Going Out For A Walk

              GOING OUT FOR A WALK

1. What does the author consider as the drawbacks of London?

          The drawbacks of London are its endless noise and hustle, its smoky air and its squalor.

2. What is the author’s excuse to avoid walking?
          The author’s excuse to avoid walking is to tell the people who call him for a walk that he has many letters to write.

3. Why is the author’s excuse ineffective?
         The author’s excuse is ineffective in three ways: i) it is not believed; ii) it forces you to rise from your chair, go to the writing table and pretend to be writing a letter until the walk monger goes out of the room; iii) it won’t work on Sunday mornings because there is no post out till the evening.

4. What makes the author say that walking for walking’s sake stops one’s brain?
          The author says that walking for walking’s sake stops one’s brain because then a person’s power to instruct or to amuse when he is sitting on a chair or standing on a hearth-rug leaves him.

5. ‘Trespassers will be prosecuted’ – Write down two more such wall notices.
i) ‘DRIVE SLOWLY’
ii) ‘CAUTION, SHARP CURVE’

6. What, according to the author, is the thought process taking place in the brain during a walk?
          A man is not urged by his reasoning faculties to go for a walk. He is urged by something that surpasses reason, by his soul. His soul tells his body to go for a walk. The brain asks the soul where to go and for what purpose. The soul then replies that there is no definite destination or any particular mission.

7. What is the author’s opinion of having a vehicle for every destination?
          The author does not take a vehicle to every destination. He never goes out of his way to avoid exercise. When a vehicle is essential he takes one.

8. What holds the author back from going out for a walk?
          People wanting to see him and work in his own premises hold the author back from going out for a walk.

Activity - I (Write -up)

1. Do you usually go out for a morning walk or evening stroll?
          Yes, I do. I usually go out for a morning walk.

2. Who do you usually go out with?
          I usually go out with my friends.

3. What do you enjoy the most while walking?
          While walking I enjoy the sights along the street most.

4. How do you feel after the walk?
          After the walk I feel energetic and happy.

5. Make a distinction between going for a walk and being taken out for a walk.
          Going out for walk means you go out because you want to go out. Being taken out for a walk means you don’t go because you are keen on going, but somebody, whom you can’t refuse, forces you to go with him. If a very dear person comes and tells you to go for a walk with him, you can’t refuse.

6. Now prepare a write-up on walking and your preferences.

Walking:
           Walking is an excellent form of exercise and it is good for our health. A person who walks for about three kilometres a day can maintain his physique very well. Walking gives exercise not only to the body but also the mind. As our muscles and body shake up, increasing the blood circulation, we see new things forcing our mind to think. Staying inside all the time makes one bored with life. Walking brings variety into our lives. Variety is the spice of life.

         Doctors say that large numbers of people suffer from back pain due to lack of exercise. They say walking reduces back pain. When we walk, the fat accumulated in our body burns up. Then carbohydrates are burnt. Thus we clear our body from extra fat and carbohydrates.

         Walking is an exercise which does not cost anything extra. You may need a good pair of walking shoes. These days there are many people who jog every morning or evening for health reasons. Jogging is walking at a greater speed, less than running. Walking is especially good for people who do sedentary jobs, which force them to sit down for long periods.

            I like to go for walking with friends. When we walk, talking with friends, walking becomes doubly enjoyable. We forget the bodily exertion of walking and at the same time we exchange views on so many things. I prefer to walk early in the morning when the streets are not crowded. The airthen will be fresh and without much dust. My advice to all the young boys and girls is to go to their schools on foot, if the distance is not much. Walking will make you healthy, wealthy and wise.

Activity - II (Personal Essay)

Read the note and tips on Personal Essay given on page 152 and 153 of the text.
Attempt to write a personal essay on a topic of your choice, e.g. (swimming, jogging etc.)
              The other day I was walking with my friend when I saw a gruesome sight. Two young boys were working at a construction site. They were carrying heavy loads of bricks on their heads. They were about 10 years old. They wore rags and poverty was writ large on their faces. Although child labour is banned in India, may people still make children do a lot of hard work. I felt sorry for them.

            Child labour refers to the employment of children in any work that deprives them of their childhood and interferes with their ability to attend regular school. It also refers to any employment of children in jobs that are mentally, physically, socially or morally harmful. Employing children in jobs which are supposed to be done by the adults is considered exploitative by many international organizations. Legislations across the world prohibit child labour. No country wants its children to spend their childhood in working at jobs which the adults are supposed to do.

              Child labour was employed to varying extents through most of history. Before 1940, many children between the ages of 5-14 were made to work in Europe, the USA and the various colonies of European powers. These children worked in agriculture, home-based assembly operations, factories and even in mining. Some worked night shifts lasting 12 hours. With the rise of household income, availability of schools and passage of child labour laws, the incidents of child labour rates fell.

