We spend money for different reasons. We buy foods, clothes or everyday essentials, pay for different services, entertain people, travel to places, help others in need or invest in business and thus spend money every day. In fact, spending is a part of our life. Spending may make us happy or unhappy depending on how and why we spend. When we spend money on things that we need and within our limit, it is good. When it becomes a compulsive behavior, it makes life stressful. Unnecessary spending or spending beyond one’s means has some bad effects. For one thing, it may lead to financial ruin or debt, and for another, it may create unhappiness within families. People who overspend are never satisfied with what they have. They always rush for brands, fashion items, designer clothes etc. Over a period of time, it becomes an addiction which may eventually create psychological problems. Nowadays consumer items are displayed in stores or in advertisements in ways that they create a feeling of immediate need for them. We are constantly tempted to buy, use or consume things even when we do not have a genuine need. We all need to be careful here. Salespersons often encourage customers to buy things by flattering them. ‘This is a perfect match for you,’ they would say, or ‘You look so stunning in that dress.’ Never forget, they say the same thing to most of their customers. It is better not to be persuaded by such words. They use these words to please the customers as the more a customer buys, the higher the profit is. Overspending is not only related to shopping, it applies to other activities as well such as eating out. Many people buy too many items to eat in a restaurant. They can eat only some of them and the rest are wasted. It’s not a responsible attitude. We cannot simply waste food because we have money to buy it. Young people in a shopping mall often look at an item on display and think ‘Oh I must buy this. I really need this.’ They may not have the money needed in their wallet. So they use credit cards but using them is like taking a loan. If they are not careful, the loans increase which might lead them to a debt-trap. Sometimes children insist on buying things that their parents cannot pay without stretching their budget. This may happen because the children’s friends also have them. It’s not fair as it becomes a burden for the parents. Finally, don’t get trapped by the glossy advertisements on television or the Internet. You should rather ask yourself: “Do I need this?” The best way to control the habit of spending is not to think ‘What I need’, but ‘Can I do without it?’

১.

Choose the best answer from alternatives.

(a) Advertisements beckon us to buy products-
(i) later (ii) immediately (iii) in future (iv) never

(b) The word 'careful' mentioned in the passage does not mean-
(i) painstaking (ii) meticulous (iii) assiduous (iv) impetuous

(c) The word 'psychological' in the text could be replaced by-
(i) Emotional (ii) corporeal (iii) surreal (iv) ethereal

(d) Spending money may make us-
(i) sad (ii) cheerful (iii) delighted or sad (iv) regretful

(e) We spend money-
(i) habitually (ii) hardly (iii) scarcely (iv) occasionally

(f) Using credit card is ______ taking a loan
(i) different from (ii) similar to (iii) not at all similar to (iv) dissimilar to

(g) The word ‘consumer’ mentioned in the passage means-
(i) buyer (ii) seller (iii) vendor (iv) broker

(h) Spending beyond one’s means may-
(i) lead to financial crisis (ii) make one affluent (iii) make one rich (iv) hardly make one poor

(i) People who overspend are ______ with what they have
(i) appeased (ii) euphoric (iii) satisfied (iv) dissatisfied

(j) Family ties are_ by overspending
(i) strengthened (ii) weakened (iii) consolidated (iv) paved

