Month: March 2022

                 CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS

It is said that people should follow the customs and traditions when they start to live in a new country. Do you really agree to this? It is really difficult to come to a conclusion on this notion as, today, many Indians have settled abroad. From times immemorial we have foreign settlements in our mother land too. In places like Goa, Coorg, Assam we see a mixed culture of native Indians and foreigners who settled here. It is very difficult a task now to find out their origin also.
The saying goes as ‘Be a Roman in Rome’ refers to the importance of adapting yourself to the customs of the people who are in a certain place. Customs and traditions are age old practices which can’t be toppled in a day, at the same time, one can’t be conservative and follow it as it is. When we are the part of a new habitation, the first thing which gets affected is the language. To have a conversation with the people of the locality and get our things done, the first thing a person does is to learn the language and to imitate the localites in gestures. Slowly, yet steadily without the knowledge of the person himself, he starts to change many things, finally effecting their culture and tradition too.
Today, many Indians have settled abroad but are still Indians by heart. This happens when the person, after getting accustomed to this new lifestyle, one day realizes that a great deal of change has accumulated, resulting a loss of their identity. Meanwhile, this shapes into nostalgia. Finally, such a person starts to crave to enhance their own custom and tradition, which has already compromised with their way of living.
Henceforth, it is evident that when we settle in abroad, we must change our culture to adopt the culture of the country where we settle, nonetheless remain an ardent follower or lover of one’s own culture and tradition. ‘Remember, change is the only permanent notion in any nation. So, instead of fretting about cultural exchange, enjoy the fun of it.
Answer the following questions that follows:

1. What happens when a person settles in foreign lands?
   a) Cultural instability
   b) Cultural tolerance
   c) Cultural exchange
   d) None of the above
2. What is the meaning of the quote ‘Be Roman in Rome’?
   a) Everyone must change to look like a Roman.
   b) People of Rome too don’t look like Romans.
   c) To make oneself suitable to the new place.
   d) To make oneself conservative to the customs and traditions.
3. What is the most inevitable thing according to the passage?
   a) Change
   b) Nostalgia
   c) Conservative
   d) Imitate
4. What can’t be toppled in a day?
   a) Knowledge
   b) Age old customs and traditions
   c) Wisdom
   d) Adaptation
5. Pick up the synonym of the word ‘ancestry’.
   a) Adapt
   b) Adopt
   c) Adept
   d) Origin

Answer Key is appended at the end.

Contributed by: Smt Suneela Jyotsna, M.A,M.Ed.,NET,
( A Teacher, Blogger and Podcaster)

Answer Key: 1.C 2.C 3.A 4.B 5.D

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LIFE SKILLS
You are a Scion of Ikshvaku yet you are lost in the market yard not knowing how to het grocery. You are a topper of IIT but can’t manage a square meal in the absence of your family. In these situations what fun is it to brag you with superlatives. Meanwhile, the children on streets whom we fondly call urchins and brats excel in meeting their ends. Now, the question raises as ‘What for are we striving in the schools?’ to make rubber stamps! Or white colored puppets!
The life skills mark their identity in every day’s life. The hen which fights pitched battles with Eagles, birds and even the people of the vicinity in order to save its’ chicken, leaves the young ones to manage themselves on attaining age. On the other hand, human beings go with spoon feeding to show the world that they take good care of their family. When the conch shell of parents plays in the ears how can a child play in the grounds? Without practical knowledge of ice and fire, how can that man taste the life? Who can take thrill in pleasure without the practical knowledge of a morsel of pain? Finally, What is a day, without a night?
When a question in competitive exam comes with word limit, we compress our words even when the thought gushes in torrents. Nevertheless, we expand the topic without a hint of idea about the same. Similarly, in our day to day life too one needs to manage. Often, we see youth standing still with lack of expression when an auto-driver or a shopkeeper cussing them with words they never heard or used. Even, they fumble for words to propose a girl of their choice, who is a close pale.
The situation looks grave when a graduate or a student from board classes find themselves in a tight spot to fill an application or to write a letter. The society grieves for producing such uneducated literates.
Here, the ‘LIFE SKILLS’ surface and mock the system. Changes are to be made to strengthen the spine of the nation. To prepare the youth for tomorrow, tomorrow’s yesterday should be strong. Poet’s celebrated nature and beauty, film makers have celebrated love and hatred. Let’s celebrate life with special skills while giving a little freedom to the tiny hands to throw a stone on the ripe mangoes, to run and fall on the hedges, to hear and assimilate some shit. We have grown hearing the celibacy of Bheeshma and fantasy of Krishna, let’s contribute a little lunacy to the next generation.

