Topic outline

  • General

  • Unit 1 :The geography of Rwanda

    You will develop these skills

    • Use the present perfect tense.

    • Use the passive voice.

    • Use the present perfect tense with ‘since’

    .• Identify and use paragraphs, headings and numbering

    .• List and use vocabulary referring to the physical geography, population, farming and trade of Rwanda.

    Quick check

    Rwanda is famous for its wildlife, like gorillas, zebra and giraffe. Have you been to see the mountain gorillas of Rwanda? What other geographical features of Rwanda do you know about?

    Geography is the study of the physical features of the Earth and its atmosphere. It includes human activities, such as farming and mining, as these activities affect, and are affected by, the physical features of the Earth. Human activities include the distribution of populations and resources, and political and economic activities. In this unit, you will use and improve your English language to learn about the geography of Rwanda.

    The land of a thousand hills

    When we write a geographical description of a country, we must give it a title so that readers know what we are writing about. This is called the main heading. We then group our information into paragraphs so that similar information is together. This helps the writing make sense. Each paragraph starts on a new line. We may also use a subheading for each new section, to show the reader that it contains important new facts.

    Read about the location of Rwanda

    The Republic of Rwanda is a landlocked country located in the central African region. It is bordered by the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the West, Uganda in the North, Tanzania in the East and Burundi in the South. Rwanda covers an area of 26 338 km2, 1 390 km2 of which is water.

    The capital city is called Kigali, and the country is composed of five provinces, namely:

    •Northern Province

    •Southern Province

    •Eastern Province

    •Western Province

    •City of Kigali.


    Activity 1: Discuss the location of Rwanda

    1. Look at the map and find the province that you live in.

    2. Name the main provincial town.

    3. In your groups, discuss the different provinces and share what you know about them.

    landlocked completely surrounded by land

    Activity 2: Write about your province

    Write a description of your province. Use a main heading and paragraphs. Make sure that you include the names of the province, the main provincial town, the neighbouring provinces and any mountains, lakes or rivers.

    Grammar focus

    Use the present perfect tense

    The present perfect tense is used to describe something that happened in the past, but the exact time it happened is not important. We also use this tense when we want to talk about unfinished actions that started in the past and continue to the present. We use the verbs ‘has’ or ‘have’ + past participle.


    Read about the physical features of Rwanda

    Rwanda is known as the land of a thousand hills. It has steep mountains and deep valleys. Most of Rwanda is situated over 1 520 m above sea level and its highest point is the Karisimbi volcanowhich is 4 507 m high. The Karisimbi volcano is situated in the Virunga mountain range, which runs to the North of Lake Kivu.


    volcano a mountain from which molten lava, rock fragments, ash, dust, and gases from below the Earth’s surface are ejected

    The vegetation of Rwanda is varied and includes grassland and savannahas well as steep, forested mountainsides. Rwanda has an abundance of wildlife including gorillas, hippos, chimpanzees, storks and cranes.

    The main rivers of Rwanda are the Mwogo, Rukarara, Mukungwa, Base, Ruhondo, Akagera, Nyabarongo and the Akanyaru. Rwanda also contains many lakes. The main lakes are Lakes Kivu, Cyohoha, Muhazi, Ihema, Rweru, Burera, Ruhondo and Mugesera.


    Activity 3: Use the present perfect tense

    Fill in the blanks in the following sentences, using the present perfect tense.

    1. _______ you been to see the gorillas?

    2. My cousin from America _______ visited Rwanda.

    3. I _______ walked around Lake Kiva.

    4. I _______ not yet visited Lake Rweru and Lake Ihema.

    5. Sentwali thinks that he _______ _______ a picture of the Karisimbi volcano.

    savannah open, flat grasslands

    abundance plenty

    Grammar focus

    Using the present perfect tense with ‘since’When we use the present perfect, we can specify a period of time before now by using the word ‘since’ and a point in time. For example:

    • She has lived here since 1980.

    • We have taught at this school since 1965.

    • We have been learning English since we were in primary school.

    Read about the population of Rwanda

    The population of Rwanda was about 12 million in 2014. In 2010 the population was 10.5 million. It is believed that the population is now growing at a rapid rate of about 2.6%. Since 2002 the population has increased by 2% per annum. However, since 1995 the death rate has fallen by 3% per annum. It is also worth noting that the fertility rate in Rwanda is very high, since a Rwandan mother has five children on average. Rwanda is believed to be the most densely populated country in Africa. By 2015, males represented 49.1% of the total population and females represented 50.9%

    The population is united by homogeneity of language and culture, which has created a group of people with socio-cultural pride and self-esteem.

    Activity 4: Use the present perfect tense with ‘since’

    1. Write down the two present perfect sentences from the passage above that use ‘since’.

    2. Write a sentence about the birth rate and death rate in Rwanda using the present perfect tense with ‘since.’

    3. Complete the following sentences with your own words:

    a) Since the population has become a united homogenous group, _______.

    b) The population of Rwanda has grown by 1.5 million since _______ .

    4. Write sentences of your own about the population in Rwanda, using ‘since’ with the present perfect tense.

    Read about the climate of Rwanda

    Rwanda is located a few degrees South of the equator. The country is characterised by moderate temperatures and ample rainfall. The climate of Rwanda is influenced by the country's diverse physical features. The most mountainous province is the Northern Province, which is characterised by low temperatures and relatively high rainfall.

    There are two rainy seasons, namely between March and May, and between September and December. The average rainfall is 110–190mm per month. The hottest months are always June, July and August. There is a dry spell during January and February. The average temperature is between 25°C and 27°C.

    Activity 5: Interpret a graph

    The following graph shows Kigali’s average temperature and rainfall. Examine the graph and answer the questions that follow.

    1. What is the average temperature in January?

    2. What is the hottest month of the year?

    3. In which month does the most rain fall?

    4. Give the name of the x-axis.

    5. Give the name of the y-axes.

    6. Write a short paragraph about average rainfall and temperature patterns at Kigali.

    Grammar focus

    Use the passive voice

    The passive voice happens when you make the object of an action into the subject of a sentence. For example, instead of writing: The seagull caught a fish, we can write: The fish was caught by the seagull.In the first sentence, ‘the seagull’ is the subject of the sentence and ‘the fish’ is the object of the sentence. In the second sentence, we have put ‘the fish’ first and made it into the subject of the sentence.A way to identify the passive voice is to look for a form of the verb 'to be' + past participle. If we change ‘the chicken crossed the road’ to ‘the road was crossed by the chicken’, we can identify the passive voice by ‘was crossed’. This is the verb 'to be' and the past participle of 'cross'.

    Read about the economy of Rwanda

    Trade in Rwanda

    Rwanda has one of the fastest growing economies in Africa. It contains both modern cities, such as Kigali, and small rural villages where traditional farming methods are still used.

    It is the most densely populated country in Africa and has minimal industry.Mining in Rwanda consists of extracting minerals such as tin, tantalum and tungsten.

    The industrial sector is still small and Rwanda imports food products, machinery and equipment, construction materials, petroleum products and fertilisers. The main trading partners are Kenya, Germany, Uganda and Belgium.


    Activity 6: Use the passive voice

    Change the following sentences into the passive voice:

    1. Rwanda imports food products.

    2. People in Rwanda still use traditional farming methods.

    3. Rwanda mines some minerals, such as tin.

    4. Rwanda has a small industrial sector.

    5. Rwanda contains few natural resources.

    Agriculture in Rwanda

    Rwandais a rural country with about 90% of the population engaged in agriculture. Coffee and tea are grown in the highlands where the high altitudes, steep slopes and volcanic soils provide favourable conditions. These cash crops are exported and account for 80% of agricultural exports. Other crops include bananas, beans, sorghum and potatoes.

    Much of the farming in Rwanda is still subsistence farming.Cattle are reared in the grasslands and fish are caught in Lake Kivu. Other agricultural animals include goats, sheep, pigs, chickens and rabbits. Production systems are mostly traditional, although there are a few intensive dairy farms around Kigali.


    agriculture the practice of farming

    cash crops crops grown for sale

    subsistence farming farming just to feed the family

    intensive highly concentrated

    Activity 7: Identify the passive voice

    1. Identify the sentences in the text above that use the passive voice.

    2. Discuss the importance of agriculture in Rwanda, using the passive voice.

    Tourism in Rwanda

    Rwanda has a developing tourism trade. People come from all over the world to experience its natural beauty, to see the gorillas and to visit the volcanoes, waterfalls and rainforests which are home to many different African animals.

    Activity 8: Practise using the passive voice

    Write four sentences about agriculture or tourism in Rwanda, using the passive voice in your sentences.

    Activity 9: Read and understand

    Copy and complete this table with information from the texts on pages 7 and 8. The first question has been done for you.

    Vocabulary, pronunciation and spelling

    Activity 10: Match words and their meanings

    Use your dictionary to look up the words in the left-hand column of the table, and then match them to the correct description in the right-hand column. Make sure that you can pronounce the words correctly

    Writing and understanding

    Activity 11: Write a leaflet for tourists

    The Rwandan Tourism Board has asked you to prepare a leaflet about Rwanda that can be given to tourists.
    • Your leaflet must include information about the geographical features of interest to tourists, for example national parks, climate, lakes and volcanoes. You can refer to the map above for the names of important geographical features.
    • Organise you information so that your leaflet is easy to read and understand. You must make sure that you use headings, paragraphs and numbering.
    • Make use of the present perfect tense and passive voice.

    Ecotourism and environmental awareness

    Rwanda is an emerging ecotourism destination. Ecotourism is tourism that is directed towards encouraging people to visit exotic natural environments. It is a fairly new but very important industry. The money earned from ecotourism helps to support

    conservation efforts and protect wildlife. It also provides jobs in areas where there are often high levels of unemployment. Another benefit of ecotourism is that tourists are educated about biodiversity, the need to protect endangered species and take care of the environment.

    The Nyungwe National Park (NNP) project is an example of a Rwandan ecotourism project. Known as Nyungwe Nziza, or ‘beautiful Nyungwe’, the project is helping to turn NNP into an ecotourism destination. This will help to create employment and provide income for local communities. It will also provide an economic incentive, in the form of revenue, to conserve the park’s rich biodiversity.

    The NNP is a rainforest located in South-Western Rwanda. It borders on Burundi in the South and Lake Kivu and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the West. The NNP includes the largest stretch of remaining mountain in East and Central Africa. It is home to about 310 different bird species, hundreds of butterflies and orchids, and over 75 different species of mammals – including 13 primates (about a quarter of all Africa’s primates).

    Activity 12: Discuss environmental awareness in Rwanda

    1. In your groups, find the NNP on a map.
    2. See how many other Rwandan national parks you can find and name.
    3. Analyse the environmental importance of ecotourism.
    4. Discuss what you think would be the long-term outcome if national parks were not protected and ecotourism was not encouraged.
    5. Research and find out how ecotourism helps both the national economy and local communities.

    Assessment

    1. Choose the correct option to complete the following sentences in the present perfect tense:
    a) He ________ passed his exam.
    have
    has
    haven’t
    hasn’t
    b) He ________ studied for the test.
    have
    has hasn’t
    haven’t (2 marks)
    2. Fill in the missing word:a) Carene has been a professional singer ________ 1989.
    b) Joseph has been a pupil here ________ March. (2 marks)
    3. Rewrite the following sentences using the passive voice:
    a) We set the table.
    b) You do not write the letter.
    c) Does the police officer catch the thief?
    d) He opens the door. (4 marks)
    4. Rewrite the following using paragraphs, a main heading and subheadings: (6 marks)The land of 1000 hills and home of the mountain gorillas. We offer the following three tours to Rwanda’s national parks, where you can see Rwanda’s primates. Mountain Gorilla Safari – 4 Days. This is our shortest safari and captures the essence of Rwanda. It includes a visit to the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park in Northern Rwanda. Rwanda Primate Explorer – 7 Days. This safari is a safari where you trek to the various primates found in Rwanda. You will see the mighty mountain gorilla, chimpanzees, the golden monkeys and the colobus, and there is a chance you will see even more species. Rwanda Discoverer – 7 Days. This safari includes both a visit to the gorillas and the chimps, as well as a visit to the savannahs of Akagera National Park in Eastern Rwanda, where a large variety of animals and birds are found.5. Write a brief description of the beauty of Rwanda. Make sure that you describe its physical features.
    Files: 2

  • Unit 2 : Education and personal development

    You will develop these skills

    • Identify the use of the first conditional, second conditional and ‘could’.

    • List the vocabulary of work and jobs.

    When you leave school, you will have to find a job. Your career depends on your interests, qualifications and training. You need to plan now for what you would like to do in the future. It is important to try to find a job that suits your personality and gives you the opportunity to further your dreams and ambitions.

    Ability at school and educational ambitions

    Before we leave school, we need to decide on a career path.

    Read about educational ambitions

    Some pupils know exactly what they want to do as a career and start working towards it by getting the grades they need in the right subjects. Other pupils have a vague idea, and still others have absolutely no idea at all what they want to do when they leave school.


    It is not a coincidence that the subjects we do well in at school are usually the ones we like best. These are the subjects that are easiest for us to master and to get good grades in. Sometimes we have to work really hard at a subject because we know we need to get a good grade in that subject to be able to study for our chosen career. It is important to make plans for the future while you are still at school. If you do not make plans, you will have no direction.

    Activity 1: What are your favourite subjects?

    In pairs, talk about your favourite school subjects. Your conversation will go something like this.

    Read about skills and talents

    There are many careers available from which to choose. You need to decide what your talents are, and choose a career where you can use these natural talents. What do you enjoy doing? What skills have you developed while doing the things you enjoy? For instance, perhaps you love flowers and plants and already know the names of most of the plants in your area. This love of plants could open up a large choice of careers for you. You could, perhaps, follow a career in botany (the scientific study of plants); horticulture(the science and art of growing fruit, vegetables and other plants); apiculture (the science of beekeeping); floriculture (the study of growing flowering plants) or floral design (the art of arranging flowers – a florist).

    All these different occupations related to a single interest are called a ‘field’. As you can see, one field of work enables you to choose from a wide variety of jobs.It is important to choose a career field in which you can use your interests, abilities and natural talents. The subjects that you choose while you are at school will determine the career field that you go into and the careers that you can choose from.The following table shows the subjects needed for different career fields and some of the careers available within each career field.




    Activity 2: Compare your subjects and career fields

    In which subjects do you perform best? Which subjects do you enjoy the most? Make a list of these subjects and then compare your subjects to those in the table above to see which field you might consider going into.

    Grammar focus

    The first conditional with ‘if’

    Conditional sentences are used to speculate about what could happen. They are used to refer to a possible condition and its probable result in the present or future where the situation is real. For example: If it rains today, you will get wet.The ‘if’ clause (if it rains today) is in the simple present tense, and the main clause (you will get wet) is in the simple future tense.First conditional sentences are based on facts. Most conditional sentences contain the word ‘if’. We do not normally use ‘will’ or ‘would’ in the conditional clause, only in the main clause.

    Examples:

    • If you help me with the dishes, I will help you with your homework.

    • If I have enough money, I will go to Kigali.

    Activity 3: Write conditional sentences

    Complete the following first conditional sentences.

    1. If you work hard, you will ______.

    2. If you invite her, she will ______.

    3. If I am late, I will ______.

    4. If I win first prize, I will ______.

    5. If you need me, you can ______.

    Read a conversation about leaving school

    Listen to the following dialogue between three Standard 4 pupils at Green Hills Academy. Three pupils can each read a part of the dialogue.

    Keza: My teacher says that I must start thinking about what I want to do when I leave school. I’d like to become a doctor. If I get good grades, I will go to university. What jobs are you interested in doing, Mihigo?

