এসএসসি ইংরেজি ১ম পত্র প্রশ্ন (৩টি পূর্ণাঙ্গ প্রশ্নপত্র)

Read the passage and answer questions 1 and 2.

Energy is the driving force of modern life. We need it to cook our food, light our homes, run our factories and move our vehicles. Most of this energy still comes from fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas. These fuels were formed from the remains of plants and animals buried under the earth millions of years ago. Once they are burnt, they cannot be replaced within a human lifetime. That is why they are called non-renewable sources of energy. Besides, burning them releases carbon dioxide and other harmful gases, which pollute the air and warm the planet.

Renewable energy, on the other hand, comes from sources that nature refills again and again. The sun shines every day, the wind blows across the fields, and rivers keep flowing towards the sea. Energy taken from them will never run out. Sunlight can be turned into electricity with the help of solar panels. In many villages of Bangladesh where the national grid has not reached, solar home systems now light up houses and charge mobile phones. Wind turbines turn the force of moving air into power, and the running water of a river can drive the turbines of a hydroelectric plant, as it does at Kaptai. Even cow dung and crop waste can produce biogas for cooking.

Of course, renewable energy has its problems. Solar panels produce little power on cloudy days, and the cost of setting up a plant is still high. Yet the benefits are far greater. Clean energy keeps the air pure, reduces our dependence on imported fuel and protects the planet for our children. The sooner we turn to it, the brighter our future will be.

Choose the best answer from the alternatives. 1×7=7

(a) Fossil fuels were formed from—

• (i) sand and rocks
• (ii) sea water
• (iii) sunlight
• (iv) the remains of plants and animals

(b) The word 'dependence' in the passage means—

• (i) reliance
• (ii) freedom
• (iii) interest
• (iv) payment

(c) Fossil fuels are called non-renewable because—

• (i) they are very costly
• (ii) they cannot be replaced within a human lifetime
• (iii) they are found only in villages
• (iv) they produce clean energy

(d) Solar home systems are mostly used in villages where—

• (i) the wind is strong
• (ii) rivers flow fast
• (iii) the national grid has not reached
• (iv) coal is found

(e) Which of the following is NOT a renewable source of energy?

• (i) wind
• (ii) natural gas
• (iii) sunlight
• (iv) running water

(f) The antonym of 'pure' is—

• (i) clean
• (ii) fresh
• (iii) polluted
• (iv) clear

(g) The main idea of the passage is that—

• (i) solar panels are costly
• (ii) Kaptai has a hydroelectric plant
• (iii) fossil fuels lie under the earth
• (iv) we should turn to renewable energy for a better future

Answer the following questions. 2×5=10

• (a) What are fossil fuels, and how were they formed?
• (b) Why is burning fossil fuels harmful to the earth?
• (c) How are solar home systems helping the people of rural Bangladesh?
• (d) What problems of renewable energy does the writer mention?
• (e) Do you think Bangladesh should depend more on renewable energy? Give two reasons.

Read the following text and fill in each gap with a suitable word based on the information of the text. 1×5=5

The Shat Gambuj Mosque stands in Bagerhat, a district in the south-west of Bangladesh. It was built in the fifteenth century by Khan Jahan Ali, a saint and ruler who founded a city named Khalifatabad in this area. The mosque is made of brick, and its roof is covered with seventy-seven small domes. Inside, sixty stone pillars hold up the roof, which may be why people call it the 'sixty-dome' mosque. It is the largest historic mosque in the country. In 1985, UNESCO declared the mosque city of Bagerhat a World Heritage Site.

The Shat Gambuj Mosque is situated in the district of (a) . Khan Jahan Ali built it in the (b) ___ century. The old name of the city he founded was (c) . The roof of the mosque rests on sixty stone (d) ___. Since 1985, UNESCO has (e) ___ the mosque city as a World Heritage Site.

Read the following text carefully and answer questions 4 and 5.

