited Imanullah, his friend
in Kashmir.
Imanullah prepared a wazwan which means a grand feast for his friend. The
cooks and the ladies spent a very busy day cooking dish after dish of meat,
poultry, vegetables and sweets. At last, lunch was announced and the men
sat down to eat.
Imanullah waited politely upon Afzal as he ate with relish. He expected him
to say a few words of praise. But to his disappointment Afzal did nothing of
the sort. He remarked instead, “Though the meal was wonderfully cooked,
it comes nowhere near the feast served in Punjab.” Imanullah wondered
how grand the feasts of Punjab could be. He called his cooks and asked
them to cook a bigger feast. All the cook books were taken out and the
delicacies of Kashmiri wazwan were prepared. What a hustle and bustle
there was in his kitchen! Imanullah smiled to himself. “This time Afzal will
surely be impressed,” he said.
A grand fare was set before Afzal. The dishes arrived one after another and
Afzal tasted each one of them. He ate slowly enjoying every mouthful. This
time Imanullah was sure that Afzal would shower compliments on him.
Afzal stretched after the meal was over and began to speak. Imanullah waited
eagerly. “This was indeed food fit for a king but it still does not match the
feasts I have at home.” Imanullah was disappointed. But he did not want to
give up. “I shall give him the best food the whole state of Kashmir can offer.
The best cook in the state was called to supervise the kitchen that day.
Imanullah could hardly wait for lunchtime to arrive.
Lunchtime arrived. Though the food was delicious, Imanullah could hardly
enjoy it. He was worried about what his friend would say. As usual Afzal sat 57
back after he had finished. “I would certainly say that this was the best meal
one can eat if I had not eaten in my village.” Imanullah gave up. After a few
days Afzal returned home.
Soon summer passed and winter set in. Imanullah thought of his friend. He
decided to visit Punjab and enjoy its warm climate. But he had another
reason for his visit. The feast of Punjab had never left his thoughts and he
wanted to try it out for himself.
Afzal was very pleased to see Imanullah. “Do wait here and relax. Your
journey must have been very tiring,” he said as he showed Imanullah to a
nice and comfortable room. Imanullah washed up and spent hours waiting
for the famous dinner. At last dinner was served. It was brought in two
plates and a cup. One plate held chapattis and the other a dish of vegetables.
The cup held some curd. That was all. Keeping the food down, the servant
left.
“Please begin your meal,” said Afzal as he began to help himself. Somehow
Imanullah gulped the meal down. He was sure that the lovely dishes of
Punjab would be served the next day.
A whole week passed but the same food was served everyday including the
day he was to leave. Imanullah could stay quiet no longer and asked, “Dear
Afzal, while you were in Kashmir you kept praising the feast your village
can offer. But I find here that there is no feast at all. This is only a simple
meal. How can you say that Kashmiri food is not better and richer?”
My friend the people in Punjab eat simple food which keeps them healthy
and happy. For us, our simple food is the feast.
Adapted from a Kashmiri folk tale by Shefali Ray

1. i) Once Afzal visited his friend Imanullah in Kashmir.
ii) Imanullah was happy to see his friend and prepared a good feast in his
welcome. He was sure his friend would compliment him on the good
food.
iii) Afzal only remarked that the food was good but not like the one they
had in Punjab.
iv) Imanullah was disappointed to hear that his friend was not satisfied
with the food. So he decided to give him a bigger feast and all the
cookbooks were taken out.
v) The second time too Afzal only said that the feast of Punjab was much
better.
vi) Imanullah did not give up. He called a cook from another city to
supervise. This would be the grandest feast of all.
vii) This time too Afzal had the same thing to say. Imanullah gave up.
viii) In winter Imanullah went to visit his friend in Punjab. Afzal asked
him to wash himself and take some rest. Imanullah did so and waited
eagerly for the feast of Punjab to arrive.
ix) Imanullah waited but no food arrived for a long time. Then he saw
two servants bring only two chapattis (flat unleavened bread), some
58 vegetables and some curd for them to eat.
x) When asked about the feast Afzal said that people in Punjab work The Smell of Food
hard and eat simple food which keeps them healthy and happy. The
simple food is their feast.
Do it yourself.
1) i) My brother used to keep white mice as pets.
ii) I used to know her well. We would often meet at the coffee house and
have long discussions.
iii) This used to be a cinema theatre way back in the 1970’s.
iv) The warden would sneak upon us during the night and catch us reading
comics.
v) People in this house used to speak a curious mix of French and
Afrikaans. So we never could talk to them much.
vi) There used to be a huge tree at this crossing. It took the workers
nearly a week to pull it out for re-plantation.
vii) My sister used to play tricks on people. But when someone tried the
same trick with her, she would fly into a rage.
viii) There were no children nearby and the gardener and the delivery boy
used to be Rob’s only playmates.
2) Ms. Randa had a tough time as an assistant teacher in Modern Public School.
Since she was new to the profession she used to make many small mistakes.
The Department Incharge would only remind her to learn to do the job
better and simply walk away. Poor Ms. Randa used to wait long hours
before her office, waiting to talk to her and finding out what went wrong.
Mrs. Vishwanathan, for that was the Incharge’s name, would call her after
she had finished discussing all the other departmental matters. They used
to then sit and Mrs. Vishwanathan would tear Ms. Randa’s lesson to shreds.
She would always point out many mistakes. This left poor Ms. Randa in
tears for she was not used to such treatment. She would sit up late at night
doing and redoing the plan for the next week. She used to dread her so
much.
Today Ms. Randa looks back at those times with both amusement and
gratitude. “If it were not for Mrs. Vishwanathan, I would never have been
a good teacher. Thanks to all her harsh words and nit picking!” She laughs.
Here is what your story might look like. You may make it simpler than
this too.
Once there was a drummer in the village who had taught his young son to
beat the drum as well. The boy too was very good at drumming and both
father and son earned money by beating drums on marriages, birth of
children, fairs and festivals.
Once they heard about a fair in the city and decided to go and earn some
money there.
59
Media and Entertainment “I shall take our son to the fair. He has learnt to beat the drum well,” the
man said to his wife. “Do pack some food for the day.”
They set off and walked through the forest to reach the city.
“Look, father there is the fair. See how many people there are,” said the
boy to his father. He was excited.
They went and stood under a tree. They spread a cloth on the ground on
which they placed a bowl.
“If people like our drumming they will put money in the bowl. We shall not
ask anyone,” the drummer told his son. They began their drumming. They
drummed and they twirled around and danced.
Soon many people came to listen to their drumming and to watch them
dance. They were very happy to hear the rhythmic drumming and put some
money in the bowl before they moved ahead. In no time the bowl was full
and had to be emptied.
By the end of the day father and son counted the money, “Look son. We
have earned so much money. We can buy so many things with this money.”
The boy clapped his hands for joy.
“But there is a problem. How do we cross the forest in the night with so
much money? The robbers will find us alone and rob us of our hard-earned
money.” “What shall we do father?”
“Let us go very quietly so that no one can hear or see us. That way we shall
be safe,” he said to his son.
“No, Father. I think we should beat the drum very loudly so that they will
think a big party is going and they will not come near us.” So saying he
began to beat the drum wildly as they entered the forest.
Some robbers were a little distance away. They heard the drumming. The
drumming was loud and wild.
“Who could be drumming like this?” said the leader. “Come let’s find out.”
They ran in the direction from where the sound of drumming came. They
hid behind the bushes and waited for the party to pass. They were surprised
to see only a man and a little boy. So they fell upon them and robbed them
of all their money.
The drummer and his son were hurt in the struggle to save their money.
They were both sad. The boy hung his head. “Don’t worry son. We have
lost our money but we have learnt something. Let us remember this as the
day on which we learnt to be cautious,” the drummer said as he put his arm
around his son.
60
BEGLA-135
Indira Gandhi
Block
4
BURNING ISSUES
UNIT 1
Social Injustice 5
UNIT 2
Make Peace Not War 17
UNIT 3
Young Leaders 29
UNIT 4
Doing Away with Exams 45
EXPERT COMMITTEE



Prof Nandini Sahu
Prof Parmod Kumar
Dr Pema Eden Samdup
Dr. Malathy A

Course Writers
Prof. S.K. Ram (Unit 1)
Ex NCERT, New Delhi
Ms. Vijaya Subramanian (Unit 2)
Course Coordinator
Retired Vice-Principal,
Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, New Delhi Prof. Anju Sahgal Gupta
Ms. Swati Das (Units 3 & 4)
Head of Dept.,
Delhi Public School
Maruti Kunj, Gurugram, Haryana
PRINT PRODUCTION
July, 2019
ISBN : 978-93-88980-38-8
University.
by Registrar, MPDD.
BLOCK INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the fourth and final block of this Course: Burning Issues
While the earlier blocks concentrated on your daily activities, this block engages
you with the burning issues of the day. The language skills that you would
require at this stage will evidently be at a much more advanced level. But if you
have diligently worked through the units so far, you will not find this block
difficult.
In fact, this block gives you an opportunity to express your own ideas, to debate,
to think about the happenings in the world around you. We have taken care to
see that our communicative needs determine the content of the course. Therefore
the Units are as follows:
Unit 1: Social Injustice
Unit 2: Make Peace Not War
Unit 3: Young Leaders
Unit 4: Doing Away With Exams
We want to make clear that as in the earlier blocks, the materials are so designed
that they can be suitable for students at a wide range of language levels. The
time spent on each activity/task will depend on your needs and interest. Activities
that are not relevant to particular individuals may be cut short or omitted – but it
is advisable to do them all. Most of the activities are individual activities.
Whenever, more than one person is required, especially in spoken English
activities, practice with someone near your house who knows English or go to
the Study Centre, where your counselor will set up these activities. Remember
that there is an audio with this Course, and you must play this again and again.
We would be glad for some feedback. So do write to us from time to time.
Enjoy the Course! Good Luck!
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Some of the Material has been taken from the Certificate Programme in
Functional English (CFE)
future editions of this book.
Social Injustice
UNIT 1 SOCIAL INJUSTICE
Structure
1.0 Objectives
1.1 Warm Up
1.2 Reading Comprehension: “The Thakur’s Well” by Premchand
1.3 Vocabulary: Same Words Different Meanings
1.4 Grammar: To + Verb
1.5 Writing: Newspaper Report
1.6 Listening Comprehension
1.7 Pronunciation: Suffixes in the Past Tense
1.8 Let Us Sum Up
1.9 Answers
1.0 OBJECTIVES
This unit will help you to:
understand how social injustice is caused by harbouring prejudices based
on caste, creed, colour and gender.
appreciate some of these issues based on a story by Premchand.
write an essay on a current social issue.
practise the infinitive (to+verb)in meaningful situations.
use different phrases and idiomatic expressions.
listen to a speech and answer questions on it.
1.1 WARM UP
Do you feel from time to time that society is unequal? That even basic necessities
like water, air, right to live becomes a privilege of a few. List out five incidents
in your life where you felt that somebody was denied equal treatment.
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5
Burning Issues
1.2 READING COMPREHENSION: “THE
THAKUR’S WELL” BY PREMCHAND
Read the story given below and answer questions on it.
Jokhu brought the lota to his mouth but the water smelled foul. He said to
Gangi, ‘What kind of water is this? It stinks so much I can’t drink it! My
throat’s burning and you give me water that’s turned bad.’
Every evening Gangi filled the

