- Any other African village ? like the other African villages
- Some of them ? a few drums in the heap of drums
- Some of them are badly corroded ? a few drums got rusted
- Some have fallen down and rolled - or been rolled by playful children ? a few drums are rolled down from the enormous pyramid of drums
- Some are smoking in the midday heat ? a few drums among the heap of drums are smoking due to chemical reaction
- Some are swelling, as if their contents are bursting to get out ? a few drums are bulged and ready to burst.
- Some have already burst ? a few drums are already burst
Fill in the blanks appropriately with the following quantifiers: no, any, all, some, each, several, and every?
____- ____ ordinary person is bothered about climatic changes. If we talk of ____
- ____ changes, people look at us as if we dont have ____
- ____ work. In fact, it is such a grave problem that ____
- ____ person has to think about. ____
- ____ scientists feel alarmed because the ozone layer is depleting. In addition, ____
- ____ people believe that the global warming is creating climatic problems. But ____
- ____ single individual shows
- concern for it.
Answer:
- No
- any
- any
- every
- All
- several
- no
- any
2. ?
____- ____ meteorologists predict that the world will get warm between 2 to 4 degrees Celsius by the year 2030. The scientists believe that ____
- ____ year ____
- ____ polar ice will melt and cause rainfall, increase in the sea level and also temperature will be affected. ____
- ____ people disagree with the theory that the human activity is having an effect on the world climate. ____
- ____ scientists need to monitor the Earth atmosphere and ____
- ____ human beings need to care for the air, water and plant life that influence world weather
Answer:
- Some
- every
- some
- Several
- All
- all
3. People who disagree with the theory that there is a direct relationship between the human activity and climate believe that the world climate has gone through?
____- ____ changes since the earth and its atmosphere first formed. So for ____
- ____ argument there is a counter argument. ____
- ____ individual differs with the other in ____
- ____ way or the other
Answer:
1. Koko Village, Nigeria Summary
Mr. Sunday Nana, his wife and four children live in Koko village, Nigeria. Five years ago the village was like any other African village - picturesque, colourful and noisy. But now in a clearing 200 m away from the village, next to a stream that the villagers get their drinking water from, is an enormous pyramid of identical drums reaching to the sky. The skull and crossbones symbol is clearly visible on each. Later Thomas Agonyo, one of the brightest boys in the village explained to the villagers that the drums contained poisonous chemicals and they had come from Italy. 13 people had died and lots of their children were sick in the last five years because of those poisonous drums
1. Koko Village, Nigeria Glossary
picturesque (adj) : pretty but old fashioned
rusting (adj) : becoming covered with rust
corrugated (adj) : shaped into a series of regular waves
flaking (v) : breaking as thin small pieces
skull and cross bones (n) : symbol to show that something is dangerous
corroded (adj) : rusted
corroded (v) : destroyed something by chemical action
slimy (adj) : covered with unpleasant thick liquid
swelling (v) : the condition of being larger or rounder than normal
frowning (v) : bringing eyebrows together to show anger
clearing (n) : an open space in a forest
2. Ponnimanthuri Village, India
Comprehension
I. Answer the following questions
Question 1.The people in this village were affected by chemical factories. Where, in your opinion, should the factories be built?
Answer:
The factories should be built in open non-fertile lands far from habitats. Eco-friendly industries with minimum use of chemicals can be encouraged even in villages or towns
Question 2.If it is necessary to build factories near the villages, what precautions should be taken to keep the villagers safe?
Answer:
The chemicals released from factories would not be dumped in open fields and into rivers. Special ash ponds must be there for the discharged chemicals and they must be far away from the habitations
Question 3.The narrator said at the end, There is so much they didnt tell you, I thought"- What was that so much that was not told, according to you?
Answer:
Vijayasama sighed and reported to the narrator that the leather industry management didnt tell them that the chemicals would be dumped in open fields and into their rivers. They didnt tell them that their women would have to walk ten kilometers everyday and they would get ulcer and sores on their bodies
But the narrator thinks that they dont know some more hidden hazards till now. They dont know there wont be any life in Ponnimanthuri village one day. They will either be died or been forcibly evacuated. By keeping this view the narrator said like that at the end
Grammar
Write the following sentences in reported speech
1. "1 can remember the time." she said wistfully, "when all the fields around this village were green and the harvests good." ?
Answer:
She said wistfully that she could remember the time when all the fields around that village were green and the harvests good
2. "They said that factories need leather to make shoes, handbags and clothes. They . said our men folk would get jobs. They said we would all become rich." ?
