Solution of English Grade IX || Unit 6 Surprising Customs || Custom and Culture || Reading II

Unit 6

Reading II

Surprising Customs

Key points from the text:

- Humans have a tendency to develop customs and traditions around various aspects of life, contributing to the diversity of cultures worldwide.

- In Nicaragua, it is common to point with the lips as a gesture, rather than using the thumb or index finger.

- Tipping culture in the United States is widespread and expected at restaurants, with patrons typically leaving between 10-20 percent of the bill as tips.

- Slurping while eating, particularly noodles, is a common practice in Japan and is considered a way of expressing enjoyment of the food.

- The Yoruba people in Nigeria have unique greeting rituals, with youths kneeling or lying prostrate as a sign of respect and deference when greeting elders.

A. Find the words from the text that match the following meanings.

a. propensity- a natural desire

b. etiquette- the rules of correct or polite behaviour in society

c. bartenders- people who work in a bar, serving drinks

d. contort- to become twisted

B. Write True for true and False for false statements.

a. In Nicaragua, people prefer to point with their thumb.

False

b. Tipping is compulsory at most restaurants in the US.

True

c. Contorting is less noisier than slurping.

True

d. People from the West take noodles by twisting them on a spoon.

True

e. The Bini and the Kalabari are ethnic groups of Nigeria.

True

C. Answer the following questions.

a. What makes a group of people different from others?

Customs and traditions make a group of people different from others.

b. What is the unique tradition of Nicaragua?

The unique tradition of Nicaragua is pointing with the lips instead of using the thumb or index finger to indicate something nearby.

c. What is a positive aspect of tipping culture?

Tipping culture in the US gives an incentive for waiters and waitresses to provide better service.

d. Why do Japanese make slurping sounds while eating noodles?

Japanese make slurping sounds while eating noodles because it's a way of indicating that they are really enjoying the food, and some argue that it enhances the flavor of the noodles.

e. How do Yoruba people greet their elders?

Yoruba people greet their elders by dropping to their knees in greeting. Women kneel, and men typically lie prostrate as a sign of respect and deference.

Grammar II

A. Choose the following sentences in indirect speech from the list to match with the sentences in direct speech in the table below.

i. I asked the woman next to me if the bus to Kathmandu had already left.- d. “Has the bus to Kathmandu already left?” I said to a woman next to me.

ii. I asked the teacher whether the book had been translated into Nepali.- c. I asked the teacher, “Has the book been translated into Nepali?”

iii. Barsa asked her teacher if she should write the story again.- e. “Should I write the story again?” Barsa asked her teacher.

iv. Samir asked Rohan whether he had finished reading his book.- b. Samir asked Rohan, “Have you finished reading my book?”

v. The new pupil asked me if I was a class captain.- a. The new pupil said to me, “Are you a class captain?”

B. Change the following sentences into indirect speech.

a. Rahul said to me, “Did you watch the cricket match on TV last night?”

Rahul asked me if I had watched the cricket match on TV the previous night.

b. “Are you coming home with me?” he said.

He asked if I was coming home with him.

c. “Do you really come from India?” said the prince.

The prince asked if I really came from India.

d. “Have you anything to say?” said the judge finally.

The judge asked finally if I had anything to say.

e. She said to me, “Is he at home?”

She asked me if he was at home.

f. Usha says, “Can you solve the problem?”

Usha asks if I can solve the problem.

g. Badri said to Asmita, “Will you visit me in Australia?”

Badri asked Asmita if she would visit him in Australia.

h. Radhika said to Rebecca, “Did you hear the noise?”

Radhika asked Rebecca if she had heard the noise.

i. He said, “Have you seen my hat?”

He asked if I had seen his hat.

j. He said to me, “Does he come or not?”

He asked me if he came or not.

k. Rohan said to me, “Did you spill the milk on the floor?”

Rohan asked me if I had spilled the milk on the floor.

l. The pilot said to the air hostess, “Have the passengers fastened their seatbelts?”

The pilot asked the air hostess if the passengers had fastened their seatbelts.

Writing II

Write an essay on any one of the unique customs.

Tongue Piercing Festival (Jibro Chhedne Jatra)

Nepal is blessed with a unique diversity of cultural varieties. They have evolved over the centuries. The Tongue Piercing Festival is one of them. This festival is also called Jibro Chhedne Jatra. It is a custom from which an individual gets his tongue pierced.

Tongue Piercing Festival is a rich tradition that fascinates people from across the world. Every year, on the second day of Baishakh the festival is held as a part of Bisket Jatra. This unique festival is celebrated only in the Bhaktapur district. It is celebrated to avoid evil spirits, and associated with the well-being of the people.

According to this custom, only the locals of Bode from the Shrestha family can volunteer to get their tongue pierced. The root of the tradition in this community starts with a spiritual story. The festival is related to the devilish character that live alongside tantric god, Nilbarahi. To pierce the tongue, the needle is wet in mustard oil for the whole night.

To sum up, it is believed that celebration of this unique festival gives spiritual encouragement at the time of piercing. This custom is preserved to maintain the divinity of spiritual expression. The celebration of the festival basically helps to enrich our culture and tradition immensely