Note Making
(By Mr. Naveen Kumar Gunwal)
Definition: Note making is a special skill that is very useful to both students and working professionals.
Note making enables one to present large chunks of information in a brief, organized and clear manner. It helps aid memory.
Note making has important uses.
It helps us:
• Remember important details that we have read,                              
• Refresh our memory about something we read in the past,
• Prepare for examinations,
• Plan essays, speeches, lectures,
• Participate in discussions, debates.
Thus note making is a practical skill that can be used in different areas in life.
Let us take a look at the basic features of note-making.
• Notes are always brief and are written in the third person.
• Only relevant details or facts are included in notes.
• Illustrations, diagrams, long explanations are excluded from notes.
• Full sentences are not used. Often phrases or even words are used to present information.
• All the information must be presented in a logical sequence.
• Notes can be divided into main points, sub-points, and sub-sub points.
• Titles or headings may be used for main points or sub-points.
• Main points can be represented by numbers such as 1, 2, 3, etc. or capital letters such as A, B, C, etc.
• Sub points can be represented by numbers such as i, ii, iii, etc. or lower case letters such as a, b, c, etc. • Sub-sub points may be represented in the following way: 1.1, 1.2,

Note Making
The Sun
 The Sun forms a very important part of the solar system. It accounts for 98% of the total mass of the solar system. The Sun is not solid like the earth. Instead, it is composed of plasma. As a result, the Sun rotates faster at its equator than at its poles. It takes about 25 days to complete one rotation at the equator and 33 days to complete one rotation at the poles. The major elements that constitute the Sun are hydrogen and helium. It is also composed of other elements like iron, nickel, oxygen, etc.
The visible surface of the Sun is called the photosphere. It heats up to a temperature of about 6000 Kelvin. The core of the Sun, however, has a temperature exceeding 13 million Kelvin. The Sun also has a strong magnetic field. This is responsible for effects such as sun spoils, solar flares, etc.
The Sun is a life-force for earth. The light from the Sun is essential for all living things. It aids in the process of photosynthesis for plants. It also helps in the production of vitamin D. However, excessive exposure to sunlight can create serious damage in the form of sunburn, cancer, etc.
The Sun has also been an important cultural symbol throughout history. The ancient Egyptian God Ra, for example, was considered the God of the Sun.
The Sun

Facts about the Sun
 The Sun forms a very important part of the solar system. It accounts for 98% of the total mass of the solar system. The Sun is not solid like the earth. Instead, it is composed of plasma. As a result, the Sun rotates faster at its equator than at its poles. It takes about 25 days to complete one rotation at the equator and 33 days to complete one rotation at the poles. The major elements that constitute the Sun are hydrogen and helium. It is also composed of other elements like iron, nickel, oxygen, etc.
Features of the Sun
The visible surface of the Sun is called the photosphere. It heats up to a temperature of about 6000 Kelvin. The core of the Sun, however, has a temperature exceeding 13 million Kelvin. The Sun also has a strong magnetic field. This is responsible for effects such as sun spoils, solar flares, etc.
The Sun and other living things
The Sun is a life-force for earth. The light from the Sun is essential for all living things. It aids in the process of photosynthesis for plants. It also helps in the production of vitamin D. However, excessive exposure to sunlight can create serious damage in the form of sunburn, cancer, etc.

Sun and culture
The Sun has also been an important cultural symbol throughout history. The ancient Egyptian God Ra, for example, was considered the God of the Sun.



Title: The Sun


A. About the Sun
     a) Forms 98% of total mass of solar system
     b) Not solid like earth, made of plasma
     c) Rotates faster at equator than poles
     d) Rotation period: 25 days - equator, 33 days - poles
     e) Composed of H, and He
B. Features of the Sun
     a) Photosphere - visible surface, temp: 6000 K (abbreviation)
     b) Core - Temp: 13 million K
     c) Magnetic field - creates sun spots, solar flares
C. The Sun and Other Living Things
     a) Sunlight essential for living things - photosynthesis, production of Vitamin D
     b) Overexposure to sunlight → sunburn, cancer
D. Sun and Culture
     a) Important cultural symbol in history
     b) E.g. Ancient Egyptian God of the sun, Ra
Summary:
The Sun forms 98% of total mass of solar system. It is not solid like earth. It is made of plasma and rotates faster at equator than poles. Its rotation period is 25 days on equator and 33 days on poles. It is composed of hydrogen and helium. The temperature of photosphere, the sun’s visible surface is 6000 K. and its core is 13 million K. The sun has a strong magnetic field. The Sunlight is essential for all living things. But overexposure to sunlight may cause sunburn and cancer. The sun is also an important cultural symbol in history.
PASSAGE 2

