HSC English First Paper | Unit: 4, Lesson: 3 | Human Relationships | Photograph

1. Warm up activity:

□ In a group, initiate a discussion on photography in your time and in your parents' or grandparents' time.

□ Most mobile phones nowadays are fitted with a camera. How does a mobile phone take pictures? Discuss with friends.

2. Read the following story and answer the questions that follow:

I was ten years old. My grandmother sat on the string bed, under the mango tree. It was late summer and there were sunflowers in the garden and a warm wind in the trees. My grandmother was knitting a woollen scarf for the winter months. She was very old, dressed in a plain white sari; her eyes were not very strong now, but her fingers moved quickly with the needles, and the needles kept clicking all afternoon. Grandmother had white hair, but there were very few wrinkles on her skin.

I had come home after playing cricket on the maidan. I had taken my meal, and now I was rummaging in a box of old books and family heirlooms that had just that day been brought out of the attic by my mother. Nothing in the box interested me very much, except for a book with colourful pictures of birds and butterflies. I was going through the book, looking at the pictures, when I found a small photograph between the pages. It was a faded picture, a little yellow and foggy; it was a picture of a girl standing against a wall and behind the wall there was nothing but sky; but from the other side a pair of hands reached up, as though someone was going to climb the wall. There were flowers growing near the girl, but couldn't tell what they were; there was a creeper too, but it was just a creeper.

I ran out into the garden. "Granny!" I shouted. "Look at the picture! I found it in the box of old things. Whose picture is it"?

I jumped on the bed beside my grandmother and she walloped me on the bottom and said, "Now I've lost count of my stitches, and the next time you do that I'll make you finish the scarf yourself' She took the photograph from my hand, and we both stared at it for quite a long time. The girl had long, loose hair, and she wore a long dress that nearly covered her ankles, and sleeves that reached her wrists, and there were a lot of

bangles on her hands; but, despite all this drapery, the girl appeared to be full of freedom and movement; she stood with her legs apart and her hands on her hips, and she had a wide, almost devilish smile on her face.

"Whose picture is it?" I asked.

"A little girl's of course", said Grandmother. "Can't you tell"? "Yes, but did you know the girl?"

"Yes, I knew her", said Granny, "but she was a very wicked girl and I shouldn't tell you about her. But I'll tell you about the photograph. It was taken in your grandfather's house, about sixty years ago and that's the garden wall, and over the wall there was a road going to town".

"Whose hands are they", I asked, "coming up from the other side"?

Grandmother squinted and looked closely at the picture, and shook her head. "It's the first time I've noticed', she said. "That must have been the sweeper boy's. Or maybe they were your grandfather's."

"They don't look like grandfather's hand," I said. "His hands are all bony."

"Yes, but this was sixty years ago."

"Didn't he climb up the wall, after the photo?"

"No, nobody climbed up. At least, I don't remember."

"And you remember well, Granny."

"Yes, I remember... I remember what is not in the photograph. It was a spring day, and there was a cool breeze blowing, nothing like this. Those flowers at the girl's feet, they were marigolds, and the bougainvillaea creeper, it was a mass of purple. You cannot see these colours in the photo, and even if you could, as nowadays, you wouldn't be able to smell the flowers or feel the breeze."

"And what about the girl?" I said. "Tell me about the girl."

"Well, she was a wicked girl," said Granny. "You don't know the trouble they had getting her into those fine clothes she's wearing."

"Who was the girl?" I said. "You must tell me who she was."

"No, that wouldn't do," said Grandmother, but I pretended I didn't know. I knew, because Grandmother still smiled in the same way, even though she didn't have as many teeth.

Come on, Granny," I said, "tell me, tell me."

But Grandmother shook her head and carried on with the knitting; and I held the photograph in my hand looking from it to my grandmother and back again, trying to find points in common between the old lady and the little pig-tailed girl. A lemon-coloured butterfly settled on the end of Grandmother's knitting needle, and stayed there while the needles clicked away. I made a grab at the butterfly, and it flew off in a dipping flight and settled on a sunflower.

"I wonder whose hands they were," whispered Grandmother to herself, with her head bowed, and her needles clicking away in the soft warm silence of that summer afternoon.

3. Answer the following questions:

a. Why do you think the grandmother does not tell the boy that she was the little girl in the picture?

b. Whose hands do you think are those that are seen in the photograph? Why does the grandmother whisper the question to herself?

c. Describe the grandmother and the boy in your own words. Do you think she likes the boy because she wallops him for making her lose count of her stitches?

d. Have you ever seen your grandmother or mother knitting a woollen scarf or sweater? Can you describe how she did it?

e. What is the significance of a butterfly perching on the grandmother's knitting needle? Why does the boy try to grab it?

4. Make sentences with the following words to indicate that you understand their meaning:

a. rummage

b. heirloom

c. faded

d. wallop

e. breeze

5. Can you pick up the names of two flowers mentioned in the story? Then look at the picture of these flowers in a book or on the Internet and write a few lines describing them.

6. The girl in the photograph is described as 'full of freedom and movement.' What

particular aspect of her character or personality does the phrase highlight?

7. Among a group of friends, retell the story from the grandmother's point of view.

8. Write a paragraph from the boy's perspective on 'Grandma sixty years earlier.'

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HSC English First Paper | Unit: 4, Lesson: 2 | Human Relationships | Love and Friendship

1. Warm up activity:

□ Imagine how human relationships have changed over time. Boys and girls reading in the same class may become good friends. This was not possible a hundred years ago. Write a page describing the benefits of better human relationship.

