Reading I: Save your Smartphone
1. What is she doing?
Answer: She is using her smartphone while charging.
2. What is the risk?
Answer: We may have the risk of electric shock / accident.
3. What precautions should we take?
Answer: While using a phone, we should avoid long conversations, not use it while charging, keep it away when sleeping, keep it away from children, etc.
A. Match the words with their meanings
| Word (Column A) | Meaning (Column B) |
|---|---|
| Prolong | to make something last longer |
| essential | extremely important |
| fading | being less bright |
| generate | to produce |
| gunk | any sticky or dirty substance |
| render | to cause something to be in a particular condition |
| notification | notices |
B. True or False
a. It’s a good idea to keep our phones fully charged.
Answer: False
b. We should keep our phones together with other gadgets.
Answer: False
c. A phone is likely to hold more bacteria than a toilet seat.
Answer: True
d. Setting a screen lock on the phone helps us keep the information safe.
Answer: True
e. Smartphones are very useful even without apps.
Answer: False
C. Answer the following questions
a. Write any three uses of smartphones in everyday life.
The uses of smartphones in everyday life are as follows:
- Staying connected with family and friends
- Getting work done
- Staying up to date with important schedules (or Buying groceries or clothes online)
b. Why should we care for our phones?
We should care for our phones because they are very essential and central to our life.
c. Why should we not use cheap chargers to charge our phones?
We should not use cheap chargers to charge our phones because there may be the possibility of catching fire.
d. How can we prevent our phones from getting over heated?
We can prevent our phones from getting overheated by placing them away from other gadgets at room temperature.
e. How can the phone be cleaned?
The phone can be cleaned with an antimicrobial spray and wiping it with a soft cloth.
D. Discussion
View Sample Answer
There are so many gadgets at home. We must take care of them. We have gadgets such as smartphones, chargers, smartwatches, laptops, earphones, and so on.
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, we are gradually realising how our gadgets are the breeding place for so many viruses and germs. Before the lockdown days, every time we touched any object such as handrails, door handles, switches in the elevator, we seldom cleaned our hands leading to exposure to various microbes which then transferred to gadgets of our daily use.
Because we work from home and have other gadgets, it's impossible to say how much muck has accumulated between the buttons of our computer mouse or how much hair, dust, and food crumbs have fallen into the cracks of the keyboard. We may have regular contact with these devices throughout the day, with oil and dead skin from our hands continuously rubbing off on them, making them potential breeding grounds for germs. As a result, keeping our electronics clean and sanitized is more than necessary.
Tips to keep gadgets like a laptop clean:
- Remove your battery, clean it with a microfiber cloth, then blow off the dust using compressed air.
- Using the same towel, wipe down the screen to remove any smudges.
- Spray compressed air between the keyboard's keys and into the USB ports.
- Soak a cotton swab in isopropyl alcohol and gently clean the exterior of the laptop.
- Wipe down the laptop with a clean, dry cloth.
Grammar I: Reported Speech
A. Study the following table
| Direct Speech | Indirect (Reported) Speech |
|---|---|
| She said, "I love horror movies." | She said that she loved horror movies. |
| "I worked as a waiter before attending college," Harish said. | Harish said that he had worked as a waiter before attending college. |
| My friend said, "I'll phone you tomorrow." | My friend said that he would phone me the next day. |
| She said, "I'm planning to do it today." | She said that she was planning to do it that day. |
| He said to me, "Get me something to drink." | He told me to get him something to drink. |
| "Don't make a noise," said the teacher to the students. | The teacher told the students not to make a noise. |
| The doctor said to the patient, "Quit smoking." | The doctor advised the patient to quit smoking. |
| The policeman told me, "Don't park here." | The policeman forbade me to park there. or The policeman told me not to park there. |
B. Change the following sentences into indirect speech
a. “He works in a bank.” ➔ She said ……………………..
Answer: She said that he worked in a bank.
b. “We went out last night.” ➔ She told me ……………………..
Answer: She told me that they had gone out the night before.
c. “I’m coming!” ➔ She said……………………..
Answer: She said that she was coming (or going).
d. “I was waiting for the bus when he arrived.” ➔ She told me ……………………..
Answer: She told me that she had been waiting for the bus when he had arrived.
e. “I’d never been there before.” ➔ She said ……………………..
Answer: She said that she had never been there before.
f. “I didn’t go to the party.” ➔ She told me ……………………..
Answer: She told me that she hadn’t gone to the party.
g. He said to me, "Help him to do his homework." ➔ He asked me …………………..
Answer: He asked me to help him to do his homework.
h. The doctor said to the patient, "Take bed rest for a week." ➔ The doctor advised the patient ……………………..
Answer: The doctor advised the patient to take bed rest for a week.
i. The commander said to his soldiers, "March further." ➔ The commander ordered ……………………..
Answer: The commander ordered (the soldiers) to march further.
Writing I: Recipe
View Sample Recipe
Recipe to cook pasta
Ingredients:
- 2 cups pasta
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
Procedure:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil with one tablespoon of olive oil and one teaspoon of salt.
- Drop a few strands or one sheet of pasta into the boiling water at a time.
- Cook, uncovered until the pasta is cooked, stirring periodically and gently. Cooking times will vary depending on the size and thickness of the pasta.
- Small pasta like macaroni can be cooked in 5 to 7 minutes. Larger forms of pasta like spaghetti may take 10 to 12 minutes to cook.