water jugs. The well was a
long way off and it was hard
for her to make several trips.
She’d brought this water
yesterday and there’s been no
bad smell at all then. How
could it be there now? She
lifted the lota to her nostrils
and it certainly smelt foul.
Surely some animal must have
fallen into the well and died.
But she didn’t know where else
she could get any water.
No one would let her walk up to the Thakur’s well. Even while she was far off
people would start yelling at her. At the other end of the village the shopkeeper
had a well but even there they wouldn’t let her draw any water. For people like
herself there wasn’t any well in the village.
Jokhu, who’d been sick for several days, held back his thirst for a little while.
Then he said, ‘I’m so thirsty I can’t stand it. Bring me the water, I’ll hold my
nose and drink a little.’
Gangi did not give it to him. His sickness would get worse from drinking bad
water that much she knew. But she didn’t know that by boiling the water it
would be made safe. She said, ‘How can you drink it? Who knows what kind of
beast has died in it? I’ll go and get you some water from the well.’
Surprised, Jokhu stared at her. ‘Where can you get more water?’
‘The Thakur and the shopkeeper both have wells. Won’t they let me fill just one
lota?’
‘You’ll come back with your arms and legs broken, that’s all. You’d better just
sit down and keep quiet. The Brahman will give a curse, the Thakur will beat
you with a stick and that money-lending shopkeeper takes five for every one he
gives. Who cares what people like us go through? Whatever they say about
giving some help, we can just die and nobody will even come to this door to
have a look. Do you think people like that are going to let you draw water from
their well?’
The harsh truth was in these words and Gangi could not deny it. But she wouldn’t
let him drink that stinking water.
6 **** ***
By nine o’ clock at night the dead-tired field hands were fast asleep but a half Social Injustice
dozen or so idlers were gathered at the Thakur’s door. These were not the times
nor were there any occasions for valour in the field; valour in the courtroom was
the topic of the day. How cleverly the Thakur had bribed the local police chief
in a certain case and come off scot-free! With what skill he’d managed to get
his hands on a copy of the dossier in an important lawsuit. The clerks and
magistrates had all said it was impossible to get a copy. One had demanded fifty
for it, another a hundred, but for no money at all a copy had come flying. You
had to know the right way to operate in these matters.
At this moment Gangi reached the Thakur’s property to get water from his well.
The dim glow of a small oil lamp lit up the well. Gangi sat hidden behind the
wall and began to wait for the right moment. Everybody in the village drank the
water from this well. It was closed to nobody, only those unlucky ones like
herself could not fill their buckets here.
Gangi’s resentful heart cried out against the restraints and bars of the custom.
Why was she so low and those others so high? Because they wore a thread
around their necks? There wasn’t one of them in the village who wasn’t rotten.
They stole, they cheated, they lied in court. That very day the Thakur had stolen
a sheep from the poor shepherd, then killed and eaten it. They gambled in the
priest’s house all twelve months of the year. The shopkeeper mixed oil with the
ghee before he sold it. They’d get you to do their work but they wouldn’t pay
wages for it to save their lives. Just how were they so high and mighty? It was
only a matter of words. No, Gangi thought, we don’t go around shouting that
we’re better. Whenever she came into the village they looked at her with eyes
full of lust, they were on fire with lust, every one of them, but they bragged that
they were better than people like her.
She heard people coming to the well and her heart began to pound. If anybody
saw her there’d be the devil to pay and she’d get an awful kicking out of it. She
grabbed her bucket and rope and crept away to hide in the dark shadows of a
tree. When had these people ever had pity on anybody? They beat poor Mahngu
so hard that he spat blood for months, and the only reason was that he refused to
work in the forced labour gang. Was this what made such people consider
themselves better than everybody else?
Two women had come to draw water and they were talking. One said: “There
they were eating and they order us to get more water. There’s no money for a
jug.’
‘The men folk get jealous if they think they see us sitting around taking it easy.’
‘That’s right, and you’ll never see them pick up the pitcher and fetch it themselves.
They just order us to get it as though we were slaves.’
‘If you’re not a slave, what are you? You work for food and clothes and even to
get nothing more than five or six rupees you have to snatch it on the sly. What’s
that if it isn’t being a slave?’
‘Don’t shame me, sister! All I do is long for just a second’s rest. If I did this
much work for somebody else’s family I’d have an easier time, and they might
7
Burning Issues even be grateful. But here you could drop dead from overwork and they’d all
just frown.’
When the two of them had filled their buckets and gone away Gangi came out
from the shadow of the tree and drew close to the well platform. The idlers had
left, the Thakur had shut his door and gone inside to the courtyard to sleep.
Gangi took a moment to sigh with relief. On every side the field was clear.
Even the prince who set out to steal nectar from the gods could not have moved
more warily. Gangi tiptoes up on to the well platform. Never before had she
felt such a sense of triumph.
She looped the rope around the bucket. Like some soldier stealing into the
enemy’s fortress at night she peered cautiously on every side. If she were caught
now there was not the slightest hope of mercy or leniency. Finally, with a prayer
to the gods, she mustered her courage and cast the bucket into the well.
Slowly, slowly it sank in the water. There was not the slightest sound. Gangi
yanked it back with all her might to the rim of the well. No strong-armed athlete
could have dragged it up more swiftly.
She had just stooped to catch it and set it on the wall when suddenly the Thakur’s
door opened. The jaws of a tiger could not have terrified her more. The rope
escaped from her hand. With a crash the bucket fell into the water, the rope after
it, and for a few seconds there were sounds of splashing.
Yelling ‘Who’s there? Who’s there?’ The Thakur came towards the well and
Gangi jumped from the platform and ran away as fast as she could.
When she reached home, Jokhu with the lota at his mouth, was drinking that
filthy, stinking water.
(By Premchand, Translated from Hindi by David Rubin, Penguin Books)

1) Jokhu was thirsty. Why did he not drink the water his wife had brought?
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2) What was the ‘harsh truth’ Jokhu pointed out to his wife?
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8
3) i) Why was the Thakur not convicted in a certain case even though he Social Injustice
was guilty?
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ii) What trait of the Thakur’s character does this bring out?
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4) Why did Gangi go to the Thakur’s well at night?

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5) Which of these words describe the so-called ‘high-caste’ people?
dishonest, corrupt, innocent, rotten, kind,

high-handed, cruel, generous, powerful
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6) Why did the women consider themselves to be slaves? What do you think
was the position of women at that point of time?
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9
Burning Issues ii) Gangi faces “double discrimination. Discuss.
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7) Why did she leave the bucket in the well?

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8) What do you think happened to Jokhu after he drank the stinking water?
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9) Should everyone in society be treated as equal? What do you do in your

life to bring this about?
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1.3 VOCABULARY: SAME WORDS DIFFERENT

MEANINGS
1) Have you noticed that verbs in English can be used in a variety of ways,
often carrying different meaning.
Let’s see some of the ways in which the verb take can be used.
i) Gangi would like to take clean water for her husband. (=carry)
ii) We will take a room in a hotel for a night. (= rent)
iii) Take a seat and watch the film. (=occupy)
iv) The accountant was accused of taking bribes. (=accepting)
v) The new bus can take 60 passengers. (=hold)

10
2) Use suitable forms of the verbs given below to fill in the blanks. You may Social Injustice
need to change their form.
close keep give

i) Go for a walk. It will ........................... you an appetite.
ii) These measures are aimed at ........................... the gap between the
rich and the poor.
iii) Please ........................... the door and lock it.
iv) ........................... your passport in a safe place
v) The branch began to ........................... under his weight.
vi) What time does the bank...........................?
vii) She ........................... the children amused for hours.
viii) You are sure to ........................... me your cold.
ix) Can you ...........................a secret?
3) Study the phrases and idiomatic expressions beginning with in. Use the
appropriate phrases in the blanks and complete the sentences.
in three weeks, in order, in cash, in full bloom, in minerals, in the hat

i) Bihar is rich ...........................
ii) The roses are ...........................
iii) The man ........................... is a poet.
iv) My friend learnt to drive ...........................
v) I must put my affairs ...........................
vi) I bought this watch for Rs. 3,000. I paid ...........................
1.4 GRAMMAR: TO + VERB

Read these sentences.
i) It was hard for Gangi to make several trips.
ii) Do you think people like that are going to let you draw water from their
well?
iii) Gangi stooped to catch the bucket.
The underlined words are called infinitives. They usually follow verbs such as
refuse, hope, arrange, learn and so on.
1) Rewrite these sentences using the correct form of the verb given in brackets.
i) Did you remember (lock) the safe.
ii) Gangi hoped (get) a bucket of clean water.
iii) The boss refused (accept) my resignation
iv) Usha hopes (draw) your portrait before the end of this month.
11
Burning Issues v) My sister is afraid of heights. She refused (go) rock climbing.
vi) My American friend invited me (spend) my summer holidays with
her.
vii) The air hostess asked the passengers (fasten) their seat belts.
viii) The women had come (draw) water from the well.
ix) They arranged (meet) after office hours.
x) The Sherpa warned the mountaineers not (smoke) while using oxygen
masks.
2) Complete the paragraph using suitable infinitives from the box.