Love and friendship are the two important demands of human life. Human life becomes unlivable in their absence. Though human beings need them badly, true love and friendship are difficult to find. The short song from William Shakespeare's (1564 -1616) play As You Like It laments the absence of true love and friendship in human life.

2. Now read the lyric and answer the questions that follow:

Blow, blow, thou winter wind, 

Thou art not so unkind 

As man's ingratitude; 

Thy tooth is not so keen, 

Because thou art not seen, 

Although thy breath be rude.

Heigh-ho! sing heigh-ho! unto the green holly: 

Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly: 

Then heigh-ho, the holly! 

This life is most jolly.

Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky, 

That dost not bite so nigh 

As benefits forgot: 

Though thou the waters warp, 

Thy sting is not so sharp 

As friend remembered not. 

High-ho! sing heigh-ho! unto the green holly...

3. Answer the following questions:

a. Why does the poet call the winter wind "unkind"?

b. What is worse than the winter wind?

c. Why does the poet imagine that the wind has tooth?

d. What has got sharper tooth than the winter wind?

e. Can the wind breathe? Why does the poet say that the wind's breath is rude?

f. What is the poet's observation about friendship and love?

g. Why does the poet find the sky bitter?

h. What kind of people forget received benefits?

i. What makes the sting of the sky sharp?

4. Make a summary of the song.

5. When writers give human characteristics and attributes to objects, it is called personification. Find out instances of personification in the poem. What ideas does the poet convey by using the device?

6. One of the charms of poetry is the music it creates with words. Read the song aloud and feel how the last word in each line matches in sound with the last words in other lines. The poet has followed a pattern here in rhyming. Identify the pattern by showing which word matches with which word in sound. You can mark each word i.e., a,b,c,d letters from the alphabet.

7. What is the general theme of the song? Do you think it is still valid? Give reasons for your answer.

8. Narrate two short events describing true love and friendship.

9. Find 5 noun words and 5 adjectival words from the poem and make sentences with them.

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HSC English First Paper | Unit: 4, Lesson: 1 | Human Relationships | Etiquette and Manners

1. Warm up activity:

□ What do you think are the rules that civilized societies follow to deal with elders in a family? Do different rules apply to women and children? Write down your answer.

□ In a group talk about the need for good manners.

2. Read the text below and answer the questions that follow:

As a child you must have been told to greet your elders and visitors to your home according to your culture and tradition. You must also have been taught to be polite in company and keep quiet while others, especially your elders, spoke. Possibly, you at times grudged such schooling. Possibly, at times you even protested such disciplining. Now, certainly you know that you can't always behave the way you want specially in the presence of others. There are rules of behavior you have to follow in a company. We are social beings and have to consider the effect of our behaviour on others, even if we are at home and dealing with our family members.

We have two terms to describe our social behaviour- 'etiquette' and 'manners/ 'Etiquette' is a French word and it means the rules of correct behaviour in society. The word 'manners* means the behaviour that is considered to be polite in a particular society or culture. Manners can be good or bad. For example, it is a bad manner to speak with food in one's mouth. No one likes a bad-mannered person. Remember that etiquette and manners vary from culture to culture and from society to society.

We learn etiquette and manners from our parents, families and various institutions, such as schools, colleges or professional bodies. There are rules of behaviour for all kinds of social occasions and it is important to learn them and practise them in everyday life. The maimers that are correct in a wedding reception will not do in a debating club. Therefore, we have to be careful about etiquette and manners. We know how important it is to say please' and 'thank you' in everyday life. A few more polite expressions such as 'pardon me/ 'excuse me', 'may 1/ are bound to make your day smooth and pleasant.

Here are some basic rules of etiquette:

Respect others' personal space.

Don't interrupt when someone else is talking.

Be a helper.

Be on time.

Don't yell in public places. 

Eat politely.

Chew with your mouth closed. 

Stand in queue.

There are many more. How many more can you add to the above list?

Here are some thoughtful observations on manners and etiquette from some famous people.

"Respect for ourselves guides our morals, respect for others guides our manners." Laurence Sterne

"Life is short, but there is always time enough for courtesy." Ralph Waldo Emerson "The real test of good manners is to he able to put up with bad manners." Kahlil Gibran

"Handsome is what handsome does." JRR Tolkein

"Politeness is a sign of dignity, not subservience." Theodore Roosevelt

"A man's manners are a mirror in which he shows his portrait." Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"Whoever interrupts the conversation of others to make a display of his fund of knowledge makes notorious his stock of ignorance." Shaikh Sadi "Etiquette is a fine tuning of education." Nadine Daher

3. Discuss the meaning and significance of each of the observations above in pairs and groups.

Different situations call for different etiquette and manners. These are divided into three groups: family etiquette, social etiquette and professional etiquette. A few more tips on etiquette are given below:

Family etiquette:

Respect each other's belongings.

Do not shout at children. Treat them kindly.

Listen to your parents.

Basic social etiquette:

Always be on time. Showing up late is rude and shows a lack of respect for other people's time.

Never interrupt the other person while he/she is talking.

Give and receive compliments graciously.

Refuse to gossip with and about friends.

Hold doors for people entering immediately after you.

Professional etiquette:

Dress properly.

