Unit 1: Critical Thinking
Reading: Know Thyself
Before You Read
a. What are critical thinking skills?
b. How do critical thinkers solve problems? Guess the steps they follow while tackling a problem.
Critical Thinking Skills
Capacities of a person with critical thinking
A. Read the following text and do the given tasks
There was a lot of shuffling around when the bell rang and everybody got up to leave. I checked my schedule and it said my next class was English, room 321. I didn't stop to see if anyone else from my homeroom was going my way: I just zoomed out of the class and down the hall and sat down as far from the front as possible. The teacher, a really tall man with a yellow beard, was writing on the chalkboard.
Kids came in laughing and talking in little groups but I didn't look up. Basically, the same thing that happened in homeroom happened again: no one sat next to me except for Jack, who was joking around with some kids who weren't in our homeroom. I could tell Jack was the kind of kid other kids like. He had a lot of friends. He made people laugh.
When the second bell rang, everyone got quiet and the teacher turned around and faced us. He said his name was Mr. Browne, and then he started talking about what we would be doing this semester. At a certain point, somewhere between A Wrinkle in Time and Shen of the Sea, he noticed me but kept right on talking.
I was mostly doodling in my notebook while he talked, but every once in a while I would sneak a look at the other students. Charlotte was in this class. So were Julian and Henry. Miles wasn't.
Mr. Browne had written on the chalkboard in big block letters:
P-R-E-C-E-P-T!
"Okay, everybody write this down at the very top of the very first page in your English notebook."
As we did what he told us to do, he said: "Okay, so who can tell me what a precept is? Does anyone know?"
No one raised their hands.
Mr. Browne smiled, nodded, and turned around to write on the chalkboard again:
PRECEPTS = RULES ABOUT REALLY IMPORTANT THINGS!
"Like a motto?" someone called out.
"Like a motto!" said Mr. Browne, nodding as he continued writing on the board. "Like a famous quote. Like a line from a fortune cookie. Any saying or ground rule that can motivate you. Basically, a precept is anything that helps guide us when making decisions about really important things."
He wrote all that on the chalkboard and then turned around and faced us. "So, what are some really important things?" he asked us.
A few kids raised their hands, and as he pointed at them, they gave their answers, which he wrote on the chalkboard in really sloppy handwriting:
RULES. SCHOOLWORK. HOMEWORK.
"What else?" he said as he wrote, not even turning around. "Just call things out!" He wrote everything everyone called out:
FAMILY. PARENTS. PETS.
One girl called out: "The environment!"
THE ENVIRONMENT.
He added: OUR WORLD!
"Sharks, because they eat dead things in the ocean!" said one of the boys, Reid, and Mr. Browne wrote down SHARKS.
"Bees!" "Seatbelts!" "Recycling!" "Friends!"
"Okay," said Mr. Browne, writing all those things down. He turned around and faced us again. "But no one's named the most important thing of all."
We all looked at him, out of ideas.
"God?" said one kid, and Mr. Browne wrote "God" down, but that wasn't the answer he was looking for. Without saying anything else, he wrote:
WHO WE ARE!
"Who we are," he said, underlining each word. "What kind of people are we? What kind of person are you? Isn't that the most important thing of all?"
He asked, "Did anyone notice the plaque next to the door of this school? It says: 'Know Thyself'."
"And learning who you are is what you're here to do."
"I thought we were here to learn English," Jack cracked, which made everyone laugh.
"Oh yeah, and that, too!" Mr. Browne answered.
He wrote in big block letters across the chalkboard:
MR. BROWNE'S SEPTEMBER PRECEPT:
WHEN GIVEN THE CHOICE BETWEEN BEING RIGHT OR BEING KIND, CHOOSE KIND.
"Okay, everybody," he said, "I want you to start a new section in your notebooks called Mr. Browne's Precepts."
He kept talking as we wrote.
"Put today's date. At the beginning of every month, I will write a new precept. You will write it down and discuss it. At the end of the month, you will write an essay about it. By the end of the year, you will have your own list of precepts."
"Over the summer, I ask students to write their own personal precept on a postcard and mail it to me."
"People really do that?" said one girl.
"Oh yeah," he answered. "It's pretty amazing."
He smiled and continued, "Next summer seems far away, so relax while I take attendance."
