Set A Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Jashore Rose

Annual Examination 2023

Class: Nine Subject Code: 107
Subject: English First Paper (Compulsory)
Duration: 3 hours Full Marks: 100
[N. B.: The figures in the right margin indicate full marks.]
Part A: Reading Test (50 marks)
Read the passage and then answer the questions below.
Zahir Raihan was one of the most talented film makers in Bangladesh. He was born on 19 August 1935
in the village Majupur in Feni district. He was an active worker of the Language Movement. He was
one of the ten students to go out in a procession on 21 February 1952 despite a ban on such activities
imposed by the authorities. As a result, he and many others were arrested and taken to prison. Raihan
was also present at the historical meeting of Amtala on 21 February 1952. He also took part in the
mass movement in 1969. In 1971, he joined the Liberation War.
All through his life, Zahir dreamt of a democratic society, a society that would ensure freedom of
speech. He had many dreams about our film industry too. He made a legendary film Jibon Theke Neya
based on the Language Movement of 1952. It was a protest against the autocratic government then
ruling our country. The family portrayed in that film symbolically represented East Pakistan. The
family was ruled by an autocrat who had to go to the prison for her conspiracy. During the liberation
war in 1971, this film was shown outside Bangladesh. Celebrated film makers like Satyajit Ray,
Mrinal Sen, and Ritwik Ghatak appreciated the film. Raihan gave all the money the film made to the
Freedom Fighters' trust. Besides, his great documentary on Pakistani atrocities, Stop Genocide, helped
create world sentiment in favour of our Liberation War.
On 30 December 1971, someone informed Raihan about an address somewhere at Mirpur where he
might find his brother, the famous writer Shahidullah Kaiser, who had gone missing from14
December1971. Kaiser was captured and killed by the Pakistani army and the local collaborators
during the last days of the war. Accordingly, Zahir left home to get his brother back but he never
returned. Zahir Raihan’s dream was fulfilled. But it's a pity that this dreamer could not live to see his
dream come true.
1. Choose the correct answer from the following alternatives. 1×7=7
(a) On which basis did Zahir Raihan make the film "Jibon Theke Neya"?
(i) Local Movement (ii) Liberation War (iii) Mass Movement (iv) Language Movement
(b) 'Stop Genocide' is ------
(i) a film on Liberation War (ii) a short film
(iii) a documentary (iv) an ode
(c) Zahir Raihan disappeared -----------
(i) after the Liberation War (ii) before the Liberation War
(iii) during the Liberation War (iv) during the Language Movement
(d) Which of the following has the closest meaning of the word 'atrocity' used in the passage?
(i) cordiality (ii) civility (iii) charity (iv) cruelty
(e) What type of society did Zahir want?
(i) despotic (ii) tyrannical (iii) oppressive (iv) republican
(f) ‘Autocratic’ could be replaced by--------.
(i) free (ii) benevolent (iii) imperious (iv) democratic
(g) What does the expression 'freedom of speech' mean in the passage?
(i) right to speak for the government (ii) right to voice one's opinion publicly without fear
(iii) right to speak the mother tongue (iv) right to speak in the meeting
2. Answer the following questions. 2 × 5 = 10
(a) Who was Zahir Raihan?
(b) How did Zahir Raihan contribute to the Language Movement?
(c) Why did he leave home for Mirpur?
(d) What were the dreams of Zahir Raihan?
(e) “Zahir Raihan’s dream was fulfilled. But it's a pity that this dreamer could not live to see his
dream come true.” Explain the idea within 2/3 sentences.
3. Read the following text and fill in each gap with a suitable word based on the information of the
text. 1× 5 = 5
Pritilata Waddedar was born in Chattogram on 5 May 1911. She was a meritorious student at Dr
Khastagir Government Girls' School in Chattogram and Eden College, Dhaka. She graduated in
philosophy with distinction from Bethune College in Kolkata. In her college days, Pritilata was an
activist in the anti-British movement. All through her life, she dreamt of two things: a society without
gender discrimination, and her motherland free from British colonial rule.
So she decided to fight against the British rule. Soon after, Pritilata became the head teacher of
Nandankanon Aparna Charan School in Chattogram. Gradually she involved herself in Surja Sen's
armed resistance movement. Surja Sen was a famous anti-British movement organizer and
revolutionary activist in Chattogram area at that time. In 1932, Surja Sen planned an attack on the
Pahartali European Club. The club was well-known for its notorious sign at its entrance: Dogs and
Indians not allowed. Surja Sen assigned Pritilata to lead a team of 10-12 men to attack the Club. The
raid was successful but Pritilata, dressed as a man, failed to get out of the Club. She committed suicide
by taking potassium cyanide to avoid arrest.
Pritilata was one of the bravest personalities. She fought against the British (a) ____ rule. All through
her life, she dreamt of a (b) ____ which is free from gender discrimination. She (c) ____ wanted a land
which is free from foreign rule. To make her country (d) ____, she took arms and fought against the
enemies. Even she sacrificed her life to (e) ____ her dream come true.
4. Read the passage and complete the following table with information from the passage. 1× 5 = 5
Munir Chowdhury was a famous novelist, political activist, educationist and literary critic who
invented the advanced Bangla typewriter. Munir Choudhury was born on November 27, 1925 in
Manikganj. He studied at Dhaka Collegiate School and completed matriculation in 1941. He
completed the intermediate examination from Aligarh Muslim University. Then he enrolled at the
University of Dhaka where he received Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in English in 1946 and 1947
respectively. Munir Choudhury kicked off his career journey as a teacher at Brajalal College, Khulna
in 1947. Three years later in 1950, he moved to Jagannath College. This year, he attended the
University of Dhaka where he taught both English and Bengali until 1971 as well as became the dean
of the faculty of arts. Due to his involvement in leftist politics, Munir was expelled from Salimullah
Hall. He was jailed for two years for participation in the Bengali Language Movement in 1952. From
jail, he took part in the Bengali Language master’s examination and stood first in the first class. He
received his third master’s degree from Harvard University in Linguistics in 1958. He also took part in
the non-cooperation movement in early 1971. Munir Choudhury was abducted from his parent’s house
near Dhaka University by the Pakistani Army on December 14, 1971, as part of killing Bengali
intellectuals. Perhaps, he was killed on this day with other national intellectuals.
The biography of Munir Chowdhury
Life span: November 27, 1925 to (i)…….
Who/What Events Time/When Place/Where
Munir Chowdhury completed Matriculation in 1941 (ii)……
He joined as a teacher (iii)…… University of Dhaka
He (iv)…… in 1958 Harvard University
(v)…… was captured in 1971 paternal home

