Important Comprehensions

1. Bonsai is the art of growing trees and other plants in small containers in such a way that it becomes the miniature of a real tree. A Bonsai tree may be 10 years old but have a height of one foot only. The art of Bonsai originated perhaps more than 1000 years ago in China. Early Japanese aristocrats also showed a fondness for Bonsai and contributed greatly to its development. Bonsai is different from normal pot planting as it is considered an art form. A Bonsai tree is carefully shaped to remain small but still has the appearance of a large tree. It does not need large pots but small containers and not much of soil. A Bonsai container has holes in the bottom which are covered with small nets so that the soil does not flow out with the water. The plant is then taken out of its original pot and one-third of its root is cut off. It is then tied to the bottom of the pot with the help of wires. Soil is then spread over it to cover the container but about an inch of the root is allowed to stay above, on the soil to enhance beauty. The soft branches of the plant are coiled with wires so that they are compelled to grow the way the planter wants them to grow. This, allows the planter to give the tree a particular shape. A Bonsai plant is never allowed to grow too high. In fact Bonsai is classified in two ways (a) The style in which the branches are planted and shaped and (b) their size. Plants that are below 6 inches are called; miniature, 6-12 inches; small, 12-24 inches medium, and those more than 24 inches are called large. Almost all woody plants can be grown as bonsai. The art of Bonsai is now quite popular in many places of the world. For some people, it is not only an interesting pastime but also a money maker. [Unit-4; Lesson-4]

2.

How safe will the buildings in the city of Dhaka be in the event of an earthquake? Experts give no straight answer to this question, but call for taking adequate precautions to minimise losses. That Bangladesh lies in the active earthquake zone is not unknown to Bangladeshis. Alarmed by the recurrence of quakes during recent years, experts have called for the development of an earthquake resistant building code that all buildings should follow as mandatory.

There are two schools of experts regarding earthquakes. One school comprising of engineers and geologists is of the view that the recurrence of quakes in recent years should be taken as a signal for a major earthquake. Another school comprising of similar categories of experts, however, believes that the concern should not be amplified, because although there are a number of fault lines in the geographical area comprising Bangladesh, none of them is active enough to pose a major threat. Yet none of the schools rules out the possibility of a major quake and the dangers that might be associated with it. The Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakhya (RAJUK), responsible for a planned development of the city, believes that an earthquake resistant building code should be developed to reduce the losses. Unit-7, Lesson-5