Answer:
It was reported that they had said that the factories needed leather to make shoes, handbags and clothes, their menfolk would get jobs and they would all become rich
2. Ponnimanthuri Village, India Summary
Ponnimanthuri village was once a beautiful village with all the green fields around and good harvests. But now it became highly polluted due to leather factory which uses as many as 250 different chemicals including heavy metals such as cadmium, arsenic and chromium. The villagers hope that the menfolk would get jobs and they would all become rich. But these chemicals poison their fields so that nothing would grow. They got ulcer and sores on their bodies. All are in a state of despair
2. Ponnimanthuri Village, India Glossary
wistfully (adv) : thinking sadly about that we would love to have
harvests (n) : yields from crop
outstretched (v) : spread out as far as possible; pulled out to full length
monsters (n) : large, frightening imaginary creatures
spluttered (v) : spoke quickly and with difficulty
fist (n) : a tightly closed hand
ominous (adj) : suggesting that something bad to happen in future
horizon (n) : the point where sky appears to meet sea or earth
shroud (n) : thick cover
menfolk (n) : men
tanning (n) : process of making animal skin into leather
chimney (n) : a structure to carry smoke or steam up away
ulcer (n) : a sore area inside the body
trailed off (phr. v.) : became gradually quieter and then stopped
3. Vorobyov Village, Ukraine (formerly USSR)
Comprehension
Answer the following questions
Question 1.What measures should the government have taken when the nuclear reactor was installed beside the village?
Answer:
The nuclear reactor should not be installed beside the village at any cost. If it is mandatory, the nuclear reactor must be installed 10 miles away from the habitations and must not be installed near a water body. The authorities concerned should give awareness to nearby residents. The government should minimize the use of nuclear power
Question 2.What havoc can radioactive dust cause?
Answer:
Radioactive dust can cause nausea, headache, vomitings, all types of cancers especially skin cancer and leukaemia, white blood cells damage and the damage of brain cells, etc. It can cause vomits and hair fall. The people grow thin and sores appear all over their bodies
Question 3.Pick out the words/expressions/images that describe the tragedy caused by the radioactive dust?
Answer:
- ..., all three died - all three on the same day
- Theyre buried over there
- Lots of village children are. And adults
- It was a ghost town
- No one lived there anymore
- They had either died or been forcibly evacuated
- The fields were barren
- Nothing grew
- Nothing ever would again
- There was no bird-song
- No rabbit peered at me
- No cow endlessly chewed
- No horse neighed
Writing
Out of the three villages you have read about, choose one village of your choice (you may also choose a completely different one). You are a TV reporter. You need to go to one of the villages and from there you have to report orally to the news channel what all you find there. How would you report
Write in a spoken discourse the dialogue between you and the TV newsreader.The beginning is given below
TV Newsreader : Our correspondent reports from Koko village - What is the situation there ? How do you find the village? What are the people around saying
Answer:
TV Newsreader (Vandana) : Our correspondent reports from Koko village - Abhi! What is the situation there? How do you find the village? What are the people around saying
Abhi : Vandana ! Here the situation is horrible. We find many people in the beds being sick. The people are in need of help
TV Newsreader : Is the enormous heap of identical drums there? Where is it located
Abhi : Yes, the drums are still there. They are in a clearing 200 m away from the village, next to a stream, that the villagers get their drinking water from
TV Newsreader : Do you find any symbols on those chemical drums
Abhi : Ya, skull and crossbones symbol is clearly visible on each which indicates danger
TV Newsreader : How many years ago were the drums unloaded and who unloaded
Abhi : Here, the people said that they were unloaded five years ago and many many big lorries came and unloaded them
TV Newsreader : How do they come to know that the drums contain poisonous chemicals
Abhi : Thomas Agonyo, one of the brightest boys in the village who started university in Lagos found out this problem
TV Newsreader : Abhi, did you talk to him
Abhi : Ya Vandana, I talked to him. He said that they had come from Italy and due to this chemical pollution 13 people have died until now. Lots of children are sick. They have been in pain, terrible pain before death
TV Newsreader : Abhi, did you inquire anybody else in the village
Abhi : Yes Vandana, 1 inquired Mr. Sunday Nana whose elder brother died because of this chemical pollution
TV Newsreader : Did they inform the government about the intensity of pollution
Abhi : Yes, they informed the government and wrote to Italy also. But they do nothing
TV Newsreader : What did they want to do now? Is there any chance to vacate the village and to go to another place
Abhi : They have no choice as they are poor and they have no money to buy land
TV Newsreader : So what do they want to do
Abhi : Vandana, they finally concluded that the mounain of death in the clearing is their neighbour
TV News Reader : OK ! Thank you for your report, Abhi
Abhi : Thank you, Vandana
TV News Reader : I request the authorities concerned to respond positively at least now and to find out the solution for their problem
Project Work
Talk to your grandparents about life fifty years ago. Talk to them as to how the plants, animals and water bodies were cared for or not cared. Seek the views of the elders and fill in the table?
