About Affluenza - What is Affluenza

What is Affluenza?

At present there are many terms which are beyond the understanding of common man. Such one term is affluenza which means a psychological illness supposedly affecting rich young men. In other words, it is a general feeling of discomfort, illness, or unease whose exact cause is difficult to identify. Its symptoms may be a lack of motivation, feelings of guilt, and a sense of isolation. It is a term usually used by critics of consumerism which means the protection or promotion of the interests of consumers.

The following information may help you better understand it:
i. It is considered to have been used for the first time in 1954 but it gained legs as a concept with a PBS documentary of the same name and the subsequent book, Affluenza:
The All-Consuming Epidemic (2001).
ii. These works define affluenza as "a painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety, and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more."
iii. The term "affluenza" has also been used to refer to an inability to understand the consequences of one's actions because of financial privilege, notably in the case of Ethan Couch.
iv. The term was used by a psychologist testifying for the defense during the sentencing phase of Couch's trial in juvenile court.
v. The expert argued that Couch's wealthy parents had coddled and pampered their son into a sense of irresponsibility which is a condition the expert termed "affluenza" to the point that Couch never developed a sense of right and wrong, or suffered any repercussions for bad behavior.
vi. The experts argue that affluenza causes overconsumption, "luxury fever," consumer debt, overwork, waste, and harm to the environment.
vii. The American Psychiatric Association does not recognized affluenza as a medical diagnosis malaise , and its invocation during Couch's trial attracted backlash from some medical experts and families of the four people killed in the crash. 
viii. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published by the association, is widely used by mental health professionals and makes no mention of affluenza. Dr. Jeffrey Metzner, a forensic psychiatrist and clinical professor at the University of Colorado at Denver, said there are some similarities to the clinical diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder. A person with that disorder feels entitled and doesn't care about other people's needs, he said. But he noted that U.S. law doesn't recognize narcissism as a legitimate defense.

Video Link Giving Information About Affluenza
Video Link 1

Essay on "Child Labour"

Child Labour in Third World Countries

Since time immemorial every living being is making struggle for its survival in one form or the other. It is commonly observed that most of human beings are in strict need of not only his own survival in this world but also he needs the survival of other members of his family. William Wordsworth is of the view that child is father of man. Children are really are future adults of the world. They will have to lead the world and give give direction to the new generation in the light of their previous experience. So how should we behave with them and how should we guide them. We need to realize what are doing for them and what we are giving them. Do we really take care of them by providing the basic necessities of life such as education and health care? We generally observe different the government NGOs and other organizations which are busy in saving the children from the problem of child labour. 

But , alas! Poverty is the enemy of all the future hopes of man. It is the main cause of this hindering children to become the best part of nation. Mostly the poverty stricken parents are compelled to push their young kids into practical life at very the early age of their life. These poor children are confronted with a life of troubles and deprivation of joys of early life.

In third world countries, this is the common phenomenon that children can be seen doing hard work everywhere - in each city, town or village. Like adults, they work in different capacities. Such as they work in hotels, shops, tea-stalls, as labourers, domestic servants, sweeping floors in small industrial workshops, office boys, conductors of public transport and staff assistants. We see them cleaning cars parked on roads, polishing shoes, selling goods and many other such odd jobs. There are million of families in these countries living in bondage in various sectors. The main sectors in which the children are made to work are the agriculture sector, the brick kiln industry, carpet weaving and domestic service. These children earn money for their families - they are like adult bread earners. As a result of this they are deprived of the joy of childhood. They cannot have opportunity of going to schools and get education. 

Their burdensome responsibilities and continuous overwork they fall a victim to various diseases. Having no proper income most of them suffer from malnutrition due to which they seem to be physically weak and unhealthy. Their dresses are not proper and they seem to be born misfit in their social environment.

Now what is needed is that the government and non-government organizations (NGO’s) should take some drastic measures to deal with this unwanted social problem of child labour. Especially the rich people should come forward to help in eliminating this problem. The Zakat is compulsory on these people who have the money and they hold it for one year, they are asked to pay 2.5% of their money to the underserved and deprived people. The governments should create a welfare fund especially and exclusively for the betterment and welfare of the future generation. It should declare that child labour below fifteen years of age is a criminal offence. Non-government organizations must support people’s struggle for justice and emancipation. They should supplement government’s efforts for the welfare of children. They should work to influence and encourage rich people to donate funds for building hospitals clinics, and purchase of medicines for children. Child Labour is a great evil for a nation. We must work to get rid of it at all costs. Media should play its role in uprooting this menace of mankind.

