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Unit 17 :
“Bird in Hand is worth two in the Bush”
Upper Intermediate
Objective
To be able to know more about idioms and expressions.
Vocabulary
Read and know the meaning of the words used in the article.
1. avaricious /ˌæv.əˈrɪʃ.əs/
showing an extremely strong wish to get or keep money or possessions
She turned out to be a crafty and avaricious politician.
2. uneasy /ʌnˈiː.zi/
slightly worried or uncomfortable about a particular situation
I feel a little uneasy about asking her to do me such a big favor.
3. anxious /ˈæŋk.ʃəs/
worried and nervous
I saw my sister’s anxious face at the window.
4. foolishness /ˈfuː.lɪʃ.nəs/
the quality of being unwise, stupid, or not showing good judgement
She has already apologized for her foolishness.
5. precious /ˈpreʃ.əs/
of great value because of being rare, expensive, or important
You’re so precious to me.
6. nervous /ˈnɝː.vəs/
worried and anxious
I was too nervous to speak.
Quick Reading
Read the short passage.
This proverb literally means that if you have one bird in hand be content with it.
Don’t try to grab the two birds in the bush because you are not sure whether you will get both or not.
In the process of trying to grab the birds in the bush you might land up losing the one in hand too. So always be happy with what you have and don’t be avaricious.
One day Akila and Geetha were on their way to write an important exam and were waiting at the bus stop. All the buses were crowded but since they had to reach the examination hall on time.
Akila insisted that they travel by one of the buses. Geetha was not interested. She kept insisting that a less crowded bus would come along and that they should wait for one since they had a lot of time. Geetha wanted to travel by a bus which offered them seats to sit.
Akila was uneasy since she knew that with the passage of time buses could only get more crowded. She tried to reason it out with Geetha who refused to listen. Akila was angry with Geetha and decided to board the bus that came next.
She did not want to be late for the exam. Because of her timely decision, Akila took a bus which was crowded and reached the exam-hall in time. She wrote the exam with peace of mind. She came out in flying colour.
Geetha waited for the next half an hour but there was no sign of the bus that she wanted to take. She was getting anxious as she realized that a lot of time had elapsed.
Finally a bus arrived but it was so crowded that Geetha could not even get in. Geetha realized her foolishness. But it was too late and she had to finally catch a taxi to travel to her destination.
She not only lost valuable money by spending more but also lost out on precious time by landing up late for her exam. Because of coming late to the exam-hall, Geetha did not write her exam with peace of mind. She was nervous and tense throughout the exam.
Although she went through the exam with the minimum marks, she was not happy with her performance in that particular exam.
Akila on the other hand had reached on time and was able to write her exam well.
Discussion
Answer the questions with your teacher.
- What does it mean when you say don’t try to grab the two birds in the bush?
- Who were the characters in the story?
Discussion for you
Answer the questions with your teacher.
- How would you feel if you were in the situation of Akila?
- What decision did you regret after?
