At daylight I was half wakened by the sound of chopping. Again, it was so even in texture that I went back to sleep. When I left my bed in the cool morning, the boy had come and gone, and a stack of kindling was neat against the cabin wall. He came after school in the afternoon and worked until time to return to the orphanage. His name was Jerry... he had been at the orphanage since he was four. I could picture him at four, with the same grave gray-blue eyes and the same independence? No, the word that comes to me is "integrity".... It is bedded on courage, but it is more than brave. It is honest, but it is more than honesty. The ax handle broke one day. Jerry said the woodshop at the orphanage would repair it. I brought money to pay for the job and he refused it.
"I'll pay for it," he said. "I broke it. I brought the ax down careless."
"But no one hits accurately every time," I told him. "The fault was in the wood of the handle. I'll see the man from whom I bought it."
It was only then that he would take the money. He was standing back of his own carelessness. He was a free-will agent and he chose to do careful work, and if he failed, he took the responsibility without subterfuge.
And he did for me the unnecessary thing, the gracious thing, that we find done only by the great of heart. Things no training can teach, for they are done on the instant, with no predicated experience. He found a cubbyhole beside the fireplace that I had not noticed. There, of his own accord, he put kindling and "medium" wood, so that I might always have dry fire material ready in case of sudden wet weather. A stone was loose in the rough walk to the cabin. He dug a deeper hole and steadied it, although he came, himself, by a shortcut over the bank. I found that when I tried to return his thoughtfulness with such things as candy and apples, he was wordless. "Thank you" was, perhaps, an expression for which he had had no use, for his courtesy was instinctive. He only looked at the gift and at me, and a curtain lifted, so that I saw deep into the clear well of his eyes, and gratitude was there, and affection, soft over the firm granite of his character...
(a) (iii) inborn
(b) (iv) Willingly
(c) (i) Deception
(d) (ii) fixed
(e) (iv) responsibility
(f) (iii) sound of cutting wood
(g) (i) a small enclosed space
(h) (ii) Gratefulness
(i) (iii) Uprightness
(j) (ii) for eight years
(a) Jerry found a cubbyhole beside the fireplace. There, of his own accord, he put kindling so that the authoress might have dry fire material ready in case of sudden wet weather. Besides, he dug a deeper hole and steadied the loose stone in the rough walk to the cabin.
(b) Jerry would remain wordless and look at the gift and the authoress. Although he did not say “Thank you”, his eyes showed gratitude and affection.
(c) Jerry refused to take money for repairing the ax handle because he felt personally responsible for breaking it. He admitted that he had been careless and believed it was his duty to fix the damage he had caused. His strong sense of integrity and responsibility made him unwilling to accept money for something he considered his own fault.
(d) The authoress was impressed with Jerry for his honesty, dedication, and strong character. Despite his young age, he worked hard and showed maturity beyond his years.
(e) Yes, I do like Jerry's personality. He has some great qualities of a human being such as independence, integrity, honesty, courage, etc. Moreover, he takes responsibility for his failure and does gracious things by his own will.
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Enriches us with knowledge
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Teaches us values
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Helps us to develop self-respect
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Teaches us to respect others
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Teaches us the importance of honesty
-
Teaches us to trust others
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 behaviour, 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.
(b) going
(c) waste
(d) decided
(e) scarce
(f) worry
(g) married
(h) bringing
(i) were
(j) study
| Order | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sentence | d | h | a | j | b | i | f | c | g | e |
The data show the percentage distribution of six categories of books in a college library. Science has the largest share at 30%, followed by Literature at 25%. Business accounts for 20%, while History and Philosophy together represent 15%. Sports and Others are the smallest categories, each making up 5% of the collection.
Science leads Literature by five percentage points and has twice the share of History and Philosophy. Business books account for four times as much as either Sports or Others. The three largest categories—Science, Literature and Business—together form 75% of the collection. In contrast, Sports and Others jointly account for only 10%.
Overall, the collection is concentrated in Science, Literature and Business. The shares of all six categories add up to 100%, giving a complete picture of the distribution. Science is the largest individual category, whereas Sports and Others occupy equal and comparatively small shares.
A Compassionate Morning
It was a foggy winter morning. Dr. Rabbi was driving home from the hospital after his exhausting overnight shift. Driving was difficult because of the haze. Suddenly, he felt he had driven past somebody sitting by the road. He stopped the car and backed up to see who it was. It was an elderly man, dressed in thin, ragged clothes. The man was shivering uncontrollably in the cold. Dr. Rabbi, a compassionate man, immediately got out of his car. He saw that the old man looked weak and possibly ill. He took off his own warm jacket and wrapped it around the man's shoulders. "Sir, are you alright? You shouldn't be out here in this cold," Dr. Rabbi said gently. The man looked up with tired eyes but couldn't speak. Dr. Rabbi helped him into the passenger seat of his car and turned up the heat. He gave the man a thermos of hot coffee he had with him. After the man had warmed up a little, Dr. Rabbi drove him to a nearby shelter for the homeless, ensuring he would be safe, warm, and well-fed. The doctor left feeling that his long night shift had ended on a truly meaningful note.
2/21 Babar Road,
Mohammadpur, Dhaka.
29 July 2025
My dear Lazim,
I hope this letter finds you well. I was so happy to hear from you and even more excited to learn that you are interested in visiting Bangladesh! It would be wonderful to have you here.
You asked about the sights and sounds of my country. Bangladesh is a land of incredible diversity. For sights, you must see Cox's Bazar, the world's longest natural sea beach, where the sunsets are breathtaking. Then there is the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest and home to the majestic Royal Bengal Tiger. For a touch of history, you could visit the ancient Buddhist ruins at Paharpur or the old capital, Sonargaon. And you cannot miss the lush green tea gardens of Sreemangal, which look like a vast green carpet.
The sounds of Bangladesh are just as unique. You will wake up to the beautiful and cheerful chirping of birds. In the cities, especially Dhaka, you'll experience the lively chaos of traffic and the friendly calls of street vendors. On the rivers, you will hear the rhythmic paddling of boatmen singing traditional folk songs.
It's a country full of life, colour, and warmth. I am sure you will love it. Let me know when you plan to come, and I will be waiting eagerly to show you around.
With best wishes,
Your friend,
Lisa