Pahela Baishakh (SEEN COMPREHENSION)

Read the passage carefully and answer the questions following it : 

Today is Pahela Baishakh, the first day of Bangla Year 1406. The day will be celebrated with traditional festivities across the country. The day is a public holiday. In keeping with the age old tradition, traders and shopkeepers will open halkhata (fresh account books) and offer sweets to their customers and clients. Different socio-cultural organizations have drawn up elaborate programs to celebrate the day the day’s first program will begin at dawn at Ramna Batamul.

Chhayanot a leading cultural organization will organize the program. Bangladesh Television will telecast live the program from 6 in the morning. National dailies will bring out special supplements while Bangladesh betar and Bangladesh Television will air special programs on the occasion. Students and teachers of the Fine Arts Institute (IFA) of Dhaka University will bring a colorful procession form the institute premises at 9.30 am carrying festoons, placards, posters, benners and wear mases to welcome the Bangla New Year.

Bangla academy will hold a cultural programme on its premises in the morning to be participated by leading artists of the country. Shilpakala Academy will organize a cultural function of the academy premises.
Jatiya press Club will organize a cultural function on the club premises at 6 pm. Bulbul Lalitakala Academy, Libreration wer Museum and Bangladesh Notional Museun will also organizes cultural function on the occasion. 

1. Choose the best answer from the alternatives:   1 x 5 = 5

a. Pahela Baishakh is the day of-
i. offering sweets to all ii. arranging discussions iii. celebration iv. colorful procession.

b. On pahela Baishakh, the shopkeepers-
i. Keep their shops close ii. open fresh account iii. sell their goods iv. open fresh account book and entertain their customers

c. The phrase age old tradition means ¡ 
i. modern customs ii. long practiced customs iii. recent customs iv. new customs and manners 

d. Ramna Batamul is a
i. centre of political meeting ii. cultural organization iii. place of cultural activities iv. University premises 

e. What kind of dresses will the people wear?
i. Colourful dresses ii. Traditional dresses iii. National dresses iv. New dresses

2. Write, whether the statements are true or false, If false, give the correct answer.                                                                       1 x 5 =5

a. Pahela Baishakh is a mournful day.
b. Traders invite their customers on Pahela Baishakh.
c. On Pahela Baishakh, the whole country takes a festive look.
d. The celebration of Pahela Baishakh is a recent practice. 
e. The days first program begins at Ramna batamul.

3. Fill in each gap in the following passage with a suitable word from the box. There are more words than necessary. 

crowd/ traditional/ wearing/ hope/ kind/ held/ customers/ opening/ enthusiasm/ arrange/ remarkable/ observe

Pahele Baishakh is a a. ……….. festival. Through the b. ………. of halkhata, the shopkeepers and traders c. ………. the day. The d………. and clients are offered sweets. Different socio-cultural organizations e. ……… various programs on this day. Chhayanat is f. ……… among them people g. ………. traditional dresses attend the program. Melas are h. …………… around the country. A large i. ……….. gather at Ramna Batamul and observe the day with great j. ………

4. Read the passage in A again. Now, write a paragraph based on the information about Pahela Baishakh, Use the clues in the box below. write the information in a logical sequence as it appears in the text The paragraph should not exceed 70 words. 

first day, holiday, across the country Sweets, traditional dresses, Ramna Batamul, telecast, programs, supplements.

5. Give short answer to the following questions:

a. What is Pahela Baishakh?
b. How do people observe Pahela Baishakh?
c. What do the shopkeepers do?
d. Who organizes the dayÕs first programme.
e. What do the mass media do on the day?

6. Fill in each gap with a suitable word of your won, based on the information from the text in ‘A’. 

                                                                                                                                                                                         The Bangla new year a. ………. with the first day of the month of Baishakh. The day b. ……….. our culture. People from all c. …………. of live observe the day d. …………… the country. Traders and shop keeps open halkhata and e. …………… the customers to get f. …………. the due payments. Different mass media play g. …………. role to observe the day. Vast programs are h. …………. up by various socio cultural organizations. The day being a i. …………… holiday. People can j………….. it very much. 

7. Read the passage in ‘A’ again. Imagine, you atended the program of Pahela Baishakh at Ramna Batumue last year. 

Now, write in about 70-80 words about the experience you gathered from the function.

8. Read the passage in ‘A’ again. Now write the main ideas of the passage in your own words in not more than five sentences. 

Answer of The SEEN COMPREHENSION 

1. a. Celebration b. Open fresh account book and entertain their customers c. long practiced customs d. Place of cultural activities e. Traditional dresses

2. a. False. corr. Pahela Baishakh is a joyful day. b. True c. True
d. False. corr. The celebration of Pahela Baishakh is an ago old practice. e. True

3. a. traditional b. opening c. observe d. customers e. arrange f. remarkable g. wearing h. held i. crowd j. enthusiasm 

4. Pahel Baishakh is the first day of Bangla year. It is a public holiday. It is observed acrossed the country with traditional festivities. Shopkeepers open fresh accounts and welcome their clients by offering sweets. People wear traditional dresses to observe the day and atend the elaborate programmers organized by various cultural organizations. The dayÕs first programmed begins at dawn at Ramna Batamul. Bangladesh Betar and BTV telecast special programmes on the occasion. On the day National dailies also bring out special supplements.

5. a. Pahela Baishakh is the first day of Bangla year.
b. People observe Pahela Baishakh with traditional festivities.
c. The shopkeepers open halkhata and entertain their customers with sweet 
d. Chhayanat, a leading cultural organization of the country organizes the day’s first program.
e. On the day, the mass media organize special programmes.

6. a. Starts/begins b. shows c. walks/stages d. across/over e. entertain f. back g. vital/important/significant h. drawn i. public j. enjoy.

7. I attended the program of Pahela Baishakh at Ramna Batamul last year. Many young boys and girls gathered there wearing traditional dresses. They bore colorful banners and festoons with them. Many people took pantabaht and hilsha fish. A live cultural function was held. All the people enjoyed the function very much. Baishakhe mela was also held there. I bought some fine handicrafts from the mela. In the evening, I came back home with cheerful mind.

8. Pahela Baishaka is the first day of Bangla year. Traders and shopkeepers open halkhata and offer sweets to their customers and clients. This is a public holiday. Different socio-cultural organizations take different programs to mark the day.  People wear traditional dresses and take part in colorful processions.