Adolescents constitute a nation's core resource for national renewal and growth. Adolescence is a period in life when transition from childhood to adulthood takes place and behaviours and lifestyles are shaped. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), adolescence is the period which shapes the future of girls' and boys' lives. There are 28 million adolescents in Bangladesh; 13.7 million of them are girls and 14.3 million boys.
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.
Choose the best answer from alternatives.
(a) What could be the closest meaning of the word 'constitute' in the first sentence?
(i) form (ii) add (iii) realize (iv) build
(b) Adolescence is a ______ period from childhood to adulthood.
(i) constant (ii) transitional (iii) rigid (iv) fixed
(c) The word 'supportive' refers to ______
(i) rude (ii) greedy (iii) helpful (iv) non-cooperative
(d) What is the meaning of the word 'affluent'?
(i) able (ii) rich (iii) poor (iv) tolerant
(e) Which statement contradicts the passage?
(i) Dowry persists despite being illegal. (ii) Adolescent brides face greater pregnancy and childbirth health risks. (iii) In Bangladesh boys marry earlier than girls. (iv) More affluent adolescents tend to marry later.
(f) 'Subordination' means ______
(i) superiority (ii) inferiority (iii) complexity (iv) simplicity
(g) According to the passage, what are the legal marriage ages for girls and boys in Bangladesh?
(i) boy 18, girl 20 (ii) boy 20, girl 21 (iii) girl 18, boy 21 (iv) girl 14, boy 18
(h) In the sense of 'misuse', the opposite of 'abuse' is ______.
(i) proper use (ii) misuse (iii) exploitation (iv) mishandling
(i) The word 'inequality' means ______.
(i) similarity (ii) unequal status or treatment (iii) solvency (iv) indifference
(j) Who tend to marry at a later age?
(i) adolescents of affluent families (ii) adolescents of poor families (iii) adolescents of middle class families (iv) none of them
(a) (i) form
(b) (ii) transitional
(c) (iii) helpful
(d) (ii) rich
(e) (iii) In Bangladesh boys marry earlier than the girls.
(f) (ii) inferiority
(g) (iii) girl 18, boy 21
(h) (i) proper use
(i) (ii) unequal status or treatment
(j) (i) adolescents of affluent families