    Mihigo: I like writing, so I’d like to work as a journalist.

    Ngabo: That sounds interesting. If you go to university, what will you study?

    Mihigo: I will have to study English and Journalism and then try to get a junior job with a local newspaper. It is difficult to get a job as a journalist. What about you, Ngabo? What would you like to do professionally?

    Ngabo: I would like to get experience in banking. If I go to university, I will study finance.

    Keza: If you want to study finance, you will have to get good marks in Mathematics. It sounds like we all have to work very hard to get the right grades we need!

    Activity 4: Describe your ambitions

    1. In groups, talk about your educational ambitions and career opportunities. Use the phrases ‘I’d like’, ‘I’m interested in’ and ‘If you want to be a ______, you have to ______’.

    2. Write three sentences about your educational ambitions, using an ‘if’ clause.

    Read about job opportunities

    Not everyone wants to go to university. Technical and vocational training are also important options because there are many jobs in Rwanda for skilled craftsmen.

    In Rwanda, the government encourages the establishment of small and medium enterprises, locally known as Agakiriro, because they help to provide employment opportunities for artisans.


    The term ‘Agakiriro’ is derived from Kinyarwanda word ‘Gukira’ which means ‘getting rich’. Agakiriro can therefore be understood as a place where one can get rich. People with small businesses who earn their living by making various products are referred to as Agakiriro artisans.

    The following case study is an example of a young woman who made a successful career out of handcrafts.

    CASE STUDY A successful career in handcrafts

    Angelique Mukashema, a female member of Agakiriro in Nyabihu District, is a member of an association that makes beautiful bags and baskets from banana and other fibres.“These bags are very durable. We weave different fibres to make patterns of all colours, and the bags are beautiful. Our traditional woven baskets are also very popular with the tourists.All the ladies in the association have saved money and improved their families’ lives due to these handcrafts. I have installed biogas at home and bought four cows. One of the other ladies has build a new house. Now lots of others want to be trained so that they can make money too,” Angelique said.

    Activity 5: Write about technical skills

    Write sentences about technical skills, using the sentence: If you learn ______ , you will ______ . For example: If you learn plumbing, you will be able to fix leaky sinks.

    Read about salaries

    When you are deciding on a career, you will also have to consider what you could expect to earn in a particular career. In general, the longer you study, the higher your salary will be.

    This is because you will have gained more knowledge and learned more skills. The following table shows some average salaries earned per annum in different occupations, as well as the level of education required.


    Activity 6: Do research about careers

    1. Research and find out what people earn in the following occupations:

    • teacher

    • farmer

    • shop assistant

    • dentist.

    2. Make a table similar to the one above and fill it in with your findings.

    3. Discuss different career options with your class.

    Read a conversation about education

    Read this conversation between a doctor (Dr George), a lawyer (Joan) and a teacher (Clever).

    Dr George: Hello, Joan. Clever, meet Joan. Joan is the best lawyer we have in town. Joan, this is Clever, he is a teacher at Leafy Wood Academy.

    Joan: Nice to meet you, Clever. What do you teach?

    Clever: I teach Physics and Mathematics.

    Dr George: Clever has been reminding me of our school days. He says that the education system has changed quite a bit since our school days.

    Joan: Oh really? I don’t see any changes in the system. The country is still producing the same types of professionals: teachers, lawyers, doctors, engineers, nurses, counsellors ... Mind you, there are a few

    Clever: You mean information technologies? Good observation, Joan! I must tell you, teaching these new technologies is demanding; it has taken over much of the time that we used to use for informal activities. Do you remember how we used to have time for a lot of handwork, cultural activities and a wide range of sports and art? We now have very limited time for these activities.

    Joan: Yes, of course I remember. At my school, we used to spend a lot of time knitting, having lessons in home management and also doing sports, music, dance and drama. You know what, if it were not for my parents’ insistence, I would be a chef right now. I was very much in love with the kitchen and catering.

    Dr George: You don’t say! Do you regret having taken a different career path? However much I loved football, I never thought of taking it to a professional level. It just helped me to keep active and healthy. You cannot excel at school if you do not have a clear mind.

    Joan: Come on, George, I do not regret anything. I love the courtroom, and I also enjoy compiling all the evidence needed to win a case. Now, Clever, tell me – I hear that the arts are being neglected. Is this true? If so, how are you going to produce more professionals?

    Clever: That is not correct. Art subjects have not been neglected, but with the increase in technology, we need to equip the youth with more practical skills. Besides, there have been high rates of unemployment all over the world, and teaching technical and entrepreneurship skills will help to create more job creators.

    Dr George: I completely agree with that. Our children need a great many technical and vocational skills in the competitive society of today.

    Clever: Well, I have to go now. You both know that teachers have to be very time-conscious because of our busy schedules.

    Dr George: Not very different from a doctor. I have an appointment with a patient in about an hour’s time. We can leave together. I will give you a ride.

    Joan: Do not mind me. I have a free afternoon. I am going to the museum.

    Activity 7: Answer comprehension questions

    1. What are extra activities in schools?

    2. Why do you think these activities are referred to as ‘informal’ in the conversation?

    3. What has caused limited time for informal activities in schools?

    4. Why do you think Joan is not a chef right now?

    5. What academic subjects do you think Joan liked during her school days?

    6. Who are job creators? What skills do you need to be a job creator?

    7. Among the three, who is going to be resting after their departure?

    8. Explain what Clever means when he says, “Teachers have to be very time conscious”.

    Grammar focus

    The second conditional with ‘if

    ’The second type of conditional sentence is used to refer to a time that is now or any time, and a situation that is unreal. These sentences are not based on fact. The second conditional is used to refer to a hypothetical condition and its probable result. For example: If I had enough money, I would go to Kigali.In the second type of conditional sentences, the ‘if’ clause (If I had enough money) uses the simple past tense, and the main clause uses the present conditional tense (I would go to Kigali).

    Examples:

    • If you worked hard, you would win.

    • If you invited her, she would come.The difference between first conditional and second conditional is not a difference of time. Both structures can refer to the present or future; the second conditional simply suggests that a situation is impossible or imaginary.Look at the difference between these sentences.

    Activity 8: Practise using the second conditional with ‘if

    Complete the following sentences.

    1. If I got a pay rise, ______ .

    2. If you left your job, ______ .

    3. If you were nicer to him, ______ .

    4. If we had gone out earlier, ______ .

    5. If I had revised, ______ .

    Applying for jobs

    Read about job advertisements

    One way of looking for a job is to read job advertisements. These can be found in newspapers and on the Internet. When you read a job advertisement, you will see that it has two parts to it: the job description and the job specification.

    The job specification indicates what is required of the person who will fill the job. It specifies:

    • qualifications required

    • personal qualities needed

    • work experience required.


    ABC Retail

    Trainee Manager requiredJob specification: Managers at all levels would be expected to show responsibility. The company is looking for people who have a minimum of one year’s previous experience and a qualification in marketing. They should have a flair for business, know how to sell, and be able to work in a team.

    he job description refers to the content of the job itself and sets out the duties and responsibilities required of the person employed to do the job. It specifies:

    • the title of the job

    • the location of the job

    • the duties of the job.

    Job Description: Trainee Manager

    Location: ABC Retail, Kigali branch

    Duties: Promote sales at ABC Retail, Kigali; Engage with customers; Deal with customer complaints; Assist Store Manager with stock management; Assist Store Manager with training of junior staff.

    CASE STUDY Secretary at Twiggs Technical College

    Nadege is looking for a new job and she has come to you for help. She has noticed that Twiggs Technical College is looking for a new secretary, and would like to apply for the position. The job description is in the table below. Nadege completed secretarial college in December 2011. For the past six months, she has done the administration for her uncle’s textile company. Her job included working in MS Word, managing the accounts, receipts of payments, salary payments, updating a database with all the workers’ details, and learning to communicate with other employees.

    Activity 9: Work with job advertisements

    1. In your group, discuss whether Nadege is suitably qualified for the job and advise her as to whether or not she should apply.

    2. Write an advertisement for a new teacher at your school. Your advertisement should include both a job description and a job specification.

    Lifelong learning and career development

    Read about personal development

    Different career fields require different levels of schooling. You can use the library, Internet and other research methods to find the qualifications necessary to pursue your choice of career. Your school, local community services and university will also be able to assist you. From this research, you will be able to determine exactly which subjects you need to do at school, and whether you need to study further at college or university once you leave school.


    Some careers give you the opportunity to start working with a basic education, and encourage you to further your studies while you are working in order to move up the ‘career ladder’. Other careers require you to have the highest possible qualification before you are able to find employment.


    When you leave school and enter your career of choice, you will probably start on the lowest rung of the career ladder. In order to move up the career ladder, you must prove to your employers that you are capable of doing the job. Learning new skills enables you to move up the ladder more quickly. Some employers provide additional training during working hours; however, others expect you to train yourself in your own time.

    Modern technology helps you to do your job more efficiently, so make sure you have the proper skills to use this technology. Often, your boss or your co-workers will show you how to use this equipment. If you become involved in different tasks, you will start to understand what the company you work for is trying to achieve. You will also enhance your efficiency and abilities, and increase your confidence and self-esteem. With each new aspect of the job, you will learn new skills and all these skills will help you to move up the career ladder. Opportunities often arise in the workplace where you can exhibit your skills and talents, and you can then move into a totally different branch of your career.It is important to keep learning. This is known as lifelong learning. It will improve your career and salary prospects, as well as help you to lead a satisfying life.

    Vocabulary, pronunciation and spelling

    Activity 10: Match words and their meanings

    Use your dictionary to look up the words in the left-hand column of the table, and then match them to the correct description in the right-hand column. Make sure that you can pronounce the words correctly.

    Writing and understanding

    Activity 11: Write a report

    Write a report about your ambitions and how you plan to further your education.

    Jobs and gender

    In many countries, women still do not have the same job and pay opportunities as men. In Rwanda, gender equality is written into the Constitution; Article 11 of the Constitution states that all Rwandans are equal regardless of gender, race or religion. In the past, many women only held jobs at the level of receptionists and personal assistants but this is changing rapidly, although women still find it difficult to access finance to start their own business.

    In Rwanda, the government has made a commitment to promoting gender equality. According to the 2009 Social Watch Gender Equity Index, Rwanda was equal second in the world in its efforts towards gender equality. Only Sweden had a higher score. Rwanda was the first country in the world to have more than 50% female members of parliament. The government has set a target for women to make up 40% of all those in decision-making positions by 2020.

    These goals are in line with the United Nation’s third Millennium Development Goal, the promotion of gender equality. This covers many aspects that affect women’s lives, from access to education, to accessing finance, to participation in decision-making processes, to reducing gender-based violence.

    Activity 12: Discuss women’s roles in Rwanda

    In your group, find answers to the following questions.

    1. What are the United Nations’ eight Millennium Development Goals?

    2. Discuss the business world in your district. How many women entrepreneurs can you think of?

    3. In a traditional society, what are the roles of women?

    Assessment

    1. Complete the following sentences, using the correct modal verb.

    a) If I get home late tonight, I ______ not eat.

    b) If Jan could run 100 metres in 10 seconds, he ______ be an athlete.

    c) If Simon catches a fish today, we ______ eat it.

    d) She ______ buy a new car if she won the lottery.

    e) If it rained in the Sahara Desert, everyone ______ be very surprised.

    f) If it rains tonight, we ______ go to the cinema.

    g) If your dog spoke, you ______ sell it to the circus.

    h) If we play football on Saturday, I ______ be tired on Sunday.i) You ______ become fat if you eat too much.

    j) If I ______ you, I wouldn’t accept that job. It sounds terrible! (10 marks)

    2. Explain briefly why some jobs command higher salaries than others. (5 marks)

    3. Analyse your talents and describe what careers you believe would suit you. (5 marks)

    Total (20)

  • Unit 3 : Ancient Egypt

    You will develop these skills

    • Use the past simple and past perfect tenses and the passive voice.

    • Use vocabulary related to historical Ancient Egypt, prehistoric Egypt, the pyramids and Ancient Egyptian expertise.

    The study of Ancient Egypt is a fascinating one. It is the study of a civilisation that began over five thousand years ago and lasted for over three thousand years. Although the beginnings of Egyptian history are usually given as about 3100 B.C., remains have been found of nomadic people from many thousands of years before this date.

    When we study Ancient Egypt, we are studying a civilisation that lived in the past and no longer exists today. Therefore, we need to make use of the past tenses to discuss and write about it. We will also need to learn some new vocabulary to equip us on our journey of discovery.

    Did you know?

    Historians use the abbreviations B.C. (Before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini i.e. ‘Year of our Lord’) to distinguish dates.

    Who were the Ancient Egyptians?

    Read about prehistoric Egypt

    Even before the beginnings of the Egyptian civilisation as we know it, the early Egyptians had been farmers. They had herded cattle. Before they developed agriculture, they fished in the Nile River. They had made stone tools. They made pots. Until the Egyptians built their palaces, the prehistoric Egyptians did not have any large buildings.

    Long ago, the region we know as the Sahara Desert was a fertilesavannah. Many different nomadic tribes wandered across it, finding plenty to hunt and eat. This remained unchanged for 4000 years, but around 5000 B.C., the climate changed and the Sahara started to dry out. This forced the wandering tribes down into the fertile Nile Valley. Over time they had learned to settle and farm.

    Evidence shows the existence of prehistoric settlements in Egypt for about 2 000 years before the time of the pharaohs. It is important to remember how important the Nile River was to the Ancient Egyptian civilisation, and how much it had influenced the development of their culture.

    Activity 1: Hold a debate about climate change

    Hold a debate about the statement: Climate change was an important factor in the development of Ancient Egypt. Elect two teams, one to argue for the statement, and one to argue against the statement.

    Grammar focus

    Use the past simple tense

    We use the past simple tense to talk about an action that was completed in a time before now. The length of time of the action is not important. The important thing is that the action is over. The action could have happened in the recent past or in the distant past.

    Examples:

    • My father died last year.

    • Jean-Paul caught the train to South Africa in 2012.

    • We lived in Kigali until 2013.You always use the simple past tense when you say when something happened, so it is associated with certain past time expressions. We usually make the positive by adding ‘-ed’ to the infinitive. For example, ‘walk’ becomes ‘walked’. We make the verb negative by adding ‘did not’ (didn’t).


    Activity 2: Practise the simple past tense

    Put the following sentences into the past simple, using the correct form of the verb in brackets:

    1. We ______ (talk) on the phone yesterday.

    2. The two boys _______ (do) not eat the cake.

    3. They __________ (be) very hungry by lunchtime.

    4. He _________ (walk) all the way home alone.5. She _________ (do) her homework on Tuesday.

    Read about the beginnings of the Egyptian civilisation

    After the tribes had settled in the Nile Valley and begun to live in small communities, they came into conflict with each other. The country polarised into two opposing kingdoms – the North (Lower Egypt) and the South (Upper Egypt). We cannot be sure of the exact date, but around 3100 B.C. the two countries were united under one ruler by Pharaoh Menes. This was the start of the three thousand year civilisation we know as Ancient Egypt.

    he history of Ancient Egypt is divided into different periods of time. The most important of these were the Old Kingdom (3100–2180 B.C.), the Middle Kingdom (2055–1650 B.C.) and the New Kingdom (1550–1069 B.C.) Towards the end of each of these periods, the authority of the king broke down and Egypt fragmented into many small kingdoms, only to be reunited when a strong ruler became pharaoh.

    With the rise of the Greek and Roman civilisations, Egypt came under foreign rule and was no longer powerful. The Romans introduced Christianity, which led to the decline of the Ancient Egyptian religion and society.


