People and Occupations
Unit 7 · English for Today — Class 8
Pearls! Pearls! Pearls! 🦪 · The Ama Divers 🤿 · River Gypsies (1) 🛶 · River Gypsies (2) 🌊 · Refugees 🧳
🎯 Learning Objectives
After studying this unit, we will be able to:
Main Themes — This unit takes us across the world to meet people in unusual occupations and difficult circumstances — pearl-lovers of the ancient world, the brave Ama divers of Japan, the river gypsies of Bangladesh, and refugees who lost everything to war. Each lesson shows how people live, work and survive. 🌍
A shining pearl — one of the world’s oldest treasures
Thousands of years ago, people probably discovered the first pearl while searching for food along the seashore. Ever since, the shining pearl has been one of the most highly valued gems in history. Pearls are mentioned many times in religious texts and old mythologies.
The ancient Egyptians valued pearls so much that they were buried with them. It is said that the famous queen of Egypt, Cleopatra, would dissolve a pearl in a glass and drink it as a sign of love and respect for the entire nation.
The Greeks thought of pearls as a sign of wealth and social position, and linked their beauty with love and marriage. In ancient Rome, pearls were considered the greatest sign of wealth and social status. Young women of noble families loved to wear beautiful pearl necklaces, and brave knights used to wear them into battle for good luck.
🎯 MCQ — Lesson 1 (Pearls! Pearls! Pearls!)
The Ama — the diving women of the Japanese coast
In some fishing villages along the coast of Japan, there are amazing groups of women known as ‘Ama divers’. The word ‘Ama’ means ‘women of the sea’. They are independent divers who make their living by diving. They can dive to a depth of up to 25 metres — and they do it without using oxygen tanks or any other breathing equipment.
The Ama divers rely only on their own skill and breathing techniques to push themselves down to the bottom of the sea and back up to the surface. They can hold their breath for up to two minutes. Careful watching, large lung capacity and hunter-like instincts are their special qualities.
Today, however, many young villagers are going to the city in search of jobs. The remaining Ama divers are now aged between 50 and 60, though some still continue to dive even in their 70s. If the young people do not take up Ama diving, this profession will soon die out.
🎯 MCQ — Lesson 2 (The Ama Divers)
Bedey families living and travelling on the rivers
River gypsies are an ethnic group of people in Bangladesh, known to locals as bedey. They have their own lifestyle and culture, own no land, and live a nomadic life, travelling from one place to another. From May to December they roam our rivers in small country boats — and these boats are their homes.
In winter, many water bodies dry up, so they return to the mainland and live in make-shift tarpaulin tents on open river banks. Men relax in the tents, toddlers play with pets in the dust, and women often pass the time picking lice.
Throughout the monsoon they stay busy with fishing and also dive for natural pearls. Men catch snakes, entertain people with snake charming and sell herbal cures, while women go door to door selling bangles and cosmetics. Many villagers believe in the magical power of the gypsies — that they can make an evil spirit leave someone’s body.
🎯 MCQ — Lesson 3 (River Gypsies 1)
A boat-school bringing education to gypsy children
River gypsies in Bangladesh face various problems. First, as the country is becoming rapidly urbanised, the gypsies are losing customers and their income is threatened. Secondly, about 24,000 kilometres of waterways have shrunk to only 6,000 kilometres in the dry season. Scientists believe Bangladesh will be among the worst affected by global climate change; unpredictable rain and drying rivers have heavily restricted boat movement.
Thirdly, many river gypsies are changing their lifestyle, thinking of living permanently on land. To help them survive in the mainstream population, the government is offering voting rights, permanent housing and bank-loan facilities — though such changes do not come overnight.
Traditionally, gypsies are used to water life and have inherited the skills to survive in water from their forefathers. But they have no education or training to adapt to modern society. Because their children are born and raised on roaming boats and have no permanent address, they cannot attend conventional schools. So mobile boat-schools, run by some voluntary organisations, are being set up to educate them.
🎯 MCQ — Lesson 4 (River Gypsies 2)
A family waiting on the shore, hoping to cross the sea to safety
In this poem a father speaks tenderly to his young son Marwan as they wait on a cold, moonlit beach to cross the sea. He remembers his own childhood near Homs in Syria — sleeping on the roof of the farmhouse, waking to the bleating of goats and the rustle of olive trees in the breeze.
He recalls the busy Old City with its mosque, its church and a grand souk where everyone would haggle over gold and fresh produce. But then came the protests, the siege, the bombs and starvation that destroyed that peaceful life.
