CHATTOGRAM BOARD ― 2017
                                                               ENGLISH (COMPULSORY) FIRST PAPER

​

Read the passage and answer the questions A and B.
The term ‘diaspora' is used to refer to people who have left their home lands and settled in other parts of the world, either because they were forced to do so or because they wanted to leave on their own. The word is increasingly used for such people as a collective group and/or a community. The world has seen many diasporas but scholars have been studying the phenomenon with great interest only In recent decades. Among the great diasporas of history is that of the Jewish people, who were forced to leave their lands in ancient times. The movement of Aryans from Central Europe to the Indian nub- continent thousands of years ago is also a noteworthy diaspora, although the causes of this diaspora are unclear. In twentieth century history, the Palestinian diaspora has attracted a lot of attention and been a cause of concern for world leaders because of the plight of Palestinians. There have been massive diasporas in Africa, too, over the centuries, either because of war or because of the ravages of nature. But the chief reason why the phenomenon of diaspora is attracting so much attention now is globalization.

A. Choose the correct answer from the alternatives.                                                               1 x 5 = 5
    (a) The word 'decade' refers to ––––
          (i) thirty years           (ii) fifty years            (iii) ten years             (iv) five years
    (b)  What does diaspora mean?
        (i)   People who live in their own country.
         (ii)   People who go abroad.
       (iii)  People who work in other countries.
       (iv) People who leave their own countries and settle In other, parts of the world.
  (c) The synonym of 'noteworthy is —-—.
     (i) insignificant                (ii) noticeable             (iii) invaluable            (iv) appropriate
  (d) The Aryans came to the Indian sub-continent from-------.
    (i) America                       (ii) Africa                   (iii) Central Europe     (iv) Europe
  (e) In Africa, there have been----.
    (i) massive diasporas       (ii) a little diasporas    (iii) no diasporas         (iv) very little diasporas

Answer:
1. A. Multiple choice
(a) → (iii) ten years;
(b)→ (iv) People who leave their own countries and settle in other parts of the world;
(c)→ (ii) noticeable;
(d)→ (iii) Central Europe;
(e)→ (i) massive diasporas.

B. Answer the following questions.
  (a) Why do people leave their own countries?
  (b) Do you think that there have been massive diasporas In Africa?
  (c) Why is diaspora attracting so much attention?
  (d) How do the twentieth century Palestinian diasporas draw the attention of the world leaders?
  (e) Why have the scholars been studying about the diasporas with great interest?

Answer:
B. Open-ended
  (i) people leave their own countries and settle in other parts of the world because they are often forced to leave their homeland or they prefer to do so of their own accord.
  (ii) Yes, I think that there have been massive diasporas in Africa over the centuries due to war or ravages of nature.
  (iii) The questions of diaspora now is attracting so much attention mainly because of the advantages of globalization.
  (iv) The Palestinian diasporas in the twentieth century have been able to draw a lot of attention of the world leaders because of the untold sufferings of the Palestinians.
  (v)  The issue of diasporas is an old one. Scholars have been studying about the diasporas with great interest to identify the reasons of the increasing diasporas and to put forward their recommendations with a view to putting an end to this ever-increasing problem.

 

 

 

                                                                              DINAJPUR BOARD ― 2017
                                                                    ENGLISH (COMPULSORY) FIRST PAPER

1. Read the following text and answer the questions A and B.
Adolescents constitute a nation's core resource for national renewal and growth.  Adolescence is a period in life when transition from childhood to adulthood takes place and behaviours and lifestyles are shaped.  According to the World Health Organization (WHO), adolescence is the period which shapes the future of million adolescents in Bangladesh; 13.7 million of them are girls and 14.3 millions boys.

 The situation of adolescent girls in Bangladesh is characterised by inequality and subordination within the family and society. This inequality leads to widespread practice of child marriage, marginalisation or exclusion from health, education and economic opportunities, and vulnerability to violence and sexual abuse.

In Bangladesh, the legal age of marriage is 18 for girls and 21 for boys. However, 33 percent of adolescent girls are married before the age of 15 and 60 percent become mothers by the age of 19. Research finds that adolescents with higher level of education and from more affluent families tend to marry at a later age.  Boys, however, become ready for marriage only after several years of adolescence and young adulthood.

