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Answers
CLASSROOM
JANUARY ISSUE
INTERMEDIATE
YOUR RESOURCE
FOR ENGLISH
COMPREHENSION AND
CREATIVE TASKS
RD Classroom
January 2016
Beginner
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RD CLASSROOM JANUARY 2016 ANSWERS
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ANSWERS ANSWERS FOR ‘KINDNESS OF STRANGERS’ (PAGE 14)
1. Why were Muhammad Ahsan Nisar and his parents travelling
to the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca? Why are the rituals
physically demanding?
They were travelling to Mecca to perform the Hajj – a pilgrimage
that every able Muslim should perform once in a lifetime.
Students to use their own thoughts to answer why the rituals are
physically demanding.
2. When Muhammad Ahsan Nisar’s parents arrived back in Mina
they couldn’t find their tent. Why was this? How long did it take
for them to find him?
Millions of Muslims from different countries arrive in Saudi
Arabia for the Hajj each year. By the time Muhammad’s parents
had arrived back in Mina there were tens of thousands of tents
packed together, making it very hard for them to locate the
correct tent. It took them 12 hours to find their son.
3. Why didn’t the boy ask someone for help straight away?
Why do you think he didn’t leave the tent to find his own food
or look for his parents? Did he do the correct thing?
The story tells us that Muhammad was confused and not used
to being among strangers, so he didn’t ask for food when he first
started getting hungry. Give yourself an extra point if you noted
that Muhammad had been left alone all night, so was almost
certainly asleep for much of this time.
You should make your own judgements to answer whether he
acted correctly. You might say that he should have asked for
help sooner, because it would have given the other family the
chance to show their kindness earlier and would have stopped
his hunger. Or you might say that he was right to wait, as it
showed patience and humility on his part, and a faith that his
parents would return safely.
4. Why do you think this story was given the title ‘A Slice of
Goodness’? Do you think this is a good title for the story?
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RD CLASSROOM JANUARY 2016 ANSWERS
READER’S DIGEST
‘A slice of goodness’ is a play on words referring to the pizza
given to the boy as an act of kindness from the other family. It
was both a slice of tasty goodness (pizza) and a slice of human
goodness (kindness). This sort of play on words is often called
a pun, where words can have two or more meanings, often to
make an amusing effect. It is up to you whether you think this
title is amusing or not.
ACTIVITY Kindness comes in many shapes and forms. Write
about a time you experienced an act of kindness or when you
were kind to another person. Share your story with someone.
Give yourself five points if you wrote about kindness, and another
five points if you shared the story with someone else.
Is your story as captivating as Muhammad’s? Turn to Page 6 of
your Reader’s Digest magazine to find details for submitting it to
our regular ‘Kindness of Strangers’ column.
Writing is one of the best ways to improve your skills in English
as you will quickly grow comfortable with using words in the
right order – or sometimes in a new order that is even better
than the standard! William Shakespeare, the most famous English
writer, invented many words and phrases, including ‘laughable’,
‘barefaced’ and ‘heart of gold’. All of these came out of older
words that he used in exciting new ways.
One of the great benefits of being a non-native speaker is that –
amid a few confusing mistakes of the sort we all make – you will
find it easier to come up with new ways of using English words.
Experiment and have fun!
ANSWERS FOR ‘THE BENEFITS OF TAKING BREAKS’
(PAGE 81)
1. What does the article suggest is the best strategy for making
you more productive? Why does it help?
The article suggests that taking a break from the task you are
working on can make you more productive. A break can help to
jump-start your brain, boost motivation and improve your focus.
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ANSWERS 2. Research shows that inane or mindless distractions can have
very positive effects on your concentration. Why do you think
this is?
Mindless distractions can have a positive impact, as they require
minimal concentration. This allows the brain to ‘reset’ and take
a break from thinking about the task at hand without taking on
new challenges.
