English For Today chapter 4: People Who Make a Difference

Unit Four

People Who Make a Difference

Learning outcomes

After we have studied this unit, we will be able to

1. ask and answer questions

2. read and understand texts

3 read, recite, and understand poems

4. participate in dialogues and conversations

5. talk about people, places, and events

6. read and write letters

7. write paragraphs and short compositions

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Lesson 1: A Teacher (1)

Keyword : trained

A. Look at the pictures and discuss in groups what is happening in each picture.

Figure

Labels: 1, 2, 3, 4 Description: Four numbered pictures in a row. Picture 1 shows a woman holding an umbrella. Picture 2 shows the same woman with an umbrella, talking with two boys. Picture 3 shows the woman with an umbrella and a group of children standing near a log bridge. Picture 4 shows girls standing on the log bridge.

B. Listen to the teacher /audio about what Shahana says about herself and answer the following questions.

Listening text: 4

Tick the best answer.

1. Ms Shahana Huda passed her SSC exam in

a. 2000

b. 2001

c. 2002

2. She passed her HSC exam in

a. 2001

b. 2002

c. 2003

3. She married

a. before her HSC exam.

b. after her BA exam.

c. while she was studying at college.

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4. She got GPA 4 in her

a. SSC exam.

b. HSC exam.

c. BA exam.

5. She took a break of one year

a. to get training to become a teacher.

b. to take care of her daughter.

c. to take a BA degree.

6. Why did Shahana's husband want her to work in an office?

Because he thought

a. teaching was not a job.

b. teaching was less paid.

c. people did not like teaching.

C. Discuss with your partner why Shahana wanted to be a teacher and write a short composition about it.

Lesson 2: A Teacher(2)

Keywords : company, vacant, status, respect, in-laws

academic, admire, demonstrate, inspire, corridor

A. Read about Ms Shahana Huda.

Shahana's husband, Mr Zamil Huda, works in a company office. His firm has a vacant position. On several days he told Shahana, "I want you to apply for the post." But Shahana said, "Please don't insist. I'm joining the local high school as a teacher." "What do you find in a teaching job, Shahana? I don't want you to do it." Her in-laws were also on his side. Yet Shahana joined the school against the will of the family.

Weeks and months went by. Every day Shahana helps in household works. Every day she works hard to prepare her lessons. Every day she goes to school, teaches her students and helps both weak and bright ones. They often come to her in the teachers' room, in the corridor and even on the road, and talk to her about any academic or personal problems.

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Within a year Shahana becomes a very good teacher. Students give her salam wherever they see her. Teachers, even the Head Teacher, admire her. Parents and other people in the community come to see her at home and at the school and pay her great respect.

One day her husband said, "You've opened my eyes, Shahana. Teaching is more than a job. I didn't know it. Congratulations!"

"Thank you," she smiled.

"Tell me, Shahana, how you could be such a great teacher!" Zamil wanted to know.

"I don't only teach my subject, I care for my students. I love them. I myself demonstrate good behaviour and inspire them to be good. That's all I do," replied Shahana.

B. Match the words with their meanings:

C. In groups or pairs, discuss and write what students, teachers and community people do to Shahana.

D. Make a list of things that Shahana does as a teacher.

E. Complete the passage with words from the box.

the, pilot, she, an, in, observation

crashes, whether, young, the, girl

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A father is talking to his__________daughter about her aim in life. ________ girl wants to be a pilot.father asks her why. The young replies that the job of a _______ is challenging that she likes. Besides, ____ likes the speed and high responsibilities ________a pilot's life. The father asks ______ she is not afraid of plane . The daughter says, "An accident is_____accident." The father appreciates his daughter's and wishes her good luck.

F . Read the completed passage in E above. Ask and answer the following questions in pairs.

Q: What do you want to be? A: I want to be a/an ________________ . Q: Why do you want to be a/an ________________? A: Because I like it / my parents want me to be ________________.

Lesson 3: A New Generation

Learning outcomes:

After we have studied this unit, we will be able to

• Understand the concept of generational naming and its historical context
• Analyse the unique characteristics and challenges of Generation Z
• Examine the influence of global events on generational identity
• Explore the legacy of generational struggles in Bangladesh
• Evaluate the importance of governance to meet the needs of new generations

GenZ and Revolution

Listen to the song 'Kotha Ko' by Shezan on internet.

