Seen Comprehension

Lesson 1: Pearls! Pearls! Pearls!

Read the text and answer questions 1 and 2.

Thousands of years ago, the first pearl was probably discovered while human beings were searching for food at the sea shore. Throughout history, the pearl with its shine has been one of the most highly valued gems.

Pearls have been mentioned many times in religious texts and mythologies from the earliest times.

The ancient Egyptians valued pearls so much that they were buried with them. It is said that the famous queen of Egypt, Cleopatra would dissolve a pearl in a glass and drink it as a sign of love and respect for the entire nation.

The Greeks thought the pearls as a sign of wealth and social position. The beauty of pearls was associated with love and marriage.

In ancient Rome, pearls were considered the greatest sign of wealth and social status.  

At that time the young women of noble families loved to wear beautiful pearl necklaces.  The brave knights used to wear them in the battles for good luck. [Unit 7; Lesson 1]

[Dinajpur Board-2019; Barishal Board-2018; Sylhet Board-2016]

1. Choose the correct answer to each question from the alternatives given and write the corresponding number of the answers in your answer script:

a. What is pearl?  

i) A food

ii) A gem

iii) A sign of love

iv) A neckless

b. Which word contains the nearest meaning of the word ‘discover’?

i) find

ii) overlook

iii) screen   

iv) hide

c. The word 'mythology' in the text means . [BB-2018]

i) love of God

ii) superstitions

iii) science of logic

iv) a collection of traditional stories which contains a belief

d. "The brave knights used to wear them in the battles for good luck." Here 'knight' refers to the —. [BB-2018]

i) title

ii) horse

iii) prince

iv) warrior

e. Pearls have been — many times in religious texts. [BB-2018]

i) adorned

ii) cited

iii) excited

iv) remarked

f. The word 'dissolve' stands for —. [SB-2016]

i) mould

ii) fasten

iii) prepare

iv) melt

g. Queen Cleopatra would drink a glass of water mixed with pearls every day to . [DjB-2019]

i) develop her health

ii) refresh her mind

iii) show love and respect to the nation

iv) to recover from illness

u More Questions

1. Men discovered pearls while they were  for food. [DjB-2019]

i) inventing

ii) cooking

iii) waiting

iv) looking

2. In ancient Rome, the young women of — families loved to wear pearl necklaces. [BB-2018]

i) ignoble

ii) unknown

iii) aristocratic

iv) ordinary

3. Egypt has an — history. [BB-2018]

i) entire

ii) unparalleled

iii)  ancient

iv) associated

4. The word 'wealth' means —. [SB-2016]

i) poverty

ii) riches

iii) brightness

iv) power

5. The word 'associate' means —. 

i) Join

ii) Disjoin

iii) Organize

iv) Distribute

6. The word 'sign' in the phrase 'as a sign of love' in the passage means .  [DjB-2019]

i) shining

ii) symbol

iii) signature

iv) name

7. Pearls have been mentioned many times in . [DjB-2019]

i) textbooks

ii) divine books

iii) political books

iv) reference books

8. The verb form of 'beautiful' is —. [SB-2016]

i) beauty

ii) beautifully

iii) beautify

iv) beautifier

9. Pearl was discovered when people searched for —. [SB-2016]

i) money

ii) shelter

iii) jobs

iv) food

10. Old Egyptians  valued pearls. [DjB-2019]

i) rarely

ii) properly

iii) highly

iv) commonly

11. To the Greeks, pearl was a sign of  and social position. [DjB-2019]

i) power

ii) riches

iii) wealthy

iv) rich

12. The people of  associated pearls with marriage and love.  [DjB-2019]

i) Roman

ii) Greece

iii) the Greeks

iv) Rome

13. Which one of the following phrases has the similar meaning to 'search for'? [BB-2018]

i) Look for

ii) Look up

iii) Look after

iv) Take after

14. Mythologies are a book of . [BB-2018]

i) ancient times

ii) modern times

iii) historical times

iv) religious times

15. The word 'buried' in the passage means . 

i) covered

ii) hidden

iii) masked

iv) engraved

16. The word 'shine' used in the text means .

i)condition

ii)make progress

iii) brilliance

iv) state

17. The pearl is considered valuable because of its  quality. [BB-2018]

i) attractive

ii) glowing

iii) dim

iv) dull

18. The word 'valued' in the text means —.

i) cost       

ii) prized

iii) appreciated

iv) turned

2. Answer the following questions from your reading of the above text.

a. How did people discover pearls? [BB-2018]

b. Who used pearls as ornaments in ancient time? [DjB-2019]

c.  Why were pearls considered the greatest sign of all social status? 

