A plate of hot French fries and a huge burger with hot cheese oozing out of it, with a carbonated drink; looks like a treat! This calorie-rich junk food does look mouth-watering but is known to be nutritionally poor. Junk food or fast food has become an increasingly popular food choice. Ideally, junk foods are defined as processed foods with negligible nutrient value and are often high in salt, sugar and fat. But we often confuse fast foods with junk foods. How are they different? Or what is junk food really?
Junk foods are processed foods consisting of high calories, but that is considered only as a broad umbrella. These foods are prepared in a way that they look appealing and are enjoyable so you are chemically programmed to ask for more. According to Dr. Sunali Sharma, a dietician and nutritionist, "Commercial products including salted snack foods, chewing gum, candy, sugary desserts, fried fast food and sweetened carbonated beverages that have little or no nutritional value but are high in calories, salt and fats may be considered junk foods. Though not all fast foods are junk foods, a great number of them are. For instance, a salad may be fast food, but is definitely not junk food. Some foods like burgers, pizzas and tacos may alternate between junk and healthy categories depending on the ingredients, calories and process of manufacturing."
Frequent consumption of junk food increases the intake of excess fat, simple carbohydrates and processed sugar which may lead to a higher risk of obesity and cardiovascular diseases among other chronic health problems. The resulting obesity may begin clogging up the arteries and lay the basis of an impending heart attack. It has also been suggested that eating junk food affects the brain in the same way as consuming addictive drugs. An addiction to junk food may even result in the rejection of healthier food options like fruits, vegetables, salads etc, leading to further lack of nourishment.

১.

Choose the best answer from alternatives.

(a) The best synonym of the word “chronic’ is
(i) temporary (ii) perennial (iii) mild (iv) occasional

(b) What does ‘obesity mean in the passage?
(i) Emaciation (ii) anorexia (iii) corpulence (iv) skinny

(c) What does impending mean in the passage?
(i) Distant (ii) imminent (iii) unlikely (iv) escaple

(d) What is the antonym of the word “negligible’ in the passage?
(i) trifling (ii) considerable (iii) trivial (iv) unworthy

(e) The word ‘ooze” means in the passage
(i) The sluggish eating out of something (ii) Giving a powerful impression of something (iii) To slowly trickle or seep out of something (iv) a soft deposit (as of mud) on the bottom of a body

(f) What is the opposite of 'mouth-watering' in the passage?
(i) Delicious (ii) scrumptious (iii) flavourless (iv) appetizing

(g) What is the opposite meaning of the word ‘confuse’ in the passage?
(i) Bewilder (ii) clarify (iii) baffle (iv) perplex

(h) What is the antonym of the word ‘manufacture'?
(i) Process (ii) demolish (iii) fabricate (iv) produce

(i) What does the phrase 'clog up' mean in the passage?
(i) Unblock (ii) block (iii) un-obstract (iv) unlog

(j) What is the antonym of the word 'nourish' in the passage?
(i) A foster (ii) starve (iii) nurture (iv) harbour

উত্তর

(a) (ii) perennial

(b) (iii) corpulence

(c) (ii) imminent

(d) (ii) considerable

(e) (iii) To slowly trickle or seep out of something

(f) (iii) flavourless

(g) (ii) clarify

(h) (ii) demolish

(i) (ii) block

(j) (ii) starve

A plate of hot French fries and a huge burger with hot cheese oozing out of it, with a carbonated drink; looks like a treat! This calorie-rich junk food does look mouth-watering but is known to be nutritionally poor. Junk food or fast food has become an increasingly popular food choice. Ideally, junk foods are defined as processed foods with negligible nutrient value and are often high in salt, sugar and fat. But we often confuse fast foods with junk foods. How are they different? Or what is junk food really?
Junk foods are processed foods consisting of high calories, but that is considered only as a broad umbrella. These foods are prepared in a way that they look appealing and are enjoyable so you are chemically programmed to ask for more. According to Dr. Sunali Sharma, a dietician and nutritionist, "Commercial products including salted snack foods, chewing gum, candy, sugary desserts, fried fast food and sweetened carbonated beverages that have little or no nutritional value but are high in calories, salt and fats may be considered junk foods. Though not all fast foods are junk foods, a great number of them are. For instance, a salad may be fast food, but is definitely not junk food. Some foods like burgers, pizzas and tacos may alternate between junk and healthy categories depending on the ingredients, calories and process of manufacturing."
Frequent consumption of junk food increases the intake of excess fat, simple carbohydrates and processed sugar which may lead to a higher risk of obesity and cardiovascular diseases among other chronic health problems. The resulting obesity may begin clogging up the arteries and lay the basis of an impending heart attack. It has also been suggested that eating junk food affects the brain in the same way as consuming addictive drugs. An addiction to junk food may even result in the rejection of healthier food options like fruits, vegetables, salads etc, leading to further lack of nourishment.

