BARISHAL BOARD 2024

ENGLISH SECOND PAPER

[According to the Syllabus of 2024]

 

Time: 3 hours

Full marks:100

Part A: Grammar

Marks-60

[N.B. The figures in the right margin indicate full marks. Answer all the questions.]

 

1. Fill in the blanks with suitable preposition:                     0.5×10=5

 

If you want to derive the best (a) ____ your education, you must be fully aware (b) ____ some basic things. You should never be indifferent (c) ____ your study. In fact, fostering a kind of passion (d) ____ learning appears to be very important for achieving your goal. Again, you should never try to learn anything (e) ____ context. You should also not run (f) ____ substandard traditional guidebooks. As a matter of fact, confining yourself (g) ____ poor quality notebooks discourages you to learn something deeply. But (h) ____ learning a thing very deeply, you cannot achieve the required mastery (i) ____ the learnt thing. Thus, you may fail to get the desired benefits (j) ____ your learning.

 

 

2. Complete the sentences with the suitable phrases/words given in the box.                                                                                         0.5x10-5

 

Was born	Have to/has to	Had better	Would rather	Let alone
What’s…like	What does…look like	As soon as	there	it

 

(a) Begging is quite disgraceful. I think he knows it very well. He ___ starve than do so.

 

(b) We ____ stop cutting down trees. Deforestation is detrimental to the environment.

 

(c) ____ he ____? He is friendly and he can help you.

 

(d) ____ is difficult to regain lost health. So, we should always take care of our health.

 

(e) ____ flows a river beside our village. The river is useful to us in many ways.

 

(f) Have you seen a camel? ____ it ____?

 

(g) He cannot express his ideas in Bangla, ____ in English.

 

(h) I ____ take coffee in lieu of tea. But I like both of them.

 

(i) We informed the police ____ the incident took place.

 

(j) Robert Herrick was a poet and a clergyman. He ____ in London.

 

 

3. Complete the following sentences with suitable phrases or clauses: 1×10=10

 

(a) It is too late. Now I ____ go to lunch.

 

(b) It is a long time since ____.

 

(c) Had I earned enough money, ____.

 

(d) He is a quack but he talks to the patients as if he ____.

 

(e) The girl returned home before evening lest she ____.

 

(f) Mira sings very well. If she gets opportunity, ____.

 

(g) The poem is too difficult for ____.

 

(h) In spite of having all facilities, the boy ____.

 

(i) Patriotism is a noble virtue. It is high time ____

 

(j) He studied hard so that ____.

 

 

4. Read the text and fill in the gaps with the correct form of verbs as per subject and context: 0.5×14=7

 

Tigers (a) ____ (know) as ferocious animals. But they hardly (b) ____(kill) any animal when they are not hungry. Usually the tigers (c) ____ (reside) in the deep forest. They are hardly (d) ____ (see) in the open unless there (e) ____ (to be) a strong necessity. They often remain (f) ____ (hide) under the deep green in search of the prey. Whenever they (g) ____ (discern) any prospective prey, they take a pose to (h) ____ (fall) upon it. Tigers often (i) ____ (unite) themselves to (j) ____ (attack) their prey from different (k) ____ (devour) 20 to 30 kilograms of meat at a single meal. In our Sundarbans the number of tigers (l) ____ (decrease) day by day. Poaching and illegal trafficking (m) ____ (to be) the main reasons of decrease. So the concerned authority should be committed to (n) ____ (take) action to protect the tigers.

 

 

5. Change the narrative style by using indirect speeches: 7

 

The old man said, "Can you give me some food? I have been starving for two days." The maid said, "Why do you beg? Can't you work?" "No, I'm unable to work," said the man. The maid again said, "Don't you have anyone to look after you?" "No, I have none on this earth who can take care of me", said the old man.

 

 

6. Read the following text and use modifiers as directed in the blank spaces: 0.5×10=5

 

Books are (a) ____ (use intensifier) essential for us. They help us (b) ____ (post-modify the verb with an infinitive) knowledge. (c) ____ (pre-modify the noun with present participle) books, we can know everything. They show us the (d) ____ (pre modify the noun) way. Books can be our (e) ____ (pre modify the noun) friends. They help us (f) ____ (post modify the verb with infinitive) our mind. They improve our (g) ____ (pre-modify the noun) 'power'. They give us solace, to our (h) ____ (pre-modify the noun) mind. Besides, reading (i) ____ (pre-modify the noun) books; students should read other books. If they read other books, they will be able to know everything (j) ____ (post modify the verb).

 

 

7. Use appropriate connectors in the blank spaces of the following passage: 0.5×14=7

 

Time and tide wait for none. (a) ____, no one can stop the onward march of time. (b) ____, it is very important to value our time. (c) ____, if time once has gone, we cannot regain it. (d) ____, we should not waste a single moment in vain. (e) ____, we should make proper use of every single moment of our life. (f) ____, the students should understand the value of time. (g) ____, it is a matter of great regret that some of the students pass away their valuable time in Facebook. (h) ____, they kill their time, (i) ____ they cannot prepare their lessons well. (j) ____, they always have a poor preparation for the examination. (k) ____ they cannot do well in the examination. (l) ____, they do not stop wasting time. (m) ____, they continue to waste their time using different social media sites (n) ____ it is too late for them.

 

 

8. Read the passage and then write the antonym or synonym of the words as directed: 0.5×14=7

 

Teachers are the best mentors of a student. They serve society by instructing and guiding countless students through the different stages of their growth. They should never call a student weak and discourage any student frustrating his/her interest, ability and dream. Every teacher should try his/her best to find out the ways of success for the students and guide them to achieve it.

 

(a) never (antonym)

 

(b) weak (antonym)

 

(c) discourage (antonym)

 

(d) frustrating (synonym)

 

(e) interest (synonym)

 

(f) ability (antonym)

 

(g) dream (synonym)

 

(h) best (antonym)

 

(i) success (antonym)

 

(j) achieve (synonym)

 

(k) mentor (synonym)

 

(l) instruct (antonym)

 

(m) countless (synonym)

 

(n) growth (synonym)

 

 

9. Use the necessary punctuation marks in the following text. Rewrite the text correcting the errors and make capitalization if necessary: 0.5×14=7

 

Son: Did you keep a diary during the Liberation War

 

Father: Yes I did.

 

Son: Can I have a look at it.

 

Father: Im afraid, Ive lost it.

 

Son: Can you remember anything about it.

 

Father: Yes I remember one event there were lots of sounds and bangs outside one night. You wanted to look out but we didnt let you.

 

Father: Because it was very dangerous. You were only four years old.

 

Son: I cant remember anything.

 

Father: Its natural. No one can remember all from early childhood

 

 

Part B --- Composition

 

Marks 40

 

10. Suppose, you are a student of 'X' college. Write an application to the Principal of your college to set up a 'smart sound system' at your class room. 10

 

11. Write a paragraph showing the causes and effects of price hikes. (Use 200 words) 15

 

12. Write a paragraph describing "The Uses and Abuses of Social Media". 15

 

(Use 200 words)