Unit:14

Napoleon Bonaparte

Ways with words

A. Choose the correct meaning of the underlined word.

a. Many portraits of Napoleon show him with his right hand placed inside his coat.

i. shape ii. hairstyle iii. sketch iv. movement

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Answer:
sketch

b. Napoleon won one victory after another, defeating the Austrians in eighteen battles.

i. beating ii. joining iii. fighting iv. directing

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Answer:
beating

c. Portrait painters thought this pose made men look more dignified.

i. good-looking ii. young iii. intelligent iv. energetic

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Answer:
good-looking

d. They announced France a republic.

i. officially declared ii. informally decided ii. put into practice iv. voted into law

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Answer:
officially declared

e. Napoleon conquered Austria in 1805.

i. lost ii. tried to control iii. triumphed over iv. attacked

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Answer:
triumphed over

f. There was no place to house his soldiers in the bitter Russian winter.

i. difficult ii. cold iii. dark iv. empty

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Answer:
cold

g. Napoleon was humiliated when he was defeated.

i. tortured ii. punished iii. confused iv. shamed

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Answer:
shamed

B. Guess the meanings to these words from the text and make sentences of your own.

1. violent

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Answer:
causing hurt- She shouts a lot but I don't think she's ever been physically violent towards him.

2. execute

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Answer:
kill somebody as a legal punishment- The prisoners were executed by firing squad.

3. ancient

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Answer:
very old- This philosophy dates back to ancient Greece.

4. alliance

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Answer:
a group of countries, political parties, or people who have agreed to work together because of shared interests or aims- NATO is sometimes called the Atlantic Alliance.

5. brilliant

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Answer:
very intelligent or skillful- His brother is brilliant at football.

6. genius

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Answer:
very great and rare natural ability or skill- Einstein was a mathematical genius.

7. consul

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Answer:
an official appointed by a state and is the representative of his or her country in a foreign city- His mother was a confidential secretary to the Russian Consul.

8. invading

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Answer:
entering a country by force with large numbers of soldiers in order to take conttrol of it- Arthur tried to seize Poitou while Philip Augustus was invading Normandy.

Comprehension

Answer these questions.

a. Where was Napoleon from?

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Answer:
Napoleon was from France.

b. Why did poor and middle-class people declare France a republic?

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Answer:
Poor and middle-class people declared France a republic because they were tired of paying heavy taxes for the luxurious life of the king and his nobles.

c. When did Napoleon declare himself emperor of France?

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Answer:
Napoleon declared himself emperor of France in 1804.

d. What did he do when he ruled France?

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Answer:
He restored law and order after the revolution. He reorganized the French government and the Bank of France. He built many fine roads and improved the old ones. He turned Paris into a beautiful city with wide streets, fine bridges, and beautiful buildings and monuments, such as the Arc de Triomphe. More importantly, he improved the laws.

e. Which countries did he rule when he was the emperor?

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Answer:
When he was the emperor, he ruled Italy, Switzerland, and Germany.

f. What was the main cause of his destruction?

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Answer:
Invasion of Russia was the main cause of his destruction.

g. How did his rule as emperor end in Europe?

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Answer:
His rule as emperor ended in Europe as the Europeans gathered their armies.

h. How could Napoleon have been an even greater ruler?

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Answer:
Napoleon could have been an even greater ruler if he had not been driven by his love of power.

Critical thinking

a. What can be the qualities of a great leader? Can a great leader remain in power for long in a country? Discuss.

The world is full of successful political leaders but unfortunately, very few live up to the leadership ideals. In fact, many political leaders lack the most important leadership qualities. History – and present day – shows that there are still a few who come closer to the leadership ethics, and are good examples of an impressive political leader.

Qualities of a good political leader:

accountability
Honesty
Compassion
Integrity
Flexibility
Confidence

(Please, use the answer only for reference. )

b. The 16th president of the USA, Abraham Lincoln said democracy is government of the people for the people and by the people. Do you think it is perfectly applicable in the present context of Nepal? Explain.

Nepal is still immature in terms of practicing democracy. Though the constitution ensures the idea of collective- decision making which lets all the people participate equally, is not practically applied. In the present context, the political system Abraham Lincoln imagined is not applicable in Nepal as corruption, paralyzed constitutional and governmental institutions, illiteracy and poverty are the major threats to it.

Democratic norms and values depend on the proper function of constitutional organs and governmental institutions. They have been crippled by a certain group of people. The role of bureaucracy is important to run the administration smoothly so that the development strategies could be easily executed. But the corrupt bureaucrats don’t do their jobs without bribe, and they are supported by the political leaders. Nepalese people have never experienced a responsible, accountable government. The government institutions have been the victims of nepotism and favoritism.

Illiteracy and poverty are long standing problems in our country. Recent data reveals that Nepal is improving its literacy rate. However, the remarkable population is illiterate. They are more likely to follow the crowd and get on bandwagon. Due to this incapability, they can be easily influenced by the political leaders. Ultimately, the leaders are able to hold the power and misuse it. On the other hand, people’s hunger presents an opportunity for opportunist parties to exploit poor people’s political freedom. They offer monetary help or promise to uplift the standard of living in exchange for a vote. The election then goes to the hand of such leaders.

Even developed countries are facing the challenges for the application of democratic principles. In the countries like Nepal it has been more difficult for institutionalization of democracy. To strengthen democratic principles, all the constitutional bodies, government institutions and citizens should be responsible.