Professional English Unit 1 Answer Key | 1st Year 2nd Semester UG Degree| English for Arts and Social Sciences| Madras University 2020

Professional English for Arts and Social Sciences
1st Year, 2nd Semester
Unit 1
Communicative Competence
Speaking: Small group discussions

Speaking Activities (Book Page No: 21)

1. Students can be asked to have group discussion on the following topics.

a) Present Status of Indian Economy

Ans:

Ravi: What do you think is the present state of Indian economy?

Devi: It is in a state of ups and downs, one can’t be sure.

Akash: I think the economy is world based. If something happens in America, the Indian economy too is disturbed.

Ravi: You are right. As you know a good number of Indians are working there and the government is trying to bring them under their control.

Devi: The US economy itself is undergoing serious turns nowadays.

Akash: The Indian Finance Minister has imposed GST on all products to boost income for the government.

Ravi: Alongside it proposes to divest shares from the public companies. The private industrialists are on the rise.

Devi: The greatest worry for the country’s economy is the politician- supported bigwigs who swindle government money to crores and crores.

Akash: Unless these mafias are wiped out nothing can be done to promote the economy of our country.

Ravi: Yes, it is true. Let us hope that Indian economy will come out of their clutches.

b) Panchayat Raj System

Ans:

Sneka: In India, the Panchayati Raj now functions as a system of governance in which gram panchayats are the basic units of local administration.

Priya: Panchayats having powers has been translated into reality with the introduction of three-tier Panchayati Raj system. The system has three levels: Gram Panchayat (village level), Mandal Parishad or Block Samiti or Panchayat Samiti (block level), and Zila Parishad (district level).

Selvi: In the pre independence period, during the time of Viceroy Lord Ripon, there was an attempt to establish local bodies. In Rajasthan, the princely states of Jodhpur, Bharatpur, Jaipur, Sirohi, Udaipur, and Karauli enacted legislations on Panchayats. Bikaner state had its own Gram Panchayat Act much earlier in 1928.

Sneka:  The Panchayat Raj system was first adopted by the state of Rajasthan in Nagaur district on 2 Oct 1959 but first started by Andhra Pradesh.

Priya: In the history of Panchayati Raj, in India, on 24 April 1993, the Constitutional (73^rd amendment) Act 1992 came into force to provide constitutional status to the Panchayati Raj institutions.

Selvi: This amendment was extended to Panchayats in the tribal areas of eight states, namely: Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Rajasthan beginning on 24 December 1996.

Sneka: There are number of committees appointed by the Government of India to study the implementation of self-government at the rural level and also recommend steps in achieving the goal.

Priya: List of committees constituted for recommendations regarding Panchayati Raj in India:

Balwant Rai Mehta -1957

V.T. Krishnammachari -1960

Takhatmal Jain Study Group -1966

Ashok Mehta Committee -1978

G.V.K. Rao Committee -1985

Dr. L.M. Singhvi Committee -1986

P.K. Thungon Committee -1989

S. Mohinder Singh -2013

c) American Independence Struggle

Ans:

Kannan: American Revolution, also called United States War of Independence or American Revolutionary War, (1775–83), insurrection by which 13 of Great Britain’s North American colonies won political independence and went on to form the United States of America.

Kani: The war followed more than a decade of growing estrangement between the British crown and a large and influential segment of its North American colonies that was caused by British attempts to assert greater control over colonial affairs after having long adhered to a policy of salutary neglect.

Kavitha: Britain did this primarily by imposing a series of deeply unpopular laws and taxes, including the Sugar Act (1764), the Stamp Act (1765), and the so-called Intolerable Acts (1774).

Kannan: Until early in 1778 the conflict was a civil war within the British Empire, but afterward it became an international war as France (in 1778) and Spain (in 1779) joined the colonies against Britain.

Kani: Meanwhile, the Netherlands, which provided both official recognition of the United States and financial support for it, was engaged in its own war against Britain.

Kavitha: From the beginning, sea power was vital in determining the course of the war, lending to British strategy a flexibility that helped compensate for the comparatively small numbers of troops sent to America and ultimately enabling the French to help bring about the final British surrender at Yorktown.

d) Role of Indian Women Freedom Fighters

Ans:

Anitha: The history of Indian Freedom Struggle would be incomplete without mentioning the contributions of women. The sacrifice made by the women of India will occupy the foremost place.

