π Education and Humanity
π Ways with Words
A. Find the words from the text which mean the following.
| No. | Meaning | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| a. | a messenger or representative, especially one on a diplomatic mission | envoy |
| b. | the state or quality of being worthy of honor or respect | dignity |
| c. | harm done to someone in response to harm | revenge |
| d. | a person who holds extreme views in political or religious matters | extremist |
| e. | sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others | compassion |
| f. | a person who is believed to speak for God | prophet |
| g. | the study of the nature of knowledge, reality and existence | philosophy |
| h. | the use of physical force so as to injure, abuse, damage or destroy | violence |
| i. | an unreasonable dislike of a particular group of people or things | prejudice |
B. Match the words on the left with their opposite meanings on the right.
| Word | Opposite meaning |
|---|---|
| honour | disgrace |
| innocent | guilty |
| brutality | kindness |
| forgiveness | punishment |
| illiteracy | literacy |
C. Using Dictionary
a. Study the dictionary entry above and answer these questions.
i. What is the headword in the first entry?
=> Answer: The headword given in the first dictionary entry is Humanity.
ii. How many meanings of the word βhumanityβ are given?
=> Answer: The word 'humanity' is explained through four different meanings in the dictionary.
iii. What do the abbreviations U, OPP, pl, and sth stand for?
=> Answer: U represents uncountable, OPP represents opposite, pl represents plural and sth represents something.
iv. What is the British English spelling of βhumanizeβ?
=> Answer: The British English form of βhumanizeβ is humanise.
v. How is the word βhumanizeβ pronounced?
=> Answer: βHumanizeβ is pronounced /ΛhjuΛmΙnaΙͺz/.
vi. If we say Every person should have the sense of humanity, which meaning of βhumanityβ is applied?
=> Answer: In this context, humanity means the quality of showing kindness to people and animals while ensuring that they are not subjected to unnecessary suffering.
b. Arrange the following words in alphabetical order.
i. advance analysis amuse assure allergy attain aid anxiety acute agreement
=> Answer: acute, advance, agreement, aid, allergy, amuse, analysis, anxiety, assure, attain
ii. smoke small smart speaking smelling smoothly smuggler smashed smearing smallpox
=> Answer: small, smallpox, smart, smashed, speaking, smearing, smelling, smoke, smoothly, smuggler
iii. terminal terminate terminology termite terms terrace terrible terribly
=> Answer: terminal, terminate, terminology, terms, terrace, terrible, territory, terror
π Comprehension
a. Why did the speaker receive thousands of good-wishes cards and gifts from all over the world?
=> Answer: The speaker was attacked by the Taliban and suffered a gunshot wound on the left side of her forehead. She was taken to hospital for treatment and recovery. Her suffering touched people across the world, leading them to send thousands of cards expressing good wishes as well as various gifts.
b. According to the speaker, what are hundreds of human rights activists and social workers struggling for?
=> Answer: According to the speaker, numerous human rights activists and social workers are continuously working to accomplish the goals of education, peace and equality.
c. What has she learnt from Gandhi?
=> Answer: She has learned from Gandhi that nonviolence is an important means of dealing with injustice and conflict.
d. In what sense is peace necessary for education?
=> Answer: Peace provides children with the security they need to learn. In a peaceful situation, students can attend school without fear and devote their attention to their studies. If violence and conflict prevail, children may hesitate to go to school and their concentration can also be disturbed. Therefore, qualitative education requires a peaceful environment.
e. According to the speaker, what are the main problems faced by both men and women?
=> Answer: The major challenges identified by the speaker are poverty, ignorance, injustice, racism and deprivation of basic rights. These difficulties affect both men and women.
f. What is Malala calling upon all governments?
=> Answer: Malala appeals to governments around the world to guarantee free education for every child. She further asks them to combat terrorism and violence and to protect children from brutality and harm.
g. What is the main message of this speech?
=> Answer: The speech conveys that education can serve as a powerful weapon against illiteracy, terrorism, violence and the denial of fundamental human rights. Therefore, ensuring education for every child should be regarded as a primary duty of governments throughout the world.
π Critical Thinking
a. βAll children have the right to quality education. How can we ensure this right to every child? Discuss the role of the government and the parents to make sure that every child can attend school.β
ΰ€ΰ€€ΰ₯ΰ€€ΰ€° :
Quality education is an important requirement for the progress of individuals and society. To guarantee this opportunity to every child, both public authorities and families must contribute actively.
