UNIT 6 : Bio-Diversity : Environment , Or will the Dreamer Wake? (Poem), A Tale of Three Villages SUMMARY AND STUDY MATERIAL

UNIT 6 : Bio-Diversity : Environment , Or will the Dreamer Wake? (Poem),  A Tale of Three Villages brief summary and notes.

Bio-Diversity 

A. Environment
B. Or will the Dreamer Wake? (Poem)
C. A Tale of Three Villages

 

6.BIO-DIVERSITY

 

"The theme is more relevant than ever in the wake of sweeping changes taking place in different spheres across the world. The process of development has assumed a new dimension in the recent times. It has been a direct attack on the biodiversity and large scale exploitation of resources for private profits. This problem is likely to aggravate further making life on the planet miserable. There is every need to think about today and tomorrow. This becomes the rationale for including the present texts for reading. The learners will certainly become aware of their role in preserving the pristine nature of the environment as they read and reflect on the passages in this unit."

Part-A: Environment

It is an interview by Japan’s NHK Radio with Wangari Maathai, a well-known  environmentalist and a Nobel Prize winner from Africa. She started the Green Belt Movement and also fought for equal rights for women in Africa.

Part-B: Or will the Dreamer Wake?

The very title of the poem is interesting. It is a question arousing interest in the minds of the readers. It clearly depicts how certain species of animals are about to disappear. The dreamer , perhaps, here is the man; the destruction is caused in four directions. It seems that man is still dreaming about something. The animals like tigress, white bear, songthrush and whale are disappearing very fast. But the question is whether the dreamer or the man would wake up in the right time, is an open ended question.

Part-C: A Tale of Three Villages

It tells us the stories of three villages that are vulnerable to pollution with dangerous chemicals and radioactive dust. It presents a clear picture of many hundreds of villages which are in the same plight as the three villages depicted here.

Glossary

• Green Belt Movement (n) : a movement to protect environment
• Fodder (n) : food for farm animals
• Forested (adj) : forested areas are covered in forests (place where trees are densely grown)
• Pristine (adj) : extremely fresh or clean
• Indigenous (adj) : native
• Biological diversity (n) : the variety of plants and animals in a particular place
• Exotic species (n) : unusual plants
• Plaintive (adj) : sounds sad
• Snuffles (n) : to breathe noisily through your nose
• Gleaming (adj) : to shine softly
• Glaciers (n) : a large mass of ice which moves slowly down a mountain valley
• Warbles (v) : to sing with a high continuous but quickly changing sound
• Birth fills (n) : the process of giving birth to a baby
• Solemn (adj) : very serious and not happy
• Out stretched (v) : stretched out to full length
• Apron (n) : piece of clothing that covers the front part of your clothes and is tied around your waist.
• Radioactive dust (n) : the dust that comes out of radioactive reaction

Phrasal Verbs

• Trailed off (phr. Verb) : it (voice) becomes gradually quieter and then stops
• Trailed off ( phr v) : became gradually quieter and stopped
• Broke down (phr v) : lost control of feelings and started crying
• Go about ( ph.r v) : tackle
• Fight over (phr. v) : argue about something

Synonyms

• Profound : deep, fathomless

Antonyms

• Exotic x indigenous
• Ominous x auspicious
• Barren x fertile