Note-making

Passage No. 45

Read the following

To realise the truth we must have enlightenment, liberation and self-
realisation. Enlightenment hints at the beginning of light to a situation, which
is lacking in light. In this case we are talking about our minds and our ability
see and perceive the truth of our reality. We are living in darkness. We do not
see the truth because there is not enough light in our minds. The mind is
covered by a veil of ignorance, which is in fact our thoughts, desires, beliefs
and feelings. Light can be brought by contemplation, deep breathing, silence of
the tongue and mind. Liberation implies the process of getting free from some
type of limitation. From this word we can understand that we are imprisoned
in our own minds, and its limited and distorted thoughts. Freedom is always
scary. There is self-dependency, we cannot blame others for our problems. The
key to our freedom is the transformation of our beliefs. The word self-
realisation implies that we have another self. Which we have not yet realised.
It implies that we have within us abilities, powers and talents that we have not
yet realised. The underestimation of our ability is a major obstacle in our
seeing the truth.

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Passage No. 46.
Read the following passage

Grammar is the study of language. When we study grammar, we are
studying the rules of our language. We follow these rules when we speak and
when we write. The purpose of grammar is to help us communicate our ideas
effectively. Grammar includes the way words are arranged in a sentence. This
kind of grammar is word based and sentence based grammar. Grammar also
includes the rules for spelling, punctuation and capitalisation. When we talk,
we use pauses and gestures to make our meaning clear. We also emphasize
some words more than others. We can talk in a loud or soft voice. When we
write, however, we use punctuation and capitalization to help us make our
meaning clear. Just as we pronounce words in the same way every time, we
also spell them in a certain way. Grammar also includes rules about usage. The
study of grammar includes the way we use words in sentences. When we
write, we must express complete ideas. The subject and verb must agree.

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Passage No. 47.

Read the following passage

Public speaking can be terrifying, but you need to find a way out for
your own progress. Public speaking is how you share your ideas, thoughts and
views with the large crowd. If you haven’t developed public speaking skills then
perhaps you will not be able to progress. In public speaking the key word is
confidence. Being confident means being accurate, knowledgeable, believable,
credible. Be authentic, memorized speech may fail you at a moment. Be
yourself so that you cannot go wrong. You need to have passion about your
subject so that the words come from your heart. Passion with emotions will
create the expected impact. Speak in a conversational tone and not to be
dramatic in your expression. Use your natural voice and don’t appear to be
reproducing mugged up words. The main purpose of a speech to deliver the
point across. Therefore do not overstay, stick up to the time allotted to you.
Connect yourself with the audience. Consider them and make them listen to
you, engage them in your thoughts by provoking questions. Repetition of the
points some time help the listeners to confirm. It can also bring in clarity which
helps to accept the thoughts. Practice is essential to make you feel more
confident and authentic. The concluding part is always important. It is the best
way to give an inspiring presentation is by having a message tha tyou believe in
that audience can connect to.

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Passage No. 48.

Read the following passage

Personal development is a lifelong process. It is a way for people to
assess their skills and qualities, consider their aims in life and set goals in order
to realise and miximise their potential. Developing a personal vision is
essential. A clear vision on where you want to be in few months or years and
why is very essential for the personal development. Break large goals into
small achievable objectives. Keep the end result in your mind and be outcome
based. You can learn from the success of other people. Read as many books as
you can to achieve your plans. Accepting the change is essential for the
personal development, since everything around is changing constantly. Be
accountable as you should feel accountable for yourself. You have to bother
about yourself no one else will bother for us. Focus on what you already have.
You can built on what you have. Be intentional otherwise your actions will be
wayward. Follow your own passion. You will never lead to success if you follow
something that you don’t like. You will have ups and downs in life. Keep on
moving and never give up. There is no such thing as finished personal
development. You can go on learning, changing, and renewing for all your life.

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Passage No. 49.

Read the following passage

Books play a significant role in our life. They say that “When you open a
book, you open a new world”. I believe that everyone would agree with this
statement as books have become inevitable to mankind. For the majority of
people, books are part of their everyday life. A book is like a best friend who
will never walk away from you. Books are packed with knowledge, insights into
a happy life, life lessons, love, fear, prayer and helpful advice. One can read
about anything under the sun. Books have been here for centuries and without
them today’s knowledge of our past ancestors, cultures and civilizations would
have been impossible.