Note:
Google's definition of child labour is:
Child labour refers to the employment of children in any work that deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful. This practice is considered exploitative by many international organisations.

Play No. 3 - The Oyster and The Pearl

The Oyster and The Pearl

Q1. Do you think that it is right to allow Clay to believe that there is a pearl in the oyster? Elaborate. 

Ans. Clay wants 300 dollars to get his father back home and desires to buy some present f or his mother. He wishes to see family united and regain the lost happiness, as his father left them f or unknown place, owing to everyday disputes. Clay plans to search f or his father but he lacks money f or this purpose. He has associated all of his hopes with the oyster and the pearl. The oyster, however, symbolizes the obstacles and the pearl is hope. Moreover, when he comes by an oyster on the sea shore he becomes happy and optimistic. He is confident to find pearl in the oyster, even there was none. Everyone except Harry tells him that there is nothing inside of the oyster. Harry agrees with Clay only because he wants to make him happy. The writer understands the circumstances, pays 300 dollars to Clay to help him and saves him from being disappointed and disillusioned. However, it is wise decision on the part of the Harry Van Dusen and the writer not to disappoint the innocent boys, who is living in the world of harmless dreams through self-sacrifice. 

Q2. Why does the writer willing to buy the pearl? What does he mean by saying: As far as I am concerned the whole thing is a pearl? 

Ans. During the discussion regarding, the oyster and the pearl, the writer was present in Harry’s shop f or hair cut. Like other people of the town, he knew that there was no pearl in the oyster and that one out thousand carried the pearl, it was few and far between. Though he was certain that he would not be getting anything from the worthless /ordinary oyster, yet he bought it f or 300 dollars to help the poor Clay indirectly. Moreover, he did not want to shatter the innocent boy’s dreams and hopes of bringing in happiness. 

Q3.What was Harry’s philosophy? What is your opinion about it? 

Ans. Life is a pendulum between smiles and tears. To love and to be loved is the greatest existence of human life. Cheerful life is always based on self-sacrifice, humanity, patience, tolerance and fraternity. Harry’s philosophy is to take it easy and relax; consequently, the life will be happy and e serene. He tries to propagate his philosophy by talking to people, when he is cutting hair. It is almost as if the haircuts were just a way of getting people in his shop to talk. The name of the town is O.K.-by-the-sea, which symbolizes that life isn’t perfect but by taking it easy, it can be more fun. He knows that the people are living a very miserable and hectic life without any sympathy or helping hand. All the town people are preoccupied by the cares of chaotic life. There is no way out for them, they can neither laugh nor weep. However, Harry’s philosophy makes them hopeful and happy. He tries to free the town people from their worries, particularly in the case of Clay, who wants money to get his father back home and to buy gifts f or his mother. 

Q4. In your opinion, why is writer willing to buy the pearl? What has received in return? What does he mean by saying, “As far as I’m concerned, the whole thing’s a pear” ? 

Ans: The writer wants to help Clay and his family. Having come to know the bitter realities about this family, he decides to buy the oyster. He pays three hundred dollars and gets the oyster. He thinks it more valuable to help the poor family than to have costly pearl. Having helped the poor family, he feels an inward peace and pleasure. Therefore, giving no importance to the worldly gain, he says, As far as I’m concerned, the whole thing is a pearl.”

Lesson No. 10 - A Mild Attack of Locusts

A Mild Attack of Locusts

Q1. How did the farmers try to prevent the main swarm of the locusts from lading on their fields? 
Ans. The farmers were used to such calamities and knew how to handle them. They took every possible preventative or safety measures to prevent the main swarm of the locusts from lading on their fields; especially they prepared piles of wood and grass and set it on fire. When the smoke started rising from the myriads of fire, they constantly added wet leaves to make it more acrid (acidic) and black because the locusts were allergic to smoke. This preventive kept the locusts from the field for a longer time. Moreover, they also made rattling sound with the help of tins and other metallic things to stop them from settling.

 Q2. Why even after all the crops were destroyed, did the men continue to fight the swarm? 
Ans. Although the locusts devastated the green fields and crops, yet the villagers kept on fighting because they knew that the attack of locusts might turn out like a bad weather. Once the swarm of locusts settled on their lands/fields, they would start breeding and they might go on for the next two to three years. The farmers also knew that the locusts would definitely eat up all the new crops too, so they kept on fighting desperately to avert this calamity.

