Unit 12
The Medusa and the Snail
Working with words
A. Read the text and tick the best alternative to fill in the gaps.
a. Persons who are related to you and who live after you, such as your child or grandchild are called ……..
i. relatives ii. descendants iii. siblings
ii. descendants
b. ‘…………...’ means to turn or spin around and around quickly
i. Twirl ii. Fold iii. Fetter
i. Twirl
c. ……….. are proteins which contain oligosaccharide chains (glycans) attached to amino acid side-chains
i. Glycoproteins ii. Legumes iii. Meat products
i. Glycoproteins
d. ………. are carbohydrate-binding proteins that are highly specific for sugar groups that are part of other molecules and so cause agglutination of particular cells.
i. Lactose ii. Legumes iii. Lectins
iii. Lectins
e. ….are abnormal tissue growths that most often look like small, flat bumps or tiny mushroom like stalks found in the phylum Cnidaria and the medusa
i. Polyps ii. Buds iii. Tulips
iii. Tulips
f. …………. is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey.i. Murder ii. Homicide iii. Predation
iii. Predation
g. ………. is a genus of flowering plants in the buttercup family.
i. Anemone ii. Ammonia iii. Amoeba
i. Anemone
h. A/An …………… person is extremely or excessively particular, exacting, or meticulous in taste or standards.
i. arrogant ii. finicky iii. symbiotic
ii. finicky
i. …………. is a group of soft-bodied, marine gastropod molluscs which shed their shells after their larval stage.
i. Shell ii. Nudibranch iii. Jellyfish
iii. Jellyfish
j. A …….is a free-swimming sexual form of a coelenterate such as a jellyfish,typically having an umbrella-shaped body with stinging tentacles around the edge.
i. medusa ii. sea horse iii. sea slug
i. medusa
Comprehension
Answer the following questions.
a. What are the indicators of the fact that we are very self-conscious about ourselves these days?
Self-realization, self-help, and self-development are the indicators of the fact that we are very self-conscious about ourselves these days.b. How have we celebrated the fact that we have our individual identity?
We have celebrated the fact that we have our individual identity by giving it a real name 'myself'.c. Are we, human beings, really unique? Why/Why not?
No, we aren't. This is because uniqueness is a commonplace of property of living things, and there is really nothing unique about it.d. How do fish recognize each other?
Fish recognize each other by the smell of self.e. What is the function of individuality?
The function of individuality is to enable one kind of creature to defend and protect itself against all the rest.f. What does the mix-up of two selves tell us about our identity?
The mix-up of two selves tell us that we are not selves.g. What does the author illustrate with the tale of the nudibranch and the medusa?
With the tale of the nudibranch and the medusa the author illustrates that they depend for their survival on each other, and are not really selves.h. Why is the author disturbed by the thought of the creatures like the nudibranch and medusa?
The author is disturbed by the thought of the creatures like the nudibranch and medusa because he has never heard of such a cycle before as it is bizarre and unique.i. What does the writer mean by “they remind me of the whole earth at once?”
By “they remind me of the whole earth at once" the writer means the mix-up of two selves like the earth as the common place for all living properties.Critical thinking
a. How does the author make satire on the modern idea of the ‘self’ based on individuality, independence and uniqueness?
The author makes satire on the modern idea of the ‘self’ based on individuality, independence and uniqueness. He argues that we’ve never been as self-conscious about ourselves as we seem to be these days. He claims that the popular magazines are filled with advice on things to do with a self: how to find it, identify it, nurture it, protect it, and even, for special occasions, weekends, how to lose it transiently. There are instructive books, best sellers on self-realization, self-help, and self-development. Groups of self-respecting people pay large fees for the sessions together, learning self-awareness. Self-enlightenment can be taught in college electives.
He considers we tend to think of ourselves as the only wholly unique in nature, but it is not so. Uniqueness is so commonplace of a property of living things that there is really nothing at all unique about it. The phenomenon can’t be unique and universal at the same time.Our survival depends on other living beings. They are not really selves.
b. Analyze the essay as a creative defense of the interdependence observed in the ecosystem.
