Class 9 English Lesson 12

 A. Where are these places? How would you get there? Discuss.

👉 The place shown in the first picture is Jomson, Mustang. Similarly, the place given in the second picture is Shey Phoksundo Lake. Likewise, the place shown in the third picture is Pathivara Devi Temple. These places are located in the hilly and mountainous region of Nepal. So, to get to these places, one should either travel to a predetermined place by vehicle or plane and then walk for some distance or even several days.

B. Identify the following people and say what they are famous for.

👉 The person shown in the first picture is Bhaktaraj Acharya. He is considered the Bhajan Shiromani and has been one of the pioneer singers and musicians of the Nepalese Music Industry. Likewise, the persons shown in the second picture are Deepak Bista and Ayesha Shakya. They are famous Taekwondo practitioners of Nepal. Similarly, the person shown in the third picture is Pushpa Basnet. She is one of the pioneers of social Nepal

Reading I

a. How much do you love reading? What is the name of the last book you read?

👉 I love reading books very much. The last book I read was The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.

b. Who is your favourite writer? Say something interesting about him or her.

👉 My favourite writer is VS Naipaul. He was born in Trinidad, with family roots in India and ancestry roots in Nepal. Naipaul has devoted much of his life to traveling to different places in the world, which is reflected in his novels as well as his travel writing and reportage.

Paulo Coelho

Short summary

The book attracted little attention at first, until a French-language translation suddenly leapt onto the bestseller lists in France in the early 1990s. The book has sold, by Coelho’s count, roughly 35 million copies and is now the most translated book in the world by any living author. In 2013, approximately 150 million copies of his books were published in at least 71 languages. Several of his books are autobiographical and deal with spirituality, faith, societal impacts on individuals, and love. His 26 books have sold more than 65 million copies in at least 59 languages. His fans call his books inspiring and life-changing. His critics say that his books merely promote vague spirituality devoid of rigour.

A. Complete the table below. Use a dictionary to check the meanings. Then, choose the correct word to complete the sentences. Change the form if necessary.

a. She was an …………….. example to her followers.

👉 inspiring

b. It is claimed that the officers ………… a man to death in a city police station.

👉 had tortured

c. Naturally, I …………. the tale a little to make it more interesting.

👉 have embroidered

d. The company conducted its own internal ………………. into the robbery.

👉 investigation

e. The exhibition is ……………. huge crowds.

👉 attracting

B. The following sentences depict some of the important events in Paulo Coelho’s life. Put them in chronological order.

👉

g. Coelho wanted to become a writer.

d. He stayed in a mental hospital.

b. He was enrolled in a law school.

f. He left school and lived the life of a hippie.

a. He travelled to Santiago de Compostela which inspired him to write The Pilgrimage.

h. Coelho wrote the allegorical novel The Alchemist.

c. He got married to the artist, Christina Oiticica.

e. Coelho established the Paulo Coelho Institute.

C. Answer the following questions.

a. Why did Coelho’s parents discourage him from becoming a writer?

👉 Coelho’s parents discouraged him from becoming a writer because they wanted him to be a lawyer instead.

b. What changed Coelho’s life in a significant way?

👉 Coelho traveled to Santiago de Compostela in Spain where he experienced a spiritual awakening and felt inspired to write the book The Pilgrimage (1987). This changed Coelho’s life significantly.

c. Why is The Alchemist special?

👉 The Alchemist is special because it gave Coelho a breakthrough as an international writer.

d. What are most of his books about?

👉 Most of his books are autobiographical and deal with spirituality, faith, societal impacts on individuals, and love.

e. Write two evidences that prove Coelho is an international author.

👉 The evidence that proves Coelho is an international author is:

• The Alchemist has sold roughly 35 million copies and is the most translated book in the world by any living author.

• In 2013, approximately 150 million copies of his books were published in at least 71 languages.

f. What are the criticisms of his writing?

👉 Critics say that his books merely promote vague spirituality devoid of rigour.

g. Write the names of two books that focus on Coelho’s travels.

👉 The two books which focus on Coelho’s travels are:

• Aleph (2010)

• Hippie (2018)

D. Which of Paulo Coelho’s books would you most like to read? Give reasons for your choice.

👉 Among many celebrated books by Paulo Coelho, I am intrigued to read Veronika Decides to Die. This book mines the perceived mental instability of his youth. Much of the novel is based on the author’s own experiences in mental institutions. As a young man, Coelho was institutionalized three times by his parents by age sixteen due to their inability to control him and to dissuade him from becoming a writer.

Grammar I

B. Complete the following sentences with the article ‘a’, ‘an’ or ‘the’.

a. Sudip bought ……..expensive guitar yesterday. ………….. guitar is beautiful.

👉 an / the

b. Ms Sherpa is ……..university student.

👉 a

c. …….. boy wearing a black cap is my brother.

👉 The

d. I have given him half……..hour to finish the task.

👉 an

e. Angelia has……..beautiful daughter named Sophia.

👉 a

f. Mr Gurung is ……..S.P. of Nepal Police.

👉 an

g. Is diamond …………..hardest substance in the world?

👉 the

h. Mrs Yadav is ………..honourable teacher.

👉 an

i. Rice sells at Rs. 60 ……… kilo.

👉 a

j. I met ………….. European writer last Monday.

👉 a

Reading II

Look at the picture below and guess the answers to the following questions.

a. What are the two women doing?