Banu: Woman's participation in India's freedom struggle began as early as in 1817. Bhima Bai Holkar fought bravely against the British colonel Malcolm and defeated him in guerilla warfare.

Chithra: Rani Channama of Kittur, Rani Begam Hazrat Mahal of Avadh fought against British East India company in the 19th century; 30 years before the “First War of Independence 1857”

Anitha: Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi whose heroism and superb leadership laid an outstanding example of real patriotism. Indian women who joined the national movement belonged to educated and liberal families, as well as those from the rural areas and from all walk of life, all castes, religions and communities.

Banu: Sarojini Naidu, Kasturba Gandhi, Vijayalakmi Pundit and Annie Bezant in the 20th century are the names which are remembered even today for their singular contribution both in battlefield and in political field.

Chithra: Sarla Devi, Muthulaxmi Reddy, Susheela Nair, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, Sucheta Kripalani and Aruna Asaf Ali are some the women who participated in the non-violent movement.

e) Modern Psychologists – Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung.

Ans:

Hema: Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung had very different approaches to psychology, but both are considered to be the founders of the modern psychoanalytic movement. Their efforts in a dynamic field has made psychology school a popular choice of study.

Jeeva: Because of Freud and Jung’s different points of view, most of us assume that the two disparate pioneers were enemies, or at least unfriendly toward each other; in truth, they were close friends for quite some time.

Iniya: In April, 1906 Freud began a correspondence with the young psychiatrist, Carl Jung. They later met in person when Jung traveled to Vienna in 1907 and the two men became fast friends. Their first meeting alone lasted twelve hours.

Hema: Jung thought of Freud as “extremely intelligent, shrewd and altogether remarkable,” and Freud considered Jung his peer, even calling him “my eldest son,” and deeming him heir to his psychoanalytic process.

Jeeva: According to Freud theories, the human psyche is divided into the id, the ego and the super ego. The id is connected to our unconscious drives and the ego is linked to our conscious experiences. Lastly, the super ego mediates our behavior by balancing the impulses of the id and the ego. Moreover, he is specifically known for theorizing the Oedipus Complex.

Iniya: Jung justified human behavior by exploring the sense of connectedness that we feel regarding our emotions and actions. Jung’s ideas were influenced by his extensive knowledge regarding philosophy, mythology and religion.

Hema: Freud and Jung were both interested in the unconscious mind. In 1906 they worked together as colleagues and started doing extensive research, particularly regarding dream studies. Freud believed that Jung had the potential to be his predecessor.

Jeeva: The two psychologists both utilized transference as a tool to treat patients. However, they used in different ways. Transference is the process of projecting feelings, desires and thoughts onto another person as a means of analyzing a situation.

 ****

2. Students can be put in the following context and asked to structure their conversation accordingly.

a) As a social awareness exercise, students are divdeded into two groups and discuss ways and means for the regular maintenance of channels and water bodies for resolving drinking water issues and overcoming cyclone caused damages.

Group I – Improper maintenance of water channels is the reason for inundation of dwelling areas and breaching of water bodies – Don’t you think so?

Group II - Yes. You are absolutely right. we the students have the responsibility to ensure that there is no encroachment on channels and water bodies. So that we can curb people’s miseries during monsoon. What do you think are the measures to prevent it?

Group I – In each area we have to form a watchdog group to keep vigil on encroachers and stop their activities. We have to get the concurrence of the people living in these areas. Every week this group will report to the office bearers about the progress.

Group II – Then, another batch will supervise the environment cleanliness. For this a few workers can roped in. They will see that each area is clean and neat. Every day the health workers should do their cleaning activity without fail.

Group I – For the purpose a corpus fund can be collected from the people. We can even approach the government for carrying out the necessary cleaning and supervisory activity.

Group II – We agree. Let us all make concerted arrangements to make our region free from littering and all kinds of waste.

*****

Writing

Pre-Writing (Book Page No: 30)

B. Look at the following pictures related to Egypt. Do you know their historic significance? Write about them briefly.

1. Mummy

Ans: The afterlife was an important part of Ancient Egyptian culture. One of the ways they prepared for the afterlife was to try and preserve the body as long as possible. They did this through a process called embalming. These embalmed bodies are called mummies.

