ae Tr ¥ i S \ = Nature is benign and bountiful. Mankind has only nature to thank for its life on earth. Yet, man has not been very Srateful for all the bounty that nature has bestowed on him through the ages. In the name of development, man has. steadily moved towards destroying nature. Here is an excerpt from the compilation titled The Book of Nature by Ruskin Bond. As the title suggests, the book contains content related to nature and the wild. The author narrates his personal experiences and his own Perceptions of nature as seen in the hill Green notes, da fiction x stations where he lived. He also talks about what development did to the surroundings in which he lived. ple Pleasures | did not feel like work this morning. And as it was raining there was nowhere to go | tried reading a detective story, but it was one of those locked-room mysteries which usually try my patience. Gazing down at the road below didn’t help because the rain had kept most people indoors. One of the pleasures of life is watering my plant Gautam! had forestalled? me; in fact, hi drowned the geraniums. Another is browsing’ 4Gautam one of the members of Ruskin’s adopted ly forestalled prevented or obstructed by taking action in advance browsing an act of casual looking or readingamong old books, but I'd done that yesterday. So I sat down and made a list of ‘simple pleasures’, and came up with the following: Listening to the cooing of doves and pigeons. But there are none in the vicinity* | remember an old well on the outskirts? of Delhi; pigeons lived in the cool recesses® of its walls. | wonder what happened to that well. The area is now a residential colony of multistoreyed flats. Watching blue jays (rollers) in flight, indulging in their aerial acrobatics. Another pleasure from the plains ... | must get nearer home All right. Watching the sun come up from my bed near the window. But this morning there wasn't any sun! Walking barefoot over dew-drenched grass: if only the rain would stop! Peeling an orange. Except that they're out of season Then the rain stopped, the sun came out, and so did a swarm’ of yellow butterflies in compensation® for the morning's absence of simple pleasures. The Old Conservationists That the Doon valley is well forested today is due mainly to the early efforts of the forest department. Up to 1864 a free system of trouble; being affected adversely SE ‘vicinity the area near or surrounding a particular place ‘outskirts the outer parts of a town or city *recesses a hollow space inside the walls of buildings "swarm a large or dense group of flying insects *compensation something, typically money, awarded to someone in recognition of loss, suffering, or injury *sal a large sub- deciduous tree that grows up to 30m and has large leathery leaves and yellowish flowers **tun a tree of the mahogany family, commonly known as red cedar or even indian mahogary or Indian cedar *shisham commonly known as Indian Rosewood; an evergreen rosewood tree “studded dotted with small objects that are pr slightly; in this case, the projecting tree stumps *4stumps the bottom part of a tree eft projecting from the ground after most of the trunk has fallen or been cut down “denudation stripping the cover of trees in this case “confronted faced with a problem or difficulty that has presented Itself to (someone) so that action must be taken settlement offleer a person who handles cases related to people being shifted from ther natural habitat, especially from forest lands to another place ""Jaunsa Dehradun district; inhabited by the Jaunsari tribe #machinatlons plots or schemes “afflicted havin | felling was prevalent and we find Mr O'Callaghan, Deputy Conservator of Forests, writing in 1879: There can be no doubt that sal’, tun'? and shisham" were the trees chiefly felled, for even now there is no demand for any other kind of timber; and when | entered the department in 1854 the ground was everywhere studded’? with stumps'' of those trees. Restrictions were gradually imposed, but no real conservation was attempted until the 1880s. By then, all that was valuable had already been cut, and the main duty of the department was to encourage replanting and foster new generations of trees, those very trees which conservationists are striving to protect today. Those who look with horror upon the denudation” of our hills might well look back on the situation that confronted*® a settlement officer*® over a hundred years ago. In the Jaunsar*” area, all misfortunes were believed to be due to the machinations'® of one or the other of their demon spirits; and in the Gazetteer of that period we read that the ‘people of Chijal being afflicted’? with smallpox, burnt down four hundred deodar trees as a Sacrifice 7 77” a hilly region, 85 km from Mu:The peace and quiet of the Maplewood hillside disappeared forever one winter. The