উত্তর

(a) (ii) immediately

(b) (iv) impetuous

(c) (i) Emotional

(d) (iii) delighted or sad

(e) (i) habitually

(f) (ii) similar to

(g) (i) buyer

(h) (i) lead to financial crisis

(i) (iv) dissatisfied

(j) (ii) weakened

We spend money for different reasons. We buy foods, clothes or everyday essentials, pay for different services, entertain people, travel to places, help others in need or invest in business and thus spend money every day. In fact, spending is a part of our life. Spending may make us happy or unhappy depending on how and why we spend. When we spend money on things that we need and within our limit, it is good. When it becomes a compulsive behavior, it makes life stressful. Unnecessary spending or spending beyond one’s means has some bad effects. For one thing, it may lead to financial ruin or debt, and for another, it may create unhappiness within families. People who overspend are never satisfied with what they have. They always rush for brands, fashion items, designer clothes etc. Over a period of time, it becomes an addiction which may eventually create psychological problems. Nowadays consumer items are displayed in stores or in advertisements in ways that they create a feeling of immediate need for them. We are constantly tempted to buy, use or consume things even when we do not have a genuine need. We all need to be careful here. Salespersons often encourage customers to buy things by flattering them. ‘This is a perfect match for you,’ they would say, or ‘You look so stunning in that dress.’ Never forget, they say the same thing to most of their customers. It is better not to be persuaded by such words. They use these words to please the customers as the more a customer buys, the higher the profit is. Overspending is not only related to shopping, it applies to other activities as well such as eating out. Many people buy too many items to eat in a restaurant. They can eat only some of them and the rest are wasted. It’s not a responsible attitude. We cannot simply waste food because we have money to buy it. Young people in a shopping mall often look at an item on display and think ‘Oh I must buy this. I really need this.’ They may not have the money needed in their wallet. So they use credit cards but using them is like taking a loan. If they are not careful, the loans increase which might lead them to a debt-trap. Sometimes children insist on buying things that their parents cannot pay without stretching their budget. This may happen because the children’s friends also have them. It’s not fair as it becomes a burden for the parents. Finally, don’t get trapped by the glossy advertisements on television or the Internet. You should rather ask yourself: “Do I need this?” The best way to control the habit of spending is not to think ‘What I need’, but ‘Can I do without it?’

২. Answer the following questions.
(a) How does spending lead to psychological problems? Does spending money cause 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?

উত্তর

(a) Spending can lead to psychological problems when it becomes compulsive and addictive, leading to dissatisfaction and stress. It doesn’t always lead to psychological problems, but it can when it becomes excessive.

(b) Salespersons often flatter customers and use persuasive language to induce them into buying products, aiming to increase profits.

(c) Customers should be aware because overspending can lead to financial ruin and debt. The best way to manage the habit of spending is to question whether the purchase is truly necessary and if one can do without it.

(d) Attributes of overspending people include dissatisfaction with what they have and a constant desire for more. Children may insist on buying things due to peer pressure or the desire to fit in with their friends.

(e) The author discourages buying with credit cards because it can lead to accumulating debt if not managed carefully. Young people can learn the lesson of responsible financial management by understanding the risks associated with using credit cards without proper consideration of one’s financial situation.

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 of 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.

৩.

Read the passage and make short notes in the boxes showing benefits of meditation. One is done for you.

Box	Content
1	To reduce stress and tension, and improve focus.
2	______
3	______
4	______
5	______
6	______

উত্তর

Box	Content
1	To reduce stress and tension, and improve focus
2	Bringing calmness
3	Developing concentration
4	Increasing thinking ability
5	Improving self-awareness
6	Improving tolerance

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 or 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.

When a girl gets married, she usually drops out of school and begins full-time work in her in-laws' household. In the in-laws' house, she is marginalized. She becomes vulnerable to all forms of abuse, including dowry-related violence. In Bangladesh, it is still common for a bride's family to pay dowry, despite the practice being illegal. Dowry demands can also continue after the wedding. For an adolescent bride, even if her in-laws are supportive, there are greater health risks in terms of pregnancy and childbirth. The majority of adolescent brides and their families are uninformed or insufficiently informed about reproductive health and contraception. The maternal mortality rate for adolescents is double the national rate.

৪. Summarise the following passage.

উত্তর

The passage describes inequality and exclusion experienced by adolescent girls in Bangladesh. It links early marriage with leaving school, limited economic opportunities and vulnerability to abuse, including dowry-related violence. Education and family wealth are associated with later marriage. The passage also highlights the risks faced by adolescent brides during pregnancy and childbirth and the lack of adequate reproductive-health information among many families.

আদমজী ক্যান্টনমেন্ট কলেজ, ঢাকা ২০২৪

আদমজী ক্যান্টনমেন্ট কলেজ, ঢাকা ২০২৪ আনলক করো