Shake hands when appropriate.

Never take credit for other people's work.

Use indoor voice while talking to people.

(The tips for etiquette have been adapted from Debby Mayne's discussion on the Internet.)

4. Find out the meaning of the following words and make sentences with them:

a. grudge

b. club

c. smooth

d. yell

e. handsome

5. Find the antonyms of the following words:

a. polite

b. presence

c. particular

d. pleasant

e. ignorance

6. Write an essay describing how proper etiquettes can help our families and society function better.

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HSC English First Paper | Unit: 3, Lesson: 2 | Food Adulteration | Eating Habit and Hazards

Unit: Three, Lesson 2 : Eating Habit and Hazards

1. Warm up activity:

□ Discuss in a group:

What is a short story? What are some of the essential elements of a short story?

□ Before reading the story below, discuss the following questions and check if the story helps you to answer them.

a. What is a balanced diet? Why do we need to take a balanced diet?

b. Why do some people become overweight?

2. Now read the story (slightly abridged) and answer the questions that follow.

The story, "The Luncheon," is by William Somerset Maugham (1874-1965). Maugham was a British novelist, playwright and short story writer whose work is characterized by a clear, lucid style, and a profound understanding of human nature. "The Luncheon" is about a lady admirer of the writer who managed to get a luncheon invitation from him to an expensive Paris restaurant twenty years ago. With humour and irony, the writer describes the lady's lavish eating at his expense and what happened to her twenty years later.

The Luncheon 

William Somerset Maugham

I caught sight of her at the play, and in answer to her beckoning, I went over during the interval and sat down beside her. It was long since I had last seen her, and if someone had not mentioned her name I hardly think I would have recognized her.

She addressed me brightly.

"Well, it's many years since we first met. How time does fly! We're none of us getting any younger. Do you remember the first time I saw you? You asked me to luncheon."

Did I remember?

It was twenty years ago and I was living in Paris. I had a tiny apartment in the Latin quarter overlooking a cemetery, and I was earning barely enough money to keep body and soul together. She had read a book of mine and had written to me about it. I answered, thanking her, and presently I received from her another letter saying that she was passing through Paris and would like to have a chat with me; but her time was limited, and the only free moment she had was on the following Thursday; she was spending the morning at the Luxembourg and would I give her a little luncheon at Foyot's afterwards? Foyot's is a restaurant at which the French senators eat, and it was so far beyond my means that I had never even thought of going there. But I was flattered, and I was too young to have learned to say no to a woman.... I had eighty francs (gold francs) to last me the rest of the month, and a modest luncheon should not cost more than fifteen. If I cut out coffee for the next two weeks I could manage well enough.

I answered that I would meet my friend-by correspondence-at Foyot's on Thursday at half-past twelve. She was not so young as I expected and in appearance imposing rather than attractive. She was, in fact, a woman of forty ... and she gave me the impression of having more teeth, white and large and even, than were necessary for any practical purpose. She was talkative, but since she seemed inclined to talk about me I was prepared to be an attentive listener.

I was startled when the bill of fare was brought, for the prices were a great deal higher than I had anticipated. But she reassured me.

"I never eat anything for luncheon," she said.

"Oh, don't say that!" I answered generously.

"I never eat more than one thing. I think people eat far too much nowadays. A little fish, perhaps. I wonder if they have any salmon."

Well, it was early in the year for salmon and it was not on the bill of fare, but I asked the waiter if there was any. Yes, a beautiful salmon had just come in, it was the first they had had. I ordered it for my guest. The waiter asked her if she would have something while it was being cooked.

"No," she answered, "I never eat more than one thing unless you have a little caviare, I never mind caviare."

My heart sank a little. I knew I could not afford caviare, but I could not very well tell her that. I told the waiter by all means to bring caviare. For myself I chose the cheapest dish on the menu and that was a mutton chop.

"I think you are unwise to eat meat," she said. "I don't know how you can expect to work after eating heavy things like chops. I don't believe in overloading my stomach." Then came the question of drink.

"I never drink anything for luncheon," she said.

"Neither do I," I answered promptly.

"Except white wine," she proceeded as though I had not spoken.

"These French white wines are so light. They're wonderful for the digestion."

"What would you like?" I asked, hospitable still, but not exactly effusive.

She gave me a bright and amicable flash of her white teeth.

"My doctor won't let me drink anything but champagne."

I fancy I turned a trifle pale. I ordered half a bottle. I mentioned casually that my doctor had absolutely forbidden me to drink champagne.

"What are you going to drink, then?" "Water."

She ate the caviare and she ate the salmon. She talked gaily of art and literature and music. But I wondered what the bill would come to. When my mutton chop arrived she took me quite seriously to task.

"I see that you're in the habit of eating a heavy luncheon. Tm sure it's a mistake. Why don't you follow my example and just eat one thing? I'm sure you'd feel ever so much better for it."

"I am only going to eat one thing." I said, as the waiter came again with the bill of fare. She waved him aside with an airy gesture.

"No. no. I never eat anything for luncheon. Just a bite, I never want more than that, and I eat that more as an excuse for conversation than anything else. 1 couldn't possibly eat anything more unless they had some of those giant asparagus. I should be sorry to leave Paris without having some of them."

My heart sank. I had seen them in the shops, and I knew that they were horribly expensive. My mouth had often watered at the sight of them.

"Madame wants to know if you have any of those giant asparagus." I asked the waiter.