Now, among other refugees from many lands, the father looks at his son sleeping in guileless peace. He feels how deep and indifferent the sea is, and how powerless he is to protect the boy. All he can do is pray that the sea carries them safely — because Marwan is the most precious cargo there ever was.
🎯 MCQ — Lesson 5 (Refugees)
📘 Important Word Meanings — All Lessons
| 🔤 Word | 🟰 English Synonym | 📖 Meaning (বাংলা) |
|---|---|---|
| gem 💎 | jewel; precious stone | রত্ন / মূল্যবান পাথর |
| discover 🔍 | find; detect | খুঁজে পাওয়া |
| dissolve 🥃 | melt; liquefy | গলিয়ে ফেলা |
| noble 👑 | aristocratic; high-born | অভিজাত |
| sign 🔱 | symbol; token | প্রতীক / চিহ্ন |
| knight 🛡️ | warrior; cavalier | অশ্বারোহী যোদ্ধা |
| diver 🤿 | undersea swimmer | ডুবুরি |
| independent 🪪 | self-reliant; free | স্বাধীন |
| depth 🌊 | deepness | গভীরতা |
| technique ⚙️ | method; skill | কৌশল |
| instinct 🧠 | intuition; natural sense | সহজাত প্রবৃত্তি |
| amazing 😲 | astonishing; astounding | বিস্ময়কর |
| die out 🚫 | disappear; vanish | বিলুপ্ত হওয়া |
| profession 💼 | occupation; vocation | পেশা |
| ethnic 👥 | racial; cultural | নৃতাত্ত্বিক / জাতিগত |
| nomadic 🧭 | wandering; roaming | যাযাবর / ভ্রাম্যমাণ |
| roam 🚶 | wander; travel about | ঘুরে বেড়ানো |
| make-shift ⛺ | temporary; improvised | অস্থায়ী |
| monsoon 🌧️ | rainy season | বর্ষাকাল |
| herbal 🌿 | plant-based; natural | ভেষজ |
| urbanised 🏙️ | citified; town-grown | নগরায়িত |
| threatened ⚠️ | endangered; at risk | হুমকির মুখে |
| shrunk 📉 | reduced; contracted | সংকুচিত হওয়া |
| inherit 🧬 | receive; derive | উত্তরাধিকারসূত্রে পাওয়া |
| adapt 🔧 | adjust; conform | খাপ খাওয়ানো |
| conventional 🏫 | traditional; usual | প্রচলিত / গতানুগতিক |
| voluntary 🤝 | willing; unpaid | স্বেচ্ছাসেবী |
| refugee 🧳 | displaced person; asylum-seeker | শরণার্থী |
| breeze 🍃 | gentle wind; draught | মৃদু বাতাস |
| souk 🛍️ | marketplace; bazaar | বাজার (আরবীয়) |
| haggle 🤝 | bargain; negotiate | দরদাম করা |
| siege 🛑 | blockade; encirclement | অবরোধ |
| starvation 🍽️ | famine; hunger | অনাহার |
| guileless 😇 | innocent; naive | সরল / নিষ্পাপ |
| indifferent 😐 | unconcerned; uncaring | উদাসীন |
| precious 💖 | valuable; treasured | মূল্যবান |
🗺️ Unit Summary — At a Glance
🦪 L1 — Pearls! Pearls! Pearls! — From ancient Egypt (Cleopatra) to Greece and Rome, the shining pearl has always been a prized sign of wealth, status and love.
🤿 L2 — The Ama Divers — Japanese women divers reach 25 m deep without oxygen tanks, holding their breath for two minutes — but their ancient profession may die out.
🛶 L3 — River Gypsies (1) — The bedey of Bangladesh live a nomadic life on boats from May to December, fishing, charming snakes and selling herbal cures.
🌊 L4 — River Gypsies (2) — Urbanisation and climate change threaten their life; the government and boat-schools now help them settle and educate their children.
🧳 L5 — Refugees — A father remembers his lost home in Homs and prays for a safe sea crossing with his son Marwan — the human face of war and displacement.
🃏 Fun Card — Flashcards
Tap a card to flip and see the English synonym + বাংলা meaning! Swipe / scroll to see all cards.
👆 Scroll right to see more cards · Tap any card to flip it!
🧠 FunCheck — Vocabulary Challenge!
Test your word power! 10 questions on new vocabulary from Unit 7.