A.  Choose the correct answer from the alternatives.                                                           1x5=5
    (a) What could be the closest meaning for the word "constitute" in the first sentence?
    (i) take           (ii) form                (iii) add                          (iv) make

(b) The phrase "take place" in the second sentence stands for —
    (i) occur         (ii) recur                (Hi) go to a place         (iv) all of them

(c)  Adolescence is a-----period from childhood to adulthood.
  (i) transition     (ii) transitory          (iii) transitional     (iv) transient

(d)  The synonym of 'affluent' is----.
  (i) destitute      (ii) poor                (iii) poverty                (iv) well off

(e)  The word "economic" can be replaced by-------.

   (i) economy        (ii) economical          (iii) monetary   (iv) finance

Answer:

1. A. Multiple choice
  (a) ––– (ii) form:
(b) ––– (i) occur
  (c) ––– (iii) transitional
(d) ––– (iv) well oft
(e)––– (iii) monetary.

B. Answer the following questions.                                                                                            2X5=10
  (a) How will you define adolescence?
  (b) Why is adolescence important?
  (c) What do the adolescent girls in Bangladesh usually face?
  (d) What are the effects of female inequality in Bangladesh?
  (e) How do wealth and education Influence a girl's marriage?

Answer B.
Open-ended
(a) Adolescence is a period in life when transition from childhood to adulthood takes place and behaviours and lifestyles are shaped.
(b) Adolescence is important because this period shapes the future of girls' or boys' future lives.
(c) The adolescent girls in Bangladesh usually face inequality and subordination within the family and society.
(d) The effects of female inequality in Bangladesh are widespread practice of child marriage, marginalization or exclusion from health, education and economic opportunities and vulnerability to violence and sexual abuse, etc.
(e) A girl with higher level of education and from a more affluent family tends to marry at a later age. Thus wealth and education influence a girl's marriage.

 

 

 

                                                                             RAJSHAHI BOARD ― 2017
                                                                    ENGLISH (COMPULSORY) FIRST PAPER

Part-I: Reading (60 Marks)
1. Read the passage and answer the questions A and B.
Kuakata, locally known as Sagar Kannya (Daughter of the Sea) is a rare scenic spot located on the southernmost tip of Bangladesh. It is 70 km from Patuakhali district headquarters and 320 km from Dhaka. An excellent combination of the picturesque natural beauty, sandy beaches, blue sky and the shimmering expanse of water of the bay of Bengal and the evergreen forest makes Kuakata a much sought after tourist destination.

The name Kuakata takes its origin from the story of a ‘Kua’ ― or well- dug on the seashore by the early Rakhaine settlers for collecting drinking water. The Rakhaines had landed on Kuakata coast after being expelled from Arakan by the Mughals. Kuakata is a unique spot which allow a visitors to watch both the sunrise and the sunset from the beach. That perhaps makes Kuakata one of the world’s most attractive beaches. Kuakata is truly a virgin beach and a sanctuary for migratory winter birds. Fishing boats plying on the Bay of Bengal with colourful sails, surfing waves and the lines of coconut trees add to the vibrant colours of Kuakata. The indigenous culture of the Rakhaine community and hundred years old Buddhist temples indicate the age-old tradition and cultural heritage of this area.
A. Choose the correct answer from the alternatives.                                                                                    (a) Scenic spot refers to ――.
          (i) a place havin multiple scenes                           (ii) a place having a calm atmosphere
          (ii) a place of unparalleled natural beauty            (iv) a place having untidy spots
  (b) The word ‘shimmering’ in the text could be best replaced by ――.
          (i) shivering                     (ii) shining                     (iii) significant                       (iv) glaring
  (c) The Rakhine originally came from ――.
        (i) Ratuakhali district       (ii) Latachapali union     (iii) Kuakata coast      (iv) Arakan district
  (d) The best synonym of ‘vibrant’ is ――.
       (i) thrilling                        (ii) colourful                    (iii) gorgeous              (iv) brilliant
  (e) Kuakata is truly a virgin beach and sanctuary for migratory winter birds ―― what does it imply?
      (i) Kuakata is a beach in its original pure condition and a rare abode for guest birds.
      (ii) Kuakata is a place of rare beauty and world’s longest beach.
      (ii) Kuakata is untouched by human habitation.
      (iv) Kuakata is a natural habitat.