Jagadish Chandra Bose, one of the first great scientists of the Indian subcontinent, was born on 30 November 1858 in Mymensingh. His father believed that a child should first learn in his mother tongue, so young Jagadish began his education at a village school, sitting beside the sons of farmers and fishermen. Later he studied at St. Xavier's College in Calcutta. In 1880 he went to England, and after studying at Cambridge he returned home in 1885 to join Presidency College, Calcutta, as a professor of physics. He was offered a lower salary than his European colleagues, so in protest he refused to take any salary for three years but kept on teaching. In 1895 he showed in public that electric waves could travel through the air without wires, a pioneering step in wireless communication. He then turned to plants and invented an instrument called the crescograph, which could record even the slightest growth of a plant. His experiments showed that plants also respond to heat, cold, light and injury. In 1917 he founded the Bose Institute in Calcutta for scientific research. This great scientist died on 23 November 1937 at Giridih, but his work still inspires young researchers.

Complete the table below with information from the passage. 1×5=5

Write a summary of the above passage in your own words. 10

Match the parts of sentences given in column 'A', 'B' and 'C' to write five complete sentences. 1×5=5

Put the following parts of the story in correct order to make the whole story. Only the corresponding numbers of the sentences need to be written. 1×8=8

• (a) The next morning she went to the librarian and told him everything.
• (b) At home, her little brother spilled a glass of water on it.
• (c) Mita, a student of Class Nine, borrowed a storybook from the school library.
• (d) But she soon decided that telling the truth was the right thing to do.
• (e) Mita was afraid that she would be punished for the damage.
• (f) The librarian praised her honesty and only asked her to help him repair the book.
• (g) She promised the librarian to return it within a week.
• (h) For a moment she thought of hiding the book and saying that it was lost.

Part B: Writing

Write a paragraph on 'A Book Fair' in about 200 words. You should include the answers of the following questions in your paragraph. 10

• (a) What is a book fair?
• (b) When and where is a book fair usually held in our country?
• (c) What kinds of books and stalls can be seen there?
• (d) Who visit the fair, and what do they do there?
• (e) How does a book fair help to build a reading habit?

Read the beginning of the story below. Add at least ten sentences to complete the story and give a suitable title to it. 10

Kashem was a poor fisherman who lived beside the river Meghna. One stormy evening, when all the other boats had returned to the bank, he saw a small boat drifting towards the middle of the river with a child in it ……

Look at the following bar graph. It shows the favourite pastimes of 100 students of a secondary school. Now, describe the graph in your own words in about 150 words. You are advised to highlight and summarise the information given in the graph. 10

[Bar graph — Favourite pastimes of 100 students of a secondary school]

Suppose, you are Tamim/Tanjila. Your friend Rafi/Rafia lives in Chattogram. Now, write an email to your friend describing how your school observed International Mother Language Day this year. 10

Suppose, you are Sakib/Sadia. Arif/Arifa is your friend who is weak in English. Now, write a dialogue between you and your friend about how to improve English. 10

Read the passage and answer questions 1 and 2.

The Maldives is a small island country in the Indian Ocean, lying to the south-west of Sri Lanka and India. It is made up of about 1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls. An atoll is a ring-shaped chain of coral islands around a shallow lagoon. Only about 200 of these islands are inhabited, and some of the others are used as tourist resorts. Malé, the capital, covers only a few square kilometres, yet it is one of the most crowded cities in the world.

The islands are famous for their white sandy beaches, clear blue water and colourful coral reefs. Every year hundreds of thousands of tourists come to swim, dive and watch the fish that live among the corals. Tourism is therefore the biggest source of income for the country, and fishing, especially tuna fishing, comes next. The people are friendly and hospitable, and their language is called Dhivehi.

However, this island paradise faces a serious threat. Most of the islands rise only about one and a half metres above sea level, which makes the Maldives the lowest country on earth. Scientists warn that as the world grows warmer, the ice in the polar regions is melting and the sea level is rising. If this continues, many islands may go under water within this century. Storms and high tides are already washing away beaches and spoiling the fresh water on some islands. The Maldives has done little to cause global warming, yet it may suffer the most. Its story reminds all nations that protecting the climate is a shared duty.

