English First Paper, Rajshahi Board-201

Rajshahi Board-2017                                               English First Paper

Part A : Reading Test (50 Marks)

Read the passage 'A' and answer the question no. 1, 2 and 3.   

The Statue of Liberty, originally called Liberty Enlightening the World, is a statue situated on Liberty Island, formerly Bedloe’s Island, in the harbour of New York. The statue symbolizes liberty in the form of a woman wearing flowing robs and a spiked crown. She holds a torch aloft in her right hand and carries in her left hand a book inscribed 'July 4, 1776'. Broken chain, symbolizing the overthrow of tyranny, lies at her feet. The statue was designed by the French sculptor,
Frederic Bartholdi and was given by France to the United States to commemorate the centennial of US independence in 1876.

France raised funds by popular subscription to pay for the statue. US donors financed the pedestal and installation of the monument. President Grover Cleveland dedicated the work on October 28, 1886. The statue, the island and Ellis Island were declared a national monument in 1924.

The statue formed of copper sheets riveted to an iron framework, is one of the largest statues in the world. It measures 93×5m (306 ft 8 in) from the bottom of the pedestal to the tip of the torch. It weighs 254 tonnes (250 tons). Originally conceived as a gesture of international friendship, the statue has become a global symbol of freedom, making the arrival of millions of immigrants to the United States.

1.     Choose the correct answer from the alternatives.     1´7=7

(a)   What does the expression “The statue symbolizes liberty” mean?

        (i) It is a symbol of bondage

        (ii) It is a symbol of slavery

        (iii) It is a symbol of freedom

        (iv) It is a symbol of subjugation

(b)   Who is the designer of the Statue of Liberty?

        (i) Louis I Kahn            (ii) Neil A Armstrong

        (iii) A Annam                (iv) Frederic Bartholdi

(c)   Which of the following words describes the Statue of Liberty best?

        (i) Tyranny                    (ii) Freedom

        (iii) Oppression             (iv) Exploitation

(d)   “Broken chain, symbolizing the overthrow of tyranny, lies at her feet” ¾ What does it mean?

        (i) win of subjugation

        (ii) defeat of molestation

        (iii) victory of oppression

        (iv) triumph of suppression

(e)   What is the meaning of the word 'gesture' in the text?

        (i) Inspiration                (ii) Reckoning  

        (iii) Gesticulation          (iv) Beckoning

(f)    The Liberty Island was formerly called ¾.

        (i) St. Helena Island    (ii) St. Martin Island  

        (iii) Ellis Island              (iv) Bedloe’s Island  

(g)   The Statue of Liberty was originally conceived as ¾.

        (i) a symbol of freedom

        (ii) a gesture of international friendship

        (iii) a statue of liberty

        (iv) a symbol of global freedom

2.     Answer the following questions.                     2´5=10

(a)   How does the statue symbolize liberty?

(b)   What does the book in the hand of the statue stand for?

(c)   When and why did France present the statue to the USA?

(d)   Why is the year 1924 important?

(e)   How is the Statue of Liberty formed?

3.     Write a summary of the passage in not more than 100 words.      10

Read the passage ‘B’ carefully and answer the question no. 4 and 5.

Passage B

Jibanananda Das was born in Barisal in 1899. He took his Masters Degree in English at the age of 22. The next year he started his teaching career as a Professor of English at the Kolkata City College. He lost his job in 1928 on the charge of publishing a poem in the Parichaya Patrika. But two years after he joined the Ramjash College, Delhi but returned to his place of birth the next year. He got an appointment in Brajamohan College, Barisal in 1935. In 1947 when the partition was made, Jibanananda Das left Bangladesh for India. In West Bengal he started editing the Swaraj Patrika. In 1951 he joined the Kharagpur College. He was awarded Rabindra Purashkar in 1953. He met with a tram accident on the 14^th October, 1954. He was hospitalized. After a few days, he passed away on October 22, 1954.

4.     Fill in the blanks of the table below with the information from the passage ‘B’.      5

Who/ What	Event/ Activity	Where/ Place	When/Year
Jibanananda Das	(i) ......	Barisal	1899
He	joined	Brajamohan College	(ii) ......
Jibanananda Das	left	(iii) ......	1947
(iv) ......	was awarded		1953
He	died	Kolkata	(v) ......

5.     From your reading of the passage B, fill in the blanks with suitable words.              1´5=5

        Jibanananda Das is considered one of the greatest poets in Bangla literature. He was born in 1899. He started his career as a (a) ¾. He held his jobs (b) ¾ in Bangladesh and India. He (c) ¾ the Swaraj Patrika. He (d) ¾ Rabindra Purashkar in 1953. He did not die a natural death. He died (e) ¾ a tram accident in 1954.

6.     Match the parts of the sentences given in column 'A' and column 'B' to write five complete sentences. There are more parts of sentences in column 'B' than required.           1´5=5

Column A	Column B
a.  A library is a place	i.     borrow books from there.
b.  It is very useful because	ii.    as a storehouse of knowledge.
c.  It is very essential	iii.   where various types of books are found.
d.  We can also	iv.  to enrich our knowledge.
e.  A library is also known	v.   we can read many kinds of books there.
	vi. books are compiled.
	vii. according to alphabetical order.

7.     Put the following parts of the story in correct order to rewrite the whole story.      1´8=8

(a)   The king followed the advice of the physician and became slim and fully cured.

(b)   He advised the king to move a heavy club in the air till he got tired.

(c)   He did not undergo physical labour.

(d)   The doctor was very wise.

(e)   He became bulky and could not move or do anything.

(f)    Once there was an idle king.

(g)   He did not prescribe any medicine.

(h)   He called in a doctor.

Part B : Writing Test (Marks 50)

8.     Answer the following questions to write a paragraph on 'Traffic Jam'. You should write about 250 words.   10

(a)   What is traffic jam?

(b)   What are the causes of traffic jam?

(c)   What is the effect of traffic jam?

(d)   When does generally a traffic jam occur?

(e)   How can traffic jam be removed?

9.     Read the beginning of a story. Write ten new sentences to complete the story.          10

        Once there lived a cowboy in a village. He used to graze cattle near a forest. It was not very far away from his village. Besides his usual duty, he sang and played the flute. But the boy had a bad habit. He used to tell lies.........

10.  Look at the following graph. It shows a comparative selling rate of five kinds of books in Ekushey Boi Mela, 2015. Describe the graph in 150 words. You should highlight and summarize the information given in the graph.               10

11.  Suppose, you are Mahbub/Mahbuba. You have a friend, named Habib/Habiba. Your friend has recently sent you a nice birthday gift on the occasion of your 16^th birth anniversary. Now, write a letter to your friend thanking him/her for sending you the nice birthday gift.                                                                 10

12.  Suppose, you are Salam/Salma. Your friend, Munna/Munni wants to know about the bad effect of smoking. Now, write a dialogue between you and your friend about it.                    10