3.5 News Analysis
Complete textbook exercise solutions — Maharashtra State Board (Balbharati), Grade Seven English.
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Reference: The solutions below are based on the chapter "News Analysis" found in the provided document[cite: 18].
Questions — News Item (a)
- issued: officially published, announced, or given out[cite: 18].
- candidates: people who are appearing for the examination[cite: 18].
- invigilators: people who watch over students during an examination to ensure they do not cheat[cite: 18].
The test is being conducted by the Shivam Institute of Innovative Technology, Bengaluru[cite: 18].
(a) Why is closed footwear (shoes, socks) not allowed in the examination hall?
(b) Why has the institute not allowed electronic gadgets in the hall?
(c) What other measures can be taken to prevent copying?[cite: 18]
- (a) Closed footwear like shoes and socks are not allowed because candidates might hide chits, cheating materials, or tiny electronic devices inside them to use during the exam.
- (b) Electronic gadgets like mobile phones, microphones, earplugs, and calculators are banned because they can be used to communicate with people outside for answers, or to store digital notes and formulas.
- (c) Other measures to prevent copying include setting up CCTV cameras in the hall, thoroughly frisking candidates before they enter, using signal jammers to block mobile networks, and increasing the number of active invigilators.
This news is published in newspapers to widely inform all the candidates who are going to take the entrance test so they are fully aware of the strict rules and do not carry banned items, avoiding trouble or disqualification on the exam day[cite: 18].
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Questions — News Item (b)
- most highly paid: receiving the maximum amount of money or highest fees for her acting work compared to others[cite: 18].
- revealed: made known a secret or a hidden fact to the public[cite: 18].
- sign films: officially agree to act in upcoming movies by signing a legal contract[cite: 18].
(a) Film Industry (b) Something on which a lot of money is spent.[cite: 18]
- (a) Film Industry: Bollywood[cite: 18]
- (b) Something on which a lot of money is spent: big-budget movie[cite: 18]
'Ant' is likely a big-budget movie because it stars the most highly paid actress, Ritika. It might also involve expensive visual effects, large sets, famous directors, and shooting in costly foreign locations.
Other reasons for her decision could be that she wants to spend more time with her family, focus on her health, start her own business, or take a long vacation after working continuously for years.
If the rumor about her joining politics is true, she might simply ignore the news. However, if the political rumor is false, she might be angry with the journalists and sources for spreading fake news, and she might issue an official statement to clarify the truth.
Questions — News Item (c)
'Mankind' means all human beings considered collectively; the human race[cite: 18].
The words and phrases referring to the earth are: "the world", "the planet on which we live", and "only one planet"[cite: 18].
I believe climate change is the most serious problem. It threatens the very existence of all life on Earth by causing rising sea levels, extreme weather events, loss of forests, and food shortages. Unlike a disease, which medical science can eventually cure, severe damage to the Earth's climate cannot be easily reversed.
- (a) Humans have created thousands of nuclear weapons and caused severe industrial pollution. These technologies have the power to destroy the environment and wipe out life on Earth.
- (b) In the future, advanced space travel might allow humans to leave Earth and build artificial settlements or cities (colonies) on other planets or star systems.
- (c) Despite our advancements, we cannot yet safely escape to another planet. Earth is currently our only home, so it is our urgent duty to protect and preserve it.
Stephen Hawking was a world-famous and highly respected physics professor. When such a prominent scientist issues a severe warning about the survival of mankind, it is extremely important global news. Therefore, other newspapers republished it to ensure that people all over the world, not just readers of the Guardian, received this critical message[cite: 18].
- news: reporter, newspaper, headline, article, journalist, breaking, anchor, truth, channel.
- TV: screen, remote, broadcast, channels, serials, antenna, volume, cable, entertainment.
- radio: frequency, station, RJ, audio, broadcast, speaker, song, tune, FM, signal.
- mobile: screen, battery, call, message, apps, internet, charger, network, ringtone, camera.
- News (a) (Shivam Institute): City News / Education related.
- News (b) (Ritika): Entertainment / Cultural news.
