Unit 14: Travel and Adventure

To travel is to learn. A journey shows us places, people and customs that no book can fully describe, and it often surprises us. This unit has two readings about discovering things on the road. "Expect the Unexpected" is a lively travel account in which a visitor describes what amazed her in Nepal — Kathmandu, Chitwan and Pokhara. "Weathers" is a short poem by Thomas Hardy that sets two kinds of weather, a bright spring day and a wet winter day, side by side. In grammar you will study question tags, and in writing you will produce a travelogue and a tourist brochure.

14.1 Expect the Unexpected

About the text

"Expect the Unexpected" is a travelogue — a piece of writing in which a traveller tells what he or she saw, did and felt. It is written in the first person, in an easy, friendly style. The traveller is a visitor to Nepal and his surprise is the main theme: he came expecting mountains and found murals, smiles and ceremonies as well. The text is organised place by place, and each place gets its own paragraph or paragraphs: Kathmandu, Chitwan and Pokhara. The textbook does not name the author in the pages I could check. Read it as a model for your own travel writing.

Summary

Kathmandu: murals, smiles and the cycle of life. The writer first notices the colourful murals painted on the walls of Kathmandu's streets, a sign that street art is on the rise. He is amazed by the smiling faces of the people, whatever their circumstances. He visits the Durbar squares and the Pashupatinath temple, both World Heritage Sites. At Pashupatinath he meets sadhus (holy men) who pose for photographs, and sees an outdoor cremation on the bank of the Bagmati river. This astonishes him, but he learns that Nepalis see death as an everyday part of life and not as something to hide. He enjoys cycling around the villages and walking about the town even at night, chatting with local people.

Chitwan: wildlife and adventure. Chitwan National Park, in the southern plains, offers wildlife, jeep safaris, canoeing and cycling. The writer recommends it to physically active travellers who like adventure and fresh air. He also hangs out with local people in the evening.

Pokhara: lakes and mountains. Pokhara gives the most beautiful scenery of his trip. Visitors can go paragliding and trekking, and can walk up to a hill such as Sarangkot to watch the sunrise over the Himalayan ranges. He enjoys boating, local food and the peaceful atmosphere.

Leaving. When the time comes to leave, the writer is so sad that he nearly cries. The message of the title is that one should expect the unexpected: a journey will give you more than you planned for.

Glossary

Word	Meaning	Example
nestled	lying in a sheltered, comfortable position	The village nestled among the hills.
a riot of colour	a bright mixture of many colours	The garden was a riot of colour.
mural	a painting made directly on a wall	Artists painted a mural on the school wall.
grisly	frightening and horrible	Prita screamed when he saw the grisly spider.
privilege	a special advantage or honour	It is our privilege to study in this school.
vestige	a small trace left of something	He showed no vestige of regret.
cremation	burning of a dead body in a funeral	Hindu cremation takes place on the river bank.
sadhu	a Hindu holy man	The sadhu blessed the visitors.
paragliding	flying with a light wing-like parachute	Paragliding is popular in Pokhara.

Where to do what

Activity	Kathmandu	Chitwan	Pokhara
Cycle around villages	✔	✔	✔
Visit Durbar squares	✔
Paragliding			✔
Hang out with locals at night	✔	✔
Meet sadhus and photograph them	✔
Walk up a hill to see the Himalayas			✔
Watch the sunrise			✔ (Sarangkot)
Jeep safari, canoeing		✔

Language and style notes

Feature	Example in the travelogue	Why it works
First-person voice	"I was amazed by …"	The reader shares the traveller's surprise
Sensory detail	colourful walls, smiling faces, sunrise over the Himalayas	We can picture the places
Contrast	a cremation by the river beside a lively temple	Surprise is the point of the title
Recommendations	Chitwan "for physically active travellers"	A travelogue also advises the reader
Emotional ending	nearly crying on leaving	Leaves a lasting impression

Comprehension questions with model answers

A. Objective questions (1 mark each)

1. Which place is known for the sunrise view? [1]aPashupatinathbSarangkotcSaurahadPatan
2. The writer recommends Chitwan to [1]aelderly peoplebphysically active travellerscbusinessmendpilgrims only
3. Nepalis perceive death as [1]aa punishmentba secretcan everyday experienceda festival
4. Write True or False: Nepal was colonised by a foreign country. [1]

Answers — objective

1. (b) Sarangkot.

