Essays
Sharing Tradition
Frank LaPena
Summary
Here in this essay, the writer has presented the importance of tradition for the people of this world and its preservation through the oral tradition which is an art form. Here, LaPena has emphasized on our traditional and cultural values which are very much important for our bright future. According to him, we must listen to our elders to maintain our cultural and traditional norms and values.
In this essay, LaPena has put forward his opinions in favour of oral tradition and its preservation. He has even talked about different factors which have affected oral tradition and created problems to maintain our culture and values.
MAIN SUMMARY
Frank LePena talks about the instance of oral tradition. In this essay, he keeps on telling all his readers about his experiences and thoughts related to oral tradition. According to him, the oral tradition refers to a form of art of human communication where knowledge, art, ideas and cultural material is received, preserved and transmitted orally from generation to generation. In other words, oral tradition is about passing on information related to cultures and values from generation to generation through oral means. This transmission is made through speech or song, folktales, ballads, chants, prose or verses etc. Oral tradition helps to maintain the values of the culture. The task of sharing tradition isn’t minor. The task of sharing tradition through oral means seems easy to talk and write but quite hard to practice. Here, both the elders and young people play a very vital role to maintain and preserve the values of the culture. The role of speakers (elders) and listeners (young people or followers) is very important. The knowledge of elders related to cultures, traditions, religions, and values must be listened and followed properly by young people. The elders share the traditions and various concepts related to culture and value to the young people. After the death of elderly people, young people have to fill up their places being responsible. They have to take responsibility for sharing tradition after elders through oral tradition to maintain cultures and values in their community. In this way, the oral tradition keeps on moving generation to generation preserving cultures and values. We can make elders alive maintaining their concepts of tradition and knowledge of life in the community. The concepts of elders move on generation to generation being immortal.
Tradition keeps on moving ahead properly if we are aware of our culture. The lifestyle of elders, their concepts related to life, belief, religion, culture, value, etc. made them capable to acquire the ideal position in their life. They kept on sharing their tradition orally from generation to generation for the welfare of humanity. They showed the righteous paths to survive ahead. Their acts of sharing tradition were for the future of the coming generation and their life.
Oral tradition is the educational tool for understanding this natural world. It is the proper way to secure the cultures and values of the people.
Understanding the text
Answer the following questions.
According to LaPena, what is the importance of the oral tradition? To what extent do you agree with his opinions and why?
➜ According to LaPena, the importance of the oral tradition is to preserve and maintain the culture and values of our tradition from generation to generation by word of mouth. I fully agree with his views, because the culture and values of tradition should be nurtured and protected from generation to generation for the benefit of people and their life. Cultural and traditional values play a very important role in people’s lives.
Who preserve and pass on the oral tradition?
➜ An Oral tradition is an art form where information about culture and values is passed down from generation to generation orally. Elders and young people play a vital role in the preservation and transmission of oral tradition. Firstly, the task of preserving and transmitting the oral tradition is done by the elders, then the young people have this task, this task is continued from generation to generation, the most important thing is that the elders and the young must be responsible for this task of preservation and transmission of oral tradition.
What is the danger of not passing on information from generation to generation?
➜ The danger of not passing information down from generation to generation is that the culture and values of our tradition will die out. People have to survive meaningless lives without their cultural and traditional values.
What is the difference between oral tradition and literary tradition?
➜ An oral tradition is a form of art in which information relating to culture and values are transmitted from generation to generation through oral means. Mistakes in oral tradition can be modified and corrected at any time by oral means. Subsequently, the literary tradition refers to both the written and the printed tradition in which information is transmitted through written means. Here in this literary tradition, mistakes are quite difficult to change and correct.
How does LaPena establish a relationship between art and the oral tradition?
➜ LaPena establishes the relationship between art and oral tradition through his views, in which he describes the transmission of oral tradition from generation to generation, says that the task of handing down tradition from generation to generation by word of mouth is a form of art in which speakers (old) and listeners (young imitators) play a very important role. This art form is carried over from generation to generation, successfully sustaining and preserving culture and values. Information related to tradition is communicated quite artistically through oral speech, folk tales, ballads, songs, prose, verses, etc. Oral tradition is a unique art whereby the culture and values of tradition are preserved and upheld in this world.
Reference to the context
LaPena states that the oral tradition helps maintain the values of a culture. If you believe that the oral tradition is important, how would you maintain it?
➜ I would maintain oral tradition doing the following activities:
* Try my best to convey information about culture and values by word of mouth.
*Try to make people aware of the importance of oral tradition.
*Organize a team in my community to support our culture and traditions by word of mouth.
*Inform you about the advantages of oral tradition for my people.
*Ask my team members to pass authentic information to everyone orally.
“Not everyone is capable of fulfilling the roles of the elders.” Explain this statement with reference to the essay.