d. What is said about Cleopatra in mythology? [SB-2016]

u More Questions

1. Why did the brave knights wear pearls in battle fields?

2. How was pearl to the Greeks? [DjB-2019]

3. Why were the ancient Egyptians buried with pearls? [DjB-2019]

4. When and how was pearl discovered? [DjB-2019]

5.  How did the Romans treat pearls?

6. Where have pearls been mentioned? [SB-2016]

7. What did the Egyptians do with the dead? [SB-2016]

8. Why is pearl one of the most valuable gems? [BB-2018]

9. Why did Cleopatra dissolve a pearl in a glass of water? [BB-2018]

10. What did the Greeks think about pearls? [BB-2018]

11. When were pearls discovered by human beings? [SB-2016]

12. Has pearl been highly valued throughout history? If yes, how? If no, how?

Lesson 2: Ama Divers

Read the text and answer questions 1 and 2.

In some fishing villages along the coast of Japan, there are amazing groups of women known as 'Ama divers'. These women worked and are still working as Ama. The word 'Ama' means 'women of the sea or sea women'. They are independent divers. They make their living by diving. They can dive to the depth of the sea up to 25 metres. And they dive without using oxygen tanks or other breathing equipment

The Ama divers rely on their own skills and breathing techniques. They use that skill and technique to push themselves down to the bottom of the sea and back to the surface again. They can hold their breath for up to two minutes. Careful watching, lung capacity and hunter instincts are the special qualities of Ama divers.

However, some of these young villagers are going to the city for other jobs. The remaining Ama divers are now aged between 50 and 60. But there are still some who continue to dive even at their 70s. If the young people do not take up Ama diving, soon this profession will die out. [Unit-7, Lesson-2]

[Birshrestha Noor Mohammad Public College, Dhaka]

1. Choose the correct answer to each question from the alternatives given and write the corresponding number of the answers in your answer script: 

a. The word 'Ama' refers to .

i) fishermen

ii) sea women

iii) modern divers

iv) amazing groups

b. Ama divers can dive to the depth of the sea —.

i) upto 15 metres

ii) upto 20 metres

iii) upto 25 metres

iv) upto 30 metres

c. The word 'skill' is —.

i) noun

ii) verb

iii) adjective

iv) adverb

d. How long can Ama divers hold their breath?

i) upto one minute

ii) upto two minutes

iii) upto three minutes

iv) upto four minutes

e. The phrase die out in the passage means —.

i) disappear

ii) exist

iii) dead

iv) survive

f. Young villagers are going to the city for —.

i) training of diving

ii) other jobs

iii) making money

iv) entertainment

g. In the passage, the word 'living' is a/an —.

i) adjective

ii) verb

iii) noun

iv) adverb

u More Questions

1. Ama divers are . 

i) Japanese

ii) Korean

iii)

Chinese

iv) Bangladeshi

2. What is the adjective of 'depth'?

i) deep

ii) dept

iii) i + ii

iv) none

3. The Ama divers depend on their own skills and — techniques.

i) swimming

ii) diving

iii) breathing

iv) special

4. The word 'push' means —.

i) pull

ii) kickback

iii) try

iv) open

5. Ama divers dive for —.

i) entertainment

ii) adventure

iii) livelihood

iv) exercise

6. Ama divers are —.

i) dependent

ii) liberal

iii) independent

iv) paid

7. Oxygen tanks are of  use to the Ama.

i) great

ii) no

iii) essential

iv) much

8. The word 'known' in the passage means —.

i) famous

ii) accepted

iii) common

iv) recognized

9. "If the young people do not take up Ama diving, soon this profession will die out." Here 'young people' refers to the —.

