Expository Text

UNIT 1 EXPOSITORY TEXT

Structure
1.0 Objectives
1.1 Introduction
1.1.1 Comprehension
1.1.2 What is expository text?
1.2 Types of Expository Texts
1.2.1 Cause and Effect
1.2.2 Problem and Solution
1.2.3 Classification
1.2.4 Comparison and Contrast
1.2.5 Definition
1.2.6 Process
1.3 Expository Text Sample
1.3.1 Sample
1.3.2 Understanding structure and explanation
1.3.3 Probable questions
1.4 Reading Strategies
1.4.1 Skimming
1.4.2 Scanning
1.5 Practice Texts
1.5.1 Ghee - An Important Indian Cooking Fat
1.5.2 Education and its philosophy
1.5.3 Primary Education in India: Progress and Challenges
1.6 Let Us Sum Up
1.7 Suggested Readings
1.8 Answers

1.0 OBJECTIVES
After studying this Unit, you will be able to master an understanding of the
necessity for comprehension skills. You will be equipped to employ various
different methods of reading and comprehension. You will be able to read with
precision and technical expertise. This Unit will also aid you in categorizing the
basis of Expository writing. Specific features of Expository texts would be
analyzed and understood. You will be equipped to practice techniques of
skimming and scanning in the process of comprehension. This will also prepare
you to understand the process of both extensive and intensive reading. You will
be able to monitor your own growth in the act of comprehension.

1.1 INTRODUCTION
1.1.1 Comprehension
Comprehension simply means understanding. It is the end goal of the act of
reading. Comprehension then can also be called as the reason for reading. If the
act of reading occurs without an understanding of what is being read then the 5
Reading Comprehension: whole act becomes obsolete and redundant. If you don’t understand then there is
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no point to reading. The process of understanding is also complex. It employs a
number of strategies and meticulous practices. This Unit will give you an insight
into the various techniques that can be employed in order to master the process
of reading comprehension.

To tackle the comprehension of an expository text, you need to first understand

the basic aspects of such a categorical form of writing. Let us look at the word
“expository”. The word ‘Expose’ could be derived from it, the definition of which
reads as “make (something) visible by uncovering it.” You can then say that to
expose, one would have to explain to uncover something or a situation. Expository
writing then is categorically concerned with explanations. However, you should
not confuse this form of explanation with that of descriptive or narrative writing
form. Even though all of these three forms (Expository, Narrative and Descriptive)
employ the act of explanations, they do it differently. It is hence important for
you to understand how explanations are projected in the expository form of
writing.

1.1.2 What is Expository Text?

The explanations in expository writing are of many kinds; the steps to explain a
process, the reasons compiled as arguments to support a thesis statement or any
other form. You will be able to find a logical sequence of structure, smooth
transitions and a thesis statement. When writing an expository text, you will
have to assume that the reader has no prior information regarding the subject and
hence would have to use meticulous and carefully directed instructions and
explanations to make your reader understand. This form of writing is also used
when trying to supplement reasons or make another understand why or how
(process) something happens. As a rule then, this form of writing needs to be
extremely precise and clear in its style lest the reader is unable to get clarity of
the message.

1.2 TYPES OF EXPOSITORY TEXT

Before we get to reading a sample of an expository essay, it would be useful to
be able to identify the type of essay. Writings in Expository texts can be summed
up to be of a total of six categories. This style of writing can be used to determine
the Cause and Effect of any phenomena, Problem and Solution of certain
situations, for different kind of Classifications, for the development of Comparison
and Contrast, determining a Definition and Detailing a Process.

1.2.1 Cause and Effect

As the name suggests, the ‘cause and effect’ essay concerns itself with the
occurrence of a situation and a description of the consequences for the same.
Regarding the process of writing such an essay, Joshua Tatum, a Professor of
Literature & English Composition writes that “in such essay, a young writer
must pay attention to the primary causes and results. The contributory things are
not necessary, but it is possible to include some of them if a person is running out
of ideas. Immediate reasons and outcomes generate the cause and effect directly
unlike remote ones, which cannot be noticed with a naked eye.”

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The writing of a cause and effect essay entails the creation of a thesis statement. Expository Text
A thesis statement is the singular most important central idea or opinion stated in
a clear and concise way. All essays or writing pieces inherently have a thesis
statement which can be usually perceived through the title of the text. Hence as
the reader of such a text, you need to discover the central opinion or idea of the
text. Many a times, a title in a comprehension passage is missing. It is done so
that the reader can be tested on their understanding skills without having read
the main title in order to figure out the thesis statement of the essay.

