HSC PARAGRAPH
(a) What is food adulteration? (b) How the foods are adulterated? (c) What is the demerits of food adulteration? (d) How can the problem be solved? [DB '17; Ctg '17]
Food Adulteration
Food adulteration means making food or
drink less pure by adding or mixing another substance to it. Nowadays foods are
often adulterated. In hotels and restaurants stale and rotten foods are mixed
with fresh food and served to the customers. Fish and vegetables are
adulterated by putting on them chemicals and other preservatives in order to
make them look fresh. Bakery and confectionery products are also prepared by
using toxic substances and thus they get adulterated. Junk food contains
harmful chemicals. Even fruits, milk and beverages are adulterated. In fact all
kinds of foods and food articles are adulterated by dishonest and greedy
businessmen and shop keepers for quick and unearned profit. Adulterated foods
are a serious health hazard. They cause many fatal diseases and even death.
They are the cause behind thousands of people suffering from cancer, kidney
failure, heart problems and other diseases. According to a survey report,
nearly 40% of 82 samples of milk, milk products, fish, fruits and vegetables
have been found contaminated in different areas of Dhaka city. Public awareness
should be created so that they become careful about buying foods and food
articles. Besides, the criminals have to be identified and punished. The
relevant department of the government should remain ever vigilant against food
adulteration and gear up their activities. (Words : 216)
(a) Who was
Nelson Mandela? (b) What did he free South Africa from? (c) How many years was he
in prison? (d) What are his personal achievements? (e) What will he be
remembered for?
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
is an icon of the struggle for justice across the world. He was the great
leader of anti-racist movement in South Africa. He freed South Africa from the
shackles of apartheid and made it a multi-racial democratic country. He was
imprisoned for nearly three decades for his fight against the white minority
rule in South Africa. He never compromised with the tyrant rulers. He also
never lost his resolve to fight. During those years, he was the world's most
celebrated political prisoner. The white-led government tried their best to
suppress the struggle but failed. At last the world community pressed them to
surrender. They released Mandela and admitted to change the country's
constitution. In 1993, Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and he became
the country's first black President in 1994. He left public life in 2004.
Nadine Gordimer, the Nobel laureate South African writer, wrote about him,
"He is at the epicenter of our time, our in South Africa, and yours,
wherever you are." In a statement given in 1963 at the Rivonia Trial, he
said, "During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to the struggle of the
African people." He is called "Madiba" by his countrymen. He is
no more but everyone will remember him for his humanity, kindness and dignity. (Words : 216)
(a) Who is known
as Bangabandhu? (b) What do you know of his student life? (c) How did he
contribute to the language movement? (d) What were his activities for the Awami
League? (e) How did the liberation war occur?
Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman, known as Bangabandhu, is the 'Greatest Bengali of All Time'. He was
born in a respectable Muslim family on 17 March, 1920, at Tungipara village
under the Gopalganj district. He started his student life at Gimadanga Primary
School at the age of seven. He passed the entrance examination from this school
and got admitted to the Kolkata Islamia College. Then he took admission into
Dhaka University and founded the Muslim Students League. He was one of the
front-line leaders of the Language Movement and was arrested on March 11, 1948.
In 1970, he was re-elected President of Awami League. Under his leadership,
Awami League took part in the General Election of 1970 and gained absolute
majority. On March 7, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman addressed a mammoth public
rally at the Race Course ground. On the fierce night of March 25, the Pakistani
Army cracked down on the innocent unarmed Bangalees, and arrested Sheikh Mujib.
All the Bangalees, jumped into a bloody battle against the occupation forces. On
December 16, 1971, Bangladesh became a free nation and Bangabandhu was freed
from the Pakistani jail on January 8, 1972 and returned to his beloved country
on January 10. It is a matter of regret that, Bangabandhu, the founding father
of the nation, was killed by a group of wayward army officers. (Words : 215)
(a) What was
the background of the 7th March speech? (b) Who was the speaker? (c) What were
the directions for the Bengali people evident in the speech? (d) What was
obligatory for the Bengalis as the speaker said? (e) What effects did the
speech make on our national life?
The
Significance of the 7th March Speech
The 7th March 1971 is a memorable day in
the history of the Bengali nation. On this day Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman, the founding father of the nation, gave a historical speech that
directed the whole nation in those days of turmoil and unrest. The West
Pakistanis had been exploiting the Bengalis since the emergence of the state
Pakistan in 1947. The Bengalis were deprived in economic, political and
cultural life. After 24 years of treachery and discrimination, the Bengali
nationalist party Awami League won the parliamentary election. But the rulers
decided not to let them form the government of the country. It infuriated the
entire Bengali nation. Amid anger and protest, Bangabandhu gave this
epoch-making speech at the Race Course Maidan on the 7th March. He said it was
the time of struggle for emancipation and independence, and the nation must
fight for that mission. He called the nation for not cooperating with the
Pakistanis, for not giving them taxes, and for not attending offices.
Bangabandhu's speech worked as a big inspiration for the nation. It motivated
people to sacrifice their lives for the cause of the freedom of our motherland.
Thus Bangabandhu's 7th March speech has become immortal in the national
history. (Words : 204)
(a) Who is
Valentina Tereshkova? (b) When and where was she born? (c) What was she
selected for? (d) What do you know about her space travel? (e) What do you
think about her?
Valentina Tereshkova
Valentina Tereshkova is a famous astronaut and living legend. She was
born on 6 March 1937 in the village Maslennikovo, Tutayevsky district, in
central Russia. At first she was a textile worker in a factory. After the space
flight of Yuri Gagarin in 1961, the Soviet Union decided to send a woman in
space. Yuri Gagarin was the first human being for space flight. Anyway, Soviet
Union selected Tereshkova for that mission on 16 February 1962. She had to
undergo a series of training. After the successful launch of a spacecraft,
Tereshkova began to prepare for her own flight. On the due date, she completed
her communication and life support checks, and then was sealed inside the
spacecraft Vostok-6. It was launched faultlessly and Tereshkova orbited the
earth 48 times spending almost three days in space. In 1977, she earned a
doctorate in Engineering from Zhukovsky Air Force Academy. Once she turned to
politics. During the Soviet era, she became one of the presidium members of the
Supreme Soviet. Now she is a member in the lower house of the Russian
legislature. On her 70th birthday, Vladimir Putin invited her and she expressed
her desire to fly to Mars. She is now old, will die someday but will live for
ever as a famous astronaut. (Words : 217)
(a) Who is
Kalpana Chawla? (b) Where was she born? (c) What is her greatest achievement?
(d) What made her famous? (e) How were the last stages of her life?
Kalpana Chawla
Kalpana Chawla
was a famous astronaut. She died in an aerospace accident. She was born in
Karnal, India on 17 March, 1962. She is the first Indian-born woman and the
second person in space from the sub-continent. She graduated in Aeronautical
Engineering from Punjab Engineering College and moved to the USA in 1982. She
obtained her Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of
Texas in 1984. Thereafter she got her PhD degree in the same subject in 1988
from the University of Colorado. In 1991, she got the Green Card and in four
years, she started her career as a NASA astronaut. Her first space mission
began on 19 November 1997 with some other astronauts. The name of the space
shuttle was Columbia. On 16 January 2003, Chawla was on a space mission on the
ill-fated space shuttle Columbia. Chawla was one of the mission specialists.
She had some responsibilities including the microgravity experiments, for
example–studying earth and space science, advanced technology development, and
astronaut health and safety. After a 16 day mission in space, Columbia
disintegrated into the Earth's atmosphere on its return journey and the brave
woman Chawla's life came to an end. However, she will remain ever fresh in the
history. (Words : 207)
(a) Which
problem is the most severe in Dhaka? (b) What harm does it cause? (c) How does
it occur? (d) What is the main reason of occuring traffic jam in Dhaka? (e) How
can the problem be solved?
Traffic Jam in Dhaka
Traffic jam is a severe problem in Dhaka city. It hampers the normal
flow of citizens' life. Various types of vehicles run in the roads and become
the cause of annoyance of the common people. They cannot go to their
destination in time. School going children and office going employees suffer a
lot. Traffic jam mainly occurs as a result of Dhaka's poor infrastructure. Only
7 percent of Dhaka is covered by roads, while Paris and Vienna have about 25
percent. There are about 60 traffic lights at 650 major intersections, and most
of those lights do not work. Traffic jam in Dhaka costs about 3.8 billion
dollar a year. Many dwellers in this city blame the rickshaws for this problem.
Now the number of buses and cars have also increased. But a solution of traffic
jam in this city must be made. Both the government and the common people should
come forward. Good news is that the present government has taken some steps to
reduce traffic jam. The metro rail project is one of them. But along with these
projects government also should remove the hawkers who run their business on
footpath. Public transport should be made available. Slow speeded transports
should be banned from busy roads and more underpass and overpass should be
built. (Words : 214)
(a) What do you mean by traffic education? (b) What does it intend? (c) What is its importance?(d) What are some traffic rules? (e) What should be done to improve traffic education?
Traffic Education
Traffic education means a training on traffic rules
and regulations and also on penalties if they are breached. It intends for
public awareness of traffic system ensuring their security from unexpected accidents
on roads. Traffic education is very important for all in the modern era. It is
an age of automobiles and heavy vehicles. If one does not know traffic systems
and rules, one will find it difficult to more from one place to another. For
the lack of traffic awareness, people suffer from accidents and untimely death.
Such losses are irreparable. Traffic rules include some directions indicated by
typical marks. Some mark will indicate a way one must not go, some other will
direct one to choose a road among several ones, and some others will restrict a
driver in speeding up his/ her vehicle. Traffic rules also comprise of some
obligations like not being drunk, not using cell-phones and keeping quiet when
driving an automobile. The importance of traffic education stresses its worth
in academic level. It should have a place in regular curricula. Besides, the
mass media should take steps to increase public consciousness. Only then
traffic education will find its goal fulfilled i.e. ensuring public safety and
secured transport. (Words : 203)
(a) What is meant by food habits? (b) How do food habits differ? (c) Are
food habits the same in a country? If not, why? (d) What are the usual food
habits of the people of Bangladesh? (e) What is the trend of the young people
regarding food habits nowadays? (f) What changes are necessary in our food
habits?
Food/Eating habits of Bangladeshi
people
Food habits
refer to the habits or practices of taking food of the people of a particular
society or a country. These habits differ from one society or country to
another. In Bangladesh, different people like different kinds of foods
according to their own choice and taste. But the eating habits of the people
are almost the same. The Bangladeshi people have some special food habits. Rice
with dal and fish is our most common and favourite food. Khichuri is another
popular food item of the Bangladeshis. Besides, the Bangladeshis are also fond
of meat. Moreover, pithas of different kinds and shapes and payesh are also
liked very much by them. People also eat wheat, potatoes, other seasonal
vegetables, eggs, bread and all sorts of local fruits according to their taste.
People occasionally eat polao, biryani, chicken roast, mutton or beef curry.
Most families in Bangladesh have three meals a day- breakfast, lunch and dinner. Old people
take our traditional foods. But many young people are getting used to Chinese
and western fast foods day by day. Now it is time we have to bring some changes
in our food habits. We should form the habit of eating wheat or potatoes
instead of eating too much rice. (Words : 206)
(a) How many
years does generally adolescence mean? (b) During this period what does one
experience? (c) What are the problems that adolescents face? (d) What effects
long lasting on the future health of adolescents? (e) What can be the solution
for adolescents problem?
Adolescence
Children pass through several stages to become adult. There are four or
five stages of growth: infancy, early childhood, later childhood, and
adolescence. There are some who try to act older than their age. But most
persons go through these stages whatever their economic or social status is. Adolescence
generally covers from 13 to 18 years of age of a person. During this phase, one
experiences critical transition like growing from childhood to adulthood and
puberty. However, many adolescents face pressure to become alcoholic,
drug-addict or chain-smoker that creates their health problems. These practices
put them to high risk for intentional and unintentional injuries, unintended
pregnancies and infections from HIV. These exert long-lasting effects on future
health and well-being. They are not fully capable of understanding sexual
practices and this incapability may make them particularly vulnerable to sexual
exploitation and high-risk behaviours. Moreover, laws and policies often
restrict unmarried adolescents' access to reproductive issues. For a solution,
what older ones should do is to change their outlook about the adolescents and
youths, treat them properly and also talk to them about various personal
problems with an open up mind. They should go forward with a new look to build
up them for the sake of the country's welfare. (Words : 208)
(a) What do
you mean by etiquette and good manners? (b) How do etiquette and good manners
help you? (c) Which institution is best for children to learn etiquette? (d)
What do you mean by social etiquette? (e) Why is it important to be well
mannered and have the proper sense of etiquette?
Etiquette and Manners
There are two terms to describe our social behaviour — 'etiquette' and
'manners'. The first one is a French word. Etiquette means the rules of correct
behaviour in society. Etiquette and good manners are essential to any
civilization. Over the years the great people of the world have emphasized on
etiquette and good manners. Good manners make you a person, while etiquette
makes you socially acceptable. Etiquettes help you gain respect in society as
well as in family. It is important to say 'please', 'thank you', 'pardon me',
'excuse me', 'may I' etc in everyday life. Family is the best institution for
children to learn etiquette. Here children learn to respect the decision of all
other family members. They also put into practice the foundation of all social
etiquette here. Social etiquette means how you behave with your friends,
neighbours and strangers. If you show respect and be well mannered with your
friends and neighbours, you are sure to be in list of their favourite persons.
They will trust you and care about you. We should remember that nowadays
everyone observes us. We not only represent ourselves and our family but also
our society, our nation. So it is important to be well mannered and have the
proper sense of etiquette. (Words : 210)
(a) What do
you know about the background of higher education in Bangladesh? (b) How many
universities are there in Bangladesh? (c) What is the role of the government to
develop the higher education system? (d) What is the present condition of
higher education in Bangladesh?
Higher Education in Bangladesh
Higher
education system in Bangladesh has a long way of more than one hundred and
fifty years of intellectual development. There are 35 government, 79 private
and 3 international universities. At the higher level, universities are
regulated by the University Grants Commission. The colleges providing higher
education are under the National University. Although the number of government
and private universities and colleges has been steadily increasing since
Bangladesh gained independence in 1971, the enrollment completion rates are
still very low. Because of limited number of seats in public universities and
high tuition fees charged by the private universities, access to university
education is rather limited. In the late 1990s the government gave priority to
human resource development and emphasized "Education for All" as a
target. Recent five year plans provide for a larger proportion of national
budgets for opening additional colleges and universities especially in the area
of medicine, science and information technology. The Bangladesh National
University, to which many hundreds of colleges and affiliated, is being
modernized and revamped. Thus the higher education system in Bangladesh
developed periodically with vision and meeting demand of time. Private higher
education also developed simultaneously saving foreign currency and ensuring
total human development. (Words : 200)
(a) What is
meant by friendship? (b) Who is a friend? (c) Who are called best friends? (d)
What are the qualities of a good friend? (e) Who is a true friend? (f) How can
a true friend be identified?
Friendship
A friend is a
person that someone likes or knows. People who are friends talk to each other
and spend time together. They also help each other when they are in trouble or
are hurt. Sometimes people can't tell their secrets to their parents so they
tell it to their friends. A friend is one who admires a person's skill and
helps or encourages him to make the right choices. The strength of the bond of
friendship between two people can vary. If the bond is very strong, they are
called best friends. This can usually be achieved by possessing the elements of
friendship, by being kind, generous, loyal, honest and by having fun. There are
expectations, demands, and complaints in friendship too. Friends can help one
materialistically and morally. But if they don't match with one's expectations,
it does not mean one will break the friendship. Friendship is both good and
necessary. Friends are needed for support and for sharing. Friendship means
closeness without any selfish motive. But true friendship is rarely seen.
Growing true friendship depends upon selection of a friend. Best test of
friendship is adversity. Prosperity brings friends but adversity tries them. But
a true friend does not leave his friend in any situation. He is ready even to
die for him. (Words : 216)
(a) How is the past of the river
Buriganga? (b) How did the name Buriganga come? (c) How is the present
condition of Buriganga? (d) How is the river being polluted?
The River Buriganga
The Buriganga is a famous river flowing
by Dhaka, the capital city of the country. This river had a glorious past. It
was a tributary of the mighty Ganges and flowed into the Bay of Bengal through
the Dhaleshwari. Gradually it lost its link with the Ganges and got the name
Buriganga. The Mughals marveled at its tide level and founded their provincial
capital Jahangirnagar on its banks in 1610. Once the river supplied drinking
water and supported trade and commerce. Later Jahangirnagar grew into a heavily
populated city under its new name 'Dhaka'. Now the Buriganga is a polluted and
dying river. Huge quantities of toxic chemicals and wastes from mills and
factories, hospitals and residential buildings are dumped into its water
everyday. The situation is so disastrous that it seems we have killed one of
our rivers. Steps must be taken to save our other rivers from such death.
Otherwise we shall have to cry for our other rivers as we do for our beloved
Buriganga. (Words : 168)
(a) Which is the major wetland of
Bangladesh? (b) Where is Hakaluki Haor situated? (c) Why is the haor an
important source of fisheries in Bangladesh? (d) What kind of fishes are found
in Hakaluki Haor? (e) What is the present condition of the beels?
The Hakaluki Haor
Bangladesh is full of waterbodies like
rivers, canals, beels and haors. Hakaluki Haor is one of the major wetlands of
the country. It is a complex ecosystem, containing more than 238
interconnecting beels and jalmahals. The haor falls under two districts,
Maulvibazar and Sylhet. Surrounding the haor, about 190,000 people live. The
haor is an important source of fisheries resources for Bangladesh. Fishes like
Kalibaus, Boal, Rui, Ghagot, Pabda and Chapila are found here. The beels in the
haor provide winter shelter for mother fisheries. Now due to sand deposits,
dewatering technique for fishing and lack of aquatic plants, many of those
beels have lost their capacity to provide such shelter. The haor is a very
important resting place for migratory birds. Unfortunately, illegal poaching
has been a threat to the bird population. Hakaluki Haor is also known as a good
grazing land for domestic animals in winter. The haor system provides economic
and non-economic benefits to the people. These benefits include fish and rice
production, duck, cattle and buffalo rearing, collection of reeds, grasses,
aquatic and other plants. Its unique system adds to the beauty of the landscape
both during the monsoon and other seasons. Its beauty and economic importance
can attract a large number of tourists. (Words : 208)
(a) Where is Kuakata situated? (b) How
long is Kuakata? (c) What do you find in Kuakata? (d) What is the story behind
its name? (e) What is the religious value of Kuakata?
Kuakata
Kuakata is a rare
scenic spot located on the southernmost tip of Bangladesh. It is locally known
as 'sagar kannya' that means the daughter of the sea. It is in Latachapli union
under Kalapara police station of Patuakhali district. Kuakata is about 30 km in
length and 6 km in breadth. It is an attractive tourist spot having an
excellent combination of the picturesque natural beauty, sandy beaches, blue
sky, the shimmering expanse of water of the Bay of Bengal and an evergreen
forest. According to the legend, the Rakhaines expelled from Arakan by the
Mughal invaders settled there. They dug a 'kua' or well on the seashore that
gave birth to the name of the place. A visitor can enjoy both the sunrise and
the sunset from Kuakata beach. It is one of the world's most attractive beaches.