➜ Not everyone can fulfil the role of elders, the elderly are the basis of our tradition. Our culture and values are first and foremost preserved and maintained by the elders. Their roles in maintaining and preserving our culture and our traditional values are exceptional. On preserving and maintaining our culture and values of oral tradition from generation to generation. Because of their vital roles, they become able to acquire ideal positions in their life. Their duties and obligations related to their cultural and traditional values as religions, ceremonies, dance, etc. reflect their way of life and knowledge of their tradition which touches many people in the community. After the death of the elders, this niche is quite difficult to fill.
What is the controlling idea or thesis of this essay?
➜ The controlling idea or thesis of this essay is about sharing traditions by oral methods and even the correct way of passing it on from generation to generation. This essay has demonstrated the importance of sharing tradition for all readers. The task of orally sharing tradition is a form of art where the elders and youth play a very important role in preserving and preserving the culture and values of tradition. The task of sharing tradition has many problems on its way. The elders and the youth need to be responsible. They need to trust each other and share the right information.
How do topic sentences guide the reader through the essay? What would be lost without them?
➜ Topic sentences guide readers to provide them with various ideas regarding the importance of word of mouth sharing traditionally. Topic sentences refer to the sentences that appeared initially in each paragraph. The values of the tradition and how to maintain and preserve them. These themes support word of mouth and how to preserve and preserve the culture and values of tradition. These topics will lose a lot in the essay as follows:
Correct conceptions of the tradition of sharing.
Controlling idea of the essay.
Oral tradition and its importance.
The role of the elderly and youth.
Problems in the preservation and conservation of oral traditions.
Solutions for maintaining oral tradition.
What are the four major problems developed by LaPena with regard to maintaining the oral tradition. How are they used to structure the essay?
➜ The four main issues developed by La Pena regarding maintaining oral tradition are:
Difficulty in filling the elders’ niche with the problem of sharing traditions through verbal traditions.
The influence of modern technology.
Impacts of the modern education system.
Information sources and how to recognize and share them.
Reference beyond the text
Write a paragraph or two explaining your attitude toward the oral tradition of passing along information.
➜ I think that oral tradition is one of the effective practices for sustaining and preserving the culture and values of the tradition for all the people of this world. I also accept oral tradition as an art form, where both elderly and young people play their vital roles in preserving and maintaining culture and traditional values by passing on authentic information from generation to generation. For everyone, the practice of oral tradition is very important. We can preserve and keep our cultural and traditional values through oral tradition. We can secure our cultural and traditional identity through the help of oral tradition.
Our culture is our identity. Write a few paragraphs explaining how you intend to preserve your culture, values and norms.
➜ Our identity is our culture. In our lives, our culture, values and norms play a very significant role. Our whole life hinges on our culture. Culturally, we are linked to our civilization. We can do good in our lives because of our culture, standards and values. These elements teach us in our lives to choose the right paths, thoughts and decisions.
I intend to preserve my culture, values and norms by performing the following activities:
-Celebrating every ceremony linked to my culture.
-Making people aware of the significance of our culture, values and standards.
-Advertising or promoting cultural and traditional events in my society.
-Forming a cultural heritage-related organization.
-Sharing culture-related information and the values of my tradition.
How to Live Before You Die
Steve Jobs
SUMMARY:
This essay “ How to Live Before You Die” is a motivational speech which has been delivered by the chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder of Apple Computer,Steve Jobs. This speech has been delivered by him at the commencement of Stanford University in the year 2005. Here in his speech, he has delivered his life-related stories to motivate people who were present at that commencement. His stories are as follows:
ABOUT CONNECTING THE DOTS:
Here in this story, he has shared his stories related to his birth, adoption by Paul and Clara Jobs, obligations behind leaving Reed College, hardships and struggles in his life. According to him, he was quite unsure about his further steps in his life. He happened to take the classes of his interest which were the classes of Calligraphy. He learnt serif and san serif typefaces. His knowledge and skills of Calligraphy turned out to be a kind of boon for him. He applied his skills and knowledge of Calligraphy while designing the first Macintosh Computer after ten years. With the help of his friend Woz , he was able to design the first Macintosh Computer with beautiful typography. He has related all his steps in his life as different dots. According to him, we can realize the connection of all these dots in our life when we look backwards. No one can connect the dots of their life looking forward. These different dots keep on connecting and pave the way ahead. Along with trust in our gut, life, destiny or karma, , have to do our tasks expecting to have a fine future ahead.
STORY ABOUT LOVE AND LOSS:
Here in this story, Steve Jobs has related about the biggest loss of his life. According to him, at the age of thirty, he was fired from his own company by the board of directors. He didn’t lose his hope. His love for his tasks helped him again. His knowledge, skills and love supported and led him towards the height again in the tech world. He was able to establish his new company NeXT and the world-famous Animation studio called Pixar which created world-famous animated feature film named ‘Toy Story.’ Here, he has advised all the people not to settle down their search in the matter of their desired tasks. According to him people should love their works which they do and seek their desirable works. They shouldn’t settle down in their search of best works.
