Road Accidents in Nepal: Are Poor Roads Solely to Blame? / Poem: Long Life

Unit 18 is about giving opinions. Reading I is an opinion article by Sugam Gautam from The Himalayan Times, arguing that road accidents in Nepal are caused not only by poor roads but also by careless, young and drunk drivers. Reading II is a short poem by Tricia Mae Chua, Long Life, about how to spend our time. The grammar is too and enough and subject–verb agreement. In writing you write opinion essays and punctuate a paragraph.

18.1 Reading I: Road Accidents in Nepal — Are Poor Roads Solely to Blame?

The writer's argument

Thesis: when we read about accidents we blame the government and road builders, but poor roads are not the only cause; drivers are largely responsible.

Cause	Points in the article	Solutions suggested
Driver negligence	driving is personal; responsibility for safety lies mostly with drivers	—
Young riders	motorbikes are popular (cheap, can manoeuvre through congestion); most riders are 18–40, an age with less control of emotions; youths ride very fast; safe driving needs discipline, experience and maturity	raise the minimum licence age from 16 to 20 or more; parents and schools should monitor youngsters; schools/colleges can restrict riding until 20; parents should not hurry to buy vehicles
Drink-driving	driving needs concentration; one slight mistake can kill	drivers must not drink before driving; punish and educate offenders; strict checks at city checkpoints; enough traffic police
Poor roads	narrow lanes, countless potholes; roads too narrow for two vehicles; monsoon landslides block hill roads for days	the Department of Roads and the Department of Transport Management should coordinate

Conclusion: both people and infrastructure must improve. (Note: the article repeats one paragraph almost word for word — a sign that it was edited quickly.)

Vocabulary (Exercise A)

a. witnessed b. infrastructure c. congestion d. perspective e. coordination f. ordeal

Comprehension (Exercise B) — model answers

a. Who do we curse for road accidents, according to the writer? People in power and those responsible for the poor construction of roads.

b. Why are motorbikes popular in Nepal? Mainly because they are cheaper than cars, and they can move through traffic congestion.

c. Why should parents and schools monitor youngsters? Because young people lack the discipline, experience and maturity needed for safe driving and often ride at very high speed.

d. What measures should be taken to stop drink-driving? Drivers should not drink before driving; offenders should be punished and made aware; there should be strict checking at checkpoints and enough traffic officers.

e. What is the main cause of road accidents in your opinion? Sample: In my opinion, the main cause is careless driving — over-speeding, overtaking on curves and drink-driving — made worse by narrow, damaged roads and old vehicles.

18.2 Speaking: asking for and giving opinions

Asking	Giving	Agreeing	Disagreeing
What do you think about…?	In my opinion, …	That's a good point.	I don't think so.
Don't you think…?	I think / I believe…	I agree with you.	I don't quite agree with you.
How do you feel about…?	As far as I'm concerned, …	I agree to some extent, but…	I'm afraid I disagree.

Celebrities earn too much money. — I agree to some extent; doctors and teachers work harder but earn far less. / The internet is a good source of learning. — In my opinion, it is, if we check that the information is reliable.

18.3 Grammar I: Subject–verb agreement

Rule	Example
Two subjects joined by and → plural	My uncle and aunt come every Friday.
Everyone, everybody, each, someone → singular	Everyone needs time to relax.
One of + plural noun → singular	One of my friends was living there.
Some of / all of / most of + plural noun → plural; + uncountable → singular	Some of the books are missing. Some of the milk is sour.
A relative clause does not change the subject	My friends who are in the band want me to play.
Amounts of money, distance, time as one unit → singular	One hundred rupees is not enough. Five kilometres is a long distance.
or / either…or / neither…nor → nearer subject	You or he is responsible.
Trousers, scissors, glasses → plural	Your trousers look new.
Subjects ending in -ics (linguistics, mathematics, physics) and news → singular	Linguistics is her favourite subject.
There is/are agrees with the noun after it	There is time. There are two buses.
A gerund subject → singular	Participating in sports reduces stress.

Textbook answers (Grammar I B)

a. come b. is c. want d. needs e. look f. are g. was h. is i. is j. is k. is

18.4 Reading II: Poem — Long Life

What the poem says

The poem has four stanzas. The first two begin "Life is too short to be spent…" and list things not worth our time; the last two begin "Life is just long enough…" and list things worth doing.

Life is too short for…	Life is long enough for…
griping (complaining) about the past	enjoying the beauty of a sunrise
things you don't have, places you haven't seen, things you haven't done	the smell of wet earth
holding grievances against others	the sound of laughter after a long day's work
finding fault in your brother	practising compassion and generosity
counting the wrongs done to you	comforting the grieving, giving strength to the fainthearted and direction to the lost

Theme: life is short or long depending on how we use it; do not waste it on complaints and grudges — enjoy simple pleasures and be kind to others. Structure: free verse; repetition (anaphora) of the opening lines; contrast between the first and second halves; the poem speaks to the reader as "you".

Vocabulary (Exercise A)

a–vi (griping: moaning), b–iii (grievances: complaints), c–vii (fault), d–i (compassion), e–iv (generosity), f–v (fainthearted). (ii is extra.)

Summary (Exercise B)

…too short to waste our time in worrying about the past, finding others' faults and wrongdoings. But it is long enough to enjoy nature-made beauty and have compassion and kindness for the needy.

Comprehension (Exercise C) — model answers

a. How do people make their lives short? By wasting time complaining about the past and what they lack, holding grudges, finding fault in others and counting the wrongs done to them.

b. What can we do with our life if it is long enough? Enjoy simple beauties like a sunrise, the smell of wet earth and laughter, and practise compassion and generosity — comforting the sad, encouraging the weak and guiding the lost.

c. Who does "you" refer to? The reader — every one of us.

d. How would you like to live your life? Sample: I would like to live happily without grudges, enjoy nature and my family, and help people who need me.

