Read the passage and answer the questions A and B.
The act of thinking deeply and calmly about something in a state of heightened awareness is known as meditation. It is an approach to train up the mind, similar to the way that fitness is an approach to training the body, Voltaire explains, "Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in eternal awareness or pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking, merging finitude in infinity." From the ancient times, meditation has been a part of some religious traditions as a way of achieving the body's release from worldly cares, and creating inner harmony. Meditation in our time is practiced by people to reduce stress and tension, and improve focus. There are trainers who help beginners with some exercises such as improved breathing and progressive relaxation. One of the most common approaches to meditation is concentration.
To develop concentration one needs to focus on a single point. Since focusing the mind is challenging, a beginner might meditate for only a few minutes and then work up to longer durations. Meditation releases anxiety 'and brings a state of calmness. It increases the thinking ability of human brain so that people have a better control of their emotions. Those who practice meditation can work tirelessly, for a longer period of timE- Meditation helps improve blood circulation in the brain and other parts of the body. Finally, meditation improves creativity, self-awareness and tolerance
- Read the passage and answer the questions A and B.When adolescent girls are pulled out of school, either for marriage or work, they often lose their mobility, their friends and social status. The lack of mobility among adolescent girls also curtails their economic and non-formal educational opportunities. Moreover, they lack information about health issues. According to a study, only about three in five adolescents have even heard of HIV. It is also reported that more than 50 percent of adolescent girls are undernourished and suffer from anaemia. Adolescent fertility is also high in Bangladesh. The contribution of the adolescent fertility rate to the total fertility rate increased from 20.3% in 1993 to 24.4% in 2007. Moreover, neonatal mortality is another concern for younger mothers. While the situation for adolescent boys is somewhat better, many are vulnerable and lack the power to make decisions about their own lives. Many boys who are unable to go to school, or are unemployed, remain unaware of social or health issues. They are at considerable risk of being drawn into criminal activities. They are also more likely to get exposed to drugs and alcohol causing irreparable damage to their health and lifE-
- . Where is Tereshkova sealed
- 'economic' refers to ---
- What could be the closest meaning for ‘numerous’?
- The word ‘indigenous’ mentioned in the passage means --
- Meditation has been a part of some religious traditions sincE-.....
- Answer the following questions :What do you know about the parentage and birth place of Sheikh Kamal?Sheikh Kamal was both a sports lover and a good organizer. Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer.What do you know about Sheikh Kamal's participation in cultural activities?What type of life did Sheikh Kamal lead?How did Sheikh Kamal spend his childhood?
- The word 'economic' can be replaced by-
- Read the passage and answer the questions. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together". This is our hopE- This is the faith that I will go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hopE- With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day ..... And if America is to be a great nation, this must become truE- So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New HampshirE- Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring. And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!" (abridged)
- Read the passage and answer the questions A and B.One of the sources of water in our country is the rivers. Rivers are everywhere in our life, literature, economy and culturE- But are the rivers in good shape? Unfortunately, they are not. A few 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 stench fills the air around it. But that is not what it was like beforE- The report says that the river had a glorious past. Once, it was a tributary of the mighty Ganges and flowed into the Bay of Bengal through the river Dhaleshwari. Gradually, it lost its link with the Ganges and got the name Buriganga. The Mughals marvelled 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, 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 every day. The city of Dhaka discharges about 4500 tons of solid waste every day 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 every day. 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 :The word 'possibly' refers to -
- The phrase 'took part' in the passage implies ___
- 'The moment to bridge the chasms that divide us has comE-'The word 'chasms' indicates here
- The word 'anaemia' refers to-
- The word 'beginner' refers to....
- Write the synonyms or antonyms of the words as directed below.a) shackle (synonym) (b) icon (synonym) (c) emancipation (synonym) (d) war (antonym) (e) hate (antonym) (f) fought (synonym) (g) acceptance (antonym) (h) bridge (synonym) (i) awarded (antonym) (j) prison (synonym)
- 'Please' is a kind of --
- Read the passage and answer the questions A and B.As a child you must have been told to greet your elders and visitors to your home according to your culture and tradition. You must also have been taught to be polite in company and keep quiet while others, especially your elders, spokE- Possibly, you at times grudged such schooling. Possibly, at times you even protested such disciplining. Now, certainly you know that you can't always behave the way you want specially in the presence of others. There are rules of behavior you have to follow in a company. We are social beings and have to consider the effect of our behaviour on others, even if we are at home and dealing with our family members. We have two terms to describe our social behaviour-'etiquette' and 'manners'. 'Etiquette' is a French word and it means the rules of correct behaviour in society. The word 'manners' means the behaviour that is considered to be polite in a particular society or culturE- Manners can be good or bad. For example, it is a bad manner to speak with food in one's mouth. No one likes a bad-mannered person. Remember that etiquette and manners vary from culture to culture and from society to society. We learn etiquette and manners from our parents, families and various institutions, such as schools, colleges or professional bodies. There are rules of behaviour for all kinds of social occasions and it is important to learn them and practise them in everyday lifE- The manners that are correct in a wedding reception will not do in a debating club. Therefore, we have to be careful about etiquette and manners. We know how important it is to say 'please' and 'thank you' in everyday lifE- A few more polite expressions such as 'pardon me,' 'excuse me', 'may I', are bound to make your day smooth and pleasant.