- News (c) (Stephen Hawking): World News / Science related.
- News (d) (Miribaba): Regional News / Social Awareness (Exposé).
Besides news, we find advertisements, crossword puzzles, comic strips, weather reports, sports scores, editorials, letters to the editor, horoscopes, and classifieds in a newspaper[cite: 18].
Questions — News Item (d)
- flock: to gather or move together in large numbers to a particular place[cite: 18].
- followers: people who support, admire, and believe in the teachings or claims of a particular person (here, Miribaba)[cite: 18].
There is a question mark in the heading ("QUICK CURE FOR ALL AILMENTS?") because the newspaper is questioning the truth of Miribaba's claim. The reporter doubts that a single powder can quickly cure all diseases[cite: 18].
Reliable part: The statement by Dr Karnik of Ambegaon Civil Hospital that the number of patients has increased is reliable, because it is a factual observation from a qualified medical professional at a government hospital[cite: 18].
Unreliable part: Miribaba's claim that his 'special' powder cures all sorts of diseases is highly unreliable[cite: 18].
We learn that it is unreliable because Miribaba is unwilling to give the exact name and source of his herb, and despite hundreds of people taking his powder, the local hospital is actually seeing an increase in sick patients, proving the powder does not work[cite: 18].
No, Miribaba and his followers will not like this news at all, because it exposes his fraud and shows the public that his powder is completely fake[cite: 18].
When we fall ill, we should visit a qualified doctor or a hospital, take proper prescribed medicines, and rest. We should never trust unscientific remedies or magic powders sold by frauds.
This is a creative writing task to be done in your mother tongue (Marathi, Hindi, etc.). However, here is a simple English summary for your reference:
Many villagers used to blindly trust Miribaba and wasted their money buying his fake powder. But when this news article was published, the village school teacher read it out to everyone. The people realized that Dr. Karnik had proved the powder was useless because hospital patients were actually increasing. Realizing they had been cheated, the villagers stopped visiting Miribaba, and his fraudulent business was shut down permanently.
English Workshop
| News item | Good / Bad news | Reliable / Unreliable | Interesting / Boring |
|---|---|---|---|
| (a) Shivam Institute Rules | Good news (helpful for students) | Reliable | Interesting |
| (b) Ritika's break from acting | Bad news (for her fans) | Unreliable (based on 'sources') | Interesting |
| (c) Stephen Hawking's Warning | Bad news (about our planet's danger) | Reliable | Interesting |
| (d) Miribaba's Fake Powder | Good news (exposes a fraud) | Reliable (the report is factual) | Interesting |
To,
The Principal,
New Vision High School,
Pune.
Date: 15th October 2023
Sub: Request for old newspapers from the school library.
Respected Sir/Madam,
I am writing to you on behalf of the students of Class 6-A. We are currently working on an educational project for our English class called 'News Analysis'.
For this activity, we need to collect different types of news reports, cut them out, and paste them into our project books. Since we need to make cuttings, the newspapers cannot be returned intact. Therefore, I kindly request you to grant us permission to take the old issues of newspapers from our school library for this month.
We assure you that we will use them responsibly and strictly for our educational activity.
Thank you.
Yours faithfully,
Rohan Sharma
(Class Monitor, 6-A)
This is a classroom speaking activity. Here are some points you can use for the discussion:
- Printed Newspapers:
Merits: Provide detailed information, can be read anytime, good for deep analysis.
Demerits: Slow (news is usually a day old), requires literacy to read.
Popularity: Highly respected for authentic news. - Radio News Bulletins:
Merits: Very fast, can be heard while doing other work, reaches remote villages without electricity, helpful for the visually impaired.
Demerits: No pictures or visual proof, cannot rewind if you miss a sentence.
Popularity: Popular in rural areas and among drivers. - TV News Bulletins:
Merits: Live video coverage makes it highly engaging, fast, easy to understand.
Demerits: Often noisy, sometimes sensationalizes news for TRP, requires electricity and screen time.
Popularity: Extremely popular due to visual impact.