Reading

Living in a Redwood Tree

Working with words

A. The words/phrases in the box are from the text. Check their meanings in a dictionary and use these words to complete the given sentences.

a. Logging is one of the main reasons behind the rapid deforestation in the world.

b. That’s one example of how the pandemic should be a wake-up call.

c. Propane is a gas used as a fuel for cooking and heating.

d. Emergency teams are still clearing the debris from the plane crash.

e. What a transformation! You look great.

f. My father made a New Year’s resolution to give up smoking.

g. He has worked in the Army for two years. He hates that two-year stint.

h. Emissions from the factory are widely suspected of having a detrimental effect on health.

i. My father is occasional smoker. He doesn’t smoke often.

j. Redwood is a very tall type of tree that grows especially in California and Oregan.

B. The words redwood, barefoot, single-burner, short-term, fast-paced, mudslide, windstorm and childhood from the above text are made of two words and they yield a new meaning. Compound words can be written in three ways: open compounds (spelled as two words, e.g., ice cream), closed compounds (joined to form a single word, e.g., doorknob), or hyphenated compounds (two words joined by a hyphen, e.g., long-term). Choose one word from each box to make sensible compound words.

a. Sustainability  =  ii. to keep in existence; maintain. To supply with necessities or nourishment

b. tree line  =  i. the height on a mountain above which the climate is too cold for trees to grow

c. precipitation  =  iv. water that returns to the earth as rain, hail, sleet or snow

d. tropical zone  =  x. the region between latitudes 23.5 degrees S and 23.5 degrees N

e. Kyoto Protocol  =  iii. an agreement between countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. It was established in Japan in 1997 but didn’t become international law until 2004

f. pollutants  =  vii. substances that destroy the purity of air, water or land

g. geosphere  =  vi. the soils, sediments and rock layers of the Earth’s crust, both continental and beneath the ocean floors

h. deciduous  =  ix. a plant that sheds all or nearly all its leaves each year

i. ephemeral  =  viii. an organism that has a short life cycle

j. trash  =  v. items that are discarded

Comprehension

A. Choose the best answer.

a. The author of the text above has the opinion that Julia Hill made her pastime in a tree for two years more.

b. The sentence ‘Julia had occasional visitors’ indicates she had a few visitors now and then.

c. The logging company managed 24 hour security service around the tree to discourage her from her campaign.

d. Ms. Hill began to respond to the loggers with songs and conventional conversations because she had unconditional love for all nature’s creations.

e. Julia Hill climbed down the tree after 738 days when her demands were about to be fulfilled.

B.  Answer the following questions.

a. Who was Julia Butterfly Hill? How did Hill’s campaign gain popularity?
Ans: An American Lady named Julia Butterfly Hill, was Environmental activist and tax redirection campaigner. Hill’s campaign gained popularity as a result of her 738-day living in a 180 foot tall, about 1500 year old California redwood tree to protest against the cutting of forest.

b. What made Hill start her mega campaign  to save redwood trees?
Ans: Hill saw the deforestation or cutting of all redwood trees from California which made Hill start her mega campaign to save redwood trees.

c. What kinds of amenities were there to support Hill’s life in the tree?
Ans: There were sleeping bag, gas stove that cook food and boil water and the mobile phone that could be charged by the solar power which support Hill’s life in the tree.

d. Did Hill’s value of life change after her car accident? How?
Ans: Yes, Hill’s value of life change after her car accident. After accident, she started the awareness programme of the Redwood forest’s situation by a 768 days campaign. Thenafter, she started to raise the spiritual and moral virtues than money, society or occupation.

e. Deforestation causes natural calamities. What evidence do you have in the text to prove this.
Ans: In the text, when a massive mudslide brought down debris, trees, etc., seven people were homeless in Stafford, California which resulted the ruination of many trees.

f. How did the logging company try to discourage Hill in the early days of her sit-in?
Ans: Logging company put security guards on duty 24 hours to Hill to prevent her delivering anything to her. She was threatened with assault, rape and death. They used to torture her which almost cause Hill’s death.