            In developing countries, where there is high poverty and less opportunities for schooling, child labour is still prevalent. In 2010, sub-Saharan Africa had the highest incidence oftmild labour, with several African nations witnessing over 50% of children aged between 5-14 working. Agriculture is the largest employer of child labour. Vast majority of child labour is found in rural areas and informal urban economy. Even parents make their children labour hard at homes and in the fields. Poverty and lack of schools are the main causes for child labour.

             In Kerala, which is called God’s own country, we see children from other States employed in the homes of the well-to-do to work as servants, to do household chores. Making the children work like a servant is a sin against God and man. When the rich people send their own children to school, these poor boys and girls stand looking helplessly at their miserable plight. You can try to prevent child labour by reporting such cases to the police or to some other authorities.

              God has given us childhood to enjoy and to learn. It is gross injustice to deprive the children of their childhood and learning opportunities. In the novels of Charles Dickens we see how boys like Oliver Twist suffered because of child labour. Remember each child has a dream. Don’t deprive him of it. God will never forgive you if you are the cause to deprive a child of his dream.

              My friend and I went to the nearest police station to report what we saw at the construction site. The policeman sitting there took down our complaint. But will the police take any action against those who employed the boys to work there? We could only hope they will.

Extended Activities 

Activity - II (Write up)

1. Do you think that there should be physical education in schools? Prepare a WRITE-UP saying why or why not.

        I think there should be physical education in schools. I have many reasons to say so. In Latin there is a saying ‘Mens sana in corpore sano’. In English it means ‘A sound mind in a sound body.’A . sickly body will not have a healthy mind. Physical education helps in the formation of a healthy and active life style. Such a life style makes the body and the mind sound.

             Physical education helps in the development of leadership qualities. To be a leader one should have the capacity to organize, take initiative, guide and control his mates. He should be fearless and just. By taking part in physical education, one develops confidence, cooperation, and team spirit. Work is done in teams. Although individual excellence counts, it is the group work that makes a project successful. Any big event is the result of team work. Games are lost and won based on the team spirit. We all know that ‘United we stand, divided we fall’ and ‘Unity is strength’.

              A positive attitude is very essential for success. An optimistic attitude keeps one cheerful and prepared to work hard. Perseverance is essential for any important work. Physical education helps one to build a positive attitude to life and things. When we keep our bodies in shape, our mind also gets shaped with the right attitudes. Physical education brings confidence and self-esteem. Only if we believe in ourselves, others will believe in us. Dr. Abdul Kalam said that each person is unique and he should try to remain he and no one else. We should feel that we are unique. We don’t have to imitate and copy others. Self-confidence and self-esteem grow by our being active in physical education.

              Physical education also helps us to learn better. A fit body keeps the mind fit and alert. An alert mind grasps things fast and physical exercises help the brain to retain things for a long time. Physical education also instils civic virtues in us. We become more compassionate and loving. We become ready to help others. Physical education is a group activity and so group welfare, social welfare, becomes an important aspect of our training. Man is not an island. He is a social being and physical education drives into our mind this significant concept. In all schools all over the world physical education is compulsory because it has such a big roldto play in the life of an individual and also in the life of the society.

Activity - III (Speech)

The newspaper headlines below may remind you of some of your friends who are addicted to junk food, energy boosters, computers, bike racing, etc. You are worried about how these habits will affect them mentally, physically and academically. Being the Health Officer of your school, you decide to make a speech in the morning assembly on the adverse effect of such a lifestyle and the need to take charge of oneself.
Draft the script of the speech

My dear students,
            Today I am going to talk to you about some of the things that bring a lot of harm to the youth of today. Being part of the youth, you should know some of the dangerous things that have gripped the young minds. First of all, many youngsters think that homemade food is not cool. They go after fast food and fizzy drinks. They are fond of eating hamburgers, pizzas, KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken), noodles, pasta and such others things. They forget that these use a lot of dangerous additives and colours. Recently we heard how the broiler chicken which we consume so much is injected with all sorts of antibiotics and hormones.

            A hectic life style leads to ill-health and anxiety related illness. Hurry brings worry. Many of you like speed. Speed thrills but it kills. So slow down! Slow and steady wins the race. Haste makes waste.

             Many of you are tech-savvy. You are addicted to all sorts of latest gadgets mobiles, i-pad, i-pod, and all such devices. Once you are denied these things you suffer from gadget withdrawal syndrome. You feel as if they are essential in life. Did your parents use them? Did they not live well? And happily? So don’t think these are essential for a good life.