5. Write a summary of the above passage in your own words. 10

6. Match the parts of sentences given in column ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ to write five complete sentences. 1× 5 = 5

Column A Column B Column C

(a) Character (i) cannot go (i) of all virtues
(b) It (ii) possesses this quality (ii) the habit of forming good character
(c) A man who (iii) is called (iii) a long way in future
(d) But a man without character (iv) to cultivate (iv) is respected by all
(e) So, we should try (v) is the greatest (v) the crown of life
7. Put the following parts of the story in correct order to make the whole story. Only the
corresponding numbers of the sentences need to be written. 1×8=8
(a) As a result, from his childhood, he studied under a great free thinker, Plato.
(b) But he never cherished to be so and wanted to be a free thinker.
(c) Aristotle was born in Greece.
(d) Achieving his academic qualifications, Aristotle took the pen to write on different topics
suitable for human civilization.
(e) He was a son of a Royal Physician.
(f) He also wrote books on literature, biology, economics and comparative politics.
(g) His father wanted him to be a physician.
(h) Plato taught Aristotle according to his own way.

Part B: Writing Test (50 Marks)

8. Write a paragraph on ‘A Street Hawker’ by answering the following questions. 10

(a) Who is a street hawker?
(b) What does he sell usually?
(c) How much money does he earn in a day?
(d) Who are the customers of a street hawker?
(e) How does he lead his life?

9. Read the beginning of a story below and add at least ten sentences to complete the story. 10
Lina is a student of class ten. One day in the afternoon she was gossiping with her friend beside a pond
near her house. While gossiping, she noticed two small boys quarrelling over a simple matter. Then
she went near them and ................ .