- Drain the cooked pasta immediately into a strainer or colander. To refresh, place it in a basin of cold water. Drain once more and set aside.
- Toss the pasta with one tablespoon olive oil if it is not going to be used right away.
Reading II: Gadgets and Instruments
A. Match the words with the correct weather symbols
B. Complete these sentences with the appropriate words
a. Most of the FM …………. broadcast the news at 7:00.
Answer: stations
b. The function of a ………….is to convert the change of temperature into numerical numbers.
Answer: converter
c. The Earth is ………. by the atmosphere.
Answer: wrapped
d. The amount of water in the air is called …………….
Answer: humidity
e. The wind vane is also known as a …………………
Answer: weather vane / weathercock
C. Choose the correct answer
a. How did people get the weather information until the 18th century?
Answer: ii. through their physical senses
b. Which one of the following barometers is the latest one?
Answer: i. digital
c. What does a barometer measure?
Answer: iii. atmospheric pressure
d. Which of the following devices is NOT used to get weather information?
Answer: ii. galvanometer
e. Which of the following devices is used to measure the speed of the wind?
Answer: ii. anemometer
D. Answer the following questions
a. Where is an alcohol-filled thermometer mainly used?
Answer: An alcohol-filled thermometer is mostly used to measure the temperature under -35 degree Celsius.
b. What is a barometer used for?
Answer: A barometer is used for measuring atmospheric pressure.
c. What are the two kinds of hygrometers?
Answer: The two types of hygrometers are dry and wet bulb hygrometers and mechanical hygrometers.
d. Give two examples of how an anemometer gives information about the weather.
Answer: An anemometer gives information about the weather by showing the speed of the wind and predicting storms as well as hurricanes.
e. Name the device that is used to measure the changes in weather conditions.
Answer: The device that is used to measure the changes in weather conditions is the barometer.
f. What precautions should be taken while using a rain gauge?
Answer: The rain gauge must be placed in an open place without any obstacles.
View Sample Discussion
We usually find out about the future condition of the weather with the help of a Barometer. The weather will be like overcast, windy, and drizzly. Such weather makes me feel peaceful and comfortable. I enjoy such weather, especially at night, since I can hear the rainfall and see the dew on the window, which helps me sleep. The light rain helps the crops to grow nicely.
Grammar II: Reported Speech (Commands & Requests)
A. Change the following sentences into indirect speech
a. He said, "Don't use my camera."
Answer: He told me not to use his camera.
b. The doctor said, "Give up smoking."
Answer: The doctor suggested me to give up smoking.
c. "Don't touch the wire." The electrician said to me.
Answer: The electrician told me not to touch the wire.
d. “Could you explain number four, please?” said the student.
Answer: The student requested me to explain number four.
e. "Don't worry about it, Mrs. Shrestha." She said.
Answer: She told Mrs. Shrestha not to worry about it.
f. "Finish this job in an hour." He said.
Answer: He told me to finish that job in an hour.
g. Amrita said to me, “Please help me.”
Answer: Amrita requested me to help her.
B. Complete the following sentences with the correct alternatives
a. Anju said that she…………….(had seen/has seen/was seen) the accident the day before.
Answer: had seen
b. She says that ……………(she could not stay there anymore/I can’t stay there anymore/she can’t stay there anymore)
Answer: she can’t stay there anymore (Note: Present reporting verb 'says' means tense doesn't change).
c. The teacher told us that……………….(the Earth revolves round the Sun/the Earth revolved round the Sun/the Earth revolve round the Sun)
Answer: the Earth revolves round the Sun (Universal truth).
d. Pramesh said that………………(he had done his homework/I have done my homework/he has done his homework)
Answer: he had done his homework
e. The policeman ………………(requested/told/ordered) the thief not to move.
Answer: ordered
f. My father forbade me ……………… (to spend/do not spend/not to spend) so much money.
Answer: to spend (forbade already implies negative).
g. The head teacher forbade the students' parents ………………(not to smoke/to not smoke/to smoke) on the school premises.
Answer: to smoke
Writing II: Newspaper Article
View Sample Article
The Impact of Science and Technology in the Last Two Decades
The information technology sector has grown dramatically during the previous two decades. It provides us with communication progress, cell phones, the internet, and so forth. However, many experts feel that this rise in the IT sector will have a negative impact rather than a positive impact in the coming years. For several reasons, I strongly disagree with this. The explanation strengthens my position.
IT has both a positive and negative impact. The most important argument for its positive impact is that it will completely transform the global commercial sector. The majority of duties will be completed automatically and without human participation, leading to efficiency in the industrial sector. In addition, with the assistance of artificial intelligence, automobiles will drive themselves. In reality, some businesses, like Tesla and Google, have already produced self-driving automobiles that do not require human intervention.
Furthermore, we can expect enhanced file management, massive data storage, and cloud hosting. Payment gateways, such as Google Pay and Paytm, are expected to be solely online a few years from now. The communication network will also be upgraded.
However, I would not ignore the minor risks. The most prominent is cybersickness. There is a concern that individuals would abandon their regular routines as a result of their addiction to social media. Also, cyber assaults might be carried out using personal data. A hacker might access an account and demand money.
To summarize, while development in the IT sector has some drawbacks, I believe that this development will be overwhelmingly beneficial for human advancement. Information technology will continue to comfort us in unimaginable ways in the coming years.