HSC English First Paper - Unit Eight - Environment and Nature
Unit Eight: Environment and
Nature
Lesson 1: Water, Water Everywhere...
1. Warm up activity:
□ Ask an elderly villager or relative how the river
nearby was in his or her youth. Then compare the state of the river at present
and write down the differences. Make a presentation in a group.
2. Now read the four lines from Samuel Taylor
Coleridge's poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and answer the questions that
follow:
Water, water,
every where,
And all the boards
did shrink;
Water, water, every
where,
Nor any drop to
drink.
Coleridge' poem, a ballad, narrates the harrowing
sea-voyage of an old mariner who at one point of his journey didn't have any
water to drink because of a curse. Cursed or not, we know how important
drinking water is in our life. We know we cannot survive without it. In fact
two-thirds of our body is made up of water. Not for nothing is it said that the
other name of water is life. Is there a crisis in our time with regard to
access to clean drinking water? The United Nations in a meeting on the eve of
the new millennium identified the drinking water problem as one of the
challenges for the future. But do we need to worry about the problem as ours is
a land of rivers and we have plenty of rainfall? Besides, we have a sea in our
backyard too.
One of the sources of water in our country is the
rivers. Rivers are everywhere in our life, literature, economy and culture. But
are the rivers in good shape? Unfortunately, they are not. A few are already
dead and several are going through the pangs of death. The river Buriganga is
an example of a dying river. A report published in the Daily Sun describes what
has happened to the river Buriganga and why. It's water is polluted and a
perpetual stench fills the air around it But that is not what it was like
before.
The report says that the river had a glorious past
Once it was a tributary of the mighty Ganges and flowed into the Bay of Bengal
through the river Dhaleshwari. Gradually, it lost its link with the Ganges and
got the name Buriganga. The Mughal s marveled at the tide level of the
Buriganga and founded their capital Jahangirnagar on its banks in 1610. The
river supplied drinking water and supported trade and commerce. Jahangirnagar
was renamed Dhaka which grew into a heavily populated city with a chronic
shortage of space.
The city paid back the bounty of the river by
sucking life out of ill According to newspaper report, the Buriganga is dying
because of pollution. Huge quantities of toxic chemicals and wastes from mills
and factories, hospitals and clinics and households and other establishments
are dumped into the river every day. The city of Dhaka discharges about 4500
tons of solid waste every day and most of it is directly released into the
Buriganga. According to the Department of the Environment (DoE), 20,000 tons of
tannery waste, including some highly toxic materials, are released into the
river every day. Experts identified nine industrial areas in and around the
capital city as the primary sources of river pollution: Tongi, Tejgaon,
Hazaribagh, Tarabo, Narayanganj, Savar, Gazipur, Dhaka Export Processing Zone
and Ghorashal.
The river would need a monster's stomach to digest
all the wastes mentioned above. There is a limit up to which it can put up with
its cruel and thoughtless treatment. We the humans have successfully killed one
of our rivers. There are other rivers in the country that are being subjected
to similar thoughtless treatment. Unless we take care of our rivers there may
come a time when we will cry 'water, water* and find it nowhere.
3. Collect some reports on the dying rivers in
Bangladesh from newspapers and magazines. Write a paragraph summarizing the
main points.
4. Make a survey of the water bodies in your
locality and write a report on whether they are being properly protected or
not.
5. In a group, collect the data on the average
rainfall of the last three years and write a report on any changes in our
rainfall pattern.
6. The following words can be used both as verbs
and nouns. Make sentences of your own to show the differences:
a. waste
b. subject
c. release
d. marvel
e. shape
Lesson 2: The Hakaluki Haor
1. Warm up activity:
□ Read the title of the article and look at the
picture. Do not read the text yet. Guess what kind of information you are likely
to get from the article.
In pairs, discuss whether the article may contain
the following information-
□ Location and surrounding areas of Hakaluki Haor.
□ Kinds of fish available in Hakaluki Haor.
□ Kinds of migratory birds that visit the Haor in winter.
□ The economic importance of the Haor.
2. Now read the article and see how much of the
above information you can find in it.
Hakaluki: A rich
hub of biodiversity and livelihood
Bangladesh is blessed with huge inland open water
resources. It has numerous river canals, beels, lakes, and vast areas of
floodplains. Hakaluki haor is one of the major wetlands of Bangladesh. With a
land area of 18,386 hectares, it supports a rich biodiversity and provides
direct and indirect livelihood benefits to nearly 190,000 people. This haor was
declared an Ecologically Critical Area in April 1999 by the government of
Bangladesh.