An example of a thesis statement is “The Indian government must provide free

schooling for every child in the country because literate citizens have more
chances to be employed and add up to the country’s wealth.” Through an essay
that discusses such a point of view, cause and effect needs to be identified. You
could identify the cause of the government of India not providing free education,
or, you could identify the cause for the requirement of free education. Once a
“cause” has been identified, the effects would also be recognized. For example,
you can say in the above thesis statement that the effect of free education would
be “a better financial status of the country leading to its economic development”.
You should keep in mind that the same thesis statement can be written in different
kinds of essays. It could be written as an argumentative essay, a descriptive essay
or a narrative essay as well. However, it would qualify as an ‘Expository’ essay
if the treatment is on the cause and effect.

1.2.2 Problem and Solution

It entails the assertion of a problem and then providing a list of solutions for the
same. As writing this would involve you to look at a problem from a number of
directions and perspectives. As a reader then, it is imperative to identify all these
angles to the problem presented. If you manage to understand the problem from
various perspectives then you will be able to not only understand but analyze the
solutions provided. “This sort of essay involves argumentation in that the writer
seeks to convince the reader to take a particular course of action. In explaining
the problem, it may also need to persuade the reader concerning specific causes”
(Dave Kemper et al., “Fusion: Integrated Reading and Writing,” 2016).

Just like the ‘cause and effect’ text, a ‘problem and solution’ text also has a thesis
statement. Dorothy Zemach and Lynn Stafford-Yilmaz, in “Writers at Work: The
Essay.” (Cambridge University Press, 2008) say: “In a problem-solution essay,
the thesis statement usually proposes the solution. Because readers must first
understand the problem, the thesis statement usually comes after a description of
the problem. The thesis statement does not have to give details about the solution.
Instead, it summarizes the solution. It should also lead naturally to the body of
the essay, preparing your reader for a discussion of how your solution would
work.”Essentially then you as a reader need to gage a comprehensive
understanding of not only the problem but also the solutions provided.

1.2.3 Classification
It takes into account a comprehensive subject demarcated into various groups or
categories. After giving a brief explanation about the subject overall, the writer
is expected to then explain the parts in detail and with examples. The first section
of such a piece of writing would contain the thesis statement while the body of
the essay would follow through with descriptions of the groups formed. The 7
Reading Comprehension: conclusions would provide a summarization of the groups along with providing
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a basis for the creation of this group. As a reader, you will need to understand
these sections of the essay. Once you are able to identify the different groups, the
reason or the basis for them being made into these groups, along with the thesis
statement, you will be able to master the comprehension of the given text.
An example of an introductory paragraph to a classification essay:
“It’s a cold evening in January, and all across the country Indians are gathering
to watch a match of international cricket. Armed with samosas and cold drinks,
they stroll to their seats, some in grand stadiums, others in cozy parks. But no
matter where the match is played, you will find the same three types of Cricket
fans: the Party Rooter, the Sunshine Supporter, and the Diehard Fan.”

You can notice here how the categories have been clearly stated. This enables
the reader to expect a detailed description of the said groups.

1.2.4 Comparison and Contrast

This requires the presence of two entities. It concentrates on the similarities and
differences between any two ideas, things or situations. Each contrast or similarity
is taken with reference to the other. You need to understand the process of working
on the thesis statement keeping in mind a comparative entity always when
referring to one. Once all the points are laid down in the body of the essay, the
conclusion explains and sums up the thesis statement further.

As a reader of this kind of writing then, it is required that you are able to align
the two entities with each other on the basis of their similarities and dissimilarities.
You are expected to comprehend the distinct features of the two things through
their comparison.

1.2.5 Definition
This kind of an essay, as the name suggests, deals primarily with the process of
defining any particular term, concept or a thing. Writing of this essay entails that
in the introductory passage, we add a standard, clear and precise definition of the
concept being explained. Henceforth, we give an explanation of the given words
according to our comprehension. The body, just as with other types of essays,
will comprise of the detailed analysis and explanations of the given term. The
various ways in which the concept can be looked at can become a part of the
detailed explanation process. The conclusion will be concerned with summing
up of the different angles that might be used in the definition of the concept. One
of the examples of such kind of writing is E.M Forster’s “Aspects of a Novel”. It
attempts in the introduction to define and explore the question of what novel is
and its definition. In its subsequent sections it looks into the details.

