HSC English Model Test
Subject: English 1st paper
Times: 3 hours Full Marks: 100
PART-A : READING TEST [60 Marks]
1. Read the passage and answer the questions A and B.
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.
A. Choose the correct answer from the alternatives : 0.5 ´ 10 = 5
(a) What does the word 'constitute' mean?
i. form ii. add iii. take iv. make
(b) The synonym of 'legal' is
i. illicit ii. banned iii. Lawful iv. prohibited
(c) The phrase 'leads to' refers to
i. results of ii. results in iii. results from iv. results to
(d) Adolescence is a period from childhood to adulthood.
i. constant ii. rigid iii. fixed iv. transitional
(e) The word 'economic' can be replaced by ¾¾.
i. monetary ii. Cheap iii. Financial iv. economical
(f) What could be the closest meaning of the word 'core' in the first sentence?
i. Alternative ii. Subsidiary iii. Central iv. Minor
(g) The phrase 'take place' stands for ¾¾.
i. occur ii. go to a place iii. Happen iv. destroy
(h) The synonym of affluent is ¾¾.
i. destitute ii. poverty iii. poor iv. solvent
(i) The transition from childhood to adulthood takes place in life ¾¾.
i. during childhood ii. in adolescenc iii. before death iv. when they get maturity
(j) The word 'marginalization' refers to ¾¾.
i. holding a lot of money ii. holding no power iii. boldness in decision making iv. having empathy
B. Answer the following questions : 3 ´ 5 = 15
(a) What do you understand by adolescence?
(b) What is the condition of girls in Bangladesh?
(c) What is gender disparity? What are the consequences of it?
(d) Which factors are responsible for girls' early marriage?
(e) Why is adolescence an important period in life?
2. Based on your reading of the passage, make short notes in each of the boxes in the flow-chart showing different characteristics of dreams. (one is done for you) 1 ´ 5 = 5
Dreams have fascinated philosophers for thousands of years, but only recently have dreams been subjected to empirical research and scientific study. Chances are that you've often found yourself puzzling over the content of a dream, or perhaps you've wondered why you dream at all.
First, let's start by answering a basic question : What is a dream? A dream can include any of the images, thoughts and emotions that are experienced during sleep. Dreams can be extraordinarily vivid or very vague; filled with joyful emotions or frightening images; focused and understandable or unclear and confusing.
Why do we dream? What purpose do dreams serve? While many theories have been proposed about the reason and function of dream, no consensus has emerged. Considering the time we spend in a dreaming state, the fact that researchers do not yet understand the purpose of dreams may seem baffling. However, it is important to consider that science is still unraveling the exact purpose and function of sleep itself. Some researchers suggest that dreams serve no real purpose, while others believe that dreaming is essential to mental, emotional and physical well-being.
1. Extraordinarily vivid ® 2. ® 3. ® 4. ® 5. ® 6.
3. Write a summary of the following text. 10
Education gives us knowledge and a set of abilities to function meaningfully in life, such as the ability to decide things rationally and make the right choices. As we learn how to read, write and do the basic operations of arithmetic, we gain a degree of self-confidence. We learn to think for ourselves and articulate our thoughts; we pick up skills to communicate with others and manage our affairs well. Education helps us think independently and make our own opinions. As we know more about the world, we appreciate the good things it offers us but also become critical of the deviations from the values it imparts and the rise of hatred or conflict that follows. The first thing education does is to give us an awareness about ourselves which leads to the development of our personality. As we begin school, we feel the need to belong to the class and make friends. We then expand our sense of belonging to include the school at large, our community and finally our country. Education thus prepares every child to become an active member of the community and work for its welfare.
4. Read the following text and fill in the blanks with suitable word from the box. There are more words than needed. Make any grammatical change if necessary. 0.5 ´ 10 = 5
Overeating (a) —— taking too much food (b) —— one needs. We eat (c) —— to overload our stomach but to (d) —— a sound health. A sound health (e) —— on eating habit, to some extent. Overeating tells (f) —— our health. By (g) —— awareness of the people, the habit of overeating can be (h) ——. With a view to (i) —— our body fit, we should (j) —— taking too much food.
5. Fill in the blanks with appropriate words in each gap. 1 ´ 10 = 10
Beauty is easy to appreciate but difficult to define. If we look around, we will discover beauty in (a) —— objects and sights-in nature, in the (b) —— of children in kindness of strangers. But asked to define, we run into (c) ——. Does beauty have an independent identity? Is it (d) —— or relative? Is it dependent on our sense of (e) ——? Does it lie in the (f) —— of the beholder? Thus there will arise a number of (g) —— in our mind. However, poets, artists philosophers and thinkers (h) —— always in search of beauty in their works and arts. But most of them have the common and undisputed opinion that where there is beauty, there is (i) —— that is a thing of beauty is a joy (j) ——.
6. Rearrange the following sentences to make a coherent order. 10
(i) As a result, he studied under a great thinker Plato.
(ii) He also wrote books on Biology, Literature, Economics and Comparative Politics.
(iii) Plato taught Aristotle according to his own way.
(iv) Aristotle was born in Greece.
(v) His father wanted him to be a physician but he never cherished to be so.
(vi) Later on, Aristotle took the pen to write on topics suitable for human civilization.
(vii) He is called the Father of Biology because of his creativity.
(viii) ‘Politics’ is one of his famous books which exposes fullest development of his wisdom.
(ix) He was the son of a royal physician.
(x) He wanted to be a free thinker.
Part II : Writing (40 Marks)
7. The graph shows "the internet users" from 2012 to 2018. Describe the graph in at least 80 words. 15
8. The following is the beginning of a story. Complete it in your own words. 15
It was a hot summer day. There was scorching heat of the sun. On that day a crow became very thirsty. It wanted to drink but there was no water around it. So, it began to ………..
9. Write an email to one of your friends thanking him/her for a gift you received from him/her on your birthday. 10
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