1. 1 B.Sc. 4-Year Programme Scientific Communication Improve Your Writing: Unit 3: The Composition “Man and His Environment” – Robert Arvill IYR: LECTURE - 9 Lecture by Dr. Min Pun

2. Introduction Summary Main idea Man and His Environment – Robert Arvill 2

3. INTRODUCTION Robert Arvill wrote a book “Man and Environment: Crisis and Strategy of Choice”, which was published in 1967. The book makes him one of the famous environmentalists of the world. The book is about the human being/man’s relationship with nature that focuses on how we can improve the quality of the environment. The essay ‘Man and His Environment’ is extracted from this book. 3

4. Robert Arvill discusses the necessary factors that improve the quality of the surroundings that you live in (environment). These factors are perception, education, economic strength, research, policies and administration. In addition, it needs a regular evaluation and correction when there arises a new problem because a new discovery comes with a new problem. For example, a philosopher named Goethe once said that every solution of a problem is a new problem. It is a never-ending process for every solution. Human beings have to make a new relationship with their environment. For that, human beings have to understand the society’s existence because without the good environment, human beings cannot survive in this universe. So the first thing we should do to the environment is the understanding of human beings. SUMMARY OF THE ESSAY 4

5. Secondly, human beings should have the knowledge about the environment. We should know that like other animals, human beings are also part of nature and are able to influence the natural phenomenon. So the activities of human beings have direct effects on other living creatures. Human beings have made changes to the environment on the earth because they are capable of doing so. For example, during the 1840 and 1940, human beings created better food, clothing, housing and hygiene for many people, but they polluted the land, air, rivers and sea and killed wild animals. This is wrong to make such progress without the knowledge of its negative effects on the environment. For this, the awareness of human beings is necessary. 5

6. Therefore, in order to save our environment, human beings must know the alternative ways to manufacture new products. For example, using large quantities of newspapers and magazines destroys the forests because paper comes from the forests. We cut down trees for paper (for newspapers and magazines) and furniture. We use chemicals for fruit and vegetable, which are not good for the environment. We use plastic for different purposes that remains for years. We use coal fire that pollutes the air. So we should understand which product may be harmful to our environment and choose the alternative ways to fulfill the demands of human beings. By developing some alternative ways, we can correct our mistakes and conserve the environment as well. 6

7. MAIN IDEA The main idea of the essay is the discussion of man's use and misuse of the land, air and water on which humans and wildlife depend for their healthy existence. So we need to be aware of our environment because if we cannot treat the environment with care, then human beings and other living creatures will be in danger. Robert Arvill suggests that only way to save our earth is by applying alternative ways to fulfill our demands. Instead of using products that are harmful to the environment, we should use the environmental-friendly products that do not destroy our nature. 7

8. Robert Arvill says that every new discovery creates a new kind of problem. For example, if we discover a new product, that new product will damage the environment. So we should be very careful to avoid such kind of harmful product and find another way to fulfill our demands for survival. For example, instead of using coal and woods for fire, we can use electricity or solar power for that purpose. In this way, human beings should have the understanding of living happily together with other surroundings. 8

9. Q. I. Drawing your information from the passage given above, answer the following questions in complete sentences using your own words. Your answer to every question should not exceed 35 words. a) What are the necessary factors which improve the quality of the surroundings that you live in? b) What is the first step towards environment improvement? c) What is man’s relationship with nature? d) What happened to the environment during the second half of the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth century? e) What will help the public decide which new products should be manufactured? 9 EXERCISES

10. ANSWERS: a) To improve the quality of the environment, we need necessary factors. These necessary factors which improve the quality of the surroundings that we live in are perception, education, economic strength, research, policies and administration. In addition, we should constantly evaluate and adjust the problems because new problems will arise over the period of time. b) The first step towards environment improvement is the human being’s awareness of the purpose of their living and to a new relationship with their environment. So we need to understand the importance of the environment for our survival. 10