Choose the best answer from the alternatives. 1×7=7

(a) The Maldives is situated in the—

• (i) Pacific Ocean
• (ii) Atlantic Ocean
• (iii) Indian Ocean
• (iv) Arctic Ocean

(b) According to the passage, an atoll is—

• (i) a ring-shaped chain of coral islands
• (ii) a sleeping volcano
• (iii) a deep river
• (iv) a tourist resort

(c) The word 'inhabited' means—

• (i) empty
• (ii) flooded
• (iii) visited
• (iv) lived in

(d) The biggest source of income of the Maldives is—

• (i) fishing
• (ii) farming
• (iii) tourism
• (iv) trade

(e) The word 'hospitable' is closest in meaning to—

• (i) sick
• (ii) welcoming
• (iii) proud
• (iv) shy

(f) The Maldives is called the lowest country on earth because—

• (i) it is very small
• (ii) it has 26 atolls
• (iii) its capital is crowded
• (iv) most of its islands rise only about one and a half metres above sea level

(g) The last sentence of the passage suggests that—

• (i) all nations must work together to protect the climate
• (ii) only the Maldives should protect the climate
• (iii) tourists should stop visiting the islands
• (iv) the islands will never go under water

Answer the following questions. 2×5=10

• (a) Where is the Maldives, and what is it made up of?
• (b) Why do so many tourists visit the Maldives every year?
• (c) What are the two main sources of income of the country?
• (d) Why is the rising sea level a great threat to the Maldives?
• (e) "The Maldives has done little to cause global warming, yet it may suffer the most." What do you understand by this line?

Read the following text and fill in each gap with a suitable word based on the information of the text. 1×5=5

May Day, or International Workers' Day, is observed on 1 May every year in many countries of the world, including Bangladesh. Its history goes back to 1886. At that time, factory workers in the USA often had to work twelve to sixteen hours a day for very low wages. On 1 May 1886, thousands of workers in Chicago went on strike demanding an eight-hour workday. A few days later, the police opened fire on the workers near the McCormick factory, and some of them were killed. The sacrifice of these workers was not in vain. Gradually, the eight-hour working day was accepted in most countries. On May Day, workers hold rallies to remember that struggle and to demand their rights.

May Day is also known as International (a) ___ Day. Before 1886, workers had to work long hours for very low (b) ___. The workers of Chicago went on (c) ___ to demand an eight-hour workday. The (d) ___ fired on the workers near the McCormick factory. Now, workers in most countries (e) ___ eight hours a day.

Read the following text carefully and answer questions 4 and 5.

Sufia Kamal, one of the most loved poets and social workers of Bangladesh, was born on 20 June 1911 at Shayestabad in Barishal. In those days girls of her family were not sent to school, so she learnt to read and write at home, mostly on her own. Books soon became her best friends. Her first poem, 'Basanti', was published in the magazine Saogat in 1926, when she was only fifteen. Her first book of poems, Sanjher Maya, came out in 1938, and Kazi Nazrul Islam praised it highly. Besides writing, she worked tirelessly for the rights of women and for the welfare of the poor. She took part in the Language Movement and stood by the people during the Liberation War of 1971. For her literary work she received the Bangla Academy Award in 1962, and later she was honoured with many other national awards. She passed away in Dhaka on 20 November 1999. She was the first woman in Bangladesh to be buried with full state honours. Her life shows how a girl without any formal schooling can become a guiding light for a whole nation.

Complete the table below with information from the passage. 1×5=5

Write a summary of the above passage in your own words. 10

Match the parts of sentences given in column 'A', 'B' and 'C' to write five complete sentences. 1×5=5

Put the following parts of the story in correct order to make the whole story. Only the corresponding numbers of the sentences need to be written. 1×8=8

• (a) When the result came out, Nayan stood first, but Rafiq failed in two subjects.
• (b) He always said that he would start studying a month before the examination.
• (c) From then on he followed a daily routine and did well in the SSC examination.
• (d) A month before the test examination, Rafiq fell ill with typhoid.
• (e) Rafiq was a clever but lazy student of Class Nine.
• (f) Rafiq realised that he had wasted his precious time.
• (g) His friend Nayan, however, studied a little every day.
• (h) He could not open his books for three whole weeks.