I tried with all my might to will him to say no. A happy smile spread over his broad, priest-like face, and he assured me that they had some so large, so splendid, so tender, that it was a marvel.

"I'm not in the least hungry," my guest sighed, 'but if you insist I don't mind having some asparagus.'

I ordered them.

"Aren't you going to have any?" "No, I never eat asparagus."

"I know there are people who don't like them. The fact is, you ruin your palate by all the meat you eat."

We waited for the asparagus to be cooked. Panic seized me. It was not a question now of how much money I should have left over for the rest of the month, but whether I had enough to pay the bill.

The asparagus appeared. They were enormous, succulent, and appetizing. The smell of the melted butter tickled my nostrils ....

"Coffee?" I said.

"Yes, just an ice cream and coffee," she answered.

I was past caring now. So I ordered coffee for myself and an ice cream and coffee for her.

"You know, there's one thing I thoroughly believe in," she said, as she ate the ice cream. "One should always get up from a meal feeling one could eat a little more."

"Are you still hungry?' I asked faintly.

"Oh, no, I'm not hungry; you see, I don't eat luncheon. I have a cup of coffee in the morning and then dinner, but I never eat more than one thing for luncheon. I was speaking for you."

"Oh, I see!"

Then a terrible thing happened. While we were waiting for the coffee, the head waiter, with an ingratiating smile on his false face, came up to us bearing a large

basket full of huge peaches. They had the blush of an innocent girl; they had the rich tone of an Italian landscape. But surely peaches were not in season then? Lord knew what they cost.

"You see, you've filled your stomach with a lot of meat"-my one miserable little chop-"and you can't eat any more. But I've just had a snack and I shall enjoy a peach".

The bill came and when I paid it I found that I had only enough for a quite inadequate tip. Her eyes rested for an instant on the three francs I left for the waiter, and I knew that she thought me mean. But when I walked out of the restaurant I had the whole month before me and not a penny in my pocket.

"Follow my example," she said as we shook hand, and never eat more than one thing for luncheon."

"I'll do better than that", I retorted. "I'll eat nothing for dinner to-night."

"Humorist!" she cried gaily, jumping into a cab, "you're quite a humorist!"

But I have had my revenge at last. I do not believe that I am a vindictive man, but when the immortal gods take a hand in the matter it is pardonable to observe the result with complacency. Today she weighs twenty-one stone.

The meanings of some words and terms from the story are given below. Read the story a second time, and if you still have words you don't know the meanings of find them in a dictionary.

Luncheon : a formal lunch 

play : a theatre performance

Latin quarter : a section of Paris popular with students and writes like the story's narrator

cemetery : a large burial ground senator: a member of a senate, a lawmaker imposing : impressive in appearance startle : give sudden shock bill of fare : a menu

generous : liberal, showing readiness to give something

caviare : the mass of eggs of a large fish, especially sturgeon, eaten as a delicacy

hospitable: friendly, genial

effusive : showing pleasure or emotion in an unrestrained manner amicable : friendly airy: causal

ingratiating : intended to gain someone's approval or favour

humorist: a humourous writer

vindictive: revengeful

complacency : uncritical self-satisfaction

stone : 14 pounds

3. Find out the meanings of the following idioms:

a. beyond one's means

b. cut out

c. take someone to task

4. How did the lady manage to get the luncheon invitation from the writer?

5. Humour is the quality that makes something laughable and amusing. Find some instances of humour in the story.

6. The writer also uses irony in the story (find out the definition of irony elsewhere in your text book). What examples of irony can you find in the story?

7. How many items of food does the lady order? Why does the writer only order a mutton chop?

8. At one stage of the luncheon, the writer feels panicked. Why?

9. What is an asparagus? Find out the food value of asparagus.

10. The story is told in flashback. How does the lady look in the restaurant, and at the end of the story?

11. The lady obviously has a tendency to eat much. Write an essay on the bad effects of overeating. Keep the example of the lady in mind.

12. Fill in the blanks with appropriate prepositions:

While we were waiting......coffee, the head waiter, with a smile......his face came......to us, bearing a large basket full......huge peaches.

13. Find out 5 adjectives from the story and write sentences with them.

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HSC English First Paper | Unit: 3, Lesson: 1 | Food Adulteration | Food Adulteration Reaches New Height

Unit: Three, Lesson 1 : Food Adulteration Reaches New Height

1. Warm up activity:

Share the following questions with your friend.

a. What is food adulteration?

b. Have you heard the name of a pesticide called formalin which is used as a preservative?

c. Who, do you think, uses chemical pesticides on food/fruits?

2. Read the following feature item published in a Dhaka daily.

Unsafe levels of pesticides are present in around half of the vegetables and more than a quarter of fruits sold in the capital's markets, a recent survey has found. A 15-member team of the National Food Safety Laboratory, with support from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), came up with the findings after collecting and testing food samples from the capital's Gulshan, Karwanbazar and Mohakhali markets.

The survey report, a copy of which was acquired by the Dhaka Tribune, read that nearly 40% of 82 samples of milk, milk products, fish, fruits and vegetables contained banned pesticides such as DDT, Aldrin, Chlordane and Heptachlor. The amounts of pesticide in these samples were found to be 3 to 20 times greater than the limits set by the European Union. Around 50% vegetables and 35% fruits were found to be contaminated with unsafe level of pesticides.

