Critical Thinking
Working with Words
A. Find the words from the text that match with the following meanings.
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: Convergent thinking is the type of thinking that focuses on coming up with the single, well-established answer to a problem. It is oriented toward deriving the single best, or most often correct answer to a question.
b. Divergent thinking: Divergent thinking is a thought process or method used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. Many possible solutions are explored in a short amount of time, and unexpected connections are drawn.
c. Critical thinking: Critical thinking is the analysis of facts to form a judgment. The subject is complex, and several different definitions exist, which generally include the rational, skeptical, unbiased analysis, or evaluation of factual evidence.
d. Creative thinking: Creativity is the ability to generate a thought or an idea that is completely new, appealing, and useful. Creative thinking is a skill that enables you to come up with original and unconventional ideas.
Comprehension
Answer the following questions.
a. Who was Jack? How did he make children laugh?
=> Answer: Jack was a popular, well-liked student who maintained a large group of friends. He brought laughter to his peers by sharing jokes.
b. Why are “Sharks” important to Reid?
=> Answer: Reid considers sharks essential because they maintain the cleanliness of the ocean ecosystem by feeding on dead marine organisms.
c. What does Mr. Browne think about the most important thing?
=> Answer: Mr. Browne believes that the ultimate priority is gaining self-awareness by understanding and evaluating one's own character to achieve personal growth.
d. What is that has not been noticed by the student?
=> Answer: The students failed to observe the inscription on the plaque located at the school entrance gate, which read "Know Thyself."
e. How did Jack make fun of the English class?
=> Answer: When asked by the teacher why they were present, Jack wittily responded that their purpose was simply to attend English class.
f. What were the students going to do at the end of the month?
=> Answer: By the end of the month, the students were tasked with composing an essay inspired by Mr. Browne's precept.
g. What particular act of students surprised a girl student?
=> Answer: The girl student was astonished to learn that upon graduation, former students would design their own personal precepts, write them on postcards, and mail them to Mr. Browne.
Critical Thinking
a. Have you made your own precept after you read this lesson? What is it? Share it with your friends.
Answer:
Yes, reading this lesson inspired me to reflect and formulate my own personal precepts:
- •"Success is temporary, but failure offers permanent lessons."
- •"Maintain a positive mindset in every situation."
- •"Focus on actions and effort rather than relying on destiny."
- •"Every occurrence happens for a meaningful reason."
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 statement highlights that objective, critical analysis forms the core foundation of essential human development. Throughout history, human progress, innovation, and practical problem-solving have depended heavily on the capacity to evaluate facts independently of personal bias.
When individuals approach complex scenarios with critical objectivity, they can distinguish factual reality from emotion, assess situations accurately, and arrive at sound conclusions. Essential life skills across various domains—whether technical, social, or personal—achieve maximum effectiveness only when guided by clear, unbiased reasoning. Therefore, critical objectivity is not merely an isolated skill, but the fundamental capability that underpins all effective decision-making.
Writing
Write an email to your friend explaining an interesting class you had.
From: binodkumar12@gmail.com
Subject: Sharing a memorable experience from my English class
Dear Shristi,
I hope this email finds you in good health and spirits. I am writing to share some thoughts about my memorable experience with English classes.
Out of all the subjects I studied throughout my school years, none brought me as much intellectual growth and enjoyment as English. I performed consistently well in this subject and frequently earned top marks on assessments. Beyond mastering fundamental language skills during middle school, these classes helped shape the personal qualities that guided my academic journey.
During middle school, the prospect of having an English class the next morning always filled me with excitement. Spending those 45 minutes in class was a genuinely engaging experience. Unlike subjects like Science or Mathematics, English inspired me to form an online study group with peers, which later proved immensely beneficial during my university studies.
Additionally, my English classes played a pivotal role in teaching me how to collaborate effectively. This early experience in teamwork laid a strong foundation for my current professional role as an engineer. I remain deeply grateful to my primary and secondary school English teachers, whose patience and guidance taught me resilience whenever I faced setbacks. Their encouragement instilled in me the discipline and confidence required to achieve success.
Best regards,
Binod Kumar
Grammar
Rewrite the following sentences adding appropriate question tag.
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.
It’s going to rain soon, isn't it?
b. You want to pay the taxi fare but you are short by 100 rupees.
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.
We will talk later, won't we?
d. You came out of the film hall with your friend. You enjoyed the film.
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.
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.
Your father has not arrived from US, has he?
g. You think Susan will join the new job tomorrow but you are not sure.
Susan will go to her new job tomorrow, won't she?
h. Your friend’s hair looks too short.
You have got too short hair, haven't you?
i. You want to go for a picnic with your friends in class.
Let’s go to picnic, shall we?
j. You want permission from your father to go for a walk.
Let me go for a evening walk, will you?