Part B: Writing

Write a paragraph on 'A Rainy Day' in about 200 words. You should include the answers of the following questions in your paragraph. 10

• (a) What is a rainy day like?
• (b) How does the sky look on such a day?
• (c) How do people in towns and villages spend a rainy day?
• (d) What problems does a rainy day cause for the poor and for working people?
• (e) How do you spend a rainy day, and how do you feel?

Read the beginning of the story below. Add at least ten sentences to complete the story and give a suitable title to it. 10

Once there was an old king who had three sons. As he grew older, he wanted to choose the wisest of them as the next king. One morning he called the three princes to his court and gave each of them a handful of seeds ……

Look at the following pie chart. It shows the main causes of road accidents in a city in one year. Now, describe the pie chart in your own words in about 150 words. You are advised to highlight and summarise the information given in the pie chart. 10

[Pie chart — Main causes of road accidents in a city]

Suppose, you are Nahid/Nahida. Your friend Shuvo/Shuvra lives in Dhaka. Now, write an email to your friend inviting him/her to spend the coming winter holidays with you in your village. 10

Suppose, you are Rakib/Rima. Faisal/Faria is your friend who never reads newspapers. Now, write a dialogue between you and your friend about the benefits of reading newspapers. 10

Read the passage and answer questions 1 and 2.

Only a few decades ago, people kept in touch with distant friends by writing letters that took days or even weeks to arrive. Today, a message can travel across the world in a second. Much of this change has been brought about by social network services, or social media. These are websites and mobile applications that allow users to create a personal profile, connect with friends and share messages, photos and videos.

A social network grows in a simple way. When you join, you add a few friends. Each of them has friends of their own, and soon you can see and meet the friends of your friends. In this way, one small circle keeps widening until it links millions of people. That is why social networks expand so quickly.

Social media have many advantages. They help us find old classmates, stay close to relatives living abroad and learn about events as they happen. Students form groups to share notes and discuss lessons, and small businesses use pages to sell their products. During floods and other disasters, people use social media to collect help for the victims.

But these services also have a darker side. Many young people spend hours scrolling through their news feeds and neglect their studies, sleep and family. False news and rumours spread as fast as true information. Some users share too much personal information and become victims of cyberbullying or fraud. Social media, therefore, are like a sharp knife: useful in careful hands but harmful when used carelessly. We should use them wisely, check information before sharing it and keep our private details safe.

Choose the best answer from the alternatives. 1×7=7

(a) In the past, people kept in touch with distant friends by—

• (i) telephone
• (ii) radio
• (iii) e-mail
• (iv) writing letters

(b) The word 'profile' in the passage refers to—

• (i) a side view of a face
• (ii) a short description of a user
• (iii) a photo album
• (iv) a business page

(c) Social networks expand quickly because—

• (i) the friends of friends keep joining the circle
• (ii) they are free of cost
• (iii) the government supports them
• (iv) they show advertisements

(d) The word 'neglect' means—

• (i) take care of
• (ii) enjoy
• (iii) fail to give attention to
• (iv) complete

(e) During disasters, people use social media to—

• (i) play games
• (ii) sell products
• (iii) spread rumours
• (iv) collect help for the victims

(f) The writer compares social media to—

• (i) a letter
• (ii) a sharp knife
• (iii) a small circle
• (iv) a news feed

(g) The passage mainly advises us to—

• (i) stop using social media
• (ii) write more letters
• (iii) use social media wisely
• (iv) share our personal details

Answer the following questions. 2×5=10

• (a) What are social network services?
• (b) How does a social network expand?
• (c) How do students and small businesses benefit from social media?
• (d) What dangers of social media does the writer mention?
• (e) Why does the writer compare social media to a sharp knife? Do you agree? Why?

