SSC English First Paper | Unit Six | Lesson: 2 | Our Neighbours | Sri Lanka: The pearl of the Indian Ocean

A. Discuss these questions in pairs.
1. Which country is often known as the Pearl of the Indian Ocean?
2. Which country is the world's largest tea exporter?
3. Which country did the spice cinnamon originate from?
4. Which country was mentioned in the great Indian epic the Ramayana!
5. Which country has the highest literacy rate in South Asia?

B. Now read the following passage to find your answers to the questions in A
a. Anyone visiting Sri Lanka may often hear the word Ayubowan. This word means 'May you have the gift of long life'. It is with this traditional greeting that everyone is welcomed to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is variously known as: Serendip, Ceylon, Teardrop of India, Pearl of the Indian Ocean, etc. These names reveal the richness and beauty of this island nation. Many travellers, from ancient mariners and merchants to present day tourists, have been attracted by the beauty of this island.

b. Sri Lanka is located in the Indian Ocean, just off the south-eastern coast of India. Shaped like a teardrop, the island of Sri Lanka measures about 415 kilometers from north to south, and about 220 kilometers from east to west, with a total land area of about 65,600 square kilometers. It has more than 1340 kilometers of coastline.

c. Despite its modest size Sri Lanka has a population of about 20 million. Sri Lanka is a multi- religious, multi-racial and multi-
lingual country. The four major ethnic groups are the Sinhalese, Sri Lankan Tamils, Indian Tamils and Sri Lankan Moors or Muslims. A fifth group, the Veddhas are the original inhabitants of the island. The ancient history of Sri Lanka is depicted in the Hindu epic the Ramayana. But die most important work on Lankan origin is related    Colombo; The capital city in Mahavamsa or 'The Great Chronicle'.

d. Sri Lanka's economy has traditionally been based on agriculture. The emphasis is on exporting crops such as tea, rubber, and coconuts. In feet, Sri Lanka is the largest tea exporter of the world. The country is also a major producer and supplier of a variety of spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, cloves, and nutmeg. Cinnamon first originated in Sri Lanka and was introduced later to the world by the Arab merchants.

e. Sri Lanka's archaeological treasures may be compared to other civilizations of the past like the Golden Age of Greece, the Roman Empire and Mayan citadels. The culture that followed those glorious pasts has been enriched by the more recent influences of Western colonizers and Eastern traders. That resulted in developing a unique mix of races and religions, arts and crafts, festivals and costumes in this small country.

Besides the man-made riches, one may find the God-given blessings of nature in Sri Lanka. The island is circled by azure seas and is blessed with sandy beaches, green hills, cascading waterfalls, abundant wildlife and a variety of flowers and fruits. The country abounds with coconut groves, spice gardens, tea estates and many other gardens and woods. Travellers from all over the world come to Sri Lanka. Here, a weary traveller can pass a relaxing day by a palm-shaded lagoon looking at the endless ocean. And for the adventurous, days can be full of excitement snorkelling, swimming, fishing or sailing.

C.  From your reading of the above text complete the table with no more than two words and/or numbers.

Sri Lanka: Facts
People	Economy	Natural beauty
There are………., four main ethnic groups. They are Sinhalese, Sri Lankan Tamils,.......................... and Sri Lankan Moors who are also known as ........................ The earliest residents of Sri Lanka are known as	Agriculture is a traditional form of economic activity in Sri Lanka. The country exports many crops and......................... Sri Lanka tops the world in tea export. The spice .......................... was found first in Sri Lanka.	Sri Lanka is blessed with awesome natural beauty. There are blue seas, sandy beaches, green hills, and flowing………. The country has a very rich wild life. A wide variety of fruits and……are also available there. Traveler can enjoy the……….view sitting by the palm shaded lagoons.

D. The passage in B has six paragraphs (a-f). Choose the most suitable headings for paragraphs (a-f) from the list of headings below. There are more headings in the box than the paragraphs, so you will not use all of them.

List of headings
1. A beautiful island with natural richness
2. Teardrop of India
3. Geographical features
4. A rich multicultural setting
5. Some religious groups of Sri Lanka
6. A traditional economy
7. The land of cinnamon
8. A melting pot of the past civilizations
9. Tourist attractions and leisure activities
10. A country with beautiful beaches

E. Read the brief descriptions of some of the best tourist places in Sri Lanka. Then discuss the questions that follow.

Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura is one of the ancient capitals of  Sri Lanka. The old city is today surrounded by monasteries, covering an area of over sixteen square miles. The city is also significant in Hindu legend as the capital of King Ravana.

