CLASS X TEST EXAMINATION 2014 ENGLISH SECOND PAPER PARAGRAPHS A BOOK FAIR A book fair is a grand arrangement in an open space or the premises of an institution where a number of stalls are set up to display and sell the books of different categories and of different writers in a festive atmosphere. A book fair is now occasionally held both in towns and cities. Though there are some specific times and places to arrange book fairs, book fairs are also held by different institutions and organisations on their different respective occasions. But certain book fairs are very traditional and important in Bangladesh. To celebrate the new years or other remarkable days such as 21 February, 16 December, 26 March, book fairs are arranged. The readers can purchase their favourite books from these great book fairs. The authors also meet their favourite readers thereby. Various publication houses hire stalls in a book fair. The fair is adorned with a festive look. Many types of necessary articles are also found there. Bangla Academy arranges a month long book fair called ‘Ekushey Boi Mela’ in February every year. The writers who remain behind the curtain come in contact with the readers. The readers take autographs from their favourite writers. Some writers also publish their books for the first time to be exposed. Now and then, low quality books are also sold stealthily in a book fair. It hampers our good-will which is a threat to our young generation. So the authority should remain careful of maintaining the fair strictly. There should remain an open discussion facility that provides sufficient information of the arena of knowledge. The environment should remain suitable for the girls. The volunteers should be more conscious to make people maintain the discipline of the fair. If these steps are taken, a book fair may be successful in all respects. YOUR VISIT TO A BOOK FAIR A book fair means a lot to me because I am a real book-worm. I can’t escape from any chance to visit a book fair and have the unique taste of books. On the last 1st February I went to Ekusey Boi Mela, the biggest book fair of the country, held at Bangla Academy premises. I am always fond of reading books and drawing the real pleasure from my reading. So, I went to the book fair on the very opening day. A number of book-hunters rushed to the fair. I managed to enter the fair with a great effort. I found there hundreds of pavilions. All sorts of books – fictions, text books, dramas, children books, reference books etc. were displayed. There were also food and drink stalls. The entire atmosphere wore a festive look. The main purpose of a book fair was not sale but it offered a rare opportunity to assess the advancement made in publication of books. A book fair becomes very much crowded especially in the evening. The very first day was not an exception. Both male and female customers gathered at the book fair. I found some writers present in the fair. They were busy talking to the readers and fans, and giving them their autographs. Some TV channels were telecasting the activities in the fair live. I enjoyed my visit to the book fair very much. DEFORESTATION Deforestation means to cut down trees and destroy forests indiscriminately. Plants are important elements of our environment and nature. Almost all living beings are dependent on the plants either directly or indirectly. We can breathe on earth as the plants exist. If there is no plant, the earth will become lifeless. Most of the living beings on earth live on plant-oriented food like fruits, vegetables, leaves, etc. So, we cannot live a single moment on earth without any tree. But nowadays, plants are being destroyed at an alarming rate. A huge number of plants are being cut down for construction works and for making furniture. In some countries, a large number of trees are cut down to burn brick in the brick-fields. People are trying to plant trees. The rate of plantation is not satisfactory compared to the rate people use trees to build their houses and make furniture. But it is a matter of sorrow that deforestation has affected our environment severely. Now, we are experiencing natural disasters quite often and a number of diseases are spreading. So, to save the nature and to save ourselves from being destroyed, we should stand against deforestation to ensure a healthy environment for our future generations. Tree plantation should be inspired. The mass media and NGOs can play a vital role to motivate the people to plant more trees. TRAFFIC JAM Traffic jam has become a common sight of our modern city and town life. Basically, it occurs because of the large number of vehicles. But in our country, there are other causes too. The roads are mostly narrow and out of repair. There are often garbage and building materials dumped on the roads. There are many unauthorised roadside shops. Often because of meetings and processions, roads are blocked. There is a tendency among the drivers to disregard the traffic rules. The drivers also have an overtaking tendency. Slow-moving and swift-moving vehicles move together. It is also a great cause of traffic jams. Traffic jams are most acute during the time people go to or return from their workplace or at the time of the beginning and end of the educational institutions, especially at the time of public examinations. Traffic jams cause the wastage of our valuable time. In Dhaka city people seem to have a hellish experience while their vehicles get stuck in the seemingly never ending jams. People cannot go their respective destinations within the definite or appointed time. Students cannot reach their institutions in time. Patients remain confined in the ambulance for a long time due to traffic jams. There are records of the deaths of patients on the way to hospital due to traffic jams. Traffic jams have become an unbearable situation. Something must be done to get rid of this problem. Adequate number of over-bridges and flyovers should be built within a short span of time. There may be underground transport system. The roads must be widened and the old ones be repaired. The slow-moving and the fast-moving must have separate lanes. Some roads should be made one-way. Certain vehicles may be prohibited during the pick hours. Above all, traffic rules must be enforced strictly. If proper steps are not taken soon, city life will become intolerable in the very nearest future. MY VISIT TO A HISTORICAL PLACE Historical monuments provide a peep into our history and remind us of the glorious and wonderful days of the past. The visit to them adds to our knowledge and perfects our education