2. (b) physically active travellers.

3. (c) an everyday experience.

4. False. Nepal was never colonised.

B. Short questions (2 marks each)

1. Mention the three things that amazed the writer in Kathmandu. [2]
2. What shows that street art is rising in Kathmandu? [2]
3. Name the two World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu mentioned in the text. [2]
4. What does Chitwan National Park offer to its visitors? [2]
5. Write any two things visitors can do in Pokhara. [2]
6. How did the writer feel on leaving Nepal? [2]

Answers — short

1. The murals painted on the street walls, the smiles on people's faces and the outdoor cremation at Pashupatinath.

2. The colourful murals on the walls of the city show that street art is rising.

3. The Pashupatinath temple and the Durbar squares.

4. It offers wildlife, jeep safaris, canoeing and cycling.

5. Visitors can go paragliding and trekking (also boating and watching the sunrise from Sarangkot).

6. He felt very sad and nearly cried when he left Nepal.

C. Long questions (4 marks each)

1. Why did the writer find Pashupatinath amazing? [4]
2. If you were given the opportunity to visit one of the places in the text, which one would it be? Give reasons. [4]

Answers — long

1. The writer found Pashupatinath amazing for several reasons. It is a World Heritage Site with old temples on the bank of the Bagmati river. There he met sadhus who were happy to be photographed. Above all, he saw an outdoor cremation, something he had never seen before. He learned that Nepalis accept death as an ordinary part of life, and this made his think differently about life and death.

2. (Open answer.) I would choose Pokhara. I would like to watch the sunrise from Sarangkot and see the Himalayas turn golden. I would go boating on Phewa lake, try paragliding and eat local food. Pokhara combines mountains, a lake and peace, and no othis place in the text offers all these together.

14.2 Weathers

The poet

Thomas Hardy (1840–1928) was an English novelist and poet born in Dorset, in the south-west of England. He wrote famous novels such as Far from the Madding Crowd (1874), The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886), Tess of the d'Urbervilles (1891) and Jude the Obscure (1895), set in an imaginary region he called Wessex. After the hostile reception of Jude, he gave up novels and turned entirely to poetry, publishing his first volume, Wessex Poems, in 1898. "Weathers" appeared in his collection Late Lyrics and Earlier (1922). Hardy's poems often look at ordinary country life, the seasons and the passing of time.

The poem

The poem has two stanzas of nine lines each. Each stanza describes one kind of weather and ends with the same short refrain, "And so do I". The refrain tells us how the speaker feels: in the first stanza he enjoys the weather as the cuckoo does, and in the second he dislikes the weather as the shepherd does.

This is the weather the cuckoo likes, / And so do I; … This is the weather the shepherd shuns, / And so do I; …

Summary and explanation

Stanza 1 — spring weather. This is the weather that the cuckoo likes, and so does the poet: light showers falling on the pointed buds of the chestnut tree and young birds learning to fly. The little brown nightingale sings its best. People sit outdoors at the inn called The Travellers' Rest. Young girls come out in light summer dresses ("sprig-muslin"). Town-dwellers dream of travelling to the south and west of England. Everything is bright, active and hopeful.

Stanza 2 — winter weather. This is the weather the shepherd avoids, and so does the poet. The beech trees drip with rain and their leaves turn brown and dull (duns); the wind threshes (beats) them. Tides hidden in the hills throb with each wave. Meadow streams overflow. Drops of water hang in a row from the bars of the gate. The rooks, black birds, go home in families. Everything is dark, wet and uncomfortable.