HIS THIRD STORY ABOUT DEATH:
Here in this story, Steve Jobs has related his experience of his sickness due to pancreatic cancer at the age of forty-nine. During that time, he experienced his death closely. He got the idea about the concept of death. According to him, death is life’s greatest invention. Everyone has to share this intellectual concept. Death is life’s change agent. It clears out the old and paves way for the new. After surgery, he got rid of his pancreatic tumor. He continued his task again with full enthusiastic feelings. Here in this story, he has advised all his audiences to stay hungry and stay foolish. According to him, we should always be eager to know and achieve important things in our life. We should try to do a new thing in our life with different thoughts.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FROM TEXTBOOK:
What do you know about Steve Jobs’ family and economic background?
Answer: Steve Jobs was given birth by an unwed college graduate student. Later on, he was adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs. His economic background wasn’t so good. Due to the lack of money, he dropped out of Reed College.
b.Steve Jobs was a very successful man. What makes a person successful in your view?
Answer: In my view, aim, hope and struggle make a person successful. If a person has the aim of something, hope and struggles to achieve the aim, he/ she will certainly become a successful person in his/her life.
Steve Jobs had many doubts on how he wanted to lead his life. Do you have the same problem?
Answer: Yes, I have the same problem. As a student, I’m still quite unsure about my future steps. I’m feeling a lack of proper guidance in my life.
Understanding the text
What is the story about Steve Jobs’ birth?
Answer: Steve Jobs was given birth by an unwed college graduate student. She decided to put her baby for adoption during her pregnancy. She wanted her baby to be adopted by an educated family. To adopt Steve Jobs, a lawyer’s family became ready at first. But, after the birth of Steve Jobs, the lawyer’s family changed their mind to adopt him. They desired to adopt a baby girl. Later on, a mechanic named Paul Jobs and his wife Clara Jobs adopted Steve Jobs with a promise that someday they would send Steve to college for his study.
What does he mean when he says, “you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards”?
Answer: Here in his line, he means to suggest all of us that our successes and failures of present time depend on our past’s different dots but not in our future’s dots. We realise about our present life through our past’s different dots of our life as our hardships we faced, decisions we made, struggles we did, mistakes we committed, desires we desired, selections we made, steps we moved etc. When we look backwards, we realize the fact of connection of all these dots in our life. No one can connect these dots looking upcoming future. The determiner of our present and future is our past as well as different dots of our life. We can’t predict the future but life makes sense when we look at history.
What happened when Steve Jobs turned 30?
Answer: When Steve Jobs turned 30, he was fired from his own company by the board of directors.
Jobs contends that you need to love to do what you do in order to be great at it. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
Answer: Yes, I agree with his opinions because our love for our work can lead us towards success. To be great in our work, it’s very much important for all of us to love our work which we do. If we are unable to love our work, we won’t get success in our work. In that situation, our work will be meaningless to us.
Is death really life’s greatest invention?
Answer: Yes, death is really life’s greatest invention. Death is inevitable and nobody lives for forever. Nobody wants to die but everyone shares this intellectual concept. Death is life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. No one can defeat this concept. Everyone has to face this bitter reality.
Reference to the context
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
“We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?” They said: “Of course.”
Who was the baby boy?
Answer: The baby boy was Steve Jobs.
ii. What does ‘do you want him?’ mean?
Answer: ‘Do you want him?’ means a question related to Steve Jobs’ adoption to his parents Paul and Clara Jobs who were in the waiting list to adopt the baby.
iii. Who does ‘they’ refer to?
Answer: ‘They’ refer to Mr. Paul Jobs and Mrs. Clara Jobs .
Explain the following lines:
“You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.”
Answer: This line has been delivered by the CEO and co-founder of Apple Computer Steve Jobs in his speech at Stanford University. Here in this line, Steve Jobs is advising all the people about the vital role of gut, destiny, life, karma in their life. He advises all the people to keep faith and trust in these vital aspects of their life. According to Steve Jobs, these aspects move along with success. The trust in these aspects can lead anyone towards perfection.
ii. “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”
Answer: This line has been delivered by the CEO and co-founder of Apple Computer Steve Jobs in his speech at Stanford University. Here in this line, he is advising people about the importance of time that keeps on running so fast. According to him, we have to utilize our time which is so limited. We shouldn’t waste our time living someone else’s life. Within this short period, we have to make the right use of our time to bright our future. Time waits for none. We should move ahead without wasting our time.
c . What does he mean by “don’t settle”?
Answer: By “don’t settle”, he means to suggest people about not settling down the search for the best and satisfactory tasks which they prefer to do. He means to say that we must keep looking for our best works which satisfy us. We should try our best to find suitable tasks. We shouldn’t settle down in the matter of our desirable tasks until we find our right tasks that satisfy us.
d. Which style of speech is used by the speaker to persuade the audiences?
Answer: To persuade the audiences, personal, informal style of speech is used by the speaker. His speech seems a narrative type where he tries his best to motivate his audiences through his real life-related stories.
e. It is not easy to motivate others. How do you think Steve Jobs’ speech is so inspiring?
Answer: I think Steve Jobs’ speech is so inspiring. His act of delivering life-related stories in his speech to motive his audiences is outstanding. In his speech, he has shared his personal stories of his life that has inspired most of the people. His speech has various facts related to the life of common people. His speech provides a kind of encouragement to the people to move ahead on the way of progress no matter which family background they belong to.
