Me and the Ecology Bit Summary, Explanation, Difficult Words| BSEB Class 10 English Lesson 2

by | Apr 4, 2024 | General | 0 comments

 

Me and the Ecology Bit Summary

 

BSEB Class 10 English Lesson 2 Me and the Ecology Bit Summary, Lesson Explanation with difficult word meanings from Panorama-II Book

 

Me and the Ecology Bit – Are you looking for Summary and Lesson Explanation for Bihar Board Class 10 English Lesson 2 Me and the Ecology Bit from Panorama-II Book. Get notes, summary of the Lesson followed by line by line explanation of the lesson along with the meanings of difficult words and Question and Answers.

 

 
 

Me and the Ecology Bit Bihar Board Class 10 English 

 Joan Lexau

 

Me and the Ecology Bit Introduction

In Joan Lexau’s lesson titled “Me and the Ecology Bit,” the author discusses the common concern of preserving the environment and the challenges associated with it. The chapter shows the value of ecological preservation and the challenge of convincing people to actively engage in conservation efforts through the protagonist’s experiences. The story follows Jim as he moves throughout his community, trying to promote environmentally friendly behaviors even in the face of resistance and disinterest from his neighbors. In the end, the chapter addresses the need for each person’s duty in preserving the environment and the challenges in raising awareness about environmental issues.
 

 
 

Theme of the Lesson Me and the Ecology Bit 

 

The theme of the chapter “Me and the Ecology Bit” focuses on environmental conservation and the challenges associated with promoting ecological awareness. It draws attention to the challenges of convincing people to adopt eco-friendly behaviors and stresses the significance of an individual’s duty to preserve the environment. The chapter also examines the issue that exists between promoting ecology and adopting sustainable practices, as well as the challenges of dissatisfaction and disinterest that come with attempting to raise environmental awareness in a community.
 

 
 

Me and the Ecology Bit Summary

In “Me and the Ecology Bit,” Jim tries to spread environmentally conscious behaviors in his neighborhood while he goes about his daily route. In “Me and the Ecology Bit,” Jim, the protagonist, encounters a dilemma when he tries to promote ecologically conscious behaviors while distributing newspapers in his community. Reminiscent of his childhood, Jim’s father asks that he take up a paper route, adding to Jim’s already demanding schedule of extracurricular activities and homework. Jim encounters resistance and disinterest from people such as Mr. Williams, Ms. Greene, and Mr. Johnson when he promotes recycling and composting. Jim offers composting as an environmentally friendly substitute to Mr. Williams when he confronts him about burning leaves. Mr. Williams, on the other hand, rejects the idea and questions Jim’s dedication to home composting. In the same way, Jim’s conversation with Ms. Greene shows her lack of concern for environmental preservation because she places a higher priority on small issues like littering than on bigger problems like recycling.

Jim faces resistance even when he tries to talk Mr. Johnson into walking rather than driving to the post office. Mr. Johnson brings light to the harm Jim’s shortcut through Mrs. Greene’s yard causes to the environment, stressing the removal of a tree as a result of Jim’s actions. Jim finds it difficult to effect significant change in his town, despite his best efforts.

Even with his determination, he finds it difficult to bring about significant change and gets frustrated in the process. 
 

 
 

Me and the Ecology Bit Summary in Hindi

“मी एंड द इकोलॉजी बिट” में, जिम अपने दैनिक मार्ग पर चलते हुए अपने पड़ोस में पर्यावरण के प्रति जागरूक व्यवहार फैलाने की कोशिश करता है। “मी एंड द इकोलॉजी बिट” में नायक जिम को एक दुविधा का सामना करना पड़ता है जब वह अपने समुदाय में समाचार पत्र वितरित करते समय पारिस्थितिक रूप से जागरूक व्यवहार को बढ़ावा देने की कोशिश करता है। अपने बचपन की याद दिलाते हुए, जिम के पिता उसे पेपर रूट अपनाने के लिए कहते हैं, जिससे जिम के लिए पहले से ही पाठ्येतर गतिविधियों और होमवर्क की मांग बढ़ जाती है। जब जिम रीसाइक्लिंग और कंपोस्टिंग को बढ़ावा देता है तो उसे मिस्टर विलियम्स, सुश्री ग्रीन और मिस्टर जॉनसन जैसे लोगों से प्रतिरोध और उदासीनता का सामना करना पड़ता है। जब जिम श्री विलियम्स से पत्तियों को जलाने के बारे में बात करता है तो वह उन्हें पर्यावरण के अनुकूल विकल्प के रूप में खाद बनाने की पेशकश करता है। दूसरी ओर, श्री विलियम्स इस विचार को अस्वीकार करते हैं और होम कंपोस्टिंग के प्रति जिम के समर्पण पर सवाल उठाते हैं। उसी तरह, सुश्री ग्रीन के साथ जिम की बातचीत पर्यावरण संरक्षण के प्रति उनकी चिंता की कमी को दर्शाती है क्योंकि वह रीसाइक्लिंग जैसी बड़ी समस्याओं की तुलना में कूड़े जैसे छोटे मुद्दों को अधिक प्राथमिकता देती हैं।

