Chapter 3: Expansion of Ideas
Discuss with your partner the different ideas connoted by the word 'season'.
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Solution
The word ‘season’ could mean the different weather patterns that occur due to the changes in the position of the earth in regard to the sun.
The word ‘season’ could also mean ‘giving more flavour by adding’ when it is used in the context of food.
e.g. Season the dish with black pepper and oregano.
The word ‘season’ could also refer to the period when a sport is played.
e.g. football season, cricket season, etc.
The word ‘season’ could also mean one set of episodes of a television series.
Select a season of your choice and give the following details:
Time of the year -
Characteristics- crops, festivals, etc.
Features/changes - climate/weather/temperature etc.
Advantages/Disadvantages -
Solution
Time of the year:
The Winter season - begins from the end of November and stays till the end of February.
Characteristics:
The crops that are grown in the winter season in India are known as Rabi crops. These crops are sown in the month of October and harvested in spring. Wheat, barley, sesame, gram, and mustard are some examples of crops grown in the winter season. The festivals that are celebrated on a large scale in India during the winter season are - Diwali, Christmas, Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Lohri, Republic Day, etc.
Features/Climate:
During the winter season, the weather in India changes from the hot and humid to the cool and dry. The average winter temperature ranges between 10-15 degrees Celsius, with the coldest months being December and January.
Advantages/Disadvantages:
The winter season in all parts of India, except the North, is a respite from the scorching October heat. It is the most-awaited season, apart from the monsoon, as it helps people enjoy the outdoors without having to worry about getting a heatstroke. However, winters in the north of India can be quite extreme. With thick fog, snowfall, hailstorms, etc. survival becomes quite difficult at times.
Proverbs associated with the word season: for eg: Make hay while the sun shines.
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Solution
One kind word can warm three winters.
No winter lasts forever, no spring skips its turn.
Turn your face toward the sun and the shadows fall behind you.
Guess the meaning of the above proverbs and write them down along with a sentence of your own.
Solution
One kind word can warm three winters:
This proverb means that being kind to someone can go a long way. ‘Winter’ is considered to be harsh, cold, bleak, and gloomy. Therefore, an act of kindness can bring warmth to the life of someone going through a bleak phase.
Sentence: We must never forget that one kind word can warm three winters.
No winter lasts forever, no spring skips its turn
As winter is associated with gloom and spring with liveliness and goodness, this proverb states that no matter how bad the times, they won’t last forever. In other words, difficulties don’t last forever and good times never fail to follow.
Sentence: Rehan needs to move on from his loss and understand that no winter lasts forever and no spring skips its turn.
Turn your face toward the sun and the shadows fall behind you
Sun is a symbol of goodness and positivity, whereas shadows represent troubles and problems. This proverb means that when we choose to focus on the positive things in life, the negative things will automatically stop affecting us as we will have left them behind.
Sentence: Nikita, you can’t live your life like a pessimist. You need to turn your face toward the sun and let the shadows fall behind you.
Discuss with your partner on the following topic. Express your views and opinions in favour of and against the topic.
Are sports essential in Jr. Colleges?
Solution
In Favour: Yes, sports keep the students healthy and active as well as develop a competitive spirit in them.
Against: No, sports are not essential in Jr. Colleges as they might lead the students to focus less on their studies.
Are college council elections essential in Jr. Colleges?
Solution
In Favour: Yes, the college council is the mediator between the teachers and the students. It is assigned a lot of responsibilities like organising meets, conducting activities, arranging for guest lectures, etc.
Against: No, student council elections are not essential in Jr. Colleges because students who are not a part of the council may feel left out and the ones who are a part of the council might misuse their authority.
Is cell-phone the need for the times?
Solution
In Favour: Yes, it helps one stay in touch with their friends and family. It is also a life-saver in times of emergencies.
Against: People have grown apart because of cell phones. They prefer living in the virtual world rather than in the real one.
Should the 'Earn and Learn' concept be made mandatory for students?
Solution
In Favour: Yes, because this way they will learn how to be responsible. It will also help them manage their finances better as adults.
Against: No, as it would be an additional burden on the students and might shift their focus from learning.
Expand the idea inherent in the following proverb :
A Bad workman blames his tools.