Why don't I have a telephone? Not because I pretend to be wise or pose as unusual. There are two chief reasons: because I don't really like the telephone, and because I find I can still work and play, eat, breathe, and sleep without it. Why don't I like the telephone? Because I think it is a pest and a time waster. It may create unnecessary suspense and anxiety, as when you wait for an unexpected call that does not come; or irritating delay, as when you keep ringing a number that is always engaged. As for speaking in a public telephone box, that seems to me really horrible. You would not use it unless you were in a hurry, and because you are in a hurry, you will find other people waiting before you. When you do get into the box, you are half asphyxiated by stale, unventilated air, flavoured with cheap face powder and chain-smoking; and by the time you have begun your conversion, your back is chilled by the cold looks of somebody who is fidgeting to take your place.
If you have a telephone in your house, you will admit that it tends to ring when you least want it – when  you are asleep, or in the middle of a meal or a conversation, or when you are just going out, or when you are in your bath. Are you strong-minded enough to ignore it, to say to yourself, ‘Ah well it will be the same in a hundred years' time.'? You are not. You think there may be some important news or message for you. Have you never rushed dripping from the bath, or chewing from the table, or dazed from the bed, only to be told that you are the wrong number? You were told the truth. In my opinion, all telephone numbers are wrong numbers. If, of course, your telephone rings and you decide not to answer it, then you will have to listen to an idiotic bell ringing and ringing in what is supposed to be the privacy of your own home. You might as well buy a bicycle bell and ring it yourself.............
3 If, like me, one is without a telephone, somebody is sure to say, 'Oh, but don't you find you have to write an awful lot of letters?' The answer to that is 'Yes, but I should have to write an awful lot of letters anyway.’ This may bring the remark: 'Ah well, if you don't have a telephone, at least you must have a typewriter.' And the answer to this is 'No'.
4 'What, no telephone and no typewriter! Do please explain why. Well, I am a professional man of letters. When I was younger, I thought a typewriter would be convenient. I even thought it was necessary and that editors and publishers would expect anything sent to them to be typewritten. So I bought a typewriter and taught myself to type, and for some years I typed away busily. But I did not enjoy typing. I happened to enjoy the act of writing. I enjoy forming letters or words with a pen, and I could never enjoy tapping the keys of a typewriter. There again there was bell - only a little bell that rang at the end of each line - but still, a bell. And the fact is I am not mechanically minded, and the typewriter is a machine. I have never been really drawn to machines. I don't like oiling, cleaning, or mending them. I do not enjoy making them work. To control them gives me no sense of power - or not the kind of power that I find interesting. And machines do not like me. When I touch them, they tend to break down, get jammed, catch fire, or blow up.
Word-meanings: 1. pest- annoying person or thing; 2. Asphyxiated - made ill due to lack of fresh air reaching the lungs; 3. Fidgeting – making small restless movements, thus annoying other people; 4. Dazed – surprised; 5. man of letters -  one whose profession is literature or academic study; 6. break down – go out of order.
a) On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, make notes on it using the sub-headings. Use recognizable abbreviations wherever necessary - minimum four) and a format you consider suitable. Supply an appropriate title to it.

b) Write a summary of the passage in about 100 words.
PASSAGE 3

There is nothing more frustrating than when you sit down at your table to study with the most sincere of intentions and instead of being able to finish the task at hand, you find your thoughts wandering. However, there are certain techniques that you can use to enhance your concentration. “Your concentration level depends on a number of factors," says Ms Samuel Ghosh, a social counsellor. “In order to develop your concentration span, it is necessary to examine various facets of your physical and internal environment," she adds.
2. To begin with, one should attempt to create a physical environment that is conducive to focused thought. Whether it is the radio, TV or your noisy neighbours, identify the factors that make it difficult for you to focus. For instance, if you live in a very noisy neighbourhood, you could try plan your study hours in a nearby library.
3. She disagrees with the notion that people can concentrate or study in an environment with distractions like a loud television, blaring music, etc. “If you are distracted when you are attempting to focus, your attention and retention powers do not work at optimum levels,” cautions Ghosh. “Not more than two of your senses should be activated at the same time,” she adds. What that means is that music that sets your feet tapping is not the ideal accompaniment to your books.
4. Also do not place your study table or desk in front of a window. “While there is no cure for a mind that wants to wander, one should try and provide as little stimulus as possible. Looking out of a window, when you are trying to concentrate, will invariably send your mind on a tangent," says Ghosh.
5. The second important thing, she says, is to establish goals for oneself instead of setting a general target and then trying to accomplish what you can in a haphazard fashion. It is very important to decide what you have to finish in a given span of time. The human mind recognises fixed goals and targets and appreciates schedules more than random thoughts. Once your thoughts and goals are in line, a focused system will follow.
6. She recommends that you divide your schedule into study and recreation hours. When you study, choose a mix of subjects that you enjoy and dislike and save the former for the last so that you have something to look forward to. For instance, if you enjoy verbal skill tests more than mathematical problems, then finish maths first. Not only will you find yourself working harder, you will also have a sense of achievement when you wind up.
7. Try not to sit for more than 40 minutes at a stretch. Take a very short break to make a cup of tea of listen to a song and sit down again. Under no circumstances should one sit for more than one and a half hours. Short breaks build your concentration and refresh your mind. However, be careful not overdo the relaxation. It may have undesired effects.
8. More than anything else, do not get disheartened. Concentration is merely a matter of discipline the mind. It comes with practice and patience and does not take very long to become a for life.
Word-meanings: 1. Frustrating - causing a feeling of annoyance because you can't do what you want; 2. Facet - particular aspects; 3. conducive-making it easy; 4. Blaring- making a loud unpleasant noise; 5. on a tangent- not connected with what is already going on; 6. random-done without any thought in advance.
(a) On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, make notes on it using head sub-headings. Use recognizable abbreviations (wherever necessary - minimum four) and you consider suitable.
(b) Supply an appropriate title to it.