Reading is the perfect hobby and I am sure that a lot of people would
agree. There are a lot of wonderful reasons why reading is important. Through
reading, you expose yourself to new things, new information, new ideas, new
ways to solve a problem, and new ways to achieve a goal. Reading might help
you discover hobbies or exploring things you didn’t know you like. Exploration
begins from reading and understanding. Reading helps you understand the
world more. Through it, you begin to have a better understanding on a topic
that interest you. Self-improvement start from reading, through reading you
have a better understanding and better decisions to take in the future.

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Passage No. 50.

Read the following passage

Reading books has its own advantages. The more you read the more
you understand things completely and helps you find the truth about
something. Through reading you learn more about society and how to adapt in
it.
• To improve your imagination: You are limited by what you can imagine, all

the worlds described in books as well as views and opinions by other people,
will help you expand your understanding of what is possible.
• To reduce stress: Studies show that reading reduces stress. The
participants in this study only needed to read silently for a few minutes to
slow down the heart and ease tension in the muscles.
• To improve your memory: When you read you have more to think.
Reading gives you a unique pause button for understanding and insight. The
benefits of this increased activity helps to keep the memory sharp and the
learning capacity agile.
• To entertain oneself: Reading has an entertainment value. Reading is not
only fun, but it has all the added benefits that we discussed so far. A good
book can keep you entertained while developing life skills.
A book communicates knowledge, and not only knowledge but wisdom of all
kinds. They say that “The more you read, the more well-read you are”. In
simple terms what this means is that the more you read the more exposed you
are, your attitudes, your ideas and your imagination changes. I believe that my
personality, behaviour, ideas and knowledge are all built on the books I have
read. Nothing can add to our intellect more than reading a book.

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Passage No. 51

Read the following passage

Having a hobby that we enjoy brings us joy and enriches our lives. It
gives us something fun to do during our leisure time and affords us the
opportunity to learn new skills. We are very fortunate to have so many
different options out there today. The best way to cultivate a new hobby is to
try something new. The world is full of wonderful, exciting activities that we
can explore and adopt as our own. Of course, all of us are unique and,
therefore, our interests and hobbies vary. But once we find a hobby that we
truly enjoy and are passionate about, we become hooked. It becomes part of
our lives and captivates us in a very personal way.

There are many reasons why all of us should have at least one hobby, but here
are the main advantages: It makes you more interesting. People who have
hobbies have experiences and stories that they can share with others. It helps
to relieve stress by keeping you engaged in something you enjoy. Hobbies give
you a way to take your mind off the stresses of everyday life. They let you relax
and seek pleasure in activities that aren’t associated with work, chores or other
responsibilities.

Hobbies help you become more patient. In order to develop a new
hobby, you have to learn how to do something that is brand new to you.
Having a hobby can help your social life and create a bond with others. A
hobby is something that you can frequently enjoy with other people. It
increases your confidence and self-esteem. Hobbies help reduce or eradicate
boredom. They give you something to do when you find yourself with nothing

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Passage No. 52.

Read the following passage

There are different kinds of hobbies. I love reading books, especially
nonfiction ones. Every book I read teaches me something about the world at
large and provides me with a new perspective on life. The books are a
wonderful way to transport me to a different place and era without actually
leaving home.

Another of my favorite hobbies is cooking. Cooking has taught me so
much about patience and focus because those are essential ingredients to
make delicious food. The more I cook, the better I get at it. Best of all, it is
generally cheaper and better tasting than eating out at most restaurants.

Watching documents is another hobby. I make an exception for good
documentaries. I have a wide array of exciting documentaries on my watch list
that inspire, educate, and excite me.

Quite a few years ago, I decided to exercise regularly and it has been a
wonderful hobby for me. Some may argue it is more of a necessity rather than
a hobby, much like brushing your teeth. However, I really enjoy all sorts of
exercise: going to the gym, lifting weights, running, walking, hiking, playing
racquetball and soccer, etc. The longer I do it, the more I learn and enjoy it. I
have also met a lot of wonderful people who share this passion.

Edible gardens have become popular in the last couple of years. I
started growing my first edible garden several years ago in order to
complement my love for cooking. Not only does my garden provide me with
herbs and vegetables that I can use in my favorite dishes, it also provides me
with a healthy and totally organic food source. My edible garden not only
nourishes my body, but it teaches me a lot as well.

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