Human Rights (“I am Sorry”- The Hardest Three Words to Say)
Working with words
Pair the following words as opposites.
Despair: hope
Kind: cruel
Fresh: stale
Strange: familiar
Normal: eccentric
Fierce: gentle
Corrupt: honest
Selfish: generous
Comprehension
Write True or False after each statement. Give reason for your answer.
a. The author says his father was an ideal person in the family. → False. The author mentions his father verbally and physically abused his mother.
b. The author wanted to forgive his father but he did not get an opportunity. → False. The author mentions his father has long since died, but if he could speak to him today, he would want to tell him that he had forgiven him.
c. It’s worth forgiving a person if he/she realizes his/her mistakes. → False. The author implies that forgiveness is not dependent on the actions of others and that it is for the benefit of the person who is forgiving.
d. South Africa had dual type of education system in the 1960s. → False. The text does not mention anything about South Africa's education system in the 1960s.
e. The author lived in a joint family. → False. Because the author had only his wife and two children in his family.
f. The author regretted for not getting a chance to talk to his father. → True.
g. According to the author, all our glories and splendours are short-lived. → True.
Answer the following questions.
a. How does the author remember his family environment when he was a small boy?
The author remembers his family environment as one where his father verbally and physically abused his mother. He recalls the smell of alcohol and the fear in his mother's eyes.
b. Why does the author blame system more than his father?
The author blames system more than his father because the system was the reason behind his father’s stresses, pressures and traumas.
c. How does the principle of forgiveness work?
The author implies that forgiveness is a process that takes practice, honesty, open-mindedness and a willingness to try. It is not dependent on the actions of others and is for the benefit of the person who is forgiving.
d. How does the author interpret the noises, squalls and tantrums of his children?
The author interpret the noise, squalls and tantrums of his children as the whole catalog of failures, irritations, fatigue thought etc. for the parents.
e. Why did the author decide to educate his children in Swaziland?
He decided to educate his children in Swaziland because he was dissatisfied with the inferior education as a result of Bantu Education Act of South Africa to black children.
f. How does the author define human life?
According to the author, human life is a great mixture of goodness, beauty, cruelty, heartbreak, interference, love and so much more.
g. According to the author, is it heredity or environment that shapes a man’s character? Explain.
According to the author, it is heredity or environment that shapes a man’s character. The birth of every child is same. By birth, a child is neither a liar, nor a rapist. He/she is not born full of hatred or violence. No one is born in any less glory or goodness that us. Hence heredity doesn’t shape a man’s character. It is our surrounding environment that shapes out character.
h. Why is forgiveness important in our life?
The author implies that forgiveness is important for one's own healing and peace. It helps to release the pain that one has experienced and allows for the possibility of experiencing healing and freedom, and being at peace.
Critical thinking
Desmond Tutu once said, “Forgiving is not forgetting; it’s actually remembering–remembering and not using your right to hit back. It’s a second chance for a new beginning.” Does this quotation apply to this text? Analyze.
Yes, this quotation by Desmond Tutu applies to the text. The author describes the difficulty of forgiving his father for the pain he caused, and how forgiveness is a process that takes practice, honesty, open-mindedness and a willingness to try. The author also mentions that forgiveness is not dependent on the actions of others and is for the benefit of the person who is forgiving. The quotation from Desmond Tutu emphasizes that forgiving is not forgetting, but rather remembering the past and choosing not to retaliate. It also highlights that forgiveness is a second chance for a new beginning. Both the text and the quotation convey the idea that forgiveness is a difficult process that takes effort and practice, but is ultimately beneficial for one's own healing and peace.
The author interprets ‘I am sorry’ as three hardest words to say. How does it apply to your life?
I can relate to the idea that the phrase 'I am sorry' can be difficult to say in certain situations. For example, imagine that I accidentally hurt someone's feelings during a conversation and I realize my mistake. In that moment, saying 'I am sorry' would be difficult because it would require me to acknowledge my mistake and take responsibility for it. It might also be difficult because it could make me feel vulnerable and exposed, as I would be exposing my mistake and admitting that I am not perfect. However, despite the difficulty, saying 'I am sorry' in this scenario would be important for repairing the relationship and rebuilding trust. It would show that I am willing to take responsibility for my actions and make amends.