Q3. What was the condition of the land when the locusts had moved to the south? 
Ans. After the attack of locusts, the land gave the view of wilderness, as all the greenery especially the crops were eaten up by the locusts, leaving behind only the patches of barren land. Everything was to be replanted and the fields seemed to be in ruins. All the trees, buildings, bushes and earth were completely covered was gone under the moving brown masses. The villagers were expecting rain, which might spring some new grass, because the cattle would die otherwise. For Margaret, it was a great calamity and she felt like a survivor after war.

Q4. What are the measures the farmers should have taken to save their crops? 
Ans. Disaster or calamities are mostly remembered for the number of people that they have killed, the property consumed by their ferocity, and the social and psychological trauma (shock) that they leave in their wake. Calamities as these effects are, disaster also bring out all the stupidities, mistakes, wrong decisions, , frailties and the ultimate incapability of human beings in conquering- or even defending against- the forces of nature beside the best that human nature has to offer. Moreover, calamities always come as an unpleasant surprise, for which no nation is pre-planned or ready to face. In this story, the attack of locusts is also like an unpredictable calamity, which can neither be predicted and nor easily averted. Although the farmers were used to this kind of attacks and the knew the precautions as well, yet they could not avert it. If it had been possible for them to avert them, they would have taken all the measures, however, the should have taken the following measures:a. They should have sprayed the insecticides in time. b. They would have known the symptoms of such attacks must have some precautions before hand. c. They must have got help form Agricultural Department to control this kind of attack. d. They should have used bio- pesticides like fungus, which spread disease among the locusts and result in their ultimate death.

 Q5. Write a note on the character of Margaret. 
Ans. Margaret is a young girl, belonging to the village being attacked by the locusts. It was her first experience of life to be under attack of locusts and she was greatly shocked. She could not understand what to do and she felt herself like a saviour from a war. But at the same time she could not understand the happiness of the farmers after the disappearance of the locusts from that area.

Lesson No. 8 - The Gulistan of Saadi

The Gulistan of Saadi 

By Sheikh Saadi 

Q1. What do you know about Sheikh Saadi? 
Ans. Abū Muslih-ud-Din bin Abdullah Shīrāzī (died 691 AH), better known by his penname as Sheikh Saadī Shirazi , was one of the major Persian poets of the medieval period. He is recognized not only for the quality of his writing, but also for the depth of his social thoughts. His best known works are Bostan ("The Orchard") completed in 1257 and Gulistan ("The Rose Garden") in 1258, which are a description of Saadi's travels and analysis of human psychology and wisdom.

Q2. How did Nushirvan advise to his people? 
Ans. Nushirvan-the great Persian King, who was known for his justice and kindness, warned his subject/people against destruction by cruelty and injustice. He advised them, “A tyrant does not remain in the world; but the curse on him abides for ever”, mean an unjust and cruel is cursed forever and there are no sound existence of such a king. On another occasion Sheikh Saadi remarked about an unjust king in the following words:“A tyrant cannot be a Sultan, As a wolf can’t be a shepherd, A king who establishes oppression, Destroys the basis of the wall of his own reign”.

 Q3. What remedy was suggested by the physician for the disease of the king? 
 Ans. The physician prescribed the king that his disease could only be cured with the bile of a person having certain qualities. His servants searched for such person and at last a farmer’s son was found to have the required qualities. The king also got the consent of the boy’s parents by presenting them handsome sum.

 Q4. Why did the boy look towards the sky and smile? 
Ans. The boy looked towards the sky to seek justice from Almighty Allah against the brutality of the king and smiled at the foolishness and lust of his parents for the trash of the world that for a little sum they forgot the parents-son relationship. The boy also said that if the king failed to get agreement of his parents, they would seek justice from Qazi. On the contrary, the parents agreed for his bloodshed and the Qazi who was to do justice also passed the decree for his assassination. 

Q5. What should be the role of Qazi? 
Ans. A Qazi should be a paragon of justice having considerable knowledge and understanding of social and moral laws. He should be impartial and not to be influenced by the Rulers and Kings of any state. His decision should be on merit regardless of social status and position. Q6. Why did the king weep? Ans. The king when listened to the words of helpless boy. He considered himself to be cruel and unjust, who is going to kill an innocent boy for his health. He also though about his foolishness that he was dependent upon the worldly provisions while the little boy was seeking justice from Allah. With these feeling, he started weeping and released the boy with wealth and affection.