Theme and symbol

On the surface, the poem is a charming description of two kinds of weather. Underneath, "weathers" stands for the bright and dark phases of human life. Spring is happiness, youth and hope; winter is hardship and sorrow. Hardy accepts both: the refrain "And so do I" shows that he shares the likes and dislikes of ordinary creatures, the cuckoo and the shepherd. The poem celebrates the simple pleasures of an English spring and reminds us that each season, like each part of life, has its character.

Glossary

Word	Meaning
showers	short, light falls of rain
bills	sings (the poet's old use)
maids	young women
betumble	to throw into disorder; to tumble about
nestlings	baby birds still in the nest
shuns	avoids; dislikes
duns	dull greyish-brown colours
throb	to beat with a strong, regular rhythm
rivulets	small streams

Comprehension questions with model answers

A. Objective questions (1 mark each)

1. The poet of "Weathers" is [1]aWordsworthbHardycWhitmandKipling
2. The bird that likes the spring weather is the [1]acrowbcuckoochawkdowl
3. The shepherd dislikes [1]athe winter weatherbthe spring weathercthe summer moondhis sheep
4. Write True or False: The poet enjoys both the spring and the winter weather. [1]

Answers — objective

1. (b) Hardy.

2. (b) cuckoo.

3. (a) the winter weather.

4. False. He enjoys the spring and shuns the winter weather.

B. Short questions (2 marks each)

1. What do the nestlings do in the spring? [2]
2. What does the nightingale do? [2]
3. How do the girls come out in spring? [2]
4. What plan do people make in spring? [2]
5. What happens to the beeches in winter? [2]
6. Where do the rooks go? [2]

Answers — short

1. The nestlings fly in the spring.

2. The nightingale sings its very best.

3. The girls come out wearing light sprig-muslin dresses.

4. People dream of travelling to the south and west.

5. The beeches drip with rain and turn dull brown, and the wind beats their leaves.

6. The rooks go home to their nests in families.

C. Long questions (4 marks each)

1. Does the poet enjoy the winter or the spring? Why? [4]
2. In which season would you like to travel? Why? [4]

Answers — long

1. The poet enjoys the spring. In the first stanza he says that he likes the same weather as the cuckoo: gentle showers, young birds flying, the nightingale singing, people sitting outside and girls in light dresses. In the second stanza, he says that he shuns the same weather as the shepherd, when beeches drip, streams overflow and everything is wet and dull. The refrain "And so do I" in both stanzas shows that he shares those feelings. Spring stands for the bright side of life and winter for the dark side.

2. (Open answer.) I would like to travel in autumn. In Nepal, September to November has clear skies, mild temperatures and the clearest views of the mountains. The paths are dry and the rivers have calmed down after the monsoon. There are also big festivals, such as Dashain and Tihar, which make the journey more joyful. Spring is also good, but autumn is the best.

14.3 Grammar and writing tasks

Grammar I and II — Question tags

A question tag is a short question added to the end of a statement. It asks the listener to agree or confirm: It is a lovely day, isn't it? It is made of an auxiliary verb + pronoun.

The main rule: opposite polarity. A positive statement takes a negative tag; a negative statement takes a positive tag.

Statement	Tag	Example
positive	negative	Ram is working, isn't he?
negative	positive	They don't need to come, do they?

Forming the tag, step by step

1. Find the auxiliary verb in the statement (is, are, was, have, can, will …). Repeat it in the tag.
2. If there is no auxiliary, use do / does / did (present simple, past simple).
3. Reverse the polarity (add or remove not; use contractions: isn't, don't, haven't).
4. Use the pronoun that stands for the subject (Ram → he, the girls → they, this → it, there → there).