1.2.6 Process
It is categorized under the “how-to” essay. It is concerned with listing down the
processes in a methodical manner. A lot of instructions like baking a cake, fixing
a car tyre, planning a trip and many more can be done through this form of
writing. “A Process Essay is structured around the goal of providing the reader
with directions or guidance. Most of the time, students write process essays that
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discuss how to do something. Process essays are the recipes or technical brochures Expository Text
of essay writing.”

As a reader of the process essay, you need to identify the thing or action for
which instructions are given. You need to judge and understand such a scenario
by carefully comprehending the steps and assessing the conclusion it might be
leading to.

1.3 EXPOSITORY TEXT SAMPLE

1.3.1 SAMPLE
“There have been many studies attempting to figure out just how music affects
the human mind. For example, why do different people like different kinds of
music, what parts of the brain are activated and if said parts are affected more
or less by different kinds of music, and others. Some of these questions have
remained unanswered, and might stay that way for a while. One thing, however,
is for certain: music does affect our daily lives. Just look at the simple facts.
Most people listen to music. If someone doesn’t, they’re sometimes viewed
in a strange way. How could you not listen to music?

Music affects our emotions. When we listen to sad songs, we tend to feel a
decline in mood. When we listen to happy songs, we feel happier. Upbeat
songs with energetic riffs and fast-paced rhythms (such as those we hear at
sporting events) tend to make us excited and pumped up.

With all this in mind, I sent out a survey to the students of Basehor-Linwood
High School, asking some simple questions about their music taste and how
music makes them feel. Studying these results show some interesting facts.

When asked about their listening habits, mixed results were found in
accordance to the amount of time spent listening to music on a daily basis.

About 22.2 percent of people said that they listen to music between one to
two hours every day, where another 22.2 percent said they listen at least five
hours a day. The category of two to three hours a day sees about 18.4 percent
of people in the school, and three to four hours meets a close second to that, at
16.5 percent. Only 11 percent of people listen to less than an hour’s worth of
music every day, and even less listen to four to five hours a day; about 9.5
percent.

It seems that there isn’t really a happy medium. Either people listen to music
a little, or they listen to music all the time. Music takes different standpoints
in different people’s lives, and it matters more or less to one person than it
does another. A majority of people listen to music in the car, as well as at
home; about 90 percent of all those studied for each. Around 71 percent of
people here in the school also listen in their classrooms. Both the hallway and
the lunchroom receive substantially less; about 37 percent and 25 percent.

It seems that music helps us concentrate and study as well. Out of those studied,
88.5 percent of people said that they listen to music when they study, work on
homework, and other activities such as that. That leaves an 11.5 percent of
people who don’t. It’s no surprise that most people (69 percent) listen to pop
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Reading Comprehension:
Types of Texts music. Pop literally stands for popular. 55.2 percent of all people attending
BLHS listen to rock and rap. It’s also not surprising to hear that 46.6% of
people listen to alternative and indie music. Over half of our students listen to
country, at 52.3 percent. Some genres that didn’t hit the chart with full force
are funk, jazz, classic, punk, dubstep, and metal. Not one of these, with the
exception of classical (at 28.7 percent), crossed the 25 percent line.

No matter what people listen to, there seems to be a common consensus as to

why they listen. It seems that genres that have a fast paced, upbeat, and catchy
rhythm (like pop, rap, etc.) are attractive to those who do sports, or at least,
those who are looking to get pumped up. Rock also stands to achieve this
goal. Most people agree that music just makes them happy. They can ‘get into
a mood’ based on the style of the song they’re listening too. I must say that I
agree.

Personally, I listen to rock and metal, pop punk, and acoustics, that is, if I
must limit my choices. I always listen to rock and a whole lot of metalcore. To
get pumped up, I listen to rock and metal, sometimes more ’80s metal than
modern. To help when I’m feeling down, I listen to acoustic and pop punk.
When angry, I listen to metalcore and sometimes stuff even heavier than that.

Overall, here’s the final conclusion I could come up with; music is simply a
force that cannot be explained. It messes with our heads, it makes us feel
different emotions, sometimes even physically changes us. Music unites us.
Some of those surveyed said that they’ve had friendships established based
off music, as have I. In the end, we know that music has a wide range of
effects on us. Honestly, maybe we should leave it at that.”
(Source: https://www.blhsnews.com/opinion/2015/09/29/how-does-music-affect-our-lives/)

1.3.2 Understanding structure and explanation

This essay can be categorized as a ‘Problem and Solution Essay’. Right in the
beginning of the text, you will find the first paragraph; the introduction setting
up a problem and promising an answer to be given in a systematic manner. On
reading the whole essay, you will be able to identify the various efforts and
process the writer has involved for the attainment of the solution.