    Grammar focus

    Past simple tense

    We use the past simple tense a lot when we talk or write about historical events. For example: Egypt fragmented into many small kingdoms. Can you pick out other examples of sentences in the past simple tense in the reading above?

    Use the past perfect tense

    We use the past perfect tense most often for the following:

    • Actions that happened before a past event.

    • For example: When I got home yesterday, my mother had already cooked dinner.

    • Reported speech.

    • For example: My father told me that he had cooked dinner but he had not.

    • ‘If’ (conditional) sentences.

    • For example: If I had known that my mother had already cooked dinner, I would have been home earlier.The past perfect tense in English is made up of two parts: the past tense of the verb ‘to have (had)’ + the past participle of the main verb.

    Activity 3: Use the past perfect tense

    Complete the following sentences:

    1. I got home very late last night. Everyone ________ ______ to bed.

    2. Before coming to Rwanda, I ________ never _________ gorillas.

    3. As soon as he _______ ________ his homework, he went to bed.

    4. The film was not very good, but I didn’t want to leave until it _________ __________.

    5. She ______ just _______ into the bath when the doorbell rang.

    6. Now reread the first paragraph about prehistoric Egypt and see how many past perfect sentences you can find.

    Read about the pharaohs

    The pharaohs were the god kings of Ancient Egypt, who ruled between 3150 B.C. and 30 B.C. The pharaoh was the political and religious leader of the Egyptian people, holding the titles of Lord of the Two Lands and High Priest of Every Temple. As Lord of the Two Lands, the pharaoh was the ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt. The pharaoh was not only the political ruler, but also seen as a god.

    Historians divide up the timeline of Ancient Egyptian history by the dynasties of the pharaohs. A dynastywas the period when one family maintained power and handed down the throne to an heir. There are believed to be 31 dynasties over the 3 000 years of Ancient Egyptian history.

    Activity 4: Answer comprehension questions on Ancient Egypt

    1. Look at the map of Egypt and name one city in Upper Egypt and one city in Lower Egypt.

    2. Name the three main periods of time used to describe the Ancient Egyptian civilisation.

    3. What is meant by the word ‘dynasty’?

    4. Briefly describe the role of the pharaoh.

    5. What effect did the rise of the Greek and Roman civilisations have on Egypt?

    Read about the economy of Ancient Egypt

    The early Egyptians were farmers. The annual flooding of the Nile River made the soil very fertile and Egypt was able to grow better harvests than her neighbours. The main crops of Egypt were wheat, barley, lettuce, beans, onions, figs, melons and cucumbers. Many farmers also grew flax, which was used to produce linen.

    There was no money system. Products were bartered and workers were paid in wheat, barley and craft products such as pottery and clothes. Crafts were produced in small workshops.

    Trade was important to Egypt. They traded with countries around the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea and the Aegean Sea. The main exportswere gold and other minerals, wheat, barley and papyrus sheets. The main imports were silver, iron, ivory, cattle and spices. Egypt also had deposits of minerals, such as limestone, copper, gold, tin and sandstone.


    Read about the religious beliefs of the Ancient Egyptians

    Egyptian society was based on the concept of ma’at, which meant balance and order. Life was ruled by the Nile’s annual flood and the daily rising of the sun in the East and setting in the West.

    Religion was very important to the Ancient Egyptians. Egyptians did not question the beliefs which had been handed down to them; they did not want to change their society. Their main aim was to try to maintain conditions which they believed had existed at the dawn of creation.

    The religion of Ancient Egypt was a polytheistic religion, with one short period of monotheism. Many of the gods and goddesses were depicted with animal forms. Hathor was an important goddess because she was believed to receive the sun, Re, each night and protect him so that he could be reborn in the morning. She is often depicted as a cow.

    Osiris was god of the underworld and king of the dead. He was also in charge of the flooding of the Nile and of the growth of vegetation. For this reason, he is often shown with a green face or body. He was believed to have brought civilisation and agriculture to the Egyptians.

    Isis was the wife of Osiris and the symbol of the perfect wife and mother. The son of Isis and Osiris was Horus, who was shown as a falcon. It was believed that he was reborn in each new pharaoh. After death, the pharaoh became Osiris and would help the Egyptians in the afterlife. Due to this belief, the pharaoh held an immenseamount of power. In addition, the priests in Ancient Egypt were also very powerful.

    Activity 5: Write sentences in the past perfect tense

    Use the information on the religious beliefs of the Ancient Egyptians to write five sentences about their beliefs, using the past perfect tense.

    Grammar focus

    Use the passive voice

    The passive voice is used when the focus is on the action. It is not important, or it is not known, who or what is performing the action. For example: My book was stolen. In this example, the focus is on the fact that my book was stolen; I do not know who did it. The same sentence in the active voice would be: Someone stole my book.

    Sometimes we use the passive voice because it is more polite than the active voice. For example: A mistake was made. This is gentler or more polite than saying: He made a mistake.

    If we want to say who or what performs the action while using the passive voice, we use the preposition ‘by’. When we know who performed the action and are interested in him, it is always better to switch to the active voice instead. For example: This house was built by my father. The same sentence in the active voice would be: My father built this house.

    When rewriting active sentences in passive voice, it is important to note the following:

    • The passive sentence starts with the object.

    • The finite form of the verb is changed (‘to be’ + past participle).

    • The subject of the sentence follows the verb (or is dropped).

    • If a subject is used, it is preceded by the preposition ‘by’.

    Activity 6: Change the active voice to the passive voice

    Rewrite the following sentences in the passive voice:

    1. Jean-Marc is writing a letter.

    2. My mother is baking a cake.

    3. My friend is mending his bicycle tyre.

    4. My friend is having a birthday party on Saturday.

    5. Our cat caught a large rat.

    Read about building the pyramids

    The Egyptians believed that preserving the body guaranteed the soul’s survival in the afterlife. Usually, a pharaoh would start on the construction of his burial pyramid early on in his reign because they took many years to complete. Large pyramidswere constructed as tombs for the pharaohs in the Old Kingdom.

    The tombs contained decorations of the pharaoh’s journey in the afterlife and texts from the Book of the Dead. The pharaohs were buried with treasures made of gold and jewels. Later, to avoid grave robbers, the pharaohs were buried in secret tombs cut into rock. Many of these can still be visited in the famous Valley of the Kings. Scholars are still not completely sure how the pyramids were constructed. Even using today's modern machinery, they would be difficult to construct. We know that the pyramids were built using labourers who worked very hard. They were not slaves, but may have been farmers who worked on the pyramids while the Nile was in flood, when they could not work in their fields.

    First, the area where the pyramid was to be built was levelled. Huge blocks of stone were cut in quarries, often some distance from the location of the pyramid, and then dragged into place using rampsand levers. The pyramids were built one layer at a time. In the middle, a burial chamber with a secret entrance was constructed.



    When the pyramid was finished, it was covered in an outer layer of white stones. These stones were cut very precisely, to give a smooth slope to the pyramid. The stones were made of highly polished limestone that reflected the sun’s rays.

    Grammar focus

    Past simple passive

    The past simple passive is used to talk or write about something that was done by someone at sometime in the past. For example: The walls were made of highly polished limestone. (Here, it is not known who performed the action. The stones for the pyramids were dragged by the labourers. (Here, the subject – the labourers – is preceded by the preposition ‘by’.)

    Activity 7: Write a report about the building of the pyramids

    Research and write a short report of under 200 words about the pyramids. Your report should explain when the pyramids were built, whom they were built for, and how they were built. Include diagrams wherever possible. Make sure you use the past simple passive wherever possible.

    Read about the achievements of the Ancient Egyptians

    As well as building great pyramids and temples, the Ancient Egyptians were also responsible for many other achievements.

    One of the most important achievements of the Ancient Egyptians was writing. They wrote in hieroglyphics, a form of picture writing. Writing allowed the Egyptians to keep accurate records and maintain control of their large empire. The ordinary people were not literate. Hieroglyphics were inscribed on temple walls, telling about the achievements of the pharaohs.

    The Egyptians could make sheets of parchment paper from the papyrus plant. This was used for important documents and religious texts.

    The Egyptians kept the process of making the parchment a secret so that they could sell it to other civilisations, such as Ancient Greece. The Ancient Egyptians were very knowledgeable about medicine. They had a wide variety of medicines and cures. Some of their medicines were strange. For example, they used honey and human brains to cure eye infections. Many of their medicines were accompanied by spells to ward off the evil spirits making the person sick. Because the Nile River was so important in the lives of the Egyptians, they were very good shipbuilders. They originally built small boats from papyrus reeds, but later began to build large ships from cedar wood imported from Lebanon.

    The Egyptians had a good understanding of engineering, mathematics and geometry. This enabled them to build the pyramids and other large buildings. Mathematics and numbers allowed them to keep track of business transactions.

    One of the amazing achievements of the Egyptians was inventing the calendar. This enabled them to know at what time of the year the Nile River would flood. Another scientific achievement was inventing the Nileometer. Nileometers were very important to the Egyptians. With a Nileometer, the Egyptians could measure the rising water levels of the Nile River so that they could predict a possible flood and take action before lives or crops were endangered.

    The Ancient Egyptians were good astronomers. They were very knowledgeable about the movements of the stars and planets. They needed this knowledge for several reasons. The movement of the Sun from East to West was important to their belief in life, death and rebirth. Knowledge of the seasons allowed them to know the flood cycles of the Nile River so as to plant crops at the right time. Astronomy enabled them to construct their temples and pyramids in relation to the stars, zodiac and constellations.


    Grammar focus

    The third conditional

    The third conditional is used to talk about something in the past that did not happen. We make the third conditional by using the past perfect tense after ‘if’. ‘Would have’ and the past participle are used in the other half of the sentence.

    Examples:

    • If they had not had a problem with grave robbers, the Egyptians would have kept on building pyramids.

    • The Egyptians would not have had paper if they had not learned how to make it from papyrus.

    Activity 8: Discuss the achievements of the Ancient Egyptians

    1. Discuss the achievements of the Ancient Egyptians.

    2. How important was the relationship between knowledge and achievement?

    3. Try to use the third conditional in your discussions with each other.

    Activity 9: Write about the achievements of the Ancient Egyptians

    Write a paragraph about the achievements of the Ancient Egyptians, making use of abstract nouns with ‘allowed to’ and ‘enabled to’, as well as ‘could’.

    Vocabulary, pronunciation and spelling

    Activity 10: Use your dictionary

    Writing and understanding

    Activity 11: Write about life in Ancient Egypt

    Write a short essay of about 200 words entitled, ‘If I had lived in Ancient Egypt ...’.

    Religious tolerance: What can we learn from the Ancient Egyptians?

    We have learned that the Ancient Egyptians were polytheistic and worshipped many different gods. One home might have had a shrine to a particular god or goddess, such as Isis, and the neighbouring home might have had a shrine to another deity, such as Horus. There was no conflict over differences of worship.

    Activity 12: Discuss religious tolerance

    1. In your groups, brainstorm and list all the different forms and places of worship in your district.

    2. Why do you think we should respect each other’s religious beliefs?

    Assessment

    1. Choose the correct words or phrase from the following to complete each sentence: could, be able to, lead to, allow to, enabled to

    a) I need to get good grades in Science so that I will ____ ____ ____ study medicine.

    b) My friend asked if she _______ come to the cinema with us.

    c) The annual flooding of the Nile _______ the Egyptians _______ grow crops.

    d) Smoking cigarettes can ____ ____ lung cancer.

    e) I do not know if my parents will _______ me _______ go out tonight. (5 marks)

    2. Match each word in the left-hand column to its meaning in the right-hand column:

    3. Use the correct past simple form of the verb in brackets to complete the following sentences:

    a) They _______ (walk) to the shops yesterday.

    b) He told me that he _______ (do not) use your bicycle without asking.

    c) The sunset _______ (be) beautiful last night. (3 marks)

    4. Use the correct past perfect form of the verb in brackets to complete the following sentences:

    a) I did not have any money because I ____ ____ (leave) my wallet at home.

    b) Eugenie ____ ____ (wanted) a guitar, but she received a book.

    c) My father ____ ____ (own) this house for ten years before he sold it. (3 marks)

    5. Change the following sentences from the active voice to the passive voice:

    a) Harry ate six mangoes at dinner.

    b) Magnificent gorillas roam the mountainous highlands of Rwanda.

    c) My mom read the novel in one day.

    d) Who taught you to ride a bike? (4 marks)

    Total (20)

  • Unit 4 : Ecology and Mathematics

    You will develop these skills

    • Use abstract nouns.

    • Use the passive voice (present simple tense).

    • Use countable and uncountable nouns.

    • Use vocabulary of soil and plant topics.

    Ecology is the relationship between plants, animals and the environment. In nature, living organisms depend on each other for life. Therefore, every organism in our environment is important in one way or the other. For example, mosquitoes are a direct threat to humans because they transmit diseases like malaria. However, the same mosquitoes and their larvae are a source of food to some fish, and fish are essential in our diet. Everything is interconnected, and when something happens to one organism, it has an effect on other organisms.

    The composition and contents of soil

    Read about the composition of soil

    Soil is often called the ‘skin of the Earth’. It is the loose upper layer of the Earth’s surface, where plants grow. Soil is made up of a mixture of organic material (decayed plants and animals) and broken bits of rocks and minerals. It can take up to 1 000 years for just 2 cm of soil to form.



    Factors that help to form soil include:

    • Living organisms: This includes organisms such as plants, animals, fungi and bacteria.

    • Topography: This is the shape or slope of the surface of land where the soil is forming.

    • Climate: The climate and weather forming affect how the soil forms.

    • Core material: The core material is the minerals and rocks that are slowly disintegrating to form the soil.

    Grammar focus

    Abstract nouns

    Nouns can be abstract or concrete. Concrete nouns are tangible. This means that you can experience them with your five senses: you can touch them, hear them, feel them, taste them or smell them. Abstract nouns refer to intangible things, such as feelings, ideals, concepts and qualities.

    Example: I have a dream. ‘Dream’ is an abstract noun because you cannot taste it, see it, feel it, hear it or smell it.Here are other examples of abstract nouns:

    • beauty

    • bravery

    • courage

    • enthusiasm

    • hatred

    • intelligence

    Activity 1: Change adjectives to abstract nouns

    Complete the following sentences by changing the adjective in brackets into an abstract noun.

    1. He is a man of ______ . (courageous)

    2. The people in this part of the country live in ______ . (poor)

    3. ______ to animals is a punishable offence. (cruel)

    4. The man showed great _____ of character. (strong)

    5. I have great ______ in welcoming you. (pleasing)

    Activity 2: Label a diagram

    When we draw a diagram to explain something, we must make sure that the diagram is easy to understand. Using labels helps the reader to identify the different parts of the diagram.

    1. In your group, use the diagram on page 44 to discuss the composition of the Earth’s surface.

    2. Working alone, do research and draw a diagram to show the different parts of the Earth’s crust.

    3. Label your diagram.

    Read about the composition of soil

    Soil is made up of several things, such as inorganic materials (silica, silicate and oxides), as well as living organisms, bacteria, air, water and organic matter.

    Many different bacteria, algae and fungi do important jobs that make life possible. Without these basic forms of life, more complex life forms could not survive. Bacteria help to break down the organic matter in the soil. Air in the soil provides oxygen for living organisms.

    When plants decay, they break down in the soil to form rotting organic matter called humus. This increases the nutrients available for more plants to grow.