       The mummification process took seventy days. Special priests worked as embalmers, treating and wrapping the body. The first step in the process was the removal of all internal parts that might decay rapidly. The embalmers then removed the organs of the abdomen and chest through a cut usually made on the left side of the abdomen. They left only the heart in place, believing it to be the center of a person's being and intelligence. The other organs were preserved separately, with the stomach, liver, lungs, and intestines placed in special boxes or jars today called canopic jars. These were buried with the mummy. In later mummies, the organs were treated, wrapped, and replaced within the body. Even so, unused canopic jars continued to be part of the burial ritual.

The embalmers next removed all moisture from the body. This they did by covering the body with natron, a type of salt which has great drying properties, and by placing additional natron packets inside the body. When the body had dried out completely, embalmers removed the internal packets and lightly washed the natron off the body. The result was a very dried-out but recognizable human form. To make the mummy seem even more life-like, sunken areas of the body were filled out with linen and other materials and false eyes were added. Next the wrapping began. Each mummy needed hundreds of yards of linen.

2. Cairo City, Capital of Egypt:

Ans: Cairo is the capital and largest city of Egypt. The city's metropolitan area is the largest in the Middle East and the Arab world, and 15th-largest in the world, and is associated with ancient Egypt, as the famous Giza pyramid complex and the ancient city of Memphis are located in its geographical area. Located near the Nile Delta, modern Cairo was founded in 969 CE by Jawhar al-Siqilli ("the Sicilian") of the Fatimid dynasty, but the land composing the present-day city was the site of ancient national capitals whose remnants remain visible in parts of Old Cairo. Cairo has long been a center of the region's political and cultural life, and is nicknamed "the city of a thousand minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture.

Cairo has the oldest and largest film and music industries in the Arab world, as well as the world's second-oldest institution of higher learning, al-Azhar University. Many international media, businesses, and organisations have regional headquarters in the city; the Arab League has had its headquarters in Cairo for most of its existence.

3. Pyramid:

Ans: The Egyptian pyramids are ancient pyramid-shaped masonry structures located in Egypt. As of November 2008, sources cite either 118 or 138 as the number of identified Egyptian pyramids. Most were built as tombs for the country's pharaohs and their consorts during the Old and Middle Kingdom periods.

The earliest known Egyptian pyramids are found at Saqqara, northwest of Memphis, although at least one step-pyramid-like structure has been found at Saqqara, dating to the First Dynasty: Mastaba 3808, which has been attributed to the reign of Pharaoh Anedjib, with inscriptions, and other archaeological remains of the period, suggesting there may have been others. The otherwise earliest among these is the Pyramid of Djoser built c. 2630–2610 BCE during the Third Dynasty. This pyramid and its surrounding complex are generally considered to be the world's oldest monumental structures constructed of dressed masonry.

The most famous Egyptian pyramids are those found at Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo. Several of the Giza pyramids are counted among the largest structures ever built. The Pyramid of Khufu is the largest Egyptian pyramid. It is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still in existence.

4. Suez Canal:

Ans: The Suez Canal (In Arabic: Qanat as-Suways ), is an artificial sea-level waterway running north to south across the Isthmus of Suez in Egypt to connect the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. The canal separates the African continent from Asia, and it provides the shortest maritime route between Europe and the lands lying around the Indian and western Pacific oceans. It is one of the world's most heavily used shipping lanes.​​

The Suez Canal is one of the most important waterways in the world. The canal is extensively used by modern ships , as it is the fastest crossing from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean . Tolls paid by the vessels represent an important source of income for the Egyptian government.

Railway and a sweet water canal are run on the west bank parallel to the Suez Canal.

The Canal runs between Port Said harbor and the Gulf of Suez , through soils which vary according to the region. At Port Said and the surrounding area, the soil is composed over thousands of years of silt and clay sedimentations deposited by the Nile waters drifted by Damietta branch. This formation extends to Kantara, 40 km to the south of Port Said , where silt mixes with sand. The central region of the Canal betw​een Kantara and Kabret consists of fine and coarse sands, while the southern region contains dispersed layers of rocks, varying in texture from soft sand to some calcium rocks, The side gradient of the water cross section differs according to the nature of the soil, which is 4:1 in the north and 3:1 in the south.