18.5 Grammar II: too and enough

Pattern	Meaning	Example
too + adjective/adverb (+ for someone) + to-infinitive	more than needed → negative result	The tea is too hot to drink. (We can't drink it.)
adjective/adverb + enough (+ for someone) + to-infinitive	as much as needed → positive result	Akash was strong enough to lift the suitcase.
not + adjective + enough	less than needed	She is not old enough to marry.
enough + noun	sufficient quantity	We have enough time.

Rewriting: too young = not old enough; too far = not near enough; too short = not tall enough; too expensive = not cheap enough.

Textbook answers

Grammar II A: a. similar b. similar c. similar d. different (i says they can lift it; ii says it is too light — illogical) e. similar

Grammar II B: a. strong b. sociable c. intelligent d. smart e. weak f. expensive (too and enough go with adjectives, not nouns)

Grammar II C: a. It's not near enough for me to reach there on time. b. Samata is not old enough to wear a saree. c. My bag is not too heavy to carry. d. Sangam is not old enough to drive a motorbike. e. Priya is too short to reach the ceiling.

18.6 Writing: punctuation and opinion essays

Punctuation (Writing II A) — corrected

How do you spend your holiday? I usually do a lot of activities: clean rooms, do shopping, visit new places, watch movies, etc. Yesterday, I cleaned my room. My best friend's parents like the quality of my cleaning. Last year, they visited our house and saw my cleaning. He said, "Wow! I love the way you decorate your room." While I was cleaning, I dropped an ink bottle. It broke into pieces. It was really tough to clean the floor, as the floor turned red because of the smashed bottle. I wiped a painting which was gifted to me by my uncle on my birthday. We celebrated it on January 22, 2023. The day was a memorable one.

Opinion essay format

Introduction (topic + definition + your opinion) → body (2–3 reasons with examples; the other side) → conclusion (sum up, restate opinion).

Model answer — The Importance of Extracurricular Activities (Writing I)

Introduction. Extracurricular activities are activities students do outside the regular classroom lessons, such as sports, music, dance, debate, quiz contests, scouting, the Junior Red Cross and eco clubs. In my opinion, they are an essential part of a good education.

Body. Firstly, these activities keep students physically and mentally healthy. Games like football and volleyball build fitness and reduce stress after long hours of study. Secondly, they develop skills that books cannot teach: debates and speech contests build confidence and public speaking, while group activities teach teamwork, leadership and discipline. Thirdly, they help students discover their talents; many famous athletes and artists first showed their skills in school competitions.

However, there are challenges. Some schools lack playgrounds, equipment and trained teachers, and some students spend so much time on activities that their studies suffer. Parents sometimes see them as a waste of time.

Conclusion. In short, extracurricular activities make students healthy, confident and skilful. Schools should provide facilities and a balanced timetable, and students should manage their time wisely so that activities and studies support each other.

Writing II B (restaurant vs homemade food) — choose one side, e.g. I prefer homemade food because it is cleaner, healthier and cheaper; restaurant food is tasty and convenient but often oily and expensive. Give two or three reasons, mention the other view, and conclude.

18.7 Pronunciation and project work

Road words — stress: con'gestion, 'infrastructure, 'witness, pe'destrian, ma'noeuvre, 'jaywalking, 'mishap, 'motorways, 'transport (noun) / trans'port (verb), 'safeguarding.

Project work: survey five friends on the best way to learn English, their favourite subject, clothes and how to make friends; present the results.

Chapter summary

• Road accidents: not only poor roads but driver negligence, young fast riders and drink-driving; solutions — raise licence age, monitor youth, strict checks, better roads through coordination.
• Long Life: too short for complaints and grudges; long enough for beauty, laughter, compassion and generosity.
• too + adj + to (negative result); adj + enough + to (positive result); too young = not old enough.
• Agreement: and → plural; everyone / one of / amounts / -ics → singular; or → nearer subject; some of + plural → plural.
• Opinion essay: introduction with opinion → reasons and examples → other side → conclusion.

Practice questions

Reading

1. Answer from the texts. [5]aWhich three qualities does safe driving need?bTo what age does the writer want the licence age raised?cWhich two departments should coordinate?dName two things life is long enough for.eWhat does "griping" mean?

Answers — Reading

1. (a) Discipline, experience and maturity. (b) To 20 or more. (c) The Department of Roads and the Department of Transport Management. (d) Enjoying the beauty of a sunrise; practising compassion (any two). (e) Complaining/moaning.

Grammar

2. Choose the correct verb. [5]aEach of the boys (has/have) a bag.bMathematics (is/are) easy for me.cNeither Ram nor his friends (was/were) there.dThe news (is/are) true.eBread and butter (is/are) my breakfast.
3. Rewrite using the word in brackets. [3]aThe box is too heavy for me to lift. (enough)bHe is not tall enough to play basketball. (too)cThe water is very cold; we can't swim. (too)

Answers — Grammar

2. (a) has (b) is (c) were (d) is (e) is (one dish)

3. (a) The box is not light enough for me to lift. (b) He is too short to play basketball. (c) The water is too cold (for us) to swim in.

Writing

4. Write an opinion essay: "Should students be allowed to ride motorbikes to school?" [5]

Answer — Writing

4. Clear opinion; reasons (safety, age and licence rules, maturity, cost, alternatives such as bicycles and school buses); the other side (saves time, lack of transport); conclusion restating the opinion; connectives.