It is also a sanctuary for migratory birds. Kuakata is called a 'virgin beach'.
The indigenous culture of the Rakhaine community and Buddhist temples are
cultural heritage of the area. Besides, Kuakata is a holy land for the Hindus
and the Buddhists. Many century-old Buddhist temples adorn the place. Each year
thousands of devotees come here to attend, take holy bath and enjoy the
festivals called Rash Purnima and Maghi Purnima. (Words : 210)
(a) What is beauty? (b) Where do we find beauty? (c)
How is beauty related with ugliness? (d) How does beauty reveal itself in its
absence? (e) How is beauty related with truth? (f) How does beauty appear to
poets and artists?
Beauty
Beauty is an abstract idea which creates a great pleasure to the senses
or to the mind of a person. In fact it is a feeling which pacifies one's mind
and it varies from person to person. We find beauty in many things around us.
Beauty is found in nature, in human character, in the kindness of a person, in
the laughter of children etc. When we look at nature, we can enjoy natural
beauty of mountain, sea, river, forests etc. The laughter of children, a great
human character, the kindness of a person etc. create a feeling of pleasure to
us. Everyone desires beauty throughout his/her whole life but there are no
unmixed blessings in the world. Whenever we face any kind of ugliness, we
strongly desire for beauty. Beauty is an important part of our life but we have
to remember that ugliness is also a part of our life. People extensively feel
the importance of beauty when it is absent from their life. When we see hunger,
injustice, maltreatment, terrorism in our society, we seriously think of how to
remove these evil things. The absence of beauty reveals its importance to a
great extent. Beauty and truth are very closely related. Beauty is really
desired by the people who always search for truth. (Words : 216)
(a) What kind of forest the Sundarbans is?
(b) Why is the Sundarbans famous for? (c) What is the alarming news about the Sundarbans
and its tigers? (d) What does the Sundarbans make vulnerable? (e) Why did the Sundarbans
become a critical tiger habitat? (f) How many tigers can live in the Sundarbans?
(g) Why should we save our forest the Sundarbans?
The Sundarbans and the Royal Bengal Tiger
The Sundarbans is a vast mangrove forest
shared by Bangladesh and India, across the coastline of the Bay of Bengal. The
forest is famous as a habitat of our national beast Royal Bengal Tiger. But it
is an alarming news that 71% of the forest's coastline is retreating by nearly
200 meters a year as a result of soil erosion. If it continues, tigers'
existence will be at stake. The causes of this erosion are increasing storm,
surges and other extreme natural events, rises in sea-level and increased salinity
that makes mangroves vulnerable. This rapid retreating of coastline cannot be
accounted by the regular dynamics of the Sundarbans. Thus the forest is now a
critical tiger habitat. The forest is known for vanishing islands but the
scientists said the current retreat of the mangrove forests on the coastline is
not normal. As human development thrives, and global temperature continues to
rise, natural protection from tidal waves and cyclones are lessening at an
alarming rate. This will inevitably lead to species loss in this richly biodiverse
part of the world. It is one of the few forests that can hold several hundred
tigers. So it is now vitally necessary to save this forest for saving the
majestic Bengal Tigers from extinction. (Words : 210)
What is meant by human rights? What are the basic
human rights? Why do people struggle for? How did Bangladesh emerge as an
independent state? What are the most powerful enemies of human rights in our
country? What is essential for exercising human rights?
Human
Rights
Human rights are the rights that are inherent in all
human beings in spite of their different identities. The basic or fundamental
rights include human's social rights, civil rights, political rights, cultural
rights, religious rights and economic rights etc. Everyone has the right to
keep one's privacy, honour, nationality, family, freedom of thought and
expression, association, and suffrage. Each and every country of the world
adopts obligations and duties to protect and fulfill its human rights. People
all over the world struggle for establishing fundamental human rights. But
unfortunately people are yet to overcome the barriers to human rights.
Bangladesh emerged as an independent state as a result of a fight against
violation of human rights by the Pakistanis in different ways. In spite of
having enough potential for progress and prosperity, our country is still
fighting against humiliating poverty and illiteracy. These two are perhaps the
most powerful enemies of human rights. As a result, most of the people are
unable to speak and think freely. It is essential that people need freedom to
exercise their rights. But in our country they are often neglected by the
established politics and socio-economic activities. Yet, there is ample scope
for improvement in the status of human rights. (Words : 205)
(a) Who is Gazi Pir? (b) What did he do?
(c) What do people believe about him? (d) Who feared him? (e) What kind of
extraordinary power did Gazi have?
Gazi Pir
Gazi Pir is a legendary or mythic
character. According to legend, he was a Muslim saint who helped the spread of
Islam in the parts of Bengal close to the Sundarbans. He is said to have done
many miracles. People believe he could calm dangerous animals and make them
docile. He is usually depicted in paats or scroll paintings riding a terrifying
Bengal Tiger, while holding a snake in his hand. Some stories tell us that he
also fought crocodiles that threatened the people of a region full of canals
and creeks. That place was, in fact, a watery jungle. People also believe that
he enabled villagers to live close to forests and jungles and to cultivate
their lands. Wild animals feared him. People of those areas prayed to him for
protection. The story of Gazi Pir has been preserved in folk literature and indigenous
culture. Some Gazir Paat collections are also kept in the British Museum. (Words : 157)
(a) Who is Orpheus? (b) What did his
father teach him? (c) Who were charmed by his music? (d) Who did Orpheus marry?
(e) How did he lose his beloved for ever?
Orpheus
Orpheus is a character of antique Greek
mythology. He is a mythic god. Son of Apollo and the Muse Calliope, he was
awarded a lyre by his father and also taught to play upon it. He played on the
lyre with so perfection that no other person's performance was comparable to
it. His music not only softened the other fellow-mortals but also wild animals.
His music even charmed trees and rocks. The trees crowded around him being
charmed by his music. The rocks were also softened by his notes. Orpheus married
Eurydice whose untimely death led him to the underworld in order to recover
her. He charmed the rulers and guards of Hades with his music and was allowed
to bring back his beloved on one condition. The condition was that he would not
look back at her until they reach the upper world. Orpheus failed to check his
desire to look at Eurydice and lost her for ever. (Words : 159)
(a) Who is Hercules? (b) Which things
are known as the 'twelve labours of Hercules'? (c) Who disturbed the village of
Nemea? (d) Who was Hydra? What was her speciality? (e) How did Hercules become
successful in his missions?
Hercules
Hercules is a
famous character of antique Greek mythology. He was the son of Jupiter, the
king of gods, and Alcmena. He was assigned with some difficult tasks by
Eurystheus, the king of Mycenae and his cousin. Those tasks are known as the
'twelve labours of Hercules' in Greek mythology. Eurystheus ordered Hercules to
slay a lion and bring him his skin, which disturbed the village of Nemea.
Hercules at first fought the lion with weapons but failed and then slayed it
just with his hands. His next task was to slay a monster called Hydra. Hydra
had nine heads, one of which was immortal. When Hercules attempted to struck
off its heads, two new ones erupted. With the help of his servant Iolaus,
Hercules succeeded in burning eight heads of Hydra and he managed to bury the
immortal head under a rock. Hercules became successful in his missions one
after another and became a world-famous hero. (Words : 157)
(a) How can dreams be? (b) What does Sigmund Freud say about dream? (c)
Why do we dream? (d) Are dreams meaningless? What do the researchers think? (e)
According to theorists, how can we get benefit from dreams?
Dream
Philosophers have been fascinated with
dreams for thousands of years, but empirical research and scientific study on
it has begun only in recent times. Dreams can be extraordinarily vivid or
vague; it can be either joyful or frightening; and also can be understandable
or confusing. Yet the researchers do not understand the purpose of dreams. The
psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud's theory of dreams suggests that dreams are a
representation of unconscious desires, thoughts and motivations. According to
Freud, when our aggressive and sexual instincts are not consciously expressed,
they find their way into our awareness via dreams. So dreams are disguised
fulfillments of repressed wishes. Some researchers also think that dreams are
not meaningless rather the cognitive elements in our brain produce new ideas during
dreams. One theory suggests dreams to be the result of our brains trying to
interpret external stimuli during sleep. Some theorists think dreams refresh
the mind and according to some others, they function as a form of
psychotherapy. 'Dream' has also other meanings. The great Romantic poet William
Wordsworth regarded poets to be dreamers. Poets give voice to what we desire to
achieve. They write about the dreams of lovers, men of action, patriots, social
reformers and workers. The great leaders were also dreamers as they dreamt for
human emancipation. (Words : 214)
(a) What do you know about diaspora? (b)
What community does diaspora refer? (c) Who were the historical notable
diaspora in ancient times? (d) Which diaspora did move in the Indian subcontinent
and why they came? (e) Which diaspora did attract a lot of interest in the last
century and why are they a cause of concern for world leaders? (f) What is the
main cause of diaspora in the modern world?
Diaspora
The word 'diaspora' means those people who
have left their homelands and settled in other parts of the world, either
because they were forced to leave their homeland or they liked to live in their
own way. The word is used for a collective group or a community. The world has
seen many great diasporas. Among those, the Jewish people are historically
notable, who were forced to leave their lands in ancient times. The Aryans who
moved from the central Europe to the Indian subcontinent is another important
diaspora in history. But the causes of this diaspora are unknown. The
Palestinian diaspora attracted a lot of interests in the last century. They are
a cause of concern for the world leaders due to their plight. War or the
ravages of nature have created a massive African diaspora, too. But the major
cause of so much concerns of diaspora in the modern world is globalization. (Words : 154)
(a) Where is Banglatown located? (b)
What is the former name of Banglatown? (c) What can one see there? (d) Where do
the most British Bangladeshis live? (e) How did the area came to be known as
'Banglatown'?
Banglatown
Banglatown is a locality in East London,
inhabited by Bangladeshi diaspora in Britain. British-Bangladeshis, also known
as British- Bengalis, are an important part of the people of Bangladeshi origin
living abroad. Almost half of the British-Bangladeshis live in Banglatown. It
was formerly known as the East London boroughs, including a street named Brick
Lane and Tower Hamlets, having the highest concentration. The whole locality
has a Bangladeshi environment. One can see Bangladeshi restaurants, Bengali
street-signs, green and red lamp-posts (reflecting the colours of our flag),
Bangladeshi food stores, and advertisement of Bangladesh Biman and Sonali Bank.
There are a number of visible Bangladeshi landmarks, such as Altab Ali Park,
the Kobi Nazrul Cultural Centre and the Shohid Minar Monument. These landmarks
are matters of pride for the British Bangladeshis. In 2001, the British
Bangladeshi leaders moved to change the name of the locality that was recognized
by the British government in order to give it a distinct cultural identity. (Words : 159)
(a) What is conflict? (b) What are the causes of conflict? (c) How does
conflict influence our actions and decisions? (d) How many conflicts are there
in human world? (e) How can we live in harmony despite conflict?
Conflict
Conflict means a disagreement among
groups or individuals characterized by antagonism and hostility. It is mainly
caused by the opposition of one party to another, and it comes as a result of
one party's attempt to reach an objective different from the other party's
goal. Conflict is an inevitable part of life, as all of us possess our own
opinions, ideas and sets of beliefs. We have our own ways of thinking and we
act accordingly. As a result, we find ourselves in conflict in different
scenarios with other individuals or groups of people. Then conflict influences
our actions and decisions. A clash of thoughts and ideas is a part of the human
experience; so conflict comes naturally. It can be seen as an opportunity for
learning and understanding our differences. Again, conflict in the human world
may concern either economy or value or power. It can be interpersonal or
intrapersonal, intergroup or intragroup. Interpersonal conflict means a conflict
between two persons. Intrapersonal conflict occurs within an individual and
takes place in a person's mind. Intragroup conflict happens among individuals
within a team. And intergroup conflict is seen among teams within an
organization. We can all live in harmony despite conflicts if we know how to
manage these issues. (Words : 209)
(a) What do
you understand by peace movement? (b) What are the goals of peace movement? (c)
What is the common goal of peace movement organizations? (d) What does peace
movement oppose for? (e) How can peace movement establish a peaceful world?
Peace Movement
A peace movement is a social movement. It seeks to achieve such goals as
the ending of a particular war (or all wars), minimizing inter-human violence
and achieving world peace. It is basically an all-encompassing "anti-war
movement", primarily characterized by a belief that human beings should
not wage war on each other or engage in violent disputes on race, religion,
language, ideology or natural resources. The goals of the peace movement
include advocacy of pacifism, non-violent resistance, demonstrations, peace
camps, supporting anti-war politicians, banning guns, supporting activists for
peace, etc. Though peace movement organizations may have diverse aims, their
one common goal is sustainability of peace. The peace movement also opposes the
proliferation of dangerous technologies and destructive weapons, particularly
nuclear weapons. In these ways, its aims at establishing a world free from
hatred and enmity. The first peace movement happened in 1815-1816. The first
such movement in the USA was the New York Peace Society founded in 1815. Peace
organizations were set up in many countries. The United Nations was established
with the primary objective to maintain peace and resolve inter-state conflicts
in the world. Since then, many treaties have been signed between many nations,
for example—nuclear non-proliferation treaty. All want peace and like the
principles of non-violence. (Words : 211)
(a) What does peace refer to? (b)
How do you define peace? (c) Why is peace necessary? (d) What do war and
conflict create? (e) What will happen if peace is established around the world?
Importance of Global Peace
The issue of war and peace has always
been a focal issue in all periods of history of the world. Today establishment
of peace in the world is one of the major challenges for the world leaders.
Peace doesn't only refer to the end of war, rather it is more than that. It is,
a condition characterized by peaceful, cooperative and harmonious conduct of
the global nations with a view to secure an all round sustainable development
of the people of the world. To make our all the development efforts successful
there is no alternative to establish peace in the world. Peace is necessary to
ensure human rights around the world. We cannot think of a better life, better
international relationship and better world without peace. War or conflict has
nothing good in them. They only bring destructions. They create a sense of
insecurity to live on the earth. Establishment of peace will remove hostility
among powerful countries of the world. The modern age has seen different peace
movements that have goals including advocacy of pacifism, non-violent
resistance, demonstrations, peace camps, supporting anti-war politicians and peace
activists, etc. We should remember that we are not for the world, but the world
is for us. So it is important for us to establish peace around us to exist. (Words : 217)
(a) When was
the first house lighted with electricity? (b) When was the first trans Atlantic
flight made? (c) Who made the first artificial heart? (d) When did cell phones
make their appearance? (e) When did personal computer become available?
The Recent Scientific
Achievements
The Modern Age is the age of science. We
have had a tremendous advancement in the field of science and technology in the
last one and a half century. The first remarkable work was the invention of
electricity. The first house was lighted with electricity in the 1870s. Cars were
first available about a century ago. The first trans-Atlantic flight was made
in 1927. After the Second World War, television came to the people's doors.
Scientists have now focused their attention on the growth of human longevity.
Dr. Barney Clark made the Jarvik-7 the first artificial heart in 1982. It was
intended to last a lifetime and was a huge step towards the development of
heart transplant surgery. Cell phones made their appearance in the 1990s. Now
more than 4.6 billion people around the world use cell phones. Personal
computer became available to consumers in 1974. It is now used to get access to
the Internet, do word processing, use a calculator, watch TV, play games and do
many other things. Communication satellites support techno-based contact among
people. Man has also reached the Moon. The Internet and Microchip have
revolutionized information technology. Thus human civilization has achieved a
new height through scientific revolution. (Words : 203)
(a) What is the contribution of science to modern
civilization? (b) What do the scientists aim at? (c) What are the scientists
thinking of? (d) What are the dreams of the doctors? (e) What do the
astrophysicists want to do?
Future Scientific Breakthroughs
Science seems
to have limitless possibilities. It has already taken the civilization to a
height with a huge number of inventions. It has blessed human life with
automobiles, electricity, radio, TV, modern medicare, computer and information
technology. As scientists are also dreamers, they always aim at new and newer
achievements. A possible scientific invention is DNA computer, which will have
vast memory and contain all the printed material of the world. Scientists,
especially NASA, are thinking of making permanent base in the moon. They are also
thinking for a technology of producing clean energy, which may include wind,
solar, geothermal, tidal, hydropower, nuclear and biofuel energy. The doctors
are dreaming of a remedy from life killing cancer and of high-tech
nanomedicine. The astrophysicists want to travel to the Mars, and also there
are dreamers who want to have a journey to the earth's centre. Man has been
dreaming to go to the Earth's center since the 19th century. It shows how
unpredictable technology can be. It is actually much more difficult than it
sounds. Especially, the pressure there is enormous. There is not even carbon
monotube there to maintain its shape at such pressure. But scientists are
dreaming. Thus science shows the human species of a bright and glorious future.
(Words : 210)
(a) What is
folk music? (b) Who do compose folk music? (c) What do folk songs tell about?
(d) How do folk songs vary? (e) Write down the name of some folk songs of our
country.
Folk Music
Folk music means that type of ancient
music that springs from the heart of a community, based on their natural style
of expression uninfluenced by classical music or modern popular songs. A
combination of folk song, folk dance and folk tune can be called folk music,
for example– Baul songs. The rural folk compose folk music on the basis of
ancient rules transmitted orally. Folk songs are composed and performed by
illiterate or semi-literate people, either in groups or individually. It is a
spontaneous expression in easy language, local dialect and simple tune. Bangladesh
has a rich tradition of folk music. These songs tell about social inequality
and poverty, about the material world and the supernatural. Our folk music
varies from region to region. They are classified into Bhawaiya, Bhatiyali,
Baul, Murshidi, Marfati, Kabigan, Leto, Alkap, Gambhira etc. Folk songs have
been written on the culture, festivals, views of life, natural beauty, rivers
and rural life. Some song-writers have composed mystical songs using the
metaphors of rivers and boats. Bhatiyali is an important genre of folk music in
this riverine country. Tribes like Santal, Garo, Hajong, Chakma, Manipuri,
Tripura, Marma etc. have their own folk music. All those forms of music have
enriched our culture. (Words : 205)
(a) What is
craftwork? (b) How is a craftwork shaped? (c) Who determine the form and
content of craftwork? (d) Mention the distinctive qualities of a craftwork.
Crafts of Bangladesh
A craftwork is an applied form of art.
It is a social and cultural product reflecting the inclusive nature of folk
imagination. A craftwork, though doesn't bear the maker's signature, retains a
personal touch. 'Nakshikantha' is a fine example of Bangladeshi craftwork. We
wonder at a Nakshikantha for its artistic ingenuity. Our personal ignorance of
the artist of a craftwork doesn't diminish his/ her worth. A craftwork is
shaped by the interaction of individual creativity and community aesthetics,
utility functions and also human values. A craftwork also represents a way of
life and a cultural flavour. That's why changes in lifestyle and material
conditions are expected to have their influence on craftworks and their
production. But craftworks face some problems in this era. Its future is under
threat due to industrialization and meachanization. Now, crafts that are
disappearing should be revived. Nowadays, even when the market is an important
factor, community aesthetics determine the form and content of the work.
