Lesson 1: The Greed of the Mighty Rivers

A Read the following text and answer the questions.

B

Meherjan lives in a slum on the Sirajgonj Town Protection Embankment. The whispering wind from the river Jamuna makes the fire unsteady. The dancing flames remind Meherjan of the turmoil in her life.

Not long ago Meherjan had everything- a family, arable land and cattle. The erosion of the Jamuna gradually consumed all her land property. It claimed her finally only shelter during the last monsoon. It took the river only a day to devour Meher's house, trees, vegetable garden and the bamboo bush. She had a happy family once. Over the years, she lost her husband and her family to diseases that cruel hunger and poverty brought to the family. Now, she is the only one left to live on with the loss and the pain. The greedy Jamuna has shattered her dreams and happiness.

There are thousand others waiting to share the same fate like Meherjan. Bangladesh is a land of rivers, some of whose banks overflow or erode during monsoon. Erosion is a harsh reality for the people living along the river banks. During each monsoon many more villages are threatened by the mighty rivers like the Jamuna, the Padma and the Meghna. It is estimated that river erosion makes at least 100,000 people homeless every year in Bangladesh. In fact, river erosion is one of the main dangers caused by climate change. If we can't take prompt actions to adapt to climate change, there will be thousands of more Meherjans in our towns and villages every year.

C

For each phrase below choose the meaning that is closest to the meaning used in the text above.

1. In paragraph 3 'mighty rivers' mean a rivers that have huge volumes of water and very strong currents b rivers having many rowing boats in them c rivers that make people cry out d rivers that have strong banks
2. landed property a a rented piece of land b a piece of land on the bank of a river c property in the form of a source of income to its owner d property used only as an agricultural farm
3. whispering wind a wind that blows from across the river b wind that blows with a hissing sound c wind that helps someone make a fire d wind that blows in summer
4. dancing flames a a traditional form of folk dance b flames that make people dance around them c flames that are made unstable by the blast of air d flames made by people to remember their past

Ask and answer the following questions in pairs.

a What does Meherjan use to make fire for cooking her meals?

b What property did Meherjan lose due to river erosion?

c What do you know about Meherjan's family?

d In which season is river erosion most likely to occur?

e Why is the phrase 'greedy Jamuna' used to describe the river? What greed do you notice in the description?

D Complete the summary of Meherjan's life with words/phrases from the box.

Meherjan is a typical (1).... woman who lives in a slum. She lost her shelter and properties (2) the erosion of the river Jamuna. She also lost her family. Her husband had died of diseases caused by poverty and (3)........ Now, she is only a (4) ..... Like Meherjan there are many people who have become the (5) of river erosion. River erosion is still posing (6) .... to the lives and properties of thousands of people. People living (7) rivers are the most likely victims of river erosion. (8) ....... people become homeless due to river erosion in Bangladesh. Meherjan's life is just one (9)................ of how climate change (10) the lives of thousands of people.

victims threats affects example close to due to slum dweller shortage of food homeless one lakh

E

Debate: Form two groups of 3/4. Decide which group will speak for/against the motion given below. In your group, first, discuss and note down five/six points to support/oppose the motion. Then select the speakers from each group to start the debate.

Motion: Humans can't do anything to control the course of nature.