Read the following text and fill in each gap with a suitable word based on the information of the text. 1×5=5

Lake Baikal, situated in Siberia in the south-east of Russia, is the deepest lake in the world. At its deepest point it goes down more than 1,600 metres. It is also the oldest lake on earth, formed about 25 million years ago. The lake holds about one-fifth of all the fresh water found on the surface of the earth. Baikal is home to thousands of plants and animals, and most of them are found nowhere else. The Baikal seal, for example, is one of the very few seals that live in fresh water. In winter, the surface of the lake freezes. UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in 1996.

Lake Baikal is in Siberia, a region of (a) . It is both the deepest and the (b) ___ lake in the world. About one-fifth of the earth's surface (c) ___ water is stored in it. Most of its plants and animals cannot be (d) ___ anywhere else. During winter, its surface (e) .

Read the following text carefully and answer questions 4 and 5.

Marie Curie, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, was born on 7 November 1867 in Warsaw, Poland. Her parents were teachers, and she showed a sharp mind from childhood. As women were not allowed to study at the university in Warsaw at that time, she worked as a governess for several years and saved money. In 1891 she moved to Paris and joined the Sorbonne, where she studied physics and mathematics, often living on little more than bread and tea. There she met Pierre Curie, a French scientist, and they married in 1895. Working together in a poor laboratory, the couple discovered two new elements, polonium and radium, in 1898. She named polonium after her motherland, Poland. In 1903 she shared the Nobel Prize in Physics with Pierre Curie and Henri Becquerel. After Pierre died in a road accident in 1906, she continued the research alone and won a second Nobel Prize, this time in Chemistry, in 1911. During the First World War, she helped wounded soldiers by setting up mobile X-ray units. Long years of work with radiation damaged her health, and she died on 4 July 1934 in France.

Complete the table below with information from the passage. 1×5=5

Write a summary of the above passage in your own words. 10

Match the parts of sentences given in column 'A', 'B' and 'C' to write five complete sentences. 1×5=5

Put the following parts of the story in correct order to make the whole story. Only the corresponding numbers of the sentences need to be written. 1×8=8

• (a) "Someone planted that tree before I was born, and I have eaten its fruit all my life," he said.
• (b) One morning, an old man was planting a mango sapling beside a village road.
• (c) The young man felt ashamed of his words.
• (d) "You will not live long enough to eat its fruit," said the young man.
• (e) On his way home, he too planted a sapling in front of his house.
• (f) A young traveller stopped there and laughed at him.
• (g) "Now I am planting this one for those who will come after me," the old man added.
• (h) The old man smiled and pointed to a large mango tree nearby.

Part B: Writing

Write a paragraph on 'Your School Library' in about 200 words. You should include the answers of the following questions in your paragraph. 10

• (a) Where is your school library, and what does it look like?
• (b) What kinds of books and newspapers are there?
• (c) Who looks after the library, and how are books lent to students?
• (d) When do you use the library, and what rules do you follow there?
• (e) How does the library help students?

Read the beginning of the story below. Add at least ten sentences to complete the story and give a suitable title to it. 10

One evening, Nila was returning home from school when she heard a puppy crying beside the road. It had fallen into an open drain, and after the heavy rain the water was rising fast ……

Look at the following pie chart. It shows how a family in a district town spends its monthly income of Tk 40,000. Now, describe the pie chart in your own words in about 150 words. You are advised to highlight and summarise the information given in the pie chart. 10

[Pie chart — Monthly expenditure of a family]

Suppose, you are Imran/Ishrat. Last week you visited the Somapura Mahavihara at Paharpur with your classmates. Now, write an email to your friend Zubair/Zarin describing your visit. 10

Suppose, you are Tanvir/Tania. Asif/Asma is your friend. Now, write a dialogue between you and your friend about how you are preparing for the SSC examination. 10