Craftworks like dolls reflect community aesthetics so much that the market
cannot impose its preference on them. Craftworks are dynamic objects, always
evolving and abreast of changing tastes and preferences. As a result, their
demand still remains throughout the country and beyond. (Words : 202)
(a) How many kinds of education
are there? (b) What is informal education? (c) What is formal education? (d)
How can we learn from various kinds of education?
Education
Education is a process of teaching,
training and learning, especially in schools or colleges to improve knowledge
and develop skills. Education enlightens the mind and broadens the outlook.
There are two kinds of education informal and formal. Informal education means
basic education. It is acquisition which people develop through their mother
tongue. It is a natural and subconscious process of receiving education. It is
usually learnt while speaking with members of the family, with friends and
relatives. Informal education may be called implicit learning. Formal education
is learning which is received at schools, colleges or universities with lessons,
exams etc. Formal education may be classified as academic, vocational and
professional. Academic education provides academic learning to learners in
various disciplines such as arts, science, business studies, law, medical and
engineering etc. vocational education is connected with the skills, knowledge,
etc. that one needs to have in order to do a particular job. Professional
education refers to the kind of education which is connected with a job needing
special training or skill. Moreover, one of the functions of education today
should be to impart 21st century stills. Besides reading, mathematics and
science, it is necessary to train other skills that are in demand. We can learn
a lot from various kinds of education which enrich our domain of knowledge. (Words : 218)
(a) Which are some of the
important tourist spots of Bangladesh? (b) Why are they attractive? (c) What do
the tourists enjoy in those spots? (d) What is the present condition of some of
these spots? (e) What steps should the government take to uplift their present
condition?
Tourist Spots of Bangladesh
Bangladesh is the darling child of
nature. So, she has been blessed with innumerable natural scenic spots all over
the country. All these beautiful places are the tourists' attraction from home
and abroad. The National Park at Gazipur, the BARI at Comilla, Rangamati,
Bandarban, Cox's Bazar sea beach, Kuakata sea beach, Hiron Point in the
Sundarbans, the Shat Gombuj Mosque at Bagerhat, the tea gardens of Sreemangal
are some of the most important tourist spots of Bangladesh. They are attractive
because of their scenic natural beauty. The tourists of home and abroad visit
these places and enjoy their exquisite beauty to their mind's content. The
tourists are enjoyed to see the endless beauty of those places. At present some
of these tourist spots lag behind to attract tourists for lack of accommodation
facilities for them. Kuakata is truly a virgin sea beach. Hiron Point is also
such a tourist spot. The government should take effective steps to uplift their
present condition by making arrangements for accommodation, safety of the
tourists and enhance the beauty of the spots. When more and more tourists from
home and abroad will visit these spots, the economy of the tourism corporation
will increase to a great extent. (Words : 202)
(a) What does travelling mean? (b) What do the travellers do and why?
(c) What does travelling give us? (d) What are the different types of
travelling? (e) What does traveling teach us? (f) What is the usefulness of
travelling?
Travelling
Travelling means
going from one place to another for different purposes. They also explore to
see the unseen and know the unknown. The travellers always travel the most
beautiful places of the world which uphold the existence of nature. There are
many ways to see the unseen and know the unknown, but travelling is the best of
all. For example : reading books gives us literal knowledge, listening story
gives us indefinite ideas, but travelling gives us visual as well as concrete
knowledge. Someone travels to gain knowledge and experience, someone travels
for pleasure, someone travels for business purposes etc. There are different
types of travelling like travelling by air, bus, boat, train etc. Every
travelling has much educative value. It is a part of education. Our education
and book knowledge remain imperfect without travelling. For this reason, we can
learn many things by travelling. It teaches us trade and commerce, language,
sociology, customs, culture, history, geography and so on. Therefore, the
educative value of travelling beyond description. Besides, there are some
special benefits of travelling. Travelling removes our monotony and gives
pleasure. Similarly, it also broadens our outlook and refreshes our mind. A
good traveler can easily educate others. (Words : 200)
(a) What is environment? (b) What are the elements
of environment? (c) What is environmental pollution? (d) How is environment
polluted? (e) What are the harmful effects of environmental pollution? (f) How
can we prevent it? [RB '17; CtgB '14; BB '11]
Environment Pollution
Environmental
pollution refers to the pollution of natural conditions, land, air and water in
which human beings, animals and plants live. There are various types of pollution
in the environment. Air pollution, water pollution, sound pollution, arsenic
pollution are some of them. Air is being polluted by the emission
(wbM©Z nIqv) of
harmful smoke. Mills and factories, vehicles with engines produce carbon
dioxide, carbon monoxide and many other poisonous gases. By inhaling
(wbk¦vm †bIqv) this
polluted air, people suffer from various diseases. Water is polluted very
easily. Human waste and industrial waste are greatly responsible for water
pollution. farmers use pesticides
(KxUbvkK) and chemicals
for producing crops. Floods and rain water wash these materials into ponds,
rivers and other sources of water and by drinking this polluted water, people
become sick. Again sound is polluted if it is above 70 decibel. Most of the vehicles
use hydrolic horns which produce unbearable sound. Nowadays arsenic pollution
is increasing alarmingly. If we don't take step to prevent these pollutions,
our life on earth will be hellish (bviKxq). We should make everybody aware of the harmful effects of these
pollutions. this is not all.
Punishment should be given to those bad people who are directly involved with
environmental pollution. (Words : 200)
(a) What is drug addiction? (b) Why do people take
drug? (c) What are the harms caused by drugs? (d) What is remedy of drug
addiction? [DinajB '17]
Drug
addiction
Drug addiction, as curse in modern age leads to an
untimely miserable death of the addicts. Drug addiction is the habit of using
non-prescribed medicine for exciting feelings. Opium, hemp, heroine, morphine,
yaba, phensidyl etc. are the main drugs taken in our country. Drug addiction is
the habit of taking an excess of drug for no physical disease but to get rid of
frustration. There are a great variety of reasons behind drug addiction. Frustration
due to unemployment, political anarchy, lack of family ties and lack of love
and affection is the main cause of drug addiction. Drugs create some kind of
dream like feelings and the drug-takers forget everything for some moments and
live in a world of hallucination. Drug addiction causes a lot of harms not only
to the addicts but also to the society and nation as a whole. Drugs tell upon
the human body terribly. The addicts feel drowsy and his nervous system
gradually becomes weak causing damage to their brain which leads to decay and
death. When the addicts fail to arrange money for buying drugs, they commit
various kinds of social crimes and become dependent on others. Both the
government and non-government agencies including the parents may cure the
addicts and help them to live a happy and peaceful life in the society. (Words : 219)
My Best
Friend
Good
friends are very rare in these fast changing days. Old values have gone and new
ones have not yet come. I am lucky to have a number of friends. Among them I
have a special one and we love each other very much. The name of my best friend
is Shayan Sharjeel. He comes from a respectable family. We are class fellows.
He is one of the best students of our class. He understands things quickly. He
is a bright and active student. He is very punctual. He is obedient and
respectful. He is soft-spoken. He is good in studies. He reads some extra books
and is not confined to his textbooks. He takes interest in current affairs and
often discusses with me about important issues of the day. He is tolerant,
broadminded and co-operative. He is also fond of seeing movies in theater.
Sometimes he compels me to accompany him even though I have seen that
particular movie. In fact, nobody is absolutely free from shortcomings. I allow
him to enjoy such liberties and he does not cross the limit. He is a very good
cricket player. He is a well-mannered boy. I am really proud of him. (Words : 200)
(a) Who is an ideal
student? (b) What are the duties of an ideal student? (c) What are the
outstanding qualities of an ideal student? (d) Is he obedient to his parents
and teachers? [CB
'17; SB ’14]
An Ideal
Student
An ideal student is an all-rounder having many
different qualities, skills and abilities. He/she is an asset for the school
and for the country. Punctuality is a good virtue for all. An ideal student is
always regular and punctual in attending the class and submitting the
assignment. A good student is very studious. He/she learns and earns and
his/her learning is an asset. He/She does not leave anything undone for
tomorrow that can be done today. An ideal student always speaks the truth. So
it is seen that an ideal student always remains ahead and success embraces
him/her all the times. All these qualities make him/ her different from other
students. We need simplicity and sincerity in all walks of life. An ideal
student is simple in behaviour, sincere in activities and dedicated towards the
nation. He/she should be polite in his/her behaviour in order to be loved and
cared for by all. He provides a model that other students follow. He/she is
always obedient to his parents and teachers. Bangladesh is marching towards the
progress since her birth. The whole nation wants brilliant students. In this
context, an ideal student is given utmost priority. Everybody loves an ideal
student. (Words : 200)
Modern Technology
Present age is the age of science and technology.
Modern technology is a great blessing for present civilization. We see the use
of modern technology in every sphere of our life. We can't think of our modern life
without science and technology. Technology is being used in industry,
communication, medical treatment, household activities etc. Use of technology
has made our life easy and more comfortable. Modern technology has turned the
world into a global village. With the blessings of mobile phone, internet,
television, computer we can know in an instant what is happening in the
farthest corner of the world. We can communicate with anyone living at any
place in the world within seconds. Medical technology has advanced to a great
extent. It is being used in diagnosing and curing very complex diseases.
Sophisticated plane, rocket, ship etc. are the gifts of modern technology.
Mills and factories are manufacturing various things very quickly. Mobile phone
and computer are certainly most wonderful invention of science. Besides,
communication between person to person, we can enjoy various things on these
two wonderful scientific devices. Technology has made the impossible things
possible. In a word, it is the life and soul of modern civilization. (Words :
200)
(a) What is cell phone? (b) What
are the uses and abuses of cell phone? (c) How do the students get benefited
from the cell phone? (d) Do you think cell phone is a blessing for us? [BB '17]
Uses and Abuses of Cell Phone
Cell Phone is a great invention of modern science. It
is called so because a user can carry it wherever he goes out. It has made the
interpersonal communication very easy and fast. One can communicate with the
expected person within a few seconds through a mobile phone. Business
communication has become easier because of the use of this device and all steps
of life are benefited by it. It is also helpful for the students. They can get
suggestion of their studies from their friends and teachers. So the number of
consumers of mobile phone is increasing day by day. Today, more than 100
million people in Bangladesh and over 4.6 billion people around the world use
cell phones. It spreads so fast that it is now considered one of the greatest
inventions of all time. It makes the world smaller and brings all closer. But
it is unfortunate that it has some negative aspects too. Criminals also use it
for their activities. It causes some health hazard. Scientists believe that it
causes brain tumors by its invisible and uncontrolled radio activity. Specially
the pregnant women and children should not use it at all. In spite of all
these, mobile phone is a blessing for us. (Words : 207)
(a) What is
Internet? (b) How does Internet work? (c) How do the teachers help the students
in the developed countries? (d) How does a user operate it? (e) Has Bangladesh
access to Internet in all spheres? [DB'16]
Internet
Internet,
the latest and most wonderful means of worldwide communication, is a
computer-based global network system that has created a great revolution in the
world. It is the cheapest and fastest means of communication for business and
commerce. The information system of the world has become globalized with the
magical touch of internet. Like a spider-web the internet has spread its
interconnected link with tens, hundreds or even thousands of computers.
Internet has brought new opportunities to government, education and business.
In the developed countries teachers send every study material and course to
every individual student through internet. Picture, data and many other things
also can be sent through internet. If one wants to use internet, one has to
learn how to operate it. Firstly, the user needs a particular software to
install in his computer. Next, he has to
click on the browsing icon where a space for writing the address on the web
page will appear. One can go for a searching engine in order to find a
particular web page or a piece of information. Bangladesh, as a developing
country does not have access to the internet in all spheres except the banking
system and educational institutions. (Words : 200)
(a) Why
is English so important? (b) Why should we learn it? (c) What benefits do we
get from learning English? (d) What is the present position of English in
Bangladesh? (e) What are your suggestions to improve it?
[RB'16; BB ’14]
Necessity
of Learning English
The necessity of learning English is beyond
description. English is that common language which is used and understood all
over the world. It has become the second language of our country. We need to
know the language for many reasons. We cannot communicate with the people of
other countries in our mother tongue. We need a language that is common to the
people of all the countries. When we go outside, we use English to communicate
with the foreigners. We have to use English in business correspondence with
foreigners. Nowadays businessmen have to maintain international relations. So
they use English language. Next, we require English language for higher studies
because books of higher classes are written in English. The language of
computer, the present wonder of science, is English. It is not possible to
operate computer without knowing English. Moreover, English is essential in
Foreign Service. People who are engaged in serving international relations must
know English. There are many other jobs like postman, airhostess, hotel
receptionist etc. that essentially require English. In all, English language has
become a very indispensable and unavoidable language for us. The simple ways to
improve it are to provide the students with the standard English text of every
class in each school and college. (Words : 210)
(a) What is gender
discrimination? (b) Who are the victims of gender discrimination? (c) What are
the causes of it? (d) How does it affect the society? (e) How can this problem
be solved? [DinajB'16; BB '12]
Gender
Discrimination
Gender discrimination is the practice of
treating any gender of the society unfairly. When any person of one particular
gender is not given his or her rights, gender discrimination begins. Female
persons of our society are the worst (Pig
Lvivc) sufferers of this discrimination. It starts
from the very birth of a female child, and ends with her death. Our society is
dominated by male people. They think that male child will earn money for the
family and female child will do only domestic chores. So, male children always
get prominence. they get the
highest of the opportunities (myweav) available in
the families. But, female children are assigned (Kg©vw`i `vwqZ¡ Ac©Y Kiv) to household works and are married off as soon as possible. So, they
don't get opportunity to flourish their latent (myß) talent (cÖwZfv). Some of these girls may
be at school but after marriage, they only give birth to children and rear them
up. This disparity (AmgZv) causes a great harm to their mentality. they think themselves inferior (wbæZi ev nxbZi) to male people. But, for social development both male and female persons
should contribute equally because the female people are the half of our whole
population. It is not possible for male people to change the socio-economy
without the help of female people. This problem can be solved by raising
awareness in general. (Words : 214)
(a) What is the state of female
education in Bangladesh? (b) What is the percentage of female literacy? (c) Why
is female education necessary? (d) What are the obstacles women face in
receiving education? (e) Why are the women of our country lagging behind? (f)
What are the advantages of female education? (g) How can educated women
contribute to the socio-economic development of our country? [JB'16; SB’13; CtgB '12]
Female
Education
Female education is very
essential for the overall development of a nation. More or less, half of the
population of a country is female. Leaving the female uneducated and
unemployed, no nation can prosper. In our country about 7 crore people are
women out of 14 crore in total. But, most of the women are lagging (wcwQ‡q cov) far behind in
education. The rate of female literacy is about 20%. This rate of female
literacy is alarming because without their education, our satisfactory
development is impossible. Women need to be educated for different reasons. To be
a conscious citizen of the country, to be an active member of the family and
society, to be a good mother or wife and to lead a self-reliant better life, a
woman should be educated properly. Besides, educated women have higher income
potential than those who have had no schooling. An educated woman is conscious
of her duties, rights and responsibilities. So, we should take every necessary
step to ensure an environment to educate our female force. Parents ought to be
encouraged to send their daughters to school. The Govt. and NGOs should
patronize (c„ô‡cvlKZv Kiv) the education for girls in order that they can be educated and can play
a vital role in the development of our country. (Words : 211)
(a)
What is an earthquake? (b) How frequent is it now in Bangladesh? (c) Are our
people aware of the gravity of its loss? (d) Why are experts giving more
attention to the issue of earthquake in recent times? (e) What precautions
would you suggest as safety measures against earthquake? [CB'16;
CtgB '10]
Earthquake
Earthquake is one of the most common natural calamities on earth.
Earthquake is an abrupt (AvKw¯§K) movement of a part of the
Earth's surface caused by deep crack in the Earth or by volcanic (Av‡Mœq) eruption (AMœ~¨rcvZ). It causes great disaster.
Bangladesh is in the active earthquake area. Now, it is frequently (NbNb) felt in Bangladesh. But the people of our country are not conscious enough
about the gravity (AwfKl©) of this dangerous natural calamity. Most of the
buildings of our country will be destroyed if they are not built in accordance
with an earthquake resistant (cÖwZ‡ivaK) standard. A group of experts opine that the
repetition of quakes in recent years should be taken as a signal for a major
earthquake. Another group of experts believe that the concern should not be
amplified (ewa©Z Kiv), because there are a number of fault lines in
the geographical area comprising Bangladesh. But none of them is active enough
to pose a major threat. So, in order to protect us from this impending (Avmbœ) danger, we must be conscious about the causes and results of
earthquake. We should not build house without the advice of expert. The
Government should take steps for this disaster. The Government should develop
earthquake resistant building code that all buildings should follow as
mandatory. (Words : 207)
(a) What is computer? (b) What are the components of
a modern computer? (c) What is the importance of computer? (d) What are the
benefits of using a computer? (e) Can a society move fast forward without
computer? [CtgB'16]
Computer
Computer is a
wonderful invention of modern science. It is a complex electronic machine that
consists of innumerable ingredients. Now there are normally two types of
computer. They are desktop and laptop. Desktop is more common and popular than
the laptop which is rather expensive. Any computer has two parts. They are
hardware and software. The mechanical and electronic parts are called hardware.
Software refers to the data or programmes that we use to serve our purposes. A
computer consists of five major components–the input unit, the
memory unit, the control unit, the arithmetic unit and the output unit. The
memory unit, the control unit and the arithmetic unit constitute central
processing unit. However, every computer has its machine language to give
instruction for operation. This language may vary from machine to machine.
Anyway, computer, nowadays, has become inseparable (Awe‡”Q`¨) from our
daily life. This modern machine is being used almost in every sector of human
activities. Scientists are using it for carrying out research activities.
Doctors are using it for diagnosis. The use of computer has changed the entire
banking system. Even this machine is being used in education and agriculture
sector. Thus computer is now contributing to the advancement of life and
building up of new potentialities in science and technology. (Words : 213)
(a)
What do you understand by culture? (b) What is the biggest cultural function of
Bangladesh? (c) When is it celebrated? (d) How is it celebrated? (e) How do the
rural people celebrate the day? [SB'16; CtgB
'13]
Celebration
of Pahela Baishakh
Culture is the way we lead our life.
