Inspiring Essay - Different able person

SENSORY ORGANS

Eyes- Vision (Visual Perception)
Ears - Hearing I Listening (Auditory Perception)
Mouth – Taste (Gustatory Perception)
Nose – Smell (Olfactory Perception)
Skin – Touch (Tactile Perception)

How do the differently abled students make use of their sensory organs?

We are going to read a this document brought out by a group called Chetana that had Braille letters on one side and the English alphabet on the other. The story was a nice one. Both the groups of Class VII children had read it. After that, they were going to attend a music conceit rendered by a young boy called Diwakar Sharma. When they met, the Principal said, “Children, we all have things that we can do and things we can't. Today, you are going to share knowledge with each other. The children of this school will teach you Braille and you will read with them and describe the pictures. Then the children of this school will take you around their classrooms. After that, we will assemble in the auditorium for the music show. You may pair off now and read the book." The teachers helped to pair off the children of both schools. Every pair had a copy of the book to read. The children wondered, “What will it be like, to read the book by feeling?”
They started reading the book together. It was a great fun. For both kids in each pair, it was as if a new world was opening up — a world of new sensations and feelings. For instance, Reena from the visiting school learnt that her fingers could actually ‘feel’ and understand. “Why do I use my eyes so much?”, she asked herself. Kajol of the Little Flower School felt that she could actually ‘feel’ a picture. ‘Why did I never ask my mother this before?', she wondered. She always imagined her mother's saree to be yellow’. Some days, when her mother was anxious, it would feel ‘grey’. On other days, when she was busy, it would feel ‘blue’. It had never occurred to her that she could use her ‘sense’ of colours to understand the things that she read with her fingers. I can actually ‘read’ a magazine with pictures”, she thought. Deepak of the visiting school had another perception. “Do I ever see the shapes of the things I read?", he asked himself. “lt is as if I don't actually see anything at all! I never pause!”

The children of the visiting school had a glimpse of a whole new language and with it, another view of the life they were leading. The letters were fascinating. They learnt to write them and asked their teacher if they could get a stylus and Braille Board, so that they could write to their new friends in Braille. “Why not,” said their teacher. “We will buy some soon.” Here is what they learnt. 
As they walked around the school with their new friends, they had another surprise. Rashmi discovered that her friend Geetha could actually warn her even about small bumps on the path. “There is a stone in this area that is slightly sharp", she said. “Walk carefully." Rashmi was astounded! Asif also discovered something. “He discovered that his friend James could actually hear sounds and ‘read’ them. For instance, a lady passed them and James said, “Ah, Susila Miss." “How do you know?" asked Asif. “Oh, her feet make a swishing sound when she walks. It is easy to find out who people are, from the way they walk!", said James. “l can always know which person in my family is in the same room with me.” Asif remembered how his mother always seemed to ‘creep’ in and know when he wasn't studying. “How does he figure this out?”, he thought.

RECOGNIZING ABILITY
It was time for the cultural show. The children were curious to know who Diwakarshannawas. The hall was packed. The Principal introduced Diwakar. She said, “Diwakar Sharma is a twelve year old singer. When he was one year old, Diwakar's visual impairment was confirmed. Alka Shanna, Diwakars mother is a doctor. She gave up her practice to look after Diwakar. His father, Sunil Sharma is an engineer. But their only aim in life is to give Diwakara platform to showcase his singing talent. "Recognizing his ability, we have dedicated our lives to making his dream of becoming a singer come true”, says his father.

It was in a televised Indian children's Interactive Reality Musil Game Show that Diwakar came into public gaze. He had the world glued to the show. His character, strength and talent were unmistakable. Director of the show, Gajendra Singh said of Diwakar, ‘It is his positive attitude, remarkable composure and confidence that get him noticed. He proves to be an icon for children of his age.’ Diwakar is articulate and mature far beyond his years. His sense of understanding of a situation or reacting to it comes from his avid interest in reading. Diwakar uses the Jaws Software for his studies and other interests. He is a good student at a regular school.

“I have read all the Harry Potter series and have enjoyed them all. I like reading children's classics and books on history. I take part in quiz contests and writing competitions. My knowledge and versatility in language comes from the fact that I read a lot", says Diwakar.

He has performed in the presence ofA.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the President of India then, various foreign dignitaries and famous singers. Tushar, an alumnus of Diwakar's school, sums it all up, “Diwakar is a true champion, big at heart and attitude. Just watching him perform moves us all and certainly gives us hope.”

He belongs to the rare breed of individuals who are gifted to inspire and lead. We have learnt through Diwakar that no matter how difficult the circumstances, there is always something positive, something to look forward to, something truly joyful and fulfilling. The human spirit that Diwakar embodies is what brings us together and makes us succeed.

Diwakar is determined not to get deterred by any challenge. He surges forward...on and on. ”Ladies and Gentlemen, our school is proud to present ...DiwakarSharma!” Diwakar sang to thunderous applause.

GONE FOREVER - Barbara Reeves

In Preparation:

A snow leopard roars in the high mountains of Asia. A black rhinoceros gallops across the plains of Africa. A grizzly bear hunts for fish in a North American river. A mother blue whale and her calf glide through the deep waters of the ocean.

All of these animals share the Earth with us. They fascinate us with their beauty, their grace and their speed. We love observing their behavior and learning more about their habits. But just loving them is not enough. All of these animals are endangered. Many of them have died and without special care, they may someday disappear from the Earth.

Why is it important to care for animals like these? One reason is to protect the balance of life on Earth. Another reason is the beauty of the animals themselves. Each species of animal is special. Once it is gone, it is gone forever.

Africa was once filled with an abundance of wild animals. But that is changing fast. One of these animals, the black rhinoceros, lives on the plains of Africa. It has very poor eyesight and a very bad temper! Even though the black rhino is powerful, and can be dangerous, its strength can't always help it to escape hunters. Some people think that the rhino's horn has magical powers and many hunters kill rhinos for their valuable horns. This has caused the black rhino to be placed on the endangered species list.

The elephant seems to represent all that is strong and wild in Africa. It once had no natural enemies, but is now endangered-killed for its ivory tusks. The fastest land animal, the cheetah, also lives in Africa. It, too, is becoming extinct as people take over more and more of the land that is the cheetah's natural habitat.

Imagine Africa without the powerful rhino, the gentle, intelligent elephant, or the lightning quick cheetah. Once they are gone, they are gone forever.

  Wherever people are careless about the land, there are endangered species.
Grizzly bears like to wander great distances. Bears need up to 1,500 square miles of territory to call its homeland. Today, because forests have been cleared to make room for people, the grizzly's habitat is shrinking and the grizzly is disappearing.  It joins other endangered North American animals, such as the red wolf and the American crocodile.

In South America, the destruction of the rain forest threatens many animals. Unusual mammals, such as the howler monkey and the three toed sloth, are endangered. Beautiful birds like the great green macaw and the golden parakeet are also becoming extinct. They are losing their homes in the rain forest, and thousands die when they are caught and shipped off to be sold as exotic pets.

The giant panda of Asia is a fascinating and unique animal. Yet there are only about 1,000 still living in the wild. The giant panda's diet consists mainly of the bamboo plant, so when the bamboo forests die, so does the panda. China is now making an effort to protect these special creatures from becoming extinct.  Asia's big cats are also in trouble. The exotic snow leopard lives high in the mountains. Even there, it faces the loss of its natural habitat and hunters who kill it for its fur. The tiger, the largest of all the big cats, is hunted merely for sport.  Sea animals are in danger of extinction as well. The blue whale is the largest animal in the world. It weighs up to 390,000 pounds. Whale hunting and pollution are this species‘ greatest enemies. Unfortunately, it is people who cause many of the problems that animals face. We alter and pollute their habitats. We hunt them for skins, tusks, furs, and horns. We destroy animals that get in the way of farming or building. And we remove them from their natural habitats and take them home as pets. What can you do to help endangered animals? Learn as much as you can about them. The more you know, the more you can help. Make an effort to support zoos and wildlife groups. Many zoos breed endangered animals, helping to ensure that they will continue to live on. Contribute to groups, such as the National Wildlife Federation, that works hard to protect animals. You can also be a smart shopper and never buy a pet that has been raised in the wilderness.

The world is made up of many living things and each thing is dependent on the others to survive. If we allow even one species on Earth to become extinct, it has an impact on other living things and changes our world. When we mention any endangered wild animals, let's hope that we never again have to say, "Gone forever."

YAANAI MALAI - From THE MULTIPLE FACETS OF MY MADURAI - Reading Essay

By Manohar Devadoss

Sometimes, landscapes can speak to us. But they only talk if we are willing to listen to them. Manohar Devadoss loves his hometown Madurai. A scientist by profession, the writer has produced some exquisite pen sketches of Madurai and its surroundings. One of his sketches of Yaanai Malai has been reproduced here for you. But what makes him extraordinary is not his versatility. It is his indomitable spirit.

For more than thirty years, Manohar Devadoss has had Retinitis Pigmentosa, an eye disorder that slowly but surely reduces vision. His wife Mahema, an immensely courageous person in her own right, was paralyzed below the shoulders following a road accident 36 years ago. The love that they could bring to each other in the face of great tragedy has been a source of inspiration to all who have known them.

Read and discover it!

The city of Madurai has been in existence for at least 2400 years. Throughout its history the city has nurtured Tamil literature. Over the centuries, Madurai has become famous for its temple complex. Rich in tradition, this ancient temple town has acquired its very own mythologies, evolving its own customs and festivals.

Adominant landmark of the northeastern outskirts of Madurai is Yaanai Malai, a solid rocky hill. When seen or approached from Madurai, this hill has a rather striking resemblance to a seated elephant hence the name Yaanai Malai (Elephant Hill). Dotted with starkly beautiful Palmyra trees, this part of rural Madurai has had a character all its own.

The paddy fields here were nourished by monsoon rains, supplemented by water from large wells called Yettrams, which have all but vanished from the rural scene today. Yettrams were extensively used during my boyhood to draw water from these large, square, irrigation wells. Ayettram well had long casuarina poles tied together with a rope, a large bucket made of leather at one end and a counterpoise at the other, enabling a man to single handedly draw large volumes of water.

On a cool moon in October, in the early 1950s, a school friend and I, on an impulse, decided to take a cross country trek to Yaanai Malai, climb up the hill and stand on its head to look at Madurai and the surrounding country. At one stage the hill seemed close enough but as we walked on it seemed to move further away. Suddenly an idyllic rural scene presented itself. We saw watery fields being ploughed. There was a large, square yettram well from which a wiry old man was drawing water. Yaanai Malai was an imposing and Silent backdrop.

Monsoon clouds began to gather, darkening the upper sky and softening the light falling on the austere scene. The landscape was placid but the sky was in turmoil. And yet, there was perfect harmony between land and sky. The sky became darker and light played games on the hill. A large drop of water hit my head. Almost immediately, a heavy downpour tore open the sky and the hill instantly disappeared behind curtains of water. As we walked back to Madurai thoroughly drenched, my friend complained with chattering teeth that the rain had ruined our plan.

I thought that what we had witnessed moments earlier was a rare visual gift and that we could always climb Yaanai Malai some other day. But my destiny decreed that, in this life, I was unable to climb up this hill to enjoy viewing Madurai and its enveloping beauty. However, many years later  in October 1986 I was to capture in ink on paper, the magic of the moment, of that distant afternoon, before lashing rains obliterated the serene landscape.

During my adolescence, Yaanai Malai inspired in me a sense of mystique. Though I gave a premium to rationalism then, I had difficulty thinking of Yaanai Malai as a nonliving, huge chunk of stone.  To me the hill seemed like a silent witness to all that was happening in Madurai, through its history. To this day, I dream of this hill in ways that relate to visual pleasure. in 2001, at a time when my vision  due to an incurable visual syndrome, Retinitis pigments  had declined to a level when I was hardly able to see any details of a distant landscape, I dreamt that my wife,Mahema — who became paralysed below her shoulders, following a road accident in 1972 — was in her wheelchair and that I stood by her side on top of Yaanai Malai. In this vivid dream, I showed her some of the important landmarks of Madurai, the tower of the large Vandiyoor temple tank, the cupolas of the historic palace called the mahal, the great gateway towers of the temple and many hills far and near. I told Mahema in my dream that had Thirumalai Nayak the ruler who had built the mahal three and a half centuries earlier, climbed up the hill then, he would have had a view not vastly different from the one we were looking at.

The monolith, Yaanai Malai looks like an elephant only when it is viewed from the southwest. Happily, Madurai sits to the south west of Yaanai Malai. What appears from Madurai to have a pyramidal shape is in actuality a very elongated hill. The Melur road from Madurai runs many miles parallel to the southeastern slope of the hill. When viewed from here, the hill has a different yet dominant appeal, as one can see from this drawing of the hill that I completed in June 2002 and have pleasure in presenting below. The broad band of paddy fields ends not far from the hill and then the monolith rises abruptly and steeply like a mighty fortress. The pale brown hue of the hill is enriched by discrete downward streaks of rust-red stains

During the cool winter months, before the emerald of the paddy fields slowly turns into a wealth of gold, small flocks of lily white egrets alight here to feast upon the tiny, silvery fish that stray into the shallow waters of the fields.

The egrets slow, flapping takeoff and the gentle swoop of soft landing as they hop from °"° Pad °f the field to another - are as graceful as the movements of ballerinas.

The borders of the paddy fields are often lined with rows of Palmyra trees. Small bushes grow wild at the foot of the trees. During the winter season, these plants burst into thousands of yellow flames of flowers.

Read the story and answer the question - improve your English

I don’t live far enough from the school. Ten minutes later, we were standing outside my home, and still he hadn’t told me what it was all about. I don’t think he distrusted me. I honestly think he just could not get the words out. He kept turning towards me, opening and shutting his mouth like a giant fish, with nothing coming out but air and a faint smell of onions. ‘What’s the problem, then?’ I asked at last. But this direct approach seemed to alarm him. ‘I dunno,’ he mumbled. We stood in the afternoon sunlight and looked at each other hopelessly.

‘Come in and have a coke?’ I suggested. He hesitated. ‘Don’t feel like meeting nobody,’ he said. ‘Not like this.’ He gestured towards his bruised face. I reassured him that my mother and father were both at work. Wouldn’t be back till gone six. I took him indoors, settled him into a chair in our kitchen and poured him a large coke. Then I sat opposite him, and waited.

He shifted uneasily. ‘It’s ….’ he began, with that strange frightened look in his eyes. ‘It’s ….’ He paused. I could almost hear the levers creaking in his head as he changed lines. ‘It’s me maths,’ he finished, looking at me fiercely, challenging me to call him a liar. ‘Can’t make it out.’ He plonked a book on the table, opening it at random. ‘All that,’ he said, waving a large hand, ‘don’t mean a thing.’
I was disappointed. I knew he didn’t really care a fig for his maths. But no one in their right mind would argue with Prince Kong, so I picked up the book and began to explain it to him. His eyes glazed. His mouth fell open and he sighed. I didn’t think he was listening. I bent my head over the book ….
Suddenly I heard the noise of his chair scraping on the tiled floor. I looked up and saw he had got to his feet. He looked …. different. There was a grim, determined look on his face. As I watched, he walked across the kitchen. Quickly. Firmly. With the air of someone who knew where he was going. Walked with his eyes open, slap bang into the wall! His damaged nose hit the painted plaster with a squelchy smack, leaving a smear of blood like jam. ‘Prince’! I cried in amazement. He staggered back, his hands to his bleeding face. I guided him to his chair. Gave him a clean tea-towel soaked in cold water. He pressed it to his nose. Above it, his eyes looked at me miserably, full of fear. ‘Shall I ring the doctor?’ I asked. He shook his head. ‘Is it your eyes?’ I thought perhaps he was suffering from some kind of intermittent blindness. But he shook his head again. ‘What is it? What’s the matter?’ He took the tea-towel from his face. It was patched with his blood. His nose was dark red and I could almost see it swelling before my eyes.

‘Prince, what’s the matter?’ I asked again.
‘You’ll laugh.”
‘I won’t!’ I protested, astonished he should think me so heartless.
It was then, at last, that he managed to get the words out.
‘I think I’ve swallowed a ghost.’
I stared at him.
‘What?’
‘Ghost,’ he repeated firmly, ‘G.H.O.S.T. Spirit. Spook.’
‘Oh!’

He looked at me suspiciously. A spasm of suppressed laughter was shaking me. I couldn’t help it. It was partly nerves, I think. I shut my mouth firmly and tried to make my face show nothing but sympathetic inquiry. ‘It wouldn’t have happened,’ he said gloomily, ‘if I’d kept me mouth shut.’
He told me he had been staying with his aunt and uncle in Bell Green during the holidays. One night, after supper, they’d got to talking about ghosts. ‘You know the way it is,’ he said. ‘Everybody knows someone who’s seen one.’ His aunt had told them there was a ghost in Bell Green. She hadn’t seen it herself, but lots of people had. When the moon was full, it came out of the river. White as mist, and drifted over the fields at night, howling.

‘Sheila, that’s me cousin, she laughed and said she bet that’s all it was. Mist and wind and moonlight. But auntie wouldn’t have  it. For one thing, she said it always come up at the same spot. By the bridge near the old timber mill. A man had drowned himself there once, years ago …. ‘’Most like fell in when he was drunk.’ I said, teasing her. She got quite cross. ‘Why don’t you go and see or yourselves,’ me uncle said, winking at me. ‘It’s a nice night for a walk.’ So they had gone out, Prince Kong and his cousin Sheila, strolling along the riverbank in the moonlight.
‘Dunno that we was bothering about the old ghost much,’ he said, with a sly smile, ‘but then we come to this bridge, and there was the old mill facing us on a bend in the river. ‘This must be the place,’ Sheila said, and we leaned on the parapet and looked down. Couldn’t make out nothing at first. Just sort of splinters of the moon in the water, and reeds, stiff and black like railings. Then we saw it. A bit of mist, thin as string, rising out of the river. Like a white worm it was, wriggling and squirming. Higher and higher it come till it was level with our faces, no more than a foot away. Then it sort of ballooned out into a face. A man’s face. I saw it with me own eyes! Not clear – more like when you’ve caught a right hook on your chin and you see things a bit hazy. Sheila grabbed hold of me arm, and I …. well, I sort of drew me breath in sharpish …. and swallowed him! Are you laughing?’ he demanded angrily. ‘No,’ I said quickly. ‘Go on.’ ‘He’d thinned out again, see, and he slipped down me throat like spaghetti. I could feel him all the way down. Cold. Like ice. It was horrible.’
‘What did you do?’ ‘Well, I tried to cough him up, but he wouldn’t come. Soon as I got back to auntie’s, I went to the bathroom, and stuck me finger down me throat. Sicked up all me supper down the bog. Waste of good food. It didn’t do no good. Frightened him, though,’ he said with grim satisfaction. ‘I could feel him scuttling about inside me like an ice cube on the run. Banging into me ribs, freezing me heart ….. He’s up here now,’ he said, tapping his head. He gave the ghost of a smile. ‘Plenty of room at the top. I’m not brainy like you.’
‘Does it hurt?’ I asked curiously.

‘Not hurt, exactly. It’s just cold. Terribly cold.’ He put his huge red hand on his head as if to warm it. ‘It’s numbing me brain. I wouldn’t mind so much if the silly beggar didn’t think he could still walk through walls and closed doors. Look at me dial! That’s our kitchen shelf. That’s our front door,’ he said, pointing to the various bruises on his face. ‘That’s a brick wall. And he’s done me nose five times. Six, counting your wall. Yesterday he walked me into a No. 210 bus. Lucky I wasn’t killed. I dunno what to do. Every time me mind goes blank, he does something daft. It’s got me beat.’
I no longer felt like laughing. He sat there, his great head bowed, his strong hands helpless on the table. ‘You mustn’t let your mind go blank, Prince,’ I said. ‘You must keep thinking all the time…’ ‘All the time?’ he repeated, looking at me with amazement. ‘Yes.’ He shook his head. ‘Couldn’t do it, Mike,’ he said decidedly. ‘Not all the time. Out of practice, see? More used to thinking with me hands and feet. Got a clever body, Dad says. ‘After all,’ he added defensively, ‘we can’t all have brains in the same place. No reason why they got to be in the head, is there?’ ‘Well,’ I said, ‘it’s more usual.’
Anyway, what about when I go to sleep? Can’t go without sleep forever. Got you there.’ I had to admit it. We sat still, trying to think. I was supposed to be clever, but I have to confess I hadn’t an idea in my head. It was Prince Kong who thought of something first. ‘Hit me,’ he said suddenly.
‘Hit you?’

‘Yeah. Here.’ He jutted out his granite chin. ‘Might jolt him out, see?’ I hesitated. ‘Come on. Hit me.’ I clenched my fist. It looked as small and as fragile as a glass bead. We both inspected it dubiously. Prince shook his head. ‘Got small hands, haven’t you? I reckon the wall hit me harder than you could. Pity. Don’t want to bust your knuckles for nothing.’

‘Sorry.’ ‘Not your fault,’ he said kindly. We sat silently again, racking our brains. ‘This man, why did he drown himself?’ I asked. ‘Dunno. Auntie didn’t say. Don’t matter, does it?’ ‘I thought it might help if we knew something about him.’ Prince brightened. ‘Yeah. Study his form. Find out whether he favours the right or the left ….’ He looked despondent again. ‘Don’t see how it helps with a ghost, though.’

‘Does he walk every night?’
‘No. Full moon, auntie said.’
‘I wonder where he was the rest of the time.’
‘Dunno. Back in the river, I suppose.’ The river . . .
‘Bell Green is in Hertfordshire, isn’t it?’ I asked.
‘Yeah.’
‘North of here?’
‘Yeah.’
I pointed to the smear of blood on the wall. ‘That’s north,’ I said. He looked puzzled. ‘What are you getting at?’ ‘Perhaps he’s trying to get back to the river. Perhaps he just wants to go home. Look, let’s go there – it’s not far, is it? You could open your mouth over the water and let him out. It’s worth trying.’
He looked at me admiringly. ‘I said you was clever, Mike.’ I beamed. I really thought I was clever. You see, I didn’t really believe in the ghost. I’d stopped believing in ghosts when I was six. I thought it was all his imagination. Perhaps in his last fight he’d been hit too hard on his head and was still a bit punch drunk. That, and the moonlight and the mist. All I had to do, I thought, was to convince him I’d seen the ghost come out of his mouth and plop into the river ….. must get him to shut his eyes … throw a stone into the water to make a splash …. ‘Trust me, Prince,’ I said smugly. Fool that I was.

