HSC - 2025 English 1st Paper Dhaka Board Questions with Answer

Set-02 

ENGLISH FIRST PAPER

[According to the Syllabus of 2025]

Subject Code: Time: 3 hours Full marks: 100

[N.B. The figures in the right margin indicate full marks.]

Part I—Reading Test (Marks: 60)

1. Read the passage and answer questions A and B:

At daylight, I was half-awakened by the sound of chopping. Again it was so even in texture that I went back to sleep. When I left my bed in the cool morning, the boy had come and gone, and a stack of kindling was neat against the cabin wall. He came after school in the afternoon and worked until time to return to the orphanage. His name was Jerry. He had been at the orphanage since he was four. I could picture him at four with the same grave gray-blue eyes and the same independence. No, the word that comes to me is ‘integrity’. It is bedded on courage, but it is more than brave. It is honest, but it is more than honesty.

The ax handle broke one day. Jerry said the woodshop at the orphanage would repair it. I brought money to pay for the job and he refused it. “I’ll pay for it,” he said. “I broke it. I brought the ax down carelessly.” “But no one hits accurately every time,” I told him. “The fault was in the wood of the handle. I’ll see the man from whom I bought it.” It was only then that he would take the money. He was standing back of his own carelessness. He was a free-will agent and he chose to do careful work, and if he failed, he took the responsibility without subterfuge.

And he did for me the unnecessary thing, the gracious thing, that we find done only by the great of heart. Things no training can teach, for they are done on the instant, with no predicated experience. He found a cubbyhole beside the fireplace that I had not noticed. There, of his own accord, he put kindling and ‘medium’ wood, so that I might have dry materials ready in case of sudden wet weather. A stone was loose in the rough walk to the cabin. He dug a deeper hole and steadied it, although he came himself by a shortcut over the bank. I found that when I tried to return his thoughtfulness with such things as candy and apples, he was wordless. ‘Thank you’ was perhaps an expression for which he had had no use, for his courtesy was instinctive. He only looked at the gift and at me, and a curtain lifted, so that I saw deep into the clear well of his eyes, and gratitude was there, and affection, soft over the firm granite of his character.

A. Choose the correct answer from the alternatives: 0.5×10=5

(a) Jerry’s courtesy was __________. (i) artificial (ii) acquired (iii) inborn (iv) taught

(b) What does the phrase ‘of his own accord’ indicate? (i) Half-heartedly (ii) Reluctantly (iii) Neutrally (iv) Willingly

(c) What does the word ‘subterfuge’ in the passage refer to? (i) Deception (ii) Honesty (iii) Openness (iv) Candidness

(d) Jerry wanted to get the ax handle __________. (i) repaired (ii) fixed (iii) made (iv) reshaped

(e) Jerry chose to do careful work because of his __________. (i) intelligence (ii) courage (iii) meanness (iv) responsibility

(f) The author was half-awakened by the __________. (i) sound of barking (ii) sound of footsteps (iii) sound of cutting wood (iv) sound of rain

(g) ‘Cubbyhole’ means __________. (i) a small enclosed space (ii) a noisy place (iii) a deep hole (iv) a snake hole

(h) ‘I saw deep into the clear well of his eyes’—What did the writer see? (i) Steadiness (ii) Gratefulness (iii) Farsightedness (iv) Freedom

(i) What does the word 'integrity' in the passage mean? (i) Intuition (ii) Simplicity (iii) Uprightness (iv) Incompleteness

(j) Jerry had been at the orphanage __________. (i) for four years (ii) for eight years (iii) for twelve years (iv) for six years

B. Answer the following questions: 3×5=15

(a) What unnecessary things did Jerry do for the authoress?

(b) How would Jerry usually react after getting gifts from the authoress?

(c) Why did Jerry refuse to take money from the authoress to repair the ax handle?

(d) Why was the authoress impressed with Jerry?

(e) Do you like the personality of Jerry? Why?

2. Read the following passage. Based on your reading, make short notes in each of the boxes in the flow-chart showing the functions of education. (No. 1 has been done for you). 1×5=5

Education not only enriches us with knowledge, abilities and skills, it also instills values. Values can be individual, interpersonal, organizational or societal. Thus, students receiving good education develop self-respect but also learn to respect others. They know the importance of honesty and learn to trust others; they develop compassion and fellow feeling and become aware of the need to protect the environment. If students combine the values they learn at home with those that the school gives them, they will not deviate from the right path unless they fall into bad company. The famous French writer Victor Hugo once said, "He who opens a school door, closes a prison.”