              You like to spend your nights before the TV or the computer screen watching your favourite programmes or playing your favourite games. Scientists have established that just on night of sleep deprivation can lead to weight gain and related illnesses. “Early to bed and early to rise – Makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.”

             Instead of drinking clean water, you prefer energy drinks or fizzy drinks which contain alarming rate of caffeine. Large amount of caffeine adversely affect your body and mind. So avoid them. Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Fanta and Sprite taste good. But their excessive use can bring you harm.

              Don’t remain indoors all the time. Play vigorously. Let your bodies get proper exercises. Enjoy eating nuts, fruits and vegetables. They will help you to keep your body trim and healthy. Nuts and buttermilk help to cut flab.

               It would be a good idea to keep pets to beat stress. Spend some time with them. Watch them. If you don’t have pets, watch Nature. The trees, flowers, creepers, the birds, the butterflies, the bees, etc. will make you marvel at the variety of life. Sunrise and Sunset can fill your life with colourful thoughts. Is there anything more beautiful than a beautiful night with the queen moon surrounded by the stars? Or the waves kissing the sandy shore on a breezy evening?

Activity – IV (Role play)

“Last year, I went to pay him a visit. I thought I would go and see what it was like” – Ivan goes on to narrate his meeting with his brother. Attempt a role-play of the narration. (Read the notes on page 159).

Nicholai: Welcome Ivan! Nice to see you after such a long time.
Ivan: Niholai, you’ve changed a lot! You have become fat and old!
Nicholai: Yes, Ivan. I’ve become fat. I spend much of my time inside the house. Ivan, you too have become old!
Ivan: I can’t help. Time runs. Remember how young we were! Good old days!
Nicholai: Okay, Ivan, let’s go and look around my estate.
Ivan: How are you getting on, brother?
Nicholai: I’m doing very well. I am a landowner now. I am not the old official in the treasury. I’ve become a man of importance. Ivan : Good to hear that! You are happy, aren’t you?
Nicholai: I’m happy. When the peasants in my estate become sick they come to me and I treat them with soda and castor oil. On my birthday, a thanksgiving service is held in the middle of the village. I then give the peasants half a bucket of vodka. Okay, Ivan, let’s now go back to the house. It’s tea time. (They go back to the house and are having tea. There are gooseberries on the table.)
Nicholai: Ivan, look at those gooseberries. They are from my estate. They are so nice. Ivan : Gooseberries. I don’t think I like them. They are too sour for me.
Nicholai: Sour? No man, they are so delicious. I can eat a whole lot them.
Ivan: Sorry Nicholai, I can’t eat them. You may eat. Maybe, you enjoy them so much because they grew in your estate. My idea of happiness is quite different.
Nicholai: Well, I know. But for me they are so , delicious.
Ivan: Enjoy them, Nicholai.

Activity – V (Essay)

“Satisfaction, self-sufficiency and piety are the characteristics of a happy life.’’ Do you agree? Keeping in mind all the texts that you have read in this unit, prepare an essay on your idea of a happy life.
            Happiness differs frojn person to person. That is why we say ‘One man’s*meat is another man’s poison’ and ‘One man’s religion is another man’s madness’. Happiness, like beauty, is non-definable in precise terms. Still, there are some common ingredients, some characteristics that constitute a happy life. I definitely agree with the view that satisfaction, self-sufficiency and piety are some of the characteristic. Satisfaction comes when our desires are fulfilled. Desires are of various kinds. Some love adventure. Climbing the Himalayas, swimming across seas, flying into space, etc. are things some people enjoy and such things give them great satisfaction. For some satisfaction comes when they behold things of beauty. Sights, sounds and movements of nature and even people make them happy and satisfied. Standing on a hill and watching the sunset might satisfy the lovers of nature. Walking through the forest, watching the wild life might be a thrilling experience to some.

             Self-sufficiency is an important characteristic of a happy life. If a person does not have the essential requirements like food, dress and shelter, he can’t be happy. He should have self-sufficiency in these matters. Depending on others for our needs is demeaning especially for an adult. Even birds and animals train their young to be self-sufficient when they grow up.

             Piety is another important characteristic of a happy life. Piety does not mean mere religious piety. Piety also includes the love and- respect for our parents, elders, teachers, brethren, relatives, neighbours and people at large. We saw that piety of Mahatma Gandhi did not limit itself to some rituals and religious worship. His piety went much beyond that. A real pious man will also think of the welfare of his fellow beings. He will not do anything that brings pain and sorrow to others because he feels that all human beings are the children of the same God. “Ishwar”, “Allah” and “God” are synonyms of that Great Power that created us and that nourishes us.

             There are many more characteristics of a happy life, but satisfaction, .self-sufficiency and piety seem to be most important. Once we have all these we definitely will be happy people.