- Read the passage and answer the questions A and B.JOHANNESBURG (R) 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 hisresolve 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 manifestations. 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 onbecoming 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 hascomE-" "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 South African leader who had freed him from prison three years earlier and negotiated the end of apartheid. Mandela went on to play a prominent role on the world stage as an advocate of human dignity in the face of challenges ranging from political repression to AIDS. He formally left public life in June 2004 before his 86th birthday, telling his adoring countrymen : "Don't call mE- I'll call you." But he remained one of the world's most revered public figures, combining celebrity sparkle with an unwavering message of freedom, respect and human rights. "He is at the epicenter of our time, ours in South Africa, and yours, wherever you are," Nadine Gordimer, the South African writer and Nobel Laureate for Literature, once remarked. Whether defending himself at his own treason trail in 1963 or addressing world leaders years later as a graying elder statesman he radiated an image of moral rectitude expressed in measured tones often leavened by a mischievous humor. The years Mandela spent behind bars made him the world's most celebrated political prisoner and a leader of mythic stature for millions of black South Africans and other oppressed people far beyond his country's borders. Charged with capital offences in the 1963 Rivonia Trial, his statement from the dock was his political testimony. "During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African peoplE- I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. "I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities," he told the court. "It is an ideal I hope to live for and to achievE- But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to diE-" Friends adored Mandela and fondly called him "Madiba", the clan name by which he was known. People lauded his humanity, kindness and dignity.
- Read the passage and answer the questions A and B.The famous Greek philosopher Aristotle said, “Man is by nature a social animal.” What he meant was that man by instinct, seeks company of others and establishes relationships, much like most animals of the wild, for companionship and for physical and emotional support. Unlike the animals, however, man’s relationships give meaning to his existence and inspires him to do well in education, in workplace or in a profession that he pursues.Relationships are of different kinds. Some are familial and intimate, formed by blood and by marriage; some are social like the ones we have with friends and some are made in school where we form close bonds with classmates and teachers. Relationships can also be fostered in work place, which may quickly change from professional to social. There are relationships also between human beings and animals, between children and their toys that they cannot part with.All these relationships keep us close to each other and provide us all kinds of support, love and affection. A person who has no family feels the pain of loneliness and isolation. There is no one to laugh or cry with him/her. When we share our joy with someone, it simply redoubles, and when we suffer a loss and someone shares our sorrow, it lessens. Relationships are thus needed for our emotional health.To build relationships, we need to have trust and respect for each other, and love where this is needed. We cannot be selfish and possessive if we want to establish an effective relationship.But quite often we see people quarrelling and fighting with each other which only brings misery and loss to all.
- Why is Kuakata a much sought after tourist destination?
- The intention of the man is---
- What could be the closest meaning of 'vivid'?
- Hakaluki haor is of ____ hictares.
- Mandela was the first to advocate ---
- A. Choose the correct answer from the alternatives :What does the word 'rare' (বিরল, adj.) mentioned in the passage refer to?
- Read the passage 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 girls' or boys' lives. There are 28 million adolescents in Bangladesh : 13.7 million of them are girls and 14.3 million 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 and 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.
- Answer the following questions :( a) How does spending lead to psychological problems? Spending money does the same psychological problems at all times? (b) What are the prevailing behaviour traits of salespersons? How do they induce the consumers?(c) Why should customers be aware? What is the best way to manage the habit of spending?(d) What are the attributes of overspending people? Why do children insist on buying things?(e) Why does the author discourage buying with credit cards? What lesson can young people learn?
- The phrase 'exposed to' may best be replaced by-
- 'Tutelage' in the text could be best replaced by --.
- What does the word 'proletaria' in the passage refer to?
- What does the phrase 'All flesh' mean in the passage?
- Mandela remained one of the world's most ----- public figures.
- . The noun form of the word 'intensely' is -
- The word 'gentile' means
- A. Choose the correct answer from the alternatives :What does the word 'expertise' in the passage mean?
- Family ties are - by overspending...
- Which one of the following statements is false?
- The phrase "take place" in the second sentence stands for-
- “It burns the prettiest of any wood.” Who said this?