Analysing more than 30 samples of turmeric powder (branded, packaged and open), the team also found that nearly 30% of the samples contained traces of lead chromate, which can be fatal if swallowed or inhaled. These samples also contained lead at 20 to 50 times above the safety limit of 2.5 parts per million set by the Bangladesh Standard Testing Institute (BSTI). Arsenic and chromium above safety limits were detected in a total of 5 out of 13 rice samples.

Using a sensitive High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) method developed by the Food Safety Lab, 66 samples were analysed for the presence of formaldehyde. Adulteration was thereby detected in samples of coriander, mango and fresh shrimps.

The tests indicated that poultry feed in the country had also been contaminated, as samples of chicken and fish contained traces of antibiotics. High microbial populations were found in several samples of pasteurised milk, indicating poor processing procedures by the manufacturers. Samples of cucumber and street foods also showed high microbial populations, suggesting widespread contamination in the water supply. The Director of Institute of Public Health (IPH), told the Dhaka Tribune that the survey report has been submitted to the Health Ministry. Further tests of different products were being carried out at the Food Safety Lab.

A former Director General of the Health Services and senior national adviser of the FAO, said the findings were shocking for the whole nation. He added that instead of focusing only on the end products, the issue should be addressed at the root level. Pointing out that there were four steps in the production process-farmer, transport, wholesale, and retail trader, -he said better monitoring and supervision were mandatory for stopping food adulteration.

Adulterated food products are reportedly the cause behind thousands of people suffering from fatal diseases like cancer, kidney failure and heart problems. Health specialists told the Dhaka Tribune that the Ministry of Food had enacted a Food Safety Act, but was yet to prepare the necessary rules. As the issue of food safety was also linked to 14 other ministries, a coordinated agency should take responsibility of ensuring safety in food products, they added.

[Adapted from a news published in Dhaka Tribune]

3. Choose the right answer:

a. What percentages of the milk samples contained pesticide?

i. 60        

ii. 45

iii. 40

iv. 50

b. How did the scientists realize that the water supply was contaminated?

i. because of microbial presence

ii. from the color of the water

iii. from an analysis of the mineral content

iv. through chemical test

c. Why were microbial populations present in pasteurised milk?

i. because of widespread contamination in the water cows drink

ii. because of the formaldehyde content in the milk

iii. because of poor processing of the milk

iv. all of the above

d. The amounts of pesticide in local food samples are times greater than the limits set by the European Union.

i. 3

ii. 20

iii. 3-32

iv. 60

e. How many ministries are concerned with the food safety issue?

i. 10

ii. 15

iii. 1

iv. 14

4. Answer the following questions:

a. What does 'new height' refer to in the title of the news report?

b. What confirms that even our poultry products are contaminated?

c. What are the health risks related to adulterated food?

d. What is the current state of the Food Safety Act?

5. With a friend, discuss the observation made by the former Director General of Health Services. Is it enough to keep an eye on end products? Make a list of things that you can do to monitor and supervise the production process.

6. Write a letter to the editor of a national daily pointing out the problems of food adulteration in your locality. Or, write a response to this news item published in Dhaka Tribune.

7. Match the words in Column A with their meanings in Column B in the box below:

Column A	Column B
i. pasteurised	a. pertaining to, or characteristic of a microbe
ii. banned	b. made impure by contact or mixture with something unclean.
iii. contaminated	c. the process of heating (milk) to a high   temperature   and then quickly cooling it before bottling or packaging to make it free from bacteria
iv. populations	d. compulsory
v. end product	e. which is produced as the final result of an activity or process
vi. mandatory	f. prohibited
vii. microbial	g. organisms of the same group or species

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JSC English First Paper | Unit: 3, Lesson: 8 | Health and hygiene | Making a class committee

Unit: Three, Lesson 8 : Making a class committee
Key words : forum   environment fortnightly

A. Look at the two pictures. Then ask and answer questions.

1. What do you see in the picture ?
2. What are the students doing in picture 1 ?
3. What are they doing in picture 2 ?
4. Do you do these things at home? If you don't, who does ?

B. Read the passage and answer the following questions.

Ms Subarna Saha, the class teacher, has just entered the classroom. She is now talking to the students.

"Why is the classroom so dirty?" asks Ms Saha. "I know the school cleaner is absent today. So what? Can't we ourselves keep our classroom clean?"says Ms Saha. "Sorry teacher," Shafiq, the class captain, says politely. "This is our classroom. If you clean it, you will do physical work and feel good. Also it is our responsibility to keep it clean and tidy", says Ms Saha.

"Okay, teacher," says Shafiq, "We'll do it from now on."

"First, you can make a forum, and select a leader," the class teacher suggests. 2; "Then divide the cleaning activities among different groups."

"It's really a great idea, teacher," says Shafiq. "We'll make the committee now and start working immediately."

After this, a committee is formed by class 8 students under the leadership of their class captain. The students are divided into several groups and a work plan is made for cleaning. The students decided to make some ground rules. Here is a list of some of the rules:

• Do not spit in the class.

• Do not drop litter in the class.

• Use the bin for trash.

• Keep the desks and chairs in place.

All the students of class 8 are very excited to be involved in this activity at school.

C. Choose the best answer.
1 Ms Subarna Saha is
a. a physical education teacher,
b. an English teacher,
c. a class teacher,
d. a science teacher.