g. How were the vagaries of nature unwelcoming to Hill?
Ans: The vagaries of nature unwelcoming to hill were the strong wind at 70 mph for 16-hours and her roof and wall were slashed by snow and had frostbite that left her feet covered in blisters.

h. What is the purpose of the author to write a review on Hill’s book? Do you think the author stands for ecological sustainability? Give reasons.
Ans: The destruction of nature and human life due to deforestation is the purpose of the author to write a review on Hill’s book. Yes, I think the author stands for ecological sustainability. In her book, she had a character named Julia Butterfly Hill who helped to decrease deforestation and started the campaign for preserving trees and forests.

Critical Thinking

Suppose you are Julia Butterfly Hill. After staying one year in the tree, the government offered you five million dollars and requested you to drop the strike. Write in about 200 words responding them that the money is a mean thing for you in comparison with the woods.
Ans: Hello everyone. It’s me Julia Butterfly Hill who started the campaign to stop deforestation and preserve and protect trees and forests. I have go through many difficulties and faced many problems to come to this step. I had stayed in a tree for a year to learn about the nature and tree and their importance. I don’t agree with the government’s offer and I won’t drop the strike.

My main goal is to make the world greenery and preserve and protect the trees and nature. Nature is known as the gift of god. We should preserve nature rather than destroying it. Trees and forests are also part of nature which beautify the place. Many people of California are destroying redwood trees for logging. Luna, one of the redwood trees, designated in blue to be taken down. It was being fought by a group of environmentalists, but they were considering calling it quits due to the approaching winter. So we should conserve and protect it.

I started my campaign to protect and conserve trees in California in December 10, 1997 due to the cruel cutting of redwood trees in California. Many redwood trees were cut down for logging. People can earn from it for a some time but the destruction of trees may lead to the disaster in the place. We know that money is important but not like trees. Losing trees may lead to the destruction than losing money.

Therefore, I won’t agree with the government and their offer. I strictly run my campaign and try to abolish the deforestation and clearing redwood trees.

Writing

A. Write a review of a book/film which you have read/watched recently.

Title of the movie: Jhola
Director: Yadav Kumar Bhattarai
Producers: Raj Timalsina, Ram Gopal Thapa and Sushil Shah
Starring: Garima Panta, Desh Bhakta Khanal, Sujal Nepal, Laxmi Giri and Deepak Chhetri
Genre: Social
Duration: 90 minutes
Language: Nepali
Release Date: 7 December 2013

‘Jhola’ is a Nepali film based on Krishna Dharawasi’s short story “Jhola”. It has depicted Nepali society about the Sati tradition that was prevalent until the 1920s. The film has beautifully presented the issues of violence against women. “Has Nepalese society really passed through such inhuman tradition?” is the question every youngster wonders about.

The plot develops with the death of Garima’s husband in which she has to immolate herself upon her husband’s death, typically on his funeral pyre. She is supposed to be burnt alive with the dead body of her husband according to the tradition. However, she escapes the fire and hides in a cave. The help of her son fascinates the audience.

Almost all the scenes seem realistic and historical. Traditional tools like dhiki, janto, madaani, etc. give a traditional look to the film. Similarly, traditional lights like ranko, diyalo and fire place represent ancient environment to the spectators. In addition to Sati tradition, the movie also touches Kamara Kamari (a kind of slavery) tradition. What a beautiful cinematography it is! I think costumes of the artists and the leaf music in traditional tunes touch the heart of every one present in the cinema hall. Garima’s natural appearance, her role and her acting are spellbinding and add to the beauty of the movie.

B. Your school is going to organize a speech competition on Friday. The subject of the speech is “Let’s save the trees and protect our environment.” Draft a speech using the following prompts.

Good morning respected principal, teachers, brother and sisters and my dear friends. Today, I ABC(write your name), stand before you all, to highlight the importance of trees and environment and how to save it for our future generation.