10. The pie-chart below shows the interest of the people of a country in different sports. Now, describe the
chart in 150 words. You should effectively highlight the information given in the graph. 10

Chess 5% Football
45%
Volleyball
15%

Cricket 35%

11. Imagine, you are Ayon/Arisha. Your friend is Akash/Afia. He/she doesn’t have proper knowledge of
ICT. Now, write an email to your friend regarding the importance of ICT. 10

12. Suppose, you are Shakil/Shakila and your friend is Mitul/Mita. You know that trees are our best
friends. But it is a matter of sorrow that trees are being cut down indiscriminately. Now, write a
dialogue between you and your friend about the importance of trees in our life. 10
Set B Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Jashore Lotus
Annual Examination 2023
Class: Nine Subject Code: 107
Subject: English First Paper (Compulsory)
Duration: 3 hours Full Marks: 100
[N. B.: The figures in the right margin indicate full marks.]
Part A: Reading Test (50 marks)
Read the passage and then answer the questions below.
‘Heritage’ is what we inherit from the past, live with in the present and then pass on to our children or future
generation. Our unique source of life and inspiration is our cultural and natural heritage. When we speak of
‘World Heritage’, it indicates places and sites that we inherited from the past and pass on to the future
generation of the entire world. The ‘Shat Gambuj Mosque’ in Bagerhat is such a heritage. It became a
UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. Originally, the historic Mosque City was known as ‘Khalifatabad’.
It is situated at the outskirts of Bagerhat town--- not very far from the dense mangrove forest of the
Sundarbans. Khalifatabad was a Muslim Colony. It was founded by the Turkish general, a saint warrior
Ulugh Khan Jahan in the 15th century. The infrastructure of the city reveals significant technical skills in
many mosques as well as early Islamic monuments. Baked bricks were used for the construction of the
buildings. The planning of the city was dominated by the tradition of Islamic architecture and the
decorations were a combination of Mughal and Turkish architecture.
Khan Jahan built a network of roads, bridges, public buildings and reservoirs to make the city habitable.
There were about 360 mosques in the city. Among them the most remarkable is the multi-domed Shat
Gombuj Mosque. The mosque is unique in the sense that it has 60 pillars that support the roof, with 77 low
height domes. The 4 towers at 4 corners have smaller domes at the top as well. The vast prayer hall has 11
arched doorways on the east and 7 each on the north and south for light and ventilation. It has 7 aisles
running along the length of the mosque and 11 deep curves between the slender stone columns. These
columns support the curving arches created by the domes. The thickness of the arches is 6 feet and have
slightly narrowing hollow and round wall.
The west wall in the interior has 11 ‘mihrabs’ (niche in mosque pointing towards Makkah). These mihrabs
are decorated with stonework and terracotta. The floor of the mosque is made of brick.
Besides being used as a prayer hall, Khan Jahan used the mosque as his court too. Today, it is one of the
greatest tourist attractions and one of the best architectural beauties of Bangladesh.
1. Choose the correct answer from the following alternatives. 1×7=7
(a) The word ‘Heritage’ means___________ .
(i) that we get from the past (ii) that we will get from the future
(iii) that we enjoy in the present
(iv) that we get from the past, enjoy in the present and convey it to the future
(b) The city reflects_____________ .
(i) Buddhist culture (ii) Jewish culture (iii) Islamic culture (iv) Christian culture
(c) The word ‘habitable’ in the context means_____________ .
(i) profitable (ii) suitable (iii) comfortable (iv) liveable
(d) Ulugh Khan Jahan was originally_____________ .
(i) a Mughal (ii) a Persian (iii) a Turkish (iv) a Bangladeshi
(e) The number of the total domes of the historical mosque is _________________.
(i) 60 (ii) 70 (iii) 77 (iv) 81
(f) The ‘Mihrabs’ are directed towards the________________ .
(i) south (ii) north (iii) west (iv) east
(g) Which of the following word describes Khan Jahan Ali best?
(i) pious and warrior (ii) warrior (iii) sympathtic (iv) kind
2. Answer the following questions. 2 × 5 = 10
(a) What does heritage refer to?
(b) In which purposes did Khan Jahan Ali use the mosque?
(c) How did Khan Jahan Ali make the city habitable?
(d) Why is the mosque unique?
(e) “Today, it is one of the greatest tourist attractions and one of the best architectural beauties of
Bangladesh”. Describe it in 2/3 sentences.
3. Read the following text and fill in each gap with a suitable word based on the information of the
text. 1 × 5=5
Steven Paul Jobs (24 February 1955 - 5 October 2011), most popularly known as Steve Jobs was the
co-founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Apple Inc. He was the pioneer of the personal
