6th English First Language, UNIT – 8
THE GIFTS OF NATURE
Glossary:
dense – closely-packed or crowded together, closely grown
preserve – to keep something as it is, in order to prevent it from being destroyed
extinct – not existing
prevent – to stop something from happening
saplings – young plants
camp-fire – it is a fire that you light out of doors when you are camping
inspiration – is a feeling of enthusiasm you get from someone or something, which gives you new and creative ideas.
handiwork – work done skilfully
expanse – a large open area of land, sea or sky
ecology – a branch of biology. It deals with the relation of plants and living creatures to each other and to their environment.
Talking about the text:
1. Answer the following questions in a word, a phrase or a sentence. Discuss with your partner and write down what you say.
a. What is our moral duty?
Answer: Our moral duty is to look after the things God has given us. We must learn to take care of the gifts of Nature, so that these are not destroyed or harmed. We must not use the gifts of Nature for our selfish ends, but instead, work to preserve them.
b. Which animals are on the verge of extinction?
Answer: The varieties of animals like tigers, lions and some rare species are on the verge of extinction.
c. Where should we throw waste paper, tins and bottles?
Answer: We should throw waste paper, tins and bottles into the Dustbin.
d. What are trees said to be?
Answer: Trees are said to be “Green Gold”.
e. How can we maintain ecological balance?
Answer: We should also plant more and more trees to maintain ecological balance.
f. Who are the carriers of pollen?
Answer: Butterflies and Bees are the carriers of pollen.
g. What is the wonderful handiwork of God?
Answer: All beauty of Nature including the moon, the stars, mountains and seas are the wonderful handiwork of God.
2. Discuss with your partner and write down the answers to the following questions in two or three sentences each.
a. What are the gifts of Nature?
Answer: We have the long range of mountains, the wide oceans, the sparkling streams, the dense forests, the animals, birds and insects. We have colourful flowers, fruits, the earth we live on and even the air we breathe. These all are gifts of Nature.
b. Why should we not destroy the gifts of Nature?
Answer: These gifts of Nature are ours to admire, use and preserve. It is our moral duty to look after the things God has given us. We must learn to take care of the gifts of Nature, so that these are not destroyed or harmed. We must not use the gifts of Nature for our selfish ends, but instead, work to preserve them.
c. There were many more animals than there are today. Why? Discuss.
Answer: Over the years, hunters have killed them for sport or food in large numbers. It is feared that some species may soon become extinct. Today these varieties of animals like tigers, lions and some rare species are on the verge of extinction. If we do not take care of these rare animals, there will soon be none left, except in pictures. We must not kill animals and birds for sport. We should also preserve the forests so that the wild animals can thrive and multiply.
d. What is water pollution?
Answer: Water pollution is when harmful substances like chemicals, trash, and waste make water unsafe to use. Water polluted by industrial waste, wastewater from homes and industries, throwing wastes of animals, throwing plastics etc. This is called water pollution.
e. Give three examples where trees are used in our daily life.
Answer: Three examples where trees are used in our daily life are as follows.
- Used to build our houses and for furniture.
- Used to firewood.
- Used to Paper production, food and medicine.
f. Why should we put out the camp-fire before we leave the camp?
Answer: We should put out the camp-fire before we leave the camp because there is possibility of forest fire. The fire must be put out before we leave the camp to avoid accidental forest fires.
g. What will happen if you take your pet animals to the park?
Answer: If we take our pet animals to the park, they will destroy the plants and flowers. The pet animals will runs on the gardens and step on the flowerbeds and destroy them.
h. Name a few things of Nature which give you inspiration.
Answer: Nature’s beauty is for all of us to admire and enjoy. The moon, the stars, waterfalls, forest, river, mountains and seas are a great source of beauty and inspiration to us.
3. Answer the following questions, discuss it with your partner and write down what you say in the form of a paragraph.
a. How can we take care of rare animals?