Special cases

Sentence type	Tag	Example
I am	aren't I?	I am right, aren't I?
Imperative (command)	will you? / won't you?	Shut the door, will you? Don't forget, will you?
Let's	shall we?	Let's have some fun, shall we?
Let us (request)	will you?	Let us chat, will you?
Negative words (never, hardly, rarely, scarcely, seldom, nobody, nothing, none) make the statement negative	positive tag	He never came again, did he? Nobody knows, do they?
Everyone, someone, nobody, everybody, none	they	Everyone will be satisfied, won't they?
Nothing, everything, something, this, that	it	Nothing happened, did it? Everything is fine, isn't it?
There is / there are	there	There is a shop nearby, isn't there?
Have to / has to / had to	do / does / did	You have to go, don't you?
Used to	didn't	He used to smoke, didn't he?
I think / I believe / I suppose + clause	tag follows the clause	I think he's busy, isn't he? I don't think he'll come, will he?
I'd rather	wouldn't I?	I'd rather go, wouldn't I?
I shan't	shall I?	I shan't be there, shall I?
Have as a main verb (possession)	haven't / don't	He's got a voice, hasn't he? He has a bath daily, doesn't he?

Exercise 1. Add suitable question tags.

1. This will work, ______?
2. I couldn't help it, ______?
3. You don't really love her, ______?
4. The weather is bad, ______?
5. You won't be late, ______?
6. Nobody knows, ______?
7. You have a bath daily, ______?
8. You couldn't help me, ______?
9. Shut up, ______?
10. She has been working hard all day, ______?
11. He was admitted to hospital last night, ______?
12. Don't forget, ______?
13. Let's have some fun, ______?
14. Your phone didn't break down, ______?
15. The car sped along the road, ______?
16. Everything is okay, ______?

Exercise 2. Add question tags to these tricky sentences.

1. She can rarely come these days, ______?
2. You hardly ever came late, ______?
3. I barely know you, ______?
4. Nothing came in the post, ______?
5. I am right, ______?
6. I don't think he'll come soon, ______?
7. Let's not have cold drinks, ______?
8. There is a coffee shop near the gate, ______?
9. Ram seldom plays cards, ______?
10. None met me last week, ______?
11. Everyone will be satisfied with my job, ______?
12. I'd rather go travelling, ______?

Writing I — A travelogue

A travelogue is a personal account of a journey. Write it in the first person and mostly in the past tense. Include sights, activities, people, food and your feelings. Keep a lively, descriptive style and give the piece a title.

Part	What to write
Title	catchy, e.g. A Weekend in the Hills of Ilam
Opening	where, when, with whom, why you went
Journey	how you travelled; what you saw on the road
Main part	the main attractions and activities; people, food, culture
Feelings	what surprised or pleased you
Closing	return; what you learned; a wish to go again

Model travelogue — A Day at Phewa Lake.

Last Dashain holiday, my parents, my sister and I travelled by bus from Kathmandu to Pokhara. The road ran beside the Trishuli and Marsyangdi rivers, and green hills rose on every side. We reached Lakeside in the late afternoon, and the first sight of Phewa Lake took my breath away. The still water mirrored the Machhapuchhre peak, and colourful boats lay along the shore.

Early next morning, we drove up to Sarangkot to watch the sunrise. It was cold, but when the sun rose behind the Annapurna range, the snow turned from pink to gold. I had never seen anything so beautiful. In the afternoon we rowed a boat to the island temple of Tal Barahi and later visited Devi's Fall and a cave. In the evening we ate momos and dal bhat in a small restaurant and talked with a friendly shopkeeper, who told us stories of the town.

I was surprised that so much beauty could be seen in a single day. We returned to Kathmandu tired, happy and full of memories. I hope to go there again, perhaps to try paragliding.

Writing II — A brochure

A brochure is a short, folded leaflet that promotes a place, product or service. It uses headings, short phrases and bullet points instead of long paragraphs, and attractive, persuasive words (breathtaking, peaceful, unforgettable).

Task. Prepare a brochure of a tourist place in your locality, including: name, location, accessibility, major attractions, entry requirements and contact information.

Model brochure.

Welcome to Rara Lake — The Queen of Lakes

Location: Mugu district, Karnali Province, north-west Nepal, at about 2,990 m, inside Rara National Park.

How to get there: Fly Kathmandu → Nepalgunj → Talcha airport (Jumla/Mugu side), then a short drive or walk. Trekking routes also run from Jumla.

