Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. supposed (adj.) [suh-pohzd, -poh-zid] – expected to happen
Example: I am supposed to be at a meeting today, but I am too sick to be there.
2. mention (v.) [men-shuhn] – to briefly talk or
write about something
Example:
The winner mentioned the name of his
parents in his speech.
3. dummy (n.) [duhm-ee] – a copy or representation
of something, often lacking some features of the original
Example: Food
dummies are displayed so customers can imagine what the real food looks
like.
4. partition (v.) [pahr-tish-uhn, per-] – to divide or to
separate
Example: The
kingdom was partitioned into north and south.
5. extremist (n.) [ik-stree-mist] – a person who
supports a belief with extreme loyalty
Example: Extremists
believe that changing the government will improve the country.
Article
Read the text below.
An Indian man was finally given a gold medal for academic
performance six decades after winning the award.
Dinanath Malhotra, who owns a publishing company in Delhi, was supposed to receive a gold medal for
being top of his Master of Arts in Punjab University in Lahore back in 1944.
At the award ceremony,
he received a dummy medal, because the original gold medal was to be
imported from England. But the gold medal never arrived.
Then, in 1947, the Indian subcontinent was partitioned, making
the city of Lahore part of Pakistan and separate from India. Malhotra left
Lahore to live in India, and eventually forgot about his award.
Years later, at a meeting with the Indian Publishers Union, he
casually mentioned the award to a
senior official of the Human Resources Development Ministry. The official
later spoke to Punjab University's vice-chancellor, who agreed that the medal
should be awarded to Malhotra in Lahore.
In November 2008, Malhotra was supposed to travel to Lahore. Yet his
receiving the medal was delayed again. Extremists had attacked the city
of Mumbai, forcing Malhotra to cancel his trip.
Now 90, Malhotra finally received the award at the Pakistani High
Commission in Delhi, after 68 years of waiting. Malhotra feels sad that he
missed the chance to visit Lahore. He had admired the people and the way of
life there during his youth.
However, Malhotra believes getting the medal is a great honor, not
only for him but for the academic groups in India and Pakistan.
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Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
● How important are academic awards?
● Do you think Malhotra’s academic
award still matters 68 years after he won it? Please explain your answer.
Discussion B
● The separation of Pakistan from
India affected many lives. In what other ways do you think people can be
affected when countries are partitioned?
● Malhotra says he regrets missing
the opportunity to visit Lahore, the city of his youth. Why do you think some
people get attached to the places of their youth?