Unsafe levels of pesticides are present in around half of the vegetables - Multiple Choice & Short Question for HSC English First Paper - English for Today for Class 11 and 12 / Seen Passage for HSC

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

Unsafe levels of pesticides are present in around half of the vegetables and more than a quarter of fruits sold in the capital's markets, a recent survey has found. A 15-member team of the National Food Safety Laboratory, with support from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), came up with the findings after collecting and testing food samples from the capital's Gulshan, Karwanbazar and Mohakhali markets.

The survey report, a copy of which was acquired by the Dhaka Tribune, read that nearly 40% of 82 samples of milk, milk products, fish, fruits and vegetables contained banned pesticides such as DDT, Aldrin, Chlordane and Heptachlor. The amounts of pesticide in these samples were found to be 3 to 20 times greater than the limits set by the European Union. Around 50% vegetables and 35% fruits were found to be contaminated with unsafe level of pesticides.

Analysing more than 30 samples of turmeric powder (branded, packaged and open), the team also found that nearly 30% of the samples contained traces of lead chromate, which can be fatal if swallowed or inhaled. These samples also contained lead at 20 to 50 times above the safety limit of 2.5 parts per million set by the Bangladesh Standard Testing Institute (BSTI). Arsenic and chromium above safety limits were detected in a total of 5 out of 13 rice samples.

Using a sensitive High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) method developed by the Food Safety Lab, 66 samples were analysed for the presence of formaldehyde. Adulteration was thereby detected in samples of coriander, mango and fresh shrimps.

The tests indicated that poultry feed in the country had also been contaminated, as samples of chicken and fish contained traces of antibiotics. High microbial populations were found in several samples of pasteurised milk, indicating poor processing procedures by the manufacturers. Samples of cucumber and street foods also showed high microbial populations, suggesting widespread contamination in the water supply. The Director of Institute of Public Health (IPH), told the Dhaka Tribune that the survey report has been submitted to the Health Ministry. Further tests of different products were being carried out at the Food Safety Lab. 

 [Unit-3; Lesson-1]

[Govt. Shaheed Bulbul College, Pabna- '16; National Ideal College, Dhaka- '16; Dr. Abdur Razzak Municipal College, Jessore- '16; Principal Kazi Faruky School & College, Raipur, Lakshimpur- '16; Cox's Bazar Govt. College, Cox's Bazar- '16]

বাংলা অনুবাদঃ সম্প্রতি একটি জরিপে পাওয়া গেছে যে রাজধানীর বাজারগুলোতে বিক্রিত শাকসবজির প্রায় অর্ধেকে এবং ফলমূলের এক চতুর্থাংশে ঝুঁকিপূর্ণ মাত্রায় কীটনাশক বিদ্যমান। রাজধানীর গুলশান, কারওয়ানবাজার এবং মহাখালী বাজার থেকে খাদ্যের নমুনা সংগ্রহ করে জাতীয় খাদ্য নিরাপত্তা গবেষনার ১৫ জন সদস্যের একটি দল খাদ্য ও কৃষি সংস্থা (ঋঅঙ) এর সহায়তায় পরীক্ষা করে এসব খুঁজে বের করেছে।

ঢাকা ট্রিবিউন কর্তৃক সংগৃহিত এই জরিপ প্রতিবেদনের একটি প্রতিলিপিতে দেখা যায় দুধ, দুগ্ধজাত পণ্য, মাছ, মাংস, ফল ও সবজির নমুনার ৮২ টির প্রায় ৪০ শতাংশ নির্দিষ্ট কীটনাশক যেমন ডিডিটি, অলড্রিন, ক্লোরডেন ও হেপ্টাক্লোর ধারণ করে। এইসব নমুনাতে কীটনাশকের পরিমাণ ইউরোপীয় ইউনিয়ন কর্তৃক নির্ধারিত মাত্রার চেয়ে ৩-২০ গুণ বেশি। প্রায় ৫০% শাকসবজি ও ৩৫% ফল ঝুঁকিপূর্ণ মাত্রার কীটনাশক দ্বারা বিষাক্ত পাওয়া গিয়েছিল।