Major attractions: - Nepal's largest lake, with clear blue water - Forests of pine, spruce and juniper - Red panda, musk deer and many birds - Snow-capped peaks and the sunrise from the viewpoint

Entry requirements: National park entry permit; Karnali trekking permit for some routes. Carry warm clothes.

Best season: April–June and September–November.

Contact: Rara National Park Office, Mugu. Phone: 0XX-XXXXXX. Email: info@example.com.

Come, breathe the clean air and see the lake that has no equal in Nepal!

Chapter summary

• "Expect the Unexpected": a travelogue on Kathmandu (murals, smiles, Pashupatinath and Durbar squares as World Heritage Sites; Nepalis see death as everyday), Chitwan (wildlife, jeep safari, canoeing; for active travellers) and Pokhara (paragliding, trekking, Sarangkot sunrise).
• "Weathers" (Thomas Hardy, 1922): two nine-line stanzas with the refrain "And so do I". Spring weather (cuckoo, nightingale, chestnut showers, girls in sprig-muslin) is liked; winter weather (shepherd, brown beeches, overflowing streams, rooks going home) is shunned. Weather symbolises the bright and dark sides of life.
• Question tags: reverse the polarity; repeat the auxiliary (or use do/does/did); use the pronoun for the subject.
• Special tags: aren't I; will you (imperative); shall we (let's); they (everyone, nobody); it (nothing, everything); negatives like hardly, never take positive tags.
• A travelogue is personal, in the past tense; a brochure uses headings and bullets to persuade.

Practice questions

Reading comprehension

Lumbini, in the western Terai, is the birthplace of Lord Buddha and one of Nepal's World Heritage Sites. Pilgrims and tourists from many countries visit the Maya Devi Temple and the sacred garden every year. A pillar erected by Emperor Ashoka in 249 BCE still marks the spot. Monasteries built by different countries line the Monastery Zone, and a peaceful canal runs through the park. Visitors are asked to remove their shoes in the temple and to keep silence.

1. Where is Lumbini? [1]
2. Who erected the pillar? [1]
3. Write True or False: Visitors may wear shoes inside the temple. [1]
4. Why do people visit Lumbini? [2]
5. What is found in the Monastery Zone? [2]
6. In about 50 words, say why Lumbini is important. [4]

Answers

1. In the western Terai of Nepal.

2. Emperor Ashoka.

3. False.

4. It is the birthplace of Lord Buddha, so pilgrims come to pray and tourists to see the Maya Devi Temple and the sacred garden.

5. Monasteries built by different countries.

6. Lumbini is important because Lord Buddha was born there. It is a World Heritage Site, a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists of the world and a symbol of peace. It also brings tourists and income to Nepal.

Grammar

1. Add a tag: "She plays the piano." [1]
2. Add a tag: "They haven't arrived." [1]
3. Add a tag: "Open the window." [1]
4. Add a tag: "Nobody called me." [1]
5. Add a tag: "Let's go for a walk." [1]
6. Add a tag: "I am late." [1]
7. Add a tag: "He hardly ever speaks." [1]
8. Add a tag: "There are two exits." [1]
9. Add a tag: "Everyone enjoyed the trip." [1]
10. Add a tag: "You had met her before." [1]

Answers

1. doesn't she

2. have they

3. will you

4. did they

5. shall we

6. aren't I

7. does he

8. aren't there

9. didn't they

10. hadn't you

Writing

1. Write a travelogue of about 200 words on a trip you made with your school. [5]
2. Prepare a brochure for Chitwan National Park. [5]

Outline for answers

1. Title; opening with place, date and companions; journey; main sights and activities; food and people; feelings; return.

2. Name; location (Chitwan, Bagmara, Terai); accessibility (road from Kathmandu 5–6 hours, flights to Bharatpur); attractions (one-horned rhino, Bengal tiger, gharial, birds, jeep safari, canoe, Tharu culture); entry (park permit, guide); contact; best season (October–March).