Hakaluki is a complex ecosystem, containing more
than 238 interconnecting beels and jalmahals. The most important beels are
Chatla, Pinlarkona, Dulla, Sakua, Barajalla, Balijhuri, Lamba, Tekonia,
Haorkhal, Tural, Baghalkuri and Chinaura.
Hakaluki Haor is bounded by the Kushiara river as
well as a part of the Sonai Bardal river to the north, by the
Fenchuganj-Kulaura railway to the west and to the south, and by the
Kulanra-Beanibazar road to the east The haor falls under two administrative
districts, Maulvibazar and Sylbet Some 190,000 people Kve in the area
surrounding the haor.
Hakaluki Haor is an important source of fisheries
resources for Bangladesh. Kalibaus, Boal, Rui, Ghagot, Pabda and Chapila are
the main fish species found here. From the Kushiara there are frequmt upstream
movement of fish towards the beels and tributaries of Hakalulri. The beels in
Hakaluki haor provide winter shelter for the mother fisheries, In early monsoon
these mother fisheries produce millions of fries for the entire downstream
fishing communities. Floodplurns are also an important source of fisheries
resources within the area. However, many of the beels have lost their capacity
to provide shelter for mother fisheries because of sand deposits from upstream
rivers and canals, use of complete dewatering technique for fishing and lack of
aquatic plants to provide feed and shelter for parent fish.
The haor is a very important resting place for
migratory waterfowls flying in from the north. The most interesting species is
the Baiheaded Goose, which is now hardly seen in fresh water wetlands. Many
other important species of waterfowls make the Haor their temporary home.
Unfortunately, illegal poaching has been a threat to the waterfowl population
in this vagt wetland. Hakaluki haor is known as a good grazing land in winter.
People from villages around the Haor and also from distant areas send their
herds for grazing. During this time, herders make temporary' shelters near the
beels and graze their animals for a period of 4-5 months. The Haor had very
dense swamp forests in the past, but deforestation and a lack of conservation
practices have virtually destroyed this unique forest in the Last two decades.
Two small patches of swamp forests still exist in
the area of which one is in Chatla beel and the other near the village of
Kalikrishnapur. With the exception of these two swamp forest patches, the
vegetation surrounding Hakaluki haor is unique. It includes both swamp forest
as well as mixed evergreen rain forest. Thatching material is the most useful
natural wetland product of the area. The haor system provides a wide range of
economic and non-economic benefits to the local people as well as to the people
of Bangladesh.
These include fish production, rice production,
cattle and buffalo rearing, duck rearing, collection of reeds and grasses, and
collection of aquatic and other plants. The haor system also protects the lower
floodplains from flash floods occurring in the months of April-May, maintains
the supply of fish in other lower water bodies and provides habitat for
migratory and local waterfowls.
The unique haor system contributes to the beauty of
the landscape both during the monsoon and the dry season. In monsoon, its
unique scenic beauty makes it a huge natural bowl of water and in the dry
season it becomes a vast green grassland with pockets of beels serving as
resting places for migratory birds. This unique natural system can be a major
attraction for tourists.
[Adapted from:
http://www.doc.gov.bd/old/cwbmp/cwbmp pdi/final draft hakaluki cvaluation.pdf,
Economic Evaluation of Hakaluki Haor : Department of Environment, Ministry of
Environment and Forests, Government of Bangladesh]
3. Answer the following questions:
a. Why is Hakaluki Haor an important source of
fisheries?
b. What are 'mother fisheries'? What do they do?
c. What bird species are seen in Hakaluki Haor in
winter?
d. What economic benefits does the Haor provide to
locals?
e. Describe the natural beauty of Hakaluki Haor.
4. Do you know any wetland (beel, jalmahal, haor
etc.) in your area? Write a short article in ISO words about the wetland. Your
article should contain some or all of the following points:
□ the name, location and area of the wetland.
□ the kinds of fishes available.
□ the kinds of vegetation that grow in and around.
□ benefits it provides.
□ its natural beauty.
5. Match the words in Column A with their meanings
in Column B.
