Reading the evolution of English

1 Read about the evolution of English.

The English language has been subject to many
influences over the centuries. What developed
as a result is a language with a very rich and
large vocabulary.
The first influence is that of the Romans and their
language,Latin. Later,when William 1of
Normandy conquered Britain in 1066, he
established French
as the official language,but instead of replacing
English, French was assimilated into it and
Middle English, a close relation to the
language,is still spoken in Britain today.This is
a language made up of German vocabulary and
simplified German grammar mixed with French-
derived,often Latin based, words. The language
continued to remain quite organic until the
invention of the printing
press and the wider publication of the written word,
when it started to become standardized.
Then from the 17th to 19th centuries British
colonialism thrived. This had two implications for
the English language:the first was the importation
into the language of yet more words, such as
pyj ama and bungalow, for example, from
India;the second was the spread of English around
the globe to India, America, East Africa, and so
on.With its spread carne adaptation.
People have argued that English was successful in
its global reach because it was a versatile and
flexible language. But in fact its spread had far
more to do with economic factors. People needed a
language to do business and English was in the
right place at the right time.
Reading Leymah Gbowee
1 Read the story of Nobel Prize winner Leymah
Gbowee.
In2011Leymah Gbowee,along with Ellen Johnson
Sirleaf, thefirst female president in Africa, were
awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their part in
bringing peace to the war-tom country of Liberia.
Leymah Gbowee started the women's peace
movement that led to the end of the civil war in
2003.
The problem that faced Gbowee was how to
reconcile different parties after years of conflict and
how to begin the process of healing among victims.
She trained as a counselor helping victims of war
overcome their trauma.
Gbowee began to realize that this was a man's war
and it was to mothers that she could most
effectively appeal to end it. Her message was that
every society's future líes in its children.
In2000, Gbowee and Thelma Ekiyor of Nigeria
formed the Women in Peacebuilding Network
(WIPNET) of which Gbowee became the Liberian
coordinator. She continued her trauma rehabilitation
work by day and by night planned actions for
WIPNET. These actions were peaceful and involved
groups of women going to markets and other public
places and spreading the message: "Women, wake
up-you have a voice in the peace process!" They
handed out flyers with these words or drawings for
those that could not read.
The movement grew.In2003, Gbowee had an
audience with the then president and got him to
agree to hold peace talks with the opposition. Four
months later in August 2003,the war officially
ended. Gbowee remains a tireless campaigner
and believer in the power of communities and
particularly women to effect social change.
Reading a healing regime
1 Read about a man's search for an exercise regime to
help him recover from an injury.

In 1968,the Beatles turned up in Rishikesh to study

transcendental meditation at Maharishi Mahesh
Yogi's ashram. They wrote about 40 songs here,
many of which ended up on their famous White
Album. 1hadn't come to write music,but to get
over chronic back pain-one of my vertebrae being
severely out of line-or at least put off the day
when 1would have to face back surgery.

Perched above the Ganges River, Rishikesh is

now a shopping mall for those looking for mental
and physical healing, pulling in hundreds of
thousands of foreign visitors each year. My
chosen retreat was the Parmarth Niketan Ashram,
which is less strict than other ashrams and allows
guests to come and go as they please. 1had also
been attracted by the fact that it supports around
200 disadvantaged boys, sorne orphaned, putting
them up in simple
accomrnodation, and providing them with food
and a basic education.
At 6:50 a.m. on the first day, 1found myself sitting
in a plain room with a wooden floor, white walls,
and a metal roof. We worked on a breathing
technique that involved inhaling and exhaling
through one nostril at a time. There were no other
distractions-no New Age tunes playing, no yoga
outfits, no blinding
heat, no incense, and no attitude;just students and a
teacher. Meals were conducted in silence,
something which 1found odd at first but carne to
appreciate.
During one of the meals, another guest sitting across
the table broke this silence to comrnent on how fast
1ate. 1felt a little taken aback, but thanked hirn and
noted the point.

The yoga carried on in a serene way for two weeks,

never causing me even to break sweat. Infact more
than once 1wondered how it could be helping me.
Yet by the end of my visit, the simple lessons-
stretch, breathe, eat more slowly and more
healthily, relax had an effect. 1can now touch my
toes and even sit cross-legged for 30minutes
through a meal. My back? The persistent pain
hasn't entirely gone away,but it has subsided. More
importantly,1can now put up with it because l've
given up worrying about it.