(c) Write a summary of the passage in about 100 words.

                                                                           PASSAGE 4

Keeping cities clean is essential for keeping their residents healthy. Our health depends not just on personal hygiene and nutrition, but critically also on how clean we keep our cities and their surroundings. The spread of dengue and chikungunya are intimately linked to the deteriorating state of public health conditions in our cities.
The good news is that waste management to keep cities clean is now getting attention through the Swachh Bharat Mission. However, much of the attention begins and stops with the brooms and the dustbins, extending at most to the collection and transportation of the mixed waste to some distant or not so distant place, preferably out of sight.
3. The challenge of processing and treating the different streams of solid waste, and safe disposal of the residuals in scientific landfills, has received much less attention in municipal solid waste management than is expected from a health point of view.
4. One of the problems is that instead of focusing on waste management for health, we have got sidetracked into ‘waste for energy'. If only we were to begin by not mixing the biodegradable component of solid waste (close to 60 per cent of the total) in our cities with the dry waste, and instead use this stream of waste for composting and producing a gas called methane.
5. City compost from biodegradable waste provides an alternative to farmyard manure (like cow dung). It provides an opportunity to simultaneously clean up our cities and help improve agricultural productivity and quality of the soil. Organic manure or compost plays a very important role as a supplement to chemical fertilisers in enriching the nutrient-deficient soils. City compost can be the new player in the field.
6. Benefits of compost on the farm are well known. The water holding capacity of the soil which uses compost helps with drought-proofing, and the requirement of less water per crop is a welcome feature for a water-stressed future. By making the soil porous, use of compost also makes roots stronger and resistant to pests and decay. Farmers using compost, therefore, need less quantity of pesticides. There is also evidence to suggest that horticulture crops grown with compost have better flavour, size, colour and shelf life.
7. City compost has the additional advantage of being weed-free, unlike farmyard manure which brings with it the seeds of undigested grasses and requires a substantial additional labour cost for weeding as the crops grow. City compost is also rich in organic carbon, and our soils are short in this.
8 Farmers clearly recognize the value of city compost. If city waste was composted before making it available to the farmers for applying to the soil, cities would be cleaned up and the fields around them would be much more productive.
9. Quite apart from cleaning up the cities of biodegradable waste, this would be a major and sustainable contribution to improving the health of our soil without further damage by excessive chemical inputs. What a marvellous change from waste to health!
10. The good news is that some states are regularly laying plastic roads. Plastic roads will not only withstand future monsoon damage but will also solve a city's problem of disposing of non-recyclable plastic. It is clear that if the mountains of waste from our cities were to be recycled into road construction material, it would tackle the problem of managing waste while freeing up scarce land.
Word meanings: critically-very importantly; 2. intimately- very closely; 3. deteriorating state- a condition that is going from bad to worse; 4. distant--far off, at a great distance; 5. Landfills - the areas of land where large amounts of waste material are buried into earth; 6. Biodegradable - a substance to a harmless natural state by the action of bacteria and will, therefore, not damage the environment; 7. Productivity - the rate at which the goods are produced by somebody or something.
(a) On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, make notes on it using head sub-headings. Use recognizable abbreviations (wherever necessary - minimum four) and you consider suitable.
(b) Supply an appropriate title to it.

(c) Write a summary of the passage in about 100 words.