Education and Humanity

Ways with Words

A. Find the words from the text that mean the following.

a. A messenger or representative, especially one on a diplomatic mission
Answer: Envoy

b. The state or quality of being worthy of honour or respect
Answer: Dignity

c. Harm done to someone in response to harm
Answer: Revenge

d. A person who holds extreme political or religious views
Answer: Extremist

e. Sympathetic pity and concern for the suffering or misfortune of others
Answer: Compassion

f. A person who is believed to speak for God
Answer: Prophet

g. The study of the nature of knowledge, reality, and existence
Answer: Philosophy

h. The use of physical force to injure, abuse, damage, or destroy
Answer: Violence

i. An unreasonable dislike of a particular group of people or things
Answer: Prejudice

B. Match the words with their opposite meanings.

Word	Opposite
Honour	Disgrace
Innocent	Guilty
Brutality	Kindness
Forgiveness	Punishment
Illiteracy	Literacy

C. Using the Dictionary

a. Study the dictionary entry and answer the following questions.

i. What is the headword in the first entry?

Answer: The headword in the first entry is humanity.

ii. How many meanings of the word “humanity” are given?

Answer: Four meanings of the word “humanity” are given.

iii. What do the abbreviations U, OPP, pl, and sth stand for?

Answer:

U stands for uncountable.
OPP stands for opposite.
pl stands for plural.
sth stands for something.

iv. What is the British English spelling of “humanize”?

Answer: The British English spelling of “humanize” is humanise.

v. How is the word “humanize” pronounced?

Answer: The word “humanize” is pronounced as /ˈhjuːmənaɪz/.

vi. If we say, “Every person should have a sense of humanity,” which meaning of “humanity” is applied?

Answer: In this sentence, “humanity” means the quality of being kind and compassionate towards people and animals and ensuring that they do not suffer unnecessarily.

b. Arrange the following words in alphabetical order.

i. advance, analysis, amuse, assure, allergy, attain, aid, anxiety, acute, agreement

Answer:
Acute, advance, agreement, aid, allergy, amuse, analysis, anxiety, assure, attain

ii. smoke, small, smart, speaking, smelling, smoothly, smuggler, smashed, smearing, smallpox

Answer:
Small, smallpox, smart, smashed, speaking, smearing, smelling, smoke, smoothly, smuggler

iii. terminal, terminate, terminology, termite, terms, terrace, terrible, terribly

Answer:
Terminal, terminate, terminology, termite, terms, terrace, terrible, terribly

Comprehension

Answer the following questions.

a. Why did the speaker receive thousands of good-wish cards and gifts from all over the world?

Answer:
The speaker was shot by the Taliban on the left side of her forehead and was hospitalised for treatment and recovery. Therefore, she received thousands of good-wish cards and gifts from people all over the world.

b. According to the speaker, what are hundreds of human-rights activists and social workers struggling for?

Answer:
According to the speaker, hundreds of human-rights activists and social workers are struggling to achieve the goals of education, peace, and equality.

c. What has she learnt from Gandhi?

Answer:
She has learnt the value of non-violence from Gandhi.

d. In what sense is peace necessary for education?

Answer:
Peace is essential for quality education. Children can receive fruitful education only in a peaceful environment. When there is violence or conflict, children may become afraid to attend school and may be unable to concentrate on their studies. Therefore, peace is necessary for education.

e. According to the speaker, what are the main problems faced by both men and women?

Answer:
According to the speaker, poverty, ignorance, injustice, racism, and deprivation of basic rights are the main problems faced by both men and women.

f. What is Malala calling upon all governments to do?

Answer:
Malala is calling upon all governments to ensure free education for every child, fight against terrorism and violence, and protect children from brutality and harm.

g. What is the main message of the speech?

Answer:
The main message of the speech is that education is a powerful weapon that can eliminate problems such as illiteracy, terrorism, violence, inequality, and the violation of fundamental human rights. Therefore, providing education to every child should be a priority for all governments.

Critical Thinking

a. “All children have the right to quality education.” How can we ensure this right for every child? Discuss the roles of the government and parents in making sure that every child can attend school.

Quality education is one of the major requirements of the twenty-first century. The government, parents, schools, and communities are the main stakeholders responsible for ensuring that every child receives quality education.