Have you heard the song 'Kotha Ko' by Shezan? While singers from earlier generations were often too afraid to use music as a form of protest, artists like Shezan and Hannan have courageously spoken out. Their rap songs became anthems of the July Uprising in 2024. The new generation is no longer afraid; they are brave and different. But how do we make sense of the difference? What defines different generations? And what are the connections that link them across time?

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Although generational labels are rooted in Western ideas and may not universally apply, they can sometimes offer a useful framework for understanding changing social dynamics. The idea of naming generations started in the early 20th century with the 'Lost Generation'. This referred to those who suffered the aftermath of World War I and the Great Depression.

Figure: Timeline of generations in the Western world

Labels: Generation Alpha, Zoomers/Generation Z, Millennials/Generation Y, Generation X, Baby Boomers, Silent Generation, Greatest/G.I.Generation, Lost Generation; x-axis: 1880, 1890, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940, 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, 2020, 2030

Generation	Years
Lost Generation	1883 – 1900
Greatest/G.I.Generation	1901 – 27
Silent Generation	1928 – 45
Baby Boomers	1946 – 64
Generation X	1965 – 80
Millennials/Generation Y	1981 – 96
Zoomers/Generation Z	1997 – 2012
Generation Alpha	2013 – mid-2020s

Description: Horizontal coloured bars, one per generation, plotted against years from about 1880 to 2030. Each bar is labelled with the generation name and its year range. The bars are stacked so that each later generation sits higher and further right.

The naming practice continued with Generation X and then Millennials, eventually reaching Generation Z. Generation Z is a group that grew up entirely in the digital age—the first to zoom into the internet.

Figure: Students protest for safe roads wearing a Guy Fawkes mask, Dhaka, Bangladesh, August 1, 2018.

Growing up with social media, a mobile internet, and a lot of information, Gen Z experiences a paradox: hyperconnected yet often isolated, digitally adept but

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frequently anxious, free yet persistently stressed. They have also witnessed transformative global events—climate crises, political turmoils like the Ukraine-Russia war and the genocide in Palestine that shape the world they are supposed to inherit.

Figure: Freedom fighters rejoice in victory, Bangladesh, 1971.

In Bangladesh, the struggle for progress has long been a part of each generation. If the freedom fighters of 1971—largely part of the Baby Boomer generation—helped liberate the country, their struggle laid the groundwork for the 1980s' fight for democracy against autocracy.

Figure: A schoolboy chanting slogans with "We Want Justice" painted on his body during the Road Safety protests, 2018.

Today's young generation, born around 2000, carries this legacy forward. The 2018 road safety protests and the brutal crackdown that followed marked a significant shift in Gen Z's consciousness, sharpening their political awareness and reshaping the role of media in their world.

Consequently, the 2024 uprising was led by this generation, who realized

Figure: Protesters hold up a placard of a martyred school child during the July Uprising protests.

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the ineffectiveness of political establishments and grew increasingly frustrated with the status quo.

The July Uprising of 2024 signals an urgent call for adaptation. Outdated methods can no longer meet the challenges of today's world. To support Gen Z's ambitions truly, we need concrete steps as political rhetoric has made them failed. Only with this commitment to support the vision and energy of this generation can be achieved.

Figure: A schoolchild with "Swoirachar Nipat Jaak" (Down with Autocracy) painted on his body, echoing Noor Hossain, during the July protests

A. Answer the following questions based on your reading of the passage:

1. What does generational naming refer to? Why do people name different generations?
2. Describe one unique characteristic or challenge of the current generation.
3. What do you know about the legacy of generational struggles in Bangladesh? Write in brief.
4. Why is good governance important for meeting the needs of new generations?

B. Vocabulary Test

Match the words with their correct definitions:

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C. Fill in the Gaps

Fill in the blanks using the words from the list below: (Lost Generation, Gen Z, political, digital, connected)

1. The term "_________" refers to the generation affected by the aftermath of World War I and the Great Depression.
2. _________ is the first generation to grow up entirely in the digital age.
3. The 2018 road safety protests marked a shift in _________ awareness for Generation Z.
4. The July Uprising of 2024 called for new methods to address the challenges of today's _________ world.
5. Gen Z experiences a paradox of being both hyperconnected yet often _________.