A Letter To The Editor About The Rubbish and Garbage Dump in Your Town

Dear Editor:

Through your esteemed newspaper I want draw the attention of the authority concerned towards the insanitary conditions in our town. There is a lot of garbage dump in our streets, on footpaths and every inch of space seems to be full of garbage and dirt. The garbage is strewn on the road by stray cattle and dogs. The rag-pickers also go through the garbage and leave it spread out on the road. The whole area stinks so much that it is impossible to stand outside one's house. These day the garbage is collected is worse as the smell pervades inside the houses and food and water too.

Please impress upon the authorities to shift the dump to outside the town. There are many other dumps in our locality but none are being used for collecting garbage. This seems to be the only one being used.

The situation is worse on Thursdays after the weekly bazaar on Wednesday evening on the same road.

The residents are forced to live in such unhygienic conditions. I have written several times to sanitation authority but to no avail.

It is my request to convey this massage to the concern authorities I will be very thankful to your newspaper for this assistance.

Regards,

XYZ

Class 6

How to Learn Fractions - Mathematics

This video is all about fraction. Fraction is actually the most confusing thing for the students of young students. 

What are fractions? 

When a whole is divided into equal pieces, if fewer equal pieces are needed to make up the whole, then each piece must be larger. When two positive fractions have the same numerator, they represent the same number of parts, but in the fraction with the smaller denominator, the parts are larger. 

Video 1 - Learn fraction in this video taught in an easy way

Video 2 - About Equivalent Fraction 

Video 3 Numerators and Denominators

What Are Fractions?

We must know a little about fraction and its parts. First, a fraction is made up of two integers—one on the top, and one on the bottom.

The top one is called the numerator, the bottom one is called the denominator, and these two numbers are separated by a line. The line can be horizontal or slanted—they both mean the same thing and simply serve to separate the numerator from the denominator.

If we want to know about the origin of the word we find that the word “denominator” is derived from the Latin word “nomen,” which means “name” (and also shows up in words like “nominate” and “nomenclature”). And that’s pretty much what the denominator of a fraction does: it “names,” or indicates, the type of fraction that is described by the numerator (the top part). Here’s what I mean. The denominator of a fraction tells you how many parts a whole is broken into. It can be a whole pineapple, a whole song, or a whole anything. If the denominator of a fraction is, say, 4, then that indicates that the whole whatever is broken up into 4 equally-sized pieces.

Video 3 - About Fraction

Denominator: Fractions with the same denominator are called like fractions. If we compare like fractions, we find in like fractions that the fraction with the greater numerator is greater. Two fractions are unlike fractions if they have different denominators. Comparing unlike fractions: If two fractions with the same numerator but different denominators are to be compared, then the fraction with the smaller denominator is the greater of the two.

Lesson No. 13 - God Be Praised

God Be Praised 
Questions and Answers

Q. Describe briefly Maulvi Abul's life and dress before marriage.

Ans. Before he was married, Maulvi Abul Barakat led a very comfortable life. He used to wear a light brown turban which is known as Mshadi Lungi. The gold painted tip of his turban shone brightly. He carried a colourful shining walking stick in his hands. He would put some sweet smelling oil in his hair. 

Q. What rings did Maulvi Abul wear on his fingers and what did he do to them during the day?

Ans. Maulvi Abul was very much fond of wearing rings on his fingers. His rings were silver with turquoise stones embedded in them. He took these rings off his fingers five times a day before ablution. He always put these rings on the fingers of his right hand. 

Q. What did Maulvi did every Eid after his sermon? What did he ask the worshippers afterwards?

Ans. After every Eid sermon, Maulvi Abul would distribute 40 to 50 rupees among the needy and the poor out of 150 to 200 rupees collected in a bag. He asked the worshippers afterwards not pray for him. He asked them to pray to God and thank Him for His blessings. He said that he had everything he desired and did not need anything more.

Q. What complaint did Maulvi Abul make shoemaker about the price of the shoes and what reply did he receive?

Ans. Maulvi Abul complained to the shoemaker that earlier he had bought the shoes for Mehrunnisa for one rupee, and now the shoe maker was asking six rupees for those of another daughter. The shoemaker replied that the price of leather had gone very high. He could easily have charged ten rupees from someone else for the same shoes. 

Q. Why did Maulvi Abul weep in his talk with his wife about Umda's shoes? What, in your opinion, was his economic condition?

Ans. Maulvi Abul could have begged God Almighty to provide him Umda's shoes. At night, his wife lifted the quilt and showed Umda's bare feet. Seeing those dainty feet, he burst into tears like a child.He was really poor in all his kindness, honesty and goodness.