computer revolution. He was famous for his career in the electronic field of computers and consumers.
This became possible through the marketing of Apple computers.
In 1985, Jobs left Apple after losing a power battle with the board of directors. He then founded NeXT, a
computer platform development company specializing in the higher education and business market.
Apple, however failed to bring up any new operating system during Job's absence. Jobs returned to
Apple as an adviser, and took control of the company as an interim CEO. By 1998, Jobs brought Apple
back to profitability from the verge of bankruptcy. He supervised the development of iMac, iTunes, iPod,
iPhone and iPad. These devices are so simple and user friendly that even a child can operate them.
Steve Jobs was born in 24 February 1955. He brought about a (a)____change in the field of personal
computer. He earned (b)____for his career in the electronic field of computers and consumers. In
1985, he lost the (c)____in the company for a tussle with the members of the board of directors. In his
(d)____the Apple company was on the verge of ruin. Again he returned to the Apple and saved the
company from bankruptcy. He brought back the company to the (e)____position.
4. Read the passage on the biography of Abraham Lincoln and complete the table with information
from the passage. 1×5=5
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the USA. He is famous for his Gettysburg Address. It was
delivered by him during the American Civil War, on November 19, 1863. Lincoln was born on
February 12, 1809 in Kentucky, the USA. His parents were from Virginia. In 1818, his mother died.
Then his father moved to Indiana State. He grew up there. He was a captain in the Black Hawk War.
He got the nomination for President in 1860. Then he became the President of the USA in 1861.
Lincoln declared a ban on slavery in America on January 1, 1863. He was re-elected President in 1864.
On Good Friday, April 14, 1865, he was assassinated at Ford’s theatre in Washington.
The biography of Abraham Lincoln
Who Events Place Time
Abraham Lincoln (i)________ in Kentucky, the USA in 1809
His mother died (ii)________
He became the President (iii)________ in 1861
(iv)_______ got nomination for President in 1860
He (v)________ at Ford’s theatre on April 14, 1865
5. Write a summary of the above passage in your own words. 10
6. Match the parts of the sentences given in column ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ to write five complete
sentences. 1×5=5
Column A Column B Column C
(a) Donation of blood (i) is enough to save (i) regarding blood donation.
(b) But most of us (ii) a healthy man can donate (ii) a very noble job.
(iii) blood after every three
(c) As per medical science (iii) a clear idea
months without any harm.
(d) We should have (iv) have a misconception (iv) the life of a dying person.
(e) Sometimes a bag of our blood (v) is indeed (v) about blood donation.
7. Put the following parts of the story in correct order to make the whole story. Only the
corresponding numbers of the sentences need to be written. 1×8=8
(a) At her early age, she lost her mother.
(b) That is why, she was called Cinderella.
(c) She had two step sisters.
(d) On the other hand, her sisters were busy with singing and dancing.
(e) Sometimes, to keep warm, she crept among the cinders.
(f) Her sisters were unkind to Cinderella.
(g) Once upon a time, there lived a maiden named Cinderella.
(h) They compelled her to do hard work in the kitchen.
 Part B: Writing Test (Marks: 50)

8. Write a paragraph on ‘The Necessity of Learning English’ by answering the following questions. 10
(a) Why is English referred to an international language?
(b) How can we learn English?
(c) Why is English important?
(d) How many jobs are related to English?
(e) What are the challenges in the way of learning English?

9. Read the beginning of the story below and add at least ten sentences to complete the story. 10
One day Rakib was returning from school alone on foot. He heard a hue and cry from a nearby house
and saw that the house was burning. Then he……………………….

10. The graph below shows the Literacy rate in Bangladesh from 2015 to 2019 according to the report of
World Bank. Describe the graph in at least 150 words. You should highlight the information and
report the main features given in the graph. 10

The literacy rate in Bangladesh

80%
74% 75%
75% 73% 73%

70%
65% Literacy rate
65%
60%
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

11. Suppose, you are Jamil/Jamila and your friend is Rajib/Rajia. Your elder sister’s marriage ceremony
will be held next week and you want to invite your friend. Now, write an email to your friend
inviting him/her to attend the ceremony. 10

12. Fahim/Fahima is an SSC examinee. He/she wants to share his/her progress of studies with his/her
friend, Dip/Dipa. Now, write a dialogue between two friends about the preparation for the coming
examination. 10