1. Enriches us with knowledge → 2. → 3. → 4. → 5. → 6.

3. Write a summary of the following text: 10

We spend money for different reasons. We buy food, clothes or everyday essentials, pay for different services, entertain people, travel to places, help others in need or invest in business and thus spend money every day. In fact, spending is a part of our life. Spending may make us happy or unhappy depending on how and why we spend. When we spend money on things that we need and within our limits, it is good. When it becomes a compulsive behaviour, it makes life stressful. Unnecessary spending or spending beyond one's means has some bad effects. For one thing, it may lead to financial ruin or debt, and for another, it may create unhappiness within families. People who overspend are never satisfied with what they have. They always rush for brands, fashion items, designer clothes etc. Over a period of time it becomes an addiction which may eventually create psychological problems.

4. Read the following text and fill in the blanks with suitable words from the box. There are more words than necessary. Make any grammatical changes if necessary. 1×10=10

scarce	educate	value	go	bring
study	waste	marry	decide	work
be	that	who	worry

Rokeya is a Bangladeshi girl (a) __________ is about to finish school but she has no hopes of (b) __________ on to college. Like millions of other parents, Rokeya's parents think that educating a daughter is a (c) __________ of time and money. They have (d) __________ that they will now marry her off and use their (e) __________ resources for their son’s education. Rokeya used to (f) __________ about lessons and tests, but now she worries more about getting (g) __________ and having children. She used to dream about being a teacher, but now faces a life of household chores and (h) __________ up children. She used to be happy being a girl but now wishes she (i) __________ a boy. If she were a boy, she would be able to (j) __________ in college and university.

5. Fill in the blanks with an appropriate word in each gap: 1×10=10

The world is producing millions of tons of domestic rubbish and (a) __________ industrial waste each year. It is becoming very difficult to find (b) __________ locations to get (c) __________ of all this refuse. The dumping of (d) __________ kinds of waste is seriously (e) __________ the environment. We know that air is an (f) __________ element of our environment. But the air is polluted by (g) __________. Water, another vital element of the environment, is polluted by different kinds of waste and filth. If we want to live a (h) __________ life, we should prevent the pollution of the environment. Total prevention may be (i) __________ but we can certainly reduce pollution by raising (j) __________ among people.

6. Re-arrange the following sentences to make a coherent order: 1×10=10

(a) As Saadi was dressed in his usual inexpensive attire, the courtier didn’t recognize him. (b) On his way back home from the emperor’s palace, Saadi deliberately stopped at the same courtier’s house. (c) During the meal, however, the guest began to put the delicacies into the folds of his fine clothes. (d) Sheikh Saadi, a renowned Persian poet, was travelling to the emperor's palace. (e) Saadi said that his clothes, in fact, deserved the food, reminding the host that last time he was shown poor hospitality because of his ordinary clothes. (f) Seeing the expensive clothes of the guest, the courtier and his men were extremely hospitable, offering him a spread of fine dishes. (g) Surprised, the courtier asked, "Why are you feeding your clothes, my honorable guest?” (h) Night fell on the way, and the poet took shelter in a courtier’s house. (i) This time, however, he was wearing the luxurious clothes given to him by the emperor. (j) So, he treated the great man with indifference, offering him only a small meal and poor accommodation.

Part II—Guided Writing (Marks: 40)

7. The graph shows the percentage of different types of books preserved in a college library. Analyze the graph in about 150 words. 15 [Graph to be provided to the student]

8. The following is the beginning of a story. Add around 150 words of your own to complete the story: 15 It was a foggy winter morning. Dr. Rabbi was driving home from the hospital after his exhausting overnight shift. Driving was difficult because of the haze. Suddenly, he felt he had driven past somebody sitting by the road. He stopped the car and backed up to see who it was. It was an elderly man, dressed in thin, ragged clothes...

9. Imagine you are Lisa/Latif. You have a Facebook friend in Australia. Recently, he/she has shown interest in visiting Bangladesh. Now write a letter to him/her giving a brief account of the sights and sounds of Bangladesh. 10

HSC - 2025 English 1st Paper Dhaka Board Questions' Answers

Answer Key: English First Paper (Set-02)

Part I—Reading Test

1. A. Multiple Choice Questions

(a) — (iii) inborn

(b) — (iv) Willingly

(c) — (i) Deception

(d) — (i) repaired

(e) — (iv) responsibility

(f) — (iii) sound of cutting wood

(g) — (i) a small enclosed space

(h) — (ii) Gratefulness

(i) — (iii) Uprightness

(j) — (ii) for eight years

1. B. Short Answer Questions

(a) Jerry did unnecessary but gracious things for the authoress, such as stacking kindling and medium wood in a cubbyhole for her in case of wet weather and steadying a loose stone in the walkway, even though he didn't use that path himself.

(b) When given gifts like candy or apples, Jerry would become wordless. Instead of saying 'thank you', he would simply look at the gift and at the authoress, his eyes showing deep gratitude and affection.