powers-that-be decided to build another new road into the mountains, and the PWD”? saw fit to take it right past the cottage, about six feet from the large window which had overlooked the forest. In my journal | wrote: already they have felled most of the trees. The walnut was one of the first to go, a tree | had lived with for over ten years, watching it grow just as | had watched Prem's*® little son, Rakesh, grow up ... Looking forward to its new leaf-buds, the broad, green leaves of summer, turning to spears” of gold in September when the walnuts were ripe and ready to fall. | knew this tree better than the others. It was just below the window, where a buttress”? for the road is going up. Another tree I'll miss is the young deodar, the only one growing in this stretch of the woods. Some years back it was stunted” from lack of sunlight. The oaks covered it with their shaggy’® branches. So | cut away some of the overhanging branches and after that the deodar grew much faster. It was just coming into its own this year, now cut down in its prime?* like my younger brother on the road to Delhi last month: both victims of the roads. The tree killed by the PWD: my brother by a truck. Twenty oaks have been felled just in this, small stretch near the cottage. By the time this bypass’” reaches Jabarkhet”’, about six miles from here, over a thousand oaks will have been slaughtered’, besides many other fine trees - maples, deodars and pines — most of them unnecessarily, as they grew some fifty to sixty yards from the roadside The trouble is, hardly anyone (with the exception of the contractor who buys the felled trees) really believes that trees and shrubs are necessary. They get in the way so much, don’t they? According to my milkman, the only useful tree is one which can be picked” clean of its leaves for fodder! And a young man remarked to me: ‘You should come to Pauri. The view is terrific, there are no trees in the way!" Well, he can stay here now, and enjoy the view of the ravaged* hillside. But as the oaks have gone, the milkman will have to look further afield’? for his fodder. Rakesh calls the maples the butterfly trees because, when the winged seeds fall, they flutter like butterflies in the breeze. No maples now. No bright red leaves to flame against the sky. No birds! That is to say, no birds near the house. No longer will it be possible for me to open the window and watch the scarlet minivets® flitting™* through the dark green foliage*® of the oaks; thelongtailed magpies” gliding through the trees; the barbet®’ calling insistently from his perch on top of the deodar. Forest birds, all of them, will now be in search of some other stretch of surviving forest. The only visitors will be the crows, who have learnt to live with, and off, humans, and seem to multiply along with roads, houses and people. And even when all the people have gone, the crows will still be around. Other things to look forward to: trucks thundering past in the night, perhaps a tea and pakora shop around the corner, the grinding’? of gears, the music of motor horns. Will the whistling-thrush*° be heard above them? The explosions that continually shatter the silence of the mountains, as thousand- year-old rocks are dynamited**, have frightened away all but the most intrepid’ of birds and animals. Even the bold langurs haven't shown their faces for over a fortnight Somehow, | don't think we shall wait for the tea shop to arrive. There must be some other quiet corner, possibly on the next mountain, where new roads have yet to come into being. No doubt this is a negative attitude, and if | had any sense I'd open my own tea shop. To retreat’? is to be a loser. But the trees are losers too; and when they fall, they do so with a certain dignity**. Never mind. Men come and go; the mountains remain. Ruskin Bono *long:tailed magples birds of the crow family with long tails "barbet plump looking birds with large heads; birds of the inner forest *perch an object on which a bird alights or roosts, typically ‘a branch or horizontal bar, especially one that is high "grinding harsh and grating, in this context, the harsh sound of vehicles on gravel “®whistling-thrush medium-sized insectivorous or ‘omnivorous birds; noted for whistling calls made at dawn “‘dynamited something blown up using dynamite; here the mountain parts blown up using dynamite “intrepid being fearless, adventurous retreat move back or withdraw to a quiet or secluded place “dignity the state or quality of being worth of honour or respect — . Ruskin Bond (b. 1934) is an Indian author of British descent. He was born in a military hospital in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh. Bond was a born writer and won several writing competitions in school such as the Irwin Divinity prize and the Hailey Literature prize. While staying in London with his aunt, he wrote his first novel, The Room on the Roof, at the age of 17. Later he moved to India and worked for some years as a journalist in Delhi and Dehradun. In 1963, he moved to Mussoorie and worked as a freelance writer. He currently lives in Landour, Mussoorie’s Ivy Cottage, which has been his house since 1964. Having lived in the hills for a significant part of his life, Bond’s works indicate his liking for the life in the hills. He has written over 100 short stories, essays, novels, and more than 30 children’s books.A. COMPREHENSION PT ee Complete the sentences with the correct words from the passage. 