SSC English First Paper  Unit-2: Lesson-1 The Greed of The Mighty Rivers

Read the passage. Then answer the questions below.

Meherjan lives in a slum on the Sirajgonj Town Protection Embankment. The whispering wind from the river Jamuna makes the fire unsteady. The dancing flames remind Meherjan of the turmoll in her life. Not long ago Meherjan had everything a family, arable land and cattle. The erosion of the Jamuria gradually consumed all her land property. It finally claimed her only shelter during the last monsoon. It took the river only a day to devour Meher's house, trees, vegetable garden and the bamboo bush. She had a happy family once. Over the years, she lost her husband and her family to diseases that cruel hunger and poverty brought to the family. Now, she is the only one left to live on with the loss and the pain. The greedy Jamuna has shattered her dreams and happiness.  

There are thousand others waiting to share the same fate like Meherjan. Bangladesh is a land of rivers, some of whose banks overflow or erode during monsoon. Erosion is a harsh reality for the people living along the river banks. During each monsoon many more villages are threatened by the mighty rivers like the Jamuna, the Padma and the Meghna. It is estimated that river erosion makes at least 100,000 people homeless every year in Bangladesh. In fact, river erosion is one of the main dangers caused by climate change. If we can't take prompt actions to adapt to climate change, there will be thousands of more Meherjans in our towns and villages every year. 

এসএসসি ইংলিশ ফার্স্ট পেপার ইউনিট - দুই লেসন - এক

শক্তিশালী নদীর লোভ

বাংলা অনুবাদ: মেহেরজান সিরাজগঞ্জ টাউন রক্ষা ক্লাব-এর একটি বস্তিতে বাস করে। যমুনা থেকে ভেসে আসা দমকা হাওয়ায় আগুনের শিখা কেঁপে কেঁপে উঠছিল। আগুনের শিখার এই কাঁপন মেহেরজানকে তার জীবনের কঠিন বাস্তবতার কথা মনে করিয়ে নিচ্ছিল।  

অল্প কিছুদিন আগেও মেহেরজানের কাছে সব ছিল- তার পরিবার, চাষের জমি এবং গবাদি পশু। যমুনার করাল থাবা আস্তে আস্তে তার সকল সম্পত্তি গ্রাস করে নিল। এমনকি শেষ পর্যন্ত গত বর্ষায় তার বসত ভিটাও নদীগর্ভে বিলীন হয়ে গেল। মাত্র একদিনে যমুনা নদী মেহেরজানের বাড়ি-ঘর, গাছ, সবজি বাগান এবং বাঁশঝাড় গ্রাস করল। তার একসময় সুখী পরিবার ছিল। চরম খাদ্যাভাব এবং দারিদ্র্যের ফলে সৃষ্ট রোগে সে বছর শেষে তার স্বামী ও পরিবারকে হারাল। চরম দুর্ভোগ এবং কষ্টকর জীবনযাপনের জন্য একমাত্র শেই অবশিষ্ট আছে। লোভী যমুনা 'তার সমস্ত সুখ এবং স্বপ্ন চূর্ণ-বিচূর্ণ করে নিয়েছে।  

এমনও হাজার মানুষ আছে যারা মেহেরজানের মতো একই দুর্ভাগ্যের শিকার। বাংলাদেশ নদীমাতৃক দেশ, বর্ষাকালে এর কয়েকটাতে বন্যা সৃষ্টি করে অথবা নদী ভাঙনের কারণ হয়ে দাঁড়ায়। নদীতীরে বসবাসকারী মানুষের জন্যে নদী ভাঙন একটি নির্মম বাস্তব বর্ষায় আরো অনেক গ্রাম পদ্মা, মেঘনা, যমুনা ইত্যাদি শক্তিশালী নদীর হুমকির সম্মুখীন হয়। আমরা জলবায়ু পরিবর্তনের সাথে মানিয়ে নেওয়ার জন্য উপযুক্ত পদক্ষেপ গ্রহণে ব্যর্থ হলে, প্রতিবছর গ্রামে এবং শহরে এ রকম অসংখ্য মেহেরজান সৃষ্টি হবে।

Answer the following questions.  

(1) From your reading of the first paragraph say something about Meherjan's living place.

Answer. Meherjan lives in a slum on the Sirajgonj Town Protection Embankment near the Jamuna river.  

(2) The dancing flames remind Meherjan of the turmoll in her life." Explain in 2/3 sentences. 

Answer. The life of Meherjan is full of ups and downs. When she sees the dancing of the flames, she thinks about her own life.

(3) What happens to the villages near rivers during the monsoon? Describe in brief.

Answer. During the monsoon, the villages near rivers are threatened by the erosion. It is estimated that river erosion makes at least 100,000 people homeless every year in Bangladesh. 

(4) Briefly describe how the erosion of the Jamuna gradually consumed all her property.

Answer. The erosion of the Jamuna gradually consumed all her property. It took the river only a day to destroy Meherjan's house, trees, vegetable garden and the bamboo bush.

(5) Do you agree with the view that we should take prompt actions to adapt to climate change? Give reasons for your answer. 

Answer. Yes, I agree with the view that we should take prompt actions to adapt to climate change. If we can not do this, there will be more homeless people in our village and towns every year.   

(6) Where does Meherjan live? Why does she live there?

  Answer. Meherjan lives in a slum on the Sirajgonj Town Protection Embankment. She lives there because the erosion of the Jamuna gradually consumed all her land property and her only shelter.  

(7) What did Meherjan have before the erosion made her destitute?

Answer. Before the erosion made Meherjan destitute, she had family, arable land and cattle. 

(8) What did the river take away from Meherjan within a day? 

Answer. The river took away her house, trees, vegetable garden and the bamboo bush from Meherjan within a day.   

(9) How has the greedy Jamuna shattered her dreams and happiness? 

Answer. Over the years, Meherjan lost her husband and her family to diseases that cruel hunger and poverty brought to the family. Now, she is the only one left to live on with the loss and the pain. Thus, the greedy Jamuna has shattered her dreams and happiness. 

(10) What is a harsh reality for the people living along the river banks? Why do they face this?

Answer. Erosion is a harsh reality for the people living along the river banks. They face this because during each monsoon many more villages are threatened by the mighty rivers like the Jamuna, the Padma and the Meghna.  

(11) What is the immediate effect of river erosion in Bangladesh every year? 

Answer. The immediate effect of river erosion is that it makes at least 100,000 people homeless every year in Bangladesh.   

(12) Why should we take prompt actions to adapt to climate change?

Answer. We should take prompt actions to adapt to climate change otherwise there will be thousands of homeless people in our towns and villages every year.