Every nation has a culture of its own. Pahela Baishakh, the first day of Bangla
New Year is a part and parcel of Bengali culture. It is celebrated throughout
the country with great festivity and fervour. The day's first programme begins
at Ramna Batamul. Wearing punjabi and pajama people of different ages and
classes attend the programme. Chhayanat, a cultural organization performs
there. They sing in chorus (`jxq Mvb) welcoming
the Bangla New Year. A procession is brought out carrying festoons, posters,
banners, placards. The participants dance and sing wearing masks. The
Shilpakala Academy, Jatiya Press Club and many other socio-cultural
organizations arrange cultural and discussion programmes. Bangladesh television
and Bangladesh Betar telecast live programmes. The national dailies bring out
special supplements highlighting the significance of the day. The traders and businessmen
open halkhata and entertain the customers with sweets. People roam around
different areas. They eat special foods and enjoy carnivals. A remarkable
arrangement on this day is the colourful procession known as
'Mangal-shovajatra' by the students of the Institute of Fine Arts of Dhaka
University. Thus goes the day amidst (g‡a¨; gvSLv‡b)
the flow of joy everywhere. In fact, the celebration of Pahela Baishakh reminds
us of our cultural heritage that we are going to lose. (Words : 212)
(a)
Where is Bangladesh situated? (b) When did she get her freedom? (c) How is the
climate in Bangladesh? (d) Which are the main rivers of the country? (e) What
are the main attractions of the country? (f) How do you feel about your
country? [BB'16, '15,
DinajB '11; RB '11; CtgB '11, '08, '06; SB '11; DB'08; CB '05; '05, '03; JB
'04]
My
Country/Bangladesh/Homeland
Bangladesh lies on the shore of the Bay of
Bengal in the South of Asia. India surrounds the other three sides of this tiny
country. She got her freedom once from Britain in 1947 and next from Pakistan
on 16th December, 1971. Dhaka is the capital of this country. the tropic of cancer and the 90° longitudinal
line intersect almost in the middle of the country. It is a temperate (bvwZkx‡Zvò)
country. there are six seasons in
our country-summer, rainy season, autumn, late autumn, winter and spring. the total land area of the country is
1,47,570 square kilometers and the land is plain and fertile. Bangladesh is a
land of rivers. The Padma, the Meghna, the Jamuna are the main rivers of our
country. The population of the country is about 140 million and the majority of
the population are farmers. Rice, jute, wheat, tea, sugar-cane etc. are our
main crops. besides these, various fruits like mangoes,
jackfruits, pine-apples, papaws, coconuts, orange, palms, guavas grow here. The
natural beauty is the main attraction of this country. cox's Bazar is known around the world for its silvery sandy
sea beach and Rangamati for its evergreen hills and lakes and special natural
sites worth seeing for the tourists. (Words : 206)
(a) What is the most talked about
issue at the present moment? (b) What are the causes of price hike? (c) What
are the effects of price hike? (d) What should be done to remove the curse of
price hike? [DB
'15]
Price hike/Price spiral
Price hike or the increase of price of
the daily essential commodities is the most talked about issue at the present
time. In our country it has become a usual phenomenon now. The price of the
daily commodities is soaring sky high to go out of reach of the poor and the
lower middle class people of our country. There are a lot of causes behind this
price hike. Hoarding of essential commodities by the dishonest businessmen is
one of the causes of price hike. Smuggling and black marketing by traders and
people in general are also important factors causing price rise. Many dishonest
men have earned huge black money through black marketing. This has caused great
suffering to the people. Shortage of supply due to low production also accelerates
the price hike of essential goods. At present syndicate business has added to
this plight. Due to inflation price hike is more acute in our country.
Government mechanism to curb price hike is defective. Many poor villagers
cannot afford to manage two square meals a day. Very often they suffer from
malnutrition and other diseases. Many even die without getting proper medical
treatment. Public awareness against illegal hoarders of the daily necessaries,
smugglers and black marketeers can remove this curse from the country. (Words : 213)
(a) What is
good health? (b) How can we
keep good health? (c) Do all the people of your country get the food they need
for good health? (d) What impact do the complexities of life have on our
health? (e) Do you think a simple and carefree life is
conducive to good health? [RB '15; CB '09; SB '07; DB '04]
Good Health
Good health refers to the soundness of both mental and physical health. people with good health are fit, active
and free from diseases. Obviously, good health is the root of all happiness.
But, to maintain good health is not an easy task. For keeping one's health
good, one has to follow certain rules and discipline. One has to take regular
physical exercise, proper rest or sleep. Early rising is essential for keeping
health good. Balanced diet is the key word to concentrate in this regard.
Balanced diet is a diet that contains all kinds of food value. But, it is a
great regret (AbyZvc) that most of the people of our
country live below the poverty line and they do not get the food they need for
good health. Even the rich and the educated people are not conscious of the
rules of good health. they take a
wide variety of imbalanced food only for creating harm to their health. The
complexities of our day to day life have a bad impact on our health. they create frustration, hopelessness
and many other mental disorders. all
these are impediments (†h‡Kv‡bv
cÖwZeÜK) to mental peace and sound body. those
complexities have to be avoided because a simple and care-free life is
conducive to good health. (Words : 210)
(a) What do you mean by deforestation? (b) What are
the reasons for deforestation? (c) What are the effects of it? (d) How can we
save our country from it? [DinajB '15]
Deforestation
Trees are the best friends of human on earth.
When trees are cut indiscriminately (wbwe©Pv‡i) and forests are destroyed massively (wekvjfv‡e), we cause deforestation. People cut trees for various reasons. they need wood for building houses and
for making furniture. the ever growing
population needs more space to live and cultivate. So, people are deforesting.
Again the high price of wood makes people greedy to cut them. But we must know
that without trees no life is possible on earth. We take oxygen from air and
leave carbon-dioxide. Trees on the other hand, take carbon-dioxide and leave
oxygen. If there is no tree, there will be lack of oxygen in the air. Trees
help us to get adequate (ch©vß; h‡_ó) rain.
Raindrops help the plants to grow. If there is no tree, the land will gradually
turn into a desert. Trees help to preserve soil. where there are not adequate trees, the soil of the land will
be gone away during floods. besides,
we get wood from trees. with this
wood we make our furniture. So, we should avoid cutting trees. And if we cut a
tree for our need we should plant at least two plants. We must be aware of
growing more trees for ecological balance of our country and the world as well.
(Words : 212)
(a)
What do you know about the 21st February? (b) Why is the day important
in our life? (c) What is the historical background of this day? (d) What has
this day brought for us? (e) Who were the martyrs of this day? (f) What is the
present status of this day? (g) How is this day celebrated now?
[JB' 15; RB '06]
The
21st February or,
International
Mother Language Day
The 21st February is
the Language Martyrs' Day. On this very day in 1952, Barkat, Rafiq, Jabbar,
Shafiur and Salam sacrificed their lives for the honour and preservation of
their dear mother tongue, Bangla. On 17 November 1999, UNESCO declared this day
as International Mother Language Day. Now Ekushey February is being observed as
the International Mother Language Day all over the world. The then Pakistani
rulers wanted to make 'Urdu' as the state language of Pakistan by force. The
people of the then East Pakistan in general, and the students of Dhaka
University in particular, protested vigorously against the unjust and
autocratic decision of the government. The students violated section 144 and at
one stage, they were fired by the Pakistani army. Thus the heroic sons of the
soil laid down their invaluable lives with a view to pressing demand for
declaring Bangla as the state language of Pakistan. The Pakistani govt. at last
yielded to the demand and declared Bangla as the state language of Pakistan. In
commemoration of this tremendous sacrifice, and to make this historic day
memorable, eventually, the Central Shaheed Minar was constructed. As such, this
unforgettable Day has brought national pride, prestige and national integrity
for us. Indeed, the 21st February ultimately led to the struggle for
Independent Bangladesh. (Words : 215)
(a) Who is a beggar? (b) Why is begging regarded as
a serious social problem? (c) What does begging create in the beggar? (d) What
are the reasons behind this problem? (e) What are the effects of the beggar
problem in our country? (f) Can you suggest any remedy for this problem? [CB'15;
DB '07]
Life of
a Beggar
A beggar is a person who begs to others from door to door
for his livelihood. He is usually an old, blind, crippled or disabled person.
He is found in torn or patched clothes. Begging is unproductive. It does not
produce anything. That is why, it is regarded as a serious social problem. Most
of our people dislike a beggar. The beggars do not have any respect in the
society. Begging creates a kind of low mindedness in a beggar. Disableness like
blindness, deafness (m¤•–Y©
ev AvswkK Kvjv) or some other disorders in body are some reasons behind it. Besides,
unemployment, divorce, low life standard are some of the causes. There are some
exceptions too. Sometimes, we see some beggars who are neither blind nor
disabled. They try to deceive the common people by telling sad stories to get
money from them. But there are some old and disabled beggars who are really
helpless. We should be sympathetic to
those beggars who are really helpless. Begging has a far reaching effect in our
society. I think poverty alleviation (Dckg), employment facilities, education, free treatment for
some diseases can remove this problem from society. Both government and social
activists should come forward to remove the problem from the society. (Words : 205)
(a) What do you understand by load-shedding? (b) When and why does it occur? (c) How does it affect us? (d) What are its impact on our
economy? (e) How can we
minimize load-shedding?
[CtgB '15;
DinajB '09; JB '08; CB '07; CtgB '07; DB '05]
Load Shedding
Load Shedding is an
often-heard term nowadays in our country. it
means the suspension of the supply of electricity for a certain period. There
are various causes of load-shedding. Insufficient production of electricity is
one of them. The government of Bangladesh cannot meet the increasing demand of
electricity. There are many people who misuse electricity in different ways,
thus they create shortage of it. Besides, illegal connection of electricity
causes load-shedding. Load shedding creates lots of problems in our daily life.
Lack of electricity means lack of
production in mills and factories. Fresh food kept in the refrigerator gets
rotten. In hot weather, the situation becomes worse. The surrounding of a
locality becomes ghostly during load shedding at night. Snatchers (wQbZvBKvix) become
active and they rob people of their money and other goods. it also disturbs the study of students.
Actually, the economy of our country depends on electricity. Industrial factories
are difficult to run on without electricity. Load-shedding also hampers
agricultural production as power-pumps and other necessary mechanical tools are
run by it. So, people should be conscious about the misuse of it. Illegal
connection and system loss should be avoided. The government should plan
properly and take step to solve this problem. (Words : 203)
(a) What does climate change mean?
(b) What are the causes of climate change? (c) What are the effects of climate
change? (d) Why is Bangladesh vulnerable to climate change? (e) What is the
world's largest mangrove forest? Why is it at risk now? [SB'15]
Climate change
Changes in the earth’s weather including
changes in temperature, wind patterns and rainfall refer to as climate change.
Climate change is a long term change in weather patterns over a long period of
time. It is now a major global concern. Greenhouse gases that include carbon
dioxide, methane and CFC are the main causes of this climate change. Our
atmosphere which is guarded by an ozone layer resists the entrance of
ultra-violet rays from the sun causing greenhouse effect. Climate change is the
worst of all the problems that affect all the flora and fauna of the
environment. Bangladesh, being a low-lying land, may become the worst victim of
it. There are many plants and animals that are vulnerable to climate change.
The summer and rainy seasons are already prolonging and winter is shrinking.
The river banks are being eroded and crop land is being reduced. Besides,
saline water is intruding into the rivers in the coastal areas resulting in
damage to farm lands. Moreover, floods, droughts and other disasters hit the
country more frequently nowadays. Over the past century, sea level has risen by
10 to 20 centimetres as a result of global warming. The Sundarbans, world’s
largest mangrove forest is also at severe risk. All these lead to more landless
people and climate refugees in the country. (Words : 219)
(a) What is your idea about a book fair? (b) When
and where is it held usually? (c) What purpose does it serve? (d) How is it
organised? (e) What steps can be taken to make such a fair successful?
[DB
'14; RB '12; RB '10; JB '09; CB '08; CtgB '05; SB '03]
Book
Fair
Nowadays book
fairs are well-known to most of the
people both in villages and towns. A book fair is a display of a great
stock of books of various interests. Every year many book fairs are held in
different places of our country. In the national days such as 21st February,
16th December, 26th March and also in the new year book fairs are arranged. the two main book fairs held in our
country are the Ekushey Boi mela
and the Dhaka Boi Mela. A book fair is very much popular. Readers can purchase
their desired books. Authors also meet their favourite readers. This year I
visited the book fair arranged by the Bangla Academy on 21st February. Everywhere there was a festive look. various publication companies hire stalls. many types of necessary articles are
found there. all kinds of books
such as drama, novel, poetry, adventure, biography, translation are usually
found. New writers often arrange discussion programmes on their new books.
Seminars and cultural programmes are also held in such a fair. Actually, books
are the best companions and a book fair
only gives us opportunities to seek books from a great collection. if we can arrange a disciplined book
fair, the fair will be successful. (Words : 207)
(a) What is culture and what are the elements? (b)
What does culture reflect? (c) What things do you notice in Asian and western
culture? How does it differ from one to another? (d) What is our traditional
dress and food and what is the speciality of our music? What is the changing
trend in our country? (e) How is it
influenced by foreign culture and what do you mean by cultural assault? [RB
'14; CB '14]
Culture
Culture
means the established customs and beliefs, art, ways of life etc of a
particular society or of a country. The culture of a nation reflects its ideas,
attitudes and social condition. The elements of culture are its own language,
thoughts about the bad and good, ways of working. They also include its
literature, music, games and sports, the means and objects made and used by the
people in that society. A human being is the most important element of a
society. We can study a person by observing his frequent activities. In the
same way we can study a society by observing the remarkable ways and modes of
life of that particular society. There are various societies in the world and
so there are different cultures. A traditional and established mode of belief
and behaviour in one culture may prove unsuitable in another culture. The modes
of behaviour in Asian societies are often conservative. But in western
countries they are much frank and relaxed. Cultures vary from one society to
another. Our music has notable distinction; while western music mainly relies
on instruments. When the cultural traits of some country have a remarkable
impact on the culture of a foreign country, it is called cultural assault. Now
our culture is being westernized in many ways; our literature, music, painting
and even our life-style are gradually changing. (Words : 227)
(a) What is Bangla New Year? (b)
How do people celebrate it in Bangladesh? (c) What functions are usually
observed on this day? (d) What are the differences in the rural and urban
celebration of the day? (e) Who are the more interested people to celebrate the
day? [DinajB '14; JB '10]
Bangla
New Year
The first day of Bangla New Year is
Pahela Baishakh. It is one of the most popular public celebrations in the life
of Bangladeshis. This day bears a special significance to us. Every year this
day of cultural and traditional heritage (HwZn¨)
is celebrated all over the country with enthusiasm and funfair. It is a unique
and distinctive festival to the people of all classes and communities in
Bangladesh. The day is a public holiday. The day has an appeal to both the
rural and urban people. On this day the shopkeepers open their new accounts
book and celebrate it through arranging Halkhata festival. They invite their
customers and clients and offer sweets and other foods. The customers pay all
dues they left out throughout the year. The village people also arrange
Baishakhi Mela in different places. The village people of all classes enjoy
them very much. In the capital city the day opens with the celebration of
Chhayanat, a leading cultural organization. Besides, Bangla Academy, National
Museum, National Press Club etc. arrange meetings and seminars. The Institute
of Fine Arts of Dhaka University brings out a colourful procession wearing
various masks. Various mass media give coverage to the significance of the day.
Thus, the day is a national day and comes to the life of every Bangladeshi with
pleasure and happiness. (Words : 223)
(a) Why is Bangladesh called a land of natural
calamities? (b) What is the most common natural calamity here? (c) When does it
usually occur? (d) What are its effects? (e) Can we control it?
[JB
'14; DinajB’13; BB '08; CB '04]
Natural Hazards/Natural
Calamities
Natural hajards/calamities pose a great
threat to the ecological balance of a country. Natural calamities such as
floods, cyclones, earthquakes and erosion etc. are very dangerous by nature. Bangladesh
is called a land of natural calamities. It is becoming more and more harmful
these days. Nowadays it can be very ruinous (¶wZMÖ¯@)
to make millions of people its victims in a second. Fires, droughts, earthquakes,
violent storm, flood, river erosion are the most common natural calamities.
Every year cyclone destroys our lives and properties, floods take away all
things to the river and sea, earthquakes destroy our lives and homes. Cold
winter, mist storm impede (e¨vnZ Kiv ev evav †`Iqv)
our normal works of everyday life and sometimes destroy man. this is not all, nature is also losing
its balance for ever increasing heat created from carbon dioxide. So,
greenhouse effect is swelling (ùxZ Kiv) the normal
level of sea water. After any natural disaster, people who become shelterless
have to depend on the relief and charity of other people. Actually, we become
miserable in any calamities. We cannot resist (†iva Kiv)
them. We can only take some steps to lessen the misery of the victims. We can
create consciousness among people and train them how to protect them from the
grim and grave natural hazards. (Words : 217)
(a) What do satellite TV channels stand for? (b)
What do you think about them and their bad impacts? (c) Do you think them to be
beneficial? If yes, how? (d) How do some channels cause cultural decay and
moral degradation? (e) How can we foster and enrich our own culture? (f) How
will you positively implement various channels? [DB’13; RB’13; BB '06]
Satellite TV Channels : A Source of Cultural
Interaction
Satellite
TV is one of the greatest achievements of modern science. Now, it is regarded
as the medium of information, entertainment, telecast, education and many
others. It can telecast any programme live from the remotest
(`–ieZx©) part of the
world. With the help of satellite, world has turned into a global village.
Satellite TV has added a new dimension (gvÎv) to our oriental life providing many programmes
through different channels. It's not only a good medium of recreation but also
a source of educational knowledge. Different channels telecast various
educative dramas, movies, sports, cultural functions, news and documentaries.
It brings us the information regarding states, economics, politics, anthropology,
geography, science, literature, archaeology and the art and culture of every
country of the world. But, on the other hand, many people especially young
generations are getting hampered and we all are now forgetting our own customs,
traditions, music and culture. Very often obscene (AkÐxj) pictures and vulgar movies and programmes are shown
in various satellite channels. Young generations are becoming more and more
addicted to them. Moreover, most of us want to follow the dress pattern,
hairstyle, behaviour, music and nudity of the westerners. This mentality is
leading our young generations to moral degradation
(gh©v`vnvwb; c` åóZv). So, we all should be conscious of that. (Words : 222)
(a) What is pollution? (b) What is water pollution?
(c) How do human beings pollute water? (d) How do farmers pollute water? (e)
How do mills and factories pollute water? (f) What diseases can attack us if we
drink polluted water? (g) How can we minimize water pollution? [JB '13]
Water
Pollution
Pollution is the process of making the element of environment dirty. The
elements of environment such as water, air, soil etc are getting polluted every
day. Of all the pollutions, water
pollution is the most threatening to our life. Water, a vital element of the
environment, is also polluted in different ways. Man pollutes water by throwing
waste into it. Farmers use chemical fertilizers and insecticides in their
fields. When rain and floods wash away some of these chemicals get mixed with
water in rivers, canals and ponds. Mills and factories also throw their
poisonous chemicals and waste products into rivers and canals and thus pollute
the water. Water vehicles also pollute rivers by dumping oil, food waste and
human waste into them. Insanitary latrines and unsafe drains standing on river
and canal banks are also responsible for further pollution. Furthermore, Kutcha
drains running into the canals and rivers cause water pollution. Clean water is
safe for use but polluted water is harmful for man. Water pollution can be
prevented in many ways. We suffer from cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery and many
other water-borne diseases when we drink polluted water. We should refrain from
throwing waste and filth into water to minimize water pollution. However, it is
important to note that water is life, but polluted water causes death. (Words : 218)
(a) What is globalisation? (b)
What is the positive effect of globalisation? (c) How does it affect the
developing countries? (d) How can globalisation be used for the betterment of
humanity? [CB '13]
Globalisation
At present, globalisation is an often-heard
term all over the world. globalisation
is mainly connected with business, trade and international relations by
creating a borderless world. The world has now become a global village. with the development of hi-tech
communication, media and rapid transportation facilities, countries of the
world become families of the global village. But, in the name of help and
co-operation, the industrially developed capitalist countries are exploiting (†kvlY Kiv) the poorer
countries in many respects. they
are superimposing (Pvwc‡q †`Iqv) globalisation
on the poorly educated and poorly trained labour force with poor system of
developing countries. The exploited and impoverished workers of the developing
countries are no match for a globally powerful capitalism. As a result, the gap
between wealth and poverty is ever widening. Besides, under the influence of
globalisation, global cultures are steadily getting integrated (GKxf‚Z) with local cultures. It is feared that
globalisation will affect our culture adversely by exposing it to foreign and
by intruding many foreign customs and beliefs in our culture. But, to make our
world a better living place we must ensure solidarity, peace and justice all
over the world. Globalisation is a good concept which can bring happiness to
every nation only when it can ensure equity everywhere. (Words : 208)
(a) What is dowry? (b) What is the main reason of dowry?