প্রায় ৩০টিরও বেশি হলুদ গুড়ার (ব্রান্ডেড, প্যাকেটজাত ও খোলা) নমুনা নিয়ে পর্যালোচনা করে দলটি প্রায় ৩০% নমুনার মধ্যেই ধারণকৃত লেড ক্রোমেট এর চিহ্ন পেয়েছে যা কিনা প্রাণঘাতী হতে পারে যদি গলাধঃকরণ করা হয় বা নিশ্বাসের সাথে নেওয়া হয়। এই নমুনাগুলোও বাংলাদেশ মান পরীক্ষা প্রতিষ্ঠান (বিএসটিআই) কর্তৃক নির্ধারিত সুরক্ষণ মাত্রা প্রতি মিলিয়নে ২.৫ অংশ হতে ২০ থেকে ৫০ গুণ বেশি লেড ধারণ করে। ১৩ টি চালের নমুনা থেকে ৫টির মধ্যেই আর্সেনিক ও ক্রোমিয়ামের সহনীয় মাত্রার চেয়ে বেশি মাত্রা খুঁজে পাওয়া গেছে।

খাদ্য নিরাপত্তা গবেষণাগার কর্তৃক উচ্চ ক্ষমতাসম্পন্ন তরল ক্রোমেটোগ্রাফির (এইচ.পি.এল.সি) স্পর্শকাতর এক পদ্ধতি ব্যবহার করে ৬৬টি নমুনা পর্যালোচনা করেছিল ফরমাল্ডিহাইডের উপস্থিতি চিহ্নিত করার জন্য। ধনিয়া, আম ও সতেজ বাগদা চিংড়ির নমুনার মধ্যেও ভেজাল মিশ্রণের উপস্থিতি লক্ষ করা যায়।

পরীক্ষাগুলো নির্দেশ করে যে দেশটির হাঁস-মুরগির খাবারও ভেজালযুক্ত, যেহেতু মুরগি ও মাছের নমুনায় জীবাণুনাশক পদার্থের উপস্থিতি লক্ষ করা যায়। বেশ কিছু জীবাণুমুক্ত দুধের নমুনায় উচ্চ মাত্রার অনুজীবের আধিক্য পাওয়া যায় যা উৎপাদনকারী শিল্প প্রতিষ্ঠানে প্রক্রিয়াজাতকরণের দুর্বলতা নির্দেশ করে। শসা ও রাস্তার খাবারেও উচ্চ মাত্রার অনুজীবের আধিক্য দেখা যায় যা পানি সরবরাহের মধ্যে বহুবিস্তৃত দূষিত পানির উপস্থিতি নির্দেশ করে। জনস্বাস্থ্য প্রতিষ্ঠানের (আই.পি.এইচ) পরিচালক ঢাকা ট্রিবিউনকে বলেন যে, জরিপের ফলাফল স্বাস্থ্য মন্ত্রণালয়ে জমা দেয়া হয়েছে। খাদ্য নিরাপত্তা গবেষণাগারে আরো বিভিন্ন পণ্যের পরীক্ষা চলছিল।

A. Choose the correct answer from the alternatives. 1☓5 = 5

(a) What does 'pesticide' mean?

 (i) insect killer (ii) biological food (iii) fertilizer (iv) cosmetics

(b) The word 'acquire' refers to —.

 (i) forgo (ii) achieve (iii) forfeit (iv) relinquish

(c) High microbial populations are found in -. 

 (i) samples of cucumber (ii) street foods

 (iii) samples of cucumber and street foods (iv) water supply

(d) What does the word 'contaminated' mean?

 (i) safe (ii) pure (iii) polluted (iv) nice

(e) 'The tests indicated that poultry feed in the country had also been contaminated.'- What does it imply?

 (i) chicken contained traces of antibiotics

 (ii) fish contained traces of antibiotics

 (iii) both fish and chicken contained traces of antibiotics

 (iv) neither fish nor chicken had traces of antibiotics

❤ Extra Questions:

(f) What is the elaborated form of FAO?