    Soil contains all the nutrients needed by plants to survive. Some areas, such as deserts, have very poor soils. In these areas, it is difficult for plant life to take hold. Tropical rain forests also have poor soils. This is because most of the nutrients have already been taken out of the soil by the plants.

    Activity 3: Understand the composition of soil

    Grammar focus

    Passive voice

    We use the passive voice to show interest in the person or object that is experiencing an action, rather than the person or object that is performingthe action. In the reading on the composition of soil, there are several sentences where the passive voice is used, for example: Soil is made up of several things. In the active voice, this sentence would be: Several things make up soil. Can you find more sentences in the passive voice?

    Activity 4: Write a description of the composition of soil

    Copy the following paragraph into your exercise book and fill in the blanks. Plants obtain _______ from the soil. Soil is the outer, loose layer that covers the surface of the _______. Soil quality depends, not only on the chemical composition of the soil, but also on the _______ (regional surface features) and the presence of _______ organisms. The four major components of soil are _______ mineral matter, _______ matter, water and air. Soil is the base of life on Earth because it has most of the important _______ in which plants need to grow. Those plants in turn feed animals and _______. Soil is also where much of our fresh _______ is stored. Fresh water travels through the soil being _______ as it goes. It often ends up in underground _______ called aquifers, where we can get it when we need it.

    Soil erosion

    Read about soil erosion

    Soil erosion occurs when the topsoil disappears for some reason. Erosion can occur naturally as a result of wind or water, or as a result of human activities. It becomes a problem when human activity causes erosion to occur much faster than under natural conditions.

    Soil plays a very important role in supporting life on Earth. When soil is eroded, it affects the ecology of the area where erosion has occurred. Plants use soil, not only for nutrients, but also to anchor themselves in the ground using their roots. Many animals, fungi and bacteria rely on soil as a place to live.

    The atmosphere is affected because changes in the soil affect the rate at which gases, such as carbon dioxide, are released into the air. The quality of water is affected because the soil helps to filter and clean our water.

    Activity 5: Describe the process of soil erosion

    Write sentences about what will happen if too many goats are allowed to graze on a hillside. Make sure you organise your sentences in the right order.

    Read about the effects of soil erosion

    When the topsoil is eroded from an area, the area loses its most nutrient-rich layer, and therefore the ability of the soil to produce crops is reduced.

    When the organic matter that is found within the top layer of soil is removed, the soil can no longer ‘hold’ water. This means that the area is more susceptible to extreme weather conditions such as droughts. As the soil is eroded and runs down to waterways, river banks can be eroded, causing rivers to break their banks during heavy rains. This causes flooding and more damage to the surrounding area.

    Wind can also cause soil erosion by moving topsoil. Wind can also damage young seedlings by blasting them with sand and other small particles. Wind can uncover and expose some seedlings, while at the same time covering other seedlings with too much soil.

    Soil erosion can be caused by human activities such as over-farming and overgrazing, or by natural phenomena such as wind. Over-farming occurs when farmers use their land too extensively without giving it time to rest and replenish. Instead of rotating crops so that the nitrogen is replenished in the soil, some farmers exhaust the land.

    Overgrazing occurs when farmers keep too many animals for the available vegetation. All the vegetation is eaten by the animals. There are no roots left to hold the soil together, and no leaves to make humus. This leaves the land bare and exposed to wind and rain. In East Africa this is a serious concern, especially in the highland areas of Rwanda and Burundi.When land is over-farmed, the soil quality deteriorates. Poor-quality soil also means that farmers need to use artificial fertilisers, which can contaminate underground water.

    When soil from farmers’ fields is carried away by water, it carries with it the contaminants. This runoff pollutes drinking water and disturbs the ecosystems of lakes and wetlands. This is harmful for the fish and wildlife that depend on these waters for their food and habitat.

    Activity 6: Identify the stages of soil erosion

    Look at the pictures below and then match each one to the correct sentence.

    1. All the vegetation has been eaten, the land is overgrazed and there is nothing to stop soil erosion. The land becomes a desert.

    2. When the land cannot sustain the cattle, sheep and goats are grazed there instead.

    3. The soil is fertile and lots of plants grow in it.

    4. Cattle are grazed and the smaller plants are eaten.

    Plants

    In the next section, you will learn more about plants.

    Activity 7: Identify the ratio of plants to other species on Earth

    The pie chart below shows the different kingdoms of living species on Earth.

    1. Which is the largest species of living organisms on Earth?

    2. Which is the smallest group of organisms?

    3. Which is the second smallest group of organisms?

    4. To which group do human beings belong?

    Read about the parts of a plant

    Plants can be big or small, from giant trees to tiny patches of moss. The study of plants is called botany. The main parts of a plant are the roots, the stem, the leaves and the flower. Each part has a different function.

    The lower part of a plant is made up of roots. The roots are the underground part of the plant, and consist of the tap root, lateral roots and the root hairs. The plant anchors itself in the soil by its roots. Roots also absorb water and mineral nutrients (salts and other small organic molecules) from the soil.

    The branches, leaves, fruits and flowers of a plant are supported by the stem. A plant can be divided into two main parts:

    • the lower part (root system)

    • the upper part (shoot system).

    Transpiration of water and nutrients from the roots is done by the stem.

    Activity 8: Label a plant

    Go into the school grounds or surrounding area, and pick a small plant. Bring it back into the classroom, draw it and label it. Make sure you include the functions of each part.

    Read about the importance of plants

    The production of food for the plant is done by the leaves through the process of photosynthesis. Carbon dioxide from the air is taken into the plant by the leaves. The carbon dioxide mixes with water that has come from the air and the roots. Energy from the sun helps this process and turns the water and carbon dioxide into glucose. Glucose is the plant’s food and gives it energy to grow. During the process of photosynthesis, the plant breathes out oxygen into the atmosphere. This is very important, because oxygen is needed by human beings in order to survive. The great rainforests of central Africa are part of the ‘lungs’ of the planet.

    The flower of a plant is responsible for its reproduction. A flower is made up of the sepals, petals, stamen and pistil.

    Plants are an extremely important part of the ecosystem. Not only do they provide food for human beings, but they also harbour animals, birds and insects, providing food and shelter for them.

    Activity 9: Ask and answer questions

    Take turns to ask each other the following questions and supply the correct responses.

    Q. What are the functions of the roots of a plant?

    A. The functions of the roots are _______ .

    Q. What is the function of the stem of a plant?

    A. The function of the stem is _______ .

    Q. What is the function of the leaves of a plant?

    A. The function of the leaves is _______ .

    Q. What is the function of the flower of a plant?

    A. The function of the flower is _______ .

    Activity 10: Explore your environment

    Reread the texts about plants and their importance to humans.

    1. Make a list of plants in your environment at school.

    2. Why do you think we need plants in our lives?

    3. Do you think plants can be harmful to humans? Explain your answer.

    4. Describe the relationship between plants and the environment.

    5. Compare your answers with those of your friends. Discuss your answers with the rest of your class.

    Activity 11: Identify sentences in the passive voice

    There are a number of passive sentences in the readings about plants. For example: Transpiration of water and nutrients from the roots is done by the stem. The underlined words show the object being used to start the sentence. Find three more sentences from the passage that are written in the passive voice.

    Grammar focus

    Countable and uncountable nouns

    Countable nouns are things we can count using numbers. They have a singular and a plural form. For example: one dog, two dogs.

    Uncountable nouns are the things that we cannot count with numbers. For example: rice, tea, water. We always refer to these nouns in the singular. We do not talk about many rices!

    Read about types of plants

    There are over 280 000 different plants on Earth, but we can divide these into 4 main groups:

    mosses, ferns, conifers and flowering plants.Mosses are land plants, but they do not have seeds or flowers. Mosses reproduce with spores. Mosses do not have stems or large roots to transport water and nutrients, so they live in moist environments and are smaller than other land plants.

    Ferns make up the second group of land plants. These plants have vessels that transport water and nutrients from roots to leaves, and sugars from leaves to roots. Ferns do not have flowers.

    Conifers produce seeds that are contained within a cone. Seeds are a great evolutionary development, because they are multicellular and contain nutrition for the new, developing plant, all within a protective coat.

    Flowering plants represent the most widespread group of plants on Earth. Flowering plants are found in most habitats, from deserts to the polarregions. Flowering plants include species of trees, grasses, shrubs and herbs. The flower attracts many animals which assist in pollination, making the process of pollination more efficient. The seed develops in an ovary, which becomes a fruit. The fruit serves to help seed dispersal, as animals eat the seeds. Birds and mammals may deposit the seeds a long way from the original plant.

    There are 8 000 species of grasses, which are plants with small flowers. Grasses provide food for many grazing animals, including buffalo and zebra. Grasses can provide food such as grains like rice, wheat and corn.

    Activity 12: Make notes

    When we are studying information, it is useful to make notes. When we make a note, we write a brief phrase about the most important points of what we are reading. This helps us to know what is important and must be learned.

    Reread the passage ‘Read about types of plants’ and make notes on the most important information. Include any mathematical information that is relevant.

    Activity 13: Discuss plants that are useful to humans

    In your group, discuss the different plants that are useful to humans. See if you can group them into trees, shrubs, flowers, grasses and herbs.

    Activity 14: Classify plant types

    Look at the following pictures and answer the questions that follow.

    1. Classify each of the plants as a tree, a flowering plant, a shrub, a herb or a grass.

    2. Match the following names of the plants with the correct description.

    Activity 15: Conduct a survey

    Do you know the answers to the following questions?

    • How many kinds of plants live around you?

    • Which plants are common and which are rare?

    • What is the average tree size?

    • When do the plants flower?

    You can answer these questions by conducting a plant diversity survey. In order to do this, you will need to complete the following steps:

    1. Choose an area of your neighbourhood in which to conduct the survey.

    2. Mark out the area to be surveyed. An area of 2 m by 2 m is sufficient.

    3. In your notebook, write down the names of all the different types of plants in your survey area. Count how many of each species there are, and make a note of your findings.

    4. Create your statistics. Add up the total number of plants and then calculate each type of plant as a percentage of the total.

    5. Calculate the average number of each plant type.

    6. Draw a table showing the different classes and species of plants found.

    7. In class, discuss your findings and describe any interesting facts that emerged from your survey. Talk about what types of plants you saw and also what you did not see. Use ‘why’ questions to get answers from each other.

    Vocabulary, pronunciation and spelling

    Activity 16: Use your dictionary

    Assessment

    1. Find at least five abstract nouns in this unit, for example ‘cultivation’ (from the verb ‘cultivate’) and ‘importance’ (from the adjective ‘important’). (5 marks)

    2. Choose the most appropriate meaning for each of the following words.

    a) cultivate

    to grow plants

    to plant

    to have crops for food

    to grow plants and animals for food

    b) root cropss

    tems rich in carbohydrates

    substitute for cereals

    underground crops

    crops with roots

    c) harbour

    bring

    shelter

    cause

    train (3 marks)

    3. Explain the importance of humans to both plants and soil. (2 marks)

    4. In your own words, describe how human activities cause soil erosion. Use examples and illustrations. (10 marks)Total (20)

  • Unit 5 : Friendship

    You will develop these skills

    • Use formal and informal language.

    • State the vocabulary of politeness: describing people, safe sex.

    Human beings are social creatures. This means that we like to be in groups and to relate to each other. Our relationships are important to us. We have many different kinds of relationships, for example those between family, friends and people whom we work or study with. Friendships are among the most important relationships in our lives. Many of our favourite memories include times we have spent with friends. Research has recently shown that having friends increases our chances of being happy and healthy.

    What do we mean by friendship?

    Of all the things that wisdom provides to help one live one’s entire life in happiness, the greatest by far is the possession of friendship.(Epicurus 306 B.C.)

    Friendship is a relationship between two people who care about each other and who are not related. Some friendships last a lifetime, but it is possible that friendship can exist between two people at one stage of life and not at another.

    Many qualities are necessary for a good friendship, including honesty, trustworthiness, loyalty and unconditional acceptance. A friendship should make both people in the relationship happy. Both people should have fun when they spend time together.

    Read about being a good friend

    To have good friends, you must be a good friend. Here are some of the ways good friends treat each other:

    • Remember important things (what the other person likes, birthdays, accomplishments, etc.)

    • Be reliable.

    • Do kind things for one another and use kind language.

    • Help out when a friend is sad or has a problem.

    • Enjoy spending time together.

    • Have fun with one another.

    unconditional something that does not have conditions under which it will change

    Activity 1: Describe being a good friend

    1. Do you agree or disagree with the statement: ‘To have good friends, you must be a good friend’?

    2. Think of ways that good friends treat each other. Write your answers in your exercise book.

    Grammar focus

    Writing descriptions of people

    When we write descriptions of people, we need to make them so vivid that the person reading our description can picture the person clearly in their mind. We need to use descriptive words. For example, here are some descriptive words for face shape:

    When someone is being described to us, we want to be given certain information such as their age, their sex, their height and what colour their eyes are. This helps us to picture the other person in our minds.

    Activity 2: Describe a face


    Activity 3: Describe someone using a photo

    You will need to bring a photo of yourself in to school before doing this activity.

    In your groups, look at photos of each other. Take turns in describing each other from the photos. Try to describe as many aspects, such as age, height and appearance, as you can.

    Read a description of a friend

    My best friend Anitha

    I want to tell you about my best friend Anitha. I am so lucky to have her as a friend. Without her, I would not be as happy as I am now. We have the same hobbies and sometimes share the same opinions. We are really close to each other; she can tell if I'm lying, even if I am keeping a straight face! I don't know how she does it.

    I have known Anitha for my whole life. We live next door to each other, so I see her often. She is small and slim, with an oval face with dark brown eyes and a big mouth. She has long, black, wavy hair, which she usually wears in a ponytail. She is quite beautiful, especially when she smiles.

    Anitha is like a part of my family. I trust her as much as I trust my family members. She is very honest and she always says what she thinks. This can be very useful. For example, when we go shopping, she always tells me truthfully what suits me and what does not. Anitha always seems to be in a good mood. She always brings out the best in me by being positive and cheerful.

    I don't know how it is possible, but I am never bored with her. We have never argued, but sometimes she can be stubborn. She never admits her faults. I hope our friendship will last and never end.

    Activity 4: Use words to describe appearance

    1. Write down all the words used to describe Anitha’s appearance.

    2. Write down as many similar words as you can.

    Activity 5: Describe your friends

    1. In pairs, take turns to talk to each other about a friend. Think about what you want to say before you start speaking, and then speak for about a minute.

    2. While the other person is describing their friend, make notes about what they have said.

    Activity 6: Write about another person

    Write a description of a friend. You can use about 200–250 words.

    Grammar focus

    Recounting events and activities

    When we recount an activity, we are telling another person about an activity or event that has happened. It is important to structure the story in a way that makes sense, while using language that matches the same purpose. Consider the following before you start:

    • Are the events in the correct time order?

    • Is your recount in the past tense?

    • Is it in the first or third person?

    • Does it use time connectives such as next, meanwhile, within hours, soon afterwards, weeks later?

    Example:

    Last Thursday, Aimable and I played a game of football. After we had finished playing, I went with him to his house for a snack. Soon after we had finished eating our snacks, we decided to go and see a movie.

    Activity 7: Recount an activity at school

    Write a paragraph recounting something that has happened at school in the past week.

    Listen and recount

    Listen while your teacher recounts the following story.

    Why the Warthog is on his knees

    Warthog had made himself a lovely spacious home in an old termite mound that an aardvark had cleared out. He had built it up and made a wide entrance. He thought it was the most magnificent home in Africa, and would often stand at the entrance of his dwelling, with his snout in the air, as the giraffe, wildebeest and zebra passed to the watering hole.