6. Find English equivalents of the following
water-bodies aod give a brief description of each:
a. beel
b. haor
c. jalmahal
7. Give antonyms of the following words:
a. complex
b. numerous
c. major
d. downstream
e. mixed
f. distant
Lesson 3: The Giant Panda
1. Warm up activity:
Look at the picture of a panda below. Discuss the
following questions in pairs.
□ Have you ever a seen a panda? If yes, where did
you see it—in a zoo or on television?
□ What does a panda look like? Does it look like
any other animal that you know? U Which country has the largest number of
pandas?
2. Now read the text and answer the questions that
follow:
Pandas' bamboo
food may be lost to climate change
Though they are one of the most beloved animal
species on Earth, pandas aren't safe from the devastating effects of climate
change. According to a new study, projected temperature increases in China over
the next century will likely seriously hinder bamboo, almost the sole source of
food for endangered pandas. Ninety-nine per cent of a panda's diet is bamboo
and an adult panda needs around 38 kilograms of bamboo eveiy day. Only if bamboo
can move to new habitats at higher elevations will pandas stand a chance of
survival, the researchers said.
However, if conservation programs wait too long,
human inhabitants and activities could claim all of the new habitats capable of
supporting bamboo in a warming world.
"It is tough, but I think there's still hope,
if we take action now," said research team member Jianguo Liu ... "If
we wait, then we could be too late."
The researchers used various climate-change models
to project die future for three bamboo species relied on by pandas in the
Qinling Mountain region of China, which represents about a quarter of the total
remaining panda habitat These models varied in their specific predictions, hut
each forecasted some level of temperature rise within the coming century.
The results suggest that if the bamboo is
restricted to its current distribution area, between 80 and 100 percent of it
will disappear by the end of the 21rt century, because it won't be able to grow
under the increased temperatures.
If, however, bamboo can move into new, cooler areas
(which will reach the same temperatures as current bamboo habitats due to
warming), then there is hope. However, all depend on the extent to which humans
can curtail climate change by limiting greenhouse-gas emissions in the future.
Many pandas in the wild currently live in nature
reserves protected from human encroachment However, almost all of the land
encompassed by those reserves will be unsuitable for the bamboo if the
temperatures rise as predicted But if conservationists plan ahead now to move
those reserves in line with changing bamboo habitats, then it may be possible
to preserve the land the pandas will need
And climate change is not the only challenge facing
giant pandas, one of the most endangered species in the world, researchers say.
Human activities have already severely limited the animals' habitats, and their
dependence on a single source of food, one that is not that nutrient - or
energy - rich, doesn't help.
In addition to their native habitats in China,
pandas live around the world in zoos and breeding centers. But liu doesn't
predict a bright future for the bears if they lose then-wild habitats. "To
really protect pandas, you cannot just stick [them] into a breeding center or a
zoo," he said, noting that the animals' genetic diversity would suffer,
among other issues. "That" s not a long-term solution."
[Clara Moskowitz:
http://www.liv^ttK*.com&4697-gi^]
3. From your reading of the text, answer the
following questions:
a. Why have the pandas' forests disappeared?
b. How much docs an adult panda cat a day?
c. When might the Qinling Mountains bamboo
disappear?
d. How would you define the scientist Jianguo Liu's
attitude? Is he an/a optimist/pessimist? Why do you think so?
4. Match the words in Column A with their synonyms
in Column B:
|
Column A
|
Column B
|
|
1.
endangered
2.
several
3.
gone
4.
threat
5.
diet
6.
predict
7.
entire
8.
chance
9.
tough
10.
expert
|
a.
danger
b.
difficult
c.
a number of
d.
food
c.
threatened
f.
likelihood
g.
specialist
h.
whole
i.
disappeared
j.
forecast
|
5. From your reading of the text, discuss whether the statements (a-h) below are true or false. Then compare your answers with those of a friend:
a. The giant panda will soon be put on the
endangered list. T/F
b. The article gives seven reasons for the fall in
panda numbers. T/F
c. Bamboo is disappearing because of a bug that is
eating it. T/F
d. Around 99% of a panda's diet is bamboo. T/F
e. A report said the bamboo in a Chinese mountain
range may disappear. T/F
f. The report says bamboo could disappear in the
next two decades. T/F
g. Pandas may survive if there is bamboo higher up
the mountains. T/F
h. A panda expert said the world should wake up and
help the panda. T/F
6. Role play: Student A strongly believes that the panda will
survive in the wild;
Student B strongly believes that the panda has no
chance of survival. Have a conversation in pairs on the issue. Use as much
information as you can get from the text above. You may also add your own views
and knowledge to support your stand.