1 3. 4 Wet —_____._... and thelr es one OF ts simple pleasures that the author enjoyed. That the _________is well forested today is due mainly to the early efforts of the The author looked forward to the new leaf-buds and its broad, green leaves of summer, turning to According to the , the only useful tree is the one that can be The author saw _____ fitting through the dark green of the oaks. Men come and go; the Answer the following questions. 1. Another tree I'll miss is the young deodar, the only one growing in this stretch of the woods. a. Which other tree does the author say he will miss? b. What was the state of the deodar tree some years back? ‘¢. What did the author do to help the deodar tree's growth and why? Restrictions were gradually imposed, but no real conservation was attempted until the 1880s. a. What were the restrictions that the author is talking about? b. What had happened by the time the restrictions were imposed and real conservation was attempted? c. Where were the restrictions imposed and conservation activities taken up? When the winged seeds fall, they flutter like butterflies in the breeze. . Which tree is the author talking about? b. What did the author's friend call this tree? ©. What has happened to this tree now? What does the list of simple pleasures given by the author tell you about the author? List out a few simple pleasures that you indulge in Why does the author believe that people do not really think trees and shrubs are necessary? Give an example.TIT Sie codec oe cr ee eded te 6. How did the peace and quiet of Maplewood hillside disappear? 7. The author often employs a sarcastic tone in his narration of the changes taking place in his hometown. Quote instances of the same from the text and explain the purpose and effect of the tone 8. What did the author do when the area where he lived developed? C. Think and answer. 1. Based on what you read in this story, give an example of the role that mindset and education play in conservation of environment and wildlife. 2. What the author has written dates to a few years ago. Do you think the situation has changed for the better with greater awareness? 3. Why does the author say that even after people are gone, the crows will still be around? VOCABULAR’ A. Explain the following expressions from the text in your own words. 1. aerial acrobatics 2. peace and quiet 3. coming into its own 4. try my patience 5. look forward to 6. grinding of gears 7. shatter the silence 8. thundering past 9. flame against B. Use a dictionary and the context of the passage to explain the meaning of the following words. They are underlined in the passage. The first one is completed for you. Make sentences with any five words. 1. drowned = submerged or flooded the area where the geraniums were planted. 2. foster 3. Gazetteer 4. overlooked 5. overhanging 6. yards 7. gliding 8. losersTTT cc ee PS e ee o Mul LO Re Bae Pronunciation Hard and soft ‘c’ The letter ‘c’ makes a hard sound like *k’ when it is followed by: * ‘a’ cage, cave * ‘o' coat, cot © ‘u’ cube, cut A. Say the following words aloud. The letter ‘c' makes a soft sound like ‘s' when it is followed by: * ‘e’ cement, recent © ‘i’ circle, pencil * 'y’ cycle, fancy B. Say the following words aloud. ‘ch’ saying hard ‘c’ The letters ‘ch’ often make a sound as in: They can also make a sound like a hard ‘c’ or a ‘k’. C. Say the following words aloud.Formal letter writing Although writing formal letters is not as popular as before, thanks to the advent of email communication, you would need to write formal letters in some instances, such as when you write a letter for enrolling into colleges or for a job or when you write a complaint. Language features Length and tone Formal letters are not personal. So they are usually short and to the point. Only the relevant points are mentioned in the letter and nothing more. The tone used is usually polite even if you are writing a letter of complaint. Formal language Emotive or expressive punctuations such as exclamation marks, ellipsis and abbreviated forms are not used in formal writing. Contractions, colloquial expressions, humour and slangs are also not used. The content is well-presented with precise but simple words. You would surely need to check