i) Japanese

ii) Ama offspring

iii) Ama people who are between 50 to 60

iv) Ama people who are at their 70s

10. They can dive without — tanks.

i) water

ii) oxygen

iii) oil

iv) none

2. Answer the following questions from your reading of the above text.    

a.  What does 'Ama' mean?

b. How do the Ama divers earn their livelihood? 

c. Why do the Ama divers not use oxygen tanks or other breathing equipment for diving? 

d. Why are young people going to the city?

u More Questions

1. Where do the Ama divers live? 

2. Which are the special qualities of 'Ama' divers?

3. How long can they hold their breath?

4. What is the cause of the surprise about the Ama divers? 

5. How deep can they dive?

Lesson 3: River Gypsies in Bangladesh (1)

Read the text and answer questions 1 and 2. 

River gypsies are an ethnic group of people in Bangladesh. They are known as bedey to local people. The gypsies have their own lifestyle and culture. They live in groups and do not own any land. Therefore, they live a nomadic life, travelling from one place to another. These people roam across our rivers and waters from May to December in small country boats. These boats are their houses and these people are a part of our waters. In winter, many water bodies dry up. At that time, they return to the mainland and live in make-shift tarpaulin tents on open river banks. You can see their men relaxing in the tents. Toddlers play with dogs or other pets in the dust. Women often idle away time by hair doing, picking off lice in twos or threes sitting in a row.

Throughout the monsoon, they remain busy with fishing. They also dive for natural pearls in waters. Sometimes, they camp for a couple of weeks. Men catch snakes and entertain people with snake charming and sell herbal cures. Women go from door to door to sell bangles, cosmetics and other things. They also try to heal pains of old people often by sucking out blood from their body.

Many villagers believe in the magical power of the gypsies. They can make an evil spirit leave someone's body by magic or special powers. [Unit 7; Lesson 3]

[Dhaka Board-2018; Rajshahi Board-2018; Chattogram Board-2018; Sylhet Board-2016; Mirzapur Cadet College; Dhaka Residential Model College, Dhaka; Gazipur Cantonment Board Inter High School]

1. Choose the correct answer to each question from the alternatives given and write the corresponding number of the answers in your answer script:

a. The term 'ethnic' is connected with .  [CtgB, RB-2018]

i) people

ii) plants

iii) animals

iv) fishes

b. How many months do the river gypsies move around in the rivers and waters? [DB-2018]

i) 5 months

ii) 6 months

iii) 7 months

iv) 8 months

c. The gypsy people become busy with fishing in —.  [DB-2018]

i) winter

ii) summer

iii) monsoon

iv) autumn

d. The word ‘make-shift’ can be replaced by —.

i) permanent

ii) everlasting

iii) temporary

iv) pithy

e. River gypsies live a ¾ life.  [CtgB-2018]

i) poor

ii) different

iii) cultured

iv) nomadic

f. Many villagers believe in the magical power of the . [CtgB-2018]

i) magician

ii) bedey

iii) tribals

iv) ethnic people

g. The word ‘heal’ in the text means —.

i) hill

ii) cure

iii) carve

iv) prevent

u More Questions

1. 'Monsoon' in the passage refers to —. [DB-2018]

i) summer

ii) winter

iii) autumn

iv) rainy season

2. What does the word 'toddler' mean in the text?

i) an adolescent

ii) the children of bedeys

iii) a young child who has just begun to walk

iv) a newborn child

3. The word 'gypsy' means . [R.B-2018]

i) nomad

ii) aborigine

iii) fortune-teller

iv) gymnast

4. River gypsies live in . [R.B-2018]

i) fixed place

ii) brick-built houses

iii) roaming boats and tents

iv) the hut

5. The word 'relaxing' means .  [R.B-2018]

i) feeling easy and careless

ii) feeling difficult but careless

iii) feeling boring and careless

iv) feeling both easy and difficult

6. The river gypsies live outside their boats for about  months a year. [R.B-2018]

i) four

ii) six

iii) eight

iv) ten

7. It is the  of many villagers that gypsies have special power. [RB-2018]

i) believe

ii) belief

iii) believed

iv) believable

8. The word ‘roam’ means —.

i) travel aimlessly without any destination

ii) travel here and there

iii) travel by bus or plane

iv) travel with definite aim and destination

9. "Women often idle away time by hair doing". Here the word ‘idle’ is a/an .