एकाइ १: आलोचनात्मक सोच (Critical Thinking)
पाठ: आफूलाई चिन्नु (Know Thyself)
घण्टी बज्ने बित्तिकै सबैजना उठेर बाहिरिन थाले र कक्षामा निकै हलचल भयो। मैले आफ्नो समयतालिका हेरेँ। त्यसमा मेरो अर्को कक्षा अङ्ग्रेजी विषयको, कोठा नम्बर ३२१ मा रहेको उल्लेख थियो। मेरो होमरुमका अरू विद्यार्थी पनि त्यतै जाँदैछन् कि भनेर मैले हेर्न पनि रोकिइनँ। म तुरुन्तै कक्षाबाट निस्किएँ, गल्ली हुँदै गएँ र अगाडिको भागबाट सकेसम्म टाढा बसेँ। शिक्षक निकै अग्ला थिए र उनको पहेँलो दाह्री थियो। उनी कालोपाटीमा केही लेखिरहेका थिए।
बच्चाहरू साना–साना समूहमा हाँस्दै र कुरा गर्दै कक्षामा प्रवेश गरिरहेका थिए, तर मैले टाउको उठाएर हेरेँन। होमरुममा जस्तै यहाँ पनि उही कुरा दोहोरियो। ज्याक बाहेक कोही पनि मेरो छेउमा बसेन। ज्याक केही विद्यार्थीहरूसँग ठट्टा गरिरहेको थियो जो हाम्रो होमरुममा थिएनन्। मैले बुझ्न सक्थेँ कि ज्याक त्यस्तो केटा थियो जसलाई सबैले मन पराउँथे। उसका धेरै साथीहरू थिए। उसले सबैलाई हँसाउँथ्यो।
दोस्रो घण्टी बज्दा सबै शान्त भए र शिक्षक हामीतर्फ फर्किए। उनले आफ्नो नाम मिस्टर ब्राउन भएको बताए र त्यसपछि यो सत्रमा हामीले के–के गर्नेछौँ भन्नेबारे कुरा गर्न थाले। A Wrinkle in Time र Shen of the Sea को चर्चा गरिरहेका बेला कतै उनले मलाई पनि देखे, तर आफ्नो कुरा भने निरन्तर जारी राखे।
उनी बोलिरहँदा म प्रायः आफ्नो कापीमा चित्र कोरिरहेको थिएँ। बेला–बेलामा भने मैले अरू विद्यार्थीहरूलाई चोर नजरले हेर्थेँ। चार्लोट पनि यही कक्षामा थिई। जुलियन र हेन्री पनि थिए। माइल्स भने थिएन।
मिस्टर ब्राउनले कालोपाटीमा ठूला अक्षरमा लेखेका थिए:
P-R-E-C-E-P-T !
“ठिक छ, सबैले यो आफ्नो अङ्ग्रेजी कापीको पहिलो पानाको सबैभन्दा माथि लेख।”
हामीले लेख्न थालेपछि उनले भने, “अब कसैले भन्न सक्छ, ‘Precept’ भनेको के हो? कसैलाई थाहा छ?”
कसैले पनि हात उठाएन।
मिस्टर ब्राउन मुस्कुराए, टाउको हल्लाए र फेरि कालोपाटीमा लेख्न थाले:
PRECEPTS = अत्यन्त महत्त्वपूर्ण कुराहरूका नियमहरू
“मोटो (Motto) जस्तै?” कसैले सोध्यो।
“हो, मोटो जस्तै!” मिस्टर ब्राउनले भने। “प्रसिद्ध भनाइ जस्तै, भाग्यफलको कागजमा लेखिएको वाक्य जस्तै, प्रेरणा दिने कुनै उक्ति वा नियम जस्तै। सरल शब्दमा भन्नुपर्दा, जीवनका महत्त्वपूर्ण निर्णयहरू गर्दा मार्गदर्शन गर्ने कुनै पनि कुरा ‘Precept’ हो।”
त्यसपछि उनले सोधे, “अब भन त, जीवनका महत्त्वपूर्ण कुराहरू के–के हुन्?”
