🌿 Ecology and Development
📚 Ways with Words
A. Match the words with their meanings.
| Words | Meanings |
|---|---|
| Constituency | electoral district |
| Pursue | to follow in an effort to overtake or capture |
| Infiltrate | to enter or gain access to (an organization, place, etc.) secretly and gradually |
| Nomadic | living the life of roaming |
| Anatomy | art of studying the different parts of any organized body |
| Subversive | seeking or intended to overthrow an established system or institution |
C. Make two other words by using each prefix given above and use them in sentences.
mal
mis
un
in
pre
il
dis
im
re
ir
de
non
📖 Comprehension
a. What did Maathai decide to do for the community?
=> Answer: Maathai planned to create employment opportunities for members of the community.
b. Mention the problems faced by women in Kenya.
=> Answer: Kenyan women experienced several difficulties, including poor nutrition, insufficient supplies of food and safe water, unemployment, and the worsening problem of soil erosion.
c. Why did the speaker go to the women to talk about planting trees?
=> Answer: The speaker approached the women because environmental problems were having a direct effect on their daily lives. They were especially affected by the shortage of firewood, inadequate food and water, malnutrition, unemployment, and soil erosion. Their concern for their children's lives and future also encouraged the speaker to involve them in tree planting.
d. What is the most important achievement of the movement described in the text?
=> Answer: The greatest success of the movement was the empowerment of women. They gained useful knowledge and practical skills, became more self-reliant, and started passing their newly acquired knowledge on to others.
e. Why were the foresters’ ways not helpful to the women for planting trees?
=> Answer: The foresters' techniques did not suit the women because they turned an uncomplicated task into something unnecessarily difficult. Instead of presenting tree planting as a simple practical activity, they complicated matters such as collecting seeds and planting them.
f. When and how did she start The Green Belt Movement?
=> Answer: She launched The Green Belt Movement on World Environment Day by planting the first seven trees.
g. Why do the donors want to provide money to the women?
=> Answer: The donors were willing to give financial assistance because the women's work was achieving satisfactory and encouraging results.
h. What happened when the speaker criticized the political leadership?
=> Answer: After criticizing the political leadership, the speaker was described as a subversive person.
i. Mention the agencies that supported her movement.
=> Answer: The agencies that supported her movement are:
- •United Nations Development Fund for Women
- •Danish Voluntary Fund
- •Norwegian Agency for International Development
- •African Development Foundation
💭 Critical Thinking
a. Do you think that the title “Foresters without Diplomas” is suitable to the essay? How?
Ans:
Yes, the title “Foresters without Diplomas” appropriately represents the main idea of the essay. The women involved in the movement had no formal forestry qualifications, yet they gradually learned how to perform important forestry-related activities.
At first, professional foresters were brought in to teach the women how to grow trees. Their formal training caused them to explain the process in a complicated manner. Activities that could have been performed simply, such as collecting seeds and planting trees, were made difficult by their approach.
The writer and her colleagues later demonstrated easier and more practical methods. The women began looking for seeds in their own surroundings and learned to identify young plants that had grown from naturally fallen seeds. Through experience and shared learning, they became capable of carrying out tree-growing activities themselves.
Thus, although the women had no academic diplomas in forestry, their practical knowledge and experience enabled them to function like foresters. The title therefore captures both their lack of formal qualifications and their successful practical achievement.
b. Can a person make a difference in a society? Discuss with an example from a person who has made a difference in your society.
Ans:
Yes, an individual can influence society in a meaningful way. Major social problems may appear too large for one person to solve, but change can begin with the vision and persistent effort of a single individual. Determination, creativity, knowledge, and willingness to act can allow one person's contribution to reach a very large number of people.
Dr. Jonas Salk is one such example. His development of the polio vaccine helped protect countless people from a dangerous disease. Thomas Edison also made an important contribution to society through his work on electric lighting, which influenced modern life.
These examples prove that a person's work does not have to remain limited to his or her immediate surroundings. When an individual applies knowledge and determination to a useful purpose, the resulting contribution can benefit society on a much wider scale. Therefore, one committed person can become a powerful source of positive change.
c. Write an essay on 'The Community Forest in Nepal'. Describe how these community forests have contributed to maintain ecology in our environment.
Ans:
🌳 The Community Forest in Nepal
The Community Forestry Program of Nepal is an important model of environmental management based on the participation of local people. It brings together government policies, community institutions, and practical management methods to address two major concerns: the conservation of forests and the reduction of poverty. Because agriculture provides livelihoods for a large portion of Nepal's population, community forestry has become closely connected with rural development.
The program has undergone considerable development over a long period. Initially, its main purpose was to safeguard forests. Gradually, its objectives expanded to include responsible use of forest resources, development of forest-related enterprises, and improvement of people's livelihoods. By April 2009, around one-third of Nepal's population had become involved in the program, while local communities were directly managing more than one-fourth of the country's forest area.
Community forests are especially valuable to people living in rural areas. By working together, local residents can protect forests and make use of their resources in a sustainable way. Forest products provide necessary raw materials, while forest-based activities can also create opportunities for earning income. The program has further helped develop local institutions and encouraged greater participation in environmental protection.
Community forestry has made a strong contribution to maintaining ecological conditions in Nepal. Healthy forests help control soil erosion, protect biodiversity, conserve natural resources, and support environmental balance. When local people themselves participate in forest protection, they become more responsible for preventing unnecessary destruction and ensuring that forest resources remain available for future use.
However, community forestry still faces the challenge of ensuring that forest-related benefits reach all sections of society fairly. Particular attention is needed for women and marginalized communities. Greater participation, adaptable policies, cooperation among different stakeholders, and continuous learning can help make the program more equitable and sustainable.
In conclusion, community forestry serves both environmental and social purposes. It protects forests and ecological resources while creating benefits for rural communities. Nepal's experience demonstrates that local people can play a major role in conserving nature when they are given responsibility and opportunities to participate in forest management.
✏️ Grammar
C. Underline the verb in each sentence and write whether it is transitive, intransitive or linking.
| Sentence | Answer |
|---|---|
| a. His father looks handsome. | looks = linking verb |
| b. Bhawana drinks milk every day. | drinks = transitive verb |
| c. He became a watchman. | became = linking verb |
| d. This bread smells good. | smells = linking verb |
| e. The dog barked loudly. | barked = intransitive verb |
| f. He chased the dog. | chased = transitive verb |
| g. My sister swims fast. | swims = intransitive verb |
| h. He painted a picture. | painted = transitive verb |
| i. Radhika always asks questions. | asks = transitive verb |
| j. Anjana has a long hair. | has = linking verb |
| k. Hungry lion roars. | roars = intransitive verb |
| l. He tried again and again. | tried = intransitive verb |
| m. The weather is hot. | is = linking verb |
| n. Owls hide in the daytime. | hide = intransitive verb |