Winds of Change / Canvas of Soil
Reading an essay critically
Read an essay carefully and tell fact from opinion.
Fact or opinion?
- a fact can be checked: 'Pankhis appear in the Ajanta paintings.'
- an opinion is a judgement or a feeling that cannot be proved: 'They were considered exotic and stylish.'
A quick test: could someone reasonably disagree? Then it is an opinion.
Inference: a sensible conclusion from clues. Fans were used all over India, so we can infer that the hot climate made them useful everywhere.
Assertion and reason. 'Each kind could be told apart' (assertion) because 'pankhas were made of regional materials with elaborate designs' (reason).
A title with two meanings. Winds of Change joins the wind a fan makes with the changes the craft has lived through: from an everyday object to a decorative and commercial craft.
Weighing both sides. To keep pankhas alive, the essay suggests a balance: keep the traditional skill (it carries identity) and add new designs (they bring demand).
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