The body of the essay lists down how the writer organized a survey. You will
understand that the writer is taking help of the facts she discovered from the
survey to provide a solution for the question asked. The thesis statement identified
thereof would be:
“Does music affect lives?”
And the rest of the essay is concerned with answering the same question.
The writer lists that music is treated differently by different people and it is
given a variant level of significance by its listeners. She mentions how spaces
are also claimed differently by students who listen to music. According to where
the music is played and how much, she mentions its use in concentration and
more for a student’s life. She says that music helps these students by providing
them with a rhythm for whichever activity they choose to immerse themselves in
school according to their tastes. The personality and interest of the students also
10 determine the kind of music they listen to.
After discussing some more findings, the writer moves to the conclusion where Expository Text
she asserts music to be an enigma when trying to find how it affects people’s
lives. She says it surely does but the ways in which it defines her student’s lives
are diverse and cannot be fathomed in one go. What you as a reader can decipher
from this conclusion is that a probable solution is attempted but has not reached
towards the end. The writer leaves the end to a philosophical musing of “To each
his own”.

1.3.3 Probable Questions:

There are six kinds of fixed questions which are asked when trying to test the
comprehension skills of the student.

a) Vocabulary based Questions: where the meanings of particular words in

the text, their antonyms, and synonyms are asked.
b) Direct Questions: where the question requires an answer given directly as
it is in the text.
c) Interpretative and Analytic Questions: where inferences need to be drawn
from the given text.
d) Main Idea: where the reader’s ability to comprehend the overall idea of the
text is questioned.
e) Supporting Ideas: where the detailed information supporting the main idea
is asked.
f) Narrative Structure, Style and Tone: where specific structural technicalities
like the thesis statement, introduction, body and conclusion are looked at.
Sample Questions:
a) What is the meaning of the word ‘dubstep’ in the above passage?
b) What kinds of music make one excited?
c) Can it be said that music affects specific people in a definite way?
d) What is the role of music in the lives of school students?
e) What is the breakdown of percentage of categories of music enjoyed by
people?
f) What kind of an essay would you categorize the above-mentioned passage
as?
The above-mentioned questions are set according to the types mentioned in the
previous paragraph. Each of these questions tests a different sect of comprehension
and they need to be answered accordingly.

Let us consider the following answers:

a) The word “dubstep” is part of a complete sentence which reads as “Some
genres that didn’t hit the chart with full force are funk, jazz, classic, punk,
dubstep, and metal”. Always try to incorporate a new word within the
sentence where you’ve found it. It is evident, even if you haven’t heard of
the word before that ‘dubstep’ has the probability of being a music genre
just like classical and jazz. Hence the answer can be “It is a genre of music
with emphasis on beats”. 11
Reading Comprehension: b) This is a direct question, the answer to which will be found in the second
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paragraph. “Upbeat songs with energetic riffs and fast-paced rhythms (such
as those we hear at sporting events) tend to make us excited and pumped
up.” Accordingly, fast paced music becomes the answer to this question.

c) This answer would be judging your understanding in between the lines. It

is always better to look at the conclusion to understand such a question.
“Overall, here’s the final conclusion I could come up with; music is simply
a force that cannot be explained. It messes with our heads, it makes us feel
different emotions, sometimes even physically changes us. Music unites
us”. Through these lines one can infer that music affects everyone differently
yet attempts to unite them into a universal love for it.

d) This question addresses the thesis statement of the given essay. Music helps
a person to live life depending on it for survival. It enables a constant
companionship with any stage of life and this need to rely on music helps
achieve a sense of universal appeal.

e) The above essay in paragraph number 7 gives a detailed view of the genres
of music and the percentage of people who enjoy that genre. This piece of
information helps in adding value to the main theme of the essay; that of
different kind of music appealing to different people at different points of
their lives.

f) The above-mentioned essay could be categorized as an expository essay.

It lists down the cause for the need of music and its effects. Its introduction
discusses how music affects people and the body gives the details of the
various ways in which music is used by people. The conclusion says that
music affects each differently and gives summative points for the same.

1.4 READING STRATEGIES

Readence, Bean, and Baldwin (2004) suggest a simple procedure to help students
recognize, identify, and utilize text structure as a way to better comprehend and
recall reading from expository text. Looking at the above passage, you must
now attempt to work on key strategies to attempt comprehension passages once
you have identified the type of essay, and its thesis statement.