2 The class teacher suggested the students to make a forum
a. to keep their classroom clean.
b. to participate in social activities.
c. to keep the school environment clean.
d. to help each other.

3. The students were happy to be able to
a. become the members of the committee,
b. take part in the cleaning programme at school,
c. make their class captain leader of the committee,
d. make themselves good students.

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JSC English First Paper | Unit: 3, Lesson: 7 | Health and hygiene | A healthy and happy family

Unit: Three, Lesson 7 : A healthy and happy family
A. Look at the picture. Then ask and answer the questions about it.

1. What do you see in the picture?
2. Who do you think is the owner of the house?
3. Where can you find this type of house? Why do you think so?

B. Listen to the teacher/CD and answer the following questions.

U3, L7 B Listening text: 2
1. How far is Shakib's house from his school?
2. Why is Shakib's house free from mosquitoes?

C. Listen again and write 'True' or 'False' against each of the following statements.
1. Shakib's family lives in a remote town.
2. He has no brothers or sisters.
3. His parents do not know how to read or write.
4. His mother is an excellent cook.
5. Shakib does not participate in cleaning activities at home.

D. Look at the table, then listen again to the teacher / CD. The table has some words from the text that you have just listened. First guess the meanings of the words. Then match them with their meanings. One is done for you.

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JSC English First Paper | Unit: 3, Lesson: 6 | Health and hygiene | Physical exercise

Unit: Three, Lesson 6: Physical exercise
Key words: stretching benefit regularity

A. Look at the picture and talk about it with your partner.

B. Read the text and answer the following questions.

Mr Pronay Larma, the physical teacher of Rooppur High School is talking § about health to his students. "What things are necessary for good health?" he asks the students. "We need a lot of things, teacher," says Rushad. "We need healthy food, proper rest and sleep. We also have to be clean and tidy." "Good!" says Mr Larma. "These are the things you need for good health. But another thing that you also need is regular physical exercise."

"What types of physical exercise can we do, teacher ?" asks Rayeed. "Well," says Mr Larma. "There are different kinds of physical exercise. You can do them indoors as well as outdoors. In the house you can do some freehand exercises. That is, you can stretch different parts of your body. Outside, you can play, swim or simply walk."

"Why do we need physical exercise, teacher ?" asks Ranjan.

"Well", says Mr Larma, "The benefits of physical exercise are many. The greatest of them is that it keeps you fit for work. It also gives you energy, and makes you strong and cheerful. It teaches you regularity and discipline as well."

Questions:
1. What things are necessary for good health?
2. How many physical exercises are there?
3. Why do we need physical exercise?
4. What physical exercises do you do?
5. Do you have a physical education teacher in your school? How does s/he help you to do physical exercise?

C. Here is a list of some physical exercises. Tick which one/ones you like. Then tell the class the reason/s for your liking. Finally write in your notebook which ones are indoor exercises and which are outdoors, and which ones can be done both indoors and outdoors.
List of exercises:
1. playing sports
2. swimming
3. skipping
4. jogging
5. walking
6. stretching

D. Ask and answer the questions.
1. Why do you need regular physical exercise?
2. What does physical exercise teach you?
3. Do you do physical exercise every day? What sort of exercise do you do?
4. What's your favourite sport? Do you take part in it? If so, where do you play it and who with?

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JSC English First Paper | Unit: 3, Lesson: 5 | Health and hygiene | A letter

Unit: Three, Lesson 5 

Key words : nicotine tragedy broke puff

A. Read the letter silently to know what happened to Zahir Ali.

10/E Purana Paltanl,
Dhaka 1000
9 June 2013

Dear Sohel,

I am sorry I could not reply to your letter earlier. This is because last week there was a tragedy in our family. My father died of lung cancer.

He used to smoke heavily. He got the bad habit from his college days. Recently my mother and I were very worried about Father's worsening health condition. He was having continuous chest pain. The doctor showed him his chest X-ray plates. There were dark marks on his lungs. The doctor explained to him that the marks were the signs of lung cancer. He also explained that a poisonous substance called nicotine is in tobacco leaves; and cigarettes are made from tobacco leaves. When a person smokes cigarettes, this nicotine enters into his lungs with every puff. If anybody smokes cigarettes for years, this deadly nicotine causes lung cancer. Both Mother and I tried to stop Father from smoking. He never listened to our requests and warnings. He died an untimely death.

Let me tell you the truth. My father's death is a great shock for us. You know, we are a big family of seven. My father was the only earning member in the family. We are now broke and we don't know how we are going to survive.

Anyway, God is merciful and we are trying to recover from the shock. Write me when you have the time. Give my regards to your parents.

Love
Rabi

B. Tick the best answer.
1. "My father's death is a great tragedy." The underlined word means
a. a very sad event,
b. a very strong warning,
c. smoking heavily,
d. lung cancer.

2. Rabi's family is now completely broke, because
a. his father had lung cancer,
b. they have now no source of income,
c. his father's death was heart breaking,
d. there was a tragedy in the family.

C. Answer the questions. First say, then write.
1. What could be the relationship between the sender and the receiver of the letter?
2. What causes lung cancer?
3. Who do you think are the members of Rabi's family? Why do you think so?
4. Imagine you are Sohel. Now write a reply to Rabi's letter.