Bundala National Park
Bundala National Park is one of Sri Lanka's leading destinations for birdwatchers. The park is also home to large populations of elephants, crocodiles, turtles and leopards.

Hikkaduwa-Coral reef & sandy beaches
Hikkaduwa is a little town on the south coast of Sri Lanka. It is well-known for its beach and corals. It is principally a tourist destination, and serves as a great beach with options to surf, snorkel and enjoy the sun.

Dambulla
Major attractions of this city include the biggest and greatest potted cave temple complex of Sri Lanka. It is also famous for the Rangiri Dambulla Global Stadium, which was built in just 167 days. The city also boasts of the biggest rose quartz mountain range in South Asia and the iron wood forest.

Now discuss the following questions in pairs.
1. Which of the following tourist places do you like to visit?
    • Places with beaches
    • Places of historical importance
    • Places that preserve wildlife Explain why you like such a place.

2. If you are given an offer to visit any two of the four Sri Lankan cities above, which two cities will you choose. Explain why.

F. Write a paragraph on some of the interesting places to visit in Sri Lanka. Use your own words and the information given in section E.

If you want to read the next lesson of this unit please click the link below:

Lesson: 3 | The Maldives

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SSC English First Paper | Unit Six | Lesson: 1 | Our Neighbours | Nepal, the land of Everest

A. Read the following passage on Nepal.

a. Known as the Land of Everest, Nepal is one of the most charming countries in Asia. The Kingdom of Nepal is a small land of sublime beauty. It has some of the world's best and very important temples. It is a country that is rich in scenic beauty and cultural heritage.

b. Nepal lies between India and the Tibetan part of China. This small country has an area of 147,181 square kilometers. Southern Nepal is tropical low land known as the Terai Plains. This part of Nepal has hot summers and warm winters. Here the temperatures reach up to 40°C in April and May and monsoon rains drench this region from June to September. The central hill-lands including the Kathmandu and Pokhara valleys have a temperate climate and are also influenced by the monsoon. North of that is the slope of the main section of the Himalayan range. This part of Nepal has some of the highest peaks of the world including Everest.

c. Nepal is home to nearly 29,000,000 people. The population is primarily rural.Kathmandu, the capital city, has less than one million inhabitants. Nepal's demographic features are complicated not only by dozens of ethnic groups, but by different castes. In total, there are 103 castes and ethnic groups living in this small country. The two largest of such groups are known as Chetri and Bahun. Others include Magar, Tharu and Tamang, Newar, Muslim, Gurung and Damai. About 48 percent of the people speak Nepali. Among other languages spoken are Maithali, Bhojpuri, Tharu and Tamang.

d. Nepal is the holy land of Lord Pashupatinath and Gautam Buddha where the Hindus and Buddhists have lived together in harmony for centuries. The Temple of Pashupatinath is the most sacred Hindu shrine and one of the four most important sites in the world for Shiva worshippers. Lord Buddha, the light of Asia, was born in Lumbini in Nepal's southern plains, which makes this a sacred pilgrimage destination for the Buddhists as well. In fact, many Nepalese combine Hindu and Buddhist practices; many temples and shrines are shared between the two faiths, and some deities are worshipped by both Hindus and Buddhists.

e. The Kathmandu Valley is the richest cultural heritage centre of Nepal. The three ancient cities of the Valley - Patan, Kathmandu and Bhaktapur -represent an epitome of harmony in urban design, elegant architecture and refined culture. These cities are famous for religious monuments unequalled in the world. The seven monument zones situated within the Valley have been named as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

f. Many festivals add dazzling colour to Nepal's vibrant culture, which are celebrated throughout the year. Dasain or dusherra is celebrated nationwide in October. This is the most important of all Nepalese celebrations and includes the biggest animal sacrifice of the year. Tihar is celebrated in November. Other festivals include the Holi and Chaitra Daisan. Some Hindu festivals are the Haribodhini Ekadashi, Maha Sivaratri and the Krishna Jayanti. There are Buddhist celebrations too and those include Mani Rimd, Buddha Jayanti andLosar, which marks the Tibetan New Year.