Why do you think Steve Jobs used the personal narrative storytelling technique in his speech? What influence does it have on the audiences?
Answer: I think Steve Jobs used the personal narrative storytelling technique in his speech to motivate his audiences. His speech has various facts related to hardships and struggles of life. It has a very positive influence on audiences. Through his speech, the audiences have got a chance to know about hardships and struggles behind a successful life in real sense.
Reference beyond the text
One of Steve Jobs mottos was: ‘Think differently’. Can this make a person succeed in life? What challenges are there in thinking differently?
Answers: Yes, this can make a person succeed in life. To change life, we have to think and act differently. There must be the change in our thoughts. We have to try to do something different. Similar thoughts never can get proper way ahead to change life. There are various challenges in thinking differently. Many legends, inventors were humiliated and cut off from societies due to their nature of thinking differently. They were supposed to be insane. Thinking differently may cut off people from majorities, societies etc. But, for change and development, we have to think differently.
What does the slogan “Stay hungry; stay foolish” mean to you?
Answer: The slogan “ Stay hungry; stay foolish” means “stay eager” and “be ready to try new things” to me. We should always be eager to know and achieve important things in our life. l should try to do a new thing in our life with different thoughts.
What does it mean to be a visionary? What makes Steve Jobs different from a fortune-teller?
Answer: To be a visionary means having a positive vision or foresight about the future. Steve Jobs is quite different from a fortune teller. A fortune teller isn’t right all the time. His/ Her predictions may be incorrect. But, as a visionary man, Steve Jobs’ positive foresight about the future makes him different from a fortune teller. Due to his vision in the tech world, he was able to achieve height in the tech world. Behind his foresight, various things played vital roles which are as follows.
His curiosity
His intuition
His different thinking
His classes of interests
His hardships and struggles
His experience
His trust in his fate
3. What I Require from Life
J. B. S. Haldane
Summary
“What I Require from Life” initially appears to be a personal essay about Haldane’s own preferences. However, in the second part of the essay, it becomes apparent that he is making a political and philosophical argument that his most essential requirements are those of a typical specimen of humanity.
Haldane begins his essay by saying that he has to accept the universe as it is. He cannot require the impossible. He then sets out a few of the things which he personally wants out of life: interesting work, good health, friendship, and freedom. In the second part of the essay, he relates his personal requirements to his hopes for the rest of humanity, assuming himself to be a fairly typical specimen. For instance, he assumes other people also want to work and says that he is against capitalism because, in times of economic depression, it inevitably leads to unemployment.
Haldane’s style is typically straightforward and vigorous. As a science popularizer, he is accustomed to writing about complex matters in a way that any reader can understand. Here, when writing on a nontechnical subject, he retains this simplicity, with short, forceful, declarative sentences and clear explanations. His subject at first appears to be personal and his mode of writing descriptive. However, in the second part of his essay, it becomes clear that l he is putting forward a political argument. Freedom, for instance, is not merely a personal preference of Haldane’s but a universal requirement. This means that society should be structured in such a way as to maximize freedom for everyone. His viewpoint is that of a social critic, setting forth a general program of the principles that should underlie a civilized society.
Understanding the text
Answer the following questions.
How does the writer distinguish between a peaceful age and a heroic age?
➜ The writer distinguishes between a period of peace and a period of heroism, and compares two different periods: he calls the moment of birth a period of peace and his youth as a period of heroism. When the First World War broke out (22 years old), he wanted to live in peace but devoted himself to the heroic war.
Why does the writer want more freedom of speech than most people?
➜ The writer wants more freedom of speech than most people because he wants to freely talk and write about very dangerous people and institutions. He wants to write against the capitalists who have rioted all the industries. He wants to write what he thinks about.
According to the writer, what are the four general human needs?
➜ According to the writer, work, freedom of speech, health and friendship are the four general human needs.
What is the difference between desire and demand according to the writer?
➜ According to the author, the difference between desire and demand is that desire is a simple wish for a person to have a specific benefit in life, and demand is a desire that is specifically supported by the ability and willingness to pay for a particular good. The writer wants different things but does not ask for them, but he can happily fulfil all his wishes.
Why does the writer demand security?
➜ The author calls for security because the safety of life is more important than any other aspect. Life safety is the primary aspect while other requirements are secondary. During critical times of war, the writer first claims the security of life. If the security of life is insured, anything can be possible.
Reference to the context
Explain the following lines with reference to the context:
“The satisfaction of adventure is something much more solid than a thrill.”
➜ The author believes that adventure is not only about emotions, but also about satisfaction in performing a creative activity. He served on the war front in Madrid for six months and looked forward to reading a book of Rimbaud’s poetry for a thrill.
“I want the workers to see the fruit of their own work not in profits for others, but in their own and their friends’ well-being.”
➜ Here in this line, the author, as a socialist, wants the workers to exercise the fruits of their labour so as not to enrich the bourgeois capitalists but to benefit from the wages of the workers themselves for their own economic prosperity.