    Hah,” he thought to himself. “No one else has such a fine home!”

    One day, as he looked out from the entrance of his cave, he was horrified to see a huge lion stealthily stalking towards him. He started to back away, but because he had made the entrance to his place so grand, the lion would have no difficulty in following Warthog right in.

    “Ahhhh,” panicked Warthog. “Bhubesi will eat me in my own lounge! What will I do?”

    Warthog decided to use an old trick he’d heard Jackal bragging about. Warthog pretended to be supporting the roof of his hole with his strong back, pushing it up with his tusks.

    “Help!” he cried to the lion. “I am going to be crushed! The roof is caving in! Flee, oh mighty Bhubesi, before you are crushed along with me!”

    Now Lion was no fool. He recognised Jackal’s old ploy straight away and he wasn’t going to be caught out again. He roared so fiercely that Warthog dropped to his knees, trembling.

    Warthog begged for mercy. Luckily for him, Lion was not too hungry, and so he pardoned the warthog and left, saying: “Stay on your knees, you foolish beast.

    ” Lion laughed to himself and shook his shaggy head as we walked away. Imagine, slow-witted Warthog trying to copy Jackal’s trick!

    Warthog took Lion’s order to heart. That is why, to this day, you will see Warthog feeding on his knees, in a very undignifiedposition, with his bottom up in the air and his snout snuffling in the dust.

    Activity 8: Recount a story to another person

    Recount the story of Warthog and Lion to each other then check to see if you got the events in the right order.

    Grammar focus

    Reported speech

    We use reported speech when we want to repeat what someone has previously said. There is a difference between direct speech and reported speech: in direct speech, the talking is actually happening, and in reported speech, we are telling someone else about what was said.

    Example:

    • Dinah said, “I am tired.” (direct speech)The following are some of the important verb changes we use when making reported speech.

    Activity 9: Change from direct to reported speech

    Change the following sentences form direct speech to reported speech.

    1. John said, “I can ride a horse.

    ”2. John said, “My mother does the cleaning.

    ”3. “I’m going to the cinema,” he said.

    4. “My name is Lela,” she said.

    5. She said, “What shall we learn today?”

    Activity 10: Practise using reported speech

    Getting on with other people

    If we want to get on with other people and have friends, we need to speak to them politely and respectfully. If we are rude, people will not enjoy being with us.

    Grammar focus

    Making offers and requests

    When we are making polite offers and requests, we make use of the verbs would, could, may, will and can. To ask questions in a very polite way, we use ‘would you’ or ‘could you please’ plus the simple tense of the verb.

    Examples:

    • Could you help me for a moment, please?

    • Would you please forward me that message?

    • Could I borrow a pen, please, teacher?

    • Could you explain again, Sir?

    • Would you mind coming with me to town in the afternoon?

    Don’t use ‘may’ in polite question when ‘you’ is the subject.This is incorrect: May you please close the window?

    ‘May’ goes best with ‘I’ and ‘we’ in polite questions.This is correct: May I help you with the washing?

    The word ‘please’ makes the request more polite and less direct.

    For example:

    • Please would you return the book you borrowed last week.We can express an offer using ‘would’, ‘could’ and ‘may’.

    For example:

    • Would you like a cup of tea?

    • May I serve you some fruit?

    • Could I give you one of my beautiful suits?

    • Would I serve hot milk and bread for dinner?

    Activity 11: Role play being polite

    In your groups, make up a role play about a situation where you use polite offers and requests, for example dinner with your family.

    Grammar focus

    Direct speech

    When we use direct speech, we are reporting something that was said exactly as it was spoken.

    We use quotation marks to enclose the words that were spoken. For example: June said, “It is going to rain today.

    ”We can use direct speech to report things as they are said (the present tense) or as they were said some time ago (the past tense)

    .Examples:

    • He says, “I am happy.” (present tense)

    • He said, “I am happy.” (past tense)

    Activity 12: Practise direct speech

    Change the examples of polite offers into direct speech:

    1. Would you like a cup of tea?

    2. May I serve you some fruit?

    3. Could I give you one of my beautiful suits?

    4. Would I serve hot milk and bread for dinner?

    Grammar focus

    Formal and informal ways of asking and offering

    ‘Could’ and ‘would’ are used to make requests in a formal way. They soften requests and make them more polite.

    Examples:

    • Would/could you please serve me a cup of tea? (But not: Serve me a cup of tea, please.)

    • Would/could you please repeat what you said? (But not: Repeat what you said, please.)

    • Do/would you mind closing that window?

    When talking to friends, we may want to be less formal. Using ‘can’ and ‘will’ is less formal, but still polite.

    Examples:

    • Can I borrow your ruler, please?

    • Will you stop shouting, please?

    Activity 13: Make informal requests

    Change the following sentences into informal requests:

    1. Would you please pass me a cup of tea?

    2. Could you help me with my homework?

    3. Would you tidy the house for me?

    4. Would you like me to pass you a banana?

    5. Would you like to come to the cinema with me?

    Activity 14: Plan an outing

    1. In your group, plan an outing to somewhere nice.

    2. Write down your plan.

    3. Now pretend that you have been on the outing and write a report telling your friends what happened.

    4. Read over your report and notice any grammar changes that happened when you wrote about it.

    Activity 15: Read a dialogue

    In pairs, read the following dialogue.

    Peter: Would you mind if I served you a glass of juice, Rhonah?

    Rhonah: No, I wouldn’t mind. I am rather grateful. Could I help you with the cooking, Peter?

    Peter: Yes, please. Thank you very much. Would you like another set of clothes to work in?

    Rhonah: Well, thank you. I could still work in these. By the way, do you mind if I clean the kitchen?

    Peter: Before you do that, may I give you another glass of juice or will that one do?

    Rhonah: This will do. Would you like to play tennis with me later?

    Peter: Wonderful! I would like that.

    Talking about boyfriends and girlfriends

    Read about romantic relationships

    We have all experienced love. We have been loved by our parents, brothers, sisters, friends, even by our pets.

    Loving and being loved adds richness to our lives. When people feel close to others they are happier and even healthier. Love helps us feel important, understood and secure.

    Each kind of love has its own distinctive feel. The kind of love we feel for a parent is different from our love for a baby brother or best friend. Romantic love is different. It is the love we feel for a boyfriend or girlfriend. Our ability to feel romantic love develops during adolescence. Developing romantic feelings and sexual attractions for others is a natural part of growing up. These new feelings can be exciting — or even confusing at first.

    Love is such a powerful human emotion that experts are constantly studying it. They’ve discovered that love has three main qualities:

    • Attraction is the ‘chemistry’ part of love. It’s all about the physical – even sexual – interest that two people have in each other. Attraction is responsible for the desire we feel to kiss and hold the object of our affection. Attraction is also responsible for the flushed, nervous-but-excited way we feel when that person is near.

    • Closeness is the bond that develops when we share thoughts and feelings that we don’t share with anyone else. When you have this feeling of closeness with your boyfriend or girlfriend, you feel supported, cared for, understood and accepted for who you are. Trust is a big part of this.

    • Commitment is the promise or decision to stick by the other person through the ups and downs of the relationship.These three qualities of love can be combined in different ways to make different kinds of relationships. For example, closeness without attraction is the kind of love we feel for best friends. We share secrets and personal stuff with them, we support them, and they stand by us. But we are not romantically interested in them.

    Activity 16: Comprehension

    1. List some of the ways that love can make us feel.

    2. Define romantic love.

    3. Analyse the ‘chemistry’ of love.

    4. Discuss the meaning of commitment and how it applies to romantic love.

    Activity 17: Talk about relationships

    In your group, discuss what is good or not good in relationships between the sexes.

    Read about being ready for sex

    Young people can feel a lot of pressure to have sex. Friends may tell you they’re all doing it (sometimes even if they’re not). You see it on the TV and in the movies. You might also feel pressured by a particular person. Or you might feel that it’s expected of you from a girlfriend or boyfriend. When we love someone, we respect them and we do not try to make them do something they feel uncomfortable about.

    Sex is never an obligation – each partner has the right to say no. If your partner asks you to stop, you must respect this.

    It’s important to know about the physical and emotional dangers of early sex and it’s also important to be able to identify the benefits of saving sex for when you are really ready.

    What is safer sex?

    Safer sex means sexual contact that does not involve any blood, semen or vaginal fluids being passed between partners. We say ‘safer sex’ rather than ‘safe sex’ because sex can’t be guaranteed 100% safe.

    HIV/Aids and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are a big danger if you have multiple partners. It is better to wait until you are in a monogamous relationship with someone who is faithful to you. Even when using condoms for protection, some STDs, such as genital warts and genital herpes, can be passed on because the condom does not always cover the affected area.

    The best way to have safe sex is to be in a relationship where neither of you has sex outside the relationship, and where you are both free of any STDs. You should also use contraception if you are not ready to have a child. Some people say the only form of safe sex is to abstain totally (not have sex at all), but most people would see this as being unrealistic.

    Activity 18: Give advice to friends

    Writing and understanding

    Activity 19: Write about romantic relationships

    Write a short text (250–300 words) about relationships between the sexes.

    Talking about HIV and Aids

    In Rwanda, it is estimated that 3.1% of adults in the 15–49 age group are HIV-positive. HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus and is an illness that alters the immune system, making people vulnerable to illnesses and infections. HIV leads to Aids (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). People can live with the virus in their bodies for many years before they develop Aids, but Aids cannot be cured and eventually leads to death.

    The virus is passed from one person to another through contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person. The main ways in which people contract HIV are:

    • having unprotected sex with an infected person

    • multiple sexual partners; polygamy can spread the disease

    • babies drinking the breast milk of an infected person

    • infected blood transfusions

    • infection from mother to foetus during pregnancy


    Activity 20: Share your HIV/Aids knowledge

    Activity 21: Match words and their meanings

    Look up the words in the left-hand column and then match to the correct meaning in the right-hand column. Make sure that you can pronounce the words correctly.

    1. Discuss the ways that HIV can be contracted.

    2. Talk about how to have a romantic relationship and avoid contracting HIV.

    3. Discuss the impact of HIV/Aids on society. How does it affect the family, the community and the economy of Rwanda?

    Assessment

    1. Change the following sentences into reported speech. They have been started for you.

    a) “Don’t waste your money,” she said.She told the boys________________________ .

    b) “What have you decided to do?” she asked him.She asked him __________________________ .

    c) “I always wake up early,” he said.He said __________________________________ .

    d) “You should revise your lessons,” he said.He advised the students ____________________ .

    e) “Where have you been?” he asked me.He wanted to know __________________________ . (5 marks)

    2. Change the following sentences into direct speech.

    a) Carene said that she might come.

    b) Jean-Paul said that he could fail.

    c) Olive said that David should stay in bed.

    d) Thierry said that he used to have a car.

    e) Josiane said that she wished they were in South Africa. (5 marks)

    3. Fill in the blanks in the sentences below to make them into formal requests.

    a) _________ I speak to Mr Mugabo, please?

    b) ___________ you open the window, please? It’s hot in here.

    c) Would you mind if I _________ come to your party?

    d) Would you mind if I _________ your dictionary for an hour or so?

    e) Could I stay here for a while? Yes, you __________ . (5 marks)

    4. Write a short report explaining the dangers of teenage sex. (5 marks)Total (20)

    • drug users sharing dirty needles.

  • Unit 6 : Study skills and writing

    You will develop these skills

    • Work in groups.

    • Plan and evaluate writing.

    • Make notes and write a summary.

    • Use connectors in key language functions.

    • List the vocabulary of key school language functions.

    In Unit 2, we discussed educational ambitions and career choices. We discovered that, if you want to study further after you leave school, you need to choose the correct subjects for your career choice. You also have to get good grades.

    Many people work very hard but do not achieve good grades because they do not have the right study skills. They also do not always know how to write correctly and answer examination questions in the right way.

    Reading extracts from literature

    When we read literature, we must study it carefully in order to understand it fully. We need to read with questions in our minds – ask ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘when’, ‘where’, ‘why’ and ‘how’ about the action in the book.

    If we make a summary of what we have read, it helps us to remember the main points. Your teacher may also ask you to write a summary to check if you have understood what you have read.

    Grammar focus

    How to write a summary

    When you write a summary, you must remember to keep it very short and to the point.

    • Do not rewrite the original piece

    .• Use your own wording.

    • Make sure you refer to the central and main ideas of the original piece.

    • Do not put in your opinion of the issue or topic discussed in the original piece.

    Read about storks

    Read the following text silently on your own.

    After Lina had finished reading her story, the room was quiet. The teacher stood there looking very proud and pleased. Then he said, “That was a fine story, Lina. A very fine composition, and you know quite a lot about storks!”

    He turned to big Jella. “Jella,” he said, “what do you know about storks?

    ”“About storks, Teacher?” Jella said slowly. “About storks – nothing.” He looked surly and stubborn, because he felt stupid. He thought he ought to explain.

    “You see,” he told the teacher, “I can’t bring them down with my catapult. I’ve tried and tried, but I just can’t seem to do it

    .” The teacher looked startled. “But why would you want to shoot them down?

    ”“Oh, I don’t know,” Jella said. He wriggled a little in his seat. He looked unhappy. “Because they move, I suppose.

    ” “Oh,” the teacher said. “Pier,” he said, “what do you know about storks?

    " “About storks?” Pier asked. “Nothing.

    ” “Dirk?” the teacher said.

    “Just the same as Pier,” Dirk said. “Nothing.”


    Pier," the teacher said, “if I had asked Dirk first, what would your answer have been?

    ”“The same as Dirk’s,” Pier answered promptly.

    “Teacher, that’s the trouble with being twins, if you don’t know something, you don’t know it double.” The teacher and the room liked that. It made everybody laugh.

    “Well, Auka,” the teacher said, “how about you?”

    Auka was still chuckling and feeling good about what Pier had said, but now he looked serious. “All I know is that, if storks make happy noises with their bills, like Lina said in her story, then I will also like storks.”

    The teacher looked around and said, “Well, Eelka, there in the corner, that leaves only you.”

    Eelka thought a while. “I’m like Lina, Teacher; I don’t know much about storks. But if storks would come to Shora, then I think I would like to learn a lot more about storks.”

    “Yes, that is true,” the teacher said. “But now, what do you think would happen if we all began to think a lot about storks?”Adapted from ‘The Wheel on the School’ by Meindert De Jong

    Activity 1: Write a summary

    After reading the passage, do the following:

    1. Pick out the main points from the text and write them down.

    2. Write down the features of storks.

    3. Write a few notes under each of the following headings:

    a) Lina

    b) Jella

    c) Pier and Dirk

    d) Eelka

    4. Using your own understanding of the whole extract, write a summary of less than 50 words.

    5. Give your summary to another pupil to evaluate for you.

    Activity 2: Write a short composition

    The previous text used a lot of punctuation. The writer used direct speech, which contains a number of commas, question marks, inverted commas and full stops. For example:

    • “About storks?” Pier asked. “Nothing.”

    • “Dirk?” the teacher said.

    • “Just the same as Pier,” Dirk said.

    1. Write about 200 words on an interesting lesson that you have attended. You can use both direct speech and dialogue.

    2. Compare your work with that of your classmates to see who has used punctuation and grammar correctly.

    Grammar focus

    Making notes

    Making notes helps you to study and to remember facts. You should not copy out sentences word for word, nor should you copy large numbers of facts.

    To make notes you should:

    • Be concise.

    • Be as neat as possible.

    • Use headings and numbered points.

    • Use abbreviations, but make sure you spell out personal or place names clearly.

    • Use single words or short phrases.