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JSC English First Paper | Unit: 3, Lesson: 4 | Health and hygiene | A dialogue

Unit: Three, Lesson 4 : A dialogue 
Key word : prescribe

A. Talk about the picture and answer the questions.

1. Who is the man lying on the examination table?
2. Who is the man in an apron?

B. Read and act out the conversation.
Rabi's father Mr Zahir Ali is not well. He has difficulty speaking. He is now at the doctor's clinic.

Rabi      : Good evening, doctor.
Doctor   : Good evening. How is your father today?
Rabi      : Not at all well. He has difficulty breathing as before. He is having severe chest pain again.
Doctor   : I see. Mr Ali, could you lie down on the examination table, please? OK, let's see... Do you feel any pain here?
Zahir    : Ooh! Doctor: And here?
Zahir     : Ouch!
Doctor  : All right. I'm prescribing a medicine. Take one tablet in the morning and another at night before meals. I also advise you to have a chest X-ray immediately. If possible show me the X-ray report today in the evening. OK?
Rabi      : Okay, doctor. Thank you.
Doctor  : You are welcome.

C. Answer the following questions.
1. Who are talking in the dialogue?
2. Where does the dialogue take place?
3. What are Zahir Ali's problems?
4. Why can't Zahir Ali tell the doctor about his problems?
5. What does the doctor prescribe him?


D. Ask and answer the questions in pairs.
1. Did you have any stomach pain or leg injury anytime before?
2. When was it?
3. What did you do to get well?

E. Suppose you visited a doctor for a stomach pain or a bad cold. Make an imaginary dialogue between you and the doctor. Act it out in pairs.

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JSC English First Paper | Unit: 3, Lesson: 3 | Health and hygiene | Hygiene

Unit: Three, Lesson 3

Key words: hygiene godliness achieve spiritually soul

A. Read the questions first. Then read the text and answer them in short. 

Questions

1. What can be a hotbed of germs?

2. How many times should we brush our teeth a day?

3. What kind of water should we drink?

The word 'hygiene' means the practice of keeping ourselves clean. It also means to keep our home and work places clean. It is important for our good health.

Hygiene is thought to be next to godliness. It is because we cannot achieve anything physically, mentally or spiritually if we are unclean in our body, mind and soul. Nobody likes an unclean person either. So we must follow the rules of hygiene.

First, we must keep our body clean. We should have a bath every day and wash our hair regularly. This will keep the body and hair free from dirt and bacteria.

Secondly, we should wash our clothes regularly. Dirty clothes give off bad smell and invite germs. We should wear socks and shoes when we go out to protect our feet from dust and germs. It is also important to wash our hands before meals and after using the toilet. We should brush our teeth twice a day, after breakfast and supper. We must also cut our nails regularly. Our drinking water must be safe. We can get safe water by boiling and filtering.

Finally, we should keep our surroundings and environment clean. If we do and follow all the above things properly, we will be able to lead a healthy and happy life.

B. True or false? If false, give the correct information.

1. Cleanliness is part of good health.

2. Cleanliness is very important for mental health.

3. We need to wear socks and shoes to look smart.

4. We need to brush our teeth before meals.

5. We must keep ourselves clean.

6. We can have pure drinking water from tube wells.

C. Complete the following sentences.

1. If we are healthy, we-------.

2. We must be clean so that------.

3. You must exercise to------.

4. Nobody likes an------.

5. If we obey the laws of hygiene, we------.

D. Work in groups. Make a list of five things that you do daily to maintain personal hygiene. Share with other groups, make a poster and display it in the class.

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JSC English First Paper | Unit: 3, Lesson: 2 | Health and hygiene | Ode on Solitude

Unit: Three, Lesson 2: Ode on Solitude
A. Read and recite the poem.

Happy the man, whose wish and care
A few paternal acres bound,
Content to breathe his native air,
In his own ground.

Whose herds with milk, whose fields with bread,
Whose flocks supply him with attire,
Whose trees in summer yield him shade,
In winter fire.

Blest! who can unconcernedly find
Hours, days and years slide soft away,
health of body, peace of mind,
Quiet by day,

Sound sleep by night; study and ease
Together mixed; sweet recreation,
And innocence, which most does please,
With meditation.

Thus let me live, unseen, unknown;
Thus unlamented let me die;
Steal from the world, and not a stone
Tell where I lie.

Alexander Pope

B. Answer the questions.
1. What things does a happy man have?
2. How does he pass his time?
3. How does he wish to die?

4. How do you think you can be happy in life?

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JSC English First Paper | Unit: 3, Lesson: 1 | Health and hygiene | Health

Unit: Three, Lesson 1: Health
Key words : disease essential concentrate possession

A. Look at and talk about the picture. Ask and answer the following questions.

1. Which boy looks healthy?
2. Which boy is unhealthy?
3. Can you guess why they are so?

B. Read the questions first. Then read the text and answer the questions.
1. Why is good health essential for us?
2. Why is physical exercise necessary?

Health is the condition of our body and mind. It may be good or bad. Good health means healthy body free from diseases. It is essential for everyone to lead a happy life. If we are not in good health, we cannot concentrate on any activity in our life.

A proverb goes, "Health is Wealth" It means health is equally valuable as gold or any other personal possessions. We may have vast wealth and property, but oaf we are not healthy we cannot enjoy them.

To keep ourselves healthy, we have to do certain things. We have to take a balanced diet. We must exercise regularly to keep our body fit for work.

There is an old saying : 'Early to bed and early to rise, Makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.'

