1. Read the passage and answer the questions A and B.
My name is Amerigo. I am 13 years old and I live on the street, alone. My mother, who is separated from my father, doesn't want me. She told me to go away ... Now she is married to another man. My father lives very far away. I want to go to him, but he won't take me either. I begged him to send me some money so that I could buy a bus ticket. I am still waiting. He hasn't answered.
The streets are now my home. Sometimes I find work. I used to collect trash and sell it to a vendor. I stopped doing that after I had a serious infection and a doctor told me to stay away from the trash dump. Once I worked for an ice cream shop owner and sold ice cream on the beach. But I got no money in return. The owner of the shop gave me something to eat, and let me sleep in his hut at night. The work was difficult and painful. The ice cream box is quite heavy when it is full. I had to walk for hours, offering my ice cream to whoever wanted to buy. There were days when I could not even sell one ice cream.
In a way, I am lucky because I am alive. My friends who work sorting rubbish in dumps often suffer from serious diseases. One of them was recently killed after he fell into a hole that opened up in the pile of trash. Many of us work for 10 to 12 hours, and get so little in return that we can't even buy food.
Shoe-shining is very popular among the street kids. A few of my friends also work in factories and workshops. A boy I know lost one of his eyes after a piece of hot glass flew into his eye at the glass factory where he worked. The owner refused to pay for medical help and fired him.
For me, like all other children on the street, it is very hard. I am always hungry, and I don't know where I will sleep the next night. I would like to live in my own home and sleep there in peace. The nights are very cold in the winter. You can die of cold in the street.
A. Choose the correct answer from the alternatives. 1☓5 = 5
(a) What is the meaning of the word 'separate'?
(i) waste (ii) divide (iii) serious (iv) busy
(b) The word 'vendor' refers to —.
(i) dealer (ii) suffer (iii) friend (iv) relative
(c) Amerigo's present residence is —.
(i) hill (ii) forest (iii) slum (iv) street
(d) Which word describes the word 'refuse' best?
(i) accept (ii) decline (iii) serious (iv) important
(e) The expression '... can die of cold...' in the context means —.
(i) may die because of cold weather (ii) may be sick because of cold weather
(iii) may get cold (iv) may suffer from fever
(f) The phrase 'far away' refers to —.
(i) field (ii) close (iii) afar (iv) nearby
(g) Amerigo's parents are —.
(i) egocentric (ii) selfless (iii) benevolent (iv) self-centered
(h) Where did Amerigo sell ice cream?
(i) sea shore (ii) sea beach (iii) coast (iv) all the above
(i) Amerigo is a/ an —.
(i) adult (ii) teenager (iii) child (iv) all of the above
(j) What does the word 'fire' mean in the passage?
(i) flame (ii) force out from job (iii) fuel (iv) both (i) and (ii)
(k) Amerigo begged money from his father for —.
(i) buying food (ii) arranging a shelter (iii) buying bus ticket (iv) all the above
(l) Which statement is not true about Amerigo?
(i) a street urchin (ii) does odd jobs (iii) lives in streets (iv) works in a factory
(m) What is more popular among the street kids?
(i) working in factories (ii) collecting trash (iii) shining-shoes (iv) selling ice-cream
(n) The streets are considered as — to Amerigo.
(i) working place (ii) school (iii) home (iv) workshop
(o) The street children work almost —.
(i) half of the day (ii) two third of the day (iii) the whole day (iv) one third of the day
(p) Which work causes infection?
(i) selling ice-cream (ii) collecting trash (iii) shoe-shining (iv) working in factories
(q) "I am always hungry, and I don't know where I will sleep the next night."— this statement refers to —.
(i) the uncertainty of Amerigo's life (ii) the certainty of Amerigo's life
(iii) the predictability of Amerigo's life (iv) none of the above
(r) What did he get by selling ice-cream?
(i) money and food (ii) money and shelter (iii) food and shelter (iv) money, food and shelter
(s) What do you understand by "trash dump"?
(i) waste-yard (ii) garbage (iii) dung (iv) beach
(t) The word "owner" refers to —.
(i) a person who owes (ii) a person who owns (iii) a person who buys (iv) all the above
(u) "But I got no money in return'- here 'return' means —
(i) come back (ii) repeat (iii) result (iv) exchange
(v) According to the passage the closest meaning of the word "peace" is —
(i) tranquility (ii) comfort (iii) rest (iv) trouble
Answer (A):
(a) (ii) divide (b) (i) dealer (c) (iv) street (d) (ii) decline (e) (i) may die because of cold weather (f) (iii) afar (g) (iv) self centered (h) (iv) all the above (i) (ii) teenager (j) (ii) force out from job (k) (iii) buying bus ticket (l) (iv) works in a factory (m) (iii) shining-shoes (n) (iii) home (o) (i) half of the day (p) (ii) collecting trash (q) (i) the uncertainty of Amerigo's life (r) (iii) food and shelter (s) (i) waste-yard (t) (ii) a person who owns (u) (iv) exchange (v) (ii) comfort
B. Answer the following questions. 2☓5 = 10
(a) What do you know about Amerigo? Describe in brief.
