Topic Of The Day:-“Listen to these four girls: on the Panapakkam suicides”
Panapakkam is a rural town in Tamil Nadu’s Vellore district. Last month, it was in the news when four adolescent girls disappeared from their school, leaving their bags behind. Their shoes were later found beside a sizeable well into which they had apparently jumped in order to end their lives. They were students of Class XI. This is precisely the grade level at which a vast number of India’s adolescents feel seriously unhappy and resentful. If you consult a typical textbook on adolescent psychology, you will find such emotions to be common. The text will probably dwell on identity, self-worth and petulance. Teachers are taught about these common symptoms, and those who learn them well enough to discuss them correctly get through their B.Ed. (Bachelor of Education) examination without much cramming. When they become teachers, they soon realise that passing the B.Ed. examination is a lot easier than dealing with real adolescents — boys or girls.
MEANINGS AND WORDS
1) Resentful
Meaning: Feeling or expressing bitterness or indignation at having been treated unfairly.
Example: “He was angry and resentful of their intrusion”
Synonyms: Aggrieved, Indignant
Antonyms: Satisfied, Contented
2) Dwell on
Meaning: To keep thinking or talking about something, especially something bad or unpleasant.
Example: In his speech, he dwelt on the plight of the sick and the hungry.
3) Petulance
Meaning: The quality of being childishly sulky or bad-tempered.
Example:”A slight degree of petulance had crept into his voice”
Synonyms: Peevishness, Bad temper
4) Cramming
Meaning: Completely fill (a place or container) to the point of overflowing.
Example: “The ashtray by the bed was crammed with cigarette butts”
Synonyms: Stuff, Pack
