Read the following text and answer the questions 1-2.
Michael
Madhusudan Dutt was a popular
19th-century Bengali poet and dramatist. He was born in Sagordari on the bank
of the Kopotaksho
River
From an early age, Dutt aspired to be an
Englishman in form and manner. Though he was born in a sophisticated Hindu
family, he took Christianity as a young man, much to the ire of his family, and
adopted the first name Michael. In his childhood, he was recognised by his
teachers as a precious child with a gift of literary talent. His early exposure
to English education and European literature at home and his college inspired
him to imitate the English in taste, manners and intellect.
Since his
adolescence he started believing that he was born on the wrong side of the
planet, and that his society was unable to appreciate his intellect. He also
believed that the West would be more receptive to his creative genius. Michael
was an ardent follower of the famous English poet Lord Byron. So after adopting
Christianity, he went to Europe and started
composing poetry and drama almost entirely in English. They showed his higher
level of intellectual ability. However, he failed to gain the right
appreciation. To his utter frustration he found that he was not esteemed as a
native writer of English literature. Out of his frustration, he composed a
sonnet in Bangla ‘Kopotaksha Nad’, which earned him huge reputation in Bangla.
Gradually he could realise that his true identity lay in Bengal
and he was a sojourner in Europe . Afterwards
he regretted his fascination for England Bengal and devoted himself to Bangla literature from this
period. He is the poet to write the first Bangla epic 'Meghnad Badh Kabya'.
1. Choose the correct answer from the alternatives. 1´7=7
(a) Which of the following has
the closest meaning of the word 'Popular' used in line 1?
(i)
changing (ii) liked, enjoyed by people
(iii)
polluted (iv)
inventing
(b) What does the clause "he was a sojourner in Europe "?
(i) He
lived in Europe
(ii) He
left Europe
(iii) He
lived in Europe for a time
(iv) He
was accepted by Europe
(c) Michael Madhusudan Dutt was
appreciated by his teachers ¾
(i) in
school (ii) in
college
(iii) in
youth (iv) in
childhood
(d) Dutt ¾ to be an Englishman.
(i)
desired (ii)
hated
(iii)
ignored (iv)
acted
(e) ¾ literature earned him huge reputation.
(i)
English (ii)
Bangla
(iii)
French (iv)
Sanskrit
(f) Dutt was ¾ of sonnet in Bengali Literature.
(i) a
flower (ii)
the initiator
(iii) only
composer (iv) a poet
(g) The word 'recognize' stands
for¾
(i) to
encourage (ii) to
identify
(iii) to
fix again (iv) to bargain again and again
2. Answer the following questions. 2´5=10
(a) What was the ambition of Michael Madhusudan
Dutt in early age?
(b) How was he treated by his teachers?
(c) How was Michael's higher level of
intellectual ability exposed?
(d) How were
Michael's writings evaluated by the West?
(e) Why did Michael Madhusudan Dutt start writing
in Bangla?