(c) Jerry refused to take money for the repair because he believed he had broken the ax handle due to his own carelessness. He felt it was his personal responsibility to pay for the damage he had caused.

(d) The authoress was impressed with Jerry's strong sense of integrity, responsibility, and honesty. She admired his choice to do careful work and to take responsibility for his failures without making excuses, as well as his instinctive, thoughtful courtesy.

(e) Yes, I like the personality of Jerry. He is a character of immense integrity, honesty, and responsibility. Despite his difficult upbringing in an orphanage, he demonstrates a maturity and a graciousness of heart that are very admirable and inspiring.

2. Flow Chart

Enriches us with knowledge → 2. Instills values in us → 3. Teaches us to develop self-respect → 4. Helps us learn to respect others → 5. Teaches us the importance of honesty → 6. Helps us develop compassion.

3. Summary

Spending money is an unavoidable part of daily life and can lead to either happiness or stress. Responsible spending on necessary items within one’s means contributes to well-being. However, compulsive or excessive spending has severe negative consequences, including financial ruin, family conflicts, and psychological issues like addiction. Modern advertising constantly tempts consumers, creating artificial needs. This can lead people, especially the young, into a debt trap through the misuse of credit cards. Therefore, it is essential to be a responsible consumer, distinguishing between needs and wants to avoid the pitfalls of overspending.

4. Fill in the Blanks (with box)

(a) who

(b) going

(c) waste

(d) decided

(e) scarce

(f) worry

(g) married

(h) bringing

(i) were

(j) study

5. Fill in the Blanks (without box)

(a) toxic

(b) suitable

(c) rid

(d) various

(e) polluting

(f) essential

(g) smoke

(h) healthy

(i) impossible

(j) awareness

6. Rearrange Sentences

The correct order is: (d) → (h) → (a) → (j) → (b) → (i) → (f) → (c) → (g) → (e)

Part II—Guided Writing

7. Graph Description

The provided graph illustrates the percentage of different types of books available in a college library. The categories include textbooks, reference books, fiction, journals, and others.

According to the chart, textbooks constitute the largest collection, making up 40% of the total library stock. This indicates that the library's primary focus is to support the academic curriculum. The second-largest category is reference books, at 25%, which complements the textbook collection for in-depth study.

Fiction books account for 15% of the collection, suggesting that the library also caters to the recreational reading interests of the students. The remaining two categories, journals and other miscellaneous books, each make up 10% of the collection. The presence of journals is vital for research and staying updated with current academic developments.

In summary, the library maintains a well-balanced collection, with a strong emphasis on academic and reference materials while also providing adequate resources for leisure reading and research.

8. Story Completion

It was a foggy winter morning. Dr. Rabbi was driving home from the hospital after his exhausting overnight shift. Driving was difficult because of the haze. Suddenly, he felt he had driven past somebody sitting by the road. He stopped the car and backed up to see who it was. It was an elderly man, dressed in thin, ragged clothes.

The man was shivering uncontrollably in the cold. Dr. Rabbi, a compassionate man, immediately got out of his car. He saw that the old man looked weak and possibly ill. He took off his own warm jacket and wrapped it around the man's shoulders. "Sir, are you alright? You shouldn't be out here in this cold," Dr. Rabbi said gently. The man looked up with tired eyes but couldn't speak. Dr. Rabbi helped him into the passenger seat of his car and turned up the heat. He gave the man a thermos of hot coffee he had with him. After the man had warmed up a little, Dr. Rabbi drove him to a nearby shelter for the homeless, ensuring he would be safe, warm, and well-fed. The doctor left feeling that his long night shift had ended on a truly meaningful note.

9. Letter to a Friend

14/3 Iqbal Road,

Mohammadpur, Dhaka.

23 July 2025

My dear Fahim,

I hope this letter finds you well. I was so happy to hear from you and even more excited to learn that you are interested in visiting Bangladesh! It would be wonderful to have you here.

You asked about the sights and sounds of my country. Bangladesh is a land of incredible diversity. For sights, you must see Cox's Bazar, the world's longest natural sea beach, where the sunsets are breathtaking. Then there is the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest and home to the majestic Royal Bengal Tiger. For a touch of history, you could visit the ancient Buddhist ruins at Paharpur or the old capital, Sonargaon. And you cannot miss the lush green tea gardens of Sreemangal, which look like a vast green carpet.

The sounds of Bangladesh are just as unique. You will wake up to the beautiful sound of the Azaan (the call to prayer) and the cheerful chirping of birds. In the cities, especially Dhaka, you'll experience the lively chaos of traffic and the friendly calls of street vendors. On the rivers, you will hear the rhythmic paddling of boatmen singing traditional folk songs.

It’s a country full of life, color, and warmth. I am sure you will love it. Let me know when you plan to come, and I will be waiting eagerly to show you around.

With best wishes,

Your friend,

Lisa