Why do you think the essayist has taken reference from the ancient philosophers?
➜ I think the essayist has taken reference from the ancient philosophers because he wants to strengthen his arguments and provide us with specific details about the paragraphs he has provided.
Discuss the essay in terms of its language, purpose, subject, point of view and mode of writing.
➜ The writer has used simple and clear language to express his ideas about socialism in this essay. He has done his best to present various needs of people from their daily lives. The writer here is advocating for equality as well as democratic activities in the workplace for all working-class people. His primary goal as a sociologist is to better the lives of working-class people. He desires equality for all people in all sectors. He has discussed various issues concerning the needs, rights, and classes of people in his presentation of the major subject of life-related requirements. He has voiced his opposition to capitalism, which has resulted in widespread unemployment. As a social critic, his point of view can be seen in the essay. He began his essay in a descriptive mode, but later on, he presented his political arguments in order to persuade his readers.
Reference beyond the text
What do you require from your life to be happy and satisfied?
➜ To be happy and satisfied, I require good health, a job, friendship, freedom & security from my life.
What is socialism? How is it different from capitalism?
➜ Socialism is a system of social and economic equality in which private property and ownership are not prioritized. It differs from capitalism because capitalism does not provide economic equality. Capitalism, unlike socialism, ignores people’s needs and does not promote equal opportunity.
Write an essay about your dream house.
My Dream House
My dream home is a place of beauty, serenity and inspiration. It is a bungalow with a huge lawn, planted with fruit trees and flowering plants. There is plenty of space for a table and chairs so that when the weather is fine, my family can sit outside to have a meal or read the newspapers. There is also a lovely waterfall in the garden to soothe our minds with the sound of water falling. Birds perch on the trees to sing or nest and give us free concerts.
My dream home is large and spacious. There are plenty of windows to make the place bright and airy. I do hate houses that are small, cramped and all shut up. It is for this reason that I dislike living in flats or condominiums. Every room in my dream house and every piece of furniture in it is designed to create beauty, warmth and peace.
My kitchen is small and neat. I am not a fussy cook so I do not need a large kitchen. In Malaysia, one does not really need to cook all the time since there are plenty of restaurants. However, if I ever cook or bake, I would like to do it on the latest Italian hob and oven. My dream kitchen has a huge refrigerator and is fitted with cabinets made of oak. It also has a radio-CD player so that I can listen to music as I do my cooking.
All the bedrooms in my dream house are spacious. They have attached bathrooms and are fully air-conditioned. Each has a mini-refrigerator stocked with drinks and tidbits so that there is always something to munch on even in the bedroom. One of the most important rooms in my dream house is the library. Wonderful books on every subject in the world fill up the shelves that line the walls. I also have the latest table-top computer here on which I work or surf the internet.
Another important room is the music room where I have the latest hi-fi system to play songs and music from all over the world. I love music. My grand piano is also placed there where I often play pieces that I have composed myself.
My dream home is a place of joy, peace and beauty. Right now it exists only in my dreams. Someday, I hope it will become reality.
4. What is poverty?
Jo Goodwin Parker
Summary
Jo Goodwin Parker in her realistic essay “What is Poverty” gives a real and graphic account of what being poor actually means on a daily basis. Parker stresses that poverty is more ugly, cruel and devastating than it is shown in newspapers.
She defines poverty as a lack – that is living without hope, better foods, medicinal care, proper sanitation, and proper education. It is like an acid that destroys pride, honor, health, and future. Parker’s main purpose is to show how shameful, humiliating and disgusting it is to be poor. She wants to draw the readers’ attention to the pathetic state of poor people.
Poor people have to live a restless life looking at the dark future of their children. Poverty breaks relationships. Parker had three children. She divorced her husband because he had lost his job and they couldn’t buy contraceptives to prevent unwanted birth. She had a job. Once she left the children under the care of their grandmother. She found her children under the pitiable condition when she returned home. Her youngest son was covered with fly specks and his diaper had not been changed since morning. Her other child was playing with broken glasses and the oldest one was playing alone at the edge of a lake. She did not have enough income to admit them at a nursery school. She made 20 dollars a week and a nursery school cost 20 dollars a week for three children. Therefore she quitted her job
Understanding the text
Answer the following questions.
What is poverty according to Parker?
➜ Poverty, according to Parker, is a lack of hope, better foods, medical care, proper sanitation, and proper education. It’s like an acid that eats away at one’s pride, honour, health, and future.
How is poverty difficult for Parker’s children? List some specific examples.
➜ Parker’s three children are severely disadvantaged as a result of their family’s financial situation. They live in misery as a result of a lack of adequate food, education, clothing, and medical care. Parker has brought her children’s deteriorating health into the discussion. She has given us information about the poor condition of her children. They used to have oilless corn cornbread for breakfast, according to her. They used to dress in filthy clothes. They were not enrolled in a formal school. Parker has told us about an incident that occurred one day when she left her children in the care of her mother while she went to work. That day, after work, she discovered her youngest covered in flyspecks, whose diaper hadn’t been changed since the morning. Her next son was tinkering with the shattered glasses. Her eldest son was playing on the edge of the lake.
