English Conversation - A Picinic

Ranjan, Reena, Niren and Prema decide to go on a picnic. They all meet at Ranjan’s office to discuss the details.

Niren Hello, Reena. Nice to see you at our office.
Prema Hello, Reena. Good of you to have come over.
Reena Hello, all of you. Ranjan suggested that I should come over and meet you during the lunch hour.
Ranjan I thought we might finalize the details for the outing tomorrow.
Prema Where are we going?
Niren I would like to go to a place where we can swim and then relax in the sun and enjoy a lazy day. I am
tired of rushing around madly.
Reena Let’s choose a place where we can take a long walk as well. I sit all cramped up in my office the whole
week. I’d like to stretch my legs a bit.
Prema Then where should we go?
Ranjan I think just the place where Niren and I can swim and the girls can walk. How about the Bhatkal lake?
Prema That is a splendid Idea. I’ll borrow my father’s car. Niren, you come over to my place and then we’ll pick up Reena and Ranjan.

Reena I’ll pack a lunch of sandwiches.
Reena We’ll take along some soft drinks too.
Niren I’ll request my mother to bake us a cake.
Reena Then, that’s all fixed. See you all tomorrow.

The next day all four of them arrive at the lake.

Reena Isn’t it beautiful to feast one’s eyes on the green meadows?
Prema So refreshing to find everything peaceful and quiet.
Niren Yes. Watch those cows grazing. It seems they have all the time in the world.
Ranjan I am not sure whether I would not have liked to have been a farmer, growing crops, keeping poultry
and cattle instead of leading the high speed life of an executive.
Reena I think not. You would be bored with in three days, Ranjan.
Niren Let’s organize ourselves. Ranjan, should we hire boat and go rowing? Would you like to join us, girls?
Reena I think we will take a stroll around the lake and take a look at the tumble-down cottage at the far end of
the lake.
Ranjan Right. Then we’ll meet you girls after an hour.

After an hour they meet again at the edge of the lake.

Ranjan I am fanished.
Niren That was lot of exercise for us. How about the lunch?
Reena We’ll get it out of the car?
Niren While you are getting it, I’ll take a little nap before lunch. Wake me up when all is ready, will you?
Ranjan I’ll help the girls. You go to sleep.
Prema Do you think that the soft drinks will still be cold?
Ranjan I’ll dip them in the cold water of the lake to cool them again
Reena Here are the bottles, Ranjan.
Prema Shall we lay out the lunch things under that tree?
Reena I hope we won’t have bird droppings in our food.
Ranjan In that case, let us sit in the shade of the big rock over there.
Reena There, everything is laid out. Ranjan, go and wake up that lazy fellow Niren.

(B) VOCABULARY

Stream timid
Scatter rucksack
Calf hay

Phrases

Sweet green grass chewing and cud
Toss the hay thick fresh cream
Lowing of cattle playful lambs

Meanings

Rucksack a kind of bag slung from the shoulders.
Lowing the sound make by cattle
Chewing the cud the act of the cow slowly eating the fodder
Nap a short sleep
Dropping dung of beasts and birds
Splendid grand
Meadows fields
Row to move a boat with oars
Famished extremely hungry

(C) Study the following responses:

1 Describe a walk in the country side.
Response: Last month I went to visit a relative who lives on a farm. It was altogether a different experience. I walked through fields of ripening wheat and breathed in the pure fresh air of the countryside. Peace and quiet reigned everywhere. Now and again, one could hear the lowing of cattle, the toneless cawing of crows and the twittering of birds. As I walked back to the homestead, frightened sheep scattered at my approach and the dogs started barking ferociously.

2 Make sentences with timid, playful lambs, churn.
Response: The young colts were frightened and timid. Playful lambs frolicked about the meadows. Mother was churning the milk and thick cream was forming at the edge of the container.

3 What are the sounds made by horse Sheep, Cats, Hens, Dogs, Cattle, cocks Donkeys and birds.
Response horses neigh
Sheep bleat
Cats mew
Hens cluck
Dogs bark
Cattle low
Donkeys bray
Birds chatter or twitter


(D) Answer the following:

1 Why did Ranjan suggest that they should go to the Bhatkal lake for a picnic?
Response _________________________________________________________
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2 What did Ranjan do at picnic?
Response _________________________________________________________
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3 Write a conversation which might have taken place in the car while Ranjan, Reena and Niren were returning home in the car.

Ranjan That was a nice day out. How did you enjoy yourselves?
Prema:
Reena:
Niren: