UNIT-4 LIVE AND LET LIVE

UNIT 4         LIVE AND LET LIVE
LESSON-1 WHEN SAPLING IS PLANTED
By Wangari Maathai
This lesson is a speech delivered by the well-known African environmentalist Wangari maathai after accepting the Nobel Prize for peace in 2004. In this lesson she advises us to have a sensitive and reverential love for nature.
MAIN POINTS:
·         Expresses the sensitive and reverential love for nature
·         Dedicates the Nobel Prize to the women and children of Kenya
·         Encourages the women and children of Kenya to take up leadership.
·         Speaks about the damages and changes caused by deforestation
·         Remarks the danger of introducing commercial farming to the environment.
·         Price of export is controlled by International trade. It affects the income of the people.
·         Local people suffer so much and they can’t meet their basic needs.
·         Thus the quality of life is disturbed when the environment is destroyed.
·         Speaks of the importance of planting trees as a remedy for this.
·         Wangari Mathaai planted 30 million trees together with the members of the Green Belt Movement.
·         As a result of Green Belt Movement employment opportunities were created .
·         In Kenya the tree became a symbol of peace.
·         She speaks of the urgency to heal the wounds of mother earth.
·         Underlines the importance of sustainable management of environment.
·         Exhorts the young generation to bring back the biodiversity of the past.
·         It will ensure our children to enjoy the world of beauty and wonder.
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS:-
1. Imagine that you are selected as the best NSS Activist by the NSS cell of Higher Secondary Education. You would be honoured by the Education Minister in the presence of the director, Higher Secondary Education and other dignitaries. You are supposed to deliver a speech that you would deliver.
A) Honourable Chief guests on the dias, Respected teachers and my dear friends, A warm good morning to one and all….
Today I am very much honoured by standing here to receive the prize for the best NSS activist. As I stand here my memories go back to the past. I recall the day when I expressed my views about conserving nature and save mother Earth to my loving parents by joining in the NSS organization. I am very much thankful to God and my loving parents for the kind of support rendered on me.
As a NSS Activist, my priority was to conserve and save nature by retaining its beauty for the upcoming generation. We should always think of our fore-fathers who sacrificed their valuable time for the conservation of nature. NSS has helped me a lot to conserve the rich natural heritage.
I take this auspices occasion as a time to inspire others. Let it be an inspiration to many to come for the protection of nature. I believe in the power of youth to do great wonder. I wish all the youngsters to devote their valuable time to bring the best in conserving our motherland and ourselves.
“Let’s not nip the buds, let it bossom”. Let’s stand together, join our hands to bring out the best and protect environment
2. Look at the following collage. Write a short paragraph describing the hazards it presents.
A) This collage gives us a clear picture of the environmental disasters and the increasing hazards. It helps us to think about our attitude to nature. Today people are trying to live in new generation making changes in their style of life. As a result people witness for earthquakes, droughts, deforestation etc. Men are very busy to make development without caring nature. The above collage makes us think about our selfish nature. Flats and large buildings make the environment a difficult place to live. It really upsets the balance of nature. Nature loses its natural beauty and thereby our earth becomes a dangerous place to live. The recent floods occurred in Chennai are the result of men’s selfish nature. The buildings and the new development degrade the capacity of the soil. The harmful gases and smokes make the environment a hell. People become to be rich by any means. They are ready to make any investment in the name of development. Thus this collage really makes us think about our wrong attitude to nature and to work for the better environment.
3. ’We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect,’’ says Aldo Leopold. How far do you agree with this view? Prepare a write-up in not more than 50 words in the light of your understanding of the speech ‘When a Sapling is Planted’ by Wangari Maathai.
                                    LOVE OUR MOTHER EARTH TO LIVE LONGER
It is the need of the hour to conserve our indigenous nature. In the Nobel prize acceptance speech, Wangari Maathai insists youth and others to save our homeland and restore the world of tadpoles. I do agree with the statement of Aldo Leopold completely. Since present day society sees land as a commodity to buy and sell, the above advice assumes so much importance. We always try to abuse nature. We have lost the love our ancestors had to the nature. Aldo rightly puts it in his words. As Wangari Maathai stated, the green belt movement was started for the restoration of plants. But it has has been branched up to other fields like democracy, politics and so on. She speaks about the loss, this generation would face. We would not be able to give our next generation what we have already received from our fore-fathers. We should try to consider nature as a social sphere to live as a community. Here the speech is mainly addressed to the children and women of Kenya because women are the most vulnerable persons in any community. She adds that our environment is a part of our culture. She cites an example to support this view. The elders of the Kikuyu carried a staff from the thigi tree. Placing a branch of thigi tree is meant to stop the dispute between two conflicts. Such practices are really conserving nature and they even promote peace. Wangari Maathai took the challenge of planting thirty millions of trees for achieving this dream. She invites everyone to take the challenge of restoring the homes of tadpoles and gift the future generation its beauty and wonder.
4. You are greatly honoured by the activities of the Green Belt Movement but you decide on to launch a similar movement in your School to ensure a green campus. In order to collect more information regarding their activities, you decide to write a letter to the head of the Green Belt Movement. Prepare the letter of enquiry. ( Hints: Their activities-websites/ books giving details-support given to local units)
FROM
NAME
MEDICAL LINE
ERNAKULAM
TO
THE HEAD OF DEPARTMENT
GREEN BELT MOVEMENT
ERNAKULAM
Sub:- TO COLLECT MORE INFORMATION ON ACTIVITIES OF GREEN BELT MOVEMENT
I am a Plus Two student studying in Florida School in Chennai. I am planning to launch a movement named “Ever Green earth” I am very much inspired by your activities on Green Belt Movement. I know your organization focuses on planting trees, environment conservation and women’s rights. I also want to implement a green Campus in our School by collecting more information about your activities.
I would like to know about the websites of Green Belt Movement and the books on it. I am also interested to know the kind of support given by your organization to local units. I hope you would forward us all the information to my E mail id
Thanking you in advance
Yours faithfully
NAME & SIGNATURE
5. A seminar was conducted in your School on the topic ‘Maintaining the ecological balance in the modern world’ as per the following programme. Read it carefully and prepare a report of the seminar.
                                                      ABC HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL
                                                                     KOTTAYAM
                                                                        SEMINAR
  VENUE : School Auditorium
  Time :     10.00 am                                                                                                         DATE: 20/06/2016
                                                PROGRAMME