Answer:
1. A
a― (iii) a place of unparalleled natural beauty;
b― (ii) shining
c― (iv) Arakan district
d― (iv) brilliant
e― (i) Kuakata is a beach in its original pure condition and a rare abode for guest birds

  B. Answer the following questions.                                                                                                         2 × 5 = 10
     (a) What does the expression ‘a much south after tourist destination’ mean?
     (b) Where does the name Kuakata come from?
     (c) What makes Kuakata an attractive tourist spot?
     (d) Why would one visit Kuakata?
     (e) ‘Kuakata’ upholds an ancient tradition, how?

Answer:
B. Open-ended
(a) The expression ‘a much south after tourist destination’ means a very attractive tourist spot which the tourists of home and abroad greatly desire to visit.
(b) The name ‘Kuakata’ comes from the story of ‘Kua’ or well- dug on the seashore by the early Rakhine settlers for collecting drinking water.
(c) Kuakata has a genuine scenic beauty that attracts tourists. An excellent combination of the picuresque natural beauty, sandy beaches, blue sky and the shimmering expanse of water of the Bay-of Bengal and the evergreen forest makes Kuakata a much south after tourist destination.
(d) One would visit Kuakata, one of the most beautiful beaches of the world, to enjoy its scenic natural beauty, sandy and foamy beaches, blue sky, evergreen forest, shimmering and the surfing waves, migratory birds, the unending line of coconut trees, etc.
(e) Kuakata rightly upholds an ancient tradition and cultural heritage of this area being in possession of the native culture of the Rakhine community and hundred-year old Buddhist temples.

 

 

 

 

                                                                                   Dhaka Board – 2017

 

                                                                                     English First Paper

 

[N. B. ––The figures in the right margin indicate full marks. Answer all the questions.]

Part I

1. Read the passage and answer the questions A and B :––
One of the sources of water in our country are the rivers. Rivers are everywhere in our life, literature, economy, and culture. But are the rivers in good shape? Unfortunately, they are not. A fer are already dead and several are going through the pangs of death. The river Buriganga is an example of a dying river. A report published in the Daily Sun describes what has happened to the river Buriganga and why. Its water is polluted and a perpetual strench fills the air around it. But that is not what it was like before.
The report says that the river has a glorious past. Once it was a tributary of the mighty Ganges and flowed into the Bay of Bengal through the river Dhaleswari. Gradually, it lost its link with the Ganges and got the name Buriganga. The Mughals marveled at the tide level of the Buriganga and founded their capital Jahangirnagar on its banks in 1610. The river supplied drinking water and supported trade and commerce. Jahangirnagar was renamed Dhaka which grew into a heavily populated city with a chronic shortage of space.
The city paid back the bounty of the river by sucking life out of it! According to newspaper report, the Buriganga is dying because of pollution. Huge quantities of toxic chemicals and wastes from mills and factories, hospitals and clinics and households and other establishments are dumped into the river everyday. The city of Dhaka discharges about 4500 tons of solid waste everyday and most of it is directly released into the Buriganga. According to the department of the Environment (DoE) 20,000 tons of tannery waste, including some highly toxic materials are released into the river everyday. Experts identified nine industrial areas in and around the capital city as the primary sources of river pollution: Tongi, Tejgaon, Hazaribagh, Tarabo, Narayanganj, Savar, Gazipur, Dhaka Export Processing Zone and Ghorashal.

A. Choose the correct answer from the alternatives:–                                                                   1x5=5
(a) The word ‘tributary’ refers to –––––
(i) fountain (ii) territory (iii) stream (iv) kingdom
(b) The Buriganga water fills the air with ––––––
(i) aroma (ii) fragrance (iii) stink (iv) scent
(c) ––––––– founded their capital on the bank of the Buriganga.
(i) The British (ii) The Mughals (iii) The Indians (iv) The Bangladeshi
(d) Which of the following statement is false?
(i) Buriganga is a river (ii) Our rivers are not in good shape
(iii) Jahangirnagar was once called Dhaka (iv) Water is being contaminated
(e) The best synonym of ‘toxic’ is––––––––
(i) Poisonous (ii) Hygienic (iii) Healthy (iv) Useful

B. Answer the following questions :––                                                                                     2x5=10
(a) What do you think is the condition of the rivers of our country?
(b) What is the commercial value of the river Buriganga?
(c) Why is the Buriganga described as an example of a dying river? Give reasons for your answer.
(d) How is the Buriganga polluted?
(e) What did the Mughals marvel at? What was the outcome of it?