ARTICLE 1

English as a National Foreign Language

India has two national languages for central administrative purposes: Hindi and English.
Hindi is the national, official, and main link language of India. English is an associate official
language. The Indian Constitution also officially approves twenty-two regional languages for
official purposes. Dozens of distinctly different regional languages are spoken in India, which
share many characteristics such as grammatical structure and vocabulary. Apart from these
languages, Hindi is used for communication in India. The homeland of Hindi is mainly in the
north of India, but it is spoken and widely understood in all urban centers of India. In the
southern states of India, where people speak many different languages that are not much
related to Hindi, there is more resistance to Hindi, which has allowed English to remain a
lingua franca to a greater degree.

Since the early 1600s, the English language has had a toehold on the Indian subcontinent,
when the East India Company established settlements in Chennai, Kolkata, and Mumbai,
formerly Madras, Calcutta, and Bombay respectively. The historical background of India is
never far away from everyday usage of English. India has had a longer exposure to English
than any other country which uses it as a second language, its distinctive words, idioms,
grammar and rhetoric spreading gradually to affect all places, habits and culture.

In India, English serves two purposes. First, it provides a linguistic tool for the administrative
cohesiveness of the country, causing people who speak different languages to become united.
Secondly, it serves as a language of wider communication, including a large variety of
different people covering a vast area. It overlaps with local languages in certain spheres of
influence and in public domains. Generally, English is used among Indians as a ‘link’
language and it is the first language for many well-educated Indians. It is also the second
language for many who speak more than one language in India. The English language is a tie
that helps bind the many segments of our society together. Also, it is a linguistic bridge
between the major countries of the world and India.

English has special national status in India. It has a special place in the parliament, judiciary,
broadcasting, journalism, and in the education system. One can see a Hindi-speaking teacher
giving their students instructions during an educational tour about where to meet and when
their bus would leave, but all in English. It means that the language permeates daily life. It is
unavoidable and is always expected, especially in the cities.

The importance of the ability to speak or write English has recently increased significantly
because English has become the de facto standard. Learning English language has become
popular for business, commerce and cultural reasons and especially for internet
communications throughout the world. English is a language that has become a standard not
because it has been approved by any ‘standards’ organization but because it is widely used by
many information and technology industries and recognized as being standard. The call
centre phenomenon has stimulated a huge expansion of internet-related activity, establishing
the future of India as a cyber-technological super-power. Modern communications, videos,
journals and newspapers on the internet use English and have made ‘knowing English’
indispensable.

The prevailing view seems to be that unless students learn English, they can only work in
limited jobs. Those who do not have basic knowledge of English cannot obtain good quality
jobs. They cannot communicate efficiently with others, and cannot have the benefit of India’s
rich social and cultural life. Men and women who cannot comprehend and interpret
instructions in English, even if educated, are unemployable. They cannot help with their
children’s school homework everyday or decide their revenue options of the future.

A positive attitude to English as a national language is essential to the integration of people

into Indian society. There would appear to be virtually no disagreement in the community
about the importance of English language skills. Using English you will become a citizen of
the world almost naturally. English plays a dominant role in the media. It has been used as a
medium for inter-state communication and broadcasting both before and since India’s
independence. India is, without a doubt, committed to English as a national language. The
impact of English is not only continuing but increasing.
 ARTICLE 2

Reality Television

Reality television is a genre of television programming which, it is claimed, presents

unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and features ordinary
people rather than professional actors. It could be described as a form of artificial or
"heightened" documentary. Although the genre has existed in some form or another since the
early years of television, the current explosion of popularity dates from around 2000.

Reality television covers a wide range of television programming formats, from game or quiz
shows which resemble the frantic, often demeaning programmes produced in Japan in the
1980s and 1990s (a modern example is Gaki no tsukai), to surveillance- or voyeurism-
focused productions such as Big Brother.