Q. How did Maulvi feel or react when Chaudhry Fatehdad criticized him for making mistakes while leading the prayers? Explain with reason if you agree with his angry reply.

Ans. Maulvi Abul shouted back at Chaudhry Fateh Dad and replied that it was because of his daughters and their responsibilities that he had repeated a chapter of the Holy Quran twice. In my opinion, Maulvi Abul was correct because he was worried about the marriage of his daughter, and so he committed mistakes in the prayers that he led.

FG Board, FBISE, English Notes, HSSC English Notes, First Year Book 1

MCQs - Science Factor Class 3 - Unit 7, Unit 8 and Unit 9

Unit 7: Water
MCQs - Class 3 Taken from Science Factor Primary Classes

Fill in the following blanks:

i. ___________ is when the water is heated and is turned from a liquid into gas.
ii. _____________ is when cold air cools the gas and it changes into a liquid.
iii. ____________ are made up of tiny water droplets.
iv. There are _________ stages in the water cycle.
v. __________ are lighter than the air.
vi. __________ is when the rain that has fallen to the earth runs downhill and back into a lake or the ocean.
vii. Most of the human body is made up of _____________.
viii. ___________ only exists on earth because water remains liquid.
ix. All living things have a large amount of _____________ in them.
x. The water in your glass is millions and millions of __________ old.

Unit 8: Force, Work and Energy 
MCQs - Class 3 Taken from Science Factor Primary Classes

Fill in the following blanks.

i. ___________ is a push or pull.
ii. Motion is a ______________.
iii. _________ makes things speed up or slow down.
iv. The stronger the force, the faster the __________.
v. Some __________ and machines make it easier to cut through objects.
vi. ____________ energy is energy stored in chemicals.
vii. The energy is released when there is a _____________ in the chemicals.
viii. A match has a lot of ___________ energy.
ix. ____________ energy is when electricity creates motion, light or heat.
x. _______________ energy is motion caused by gravity.
xi. ___________ is a force which tries to pull two objects towards each other.
xii. Water released from a height creates __________ when it falls.
xiii. Heat energy is also known as __________ energy.
xiv. When I am running, I am using _____________ energy.

Unit 9: Heat and Light 
MCQs - Class 3 Taken from Science Factor Primary Classes

Fill in the blanks in the following sentences:
i. When I am still I have _____________ energy.
ii. When I stand up, I convert this energy into ___________ energy.
iii. ___________ energy is energy that is stored and is not being used.
iv. Petrol in a car has ____________ energy when the car is turned off.
v. __________ energy is energy that has been released.
vi. Heat is a form of ___________.
vii. Energy is produced when _____________ start moving.
viii. The instrument for measuring temperature is called _________________.
ix. When something gets in the way, ___________ is blocked.
x. Light travels in straight lines is called _________.
xi. ____________ objects are those that give out light of their own.
xii. _____________ objects don't give out light of their own.
xiii. A collection of rays is called a ______________.
xiv. We can't see a _________________ object in the dark.

Islam - One of the Major Religions of The World

The Religion of Islam

There are many religions in the world but Islam, which is one of the three monotheistic faiths, was founded, in Arabia by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) between 610 and 632. The number of Muslims is very great - there are an estimated 5.5 million Muslims in North America and 1 billion Muslims worldwide. 

Muhammad (PBUH) was born in AD 570 at Makkah and belong to the Quraysh tribe, which was active in the caravan trade. To get experience, he, at the age of 25, joined the trade from Makkah to Syria in the employment of rich widow, named Khadija, who later on married him. Never being in favour of the immoral standards and polytheistic activities of the Makkans, he started leading a life of meditation and contemplation in the desert. It is said that one day the angel Gabriel appeared and revealed to Muhammad(PBUH) that he was to be the last prophet of Allah. At that time he was 40 years old and he was greatly encouraged by Khadija, who was the first among to embrace the new religion. Muhammad (PBUH) devoted his whole life to reform of religion and society. 

The first but the most difficult task for him was make the people of Makkah mentally prepare to abandon polytheism which was the common practice at that time. The great hurdles were the Quraysh leaders who openly opposed and rejected his teachings. They tortured his followers who were very small in number. 

Due to the persecution at the hands of idol worshippers, he at last migrated from Makkah to Madina.This is called as Hijra which means “emigration”) of Muhammad (PBUH) from Makkah where he was not honored, to Medina, where he was well received, Hijra took place in the year 622 and marks the beginning of the Muslim era. In Madina he built the first mosque of Islam. There he got many followers and later on ,after a many military conflicts with Makkah, he marched Makkah and at last conquered it. There in Makkah all the people were converted to Islam and thus a new religion got a great number of  followers. Muhammad(PBUH) passed away at Medina in 632. 