২. Answer the following questions:
a) How does junk food differ from fast food?
b) Why is junk food bad for health?
c) Do you agree that all junk foods are fast foods but all fast foods are not junk foods? Why or why not?
d) Make a list of local fast foods and junk foods.
e) What message does the passage intend to convey?

উত্তর

(a) Fast food is prepared or served quickly, while junk food is described here as food high in calories, salt, sugar or fat but low in nutrients. The categories can overlap.

(b) Frequent consumption can contribute to an unbalanced diet and increase the risk of obesity and other health problems.

(c) I do not agree with the whole statement. Some fast food can be nutritious, but the passage does not establish that every junk food is a quickly served meal. It lists products such as sweets and sugary drinks as well.

(d) Examples of local quickly served foods include sandwiches and prepared snacks. Nutritional quality depends on ingredients and preparation; heavily fried snacks, sweets and sugary drinks may fit the passage's junk-food description.

(e) The passage encourages readers to distinguish speed of preparation from nutritional quality and make balanced food choices.

My name is Amerigo. I am 13 years old and I live on the street alone. My mother, who is separated from my father, doesn't want me. She told me to go away....... Now she is married to another man. My father lives very far away. I want to go to him, but he won't take me either. I begged him to send me some money so that I could buy a bus ticket. I am still waiting. He hasn't answered.

The streets are now my home. Sometimes I find work. I used to collect trash and sell it to a vendor. I stopped doing that after I had a serious infection, and a doctor told me to stay away from the trash dump. Once I worked for an ice cream shop owner and sold ice cream on the beach. But I got no money in return. The owner of the shop gave me something to eat, and let me sleep in his hut at night. The work was difficult and painful. The ice cream box is quite heavy when it is full. I had to walk for hours, offering my ice cream to whoever wanted to buy. There were days when I could not even sell one ice cream. In a way, I am lucky because I am alive. My friends who work sorting rubbish in dumps often suffer from serious diseases. One of them was recently killed after he fell into a hole that opened up in the pile of trash. Many of us work for 10 to 12 hours, and get so little in return that we can't even buy food.

Shoe-shining is very popular among the street kids. A few of my friends also work in factories and workshops. A boy I know lost one of his eyes after a piece of hot glass flew into his eye at the glass factory where he worked. The owner refused to pay for medical help and fired him.

For me, like all other children on the street, it is very hard. I am always hungry, and I don't know where I will sleep the next night. I would like to live in my own home and sleep there in peace. The nights are very cold in the winter. You can die of cold in the street.

৩.

Read the text below and make a flow chart showing the activities for the livelihood of the street children: (one has been done for you):

Working hard in different sectors. → 2. ______ → 3. ______ → 4. ______ → 5. ______ → 6. ______

উত্তর

Working hard in different sectors → 2. Collecting and selling rubbish → 3. Selling ice cream → 4. Shining shoes → 5. Working in factories → 6. Working in workshops

Amerigo, a resilient 13-year-old cast adrift in the unforgiving streets after enduring the heart-wrenching rejection of both his mother and father. Bereft of familial support, Amerigo finds himself thrust into a precarious existence where survival hinges on his resourcefulness and tenacity. Despite the daunting challenges that litter his path, Amerigo steadfastly refuses to succumb to despair, instead, he throws himself into a myriad of odd jobs ranging from trash collection to shoe-shining, each task a precarious tightrope walk between sustenance and peril.

Every corner turned reveals fresh hurdles; from the grueling health hazards lurking in the refuse he scours, to the paltry wages offered for his toil. Yet, Amerigo presses on, his spirit unbroken by the relentless barrage of adversity. Through his eyes, we witness the stark realities that besiege street children – the gnawing pangs of hunger, the biting sting of poverty, and the gnashing jaws of homelessness, all haunting specters that loom large over his fragile existence.

Yet amidst the darkness, a flicker of hope persists within Amerigo's heart. In the quiet moments stolen between shifts and scavenging, he dares to dream of a life beyond the harsh confines of the streets. A life where the warmth of a home replaces the chill of the pavement, where the cacophony of urban strife gives way to the serenity of peace. Though the road ahead may be fraught with peril, Amerigo clings to his dreams like a beacon guiding him through the tempest, determined to carve out a destiny of his own making amidst the relentless tumult of the streets.

৪. Write a summary of the above passage.

উত্তর

The passage describes Amerigo, a thirteen-year-old living on the streets after losing his parents' support. He struggles to survive through difficult and poorly paid work, facing illness, hunger and homelessness. Despite these hardships, he remains hopeful and dreams of a secure home and a peaceful life. His experience highlights the vulnerability of street children and their determination to seek a better future.

সরকারি আজিজুল হক কলেজ, বগুড়া ২০২৪

সরকারি আজিজুল হক কলেজ, বগুড়া ২০২৪ আনলক করো