to press, to peck, to find out,
to solve, to do, to amuse
Many animals can be taught ........................... problems, especially when
they are given rewards. Rats have been taught ........................... a lever to
get food. Pigeons have been taught ........................... a disc for the same
reason. Even an octopus has been trained ........................... the difference
between a square and a rectangle! Animals in circuses have been taught
........................... all sorts of tricks ........................... an audience. In all
cases we may say that an animal is using intelligence.
1.5 WRITING: NEWSPAPER REPORT

Read this newspaper report.
Discrimination has no place in democracies

New Delhi: It’s a shame that even after 56 years of Independence, women in the
country are being discriminated against. Article 14 of the Constitution provides
that no citizen shall be discriminated against on the basis of caste, creed, sex,
religion, etc. Laws, which aim at empowering the vulnerable sections of society,
must be implemented along the provisions of the Constitution and the Directive
Principles of state policy. Women in greater numbers must be allowed to
participate in the lawmaking process. This will help plug the loopholes in various
laws relating to property, inheritance and other areas.
What do you notice about this newspaper report? Do you for instance notice
that
the report is informative and educative
the information is laid out clearly and authentically
it expresses facts as well as feelings and emotions
it deals with a social issue in a relevant context
the writer has a perspective on the issue which is evidently sincere
there is evidence of research and apparent expertise on the topic
the language is clear, precise and objective
12
Check Your Progress 4 Social Injustice
Using the format and tone of the report given above. Write a newspaper report
on ‘Gender Bias.’ The guideline for the report is given below:
Woman at home ……….as daughter, wife, mother
Woman at the work place ……….not adequately represented.
Women in the political field……..does not participate in the law-making
process.
Women as an individual ……… laws of inheritance, dowry, divorce, etc
often work against her.
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1.6 LISTENING COMPREHENSION

August 28, 1963 marked the commemoration of one-hundredth anniversary of
the abolition of slavery in the United States of America. Martin Luther King, a
loved and respected leader of the Blacks joined the procession of over two
hundred thousand whites and blacks. They stood before the great white pillars
of Lincoln Memorial. It looked as if the huge seated figure of Abraham Lincoln,
the advocate of freedom, was listening to their plea for civil rights.
Martin Luther King began by speaking of the promise of equality as a bad debt
that the government had yet to settle. The crowd hung on his words. He knew
that he was speaking for them as well as to them. Then came the greatest speech
of the civil rights movement.
This is an extract from Martin Luther King’s speech, “I have a Dream.”

Listen carefully to the questions. Pick out the correct alternatives and write its
number in your answer sheet.
1) What had the government not given to the blacks

i) their civil rights?
ii) freedom?
iii) a lot of money?
2) What was King’s dream?
i) that America should become a great nation
ii) that there should be no blacks in America.
iii) That there should be perfect equality between the whites and the blacks.
13
Burning Issues 3) Was slavery abolished in the United States
i) in 1863?
ii) in 1963?
iii) in 1763?
1.7 PRONUNCIATION: SUFFIXES IN THE PAST

TENSE
The ‘past’ suffix (-ed), which turns the regular verbs into their past and past
participle forms (played, laughed, etc.), is pronounced in three different ways.
Listen and repeat after the teacher.
i) /id/ after the consonants /t,d/:

wanted cheated
hated lifted
batted raided
implemented discriminated
ii) /t/ after the consonants /p, k ,tƒ ,f, s, /:
stopped stooped
mixed passed
watched pushed
laughed
iii) /d/ after all other consonants and all vowels:
filled dragged
stared moored
bribed mustered
tried gambled
1.8 LET US SUM UP

In this Unit there is a famous story by Munshi Premchand which is based on
some social issues. In the vocabulary section you are made aware that certain
words have multiple meanings. You hear a beautiful speech by Martin Luther
King and answer some questions on it. You learn to write a report based on
facts. You can also now use the infinitive, and certain phrases and idiomatic
expressions confidently. The correct pronunciation of the past tense forms is
recorded.
1.9 ANSWERS
1) i) Because it was giving off a foul smell.
14
2) That the ‘upper caste’ ill treated the ‘low caste’. Gangi was a ‘low caste’ Social Injustice
woman and would not be allowed to draw water from the wells of the
shopkeepers and Thakur.
3) i) Because he had bribed the police.
ii) that he was corrupt
4) Because her husband was ill and wanted water and also no one could see
her in the night.
5) dishonest, corrupt, rotten, high-handed, cruel, powerful.
6) i) Because they were overworked and not appreciated by their families
especially the men folk. They had just to obey the orders of the men
in the family.
ii) as a woman and as a lower caste woman.
7) Because the Thakur had come out of his house and she was terrified of him
and of the consequences of being seen by him.
8) Different answers, like Jokhu became unconscious; or he became very ill
or he vomited and so on.
Check your Progress 2
2) i) give ii) closing iii) close iv) Keep v) give vi) close
vii) kept viii) give ix) keep
3) i) – in minerals ii) – in full bloom iii) – in the hat
iv) – in three weeks v) – in order vi) – in cash
1) i) to lock ii) to get iii) to accept iv) to draw
v) to go vi) to spend vii) to fasten viii) to draw
ix) to meet x) to smoke
2) to solve, to press, to peck, to find out, to do, to amuse.
Audio text
King said: “I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and
frustrations of the moment I still have a dream. I have a dream that one day
this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold
these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former
slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together
at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that my four little children will
live in a nation where they will not be marked by the colour of their skin, but
by the content of their character.
And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. So let freedom
ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from
the mighty mountains of New York. But not only that, let freedom ring from
every hill and molehill of Mississippi.
When we let freedom ring from every town and every hamlet, from every
state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all God’s
children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and 15
Burning Issues Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of that old Negro
spiritual, ‘Free at last! Free at last! Thank God almighty, we are free at last!”
Do it yourself.
1) (i)
2) (iii)
3) (i)
16
Social Injustice
UNIT 2 MAKE PEACE NOT WAR
Structure
2.0 Objectives
2.1 Warm Up
2.3 Vocabulary
2.4 Grammar: Adjectives
2.5 Writing: Diary Entries
2.6 Listening: “Imagine” Song by John Lennon
2.7 Speaking
2.8 Pronunciation: Michael Jackson’s Song “Heal the World”
2.9 Let Us Sum Up
2.10 Answers
2.0 OBJECTIVES
To develop in the learner the ability to:
Read a diary entry and comprehend it
Comprehend new lexical items
Listen and comprehend facts
Make inferences from the text
Evaluate a situation and express opinions
Write a diary entry
Use different kinds of ‘question’ forms correctly
Write and deliver a speech.
2.1 WARM UP
Why do you think people write diaries? List some reasons.
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How can a diary be valuable for a person?

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17
Burning Issues
Anne Frank was a
German-born Jew. She
was a victim of the
holocaust. During her
period of hiding from
the Nazis, she wrote a
diary which was later
found and published.
She died in Feb.1945 in
one of the concentration
camps at Belsen.
During her time in
hiding, she had kept a
diary (which she called
Kitty). Here is an
excerpt from it.
Wednesday, 3rd May

1944
Dear Kitty
First, just the news of
the week. We’re having
a holiday from politics;
there is nothing,
absolutely nothing to
report. I, too, am
gradually beginning to believe that the invasion will come.
As you can easily imagine we often ask ourselves here despairingly: ‘what, oh
what is the use of the war? Why can’t people live peacefully together? Why all
this destruction?’
The question is very understandable, but no one has found a satisfactory answer
to it so far. Yes, why do they make still more gigantic planes, still heavier
bombs and, at the same time, prefabricated houses for reconstruction? Why
should millions be spent daily on the war and yet there’s not a penny available
for medical services, artists, or for poor people?
Why do some people have to starve, while there are surpluses rotting in other
parts of the world? Oh, why are people so crazy?
I don’t believe that the big men, the politicians and the capitalists alone are
guilty of the war. Oh, no, the little man is just as keen; otherwise the people of
the world would have risen in revolt long ago! There is an urge and rage in
people to destroy, to kill, to murder, and until all mankind, without exception,
undergoes a great change, wars will be waged, everything that has been built
up, cultivated and grown, will be destroyed and disfigured, after which mankind
will have to begin all over again.
18
I have often been downcast, but never in despair; I regard our hiding as a Make Peace Not War
dangerous adventure, romantic and interesting at the same time. In my diary I
treat all the privations as amusing. I have made up my mind now to lead a
different life from other girls and, later on, different from ordinary housewives.
My start has been so very full of interest, and that is the sole reason why I have
to laugh at the humorous side of the most dangerous moments.
I am young and I possess many buried qualities; I am young and strong and am
living a great adventure; I am still in the midst of it and can’t grumble the whole
day long. I have been given a lot, a happy nature, a great deal of cheerfulness
and strength. Every day I feel that I am developing inwardly, that the liberation
is drawing nearer and how beautiful nature is, how good the people are about
me, how interesting this adventure is! Why, then, should I be in despair?
Yours,
Anne
From The Diary of Anne Frank, translated from the Dutch
by B.M. Mooyaart
(Picture source: https://www.amazon.in/Diary-Young-Girl-Anne-Frank-ebook/dp/B01N0QWB10)