Trees and environment are very necessary elements for our life. Without trees, we,human beings, can’t survive. Trees are one of the most vital natural resources that sustain all life on Earth. Trees help to protect the environment from various factors such as environmental degradation, landslides, flood, soil erosion, etc.  Trees play a significant role in reducing erosion and moderating the climate. They remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store large quantities of carbon in their tissues. Trees and forests provide a habitat for many species of animals and plants.

But, In may parts of the world, forests are shrinking as trees are cleared to increase the amount of land available for agriculture. Because of their longevity and usefulness, trees have always been revered, with sacred groves in various cultures, and they play a role in many of the world’s mythologies.    So, we should conserve trees and forests and protect environment.  If we start to plant trees and increase the forest resources in the world, then whole world will be greenery and healthy. Many species of birds and animals would get habitat and be conserved for the future generation. After planting trees, there is the decrement of deforestation and erosion which loss the life and property.

Therefore, we should conserve and protect the trees and forests for healthy and greenery environment. Let’s all walk against the deforestation and helps to promote afforestation and saving species of birds and animals which is very important that we should follow.

Thank You!

Grammar

B. Someone says something to you which contradicts what they told you earlier. Match the beginnings of the conversations with the correct endings.

a. I’m going to Pokhara on holiday.  =  vi. You said you were going on business.

b. He’s a lawyer.  =  iii. You told me he was a teacher.

c. She’s had a baby girl.  =  i. You said she’d had a boy.

d. I haven’t seen Binesh for ages.  =  viii. You told me you’d seen him previous week.

e. I love these new boots.  =  v. You said you hated them.

f. I only cheated in one exam.  =  ii. You admitted you cheated

g. She doesn’t speak Hindi or Chinese.  =  iv. You told me she was fluent in both.

h. He works in Kathmandu.  =  vii. You told me his office in Biratnagar.

C. Change the following sentences into indirect speech.

a. The principal said, “You can phone from any office, Rita.”
Ans: The principal allowed Rita to phone from his office.

b. “You must not neglect your duty,” said the teacher to the student.
Ans: The teacher told the student not to neglect his duty.

c. The student said, “Sir, please, grant me leave for two days.”
Ans: The students asked the teacher to grant him leave for two days.

d. I said to her, “Go to school or you will be fined.”
Ans: I ordered her to go to school to avoid the fine.

e. The headmaster said, “Don’t make any noise, boys.”
Ans: The headmaster forbade the boys to make any noise.

f. “Work hard if you want to rise in life,” said the old man.
Ans: The old an advised us to work hard to rise in life.

g. He said, “Goodbye, my friends!”
Ans: He bade his friends good bye.

h. She said to me, “Have a pleasant journey ahead.”
Ans: She told me to have a pleasant journey ahead.

i. “Don’t give me the book, please,” Sharmila said.
Ans: Sharmila requested not to give her the book.

j. “Where have you been these days?” she spoke on the telephone.
Ans: She asked on the telephone where he had been those days.

k. The teacher said, “Have you submitted your assignments, students?”
Ans: The teacher asked the students if they had submitted their assignments.

D. These are the exact words Dinesh said to you yesterday.

“I’ve just got engaged! We’re getting married next month. We’re going to Pokhara for our honeymoon. It’s all going to be very expensive. Luckily, my friend is a photographer so he’ll take the photos for us. We’ll be having the reception in my parents’ back garden. My mum is baking the cake for us and my sister’s band is playing free for us. I hope you’ll come to the wedding.”

Now, you’re telling your friend what Dinesh told you. Complete the text.

He said he had just got engaged. He told me that he was getting married next month. He told me that they were going to Pokhara for their honeymoon. He mentioned that it was going to be very expensive. He said that his friend was a photographer and he would take the photos for them. He mentioned that they would be having the reception in his parents’ garden. He admitted that his mum was baking the cake for them and his sister’s band was playing free for them. He said he hoped I’d come to the wedding.