Critics say that the term "reality television" is somewhat of a misnomer and that such shows
frequently portray a modified and highly influenced form of reality, with participants put in
exotic locations or abnormal situations, sometimes coached to act in certain ways by off-
screen handlers, and with events on screen manipulated through editing and other post-
production techniques.

Part of reality television's appeal is due to its ability to place ordinary people in extraordinary
situations. For example, on the ABC show, The Bachelor, an eligible male dates a dozen
women simultaneously, travelling on extraordinary dates to scenic locales. Reality television
also has the potential to turn its participants into national celebrities, outwardly in talent and
performance programs such as Pop Idol, though frequently Survivor and Big Brother
participants also reach some degree of celebrity.

Some commentators have said that the name "reality television" is an inaccurate description
for several styles of program included in the genre. In competition-based programs such as
Big Brother and Survivor, and other special-living-environment shows like The Real World,
the producers design the format of the show and control the day-to-day activities and the
environment, creating a completely fabricated world in which the competition plays out.
Producers specifically select the participants, and use carefully designed scenarios,
challenges, events, and settings to encourage particular behaviours and conflicts. Mark
Burnett, creator of Survivor and other reality shows, has agreed with this assessment, and
avoids the word "reality" to describe his shows; he has said, "I tell good stories. It really is
not reality TV. It really is unscripted drama."
 ARTICLE 3

The Great Wall of China

Walls and wall building have played a very important role in Chinese culture. These
people, from the dim mists of prehistory have been wall-conscious; from the
Neolithic period – when ramparts of pounded earth were used - to the Communist
Revolution, walls were an essential part of any village. Not only towns and villages;
the houses and the temples within them were somehow walled, and the houses also
had no windows overlooking the street, thus giving the feeling of wandering around
a huge maze. The name for “city” in Chinese (ch’eng) means wall, and over these
walled cities, villages, houses and temples presides the god of walls and mounts,
whose duties were, and still are, to protect and be responsible for the welfare of the
inhabitants. Thus a great and extremely laborious task such as constructing a wall,
which was supposed to run throughout the country, must not have seemed such an
absurdity.

However, it is indeed a common mistake to perceive the Great Wall as a single

architectural structure, and it would also be erroneous to assume that it was built
during a single dynasty. For the building of the wall spanned the various dynasties,
and each of these dynasties somehow contributed to the refurbishing and the
construction of a wall, whose foundations had been laid many centuries ago. It was
during the fourth and third century B.C. that each warring state started building walls
to protect their kingdoms, both against one another and against the northern
nomads. Especially three of these states: the Ch’in, the Chao and the Yen,
corresponding respectively to the modern provinces of Shensi, Shanzi and Hopei,
over and above building walls that surrounded their kingdoms, also laid the
foundations on which Ch’in Shih Huang Di would build his first continuous Great
Wall.

The role that the Great Wall played in the growth of Chinese economy was an
important one. Throughout the centuries many settlements were established along
the new border. The garrison troops were instructed to reclaim wasteland and to
plant crops on it, roads and canals were built, to mention just a few of the works
carried out. All these undertakings greatly helped to increase the country’s trade and
cultural exchanges with many remote areas and also with the southern, central and
western parts of Asia – the formation of the Silk Route. Builders, garrisons, artisans,
farmers and peasants left behind a trail of objects, including inscribed tablets,
household articles, and written work, which have become extremely valuable
archaeological evidence to the study of defence institutions of the Great Wall and
the everyday life of these people who lived and died along the wall.
 ARTICLE 4

