Reading

Land of Plenty

Working with words

A. Complete the given sentences with the suitable words from the box.

a. The annual report has caused acute embarrassment to the government.

b. Ellen has worn high-heels. She is teetering.

c. Look! The poor horse is dragging a heavy load.

d. As they approached the outskirts of the city, Ella’s mood visibly lightened.

e. The parcel was wrapped in plain brown paper. It still looks attractive.

f. Fruits and vegetables grow in abundance in the Terai region.

g. They can abstract precious medicines from ordinary substances.

 C. Add suitable suffix to the root words given and write the parts of speech of each newly formed word.

Root Words	Suffix	New Word
neighbour	-hood	neighbourhood (n.)
comfort	-able	comfortable (adj.)
shop	-er	shopper (n.)
husk	-y	husky (adj.)
squeamish	-ness	squeamishness (n.)
change	-able	changeable (adj.)
shine	-y	shiny (adj.)
colloquial	-ly	colloquially (adv.)
collect	-ion	collection
embrass	-ment	embrassment
persuade	-able	persuadable
type	-ical	typical
differ	NA	differ
ship	-able	shippable
tropic	-ical	tropical
drive	-er	driver
reside	NA	reside
brother	-hood	brotherhood
fresh	-ness	freshness

D. Look for the following words related to waste management in an English dictionary. Make sentences of your own using them.

Sewage: Chlorine is used in sewage treatment.

Sludge: The sludge can also become too thick to extract easily or turn septic.

Organic Waste: We compost organic waste and use that as a soil conditioner.

Inorganic: The meteorites contained only inorganic material.

Methane: The ignition of methane gas killed eight men.

Waste reduction: Waste reduction helps to make world greenery and healthy.

Monofil: We used a fishing rod made up of monofil.

Market waste: Market waste means condemned or decayed or unsound vegetables.

Incineration: The fly ash and the bottom ash from incineration can contain heavy metals.

Hazardous waste: CFLs contain mercury, they are hazardous waste and must be disposed of properly.

Comprehension

Answer the following questions.

a. How does the author describe the Japanese waste management system?
Ans: The author describes the Japanese waste management system as an organized, unique and sarcastic system all at once. There existed such a system where the trash was used to be cleaned up at a specific time at a specific place. He calls it awkward to learn their habit of not using anything second hand material, no matter if it is a car or an expensive TV set. He calls it sarcastic because people who were too shy and spirited at day time not using second hand items were also picking up things at night.

b. What are the two reasons behind the existence of Sodaigomi in Japanese culture?
Ans: The two reasons behind the existence of sodaigomi in Japanese culture are the small size of the typical Japanese house, with its lack of attic, cellar, garage or spare room and the Japanese desire for freshness and purity,

c. What according to the author, do the Japanese feel at the thought of buying second-hand items?
Ans: Japanese feel like buying second hand items as buying someone’s socks. It means they feel very timid and uncivilized to use second hand items.

d. How is Malaysian culture different from Japanese culture concerning the used items?
Ans: Malaysian culture is different from Japanese culture concerning the used items as the people in Malaysia do not throw anything away.

e. Why did the author feel awkward at the sodaigomi pile?
Ans: The author felt awkward at the sodaigomi pile because he was in the crowd.

f. How many articles did the author bring to his house one after another? 
Ans: Tea and an expensive chair were the first items the author brought. After that, he picked up a new bicycle bell, a little wooden cabinet, a full set of wrenches and screwdrivers in a metal toolbox, a Naugahyde-covered barstool, a lacquer serving tray, bookshelves, televisions, etc.

g. Why do most people try to find things in the trash pile ‘in the dead of the night’?
Ans: Most people try to find things in the trash in the dead of the night because not everyone can afford to always use first and fresh items. Another reason was, that was the time when people had no shame or mocking at picking up things that were needed.

h. How did the author’s family assimilate Japanese culture in using consumer goods?
Ans: The author’s family assimilate Japanese culture in using consumer goods by giving as well as receiving second hand articles.

Critical Thinking

a. If you happen to be in Japan someday, will you collect articles from sodaigomi? Why or why not?
Ans: It depends upon the situation. If I happen to be in Japan someday, I will surely collect articles from sodaigomi if I have no or average financial strength. For various reasons, may citizens from Nepal move to Japan. Money management is a problem for them. To save money, I will probably utilize second-hand products, since they have a lot of essentials. In order to avoid detection, I may collect them without anybody noticing. Using an used item is not a sin in my culture. 

b. There are some second hand shops in Nepal, too. But, people are not much interested in them. What practice would be suitable in managing second hand items in Nepal?
Ans: The reasons for our reluctance to buy used things from such stores are many. The first reason is that we are ashamed to admit that we purchase second hand goods. As soon as other people find out that we’re purchasing second-hand products, they’re quick to criticize us. Sellers at second-hand businesses are unreliable who usually make fake promises in the long-term usefulness and durability of resale items.