Based on the information you have gathered in the last column of the table, discuss in groups how best the youngsters can help save/protect the environment. List the specific recommendations
Answer:
- List of recommendations that help/save/protect plants
- Afforestation should be encouraged
- Step forming should be encouraged
- Vegetation should be conserved
- Indiscriminate deforestation should be discouraged
- List of recommendations that help/save/protect animals
- More and more plants are needed to support animal life
- Awareness on ecological balance should be raised
- Measures should be adopted to check pollution levels
- Awareness on bio-diversity should be received on due attention
- Enforcement of laws should be strengthen for the conservation of wild life
- List of recommendations that help/save/protect water bodies
- Making of recharge pits should be increased to replenish ground water
- Global warming and pollution levels should be checked as far as possible
- Increase access to potable water and sanitation facilities
- Promote positive behaviour towards water and sanitation facility utilization and hygiene practices (Behaviour Change Communication)
- Strengthen capacities of relevant national, county, district, and community stakeholders to perform their role in community water and sanitation services delivery management
- Improve clean water and sanitation standards, guidelines, procedures, and approaches achieved through regular and productive C00rdination and collaboration with relevant government, NGOs, and donor stakeholders
- Increase access to seed funds to support community generated activities that will complement infrastructural development
- Enhance strategic alliances and partnerships between public and private entities for development
- List of recommendations to check air pollution
- Avoid using private vehicles. Use public transport. This will help in reduction of usage of fuel. Encourage walking and bicycling (cycling)
- Proper Servicing of Vehicles : We should all do proper timely servicing of vehicles. Do proper pollution check up of the cars, use unleaded petrol whenever possible and lower the consumption of fuel
- The use of public transport is an effective way to prevent consumption of fuel as well as generate some government revenue
- If we use alternative energy sources such as hydroelectric power, solar energy and save energy by switching off fans, air conditioners, lights, this will indirectly help in preventing air pollution
- Proper awareness programs should be made about the consequences and effect of air pollution. Some strict government steps should be taken such as, when a vehicle fails in pollution test it should not be allowed to refuel, use of alternative LPG vehicles should be made
- Everyone should be made aware of the air pollution and its consequences. Some real time experiences needed to be shown.
The vehicles should be tested on every petrol pump before refueling the oils and will not be refueled is it fails in emission test
- Newer vehicles should be made such that it will minimize the consequences of pollution and a proper guideline should be given with respect to this to all manufactures across the country
Last and the foremost, as I mentioned earlier in order to prevent pollution we the humans should take responsibility. If every individual takes his/her responsibility one day will come when the world can breathe smoothly
3. Vorobyov Village, Ukraine (formerly USSR) Summary
Natasha Revenko shared her bitter-sweet memories with the narrator. Natasha belongs to Vorobyov village in Ukraine. On April 26th 1986 which was her mother birthday a horrible incident happened. A big explosion from a nuclear reactor occurred in the morning, They saw a cloud of white smoke coming from the nuclear reactor. As it was a Saturday, the weekend the children were playing outside, picked up handfuls of the dust and threw it at each other, laughing. On Wednesday they were warned by the authorities not to touch the radioactive dust. But it was too late. A week later the children began to vomit and their hair fell out. Two weeks later her three children died £>n the same day. Lots of village children and adults died
3. Vorobyov Village, Ukraine (formerly USSR) Glossary
explosion (n) : a sudden violent burst and sound of it
apron (n) : a piece of clothing that covers the front part of the clothes and is tied around your waist
radioactive dust (n) : the dust coming out of a radioactive reaction
slid (v) : moved smoothly over a wet surface
pinched (adj) : pale and thin because of worry or illness
pale (adj) : white because of illness
sores (n) : painful, red places on the body (wound)
broke down (phr. v.) : lost control of feelings and started crying
evacuated (v) : moved people to a safe place
barren (adj) : land not good enough for crops
peer (v) : look closely when we cannot see clearly