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Lesson 11
A sister and brother, Sunita and Ashok, who are settled in America with their parents, return to Delhi for a summer trip. Sunita is a medical student and she wants to explore the possibility of getting a summer internship in some Indian hospital.
Main topics: Education system (getting admission, government schools vs. private schools); health (hospital facilities, medical insurance, doctors’ fee)
Main functions: Conveying information; comparison; discussing career plans; showing hospitality
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Lesson 12
Sunita goes to Agra by road with her aunt, uncle and cousins in their old car which stalls on the way. In Agra , they visit their relatives and see Taj Mahal, the symbol of love and beauty.
Main Topics: Travel (road conditions, car problem, long journey); extended family; life style (fast food, privacy, domestic help, pace of life).
Main Functions: Complaining & responding to a complaint; welcoming guests, comparison, stating an opinion; small talk about food
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Lesson 13
Sunita meets Dr. Mathur in his clinic and they both take interest in each other. Later, Dr. Mathur invites Sunita and Sheela for coffee. Ashok goes to Jaipur in connection with his business, where he learns about a special desert festival.
Main Topics: Health (sickness, home remedies); travel (hotel, local attractions)
Main Functions: Description (physical health; hotel room); making recommendations; extending & responding to an invitation.
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Lesson 14
Ashok talks to his uncle about his business plans. Later, he gets into a heated discussion with his uncle about the local and national politics of India. Ashok and other people in the family watch a popular TV soap opera called “Hum Log” that focuses on arranged marriages and dowry related issues.
Main Topics: Business (loans, import and export); politics (elections, political parties, democracy); women (education, arranged marriages)
Main Functions: Explaining a situation; supporting opinion; agreeing or disagreeing with someone; joking with family and friends
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Lesson 15
Ashok introduces his acquaintance Kishan Lal to his extended family members. Since Kishan Lal comes from a village and he had an arranged marriage recently, Sunita and her cousin Sheela ask him a lot of questions about village life and his arranged marriage.
Main Topics: Village life; marriage
Main Functions: Narrating an event; making a general statement; expressing disbelief; making suggestions; Expressing gratitude.
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Lesson 16
Sunita, Ashok and their cousin Sheela see an “art” film called “Sara Akash” at a cinema hall. The film is about the problems of a newly married young couple. They are still struggling to define their relationship and new roles. Sunita, Ashok and Sheela discuss the film on their way home and talk about the cultural differences between India and America.
Main Topics: Movies (ticket, show time, shoe polish); family (roles and relationships, individual freedom)
Main Functions: Making fun of someone; chiding someone; supporting one’s view point with arguments; emphasizing one’s viewpoint
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Lesson 17
Sunita is working as an intern at a dispensary in a small village. She lives in the village and learns about the lives of village people. Dr. Mathur pays a surprise visit to Sunita at her dispensary, and their friendship seems to thicker.
Main Topics: Farming (seeds, fertilizers, rains); women (life styles of rural and urban women); friendship
Main Functions: Describing (routines, family structure, methods of farming); praising someone; extending and accepting an invitation.
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Lesson 18
Ashok and Sunita go to the historic Red Fort in Delhi. The tour guide tells them briefly about the Mogul history and the famous 1857 freedom fight between Indians and the East India Company.
Main Topics: History (mogul monuments and rulers); religion (festivals such as Ramadan and Id).
Main Functions: Description (of historic monuments, customs); narration (stories of rulers and freedom fighters).
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Lesson 19
Sunita visits a mobile childcare center set up for the children of migrant construction workers. She learns about the challenges of running such a center and the lives of the poor parents whose children come to the center.
Main Topics: Child care; poverty; family planning.
Main Functions: Description (of an organization, living conditions); narration (of an event).
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Lesson 20
Sunita and Ashok are getting ready to go back to America. They write letters to their friends and relatives recounting their rich social experiences in India. In the end, Ashok and Sunita bid farewell to the Gupta family at the Delhi airport.
Main Topics: Culture (customs, social norms); social stratification (caste, economic classes)
Main Functions: Thanking; reporting, letter writing, analysis.
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