The hardest language

People often ask which is the most difficult language to learn, and it is not easy to answer
because there are many factors to take into consideration. Firstly, in a first language the
differences are unimportant as people learn their mother tongue naturally, so the question of
how hard a language is to learn is only relevant when learning a second language.
A native speaker of Spanish, for example, will find Portuguese much easier to learn than a
native speaker of Chinese, for example, because Portuguese is very similar to Spanish, while
Chinese is very different, so first language can affect learning a second language. The greater
the differences between the second language and our first, the harder it will be for most
people to learn. Many people answer that Chinese is the hardest language to learn, possibly
influenced by the thought of learning the Chinese writing system, and the pronunciation of
Chinese does appear to be very difficult for many foreign learners. However, for Japanese
speakers, who already use Chinese characters in their own language, learning writing will be
less difficult than for speakers of languages using the Roman alphabet.
Some people seem to learn languages readily, while others find it very difficult. Teachers and
the circumstances in which the language is learned also play an important role, as well as
each learner's motivation for learning. If people learn a language because they need to use it
professionally, they often learn it faster than people studying a language that has no direct use
in their day to day life.
Apparently, British diplomats and other embassy staff have found that the second hardest
language is Japanese, which will probably come as no surprise to many, but the language that
they have found to be the most problematic is Hungarian, which has 35 cases (forms of a
nouns according to whether it is subject, object, genitive, etc). This does not mean that
Hungarian is the hardest language to learn for everyone, but it causes British diplomatic
personnel, who are generally used to learning languages, the most difficulty. However,
Tabassaran, a Caucasian language has 48 cases, so it might cause more difficulty if British
diplomats had to learn it.
Different cultures and individuals from those cultures will find different languages more
difficult. In the case of Hungarian for British learners, it is not a question of the writing
system, which uses a similar alphabet, but the grammatical complexity, though native
speakers of related languages may find it easier, while struggling with languages that the
British find relatively easy.
No language is easy to learn well, though languages which are related to our first language
are easier. Learning a completely different writing system is a huge challenge, but that does
not necessarily make a language more difficult than another. In the end, it is impossible to say
that there is one language that is the most difficult language in the world.
 ARTICLE 5

Ecotourism
Nowadays, many of us try to live in a way that will damage the environment as little as
possible. And we want to take these attitudes on holiday with us. Ecotourism is becoming
more popular.
Imagine the scene. You're sitting in the hot sunshine beside the swimming pool of your
international luxury hotel, drinking your imported gin and tonic. In front of you is the beach,
reserved for hotel guests, with motor boats for hire. Behind you is an 18-hole golf course,
which was cleared from the native forest and is kept green by hundreds of water sprinklers.
Around the hotel are familiar international restaurant chains and the same shops that you have
at home. You've seen some local people – some of them sell local handicrafts outside the
hotel. You bought a small wooden statue and after arguing for half an hour you only paid a
quarter of what the man was asking. Really cheap!
Is this your idea of heaven or would you prefer something different?
Nowadays, many of us try to live in a way that will damage the environment as little as
possible. We recycle our newspapers and bottles, we take public transport to get to work, we
try to buy locally produced fruit and vegetables and we stopped using aerosol sprays years
ago. And we want to take these attitudes on holiday with us. This is why alternative forms of
tourism are becoming more popular all over the world.
But what is ecotourism?
There are lots of new forms of tourism: responsible tourism, alternative tourism, sustainable
tourism, nature tourism, adventure tourism, educational tourism and more. Ecotourism
probably involves a little of all of them. Everyone has a different definition, but most people
agree that ecotourism must:
1. conserve the wildlife and culture of the area
2. benefit the local people and involve the local community
3. be sustainable, that is, make a profit without destroying natural resources
4. provide an experience that tourists want to pay for.
So, for example, in a true ecotourism project, a nature reserve allows a small number of
tourists to visit its rare animals and uses the money that is generated to continue with
important conservation work. The local people have jobs in the nature reserve as guides and
wardens, but also have a voice in how the project develops. Tourists stay in local houses with
local people, not in specially built hotels. This way they experience the local culture and do
not take precious energy and water away from the local population. They travel on foot, by
boat, bicycle or elephant so that there is no pollution. And they have a special experience that
they will remember for the rest of their lives.
This type of tourism can only involve small numbers of people, so it can be expensive. But
you can apply the principles of ecotourism wherever you go for your holiday. Just remember
these basic rules:
 Be prepared. Learn about the place that you're going to visit. Find out about its culture
and history. Learn a little of the native language, at least basics like 'please', 'thank
you', and 'Good morning'. Think of your holiday as an opportunity to learn something.
 Have respect for the local culture. Wear clothes that will not offend people. Always
ask permission before you take a photograph. Remember that you are a visitor.
 Don't waste resources. If the area doesn't have much water, don't take two showers
every day.
 Remember the phrase 'Leave nothing behind except your footprints and take nothing
away except photographs.' Take as much care of the places that you visit as you take
of your own home. Don't buy souvenirs made from endangered animals or plants.
 Walk or use other non-polluting forms of transport whenever you can.
 Be flexible and keep a sense of humour when things go wrong.
 Stay in local hotels and eat in local restaurants.
 Buy local products whenever possible and pay a fair price for what you buy.
Choose your holiday carefully. Don't be afraid to ask the holiday company about what they
do that is 'eco'. Remember that 'eco' is very fashionable today and a lot of holidays that are
advertised as ecotourism are not much better than traditional tourism.
But before you get too enthusiastic, think about how you are going to get to your dream 'eco'
paradise. Flying is one of the biggest man-made sources of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Friends of the Earth says that one return flight from London to Miami puts as much carbon
dioxide into the atmosphere as the average British car driver produces in a year. So don't
forget that you don't have to fly to exotic locations for your 'eco' holiday. There are probably
places of natural beauty and interest in your own country that you've never visited.
 ARTICLE 6