(c) Who take dowry and who are the victims of it? (d) How does it affect the
whole society? (e) What is your reaction? (f) How can this vice be eliminated?
[BB’13;
DinajB '12; RB '09; JB '03]
Dowry
System
Dowry is an unexpected custom in our society. Like
other social evils, it is a curse. At present, it is practised in both educated
and uneducated families. Guardians buy bridegrooms for their daughters by
offering money, jewellery and furniture.
Greed for money and wealth is the main cause of dowry. Most of the bridegrooms
think that it is their right to have money and wealth when they marry because
they have a negative attitude towards women. Bridegrooms think that as they
provide women with everything, they must pay for the establishment of their
husbands. this evil practice
affects our society very much. It creates panic in the mind of the guardians
who have daughters yet to marry. very
often in newspaper, we read about untold torture women have to face for the
non-payment of dowry. As a conscious citizen, I greatly oppose this system. It
should be eliminated (`–i Kiv) as soon as possible. We have to
create awareness among people about its bad effect in the society. Female
persons should be aware of their dignity and right. they have to be educated and contribute to their family as
much as possible. If this is done, this social curse can be eliminated. (Words : 203)
(a) What is gender equality? (b)
What is its importance? (c) What is the condition of gender equality in
Bangladesh? (d) What are its barriers? (e) Who or what are responsible for
these barriers? (f) How is gender equality related to the overall development
in our country? (g) What steps would you recommend to ensure gender equality? [DB '12]
Gender
Equality
Gender equality means the practice of treating any
gender fairly. It is very important in every society through the whole world. According
to the United Nations, gender equality is regarded the first and foremost human
right. But in Bangladesh the condition of gender equality is different. In our
society we notice that female persons are the worst sufferers of gender
inequality. There are many barriers in our country. From the birth of a male
child, he gets the most facilities from the society. On the contrary, from the
very birth of a female child, gender disparity starts and ends with her death.
Our society is dominated by the males. They think that male child will earn
money for the family and female child will do only domestic chores. So, male
children are always welcomed. There are many reasons for these barriers. The
male dominated society is responsible firstly. Then poverty, illiteracy, the
disparity of attitude are also responsible for gender inequality or barriers.
Gender equality is important for social development. It is not possible for
male people to change the socio-economy without gender equality. The old
tradition should be changed. Awareness among the general people and the
government should be increased. All should work hand in hand to develop our
country. (Words : 211)
(a) What is Eve teasing? (b) Who
are the common victims? (c) Who are the common eve-teasers? (d) What are the
causes of eve-teasing? (e) What are its effects? (f) What measures should be
taken against eve-teasing?
[CB '12; DB '11]
Eve
Teasing
Eve teasing, often known as
"Sexual harassment", is a regular occurrence for the women and girls
of Bangladesh. It is a malpractice of male person and it is inserted upon a
female person physically and mentally with a bad intention in different ways.
So, if any male person intends to insult the modesty of any female, utters any
negative word, makes any sound or gesture or exhibits any object intending that
such word shall be heard, or that such gesture or object shall be seen by that
very woman is called eve teasing. Extremely restricted mentality and overly
conservative attitude on sexuality provoke eve teasing. Lack of education is
one of the causes of eve teasing. Lack of moral values and free exposure to
ultra modern fashion also cause eve teasing. There are also some impacts of eve
teasing. It increases girls' drop out rate from school. Girls who are teased
are also pushed into marriage before they are physically or mentally prepared.
Establishing human rights, empowering rural governance & ensuring gender
parity could be the effective tools for removing this social curse. Education
system must be modified in a way as to promote positive relationship between
girls and boys, especially at younger age. (Words : 204)
(a) What kind of family do you live in? Extended or
nuclear? (b) Why is nuclear family getting popular
day by day? (c) What are the
advantages you find in a nuclear family? (d)
What are the disadvantages of it? (e)
Do you think the society is following right way? [SB '12; CtgB '09, '03; JB '07]
The
Family I Live In
There are two
types of family found in our society, one is extended or large family and the
other is nuclear or small family. In an extended family people live with their
parents, grand parents, uncles, aunts and cousins. Only husbands and wives live
with their children in a nuclear family. I live with my parents in a nuclear
family. Nowadays nuclear family is getting popularity in our society for
various reasons. Now, people want to live in cities as cities provide lots of
sources of income. But, life in cities is not so easy now. Even though, they
earn much, they cannot maintain a family with eight or nine members. So, they
prefer to live in a nuclear family. The
members of a nuclear family enjoy some advantages. they lead a life where there is no noise or confusion. they get much time to concentrate on
their own work. Children grow up in a suitable environment. But, it has some
disadvantages also. members of a
nuclear family feel lonely as all of them are busy with their own work. They
cannot share their feelings. it
makes people self-centered (Av͇Kw›`ªK). But it is
the need of modern life to form nuclear family because life has become very
busy and competitive now. (Words : 211)
(a) What is liberation war/ war
of independence? (b) When did our liberation war happen? (c) What happened in
the war? (d) How long did they fight? (e) When did we become free? (f) How do
we celebrate our liberation? [JB '11]
Our Liberation War/War of
Independence
Liberation/Independence means freedom. So, liberation war/war of
independence means the war which is
fought for the freedom of a country from foreign domination. The emergence of
Bangladesh is a history of grief (†kvK) and pride. It came into being in 1971 after
a great war against the then Pakistani occupying (`L‡j ivLv) forces. After the British, they exploited us
economically, socially, politically and above all militarily. But, the heroes
of the soil did not tolerate their exploitation. They raised their arms and
compelled the occupying forces to leave the country. On March 26, the
liberation war started. In this war, thousands of people were killed in the
hands of the Pakistani force. The Mukti Bahini fought against them and resisted
(cÖwZnZ Kiv)
them in land, water and even by air everywhere in Bangladesh. They fought for
long nine months against the Pakistanis and made a free country on 16 December,
1971. This is the fastest victory against an
occupying force in the world history. We celebrate our liberation with fervour
and enthusiasm (cÖej Drmv‡ni
mv‡_). We show our respect bowing down our heads
in front of the National Memorial at Savar. We organise various seminars,
symposiums (mfv,
m‡¤§jb) and cultural functions to celebrate this
day. (Words : 202)
(a) What was your childhood like?
(b) Where did you spend your childhood and how? (c) Who loved you dearly in
your childhood? (d) How did your playmates behave with you? (e) When and where
did you start your early education? (f) Do you have any bitter experiences? (g)
How do you feel when you recollect your childhood days? [DB '10; JB '06; SB '06]
My
Childhood Memories
I often remember the memories of my childhood. I was born in a small
village named Hulerhat on the bank of the river Kajolia. It was a place of
scenic (g‡bvig) beauty. There were many trees, ponds, green
fields in the village. I used to pass my childhood days playing with other
village children. They all behaved with me with heart. I started my education
at the village primary school when I was 6 years old. I have so many sweet
memories of my childhood. Green fields, riverbanks were my playgrounds. We
passed our time playing in the fields, flying kites in the sky, exploring the
jungle, picking up fruits from the trees and so on. An incident of my childhood
still haunts (cÖvqk D`q nIqv) me. Once I got lost as I followed a group of
people who were rendering songs from door to door. Luckily friend of mine saw
me crying and he took me to my home. I embraced (Rwo‡q aiv) my mother and promised not to leave her
again. But, my happy days did not last long. My father had to come to town on
service purpose and we also came with him. Now, I am a young man but I will
ever cherish (jvjb) the sweet memories of my happy childhood spent in the charming
environment of my village. (Words : 223)
(a) Can you remember the first
day of your college life? (b) How did you feel when you first entered the
college campus? (c) How many classes did you attend on that day? (d) What
impression did you have about your teachers? (e) What things did you like best
about the college? (f) How do you feel when you remember the day? [BB '10]
My
First Day at College
The first day of my college
life is one of the few evergreen memories of my life. I got admitted to
Faujdarhat Cadet College, Chittagong and was waiting for attending classes with
excitement. i was thrilled (wknwiZ nIqv) with joy at
9 am on July 20, 2013 because this was the time I entered the college campus.
It is a famous college. i
attended five classes that day. The first class was on English taken by a
female teacher who had a very strong personality. She was very friendly.
Previously, I was anxious about the behaviour of the teachers and after
attending her class, all my fears had gone. Then we attended bangla, Physics, chemistry and biology classes. Other teachers were also very friendly. As
all of us were new-comers there, we talked to each other and became friends
within a short time. All of us visited the library, the laboratory, the
auditorium. They were very much resourceful. The library was full of famous
books. There were newspapers, magazines for students. The laboratory was also
well-equipped. The auditorium was very attractive to look at. then we came the students' common room.
It was a huge room with various items of indoor games. It was a great
experience. I will cherish the memory of this day for ever. (Words : 217)
(a) What is meant by premature
marriage?(b) Who are the victims of premature marriage?(c) What are the causes
of premature marriage?(d) What problems does premature marriage create in
society?(e) What suggestions do you have to solve the problem? [CB '11]
Early/Premature
Marriage
Premature marriage is the marriage of boys and girls
who have not yet reached the age of marriage. Although the government of
Bangladesh has fixed 18 and 21 years for girls and boys respectively, people especially
in the rural areas tend to marry their sons and daughters off earlier than the
expected time. Marrying at such a premature age, boys suffer a lot because they
have to work hard to run a family. On the other hand, girls suffer even more
because they have to risk their lives during premature child birth. Yet the
parents of sons marry them off to get dowry from the in-laws. Girls' parents
are often prejudiced against education. They think that the more educated their daughters are,
the more dowry they have to give. Some of them even think that girls are born
to serve their in-laws. Thus the premature marriage creates a lot of problems
in the society. Lack of education is one of the causes of premature marriage.
Lack of moral values also causes premature marriage. The media should be active
in solving premature marriage. The govt. should take pragmatic steps to remove
this evil practice. Last but not the least, raising social awareness can play
the key role towards curbing this evil act. (Words : 211)
(a) What is smoking? (b) Why do
the people generally smoke? (c) How does one become addicted to smoking? (d)
What are the bad effects of smoking? (e) What should we do to stop smoking in
our country?
[SB '10]
Smoking
: A Habitual Sickness
Smoking is a very bad habit which is injurious to
health. Inhaling the smoke of burnt tobacco is called smoking. The tobacco can
be either burnt in a device called pipe or it can be wrapped and rolled in a
piece of tobacco leaf paper. It is a popular belief that inhaling tobacco smoke
provides stimulation (D‡ËRbv) though there is no medical
evidence (mv¶¨cÖgvY) to this belief. There are
numerous bad effects of smoking. It causes respiratory (k¦vmcÖk¦vm msµvš@) problem leading to bronchitis.
A smoker suffers from hyper tension, anxiety, digestion (cwicvK) disorder and heart attack.
Smokers run the risk of being attacked with colone cancer and cardiac arrest at
least 7 to 8 times higher than a non smoker. The decision then should be very
obvious. In order to keep our people
healthy and working we need to prevent this malady (†ivM, Amy¯’Zv). Government has already
prohibited (wbwl× K‡i‡Q) smoking in public places. As
smoking causes several chemical changes within human body the impact is far
reaching. Once somebody smokes for the first few times there is no coming back.
He becomes a slave to this malevolent (¶wZKi) habit. To stop smoking, we should raise consciousness
among the people and inform them of the negative effects of it. (Words : 209)
(a) Where is the central Shaheed
Minar located? (b) Who was its architect? (c) What do the vertical lines and
columns of the Shaheed Minar suggest? (d) What does it stand for? (e) How do
you feel standing before a Shaheed Minar? (f) What is its significance in our
culture? [DB '09]
Shaheed Minar
Shaheed Minar
is the symbol of our love, sincere interest and supreme sacrifice for our
language. It is located in front of Dhaka Medical College. Hamidur Rahman, a
famous architect designed this significant monument (¯@¤¢).
The vertical lines and columns suggest the loftiness (PgrKvwiZ¡)
and grandeur (gwngv) of the people martyred for the
cause of language. It stands for the supremacy and sacrifice of life, love of
people for their mother tongue. It also conveys the meaning to the people that
mother and mother tongue along with the mother land is the most important. One
feels magnanimous (gnvbyfe) and bold in
thought. It contains all the aspirations of Bengali identity and nationalism.
It is a symbol of freedom, strength and unity. We feel the supreme sacrifice of
the language martyrs and we should preserve the highness, supremacy of this
mother language at any cost. The Shaheed Minar is the most significant emblem
of our national life. It represents our victorious history of fight, sacrifice
and gains. It has become a part of our political as well as cultural
achievement and national source of inspiration. It refreshes our motivation to
keep our language clean and safe from the attacks of other languages and
cultures. It also re-inspires us to maintain our national brotherhood and
cultural cohesiveness. (Words : 215)
(a) What is SIDR? (b) When and where did it attack? (c)
How much damage did it cause to life and property? (d) What is your idea about
the measures taken by the government? (e) What can the young students do in
case of a natural disaster like SIDR? [SB '08]
SIDR
SIDR is the name of a cyclone. It
was a destructive natural calamity. SIDR means eye. The centre of the cyclone
looks like human's eyes. So, it is named SIDR by climatologists. SIDR breaks
all of the previous records of cyclones on speed. On 15th November
of 2007 SIDR attacked the southern coastal areas in Bangladesh. More than 10
thousand people have been killed by this SIDR. Thousands of domestic animals,
grains, trees, houses and cultivated lands have been destroyed. People of the
southern part of Bangladesh especially the people of Bhola, Patuakhali,
Barguna, Satkhira, Bagerhat etc. suffered a lot. They lost everything that
cannot be minimized yet. Govt. took necessary steps timely to save the people.
They alarmed the people early and made a lot of shelters. Young students should
come forward to make the common people aware of natural disasters like SIDR. In
such a great disaster, they can do something to save the common people from the
clutch of natural calamities like SIDR. They can render humanitarian service to
minimize the suffering of the affected people. They can stand by the side of
the affected people by raising funds and nursing the sick. Along with the government
organizations they can devote themselves to serve the victims. They can also
help the affected people by supplying necessary things, foods and medicine. (Words : 224)
(a) What do you think about the
necessity of education? (b) Can education really remove the darkness of
ignorance? (c) How does education promote understanding among people? (d) How
can education contribute towards change for the better? [RB '05]
Necessity
of Education
Education is the backbone of a nation. It is a formal process of
institutional learning. For the development of the mind and soul of every human
being, education is very much essential. it
builds the personality of a person and makes his worth to meet challenges. obviously, education removes the
darkness of ignorance. an
ignorant person is unable to gain knowledge of something. he is unable to gain knowledge from
different sources where as an educated person can do. The store of knowledge is
open to an educated person. Actually, education is compared to light while
ignorance is compared to darkness. Education promotes
(ea©b Kiv)
understanding among people. It broadens our outlook and makes us aware of the
human qualities latent (jyKvwqZ) in our personality. it teaches us patience and universal brotherhood. We become
conscious in our duties and responsibilities to our family as well as to our
society. Education is a medium (gva¨g) which ennobles our mind and uplifts (DbœZ Kiv) our senses. With this broaden perspectives
(m¤¢vebv),
we can go towards change for the better. Education itself is a training which
always trains us for the best. But we have to be careful of getting proper
education. we should give highest
importance on proper education. (Words : 207)
(a) Why
are games and sports necessary? (b) What type of sports are popular? (c) Do
sports help us anyway? (d) How does it help in building of personality? (e)
What determines our career? (f) Is physical development necessary? (g) What
does it teach in the development of character? (h) What is your remark about
games and sports? [JB '05]
Games
and Sports
Health is wealth. No one is able to keep good health without physical
exercise. Games and sports are the finest kind of exercise. Exhilarating
(DjvmKi)
and entertaining games are popular to all. Football, cricket, tennis,
basketball, swimming, shooting etc. are common sports. There are a lot of
merits of sports. It helps the limbs and muscles of the body to be strong and
stiff. It retains (ivLv) the physical fitness as a result of moving, walking and running. it also helps man to be free from
anxiety (D‡ØM) and tension. It helps in building up personality. it determines whether a man will have a
rigid (`„p) or a flexible (wXjv, AvjMv) personality. it masters qualities like perseverance, co-operation, responsibility,
discipline, stamina and obedience. It nurtures (DbœZ Ki‡Z
mvnvh¨ Kiv)
international fraternity (åvZ…Z¡‡eva) and makes a country known to the rest of the
world. Essentially, it is a very profitable vocation. a sportsman can earn a lot of money. It also brings name and
celebrity. a sports man or woman
can go abroad to compete (AskMÖnY Kiv) in sports there. he or she designates his or her own country there. They can
be respected all over the world. But in our country, facilities of sports are
not upto the expected level. so,
all of us should think of the usefulness of sports and take steps for creating
facilities for all. (Words : 229)
(a) Did you ever go on a journey
by train? (b) When did you go? (c) What was the occasion? (d) Describe the
journey. (e) How much did you enjoy it? [SB '05]
A
Journey by Train I Enjoyed
During the last summer vacation, I along with my uncle made a journey by
train from Dhaka to Sylhet. We went there to enjoy the natural beauties of
hills and tea gardens. We reached the station in time and got into the train.
Fortunately, I got my seat beside the window. When the guard blew the whistle
the train began to move, I kept looking outside through the window. The train
was passing through paddy fields and other trees. I enjoyed the natural
beauties of the passing villages so much that I cannot express it in words. The
green fields, cows and the working of farmers in the fields impressed me. when the train stopped at a big
station, we ate boiled eggs. We bought some magazines also. Again the train
started moving. This time the scenery was more beautiful. it passed through hills. The hills were
covered with green tea gardens. My joy knew no bounds at the sight of hills and
tea gardens. Soon it
became darker. Everything became mysterious (inm¨gq) and also beautiful with the approaching (Avmbœ/Nbvqgvb) evening. At 7 p.m. we reached the station and saw my uncle's friends
waiting for us. We felt relieved and enjoyed the rest of the days very much. It
was the most pleasant journey in my life. I will remember the journey forever. (Words : 225)
(a) What does the environment
refer to? (b) What elements make up the environment? (c) What is the relation
among different elements? (d) What will happen if this relationship is
disturbed? (e) What is the necessity of maintaining ecological balance? (f) Do
you have any idea about its solution? [CtgB '04]
Environment
and Ecology
The
environment refers to the air, water and land in which people, animals and
plants live. Human beings, animals, plants, air, water and soil make up the
environment. Again different natural forces such as storms, cyclones and
earthquakes are also a part of the environment. All these elements and forces
are naturally interrelated (cvi¯•wiKfv‡e RwoZ). Their relation to each other and to the
surroundings is called ecology which is very much systematic, dynamically
balanced. It is like a complex web that
links animals, plants and every other life form. If this relationship is
disturbed in any way, the whole environment will face a destructive (aŸsmvÍK) change. for
example, the destruction (aŸsm) of forests may cause drought (ﮋZv) and other natural disasters. Again the
emission (wbM©Z nIqv) of carbon dioxide, chloro fluoro carbon creates ecological imbalance.