1) Why do you think Anne gave a name to her diary?
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2) “This question is very understandable, but no one has found a satisfactory

answer to it so far”:
a) What is the question?
b) Why is it a very simple question?
c) Why has no answer been found as yet?
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19
Burning Issues 3) What is it that puzzles Anne?
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4) Who, according to Anne, are responsible for war?
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5) Why do you think Anne regards their hiding as a dangerous, romantic and
an interesting adventure?
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6) How is Anne different from other girls of her age?
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7) What is Anne’s outlook on life? Is it a natural attitude?
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20
8) Who is a cynic? Do you think Anne is a cynic? Give reasons. Make Peace Not War
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9) What are the questions that Anne raises in this diary entry? Do we have the
answers to them now? Why?
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10) Do you think the world is a better place to live in now? Give reasons.
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11) Anne says. “I possess many buried qualities.” What are these qualities?
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12) Though Anne was living in very dangerous times, why does she think and
say. “Why should I be in despair?”
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21
Burning Issues
2.3 VOCABULARY
1) Here are some words and expressions from Anne’s Diary. Put them in the
appropriate columns.
revolt, rage, beautiful nature, great adventure, destroyed, cheerfulness,

disfigures, strength, grumble, dangerous, despair, peacefully, interesting,
kill, laugh, murder, war, happy nature, developing inwardly, downcast
Positive Expressions Negative Expressions
2) Find words/phrases from the passage which mean the same as:
a) excess
b) parts of a building ready to be fitted together
c) complain
d) suffer from hunger
e) violent action against those in power.
2.4 GRAMMAR: ADJECTIVES

a) As you are aware adjectives are used to modify nouns, for example:
i) …but no one has found a satisfactory (adjective) answer so far.
ii) …I regard our hiding as a dangerous (adjective) adventure (Noun).
b) Though adjectives generally appear before nouns as in the sentences above,
they can occur after verbs, such as is, was, seems, looks, for example:
i) I have often been (verb) downcast (adjective)…
ii) I am (verb) young (adjective) and strong (adjective).
c) Adjectives can themselves be further modified by other adverbs and
adjectives. Example:
i) …at the humorous side of the most dangerous (adjective) moments.
d) A common way of indicating more or less of a quality suggested by the

adjectives is by using the comparative and superlative forms of adjectives
which has already been done in Block 2 Unit 1.
1) Circle the adjectives in the following passages:
I have often been downcast, but never in despair; I regard our hiding as a
22 dangerous adventure, romantic and interesting at the same time. In my
diary I treat all the privations as amusing. I have made up my mind now to Make Peace Not War
lead a different life from other girls and, later on, different from ordinary
housewives. My start has been so very full of interest, and that is the sole
reason why I have to laugh at the humorous side of the most dangerous
moments.
I am young and I possess many buried qualities; I am young and strong and
am living a great adventure; I am still in the midst of it and can’t grumble
the whole day long. I have been given a lot, a happy nature, a great deal of
cheerfulness and strength. Every day I feel that I am developing inwardly,
that the liberation is drawing nearer and how beautiful nature is, how good
the people are about me, how interesting this adventure is! Why, then, should
I be in despair?
2) Write three adjectives to describe the following:
hair, face, eyes, skin, a room, a war, a holiday, mother, grand mother’s
hands, novel
One is done for you:
Long, blackish – brown, lush hair.
2.5 WRITING: DIARY ENTRIES

What are some of the things
that people write in their
diaries. Zlata’s Diary is a book
by Zlata Filipoviæ, who was
a young girl living in Sarajevo
while it was under siege. Zlata
Filipoviæ wrote her diary from
1992 to 1993 during the
Bosnian war. Read the
following diary entries of
Zlata.
Sun. April 5, ’92
Dear Mimmy,
I’m trying to concentrate so I
can do my homework-reading,
but I simply can’t. Something
is going on in town. You can
hear gunfire from the hills. On
the T.V. I see people in front of
the parliament building. The
radio keeps playing the same song: “Sarajevo, My love.” That’s all very nice,
but my stomach is still in knots and I can’t concentrate on my homework anymore.
Mimmy, I’m afraid of WAR!!!
Picture source: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Zlatas-Diary-Puffin-Non-fiction-

Filipovic/dp/0140374639
............................................................................................................................... 23
Burning Issues Wed. Oct. 21, ’92
Dear Mimmy,
Today is Daddy’s birthday. I gave him a kiss and a “Happy Birthday” card. And
now let me explain something to you Mimmy: as you know I confide in you
every day [almost].
The other day Maja asks me, “Do you keep a diary, Fipa [my nick name]?” I say,
‘yes’ and Maja says, “is it full of your own secrets or is it about war?”
And I say, “Now, it’s about war.”
And she says, “Fipa, you’re terrific.”
She said because they want to publish a child’s diary and it just might be mine,
which means you MIMMY. So I copied part of you into another notebook and
you, Mimmy, went to the City Assembly to be looked at. And I’ve just heard,
Mimmy, that you’re going to be published! You’re coming out for the UNICEF
week! SUUPER!
And now super good news the electricity is back.
Ciao!
Zlata
..............................................................................................................................
Sun. June 13, ’93

Dear Mimmy,
Today I received copies of YOU. They printed part of what I wrote to you. My
photograph is on the front cover. Not bad, but I mustn’t show off!
..............................................................................................................................
Have you noticed that each diary entry has the following:
Day
Date and year
It tells us about something that happened on that day: ‘gunfire in the hills’,
‘what one can see on the TV’, ‘what is played on the Radio’
It expresses feelings ‘I’m afraid of war’
It expresses the thoughts of the writer ‘Not bad, but I mustn’t show off’
1) Now write two or three diary entries for the days something very important
happened in your life. Keep all the above points in mind.
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24
...................................................................................................................... Make Peace Not War
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2.6 LISTENING: “IMAGINE” SONG BY JOHN

LENNON
One of the ways of learning a second/foreign language is through its songs.
Please download this beautiful song “Imagine” written and sung by John Lennon,
one of the Beatles. This group has been one of the most popular pop groups
ever.
Listen to the song and fill in the blanks. Listen again and again till you are able
to fill in all the gaps. You may look at the lyrics at the end of the Unit.
“Imagine”
Imagine there’s no heaven

It’s easy if you ...................
No ...............below us
Above us only .......................
......................all the people living for today
Imagine there’s no .......................

It isn’t ..................... to do
Nothing to kill or ..................... for
Picture source: https://www.europosters.eu/
And no.................... too calendar/john-lennon-v41656
Imagine all the people living life in ......................
You, you may say

I’m a ....................., but I’m not the ...............................
I ......................some day you’ll join us
And the world ..........................
Imagine no ........................
I wonder if you can
25
Burning Issues No need for greed or .................................
A .............................of man
Imagine all the people sharing all the world
You, you may say

I’m a ......................, but I’m .............................
I hope some day you’ll ..............................
And the world .........................................
Songwriters: LENNON, JOHN /
© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
2.7 SPEAKING
Imagine that after reading the diary entries of Anne Frank, Zlata and after listening
to John Lennon’s song, you as an adult give a speech in which you assure children
about giving them a safe world free of wars.
First, write out your speech and then say it at your study centre.
……………….
……………….
……………….
2.8 PRONUNCIATION: MICHAEL JACKSON’S

SONG “HEAL THE WORLD”
Listen to this song “Heal the
World” of Michael Jackson.
This song is from the Album
Dangerous in which he urges
the listeners to improve
themselves so that we can live
in a better world where peace
prevails. Download the lyrics
and sing along.
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=BWf-eARnf6U
2.9 LET US SUM UP

In this unit we have given you practice in the following areas:
Reading a diary entry written by a girl during war time
Understanding certain words used in the diary entry
Writing a diary entry
Using adjectives
Listening to a song
26
Writing and delivering a speech. Make Peace Not War
2.10 ANSWERS
1) Because she considered her diary as her friend and shared all her thoughts
and feelings with it.
2) a) What is the use of war and why we can’t live peacefully?
b) It is a simple question because no one really wants war.
c) Though no one wants war but still wars are fought, evidently people
want it.
3) What puzzles her is that millions are spent on war daily and money is not
available for people’s basic needs.
4) Everyone is responsible, as there is a desire in people to destroy.
5) Dangerous as they may be discovered anytime.
Romantic and interesting as it is very different from their earlier life.
6) She is much more mature than girls of her age, and has a great deal of
courage. She has treated her dangerous situation as a challenge for self-
awareness and inner growth.
7) Very optimistic. Not natural, as anyone in her condition could have easily
become very pessimistic.
8) A cynic finds fault with everyone and everything. No, Anne is ultimately
optimistic and recognizes her blessings in life.
9) What is the use of wars?
Why can’t people live peacefully?
Why do people starve and millions are spent on wars?
Why do people starve but food rots in other places?
We don’t have answers to any of these questions.
10) Give your own answer and reasons for it.
11) Courage, likes adventure, evolves inwardly, is cheerful, appreciates the
beauty of nature, does not give into despair
12) Optimistic attitude towards life.
Wishes to challenge problems.
Counts her blessings.
1)
Positive Negative
beautiful nature, great adventure, revolt, rage, destroyed, disfigures,
cheerfulness, strength, peacefully, grumble, dangerous, despair, kill,
interesting, laugh, happy nature, murder, war, downcast
developing inwardly
27
Burning Issues 2) a) surplus b) prefabricated c) grumble d) starve
e) revolt
Do it yourself.
Do it yourself.
Lyrics for “Imagine” By John Lennon

Imagine there’s no heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people living for today
Imagine there’s no countries

It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace
You, you may say

I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one
I hope some day you’ll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people sharing all the world
You, you may say

I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one
I hope some day you’ll join us
And the world will live as one
Songwriters: LENNON, JOHN /

© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
28
Make Peace Not War
UNIT 3 YOUNG LEADERS
Structure
3.0 Objectives
3.1 Warm Up
3.2 Reading Comprehension: On the Way to Pretoria
3.3 Vocabulary: ‘Bitter’ Words
3.4 Listening: A Speech
3.5 Speaking: Speech of a Student Leader (Campaigner)
3.6 Grammar: Direct and Indirect Speech
3.7 Writing: A Biographical Profile
3.8 Pronunciation
3.9 Let Us Sum Up
3.10 Answers
3.0 OBJECTIVES
This unit will help you to:
Understand a reading passage on leadership qualities
Enhance your vocabulary
Learn and practise direct/indirect speech
Learn how to make an impressive and convincing speech
Learn how to write a short biographical sketch using verbal inputs.
3.1 WARM UP
Think about these issues and discuss them with your friends:
Are leaders born or made?
What are the essential qualities of a leader?
How can one develop leadership qualities?
What made Gandhi a true leader?
3.2 READING COMPREHENSION: ON THE WAY

TO PRETORIA
(Here is an extract from ‘My Experiments with Truths by M.K. Gandhi)
The train reached Martizburg, the capital of Natal, at about 9 p.m. Beddings
used to be provided at this station. A railway servant came and asked me if I
wanted one. ‘No,’ said I, ‘I have one with me.’ He went away. But a passenger
came next, and looked me up and down. He saw that I was a ‘coloured’ man.
This disturbed him. Out he went and came in again with one or two officials.
29
Burning Issues They all kept quiet, when another official came to me and said, ‘Come along,
you must go to the van compartment.’
‘But I have a first class ticket,’ said I.
‘That doesn’t matter,’ rejoined the other. ‘I tell you, you must go to the van
compartment.’
‘I tell you, I was permitted to travel in this compartment at Durban, and I insist
on going on in it.’
‘No, you won’t.’ said the official. ‘You must leave this compartment, or else I
shall have to call a police constable to push you out.’
‘Yes, you may. I refuse to get out voluntarily.’
The constable came. He took me by the hand and pushed me out. My luggage
was also taken out. I refused to go to the other compartment and the train steamed
away. I went and sat in the waiting room, keeping my hand-bag with me, and
leaving the other luggage where it was. The railway authorities had taken charge
of it.
It was winter, and winter in the higher regions of South Africa is severely cold.
Maritzburg being at a high altitude, the cold was extremely bitter. My over-coat
was in my luggage, but I did not dare to ask for it lest I should be insulted
again, so I sat and shivered. There was no light in the room. A passenger came
in at about midnight and possibly wanted to talk to me. But I was in no mood to
talk.
I began to think of my duty. Should I fight for my rights and go back to India, or
should I go on to Pretoria without minding the insults, and return to India after
finishing the case? It would be cowardice to run back to India without fulfilling
30 my obligation. The hardship to which I was subjected was superficial—only a
symptom of the deep disease of colour prejudice. I should try, if possible, to Young Leaders
root out the disease and suffer hardships in the process. Redress for wrongs I
should seek only to the extent that would be necessary for the removal of colour
prejudice.
So I decided to take the next available train to Pretoria.