केही विद्यार्थीहरूले हात उठाए र आफ्ना उत्तर दिए। मिस्टर ब्राउनले ती सबै कालोपाटीमा लेखे:
- नियमहरू (Rules)
- विद्यालयको काम (Schoolwork)
- गृहकार्य (Homework)
“अरू के?” उनले सोधे।
विद्यार्थीहरूले बोल्न थाले:
- परिवार (Family)
- आमाबुबा (Parents)
- घरपालुवा जनावर (Pets)
एउटी केटीले भनिन्, “वातावरण!”
त्यसपछि उनले लेखे:
- वातावरण (The Environment)
- हाम्रो संसार (Our World)
“सार्कहरू (Sharks), किनकि तिनीहरूले समुद्रका मरेका चीजहरू खान्छन्!” रिड नामको केटाले भन्यो।
त्यसैले उनले थपे:
- सार्कहरू (Sharks)
अरू विद्यार्थीहरूले भने:
- मौरीहरू (Bees)
- सिटबेल्ट (Seatbelts)
- पुनः प्रयोग (Recycling)
- साथीहरू (Friends)
सबै कुरा लेखिसकेपछि मिस्टर ब्राउन फर्किए र भने,
“तर तिमीहरूमध्ये कसैले पनि सबैभन्दा महत्त्वपूर्ण कुरा भनेका छैनौ।”
हामी सबै उनलाई हेर्न थाल्यौँ। कसैसँग उत्तर थिएन।
“भगवान?” एक जना विद्यार्थीले भन्यो।
मिस्टर ब्राउनले “भगवान” पनि लेखे, तर त्यो उनले खोजेको उत्तर थिएन। त्यसपछि उनले अर्को कुरा लेखे:
हामी को हौँ ? (WHO WE ARE!)
“हामी को हौँ,” उनले प्रत्येक शब्दलाई रेखाङ्कन गर्दै भने। “हामी कस्ता मानिस हौँ? तिमी कस्तो व्यक्ति हौ? के त्यो सबैभन्दा महत्त्वपूर्ण कुरा होइन? के हामीले सधैँ आफैलाई सोधिरहनुपर्ने प्रश्न यही होइन?
‘म कस्तो व्यक्ति हुँ?’
“विद्यालयको ढोकाको छेउमा रहेको धातुको पट्टिका (Plaque) कसैले देखेको छ? त्यसमा के लेखिएको छ भनेर पढेको छ?”
कसैलाई पनि थाहा थिएन।
मिस्टर ब्राउन मुस्कुराउँदै भने,
“त्यसमा लेखिएको छ— ‘Know Thyself’ अर्थात् ‘आफूलाई चिन्नु।’ र तिमीहरू यहाँ आफू को हौ भन्ने कुरा सिक्नका लागि आएका हौ।”
त्यसै बेला ज्याकले ठट्टा गर्दै भन्यो,
“म त यहाँ अङ्ग्रेजी सिक्न आएको हुँ भन्ने सोचेको थिएँ।”
सबै हाँसे।
“हो, त्यो पनि हो!” मिस्टर ब्राउनले जवाफ दिए।
मलाई उनको जवाफ निकै राम्रो लाग्यो।
त्यसपछि उनले कालोपाटीभरि ठूला अक्षरमा लेखे:
मिस्टर ब्राउनको सेप्टेम्बरको सूत्र (Precept)
“सही हुनुभन्दा दयालु हुने अवसर मिलेमा, दयालु बन्न रोज।”
त्यसपछि उनले भने,
“अब सबैले आफ्नो कापीमा नयाँ खण्ड बनाऊ र त्यसको शीर्षक ‘Mr. Browne’s Precepts’ राख।”
उनी बोलिरहे:
“आजको मिति लेख। अबदेखि प्रत्येक महिनाको सुरुमा म एउटा नयाँ Precept लेख्नेछु। तिमीहरूले त्यो कापीमा टिप्नेछौ। त्यसपछि हामी त्यसबारे छलफल गर्नेछौँ। महिनाको अन्त्यमा तिमीहरूले त्यसको अर्थबारे निबन्ध लेख्नेछौ। यसरी वर्षको अन्त्यसम्ममा तिमीहरूसँग आफ्नै Precepts को सूची हुनेछ।”
उनले थपे,
“गर्मी बिदामा म आफ्ना विद्यार्थीहरूलाई आफ्नै व्यक्तिगत Precept बनाउन लगाउँछु। त्यसलाई पोस्टकार्डमा लेखेर जहाँ गए पनि मलाई पठाउन भन्छु।”
एउटी केटीले अचम्म मान्दै सोधी,
“साँच्चै मानिसहरूले त्यसो गर्छन्?”