    Making notes when reading classic literature

    Making notes is very important when we read classical literature, because the language may seem strange and unfamiliar. Making notes can help us to understand what we have read.

    Read the following extract from ‘Great Expectations’ by Charles Dickens.

    Activity 3: Make notes on an extract from classical literature

    In your pairs, carefully reread the extract from ‘Great Expectations’ and make notes under the following headings:

    a) The countryside where Pip met the man

    b) The appearance of the fearful man

    c) How Pip felt when he met the fearful man.

    Working in groups

    There is a saying: “More hands make for lighter work.” This is true of group work.

    When you work in a group, you can divide the tasks so that you all share the work. Working in groups is a good way to learn, providing everyone works together.When you work in groups you will be able to:

    • Split tasks into parts and steps.

    • Plan and manage time.

    • Improve your understanding through discussion and explanation.

    • Give and receive feedback on performance.

    • Challenge assumptions.

    • Develop stronger communication skills.

    Read about wanting to be head girl

    Activity 4: Follow instructions

    1. Get into groups of three or four.

    2. You will have 15 minutes to complete the activity. Elect a timekeeper. The timekeeper must tell you when your 15 minutes are up.

    3. Read the passage about Penny in your group.

    4. In your group, answer the following questions. One person should write down the group’s answers.

    a) What do you learn from Penny?

    b) If you were a student in Penny’s school, would you vote for her as your head girl? Give your reasons.

    c) Identify some words or phrases that Penny uses which are also common in your school environment.

    d) Write down some of your school rules and regulations and explain why they are important. For example: Missing a lesson without justification is punishable. This rule helps to make learners attend classes regularly. Therefore, this will eventually improve the students’ academic performance.

    5. At the end of the time, choose a member of your group to report your answers to the class.

    6. Compare your group’s answers with those of the other groups.

    Reading, interpreting and using instructions

    It is important to read instructions and interpret them correctly. If you do not follow the instruction in an examination question, you will lose marks, no matter how well you know the subject.For example, you may be given the following instructions:

    • Answer in short sentences.

    • Work with a partner.

    • Answer the questions.

    • Choose a group leader.

    • You have five minutes.

    • Get ready to report in English.

    • Tell the class what you said.

    Grammar focus

    Using headings and numbers

    If we are given a page of information with no headings and no numbers, it can be very difficult to read and understand. We use headings and numbers to make it easier to sort out information and put it into order. The headings are a kind of map that helps us to find our way through the information. We can also use subheadings to break information into more manageable amounts.

    Read about frogs

    What are frogs?Frogs are a kind of small animal belonging to a group of vertebrates (animals with backbones) known as amphibians. This means that they live part of their life in water and the other part of it on land. The word ‘amphibian’ comes from two Greek words – ‘amphi’ which means ‘both’ and ‘bios’ which means ‘life’.

    Amphibians are cold-blooded animals. This means that their body temperature is the same as the surrounding temperature. Their skin absorbs water into their body so they do not have to drink water to survive. Frogs are special. They can breathe by means of their lungs and also through their skin. This is because of the way their heart is formed. It has three chambers instead of the normal four. Frogs have strong hind legs to enable them leap great distances. The front legs or arms are short. They are used to prop the frog up when it sits.

    How big is the biggest and how small is the smallest?

    The largest frog is the giant or Goliath frog of West Central Africa. It can grow to more than 30 cm long. The largest frog in America is the bullfrog. It can grow to more than 8 cm long.

    The smallest frog in the Southern Hemisphere is the Brazilian Gold Frog at 9.8 mm long. In the Northern Hemisphere, the smallest frog is the Monete Iberia Eleuth, discovered on a mountain in Cuba in 1996. They measure about 9.6–9.8 mm long.

    Where do frogs live?

    Frogs can be found almost anywhere, except in Antarctica. However, most species are found in tropical regions. More frogs are found in warmer countries.

    You can find frogs in water or near places that have water, like ponds and streams. Some frogs never enter the water. They live mainly on land and only go to the water to mate.

    Then, there are some kinds that live in trees. These frogs have tiny sticky pads on their fingers and toes to help them cling to the tree trunk as they climb. Some frogs are burrowers. Burrower frogs live on land and have short hind legs and cannot hop. Frogs that live in cold places hibernate during winter. They hibernate either in burrows or buried in muddy bottom of ponds.

    Activity 5: Make notes on frogs

    1. There are three subheadings under the main heading of the reading. Write down the main heading and the subheadings.

    2. Make notes of the important information under each subheading. Use numbers.

    3. Compare your notes with the rest of the class.

    Activity 6: Use numbers to put facts in order

    Here is a simple recipe for a beef burger. The instructions are all mixed up. Put them in the right order and number them. Compare your answer with the person sitting next to you.

    Ingredients

    4 lean beef patties (120–150 g each)

    1 large onion

    2 tablespoons steak sauce

    4 bread rolls2 30 × 45 cm sheets of heavy-duty foil

    Instructions

    • Place the onions in the centre of each foil piece. Fold foil over onions so that the edges meet, and place on the coals.

    • Cut the bread rolls in half and place the patties on the rolls with the onions on top.

    • Grill the onion packets and beef patties for 10 to 15 minutes, turning the patties and rotating packets once or twice.

    • Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat.

    • Spray two 30 × 45 cm sheets of heavy-duty foil with cooking spray.

    • Brush beef patties with steak sauce.

    Grammar focus

    Recounting

    Recounting is a way of retelling an important event, or describing an experience. When we recount an event, it is usually written in the order in which things happened. This is called chronological order.

    Example:

    World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. Firstly, Adolf Hitler invaded Poland in 1939. After that, the war dragged on for six deadly years. Finally, the Allies defeated both Nazi Germany and Japan in 1945.

    Activity 7: Recount an event that happened last week

    Write four lines recounting an event that happened last week.

    Grammar focus

    Explaining To explain something is describe why something happens.For example: We are not going out today because it is raining.

    When answering questions in subjects such as Science or Economics, it is important to explain why a statement is made. Words such as ‘because’, ‘therefore’ and ‘which means’ are used in the explanation. For example: Rwanda is a landlocked country, which means that it is entirely surrounded by other countries.

    Explaining helps other people to understand what we are trying to describe. You need to use words that will make sense to the other person. For example: Explaining how to learn to dance rap.The key to dancing to rap and hip-hop music is to realise that every song tells a story. An easy way to get started is to act the story out and have fun. Start by listening to songs and choosing the ones that you like best. Listen to the song often (while you run, while you clean the house, in the car, over and over). The beat will start to take over. Now start dancing!


    Activity 8: Explain how to play a sport

    In pairs, take turns to explain to each other how to play your favourite sport. You should tell each other whether the explanation was easy or difficult to understand.

    Grammar focus

    Defining

    Defining means making something very clear or explaining what it means. It can be used as an instruction in a question set by your teacher, for example:

    • Define photosynthesis.

    • Your tasks are defined in the instruction at the top of the page.

    The word ‘defining’ can also be used to pinpoint an action or event that was very important. For example:Winning the triathlon was the defining moment of his school career.

    Activity 9: Practise definitions

    Reread the text on frogs, then complete the following questions.

    1. Define the word ‘amphibian’.

    2. Define ‘vertebrates’.

    3. Complete the following sentence: A defining moment in my life was when

    Grammar focus

    Giving examples

    When we are explaining new information, it is useful to give examples of what we are describing. Throughout this book, examples are given to you of grammar that you need to learn. When you are writing an examination, it is a good practice to give examples of any facts or statements that you make. This proves to the marker that you understand what you are writing about.

    Example: Amphibians are animals that live part of their life in water. An example of an amphibian is a frog.

    Activity 10: Give examples

    Complete the following sentences:

    1. Rwanda has many mountains, one example of which is ______________ .

    2. Examples of foods eaten in Rwanda are ______________ and ______________.

    3. An example of a team sport is ______________ .

    4. There are many birds in Rwanda; two examples are ______________ and ______________ .

    5. I have many friends, for example ______________ .

    Grammar focus

    Contrasting means comparing one thing with another thing that is very different. Contrasting clauses make two statements, one of which contrasts with the other, or makes it appear unexpected or surprising.

    In the examples below, notice the differences in meaning between the clauses in each sentence.

    • Kim and Tom do not like the same music but they both like to dance.

    • Wool is not man-made, but human beings make rayon.Some contrasting clauses are introduced by conjunctions such as ‘although’, ‘yet’, ’even though’ or ’while’.

    Example:

    • Although Mrs Sims had lived in China all her life, she knew very little Chinese.

    • George runs three kilometres daily, yet his brother Paul hates to exercise.

    Activity 11: Make contrasting sentences

    Use the clauses in brackets to make contrasting sentences:

    1. (The summer season is wet and hot), _____ (the winter season is cold and dry).

    2. (Some dogs are well-behaved) _____ (others drag their owners down the block, yapping all the way).

    3. ______ (the boy was injured), (he didn’t give up).

    4 (There was little chance of success), ________ (we didn’t give up).

    5. (He is overweight) _____ (he still runs very fast).

    Grammar focus

    Listing

    When explaining or describing, examples often need to be listed. If you look back at Activity 6, you will notice that you had to list the instructions in the correct order. In listing, we make use of commas and words such as ‘firstly’, ‘secondly’, then' and ‘finally’, or we can just use ‘first’, ‘second’, ‘third’, and so on.

    Example:

    We went to the shops today. First, we bought apples. Next, we bought new shoes and then we bought pencils and pens. Finally, we bought coffee.

    We could also use a colon and combine the sentences.

    Example:

    We went to the shops today and bought the following: apples, new shoes, pencils, pens and coffee.

    Activity 12: Make lists

    Make listing sentences out of the following:

    1. I grabbed a spoon. I ate the cereal. I drank the milk. I tossed the bowl in the sink.

    2. We learn how to cook. We learn how to clean.

    3. How to become a political leader: ______, you need to become a leader of a political party. ________, you need to win a seat in Parliament. _________, your party must have a majority of seats.

    4. Buying organic fruit and vegetables is a better choice. ________, they are less contaminated by chemical pesticides. __________, they are not genetically modified. ____________, they are allowed to mature or ripen fully.

    5. Soil has three main layers. ________, there is the surface layer. ____________, there is the topsoil. _________, there is the subsoil.

    School language functions

    A language function is the purpose for which a certain phrase or sentence is being used. At school, we use language for different purposes or functions.

    1. There are common phrases used for purposes of greeting, like: Good morning. How are you?

    2. For purposes of apologising, we use:I am sorry.Please forgive me.

    3. For introducing ourselves, we can say: My name is _______ .How do you do?

    4. To give warnings and instructions, these sentences can be used:Do not speak while the teacher is speaking.Never go out without permission.

    5. For interruptions and making requests, we can say:Excuse me. I beg your pardon.

    6. During assessment or examination, these words could be used:Describe ______ .Discuss ______ .

    7. When the teacher wants a response, he or she could say:Class, do you agree?What do you think about _____ ?

    8. Common instructions from the teacher are: Sit down.Be attentive.

    9. When the teacher is encouraging you, he or she might say:That’s very good.Good work.

    Activity 13: Practise common school language

    1. With a partner, write down other phrases and sentences that you normally use or hear your teachers use.

    2. Try to relate them to their functions (when and where they are used). Report back to the class on your findings.


    Activity 14: Comprehension

    Reread the text ‘Read about wanting to be head girl’ and answer the following questions.

    1. What are the words Penny uses before she enters the principal’s office?

    2. How does the principal respond?

    3. Write down a greeting that your teacher could use with a class at the beginning of the school day.

    4. What would be a polite thing to say if you bump into someone?

    5. How would you introduce yourself to a new class member?

    Vocabulary, spelling and pronunciation

    Activity 15: Use the glossary


    Assessment

    1. Fill in the blanks:There are good reasons why some people feel the need to make significant changes in their lives from time to time. _______, any new situation that a person encounters can be an opportunity to learn and grow as a person. A new job, for instance, might present challenges that push the person to adapt, acquire new knowledge, or add to his or her skill set. ________, a change can represent a break with the past and an old routine, which has become boring and predictable. _______, as well as making life more fun and interesting, new experiences can be good for our physical and mental health.(3 marks)

    2. In Unit 6, we have learned about the following eight study skills: listing, describing, recounting, giving examples, making notes, using instructions, contrasting and defining. Make eight sentences, giving an example of each one. (8 marks)

    3. Give three reasons why group work is a useful exercise. (3 marks)

    4. Rewrite the following paragraph using the correct grammar and punctuation:too many pupils look at studying as something they have to do not as an enjoyment or opportunity to learn Thats fine but researchers have found that how you approach something matters almost as much as what you do Being in the right mindset is important in order to study smarter (6 marks)Total (20)

  • Unit 7 : Leadership and famous people

    You will develop these skills

    • Identify when to use the past simple tense.

    • Use ‘and’ clauses.

    • State the vocabulary of leadership styles, character.

    Leadership is a very interesting subject. Throughout history, there have been many famous leaders. Some have inspired their followers to do great things. Others have been cruel or unkind. Leadership has been the topic of many studies. Good leadership is invaluable, for countries, businesses and organisations such as schools and sports teams. In this unit, we will examine the qualities of leadership and read about some well-known leaders and famous people.

    What is leadership?If ten people were asked to describe the qualities of a good leader, they would all give a different answer. Here is one definition of a leader:

    A leader is a person who influences a group of people towards the achievement of a goal.


    Read what people say about being a leader


    Activity 1: Identify the qualities of a good leader

    1. Decide which of the following qualities of leadership match each of the quotations in the text above.

    • Leaders have qualities that inspire people to follow them.

    • Leaders inspire people to do more and be more.                       

    • Leaders have vision.

    • Leaders are active.

    • People want to follow leaders.

    2. In your group, brainstorm and write down all the words that you can think of to describe the qualities of a leader.

    3. Report your findings to the rest of the class in the form of a dialogue. For example: When we talked about the qualities for a good leader, Sonia said, “I think a good leader inspires people.” Rebecca disagreed and said, “I disagree. I think a good leader just tells people what to do.”

    Activity 2: Write a definition of leadership

    In your own words, explain what being a leader means to you.

    Read about leadership in traditional Rwanda

    When you compared your group lists with each other, you may have noticed that many different qualities were mentioned. That is because there are many different kinds of leaders. Let us start by reading about a famous Rwandan leader.

    Kigeri IV Rwabugiri was one of the kings of Rwanda. Mwami (King) Kigeri IV Rwabugiri was the ruler of the kingdom of Rwanda from 1853 to 1895.

    In the 19th century, Mwami Rwabigiri undertook a process of military conquest and administrative consolidation that resulted in the kingdom gaining control of most of the land that is now Rwanda. It took Mwami Rwabugiri many years to complete this.


    Mwami Rwabugiri was the first king in Rwanda’s history to meet Europeans. The colonial powers, Germany and Belgium, allied with the Rwandan court, allowing it to conquer the kingdoms along its borders.

    During the reign of Mwami Rwabugiri, the state became more centralised. This means that more of the administration and organisation was under the control of the king. The country expanded right up to the shores of Lake Kivu.


    The expansion process was due to both military conquest and migration. This spread Rwandan agricultural techniques and social organisation and extended the king’s political control. Camps of warriors were established along the vulnerable borders to prevent any incursions.

    n traditional Rwanda, the king was treated as a semi-divine being, responsible for making the kingdom prosper. The symbol of the king was the kalinga (the sacred drum).

    Mwami Rwabugiri had a very strong economic base. He controlled over a hundred large estates that were spread throughout the kingdom, including banana plantations and many herds of cattle. These estates formed the basis of his wealth.