Solution
A bad workman blames his tools
A workman who is not good at his work blames his tools and not himself. Blaming his tools is a bad workman’s way of not owning up to his mistakes or taking responsibility for a job not done well.
When a workman doesn’t do his job right, he loses credibility and his clients are driven away. Thus, he cannot take ownership of the bad work since that will establish him as a poor workman. Fearing this bad reputation, he blames everything but himself for his mediocre deliverables. Citing excuses, delaying deadlines, and pointing fingers are some of the many arrows in a bad workman’s quiver of fallacy. According to him, everything conspires against him whenever he is trying to do his job well. This saying is suitable for people who lack certain skill sets or qualities and instead of correcting them and improving, they make excuses for themselves by blaming it on external factors. The saying thus continues, ‘a bad workman always quarrels with his tools’.
One should eat to live, not live to eat - Franklin.
Solution
One should eat to live, not live to eat
‘One must eat to live and not live to eat’, is a famous quote from the well-known playwright, Molière’s play, ‘The Miser’. This proverb aims to communicate that one must eat as much as is needed to survive and not overeat. One must not make eating their life’s purpose.
In today’s day and age, we have a lot of options available for travel, entertainment, and even food. From gourmet restaurants to fast food joints, the list is never-ending. Therefore, when we indulge in these, it becomes our responsibility to choose wisely. We need to draw a line between having a hearty meal and indulging in gluttony. We should understand that food is primarily eaten for survival and though there is nothing wrong with consuming food for pleasure, care must be taken to avoid overconsumption.
Our busy lives don’t permit us to develop extensive exercise routines. Hence, it becomes essential to limit our intake to what the body can process, instead of making it work overtime to break down the extra amount of food that we have consumed. After all, ‘Too much of anything is good for nothing’.
If winter comes, can spring be far behind? - Shelley
Solution
If winter comes, can spring be far behind?
The proverb ‘If winter comes, can spring be far behind?’ means that if something bad or unfortunate happens, one mustn’t lose heart for there is definitely something better and much more fortunate that will soon follow. The quote refers to the cycle of joy and sorrow. If it is winter and everything is dying, there will come spring next and everything will blossom again. For fresh flowers to bloom and leaves to unfold, it is necessary for the old ones to wither away. This proverb fuels positivity in the minds of people so that if they think they have hit rock bottom, the only way to go now is up; it gives them the hope that the dark clouds will soon disperse, and the sun will shine again. One simply needs to have faith that the difficult times won’t last forever. All in all, this proverb is full of hope and positivity, just like the profound saying, ‘There is light at the end of the tunnel’.
Beauty is truth, truth is beauty - John Keats
Solution
Beauty is truth, truth is beauty
‘Beauty is truth, truth is beauty’ is an extract from a famous poem by Keats, ‘Ode on a Grecian Urn’, in which the poet describes how an urn depicts the truth of humankind and that of life.
In context to the rest of the poem, the idea is that art conveys the truth better than any other form of communication. Nothing communicates human experiences better than art. The quote states how beauty lies in permanence. Elements that never perish will remain beautiful for eternity and truth is one such element. Thus, it is said that truth lies in everything that’s beautiful and beauty lies in everything that’s true.
Consequently, one must search for the element of truth in everything we see, because though appearances may fade with time, the truth will always retain its beauty. After all, as John Keats notes in another one of his sayings, ‘A thing of beauty is a joy forever’.
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread - Alexander Pope.
Solution
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread
The meaning of the proverb ‘Fools rush in where angels fear to tread’ is that only inexperienced and impatient people attempt to do things which the experienced will think twice before taking on.
This phrase by Alexander Pope suggests that a person who quickly rushes in to take over a situation, whose challenges and difficulties he does not fully understand, is a fool. Such a person does not stop to think why the people who are experts on the matter have avoided the situation. Thus, in his overconfidence, he thinks that he can handle something that the intelligent and experienced people have chosen to stay away from. This cautious behaviour of the experienced is also often misinterpreted by the inexperienced as cowardice. The amateur thinks that he has the chance to prove that he has greater knowledge and hence, rushes in to solve the problem.
In conclusion, a wise man carefully considers the views of those who are smarter than him while a fool, who is in a hurry to brag, ends up paying for his haste.