Skimming and Scanning

These techniques are used to quickly scan through a text. It enables the reader to
establish an understanding in a limited period of time. Both Skimming and
Scanning involve rapid eye movements through the text, specifically the
keywords, yet done so for two different purposes respectively. Skimming ensures
a rapid reading to provide a creation of overall understanding of the text. Through
skimming you will attempt at getting a gist of the complete text. It does not
attempt to find any specificity. Scanning on the other hand is concerned with
rapid reading for the purpose of finding specific keywords and facts. As you
have already conducted the Skimming process, you will get well versed with the
topic of the essay and this will enable you to expect certain kinds of facts and
keywords in accordance with the given topic. Scanning, when done after
skimming, enables the registering of these keywords to aid a better understanding
of the text. “Skimming is like snorkeling, and scanning is more like pearl diving.”
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You should use skimming in previewing (reading before you read), reviewing Expository Text
(reading after you read), determining the main idea from a long selection you
don’t wish to read, or when trying to find source material for a research paper.
You usually use scanning in research to find particular facts, to study fact-heavy
topics, and to answer questions requiring factual support.

1.4.1 Skimming
The process of Skimming enables the laborious process of finishing a cumbersome
text in a short amount of time. However, skimming will only enable you to get
an abstract idea of the topic and an in-depth analysis will not be possible. Hence
this process can be deemed fit only as a preview into the text which is being
read.

“But when you skim, you may miss important points or overlook the finer shadings
of meaning, for which rapid reading or perhaps even study reading may be
necessary.” A combination of both scanning along with skimming is required to
have an effective comprehension of any given text.

To skim, prepare yourself to move rapidly through the pages. You will not read
every word; you will pay special attention to typographical cues-headings,
boldface and italic type, indenting, bulleted and numbered lists. You will be alert
for key words and phrases, the names of people and places, dates, nouns, and
unfamiliar words. In general, follow these steps:

“Read the Essay overview to learn the main divisions of ideas. Glance through
the main headings in each paragraph or section just to see a word or two. Read
the headings of charts and tables. Read the entire introductory paragraph and
then the first and last sentence only of each following paragraph. For each
paragraph, read only the first few words of each sentence or to locate the main
idea. Stop and quickly read the sentences containing keywords indicated in
boldface or italics. When you think you have found something significant, stop
to read the entire sentence to make sure. Then go on the same way. Resist the
temptation to stop to read details you don’t need.”

Keep in mind that you need not give equal attention to everything. You should
know when to go fast, when to skip and when to slow down your reading speed.
You should particularly slow down when you skim introductory and concluding
paragraphs, skim topic sentences, find an unfamiliar word, or when the material
is very complicated.

1.4.2 Scanning
Scanning, too, uses keywords and organizational cues. But while the goal of
skimming is a bird’s-eye view of the material, the goal of scanning is to locate
and swoop down on particular facts. Facts may be buried within long text passages
that have relatively little else to do with your topic or claim. Use the following
techniques:

“Know what you’re looking for. Decide on a few key words or phrases–search
terms, if you will. You will be a flesh-and-blood search engine. Look for only
one keyword at a time. If you use multiple keywords, do multiple scans. Let
your eyes float rapidly down the page until you find the word or phrase you
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Reading Comprehension: want. When your eye catches one of your keywords, read the surrounding material
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carefully.”

When scanning for facts to answer a specific question, one step is already done
for you: the question itself supplies the keywords. Follow these steps:
1) Read each question completely before starting to scan. Choose your
keywords from the question itself.
2) Look for answers to only one question at a time. Scan separately for each
question.
3) When you locate a keyword, read the surrounding text carefully to see if it
is relevant.
4) Re-read the question to determine if the answer you found answers this
question.
Scanning is a technique that requires concentration and can be surprisingly tiring.
You may have to practice at not allowing your attention to wander. Choose a
time and place that you know works for you and dive in.

1.5 PRACTICE TEXTS

1.5.1 Ghee - An Important Indian Cooking Fat
Have you seen? Here at Piccantino you can find several types of Ghees, but do
you know what ghee is? Ghee (pronounced Gi) is a term used in Indian cuisine.
Although the name sounds exotic, it is nothing other than concentrated butter.
In traditional Indian medicine, Ayurveda, Ghee is credited with many health
benefits.

