Exam practice

He is sitting cross-legged on a rock in front of snowy mountains, with his eyes closed, one hand resting on his knee and the other raised to his head. He is doing yoga or meditating: sitting still and calm, breathing slowly and clearing his mind.

Answers differ. For example: Yes, I am. My family is planning to visit my grandparents in Ilam during the Dashain holidays. We are going to take a night bus from Kathmandu, and I’m thinking of walking up to the tea gardens with my cousins. Notice how the answer talks about the future: is planning to, are going to, I’m thinking of. That is this unit’s grammar.

a – vi, b – v, c – vii, d – ii, e – i, f – iii, g – iv.

Any two of these:

• It is good for both physical and mental health: walking exercises the body, and yoga and meditation calm and strengthen the mind.
• It offers magnificent views of the Himalaya, the Annapurna range and glaciers, with spectacular sunrises and sunsets.
• Visitors can explore Nepali culture and lifestyle, and taste delicious Nepali meals.
• They see varied flora and fauna, perennial rivers and suspension bridges.

It is open to people of all experience levels, beginners included: anyone who wants to strengthen the body, mind and soul.

I would most enjoy the close view of Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre from the village, because after days of walking through forests it would be wonderful to see the snow peaks so near. I would also like to walk around the stone houses and learn about the Gurung people and the Gurkha soldiers the village is famous for.
(Any thing to enjoy in Ghandruk is right if you give a reason.)

Five days: every day from Day 3 to Day 7. There is no yoga on Day 1 (arrival), Day 2 (the drive to Pokhara) or Day 8 (departure).

It is mainly held early in the morning: the visitors wake up, have tea, practice yoga for about an hour, and then have breakfast before they start walking. On some days there is a second session in the evening, after the day’s walk.

Last winter I went to Bandipur, in Tanahun, with my family. It is an old Newar trading town on a ridge, about halfway between Kathmandu and Pokhara. The main hotspot is the bazaar, a car-free street of old brick houses with carved wooden windows, now full of small hotels and cafés. Early in the morning we walked up to Tundikhel, an open hilltop, and saw the Himalaya, from Dhaulagiri to Langtang, turn gold at sunrise. Another point of interest was Siddha Cave, one of the largest caves in Nepal, which we reached by a steep path down the hill. I enjoyed the trip because the town was quiet and clean, and the people told us stories of its days as a market on the trade route to India.

• a.I intend to go swimming this Saturday. I’m thinking of asking my cousin to come with me, and I’ll take a towel and some snacks.
• b.We’re playing football at the school ground tomorrow at four. I’m going to wear my new boots, and I’ll bring the ball.
• c.My parents are going to Darjeeling next week. They’re taking the bus from Kakarbhitta on Monday, and I’m planning to ask them to bring me some Darjeeling tea.
• d.I’m going to my friend’s birthday party tonight. I’ll buy a small gift on the way, and I intend to be back home by eight.
• e.I’m planning to go to the wedding. I’m thinking of wearing a daura suruwal (or a kurta), and I’ll help my friend’s family welcome the guests.

• a.A: After the SEE, I intend to study history. I’m thinking of becoming a teacher one day. B: I’m planning to study mathematics. I’ll join a science college in Kathmandu if I get good marks.
• b.A: If I earn a lot of money, I’m thinking of opening a supermarket in my town. B: Not me! I intend to go on a world tour. I’ll start with Japan.
• c.A: I’m going to the party by bus. It leaves at five. B: I’m going on my cycle: it’s faster than the bus in the evening traffic.
• d.A: I’m planning to buy a Nepali dictionary, the Brihat Shabdakosh. B: I’m thinking of buying an English dictionary. I’ll look at a learner’s dictionary in the bookshop on Saturday.
• e.A: After my bachelor’s degree, I intend to go abroad for a master’s degree. B: I’m planning to start my own business here: I’m thinking of a small travel company.