Role of Government:
β’ The government can provide financial support to families with limited income, including subsidies for school fees.
β’ It should ensure fairness in education by improving the standard of public schools and making sure that learners receive quality knowledge.
β’ Teachers should be provided with proper salaries so that they remain encouraged and dedicated to their educational responsibilities.
β’ The government should regularly examine the syllabus and eliminate outdated material that may create confusion or mislead teachers and learners.
Roles of Parents:
β’ Children often imitate their parents, so parents should display good learning habits and become positive examples for them.
β’ Parents should communicate with their children about school experiences and discuss memories connected with their own school life.
β’ They should help children establish an organized daily routine and set aside adequate time for their studies.
β’ Parents should create a peaceful and pleasant atmosphere at home where children can study without unnecessary disturbance.
b. Do you think that there is still discrimination between sons and daughters in terms of providing education in our country? What strategies do you suggest to overcome such discrimination against girls?
ΰ€ΰ€€ΰ₯ΰ€€ΰ€° :
Yes, discrimination in educational opportunities between sons and daughters still exists in Nepal. Although the government provides free education through government schools, many people consider its quality inadequate when compared with private education. Public schools generally have fewer resources, while private schools are often regarded as offering better educational opportunities. Because of this difference, some families send daughters to government schools but provide their sons with the opportunity to attend private schools.
Such inequality is rooted in the history of gender-based marginalization in Nepalese society. Some parents believe that daughters will leave their parental family after marriage and will therefore be unable to care for them in their old age. Another traditional assumption is that males are physically, mentally and politically stronger than females. These beliefs encourage families to spend more on their sons' education while offering girls comparatively poorer opportunities.
The following measures can be adopted to reduce discrimination against girls:
- β’Gender biases should be ended.
- β’Women should be given platforms to be in power and achieve economic success.
- β’Violence and sexual assault against women should be ended.
- β’The preference for the son should be removed from the peopleβs psychology.
- β’Money given in the name of dowry should be invested in the girl's education.
c. A Chinese philosopher Confucius said, βIf your plan is for one year, plant rice; if your plan is for ten years, plant trees; if your plan is for one hundred years, educate children.β What is the meaning of this saying? Elaborate this with examples.
ΰ€ΰ€€ΰ₯ΰ€€ΰ€° :
Confucius's statement explains that different objectives require different lengths of time and different levels of commitment. Rice represents a short-term investment because its result can be obtained within a year. Trees symbolize a longer investment whose benefits appear over a period of about ten years. Educating children represents an even greater long-term investment because its full impact may become visible only after many years.
The quotation particularly emphasizes the lasting value of education. Education does not usually bring all its benefits immediately. Instead, it gradually develops a person's knowledge, abilities, character and capacity to contribute to society.
For instance, a child who receives quality education today can become a skilled and responsible citizen in the future. Such educated individuals can participate in the development of their nation and contribute to building a civilized society. In this way, spending resources on children's education is an investment that can produce benefits for an entire country over the long term.
π€ Grammar
Classify the underlined words into different word classes.
a. The man who is wearing glasses is my uncleβs friend.
=> Answer: who β pronoun
b. I bought a round table in the supermarket.
=> Answer: round β adjective
c. Alas, she is dead.
=> Answer: Alas β interjection
d. Hari works very hard all the time but his wife is very lazy.
=> Answer: hard β adverb
e. I have never been to Japan.
=> Answer: never β adverb
f. Ann drove a car safely.
=> Answer: Ann β Noun
g. Nobody has claimed it.
=> Answer: nobody β pronoun
h. She cut her hand with a knife.
=> Answer: her β determiner
i. They have postponed the program because of rain.
=> Answer: have β verb
j. Everybody comes to the party.
=> Answer: everybody β pronoun
k. All such people ought to be avoided.
=> Answer: all β determiner
l. All of the food has gone.
=> Answer: all β pronoun
m. What was that noise?
=> Answer: what β pronoun
n. One must not boast of one's own success.
=> Answer: one β pronoun
o. Nobody was there to rescue the child.
=> Answer: nobody β pronoun
p. Neither of the accusations is true.
=> Answer: neither β pronoun
q. Neither answer is correct.
=> Answer: neither β determiner
r. Here is the book that you lent me.
=> Answer: here β adverb
s. Without health there is no happiness.
=> Answer: without β proposition