(b) What was Amerigo's first job? What made him stop doing that job?
(c) How was one of Amerigo's friends killed?
(d) How many hours do the street children work for and how do they earn?
(e) What does Amerigo desire now? Should he deserve such things? Why/ Why not?
(f) Why does Amerigo live in street?
(g) Why Amerigo's parents do not accept him?
(h) How was he paid for selling ice-cream?
(i) Who are street children?
(j) What do the street children long for?
(k) What are the popular jobs among the street children?
(l) What is the reason behind Amerigo's sufferings?
(m) "I am lucky because I am alive."- What do you understand by this statement?
(n) Do the street children get hygienic atmosphere to live in? Write the reasons supporting your answer.
(o) What can happen at the nights of winter?
(p) Who is Amerigo and where does he live?
(q) How was the condition of Amerigo's parents?
(r) Why did Amerigo stop collecting trash?
Answer (B):
(a) What do you know about Amerigo? Describe in brief.
Amerigo is a 13-year-old boy who lives on the street all alone. His mother does not want him, and his father also does not care for him. He has no home, no family, and no money. He does small jobs to survive, but life is very hard for him. He is always hungry and does not know where he will sleep at night.
(b) What was Amerigo's first job? What made him stop doing that job?
Amerigo’s first job was collecting trash and selling it to a vendor. He would go to the garbage dump, pick up useful things, and sell them. But one day, he got a serious infection, and a doctor told him that the garbage dump was very dangerous. So, he stopped doing that job.
(c) How was one of Amerigo's friends killed?
One of Amerigo’s friends was working in a big garbage dump. Suddenly, a hole opened in the trash, and he fell inside. He could not come out and died there. This shows that working in trash dumps is very dangerous for street children.
(d) How many hours do the street children work for, and how do they earn?
Street children work for 10 to 12 hours every day. They do different small jobs like collecting trash, shining shoes, or working in factories. But they get very little money, which is not even enough to buy food.
(e) What does Amerigo desire now? Should he deserve such things? Why/ Why not?Amerigo wants a home where he can live peacefully. He wants to sleep in a warm place and eat proper food. Yes, he deserves these things because every child should have a safe home, food, and care. No child should live on the street and suffer like Amerigo.
(f) Why does Amerigo live on the street?
Amerigo lives on the street because his mother told him to leave. She married another man and does not want him. His father also lives far away and refuses to help him. With no home and no family, Amerigo has no choice but to live on the street.
(g) Why do Amerigo's parents not accept him?
Amerigo’s mother has remarried and does not want to take care of him. His father also refuses to accept him or send him money. Amerigo begged his father to help him buy a bus ticket to go to him, but his father never answered.
(h) How was he paid for selling ice cream?
When Amerigo sold ice cream, he did not get any money. Instead, the shop owner gave him some food and allowed him to sleep in his hut at night. The work was very hard because he had to carry a heavy box of ice cream and walk for hours, but sometimes, he could not even sell one ice cream.
(i) Who are street children?
Street children are kids who have no home and live on the streets. They do small jobs to survive, but they have no proper food, no safe place to sleep, and no family to care for them.
(j) What do the street children long for?
Street children want a better life. They wish to have a home, enough food, and a safe place to sleep. They do not want to live in fear, hunger, and cold every day.
(k) What are the popular jobs among the street children?
Many street children work as shoe shiners. Some also work in factories or collect trash to sell. But these jobs are dangerous, and they do not earn much money.
(l) What is the reason behind Amerigo's sufferings?
Amerigo suffers because his parents abandoned him. He has no home, no family, and no one to help him. He has to work hard every day just to survive.
(m) "I am lucky because I am alive." - What do you understand by this statement?
Amerigo says this because life on the street is very dangerous. Many street children die from accidents, hunger, diseases, or cold weather. He feels lucky just to be alive, even though his life is very hard.
(n) Do the street children get a hygienic atmosphere to live in? Write the reasons supporting your answer.
No, street children do not live in a clean and safe place. They live in dirty streets, garbage dumps, or abandoned buildings. They have no clean water, proper food, or medicine. This makes them sick and weak.
(o) What can happen at the nights of winter?
Winter nights are very cold, and street children have no warm clothes or blankets. If the cold is too strong, they can die because they have no way to protect themselves.
(p) Who is Amerigo and where does he live?
Amerigo is a 13-year-old boy who has no home. He lives on the street because his parents abandoned him.
(q) How was the condition of Amerigo's parents?
Amerigo’s mother has remarried and does not want him. His father lives far away and refuses to help him. Neither of them cares for him.
(r) Why did Amerigo stop collecting trash?
Amerigo stopped collecting trash because he got a serious infection. A doctor warned him that working in the garbage dump was dangerous, so he had to stop.