Ecosystem is a biological community of living organisms that live in and interact with each other in a specific environment. The ecosystem relates to the way that all these different organisms live in close proximity for each other and how they interact with each other. In an ecosystem all living organisms are in a relationship where they depend on each other.
The essayist has used the metaphor of a successfully edited parasite for the uniqueness of nature that is shared across macro and microorganisms. Each creature is attracted by the molecular configuration of the other. They depend on each other for their survival. They cannot live in any other way. They are not really selves. Thus, the essay is a creative defense of ecosystem.
Writing
A. Write an essay on “Independence vs. Interdependence” in about 250 words.
Independence and interdependence are the two concepts that people have about themselves in relation to their relationship with others. An independent individual who has conception about his or her existence is that he or she exists separate from other people. The interdependent concept where an individual feels connected to others.
Independence is associated with individualism which focuses on an individual's characteristics, which make him or her unique from the remaining members of the society. The people who are independent often emerge as overly self-reliant, forming positive bonds among individuals. Being interdependent requires internal insight about yourself, and you need to be able to know your strengths and weaknesses.
Interdependence prepares individuals with necessary skills for fitting within the groups which they belong to. This concept nurtures a sense of collectivism making people to realize that they need each other for their growth and development. Through the concept of interdependence, people become capable to study each other's minds and develop a sense of sympathy for one another.
In short, there can be no independence without interdependence. Any harvest of independence we are able to reap is completely dependent on continued healthy growth of our roots of responsible interdependence. If we truthfully master the synchronization of these two powerful ideas, we will find happiness and change the lives of those around us.
B. Write a newspaper article highlighting the increasing individualism in the modern Nepali society.Increasing individualism in the modern Nepali society
By Ramesh Thapa
July 12, 2022
A Nepalese society is considered a collectivistic society. The society possesses strong relationships where everyone is responsible for fellow members of their group. However, individualism is increasing in the modern Nepali societies. This has resulted in high social mobility, which has led to high social anxiety. In addition, the focused attention on personal achievements has borne important cost on interpersonal relationships.
People in collectivist cultures are more likely to incline towards their family and friends for support during difficult times, whereas people living in individualist cultures tend to be alone. Individualistic cultures stress that people should be able to solve problems on their own without having to depend on backing from others.
Some people are practicing their individualism by isolating from others from time to time. We are not living in this world to be alone as we are a social animal. Too much freedom allows us to lose our capacity to be a better member of the community as if we don’t belong to it at all.
If Nepali parents are able to teach their children a sense of individualism along with respect for the families and communities, the country will have citizens who will able to deal with most challenges faced today and in the future.
Grammar
Passive voice
A. Make passive sentences from the following information.
Answer:
Volleyball is played in every country.
Answer:
Spaghetti is cooked in boiling water.
Answer:
Each lesson is followed by an exercise.
Answer:
Taxes are included in the price.
Answer:
Extensive information is found in the internet.
Answer:
Our order was taken by the waiter.
Answer:
The schedule will be distributed to the participants.
Answer:
A footprint is found by the police.
Answer:
The sand castles are built by the children.
Answer:
The window is not going to be opened by the father.
B. Rewrite the following sentences in the passive voice using the correct form of verbs in the brackets.
Answer:
Two boys have been injured in a motorbike accident.
Answer:
b. The clock has been used since the 17th century.- Present Perfect
Answer:
c. I had to wait outside the classroom while the classroom was being cleaned.
Answer:
d. The problem is being discussed by the subject specialists at the moment.
Answer:
By the time I came back, the task had been finished.
Answer:
f. Women are said to be happier than men.- Simple Present
Answer:
The house is being destroyed by the fire.
Answer:
h. The other three reports will have been submitted by next month.
Answer:
i. Many people have been rescued from the floods by the security persons this year.
Answer:
j. The state of Florida was hit by a hurricane that did serious damage.
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