In order to manage second hand items, second-hand purchases should become a regular part of our shopping habits. We should not be embarrassed about utilizing these products. We should avoid buying used products that are in poor shape, but we may purchase second hand furniture, electrical equipment, and automobiles that are in decent condition.

Writing

A. Write a paragraph elaborating the idea of 3Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle) in garbage management.

In the recent past, we have witnessed a depletion in the environment resulting in increased pollution, thus leading to dangerous diseases to human life and harm to flora and fauna in the atmosphere. 3R’s- Reduce, Reuse & Recycle is a method to curb this depletion to increase further. Reduce is reducing the amount of waste you produce in the environment. For example: using less plastic, carpooling with friends, etc. Reuse is reusing the commodities that will lead to less emission of waste in the environment. For example: Reusing your plastic bags, reusing bottles, etc. Recycle is to transform the used products into another form so that it can be reused Following 3R’s will lead to sustainable development for a better This will lead to decreased levels of pollution in the environment. Lesser the pollution, better the health index of the country resulting in healthier people. It will result in less wastage of the natural resources which shall help to compensate for the increasing population for the future. In conclusion, 3R’s is the most effective way to reduce the environmental depletion due to toxic waste being emitted in large numbers. The result of less waste is positive for the environment, human health, and the economy.

B. Garbage management is a big problem in most of the cities in Nepal. Write a letter to the editor to be published in the daily newspaper suggesting the ways of ‘Solving Garbage Problems’.

Koteshwor, Kathmandu

3rd Januray, 2022

 

To,

The Editor

The Kantipur Post

Kathmandu, Nepal

Subject: About the solutions for waste management

Dear Sir,

I would like to draw attention of the concerned authorities and the public, to the garbage mismanagement issue in most of the cities in Nepal. There is no appropriate system for collection and disposal of wastes from the street, shops and private households. This issue has been brought to the concerned authorities several times. However, no permanent solution has been adapted yet.

Now, everyone can understand the problems and opportunities of wastes management, but never wants to convert their perception into behaviors and actions. Many people think that waste materials have to be thrown anywhere but not in my backyard. Similarly, the metropolis has received less attention from the federal government.

If we follow the concept of 3R, the significant amount of waste can be diverted from landfilling and used as resources. We can improve several technologies, a bio methanation plant for generating electricity we have already piloted over many years. Source segregated biodegradable municipal waste from poultry farms, biomass and solid part of fecal sludge can be added to run anaerobic biogas plants. Participation of private sector and investment in trading of particular recycling campaigns can be encouraged in the waste management.

I hope the concerned authorities will take the precise steps to address the issue of waste management.

Yours Sincerely

Ram Thapa

Grammar

B. Use the words from the brackets to complete the sentences.

a. This house is very small. I want to buy a much bigger one. (much/ big)

b. I liked the magic show. It was far more exciting than I’d expected. (far/ exciting)

c. It was very cold yesterday. It’s a bit warmer today. (a bit/ warm)

d. The warmer the weather the better I feel. (good)

e. An average Americans earns considerably higher than an average Nepali. (considerably/ high)

f. Health care in Nepal is not as expensive as it is in the US. (expensive)

g. I think the problem is far more complicated than it seems. (far/ complicated)

h. You are driving very fast. Would you please drive a bit less slowly? (a bit/ slowly)

i. Your handwriting is not legible. Can you write a bit neater? (a bit/ neat)

C. Rewrite the following sentences with the sentence beginnings.

a. Kabir is less intelligent than he pretends. He is not as intelligent as he pretends.

b. I am busy today but I was busier yesterday. I’m not as busy as yesterday.

c. Hari has lived in Kathmandu for 10 years but Bikram for 20 years. Bikram has lived more years than Hari.

d. I used to study 12 hours a day but nowadays I study only 5 hours a day. I don’t study as many hours as I used to do.

e. It’s a very good room in our hotel. In fact, it’s the best room.

f. He earns 30 thousand rupees a month but spends 40 thousand. He spends more than he earns.

g. There is no other mountain higher than Mt. Everest in the world. Mt. Everest is the highest mountain in the world.

h. The place was nearer than I thought. It was not as near as I thought.

i. Bharat can play better than Mohan. Mohan can’t play as good as Bharat.