Writing
The author talks about dual education system based on race in South Africa in the second half of the twentieth century. We also have private schools and public schools in Nepal. What should be done to make education equal to all citizens of Nepal? Write a couple of paragraphs expressing your views.
In Nepal, as in many other countries, there is a disparity in the quality of education provided by private and public schools. Private schools often have better resources, facilities, and trained teachers, which results in a higher level of education for their students. On the other hand, public schools often struggle with overcrowded classrooms, insufficient resources, and untrained teachers, which leads to a lower level of education for their students. To make education equal for all citizens of Nepal, it is important to address the root causes of this disparity. One key solution could be to invest more in the public education system by increasing funding for resources and teacher training. This would ensure that public schools have the resources they need to provide a high-quality education to their students. Additionally, the government should implement policies and regulations to ensure that private schools are held accountable for providing education of similar quality as public schools.
Another solution could be to provide free education to all children regardless of their socio-economic background. This would ensure that all children have access to education, regardless of their family's income level. Furthermore, the government could also launch programs to increase the number of skilled and trained teachers in the public schools to provide quality education. This will help to bridge the gap between private and public schools, and provide equal opportunities for education to all citizens of Nepal.
Grammar
Connectives
Connectives, also known as conjunctions or linking words, are words or phrases that connect clauses, sentences, or paragraphs together. They help to show the relationship between different parts of a text and make the text more cohesive. Connectives can indicate a variety of relationships, such as addition, contrast, consequence, emphasis, or purpose. Some common examples of connectives include "and," "but," "because," "so," "although," "since," "while," "in order to," and "therefore."
There are different ways to use connectives in writing, depending on the type of relationship you want to indicate.
- To indicate addition, you can use connectives such as "and," "also," "furthermore," "in addition," "besides," and "moreover."
- To indicate contrast, you can use connectives such as "but," "however," "nevertheless," "in contrast," "on the other hand," and "yet."
- To indicate consequence, you can use connectives such as "so," "therefore," "hence," "as a result," "consequently," and "thus."
- To indicate emphasis, you can use connectives such as "indeed," "in fact," "above all," "most importantly," and "in particular."
- To indicate purpose, you can use connectives such as "in order to," "so that," "with the aim of," and "in order to achieve."
When using connectives, it's important to use them appropriately and in the right place in the sentence. They should be used to indicate the relationship between ideas and make the text more cohesive and easy to understand.
Join the following pairs of sentences using when and while.
a. Bibha Kumari was doing her homework. The doorbell rang.
When Bibha Kumari was doing her homework, the doorbell rang.
b. I heard the telephone ring. I picked it up.
While I heard the telephone ring, I picked it up.
c. Dil Maya found a thousand rupee note. She was washing her pants.
While Dil Maya was washing her pants, she found a thousand rupee note.
d. Tenjing gave his measurements to the dressmaker. He was visiting the
market yesterday.
While Tenjing was visiting the market yesterday, he gave his measurements to the dressmaker.
e. I was at the butcher’s shop. I met Harikala.
While I was at the butcher’s shop, I met Harikala.
f. The sales agent was dealing with the customer. A thief stole the jewels.
While the sales agent was dealing with the customer, a thief stole the jewels.
g. My small brother was sleeping. I played chess with my father.
While my small brother was sleeping, I played chess with my father.
h. The old lady fell down. She was climbing up the stairs.
While the old lady was climbing up the stairs, she fell down.
i. The leader was giving a speech loudly. He lost his voice.
While the leader was giving a speech loudly, he lost his voice.
j. Kanchan broke her backbone. She was lifting up the load.
While Kanchan was lifting up the load, she broke her backbone.
Fill in the blanks with one of the connectives from the options given below.
so, because, as, since, due to, owing to, because of
a. We didn’t go for a morning walk today because it was raining.
b. I wanted to go home early because I was not feeling well.
c. My brother stayed at home due to his illness.
d. I was late in the class due to traffic jam.
e. He didn’t like dogs because he was not happy when his wife brought a puppy home.
f. He was not included in the team due to his knee injury.
g. Since I was tired, I went to bed early.
h. He was very unhappy because of he lost one million rupees in share market.
i. We cancelled our trip to Rara Lake due to the bad weather.
j. These two lines intersect with each other. since they are not parallel lines.