B. The passage has six paragraphs (a-f). Choose the most suitable

headings for paragraphs (a-f) from the list of headings below. There are more headings in the box than the paragraphs, so you will not use all of them.

List of headings

1. Climate that varies from place to place

2. A land of religious coexistence

3. A land of high peaks and Everest

4. A small country with a huge population

5. A blend of natural beauty and cultural heritage

6. The temples of Nepal

7. Many occasions to celebrate

8. A rich spot of cultural heritage

9. A small population with huge diversity

C. For each phrase below choose the meaning that is closest to the meaning used in the passage.

1. tropical lowland

a. an area of land having humid climate

b. a land situated on the hill

c. a low land close to river

d. a land that lies at the foot of a hill

2. temperate climate

a. a weather condition of high temperature

b. a moderate climate

c. a climate with high rainfall

d. a climate that is uncomfortable to live in

3. ethnic groups

a. groups based on their religious faiths

b. groups of people living in the hills-tracts

c. groups having distinct racial and cultural features

d. groups who believe in Buddhism

4. pilgrimage destination

a. a sacred place where people travel to perform religious rites,

b. a historical place with many old buildings,

c. a tourist spot of great scenic beauty,

d. the birthplace of a famous person.

5. elegant architecture

a. temples of gods

b. graceful work of building crafts

c. buildings of historical importance

d. well-designed area of cultural acts

D. Answer the following questions.

1. How many ethnic groups are there in Nepal?

2. What do you know about the weather of Nepal?

3. "Many Nepalese combine Hindu and Buddhist practices."- Explain this statement with examples from the passage.

4. Which three cities of Nepal will you visit in order to see the rich samples of Nepal's cultural heritage sites?

5. Make a list of the festivals that are celebrated in Nepal.

6. Give at least three reasons why you might be interested to visit Nepal. Also make a list of the places you would love to visit in Nepal.

E. Look at the advertisement of a package tour to Nepal.

Dhaka-Kathmandu-Pokhara Package Tour

Price: BDT 39,999/

Duration: 4 nights and 5 days

Package includes:

* Return air ticket with Bangladesh airport taxes & Kathmandu departure taxes

* 2 nights' accommodation in Kathmandu

* 2 nights' accommodation in Pokhara

* Buffet: Daily Breakfast and Dinner

* Both way airport transfers in Kathmandu

* Kathmandu-Pokhara-Kathmandu by AC bus

* Half day sightseeing in Kathmandu Valley

 

Now, discuss if the following statements are true/false. Give the correct information if a statement is false.

a. The package includes the cost of travelling from Kathmandu airport

to the hotel in Kathmandu.

b. The tourists will be provided with breakfast, lunch and dinner.

c. The tourists do not have to pay extra for a half-day sightseeing in Pokhara.

d. The tour operators will bear all visa related costs,

e. The tourists will go to Pokhara from Kathmandu by domestic airlines flights.

F. Imagine that you have chosen the package tour shown in £ to visit Kathmandu and Pokhara. Now, write a letter to your friend highlighting the main attractions offered by the package. In your letter you should cover the following points:

• Duration of travel

• Means of transport used:

 1) Dhaka-Kathmandu-Dhaka

 2) Kathmandu-Pokhara-Kathmandu

• Accommodation facilities

• Breakfast, lunch and dinner

• Total cost of the package

• Any other cost that is not covered by the package offer

If you want to read the next lesson of this unit please click the link below:

Lesson: 2 | Sri Lanka: The pearl of the Indian Ocean

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SSC English First Paper | Unit Six | Our Neighbours

Learning outcomes

After we have studied this unit, we will be able to

• read, comprehend and summarise texts

• ask and answer questions

• read travel ads and talk about them

• select and write headings

• write letters to friends describing places of interest.

If you want to read the lessons of this unit please click the links below:

Lesson: 1 | Nepal, the land of Everest

Lesson: 2 | Sri Lanka: The pearl of the Indian Ocean

Lesson: 3 | The Maldives

Lesson: 4 | India: Unity in diversity

Lesson: 5 | Bhutan: The land of happiness

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SSC English First Paper | Unit Five | Lesson: 4 | Nature and environment | Putting our fish in hot water

A. Spend one minute thinking about your life as a fish. In pairs, talk to another "fish" about your life as a fish.

B. Do you agree with the following statements on fish and fishing? Discuss with your partner(s).

a. Fish will never disappear. There will always be enough fish to feed the world.

b. In many ways, people are like fish.

c. The hobby of fishing should be banned to help protect fish population.