So, maintaining ecological balance is very much essential. But we are not
careful enough to maintain this balance. For a safe earth to live in, we must
plant more trees, because trees are very important for the ecological balance. besides, we must save wild animals. they are the direct agent of our
environment. Moreover, we must be careful about the emission of harmful gases.
So, it is our responsibility to prevent (wbe„Ë Kiv) the environment from being spoilt. (Words : 212)
(a) What is a kitchen garden? (b)
Where is your one? (c) when are
you busy there? (d) What do you cultivate there? (c) How does it help your
family?
[SB '04]
Kitchen
Garden
A kitchen garden is a garden where we grow
different types of vegetables and fruits for the use of our family. A family is
greatly benefited by making a kitchen garden very close to its homestead. We
have a nice kitchen garden. It is a part of the big flower garden which we have
in the southern part of our house. Usually, everyday in the morning and in the
afternoon, I am busy in that garden. In the morning, I carry water from the
nearest pond and water the plants carefully. In the afternoon, I weed out the
weakest and harmful plants. I cultivate various types of vegetables and fruits.
Potato, tomato, pumpkin, pepper, cucumber, bean etc. are the main crops in our
garden. My father has planted some fruit plants which are yet to grow. We
collect necessary vegetables and eat them with great joy. Very often we give
vegetables to our neighbours and relatives. they
become very happy and we have built a good relation in this way. In fact, the
kitchen garden provides (†hvMvb †`qv) us with necessary vitamins and
also saves money. besides,
working there, we get chance for proper physical exercise and also mental peace
and satisfaction. (Words : 202)
(a) What is the name of the zoo
you visited? (b) When did you visit it? (c) Where is it located? (d) How big is
the area of the zoo? (e) How many kinds of birds and animals did you find
there? (f) What were the main attractions of the zoo? (g) How long did you stay
there? (h) How was your feeling at that time? [BB '04]
A
Zoo I Visited
The name of the zoo I visited is the Mirpur Zoo. The Mirpur Zoo which is
located at Mirpur in Dhaka is the biggest zoo in our country. A few days back,
I along with some of my friends visited the zoo. In the morning, we entered
into the zoo and spent five hours there. The area of the zoo is about 313 acres
and in this huge area, there are about 2500 species
(cÖRvwZ)
of living birds and animals. While visiting, we saw many birds and animals. The
birds were of different sizes and shapes chirping (wKwPi
wgwPi kã)
melodiously (my‡ijvfv‡e) in their cages. Peacocks, bulbuls, maynas,
magpies were very nice to look at. Then we started visiting the animals.
Tigers, lions, giraffes, elephants, monkeys were remarkable. In the morning all
of them were fresh. When we went near them, they came forward and we watched
them closely. During my visit, I enjoyed every minute though many times it
occurred in my mind that those birds and animals were chained (LuvPvq
e›`x). they did not have that carefree life
which they could get in the forests. We got pleasure but they were helpless.
After passing five hours there, we became very tired and also hungry. We
returned home safely. it was a remarkable
visit. (Words : 215)
(a) What's your idea about leisure? (b) How do
village and city people spend their leisure? (c) What are the common sports and
pastimes? (d) What do you know about the late winter activities of the people?
(e) How do you evaluate leisure?
[CB '03]
Leisure/Pastimes
Leisure is the
period which is spent at one's own will. In our every day life, we have to be
busy most of the time and if we get some moments or more, we pass it in a
simple carefree way. We don't do anything serious in our leisure. People living
in villages and cities spend their leisure differently. Most of the male
persons in villages spend their time in tea stalls talking among themselves.
Female persons gather in one place, talk frankly and try to help each other.
But in cities, people usually watch television. They visit zoos, parks and
other remarkable places. sometimes,
people spend their leisure with sports and pastimes. Rowing boats, swimming,
playing and enjoying various games and sports like football, cricket are very
much common. Again using computers, listening to music, attending concert,
seminar, gardening are very familiar pastimes. Above all, people of both cities
and villages enjoy the natural beauties. They come into contact with nature for
refreshing their mind. The enchanting (g‡bvig) beauty of the late winter stimulates
(RvwM‡q †Zvjv, DÏxwcZ Kiv) people. They travel in the midst of various fragrant (myMÜ,
myiwf) flowers.
Usually I spend my leisure with my friends. We do different types of creative
activities. Actually, leisure refreshes our mind and sooths (cÖkwgZ
Kiv) ourselves
greatly. (Words : 217)
(a) Do you support unfair means in the examination?
(b) Why are you against of it? (c) Why do the students adopt unfair means? (d)
What measures have the authorities recently taken to prevent unfair means from
the examination? (e) Describe the good effects of the preventive measures. [RB '03]
Unfair Means
in the Examination
To lead a
civilized life, everybody needs proper education. unfair means in the examination is a barrier to proper
education. But, it is a great regret that many students adopt unfair means in
the examination. As a student, I greatly oppose this shameful task because its effect is
terrible in one's future life. Education in student life indicates a gradual
development which makes one capable of facing the coming challenges of one's
life. But, copying creates a non-skilled manpower and instigates (NUv‡bv) corruption. Students adopt unfair means for
various reasons. In some cases, our educational curriculum is yet based on
memorization and students do not try for creativity. They try to memorize. When
they fail to do that, they start copying in the examination. Many teachers
spend more time to private tuition than to teach in classes. Besides, guardians
are not careful about the proper schooling of their children. But, there is a
ray of hope that the authorities have recently taken some measures to prevent
unfair means from the examination. Nowadays curriculum is revised and it is
made practical and creative. Teachers are being trained. Moreover, for adopting
unfair means, there is punishment now. So, definitely the effect of these
preventive (wbeviK) measures is good. We can hope for a better
educated nation now. (Words : 210)
(a) What is social value? (b) How were the social
values in the past? (c) How are they now? (d) What are the conditions of the
present social value? (e) What are the effects of social values in the present
age? (f) How should social values be preserved? [DB '06]
Social Values
Social values
refer to customs, beliefs, social practices and norms
(Av`k©),
behaviourial patterns and attitude of a particular social community. Social
values shape the life of a person to a great extent. In the past people were
very much strict about maintaining social values. Honesty, sincerity,
truthfulness, sympathy, fellow feeling, respect for others were considered to
be social values. "Honesty is the best policy" was the motto (g–jgš¿) of the day. The dishonest, criminals were
held in great contempt (N„Yvi, AeÁvi). But today, because of scientific and
technological development, people are getting acquainted with other cultures.
They are being educated—all these have lasting influence on their ideas,
beliefs and tradition. Nowadays youngers do not respect the elders, people have
no fellow-feelings, they are getting involved in crimes, anti-social activities
and addiction to drug. These are the signs of people's loss of the sense of
morality which has resulted from social degradation (AatcZb). If it continues, worse days are ahead of
us. So, to avoid such an uncongenial situation we all should be careful to
preserve our social values. We can do this by raising awareness in people,
inculcating the habit of doing good deeds, maintaining moral scruples,
detesting vices and corrupt practices. (Words : 204)
(a) What is the name of your city/town? (b) Are you happy
living there? (c) Where is it located? (d) What are the facilities you enjoy
there? (e) Write about the history regarding your town/city? (f) What are the
problems of living in your city? (g) Which one is the worst in your eyes? (h)
Depict your own comment on the topic. [RB
'07]
The
City/Town You Live In
I am happy and fortunate enough to enjoy a lot
of modern facilities and amenities (my‡hvM-myweav hv Rxeb‡K my›`i K‡i
†Zv‡j). It is because I am a town dweller. The town I live in is the biggest
and most famous in my mother land. It is also the capital city of Bangladesh.
The name of this city is Dhaka. Dhaka is situated on the Buriganga and at the
central point of the country. The renowned and well known educational
institutions, the medical centres, shopping centres, the air-port etc serve the
city dwellers very much. Dhaka is called the city of mosques. People of all religions,
professions and all regions of the country live in this city. They are provided
with all types of modern amenities. It was a very favourite business centre to
the Europeans. Dhaka is now bestowed (cwiwPZ) with a lot of
problems. It has become a great problem for her to accommodate (gvwb‡q †bIqv) so many people in a small land
area. The name of traffic jam terrifies the city dwellers. Sometimes terrorism
gets increased to sweep away the peace of mind of the town people. The city is
getting more and more polluted day by day. There is almost no open space
provided for children to play in my city. But, to the best of my knowledge it
is the best city in Bangladesh. (Words : 230)
(a) What do you mean by health?
(b) How can a man keep in good health? (c) What is the importance of following
the rules of health and cleanliness? (d) What is the value of health especially
in student life? (e) What impact do the complexities of life have on our sound
health? (f) Do you think, a simple and care-free life is conducive to good
health? (g) Depict your own view on 'How to keep in good health.' [DB '04; SB '07]
How to Keep in Good Health
Health is the greatest wealth in the life of a
man. The importance of keeping in good health is precise (h_vh_; wbqgwbô) in every walk
of our life. In order to keep in good health first of all one needs to follow
the rules of health and cleanliness. It means that he/she must eat a balanced
diet and take proper rest. He/She should eat in fixed time. Too much food
cannot ensure good health. One should eat as much as one needs. He/She should
try his/her best to take fresh and formalin-free food items. He/she must eat
seasonal fruits and vegetables. He/ she must go to bed early and rise early.
Then, physical exercise plays a vital role in keeping in good health. If he/she
does not take part in games and sports, he/she will not be physically sound.
After that, one needs to keep in mind that good health does not mean only
physical health. Health means the soundness of body as well as the soundness of
mind. Without having a sound mind, he/she cannot concentrate on his/her works.
The rules of hygiene play a vital role in keeping in good health. He/she must
wash his/her body everyday with soap and put on clean clothes. He/She should
not use the towel and clothes of others. Before having anything he should wash
his hands. (Words : 223)
(a)
How did you celebrate the Eid-ul-Fitr this year? (b) What did you find your
mother and sisters doing in the morning of the Eid day? (c) What did you do in
the morning? (d) What did you find when you went to the Eidgah? (e) What kind
of feast was arranged at your residence for this occasion? (f) How did you
spend the afternoon? [DB '03]
Celebration of Eid-ul-Fitr
Eid-ul-Fitr is one
of the two religious festivals of the Muslims (a‡g©). We eagerly await this day after having a fasting (†ivhv) for thirty
days. This day is celebrated with great religious gravity (agx©q Myi“Z¡) by the Muslims. However, I celebrated this day as other Muslims do. I
got up very early in the morning, took my bath, dressed up wearing punjabi,
pajama and tupi. The congregation (Dcvmbvi Rb¨
Rgv‡qZ †jvKRb) being over I
exchanged greetings with a lot of friends and near and dear ones. In the
morning, I found my mother and sister busy with making loaf, shemai and jorda.
In the morning, I distributed cash and dress among the poor class people. When
I set out for the Eidgah, I discovered many old friends who were behind the
curtain for a long time. We expressed our fellow feelings with one another. In
that very day we arranged a grand feast (†fvR) to feed the poor people. It was an age old tradition of
our family. After saying prayer I returned home. In the afternoon I joined my
friends who arranged a reunion (cybwg©jb) meeting. After the meeting we went to the nearby river
and passed a few hours there. This is how I enjoyed the day of Eid-ul-Fitr. (Words : 211)
(a)
What is a moonlit night? (b) What is its impact on human mind? (c) How does
nature look at such a night? (d) How do city dwellers and villagers enjoy a
moonlit night? (e) Do you have any memory of it?
A
Moonlit Night
A moonlit night is a wonderful and enjoyable presentation
of nature. A moonlit night is a great pleasure and source of recreation for the
people of almost all ages, tastes and temperaments. The night in which the moon
shines brightly in the cloudless clear sky is generally known as a moonlit
night. It comes to us with all her stimulus and magnificent (RuvKRgKc–Y©) beauty. In a moonlit night, the
moon looks like a disk of dazzling silver and bathes the nature with her
pleasant light. People of all ages become enchanted (†gvwnZ nIqv) with its charm. Even, the newly
born babies glance at the moon steadily. There are plenty of poems, songs,
stories, fairy tales about moonlit nights. Again, some birds and beasts come
out leaving their nestling places to relish (Dc‡fvM Kiv) the beauty of the night. Both the city and the village
dwellers enjoy the night gossiping, walking here and there. Children greatly
enjoy the night playing. During my childhood, I also used to enjoy the night
chatting, playing with my mates and that was really fascinating (gy» K‡i Ggb AvKl©Yxq) and excellent and haunting till
today. In fine, a moonlit night is a
nice gift of nature and it spellbinds (m‡¤§vwnZ Kiv) all through its loveliness. (Words : 210)
(a) What kind of family do you
live in, extended or nuclear? (b) What are the advantages you find in an
extended family? (c) What are the disadvantages of it? (d) Do you like an
extended family? (e) If so, why? If not, why?
Extended
Family
I live in an extended family with my parents, two brothers, grandparents
and my uncles. It is a family where all members share each other's feelings.
The household activities are also done together. My grandparents are the senior
guardians in the family. So, I get not only my parents but also my grandparents
and uncles as guardians. I am never lonely. Sometimes guests are available and
I have to share my own room and almost in every week we have programmes and
celebrations like birthday celebrations and celebrations on good occasions. I
feel some problems also being in an extended family, I do not expect any guest
at the time of my examination. Besides my privacy cannot be maintained if my
room is shared. Sometimes, I feel myself in a cage because I have many
guardians and I do not have any scope to decide anything in my own way. I guess
it is really one severe (RwUj) problem in an extended family because a
child may lose the capacity to decide something himself/herself. Still then I
like an extended family for its sharing and fellow feeling. I know life in a
nuclear family is sometimes lonely and boring. So, if I get a little privacy
and no disturbance (wek„¸Ljv) in my own way
of life I will support an extended family. (Words : 220)
(a) What is language? (b) Why is English an international language? (c) Why should we learn English now? (d) What will happen if we do not
learn this language? (e) What
do you like to say about English?(f) How does your English text book help you
to learn English?
English
as an International Language
Language is a
medium of expressing thoughts, feelings, emotions and passions. English is
called an international language because in many countries for a long time
English has been being used for international communication. As English is not
our first language, we should learn English with rapt (Avweó)
attention. we should be aware of
the fact that job advertisements nowadays often ask for a good working
knowledge of English. In this present stage of It revolution, English is a must to know all the information
in the computer for higher education. English helps the business world to
communicate across national borders. So, if we fail to get at hand in English,
we must lag behind in the present competitive world. For a good command over
English, we must realize the necessity
of grammar because grammar of any language tells us the forms and structure and
the correct use of it. Without grammar, our use of English will be faulty. We
need English to get good jobs, to go abroad, to pursue higher studies on
science and technology and medicine. As English is a global language we have to
learn the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. We can not
keep pace with the modern world if we do not learn English. The present text
book helps to learn English. (Words : 220)
(a) When was
The
Victory Day
(a) How is Ekusey Boi Mela? (b)
With whom did you go to the book fair? (c) How was the fair premises? (d) Whom
did you see there? (e) What did you gather from the fair?
A
Book Fair I Visited
During last February I went to visit the Ekusey Boi Mela
which was full of events and experiences. The fair took place on Bangla Academy
premises. It is the biggest and most gorgeous book fair of the country. I went
to the fair with my friends. The premises of Bangla Academy took a festive
look. There were a lot of bookstalls beautifully decorated. Visitors were
moving from one row to another just like the rows of ants. People were looking
for their favourite and chosen books. Some visitors were looking for new
publications. We visited a lot of stalls and bought a number of books. Of the
books there were story books, science fictions and autobiographies. While we
were about to finish our visit, I noticed the great writer Dr. Zafar Iqbal
sitting on a chair in front of a stall. I also noticed the great poet Al Mahmud
also sitting beside him. Two great personalities were talking with each other
and curious people were gathering round them for taking their autograph. At
last we finished our visit to the fair and I came back home with a lot of
experience and a permanent impression of the fair in my mind. (Words : 201)
(a) What does Bangladesh have? (b)
What is happening with our culture? (c) What is the changing trend in our
country? (d) By what are people being influenced?
Bangladeshi
Culture
Bangladesh has a very old, rich and
distinctive cultural heritage. We have our own language, dress, food habit,
manner of eating, manner of speaking, mode of behaviour, games and sports,
social values and customs, religion, profession, music, art, literature etc. We
have songs based on rural and idyllic picture of life. We have folk songs and
local jatra-pala. We have our own marital systems based on religious and social
rules. We celebrate the Pahela Baishakh as the Bengali New Year's Day. We have
our food habit of taking rice and fish. The males wear dresses like lungi,
shirt and the females wear sari and blouse. We play our own games like
Ha-du-du, Gollachhut, Dariabandha, Bowchi, Kanamachhi and many others. However,
though we have a rich culture of our own, it is now the blending of cultures of
other countries especially of India and western countries. Satellite TV
channels are playing an important role in engulfing the old tradition and
culture of our country. People are no longer fond of folk songs or idyllic
songs. They are more interested in Hindi and English music. Marital systems and
celebrations have also been made short. People are being influenced by cultures
of other countries in respect of food habit and dress. Thus we see that though
Bangladesh has a rich culture of its own, it is being influenced by other
cultures. (Words : 228)
(a)
What is self-employment? (b) How can a person be self-employed? (c) Does
self-employment alleviate poverty and misery?
Self-Employment
Self-employment
is the best employment that makes a man individually strong. It refers to 'not
working for an employer but finding work for oneself or having one's own
business'. That is, when a man or woman himself/ herself arranges a source of
work is called self-employment. There are many ways to be self-employed in
Bangladesh such as he/she may be a mechanic, driver, painter, fish cultivator,
poultry farmer etc. There are many youth training centres across
(a) What is child labour? (b) What is the condition
of the working children? (c) Where are they found working? (d) What hampers
their physical and mental health? (e) What are they deprived of?
Child Labour
in Bangladesh
Though
child labour is severely prohibited by law, it is still prevalent in the third
world countries like Bangladesh. Child labour refers to the physical labour
done by the children from 8 to 18. The condition of these working children is
very painful. They are found working in factories or doing household chores as
servants. They are also engaged in fields, shops, restaurants etc. They have to
grind bricks and stones. They work as street hawkers. Most of the time they
become pickpockets. They also work as a bus conductor, helper, boot polisher
and the like. Some of the works are sometimes risky for them, like working in
the welding factory. Though they have to work a lot, most of the time they are
ill paid. Sometimes children working in different houses are tortured severely
which hampers their physical and mental health. They are deprived of proper
care, food and medical treatment. There is no denying that child labour should
be banned and the govt. as well as the people concerned should take necessary steps
to create alternative opportunities. People of all walks of life and the
government together should try sincerely to eradicate this problem from our
society. Otherwise, this child labour will drag us down to utter degradation. (Words : 210)
(a) What is
facebook? How is to stay connected with people using facebook? (c) How can it
keep us up to date? (d) What are the disadvantages of it?