How does Parker try to obtain help, and what problems does she encounter?
➜ Parker tries to get help for her children by spreading her hands in front of various people and institutions. Due to a lack of funds, she makes every effort to find supportive hands most of the time. Most of the time, she has difficulty locating the appropriate organization and person to assist her. She must transfer to new organizations. She has to wait and tell her dreadful story over and over.
Why are people’s opinions and prejudices her greatest obstacles?
➜ People’s opinions and prejudices are her greatest obstacles because they prevent her from receiving supportive hands for her family’s sake. The majority of people are unaware of the agony of poverty. Poor people’s suffering is insignificant to them. They continue to express their prejudices and opinions about poor people. In Parker’s case, people’s opinions and prejudices prevent her from obtaining assistance to run her family.
How does Parker defend her inability to get help? How does she discount the usual solutions society has for poverty (e.g., welfare, education, and health clinics)?
➜ Parker defends her inability to get help and support by expressing her feelings about her poverty experiences. She dismisses society’s usual solutions to poverty by recounting her own experiences with welfare, education, and health clinics. According to her, in the name of welfare, she must move and spread her hands in a variety of agencies across the country. She has to deal with shame all the time in these organizations. She must repeatedly demonstrate her poverty. She has to retell her story several times. Sometimes welfare programs promise to assist, but getting to them takes a long time. School launch programs exist in the name of education, but they serve no purpose. She has witnessed the condition of her two children after sending them to school. When it comes to the most important aspects of health clinics, Parker’s life is far from the facilities of health clinics. She has to walk for miles to get medical help. If she asks for help, the helper anticipates negative outcomes from her. As a result, Parker is completely disconnected from all three critical aspects.
Reference to the context
Explain the following:
Poverty is looking into a black future.
➜ The writer Jo Goodwin Parker stated in her essay, “Poverty is looking into a black future.” She has presented this line to her readers in order to present her experience with poverty. The writer is advising all of the readers in this line about an ugly and cruel aspect of poverty. Poverty, according to her, leads people to a dark future. On a daily basis, poor people must endure a miserable existence. It is extremely difficult to provide them with adequate daily foods. There is no future hope for them. They continue to live in disparity, looking forward to a black future. Poverty shatters future hopes and dreams.
What does Parker mean by “The poor are always silent”?
➜ Parker is referring to poor people’s helplessness when she says “the poor are always silent.” Money is extremely important in poverty. Money is the perfect solution to all problems. Poor people, on the other hand, feel weaker as a result of a lack of resources. They always keep their mouths shut in front of others. Because of their pitiful state, they must listen to others’ words while remaining silent.
What writing strategy does the author use at the beginning of most of the paragraphs? Do you notice a recurring pattern? What is it?
➜ The author employs her repetition strategy at the beginning of the majority of the paragraphs in this essay. Yes, I’ve noticed a recurring pattern, and it’s the structure “Poverty is.” The essay is well-organized, with the phrase “Poverty is” repeated at the beginning of each paragraph. She attempts to establish a relationship between the woman and the readers here by using her repetition strategy. Because of the author’s casual style, the writing appears to be part of a casual conversation between the narrator and the readers. Goodwin Parker’s writing is extremely effective and accomplishes its goal.
How does Parker develop each paragraph? What details make each paragraph memorable?
➜ Parker begins each paragraph with her repetition strategy. She begins the majority of her paragraphs with a repetition statement such as “Poverty is.” She then shares her personal experiences with her topic sentences. The author first makes it clear to her readers that her goal is to help them understand what poverty is. Her second goal is to persuade all of her readers to help those in need. Each paragraph is memorable because of the details related to her personal painful experiences and the harsh reality of poverty.
In the final paragraph, how does the author use questions to involve the reader in the issue of poverty?
➜ The author uses questions in her informal style of direct conversation in the final paragraph to engage the readers in the issue of poverty. Parker has done an excellent job of engrossing her readers with her persuasive style. She instructs them to look at the poor with an angry heart rather than a pitiful heart. This style of question has piqued the readers’ emotions as well as their attention. In the final paragraph, she has succeeded in drawing her readers’ attention to her plight and the struggles of others in her situation.
Reference beyond the text
Define a social problem (homelessness, unemployment, racism) imitating Parker’s style.
➜ Sleeping on the streets is a form of homelessness. Homelessness forces you to sleep on the sidewalks. Living life on footpaths weakens you in a variety of ways. It is the end of your pride and prestige.
Unemployment is a life of embarrassment. Unemployment reduces your social value. You are constantly ashamed and humiliated because you do not have a job. People make fun of you because you are unemployed.
Racism is a humiliating way of life. Racists make you feel socially inferior. They continue to degrade you because of your skin colour. You will be humiliated in your society because of your skin colour. It is a curse to live your life under the guise of racism.
Using adjectives to highlight the futility of the situation, write a short definition essay on Growing up in Poverty.