The followers of Muhammad (PBUH) are called Muslims who revere him as the prophet of Allah (God), the only God. Muslims consider Muhammad (PBUH) to be the last in the line of prophets included Abraham and Jesus. Islam spread quickly, stretching from Spain in the west to India the east within a century after the Prophet’s death. Sources of the Islamic faith are the Qur’an (Koran), regarded as the uncreated, eternal Word of God, and tradition (‘hadith regrading sayings deeds of the prophet.means “surrender to the will of Allah,” the all-powerful who determines humanity’s Good deeds will be rewarded at the Last Judgment in paradise, and evil deeds will be punished in hell. 

There are five main pillars of Islam, that is, faith, prayer, fasting, zakat and hajj. Prayer is to be performed five times a day in mosque; zakat is given to the poor; fasting is observed during daylight hours in the month of Ramadan: and pilgrimage to Makkah is performed at least once a Muslim’s lifetime, if one can afford physically and financially. The pilgrimage includes homage to the ancient shrine of the Ka’aba, the most sacred site in Islam.

Tenses MCQs - Tick The Correct Form of Verb

Underlined the correct answer. 

i. The boys __________ essays daily. (write, have written, have been writing, will be writing)
ii. We often __________ Nathiagali in summer season. (visited, will visit, have visited, visit)
iii. He __________ to the theatre regularly. (go, shall go, have gone, going)
iv. You cannot succeed, unless you _________ hard, . (do not work, worked, had worked, work)
v. We __________ to Karachi the day after tomorrow in the morning. (shall go, went, had gone, was going)
vi. She __________ in a debates competition next month. (participates, participated, will participate, was participating)
vii. He __________ a shock when you open that box. (surprised, has surprised, had surprised, will be surprised)
viii. The young kids __________ with electric wires. (has to play, must not play, have to play, are to play)
ix. I wish, he __________ the match. (may win, will win, has won, had won)
x. Work hard lest you __________. (will fail, should fail, failed, had failed)
xi. The moon __________ around the sun. (turn, turns, turned, will turn)
xii. This is the man who often __________ me . (teaches, taught, will teach, have taught)
xiii. The sun __________ everyday in this month. (shines, will shine, shone, has been shining)
xiv. Money __________ the mare go. (made, has made, makes, has been making)
xv. When he __________, I will inform you. (reach, reaches, reached, will reach)
xvi. If she _________ hard, he will get through the exam. (study, studies, studying, studied)
xvii. Truth always __________. (triumphed, triumphs, has triumphed, triumph)
xviii. God __________ those who help themselves. (help, helps, had helped, was helped)
xix. Honesty never __________ wasted. (go, goes, went, gone)
xx. Too many cooks _________ the broth. (spoil, spoils, had spoiled, spoiled)
xxi. The boy __________ cricket now. (plays, is playing, has been playing, has played)
xxii. He __________ for Thailand next week. (am leaving, leave, left, will have been leaving)
xxiii. She __________ a picture at the moment. (paint, was painted, is painted, is painting)
xiv. Ali __________ me in the fourth lesson. (was teasing, tease, has teased, had teased)
xv. Today is the lovely and pleasant day, that's why all the kids __________ (have enjoy, are enjoying, has enjoyed, might enjoy) 

Tenses MCQs - Correct Form of Verb

26. We __________ in this house since 1990. (have been living, will live, lived, lived, are living)
27. The clerks __________ on strike since Monday. (were, have been, will be, are)
28. It __________ drizzling since morning. (has been, will have, shall have, should have been)
29. She __________ her child for two years. (had nursed, has been nursing, nurses, is nursing)
30. He __________ in the ground for a long time. (has been playing, plays, had played, has played)
31. She __________ a diamond set on her birthday. (gave, gives, has given, was giving)
32. My friend __________ a car last week. (bought, has bought, will buy, had bought)
33. The firework __________ at midnight. (started, start, had started, is starting)
34. We __________ a match yesterday. (played, had played, were played, will play)
35. He __________ there last year. (go, went, gone, goes)
36. They __________ him two days before. (buried, bury, shall have buried, had buried)
37. I __________ to Karachi yesterday. (goes, go, went, will go)
38. He __________ himself while running. (hurt, had hurt, hurting, hurts)
39. Time once gone cannot be __________ . (recall, recalls, recalled, recalling)
40. Would that I __________ rich. (was, am, were, have been)
 41. The principal has just __________ a speech. (make, will make, can make, made)
42. I thanked them for what they __________ for me. (has done, had done, will do, would do)
43. The patient __________ before the doctor arrived. (had died, died, will die, dies)
44. It __________ before I came out. (rains, will be raining, had rained, have rained)
45. He __________ his homework before the guests came. (finished, has finished, had finished, had been finished)
46. If I had worked hard, I __________ (would have pass, should have pass, would have passed, would pass)
47. If he had come, I __________ him. (would help, will help, had helped, would have helped) 48. When he __________ all his newspapers, he'll go home. (has sold, is selling, had sold, will sell)
49. When you come, I __________ the boys. (will have taught, have been teaching, had been teaching, am teaching)
 50. He __________ this novel by tomorrow morning. (finishes, finished, will have finished, has finished)