Characteristics: In Europe ghee is revered mainly because of its frying

characteristics. Ghee is usually industrially produced from cow’s milk. Water
and protein are removed from the milk, so that only the fat is left. This has
many advantages over butter. Clarified butter can be heated to almost 200
degrees Celsius, without the fatty acids being destroyed. Therefore, it is
perfectly suitable for baking, frying and roasting. It is also very durable (it can
be stored non-chilled for up to 9 months, or stored cool up to 15 months) and
also, people with lactose intolerance can consume it without any problems. It
has a melting point of 42 degrees, so it is always crystallized at room
temperature.

What is Ghee? Ghee is usually almost 100% fat. Of these fats, around 60% are
saturated, 30% are monounsaturated and just over 5% are polyunsaturated
fatty acids. Ghee also contains the fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E. How much
fat the ghee contains depends on the manufacturing method.

Manufacturing Methods: In a large country like India, it is not surprising that

there are different ways to make ghee. The procedure can influence the taste,
quality and durability. For example, some ghees are made of 15% water.

At Piccantino, we only sell authentic ayurvedic ghee. This means that the
ghee was made through a boiling process, in the Ayurvedic tradition. Here,
butter is gently heated and kept liquid for a good 30 minutes. During this time
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 Expository Text
the water contained in butter evaporates and the protein is deposited on the
surface in the form of foam. This foam is skimmed off. What remains is the
fat.

The Role of Ghee in Ayurveda: In traditional Indian medicine, Ghee occupies

an important position. It is used not only for cooking but is considered to have
different positive effects. It is also considered the elixir of life. Some positive
effects that ghee allegedly has (according to Ayurveda):
It stimulates digestion.
It nourishes the body tissue, because it acts as a carrier for various
active ingredients which thus reach up into the cells.
It helps to keep the body in balance.
It binds toxins in the body and helps the body remove them
(Source: https://www.piccantino.com/info/magazine/ghee-an-important-indian-cooking-fat)

Check Your Progress 1

Answer the following questions based on your reading of the passage in 1.5.1.

1) What is ghee?
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2) Is ghee good for Indian food?

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3) What company does the writer accord to as producer of ghee?

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Reading Comprehension: 4) What is the relation between ghee and Ayurveda?
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1.5.2 Education and its Philosophy

Philosophy of Education is a label applied to the study of the purpose, process,
nature and ideals of education. It can be considered a branch of both philosophy
and education. Education can be defined as the teaching and learning of specific
skills, and the imparting of knowledge, judgment and wisdom, and is something
broader than the societal institution of education we often speak of.

Many educationalists consider it a weak and woolly field, too far removed
from the practical applications of the real world to be useful. But philosophers
dating back to Plato and the Ancient Greeks have given the area much thought
and emphasis, and there is little doubt that their work has helped shape the
practice of education over the millennia.

Plato is the earliest important educational thinker, and education is an essential

element in “The Republic” (his most important work on philosophy and political
theory, written around 360 B.C.). In it, he advocates some rather extreme
methods: removing children from their mothers’ care and raising them as wards
of the state, and differentiating children suitable to the various castes, the highest
receiving the most education, so that they could act as guardians of the city
and care for the less able. He believed that education should be holistic,
including facts, skills, physical discipline, music and art. Plato believed that
talent and intelligence is not distributed genetically and thus is be found in
children born to all classes, although his proposed system of selective public
education for an educated minority of the population does not really follow a
democratic model.

Aristotle considered human nature, habit and reason to be equally important

forces to be cultivated in education, the ultimate aim of which should be to
produce good and virtuous citizens. He proposed that teachers lead their
students systematically, and that repetition be used as a key tool to develop
good habits, unlike Socrates’ emphasis on questioning his listeners to bring
out their own ideas. He emphasized the balancing of the theoretical and practical
aspects of subjects taught, among which he explicitly mentions reading, writing,
mathematics, music, physical education, literature, history, and a wide range
of sciences, as well as play, which he also considered important.

During the Medieval period, the idea of Perennialism was first formulated by
St. Thomas Aquinas in his work “De Magistro”. Perennialism holds that one
should teach those things deemed to be of everlasting importance to all people
everywhere, namely principles and reasoning, not just facts (which are apt to
change over time), and that one should teach first about people, not machines
16
 Expository Text
or techniques. It was originally religious in nature, and it was only much later
that a theory of secular perennialism developed.

During the Renaissance, the French skeptic Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592)

was one of the first to critically look at education. Unusually for his time,
Montaigne was willing to question the conventional wisdom of the period,
calling into question the whole edifice of the educational system, and the
implicit assumption that university-educated philosophers were necessarily
wiser than uneducated farm workers, for example.
Check Your Progress 2
Answer the following questions based on your reading of the passage in 1.5.2.