Role of the Government

The government should provide free or subsidised education to children from low-income families.
It should ensure equality in education by improving the quality of public schools.
The government should provide scholarships, textbooks, uniforms, and other educational materials to disadvantaged children.
Teachers should be properly trained and paid fairly so that they remain motivated to provide quality education.
The government should regularly update the curriculum and remove outdated teaching materials.
Schools should be constructed in rural and remote areas so that children do not have to travel long distances.
Laws against child labour, child marriage, and discrimination should be strictly implemented.

Role of Parents

Parents should serve as positive role models and encourage their children to study.
They should regularly talk to their children about their school life, studies, and difficulties.
Parents should help children organise their daily routines and provide enough time for study.
They should provide a peaceful and supportive environment at home.
Sons and daughters should be given equal educational opportunities.
Parents should remain in regular contact with teachers and attend school meetings.

Thus, cooperation between the government, parents, schools, and communities can ensure that every child receives quality education.

b. Do you think there is still discrimination between sons and daughters in terms of education in our country? What strategies do you suggest to overcome discrimination against girls?

Yes, discrimination between sons and daughters still exists in some parts of Nepal. Although progress has been made and education is available through government schools, many girls do not receive the same educational opportunities as boys.

In some families, sons are sent to better private schools, while daughters are sent to less-resourced government schools. Some parents believe that daughters will leave their homes after marriage and will not support them in old age. Traditional beliefs, poverty, household responsibilities, child marriage, and gender-based discrimination also prevent many girls from continuing their education.

The following strategies can help overcome discrimination against girls:

Gender-based discrimination and prejudice should be eliminated.
Sons and daughters should be given equal educational opportunities.
Public-awareness programmes should be conducted to explain the importance of girls’ education.
Girls from disadvantaged families should receive scholarships and educational materials.
Child marriage should be strictly prohibited.
Violence, harassment, and sexual assault against girls should be prevented.
Schools should provide a safe and girl-friendly environment.
Women should be given opportunities to participate in leadership and economic activities.
The traditional preference for sons should be removed from society.
Money spent on dowry should instead be invested in girls’ education.

Educating girls improves the health, economy, and overall development of families, communities, and the nation.

c. Confucius said, “If your plan is for one year, plant rice; if your plan is for ten years, plant trees; if your plan is for one hundred years, educate children.” Explain the meaning of this saying with examples.

This saying explains that different goals require different amounts of time and effort. Planting rice provides benefits within a year, while planting trees provides benefits after several years. However, educating children produces long-term benefits that may continue for generations.

Education is not a short-term investment. It develops knowledge, skills, discipline, creativity, and moral values. Educated children grow into responsible citizens, skilled professionals, leaders, scientists, teachers, doctors, and entrepreneurs. They contribute to the development of society and the nation.

For example, a farmer who plants rice receives a harvest within a year. A person who plants fruit trees may receive fruits for many years. However, a country that invests in educating its children develops capable citizens who can improve the economy, healthcare, technology, agriculture, and social conditions for many generations.

Education shapes the future of individuals and society. A person without education may have limited opportunities, while an educated person can make informed decisions and contribute positively to the community. Similarly, a developed country cannot be imagined without educated citizens.

Therefore, children should be provided with the best possible education because education is a long-term investment that benefits the whole nation.

Grammar

Classify the underlined words into different word classes.

a. The man who is wearing glasses is my uncle’s friend.

Who – Pronoun
Wearing – Verb
My – Determiner

b. I bought a round table in the supermarket.

Round – Adjective
The – Determiner

c. Alas, she is dead.

Alas – Interjection

d. Hari works very hard all the time, but his wife is very lazy.

Hard – Adverb
Wife – Noun
Very – Adverb

e. I have never been to Japan.

Never – Adverb

f. Ann drove a car safely.

Ann – Proper noun
Safely – Adverb

g. Nobody has claimed it.

Nobody – Pronoun
It – Pronoun

h. She cut her hand with a knife.

Her – Determiner
With – Preposition

i. They have postponed the programme because of rain.

Have – Verb
Because of – Preposition
Rain – Noun

j. Everybody comes to the party.

Everybody – Pronoun

k. All such people ought to be avoided.

All – Determiner
Such – Determiner

l. All of the food has gone.

All – Pronoun

m. What was that noise?

What – Pronoun

n. One must not boast of one’s own success.

One – Pronoun

o. Nobody was there to rescue the child.

Nobody – Pronoun

p. Neither of the accusations is true.

Neither – Pronoun

q. Neither answer is correct.

Neither – Determiner

r. Here is the book that you lent me.

Here – Adverb
That – Pronoun

s. Without health, there is no happiness.

Without – Preposition
Health – Noun
Happiness – Noun