C. Read the text below and say if the statements that follow are true/ false. If false, give the correct information.

Fish population is in serious danger from global warming. Climate change is increasing the water temperature in rivers, lakes and seas. This means there is less food and oxygen available for fish. It also means the fish may not grow fully and may have fewer offspring. Some fishes will become extinct if temperatures rise even by one or two degrees Celsius.

Climate change increases the pressure on fish population. Fishes are one of the world's most valuable biological assets. Forty percent of people in the world eat fish as their main source of protein. If we fail to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we will increase the pressure on fish. As a result, people who depend on fish will suffer from hunger and poverty.

Statements:

1. Global warming will kill all the fishes within ten years.

2. Some fishes can not reproduce if the water is too warm.

3. A two degree Celsius rise in temperature will make some species extinct.

4. Fishes are valuable economic investments.

5. Nearly 14% of people depend on fish for their basic food needs.

6. People will suffer a lot if greater pressure is put on fish.

D. Role play: Student A is a fish. Student B is a fisherman. First write a dialogue between the two. Then act it out. Change roles and repeat the role-play

Role A - A FISH I am a fish. I know things are getting serious. Ice is melting, rivers are drying up and millions of my cousins have disappeared because of over-fishing. I heard it is because of humans' carelessness and greed. Let the humans know what is really happening in the oceans and rivers.

Role B - A FISHERMAN I am not worried about my future. I have seen no change in the number of fish I catch each year. There will always be plenty of fish. The oceans are too big to be changed by global warming. I think that scientists produce reports just to become famous.

E. You are a nature lover. Write a letter to the organizers of the National Climate Change Conference in Bangladesh. Tell them about how global warming is changing your environment Also suggest what they can do to help save fish population.

If you want to read the next lesson of this unit please click the link below:

Lesson: 5 | A friend of the Earth

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SSC English First Paper | Unit Five | Lesson: 5 | Nature and environment | A friend of the Earth

A. Discuss the questions in pairs.
1. Do you throw away empty cans and bottles?
2. What do you do with your old newspapers?
3. What happens to the garbage after you throw it away?

B. Read the following text carefully to know about how we can save our environment.

LET'S SAVE OUR PLANET!
Everyone must play a part in protecting the environment. There are many things you can do on your own every day to help save the planet. Here are some suggestions.

REDUCE!
Really, the best thing we can do for the planet is to use its resources properly. Our consumer society is mainly responsible for the environmental crisis. Here are some questions you can ask yourself before buying something, "Do I really need this?" or "Is there another product which would do the same thing but is more sustainable?" Or ask the question, "Will this last a long time?" Some other questions may be, "Do I know how this item was made, how it will be used and how it will be disposed of?"

REUSE!
What do you think of using your own ceramic cup or mug at your school or local club? It means there are no plastic cups to throw away. You can wash it and reuse it every day. Unfortunately, we are encouraged to buy a new "improved" item even if the one we have can be repaired or reused. When we buy things, we should buy those that are durable; we should use them properly, and have them repaired when necessary. If we practise this, many things will not only last a life-time, but also be passed on for future use. However, if something is truly unusable for its original purposes, try to be more creative and think of how else it might be used. When you're done with it, think of whether someone else might be able to use it. You can donate some of the things to the poor. You may also sell some of your used items through personal ads in a local newspaper.

RECYCLE!
Rather than throwing an item out when neither you nor anyone else can make use of it, have it recycled. And if recycling is not possible, it is better to send goods to a landfill or have them burned up. Find out what types of materials can be recycled in your area. Clean and sort the materials before putting them out in the bin. Recycling your drink and food cans means there will be less trash in a resource recovery facility or landfill. Moreover, a company can use the old cans to make new ones.

C. Now ask and answer these questions in pairs.
1. How can you cut down your shopping list?
2. What can you do to reuse things?
3. What kind of household goods, clothes and toys, can be donated?
4. How can you sell your used items?
5. How recycling may help save our environment?