Glossary
smack                 - a loud sound
intermittent          - happening repeatedly for short periods
howling               - making a long, loud cry
sly                      - cunning
parapet              - a low protective wall along the edge of a bridge
hazy                   - not clear
spaghetti            - a dish
bog                    - toilet
numbing             - making a part of your body unable to feel anything
daft                    - silly
dubiously           - doubtfully
reckon               - think
bust                   - break
despondent        - sad, without hope
plop                   - fall          

Comprehension
Answer the following questions:


1. Why was Prince Kong’s ‘problem’ not likely to be connected with his schoolwork?
2. What made it difficult for the narrator to discover Prince Kong’s problem?
3. What made the narrator think that Prince Kong was perhaps suffering from some kind of intermittent blindness?
4. What alarming explanation did Prince Kong give for his strange behaviour?
5. ‘Ghost,’ he repeated firmly, ‘G.H.O.S.T. Spirit. Spook.’ How did the narrator react to this information?
6. How did Prince Kong and Sheila discover the ghost?
7. What happened when Prince Kong drew in his breath ‘sharpish’?
8. How did Prince Kong use a list of objects to explain his facial injuries?
9. When was the ghost able to seize possession of Prince Kong’s mind?
10. Why did Prince Kong reject the idea of being hit on the chin?

Reading practice - Essay about polution in Chennai

III. Did you know?

Chennai’s vehicular population touches 11,51,626 of which there are over 8.5 lakh two wheelers alone. The tailpipes of all these spew out 1450 tons of pollutants comprising Particulate Matter, Respirable Dust Particles, Nitrogen Oxide, Sulphur Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide and Lead.

Read the following news item:

Hazardous pollutants envelop T.Nagar By Our Special Correspondent CHENNAI July 15. Two of the deadly pollutants breathed in by residents in some city areas were more than twice the permitted limit through a full year, studies of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) reveal.

Respirable Dust Particles (RDP) and Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM), both linked to serious health problems, were way above the limit in Thyagaraya Nagar, an area facing rising congestion.

Kilpauk and Vallalar Nagar also encountered very high levels of the two pollutants, while Anna Nagar followed next.

Task 1: Answer the following questions:

1. What do the news item, ‘Did you know?’ snippet and the table
convey?
2. What are the probable solutions to this problem?
(a) banning all vehicles
(b) wearing masks
(c) evacuating Chennai
(d) any other (please specify)


Task 2:Read news items / articles on dumping of toxic wastes, oil slicks, air / noise / water pollution, etc., from newspapers / magazines. Analyse what you could do, on your part, to solve these problems.

English essay writing about Engineering - sapnning the gap

C. Reading

Read the following text about bridges:

Spanning the gap

The world’s first bridge was probably built by an inquisitive
member of some prehistoric tribe who put a tree-trunk across a
stream to find out what was on the other side.

Today there are four main types of bridges - rigid beam bridges
which are based on the idea of simply putting a beam or plank
across a stream; cantilever bridges, where two beams are used,
one extending from each bank; suspension bridges consisting of
steel cables strung between high towers, with a roadway below
and the arch bridge, in which one or several arches are the main
support.

The earliest bridges were built from whatever material was at
hand - stone, tree trunks or vines. They were useful for crossing
narrow stretches of water.

The Romans made a great advance in bridge building, by using
the arch. They built hundreds of stone arch bridges throughout the
empire.

The use of metal in bridge building was another great breakthrough.
The ‘Iron bridge’, built in 1779 over the River Severn in
Engand, is the oldest cast-iron bridge still standing.

The Humber Bridge in England is the world’s longest
suspension bridge with a main span of 1,410 metres. The bridge
is made of giant steel cables strung over 163 metre high concrete
towers. The concrete towers are hollow. Inside are lifts that carry
engineers to the top, to carry out cable inspection.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia is 48 metres in width –
the widest in the world. It has eight lanes of traffic and two overhead
railway lines. Built in 1932, the bridge is a familiar part of the Sydney
skyline and is fondly called the ‘old coat hanger’.

The longest steel arch bridge in the world is the New River Gorge
Bridge in WestVirginia in the USA. It has a span of 518 metres. The
bridge completed in 1977, took just three years to build. Sections of
steel arch, weighing up to 86 tonnes, were lifted into place with special
cranes.

Task 1: Prepare a flow-chart, to show the history of bridges:

Pre historic times to Bridges today

Task 2: Name three of the world famous bridges and say why
they are famous.

Task 3: Work in pairs. Four main types of bridges have been
mentioned in the passage. Name them. Then say how
they are different from each other. If you don’t know,
refer to an encyclopaedia / your teacher / an architect.
Draw/collect pictures of different types of bridges.

Discussing about road safety in English - Essay writing

B. DISCUSSING ROAD SAFETY / RULES

Warm up:

1. Do you know how to ride a bicycle? If yes,

a) When did you learn to cycle?
b) Do you ride your bicycle everyday?
c) Do you use the main traffic roads or by-lanes?
d) What are the traffic signals you cross on your way?

2. If you don’t ride bicycles, how do you commute to school, shop,
theatre, etc.

3. Who do you think is the most irresponsible person on the street:

The private vehicle driver (cars, jeeps, vans), the public vehicle
driver (autos, buses, lorries, etc.), the two-wheeler riders, the
cyclists or the pedestrians? Discuss your opinions.

AT THE INSURANCE OFFICE - A MONOLOGUE

I must tell you about my brother Santharam’s road sense! He’s
just twenty-five but he sits behind the steering wheel as if he’s
been there all his life! He will not speed beyond the 40kph limit
nor will he overtake a vehicle going slowly ahead of him. He’ll
wait calmly at the signals and even if the amber has turned to
green he will not accelerate if pedestrians are still on the zebra
crossing, even if all vehicles behind him are hooting their horns.
When I turned twenty-one, I asked Dad to let me go to a driving
school. Mom emphatically said ‘No’ but after a pause she said, “If
you must learn driving you will learn only from Santharam and no
one else”. Santharam was at first reluctant, but bridling this
scooterist in the confines of a car was a challenge he couldn’t
resist, so thus began my Sunday lessons!

