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Unit 20 Lesson 4
Professions with a difference
Objectives: By the end of the lesson you will have
• talked about some unconventional jobs
• read a passage about an unconventional job
• written a short passage
A Think of some unconventional professions of recent times. Note down as many as you can think of. Compare your list with your partner's. Then discuss how you like the following as professions.
acting in films, TV modelling, advertising, pot-planting, dancing, professional sports, singing, fashion designing, interior decoration
Note down some professions that arc becoming popular and lucrative these days. Check your answer with your partner.
B Read the following passage about a profession with a difference.
When you arc crossing the road and your vehicle gets stuck in a seemingly never-ending jam in Dhaka city, every few minutes a boy or girl comes to you and tries to sell a bunch of roses or rajanigandha saying "Bhaiya (or Apa depending on your gender) ei koita ful niya jan (please buy these flowers)". They do not tire and will pursue you relentlessly, at least as long as the jam lasts. If you are alone they will say that you must take the flowers for their bhabis- meaning your girlfriend or wife. You often get annoyed at their ways and shout at them. It has very little effect and often you are forced to accept their demand and console yourself by thinking that it was after all a good bargain. However, how they manage to sell the flowers at such a cheap price really bewilders you. And they are not very forthcoming with their answers, if you ask them.
These kids arc seen in some particular spots of the city. The Sheraton and the Panthapath roads of Dhaka city are two such places. Invariably, you may find an interesting character or two among them. There is this guy who is something of a sardar among the flower peddlers at Kawran Bazar. He is perhaps the smallest of the bunch but he rules his disciples with an iron hand.
However, whenever I see one of these kids I can't but -- call me an emotional fool if you may - think that it is not their love of flowers that make them do what they arc doing. It is all-consuming poverty which is the reason.
We all know that instead of being in the streets they should be in school. Their means of livelihood is in itself an irony. It is a satire on those of us who shout at the top of their voice for the rights of children. It makes us think of the realities of our society which force these kids to wage an endless struggle against an odds to keep their heads above water.
(Adapted from The Daily Star)
Read the passage again and answer the following questions.
1 Give a title to the passage.
2 What would you call the profession mentioned in the text?
3 What section of society do you think the writer is from"' How do you know? .... Give clues from the passage.
4 What is the writer's attitude to the people he is talking about in the first paragraph? What words and expressions help you to guess?
5 Do you see any change in the writer's attitude towards the end of the passage? What is this change?
C Now discuss how popular the selling of flowers in Bangladesh is. Can people earn a decent livelihood by cultivating flowers?
D Write a short passage of about 10-15 sentences on 'flower cultivation and flower selling as a profession' to be published in your local newspaper suggesting at least one way of improving the current situation.
Focus:
Skills.
Reading, speaking, writing.,
Functions.
Agreeing, disagreeing,
giving reasons.
Grammar/Structure.
I agree I share your views.
Vocabulary.
lucrative, forthcoming, pursue, relentless, invariably,
all-consuming, irony, satire,
heads above water.
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Unit 20 Lesson 4
Professions with a difference
Objectives: By the end of the lesson you will have
• talked about some unconventional jobs
• read a passage about an unconventional job
• written a short passage
A Think of some unconventional professions of recent times. Note down as many as you can think of. Compare your list with your partner's. Then discuss how you like the following as professions.
acting in films, TV modelling, advertising, pot-planting, dancing, professional sports, singing, fashion designing, interior decoration
Note down some professions that arc becoming popular and lucrative these days. Check your answer with your partner.
B Read the following passage about a profession with a difference.
When you arc crossing the road and your vehicle gets stuck in a seemingly never-ending jam in Dhaka city, every few minutes a boy or girl comes to you and tries to sell a bunch of roses or rajanigandha saying "Bhaiya (or Apa depending on your gender) ei koita ful niya jan (please buy these flowers)". They do not tire and will pursue you relentlessly, at least as long as the jam lasts. If you are alone they will say that you must take the flowers for their bhabis- meaning your girlfriend or wife. You often get annoyed at their ways and shout at them. It has very little effect and often you are forced to accept their demand and console yourself by thinking that it was after all a good bargain. However, how they manage to sell the flowers at such a cheap price really bewilders you. And they are not very forthcoming with their answers, if you ask them.
These kids arc seen in some particular spots of the city. The Sheraton and the Panthapath roads of Dhaka city are two such places. Invariably, you may find an interesting character or two among them. There is this guy who is something of a sardar among the flower peddlers at Kawran Bazar. He is perhaps the smallest of the bunch but he rules his disciples with an iron hand.
However, whenever I see one of these kids I can't but -- call me an emotional fool if you may - think that it is not their love of flowers that make them do what they arc doing. It is all-consuming poverty which is the reason.
We all know that instead of being in the streets they should be in school. Their means of livelihood is in itself an irony. It is a satire on those of us who shout at the top of their voice for the rights of children. It makes us think of the realities of our society which force these kids to wage an endless struggle against an odds to keep their heads above water.
(Adapted from The Daily Star)
Read the passage again and answer the following questions.
1 Give a title to the passage.
2 What would you call the profession mentioned in the text?
3 What section of society do you think the writer is from"' How do you know? .... Give clues from the passage.
4 What is the writer's attitude to the people he is talking about in the first paragraph? What words and expressions help you to guess?
5 Do you see any change in the writer's attitude towards the end of the passage? What is this change?
C Now discuss how popular the selling of flowers in Bangladesh is. Can people earn a decent livelihood by cultivating flowers?
D Write a short passage of about 10-15 sentences on 'flower cultivation and flower selling as a profession' to be published in your local newspaper suggesting at least one way of improving the current situation.
Focus:
Skills.
Reading, speaking, writing.,
Functions.
Agreeing, disagreeing,
giving reasons.
Grammar/Structure.
I agree I share your views.
Vocabulary.
lucrative, forthcoming, pursue, relentless, invariably,
all-consuming, irony, satire,
heads above water.