Keywords:
Present Tense, Past Tense, Future Tense, Present Indefinite Tense,Present Continuous Tense, Present Perfect Tense, Present Perfect Continuous Tense, Past Indefinite Tense, Past continuous Tense, Past Perfect Tense, Past Perfect Continuous Tense, Future Indefinite Tense, Future continuous tense, Future Perfect Tense, Future Perfect Continuous Tense

Lesson No 12 - The Gift of Magi

The Gift of Magi 

Q. How did the Magi want to celebrate their Christmas?
Ans: The magi were those wise men from the East who wanted to celebrate the their Christmas by taking valuable gifts of gold to the baby Jesus Christ. The Magi were the remarkable characters to make the Christ happy with their gifts. They are the figures in traditional accounts of the nativity celebrations of Christmas and are an important part of Christian tradition.

Q. How were they attached to attached to each other in the story?
Ans: Della and Jim were so much attached that they could do anything for each other. To prove her deepest love Della sold her most valued hair only for $ 20 because she needed money to buy a present for Jim. She bought a gold chain for Jim's gold watch. On the other hand, Jim sold his valuable gold watch to buy a set of combs which was liked by Della.

Q. What is the central idea of “The Gift of Magi”? 

Ans. The central idea of the lesson "The Gift of the Magi" is that of love, generosity, and poverty. In this story, a poor, loving young couple sell the only valuable things they own to give each other special Christmas gifts. Della sells her beautiful hair sell for $ 20 so as to buy Jim a gold watch chain whereas Jim sells his forefather's valuable watch to buy some hair combs Della . These gifts are useless, in one sense; Della cannot wear her combs without her hair, and Jim, without his watch, cannot use his watch chain. Nevertheless, Jim’s remark is also a comment on the value of the gifts. This story teaches us the lesson of self-sacrifice for the sake of love. Gifts given to others with such sacrifice in the name of love are the wisest gifts. 

Q. How much did she save for Christmas? 

Ans. All the amount of money Della had was one dollar and eighty seven cents through bargaining while buying meat and food. She saved money through careful buying only because she wanted to purchase a beautiful Christmas gift for Jim. Though this money was not enough, she doing her level best to show her deep love for Jim.  

Q. Why did Della sell her hair? 

Ans. Della wanted to buy a gift for Jim but when Della found no other way to get money, she turned hopeless and started weeping desperately. At the very same moment, the idea of selling her long beautiful hair came to her mind; therefore, she rushed to Sofronie's Shop to whom she was to sell her hair. 

Q. Why Della did selected gold chain for Jim? 
Ans. Of all the things Della chose gold watch chain for Jim because it had both quietness and value like Jim, and was made of pure material. But Jim’s watch had never a good chain and he always avoided to take out watch from his pocket in public places. This was the manifestation of her deepest love for Jim, her husband.

Q. How essential is the setting of the story? Could the story have taken place at another time? 
Ans: I like the setting and think it is important. The amount of money Della had and how she sold her hair wouldn't work in 400 B.C or in modern times. 2. How do the sacrifices of Jim and Della compare to each other? Ultimately, Della's hair will grow back. Jim, however, sold a family heirloom which can not exactly be replaced. I believe that Jim has more entitlement to crying over his loss than Della does, especially since Jim doesn't actually care if Della's hair is short, and Della rarely leaves the house.

Q. Do you think that Jim and Della appreciated their gifts? 
Jim and Della clearly appreciated their gifts, although neither were usable. It was the thought that counted, because both of them had to get rid of their most prized possessions in order to give the other person a gift.