“Be up at 5 am” he said, and added, “It’s better to learn on a
clear road with no traffic because, later when you start using a car
regularly you get caught in traffic jams during rush hours and may
not enjoy driving. So enjoy it while you may now!” He took me
through the drill of identifying the parts of the car and finally made
me sit in the driver’s seat and very piously taught me how to fasten
the seat belt.

“After getting into the car, always remember to fasten your
seat belt,” he said. “Yes, I’ll do that,” I answered, and took his
instructions through the weekends on starting the car, revving the engine,
controlling acceleration, clutch and brake, changing gears,
steering the wheel till I was ready to take the car out during
moderate traffic. I was taught to drive on the inside lane and avoid
the fast lanes unless in an emergency. I was advised against overtaking
on the left and going beyond the speed limit. He instructed
me on identifying road signs, to look at them carefully and to follow
accordingly. It might be a ‘No Entry’ sign, ‘A school zone’ or a
‘One-way’ sign. He told me to watch out for ‘Speed breaker Ahead’
signs or ‘U-turn’ ones and insisted that I respect ‘No horn’ signs
near hospitals.

The day I went for my driving licence is unforgettable.
The RTO officer was awe-struck when he saw the mature way
I handled the wheel. He couldn’t believe it was the same guy who
had come to him a year ago for a two-wheeler licence and had
driven the scooter like a maniac!

Now I have my own car and I’m here at the Motor Insurance
office to take an Accident Insurance Policy. My brother has taught
me well, but he says that insurance is a must irrespective of how
good a driver you are! I am now on to learning how to maintain
my car, when and where to service it, and what a vehicle
owner’s responsibilities are on the road and to the public. There is so
much you must know before you take a vehicle on the road.
What?You want to learn driving from my brother?

Essay writing about sports - table tennis, golf, bowling, motor racing, foot ball, cricket

Warm up

A sports activity is always exciting to watch whether it is taking
place on a field, a court or track; in a pool, a rink or in a ring;
whether you are watching it from a gallery, in a stadium or on TV
from your armchair in your home.

You may have seen a game so exciting, but unless you use the
right words and expressions you may not convey what you want
to say.

Note the difference in the following sentences:

1. Harbhajan threw the ball far away from the wicket.
Harbhajan bowled a wide ball.

2. Lara hit the ball with the bat. It rolled towards the edge
of the field and added four runs.

Lara swept the ball to the boundary for a four.

3. At the end of the match both the teams had the same
number of runs.

The match ended in a draw.

Sports journalists and commentators take great care to convey
the emotions in the game as much as to highlight the actions. Here
are a few sample excerpts from sports magazines and newspaper
sections. Note the specific words used in relation to the respective
game.

SPORTS NEWS

TABLE TENNIS

A series of brilliant forehand topspin returns with emphasis
on backspin serve gave Korean Kim Tea Hoon the upper hand
over Zheng Changgong. Zheng’s lethal forehand drives proved to
be the clinching factor after a see-saw battle saw the scores level
seven times till eight all.

GOLF

At No: 7, Tiger Woods hit his most spectacular shot of the
day, a wedge out of the rough from 153 yards that sailed over trees
and onto green about 12 feet behind the flag. Woods buried the
putt for birdie to take his first lead, and he went two up at the par
- 5 No:8 wedging his third shot from 150 yards to five feet and
making the putt.

TENNIS

Steffi Graf’s powerful serve and vicious slice back-hand
complemented her booming forehand on grass as she racked up
sevenWimbledon crowns, second only to Martina Navaratilova’s
nine and Helen Will’s eight. She also amassed nine Grand-Slam
on hard courts, five at the U.S Open and four at the Australian
Open making her the only champion, male or female, to win at
least four times at every Slam venue.


BOWLING
The “portslider” as left-handers in bowling parlance are called,
hooked his strikes to a nicety with great regularity and even
exhibited his uncanny knack of clearing the ‘splits’ with
consistency. Hameed in his patent style struck ‘baggers’ (four
strikes in a row) and ‘turkeys’ (three strikes in a row) time and
again and even had six in a row on two occasions.


MOTOR RACING
Michael Schumacher had to resist a fierce wheel - to - wheel
challenge from Montoya going into the first lane and again at the
second bend on the first lap. Despite his victory, Schumacher
admitted he had a panic situation when he emerged from the pitlane
after his second stop believing that Williams of Montoya
had somehow got ahead of him.


FOOTBALL
Colombia reserve-forward Edixa Perea scored in the 89th
minute on a looping header which sneaked over the outstretched
area of Bolivia goal-keeper Leonardo Fernandez. In the first half,
Fernandez easily handed a free-kick by Abel Aquilas in the 37th
minute in the Colombian’s best goal- scoring opportunity.

CRICKET
Finally, it was Virenda Sehwag’s off-spin that fetched India
the break-through with Youhana’s aggressive intent only resulting
in the catch being taken at long-off by substitute Irfan Pathan.
Then Inzamam after completing a marvellous hundred, was caught
at the wicket off left-arm spinner Murali Karthik who was
otherwise expensive ......
... The Indian batting had taken wings earlier in the day and
Rahul Dravid’s effort was a classic piece of batsmanship. He
essayed some delectable strokes with a lovely cover-drive off
Shoaib Akthar standing out .........
..........Fleming batted beautifully, mixing slam-bang drives
through the off-side with lofted shots into the leg-side and delicate
nudges and cuts past the slip.

