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 life styles 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.

1. Choose the correct answer from the alternatives:
(a) What does the word 'mobility' in the passage refer to?
i. motionlessness ii. flexibility iii. stillness iv. immobility
(b) What is the common view of the girls when they get married?
i. They get opportunity for higher education
ii. They usually drop out of school and begin full-time work in her in-laws' household
iii. They usually help their parents
iv. They usually become the decision maker of her in-laws' house
(c) For an adolescent bride, even if her in-laws are supportive, there are greater risks in terms of child bearing.
i. child bearing ii. nursing of the elders in her in-laws' house iii. sending her child to school iv. nurturing the child
(d) What does the word 'illegal' in the passage refer to?
i. lawful ii. authorized iii. unlawful iv. legitimate
(e) What does the word 'expose' in the passage refer to?
i. hide ii. disclose iii. refrain iv. suppress
(f) What does the word 'pull out' in the passage refer to?
i. keep ii. continue iii. keep up iv. quit
(g) The word 'anaemia' refers to ----------.
i. blood pressure ii. blood sugar iii. shortage of blood iv. blood contamination
(h) The closest meaning of 'study' is ----------.
i. skipping ii. omitting iii. reporting iv. learning
(i) What is the synonym of the word 'unaware' in the passage?
i. conscious ii. aware iii. ignorant iv. cognizant
(j) What does the word 'majority' in the passage refer to?
i. minority ii. marginal iii. nominal iv. greater part

উত্তর

(a) ii. flexibility
(b) ii. They usually drop out of school and begin full-time work in her in-laws' household
(c) i. child bearing
(d) iii. unlawful
(e) ii. disclose
(f) iv. quit
(g) iii. shortage of blood
(h) iv. learning
(i) iii. ignorant
(j) iv. greater part

When adolescent girls are pulled out of school, either for marriage or work, they often lose their mobility, their friends and social status. The lack of mobility among adolescent girls also curtails their economic and non-formal educational opportunities. Moreover, they lack information about health issues. According to a study, only about three in five adolescents have even heard of HIV. It is also reported that more than 50 percent of adolescent girls are undernourished and suffer from anaemia. Adolescent fertility is also high in Bangladesh. The contribution of the adolescent fertility rate to the total fertility rate increased from 20.3% in 1993 to 24.4% in 2007. Moreover, neonatal mortality is another concern for younger mothers. While the situation for adolescent boys is somewhat better, many are vulnerable and lack the power to make decisions about their own lives. Many boys who are unable to go to school, or are unemployed, remain unaware of social or health issues. They are at considerable risk of being drawn into criminal activities. They are also more likely to get exposed to drugs and alcohol causing irreparable damage to their health and life.

2. Answer the following questions:
(a) What is the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. expressed in the first four lines of the text?
(b) 'One day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low.' Explain in your own words.
(c) "This is the faith that I will go back to the south with." What is the faith of Martin Luther King Jr.?
(d) What, according to Martin Luther King Jr., will be the use of this faith?

উত্তর

(a) Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream is that one day all people will be treated equally and judged by their character, not by the colour of their skin.

(b) The sentence means that all forms of inequality, injustice and discrimination will disappear. The low and neglected people will be honoured, and the proud and powerful barriers will be removed.

(c) His faith is that freedom, justice and equality will one day be established for all people, especially for the oppressed black people of America.

(d) According to him, this faith will help people work together, pray together, struggle together and stand up for freedom until justice is achieved.

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 life styles 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.

3. Write the synonyms or antonyms of the words as directed below.
(a) dream (synonym) (b) straight (synonym) (c) faith (antonym) (d) freedom (synonym) (e) happen (antonym) (f) mountain (synonym) (g) reveal (antonym) (h) discord (antonym) (i) mighty (antonym) (j) let (synonym)

উত্তর

(a) vision
(b) direct
(c) distrust
(d) liberty
(e) fail
(f) hill
(g) conceal
(h) harmony
(i) weak
(j) allow

In recent years there have been many alarming reports that world's climate is undergoing a significant change. All these reports provide (a) ---------- evidence (b) ---------- world's temperatures are increasing day by day. This increase in global (c) ---------- is caused (d) ---------- increased amounts of carbon dioxide (e) ---------- the earth. Most climatologists (f) ---------- that greenhouse effect is the likely (g) ---------- of this global warming. It may harm human (h) ---------- seriously.

4. Fill in the blanks with an appropriate word in each gap.

উত্তর

(a) strong
(b) that
(c) temperature
(d) by
(e) around
(f) believe
(g) cause
(h) life

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