The following morning I sent a long telegram to the General Manager of the
Railway and also informed Abdulla Sheth, who immediately met the General
Manager. The manager justified the conduct of the railway authorities, but
informed him that he had already instructed the Station Master to see that I
reached my destination safely. Abdulla Sheth wired to the Indian merchants in
Martizburg and to friends in other places to meet me and look after me. The
merchants came to see me at the station and tried to comfort me by narrating
their own hardships and explaining that what had happened to me was nothing
unusual. They also said that Indians travelling first or second class had to expect
trouble from railway officials and white passengers. The day was thus spent in
listening to these tales of woe. The evening train arrived. There was a reserved
berth for me. I now purchased at Maritzburg the bedding ticket I had refused to
book at Durban.
The train took me to Charlestown.

1) Now answer these questions:
i) Why was the narrator asked to go to another compartment?
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ii) Why did the narrator refuse to leave the compartment?
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iii) What was the result of his refusal?
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iv) Why didn’t the narrator ask for his overcoat though he was shivering?
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Burning Issues v) How did he think of addressing this hardship meted out to him?
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vi) What was the real reason, according to Gandhi, behind this ill-
treatment?
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vii) Did Gandhi finally succeed in getting justice? How?
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viii) Do you think the whole issue arose only because of not purchasing the
bedding ticket? Justify your answer.
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ix) Mention at least two leadership qualities of Gandhi reflected in this
passage.
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32
2) Tick ( ) the right options and Cross (x) the wrong option. Also quote from Young Leaders
the text sentence to justify your answer.
i) The railway servant was disturbed at Gandhi’s presence in the
compartment.
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ii) The co-passenger asked Gandhi to leave the compartment.
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iii) Gandhi was strong in exerting his rights.
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iv) Gandhi thought of returning to India after being insulted.
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v) Gandhi could see beyond the immediate issue.
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3.3 VOCABULARY: ‘BITTER’ WORDS

1) Study the following sentence:
It would be cowardice to run back to India without fulfilling my
obligation.
The word cowardice (Noun) is formed from coward (Noun)

The adjectival form is cowardly.
Similarly the word obligation (N) comes from oblige (V). The adjectival
form is obligatory.
Now complete the following table. All the words may not have all the
forms. In that case put a dash in that column. The first one is done for you.
33
Burning Issues
Noun Verb Adjective Adverb
i) bore/boredom bores boring
ii) authority
iii) severe
iv) bitter bitterly
v) disturb
vi) necessity
vii) quiet
viii) extremely
ix) permit
x) volunteer
2) Study the following sentence:-
Maritzburg being at a high altitude, the cold was bitter.

In the above sentence cold has been called bitter i.e. piercing. The adjective
bitter can be used for some other expressions too. Match the following
expressions with the right choices from the box given below.
i) bitter gourd vi) bitter enemy
ii) bitter experience vii) bitter wind
iii) bitter pill to swallow viii) bitter disappointment
iv) to the bitter end
v) bitter tears
a) do everything possible
b) remorseful
c) green vegetable with quinine-like taste
d) extremely cold and biting
e) unpleasant
f) a feeling of hatred for someone
g) a deep feeling of anger or unhappiness for not succeeding
h) very difficult to accept
3) Gandhi was traveling by train. In other words he was going on a journey.
There are many words for journey. Match the words in column A with the
phrases in column B.
A B
i) cruise a) an expedition for hunting or observing
wild animals.
ii) excursion b) an organized journey, usually involving
several people, that is made for a
34 particular purpose such as exploration.
Young Leaders
iii) expedition c) journey when you visit several places that
interest you.
iv) tour d) a short journey usually a holiday.
v) trek e) a long and difficult journey usually on
foot.
vi)outing f) a trip to a place of interest, for example,
the cinema or the beach.
vii) hike g) a journey in a ship
viii) safari h) a long walk in the countryside that you go
for pleasure.
3.4 LISTENING: A SPEECH

Listen to the following speech where a student is campaigning in a Students’
Union election. After you have heard the speech twice, answer the following:-
1) Complete the following:-

i) The name of the contestant is .......................
ii) The group he belongs to is...........................
2) Tick ( ) the right options:-
i) The previous union had boasted a lot.
ii) The garbage bins are damaged.
iii) The class-rooms need a fresh coat of paint.
iv) There is a conducive environment on the campus.
3) Complete the following:-
The new union if elected will organize
youth
festivals
(i)
workshops
(ii)
(iii)
35
Burning Issues 4) Tick ( ) the right options
i) The bus passes are issued every month.
ii) Employers are invited to select students through campus interviews.
5) The audience should (i) support a) ...............................
b) .............................
(ii) Stamp on ..............................
3.5 SPEAKING: SPEECH OF A STUDENT LEADER

(CAMPAIGNER)
Imagine you are Runita Balan, a student of final year, B.Sc. You are standing
for the post of the President in the Students Union election. Give a speech
projecting your leadership qualities which make you the most suitable candidate
for the post of the President.
You may use the following input:

I am young, energetic ................................ with a vision ................................
strong support of friends and the group ................................ believe in action
................................ ability to convince power ................................ ready to
sacrifice ................................ lead from the front ................................ fearless
................................ ready to face challenges.
3.6 GRAMMAR: DIRECT AND INDIRECT

SPEECH
Study the following sentence:
A) A railway servant came and asked me if I wanted one.

The above sentence can be re-written as
B) A railway servant came and asked me, “Do you want one?”
a) Sentence ‘A’ is in indirect speech and sentence ‘B” is in direct speech.
b) The sentence within the inverted commas is an interrogative sentence.
c) This interrogative sentence belongs to the yes/no category. When such
a yes/no type question is changed from direct to indirect speech, ‘if’
or ‘whether’ is added as a connector.
d) The tense in the interrogative sentence (direct speech) is in the present
whereas in the indirect speech it is in the past tense.
e) The pronoun ‘you’ in the direct speech is changed to ‘I’ in indirect
speech. (The pronouns change according to the speaker and who is
spoken to)
f) In reporting questions the indirect speech is introduced by such verbs
36 as asked, enquired etc.
Check Your Progress 5 Young Leaders
1) Change the following sentences from direct speech to indirect speech.

i) The passenger said, “Will you leave the compartment immediately?”
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ii) Gandhi said, “Haven’t I the right to travel first class?”
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iii) The constable said, “Don’t you understand simple instructions?”
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iv) Gandhi said, “Shall I not try to root out the disease of colour prejudice?”
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v) The general manager said, “Hasn’t justice been given to you?”
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vi) The merchants said, “Isn’t this injustice to be treated badly?”
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vii) Gandhi said, “Can’t we lodge a strong protest?”
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viii) The official said, “Don’t you know this is a different country?”
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...................................................................................................................... 37
Burning Issues ix) The official said, “Do you want me to throw you out?”
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x) The official said, “Shall I call the police?”
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2) Yesterday you met a friend of yours Omer Ali from Canada. Omer told you
a lot of things. Later that day you told another friend Parveen what Omer
said. Write what you told Parveen in direct speech. The first one is done
for you.
i) Omer said that his parents were well.
Omer said, “My parents are well.”
ii) He said that they had bought a new car.
iii) He said that he was enjoying college.
iv) He said that he found Physics easy but Chemistry difficult.
v) He said that he was working part time as well.
vi) He said that in his spare time he was playing a lot of tennis.
vii) He said that he was going away for a few days and would phone me
when he got back.
viii) He said that if I ever came to Canada I could stay with him.
3.7 WRITING: A BIOGRAPHICAL PROFILE
38
Check Your Progress 6 Young Leaders
1) Have you read about Nelson Mandela? Do you think he was a great leader?
We give you some facts about his life. On the basis of these facts write a
short biographical sketch of him. .
Name: Nelson R. Mandela
Born: 18th July, 1918 in Transkei, South Africa
Father: Chief Henry Mandela of Tembu tribe
Education: College of Fort Hare and University of Witwaterstrand
Qualified in law in 1942
Political Struggle: Joined the African National Congress (ANC) in 1944.

