1 Travelogue

1. Reading
A. Engage yourself
1. There are many tourist attractions in Nepal. They are popular for many
reasons. Some places are popular for their natural beauty whereas
others are for their historical and religious importance. Write the names
of the places that you would like to visit in our country.

Naturally beautiful places Places of historical Places of religious

importance importance

2. Now share your list with that of your friends and find out their correct
names. Have you ever visited such places on your holidays? Write
down the places you have visited so far.
3. Look at the pictures below and guess the names of the places.

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ENGLISH: Grade 8 1
B. Study
Read the following text and note important information about Ghale Gaun.
A memorable journey from Terai to the Hill
I had heard that Ghale Gaun was a really beautiful place for homestay. I was
keen to go there. My luck favoured me. My parents made a plan to take me
to the place for five days during my vacation. As I was born in Birgunj, I had
never seen the hilly region before. My first visit to Ghale Gaun made a lasting
impression on me. I reached there
passing many hills through green
countryside. The beautiful scenery on
the way appealed to me. It still flashes
in my memory.
After spending a night at a hotel in Be-
sishahar, early next morning we started
our journey on foot. I felt it difficult to
walk the hills. My father immediately
realized it. We broke our journey in
Baglung Pani. He told us to have a rest
at Chautara. He took out a bottle of cold
drink from his bag. We drank it.
“Are you enjoying the scenery?” my mother asked me.
“Isn’t it an exciting experience to see such a picturesque village?” My father pointed
to the village with clustered houses. I looked at the village. I couldn’t help saying,
“Yes”. That picturesque scenery thrilled me. I forgot all the tiredness that I had felt
before.
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“Mummy, I ‘m ready to move ahead. I’m not exhausted. Let’s go!” I got up and
walked towards the village.
As we were walking, we got lost. So, my father asked a stranger, “Excuse me, I
wonder if you could tell me the way to Ghale Gaun”.
The man greeted my father and said, “I’m
also going there. If you like, I’ll guide you
to get there.”
“Thank you”, my mother replied.
The man said, “The village with clustered
houses is Ghale Gaun. It is situated at
the northwest of Besishahar in Lamjung.
It takes about a five-hour walk to reach
there on foot from Besishahar. We can get
there by bus too. People who cannot walk
can take a bus to go there. Almost all the
inhabitants of Ghale Gaun are Ghyabre
Gurungs.”
We enjoyed the journey with that man very much. After about a five-hour walk we
reached our destination.
“Why are they taking marigold
garland with Tika?” I asked my
mother.
“This is how they welcome their
guests”, my mother replied.
We were treated with proper
hospitality. We were served
with fresh and delicious
organic food. We ate dal, bhat,
tarkari, achar with a Gurung
family. We were the paying guests
there. They performed their cul-
tural dances. Mainly, we observed
the Ghantu Dance, Krishna Chari-
tra, Jhankri Dance and Lama Dance. In the end, we observed some typical round
houses there. We also looked at the Annapurna Himalayan range from the village.
Thus we spent five days in a homely environment in Lamjung and returned home.
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ENGLISH: Grade 8 3
Ways with words
1. Fill in the gaps with the correct words from the list below.
countryside homestay picturesque
exhausted organic cultural dances
(a) We can live with a Gurung family in a ……….. and learn their culture.
(b) We can stay a night in this ………..village. It reminds us of our culture.
(c) ………..foods are produced without using chemicals.
(d) During the school vacation, many city people like to visit the ……….. .
(e) Ghantu Dance, Krishna Charitra, Jhankri Dance and Lama Dance are the
common ……….. of the Gurungs in Ghale Gaun.
(f) I was ……….. from the day’s continuous walk.
2. Match the words in column ‘A’ with their meanings in column ‘B’.
A B
(a) impression (i) friendly and generous behaviour towards guests
(b) destination (ii) a feeling that one gets about something or somebody
(c) thrilled (iii) a person that lives in a particular place
(d) hospitality (iv) a place where somebody is going
(e) inhabitant (v) overjoyed

Read and answer

1. Read the text again and answer these questions.
(a) Where did the writer go on holiday?
(b) How many members were there on the journey? Who were they?
(c) Where was the writer from?
(d) Did the writer like Ghale Gaun? How do you know?
(e) How were the writer and her parents treated in Ghale Gaun?
(f) Describe Ghale Gaun in five sentences.
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2. Read the text again and reorder these sentences.
(a) They stayed at a hotel in Besishahar.
(b) People in Ghale Gaun welcomed them.
(c) The writer’s father asked a stranger the way to Ghale Gaun.
(d) The writer and her parents started their journey from Birgunj.
(e) The writer got exhausted while walking to Ghale Gaun.
(f) They observed different dances there.
(h) After five days, they returned home.
3. Read the text again and fill in the table below with correct information.
Dances they observed Things they observed Food they ate

Activate yourself
Recall any of your exciting journeys to a new place. Write a similar travelogue and
share it with your friends in the class.