    Everyone who lived in the area had to pay tribute to the mwami. A hierarchy of administrative chiefs collected this. Under the authority of the mwami, there was a council of great chiefs and below them less important chiefs who governed the country in districts. Each district had a cattle chief and land chief. It is worth noting that, by the end of Rwabugiri’s rule, Rwanda was divided into a standardised structure of provinces, districts, hills and neighbourhoods.

    Mwami Rwabugiri also established an army and equipped it with guns. The army prohibited most foreigners from entering his kingdom. The military chiefs who controlled the frontier regions were very important. They played both defensive and offensive roles. They protected the frontier and raided cattle from the neighbouring tribes.

    The Biru or council of guardians played an important role in administration. They were advisors to the king and also advised on matters of court ritual. All these posts – great chiefs, military chiefs and Biru members – existed to serve the powers of the king and to reinforce the king’s leadership in Rwanda. He formed a traditional local justice system called Gacaca, which was used for resolving conflict, rendering justice and reconciliation.

    The king was the ultimate judge and arbiter for the cases that reached him. Because of Rwabugiri’s authoritarian style of ruling, harmony and cohesion were established among Rwandans.

    Activity 3: Find the meaning of words

    Discuss with a partner the following expressions and words used in the passage. Look them up in your dictionary and write their meanings in your exercise book.

    1. decades-long process

    2. autonomous

    3. centralised

    4. incursions5. semi-divine being

    6. ornate

    7. frontier

    8. harmony and cohesion

    Grammar focus

    The past simple tense

    You will remember that we used the past simple tense in Unit 3, when we discussed the civilisation of Ancient Egypt. The simple past is used to talk about a completed action in a time before now. The length of time of the action is not important. The time of the action can be in the recent past or the distant past, but is must be completed.

    Example: Kigeri IV Rwabugiri ruled the kingdom of Rwanda from 1853–1895.

    Activity 4: Practise the past simple tense

    Complete the following sentences using the past simple tense.

    1. We _______ a good film last week.

    2. Last Wednesday, I _________ in Kigali.

    3. She ________ her homework by seven o’clock.

    4. I __________ to the soccer match last Saturday.

    5. My uncle _____________ to visit last week.

    Activity 5: Write about the leadership of King Rwabugiri

    Using the past simple tense, describe King Kigeri IV Rwabugiri’s achievements in not more than 120 words.

    Read about why leadership is important

    Leaders are very important. If a group of people gets together for a reason and does not have someone to lead it, it is unlikely that the group will achieve its purpose. Countries, businesses, sports teams, communities and families all need leaders.

    n sport, the teams have various leaders who influence those around them and improve performance. These include:

    • Captains who motivate and set a good example by performing reliably under pressure and encouraging their teammates. In some sports, they change tactics during play.

    Sports leaders will have one or more of the following qualities:

    • outstanding ability in the sport

    • enthusiasm• the ability to motivate

    • the ability to ‘read’ the game or sporting situation.

    • Coaches who analyse individual and team performance. They plan training programmes to improve fitness, technique and skill, and decide the strategies to be used in competition.

    Activity 6: Discuss the qualities of a good leader

    1. In your group, discuss the following qualities of a good leader:

    • Be visionary, give orders, inspire people and provide them with direction.

    • Look for opportunities and encourage change and innovation.

    • Communicate effectively and have good listening skills.

    • Motivate people and have good people skills.

    • Set an example for others to follow.

    • Be courageous.

    • Treat people fairly and equally.

    2. Choose one person in your school or community whom you regard as being a good, strong leader. Write down four things that you think make this person a strong leader.

    3. Discuss your findings with the rest of the class. (Hint: Elect a leader to read your group’s presentation.)

    4. Working individually, make a list of the leadership characteristics mentioned by each group.

    Read about styles of leadership

    There are many different leadership styles; two that are very different are the authoritarian and democratic styles.

    An authoritarian leader makes decisions without consulting his or her followers. Followers are not given an opportunity to be involved in decision making. Because there are fewer people involved in the decision-making process, tasks can be organised and finished on time. The authoritarian leadership style provides strong leadership, which makes people feel safe. Organisations such as the army usually use an authoritarian style of leadership. For situations such as an emergency, where an on-the-spot decision needs to be made, this type of leadership can be very useful. Authoritarian leaders are often very charismatic. This means that that they have the type of personality that makes people want to follow them.

    The opposite of authoritarian leadership is democratic leadership. This leadership style is very open. Everyone is given an opportunity to express his or her opinion and be involved in decision making. This style is often used in rapidly changing environments and businesses. Every option for improvement has to be considered to keep the group from becoming out of date. The democratic leadership style means encouraging people to share their ideas, and then sorting through all the available information to make the best possible decision. People like this leadership style because they feel involved and part of the decision-making process, but it does not work when decisions need to be made quickly.

    Activity 7: Write about styles of leadership

    Choose any business, sporting or political leader. Write a short report on what you think their leadership style is.

    Activity 8: Comprehension – Identify a leadership style

    In pairs, read the following case study and answer the questions that follow.

    Eric works for Betterwear Mills as a production foreman. His boss keeps a stern eye on how the department functions. Eric has to fill in progress reports every week, which are then checked by his boss. Eric’s boss also regularly checks up on the work of the employees who report to Eric, and insists that certain tasks are done on a daily basis even if they are not required.

    Eric has been feeling frustrated because he believes there are better ways to run the department, but he is not able to discuss his ideas with his boss. He is also unhappy because his boss recently allocated a pay increase for the employees in Eric’s department without first discussing it with Eric.

    1. Explain which management style Eric’s boss uses.

    2. If you were Eric’s boss, would you use the same style of leadership? Explain your answer.

    3. Suggest ways in which Eric’s boss could improve his leadership style.

    Activity 9: Read and understand a poem

    Read the following poem silently and then answer the questions that follow.

    The Leader

    Patient and steady with all he must bear Ready to meet every challenge with care Easy in manner, yet solid at steel, Strong in his faith, refreshingly real, Isn’t afraid to propose what is bold, Doesn’t conform to the usual mold, Eyes that have foresight, for hindsight won’t do Never backs down when he sees what is true, Tells it all straight and means it all too, Going forward and knowing he’s right, Even when doubted for why he would fightOver and over he makes his case clear, Reaching to touch the ones who won’t hear, Growing in strength, he would not be unnerved, Ever assuring he’ll stand by his word. Wanting the world to join his firm stand, Bracing for war, but praying for peace, Using his power so evil will cease: So much a leader and worthy of trust, Here stands a man who will do what he must.

    – Anonymous

    1. Make a list of the leadership qualities admired by the writer of the poem.

    2. Does the leader, as depicted in this poem, seem to have an easy or a difficult task? Explain your answer.

    3. What does the line ‘Bracing for war, but praying for peace’ mean to you?4. Is hindsight always a waste of time?

    Talking about famous people

    A famous person is someone who is well known. This includes local celebrities and politicians, as well as well-known actors, film stars, sports personalities, writers, and so on. Sometimes people become infamous, which means they become well known because of their bad reputation.

    Young people often use famous people as role models. This means that young people try and copy them and become like them. For this reason, many people think that, if you are famous, you must set a good example. This means not taking drugs or abusing alcohol, as well as being a responsible member of society and helping others.

    Activity 10: Debate the responsibilities of famous people

    Read about famous entertainers

    Some of them earn a great deal of money and they use their fame and money to help other people. Here are some examples:

    • Jackie Chan is a famous actor/director/producer. He grew up very poor in Hong Kong, but has become very successful and rich. In 2011 he decided to donate half of his assets (money and property) to charity when he dies. He has also established the Jackie Chan Foundation, which gives education scholarships to young people.

    • Shakira is the highest-selling South American pop singer of all time. She gives time and money towards education and early childhood development, health, and nutrition in Columbia, Haiti and South Africa

    .• Angelina Jolie is a well-known actress and a film director who has won awards for her humanitarian work. Although she is very busy with her work, she also serves as a United Nations Refugee Agency Special Envoy.

    • Bono is the lead singer in a famous group called U2. He uses his fame to help fight poverty and hunger and works hard to try and make the world a better place.

    In Rwanda we also have our own well-known local entertainers. We have many talented singers, actors and writers. They have had to work hard to become good at their craftand to become well known. Many of them have succeeded in spite of coming from poor families and having little education. They are able to use their fame to be good role models and responsible leaders.

    Activity 11: Discuss Rwandan entertainers

    1. Make a list of all the famous Rwandan entertainers you can think of.

    2. Divide the list into groups, for example actors, writers, musicians or singers.

    3. Discuss which media you use to follow these people. For example do you see them on the television, read about them in magazines or listen to their music on your mobile phone?

    4. Compare their leadership with that of King Rwabugiri. How do they differ?

    craft an activity or job involving skill

    Activity 12: Make notes about a famous Rwandan

    Make notes about the life story of a famous Rwandan person and compare your notes with other learners.

    Grammar focus

    Use clauses

    Some sentences can be broken up into smaller sentences. These simple sentences are called clauses. A clause is a group of related words containing a subject and a verb. It is usually contained within a sentence, but can also stand on its own.

    For example: While he is singing, the audience cannot tear its eyes off him.

    The sentence contains two clauses: ‘while he is singing’ and ‘the audience cannot tear its eyes off him’.You can join two clauses to make a sentence by using a conjunction (joining word).

    For example: Annie took the dog for a walk.It got very dirty. These two sentences can be joined up by using ‘and’ or ‘when’:

    Annie took the dog for a walk and it got very dirty.

    The dog got very dirty when Annie took it for a walk.

    Conjunctions that you can use to join clauses include: and, but, although, when, whenever, because.

    Activity 13: Join clauses using ‘when’ or ‘because’

    Make sentences from the following pairs of clauses using either ‘when’ or ‘because’.

    1. The goalkeeper was a child. He dreamed of becoming a professional footballer.

    2. The guitarist is well liked within the music industry. He is always polite and courteous.

    3. Some people are infamous. They behave very badly.

    4. The singer has become very successful. He has worked very hard to become a good musician.

    5. A leader is very important. A football team wants to win matches.

    Read about women of influence in Rwanda

    Did you know that International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8th? The focus of International Women’s Day is to show respect and appreciation towards women for their contributions in society.

    A woman of influence is one who makes a lasting impact on others. Not all women of influence are famous and well known. Some work quietly in the background, but their actions inspire others and change lives.

    There is a saying: “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.” The importance of women in raising future generations can never be overestimated. Mothers work hard and they often sacrifice a great deal to bring up their children. For this reason alone they are worthy of respect and love.

    In some countries, women do not have equal rights with men and their influence is restricted to their homes and family life. However in many countries, women are active and influential in other spheres of life besides raising children. Women are proving themselves to be successful leaders, politicians, entrepreneurs and philanthropists. In Rwanda, gender equality is written into the Constitution and laws have been passed which give women the right to inherit land, share the assets of a marriage and obtain credit.

    The African continent has a strong legacy of female leaders. In Rwanda parliament has a majority women representation. This is a world record. Women of influence can be found in many different occupations.


    Women serve on local councils, they own land and farm, run businesses and serve as government minsters and have risen through the ranks of government.

    Rwandan women are also active in sports. Female athletes have represented Rwanda at past Olympic Games. Women work as teachers, scientists, doctors, airline pilots and in many other occupations.

    When we talk about women of influence we are referring to women who use their talents to have a positive influence on those around them and whose actions improve the lives of others.

    The following are some of the qualities you may notice in women of influence in Rwanda:

    • They use their voices to speak out about what they believe in.

    • They live up to their values and morals.

    • They encourage and help others.

    • They do not give up when things get difficult.

    Activity 14: Research some well-known women in Rwanda

    Answer the following questions:

    1. Discuss what is meant by the phrase: “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.” Do you agree with the statement?

    2. Think about the girls in your school or in your community. Choose one that you consider to be a person of influence and write a brief paragraph describing why she deserves to be considered a person of influence and worth.

    peer person of equal standing

    Activity 15: Research a well-known woman in Rwanda

    Choose a well-known Rwandan woman and plan a text describing her life story. Make sure you divide your text into paragraphs and that you explain the woman’s influence.Clauses that use ‘when’ and ‘because’.Write and evaluate your text, paying attention to the past simple tense and to and paying attention to ‘when’ and ‘because’ clauses.

    Activity 16: Talk about famous people

    In groups discuss other famous people in Rwanda, describing their life stories.

    Corruption and leadership

    When people in positions of authority use their power to benefit themselves, usually financially, to the detriment of the country, this is called corruption. Corruption means there a lack of integrity or honesty on the part of a person or organisation involved. Corruption is harmful both for businesses and countries because resources are being misused. When corruption is widespread people no longer trust their leaders.

    Corruption is not confined to large amounts of money. Public officials, private employees and independent agents can all abuse their power by accepting bribes from individuals who want a favour in return. A sports referee who favours one team over the other is also corrupt.

    Countries need leaders who are hard-working and honest in order to work towards a peaceful and prosperous future. In Rwanda, the government has put into practice an anti-corruption policy and is working on building a nation where integrity is valued and corruption is rejected.

    Activity 17: Talk about corruption

    In your groups, discuss the following questions.

    1. Does corruption only happen at government level?

    2. Can you think of ways that corruption could happen in your school?

    3. How can you help to fight corruption?

    Vocabulary, spelling and pronunciation

    Activity 18: Improve your vocabulary

    Assessment

    1. Write a short paragraph explaining the qualities of a good leader. (4 marks)

    2. Join the following pairs of clauses to make sentences:

    a) I am going to walk. I can’t wait for the bus

    .b) I am going to buy that book. It is a best-seller.

    c) The president arrives. There will be a big fanfare of drums.

    d) No one wanted to eat the hamburger. Eric sneezed all over it.

    e) The meal has burnt. I left the pot on the stove. (5 marks)

    3. Write a paragraph describing a famous person that you admire, explaining the characteristics that make them a leader. (5 marks)

    4. Change the following sentences into the past simple tense:

    a) She goes to the cinema with me.

    b) Jean-Paul will pass his examination.

    c) My mother makes a cake for my birthday.

    d) The king completes a modernisation of the army. (4 marks)

    5. Explain, in your own words, the difference between an authoritarian and a democratic leader. (2 marks)Total (20)

  • Unit 8 : Business

    You will develop these skills

    • Use ‘if’, ‘unless’, ‘need to’, ‘be able to’, ‘have to’, ‘must’.

    • Use the third conditional.

    • List the vocabulary of entrepreneurship, costs, production, marketing.

    When you complete your education, you will want to get a job. Many of you will be employed in businesses and you will need to understand aspects of business such as production, profits, costs and management.

    The business world is very important in any country. It provides people with goods and services that they want to buy. Businesses also provide jobs, for which people get paid. The more businesses there are in a country and the more people have jobs, the more people there are earning wages; these people can buy the goods and services that they desire.

    Entrepreneurship

    Read about entrepreneurs

    An entrepreneur is a person who sets up a business or businesses, taking on financial risks in the hope of making a profit. Entrepreneurship is an important part of our economy. Many small businesses grow and become much larger, creating wealth and new jobs. Many entrepreneurs start off by working for themselves, running a small business informally and then, as the business grows, they are able to take on employees and become part of the formal business sector.


    The informal business sector is the part of the economy that is not registered and does not pay tax or comply with regulations. Street hawkers and businesses that run from home are often part of this sector. The formal business sector is the sector that is registered, pays tax and is regulated. Shops, offices and factories are a part of the formal business sector.

    In developing countries, many people earn their income through self-employment in the informal business sector. People do not always choose to work in the informal sector. Sometimes their earning opportunities are scarce. They may be unable to find a job in the formal business sector. They may only be able to work a few hours a day through temporary employment for low wages.


