INTERMEDIATE-ENGLISH(1)

THE ART OF WICKET-KEEPING : THE UTTAKH-BHAITAKH BREED - RAMCHANDRA GUHA

THE ART OF WICKET-KEEPING - THE UTTAKH-BHAITAKH BREED 

BY RAMCHANDRA GUHA 

The essay " The Art of Wicket Keeping : The Uttakh - Bhaitakh Breed ' written by a famous cricket journalist Ramachandra Guha. The essay ends with a long list of attributes that a wicket keeper should have the eligibility and qualification criteria to select a wicket keeper. The task of a wicket - keeper is difficult. It is more challenging than that of a batsman or a bowler. A wicket - keeper has to be mentally alert and physically fit. He has to manage the weight of heavy gloves and pads. He has to crouch in an uncomfortable position behind, the wickets. He has to be fearless and unmindful of danger. His reflexes must be quick and he must remain discussed at all times. He cannot afford to be distracted by the spectators. A wicket - keeper does not get another chance if he makes a mistake. As the position demands such rare qualities and painstaking attention, it is understood be the tough job. The writer aptly comments that the mission of a Prime Minister of a coalition government is easier than the job of a wicket keeper of Indian team.

GENDER BIAS BY SUDHA MURTHY

GENDER BIAS BY SUDHA MURTHY 

The essay GENDER BIAS written by SUDHA MURTHY, a well known social worker and author. The essay ‘Gender Bias’ is taken from the collection titled ‘How I Taught my Grandmother to Read’. Sudha Murthy is renowned for her noble mission of providing computer and library facilities in all government schools of Karnataka. She is the Chairperson of Infosys Foundation. 

In this essay Sudha Murthy narrates how she initially faced gender discrimination but later succeeded in getting a job in Telco. Sudha Murthy’s style of writing is simple and direct and communicates her ideas clearly. The essay is both enjoyable and inspiring. 

ROBOTS AND PEOPLE - ISAAC ASIMOV

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ROBOTS AND PEOPLE BY ISAAC ASIMOV 

The stories grew from Asimov’s opinion that anyone smart enough to create robots would be smart enough to make sure that those robots wouldn’t attack their makers. Conceived by Asimov as the Three Laws of Robotics - essential laws built into the robots’ inner workings - these Laws freed science fiction writers to develop robots as characters instead of portraying them as monstrous things. I, ROBOT hint loudly that robots are a “better breed” than humans and though they were created to serve, they will inevitably become the masters. 

Beginning with a simple story about the relationship between a little girl and a limited - function robot, I Robot moves on to explore, in subsequent stories, increasingly sophisticated thoughts, questions, and moral complexities. In the process the book reveals Asimov’s overarching vision of a future that entangles inextricably the humans and the machines………………… 

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Isaac Asimov was born in Russia but his family moved to New York when he was three years old. A self-proclaimed “child prodigy,” he could read before first grade and had an almost perfect memory. Asimov credits his early intellectual development to public libraries……. “My real education, the superstructure, the details, the true architecture, I got out of the public library. For an impoverished child……. the library was the open door to wonder and achievement.”……..

THINKING OUT OF THE BOX - LATERAL THINKING BY EDWARD DE BONO

THINKING OUT OF THE BOX - LATERAL THINKING 

BY EDWARD DE BONO 

The essay “Thinking out of the Box: Lateral Thinking” is adapted from an article on lateral thinking in the internet Edward de Bono is the main propagator of lateral thinking. The essay explains the importance of lateral thinking in solving problems that we encounter in our daily life. Lateral thinking is a way of thinking that is different from logical thinking. 

De Bono used the technique of six thinking hats. These hats are of different colours. They have a symbolic significance. Each hat represents a particular style of thinking or approach to a problem. De Bono points out that the use of these hats is particularly useful in group discussions. Different members can wear different hats. There is more team work and less ill will an argument. People are more ready to understand and appreciate each other’s point of view. They are less rigid and stubborn. De Bono says that we have to think in new, creative ways to solve problem. We may have to keep changing hats. We wear a white hat when we try to grasp facts, a red hat when we view the emotional aspects of a problem and a black one when we make a judgment. We wear a green hat when we study various alternatives and a yellow one when we look at the pros and cons of an issue. We wear a blue hat when we review our thinking process. Changing hats is interesting and challenging. We come up with different ideas and suggestions………….. Thank you.