Grade 8 (Unit 16) Why I Became a Vegan (Reading I)

 

Unit 16

 

Reading I (page 202)

Why I Became a Vegan

A. Meanings of the words in context:

a. cheered      i. to encourage somebody or to give them hope or comfort

ii. to shout loudly to show support or praise for somebody

b. consistently i. in a way that has different parts that all agree with each other

ii. always the same

c. eliminating            i. stopping to consider that somebody might be responsible for something

ii. removing or getting rid of something

d. dairy           i. milk, cheese and other milk products

ii. a place on a farm where milk is kept and where butter and cheese are made

e. incorporate i. to create a legally recognized company

ii. to include something so that it forms a part of something

Answer

a. cheered – to encourage somebody or to give them hope or comfort; to shout loudly to show support or praise for somebody

b. consistently – always the same

c. eliminating – removing or getting rid of something

d. dairy – milk, cheese, and other milk products

e. incorporate – to include something so that it forms a part of something

B. Use the above words to fill in the gaps:

a. Despite our requests, the manager ………….. denied the changes we wanted to bring.

b. The plan for ………….. the risk of nuclear weapons is still lingering.

c. The audience clapped and ………….. loudly when she stood up to speak.

d. These designs ………….. the best features of our earlier models.

e. Many people find it difficult to digest milk and get a stomach ache if they eat  ………….. products.

Answer

a. Despite our requests, the manager consistently denied the changes we wanted to bring.

b. The plan for eliminating the risk of nuclear weapons is still lingering.

c. The audience clapped and cheered loudly when she stood up to speak.

d. These designs incorporate the best features of our earlier models.

e. Many people find it difficult to digest milk and get a stomach ache if they eat dairy products.

 

C. Decide whether the given sentences are True or False.

a. The writer started gaining weight when she was at college.

b. She listened to only 30 podcasts that guided her to live a holistic life.

c. She became vegan because she did not like non-veg food.

d. Cutting off her diet was an easy task for the writer.

e. According to the writer, there is food outside of animals from which she can get proteins.

Answer

a. The writer started gaining weight when she was at college. False

b. She listened to only 30 podcasts that guided her to live a holistic life. True

c. She became vegan because she did not like non-veg food. False

d. Cutting off her diet was an easy task for the writer. True

e. According to the writer, there is food outside of animals from which she can get proteins. False

D. Answering the questions:

a. Who are vegans?

b. When did the writer start gaining the weight?

c. Who first started to become vegan in the writer's family?

d. Mention the reason for which the writer became a vegan.

e. What was the impact of Whole30 on the writer?

f. Do you think all the nutrients needed for our body can be achieved from non-veg food? How?

Answer

a. Vegans are individuals who do not eat products that have come from an animal.

b. The writer started gaining weight after post-college.

c. The writer's aunt and uncle first started to become vegan in the writer's family.

d. The writer became a vegan to improve his health and well being.

e. The impact of whole 30 on the writer was that his body does not have problems.

f. No, all essential nutrients needed for our body cannot be achieved from a non-vegan diet because we can not get different nutrients from animal product.

E. Has any incident caused you to adopt or avoid eating a particular food item? Discuss.

Answer

I have personal experiences or incidents that influence my preferences or behaviors, including food choices. While non-vegetarian food can offer many essential nutrients, it may not incorporate all the nutrients needed for the finest health. Non-vegetarian sources such as meat, poultry, and fish are rich in high-quality proteins, vitamins, minerals and so on. These nutrients play vital roles in supporting bodily functions, muscle growth, and maintaining healthy blood cells. Therefore, to confirm a well-rounded and balanced nutrient intake, it is important to incorporate a variety of both non-vegetarian and vegetarian foods into one’s diet.

Grammar I

A. Underline the verbs in the following sentences and identify their tenses. One example has been given.

Example: The incident changed my life completely. (simple past)

a. We had a cow at our home.

b. I felt as if I was taking away somebody else's right.

c. By the time my mother came to me, I had already drunk all the milk.

d. My mother was serving food for my father when he started talking with me.

e. Perhaps, I was not prepared to share the real reason.

Answer

a. We had a cow at our home. (simple past)

b. I felt as if I was taking away somebody else's right. (simple past + past continuous)

c. By the time my mother came to me, I had already drunk all the milk. (simple past + past perfect)

d. My mother was serving food for my father when he started talking with me. (past continuous+ simple past)

e. Perhaps, I was not prepared to share the real reason. (simple past (passive))

B. Answer these questions in complete sentences.

a. What did you eat yesterday evening?

b. What were you doing when the teacher came into the classroom this morning?

c. What had your mother cooked when you reached home yesterday?

d. What did you see as soon as you opened the door this morning?

e. Had the class already started when you reached school yesterday?

Answer

a. I ate pasta with vegetables yesterday evening.

b. I was reading a book when the teacher came into the classroom this morning.

c. My mother had cooked a delicious curry when I reached home yesterday.

d. As soon as I opened the door this morning, I saw a package delivered to me.

e. Yes, the class had already started when I reached school yesterday.

C. Completing the sentences with the correct form of the verbs:

a. The car ………. (hit) the tree while the driver was talking on the phone.

b. The bus......... (leave) the stop before I reached there.

c. A boy........ (dig) the field when his father saw him.

d. When I woke up, the birds …………...  (chirp).

e. I.................. (not/do) anything wrong, but my friend still shouted at me.

f. My father........ (order) the food before I reached home.

h. The girl ………… (speak) quite fast. So, we didn't understand her.

i. The customers …......... (order) the food at the counter before the waiter came to their table.

j. What ....... (you/do) when I called you yesterday evening?

Answer

a. The car hit the tree while the driver was talking on the phone.

b. The bus had left the stop before I reached there.

c. A boy was digging the field when his father saw him.

d. When I woke up, the birds were chirping.

e. I didn’t do anything wrong, but my friend still shouted at me.

f. My father had ordered the food before I reached home.

h. The girl was speaking quite fast, so we didn’t understand her.

i. The customers had ordered the food at the counter before the waiter came to their table.

j. What were you doing when I called you yesterday evening?

Writing I

A. Arrange the sentences in order to make a story.

a. Now he said, 'Bad habits are like them. It is easy to pull them out when they are young but it is impossible to uproot them later'.

b. Once upon a time, a rich businessman asked a wise man to wean his son away from his bad habits.

c. And he had to struggle for it.

d. The man took his son to a garden and asked him to pull out a tiny plant.

e. This session changed the son's life completely.

f. He grasped the trunk but it was impossible for him.

g. Later he asked him to uproot a slightly bigger plant.

h. Finally he asked him to uproot a guava tree.

i. The boy held the plant between his thumb and forefinger and pulled it out easily.

Answer

Once upon a time, a rich businessman asked a wise man to wean his son away from his bad habits. The wise man took the son to a garden and asked him to pull out a tiny plant. The boy held the plant between his thumb and forefinger and pulled it out easily. Later, the wise man asked the boy to uproot a slightly bigger plant. The boy grasped the trunk but it was impossible for him. The wise man then asked the boy to uproot a guava tree. The boy tried his best but he could not uproot the tree. The wise man then said to the boy, “Bad habits are like them. It is easy to pull them out when they are young but it is impossible to uproot them later.” This session changed the son’s life completely. He realized the importance of avoiding bad habits and he vowed to never let them get the better of him.

(My special thanks to Kanchan Chaudhary of Khairahani Secondary School for preparing this material.)

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