Resisted the ruling National Party’s apartheid policies
after 1948.
ANC was banned in 1960.
Stood trial for plotting to overthrow the government by
violence in 1963
Imprisonment: June 12, 1964 sentenced to life imprisonment; struggle

from prison against apartheid
Released: February 11, 1990.
Political Career: 10th May1994, first democratically elected President of

South Africa, where even the coloured people could vote.
Remained President till 1999.
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39
Burning Issues
3.8 PRONUNCIATION
Say the sentences along with the teachere
i) Will you leave the compartment immediately?
ii) Haven’t I the right to travel first class?
iii) Don’t you understand simple instructions?
iv) Shall I not try to root out the disease of colour prejudice?
v) Hasn’t justice been given to you?
vi) Isn’t this injustice to be treated badly?
vii) Can’t we lodge a strong protest?
viii) Don’t you know this is a different country?
ix) Do you want me to throw you out?
x) Shall I call the police?
3.9 LET US SUM UP

In this Unit, you read about Mahatma Gandhi’s suffering due to colour prejudice
and how he emerged stronger after exerting his rights. Though young, he
displayed great leadership qualities. The reading passage is a morale booster
which inspires you not to bow before injustice.
In the vocabulary section, words have been picked up from the passage to show
you how other words are formed from the root word. We have also acquainted
you with related words associated with ‘bitter’ and ‘journey’. The listening and
speaking sections have dealt with how to make convincing speeches if you are
a leader.
The grammar section and the writing section have given you scope to use
language differently by using direct, indirect speech. We have also given you
practice in pronouncing question forms with the correct intonation.
3.10 ANSWERS
1) i) The narrator was asked to go to another compartment because he was
a ‘coloured’ man.
ii) The narrator refused to leave the compartment because he had a valid
first class ticket.
iii) As a result of his refusal he was forcibly pushed out and his luggage
was also taken out.
iv) The narrator didn’t ask for his overcoat though he was shivering
because he feared he might be insulted again.
v) He thought of addressing this hardship meted out to him by fighting
for his rights.
vi) The real reason for this ill-treatment, according to Gandhi, was the
deep disease of colour prejudice.
40
vii) Yes, he sent a long telegram to the general manager of the Railways Young Leaders
who instructed the station master to see that Gandhi reached his
destination safely.
viii) No. The whole issue arose because it was common those days for
Indian travellers to be troubled by the railway officials and white
passengers, while travelling first or second class.
ix) Two leadership qualities of Gandhi reflected in this passage are:

a) He was ready to suffer hardship in order to get his rights.
b) He was ready to fight injustice and take the necessary follow-up
action.
2) i) (x) A railway servant came……………..He went away.
ii) (x) Another official came to me and said, come along. You must go
to the van compartment.
iii) ( ) I insist on going in it.
iv) (x) It would be cowardice to run back to India without fulfilling my
obligation.
v) ( ) The hardship to which I was subjected was superficial—only a
symptom of the deep disease of colour prejudice.
1)
Noun Verb Adjective Adverb

bore/boredom bores boring boringly
authority authorize authoritative authoritatively
severity severe severely
bitterness bitter bitterly
disturbance disturb disturbed
necessity necessitate necessary necessarily
quietness quieten quiet quietly
extremity extreme extremely
permission permit permissive, permissible
volunteer volunteer voluntary voluntarily
2)
i) bitter gourd – (c) green vegetable with quinine-like taste

ii) bitter experience – (e) unpleasant
iii) bitter pill to swallow – (h) very difficult to accept
iv) to the bitter end – (a) do everything possible
v) bitter tears – (b) remorseful
41
Burning Issues
vi) bitter enemy – (f) a feeling of hatred for someone
vii) bitter wind – (d) extremely cold and biting
viii) bitter disappointment – (g) a deep feeling of anger or unhappiness
for not succeeding
3) Matching the columns:
A B
i) Cruise g) a journey in a ship
ii) Excursion c) journey when you visit several places that interest
you.
iii) Expedition b) an organized journey, usually involving several
people, that is made for a particular purpose
such as exploration.
iv) Tour f) a trip to a place of interest, for example, the
cinema or the beach.
v) Trek h) a long walk in the countryside that you go for
pleasure.
vi) Outing d) a short journey usually a holiday.
vii) Hike e) a long and difficult journey usually on foot.
viii) Safari a) an expedition for hunting or observing wild
animals.
Audio Text
My dear friends
At the very outset, let me introduce myself. I am Shahid Anwar, B.Com
(Hons.), second year student. I am contesting for the post of the Secretary
of the Students’ Union on behalf of the All Democratic Students’ Party.
Dear friends, please cast your vote in my favour. I promise and assure you,
if elected, I shall bring in a sea-change in student affairs. All of you are
aware that the previous union, in spite of their tall claims, did not fulfill
their pledge. As a result students have been facing great difficulties in their
day-to-day affairs. My priorities as the Secretary will be:
Firstly, to provide a clean, green and conducive environment. At present
the garbage bins are overflowing most of the time, the building walls are
peeling off, the garden is neglected, water pipes are damaged, classrooms
are not cleaned regularly and so on. If you vote for me, the union will
ensure that every corner of the college has a disposal bin and the required
staff to keep the campus clean and green. The union will also ensure that
the dry patches in the garden and the lawns are made green and healthy, the
college buildings get a new coat of paint; all the damaged parts are repaired
and the campus becomes a conducive place for learning.
42
Young Leaders
The next most important agenda of my group will be to organize and
participate in youth festivals, social activities, seminars, workshops, inter-
college competitions in sports and cultural activities, etc. In short, we shall
endeavour to tap all the latent talent in all of us. The union funds will be
most thoughtfully utilized for this purpose.
The college canteen at present is in a shabby state and the food most
unpalatable. Why can’t we have fresh, healthy and hygienic food? Is it too
much to ask for? Friends, my group assures you that all this will change
once we are at the helm of affairs.
Our next priority will be to negotiate with the concerned authorities to issue
an all-route bus pass once a year which will be valid for the whole year.
Getting the passes renewed every month is just a waste of time and energy.
Last but not least, we plan to create special websites to give a complete
picture of the entire job scenario and invite prospective employers to absorb
the maximum number of our students in suitable jobs through campus
selections.
Friends, give my group and me a chance and allow us to work with you and
for you. Don’t forget to vote for me i.e. Shahid Anwar and stamp on the
‘Pen’ symbol. I thank you for your patience. I need your support. Support
Shahid, support the All Democratic Students’ Party. Stamp on ‘Pen’ the
weapon of every student.
Thank you!

1) i) Shahid Anwar
ii) The All Democratic Students’ Party
2) i)
ii) x
iii)
iv) x
3) i) social activities/seminars
ii) inter-college competitions
iii) other cultural activities.
4) i)
ii) x
5) i) a) Shahid Anwar
b) All Democratic Students’ Party
ii) ‘Pen’
43
Burning Issues Check Your Progress 4
Do it yourself.
1) i) The passenger asked if he would leave the compartment immediately.
ii) Gandhi asked if he hadn’t the right to travel first class.
iii) The constable asked if he didn’t understand simple instructions.
iv) Gandhi asked if he should not try to root out the disease of colour
prejudice.
v) The general manager asked if justice hadn’t been given to him.
vi) The merchants asked if that wasn’t injustice to be treated badly.
vii) Gandhi asked if they couldn’t lodge a strong protest.
viii) The official asked if he didn’t know that that was a different country.
ix) The official asked if Gandhi wanted to be thrown out.
x) The official threatened to call the police.
2) ii He said, “We have bought a new car.”
i) He said, “I am enjoying college.”
ii) He said, “I find Physics easy but Chemistry difficult.”
iii) He said, “I am working part time as well.”
iv) He said, “In my spare time I am playing a lot of tennis.”
v) He said, “I am going away for a few days and will phone you when I
get back.”
vi) He said, “If you ever come to Canada you can stay with me.”
This is a sample answer:
Nelson R. Mandela was born in Transkei, South Africa on July 18, 1918. His
father was Chief Henry Mandela of the Tembu Tribe. Mandela himself was
educated at The University College of Fort Hare and the University of
Witwaterstrand and qualified in law in 1942. Whilst at the University, he became
increasingly aware of the unjust nature of South African Society where the Blacks
had no political or economic rights. He joined the African National Congress
(ANC) in 1944 and was engaged in resistance against the ruling National Party’s
apartheid policies after 1948.
In 1960, ANC was banned, but Mandela continued to fight against the repressive
white regime. In 1963, along with many fellow leaders of ANC, he was arrested
and brought to stand trial with them for plotting to overthrow the government
by violence. He was sent to the infamous Robben Island Prison. In prison, he
continued his strong resistance which now won international support. He was
released on February 11, 1990 and after painful negotiations and much violence,
the rights of the Blacks were won. On 10 May, 1994 he became the first
democratically elected President of South Africa. His life was indeed an immense
struggle.
44
Young Leaders
UNIT 4 DOING AWAY WITH EXAMS
Structure
4.0 Objectives
4.1 Warm Up
4.2 Reading Comprehension: Doing Away with Exams
4.3 Vocabulary: Antonyms
4.4 Listening
4.5 Speaking: Counsellor’s Advice
4.6 Grammar: Main Clause and Subordinate Clause
4.7 Writing-1: An Essay
4.8 Writing-2: A Personal Letter
4.9 Pronunciation: Practicing a Dialogue
4.10 Let Us Sum Up
4.11 Answers
4.0 OBJECTIVES
This unit will help you to
Form an opinion about the evaluation system in schools, viability of exams
and whether exams are important or not in their present form
Develop vocabulary related to examination
Understand the use of main clause and subordinate clause
Express yourself on a given topic logically and systematically
4.1 WARM UP
All of you are familiar with examinations. Discuss with your friends:
Are you afraid of exams or do you take them as a challenge?
What scares you more — the prospect of not doing well or of not living up
to everyone’s expectations?
Do you want to do away with the examination system in its present avatar?
If yes, suggest alternate assessment methods.
4.2 READING COMPREHENSION: DOING AWAY