Prayer                             : School Choir
Welcome Speech         : Sri Joshy Thomas, The Principal of the School                                                                                                     
Presidential Address : Sri Mohankumar, The President of the Local Body
Inaugural Address     : Smt. Radha Menon, Environmental activist
Paper Presentation   : 1. Master Amal Dev
                                          2.  Kum.Shanti Thomas
                                          3. Master Basheer K
                                          4. Kum.Daisy Koshy

Interactive Session :

Vote of Thanks         : Master Francis Cyriac, Chairman of the School




REPORT OF THE SEMINAR
A wonderful and enlightening seminar was conducted in our School on the topic “Maintaining the ecological balance in the modern world” on 20th June 2016 at 10 am in the School auditorium. The programme was started with a prayer by the School choir. It was followed by the welcome speech by Sri Joshy Thomas, the Principal of the School. The presidential address was done by Sri.Mohankumar, the President of the Local Body. After the Presidential Address the seminar was officially inaugurated by the famous Environmental activist Smt. Radha Menon. It was followed by the Paper Presentation. First Paper was presented by Master Amal Dev. He presented the paper in a clear manner highlighting the importance of maintaining the ecological balance in the modern world. After his presentation, Kumari. Shanit Thomas, Master Basheer K and Kum. Daisy Koshy also presented their papers in an effective manner. Then there was an interactive session for ten minutes. Some of the students actively participated in this session by asking questions and clearing their doubts. Finally vote of thanks was done by the Chairman of the School Master Francis Cyriac and the School Choir did the National Anthem.
                                                            RICE - A Poem by Chemmanam Chacko
MAIN POINTS:-
·         Expresses his protest against social injustice and corruption
·         Criticizes the farmers and the authorities for their selfish nature to environment.
·         Speaks about the pathetic condition of depending on other states for rice, fruits and vegetables.
·         The first half of the poem gives us a nostalgic picture of the past.
·         The poet returns to his little village after four years of research work in North India.
·         The poet thinks of his father working in the paddy fields soiled with mud.
·         He imagines his younger brother holding the saplings in his hand.
·         The poet’s mouth waters thinking about the ‘athikira’ rice of his fields.
·         He imagines his father, mother, oxen and his brother welcoming him.
·         He gets impatient and wants the train to move faster.
·         When he reached his village he is shocked. He sees the whole area planted with rubber trees.
·         He notices his father installing a machine to make rubber sheets.
·         Father tells him about the profit of rubber cultivation.
·         He sees his brother arriving home from the ration shop. He trips on something and the wheat is scattered.
·         Eating ‘adhikira’ rice remains only his dream.
 remains as a dream.
·         In the end we see a plane flies over the rubber plants. It was the Chief Minister going to the centre to ask for more grains to the state.
·         The poem ends with an ironic note. The poet predicts that they will have to beg to the centre even for husks to make toys for children
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS:-
1. ‘My little brother runs in to meet me-
     I, eager to have a full meal of athikira rice.
     He’s carrying the rations for the whole household-
      Tips over something and scatters the wheat all over the yard.’
     Bring out the satirical element in the above lines taken from the poem’Rice’.
A) In the poem “Rice” by renowned poet Chemmanam Chacko clearly depicts the selfish and greedy nature of the farmers. The poem is packed with sarcasm and scorn. He is shocked to comprehend the truth that the farmers have stopped agriculture to start commercial crops. After four years of research in North India, he returns home with a doctoral degree. He longs for having a meal of athikira rice. He was completely fed up by eating chapaties of North India. But much against his expectation he finds that his native land is feeding on the wheat. He is even greeted by his brother carrying ration for the entire family. We get a clear picture of the modern society. Food crops are replaced by the cash crops.  Farmers find it very terrible to go to fields well –dressed. Besides their desire to lead a luxurious life is very clear in this poem. The image of the poet’s brother running in with the ration, tripping and falling down is very much satirical. This kind of satire really suits the theme. Today we get our food grains, vegetables and fruits from neighbouring states. We can see a society where people want to catch fish without wetting their fingers. People don’t want to have the good virtue of hard work. The contrast between the reality and the expectation is depicted here.