i) adjective

ii) verb

iii) noun

iv) adverb

10. 'Sucking out blood' in this passage is used to cure pains of —. [DB-2018]

i) aged people

ii) young people

iii) the toddlers

iv) the infants

11. River gypsies are the people who —.  [DB-2018]

i) stay permanently at a place

ii) travel from one place to another for pleasure

iii) move from one place to another by boat to earn their livelihood

iv) roam around on horse-back

12. The magical power of the gypsies is believed by many —. [DB-2018]

i) rural people

ii) urban people

iii) educated people

iv) modern people

13. The life-style of river gypsies is —. [DB-2018]

i) gorgeous

ii) nomadic

iii) conventional

iv) fashionable

14. The phrase 'make-shift' in the text means —.

i) a stylish way of making houses

ii) temporary and of low quality

iii) very high quality

iv) the houses of the bedeys

15. They remain busy catching fish .  [CtgB-2018]

i) in autumn

ii) in wet season

iii) in hot season

iv) in rainy season

16. The children of gypsies play with  in the dust. [CtgB-2018]

i) village people

ii) pet animals

iii) their parents

iv) their mother

17. They can drive the evil spirit away by . [CtgB-2018]

i) herbal medicine

ii) sucking blood

iii) magic powers

iv) other things

18. Men catch snakes and  people. [R.B-2018]

i) amuse

ii) frighten

iii) show

iv) cheat

19. The word 'gypsy' in the text means . [CtgB-2018]

i) travelling people

ii) roaming people

iii) one of the vagabond race

iv) all of the above

2. Answer the following questions from your reading of the above text.

a. Who are river gypsies? [R.B-2018]

b. How do they earn their livelihood? [R.B-2018]

c. What do the river gypsies do in the rainy season?

d. Name four activities of the river gypsies. [CtgB-2018]

u More Questions

1. What type of life do the river gypsies live?

2. Where do they roam?

3. What do river gypsies do in winter? [CtgB-2018]

4. How can they drive away the evil spirit? [CtgB-2018]

5.  What do the river gypsies do in winter? [DB-2018]

6. How do the gypsy women often spend their time in winter? [DB-2018]

7. Why do the gypsies return to the mainland? [DB-2018]

8. How do they drive away the evil spirit? [DB-2018]

9. What happens to water bodies in winter?

10. Where do they live? [R.B-2018]

11. Where are gypsy children born and brought up? [R.B-2018]

12. How long do they stay on boats?

Lesson 4: River Gypsies in Bangladesh (2)

Read the text and answer questions 1 and 2. 

River gypsies in Bangladesh are having various problems. First, Bangladesh is getting urbanized very rapidly. Gypsy people are losing their customers in urban population. Hence, their income is threatened. Secondly, 24,000 kilometres of previous waterways has shrunk into only 6,000 kilometres in the country in dry seasons. 

Scientists believe that Bangladesh will be worst affected by global climate change. The unpredictable rain and drying out of rivers have made boat movement heavily restricted. Thirdly, many river gypsies are changing their lifestyle in the context of changed reality. They are thinking of living permanently on land. The authority feels that river gypsies need help to survive in the mainstream population. Therefore, the government is offering voting rights, permanent housing and bank-loan facilities. However, changes do not come overnight.

Traditionally, river gypsies are used to water life. They have inherited from their forefathers necessary life skills to survive in waters. They have no education and training to adapt to mainstream modern society.  So the authority feels the need to bring them under formal education network. But they have no permanent living place. Gypsy children are born and brought up on roaming boats. Therefore, they cannot go to conventional schools. And hence, mobile boat-schools are coming up for gypsy children. Some voluntary organizations are running special schools on boats to educate river gypsy children in some areas. Unit 7; Lesson 4

[Dhaka Board-2017; Barishal Board-2015; Mohammadpur Preparatory School & College, Dhaka]

1. Choose the correct answer to each question from the alternatives given and write the corresponding number of the answers in your answer script:

a. What does the word ‘waterways’ mean in the text?

