The success of Kalsindur girls reads like an epic. They started their journey with practically nothing. They didn't have any boots or jerseys to wear. Initially, they played wearing salwar and kamij. They also suffered from malnutrition. What made them win against all adversities then? What was the magic behind? Mohammad Mafiz Uddin was an assistant teacher at Kalsindur Government Free Primary School where Minati Rani Sheel was the head teacher. They observed the girls' interests in football and decided to help. It was however not that easy. Girls playing football is still not a common picture in Bangladesh. Guardians were not convinced as they were used to seeing girls helping mothers with household chores. A farmer, an auto-rickshaw driver, a tea-shop owner or a housemaid mother couldn't be that ambitious either. But Minati Rani Sheel and Mohammad Mafiz Uddin persuaded them to allow their daughters to play. Being great motivators, the two teachers supported the girls in their effort to overcome the odds. They inspired them, created opportunities for them and took personal care of them. Soon the girls could prove themselves, shaking off their inhibition. Their success has also persuaded the villagers to come to their support. When the girls moved to the nearby secondary school and college, they did not have their Minati Maam and Mafiz Uddin Sir with them, but soon another motherly person offered her helping hand Mala Rani Sarkar, an Assistant Professor of History who was joined by one of her colleagues, Juel Mia. They agreed to coach the girls. Mr Jalaluddin, who was then the head teacher of the school, also supported them. Gradually the local community, public representatives and the local administration came forward. Bangladesh Football Federation also gave special attention to them and finally another football magician, Golam Robbani Choton, the coach of the Bangladesh Women's National Football Team, mentored these girls and helped them to become complete professional footballers. Now people realise what their golden girls could bring for them. "When these girls go from one place to another, even the auto-rickshaw pullers don't take any fare from them as they are the pride of the village. It's a small token of recognition but it's great!" says Mala Rani Sarkar, the Team Manager of Kalsindur Women's Football Team. She also adds that Kalsindur would present more female footballers in future, as of 2021 they are grooming another 65 girls to play for the nation.

১.

Choose the best answer from alternatives.

(a) What do you mean by the word read in the passage?
(i) study (ii) go through (iii) research (iv) seem

(b) Write down the correct spelling of the verb form of 'success'.
(i) succed (ii) sucsede (iii) succeede (iv) succeed

(c) The word 'picture' in the passage is synonymous with —.
(i) image (ii) photo (iii) scenario (iv) photograph

(d) The word 'chore' means —.
(i) cuisine (ii) thief (iii) task (iv) cooking

(e) What is the meaning of the word 'owner' in the passage?
(i) landlord (ii) landlady (iii) proprietor (iv) worker

(f) The phrase 'shake off means —.
(i) remove (ii) shake (iii) embrace (iv) accept

(g) The word 'inhibition' stands for —.
(i) constraint (ii) inspiration (iii) courage (iv) ensure

(h) What kind of parts of speech is 'motherly'?
(i) adverb (ii) adjective (iii) verb (iv) noun

(i) 'It's a small token of recognition.' What does it refer to?
(i) taking no fare (ii) taking no fair (iii) taking a little fare (iv) taking half fare

(j) Here the word 'journey' refers to —.
(i) overcoming odds (ii) getting support from people (iii) playing soccer (iv) going from one place to another.