 (i) Food Adulteration Organisation (ii) Foreign Agents' Organisation

 (iii) Friends' Associated orbit (iv) Food and Agriculture Organisation

(g) NFSL collected food samples from — market.

 (i) Tejgaon (ii) Mohakhali (iii) Dhanmondi (iv) Banani

(h) What is the nearest meaning of the word 'survey'?

 (i) scrutiny (ii) witness (iii) study (iv) review

(i) The survey was done by —.

 (i) AMNESTI  (ii) National Food Safety Laboratory 

 (iii) Dhaka city corporation (iv) Dhaka Tribune

(j) What percentage of food items contained pesticides according to the survey published in Dhaka Tribune?

 (i) 15% (ii) 20% (iii) 40% (iv) 35%

(k) Which is a banned pesticide?

 (i) DDT (ii) Aldrin (iii) Chlordane (iv) All the above

(l) What is the synonym of the word 'sample'?

 (i) instance (ii) specimen (iii) sign (iv) criterion

(m) What percentage of fruits were found to be contaminated by pesticides?

 (i) 5% (ii) 15% (iii) 25% (iv) 35%

(n) 30% samples of turmeric powder contained —.

 (i) Aldrin (ii) lead chromate (iii) DDT (iv) Chlordane

(o) There is a limit of pesticides in foods fixed by the —.

 (i) United Nations  (ii) UNICEF 

 (iii) European Union  (iv) World Health organisation

(p) What does 'standard' mean?

 (i) ordinary (ii) below the mark (iii) up to the mark (iv) exceptional

(q) The HPLC method was developed by —.

 (i) Food and Agriculture Organisation (ii) Food Safety Lab

 (iii) Institute of Public Health (iv) BSTI

(r) What is microbe?

 (i) virus (ii) antibiotic (iii) bacteria (iv) poison

(s) BSTI is an organization from —.

 (i) India (ii) Bangladesh (iii) Brazil (iv) Japan

(t) The elaborated form of BSTI is —.

 (i) Bangladesh Subway Transit Incorporation (ii) Brazil Solar Technology Institute

 (iii) Bangladesh Standard Testing Institute (iv) Bangladesh Selling and Trade Institute

(u) What is the elaborated form of HPLC?

 (i) Highly Powerful Labour Class (ii) High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

 (iii) Huge Perfumed Living Chamber (iv) Highly Pessimistic Literary Creation

(v) What is the elaborated form of IPH?

 (i) Institute of Public Health (ii) Insurance of Public Health

 (iii) Institute of Public Hygiene (iv) Insurance of Public Hygiene

(w) What is formaldehyde?

 (i) a liquid (ii) a fluid  (iii) a gas (iv) an acid

(x) Turmeric is a —.

 (i) vegetable (ii) fruit (iii) leaf (iv) spice

(y) What is Dhaka Tribune?

 (i) newspaper (ii) TV channel (iii) club (iv) organization

(z) What do you mean by 'antibiotic'?

 (i) medicine that removes septic (ii) drug that kills germs

 (iii) food that provides vitamins (iv) drink that gives energy

(aa) The word 'Ban' refers to —.

 (i) allow (ii) authorize (iii) permit (iv) forbid

(bb) HPLC is a sensitive method developed by -. 

 (i) Food and Agriculture Organisation (ii) Bangladesh Standard Testing Institute

 (iii) Food Safety Laboratory (iv) United Nation

(cc) What is the closest meaning of the word 'unsafe'?

 (i) safe (ii) risky (iii) secured (iv) certain

(dd) 'The amounts of pesticide in these samples were found to be 3 to 20 times greater than the limits.' - What does it imply?

 (i) milk and milk products contain banned pesticides

 (ii) fish contains banned pesticides

 (iii) fruits and vegetables contain banned pesticides

 (iv) all the above foods contain banned pesticides

(ee) What does the phrase 'carried out' mean?