Read the following lines from the poem Rice and answer the questions.
My father says, with obvious pride: ‘Son, we’ve stopped working on all the rice.
It was quite inconvenient. The farmer gained nothing- only fools turn to rice-farming for gain.
This is better money-what good times! The government gives rice to those who don’t have paddyfields.’
2 What was the poet’s father doing when he arrived?
A) The poet’s father was watching people setting up a machine for making rubber sheets.
3. ‘Only fools turn to rice-farming for gain’. Why did the father say so?
A) The father says so because nobody promotes the farming of rice. Rice farming was considered as inconvenient. Besides the farmers gained nothing. Rubber brought better money for them. Above all the government gives rice to those who have no paddy fields.
4. Bring out the satirical element in the above lines.
A) Chemmanam Chacko is a master satirist. When there is shortage of rice, people rush towards cash crops like rubber. For this they get support from government. It is really satirical when father says with pride to his son that they have stopped working on rice. The excuse ‘Only fools turn to rice-farming for gain’ also makes the readers laugh at the terrible condition. The dependence of the state to the centre for getting more rice again is a sharp criticism. It is again satirical when we read the line the government gives rice to those who don’t have any paddyfields. It is a pity that the people are ruled more by their greed and consumerism.
5. Read the following lines from the poem and note how the poet has satirized the shift from paddy cultivation to rubber planting.
‘My father says with obvious pride:
Son, we’ve stopped working on all the rice.
It was quite inconvenient’
Cite other instances of satire in the poem.
A) ‘Only fools turn to rice farming for gain.
   This is better money-what good times!’
In these lines the poet is criticizing the farmers very humorously about their efforts to get profits. They are not thinking about the negative impact it would bring in future.
We have other lines in the poem
“Can we get some husk from the centre too,
To make toys with it? I don’t know’
The poet means that a time will come when we will have to beg for husks from the centre. It is really a warning and reminds us to be careful to save our paddy fields for the next generation.
                                    DANGERS OF DRUG ABUSE  BY DR. HARDIN B  JONES
·         It is an essay written by Dr.Hardin B Jones
·         It is a warning against the excessive use of drugs.
·         Speaks about the people’s wrong notion of pills to cure any disease.
·         People use stimulant drugs at the time of nervousness.
·         People use drugs both at depressed time and good time.
·         It is only to forget the problems the people use drugs.
·         Medicines should be distinguished from sensual drugs
·         Accoring to Hippocrates, the Father of medicine, a remedy should treat not only the diseases but also the constitution of the patient.
·         The sensual drugs stimulate the brain’s pleasure centres and gets a strong sense of pleasure
·         Drugs really upset our sensations, moods, thoughts and actions.
·         Drugs never give total satisfaction.
·         There are lot of drug disorders.
·         Dirty needles and solutions can cause abscesses in the arms and veins.
·         The excessive use of drugs can cause liver disease, venereal disease and infection of the kidney and brain.
·         Sniffing cocaine and amphetamines can damage the tissue of the nose.
·         Marijuana and tobacco smoking can cause lung diseases.
·         Cocaine and amphetamines cause hair fall.
·         Marijuana can damage cells.
·         A drug addict will be troubled by pneumonia, tuberculosis, mal-nutrition and weight loss.
·         Overdose of any sensual drug can cause respiratory or cardiac failure and death.

