📖 Understanding the Text
=> Answer: the following questions:**
a. Who is the speaker in the poem?
=> Answer: The speaker in the poem is Corona.
b. Who claims that they are superior to all?
=> Answer: The humans of this modern world claim that they are superior to all.
c. Why has the speaker come to the Earth?
=> Answer: The speaker has come to Earth because human beings have misused, exploited, and harmed nature through their activities.
d. What positive changes have occurred on Earth after the speaker's visit?
=> Answer: The speaker's presence has brought some positive effects to the environment. The sky has become cleaner because the amount of dust and smoke has decreased. People have been confined to their homes and have experienced a life similar to animals kept in zoo cages. The reduced human activity has also given the earth a chance to rest for some time.
📚 Reference to the Context
a. What does the speaker mean when he says:
But have you ever counted
How many have died so far
Because of you and your wars?
=> Answer: The speaker reminds human beings that they are also responsible for enormous suffering through wars. Human conflicts have resulted in the deaths of millions of people as well as the destruction of property. Such conflicts often arise from competition for land and resources or from the desire of governments to expand their power, influence, and authority. Those who become involved in warfare frequently ignore the terrible consequences suffered by ordinary people. Even after wars end, their victims may continue to experience physical injuries and psychological trauma.
b. Explain the following:
I will depart one day.
But remember
There’re many others like me.
They’ll come too.
If you don’t get rid of your inflated ego,
You’ll be back to your cave time
That you endured
Long, long, long ago …
=> Answer: These lines carry a strong warning for human beings to give up their excessive pride and change their destructive behaviour. The speaker makes it clear that humans cannot continually violate the natural order without facing harmful consequences. Corona may disappear one day, but other dangerous diseases can appear in the future if people continue to damage nature and behave irresponsibly. If humanity fails to control its ego and respect natural laws, such consequences could become severe enough to threaten the existence of human civilization and return people to a primitive way of life.
c. What does the speaker mean in the following lines? Explain.
The earth is not your property alone -
It’s as much ours as yours.
=> Answer: The speaker means that the earth is a shared home belonging to all living beings. Human beings are not the sole owners of its natural resources because animals, plants, and other organisms also depend on the earth for their survival. Despite this, humans have considered themselves superior and have taken control of nature for their own interests. In pursuing development and progress, they have destroyed the habitats and food sources of other creatures. Continued exploitation of nature gradually disturbs ecological balance and causes damage to the entire ecosystem.
🌍 Reference Beyond the Text
a. What human behaviours are responsible for suffering in people's lives?
=> Answer: Human beings themselves are responsible for many of the difficulties and sufferings found in the world. Their arrogance, greed, selfishness, and harmful actions have created different kinds of crises. Human conflicts have led to wars that have claimed the lives of countless people. Likewise, irresponsible treatment of nature has contributed to environmental and health-related problems. People often give priority to their personal interests without considering the welfare of others or the natural world. Therefore, many forms of human suffering are consequences of human behaviour.
b. How does an epidemic differ from a pandemic? Briefly explain the impact of Corona Virus on human life and environment.
=> Answer: An epidemic refers to a disease that spreads among a large number of people within a particular population or geographical region. A pandemic has a wider reach, as it spreads across large geographical areas and affects a significant proportion of people in different regions or countries. An epidemic occurs when an infectious agent encounters enough susceptible hosts and can be effectively transmitted from its source to them.
Coronavirus became a major threat to human life in the twenty-first century. It caused the deaths of numerous people and created widespread panic and psychological fear. Economic activities were badly affected, businesses declined, and many people became jobless or homeless. Shortages of food and other necessities also caused serious difficulties for many people.
The pandemic also brought some temporary benefits to the environment. Since people remained inside their houses, many industries were closed or operated at reduced capacity, while the number of vehicles on roads decreased. As human activities declined, pollution was reduced, allowing the environment to become cleaner and the air fresher than before.