 (i) took away (ii) attained (iii) obtained (iv) executed

(ff) Food adulteration is a — for us.

 (i) boon (ii) blessing (iii) benediction (iv) malediction

(gg) What has the recent survey found?

 (i) The vegetables and fruits are safe (ii) The vegetables and fruits are adulterated

 (iii) Pesticides are not used to kill pests (iv) The capital's markets are free from adulteration

(hh) Pasteurised milk is processed by —.

 (i) poor methods (ii) standard procedures  (iii) safety methods (iv) contained traces

(ii) The word 'manufacturer' mentioned in the passage means.

 (i) architect (ii) builder (iii) producer (iv) designer

(jj) The word 'ensure' mentioned in the passage means.

 (i) guarantee (ii) avert (iii) pervade (iv) prevail

(kk) The word 'sensitive' in the passage stands for—.

 (i) calm (ii) responsive (iii) fragile (iv) sagacious

(ll) Lead Chromate—.

 (i) is safer than DDT, Aldrin, Chlordane and Heptachlor (ii) is not detrimental

 (iii) may result in illness  (iv) can cause death

(mm) What does 'read' in the passage mean?

 (i) copy, transfer, or interpret a data (ii) show the record of something

 (iii) hear and understand the words of someone

 (iv) look at and comprehend the meaning of written matter

(nn) Chlordane, Heptachlor, DDT and Aldrin are —.

 (i) antibiotics (ii) food items (iii) perfumes  (iv) forbidden pesticides

(oo) Which authority collects and tests the sample of food?

 (i) BSTI (ii) A team of National Food Safety Laboratory

 (iii) Food Ministry (iv) NGO

(pp) How many samples in total are examined by the Food Safety Laboratory?

 (i) 65 samples (ii) 46 samples (iii) 66 samples (iv) 178 samples

(qq) The safety limit of 2.5 parts per million is suggested by—.

 (i) BSTI (ii) European Union (iii) FAO  (iv) Food and Safety Lab

(rr) Give the meaning of the word 'pasteurize'.

 (i) sterilize   (ii) sterilize by heating

 (iii) sterilize by heating after method of pasteur (iv) all of these

(ss) Lead chromate was detected in —.

 (i) rice (ii) vegetables (iii) milk products (iv) turmeric powder

(tt) Which of the following pollutants are used in rice?

 (i) Lead and chromate  (ii) Arsenic and chromium

 (iii) Chlordane and aldrin (iv) Lead and heptarch

Answer (A): 

(a) (i) insect killer (b) (ii) achieve (c) (iii) samples of cucumber and street foods (d) (iii) polluted (e) (iii) both fish and chicken contained traces of antibiotics (f) (iv) Food and Agriculture Organisation (g) (ii) Mohakhali (h) (iii) study (i) (ii) National Food Safety Laboratory (j) (iii) 40% (k) (iv) all the above (l) (ii) specimen (m) (iv) 35% (n) (ii) lead chromate (o) (iii) European Union (p) (iii) up to the mark (q) (ii) Food Safety Lab (r) (iii) bacteria (s) (ii) Bangladesh (t) (iii) Bangladesh Standard Testing Institute (u) (ii) High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (v) (i) Institute of Public Health (w) (iii) a gas (x) (iv) spice (y) (i) Newspaper (z) (ii) drug that kills germs (aa) (iv) forbid (bb) (iii) Food Safety Laboratory (cc) (ii) risky (dd) (iv) all the above foods contain banned pesticides (ee) (iv) executed (ff) (iv) malediction (gg) (ii) The vegetables and fruits are adulterated (hh) (i) Poor methods (ii) (iii) producer (jj) (i) guarantee (kk) (ii) responsive (ll) (iv) can cause death (mm) (iv) look at and comprehend the meaning of written matter (nn) (iv) forbidden pesticides (oo) (ii) A team of National Food Safety Laboratory (pp) (iii) 66 samples (qq) (i) BSTI (rr) (iv) all of these (ss) (iv) turmeric powder (tt) (ii) Arsenic and chromium

B. Answer the following questions. 2☓5 = 10

(a) What does NFSL stand for? What findings did NFSL come up with?