➜ Poverty is defined as a pitiful situation in which people lack a variety of essentials in their lives. Aside from other people’s perspectives, I believe that growing up in poverty is vexing. You can never be happy if you are poor. The majority of the time, poverty irritates you. Growing up in poverty is a tedious experience. You never try to do anything interesting because you are poor. Growing up in poverty is both perplexing and discouraging. You are constantly perplexed by your life. Disparity and inequality never allow you to be free and do good in your life. Growing up in poverty is a terrifying experience that exposes you to a variety of hardships and struggles. It gives you a tiring and worrying experience where pains are always waiting to greet you.
5. Scientific Research is a Token of
Humankind’s Survival
Vladimir Keilis-Borok
Summary
In the essay ‘Scientific Research is a Token of Humankind’s Survival’, he writer says about his profession as a scientist, and views that science is the humankind’s indispensable guardian and caretaker.
First of all, the writer says some us decide to be scientists knowing that businessman, lawyers, and doctors etc. make much higher income. But he believes that the major reward comes from the discovery made by scientist. What scientist gets instead of big money is freedom, independence.
The writer is of the opinion that scientists, science and scientific discoveries are the greatest gift to humanity. A scientist always works for the betterment of human being. He cites his own example of how scientists are for the humankinds’ betterment. He says when he was doing research on seismic wave- tremor in the earth generated by an earthquake; he was invited to Geneva Switzerland. In Geneva the experts of Soviet Union, United States and United Kingdom- the three power house of nuclear weapon- were having meeting to put a ban on the nuclear weapon test. It was during cold war and every man, woman and child on the earth was living under the threat of annihilation by nuclear weapon. Each three nations had more than enough nuclear bombs to destroy the other.
In the meeting among these three nations, the problems were the following. Suppose that (i) the nuclear powers has signed agreement of stop the test of the new nuclear weapons, and (ii) one of the participants had violated this agreement and secretly made an underground nuclear explosion. The problem is how can the other nations detect the violation?
The writer says this problem had a direct connection with the theory of seismic waves. Underground nuclear produced earth tremors explosions very similar to those generated by earthquake. How could one distinguish the natural tremors from the ones produced by the explosion? Suddenly, his theoretical knowledge had a direct application in the areas of survival of the humankind and he helped to solve the problem.
The writer says that during cold war period, when the political leaders are divided in the name of political ideology, race, origin and nationality but the scientists all over the world leaving behind their all differences worked together and reached one of the most important decision of their time-nuclear test ban.
He says that other people think that science does not go with practical sense but the writer says that it is not true. All new technologies, all new brands of industry from defense to entertainment are the result of scientist and their hard work. In the past too, the scientist have developed antibiotics , electronics, biotechnology, synthetics fibers, the green revolution, genetic forensic diagnosis etc. are result of scientific research.
The writer further says that every survival of our civilization is threatened by natural and man-made disasters. Among them are earthquakes, self-inflicted destruction of megacities, environmental catastrophes, economic and social crisis etc. These catastrophes can causes upto a million of casualties, trigger global economic depression, and such dangers keep growing. The writer believes that the hope and responsibilities for breaking the stalemate (deadlock) rest on the money but on intellectual resources i.e. scientific research and invention though money is more popular.
Finally the writer says that scientific research is an exciting venture into the great unknown and the token of humankinds’ survival. It is the scientist with their tools that are up to the challenge and can ensure that we all safely move with time. If humanly used, science is human beings indispensable guardian and caretaker. The writer says while there is science, there is hope of survival and well beings for all of us.
Understanding the text
Answer the following questions.
What does a scientist get instead of big money?
➜ Instead of large sums of money, scientists are rewarded with honours and promotions. He/she receives these benefits as a result of his/her discoveries.
What was the problem that the nuclear powers had faced?
➜ The nuclear powers had agreed to a moratorium on nuclear weapons testing. However, they were concerned that if anyone violated the agreement by secretly testing nuclear weapons underground, they would not be able to detect it.
In which area did Keilis Borok’s theoretical knowledge have a direct application?
➜ Keilis Borok’s theoretical knowledge was directly applicable to human survival. Underground nuclear explosions caused earth tremors similar to those caused by earthquakes. The author would be able to tell the difference between the two types of tremors based on his knowledge.
What was the important decision that the politicians took before Geneva Summit?
➜ Prior to the Geneva Summit, politicians made an important decision to prohibit the testing of nuclear weapons. The decision was made in the hope that humanity would survive. They claim that after nuclear tests are prohibited, there will be no competition for developing nuclear weapons.
What are the natural and man-made disasters as mentioned by the author?
➜ Natural disasters mentioned by the author include earthquakes, self-inflicted destruction of megacities, environmental catastrophes, economic and social crises, and so on, whereas man-made disasters include a massive release of radioactivity from nuclear waste disposal, an outburst of mass violence, war, and so on.
Reference to the context
a. The professional addressed as ‘you’ in the sentence “If you are clever, why are you so poor?” refers to …………. i. lawyer ii. Doctor iii. Scientis. iv. businessman.
Justify your choice.