(I’m going on my cycle in c is a fixed plan, so the present continuous; I’ll start with Japan in b is decided as the speaker talks, so will.)

• a.will: B decides at the moment of speaking, after remembering.
• b.will: she decides now (I can’t decide… I think I’ll…).
• c.will: a prediction, what the speaker expects to happen.
• d.going to: a plan we can tell from a sign (the chocolates they have bought).
• e.going to: a prediction from what you can see now (the overcast sky).
• f.present continuous: an arrangement with Jane, at a fixed time.
• g.present continuous: the party is already arranged.
• h.present continuous: a visit arranged for next week.
• i.present continuous in a question: asking about someone’s arrangements.

One paragraph for each day. Begin each with a sentence that says where you go that day (the topic sentence), add three or four sentences of details, and end with where you will spend the night. Mix the future forms: are going to for plans, ’ll for decisions, are leaving for arrangements.

Three days on the rim of the valley

During the Dashain holidays, my friend Sudip and I are going to walk from Sundarijal to Bhaktapur along the hills on the northern and eastern rim of the Kathmandu Valley. We have planned it for three days.

Day 1. We are leaving home at six on Saturday morning and taking a microbus to Sundarijal. From there we are going to climb through the forest of Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park, past the old water reservoir, to Chisapani. The path is steep, so we will take a long rest at lunchtime. We are staying the night in a small lodge at Chisapani, and if the sky is clear, we will see the Himalaya from Langtang to Gaurishankar at sunset.

Day 2. On the second day we are going to walk east along the ridge to Nagarkot. The trail passes through villages, terraced fields and pine forest, so I am going to take a lot of photos. We will reach Nagarkot by late afternoon. I intend to wake up before five the next morning to watch the sunrise over the mountains.

Day 3. After the sunrise, we will walk down through the forest to Changu Narayan, one of the oldest temples in Nepal, and spend an hour looking at its carvings. From there it is an easy walk down to Bhaktapur, where we are going to celebrate the end of our trek with a bowl of juju dhau. A bus leaves for Kathmandu every few minutes, so we will be home by evening.

He is sitting in a small horse-drawn sleigh (a sledge that slides on snow) at the edge of a wood, on a winter evening. Snow is falling, and there are no houses near.

Perhaps he has stopped to watch the snow falling in the woods because it is beautiful and quiet, or to rest for a moment on a long journey home.

a. woods b. queer c. farmhouse d. harness e. wind f. downy
(For e, the poem’s easy wind is the moving air; sweep is the word for its smooth movement.)

a. journey b. traveler (British spelling traveller) c. destination d. the woods e. promises f. death

The Night Bus to Ilam

The night bus hummed, the hills were black,
My father dozing at the back;
My sister counting town by town,
The lights of Birtamod, then down.

At dawn the tea fields, green and wet,
The sweetest sight I’ve ever met;
We climbed the hill to Grandma’s door,
And all the road was worth it, for

Her smile, her tea, her “Look how tall!”:
The longest road was not long at all.

Choose one journey and three or four clear pictures from it (a sound, a sight, a person, a feeling). Write them in short lines, two lines rhyming at a time if you like (black, back; town, down), and end with what the journey meant to you. Your poem doesn’t have to rhyme, but read it aloud: does it have a beat?

• a.She is probably a receptionist at a hotel: she is sitting at a front desk in a smart uniform, with a telephone.
• b.She is talking on the phone to a customer.
• c.She is probably talking about booking a room: the dates, the kind of room and the price.

a. Sunnyside Inn b. expensive c. full d. 80 e. 20th (the twentieth)

When we visit other towns, we usually stay with relatives; we have stayed in a hotel only twice, in Pokhara and in Janakpur. If I had to book a hotel, I would first look at a few hotels online and compare their prices, their reviews and what is included (breakfast, hot water, Wi-Fi). Then I would phone the hotel to check that a room is free on my dates, ask for the price, and give my name and the time I expect to arrive. I would ask them to send the booking by message or email, so that I have it in writing.