(b) What does the survey find?

(c) What does Dhaka Tribune report say?

(d) What is the amount of pesticide in the samples?

(e) What does BSTI stand for? What are the duties of BSTI?

❤ Extra Questions:

(f) What do the dairy products contain?

(g) What is the condition of poultry feed? Explain in 2/3 sentences.

(h) What did the Food Safety Lab develop? What was detected by it?

(i) What is the survey report for turmeric powder?

(j) Which poisonous things are found in the rice samples?

(k) What is the percentage of vegetables and fruits found in the survey to be contaminated by pesticides?

(l) What type of adulteration was detected in samples of coriander, mango and fresh shrimps? How was it detected?

(m) Name some of the banned pesticides used in milk, milk products, fish, fruits and vegetables?

(n) What is needed for stopping food adulteration? Write your answer in two sentences.

(o) What do you mean by unsafe level of pesticides?

(p) From your reading of the passage, what do you think the goal of the survey?

(q) Who launched the survey?

(r) Give your suggestion to stop food adulteration.

(s) Which method did the Food Safety Lab develop?

(t) Who supported the team of the National Food Safety to make the survey report?

(u) From where the food samples were collected?

(v) How can lead chromate be fatal?

(w) What does Dhaka Tribune report say?

(x) Which products contain banned pesticides? What is the pesticide use limit set by the European Union?

Answer (B): 

 (a) NFSL stands for the National Food Safety Laboratory. After collecting and testing food samples from capital's market, NFSL finds the presence of unsafe level of pesticides in vegetables and fruits.

 (b) The survey finds unsafe levels of pesticides in around half of the vegetables and more than a quarter of fruits.

 (c) The Dhaka Tribune report says that about 40% of 82 samples of milk, milk products, fish, fruits and vegetables contain banned pesticides such as DDT, Aldrin, Chlordane and Heptachlor.

 (d) The amount of pesticide in the samples were 3 to 20 times greater than the limits.

 (e) BSTI stands for Bangladesh Standard Testing Institute. The duties of BSTI are to examine all products, to allow to marketise if they are standard and to prohibit to marketise if the products are substandard or contaminated.

 (f) According to a survey by National Food safety Laboratory, dairy products contain banned pesticides like DDT, Aldrin, Chlordane and Heptachlor.

 (g) Poultry feed is not also free from contamination. The tests find the traces of antibiotics in the samples of chicken and fish. Processing procedures of pasteurised milk is also poor.

 (h) Food Safety Lab developed a method called High-performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). It detected adulteration in the samples of coriander, mango and fresh shrimps.

 (i) The survey report for turmeric powder says that nearly 30% of the 30 samples contained traces of lead chromate.

 (j) Arsenic and chromium are found above safety limits in the rice samples.

 (k) Around 50% vegetables and 35% fruits are found to be contaminated by pesticides in the survey.

 (l) The presence of formaldehyde was detected in samples of coriander, mango, and fresh shrimps. It was detected by using a sensitive High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) method developed by the Food Safety Laboratory.

 (m) Some names of the banned pesticides used in milk, milk products, fish, fruits and vegetables are DDT, Aldrin, Chlordane and Heptachlor.

 (n) The authority should take proper steps against the covetous businessmen who adulterate foods. Moreover public awareness should be raised about the negative effects of food adulteration.

 (o) Unsafe level of pesticides means the level of pesticides that can cause harm to our health and can even cause our death.

 (p) After reading the passage, I think the goal of the survey is to know the level of pesticides used in the foods in the capitals markets and make the people aware of it.

 (q) National Food Safety Laboratory, with support from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) launched the survey.

 (r) I think, first of all we need to take steps to stop the use of these pesticides and then we need to take action against those who are involved in this type of activities. Last but not the least, we need to make people aware of the impact of adulteration on our health.