1) What is the difference between the approaches of Socrates and

Aristotle?
a) Aristotle felt the need for repetition to develop good habits in students;
Socrates felt that students need to be constantly questioned
b) Aristotle felt the need for rote-learning; Socrates emphasized on dialogic
learning
c) There was no difference
d) Aristotle emphasized on the importance of paying attention to human
nature; Socrates emphasized upon science
2) Why do educationists consider philosophy a ‘weak and woolly’ field?
a) It is not practically applicable
b) Its theoretical concepts are easily understood
c) It is irrelevant for education
d) None of the above
3) What do you understand by the term ‘Perennialism’, in the context of the
given comprehension passage?
a) It refers to something which is of ceaseless importance
b) It refers to something which is quite unnecessary
c) It refers to something which is abstract and theoretical
d) It refers to something which existed in the past and no longer exists
now
4) Were Plato’s beliefs about education democratic?
a) He believed that only the rich have the right to acquire education
b) Yes
c) He believed that only a select few are meant to attend schools
d) He believed that all pupils are not talented

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Reading Comprehension: 5) Why did Aquinas propose a model of education which did not lay much
Types of Texts
emphasis on facts?
a) Facts are not important
b) Facts do not lead to holistic education
c) Facts change with the changing times
d) Facts are frozen in time

1.5.3 Primary Education in India: Progress and Challenges

In recent decades India has made significant progress on access to schooling
and enrollment rates in primary education but dropout rates and low levels of
learning remain challenges for the state and central government. As the U.S.
has a longer history of public education than India there are opportunities for
India to learn from the successes and failures in the American education system
and to collaborate in tackling shared challenges, such as the best use of
technology in primary education.

Primary school enrollment in India has been a success story, largely due to
various programs and drives to increase enrolment even in remote areas.
With enrollment reaching at least 96 percent since 2009, and girls making up
56 percent of new students between 2007 and 2013, it is clear that many
problems of access to schooling have been addressed. Improvements to
infrastructure have been a priority to achieve this and India now has 1.4 million
schools and 7.7 million teachers so that 98 percent of habitations have a
primary school (class I-V) within one kilometer and 92 percent have an upper
primary school (class VI-VIII) within a three-kilometer walking distance.

Despite these improvements, keeping children in school through graduation

is still an issue and dropout rates continue to be high. Nationally 29 percent
of children drop out before completing five years of primary school, and 43
percent before finishing upper primary school. High school completion is
only 42 percent. This lands India among the top five nations for out-of-school
children of primary school age, with 1.4 million 6 to 11 year olds not attending
school. In many ways schools are not equipped to handle the full population
– there is a teacher shortage of 689,000 teachers in primary schools, only 53
percent of schools have functional girls’ toilets and 74 percent have access to
drinking water.

Additionally, the quality of learning is a major issue and reports show that
children are not achieving class-appropriate learning levels. According to
Pratham’s Annual Status of Education 2013 report, close to 78 percent of
children in Standard III and about 50 percent of children in Standard V cannot
yet read Standard II texts. Arithmetic is also a cause for concern as only 26
percent students in Standard V can do a division problem. Without immediate
and urgent help, these children cannot effectively progress in the education
system, and so improving the quality of learning in schools is the next big
challenge for both the state and central governments.

Improving learning will require attention to many things, including increasing

teacher accountability. According to school visits teacher attendance is just
85 percent in primary and middle schools and raising the amount of time
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 Expository Text
teachers spend on-task and increasing their responsibility for student learning
also needs improvement. Part of this process requires better assessments at
each grade level and more efficient monitoring and support systems. Overall,
the public school system also needs a better general management system.

India also faces many challenges that could be tackled through the education
system. For one gender issues have come to the fore because of the spate of
recent cases of violence against girls. Changing gender mindsets seems to be
imperative and gender studies education is one way of doing so. Also India,
along with most countries, is concerned with the future of the labour market
and employability; Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi wants to emphasize
skill development in order to make school education more practically relevant.

Building good assessment systems: Good assessments are useful at the

classroom level for teachers to gauge their students’ understanding and also
to inform policy. The need for regular and useful assessments in India is
something that Indian departments of education are focusing on at the central
and state level.

Gender studies education: The state of women in India has recently drawn a
lot of attention and promoting gender equality through education has an
important role to play. Boys and girls should be taught to think about gender
equality from an early age and the curriculum should include gender studies
with appropriate teacher training.