7. Poster making: Look at the posters below for raising
awareness among people to
save pandas. Think of an animal in Bangladesh that
is also in the list of endangered species. Make a poster with a slogan to
create awareness among people to save that animal.
Lesson 4: Threats to Tigers of
Mangrove Forest
1. Warm up activity:
□ Spend a few minute writing down all the different
words you associate with tigers. Share your words with your friend(s) and talk
about them. Together, put the words into different categories.
□ Share your notes with those of your friend and
tell the class about your thoughts/points
2. Read the report on the alarming late of the
Royal Bengal Tigers and answer the questions below. The report was published In
the online version of The Guardian newspaper.
A vast mangrove forest shared by Bangladesh and
India that is home to possibly 500 Bengal tigers is being rapidly destroyed by
erosion, rising sea levels and storm surges, according to a major study by
researchers at die Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and others.
The Sundarbans forest took the brunt of super
cyclone Sidr in 2007, but new satellite studies show that 71% of the forested
coastline is retreating by as much as 200 metres a year. If erosion continues
at this pace, already threatened tiger populations living in the forests will
be put farthest risk
Natalie Pettorelli, one of the report's authors,
said: "Coastline retreat is evident everywhere. A continuing rate of
retreat would see these parts of the mangrove disappear within 50 years. On the
Indian side of the Sundarbans, the island which extends most into the Bay of
Bengal has receded by an average of 150 metres a year, with a maximum of just
over 200 metres; this would see the disappearance of the island in about 20
years."
The Sundarbans is known for vanishing islands but
the scientists said the current retreat of the mangrove forests on the southern
coastline is not normal. "The causes for increasing coastline retreat,
other than direct anthropocentric ones, include increased frequency of storm
surges and other extreme natural events, rises in sea-level and increased
salinity which increases the vulnerability of mangroves," said Pettorelli.
"Our results indicate a rapidly retreating
coastline that cannot be accounted for by the regular dynamics of the
Sundarbans. Degradation is happening fast, weakening this natural shield for
India and Bangladesh."
"As human development thrives, and global
temperature continues to rise, natural protection from tidal waves and cyclones
is being degraded at alarming rates. This will inevitably lead to species loss
in this richly biodiverse part of the world, if nothing is done to stop
it."
"The Sundarbans is a critical tiger habitat;
one of only a handful of remaining forests big enough to hold several hundred
tigers. To lose the Sundarbans would be to move a step closer to the extinction
of these majestic animals," said ZSL tiger expert Sarah Christie.
[Source:
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/jan/29/sunderbans-disappearing-mangrove-india-bangladeshBy:
John Vidal, Tuesday 29 January 2013]
3. Read the statements below and say if they are
true (T) or false (F):
a. There are about 500 tigers in the Sundarbans.
b. Researchers forecast that some parts of the
Sundarbans might cease to exist in the next 50 years.
c. Natural calamities are the only reasons for the
increase in coastline retreats.
d. There has been less natural protection from
storms and tidal waves.
e. The Sundarbans is a world famous site for its
biodiversity
4. Match (he words from the report in Column A with
their meanings in Column B:
|
(Column A) Words
|
(Column B) Meanings
|
|
1.
erosion
2.
to retreat
3.
mangrove
4,
coastline
5.
storm surge
6.
to account for
/anthropogenic
8.
to thrive
9.
habitat
10.
extinction
|
i. (noun)
the natural environment in which a species or group of species lives
ii.
(adjective) of, relating to, or resulting from the influence of human beings
on nature
iii. (mangrove)
a tropical tree that has roots which grow from its branches and that grows in
swamps or shallow salt water
iv. (noun)
the slate or situation that results when something (such as a plant or animal
species) has died out completely
v. (verb)
a process by which the surface of the earth is worn away by the action of
water, winds, waves, etc.
vi. (verb)
to move back from a position of advancement or become smaller
vii.
(verb) to grow vigorously; flourish
viii.
( noun) the outline of a coast, esp. when seen from the sea, or the land
adjacent to it
ix. (noun)
an abnormal rise in the level of the sea along a coast caused by the onshore
winds of a severe cyclone
x. (phrasal
verb) to be there as an explanation for something
|
5. Talk In pairs about tigers. Use the questions
cards below to guide your discussion. Student A and B will have separate
questions cards. Make sure you don't show your questions to your friend.