Answer the following questions that follows:

1. What is the meaning of the phrase ‘the country grieves for producing such uneducated literates?
   a) Country is happy about the literates
   b) Country is unhappy about the literates
   c) Country is unhappy as the educated behaves like uneducated, when it comes to life skills.
   d) Country is unhappy as the uneducated behaves like educated, when it comes to life skills.
2. What does the phrase ‘tomorrow’s yesterday’ refers to?
   a) Tomorrow
   b) Today
   c) Yesterday
   d) Day before yesterday.
3. What is the source of developing the life skills among children?
   a) Freedom to play and have hands on practical knowledge.
   b) Freedom to become Bheeshma and Krishna
   c) Not to spoil their freedom by playing in the grounds
   d) Concentrate on studies.
4. Identify the figure of speech used in the statement ‘Here, the ‘LIFE SKILLS’ surface and mock the system’.
   a) Hyperbole
   b) Simile
   c) Metaphor
   d) Personification
5. Identify the synonym of the word ‘Proximity; the state of being near’ from the Para 2.
   a) Conch
   b) Vicinity
   c) Pitch
   d) Morsel

Answer Key is appended at the end.

Contributed by: Smt Suneela Jyotsna, M.A,M.Ed.,NET,
( A Teacher, Blogger and Podcaster)

Answer Key : 1.C 2.B 3. A 4.D 5.B

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It is true that every individual is responsible for his/her own happiness, nonetheless the undisposed fact is, happiness depends on external factors like your social status, friends and even financial status. This is so because we aren’t monks.
To begin with, a well settled man is open to speak and express his thought, wherein a poor man’s tongue should always lose the edge. What brings all of us here is our education. Can we expect the same freedom of expression from an uneducated? Without freedom of expression, without access to riches, attaining happiness is a rarity.
Often, we see people saying happiness is a state of mind. The fact is it is a state of mind for a well settled person. Truth always changes and wisdom is in understanding the fact. In many cases people earn to their posterity. I this process they lose the most promising relations, only to repent later on their loss, for such people it is quite perfect to think that the person is responsible for his/her own happiness as having everything which a common man craves for, yet is unhappy. Nevertheless, the poor too enjoys life provided they limit their needs. To me, happiness depends not only on the state of mind. Let us compare the life of two kids. A rich boy who is bereaved of his mother, envies the slum neighbor’s mother’s hug, at the same time the kid in the slums aspire to attend school like the former . Here it is evident that happiness depends on your aspirations. Let’s see the third fellow who has parents and takes regular schooling but is jealous of his friend who is a great dancer.
Henceforth, happiness lies in fulfilling aspirations. After reaching the goals one can feel satisfied therefore limit your needs, limit your aspirations to the fullest of your potential and strive to reach your targets. On reaching the target, every individual is responsible for one’s happiness.

Answer the following questions that follows:

1. What is the passage about?
   a) Hard work c) Aspirations
   b) Happiness d) Goals
2. As per the passage, what is happiness?
   a) Happiness is a state of mind.
   b) Happiness depends on an individual.
   c) Happiness has rarely some importance.
   d) Happiness is a state of mind of a well settled person.
3. What is the aspiration of the poor kid?
   a) To be happy with his mother.
   b) To be bereaved of his mother.
   c) To attend schooling as the rich kid.
   d) He doesn’t aspire at all.
4. Find out the synonym of the phrase ‘to take away someone’ from the passage given above.
   a) Bereave c) Potential
   b) Aspire d) Posterity
5. Replace the word ‘nonetheless’ from the first paragraph with the best option given below.
   a) And b) But
   b) Yet d) so

Answer key is available at end of this post

Contributed by: Smt Suneela Jyotsna, M.A,M.Ed.,NET,
( A Teacher, Blogger and Podcaster)

Answer Key : 1. B 2. 3. C 4. A 5. B

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