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS:
1. As part of sensitizing your friends on the harmful effects of drugs on the human body, you decide to collect information on the overuse of drugs and its health hazards. Write a letter to the department of health, enquiring about the various health hazards caused by drug abuse.
A) FROM
            NAME
            ABC H S S
            Sivaji Nagar
            Kottayam
TO
            The Director
            Public Health Department
            Kerala.
Sir,
Sub:- To know various health hazards caused by drug abuse
I am very happy to say that I am a Plus Two student in a reputed School of the city. As a student-counselor of this School, I would be very happy if you could provide me with more information about the over use of drugs and its health hazards. Very recently, I came to know that my friend Abijith is in the verge of being a drug addict. I want to stop him from his bad habit.
According to Indian scenario, the new curse attacking our society is the menace of drug abuse. It is spreading in our culture than any other social evils. The young generation is very much addicted to this and they become the victims of loneliness and depression. People get different health problems like liver sclerosis, Cancer, etc…. It makes the people unfit and self-centered. Most of the confusions take place in our State due to this excessive use of drugs. So I humbly request you to share me some more information about this.
I am looking forward to hearing from you. I am waiting for a positive reply soon.
Yours faithfully                                                                                                          IDUKKI
NAME & SIGNATURE                                                                                                                DATE


2. “Damage to brain is the most subtle, most often unrecognized and least understood consequence of drug abuse.” Prepare an essay on the topic “The Hazards of Drug abuse.”(March 2016)

A) Drug abuse is a serious menace disturbing our modern society.  It has become a trend today to indulge in drugs. Teenagers and the youngsters are mainly affected by this. The addiction of drugs is also a growing menace. It has a negative effect on the mental and physical health of the individual. Alcohol, heroine, cocaine, opium, marijuana are some of the drugs abused by the people.

Generally the youth seem to be the target of this drug menace and its abuse. Curiosity, peer pressure and availability of drugs such as cigarettes and alcohol are the immediate cause of drug abuse. The ‘naked’ advertisement of alcohol, cigarettes and other non-medicated drugs influence the youngsters to get addicted to it.

“Curiosity”, it is said “kills the cat”. The youth of today are very curious. This curiosity becomes fatal and it leads to their death. Many youth indulge in drug-trafficking. Today a lot of youth are involved in the drug trade. It has become the attitude of the youth, “make money quick”.

Prolonged use of drugs affects the user’s judgement and thinking ability. This leads to complex social, medical and psychological pro blems. Certain drugs such as alcohol and marijuana tend to arouse the sexual feelings of the user.

Drug addicts lose money and health. One who is addicted to it can not do without it. They lose the joy of life. They often pilfer money from house. Sometimes they seek it by unlawful means.  A drug abuse person loses his confidence and self-esteem. He finds it difficult to behave normally in social environment. Drug-consumption leads to violence in the society.

Children in schools around the world should be encouraged to participate in the drug education. The principle, ‘say no to drugs, say yes to life’ should be encouraged in the schools.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

APPRECIATION OF ALL PLUS ONE TEXT POEMS.....

PLUS ONE NOTES FOR LITERACY MISSION PLUS ONE ENGLISH NOTES UNIT 1 - UNIT 3

PLUS TWO ENGLISH TEXT NOTES LITERACY MISSION PREPARED BY JOY PETER C 2019/2020