WITH EXAMS
Dear Papa,
This is in answer to your letter about my transgression. Yes, my first rank slipped
to the second. You advised that I should think before answering the papers.
45
Burning Issues Yes, the operating work ‘think’ did make me reflect and these are the results of
those reflections.
Father, we’ve never really been close and I can’t rightly say you’ve been my
friend, philosopher, guide, etc. yet, I would like you to be aware of my thoughts.
They are very important to me. You are highly educated and you provide very
well for the family. But in your departmental store, do you apply Pythagoras’
Theorem or Newton’s Law of Gravity? For that matter, does your doctor friend
or your lawyer brother?
Papa, my grandfather speaks of a carefree and beautiful childhood, of days spent

in plucking mangoes and guavas from their orchards, of picnics on the banks of
the river where the men cooked mouth-watering food, of playing marbles and
gilli-danda. From his talk, it seems, studies were an ancillary subject; and living
and experiencing, the major subject. Father, is he fibbing? Or is it possible that
the world has turned topsy-turvy in just about 70 years?
Papa, my grandmother is semi-literate. Yet, she is at peace with her pots, pans,
her flowers and garden, her Bhagvad Gita and scriptures. My mother, highly
qualified, is highly strung, tense and nervous. Do you think literacy makes us
restless, afraid and frustrated?
Oh Papa, last week, my rose plant almost died. Some pests. I asked my Biology
teacher what I should do to save it, and she was cross. She said, “Go ask the guy
who keeps gardening things. He’ll tell you.” We learn about pesticides but we
do not know how to use them. Oh father, it matters not to me why the apple does
not fall upwards, nor do I care what Archimedes did. What matters to me is that
my rose plants remain healthy. When there is a fuse in my house I should know
how to do something about it. I should know how to make a desk for myself
with my carpenter’s tools. Instead I learn about hypotenuse, relational square
roots…..
Papa, once I asked my grandmother how she got to be so wise. Do you know
what she said? By living and experiencing. And she laughed as though I had
asked something which was so obvious. Are we living Papa? Or is life by-
passing us? What I fear is that if I were to meet Newton face to face, I would
fail to recognize him, so busy am I learning about him! You know, just like that
boy, Vinu, in that award winning film. He prattles on – “the Hibiscus is red”- a
hundred times, but in his book, he colours it yellow. Are we missing out on the
essence of life?
Anyway Papa, do you know where I lost that quarter mark that brought about
my fall? It was a fill-in-the-blanks. I held that I was invited to tea and my
teacher was adamant that he was invited for tea.
A matter of grammar. And Papa, if he says George Bush is the President of
India, it will have to be so. If he says the sun rises in the west, so be it: and if he
says the earth is flat, it will be, my Papa. At least on my answer papers. My first
rank is at stake, you see. Still, my dearest Papa, I shall keep your advice in mind
and try not to lose any quarter marks.
As always,
Your ever obedient son,
46 Rahul
P.S.: Your eyes will not see this anguished plea, my father. This was only to Doing Away with Exams
lighten my over-burdened heart. It is not all arteries and muscle. It feels too.
(from The Hindu)

Answer the following questions:
1) How intimate was the relationship between the father and son? Pick out
the lines which reflect your answer.
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2) Write five lines on the childhood of Rahul’s grandfather. What do you

think Rahul’s childhood is like?
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3) In what ways is Rahul’s mother different from the grandmother?

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4) What does Rahul think is wrong with his education? What would he really
like to learn?
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47
Burning Issues 5) What do you think is Rahul’s opinion about his biology and English teacher?
Discuss.
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6) What do you think is going to be the reply of Rahul’s father to the letter?
Write out the reply.
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4.3 VOCABULARY: ANTONYMS

1) Complete the sentences using suitable words from the box below:
semi-literate, tense, slipped, ancillary, transgressions, reflect, fibbing,

adamant, at stake, experiencing
i) Industrial production has ..................from 15% to 10% this year.
ii) I’ve had a chance to .................. and I’ve realized that I should have
been kinder.
iii) Aneesha put her reputation .................. in order to save her criminal
husband.
iv) The mother was .................. that her son should not learn driving before
the age of eighteen.
v) It is by .................. both happiness and sorrow that we can live a full
life.
vi) Rita always gets .................. before her exams and therefore does not
perform as well as she can.
vii) Instead of concentrating on the main issues, all the .................. matters
were discussed.
viii) Nobody believes Asha because she is always ..................
ix) My grandmother was .................. but wise in all her ways.
x) The Principal asked the unruly boys to apologize in writing for their
..................
2) Complete this crossword puzzle with words related to examinations.
i) estimating the performance of students
48 ii) anxiety before an examination

iii) a candidate appearing for an examination Doing Away with Exams
iv) the decision of an examiner in terms of numbers or grades to show

how a student has performed in an examination
v) different courses of study that are taught in a school or college
vi) information/comments on one’s performance in any activity
vii) a decision about the quality of the performance of students
viii) a way of working, organizing or doing something in which you follow
a fixed plan
ix) how well one does in an activity.
x) when the performance is extremely good.
i) A S M
ii) T E S
iii) E M E E
iv) M S
v) C I L M
vi) F D B K
vii) V U N
viii) S T M
ix) P F M C
x) E X E N E
4.4 LISTENING
Listen to the recording on tips given to combat examination stress. Listening to
it again and state whether the given statements are ‘True’ or ‘False’;
i) You should always aim for an A+ in exams.
ii) Studies can be done at the last minute so that you can remember better.
iii) Drinking lots of coffee and staying awake throughout the night helps you
prepare better.
iv) Yoga and any such relaxation techniques are a waste of time.
v) Don’t stop revising even if you are tired.
vi) A relaxed mind and body help you focus better.
vii) What is important is giving your best and not the results.
49
Burning Issues
4.5 SPEAKING: COUNSELLOR’S ADVICE
Educational institutions have counsellors who help students to cope with their
fears and anxieties. These counsellors are generally psychologists or psychiatrists
who understand the stress a young mind feels at the prospect of exams. Study
the following conversation between Dr. Matthew and Raahil. Have a similar
conversation with your friend taking turns to be the counsellor and the student.
Raahil: Good morning, Sir!
Dr. Mathew: Good morning Raahil. Sit down. How may I help you?
Raahil: Sir, my exams start next month. I am scared that I might not do
well.
Dr. Mathew: Why do you think so? Have you not completed your syllabus or
revised well?
Raahil: Yes Sir I have. I have revised it thoroughly. But tension keeps
me awake throughout the night and I feel I’ve forgotten everything.
Dr. Mathew: The most important thing is to relax. Try and stick to a normal
routine.
Raahil: But how do I relax? I’m tense all the time.
Dr. Mathew: You can try meditation or yoga. That will help.
Raahil: All right. I want to do really well and get a good position.
Dr. Mathew: That is a good idea. You must stay focused on your goal and not
worry about the result too much. Just keep on working — sincerity
always pays. All the best to you.
Raahil: Thank you, Sir!
http://worldartsme.com/counseling-clipart.html#gal_post_12471_counseling-
clipart-1.jpg
4.6 GRAMMAR: MAIN CLAUSE AND

SUBORDINATE CLAUSE
Read the following sentences:
1) You advised that I should think before answering the papers.
2) I asked my Biology teacher what I should do to save it.
50
3) When there is a fuse in my house I should know how to do something about Doing Away with Exams
it.
These sentences consist of two clauses: The Principal Clause and the Subordinate
clause. The Subordinate Clause has been underlined in the above sentences.
The Principal clause is the main or independent clause, whereas the Subordinate
Clause is the dependant clause. It can’t stand by itself and make good sense.
1) Pick out the Principal and the Subordinate clauses in the following sentences:
i) The boys who ran away were the culprits.
ii) He sold his old books to a boy who never paid him a single penny for
them.
iii) The house where we live is owned by a policeman.
iv) This is the same poem which we read in class ten.
v) The man who sits on the cash counter looks very honest.
vi) I like him because he never tells a lie.
vii) Had I been rich I would have helped him.
viii) You may do as you please.
ix) He cried as if he had lost one of his limbs.
x) I shall reach home on time though I have no vehicle.
2) Fill in the blanks in the sentences below with the appropriate subordinate
clauses:
Example: I continued to study ………………………..
I continued to study until I completed the topic.
i) Suzuki spoke ……………………………………….
ii) …………………………………, she will take me for a movie.
iii) ………………………………………, don’t resign from here.
iv) …………………………………, I cannot go for a foreign trip.
v) ………………………………………, you were rude to Prisha.
vi) I first met her in Delhi ……………………………………….
vii) The teacher had already left ………………………………….
viii) ………………………………………, he dresses modestly.
ix) Please don’t leave ……………………………………….
x) This is the movie ……………………………………….
4.7 WRITING 1: AN ESSAY

Are examinations important? Write an essay (in about 200-250 words) expressing
your opinion. 51
Burning Issues While writing any essay you must remember a few things. Divide your essay
into short paragraphs. Each paragraph should express one theme or topic. Within
the paragraph there should be unity of theme. The ideas in paragraphs should
progress in a logical order. Remember to avoid monotony by bringing in variety.
ARE EXAMINATIONS IMPORTANT?
You may use the points given in the box along with the ideas expressed in the
reading passage. You may also hold altogether a different view
Process of education meaningless without assessment ....................... fear of

exams make students study ....................... system of evaluation needs changes
....................... students under stress ....................... knowledge has become
secondary ....................... rat race for marks ....................... attitudinal change
required .............................................. system needs overhauling.
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4.8 WRITING 2: A PERSONAL LETTER

This is another personal letter written to a little baby who has just been born and
evidently will not read the letter until he is much older. Both the letters, one in
Reading Section 4.2 and this one, are actually not meant for any reader but are
musings to oneself. These letters are important because they are self-reflective
and also have a cathartic effect, i.e. they help you get some psychological relief
by expressing yourself. Read this letter first and write your impressions.
52
Doing Away with Exams
Dear Pranav
It’s been 20 months since you set foot in the world. When I held you for the
first time in my arms at the hospital, your tiny hands were twitching and your
eyes were shut tight. Your clenched fist reminded me of a science lesson that
said to get an idea about the size of your heart, you should clench your fist. I
mean the little heart throbbing inside you. The eternal miracle of birth. When
it was my turn to witness it, I cried.
Before I married your mother, I used to debate one question endlessly with
my friend. Which is, “Is it really worth bringing another life into this world?”
especially when terror has become an ugly leitmotif in the canvas of our
lives? When I switched on the TV that Wednesday night, the question of
whether I was right in bringing you into this world haunted me again.
This is my attempt at an answer. Call it catharsis.

