Tasks sheets for a Reading Activity

1. ANNEXES
ANNEX 1

2. ANNEX 2
1) State whether the following are ‘true’ or
‘false’.
a) People around the world use different
utensils for eating. …………….
b) Most western countries only use spoons for
eating. ………………….
c) Most people in East Asian countries use
chopsticks when eating.
d) ‘Injera’ is the staple food in Mexico. ………..

3. ANNEX 3
1) Write what is meant by the following words/phrases highlighted in
the text.
a) them b) this
2) Does the text say that cultural wise food are different? If so name
such different cultural food.
3) Give synonym for the following
1) Apart from that 2) utensils

4. ANNEX 4
Country/Countries Utensil(s) used for eating
Fill the following table

5. ANNEX 5
Read the text and answer the questions.
The customs and styles followed in greeting someone vary from country to country. Tourists
are often confused on how to greet people from different cultures when they travel around
the world. Travellers necessarily need to be aware of the gestures used in some countries
(especially in unfamiliar cultures) so as not to offend someone when meeting and greeting.
Forms of greeting between men and women, men and men and women and women can be
different in style. Sri Lanka, with its ethnic diversity, has different greeting styles. We say
“Ayubowan” in Sinhala or “Wanakkam” in Tamil when greeting while Muslims say “Assalamu
Alaikum” and Burghers shake hands. Traditionally, Sri Lankans do not hug or kiss when
greeting a person. In other Asian countries like China, people nod their heads and smile, or
shake hands when greeting somebody in a formal situation.
In Russia a very firm handshake while maintaining direct eye contact is the common
greeting style. However, one needs to remove his/her gloves before shaking hands. In the
USA and in Britain shaking hands is the common tradition.
A)
1. The greeting styles used are ................................................... (common, different,
similar) from country to country.
2. The gestures used can be different depending on .............................. .....................
(gender, colour of the skin, size) of a person.
3. Sinhalese and Tamils follow................................................... (same, different, somewhat
similar) gesture in greeting.
4. All the Sri Lankans follow ................................................... (same, different, rather
different) gestures in greeting.
5. ................................................... (shaking hands, kissing, nodding) is the widespread
greeting style all over the world at present.
6. ............................................ (having direct eye contact, shaking hands, hugging) is
common in Russia, USA Britain and China.
B) Give a suitable title to the passage.

6. ANNEX 6
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow it.
Students tend to lose their pencils, break them without thinking, and find all sorts of
non-writing uses for them. The pencil in your hand is one of the most remarkable and
useful tools in the world. A man named Friedrich Staedtler invented the modern “lead”
pencil in about 1622 in Germany. He was the first person to mass produce them.
Staedtler did not use lead, and there is no lead in your pencil. However, some pencils
did use lead until the early twentieth century. Lead will make a mark, but it is toxic
and not safe to use either in the hands or around the face and mouth where many
pencils sometimes stray.
Staedtler used black graphite, a soft form of carbon. Graphite is still used today. It is
mixed with clay and wax and heated to high temperatures. The modern pencil is a
superb piece of technology. The pencil is less messy than ink, can be easily erased,
and makes clear, dark, smooth, and smudges free lines. The modern pencil can
produce a continuous line twenty-two miles long. That’s a distance of 116,160 foot-
long rulers laid end to end. Enjoy your pencil. For a few cents each, it is a remarkable
bargain
a) Mention three improper ways in which students make use of pencils
b) Lead is rarely used to make pencils. Why so?
c) Of what material are pencils made of?
d) Why can we consider the modern pencil to be a superb piece of technology?
e) The modern pencil can produce something fantastic. What is it?
f) Find words in the passage that mean the following:-
i) Poisonous