11. c) Human beings have close relationship with nature because like other living and non-living things on the earth, human being is also a part of nature. Human beings are able to influence the nature. So all activities of human beings have direct effects on other parts of nature. d) Human beings have made great changes on the earth through their knowledge. During the second half of the 19 th and the first half of the 20 th century, human beings discovered better food, clothing, housing and hygiene for many people, but they polluted the land, air, rivers and sea and killed many wild animals. 11

12. e) Knowing new alternatives to fulfill our demands will help the public decide which new products should be manufactured. For example, instead of using the forests for paper and furniture, we can use other things for that purposes. Instead of using the coal and woods for fire we can use electricity or solar power for fire. 12

13. Q. II. Analyse paragraph 14 and say how the three basic principles of paragraph writing have been utilized. ANSWER: The paragraph 14 is about some of the ways to save the environment. The author suggests that to fulfill our demands, we should use less harmful products to the environment. We need to adopt alternative ways to fulfill our necessity for survival. The author has used three basic principles of paragraph writing in this paragraph. For example, he has used the inductive order to attain unity in the paragraph. He gives examples in the first half of the paragraph, explains them and then comes to a conclusion which is the topic sentence. 13

14. The author has used repetition as a cohesive device in the paragraph. For example, he has used the words such as ‘people’, ‘product’, and ‘demand’ repeatedly in the paragraph. The repetition of these words suggest that people have the growing demand of the product for survival, resulting in the damage to the environment. Similarly, the author has used emphatic position technique for emphasis in the paragraph. The most emphatic portion of the paragraph is the last sentence because the sentence suggests that people must know the alternatives ways to save the earth. The second most emphatic part of the paragraph is the first sentence to introduce the idea the author is going to talk in the paragraph. 14

15. Q. III. Read the following paragraph: Man is a singular creature. He has a set of gifts which make him unique among animals; so that, unlike them, he is not a figure in the landscape – he is a shaper of the landscape. In body and in mind he is the explorer of nature. This is the introductory paragraph of an essay entitled ‘Lower than the Angels’ in which the author writes of how man has changed the environment, without changing himself. He first talks of different animals and how they have adapted themselves to their environment. He then contrasts the unique picture of man with these animals Now identify the technique used in this introductory paragraph giving reasons for your answer. 15

16. In this paragraph, the author has used the simple, factual statement related to the topic in order to write the introductory paragraph. The paragraph is a short and terse introductory paragraph which is an ideal technique for writing the introductory paragraph. One of the reasons for using this technique is that the author wants to give the fact about man. In reality, man is a unique creature in the universe because man is a gifted creature that has both sound body and mind, which made him/her superior to other creatures of the world. 16

17. Q. IV. Write an introductory paragraph with a quotation, for an essay, entitled ‘Democracy in India.’ First draw up an outline and then write the paragraph. Use the deductive order in writing your paragraph. Also state which devices you have used to give coherence to your paragraph and emphasis to your point of view. 17

18. ANSWER: Democracy in India OUTLINE: 1. India as a democratic country in the world 2. How it is a democratic country. 3. What it can give to its people. 4. Use quotation at the end of the paragraph 18

19. Democracy in India India is the oldest democratic country in the world after America. It is a democratic country because its people have voting rights and elect their leaders. They are free to choose any business they want to start. They can be happier in the future and can enjoy democratic system if they love peace and do not fight each other. Once Mahatma Gandhi said, “Liberty and democracy become unholy when their hands are dyed red with innocent blood.” 19

20. Analysis of the paragraph: In this introductory paragraph, pronouns has been used a device for coherence. Here, pronouns such as ‘it’ and ‘they’ have been used to substitute the nouns ‘India’ and ‘Indian people’. These pronouns link one sentence to another and maintain coherence in the paragraph. Similarly, emphatic words have been used as a device to emphasize the writer’s point of view. For example, the word ‘innocent’ has been used for emphasis because the paragraph is about democracy and in democracy people are innocent and free. 20

21. Dr. Min Pun Lecturer, Department of English Tribhuvan University, PN Campus, Pokhara minpun@gmail.com www.minpun.com.np 21