Chapter 3.5 – News Analysis
In Between the Lesson
( a )
1. What is the meaning of ‘issued’, ‘candidates’ and ‘invigilators’ ?
Ans:
(i) issued – published or officially gave out.
(ii) candidates – persons taking an examination.
(iii) invigilators – those who keep a watch on examination candidates, especially to prevent cheating.
2. Who is conducting the test ?
Ans: Shivam Institute of Innovative Technology, Bengaluru, is conducting the test.
3. Discuss the following in groups of four or five :
(a) Why is closed footwear (shoes, socks) not allowed in the examination hall ?
Ans: Closed footwear ( shoes, socks) is not allowed in the examination hall because it increases the risk of the cheating.
(b) Why has the institute not allowed electronic gadgets in the hall ?
Ans: The electronic gadgets with new technology comes with internet access which makes it easy for them to find the answer and quickly note it down in the answer sheet.
(c) What other measures can be taken to prevent copying?
Ans:
(i) Shuffle their seating arrangement.
(ii) Use technology to prevent cheating during board exams like using CCTV cameras.
(iii) Observe body language of students.
(iv) Know the methods students use for cheating.
(v) Set strict rules.
4. Why is this news published in newspapers ?
Ans: This news is published in newspapers so that anyone who is planning to take the test is aware of the rules.
( b )
1. Guess the meaning of ‘most highly paid’, ‘revealed’, ‘sign films’.
Ans:
(i) most highly paid – one who gets the most amount of money.
(ii) revealed-disclosed something that is a secret.
(iii) sign films – sign a contract to act in a particular film.
2. What words are used for the following in the news item :
(a) Film Industry
Ans: Bollywood
(b) Something on which a lot of money is spent.
Ans: big-budget
3. Guess why ‘Ant’ is a big – budget movie.
Ans: ‘Ant’ is a big-budget movie because the famous actress Riuka, who starred in it, is believed to be the most highly-paid star in Bollywood. Her fees will be very high, raising the budget of the film.
4. Can you think of other reasons for Ritika’s decision?
Ans: Some other reasons may be: She may wish to settle in a foreign country; she may wish to get children and devote her time to them; she must have got tired of doing the same things again and again in films; she may not have got any interesting offers for good roles. Or it may just be a trick to promote her new film.
5. What will be Ritika’s reaction to this news ?
Ans: Ritika will probably be thrilled with it, as now she will be the focus of people’s interest for some time. It may help in the publicity of Ant too.
( c )
1. Guess the meaning of ‘mankind’.
Ans: It means the human race.
2. Which words or phrases in the news refer to the earth?
Ans: The words and phrases in the news that refer to the earth are: the world, the planet, one planet.
3. Which of the following problems do you believe is the most serious ?
(a) climate change
(b) overpopulation
(c) epidemic diseases
Discuss this in groups of four or five using your mother tongue and English.
Ans: Climate change is a major global challenge today, and the world is becoming more vulnerable to this change. The Earth’s climate has always changed and evolved. Some of these changes have been due to natural causes such as volcanic eruptions, floods, forest fires, etc., but quite a few of them are due to human activities. Human activities such as deforestation, burning fossil fuels, farming livestock, etc. generate an enormous amount of greenhouse gases. This results in the greenhouse effect and global warming, which are the major causes of climate change. If the current situation of climate change continues in a similar manner, then it will impact all forms of life on earth. The earth’s temperature will rise, the monsoon patterns will change, sea levels will rise, and storms, volcanic eruptions, and other natural disasters will occur frequently. The biological and ecological balance of the earth will be disturbed. The environment will get polluted, and humans will not be able to get fresh air to breathe or fresh water to drink. Life on earth will come to an end.
4. Discuss the following statements with the help of your teacher.
(a) We have the technology to destroy the planet on which we live.