STUDENT A's QUESTIONS
a. Do you like tigers?
b. How interested are you in
animal conservation?
c. If the tiger disappears, what
will this say about mankind?
d. Arc there any animals besides
the tigers that arc endangered in Bangladesh?
e. What do you think of the fact
there are only 300 tigers in the whole of Bangladesh?
f. Whose responsibility do you
think it is to save the tiger?
STUDENT B's QUESTIONS
a. Do you think it is possible
for all big cats to become extinct?
b. Do you think it is possible
to breed enough tigers and introduce them in the wild?
c. What do you think of
poaching?
d. What punishment should be
given to people who trade in products made from endangered species?
e. If you saw tiger products for
sale, what would you do?
f. How can tbc world stop the trade in tiger products?
6. TIGERS' SURVEY: In pairs / groups, make
questions about saving tigers and other animals from extinction and do the
following:
□ Ask other classmates your questions and note down
their answers.
□ Go back to your original friend/group and compare
your findings.
□ Make mini-rapscallions to other groups on your
findings.
Lesson 5: Kuakata: Daughter of the
Sea
1. Warm up activity:
Discuss the following questions in pairs.
□ What do you know about Kuakata?
□ What does the phrase 'Daughter of the Sea' in the
title mean?
□ Tell your friend what you wish to know about
Kuakata.
2. Now read the passage below and answer the
questions that follow:
Kuakata, locally known as Sugar Kannya (Daughter of
the Sea) is a rare scenic spot located on the southernmost tip of Bangladesh.
Kuakata in Latachapli union under Kalapara Police Station of Patuakhali
district is about 30 km in length and 6 km in breadth. It is 70 km from
Patuakhali district headquarters and 320 km from Dhaka. An excellent
combination of the picturesque natural beauty, sandy beaches, blue sky and the
shimmering expanse of water of the Bay of Bengal and the evergreen forest makes
Kuakata a much sought after tourist destination.
The name Kuakata takes its origin from the story of a
'Kua'- or well-dug on the sea shore by the early Rakhaine settlers for
collecting drinking water. The Rakhaines had landed on Kuakata coast after
being expelled from Arakan by the Mughals. Following the first well, it became
a tradition to dig wells in the neighborhood of Rakhaine homesteads for fresh
water supply.
Kuakata is one of the unique spots which allow a
visitor to watch both the sunrise and the sunset from the beach. That perhaps
makes Kuakata one of the world's most attractive beaches. The long and wide
beach at Kuakata has a typical natural setting. This sandy beach slopes gently
into the Bay and bathing there is as pleasant as is swimming or diving.
Kuakata is truly a virgin, beach and a sanctuary
for migratory winter birds. Fishing boats plying in the Bay of Bengal with
colourful sails, surfing waves and the lines of coconut trees add to the
vibrant colours Kuakata. The indigenous culture of the Rakhaine community and
hundred year old Buddhist temples indicate the age - old tradition and cultural
heritage of this
Kuakata is also a holy land for the Hindus and
Buddhists, Each year thousands of devotees come here to attend the festivals
Rash Purnima and Mag hi Purnima. On these two days, pilgrims take holy bath and
enjoy going to the traditional fairs.
3. Answer the following questions:
a. Where is Kuakata located?
b. Where does the name "Kuakata" come
from?
c. What is the most unique feature of Kuakata
beach?
d. What are some traditional events that take place
in Kuakata?
e. Would you like to visit Kuakata? Make a list of
3 things that you'd like to do while in Kuakata.
4. Find the noun forms of the following adjectives:
a. attractive
b. typical
c. migratory
d. wide
c. long
5. What do these words mean in the context they
have been used In the text:
a. expanse
b. unique
c. virgin
d. indigenous
e. devotee
f. heritage
6. Project: Imagine that you work in a tourist
agency. Yon are going to make a leaflet on Kuakata to attract potential
tourist. Make a draft of 100 words for the leaflet highlighting all the
attractions of the place.
Look at the sample of the leaflets given below.
Think about how to design the leaflet Try to use some attractive pictures of
Kuakata sea beach.
Finally, make a leaflet on Kuakata and display it in
your college common room.
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