​The Suez Canal is a sea level Canal and the height of water level differs slightly and the extreme tidal range is 65 cm in the north and 1.9 m in the south. The banks of the Canal are protected against the wash and waves, generated by the transit of ships, by revetments of hard stones and steel sheet piles corresponding to the nature of soil in every area. On both sides of the Canal, there are mooring bollards every 125 m for the mooring of vessel in case of emergency, and kilometric sign posts helping locate the position of ships in the waterway. The navigable channel is bordered by light and reflecting buoys as navigational aids to night traffic.​

4. Nile River:

Ans: The Nile River flows over 6,600 kilometers (4,100 miles) until emptying into the Mediterranean Sea. For thousands of years, the river has provided a source of irrigation to transform the dry area around it into lush agricultural land. Today, the river continues to serve as a source of irrigation, as well as an important transportation and trade route.

       The Nile River flows from south to north through eastern Africa. It begins in the rivers that flow into Lake Victoria (located in modern-day Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya), and empties into the Mediterranean Sea more than 6,600 kilometers (4,100 miles) to the north, making it one of the longest river in the world. The Nile River was critical to the development of ancient Egypt. In addition to Egypt, the Nile runs through or along the border of 10 other African countries, namely, Burundi, Tanzania, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, and South Sudan. Its three main tributaries are the White Nile, the Blue Nile, and the Atbara.

The soil of the Nile River delta between El Qâhira (Cairo) and the Mediterranean Sea is rich in nutrients, due to the large silt deposits the Nile leaves behind as it flows into the sea. The banks of the Nile all along its vast length contain rich soil as well, thanks to annual flooding that deposits silt. From space, the contrast between the Nile's lush green river banks and the barren desert through which it flows is obvious.

For millennia, much of Egypt's food has been cultivated in the Nile delta region. Ancient Egyptians developed irrigation methods to increase the amount of land they could use for crops and support a thriving population. Beans, cotton, wheat, and flax were important and abundant crops that could be easily stored and traded.

       The Nile River delta was also an ideal growing location for the papyrus plant. Ancient Egyptians used the papyrus plant in many ways, such as making cloth, boxes, and rope, but by far its most important use was in making paper. Besides using the river's natural resources for themselves and trading them with others, early Egyptians also used the river for bathing, drinking, recreation, and transportation.

C. Make a summary of the following passage.

(Book Page No: 31)

Ans: Egypt is called “the Gift of the Nile.” It remained one of the richest and most civilized lands for more than 2000 years now. The Egyptians belief in life after death was an important part of their culture. The dead person’s body had to be preserved, or mummified and buried, along with supplies of food and drink, tools and utensils and other valuables. Kings and other wealthy persons had elaborate tombs built for them. The Step Pyramid was designed as a tomb for King Zoser. Three Great Pyramids at Giza, on the west bank of the Nile River housed the Pharaohs’ bodies and served as reminders of their almighty power. Cairo, Egypt’s commercial and cultural centre and also the capital city. Egypt’s second largest city Alexandria situated at the Port Said northern end of the Suez Canal. Egypt’s historical sites include the Temple of Luxor, the temple of Karnak and the Valley of the Kings.

A. Write creatively about the following pictures in a few sentences. (Book Page No: 32)

Two Children are flashed in this picture.

Ans: They wear masks to protect themselves, as a precaution to the danger disease Covid-19. They give awareness to the people to wear masks in public places. Wearing mask will help us to keep safe and others from spreading Corona virus.

The Indian soldiers with National Flag

Ans: This picture shows that their solidarity with the nation by demonstrating before the snow-clad Himalayas. The man standing center of the picture holding the national flag and others raise slogans in support of their mother country by lifting their hands. It shows that the soldiers are ready to fight with enemy to protect their country.

The Indian farmer ploughing the land by using his two bullocks.

Ans: This picture is clearly describing the pre work of agriculture. The farmer is ploughing the land by using his two bullocks. The land is completely parched and is in need of water. The land is good for dry crops. We also can the hard work of farmer.

 

Girl children in school

Ans: The picture shows the importance of education, particularly for girl children. The children faces are eagerly looking forward. It reflects their interest and involvement. By giving good education to them means giving better future to country.

 

*****

Click the below image for remaining task answers for Unit-1, Professional English, Softskills paper for Arts and Social Science UG Degree 1st Year 2nd Semester.

Follow our Youtube channel and Subscribe for more videos : Saipedia