➜ It refers to a scientist. Scientists are intelligent and brilliant because of their mi. Their earnings are lower than those of other professionals such as lawyers, doctors, and businessmen. They do, however, enjoy their freedom, camaraderie, and independence. The author intends to demonstrate that, while scientists are very wise, their wisdom does not generally help them generate wealth. As a result, scientists are generally wise but not wealthy.
The writer says, “I found myself in Geneva.” What does it express?
➜ It expresses the author’s surprise. He was unexpectedly summoned to a nuclear weapons conference in Geneva. While arguing with Moscow experts, American scientist Frank Press cited his work.
c. Are the following statements true? Why or why not? Discuss with your partner.
i. Money is more powerful than intellectual resources.
➜ This statement is not true. Money is transient, whereas intellectual resources continue to produce excellent results. There is no financial guarantee. Money causes a slew of issues. Intellectual resources, on the other hand, can propel anyone to success and perfection.
ii. Intellectual resources help survival of the mankind.
➜ This statement is true. Intellectual resources are nothing more than hopes for the future of humanity. Humanity has benefited from intellectual resources in the form of disease relief, terrorism protection, a healthy lifestyle, and entertainment.
iii. Basic research is a way of stalling disasters.
➜ This statement is true. People all over the world live their lives with confidence because they believe in scientific research. Scientists continue to study environmental changes and warn the public about potential disasters. People are safe because of their research-based information.
How does the essayist justify that scientific research is the humankind’s survival?
➜ By presenting his arguments in favour of science and its research-based inventions, the essayist argues that scientific research is essential to human survival. Science, he believes, is the unavoidable guardian and caretaker of humankind’s survival. Scientific research ensures the survival of humanity. Science and its researchers can only find solutions to problems in people’s lives. It is science that can provide us with new energy sources, mineral deposits, medicines, and effective anti-terrorism defenses. Scientists can easily predict impending disasters and save humanity. It is the only science that can guarantee that we are moving with time in a safe manner. Thus, the writer has numerous reasons to believe that scientific research is humanity’s best hope for survival.
What can be the purpose of the essayist of using quotations in the essay?
➜ The purpose of the essayist’s use of quotations in the essay is to make all of his readers aware of the main points that he wishes to convey. The essayist continues to use quotations from legends to support his ideas in his essay.
Discuss and illustrate the writer’s stand that scientists are the most practical people in the world
➜ The author’s position in this essay is that scientists are the most practical people on the planet. According to him, their practical application can be seen in new technologies and new brands in industries ranging from defence to entertainment. Antibiotics, electronics, biotechnology, synthetic fibres, modes of transportation, the green revolution, and genetic forensic diagnosis are all inventions of scientists. Hence, This proves that scientists are the most practical people.
Reference beyond the text
Everyone lives under the fear of annihilation by nuclear weapons. Explain this statement.
➜ The essayist is informing all of his readers about the dangerous situation of the cold war in 1960 in this line. It was a terrifying situation. The superpowers, such as the Soviet Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom, had more than enough nuclear bombs to destroy the other countries in a single strike. As a result, every man, woman, and child on the planet lived under the threat of nuclear annihilation. These superpowers were willing to reach an agreement in order to deal with this threat.
The essayist says ‘While there is science, there is hope of survival and wellbeing for all of us.’ Explain it.
➜ The essayist says ‘While there is science, there is the hope of survival and wellbeing for all of us.’ According to the essayist, science is our unavoidable guardian and caretaker because it is the only science capable of ensuring that we move with time safely. Countries had signed a treaty to refrain from secretly testing nuclear weapons for the sake of humanity’s survival. Countries had signed a treaty to refrain from secretly testing nuclear weapons for the sake of humanity’s survival. However, science and its scientists ensured the survival of humanity. It is the only science capable of distinguishing between tremors caused by nuclear explosions and natural earthquakes. It is the science that can provide us with new energy sources, mineral deposits, and effective anti-terrorism defences. Science’s hope for humanity’s survival has a broader significance as well. In the current scenario, both natural and man-made disasters endanger humanity’s safety. Whether it is a tsunami or terrorism, money alone will not solve the problem. The only hope is for scientific solutions. Thus, the author has a plethora of reasons to conclude that science is the only hope for survival.
Is science a blessing or a curse? Write an essay on it
➜ Science is the systematic search for and application of knowledge and understanding of the natural and social worlds using the evidence-based methodology. Scientists experiment with a variety of new things related to the world and life. Science can be viewed as both a boon and a curse. The application of science is the most important aspect of it. Science has performed various tasks for the benefit of mankind, but it has also had a number of negative effects on humanity in this world. Antibiotics, electronics, biotechnology, synthetic fibres, the green revolution, and genetic forensic diagnosis are all inventions of scientists. All of these inventions have improved people’s lives. People’s lives are always aided by a basic understanding of science. Most people are dying out today as a result of science and its inventions. Different types of weapons are the result of science. Science should not be used to harm humanity. It should be used to benefit humanity. Hence, science should be used with good intentions.
The End
Hope this will help you a lot.
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