D. Complete the blank spaces in the table

	What is it	Examples
Reduce	To create less wastes, so that there are fewer items that must be recycled or ………….away.	Using a towel for drying hair instead of using an electric hair­dryer.
Reuse	To buy things that can be used again and again, or to find out another way of ………………them.	Using your own ceramic cup at your school or club means there are no cups to throw away. You can…………………….. it and reuse it every day.
Recycle	Instead of throwing an item in the garbage, to give it to a person or company who will………..it,  or make something else with it.	Giving/selling used plastic bottles to someone to make something else from them.

E. To do this exercise, you will need information about recycling in your local community. If you don't know, ask your teacher to help you learn what you can recycle from your home. Then choose one item from the box to talk about it following the model below.

A: What are you going to do with these old magazines? B: I don't know what to do with these. A: Why don't you reuse/recycle them? B: How can I do that?

A: It's easy. Take them to a shop that buys old newspapers and magazines for recycling.

Household items

Glass bottles and jars, containers and toys, aluminum foils or trays, aerosol cans, box boards, magazines and catalogues, old CDs

If you want read the next unit please click the link below:
Unit Six: Our Neighbours

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SSC English First Paper | Unit Five | Lesson: 3 | Nature and environment | Man and climate

A. Discuss the questions in pairs.

1 Can man influence the climate? If the answer is yes, explain how?

2 Which human activities are responsible for increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?

3 How can trees help save our environment?

Now read the text below and find answers to the above questions.

Humans can neither change the sun's radiation nor the earth's orbit around the sun. But they can control the increase in the amount of greenhouse gases and its effect on the atmosphere. Only during the last hundred years the carbon dioxide concentration has been raised alarmingly in the atmosphere and we humans can be held responsible for this.

The main cause of the increase in carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere is the burning of fossil fuels. Since the end of the 19th century, industrial activities increased rapidly giving rise to many factories. These factories required energy, which was produced through the combustion of coal. Besides coal, other sources of energy such as mineral oil and natural gas were also burned to heat our houses, run cars and airplanes or to produce electricity. Nowadays, about 85 million barrels of crude oil are burned daily. Every time a fossil raw material is burned, it releases carbon dioxide into the air.

Therefore, it is clear that more and more greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide are being generated worldwide by humans. Moreover, we are also strengthening the greenhouse effect by deforestation, which means cutting down trees. Every year enormous areas of forests are destroyed by people to obtain wood and to clear regions for mining and to create pasture. This loss of the forest causes dual problems. Trees that are burned up release large volumes of carbon dioxide gas into the air. On the other hand, as forests absorb a lot of carbon dioxide from the air and deliver oxygen instead, we also destroy an important storehouse of carbon dioxide when we clear forests.

B. Read the statements below and say if they are true/false. If false, give the correct information.

1 Fossil fuels are burned at an alarming rate due to industrialization.

2 Coal is the only fuel used for generating energy.

3 At present, nearly 85 million barrels of crude oil are used weekly.

4 Deforestation is caused by nature.

5 Forests help consume carbon dioxide gases from the air.

C. Match the meanings in column B and the words/phrases in column A.

A

B

1 Sun's radiation 2 Fossil fuels 3 Combustion of coals 4 Crude oil 5 Raw materials 6 Deforestation 7 Photosynthesis

a. energy that is transmitted from the sun in the form of rays or waves or particles b. the process used by plants to convert light energy captured from the sun to chemical energy c. a basic material or substance used in the production or manufacturing of goods d. non-renewable sources of energy that come from the remains of plants and animals e. intentional destructions or removal of trees and   other   vegetations   for agricultural, commercial, housing or firewood use f. a naturally occurring, unrefined petroleum product that can be refined to produce usable products such as diesel, gasoline, heating oil, jet fuel, kerosene. g. burning of coal usually in industrial plants.

D. Write a letter to the Editor of a newspaper expressing your concern about growing deforestation in your area. Describe how deforestation is changing your environment. Also suggest what actions could be taken to stop cutting down trees. Follow the clues below.

• dangers caused by deforestation

• increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

• the greenhouse effects

• making people aware of the adverse effect of deforestation

• making an action plan to stop deforestation

E. Look at these posters below. They are made to make people aware of the dangers of deforestation. In groups, design a poster to show the dangers caused by deforestation. Then write a slogan for the poster.

If you want to read the next lesson of this unit please click the link below:

Lesson: 4 | Putting our fish in hot water

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