Your answer could also include details about the other research
mentioned in the article. You might talk about how taking a nap
is said to help you organise your thoughts, or how looking at cute
animals is thought to increase diligence and carefulness, or how
a moderate amount of time spent surfing the internet has been
found to increase productivity or how the same amount of time
spent daydreaming is also thought to reset your brain.
3. Scientific experiments suggest taking naps may improve
three things in particular. What are they? When is the best time
to take a nap? What combination ‘can boost energy and leave
you feeling sharper’?
Taking a nap can improve alertness, memory and cognitive
performance. Experts say that the ideal time for taking a nap
is between noon and 4pm. A ‘caffeine nap’ – drinking a cup of
coffee, then snoozing for 15 minutes or less, is a combination that
can boost energy and leave you feeling sharper.
4. Taking a nap can have positive effects on productivity. Name
the three other suggestions in the article; why does each of
these things help?
1) Look at pictures of baby animals - researchers suggest that
“cuteness” may tap into human nurturing instincts to care
for infants, which induces an added degree of diligence and
carefulness in behaviour.
2) Browse the internet – checking social media sites and
browsing the internet improves focus. Mini breaks of 5-10
minutes after 40-60 minutes of work can improve productivity,
particularly when workers are able to check their favourite sites.
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RD CLASSROOM JANUARY 2016 ANSWERS
READER’S DIGEST
3) Daydream – letting your mind wander helps to reset your
brain, replenish energy and refocus on tasks.
ACTIVITY The article suggests four ways to take a break. What
do you do to take a break? Write your own suggestion for
someone who needs motivation.
Give yourself points for coming up with practical suggestions
that follow the guides in the story. So you would gain points for
suggesting meditation or watching videos of funny goats, but not
for suggesting mountain climbing or doing a set of complicated
maths problems.
Have you changed the way you think about taking breaks since
reading this story? Have you started to make them a regular
part of your day? Or maybe just used them when you are very
stressed or busy?
ANSWERS FOR ‘INSTANT ANSWERS: NUCLEAR
WEAPONS’ (PAGE 90)
1. What is a nuclear weapon? When was the neutron first
discovered?
Nuclear weapons are very destructive bombs. Unlike older bombs,
which rely on chemical reactions to create explosions, nuclear
weapons use atomic reactions. The identification of the neutron in
1932 opened the door for the development of nuclear weapons.
2. What types of nuclear weapons are there? How are they
different to each other?
Atomic bombs: use fission, splitting the atom to release
enormous amounts of energy.
Thermonuclear weapons: use fusion, joining two lighter atoms
at extremely high temperatures to produce one heavier one for
even more destructive power.
Neutron bombs: pack a lower overall punch but intensify radiation
to cause maximum human death with less damage to buildings.
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ANSWERS READER’S DIGEST
3. The US was the first and only country to use nuclear weapons
in war. Why do you think no other countries have used them?
You should use the article to develop your answer. An example
answer may be: The US bombing of the Japanese cities of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki killed around 120,000 people instantly
and caused many more subsequent deaths. The world was so
shocked by the destruction and devastation caused that, though
nuclear weapons were not banned, 5 million people protested
against the use of nuclear weapons in 1983.
You may have additional thoughts you wish to include. It is a
difficult question that will require you to do some independent
thinking. Give yourself extra marks if you researched additional
material on the internet or talked with people who remember the
end of World War II or the anti-nuclear marches of the 1980s.
The US
The UK (Britain)
Israel
France
Pakistan
North Korea
4. The estimated number of nuclear weapons has decreased
from 62,725 in 1987 to 15,800 today. Why do you think this is?
This is another difficult question, so give yourself points for
any attempt to answer it. Possible answers include that most
countries with nuclear weapons formed better international
relationships after the ending of the Cold War in 1991 and so a
drop in the number of nuclear weapons was seen. You may also
use facts from the story including 5 million people protesting
nuclear weapons, the quote from General Colin Powell and your
own views to construct your answer.
ACTIVITY Nine countries own nuclear weapons. Can you list
them all and also draw their national flags?
Russia
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China
RD CLASSROOM JANUARY 2016 ANSWERS
India
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