 (s) The Food Safety Lab developed High-performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) method.

 (t) The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) supported the team of the National Food Safety to make the survey report.

 (u) The food samples were collected from the capital's Gulshan, Karwanbazar and Mohakhali markets.

 (v) Lead chromate can be fatal if swallowed or inhaled. 

 (w) Dhaka Tribune report says that nearly 40% of 82 samples of milk, milk products, fish, fruits and vegetables contained banned pesticides such as DDT, Aldrin, Chlordane and Heptachlor. 

 (x) Milk, milk products, fish, fruits and vegetables contained banned pesticides. The limit of pesticide use set by the European Union must be safe for the consumers and must be as low as possible.

Answer:

Bangla Translation

বাংলা অনুবাদঃ 

ব্রিটিশ-বাংলাদেশি যারা ব্রিটিশ-বাঙালি নামেও পরিচিত তারা বাংলাদেশি অভিবাসীদের গুরুত্বপূর্ণ অংশ অথবা ঐ সকল বাংলাদেশি বংশোদ্ভূত যারা বিদেশে বসবাস করছে। প্রায় অর্ধেক ব্রিটিশ-বাংলাদেশি লন্ডনে বাস করে, বিশেষ করে পূর্ব লন্ডনের বিশাল এলাকায় যেখানে টাওয়ার হ্যামলেট সর্বাধিক নজরকাড়া।

আজ একজন পর্যটক যিনি লন্ডনে নতুন, ভালোভাবে বাংলা টাউন ভ্রমণের সিদ্ধান্ত নিতে পারেন যা শহরের শেষ পূর্ব প্রান্তে অবস্থিত। চমৎকার টিউব স্টেশনের পরে তাকে কিছু চিহ্ন অনুসরণ করতে হতে পারে যা মণিকা আলীর সবচেয়ে বেশি বিক্রিত উপন্যাস থেকে কুখ্যাতি অর্জনকারী একটি রাস্তা ব্রিক লেনকে নির্দেশ করে, যা দিয়ে চলচিত্রও তৈরি হয়েছিল। দুপুরের খাবারের জন্য সেখানে অবস্থিত বাংলাদেশি অনেক রেস্তোরাঁ থেকে তাকে একটি বেছে নিতে হতে পারে। রাস্তামুখী একটি টেবিলে বসে জানালা দিয়ে সে দেখতে পারে রাস্তার নামফলকগুলো শুধু ইংরেজিতে নয় বরং একই সাথে বাংলায়। রাস্তার ল্যাম্পপোস্টগুলো সবুজ লাল বাংলাদেশের পতাকার রং। বস্তুত সব জায়গায় সে দেখে বাংলাদেশি দৃশ্যমান নির্দেশিকা এবং বিশেষ করে এখানে সিলেটিদের উপস্থিতি। দোকানের সম্মুখভাগ বিজ্ঞাপন দেয় লন্ডন থেকে সিলেট যাত্রার বাংলাদেশ বিমানে (বাংলাদেশের জাতীয় এয়ার লাইন) এবং অন্যটি হলো এয়ার সিলেট- একটি ব্যক্তিমালিকানাধীন এয়ার লাইন কোম্পানী যা গঠিত হয়েছে ব্রিটিশ বাংলাদেশিদের দ্বারা। এখানে রয়েছে সোনালী ব্যাংকের নামফলক যা বাংলাদেশের রাষ্ট্রায়ত্ত বাণিজ্যিক ব্যাংক। এখানে রয়েছে হিমায়িত মাছের দোকান যা সিলেটের সুরমা নদী থেকে আনা। সে দেখেছে দুজন প্রবীণ ধূসর লম্বা দাড়িওয়ালা লোককে যারা দোকানে ঢুকছে; তারা চাদর ও পায়জামা এবং মাথায় সাদা টুপি পরিহিত। সে দেখতে পাচ্ছে একদল চটপটে ও বাকপটু কিশোরী রাস্তা দিয়ে হেঁটে যাচ্ছে। একজন কালো বোরখা পরিহিতা এবং অন্যরা জিনস এবং লম্বা শার্ট সহ উজ্জ্বল চিক্চিকেহিজাব তাদের মাথায়। লন্ডন গাইড বুকে চোখ বুলিয়ে সে বাংলা টাউনে প্রতিবেশীর সম্পর্কে দেখে নিল।