    To be an entrepreneur, you need to be an innovator. You must be willing to take risks. You should also be able to lead and manage people. You must be a good communicator. Unless you take risks, you will not keep ahead of the market. If you cannot communicate, you will not persuade people to buy your product, or to be productive if they work for you.

    Entrepreneurs must deal with a large number of challenges that employees do not have to think about, and in return entrepreneurs expect to make a profit. Entrepreneurs see an opportunity and, at their own financial risk, set up a business to make the most of that opportunity.

    Entrepreneurs are very important. They provide employment; many new successful businesses create jobs for people who otherwise might not have found work. They also contribute towards research and development – many new innovations are due to the entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs create wealth for countries and for individuals.


    Activity 1: Comprehension

    After reading the case study above, answer the following questions.

    1. Why did Eugene start his own furniture company?

    2. What were the disadvantages?

    3. What would have happened if Eugene became ill?

    4. Why do you think Eugene used other people’s wood to start with?

    Grammar focus

    Conditional clauses

    A conditional clause is one that states that an action can only take place if a certain condition is fulfilled. Conditional clauses make use of ‘if’, ‘unless’, ‘need to’, ‘be able to’, ‘have to’ and ‘must’.

    Example:

    • If I find her address, I’ll send her an invitation. (I cannot send the invitation if I do not find the address.)In the text about entrepreneurs, the following two sentences contain examples of conditional clauses:

    • Unless you take risks, you will not keep ahead of the market.

    • If you cannot communicate, you will not persuade people.

    Activity 2: Complete conditional clauses

    Fill in the space with a word that will complete the conditional clause.

    1. ______ you come this way, the principal will see you now.

    2. I will be back tomorrow ______ my car breaks down.

    3. ______ I were a rich man, I would buy a new house.

    4. I __________ use my bike to take the produce to market.

    5. If you want to go to university, you _______ pass your exams.

    Read about the characteristics of an entrepreneur

    Entrepreneurs are very special people because they have the courage and willpower to try to start a business. They are not afraid of failure. There are certain characteristic that entrepreneurs need to possess.

    • They need to be disciplined. Entrepreneurs are focused on making their enterprises work. Successful entrepreneurs are disciplined enough to take steps every day towards achieving their objectives.

    • They need to be confident. The entrepreneur does not ask questions about whether they can succeed or whether they are worthy of success. They have confidence in everything they do.

    • They need to be open-minded. Entrepreneurs realise that every event and situation is a business opportunity. They have the ability to look at everything around them and focus it toward their goals.

    • They need to be self-starters. Entrepreneurs know that if something needs to be done, they should start it themselves. They are proactive, not waiting for someone to give them permission.

    • They need to be competitive. Many companies are formed because an entrepreneur knows that they can do a job better than someone else can.

    • They need to be determined. Entrepreneurs are not put off by their defeats. They are determined to make all their efforts succeed, so will try and try again until they succeed.

    • They need to have good people skills. The entrepreneur must have excellent communication skills to sell the product and motivate employees.

    • They need to have a strong work ethic. The successful entrepreneur will often be the first person to arrive at the office and the last one to leave. They will come in on their days off to make sure that an outcome meets their expectations.

    Activity 3: Describe an entrepreneur, using the third conditional

    1. Reread the eight characteristics of an entrepreneur above.

    2. Using ‘if’, ‘unless’, ‘need to’, ‘be able to’, ‘have to’ or ‘must’ clauses, make a sentence about each characteristic and write it in your exercise book. For example: If an entrepreneur is not disciplined, he or she will not be able to organise a business properly.

    Activity 4: Discuss the characteristics of an entrepreneur

    1. Read the following case study and discuss which entrepreneurial characteristics would have been most important for Josianne.

    2. List the characteristics in order of importance.

    3. Compare your list with the rest of the class.

    The costs of a business

    Being in business is about making a profit. The entrepreneur needs to sell his or her goods for the right price – enough to cover all the costs, but not so much that the customer won’t buy.

    Read about the costs of running a business

    Businesses aim to produce goods that they sell at a higher price than it cost them to produce. They do this in order to make a profit. If the cost of producing goods is greater that the amount received from selling the goods, the business is running at a loss. Profit is an incentive for entrepreneurs. The entrepreneur can reinvest the profit in the business or take it out for personal use.

    Before deciding on the selling price for goods, a business must carefully work out its costs. Some of these costs are fixed, while others are variablecosts. We add these together to get the cost of production. The costs of production can also be divided into material costs and selling costs. Material costs are the costs of tools, materials and shipping. Selling costs are the costs of marketing and distribution.

    Fixed costs + Variable costs = Cost of production (Total costs)

    Fixed costs are costs that must be paid regardless of how much is produced and sold. Examples of these are rent, monthly salaries, loan repayments and utilities (electricity, water and telephone). Fixed costs are also known as overheads.

    Variable costs are costs which change according to how much is produced. Examples of these are materials used in production and hourly wages.

    Activity 5: Calculate profit and loss

    Work out the following:

    1. A farmer is selling trays of fruit and wants to make a profit of RWF 10. The cost price of the product is RWF 15.What must the selling price be?

    2. What would happen if the farmer sold his trays of fruit for RWF 9?

    3. If the farmer sold the fruit for RWF 9, would he be able to stay in business for very long? Write your answer using an ‘if’ clause.

    Activity 6: Write an essay explaining production costs

    One of your friends wants to start a small business. Write a short composition of about a page, explaining what production costs are, and why it is important to be able to calculate them.

    Drawing up a business plan

    Before starting a new business, an entrepreneur must compile a business plan. A business plan is a formal statement of business goals and how the entrepreneur plans to reach these goals. The plan may also contain background information about the organisation or team attempting to reach these goals.

    Read about business plans

    A business plan contains a description of who runs the business, the market (people who will buy the product or service) and the competition (other businesses offering similar products or services). There is also a financial management section explaining how the business will make a profit and pay off debt.

    If an entrepreneur wants people to invest in his/her new business, or wants to borrow money from a bank, then he/she needs to have a business plan. The investors or bank will read the business plan very carefully before deciding whether or not to loan money.

    A business plan includes the following sections:

    1. Cover page

    2. Table of contents

    3. Description of the product

    4. Goals of the business

    5. Description of who owns the business

    6. Production plan

    7. Marketing plan

    8. Financial plan

    9. Description of how the business will operate

    10. Conclusion.

    Activity 7: Summarise a business plan

    Write a summary of the contents of a business plan, explaining why each part is important.

    Describing production

    Read about the production process

    Producers make the goods and provide the services that people buy or use. Without production, there would be very little in the shops for you to buy! Production is the process by which inputs (raw materials and semi-finished products) are made into finished goods that can be bought.

    An example of a semi-finished product is a roll of cotton cloth used by a clothing factory. The cloth has already been spun from cotton thread in a cloth manufacturing factory. The clothing factory buys the cloth and makes clothes that are sold in a shop. The clothing factory also uses buttons and belts that are produced in other factories.

    Proper production systems are a very important part of any manufacturing business. This means that production costs must be controlled so that a profit is made. Production systems also schedule production so that the right number of products are made at the right time, and that the necessary inputs are ordered so that production can go ahead.

    The different suppliers of raw materials and semi-finished products that are needed for production are known as the supply chain. Once the finished goods have been made, they must be packaged and distributed to shops, where they can be sold. The different types of distributors that make goods available for consumers to buy are known as the distribution chain. These include factory outlets, warehouses, wholesalers and shops.

    Consumers and producers need each other. Consumers need producers to make the goods and services that they buy and use. Producers need consumers to buy the goods and services they want to sell. All businesses produce something: a hairdresser produces hair cuts, a farmer produces agricultural produce.

    Activity 8: Describe the production process of a baker

    In your group, discuss the production process of a baker producing bread.

    1. What time do you think he or she had to get up and start baking bread if you are to have fresh bread for breakfast?

    2. What ingredients does the baker have to buy and how does the supply chain work?

    3. Make a timeline of the steps involved in getting fresh bread into the shops each day.

    4. Compare your timeline with the rest of the class.

    5. Write four sentences beginning with ‘if’ to explain what will happen if the baker does not manage the production process. For example: If the baker does not get up early, the bread will be late getting to the shops.

    Describing marketing

    Read about marketing

    It does not matter how excellent the goods and services produced by a business are if no one knows about them. Marketing is about telling the public about your product, attracting potential customers to your product, and keeping these customers as your customer base.

    The marketing department of a business must continually be creating and developing marketing strategies to win consumers over to buy their product rather than competing products. Businesses face threats from competitors, and from changes in the political, economic, social and technological environments. All of these factors have to be taken into account when a business tries to reach its goals of selling more goods or services and making a bigger profit.

    Marketing includes branding and advertising. Branding means appearing in the media, sponsoring local events and making sure people remember the business’s name. Some businesses design powerful logos that people will recognise. For example, fast food chains and petrol stations have logos that can be recognised from a distance. This helps with marketing because people can identify the brand.

    To advertise a product, a firm needs to make use of the media. The media is any form of mass communication and it includes both print and online advertising.There are many different types of media that can be used in advertising such as:

    • Print advertising, such as newspapers, magazines and flyers.

    • Outdoor advertising, such as billboards and events.

    • Broadcast advertising, such as the TV, radio or Internet.

    • Covert advertising, which is when an actor uses a product in a movie.

    • Celebrity advertising, which is when a famous celebrity uses a product in public.

    • Word of mouth is also important, as a bad reputation can easily be spread about a product or service by an unhappy customer.

    • Nowadays, many businesses make use of the Internet and social networking (Facebook, Twitter) to advertise their products.

    Activity 9: Design a poster for a product

    With your group, choose a product and design a large poster to advertise it. You will need a large sheet of card, pencils, coloured pencils, glue, scissors and old magazines. Here are some tips to help you with your design:

    1. Use a large piece of paper or cardboard.

    2. Design your poster before you make it – plan where each element will go on the page.

    3. Use bright colours and preferably one large picture that will attract attention from a distance.

    4. Use very few words, but include all the necessary information that will make people want to buy your product.

    5. Use large letters for the main points that you are trying to get across.

    6. Use a fun design, but keep the poster easy to read.

    Grammar focus

    The third conditional clause

    We can use third conditional clauses to talk about conditions that are impossible because they are in the past and we cannot change what has happened. We make third conditional sentences by using the past perfect tense after ‘if’ and then ‘would have’ and the past participle in the second part of the sentence.

    Examples:

    • She would have become a teacher if she had gone to university.

    • If I had paid more attention in class, I would have understood the lesson.

    Activity 10: Use third conditional clauses

    Complete the following sentences in the third conditional by using ‘if’ clauses:

    1. ___________ , I would have gone to the party.

    2. ____________ , we could have had a picnic.

    3. ____________ , I would have known it was going to rain.

    4. ____________ , she would have said hello.

    5. They _____________ accepted your ideas _________ you had explained more clearly.

    Describing a business

    Businesses can be very small or very large. Many entrepreneurs start a small business due to a crisis in their personal lives, like losing their job or failing at school. Sometimes, these small businesses grow into huge groups, like the Virgin Group of Companies, started by Richard Branson.

    Read about a successful entrepreneur

    Sir Richard Branson is an English businessman and investor. He is best known as the founder of Virgin Group, which comprises more than 400 companies. He was born in 1950, in Surrey, England.

    Richard Branson struggled in school and dropped out at age 16; it was this decision that lead to the creation of Virgin Records.

    From his entrepreneurial success with Virgin Records, he went on to create more companies. He is now a billionaire. One of the interesting companies in the Virgin Group is Virgin Galactic, a space-tourism company. Branson is also known for his adventurous spirit and sporting achievements, including crossing oceans in a hot air balloon.

    Activity 11: Summarise Richard Branson’s achievements

    Activity 12: Talk about a Rwandan business

    1. Research and find out about a business in Rwanda. This can be in your own community or elsewhere. 2. Write a report of your findings to share with the rest of the class. Make use of the conditional wherever possible.

    Recounting the development of a business

    In this unit, we have learned about entrepreneurs and the world of business. We have discovered that entrepreneurs have a very important role to play in our economy. They take risks, which are not always successful. Not all new businesses are successful. Here are the stories of some entrepreneurs.

    Read about a business that succeeded

    When Daniel left school, he found it difficult to get a job. His father suggested that he earn himself some money by fixing things for their neighbours. Daniel enjoyed working with his hands and liked fixing things, so he agreed. Their neighbours were happy to pay Daniel to fix the broken things around their houses that they did not have time to deal with themselves.

    His business continued to grow and today Daniel has a team of ten ‘Mr Fixits’ working with him. He no longer works from home; he has an office and has registered as a private company. Over time, Daniel began to make a name for himself as the local ‘Mr Fixit’ and had more work than he could handle.

    He hired someone to help him. Sometimes, he feels sad that he now has a lot of paperwork to do and cannot spend so much time doing the thing he loves – fixing things.

    Read about a business that failed

    When Seth left school, he found it difficult to get a job. His father suggested that Seth join him in his successful grocery store. All went well for the first year. Seth learned about the business and his father kept tight control of expenditure.

    Then disaster struck; Seth’s father had a heart attack and could no longer work. Seth was needed to keep the business going. He decided that the quickest way to grow the business was to move into bigger premises, increase the number of product lines stocked, and take on more staff. He took out a large bank loan to make this happen, but within six months he was bankrupt and the business had to close down. Seth’s parents had to sell their house to pay off the debts.


    Activity 13: Discuss the success and failure of businesses

    In your pairs, take turns to recount the experiences of Daniel and Seth. Why do you think the one business succeeded while the other one failed?

    Corporate social responsibility

    Corporate social responsibility (CSR) means the responsibility of big businesses to give back to the communities in which they operate. Large corporations make huge profits, but this should not be at the expense of the people who are employed by businesses or at the expense of the environment in which the business is located.

    Corporate social responsibility is about improving the living conditions of local communities and being as eco-friendly as possible. For example, the ICT firm, Dell, once came up with plan to sell more PCs by informing its customers that the company would plant a certain number of trees for each unit bought. The firm knew that trees are crucial in absorbing the greenhouse gasesthat pollute the air and cause global warming.

    The Bank of Kigali set up a CSR committee whose main role is to implement the bank’s CSR strategy. The committee, which is made up of six members of the management team, sits at least once a month to evaluate various project proposals brought to the bank, and to discuss how these projects would enhance the bank’s CSR strategy. The Bank of Kigali’s CSR policy is based on four key goals: improving access to education, promoting community health, environmental sustainability and poverty eradication.

    Activity 14: Talk about CSR in your district

    1. In your groups, suggest CSR projects that would improve the lives of people in your community.

    2. Propose CSR projects that would help to protect the environment.

    3. Report your findings to the rest of the class.

    Vocabulary, spelling and pronunciation

    Activity 15: Use your dictionary

    Match each word in the left-hand column to its meaning in the right-hand column.

    Assessment

    1. Define the meanings of the following terms.

    a) production

    b) marketing

    c) business plan (3 marks)

    2. Write three sentences about business using either ‘if’, ‘unless’, ‘need to’, ‘be able to’, ‘have to’ or ‘must’ sentences. (3 marks)

    3. Complete the following sentences:

    a) If you ________ spent more time on the project, you _________ have made fewer mistakes.

    b) If I __________ seen him in the office, I __________ have told him to call you. (4 marks)

    4. Briefly explain why we need entrepreneurs in Rwanda. (5 marks)

    5. Discuss how using the characteristics of an entrepreneur could help you in your daily life.

    (5 marks)Total (20)

    Glossary


  • Topic 9

  • Topic 10