HOCKEY
The initial movements were restricted to some tentative
measures. The players kept changing positions cleverly but failed
to make inroads. The Indians had the trusted Viren Rasquinha
manning the defence .... even as Pakistan probed on the right
flank the Indians failed to exploit the left.... William Xalxo came
up with a few superb tackles... Prabodh Tirkey was guilty of
conceding the second penalty corner with a poor tackle. Pakistan
capitalised on that error to take the lead in the 25th minute when
Sohail Abbas’ drive was blocked and the rebound was slotted in
by Ghazanfar Ali...... Arjun Halappa improved to lend substance
to the forward line but a goal remained elusive until Ignace got a
lucky deflection in a crowded goal - mouth, off a free hit.

Essay writing in English about - malnutrition - children English

Read the passage on 'Malnutrition ':

A child is considered to be undernourished if it does not receive adequate nutrition (sufficient quantity and quality of food), which may result in the child being constantly hungry. It receives inappropriate food or beverages and is malnourished. The child may be seen as being undersized, having low weight and a sallow complexion, lacking body tone and being lethargic. May be it lacks adequate shelter and lives in housing that is unsafe and unsanitary.

Malnutrition may result in recurrent colds, pneumonia, tuberculosis, sunburn and other persistent skin disorders or rashes. Lack of hygiene may be yet another contributory factor for these health
disorders.

Task : Answer the following questions:

1. What do you understand by the term malnutrition?
2. Describe a malnourished child.
3. Do you think this condition is common in India? Why?
4. Are malnourished children immune to diseases?
5. What are the other contributory factors for malnutrition?

English Writing Practice

A picture is worth a thousand words

        (only if it’s got a really good cut line, too!)
Photo captions and cut lines are the most read in a publication.

Of all the nes content, only the titles of stories or headlines have higher readership than captions. It follows that standards of accuracy, clarity, completeness and good writing and as high, if not higher, for captions and cut lines than for other body type. As with headlines, captions and cut lines must be crisp. As with stories, they must be readable and informative.

Captions : Captions are the little “headlines” over the “cut lines “ (the words describing the photograph). See example.
Cut lines (in newspapers and some magazines) are the words (under the caption, if there is one) describing the photograph or illustration.See example.

The first photograph’s caption is Bundle of joy’.The cut line is: “A tribal mother carrying her baby to the work place”.


Required information

The specific information required can vary from one photo to the next. But for most pictures a reader wants to know such things as:

• Who is that? (And, in most cases, identify people from left to right unless the action in the photograph demands otherwise.)
• Why is this picture in the paper?
• What’s going on?
• When and where was this?
• Why does he /she/it/they look that way?
• How did this occur?

Simply stated, cut lines should explain the picture so that readers are satisfied with their understanding of the picture. They need not - and should not - tell what the picture has made obvious. It should supply vital information that the picture cannot. For example, a picture can show a stork, but it likely does not show that the stork was saved. The cut line should give that information.

Tips and terms:
Be concise; be precise; don’t be trite; Cut lines should be as concise as possible, but they should not sound like telegrams. Unlike headlines (and caption lines), they should contain all articles itjid conjunctions, just as do sentences in news stories. News picture cut lines should he straightforward and clear.

Trite wrinting should be avoided: Do not point out [he obvious by using sut;h phrases us looks on, is shown and pictured above, Don’t editorialise; Never make assumptions iihoLit what someone in
a picture is thinking or \vy to Interpret Lie person’s feelings from his orher expression. The reader should be given the facts and allowed to decide for hersel for himself whul Uic fedftogs or emotions Lire,
Avoid the known; explain the unknown: Avoidcharaeterisuiy a picture as beatiti 111, di-amalic, ynsly or with other such descriptive terms that should be evident in the photograph. IT it’s not evident in the photograph, your telling the reader won’t make it happen.

Reflect the image: Make sure that the words accurately reflect the picture. If a picture shows two or more people, you should count the number of identifiable people in the photo and check the number and sex of the people identified in the cut line to make certain that they match.

Always, always, always check spelling: Check the spelling of names in the story.

“Wild art”: Photographs that do not accompany stories often are termed “wild art.” The cut lines for wild art should provide the same basic information that a story does, Such things as the “fives W’s”(who, what, when, where and why) are good to remember when writing such
cut lines.

Time elements. Most newspapers use a out line writing style that calls for the first sentence to be written in the present tense and for subsequent sentences to be in the past tense. The rationale is that the first sentence tells the reader what is happening in the photo. Subsequent sentences tell the context and background for what happened.
                                       BUNDLE OF JOY    A LITTLE DROP OF WATER....

 

Task 1: Look at the photographs carefully: Create your own cut tines using the guidelines given above and your imagination. For those photographs without a caption create your own captions.

Task 2: Collect us many photographs as possible from the newspaper and re- write the. captions and  cut lines using the guidelines: 

Glossary:
trite : common place
editorialise : giving opinion
crisp : snappy
innovative : original/novel
triggers : shoots/ stimulates
unscrupulous : dishonest


Related Links :

• How to express about hobbies in english

• English practice in stationery shop

• Speaking about illnesses in english

• Everyday english in hospital

speak about rain, temperature, thunder and nature - In English

Discussing Natural Disaster / Weather
Warm up:

I hear thnuder! I hear thunder!

Hark! Don’t you? Hark! Don’t you!

Pitter - patter raindrops ? Pitter- patter raindrops!

I’m we! though! I’m wet through!

Rain, Rain! Go away!

Come again another day,

For tittle Tommy wants to play, .............

Read and discuss the questions:
1. Which comes first thunder, lightning or ruin?
2. How would you, as a layman, predict rain within a couple of
hours?
3. What is the difference between climate and weather?

