JSC English First Paper | Unit: One | A glimpse of our culture
After we have studied this unit, we will be able to
• read and understand texts through silent reading
• infer meaning from context
• ask and answer questions
• write answers to questions
• write short compositions
If you want to read the lessons of this unit please click the links below:
JSC English First Paper | Unit: 1, Lesson: 1 | A glimpse of our culture | Our folk songs
Key words: folk, musical, instruments
A. Work in pairs. Read out the musical instruments and answer the following questions.
1 Can you sing a song?
A. Work in pairs. Read out the musical instruments and answer the following questions.
dotara
|
sarinda
|
guitar
|
bamboo flute
|
drum
|
tabla
|
piano
|
harmonium
|
ek-tara
|
violin
|
2 Can you play any of these musical instruments?
3 Do you know anybody who can play any of these instruments? Tell what you know about her/him.
B. Read the text and answer the following questions.
Folk songs are songs sung in the traditional style of a community or country. Here the traditional style includes the themes, words and tunes of the songs that have existed for a long time among the common people.
We have a rich history and collection of folk songs in Bangladesh. Of them Palligiti, Bhatiali, Bhawaiya, Jari, Sari, Gambhira, Lalongiti, Palagaan and songs of Hason Raja are very popular. The traditional musical instruments are usually played with these songs.
Questions
1 Who usually likes our folk songs?
2 Can you name some well known folk singers?
3 Do you like folk songs? If you do, who is your favourite folk singer? Which song or songs do you like most?
4 Look at the musical instruments in Activity A above and say which instruments go well with the folk songs.
5 Discuss in groups whether the modern instruments like the guitar and the piano could be played with the folk songs.
C. Discuss in groups and write a paragraph on the following question. Do you want more or less programmes on folk songs on our TV channels? Why?/Why not?
If you want to read the next lesson of this unit please click the link below:
JSC English First Paper | Unit: 1, Lesson: 2 | A glimpse of our culture | Nakshi Kantha
Key words: quilt, artistic, commercially, traditional, demand, pattern
A. Look at the picture and the questions. Then ask and answer the questions with your partner.
1 What do you see in the picture?
2 What is it called?
3 Have you seen it before? Where?
4 What do we do with it?
B. Now read the text to know about nakshi kantha.
Nakshi kantha is a kind of embroidered quilt. The name was taken from the Bengali word, 'naksha' which means artistic pattern. It is a kind of traditional craft and is said to be indigenous to Bangladesh and West Bengal in India. The art has been practised in rural Bengal for centuries. The name'Nakshi Kantha' became popular after the poet Jasimuddin's poem ' Nakshi KantharMath' was published in 1929.
C. Write a paragraph describing how the nakshi kantha is made. Start like this: Old or new cloth and coloured thread are needed. First the cloth is folded, then...........
D. Do you like a nakshi kantha or an ordinary kantha! Why?
E. Complete the sentences with clues given
Bengali, patterns, embroidery, years, fashion, art, rural, designs, quilt, naksha
1 Naksha means artistic.................
2 The name was taken from a............. word.........
3 The art has been practised in ............ Bengal for ................
4 Nakshi kanthas are now sold in............... shops.
5 Nakshi kanthas are in great demand because of their colourful........... and..............
6 Nakshi kanthas are a kind of...............
F. Write down five questions for the completed statements in activity E above.
One is done for you.
1. What does naksha mean ?
G. Work in pairs. Ask and answer all the questions. Now write 3-4 more questions on the text given in activity B above.
If you want to read the next lesson of this unit please click the link below:
Lesson: 3 | Our ethnic friends (1)
JSC English First Paper | Unit: 1, Lesson: 3 | A glimpse of our culture | Our ethnic friends (1)
Key words: ethnic region majority shifting
A. Look at the question and discuss in groups.
Have you heard the word 'ethnic people'? Can you tell what it means?
Now look at the pictures. Then discuss the following questions.
A. Look at the question and discuss in groups.
Have you heard the word 'ethnic people'? Can you tell what it means?
Now look at the pictures. Then discuss the following questions.
1. Do you know where the ethnic people live in Bangladesh?
2. What are they called?
B. Now read the text.
The ethnic people in Bangladesh hold a very important place in the culture of the country.
The majority of these people live in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The others live in the regions of Mymensingh, Rajshahi and Sylhet. They live in forest areas, in the hills and in rural areas. They do Jhum cultivation. For this work they clear apiece of land in the forest, prepare it and sow seeds in it. They are mostly farmers. By religion they are Hindus, Christians or Buddhists. They speak their own mother tongues. Some of them are the Chakmas, the Marmans, the Tipperas and the Moorangs, who live in the Hill Tracts. The Santals live in Rajshahi. The Khasias and the Monipuries, live in Sylhet and the Hajangs and the Garos in Mymensingh.
C. True or false? If false, give the correct information.
1. All the ethnic people of our country live in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
2. Most of them are farmers.
3. By religion all of them are Buddhists.
4. The Moorangs are an ethnic group.
5. They practise jhum cultivation.
D. Ask and answer the questions in pairs.
1. Where do you find the Mar/nans?
2. What language do they speak at home?
3. Where and how do they do the Jhum cultivation?
If you want to read the next lesson of this unit please click the link below:
Lesson: 4 | Our ethnic friends (2)
If you want to read the next lesson of this unit please click the link below:
Lesson: 4 | Our ethnic friends (2)