Meherjan passage

Meherjan lives in a slum on the Sirajganj Town Protection Embankment. Her polythene-roofed shelter looks like a cage. She is nearly 45 but looks more than her age. In front of her shelter, she is trying to make a fire to cook the day's only meal. Her weak hands tremble as she adds some fallen leaves and straw to the fire. The whispering wind from the river Jamuna makes the fire unsteady. The dancing flames remind Meherjan of the turmoil in her life. Not long ago Meherjan had everything — a family, cultivable land and cattle. The erosion of the Jamuna gradually consumed all her landed 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.

(1) The word 'fate' in 3rd para could be best replaced by —.

(i) destruction    (ii) destiny

(iii) disaster        (iv) death

(2) The word 'poverty' to refers —.

(i) deficiency            (ii) dominion

(iii) prerogative      (iv) vigour

(3) The word 'tremble' for stands —.

(i) firmness      (ii) fixedness

(iii) careless     (iv) shake

(4) The word 'shelter' in the line to second refers — .

(i) ledge           (ii) lodging

(iii) terrace     (iv) platform

(5) Bangladesh is a -- country.

(i) riverine        (ii) flat

(iii) eroded       (iv) climatic

(6) What happened for the onslaught of the Jamuna?

(i) Flood           (ii) Drought

(iii) Erosion     (iv) Cyclone

(7) Meherjan is a —.

(i) middle aged woman  (ii) old woman

(iii) young woman          (iv) teenaged woman

(8) Meherjan is a victim of the greed of the river —.

(i) Padma

(ii) Meghna

(iii) Jamuna

(iv) Teesta

(9) River erosion is the effect of —.

(i) climate change

(ii) environmental pollution

(iii) natural disaster

(iv) cyclone

(10) Once upon a time Meherjan lived a very —.

(i) happy life

(ii) unhappy life

(iii) difficult life

(iv) harsh life

(11) Meherjan is a victim of —.

(i) drought                 (ii) famine

(iii) river erosion      (iv) cyclone

(12) The 'greediness' is opposite word of —.

(i) desire                    (ii) selfishness

(iii) unselfishness   (iv) voracity

(13) Roaring rivers mean —.

(i) rivers come from a distant place

(ii) rivers that flow strongly by making wild sounds

(iii) rivers having branches

(iv) rivers that mix with sea

(14) She is the worst victim of a —.

(i) earthquake

(ii) ineffective weather

(iii) man-made problem

(iv) technological problem

(15) Meherjan is a/an — woman.

(i) auspicious           (ii) wretched

(iii) advantageous   (iv) favoured

(16) What is the purpose of the author of this passage?

i) To depict the miserable condition of the victims like Meherjan due to river erosion.

ii) To draw the pictures of all the roaring rivers in Bangladesh.

iii) To portray the advantages and disadvantages of river erosion.

iv) To highlight the joy and happiness of the people living along the riverbanks.

(17) In paragraph 2, it is said, "It took the river only a day to demolish Meher's house, trees, vegetable garden and the bamboo bush."— What does it mean by this sentence?

(i) The Mighty River Jamuna has expressed her kindness to Meherjan.

(ii) Meherjan has exposed her gratitude to the roaring river, Jamuna.

(iii) The all-consuming appearance of the Jamuna snatches away everything from Meherjan.

(iv) Meherjan regains everything — house, trees, vegetable garden and the bamboo bush from the Jamuna.

(18) Which of the following statement (s) is true about the victims of river erosion in Bangladesh?

(i) According to the estimation, at least 1,00,000 people are rendered homeless every year.

(ii) Erosion is not a hard reality for the people living along the river banks.

(iii) The roaring rivers like the Jamuna, the Padma and the Meghna don't play any role to cause havoc to the people.

(iv) The greedy Jamuna has accelerated the dreams and happiness of the people living by it.

(19) Meherjan tries to make a fire to cook —.

(i) the night's only meal

(ii) the night and day's meal

(iii) day's meal

(iv) the day's only meal

(20) 'Greedy Jamuna' is used here to describe the-.

(i) claim of a consumer

(ii) demand of a consumer

(iii) supply of a consumer

(iv) help of a consumer

(21) The word 'shatter' means —.

(i) to destroy something

(ii) to break something into pieces

(iii) to erect something

(iv) to complete something

(22) River erosion has —.

(i) governed her life to disaster

(ii) governed her life to prosperity

(iii) governed her life to triumph

(iv) governed her life to hit

(23) Meher's weak hands are trembling because —.

(i) she is frightened

(ii) she is feeble

(iii) she is tired

(iv) she is exhausted

(24) Meher's life was very happy before —.

(i) the liberation

(ii) the destruction of the river Jamuna

(iii) the victory

(iv) the independence

(25) We can control the destruction of nature —.

(i) if we are careful and true to our word

(ii) if we depend on the force of nature

(iii) if we make the rescue team

(iv) if we use technology.

(26) Which of the following best describes the reason behind Meherjan's losing everything?

(i) Once Meherjan had a family, cultivable land and cattle.

(ii) The erosion of the Jamuna consumed all her landed property gradually.

(iii) Meherjan is nearly 45 but she looks more than her age.

(iv) The whispering wind from the river Jamuna makes the fire unsteady.

(27) What does the expression 'dancing of the flame' in lines 4 & 5 mean?

(i) A flame that is made unstable by the blast of fire.

(ii) A traditional form of folk dance.

(iii) A flame that makes people dance around it.

(iv) A flame made by people to remind their past.

(28) Meherjan looks older than her actual age owing to —.

(i) poverty and malnutrition

(ii) prosperity and luxury

(iii) unhappy conjugal life

(iv) social malpractices

(29) Meherjan is now —.

(i) a well off woman   

(ii) a city dweller

(iii) a destitute woman

(iv) a happy woman

(30) The phrase 'whispering wind' means —.

(i) wind that blows from across the river

(ii) wind that blows with a hissing sound

(iii) wind that helps someone make a fire

(iv) wind that blows in summer.