Skills Development: As making education more practically relevant to the

labor market is a priority for Prime Minister Modi, there is much India can
learn from experiences in the United States. A shared agenda of helping
identify and implement improved ways to develop skills and competencies
even at the school level could be an important area for collaboration.
(Source:https://www.brookings.edu/research/primary-education-in-india-progress-and-
challenges/)

Check Your Progress 3

Answer the following questions based on your reading of the passage in 1.5.3.

1) What is the major issue related to learning in the Indian education system?
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................

2) What is the problem that India could tackle if the education sector is looked
after?
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................... 19
Reading Comprehension: 3) What can teachers do at a classroom level to resolve issues of lack of
Types of Texts
quality primary education?
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................

4) What is the structure of the above-mentioned essay?

.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................

1.6 LET US SUM UP

Expository Texts are of various kinds. For you to understand and comprehend,
then to answer the questions asked, it is important that you know the techniques
of writing these texts or essays and then you will be able to identify these very
technicalities that the writer uses in the process of writing. In the six variations
or types provided in the above-mentioned sections, you could find the
commonality of a thesis statement which would define the kind of question,
problem, thing, process, or classification which the essay would primarily be
about.

Using this identification process, you will need to understand the structure of the
given essay. Identify the Introduction, Body and Conclusion through the contents
of the essay and you are now equipped to tackle the questions. Further engage in
the process of skimming and scanning. Skimming accords to you reading the
passage in one swift go creating for you a general idea of what the essay is about;
precisely what the thesis statement is. After this, scanning initiates a detailed
breaking down of the text targeting specific questions asked.

Reading comprehension texts not only develops your proficiency in understanding

a given passage but also works on how well you can analyze and interpret the
same, using the given questions and text.

1.7 SUGGESTED READINGS

If you would like to learn more about Expository Texts, you may consult:
Marjorie Mather & Brett McLenithan (eds.), Clear Writing: Readings in
Expository Prose (Toronto: Broadview Press, 2006)
Wayne Otto & Sandra White (eds.), Reading Expository Material (New York:
Academic Press, 1982)
20
Frank Smith, Understanding Reading: A Psycholinguistic Analysis of Reading Expository Text
and Learning to Read 6th Edition (New York: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates,
2004)

1.8 ANSWERS
Check Your Progress 1
1) Ghee is usually almost 100% fat. Of these fats, around 60% are saturated,
30% are monounsaturated and just over 5% are polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Ghee also contains the fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E.

2) Yes, ghee is commonly used in Indian cooking; specifically, traditional

cooking. Apart from food, Ghee also features in traditional Ayurveda
medicine.
3) Piccantino is the company which is called the producer of ghee here.
4) They are both Indian Traditions. Ayurveda medicine uses ghee in a number
of its productions. It is meant to clear one’s internal system. It cleans body
of toxins and balances the workings of internal health. It also stimulates
the body tissue and helps in digestion.
Check Your Progress 2
1) (a), 2. (a), 3. (a), 4. (b), 5. (c)

2) The first option is correct – their approaches were different and this
difference is quite explicitly explained in the fourth paragraph.

3) The first option is correct because educationists believe that philosophical

abstractions are not suitable for practical application.

4) The first option is correct because the term comes from the root word
‘perennial’ – which means ceaseless.

5) The second option is correct – Plato’s beliefs were democratic but not his
suggested practices.

6) The third option is correct – facts do change with the changing times;
hence, they are not of the utmost importance when aiming for holistic
education.
Check Your Progress 3
1) As reports show that children are not achieving class-appropriate learning
levels, the problems with learning quality can be spotted. According to
Pratham’s Annual Status of Education 2013 report, close to 78 percent of
children in Standard III and about 50 percent of children in Standard V
cannot yet read Standard II texts. Arithmetic is also a problem for many of
these children.

2) Gender issues can be addressed if education problems are tackled. Violence

against women and men on the basis of their gender can be solved with
gender sensitization which comes from education. Apart from this, the

21
Reading Comprehension: problem of employability can also be resolved with better standards of
Types of Texts
education.

3) Good assessments are useful at the classroom level for teachers to gauge
their students’ understanding and also to inform policy. The need for regular
and useful assessments in India is something that the government is focusing
on at the central and state level.

4) The above-mentioned essay addresses the subject of problems with primary

education in India. It discusses the various modes under which these
problems occur and how they can be resolved. It can be categorized as a
problem and solution essay of the expository type.

22