in all respects. During the last summer vacation of our college we arranged a visit to the historic Shatgombuj Mosque, a World Heritage Site in Bangladesh. When we arrived at Bagerhat on the way to the Shatgombuj Mosque, our History Teacher started telling us about the mosque. He told that though a small country, Bangladesh has three World Heritage Sites: the historic Shatgombuj Mosque of Bagerhat, the ruins of the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur and the Sundarbans. The Shatgombuj Mosque is a 15th century Islamic edifice situated in the suburbs of Bagerhat, on the edge of the Sundarbans, some 175 km southwest of Dhaka. It is an enormous Moghul architectural site covering a very large area. The Mosque is unique in that it has sixty pillars, which support seventy-seven exquisitely curved domes that have worn away with the passage of time. The mausoleum of the city’s founder, Khan Jahan Ali can be found nearby. With the declaration of the mosque as a World Heritage Site, is hoped that this beautiful architectural monument will be preserved from further decay. We felt delighted hearing about the mosque and the nearer we went to the site, the more we were excited. At last we reached the Shatgombuj Mosque at 9 a.m. Prior to that, we got into a hotel in Bagerhat and took our breakfast there. Here at the Shatgombuj Mosque we all the students were too busy seeing the site to our excitement. We could in a few minutes realise why this mosque is regarded as the most beautiful mosque in Bangladesh and why it has been declared a World Heritage Site. In the meantime the assistants started preparing the lunch. We along with our teachers were walking around the site. We enjoyed the sight of the mosque to our heart’s content. We enjoyed the visit a lot. It added to our realm of knowledge and experience. The threshold of our intellect got stronger through the meaningful and attractive observation of the Shatgombuj Mosque. A TEA STALL A tea stall is a small shop where ready tea is served maybe with some other dry foods to the customers. It is usually a small tin-shed found in market places, at railway stations, at bus-stops, in front of cinema and theatre hall, launch ghats and at every turn of roads and highways, and at different places of a village and small towns. Tea stalls are also found around offices, near hospitals, around mills and factories as well as in front of educational institutions. Tea stalls become an inseparable part of the residential halls in the universities. A tea stall is usually furnished with a few tables, chairs and long benches. A tea stall is neither gorgeous nor luxurious. It is rather an ordinary shop. There is also a cash counter where the owner or the manager, who can also be the son of the owner, sits to handle the cash. Biscuits, cakes, breads, bananas, betel leaf, cigarettes etc. are also sold with tea. One or more boys, mostly the little ones, are seen serving the cups of tea. A tea stall opens early in the morning and closes late at night. Some tea stalls are seen open for twenty-four hours. So people can have tea there at any time. A tea stall draws customers almost of all types. The customers come to a tea stall not only for cups of tea but also for gossiping and relaxation. Some read newspapers; some discuss politics and other matters. Sometimes people raise a storm over a cup of tea. A tea stall is an important place because it is the most common haunt for the weary travellers, the tired office-attendants, labourers, rickshaw-pullers and the students. A tea stall thus has occupied an important place in our culture. OUR NATIONAL FLAG Every independent and sovereign country has its own flag. All the national flags are symbolically important. They carry certain inner meanings represent the national identity. Our national flag is the symbol of independence and sovereignty of our nation. Our identity in the international area is borne through it. The honour and dignity of a free nation is proudly proclaimed by our national flag. Our national flag is made of two colours. They are green and red. The green is the symbol of the youth and the red is the symbol of the sacrifices of the freedom fighters who laid down their lives. It reminds us of the valiant struggles of our freedom fighters to set the country free. Its shape is rectangular having a red sun-like circle almost in the middle of it. The proportion of the length and width of the flag is 10:6. Its size can be different but the proportion must be kept unchanged. The flag is hoisted everyday on the top of our important government buildings and educational institutions. It is hoisted everywhere on the occasions of the Independence Day and the victory day. The national flag is kept half most on the occasion of the occasions of the Independence Day and the victory day. The national flag is kept half most on the occasions of national mourning days. We salute the national flag and remember the supreme sacrifice of our freedom fighters. We feel very proud of our national flag because whenever we see national flag it remands us that we are a citizen of a free country. We can uphold its honour by doing our national duties properly. It is the noble duty of every citizen of our country. A WINTER MORNING The term ‘a winter morning’ alludes to any of the typical day in the winter season. For its several vivid characteristics, a winter morning is different from the other mornings in other seasons. A winter morning is cold and foggy. Everything seems hazy and indistinct. The grass remains wet with dew drops. When the sun rises, dew drops sparkle like pearls. Old people and children shiver in cold. Poor people gather straw and make fire to bask in the heat. Animals too are helpless. They hide themselves in the corner of house and try to save themselves from the biting cold outside. People get up late in the morning. Old people and children get up a bit later to evade cold of the early morning. Working people get out of the doors when the fog disappears and when the sun is hot. People usually eat homemade cakes with ‘date juice’ and sitting outside their homes enjoy the warmth of the early sun. Bangalees settled abroad make it a point to come and spend the winter in Bangladesh. They find the winter here pleasant as the winter in any European country is tremendously cold. A winter morning in Bangladesh is thus quite fascinating for them. My personal feeling about a winter morning is that it is a bane for the poor but a boon for the rich. (Courtesy: MKN)
Posted on: Fri, 19 Sep 2014 15:50:12 +0000
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