1.2 Are you vegetarian ?

Class 8 Learnwell Smart Communicative English

Q.1. What is the ecological reason that favours vegetarianism ?

Ans. The growing of vegetables takes up much less land than the raising of livestock. Thus vegetarianism helps to preserve our ecological system.

Q.2. What is the modern medical advice with regard to vegetarianism ?

Ans. Medical men favour vegetarianism because vegetables are rich in fibre and keep digestion in good order.

Q.3. What kind of food do medical men advise us to cut down on ?

Ans. They advise us to cut down on fat, salt and sugar.

Q.4. How has the growing consumption of meat been a cause of deforestation?

Ans. For the purpose of raising livestock, more and more forest land is being cleared. Naturally, the growing consumption of meat has become the biggest cause of deforestation.

Q.5. How has the increasing demand for meat caused the shortage of water ?

Ans. To produce 1 kilogram of animal meat, we need 7 kilograms of grain which needs 7,000 litres of water to grow. Thus the increasing demand for meat has caused the shortage of water.

Q.6. How does the raising of livestock cause pollution ?

Ans. Livestock produce far more sewage as compared to human beings. Since the demand for meat has increased, people are raising more and more of livestock. This has become the cause of pollution.

Q.7. How can the consumption of too much meat affect our health ?

Ans. Too much consumption of meat can lead to a number of health problems. It can cause increased obesity, heart disease and various forms of cancer.

Q.8. How can you say that vegetarian food is not short of protein ?

Ans. Plenty of proteins can be obtained from such articles as peas, beans, nuts, seeds, pulses, cereals, soya and milk products. Therefore, it is wrong to say that vegetarian food is short of protein.

Q.9. How can you say that vegetarian food can keep us physically quite strong?

Ans. Vegetarian products are rich in all kinds of nutrients. So we can say that vegetarian food can keep us physically quite strong.

HOTS (PAGE 14)

1. Different reasons for people being vegetarians :

1. Religious reasons.
2. Ecological reasons.
3. Medical reasons.
4. Economic reasons.
5. Personal reasons.

2. Reasons for being a vegetarian / non-vegetarian. (Answers will vary.)

WORD POWER (PAGES 14-15)

1. 1. grow — growth

Children need nutritious food for their growth.

2. know — knowledge Little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

3. agree — agreement They have broken the agreement.

4. invent — invention Necessity is the mother of invention.

5. advise — advice You should follow the doctor’s advice.

6. pollute — pollution Motor vehicles cause a lot of pollution.

7. digest — digestion Chew your food well for digestion.

8. choose — choice We had no other choice.

9. provide — provision The provision of food and shelter should be the government’s responsibility.

10. produce — production The production of food should be increased.

II. Matching words:

1. an aged person an ancient monument the bygone days

2. a satisfying meal a pleasant evening an enjoyable company

3. a peculiar smell a strange story a unique painting

4. mend the shoes repair the chair decorate the room

GRAMMAR IN USE (PAGES 16–17)

I.

1. The dog ate a bone.
2. Everybody worked hard.
3. Nobody knows the answer.
4. Misha bought a new dress yesterday.
5. All of us enjoyed the film last night.
6. Misha and Manu went to the supermarket.

II.

1. Manu (S) ran (V) fast (A).
2. We all (S) went (V) home (A).
3. John (S) met (V) Lucy (O) yerterday (A).
4. The dog (S) bit (V) Peter (O) very badly (A)
5. I (S) ate (V) some rice and curry for supper (O).
6. All my friends (S) enjoyed (V) the game (O) last week (A).

III.

1. There is an old man standing by the bus stop. There is an old man with an umbrella standing by the bus stop.
2. There is a big dog running out of the shop. There is a big dog with a bone is its mouth running out of the shop.

IV.

1. I’m going home. I have finished my work. I went home. I had finished my work.
2. He is not here. He has gone home. He was not there. He had gone home.
3. I don’t know that woman. I have never seen her. I didn’t know that woman. I had never seen her.
4. He has not invited me and I am not going to the party. He had not invited me and I did not go to the party.
5. Vicky is in hospital. He has broken his arm. Vicky was in hospital. He had broken his arm.
6. The teacher has left and the boys are making a noise. The teacher had left and the boys were making a noise.

SPEAKING AND LISTENING (PAGE 18)

• The missing thing is a spoon / tumbler (flat-bottomed, straight-sided drinking glass with no handle or stem).

Tumbler Beer glass Wine glass

I. We can use could or would for a polite request; as —

1. Do you have any spoon / tumbler ?
2. Isn’t there any spoon / tumbler here ?
3. Could I have a spoon / tumbler, please ?

4. Could / Would you bring me a spoon / tumbler, please ?

 Note: It is always good manners to use the word ‘please’ when you are asking someone for something.

II. Mooli Paratha for an Unexpected Guest:

Mooli Paratha is something that everyone eats with great relish and which doesn’t take much time to cook. To prepare the stuffing for 10–12 parathas, only about 500 gms of tender mooli is enough. After grating the mooli, I’ll sprinkle salt over it and leave to drain for about 10 minutes. Then I’ll squeeze it between the palms of my hands to extract any excess water. Now I’ll heat 2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan. One tsp of pomegranate seeds (anardana) will be added to it. After about 5 minutes, one shredded onion, some ginger and one green chilly will be added and stirred frequently. In about ten minutes, the contents will take a pale golden colour. Now I’ll add the grated mooli along with ground coriander seeds (dhania) (1 tsp), garam masala (1/2 tsp), and finely chopped fresh coriander leaves (2 tsp). On high heat, the ingredients will be cooked until they are well done. Then the stuffing will be removed from the stove and allowed to cool. In the meantime, I’ll prepare the dough and shape it into 10–12 balls of equal size. Then I’ll roll each ball on a floured surface and flatten it on the palm of my hand. I’ll place about 1 tbsp of the stuffing in the centre of the dough disc and carefully fold up the edges together to seal. I’ll dip the stuffed ball into dry flour to prevent it from sticking to the rolling surface and roll it out into a round disc. Now oil will be added on the heated tava, and the rounded disc will be placed on it carefully. I’ll allow it to cook till the underside is golden brown. Then I’ll turn it over. Oil will be sprinkled on the sides of the paratha and cooked for a few minutes till it is crisp. The parathas will be served hot with fresh butter and curd. I think my guest will like it.

WRITE WELL (PAGE 18)

Story (a) goes with the second picture (the one on the right). Story (b) goes with the first picture (the one on the left).

I. One evening, I had a guest and went with him to a fast food restaurant. We sat at a table and waited for the waiter to come for the order. Since he was busy at the other tables, we started looking at a photograph album we had with us. When we had finished looking at it, I folded it and placed it at one side of the table. No sooner had I done this, a man from the next table came hurriedly, snatched the album with a ‘May I ?’ and went back to his table. I could do nothing but gape at him. Back at his table, he opened the album eagerly, but then folded it and looked at us shamefacedly. Only then I knew that he had taken it for the restaurant menu ! I gave him an understanding smile when he looked at us apologetically.

II. One day, a lady came to the restaurant where I work as a waiter. She ordered a special meal with no fat at all. After she had finished her meal, she ordered a plate of fruit-cream. “Sorry, ma’am,” I said, “there is none left now.” As she got up to go, she saw me serving fruit-cream at another table. Seeing her expression of annoyance, I came over to her and explained, “Ma’am, I just couldn’t let you eat fruit-cream after you had ordered a fat-free lunch.”