i) the way in which  water flows

ii) route for travelling by water

iii) the ways under water

iv) the main course of a river

b. Bangladesh has been severely affected by —. 

i) economic change

ii) population problem

 iii) climate change

iv) policy

c. Many river gypsies are changing their lifestyle because —.  [DB-2017]

i) they are unwilling to live in roaming boats

ii) they have accepted the changed reality

iii) they have no education

iv) they are wondering people

d. What does the word ‘mainstream’ mean in the text?

i) denoting something normal or accepted

ii) referring to the citizen of a country

iii) belonging to the inland of a country

iv) the flow of a country

e. The word ‘Permanently’ in the text means . 

i) recently

ii) lastingly

iii) momentarily

iv) for a long time

f. Why can’t gypsy children go to conventional school? [DB-2017]

i) For not having any specific address.

ii) For not having any conventional school.

iii) For not having any facilities of conventional school.

iv) For not having any chance of getting admission into a conventional school.

g. In this passage 'mobile' stands for —.  [BB-2015]

i) static

ii) cellular phone

iii) easy to access

iv) move from place to place

 More Questions

1. Global climate change —.  [DB-2017]

i) has a great effect on gypsy people.

ii) has developed the lifestyle of gypsy people.

iii) has restricted the gypsy people to add with mainstream population.

iv) has no effect on gypsy people to lead their life.

2. The word ‘Gypsy’ means —.  [DB-2017]

i) nomad

ii) aborigine

iii) fortune teller

iv) gymnast

3. Which of the following is not a true statement? 

i) River gypsies live happily in the waters. 

ii) Gypsy children are hardly exposed to formal education.

iii) Boat-schools are not available in a large scale now.

iv) Our country is getting urbanized very quickly.

4. River gypsies live in —.  [DB-2017]

i) fixed places

ii) brick built-houses

iii) roaming boats

iv) the hut

5. The word 'voluntary' means —. [BB-2015]

i) with cost

ii) charitable

iii) artificial

iv) in lieu of hard labour

6. The word ‘unpredictable’ means —.

i) constant

ii) definite

iii) uncertain

iv) comprehensible

7. The second problem of the river gypsies is . 

i) increasing of waterways

ii) shrinking of waterways

iii) more waterways

iv) no waterways

8. The word ‘unpredictable’ in the text means . 

i) that can be seen from a distance

ii) certain

iii) unforeseeable

iv) indigenous

9. The word ‘context’ in the text means . 

i) condition

ii) land

iii) field

iv) perspective

10. "Affect" means —. [BB-2015]

i) result

ii) creation

iii) damage

iv) re-newed

11. The word ‘overnight’ in the passage means —. 

i) instantly

ii) gradually

iii) eventually

iv) during the night

12. The authority is serious to provide them — education.  [BB-2015]

i) technical

ii) fine art

iii) formal

iv) informal

13. The government is offering them —. [BB-2015]

i) suffrage

ii) everything free of cost

iii) rationing

iv) treatment

14. The word ‘reality’ in the text means .

i)      fact

ii) matter

iii) situation

iv) occasion

15. The word ‘restricted’ in the text means . 

i) uncontrolled

ii) free

iii) shrunk

iv) confined to 

2. Answer the following questions from your reading of the above text.

a. What is the impact of urbanization on the river gypsies in Bangladesh? 

b.  Why can’t the gypsy people come to the main stream of population? [DB-2017]

c. What are the main problems that river gypsies are facing? 

d.  What do the river gypsies need to adapt to mainstream of modern society?

 More Questions

1. What is the effect of global climate change in Bangladesh? [BB-2015]

2. Why can't river gypsy children go to conventional schools? 

3. Where are gypsy children born and brought up? [DB-2017; BB-2015]

4.  Who have come forward to educate gypsy children? [DB-2017]

5.  How do they learn the skills to survive in waters? [BB-2015]

6. What is mobile boat-school?  [BB-2015]

7. What does the authority feel about gypsy people? [DB-2017]

8.  Why do the river gypsies are thinking of changing their lifestyle?  [BB-2015]

9.  What facilities are being provided for river gypsies by the government?