Ans: The technologies from the 18th century up to the present day have damaged the earth in two primary ways: the depletion of natural resources and pollution. Resource depletion means using natural resources faster than they can be replenished. Types of resource depletion include deforestation, soil erosion, and fossil fuel and mineral mining. Air pollution comes from excessive gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitric oxide. Factories, power stations, mass agriculture, and others all contribute to air pollution. And air pollution leads to global warming and negative health impacts on people and animals. Water pollution has to do with the contamination of waters like rivers and oceans. Domestic waste, insecticides and pesticides, and industrial effluents all pollute the water.
(b) We will have built colonies amid the stars.
Ans: Although we have the means to do so, we still lack the necessary technology to leave the planet we call home. Maybe in a few hundred years, we will have built human settlements among the stars, but for the time being, we only have one planet, and we must cooperate to safeguard it.
(c) Right now, we have only one planet.
Ans: There is only one planet Earth, and we must work much harder to look after it. There is no planet B that we can go to if we wreck this one. Despite the damage caused by bushfires, floods, and COVID-19, the world is still a beautiful place, and there is more good than evil. Conserving the planet’s natural environments is an important task to which we can all contribute.
5. Prof. Hawking wrote about the problem in the Guardian. Why is it given as ‘news’ in other papers?
Ans: Prof. Hawking is a renowned and highly respected scientist. His work shows reality. Hence, whatever he has said or written has to be taken seriously, and is ‘news’ for the world. In addition, it cannot be copied directly by the other newspapers, as he has written only in the Guardian.
ACTIVITY
1. Within two minutes, tell as many words as possible, related to the following words :
(i) news
Ans: reporters, T.V, radio, crime, politics, movies, sports, newspaper, responsibility.
(ii) TV
Ans: serials, sports, music, entertainment, education, innovation, remote control, news channels.
(iii) radio
Ans: AIR, Akashwani, Radio Mirchi, news, songs, recordings, talks, interviews.
(iv) mobile
Ans: messages, Whatsapp, charger, camera, music, games, internet, connectivity, camera, instant communication, global.
2. Go through a few specimens of any major newspaper. You will see that each page usually carries only a certain type of news. The types are decided according to region – city, state, nation, world, etc; and also according to the nature of the news – political, cultural, science related, financial, sports related, etc. Read all the news items given on pages 71 to 73 and decide the types to which each belongs.
Ans: The nature of the news specimens are:
a. Educational
b. Entertainment
c. Environment
d. Exploitation
3. What other items do you find in a newspaper besides news ?
Ans: Besides news, we find advertisements, classifieds, cartoon strips, a daily horoscope, brain teaser games, recipes, letters to the editor, entertainment, etc.
( d )
1. Guess the meaning of ‘flock’ and ‘followers’.
Ans:
(i) flock (verb) to move or go together in a crowd.
(ii) followers – people who support or admire someone.
2. Why is there a question mark in the heading?
Ans: The reporter is not at all certain if the claim of Miribaba, that his special powder cures all ailments, is actually true. In fact, he is very doubtful about it. Hence the question mark in the heading.
3. Which part of the news is reliable? Which part may not be reliable? How do we learn that ?
Ans: The last four lines of the news item are reliable. The part where Miribaba and his followers speak is not reliable. We learn that from the words ‘special’ and ‘blessed’ that are put in quotation marks (” “) and by the use of words like ‘claim’. Also, the fact that Miribaba is not willing to give the exact name and source of the herb is suspicious.
4. Will Miribaba and his followers like the news ?
Ans: No. they will not.
5. What should you do when you fall ill ?
Ans: When we fall ill, we should visit our family doctor and take the medicines he prescribes. We should obey whatever he says.
6. Imagine how this news item helped people understand the truth – that Miribaba’s powder cannot cure diseases. Write the story about it in short, in your mother tongue.
Ans: After reading the article in the newspaper regarding ailing people, some truth-seekers made their way to the Ambegaon Civil Hospital. On checking the records and after talking to the patients, it was clear that Miribaba was a fraud and that there was nothing miraculous in the powder as claimed by him. To set things straight, these people headed towards Ralewadi. But the news of the truth being revealed had already reached Miribaba, who fled away to save his life.
ENGLISH WORKSHOP
1. Write your own impressions about the news items given in (a), (b), (c) and (d) in the table below.