Answer: A hundred years ago, there were many more animals than there are today. But, over the years, hunters have killed them for sport or food in large numbers. It is feared that some species may soon become extinct. We must not kill animals and birds for sport. We should also preserve the forests so that the wild animals can thrive and multiply. We encourage to create saved forests and national parks for shelters of animals.
We can also Plant native plants and flowers, can provide a water source like a bird bath, and set up bird feeders to support local species. We can minimize our use of plastic, as it can harm marine and other wildlife. Be a volunteer for local wildlife protection or habitat restoration projects is also helpful.
b. What steps can be taken to prevent water pollution?
Answer: We can minimize our use of plastic, as it can harm marine and pollute water. Water pollution is when harmful substances like chemicals, trash, and waste make water unsafe to use. So we have to avoid the habit of throwing wastes to the water bodies. Water polluted by industrial waste, wastewater from homes and industries, throwing wastes of animals, throwing plastics etc. Government should consider this as crime and this must be punishable. Planting trees and plants along river banks helps prevent soil erosion from entering the water. Do not wash clothes, utensils, or animals directly in rivers, lakes, or wells. Educate others about the importance of keeping water sources clean.
Grammar: Relative Clauses
4. Look at these sentences.
a. This giraffe is refusing to eat.
b. This giraffe, which has come from Africa, is refusing to eat.
a. This traffic policewoman seems to be efficient.
b. This traffic policewoman, who works here, seems to be efficient.
The meaning is clear in sentence “a” in both the examples. In sentence “b” the italicised words add extra information. These words form a clause called Relative clause. They begin with relative pronouns ‘which’ and ‘who’.
Punctuation: Comma or commas separate the relative clause from the rest of the sentence.
5. Join the sentences given below using the relative pronoun given in brackets.
a. I often go to Mumbai. Mumbai is the commercial capital of India. (which)
Answer: I often go to Mumbai which is the commercial capital of India.
b. My mother is going to host a T.V. show on cooking. She cooks very well. (who)
Answer: My mother, who cooks very well, is going to host a T.V. show on cooking.
c. These sports persons are going to meet the President. Their performance has been excellent. (whose)
Answer: These sports persons whose performance has been excellent, are going to meet the President.
Pronunciation
6. Read this sentence aloud to your partner.
It is our responsibility to preserve the gifts of nature.
Note that the word “responsibility” has two stresses– re .’ spon . si . ‘bil . i . ty.
The secondary stress is weak and the primary stress is strong.
Note that in words ending with the spelling “__ ity” the primary stress falls on the third syllable from the end.
Practice saying these words.
cu.ri. ‘os.i.ty; spe.ci.’a.li.ty; gen.e.’ros.i.ty;
ti.’mid.i.ty ; sin.’cer.i.ty;
7. Writing.
Topic – Planting saplings
Your teacher will elicit ideas from you. Note down the points and ideas. Use these to write a paragraph on the topic given.
Answer: Planting a sapling is an important and rewarding act for our environment because it provides oxygen, reduces pollution, and helps prevent soil erosion. Planting trees and plants along river banks helps prevent soil erosion from entering the water. We can also Plant native plants and flowers, can provide a water source like a bird bath, and set up bird feeders to support local species. We encourage to create saved forests and national parks for shelters of animals. Trees are also used in our daily life. Trees used to build our houses and for furniture, firewood, Paper production, food and medicine. Trees are vital for our planet because they produce the oxygen we breathe, clean the air by absorbing carbon dioxide, and provide shade. Planting more trees also helps stop soil erosion and can help preserve water by letting it soak into the ground.
Read the following passage to your partner and write down suitable words in the blanks with his / her help.
Today the world is facing the p _ _ _ _ _ _ of pollution. We are p_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Nature by our foolish acts. It is our _ _ _ _ to preserve the wonderful _ _ _ _ _ of nature. We must learn to discipline o _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ in p _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ the gifts of Nature.
Answer: Today the world is facing the problem of pollution. We are polluting Nature by our foolish acts. It is our duty to preserve the wonderful gifts of nature. We must learn to discipline ourselves in preserving the gifts of Nature.