जिम को तब भी विरोध का सामना करना पड़ता है जब वह मिस्टर जॉनसन को डाकघर तक गाड़ी चलाने के बजाय पैदल चलने के लिए कहने की कोशिश करता है। मिस्टर जॉनसन, जिम के कार्यों के परिणामस्वरूप एक पेड़ को हटाने पर जोर देते हुए, श्रीमती ग्रीन के यार्ड के माध्यम से जिम के शॉर्टकट से पर्यावरण को होने वाले नुकसान पर प्रकाश डालते हैं। जिम को अपने सर्वोत्तम प्रयासों के बावजूद, अपने शहर में महत्वपूर्ण परिवर्तन लाने में कठिनाई हो रही है।

अपने दृढ़ संकल्प के साथ भी, उसे महत्वपूर्ण परिवर्तन लाने में कठिनाई होती है और इस प्रक्रिया में वह निराश हो जाता है।
 

 
 

Me and the Ecology Bit Lesson Explanation

 

Passage: Sure it is hard to get people to work for ecology. Everybody is in favor of it but nobody wants to do anything about it. At least I’m doing something, going around telling people what they should do. But all I get is a lot of backtalk.
I have this paper route. My father had one when he was a kid, so he made me get one last year. Between it and my homework, I hardly have time for playing ball and stuff, some days I get in only a few innings.

Word Meanings:
backtalk(n): to answer back
ecology(n): the study of the relationships between plants, animals, people, and their environment, and the balances between these relationships.
stuff (n): colloquial term often used to refer to miscellaneous or unspecified things. Here, it might be referred to as leisure activities.
innings (n): turn of batting/bowling in cricket

Explanation: The narrator talks about how difficult it is to get people to care about ecology. Even though everyone says they support it, no one really wants to take action to help. The narrator feels frustrated because they are trying to make a difference by telling people what they should do to help the environment, but all he gets is negative responses. He mentioned having a paper route, a job delivering newspapers, which takes up a lot of time along with homework. This makes it hard for him to have time to play sports or other fun activities.

Passage: But anyhow, on Saturdays when I collect, I put in a good work for ecology. Like last Saturday morning. It was a good collecting day. It had just turned spring and a lot of people were outside.
I went to Mr. Williams’s house. As usual, he tried to pretend he’s not home. But I see him burning leaves in the backyard, so he’s stuck. He pays me, and I tell him. “You shouldn’t burn those leaves. It’s bad for air, bad ecology. You should make a compost pile like we do. Put in the leaves, garbage, and stuff. Good for the garden.”

Word Meanings:
Compost pile(n): a heap of manure and vegetation and other organic residues that are decaying to become compost
pretend (v.t): to profess falsely, to feign

Explanation: The narrator talks about how he uses his Saturday mornings to both deliver newspapers and work towards helping the environment, which he refers to as “putting in good work for ecology.” He mentioned that this particular Saturday morning many people were out and about. The narrator then visits Mr. Williams’s house during his paper route. Mr. Williams typically pretends not to be home, but this time, the narrator catches him burning leaves in his backyard. Despite Mr. Williams’ attempt to avoid conflict, the narrator confronts him about burning leaves, explaining that it’s harmful to the air and the environment. Instead, the narrator suggests making a compost pile, which would benefit the garden without causing harm.

Passage: He doesn’t agree or hang his head in shame. He says, “That compost pile is your job at home, Jim, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” I say proudly, which would shock the idea I hate working with compost. Which I do.
Mr. Williams says, “Well don’t you take a little more trouble with it, put enough dirt on top of each layer? Then we wouldn’t have this nose pollution.”
“Huh?” I say “You mean noise pollution.” “No,” he says. “I mean your compost smells up the whole street.”

Word Meanings:
compost (n): manure
pollution (n): state of the environment being defiled or polluted or made filthy or dirty for various reasons

Explanation: Mr. Williams responds to the narrator’s suggestion about making a compost pile by pointing out that it’s the narrator’s job at home to handle composting. The narrator admits to being proud of his efforts to compost at home, even though he secretly dislikes working with compost. Mr. Williams then criticizes the narrator’s composting practices, saying that they should cover each layer of the compost with enough dirt to prevent bad smells, which he refers to as “nose pollution.” The narrator misunderstands initially, thinking Mr. Williams is talking about noise pollution, but Mr. Williams clarifies that he means the bad smell coming from the compost pile.

Passage: My feelings are hurt, but that doesn’t stop me from trying again. I go to collect from Ms. Greene. I have to call her Ms. Greene because if I call her ‘Mrs’, she says she doesn’t have a change to pay me. She is putting her garbage out for the weekly pickup on Monday. She goes away on weekends; so on Saturdays and Sundays, we have to look at the big plastic garbage bags on her lawn. But I don’t say anything about it, I just look at the garbage. She says to me, “Go pick up that gum wrapper you threw on my lawn. Put it in one of the plastic bags. Didn’t anybody teach you not to litter?”

