1ST,2ND,3RD SEMESTER ENGLISH NOTES BY SOMU M.SC MARINE BIOLOGY AND FISHERIES ANDHRA UNIVERSITY VIZAG

2. ON SHAKING HANDS                                   - A.G. Gardiner Q. What are A.G. Gardiner’s views on the custom of  Shaking Hands?      A.G. Gardiner is a popular essayist. He used to write the essays under the pen name “Alpha of the Plough”. His essays are humorous and thoughtful.      In his essay “On Shaking hands” he comments on the western practice of shaking hands. It is a social custom.  Generally we shake hands when we meet or part.  It is a symbol of courtesy. People in the world have their own forms of greetings.  The Japanese bows, the Chinese moves the hand, the Russian hugs and the Indian Salaams.  The Arab touches breast with the tips of fingers. But the disorderly kissing of the English seems to be indecent.     ...

    1. THE SCIENTIFIC POINT OF VIEW                             ----J. B. S. Haldane                                                                                                   Q. How is the scientist superior to God according to J. B. S. Haldane?       In the essay ‘The Scientific Point of View’, J. B. S. Haldane opposes superstition and supports rational thinking.  He says that science affects us in two ways. We are benefited by its appreciations in one way and it affects our opinions in the other way.  Haldane says that the scientist is superior to God. The scientist works out the results of many actions....

The Knowledge Society Abdul Kalam - Former President of India The Knowledge Society A Brief Summary Bharat Ratna, Dr A.P.J.Abdul Kalam is the former president of India.”The Knowledge Society” is taken from his book “Ignited Minds”. Kalam says that poverty can be wiped out only by mixing our past heritage and present-day knowledge. According to Kalam, India is a land of knowledge and it must rediscover itself its past legacy. The foreign invasions and the colonial rule weakened India considerably. Knowledge has many forms and it is available at several places. It is in academic institutions, at workplaces, in learning skills from people such as artists, craftsmen, hakims, philosophers and saints. It is available from our heritage, history and epics. Kalam says that Knowledge is important for prosperity and power. In India, we had the tradition of passing knowledge from guru to shishya. Foreign travelers wrote about our Ancient Indian Universities like Nalanda. Agri...

The Road Not Taken - Robert Frost Two Roads Diverged in a Yellow Wood The Road Not Taken In “The Road Not Taken,” the speaker arrives at a place where his path diverges in a yellow wood. He is unable to see what lies ahead. He examines both roads. He thinks one of the roads to be less used. He realizes that perhaps both roads are equally travelled and regrets that he will probably never return to take the other path. The contradictions continue. He decides to save the first, probably, more travelled route for another day. Then he confesses that he does not think it probable that he will return. This suggests that this seemingly casual and inconsequential choice is really likely to be crucial. It may be one of the choices of life that involves commitment. It may lead away from the traveller forever from the original stopping place. In the end, he picks the one that has seen the least use, concluding that this has made a significant difference in his life. The s...