২০০১ সালে ব্রিটিশ বাংলাদেশি নেতারা ২য় প্রজন্মের কর্মীদের নিয়ে টাওয়ার হ্যামলেট কাউন্সিলের মাধ্যমে ব্রিকলেন ও তার পার্শ্ববর্তী এলাকার জন্য বাংলাটাউন এর সরকারি মর্যাদা অর্জনে একটি সফল প্রচেষ্টা পরিচালনা করেন। রাস্তার নামফলক ও বিজ্ঞাপন প্রদর্শনের মাধ্যমে আশা ছিল এ এলাকাটি একটি ব্যতিক্রমি সাংস্কৃতিক পরিচিতির অধিকারী হবে যা পর্যটকদের নিকট আকর্ষণীয় হবে এবং এখানে অবস্থিত বাংলাদেশি ব্যবসার জন্য সুবিধাজনক হবে। বস্তুতঃ এ এলাকায় বাংলাদেশি বিখ্যাত স্থাপনা রয়েছে যেমন আলতাব আলী পার্ক, কবি নজরুল কালচারাল সেন্টার এবং শহিদ মিনার। বাংলাটাউন দাপ্তরিক পদবি নিয়ে এ বিখ্যাত স্থাপনাটি যথার্থভাবেই ব্রিটিশ বাংলাদেশিদের গৌরব। এগুলো ব্রিটেনে তাদের কষ্টার্জিত উপস্থিতি আর রাজনৈতিক কণ্ঠস্বরকে প্রকাশ করে।

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Passage-2

1.           Read the passage and answer the questions following it

Nelson Mandela guided South Africa from the shackles of apartheid to a multi-racial democracy, as an icon of peace and reconciliation who came to embody the struggle for justice around the world. Imprisoned for nearly three decades for his fight against white minority rule, Mandela never lost his resolve to fight for his people’s emancipation. He was determined to bring down apartheid while avoiding a civil war. His prestige and charisma helped him win the support of the world. ‘I hate race discrimination most intensely and in all its manifestation. I have fought it all during my life; I will fight it now, and will do so until the end of my days,’ Mandela said in his acceptance speech on becoming South Africa’s first black president in 1994,… ‘The time for the healing of the wounds has come. The moment to bridge the chasms that divide us has come.’ ‘We have, at last, achieved our political emancipation.’ In 1993, Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, an honor he shared with F.W, de Klerk, the white African leader who had freed him from prison three years earlier and negotiated the end of apartheid.

A.  Choose the correct answer from the alternatives 5

a) What could be the closest meaning for ‘shackles of apartheid’ in the first paragraph?

i. Tentacles of domination ii. Bondages of slavery

iii. Manacles of racial discrimination iv. Chains of exploitation

b)  The word ‘reconciliation’ in the first paragraph refers to

i. memorization ii. recall iii. reuniting iv. Change

c)  ‘Resolve’ in the second paragraph could be replaced by

i. dissolve ii. determination iii. hesitation iv. Solution

d) Mandela spent around years behind the bars.

i. twenty ii. thirty iii. forty iv. Fifty

e)  The best synonym of ‘chasm’ is

i. exposition ii. rift iii. harmony iv. union.