“अवश्य गर्छन्,” उनले भने। “कतिपय विद्यार्थीहरूले त विद्यालयबाट उत्तीर्ण भइसकेपछि पनि मलाई नयाँ Precept पठाएका छन्। त्यो साँच्चै अद्भुत कुरा हो।”
उनले आफ्नो दाह्री सुम्सुम्याए र हाँस्दै भने,
“जे होस्, अर्को गर्मी बिदा आउन अझ धेरै समय बाँकी छ। त्यसैले अहिले आराम गर। म हाजिरी लिन्छु...”
— Wonder बाट अंश
लेखक: R.J. Palacio
Working with Words
A. Find the words from the text
a. Walking by dragging one's feet → Shuffling
b. Drawing pictures or patterns while thinking → Doodling
c. A piece of flat metal with writing on it → Plaque
d. A general rule intended to regulate behaviour or thought → Precept
e. Move or go in a furtive or stealthy way → Sneak / Zoom (used as “zoomed out” quickly in the text)
B. Thinking Skills (Definitions)
a. Convergent thinking:
Thinking that focuses on finding one correct answer or solution.
b. Divergent thinking:
Thinking that generates many possible ideas or solutions.
c. Critical thinking:
Careful analysis and evaluation of information to make a logical judgment.
d. Creative thinking:
Using imagination to create new, original, and useful ideas.
Comprehension
a. Who was Jack? How did he make children laugh?
Jack was a student. He made children laugh by joking and talking humorously with other students.
b. Why are "Sharks" important to Reid?
Reid thought sharks are important because they eat dead things in the ocean and keep it clean.
c. What does Mr. Browne think about the most important thing?
He thinks “Who we are” (our identity and character) is the most important thing.
d. What has not been noticed by the students?
The plaque that says “Know Thyself.”
e. How did Jack make fun of the English class?
He joked that he thought they were there only to learn English, not about life and personal values.
f. What were the students going to do at the end of the month?
They were going to write an essay about the monthly precept and its meaning.
g. What surprised a girl student?
She was surprised that students really sent their personal precepts to the teacher even after graduation.
Critical Thinking
a. My precept:
“Always be honest and kind, even when it is difficult.”
b. Justification:
Critical objectivity is an essential life skill because it helps people think clearly without bias. It allows individuals to separate facts from emotions, make fair decisions, and solve problems effectively. In modern life, where information is vast and sometimes misleading, critical thinking helps people choose the right path and avoid wrong judgments.
Writing
Email to a Friend
Subject: An Interesting Class I Had
Dear Friend,
I hope you are well. Today I had a very interesting English class. Our teacher introduced the idea of “precepts,” which are rules or sayings that guide our life decisions. He encouraged us to think about who we are and what kind of person we should become.
The most inspiring part of the class was his precept: “When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind.” It really made me think deeply about my behavior.
It was an enjoyable and meaningful class.
Your friend,
[Your Name]
Grammar: Question Tags
B. Question tags
a. Gill does not know Ann, does she?
b. I'm very patient, aren’t I?
c. They'd never met me before, had they?
d. Listen carefully, will you?
e. Let's have a break, shall we?
f. Let us invite them, will you?
g. Hari used to live in France, didn’t he?
h. You’d better not take a hard drink, had you?
i. Sheep eat grass, don’t they?
j. Mr. Pande can speak nine languages, can’t he?
k. She’s finished her classes, hasn’t she?
l. She barely managed to reach the goal, did she?
m. Don’t let him swim in that pond, will you?
n. There are lots of people here, aren’t there?
C. Situational Question Tags
a. It’s going to rain soon, isn’t it?
b. Shyam, you can help me, can’t you?
c. Nice to meet you, isn’t it?
d. The film was great, wasn’t it?
e. He gave an excellent performance, didn’t he?
f. Your father has arrived, hasn’t he?
g. Susan will join the job tomorrow, won’t she?
h. You have got a haircut, haven’t you?
i. Let’s go for a picnic, shall we?
j. Let me go for a walk, will you?