• a.leaves: a schedule, so the present simple.
• b.is going to crash: a prediction from what you can see now (it looks shaky).
• c.is going to be: her intention, decided already (will be is also right: a prediction about the future).
• d.will be or is going to be: a forecast is a prediction, and both are right.
• e.are you doing: asking about plans or arrangements; ’ll stay (I think I’ll…): B decides as she speaks.
• f.’ll open (will open): an offer, decided at the moment of speaking.
• g.is going to run out of petrol: the evidence is there now (little petrol, a long way to go).
• h.is going to sink: the evidence is in front of you (the hole, the water coming in).

Answer every question in the task, one or two paragraphs for the plans; use future forms (I’m going to see, we’re leaving on…, we’ll stay…); begin and end the letter warmly, as you would talk to a friend.

Suryabinayak-4, Bhaktapur
10 Mangsir 2083

Dear Yangchen,

Thank you for your lovely letter and the photos of Namche. I’m so glad your family is well. Guess what? Our winter holidays start next week, and I have some exciting news to share.

My uncle has invited us to Chitwan! My parents, my little brother and I are leaving on the 18th of Poush. We’re taking a tourist bus from Kathmandu early in the morning, and my uncle is meeting us at Sauraha in the afternoon.

We are going to stay for five days in a small homestay run by a Tharu family near the national park. My uncle says the house is made of mud and wood and painted with beautiful patterns. On the first morning we are going to ride in a dugout canoe on the Rapti River to look for crocodiles and birds. Then we’ll take a jeep into the jungle. I really hope I’m going to see a one-horned rhino up close; my brother wants to see a tiger, but I think he’ll be disappointed! In the evening we’re going to watch the Tharu stick dance.

I’ll send you lots of photos, I promise. Why don’t you come with us next time?

Please give my regards to your parents.

With love,
Kopila

• a.The recipe is simple**:** use one part rice to two parts water.
• b.The ratio of boys to girls in our class is 3**:4.
• c.Bring the following to the camp:** a sleeping bag, a torch and a cup.
• d.Kathmandu**:** Ekta Books, 2080. (Place of publication, colon, publisher.)

• a.False (it is open to all experience levels)
• b.True
• c.False (they climb Poon Hill at dawn and sleep at Tadapani)
• d.True
• e.True

• a.We are going to visit our grandparents in Dhankuta.
• b.I am meeting Tilak at the bus park tomorrow morning.
• c.They are not going to climb Poon Hill.
• d.When does the flight to Lukla leave?
• e.We won’t be crossing (will not be crossing) the suspension bridge at noon.

a. is going b. leaves c. is meeting d. is going to walk e. is going to rain f. are taking g. will see h. will be walking i. will send j. get
(leaves: a timetable; is meeting: arranged; is going to walk: a plan shown by the new boots and stick; is going to rain: a sign on the map; will see: the only future form offered (after hope, the present see is also right); will be walking: in progress at a future time; get: after when, the present simple.)

• a.Grade 9.
• b.At 6 a.m. sharp, on the 24th of Magh.
• c.In Pokhara.
• d.Meals and the room.
• e.A signed letter from their parents, to the class teacher by the 15th of Magh.

(A practice notice written for this page.)

My plans for the coming holidays
I have big plans for the coming Tihar holidays. I am going to visit my aunt’s family in Janakpur with my mother and my younger brother. We are leaving on Friday by the night bus from Kathmandu, and my cousin is meeting us at the bus park the next morning. In Janakpur, I am going to see the Janaki Mandir, which looks wonderful lit up at night, and I am thinking of taking a cycle rickshaw around the old ponds. I will also help my aunt make sel roti for Bhai Tika. We are coming back the day after Bhai Tika, so I will have two days to finish my homework.