B.  Answer the following questions 10

a) What, according to text, is apartheid?

b)  Mention three great achievements in Mandela's life.

c)  Why did Mandela want to break the manacles of apartheid?

d)  What does the expression ‘I have fought it all during my life; I will fight it now, and I will do so until

the end of my days’ mean?

e)  Do you find any  similarity  between  Mandela  and  Sheikh  Mujibur  Rahman?  If  any,  mention. Ans. to the Ques. No. Set-1

1A. Ans.:

a.       iii. Manacles of racial discrimination, b.  iii.  reuniting,  c.  ii.determination,  d.  ii.  thirty,  e.  ii.  rift,

1B. Ans.:

a.  According to text apartheid means the racial segregation prevailing in South Africa. It means the domination of the white over the black people of South Africa. Nelson Mandela is famous for breaking the manacles of apartheid from South Africa.

b.  Though Mandela had to suffer a lot, his achievements were noteworthy. His frist achievement was to break the manacles of apartheid. His second achievement was to become the first black president of South Africa. His third achievement was to win the Nobel Prize.

c.  Mandela wanted to break the manacles of apartheid because this very evil practice was responsible for the racial bigotry in South Africa. The manacles of apartheid confined the black people of South Africa inside the four walls of oppression.

d.   This very statement is the expression of Mandela's firm resolution to fight against racial bigotry. Mandela had an absolute abhorrence towards race discrimination. He fought against it and was ready to fight against till his last breath.

e.   I see some similarities between Nelson Mandela and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman fought respective countries. Finally, Mandela fought against the white rulers of his country. In the same way, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman fought against the Pakistani rulers. Then both of them were undisputable a presidents in their respective countries. Finally, both of them were would famous leaders.

Passage-3

3. Read the passage below and answer the questions following it.

Beauty is easy to appreciate but difficult to define. As we look around, we discover beauty in pleasurable objects and sights – in nature, in the laughter of children, in the kindness of strangers. But asked to define, we run into difficulties. Does beauty have an independent objective identity? Is it universal, or is it dependent on our sense perceptions? Does it lie in the eye of the beholder? -we ask ourselves. A further difficulty arises when beauty manifests itself not only by its presence, but by its absence as well, as when we are repulsed by ugliness and desire beauty. But then ugliness has as much a place in our lives as beauty, or may be more-as when there is widespread hunger and injustice in a society. Philosophers  have told us that beauty is an important part of life, but isn’t ugliness a part of life too? And if art has beauty as an important ingredient, can it confine itself only to a projection of beauty? Can art ignore what is not beautiful?

Poets and artists have provided an answer by incorporating both into their work. In doing so, they have often tied beauty to truth and justice, so that what is not beautiful assumes a tolerable proportion as something that represents some truth about life. John Keats, the romantic poet, wrote in his celebrated ‘Ode on a Grecian Urn’ ‘Beauty is truth, truth beauty,’ by which he means that truth, even if it’s not pleasant, becomes beautiful at a higher level. Similarly, what is beautiful forever remains true. Another meaning, in the context of the Grecian Urn-an art object-is that truth is a condition of art.

Poetry in every language celebrates beauty and truth. So does art. Here are two poems from two different times that present some enduring ideas about beauty and truth. The poems are by Lord Byron (1788-1824), an English poet of the Romantic tradition, and Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), an American poet who wrote about the human scene, love and death.

A. Choose the correct answer from the alternatives. 1´5=5

(a)     Which of the following has the closest meaning of the word “pleasurable”?

(i) dissatisfaction   (ii) pain             (iii) offend         (iv) delightful

(b)     What is the closest meaning of the word “incorporate”?

(i) embody (ii) corporation (iii) incorporeal (iv) intangible

(c)     ‘Ode on a Grecian Urn’ is written by ——-.

(i) Lord Byron         (ii) John Keats (iii) Wordsworth (iv) PB Shelly

(d)                  What does the word ‘tolerable’ mean?

(i) not so good                    (ii) bad              (iii) moderately good    (iv) tolerant

(e)     Lord Byron is a ——– poet?

(i)     Revolutionary (ii) Romantic (iii) Classical (iv) Modern

 Answer the following questions. 2´5=10

(a)     How can we discover beauty in our surroundings?

(b)     How much place does ugliness have in our life?

(c)     What is the name of the poet of “Ode and a Grecian Urn”?

(d)     Do you get any definition of beauty from the poem ‘She Walks in Beauty’?

(e)     What was Byron’s intention?