🧠 Critical Thinking
📚 Working with Words
A. Find the words from the text that match with the following meanings.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| a. Shuffle | Walking by dragging one's feet along or without lifting them fully from the ground |
| b. Doodle | Drawing pictures or patterns while thinking about something else |
| c. Plaque | A piece of flat metal with writing on it |
| d. Precepts | A general rule intended to regulate behavior or thought |
| e. Sneaky | Move or go in a furtive or stealthy way |
B. Consult your teacher and define the following thinking skills.
a. Convergent thinking
=> Answer: Convergent thinking refers to a way of solving problems in which a person narrows down the possibilities and reaches one definite or most appropriate answer. Its purpose is to identify the single answer that is generally considered correct.
b. Divergent thinking
=> Answer: Divergent thinking is an approach to thinking that encourages the generation of numerous ideas and possible answers. It allows a person to explore several alternatives quickly and connect ideas in unusual or imaginative ways.
c. Critical thinking
=> Answer: Critical thinking means carefully studying facts and evidence before reaching a conclusion. It requires a person to examine information logically, fairly, and without allowing personal bias to influence the judgment.
d. Creative thinking
=> Answer: Creativity is the capacity to develop an idea or thought that is original, appealing, and useful. Creative thinking helps individuals move beyond conventional approaches and formulate fresh and unusual ideas.
📖 Comprehension
✏️ Answer the following questions.
a. Who was Jack? How did he make children laugh?
=> Answer: Jack was a cheerful and well-liked child who was surrounded by many friends. He often entertained other children by sharing jokes, which made them laugh and enjoy his company.
b. Why are “Sharks” important to Reid?
=> Answer: Reid considers sharks significant because they contribute to the cleanliness of the ocean by eating organisms that have died.
c. What does Mr. Browne think about the most important thing?
=> Answer: Mr. Browne considers self-knowledge to be extremely important. In his view, a person should recognize his or her own character, examine personal qualities, and continually work toward becoming a better person.
d. What is that has not been noticed by the student?
=> Answer: The student had overlooked the message placed on the notice board near the school's entrance. The message read, “Know Thyself.”
e. How did Jack make fun of the English class?
=> Answer: Jack humorously mocked the English class when the teacher asked, “Why are you here?” Instead of giving a serious response, he replied that they were there simply to attend an English class.
f. What were the students going to do at the end of the month?
=> Answer: The students planned to compose an essay at the end of the month, using Mr. Browne's precept as the subject of their writing.
g. What particular act of students surprised a girl student?
=> Answer: The girl student found it surprising that the students developed individual precepts of their own, wrote those principles on postcards, and sent the postcards to Mr. Browne after they had graduated.
🧠 Critical Thinking
a. Have you made your own precept after you read this lesson? What is it? Share it with your friends.
-> Answer: Yes, I have developed some personal precepts after studying this lesson. They are:
- •“Success is temporary but failure is permanent.”
- •“Always stay positive.”
- •“Believe in karma rather than fate.”
- •“Anything that happens, happens for good.”
b. According to Josh Lanyon, “If there was one life skill everyone on the planet needed, it was the ability to think with critical objectivity.” Justify this statement with your logic.
-> Answer: Josh Lanyon's idea presents critical objectivity as a fundamental ability that people require in their everyday lives. Being able to look at circumstances fairly, distinguish facts from assumptions, and reach sensible conclusions enables individuals to respond to situations more wisely.
Human progress has always depended partly on people's willingness to question, investigate, and reconsider existing ideas. The development of different skills and inventions has been supported by careful examination of problems and the use of logical judgment. These practices reflect the value of critical thinking and objective reasoning.
This ability is relevant to almost every area of human life. A person who can assess information without being dominated by emotions, prejudice, or personal preferences is more capable of making sound choices and dealing with difficulties effectively. Thus, critical and objective thinking contributes greatly to personal development as well as the wider progress of humanity.
✍️ Writing
Write an email to your friend explaining an interesting class you had.
Ans:
From: binodkumar12@gmail.com
To: shristi2011@gmail.com
Subject: Interesting class that I had
Dear Shristi,
I hope this message finds you healthy and cheerful. I am doing quite well here. I am writing to tell you about my experience with my English classes.
Among all the subjects I studied throughout my school years, English gave me an especially enjoyable and rewarding experience. I understood the subject well and regularly achieved the highest marks in my class. Besides teaching me the fundamentals of English during middle school, those classes also helped shape personal qualities that continued to influence my educational interests later in life.
During my middle-school years, I would become excited whenever I knew that an English lesson was scheduled for the following morning. The thought of spending another enjoyable 45 minutes in the classroom made me look forward to it. Unlike subjects such as Science, Nepali, and Mathematics, English encouraged me to create an interest group related to English on social media. That group later proved very useful during my university studies. Even now, I feel that few classes have motivated me as strongly to pursue scientific results.
English lessons also taught me how valuable cooperation with classmates can be. I believe this experience helped develop the spirit of teamwork that became important when I entered my career as an engineer. I still remember my English teachers from both primary and high school. They were remarkably patient and supportive. Whenever I experienced repeated failures, they encouraged me to continue rather than give up. Their guidance gave me confidence and helped me develop the mental discipline necessary for achieving success.
Since English was the class I enjoyed most, I would like to finish my email here.
Regards,
Binod Kumar
🔤 Grammar
📝 Rewrite the following sentences adding appropriate question tags.
a. Gill does not know Ann, does he?
b. I’m very patient, aren't I?
c. They’d never met me before, had they?
d. Listen carefully, will you?
e. Let’s have a break, shall we?
f. Let us invite them, will you?
g. Hari used to live in France as a boy, didn't he?
h. You’d better not take a hard drink, had you?
i. Sheep eat grass, don't they?
j. Mr. Pande can speak nine languages, can't he?
k. She’s finished her classes, hasn't she?
l. She barely managed to reach the goal, did she?
m. Don’t let him swim in that pond, will you?
n. There are lots of people here, aren't there?
💬 Read the following situations. What do you say in these situations? Use question tags.
a. The sky is full of cloud. You can see lightning and hear thunder.
=> Answer: It’s going to rain soon, isn't it?
b. You want to pay the taxi fare but you are short by 100 rupees.
=> Answer: Shyam, you have to lend me Rs. 100, haven't you?
c. You have met a stranger at a party and you want to have a chat with him/her.
=> Answer: We will talk later, won't we?
d. You came out of the film hall with your friend. You enjoyed the film.
=> Answer: The film was very enjoyable, wasn't it?
e. You and your friend listened to a comedian on the stage and felt spellbound by his/her performance.
=> Answer: He gave an excellent presentation, didn't he?
f. You think your friend’s father has arrived from the US but you are not sure.
=> Answer: Your father has not arrived from US, has he?
g. You think Susan will join the new job tomorrow but you are not sure.
=> Answer: Susan will go to her new job tomorrow, won't she?
h. Your friend’s hair looks too short.
=> Answer: You have got too short hair, haven't you?
i. You want to go for a picnic with your friends in class.
=> Answer: Let’s go to picnic, shall we?
j. You want permission from your father to go for a walk.
=> Answer: Let me go for an evening walk, will you?