Acupuncture
The person who takes medicine must recover twice, once from the disease and once from the
medicine. If all the medicine in the world were thrown into the sea, it would be bad for the
fish and good for humanity. OW Holmes, Professor of Medicine, Harvard University.
Alternative medicine has become much more popular in the West in recent years. It seems
that people are becoming increasingly worried about the side effects of drugs, and are turning
to treatments such as homeopathy, osteopathy, yoga, reflexology and acupuncture to
complement, or sometimes even replace, Western medicine.
An event in my life three or four years ago made me examine my own attitudes towards
alternative medicine. After suffering from insomnia for a few months, I was feeling mentally
and physically exhausted. A trip to my GP, and attempts at self-medication with nightly doses
of Guinness and whisky, failed to bring any relief from my condition. My friend Tony, who
was studying acupuncture at a college near London at the time, suggested that I visit an
acupuncturist. Since I have a healthy fear of needles from waiting in line for vaccinations in
gloomy school corridors, I was reluctant to take his advice, but by this time I was so tired that
I was prepared to try almost anything.
I made an appointment with the only acupuncturist in my area, and after another nearly
sleepless night turned up at his room in the local alternative health centre the following
morning. After taking my pulse, looking at my tongue and asking a few questions about my
diet and lifestyle, the acupuncturist correctly deduced that I was worn out. (I found this
extremely impressive since he hadn’t asked me why I had come to see him.) He then inserted
a needle in my right foot between my first and second toe and, despite my anxiety, I fell
asleep immediately. At the time I considered the whole experience to be close to a miracle.
What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture is based on the idea that energy flows through the human body along 12 lines or
meridians. These meridians end up at organs in the body, and illness is the result of a
blockage of the energy flow to these organs. To remove the blockage, an acupuncturist inserts
very fine needles into the body at points along the meridians. This stimulates the flow of
energy and restores the patient’s health.
What is the history of acupuncture?
Traditional Chinese medicine has been practised for around 3,000 years in the Far East, but is
relatively recent in the West, and acupuncture only really became well known in the West in
the 1970s as people began to travel more frequently between the two areas of the world.
A significant event in the history of acupuncture came in 1971, when a journalist from the
New York Times had his appendix removed in China, when on a trip to the country with
Henry Kissinger, the Secretary of State for the USA. Surgeons used acupuncture to deaden
the pain of the operation, which greatly impressed Kissinger.
Although at first doctors in the West were often sceptical of the medical value of
acupuncture, in the last few years it has become more established as an alternative to Western
medical treatments, since clinical tests have shown that acupuncture is effective for a number
of conditions
What can acupuncture be used to treat?
In the Far East acupuncture is used to treat a wide range of complaints, and is also used as a
preventative medicine, since it is thought to increase the body’s resistance to infection. In the
West, the treatment is often used to relieve headaches, dental pain, back pain and arthritis,
and to treat depression, asthma, stress, high blood pressure and anxiety.
Who uses acupuncture?
Since acupuncture is known to be effective against pain, it is not surprising that many
sportspeople have experimented with acupuncture when fighting injury. Martina Hingis, the
famous tennis player, had a wrist injury cured through treatment, and English Premier
Division football club Bolton Wanderers employs an acupuncturist to keep its squad in good
physical condition. While in Korea for the World Cup in 2002, soojichim, a Korean form of
acupuncture, was very popular with the German football team.
Cherie Blair, a well-known human rights lawyer and the wife of the British Prime Minister,
was recently spotted wearing an acupuncture needle in her ear, suggesting that she uses the
treatment to cope with stress. The Queen of the United Kingdom is also interested in
acupuncture, although she doesn’t use the treatment herself – she and many of her family rely
on another alternative medical treatment, homeopathy, to keep them healthy.
What are the risks?
Finally, if you do decide to visit an acupuncturist, it is important that you check that they are
qualified and registered to practise acupuncture. In the past, some people have experienced
allergic reactions, broken needles and even punctured lungs while being treated, although this
is very uncommon.
 ARTICLE 7