2. Time for grammar

A. Engage yourself
Read the following text about a domestic tourist in Kathmandu.
A man from a village was spending a month in Kathmandu. One day, he went to
stay in a hotel at Thamel, a nice palce in the city. He went out to look around,
but the man did not return to the hotel. He disappeared. The police were called
in but they could not find the missing tourist. Two weeks later the man walked
into the police station at Hanuman Dhoka. He said he had got lost while walking
around the town. He had also forgotten the name of the hotel.

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ENGLISH: Grade 8 5
B. Study
1. Read the above passage and underline the articles a/an or the.

2. Complete these sentences with a/an or the.

(i) Yesterday, I bought a newspaper and ……….. magazine. …..........…..

newspaper was in my bag and ……........….. magazine was in my pocket.

(ii) We will have dinner in ……....................….. very nice restaurant.

(iii) Would you like ……........................….. banana?

(iv) They live in ………................small old house. There is ………........ .....

beautiful garden behind ……..................….. house.

(v) ……..................….. man in the red shirt is my brother.

3. Put a/an or the where necessary.

(i) I am going out for………..walk.

(ii) Have you had……….. dinner yet?

(iii) ………..sun was going down.

(iv) She met………..police at the station.

(v) Everest is………..highest peak in the world.

C. Activate yourself
1. Read a text in a newspaper and find out all definite and indefinite articles.

2. Write a short story using both definite and indefinite articles.

3. Listening
A. Engage yourself
1. Have you ever talked to your friends or relatives on the phone? Have
you ever taken any messages on the phone? Recall a recent message
you got from your friend or your relative.
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6 ENGLISH: Grade 8
2. Look at the picture below. What is the person doing?

B. Study
Listen to the call and note down the message.
From To Time Phone number Message

C. Activate yourself
1. Make a phone call and note down the information.
2. Form a dialogue out of the phone call you have recently made.

4. Speaking
A. Engage yourself
Recall a time when you have had to ask someone for directions.
1. Where were you going? How did you get there?
2. Work with a partner in turns, give each other directions on how to get to your
home from your school.
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ENGLISH: Grade 8 7
B. Study
1. Read the following example.
Namuna wants to know the way to the post office.
Namuna : Excuse me, I wonder if you could tell me the way to the
post office.
Nabin : Yes, if you come with me, I’ll show you. It’s opposite to my
school.

2. Work in pairs in the following situations. “A” asks for direction,

and “B” responds to him/her. If “A” gets confused he/she can ask
“B” to repeat.
(a) “A” wants to know the time.
(b) “A” wants to know the way to the film hall.
(c) “A” wants to know the way to the hospital.
(d) “A” wants to know how often we should brush our teeth.
(e) “A” wants to know when Nepal became a Federal Democratic Republic
country.
3. What would you say in these situations?
(a) You want to know the opening time of the bank.
(b) You want to know when your English class starts.
(c) You want to know your friend’s phone number.
(d) You want to know the price of a school bag.
(e) You want to know the best hotel in Gulmi.

C. Activate yourself
1. Work in pairs. Ask your friend for some information. Begin your
question with any of the following.
(a) Can you tell me...........please?
(b) Could you tell me ......................?
(c) I wonder if you could tell me...........................?
(d) I’d like to know .......................... .
2. Read an extract from a drama and point out the language used to
ask and give information.
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8 ENGLISH: Grade 8
5. Writing
A. Engage yourself
1. Have you ever written a letter to your friend? To whom have you
written?
2. Do you think writing a letter to your class teacher for a sick leave is
similar to writing a letter to your friend?

B. Study
1. Read the following letter and point out the following parts:

Address Date Salutation Body Closing

Birgunj, Parsa
Jan. 8, 2013
Dear Nilu,
How are things with you? When you left home for a homestay in Ghale Gaun, I was
really sad, but now I am happy to know about your exciting journey there.
Nilu, how was your holiday there? I want to know the detailed description of your
journey and your experience. Will you send us a letter?
Wish you a safe journey back home!
Your loving brother,
Satya Dev Yadav

2. Read the letter again and write a reply.

C. Activate yourself

Write a thank you letter to a friend who has helped you in your work.

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ENGLISH: Grade 8 9
6. Project work
1. Let’s try to complete the following table. Supply authentic informa-
tion about a place you have visited.
Name of the place: ...................

Things you Things you How you got Location R e l i g i o n

observed did there and culture

2. Now write a travelogue based on the information that you have col-
lected above.

7. Enjoy yourself
Look at the following picture carefully and point out as many triangles
as possible.

E F

B C
D

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10 ENGLISH: Grade 8