So we should not keep late hours. We should go to bed early at night and rise early in the morning. Peace of mind is another condition for good health. So we must not worry over small things of life.

C. Read the text in B silently and then choose the best answer.
1. Health means the condition of a   our body.
b. our mind.
c. our body and mind.
d. our environment.

2. A healthy person is one who
a. is physically and mentally sound,
b. eats good food,
c. has a lot of wealth,
d. is overweight.

3. We need to eat 
a. rich food.
b. balanced food,
c. little food,
d. lot of food.

4. The phrase 'to keep late hours' means 
a. to go to bed late.
b. to wake up late in the morning,
c. to do things late always,
d. to be late for the class.

D. Write a short paragraph about how you can maintain good health.

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JSC English First Paper | Unit: 4, Lesson: 7 | Check your reference | Synonyms and antonyms

A. Look at the questions and ask and answer.

What is a synonym ? What is an antonym ?

Do you know of any two words with the same or nearly the same meaning ? What about 'boring' and 'dull' ?

Do you know a word that means just the opposite of another word ?

What about 'obey' and 'disobey' ?

B. Read the text and do the following activities in pairs.

A synonym is a word that means the same or almost the same as another word. There may be more than one synonyms for some of the words. Big and large, 'begin' and 'start' are synonyms.

An antonym is a word that means the opposite of another word. 'Sorrow' and 'happiness', 'right' and 'wrong' are examples of antonyms.

C. Find the synonyms of the following words. Take help of the dictionary.

idle   text   annoyed  result  goal  trip  valuable  return

D. Find the synonyms of the words in the dictionary page in Lesson 3.

fit   fitted fitting

Make sentences with the synonyms. 

E. Find the antonyms of the words in the dictionary page in Lesson 3.

fit fitted

Make sentences with the antonyms. 

F. From your dictionary find the antonyms of the following words.

profit   complete strong   hard  different   sweet fair minor

G. Match a word in A with a synonym in B.

H. Fill in the boxes with the synonyms of the word 'happy'.

I. Match a word in A with its opposite in B

J. Fill in the boxes with the opposites/ antonyms of the word 'happy'.

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JSC English First Paper | Unit: 4, Lesson: 6 | Check your reference | Meanings of words

A. Look at the questions below and read the following text. Now discuss in pairs

1. What do you do when you want to know the meaning of a word?

2. How can a dictionary help us?

A dictionary gives us the meaning/meanings of a word. Example sentences are given to show how the words are used. They also help to make the meaning clear. A word may have more than one meaning.

The word 'dry' (adj) has a number of meanings. Three of them are given here.

(i) not wet, not damp, not sticky: The river becomes dry during the summer.

(ii) with very little rain: I hope the weather remains dry during our picnic.

(iii) not interesting: His speech was quite dry.

Sometimes the synonyms and antonyms given with words help to understand the meanings of words.

B. Find at least two meanings for each of the following words from the dictionary page in Lesson 3. Do the activities in pairs, using a dictionary.

fit   fitness   fitter  fitting  fitted

Now make your own example sentences showing their meanings.

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JSC English First Paper | Unit: 4, Lesson: 5 | Check your reference | Looking up words in a dictionary

A. Talk in groups about the text in Lesson 4 and about the questions below. Then read the text.

1. Is there any connection between the alphabet and a dictionary?

2. What do you understand by alphabetical order?

The words in a dictionary are presented in alphabetical order. It follows the alphabetical order of letters. It means words starting with the letter D will be before the words starting with the letter E. In the same way words starting with the letter F will come after the words starting with E.

Again the words starting with the same letter are also arranged one after another in alphabetical order in the dictionary. For example, the words dark, doctor and deep all start with the letter D. These words appear in the dictionary in the order of dark, deep and doctor.

To find the words with a letter, look at the words at the top of the page.

While doing the activities, use a dictionary or a dictionary page as much as you can.

B. Arrange the following words in alphabetical order.

entertainment, knowledge, culture, art, painting, thought, interest, heritage, yellow, future

C. Work in pairs. Arrange the following words under the letter ' S' in alphabetical order as they appear in the dictionary.

single should system sufficient

solar source steel sweet

D. Find and write the words coming between the words 'tea' and 'technique' under the letter't' in your dictionary.

E. Show in which order are the following words arranged in Lesson 3.

fit   fitted   fitful  fitness   fitting   fitter fitment

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JSC English First Paper | Unit: 4, Lesson: 4 | Check your reference | Using a dictionary (2)

A Look at the dictionary page in Lesson 3 and answer the following questions. Then read the text below.

Do you use a dictionary?

Why and how often do you use a dictionary?

How can a dictionary help you?

A dictionary is a collection of words. It lists the words of a language and gives necessary information about them. It tells us about the

a). spelling

b). pronunciation

c). meaning

d). parts of speech etc. of words.

To make the meanings of words clear, example sentences are given in 

Example sentences show how words are used. It also gives the synonym/s and the antonym/s of a word.

We find words made by adding prefixes and suffixes to the root word. Parts of speech are also shown. A verb word is always given in the simple present tense. But the past form of a verb and the past participle are also shown.

B. Again read the text above. Then ask and answer the following questions.

1. What information does a dictionary give us about a verb word?

2. Why are the example sentences given?

3. How are new words formed?

4. Why are the synonyms and the antonyms given?

5. What do we need a dictionary for?

C. Match the sentence parts in A with those in B.

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