Facebook
Facebook is a very popular social
networking site which has both advantages and disadvantages. It is a great way
to keep in touch with your family and friends that live far away. With instant
messaging and even video chat, Facebook is the perfect environment to stay
connected. With the status updates, photos and profile information, it can keep
us up to date on the happenings of all of our close ones. Facebook makes
meeting new people extremely easy. Using Facebook one can express one's opinion
easily. Facebook has some disadvantages too. It is very easy for cyber bullies
to thrive. They can harass and gang up on one person. There aren't moderators
that go around monitoring what people say to each other. Besides, teenagers who
spend much time on Facebook, will suffer in the long run as their valuable time
for study is not used properly. So there is no denying to say that Facebook has
a lot of advantages with some disadvantages too. Active but overt monitoring
and open communication about appropriate usage is the key to all the problems.
This active role could prevent serious consequences such as depression, anxiety
or even suicide. It is also important for parents to stay abreast with online
trends and the latest technologies, websites and applications. (Words : 214)
(a) What do you mean by Digital Bangladesh? (b) What
are the benefits of Digital Bangladesh? (c) With what will it connect people?
(d) What are initially needed for the
implementation of this campaign?
Digital
Bangladesh
'Digital
Bangladesh' means digitalizing Bangladesh by ensuring an ICT based society
where information will be available on line and where all possible tasks of the
government and other non-government or semi-government will be performed using
digital technology. The benefits of Digital Bangladesh are many. If we can
establish a digital Bangladesh, corruption will be absolutely eradicated. It
will save people's time and money and will make people more enterprising. It
will connect people with the whole world economically, politically, socially,
academically and even culturally. It will modernize banking and financial
activities. Agriculture, health, education, commerce all these sectors will be
highly benefited by making Bangladesh a digital one. The government has to take
certain initiatives for implementing this dream. First of all, uninterrupted
power supply has to be ensured. We have to develop computer network
infrastructures throughout the country. We also have to train our people to
acquire ICT skill and ensure equitable access to digital governance services by
all strata of the society. It will be no exaggeration if we say that the
implementation of a digital Bangladesh can help our country make progress in
all sectors by leaps and bounds. It is hoped that Bangladesh will be fully
digitalised by 2041. (Words : 203)
(a) What do we know by reading newspapers? (b) Why
do people read newspaper? (c) How does newspaper help the people of different
strata? (d) What are the drawbacks of newspaper? (e) How does misunderstanding
take place through newspaper?
Importance of
Reading Newspaper
Reading
newspaper is a good habit which provides us to know a lot of essential things
of home and abroad. People read them for both pleasure and information. A
politician can learn about political situations. An economist and a businessman
can be aware of the economy and business. People interested in sports and games
can learn about the sports-world. Students can also learn many things from the
pages of newspapers that fulfill their thirst for knowledge. The film fans go
through the cinema page to get the thrill of the showbiz world. From the
advertisement column the job seekers and traders get useful hints and details.
In fact, by reading newspapers we can be up-to-date and we need it in order to
face the competitive changing world. However, sometimes a newspaper misleads
people. Some of the newspapers publish news supporting political parties.
Sometimes they write columns to gain benefits from the ruling party. For this,
misunderstanding takes place and many unexpected incidents happen. So, we can
say that though a newspaper has some disadvantages, it has a lot of advantages
too. On the whole, newspaper reading is a very good habit. In order to keep
ourselves up-to-date with news and views, we should read newspaper daily (Words : 208)
(a) How is a winter morning? (b) Why do the poor
people and slum dwellers suffer in a winter morning? (c) What do the children
and old people do in the villages? (d) How
is the scenery of the town in winter morning?
A Winter
Morning
A winter morning is both enjoyable and distressful. It is
naturally a very cold morning. There is dense fog all around. Sometimes the fog
is so dense that the sun rays can't get through it. Nothing can be seen even at
a little distance. Everything looks hazy. The sun seems to rise late. Dew drops
fall at night. When the morning sun peeps, they look like glittering gold on
grasses and leaves. It is pleasant to the rich but curse to the poor. The poor
village people and the slum dwellers in cities suffer greatly for want of warm
clothes. Farmers have to go to the fields with their materials. The workers of
low classes have to go to their workplace in the morning. In the villages,
children and old people gather straw and make fires to warm themselves. The old
people bask in the sun or warm
themselves beside fireplace. In the village market, some people come to sell
'date juice'. The scenery of towns is totally different from villages. The
people of the town get up from bed a bit late.
They also enjoy the winter morning. Thus a winter morning is not only
enjoyable but also distressful to people. (Words : 202)
(a) When did you experience a stormy night? (b) How
was the day? (c) How was the sky? (d) What happened when the storm had started?
A Stormy
Night
A stormy night is very horrible for the rural people and
especially those living in thatched huts of our country. Last year I had a
terrible and devastating experience of a stormy night. It was the Bangla month
of Baishakh. One day in the afternoon, I went to a local market with my uncle
to buy fish and other things. The day was very hot. All on a sudden, the wind
dropped and the weather became uncanny. The northern sky began to grow dark and
a big cloud began to move fast towards the south. My uncle told me to follow
him fast. Within a few minutes there were heavy lightning and thunderbolts
along with storm. By that time, the whole area was completely dark and nothing was clearly
visible. But the light of frequent lightning was making everything clear to
see. Before my own eyes I saw a big jackfruit tree being uprooted. It made a
great cracking sound. After a while we reached home and took shelter in our
sitting room. The storm continued for two hours. After a period of massive
devastation, the storm subsided. Many a
day has passed but I can never forget the memory of the stormy night. (Words : 204)
(a) How is a rainy day? (b) How are the roads and
paths on a rainy day? (c) How is a rainy day for poor people? (d) What do the
students and rich people do in a rainy day?
A Rainy Day
A
rainy day is a day on which it rains in torrents continuously. The day is dull
and gloomy. The sky remains cloudy all day long. The sky is not seen. Sometimes
it rains heavily; sometimes it drizzles and sometimes gusts of wind blow. The
heavy downpour is associated with roars
of thunder, flashes of lightning and stormy wind. Nobody can go out without an
umbrella. Water stands on roads and roads become muddy and slippery. Sometimes
people slip and fall on the muddy road. Rivers, tanks and canals swell up.
Roads and paths become muddy and impassable. Many people walk along the road
with shoes in hand and clothes folded up. A rainy day is bad for poor people.
The day labourers cannot go to work. So they don't earn any money and may
remain unfed. Students enjoy a holiday at home. The rich people who have no
urgent work enjoy the day at home. They entertain themselves with rich dishes
like bhuna khichuri, polao etc. The rain washes away dirt and dust and makes
the soil soft. The farmers can prepare the fields for sowing seeds. Thus,
though a rainy day has some negative aspects, it has positive effects too.
However, a rainy day is not pleasant at all. (Words : 210)
(a) When did you go on a picnic? (b) Where did you
go? (c) What did you do after reaching the spot? (d) When did you take your
lunch? (e) What were there in the food items? (f) What recreational activities did
you perform there? (g) When did you start for home?
A Picnic I
Enjoyed
Last
winter I went on a picnic which was full of enjoyment. We went to the National Park.
Some of my classmates arranged the picnic. We were fifteen in number. We hired
a microbus earlier. Within half an hour we got out of the city. We were all singing inside the micro. At last
at about 10 am, we reached the grand spot. After reaching we finished our
breakfast. We did not take any cook with us. Two of our classmates Rana and
Kamal took the charge of cooking. Sohel
and I dug a small hole to make a temporary cooker. We all started
helping Rana and Kamal. Some of our friends fetched water from nearby sources.
Others helped to prepare onion, garlic and other spices. At about half past 1
pm, the dish was ready. Everyone felt quite hungry. So, I started serving the
prepared food. There were polao, roast, beef, salad etc. We finished our feast
and retired to rest for about half an hour. One of our friends recited a great
poem of Jibanananda Das. Ripon presented a joke on a voracious eater. Sumon who
is a good singer presented two songs of Nazrul. We started for home at 5 pm
after taking our tea. We enjoyed the picnic most and it is really a memorable
day for me. (Words : 222)
(a) What do you mean by good manners? (b) How is a
well-mannered person treated? (c) How is a good mannered person? (d) How is an ill-mannered person?
(e) How is he treated?
Good Manners
The
term 'manners' means the behaviour that is considered to be polite in a
particular society or culture. Manners can be good or bad. For example, it is a
bad manner to speak with food in one's mouth. Manners vary from culture to
culture and from society to society. Good manners are the external expressions
of one's inner goodness and education. It is a person's positive way of
behaving towards others. A person is judged by his manners. Good manners enrich
the personality of an individual. A well mannered person is liked by most of
our people and can prosper in life. Good manners enhance his value and make him
a worthy human being. A good mannered man is polite and courteous. He respects
the views and opinions of others although they differ from his own. He listens
patiently to what others have to say. He neither uses harsh words to others nor
does anything that may offend others. An ill mannered man is rude and rough. He
has no respect for the feeling of others. He shows bad manners in various ways.
A man of unpolished manners is not liked by anyone. Everybody hates him. Good
manners make life pleasant, smooth and easy. Good manners do not cost anything
but they gain for us love and respect. (Words : 218)
(a) What is hobby? (b) What is
your favourite hobby? (c) Why is it your favourite hobby? (d) How does it help
you?
Your Hobby
Hobby
is a pleasant pastime. It means a favourite occupation of a man. But it is not
his main business. Gardening is my favourite
hobby which gives me much pleasure at my leisure. I have a small garden
in front of our house. I work there in the morning and evening. I have planted
many kinds of flower plants in my garden. I also grow vegetables there. In the
morning I water the plants, make the soil loose and weed out the grass of my
garden. Every afternoon or evening, I spend half an hour in the garden. I take
care of the plants, water them again and also repair the fence if damaged. The
rose, the beli, the sheuli, the dahlia etc. grow in my garden. When the flowers
bloom, my joys know no bounds. On holidays, I work longer in my garden.
Sometimes my friends, neighbours and relatives visit my garden. They become
very glad to see my garden and appreciate my work very much. Gardening gives me
recreation and amusement. It makes me forget my worries and anxieties. It
relieves me from my routine bound work. Thus I get much pleasure from my hobby
which is the most valuable thing. (Words : 203)
(a) What do you mean by traffic jam? (b) Where is traffic jam
common? (c) What are the causes of traffic jam? (d) How does it affect the city
dwellers? (e) How can it be controlled?
Traffic
Jam
Traffic
jam refers to a serious road block when there is a long line of vehicles plying
on the road. Now it has become a common scenario of roads and streets in the
big towns and cities of our country. Thus it has posed a major problem for the
people. Several causes are responsible for this traffic jam. Firstly, most of
the roads and streets are narrow and unplanned. Secondly, roads are
insufficient in proportion to our population. Thirdly, a lot of unlicensed
vehicles ply on the roads. Next, many drivers are not aware of the rules and
regulations of driving. Many others are not willing to abide by the traffic
rules. Again, many others are prone to reckless driving and overtaking tendency.
Furthermore, small vehicles like rickshaws, auto rickshaws, private cars, hand
carts etc also cause unbearable traffic jam. Above all, the number of traffic
police is quite insufficient to handle it. Traffic jam causes a lot of problems
killing our valuable times. The office-goers, students, patients and general
people have to suffer a lot due to traffic jam. But this situation should be
handled rigidly for the welfare and smooth movement of the people. Widening of
roads and streets, introduction of one-way movement of vehicles, removal of
unlicensed vehicles and imposition of strict traffic rules can help the people
live a better and smoother civic life. (Words : 227)
(a) What is air? (b) How is it
polluted? (c) What is the most common factor for air pollution? (d) Where does
air pollution occur most? (e) Who can stop air pollution and how?
Air
Pollution
Air,
one of the most important elements of our environment, is getting polluted
continuously posing a great threat to our existence. No human or animal can
survive without air. This essential element of our environment is getting
polluted in various ways. Smoke of all kinds is the most common factor for
causing air pollution. Man makes fire to cook food, to burn refuse and to melt
pitch for road construction. All these things create heavy smoke and pollute
the air. Smoke emitted from mills, factories, brickfields and industries also
cause air pollution. Moreover, motor vehicles like cars, buses and trucks
plying on roads and highways also produce a lot of smoke causing air pollution.
Furthermore, by burning coal, petrol, diesel and oil, railway engines and power
houses create smoke and pollute the air. But the most serious air pollution
often occurs in big cities and industrial areas. Air pollution ultimately
causes serious kinds of airborne diseases like hyper tension, cancer and so on.
Sometimes serious kind of air pollution even leads to death. We must stop air
pollution to keep the world a habitable place. It is man who can stop air
pollution by planting many more trees for a healthier and happier life. (Words : 204)
(a) What is illiteracy? (b) Why
are the people of Bangladesh lagging behind? (c) What are the adverse effects
of illiteracy? (d) How can illiteracy be eliminated?
Illiteracy
Illiteracy
is undoubtedly a curse to a nation as it hinders all development works of the
country. The progress of a country can not be thought of keeping its people
illiterate. Illiteracy is the state of being unable to read and write which
stands on the way of differentiating between right and wrong. The illiterate
people cannot contribute to the welfare and prosperity of the community, let
alone the country. For example, the people of Bangladesh are lagging behind in
all spheres of development because of a huge number of illiterate people living
here. They are devoid of the knowledge of sanitation, malnutrition and family
planning. In spite of being an agricultural country, Bangladesh is yet to apply
scientific methods of cultivation to boast up her production. As a result,
poverty always hangs heavy on her. Again, lack of knowledge of sanitation and
malnutrition leads the people to decay and death. Moreover, for lack of
knowledge of family planning, population of the country is increasing at an
alarming rate. However, illiteracy must be eliminated from the country so that
we may stand up with dignity among the nations of the world. Setting up a
number of schools including night schools for the adults, training programmes
for family planning, launching scientific method of cultivation and anti-illiteracy
campaign can solve the problem of illiteracy. (Words : 222)
(a) What is email? (b) What is needed to access
email? (c) What are the advantages of email? (d) How does email become easy in
transferring files?
Usefulness of
E-mail
E-mail
or Electronic mail is one of the many modern devices of communication of
textual message via electronic means. A personal computer, a modem and a
telephone connection are needed for email.
This is not only a quick, easy and relatively cheap way to keep in touch with
family and friends, it has also become an essential tool of business. E-mail
has many advantages or usefulness. Firstly, it reduces the use of paper in
offices and business concerns. Internal memos and reports can be exchanged
electronically without using paper. Secondly, being a personal communication, email
turns out to be a cheaper alternative to telephone conversation. Thirdly, it
eliminates the time spent in establishing phone calls. Fourthly, it permits
communication between two individuals or parties without the parties actually
being present simultaneously. Next, privacy is ensured as the mail is delivered
to an individual mail box. Moreover, it becomes very easy to transfer important
files, documents and photos etc instantly without physically going to anywhere.
So, e-mail service is an important service of our modern communication. It
maintains our private, social and official network in a powerful and effective
way. In a word, we cannot think of the modern life without using e-mail. (Words : 202)
(a) What do trees and plants supply? (b) What is the
most vital thing to survive? (c) How far is tree helpful to us? (d) Where
should we plant trees? (e) Why is tree plantation necessary?
Tree/Tree
Plantation
Since
the dawn of civilization man has a close relation with nature. Man has made
friendship with trees. As such, trees play an important role in our life and
economy. Planting trees is a noble work as trees and plants supply oxygen, the
most vital thing for our survival. Besides, they are a great source of food and
vitamins. Trees also provide us with fruits, flowers and timber for furniture.
They give shade and shelter to many people. They make the land fertile and save
land from erosion. They attract rains, prevent drought, control flood and maintain
ecological balance. All these things will be hampered, if there is lack of
sufficient trees. Now a days, Bangladesh has been facing drought, excessive
rainfall and floods because of tremendous shortage of her forests. We should
therefore, make it a point to plant more trees than we cut down. Plenty of
seedlings and saplings need to be planted on both sides of roads and in the
unused barren lands around our houses. It is impossible to describe the
importance and uses of trees in words. They are a part and parcel of our day to
day life. In fact, tree plantation is necessary for the maintenance of
ecological balance. (Words : 206)
(i) Who are
called street children and why? (ii) How do they earn their livelihood? (iii)
Where do these children live? (iv) What do they usually prefer as a means of
earning? (v) How can their condition be improved?
Street
Children
Street Children or street urchins are familiar figures in
the streets of the third world country like Bangladesh. Most of them are the
abandoned children of their parents. They are rootless. These are floating
children of a country. They do not know about the whereabouts of their parents,
their place and date of birth. Many of them are orphans. Generally they earn
their livelihood by begging, stealing, cheating, selling flowers and doing the
job of wage earners. But sometimes some poor parents make their children work
in the streets. These street children live in the dirty slums, on the roadside
pavements without any protection against rough weather. They sleep under the
open sky. They also work as garbage collectors, porters and rickshaw pullers.
Sometimes they beg for food. They are deprived of education, health care and
nutrition. Though they are abandoned children, they are human beings. They are
the to be citizens of our country. They have some basic rights to live, to
enjoy, to survive in peace and to receive education. It is our duty to ensure
their rights. The government and the people in general should do something so
that these helpless and homeless children can taste the sweetness of life. (Words : 203)
(a) What is a library? (b) How is
your college library? (c) Where is it located? (d) Is there any reading room
attached to it? If yes, how is it? (e) Who maintains the activities of the library?
(f) How are books issued?
Our
College Library
A library is a part and parcel of an
educational institution. We are really proud of having a very rich library in
our college. Our college library is a great attraction for us. It is said that
a library is a storehouse of knowledge which can help a man to satisfy his
desire for knowing the unknown. Our college library has also a very rich
collection of books on various subjects namely novels, fictions, story books,
poetry books, plays, autobiographies and periodicals- all arranged in a
systematic way in our well decorated library. Books on religion and sports are
also available here. Our college library is housed on the 2nd floor
of our academic building. Attached to the library there is a well furnished reading
room for the students and the teachers. A pin drop silence prevails in the
reading room. An efficient and well qualified librarian handles the activities
of the library. He is assisted by three peons who are very expert in finding
out books to the readers. There exists a calm, quiet and serene atmosphere in our library. Books are issued
against library cards. In fact, our college library is a part and parcel of our
college life. (Words : 201)
(a) What do you mean by
patriotism? (b) What does it inspire? (c) What does patriotism teach a man? (d)
Who is a true patriot? (e) How is an unpatriotic man treated in the society?
(f) Give some examples of patriots of this sub-continent.