Word Meanings:
garbage (n): filth
wrapper (n): a loose paper cover

Explanation: The narrator here talks about how he feels hurt after his encounter with Mr. Williams, but he doesn’t let it stop him from trying again to promote eco-friendly behavior. Then he goes to collect payment from Ms. Greene. The narrator mentions that they have to call her Ms. Greene instead of Mrs. Greene because she claims to not have any change to pay him if called so. He notices that Ms. Greene puts out her garbage for pickup on Monday, but it sits on her lawn over the weekend, making the neighborhood look untidy. Despite this, the narrator doesn’t say anything about it. Instead, Ms. Greene accuses the narrator of littering and tells him to pick up the gum wrapper which he threw in her garden. The narrator doesn’t argue and just picks up the wrapper, feeling frustrated with the situation.

Passage:I hold my temper and pick up my gum wrapper and put it in a bag. Then she says, And there’s a law in this town about keeping dogs on a leash. So, why is yours always all over the place? That dog digs up my garden and messes up my yard, and last weekend Mr. Williams saw it tear open one of my garbage bags.”
“Well,” I say, but I can’t think of anything to go with it. Then I see she is piling newspapers next to her garbage bags.
“Listen, Ms. Greene,” I say, “save those papers for the school pickup, and they can be made into new paper. Save aluminum cans, too.”
“Like the last school pickup?” she asks “When you said you’d come and pick them up, but you never showed up? It’s easier to throw them away a few at a time than have a big mess like that.”
I get tired of trying to get Ms. Greene to do something about ecology. I go to Mr. Johnson’s house. He makes a run for his car, but I can run faster than he can.

Word Meanings:
mess (n): untidy state of things

Explanation: The narrator tries to keep calm when Ms. Greene accuses him of not controlling his dog and leaving litter around the neighborhood. The narrator suggests to Ms. Greene that she should recycle newspapers and aluminum cans, but Ms. Greene brings up a past incident where the narrator didn’t follow through with picking up recyclables. Feeling frustrated with Ms. Greene’s attitude, the narrator decides to move on and visit Mr. Johnson’s house. However, Mr. Johnson tries to avoid the narrator by quickly getting into his car, however, the narrator is able to catch up because they can run faster.

Passage: “Just trying to get to the post office before it closes,” he says, huffing and puffing.
“You got time,” I say. “You even got time to walk. It’s only two blocks. You shouldn’t take your car when you don’t need to. The walk would be good exercise and save on gas. And not pollute. That’s ecology.”
“They sure are,” I say. “We had a lot about trees and ecology in school. They make the air better and stuff like that.”
“See that tree over there?” He says, pointing to where there isn’t any tree.
“I don’t see any tree,” I tell him.
“Of course not,” he says. “And no grass either. Because you made a path there taking a shortcut from Mrs. Greene’s. There was a little tree just starting to get bigger there until you killed it by trying to jump over it everyday. Remember?”
“Oh,” I say.
“And talking about not driving when you can walk. You drive your motorbike round and round your backyard all summer. And your snowmobile all winter. Isn’t that wasting power and making noise pollution too?”
But it’s fun,” I say.
“Well, I enjoy taking the car to the post office,” he says, “But now you’ve made me too late.” He goes into the house looking very mad.
Then I remember he hasn’t paid me. But I decided to wait until next Saturday. At least I made him not pollute his car for once.
I don’t talk to the rest of my route about ecology. It’s very boring work, this ecology bit.
But when I get home, I see my mother using the electric mixer.
“You should do that with your old egg beater,” I pointed out to her. “Save on electricity. Women use too many electric things.”
She says in a very cold voice, So who watches TV twenty-seven hours a day around here? Or is that some other kind of electricity?
See what I mean? Nobody’s willing to do anything about ecology, except me. And nobody listens to me.

Word Meanings:
huffing and puffing (idm): breathing in a noisy way, panting
keep dogs on a leash (verb phrase): keeping dogs tied

Explanation: The narrator talks to Mr. Johnson about using his car, suggesting that walking would be better for both health and the environment. However, Mr. Johnson points out that there used to be a tree where the narrator made a shortcut, but it got damaged because of him jumping over it. Then, Mr. Johnson brings up the narrator’s use of motorbikes and snowmobiles, saying that they waste power and cause noise pollution. The narrator defends his actions, saying that it is fun. Mr. Johnson gets upset because he’s now late and goes inside angrily. Later, the narrator realizes Mr. Johnson hasn’t paid him but decides to wait until next week. At home, the narrator suggests his mom use a manual egg beater instead of an electric mixer to save electricity, but his mom responds sarcastically, implying that everyone in the house uses electricity excessively. This passage shows the narrator’s frustration with trying to promote ecological actions to others, as he feels like no one listens or cares.
 

 

Related Link : BSEB Class 10 English Syllabus 2024-25

 

Also See : 

BSEB Class 10 English Summary, Explanation Notes, Difficult words

 

 

BSEB Class 10 English Question Answers

 

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