Lesson: My Roots - 2

A. Personal Connections

Read the following remarks from various people and identify who is most like you:

• “I simply can’t stand people who have no respect for their roots.” —Haridas Soren

• “We have a moderately large house in town, but we frequently go to our village home as well. I always feel so at home when I visit my village and stay with my relatives.” —Bidisha Yasmin

• “I live in a small apartment with my mom, dad, and my little sister. Most of my relatives live in a village. I rarely go there, as I don’t like village life.” —Ifti Mahmud

• “Some people are so eager to leave their homes, friends, and everything behind just to be part of city life. They aren’t like me.” —Antara Gomes

• “To be honest, I don’t enjoy visiting my relatives in the village.” —Jhilik Ahsan

• “I live in a city, but I never forget that my parents are from a tiny but beautiful village. I know I have roots there, and I’m very proud of that.” —Anupom Chakma

• “I just can’t stand people who grew up in a village but forget it once they leave.” —Debashish Biswash

Now write your own statement about your roots.

B. Likes and Dislikes

Read the statements in Section A again and make two lists—one for things people like and one for things they dislike.

C. Opinion

Do you agree or disagree with the statements in Section A? Write down your reasons.

D. Reading

Staying True to One’s Roots

Mainul Islam is a successful farmer in Naogaon. Mr. Islam was a brilliant student. He earned his higher education from Bangladesh Agricultural University in Mymensingh. He then returned home and started a modern farm. He has two brothers who hold degrees in other disciplines. What’s unique about the Islam family is that they are all living in their village, and each is renowned in their own field. Mr. Islam’s younger brother, a graduate of Rajshahi University, is a science teacher at a local school. His youngest brother has a degree in social science and wants to start a local NGO to serve the community.

When asked, “Why did you decide to stay here in this village?” Mr. Islam smiled and said, “Look, it’s true that we could have left this village for a city life. I could have been a banker, or my brothers could have been bureaucrats. But that didn’t appeal to us. We are sons of this soil. Yes, we have educations, but is education only meant for getting an office job? Don’t we have any obligation to the land that made us who we are?”

He also explained that not every educated person should be a job seeker. Because he studied agriculture, he chose to become a farmer. When asked if he had any regrets about living in a village, he confirmed that he was pleased with his life. He said, “I work on my farm, live with my family, spend time with my old friends, and sleep in my own home. All these things mean a lot.”

Mr. Islam is right. Many people move to cities and forget or loosen their roots, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Mr. Islam and his brothers are admirable; they haven’t forgotten their roots. They have not only stayed connected to their roots, but they are also inspiring others to respect their own roots.

E. Question Formation

Work in pairs. Imagine you have the opportunity to meet Mr. Islam. What questions would you ask him? Create both wh- questions and yes/no questions.

F. Sentence Completion

Read the statements in Columns A and B. Match them to make complete sentences.

| Column A | Column B | |---------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1. Mr. Islam | a. if anyone has education, he/she must have a job. | | 2. The specialty of Islam's brothers is… | b. has multi-faceted opportunities. | | 3. Mr. Islam never believes that… | c. graduated from Bangladesh Agricultural University. | | 4. Mr. Islam also believes… | d. in fulfilling his duty towards his roots. | | 5. Staying with one's roots… | e. that city life couldn’t attract them. |

G. Opinion

Do you admire Mr. Islam? Why/Why not? Write down your reasons and share them with your partner.