Patriotism
Patriotism, an inherent quality in a
man, is one of the noblest virtues. It means love for and devotion to one’s
country. It inspires a man to do everything just and fair for the well-being of
the country. Love for one’s own country purifies one’s mind, removes the
narrowness of heart and helps one to be selflessly inspired. Patriotic zeal
makes a man dutiful, energetic and enthusiastic. Patriotism teaches a man
fellow feeling, fraternity and love and sympathy for countrymen. A patriot does
not hesitate even to sacrifice his own life for the cause of his country. A true
patriot is a selfless lover of his country. So, he is praised and honoured by
his countrymen. On the other hand, an unpatriotic man is self-centred. So, he
is hated by all. He may have high titles, immense wealth, high social prestige
and noble birth, but despite his worldly achievement, he remains a worthless
person. An unpatriotic man dies a double death. On the contrary, a patriot is
immortal and remains in the hearts of the people even to face any odd challenge
as fleeing or trivial. Titumir, Tipu Sultan, Isa Khan, Khudiram, Surja Sen,
Pritilata set up glaring examples of patriotism in this sub-continent. (Words : 204)
(a) What is a national flag? (b)
When did Bangladesh get its national flag? (c) What is its size and colour? (d)
What does the colour of the national flag of Bangladesh symbolize? (e) What
does it stand for? (f) When and where is it hoisted? (g) How do we feel seeing
our national flag?
National
Flag
A national flag is the symbol of
independence and sovereignty of a free country. Every free nation of the world
has its own national flag. Similarly, Bangladesh has also a national flag as
she is an independent and sovereign country. Bangladesh got this national flag
on December 16, 1971 after a nine-month long valiant struggle of our heroic
freedom fighters with the occupied Pakistani army. The flag is rectangular in
size having a proportion of 10 : 6. There are two colours in our national flag
– bottle green and red. The green colour of our flag stands for everlasting
youth, freshness and vigour of the nation. It also symbolizes the greenery of
Bangladesh. The deep red round colour part symbolizes the rising sun of
independence. It also stands for the supreme sacrifices of our heroic freedom
fighters who laid down their lives for the cause of their motherland. The flag
is hoisted everyday on top of government buildings, educational institutions
and offices. It is hoisted everywhere on the Independence Day and the Victory
Day. Besides, it is hoisted half mast on national and international mourning
days. Whenever we see our national flag flying, our mind is filled with joy and
hearts swell in pride. We feel proud of our national flag. (Words : 211)
(a) What does early rising mean?
(b) What are the benefits of early rising? (c) What does early rising remind?
(d) How can an early riser become healthy, wealthy and wise?
Early
Rising
The habit of early rising provides a lot of benefits to the
early riser. It is really a very good habit for a human being. A man who rises
early in the morning can from many other good habits. All these good habits can
lead him or her to the zenith of success. It is of special use to a man in
various ways. It is essential for maintaining good health. Firstly, an early
riser can take some exercises daily or a walk in the morning fresh air by the
river side or in the open field. The morning air full of oxygen refreshes his
body and mind. Secondly, he can enjoy the calm and serene atmosphere
everywhere. Thirdly, he can enjoy the beauty of nature full of colourful flowers,
green fields and the chirping of birds. All these make an early riser cheerful
and healthy. Fourthly, he can start his daily work earlier without any worry or
haste. Thus he gets enough time to work, earn more and become wealthy. The
habit of early rising reminds everybody of the creator and one feels like
praying to God. Thus he becomes wise. So, the habit of early rising is the source of health, wealth and wisdom.
(Words : 206)
(a) When does
sound pollution happen? (b) Where is sound pollution very acute and why? (c)
What are the causes of sound pollution? (d) What are the effects of sound
pollution? (e) How can sound pollution be removed?
Sound
Pollution
There are many causes of sound pollution having harmful
effects on human body and mind. Sound pollution occurs when the vibration of
sound is harsh, sharp and unpleasant to the ears. Acute sound pollution occurs
in towns, cities and industrial areas. There are many causes of sound
pollution. Enormous growth of human population and increasing use of machines
in industrial works are among the main causes of sound pollution. Hydraulic
horns and whistles of different motor vehicles plying on the roads also cause
serious sound pollution. The grinding sounds of mills and factories also
contribute to sound pollution to a great extent. Listening to music using
microphones and loudspeakers, beating various kinds of drums, shouting of
slogans on the roads also cause serious harmful sound pollution. Sound
pollution causes many fatal diseases like heart attack, hyper tension, blood
pressure, deafness etc. The normal growth of the children and the patients in
hospitals are greatly affected by sound. Unmelodious and discontented sound often
hinders the students to concentrate on their studies. It is man and the
environment that can avert sound pollution for a healthy and happy life. The
responsible authority of the government should take proper steps to reduce
sound pollution to the limit of tolerance. (Words : 206)
(a)
What is E-learning? (b) How is its content delivered? (c) What things are
included in it? (d) What are the uses and effects of it?
E-learning
E-learning or electronic learning
refers to using electronic applications and
processes to learn. E-learning applications and processes include Web-based
learning, computer-based learning, virtual classrooms
and digital collaboration. Content is delivered via the internet,
intranet/extranet, audio or video tape, satellite TV, and CD-ROM. E-learning was
first called "Internet-based training then "Web-Based Training".
Today we will still find these terms being used. E-learning can be CD-ROM-based,
network-based, intranet-based or internet-based. It can include text, video,
audio, animation and virtual environments. It can be a very rich learning
experience that can even surpass the level of training we might experience in a
crowded classroom. It's self-paced, hands-on learning. The quality of the
electronic-based training, as in every form of training, is in its content and
its delivery. E-learning can suffer from many of the same pitfalls as classroom
training, such as boring slides, monotonous speech, and little opportunity for
interaction. The beauty of e-learning, however, is that new software allows the
creation of very effective learning environments that can engulf us in the
material. We'll use software from Trainersoft as
an example to show us how the process works. E-learning is such a process
through which we can learn many things staying at home. So we should receive
the blessings of this method. (Words : 210)
(a) What do you mean by
punctuality? (b) What are the benefits of punctuality? (c) What happens to an unpunctual
man? (d) What are the effects of unpunctuality? (e) What should be done to
maintain punctuality?
Punctuality
Punctuality
means to do the duty in its proper time. It is a very essential quality of
life. It is considered to be the noblest of all virtues. It is the mark of a civilized
and cultured people. It is the habit of doing things in correct time. Doing
things in time, thus, saves us from unnecessary troubles. Our life is short but
art is long. So we have to do a lot of works within a limited time. If we
perform our duty in proper time, we can do many things. But if we leave today’s
work for tomorrow, it may so happen that
we may not have time to do it and suffer in the long run. There are many
advantages of punctuality. It gives discipline to life. Next, it dispels
laziness and removes our take it-easy-attitude.
A punctual person always gets recognition and social acceptance. Therefore,
punctuality can make us socially acceptable people. It provides ample time to
do our work correctly and properly. Doing things hurriedly or haphazardly can
have disastrous effects. Punctuality is the precondition of being fully
successful in life. Want of punctuality reveals want of culture. All of us are
not born with the virtue of punctuality. We have to cultivate it painstakingly.
Only constant, vigil and practice can implant this virtue. (Words : 219)
(a) What is meant by global warming? (b) What is the
main cause of global warming? How does
it occur? (c) What will happen as a result of long term global worming? (d)
What should be done to solve this problem?
Global
Warming
Global
warning is one of the most talked topics of the present world. There are many
reasons of global warming around the world and it has disastrous effects on us.
Greenhouse effect is the main cause of global warming. The rise in the
atmospheric temperature is known as greenhouse effect. Our atmosphere is guarded by an ozone layer which resists the entrance
of ultra-violet rays from the sun. But
deforestation around us and the increased amount of carbon dioxide, methane and
chloro fluoro carbons affect that layer. The heat of the sun enters directly
into the atmosphere of the earth. Scientists are worried about this increased
heat because it is melting the ice in the polar-regions. If this process
continues for a long time, the layer of water in the oceans will rise and flood
coastal areas and farm lands of Bangladesh. besides,
this will reduce mankind's ability to grow food, destroy or severely damage wild life and wilderness. So,
greenhouse effect is the main cause of global warming along with deforestation
and rise of CFC gas. So, in order to solve this problem we have to prevent or
reduce the amount of emission of greenhouse gases. We should give it the
highest importance to save the world. (Words : 207)
(a)
What role does a woman play in the development of a country? (b) What are the
traditional roles of women? (c) How do we know that their role is changing now?
(d) What are the women doing now? (e) What should be done to improve their
contribution to the society and country?
Changing Role
of Women
No nation can achieve success without the participation of women in any
society. Women can play a vital role in their family as well as in the society.
They perform the duties of a mother, a wife, a home maker etc. It is a common
belief that women should do these traditional duties. It is very encouraging to
observe that women are no more confined (mxgve×) within their homes. They are
no more only mother and home maker, they are no more dependent on men. Their
role is changing gradually. It is noticed with pleasure that the very old idea
that women for birth and men for field is being changed. Women are getting
educated. They have started earning and contributing to the family income. They
are also participating in hard work, both official and unofficial. They are
participating in armed forces. Women are becoming pilot, and they are also
conducting business. So, the contribution of women is no more negligible. This
situation makes us very hopeful about the future. So, our women should take
proper education and acquire (AR©b Kiv) efficiency (`¶Zv). People of every walk of life
should come forward to help and encourage women to change their traditional
roles and by doing so they can wipe out poverty and develop their own nation
and fate. (Words : 218)
(a) What
is street accident? (b) Where do the
street accidents generally take place? (c) What are the causes of street accidents? (d) What do people generally lose in the accidents? (e) How can this problem be solved?
Street Accident
Street accident is the most vulnerable,
unexpected, intolerable incident in human life. It usually happens in a sudden
happy moment and turns the happiness into sorrow and sufferings. Nowadays,
Bangladesh becomes one of the most accident prone countries where generally,
this bad incident happens mostly. It generally takes place on the High Streets,
where all the vehicles are always in a hurry. All on a sudden, this busy road
turns to a pathetic place holding some dead and injured. Street accident caused
this kind of unexpected incident but if we find the reasons of this, then, at
first the ignorance of traffic rules is found. Always we ignore the traffic
rules as if we love to do it and it causes accident. Most of the vehicles are
nearly damaged but they are on road, the drivers are not well trained and not
sincere to their duty etc. Because of these above mentioned reasons, street
accident usually happens. So people lose their life, the most valuable thing,
property and so many important things. And to solve this, some attempts should
be taken by the government and individual alike. Making the traffic rules
strict, we should make people aware of it and in all, individual should take
care of these rules and maintain it. (Words : 212)
(a) What does Baishakhi mela mean? When does it occur? (b) What are the
attractions of Baishakhi mela? (c) How did you feel when you visited a Baishakhi
mela? (d) How did the Baishakhi mela work as a market for cottage industries?
(e) What things did you enjoy in the mela?
Baishakhi Mela I Visited
Last year I went to the Baishakhi Mela
at Ramna. I went there with my classmates. When we entered the fair, it was
evening. I was surprised to see the decoration of the fair. The whole area was
decorated with colourful lights and festoons. The environment of the fair
charmed me a lot. There were stalls of earthen pottery, cosmetics, sweetmeats,
bamboo flutes, toys, traditional handicrafts and so on. I also saw some stalls
of watered rice and our national fish. Young girls wearing white and red
coloured mixed sarees were helping the customers there to buy something.
Circus, merry-go-round (Nagordolla), puppet show, magic show etc. were the main
attractions of the fair. There were also arrangements of Bangla folk songs like
Zaree, Saree, Polligeeti etc. The fair also worked as a market for cottage
industries. The artisans, potters and weavers were encouraged by it. The
security of the fair was very praiseworthy. A lot of police and volunteers were
appointed there. Moving around the fair I along with my friends saw everything.
We ate many rare sweetmeats. I felt very pleased going to the fair. There I saw
people of all ages and religions. I look upon the fair as a symbol of our
national unity. (Words : 207)
(a) Who is your favourite teacher? (b) Which subject
does he teach? (c) How does he teach? (d) What is the speciality about his
teaching? (e) How does he treat students? (f) Why do you like him? (g) Do you
want to be a teacher like him?
My
Favourite Teacher
Mr. K. Rahman is my most favourite teacher. He teaches us English. He
has a unique quality to teach English. He presents his lesson in the class in a
fantastic way that attracts all students. His nice pronunciation and art of
speaking make the students spell-bound to give full attention to his lecture.
But he is very easy and lucid in his expression. He is quite active in the
classroom with his movements and sayings. He gives us many valuable
suggestions. Students always become active participants of his class. He usually shares his
own ideas and views with the students through instructions and interrogations.
He has an extra-ordinary ability to explore the potentials of students. He
never discourages his students by attacking them on any ground. It is his most
uncommon quality that students praise significantly. He is always regular and
punctual in his classes. He makes his lessons very easy and interesting. With
an extra-ordinary depth of knowledge in his subject he is an excellent teacher.
He is honest, sincere and responsible and with all his good qualities he has
become a great personality in our college. In fact, his greatness has created a
sense of inspiration to me. Now I often dream to be a teacher in future like
him. Truly I like my teacher so much. (Words : 219)
(a) What are the main religious groups living is
Festivals
in
There are
several popular festivals in
(a) When is a teacher regarded as a good teacher?
(b) How does a good teacher approach students? (c) What does a good teacher do
in the classroom? (d) How does a teacher become a good skilled teacher? (e)
What does a good teacher do for the society? (f) How is a good teacher honoured
in the society?
A
Good Teacher
A teacher is
one who proves herself/himself very much useful and ideal to the students.
Actually a good teacher possesses a number of good qualities. She/he is a person
of great learning. She/he appears before the students as a great personality
with immense knowledge in various subjects of interest. Students usually take
her/him with great respect and confidence. As she/he builds up the career of
the young generation, she/he must be very much loving to them. A good teacher
is always curious about the students. She/he finds out the creative sides of
the students and stirs their potentialities. She/he never likes passive
students in the classroom. She/he always tries to stimulate students so that
they contribute to the development of the class activities. By making them
competent and happy with their lessons a good teacher makes them confident of
their worth. She/he wants to make her/his students skilled in practical application
of the lessons. She/he undergoes various academic and administrative training
courses and equips herself/ himself with necessary resources and efficiencies.
A good teacher is an asset to the society. She/he plays the most important role
to build the nation. So a good teacher should be duly honoured and properly
placed in the society. (Words : 217)
(a) What is greenhouse effect? (b) What factors are
responsible for causing greenhouse effect? (c) Does it have any global warming?
(d) What may be the consequence of this climate disaster? (e) What would you
suggest we should do to get rid of this problem?
Greenhouse
Effect
Greenhouse effect is the curse of global warming. The rise in atmospheric
temperature is known as the greenhouse effect. Our atmosphere is guarded by an
ozone layer which resists the entrance of ultra-violet rays from the sun. The
ultra-violet ray is very harmful for the environment. But deforestation around
us and the increased amount of carbon dioxide, methane and chloro-floro carbons
affect that layer. As a result the heat of the sun enters directly into the
atmosphere of the earth. This situation is making the worlds warmer and causing
climate change throughout the world. Scientists are worried about this
increased heat because it is melting the ice in the polar regions
(†gi“ AÂj). If this process continues for a long time, the
layer of water in the oceans will rise and flood coastal areas and farm lands
of Bangladesh will go under water. besides,
this will reduce mankind's ability to grow food, destroy or severely damage
wild life and wilderness. So, for making our dear earth safe, we should plant
as many trees as possible. We have to prevent or reduce the amount of emission
of green house gases. Everybody should take part to make a safe world. United
efforts are essential to solve this global problem. (Words : 205)
(a) Who
is a street hawker? (b) Where does he
usually live? (c) How does he earn
his livelihood? (d) How does he
attract the customers? (e) What is
his life style?
A Street Hawker
A street
hawker is a person who hawks various things by moving from one street to
another. He is a familiar figure in cities and towns; even he is seen in
villages. He carries his goods on head, in hands or in a small hand-cart. A
street hawker usually sells toys, sweets and other things. He also sells
bangles, ribbons, clothes, fancy goods and things of domestic use for women.
His main customers are children and women. He is very clever. He can convince
his customers with his tactful words. He buys his goods at a cheap rate and
sells them at a good profit. He knows it very well when to come out to sell his
things. He comes out when the male persons are outside the homes and the women
are free from their household works/ chores. He makes a good profit by selling
his goods to children and women because he can deceive them easily. He attracts
the attention of his customers by speaking in different ways. He may be cunning
but his usefulness to children and women cannot be ignored. He bring many necessary
things at our door. Although he is useful to them and he works hard, he leads a
miserable life. (Words : 207)
(a) What is a World Heritage Site? (b) Who declares
it? (c) How is it declared? (d) How many world Heritage Sites are there in
Bangladesh and what are they? (e) Describe the World Heritage Sites in
Bangladesh.
World Heritage Sites in
Bangladesh
A World
Heritage Site is a place (natural or cultural) recognised by the international
community in the shape of the World Heritage Convention declared by UNESCO in
1972. It is historically and geographically important. It possesses an
universal value and it is a collective responsibility of the world's people to
preserve it. Bangladesh is a small country. Though a small country, Bangladesh
has three World Heritage Sites : the historic Shatgombuj Mosque of Bagerhat,
the ruins of the Buddhist Vihar at Paharpur and the Sundarbans.
The Shatgombuj Mosque is a 15th Century Islamic
edifice. It is an enormous Moghul architectural site covering a very large area.
It has sixty pillars, which support seventy seven exquisitely curved domes. The
Buddhist Vihar at Paharpur was founded in the 7th century. Its layout is
perfectly adapted to its religious function. It is the largest single Buddhist
monastery (gV) in the Indian
subcontinent. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1986. The Sundarbans is
the 52nd World Heritage Site in the world. It is a mangrove forest and it is
famous for its natural beauty. The world famous Royal Bengal Tiger lives in
this forest. It has a peaceful atmosphere. It is renowned for its great variety
of wild life. These are our pride. We should be aware of our duties and responsibilities
regarding the World Heritage Sites. (Words : 223)
(a) What is the significance of May Day? (b) What happened on that day and where? (c) What was the condition of the workers before May Day? (d) What benefit do the workers of the present day enjoy? (e) How is it observed around the world including Bangladesh?
May
Day
May 1st is
International Workers' Day. This day commemorates the historic struggle of working
people. The events of May 1, 1886 is a reminder that workers will continue to
be exploited until they stand up and speak out to gain better working
conditions, better pay and better lives. In Chicago on May 3, 1886 police fired
at the workers who were on strike demanding 8 hours working period a day, a
minimum wage and safety laws. Since then, May Day has been observed almost all
over the world. This day is also observed in Bangladesh in a befitting manner.
This is a national holiday. The trade unions and general workers organize
seminar, symposium or discussion meetings. They pay homage to the May Day
martyrs who laid down their lives for realizing the rights of the working
people. The newspapers and journals bring out special supplements highlighting
the significance of the day. The BTV & the Radio put up special programs on
the occasion. Different labour organizations chalk out elaborate programs to
observe the day. People from different walks of life observe May Day and recall
the sacrifices of the workers in 1886. We encourage our workers to build the
country. We express solidarity and unity with the toiling people of the world. (Words : 212)