I feel there are two ways to raise you. One is to wean you on cynicism.
Where you’ll erect a sky-high wall in your mind and live your life pouring
scorn on everything you see. Which is one way of insulating yourself from
fear… A kind of indifferent machismo.
The other way is to prepare you to live in this world. I can’t imagine the
world for you, son. But I can certainly show you the way to live in an uncertain
world. Make a pact with yourself. Understand the following early on.
Life is precious. And equally fragile. So every day is a gift. Get up early once
in a while just to watch the sun rise. Stare at it intently and burn it in your
memory. Be aware of every passing second. Look around you. There’s a thin
stalk of plant finding its place under the sun in a crevice on the wall of our
apartment.
Appreciate mother’s cooking. Praise it to heavens… Make it a habit to eat

together as a family. Not, make it a rule. Fall in love with books. Words will
transport you to worlds far away. It will also keep you informed and prepared.
Follow your heart. The mind can waver but the heart seldom does. Respect
your conscience. It’s like a post-it note from God.
When you grow up, seek a job you love. As you enter the world of careers
and cocktails, you’ll get sucked into a vortex called rat race. Don’t be
overwhelmed. We’re all human. But have the courage to step out of it. Nothing
will be lost. Some illusions will shatter. Good riddance.
Money. It is important. But it has its place. Don’t make the mistake of putting
it right on top.
Find your love. Hold it dearly. Be a good husband. A patient father. Give
your children space to make their mistakes. But hold them when they fall.
Speak up when you have to. Like this occasion. Whether we like it or not,
we’re living in a democracy. Sure it has its pitfalls. But don’t forget the
positives too. The real fight in a democracy is between remembering and
53
Burning Issues
forgetting. Go and vote. It’s your chance to give shape to the kind of society
you want to live in.
Be alert. But try not to live in a state of fear. If you were to get caught in a
situation similar to what happened and should we lose you, then you will
have left us with enough lovely memories for the remaining years. That will
only happen if you start living every day like it is the last day of your life.
Though it can never compensate your loss, at least we’ll find strength in your
love for life.
Don’t have regrets. They defeat the very purpose of life.
Immersed as I am in work most of the time, this letter is also a wake-up call
for me.
Love, Dad

If you were a grown up child of this writer what reply would you send to your
father. Write in about 250 words.
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4.9 PRONUNCIATION: PRACTICING A

DIALOGUE
Listen to this dialogue and practice it with your friend with the correct stress
and rhythm.
54
Raahil: Good morning, Sir! Doing Away with Exams
Dr. Mathew: Good morning Raahil. Sit down. How may I help you?
Raahil: Sir, my exams start next month. I am scared that I might not do
well.
Dr. Mathew: Why do you think so? Have you not completed your syllabus or
revised well?
Raahil: Yes Sir I have. I have revised it thoroughly. But tension keeps
me awake throughout the night and I feel I’ve forgotten
everything.
Dr. Mathew: The most important thing is to relax. Try and stick to a normal
routine.
Raahil: But how do I relax? I’m tense all the time.
Dr. Mathew: You can try meditation or yoga. That will help.
Raahil: All right. I want to do really well and get a good position.
Dr. Mathew: That is a good idea. You must stay focused on your goal and not
worry about the result too much. Just keep on working — sincerity
always pays. All the best to you.
Raahil: Thank you, Sir!
4.10 LET US SUM UP

This unit has given you an insight into the relevance of the examination system.
You also learnt words related to examination. In the grammar section you
practised direct and indirect speech. You were given practice in the listening
and speaking skills. In the listening you heard a talk on ‘Tips to study for the
examination’; while the speaking section consisted of a dialogue between a
student and a counsellor.
4.11 ANSWERS
1) The relationship between the father and son was rather distant. This is
reflected in the line “Father, we’ve never really been close and I can’t rightly
say you’ve been my friend, philosopher, guide, etc.”
2) Evidently Rahul’s grandfather had a carefree and beautiful childhood where

the emphasis was on closeness to nature, of playing innocent games with
friends and eating mouth-watering food. Studying was part of life-not the
mainstay of existence.
In Rahul’s childhood the emphasis has shifted to merely studying where

maintaining one’s rank in class is the ultimate achievement.
3) Rahul’s mother is a very educated lady, but nervous and tense. Rahul’s
grandmother is semi-literate, but full of wisdom and at peace with herself.
4) Rahul feels that the educational system which he is a part of emphasizes

theoretical rather than practical knowledge. It does not promote true 55
Burning Issues “thinking” which would be effective in real life, but focuses too much on
trivial issues and facts. The education system also fosters competition rather
than collaboration.
He would like his education to be practical and relevant to real-life.
5) The biology teacher does not apply the theory she teaches to real life. The
English teacher is more concerned with the trivialities of grammar rather
than true communication.
6) Open-ended.
1) i) slipped
ii) reflect
iii) at stake
iv) adamant
v) experiencing
vi) tense
vii) ancillary
viii) fibbing
ix) semi-literate
x) transgressions
2) i) assessment
ii) stress
iii) examinee
iv) marks
v) curriculum
vi) feedback
vii) evaluation
viii) system
ix) performance
x) excellence
Audio Text
Today I am going to talk about some general exam stress-busting tips:

Please remember you have the ability to succeed. If you prepare for the
exams properly, you should do fine. Therefore there is no need to
worry.
It is great to succeed. But keep things in balance. If you think that anything
less than an A+ means you have failed, then you are creating unnecessary
stress for yourself.
56
Doing Away with Exams
Develop a time-table and phase out your studies so that you don’t get
burdened at the last moment.
Take breaks during revision to keep your mind refreshed.
Don’t drink too much coffee or tea as the caffeine will excite you and in
the long run make your thinking less clear.
Try some Yoga asanas, this will keep you calm and balanced. A relaxed
mind helps you focus better.
Do your best and don’t judge yourself too harshly if you don’t live up to
yours or other people’s expectations.

i) F ii) F iii) F iv) F v) F vi) T vii) T
1) i) The boys were the culprits (Principal Clause)
who ran away. (Subordinate Clause)
ii) He sold ............................. boy (Principal Clause)
who ............................. them. (Subordinate Clause)
iii) The house is owned by a policeman. (Principal Clause)
where we live (Subordinate Clause)
iv) This ............................. poem (Principal Clause)
which ............................. ten. (Subordinate Clause)
v) The man looks very honest.(Principal clause)
who sits ............................. on the cash counter(Subordinate Clause)
vi) I like him (Principal Clause)
because ............................. a lie. (Subordinate Clause)
vii) I would have ............................. him. (Principal Clause)
had ............................. rich (Subordinate Clause)
viii) You may do (Principal Clause)
as you please. (Subordinate Clause)
ix) He cried (Principal Clause)
as if ............................. limbs. (Subordinate Clause)
x) I shall reach home on time (Principal Clause)
though I ———— vehicle. (Subordinate Clause)
2) Subordinate Clause:
i) Suzuki spoke as though she were a born orator.
ii) After mom comes from office; she will take me for a movie.
iii) Unless you get the new job, don’t resign from here.
iv) Since I have no money, I cannot go for a foreign trip.
57
Burning Issues v) No matter how much you explain your behaviour now, you were
rude to Prisha.
vi) I first met her in Delhi when I was a child.
vii) The teacher had already left when he reached the class.
viii) Although he is a CEO of a global company, he dresses modestly.
ix) Please don’t leave until I come.
x) This is the movie that I mentioned you last time.
1)
Are Examinations Important?
Different people will have different points of view regarding the utility of
examinations. But if we view it objectively there can be no doubt that the whole
process of education will be rendered worthless if there is no evaluation or
assessment of the scholar’s knowledge.
Young students normally are not responsible or mature enough to understand

the importance of education. It is the fear of exams that leads them to study
seriously. Had there been no system of evaluation, how many young students
would study only for the sake of knowledge and self-development?
There is no denying the fact that the present system of evaluation needs to be
revamped. Media hype and certain sections of society have created a monster
of the examination system. As a result, students are under a lot of stress.
Moreover scoring high marks is more important to them than gaining actual
knowledge. It has become a rat - race and only those who score the highest
marks are considered successful.
Assessment should be comprehensive in nature, involving all aspects of the

teaching learning situation and not just the learner. Rather than being a traumatic
experience for the learner, it should be pleasant and friendly. Remember, students
who are apparently ‘weak’ in one area, may prove to be very strong in another
aspect.
Do it yourself.
58

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BEGLA-135

English in Daily Life

Dr Anand Prakash (Retd) Dr Hema Raghavan (Retd)

Dr Rajnish Kumar Mishra Dr Richa Bajaj

Dr Payal Nagpal IGNOU FACULTY

COURSE PREPARATON TEAM EDITOR

Though this is an ODL Course, it is nevertheless communicative and interactive

Extensive research informs us that ‘fluency’ precedes “accuracy” We have used

But communication is more than conversation—it is also about smiles, gestures,

We hope you find the Block useful.

1.2 READING COMPREHENSION: ETIQUETTE

A man walks on the outside of the side-

A man helps a woman across a street or

Some Rules of Etiquette

Etiquette tells us how to behave in society. If we follow good manners, we

3) Answer the following briefly:

i) How should introductions be carried out? What expression will you

ii) List three good table manners.

iii) What gifts are acceptable among newly made friends?

iv) What should you do before leaving a party or a friend’s house?

vi) Why does a man walk on the outside of the sidewalk?

1.3 LISTENING: PROBLEMS IN STARTING A

ii) How does Rinku make fun to Dev?

iii) How does Dev make fun of Neha?

iv) What is polite behavior with newcomers?

v) Is Neha able to end conversations effectively? How do you know?

Starting a conversation involves making people feel relaxed and comfortable.

Starting a conversation involves three steps:-

Renu: Have you met Gita? Gita this is

Mukti: Mr. Parikh, May I introduce you to my

May I introduce myself?

I have an appointment to see the

Check Your Progress 3

vi) Students: Good morning, ma’am.

vii) Visitor: Good evening, I have an appointment with David Lee.

1.5 WRITING: SHORT RESPONSES

i) You’re waiting on a platform at the railway station. A foreigner who is

2) Reply to the different remarks in a sentence. It is a good idea to learn these

Practice these dialogues with your friend.

Before you listen, you must read the questions below.

i) Expression used by Dev to signal end of conversation:

Answer: So long then!

ii) Parting salutation used by Dev:

iii) Parting salutation used by Rinku:

v) Example of excuse to close conversation:

1.7 VOCABULLARY: INFORMAL EXPRESSIONS

1.8 FAREWELLS & GOODBYES

i) Where is the conversation taking place?

ii) What is their relationship? Strangers/friends/family/acquaintances/

Rakesh: Shopping-buying vegetables. And you?

Rakesh: Drop in at my place on your way back.

Sudha: I’ll try. See you. ‘Bye.

1.11 LET US SUM UP

Check Your Progress 1

3. i) Always introduce a younger person to an older person. Expressions-

4. May I introduce my friend/son to you?” And, in more formal situations:

iii) Flowers and chocolates.

Tape Script: Problems in starting a conversation

Rinku: Hello Dev! Bunked the class as usual?

Dev: Hello Neha. How are you?

Neha: Hello! How are you?

Dev: Fine, thank you.