উত্তর

(a) (iv) seem

(b) (iv) succeed

(c) (iii) scenario

(d) (iii) task

(e) (iii) proprietor

(f) (i) remove

(g) (i) constraint

(h) (ii) adjective

(i) (i) taking no fare

(j) (i) overcoming odds

The success of Kalsindur girls reads like an epic. They started their journey with practically nothing. They didn't have any boots or jerseys to wear. Initially, they played wearing salwar and kamij. They also suffered from malnutrition. What made them win against all adversities then? What was the magic behind? Mohammad Mafiz Uddin was an assistant teacher at Kalsindur Government Free Primary School where Minati Rani Sheel was the head teacher. They observed the girls' interests in football and decided to help. It was however not that easy. Girls playing football is still not a common picture in Bangladesh. Guardians were not convinced as they were used to seeing girls helping mothers with household chores. A farmer, an auto-rickshaw driver, a tea-shop owner or a housemaid mother couldn't be that ambitious either. But Minati Rani Sheel and Mohammad Mafiz Uddin persuaded them to allow their daughters to play. Being great motivators, the two teachers supported the girls in their effort to overcome the odds. They inspired them, created opportunities for them and took personal care of them. Soon the girls could prove themselves, shaking off their inhibition. Their success has also persuaded the villagers to come to their support. When the girls moved to the nearby secondary school and college, they did not have their Minati Maam and Mafiz Uddin Sir with them, but soon another motherly person offered her helping hand Mala Rani Sarkar, an Assistant Professor of History who was joined by one of her colleagues, Juel Mia. They agreed to coach the girls. Mr Jalaluddin, who was then the head teacher of the school, also supported them. Gradually the local community, public representatives and the local administration came forward. Bangladesh Football Federation also gave special attention to them and finally another football magician, Golam Robbani Choton, the coach of the Bangladesh Women's National Football Team, mentored these girls and helped them to become complete professional footballers. Now people realise what their golden girls could bring for them. "When these girls go from one place to another, even the auto-rickshaw pullers don't take any fare from them as they are the pride of the village. It's a small token of recognition but it's great!" says Mala Rani Sarkar, the Team Manager of Kalsindur Women's Football Team. She also adds that Kalsindur would present more female footballers in future, as of 2021 they are grooming another 65 girls to play for the nation.

২.

Answer the following questions.

(a) How were the guardians?
(b) "It was, however, not that easy." What does the sentence indicate?
(c) Who provided support to the girls?
(d) Who are the 'golden girls'? Why are they called so?
(e) How do you consider the matter of not taking fare from the girls by auto-rickshaw pullers?

উত্তর

(a) The guardians were initially unconvinced because they were accustomed to girls helping with household work rather than playing football.

(b) The sentence refers to the difficulties the teachers faced in gaining permission and support for girls to play football despite social expectations and limited resources.

(c) Minati Rani Sheel and Mohammad Mafiz Uddin first helped them. Later supporters included Mala Rani Sarkar, Juel Mia, the head teacher Jalaluddin, the local community and administration, the Bangladesh Football Federation and coach Golam Robbani Choton.

(d) The successful footballers of Kalsindur are called golden girls because their determination and achievements brought pride and recognition to their village.

(e) The drivers’ refusal to take fares is a small but meaningful gesture of appreciation. It shows the community’s pride in the girls and recognition of their achievements.

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.

৩.

Based on your reading of the passage, write short notes in each of the boxes in the flow chart showing things that are found in Jerry by the narrator. (No. 1 is done for you.)

Box	Content
1	Doing unnecessary jobs
2	______
3	______
4	______
5	______
6	______

উত্তর

Box	Content
1	Doing unnecessary jobs
2	Finding a cubbyhole
3	Expressing gratitude through his eyes
4	Putting wood in the cubbyhole
5	Making dry materials ready for rough weather
6	Steadying a loose stone by digging

"We have a special responsibility to the ecosystem of this planet. In making sure that other species survive we will be ensuring the survival of our own." The first African woman and first environmentalist awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, Wangari Maathai (1940-2011) received that honour in 2004 as the founder of the Green Belt Movement in Kenya, a nonprofit organization dedicated to planting trees, environmental conservation, and women's rights. Maathai introduced the idea of planting trees with the people and developed it into a broad-based, grassroots organization designed to conserve the environment and improve women's quality of life. In 1986 the Green Belt Movement established a Pan African Green Belt Network and has introduced over 40 individuals from other African countries to its approach. The movement set both short and long-term objectives. The overall aim has been to create public awareness of the need to protect the environment through tree planting and sustainable management. More specifically, it has initiatives to promote and protect biodiversity, to protect the soil, to create jobs especially in the rural areas, to give women a positive image in the community and to assert their leadership qualities. It promotes food security and assists people to make the link between environmental degradation and many of the problems they face, including poverty and livelihood insecurity.

৪. Summarise the following text.

উত্তর

Wangari Maathai founded Kenya’s Green Belt Movement to combine tree planting and environmental protection with the advancement of women. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004, she believed that protecting other species also protects humanity. The movement expanded its approach through a Pan African network and introduced it to people from other countries. Its aims include conserving biodiversity and soil, creating rural jobs, strengthening women’s leadership and improving food security. It also helps communities understand the links between environmental damage, poverty and insecure livelihoods.

কারমাইকেল কলেজ, রংপুর ২০২৬

কারমাইকেল কলেজ, রংপুর ২০২৬ আনলক করো