Bangla Translation
বাংলা অনুবাদঃ
আমার নাম অ্যামেরিগো। আমার বয়স ১৩ বছর এবং আমি রাস্তায় একাকী বসবাস করি। আমার মা, যে আমার পিতা থেকে পৃথক থাকে, আমাকে চান না। তিনি আমাকে চলে যেতে বলেছিলেন..... এখন তিনি অন্য একজনকে বিয়ে করেছেন। আমার পিতা অনেক দূরে বাস করেন। আমি তার কাছে যেতে চাই, কিন্তু তিনি আমাকে নেবেন না। আমি কিছু টাকা পাঠানোর জন্য তাকে অনুরোধ করেছিলাম এজন্য যে আমি যাতে একটি বাস টিকিট কিনতে পারি। এখনও পর্যন্ত আমি অপেক্ষা করছি। তিনি কোনো উত্তর দেননি।
রাস্তা-ই এখন আমার বাসা। মাঝে মাঝে আমি কাজ পাই। আমি আবর্জনা সংগ্রহ করি এবং এটি ব্রিকতোর কাছে বিক্রয় করি। আমার ভয়ানক একটি সংক্রমণ হওয়ায় একজন ডাক্তার আমাকে আবর্জনা স্তুপ থেকে দূরে থাকতে বলায় আমি এগুলো করা বন্ধ করেছিলাম। একদা আমি একটি আইসক্রীমের দোকান মালিকের হয়ে কাজ করতাম এবং সমুদ্রতীরে আইসক্রীম বিক্রি করতাম। কিন্তু বিনিময়ে আমি কোন টাকা পেতাম না। দোকানের মালিক আমাকে কিছু খেতে দিতেন এবং রাতে তার কুঁড়েঘরে ঘুমাতে দিতেন। কাজটি খুবই কঠিন এবং বেদনাদায়ক ছিল। আইসক্রীম বক্সটি খুবই ভারী হত যখন এটি পূর্ণ থাকত। যারা আইসক্রীম নিতে চাইতো তাদের দেওয়ার জন্য আমাকে ঘণ্টার পর ঘণ্টা হাটতে হত। এমনও দিন গেছে যেদিন আমি একটা আইসক্রীমও বিক্রি করতে পারতাম না।
এভাবে আমি ভাগ্যবান যে আমি বেঁচে আছি। আমার বন্ধুরা যারা আবর্জনা আলাদা করার কাজ করে তারা প্রায়ই মারাত্মক রোগে ভোগে। তাদের মধ্যে একজন কিছুদিন আগে একটি গর্তে পড়ে মারা গিয়েছিল যা ময়লার স্তুপে ভরা ছিল। আমাদের অনেকেই ১০ থেকে ১২ ঘন্টা কাজ করি এবং বিনিময়ে খুব কম মূল্য পাই যা দিয়ে আমরা এমনকি খাবারও কিনতে পারি না।
পথশিশুদের জন্য জুতা পালিশ করা খুবই জনপ্রিয়। আমার কিছু বন্ধু কলকারখানা ও ওয়ার্কশপ-এ কাজ করে। তার কারখানায় এক টুকরা গরম কাচের টুকরা উড়ে এসে চোখে পড়ায় আমার পরিচিত এক ছেলে একটি চোখ হারিয়েছিল। মালিক তাকে কোনো চিকিৎসা সেবা দিতে অস্বীকার করে এবং চাকরি হতে বরখাস্ত করে।
আমার মতো রাস্তার অন্যান্য শিশুদের জন্য এটি খুবই কঠিন কাজ। আমি সর্বদা ক্ষুধার্ত থাকি এবং আমি এটি জানি না যে পরবর্তী রাতে আমি কোথায় ঘুমাব। আমি আমার নিজের ঘরে থাকতে এবং শান্তিতে ঘুমাতে পছন্দ করতাম। শীতকালের রাত খুবই ঠান্ডা। তুমি ঠাণ্ডাতে রাস্তায় মারা যেতে পার।
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vocabulary words from the text with their Bangla meanings:
Street - রাস্তা
Alone - একা
Separated - বিচ্ছিন্ন
Married - বিবাহিত
Vendor - বিক্রেতা
Trash - আবর্জনা
Infection - সংক্রমণ
Doctor - ডাক্তার
Garbage - ময়লা
Dangerous - বিপজ্জনক
Owner - মালিক
Ice cream - আইসক্রিম
Heavy - ভারী
Beach - সমুদ্র সৈকত
Work - কাজ
Lucky - ভাগ্যবান
Alive - জীবিত
Friends - বন্ধু
Disease - রোগ
Killed - নিহত
Hole - গর্ত
Pile - স্তূপ
Rubbish - আবর্জনা
Shoes - জুতা
Factory - কারখানা
Glass - কাঁচ
Fire - আগুন
Owner - মালিক
Medical help - চিকিৎসা সহায়তা
Fired - চাকরি হারানো
Hungry - ক্ষুধার্ত
Sleep - ঘুম
Winter - শীতকাল
Cold - ঠান্ডা
Die - মারা যাওয়া
Food - খাবার
Home - ঘর
Safe - নিরাপদ
Suffer - কষ্ট পাওয়া
Support - সহায়তা
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