Q. Would the personalities of Jim and Della change if they were better off financially? 
If you think about the stereotypes of rich people, yes. Having everything you want at your fingertips can definitely impact their personalities. Jim and Della are kept humbled by being poor and having only each other.

Q. Why do you think the story compares Jim and Della to the Magi? 
The true value of a gift lies in the sacrifice involved in it. The Magi gave their most valuable possessions to Jesus, who was a sacrificial gift himself. Both the characters in this story and the biblical Magi gave their most precious belongings for the benefit of somebody else.

HSSC 1, FBISE, Book 1, FG Board, English Notes

Debates on the Topic of "We Are Happier Than Our Forefathers"

We Are Happier Than Our Forefathers

Honourable President, Respected Audience and My Dear Fellows

AOA

Today I shall speak in favour of the topic that We are Happier than our forefathers.

With great apology I want to express my views to my opponents who are trying give their arguments against the topic. I with all my heart say that what they think is totally wrong. They are of the view that the people gone by are better than the present people. 

Mr. President!

Our fathers were the terrified people. They were afraid of starvation; they were afraid of the supernatural; they were afraid of  superstitions;  They were afraid of diseases. They were not protected against anything. They were uncertain about their life. They couldn't even reach their natural end. They were the frustrated and disappointed generations. If they were in such precarious condition of mind, then

Mr. President!

how can we say that our forefathers were better than us. Whatever our forefathers were, they are dead. And what is dead. Dead means dust now for us. What can the dust do? How can the dust be happier than the living people. When they were alive, their life must surely had been boring.

Mr. President!

Is it a joke? Is it a satire on the modern man fully equipped with everything? We are happier I agree, I agree that we are more selfish and greedy but at the same time this greediness, this selfishness is increasing the pace of our development. We are happier than our forefathers If they had the support of nature, we have science. They didn't have the great inventions through which we enjoy our luxurious life today. We don't have those castle to live which they had in ancient times. But they had to fight for them and their life was full of dangers. We have that much relief that we can at any time sleep in our own homes without any disturbance. They even didn't had the mobile through which we can stay connected with anyone in any corner of the world. They had to send a messenger to send a message to anyone whereas we can send a message at the current moment to anyone via email or mobile or social networking sites. We have T.V. as a form of entertainment. We have professionals in every field like engineering, doctorate, inventions, art, literature, science... Which they didn't have. Hence, we are obviously happier than our forefathers.

Mr. President!

Love isn't just sitting with the family and talking to the parents, love is a thing that is expressed beyond word. Your parents go out to work so that you can have a comfortable life. There were no planes, no cars, movie, radio etc. Television and telephones were not invented. There was no electricity so they were deprived of all those comforts which we now enjoy with the help of electricity. 

My Dear Audience!

Apart from science, we have many new comforts of life that our forefathers did not possess. Let us first see what kind of life they led. The world of our forefathers was different from that of today. They lived in villages and in the caves and mounds. They we Scientific inventions were not made. There were no planes, no cars, movie, radio etc. Television and telephones were not invented. There was no electricity so they were deprived of all those comforts which we now enjoy with the help of electricity. They moved in the jolting, slow-moving carts or carriages. The life was simple. They were engaged in tilling the soil for a living. They got their daily needs easily. They had plenty of every thing. There were many cool and sheltered spots for innocent pleasures. They took active part in all sorts of simple and innocent games.

 Mr. President!
n our modern age, life- is full of comforts and luxuries. We wonder how our forefathers lived without them. These are the blessings of science. We can travel in railways, ships, motor cars and airplanes. The old days of trouble and difficulties have come to an end. In every walk of life we have begun to use electricity. Medical science has done great service to man. Even the most serious diseases are cured very easily. When we are tired by the day’s hard work, radio and television provide us nice recreation. We have comfortable homes, fine schools, hospitals and many other amenities of life. We still feel doubtful if we are really happier than our forefathers. 

My Dear Audience!
I conclude my speech with these words. Material civilization has, no doubt, made a wonderful stride but the moral development of man or moral values has been totally neglected. It has nothing to do with happiness, goodness, beauty, courage, adventure justice, friendship, love of family, love of country etc. All these values are necessary for a happy life. Scientific development has out-stripped our spiritual or moral progress. I am of opinion that a balance should be maintained. The existing condition without a masks our lives miserable with a horrible future. We live in an age when men admire riches more than spiritual power, and long for luxury of the body than the peace of mind. This age of materialism will never be happy till men pay more attention to the old values taught by our forefathers. True happiness is a state of the mind, can better be attained in the cottage than in the king’s palace