WEATHER DURING THE WEEK ENDING JANUARY 21, 2004
MAIN SYNOPTIC FEATURES

During the week two western disturbances affected the Western
Himalayan Region. The first western distrubances as an upper air system
lay over North Pakistan and neighbourhood on 15th. It moved over to
Jammu and Kashmir and neighbourhood on 16th and persisted over
the same area upto 19th. It moved away eastwards on 20th. Under its
influence an upper air cyclonic circulation developed at 0.9 km above
sea level over central Pakistan and adjoining Rajasthan on 16th, It
persisted over the same area on 17th, moved over to Haryana and
neighbourhood on 18th and became less marked on 19th. The second
western disturbance as an upper air system lay over North Pakistan
and neighbourhood on 20th. It moved over to Jammu and Kashmir
and neighbourhood on 21st. Under its influence an upper air cyclonic
circulation at 0.9 km above sea level formed over South Rajasthan and
neighbourhood on 20th. It persisted over the area on 21st.
An upper air cyclonic circulation at 0.9 km above sea level was
seen over North Madhya Maharashtra and neighbourhood on 19th. It
became less marked on 20th.

Another upper air cyclonic circulation at 0.9 km above sea level
was also seen over West Madhya Pradesh and neighbourhood on 21st.
Under the influence of these systems, light to moderate rain/snow
occurred at many places over Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal
Pradesh and isolated rain occurred in Uttaranchal. Light to moderate
rain/thundershowers also occurred at many places over Punjab and
Haryana including Delhi and at a few places over Rajastan and East
Uttar Pradesh during the week. Isolated light rain also occurred in
Saurashtra and Kutch, West Madhya Pradesh. Bihar, Sub-Himalayan
West Bengal and Sikkim and the North Eastern States.

Widespread fog occurred over parts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar
on 15th & 16th, parts of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan on 17th. Punjab,
Haryana, North Rajastan and part of West Uttar Pradesh and North
Madhya Pradesh on 18th, parts of Uttar Pradesh on 19th, Uttar Pradesh
and Bihar on 20th and over Bihar on 21st.
During the second half of the week, cold day conditions prevailed
over parts of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, where day
temperatures were below 16oC.

Maximum Temperature:
On 15th, maximum temperatures were above normal by 3-6oC
in most parts of the country, However. East Uttar Pradesh, Bihar,
Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and North Eastern States recorded 3-
6oC below normal temperatures. Thereafter, day temperatures fell over
North and North west India and they were below normal over whole of
North, Northwest and Western India by 21st. Temperatures were 6-
8oC below normal over North and Northwest India on 21st.

Minimum temperature:

The minimum temperatures were above normal over North and
Northwest India during the week. They were above normal by 4-6oC
over Rajasthan and parts of West Madhya Pradesh on a few days.

RAINFALL DURING THE WEEK

Rainfall was excess/normal in 6, deficient/scanty in 12
meteorological sub-divisions. 18 meteorological sub-divisional received
no rainfall out 36 meteorological sub-divisions.
CUMULATIVE SEASONAL RAINFALL
(January 1 to January 21, 2004)
Rainfall was excess/normal in 6, deficient/scanty in 24
meteorological sub-divisions. 6 meteorological subdivisions received
no rainfall out of 36 meteorological sub-divisions.

FORECAST FOR NEXT 24 HOURS
North : Rain/Snow at a few places in Jammu and Kashmir.
Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal. Weather will
be mainly dry in the rest of the region.
East : Isolated Rain/Thunder showers in Assam and
Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh, Weather will
be mainly dry in the rest of the region.
South : Isolated rain/thunder showers in Telengana, Tamilnadu,
Kerala and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Weather
will be mainly dry in the rest of the region.
West : Weather will he mainly dry in the region.
Outlook : Fog/mist likely to continue over parts of Northern
plains.
Warning : None

English essay for children - Green revolution

GREEN REVOLUTION

For many years after we got our independence, food
production went on decreasing steadily. This was mainly because
of drought and floods, and neglect of agriculture during the first
three Five - Year plan periods. Population also increased at a high
rate.

A great improvement was made in agriculture in 1967 - 68.
It is popularly known as the ‘Green Revolution’. The farmers now
follow new methods of farming. One such is the Japanese method
of cultivation. New high - yielding varieties of rice, wheat and
other grains have been developed in our Research Institutes.

These new strains need more water and more fertilisers than
the old ones. So, large irrigation facilities have been made. New
dams have been built and canals dug. Pump - sets have been erected
by the farmers for irrigation. Fertilisers are produced in factories
in large quantities. Tractors, harvesters, and threshers are also used.
All this has greatly increased food production in our country.
We no longer need to import food grain from foreign countries.

English essay for children - Green revolution

GREEN REVOLUTION
For many years after we got our independence, food
production went on decreasing steadily. This was mainly because
of drought and floods, and neglect of agriculture during the first
three Five - Year plan periods. Population also increased at a high
rate.

A great improvement was made in agriculture in 1967 - 68.
It is popularly known as the ‘Green Revolution’. The farmers now
follow new methods of farming. One such is the Japanese method
of cultivation. New high - yielding varieties of rice, wheat and
other grains have been developed in our Research Institutes.

These new strains need more water and more fertilisers than
the old ones. So, large irrigation facilities have been made. New
dams have been built and canals dug. Pump - sets have been erected
by the farmers for irrigation. Fertilisers are produced in factories
in large quantities. Tractors, harvesters, and threshers are also used.
All this has greatly increased food production in our country.
We no longer need to import food grain from foreign countries.

English writing skill - Essay writing exercise

Writing

Exercise: Imagine that you are travelling to Singapore as part of

a research team that is monitoring the outbreak of SARS.

Write a short essay on the outline provided:

Introduction: Why you are travelling/ how/ number of people

travelling with you/refer to SARS briefly

Body: Definition of the SARS virus

Brief classification of the other viruses of the same

family

Short description of SARS symptoms

Brief description of the type of research you will be

conducting

Conclusion: The summation of your findings and your proposals after

conducting the study

The return journey back to India