Page 171 - NEW_English_Spring 7

Listening Texts

Lesson 1 A Garden for Grandma Speaker 4: Being an individual allows me to be
My favourite hobby is gardening. And, today I will innovative and put things across my way. It could be
speak about my beautiful garden. I’d like you to look at my way of tying a shoe-lace or arranging books on the
the four pictures and recognise the garden I’m shelf. It’s my own unique way and I love it. I feel that
talking about! this attitude helps make a better world.
I have a big, sprawling garden in my backyard and Speaker 5: It’s magical you know. I was worried
after school I spend most of my time there. I love to that I looked different. But I know now that people
sit on my green swing and read mystery or adventures respect me for being truthful about who I am. I have
stories. There are two shady trees in my garden. A friends who like me because I never try to put a false
pathway from behind one of them leads to the personality across. If I’m different in certain things,
flower beds. that’s what I show. I feel that it doesn’t work well if you
Every year we plant hollyhocks at the back of the pretend.
garden but this year we planted the big, bright
sunflowers. We planted them in the ground as they
tend to wilt quickly when planted in pots. Their cheery Lesson 13 The Mountain Trail
presence lights up the atmosphere. Under one tree we 17-year-old Jebin Kousar from the small town of
have a small pond. We built it ourselves by burying an Mujrahar in Assam, was born without hands and is the
old water tank in the ground. My father managed to daughter of an autorickshaw driver and a homemaker.
get a few yellow and pink lotuses for it. They are in full However, she overcame the odds and not only passed
bloom at this time of the year. her matriculation exam but also scored the first
Last time when Grandma visited us, I made a rockery division along with 11 others from her school.
with her help. We had visited the nursery then and had Her school Principal said that they were all very proud
bought many cactii. There are many different varieties of Jebin and the other students— as their school had
of them but my favourite one is the green one with a seen such excellent results after almost 17 years! They
pink flower at the top. I have planted it at the top of my never let Jebin feel that she was different in any way.
rockery and it looks like a jewel in the crown, sitting Her classmates and teachers have helped her since
at the top. kindergarten and continue to do so even now. A
Last year my grandfather made a bird house for the picture of Jebin writing an exam with her feet firmly
garden. I have hung it over my swing chair. We get holding a pen has been placed on the back cover of all
many visitors during the colder months. student ID cards, reminding them that no obstacle is
too high.
My sister insists that we plant tulips every season but
this year we have planted red geraniums in the pots, Living in the town of Mujrahar, which is approximately
those are my mum’s favourite flowers. 180 km from Guwahati, Jebin is the eldest of six
daughters. Both her parents are over the moon about
their child’s achievement.
Lesson 7 The Beauty of Difference ‘We have raised our daughter with a lot of difficulties,
Speaker 1: Let’s be honest. Everyone has a different but are thrilled and overjoyed with her results,
personality. The good thing is being able to just be who especially because she did this entirely on her own and
you are. That’s what matters. Why should I try and be never took tuitions for any subject,’ says Fateha Begum,
someone else? I need to focus on being me. Jebin’s mother.
Speaker 2: I have experienced that only those people, Jebin now wants to become a school teacher and plans
who respect my difference, connect with me. I don’t to take up the Humanities stream.
have to change. They respect me for being different. If
someone doesn’t appreciate who I am, so be it.
Speaker 3: I feel that when we choose to be an Lesson 14 India’s Forgotten Titanic
individual instead of blindly following others, we also I remember that once the museum at Hyderabad
learn to regard and approve the difference in others. organised a storytelling session. But what was amazing
It’s important, you see. How else will there be tolerance was that they invited the grandmother of one of the
for different things around us? children in our group. She was warm and welcoming
171