👉 The older woman is sitting in a chair with a cup of tea and the other woman is washing the dishes.

b. What do you think the relationship is between the two women?

👉 I think the relationship between the two women seems to be of a master and a servant in a house.

A. Match the following words/phrases in column A with their meanings in column B.

Column A	Column B
a. mean	iv. unkind
b. get through	vi. to manage to do or complete something
c. dinner	vii. the main meal of the day
d. break down	iii. cease to function; collapse
e. pack-horse	ii. a horse that is used to carry heavy loads
f. Madam	v. a formal and polite way of speaking to a woman
g. dogged	i. not giving up easily

B. Answer the following questions.

a. Was the Madam really not mean? Why does the speaker say ‘she wasn’t mean’?

👉 The Madam was not really mean. The speaker says she wasn’t mean because she didn’t hate the maid; only she overworked her.

b. Make a list of work that the maid had to do.

👉 The maid had to do the following work: cleaning the house, cooking, walking the dog, washing the dishes, washing the clothes.

c. What made her nearly break down?

👉 The pressure of too much work, i.e. heavy workload, nearly broke her down.

d. How did the Madam respond to the maid’s question?

👉 The Madam responded to her maid’s question with surprise and said she loved her.

C. The poem above presents an example of one type of discrimination. What kinds of discrimination are in existence in your society? Discuss.

👉 The given poem is an example of discrimination prevailing in society. In my society, the major discrimination is in the name of caste. Nepalese society is based on a caste hierarchy which has provoked caste discrimination. People from so-called higher castes discriminate against so-called lower caste people in aspects like basic infrastructure and education. Some people of lower caste are not allowed in the houses of higher caste people. Gender discrimination is also seen where females are denied different facilities and benefits. Such discrimination should be eradicated with awareness and education.

Grammar II

Fill in the blanks with a, an or the where necessary. If no article is necessary put a cross (X).

a.
A: Where did you have……lunch?
B: We went to ……restaurant.

👉 (A – X, B – a)

b.
A: Did you have …….nice holiday?
B: Yes, it was …….best holiday I’ve ever had.

👉 (A – a, B – the)

c.
A: Where’s …..nearest grocery shop?
B: There is one at …..end of this street.

👉 (A – the, B – the)

d.
A: Do you often listen to……. radio?
B: No. In fact, I haven’t got ……radio.

👉 (A – the, B – a)

e.
A: Would you like to travel in ……..space?
B: Yes, I’d love to go to ………Moon.

👉 (A – X, B – the)

f.
A: Do you go to …….cinema very often?
B: No. But I do watch a lot of films on …….television.

👉 (A – the, B – X)

g.
A: You had …….. nice time yesterday, didn’t you?
B: Yes, we went for a walk by …….. Narayani River.

👉 (A – a, B – the)

h.
A: Can you tell me where ……… head teacher’s room is?
B: It’s on …….. second floor.

👉 (A – the, B – the)

i.
A: What did you have for ……..breakfast this morning?
B: Nothing. I never eat …….breakfast.

👉 (A – X, B – X)

Writing II

Write a short biography of Nepali National Poet, Madhav Prasad Ghimire, based on the outline given below.

👉 Madhav Ghimire, born on October 22, 1919, is among the last of the older generation of poets in Nepal. He was motivated by works of Rabindranath Tagore.

His childhood was spent in Lamjung District – among the hills. Ghimire’s writing career developed gradually and in 1946, he became the editor of Gorkha Patra. Sharada and Udaya were other journals in which he began to publish his work.

Ghimire was the Vice Chancellor of the Royal Nepal Academy from 1979 to 1988 and Chancellor from 1988 to 1990. During his tenure, he led delegations to China, Russia, and Bangladesh. For his work, he has received the Distinguished Academy Medal, Shree Prasiddha Praval Gorkha Dakshinabahu, Bhanubhakta Award, and Tribhuwan Pragya Puraskar among others.

In terms of popularity, excellence and acclaim, Ghimire is considered a source of inspiration in Nepali literature. He began writing songs and poems 67 years ago and continues to do so even today. He has written poems, long narrative poems, lyrical-epic poems, and ballads and has rendered immense contribution to the enrichment of Nepali literature. The Royal Nepal Academy’s Modern Nepali Poems (1972 First ed.) commends his poems as ‘manifestations of the Nepalese life.’ Some of his most praised pieces are Aphnai Bansuri Aphnai Gita, Asvatthama: Gitinatak, Gauri, Indrakumari, Rajesvari, and Rashtra-nirmata.

The Library of Congress has fifteen works by him.

Project Work

Find information about any one of the popular personalities in your locality. Note important details of his/her life and share it with your friends.

👉 Guru Bala Shadananda

He was born in the Koshi Zone’s Bhojpur district. Bala Guru Shadananda was one of the well-known figures in my neighborhood. In Poush 1882 BS, Shadananda was born in the village of Dingla in the Bhojpur district. Shadananda Adhikari was his real name at birth. He was the youngest child of father Laxmi Narayan Adhikari and mother Rukmini. He established a Sanskrit school in 1932 BS, when the Rana regime in Nepal strictly prohibited closed schools, and it was accessible to students from all communities. His goal was to build a school that could turn out workers who could be productive. For this, he began the commercial cultivation of Rudraksha, and he also created the idea of “jageda ban,” or additional forest, which is regarded as the original concept.