spellings and grammatical correctness despite it being a short letter. | Standard sections Formal letters usually have these standard sections: From and To addresses, date, salutation or greeting, objective or subject of the letter, elaboration of the subject in the body of the letter, conclusion or action expected, signature. For example: From To: Dear Sur/Madarm, Subject: Pending repair of my phone connection 1am from | am writing this letter to you with regard to a complaint | had. registered a week ago about a faulty phone connection in my house. Despite registering a complaint immediately, my problem is yet to be resolved I had requested a nen phone connection for my house in the month of February. One of your officials had. come to my house a week later, on _, and. fixed the connection. It was working fine for a. couple of weeks before the problems started. Now, | hear a lot of noise when | call someone and when someone calls me, | can hear them but they cannot. | registered a complaint in this regard. with your online helpline. My complaint number is . Although | was told that a professional will come by to rectify theGreen grass, running water | unit 2 problem, no one has come till now. | called the helpline several times and | was told each time that an official will come along soon. But nothing has happened. till now |, therefore, write this letter, seeking review of my complaint and resolution of my problem at the earliest | hope that you would look into this matter and have my problem attended to at the earliest possible instance. Thanking you, Your name. Write a formal letter to the concerned forest department official stating that you saw several trees being felled on the edges of a mini forest, while you were returning from a picnic. Mention also that you saw some encroachment in a nearby lake. © Provide the subject or objective of the letter * State what you saw, with clear, factual details, including the where, when and how ® Mention what action you expect © Sign off £Formal letter writing Although writing formal letters is not as popular as before, thanks to the advent of email communication, you would need to write formal letters in some instances, such as when you write a letter for enrolling into colleges or for a job or when you write a complaint Language features Length and tone Formal letters are not personal. So they are usually short and to the point. Only the relevant points are mentioned in the letter and nothing more. The tone used is usually polite even if you are writing a letter of complaint. Formal language Emotive or expressive punctuations such as exclamation marks, ellipsis and abbreviated forms are not used in formal writing. Contractions, colloquial expressions, humour and slangs are also not used. The content is well-presented with precise but simple words. You would surely need to check spellings and grammatical correctness despite it being a short letter. Standard sections Formal letters usually have these standard sections: From and To addresses, date, salutation or greeting, objective or subject of the letter, elaboration of the subject in the body of the letter, conclusion or action expected, signature. ampli For Date From: To: Dear Sir/Madam, Subject: Pending repair of my phone connection | am from _ | am writing this Letter to you with regard to a complaint | had registered a week ago about a faulty phone connection in my house Despite registering a complaint immediately, my problem is yet to be resolved. | had requested a new phone connection for my house in the month of February. One of your officials had come to my house a week later, on » and fixed the | connection. It was working fine for a couple of weeks before the problems started. Now, | | hear a lot of noise when | call someone and when someone calls me, | can hear them but they cannot. | registered a complaint in this regard with your online helpline. My complaint number is ____. Although | was told. that a professional will come by to rectify the |CS M1 Cae problem, no one has come till now. | called the helpline several times and | was told each time that an official will come along soon. But nothing has happened til now |, therefore, write this letter, seeking review of my complaint and resolution of my problem at the earliest. | hope that you would look into this matter and have my problem attended to at the earliest possible instance. Thanking you, Your name Write a formal letter to the concerned forest department official stating that you saw several trees being felled on the edges of a mini forest, while you were returning from a picnic. Mention also that you saw some encroachment in a nearby lake. © Provide the subject or objective of the letter State what you saw, with clear, factual details, including the where, when and how “ Mention what action you expect : © Sign off i