Rainforests rule!

A world like no other – perhaps this is the best way to describe the world of the rainforest. No
rainforest is exactly the same, yet most rainforests are now distributed in the small land area
22.5 degrees north and 22.5 degrees south of the equator, between the Tropic of Capricorn
and the Tropic of Cancer. You can find tropical rainforests in South America and Indonesia.
Other rainforests flourish further from the equator, in Thailand and Sri Lanka.
Despite occupying a relatively small area, rainforests have a colossal role to play in
maintaining the world as we know it. Tropical rainforests are home to a rich, colourful
variety of medicinal plants, food, birds and animals. Can you believe that a single bush in the
Amazon may have more species of ants than the whole of Britain? Four hundred and
eighty varieties of trees may be found in just one hectare of rainforest. These forests sustain
around 50 per cent of all the species on earth and offer a way of life to many people living in
and around the forest.
Rainforests are the lungs of the planet, storing vast quantities of carbon dioxide and
producing a significant amount of the world’s oxygen. Rainforests have their own perfect
system for ensuring their own survival: the tall trees make a canopy of branches and leaves
which protect themselves, smaller plants and the forest animals from heavy rain, intense dry
heat from the sun and strong winds.
Amazingly, the trees grow in such a way that their leaves and branches, although close
together, never actually touch those of another tree. Scientists think this is a deliberate tactic
to prevent the spread of any tree diseases and make life more difficult for leaf-eating insects
like caterpillars. To survive in the forest, animals must climb, jump, fly or glide across the
gaps. The ground floor of the forest is not all tangled leaves and bushes, like in films, but is
actually fairly clear. It is where leaves decompose into food for the trees and other forest life.
They are not called rainforests for nothing! Rainforests can generate 75 per cent of their own
rain. At least 80 inches of rain a year is normal and in some areas there may be as much as
430 inches of rain annually. This is real rain – your umbrella may protect you in a shower,
but it won’t keep you dry if there is a full rainstorm. In just two hours, streams can rise ten to
twenty feet. The humidity of large rainforests contributes to the formation of rainclouds that
may travel to other countries in need of rain.
Worryingly, rainforests around the world are disappearing at an alarming rate, thanks to
deforestation, river pollution and soil erosion as land is being claimed for agriculture and
trees are felled for wood. A few thousand years ago, tropical rainforests covered as much as
12 per cent of the land surface on earth, but today this has fallen to less than 5.3 per cent.
We can only hope that the world governments work together with environmentalists and
businesses to use their environmental knowledge and power to preserve the rainforests – awe-
inspiring, beautiful and vital for our existence.