Write a paragraph on 'A Dictionary' in 150 words by answering the following questions.

(a) What is a dictionary? (b) What does a dictionary provide us? (c) How are the words arranged in it? (d) How is it used? (e) How does it help us?

My Best Friend

A friend is really the greatest blessing in the life of a person. I am really blessed to have my best friend, Flora. Though we live in the same area and study in the same class, we do not go to the same school. She is a very polite and brilliant student. She is very active, and learns her lessons regularly. Flora is very friendly and helpful. She helps me as much as she can whenever I face any problem. We often visit each other's house and chat together. We share our experiences and memories, happiness and joy, and pain or sorrow. Flora is an intelligent girl, and sometimes, she tells stories with moral lesson. Flora never speaks ill of others. She is the one who taught me that we should forget our hurts, but remember our good deeds forever. No matter what, I really want to remain her best friend throughout my life.

My First Day at School

My first day at school is the day when I formally attended a school for the first time. It is a significant event of my life. One day my mother told me that I was going to start school the next day. I was very happy and excited. "I'm going to be a student", I thought. I couldn't think of anything else and I couldn't sleep at night. The next morning I went to school with my father. My father took me to the Headmaster's room. The Headmaster asked my name and I told him. Then he pointed to a letter chart and asked me to say some letters. I could say them all. My mother taught me to read Bengali and English letters and some easy words at home. The Headmaster was pleased. Then he called a teacher and told her to take me to the class and to look after me. I said goodbye to my father and went with my teacher. My teacher welcomed me at the class and gave me a seat in the classroom. I felt happy. I could make friends with two or three students sitting close to me. A new place is a new experience. My first day at school was a new experience for me. It was a very memorable day in my life.

Morality Shop

A morality shop is a new kind of shop. The concept and theme of the shop is new to the people of our country. There is no shopkeeper in a morality shop. This is the unique part of this shop. The price of each item or thing will be written on a small piece of paper. The price tag will be attached to the item or items. One will pick any item one likes. He/She will look at the price tag and put the money in the box kept there. This is the process of buying products from a morality shop. As the concept is new, people often get confused and do not understand the idea of a morality shop. There might be a chance of stealing but it is expected that people will not steal. Because conscience will see them stealing. There is something in one's mind called conscience. It tells anybody whether his actions are right or wrong. If someone steals, then his/her conscience will tell him/her that stealing is a bad thing. And if he/she steals, his/her conscience will prick him/her and trouble him/her and he/she will never have his/her peace of mind. So, people will try to be clean and not to do a wrong thing. Therefore, a morality shop will help us to have a clear conscience and peace of mind as well.

Begum Rokeya

The famous writer and social worker, Begum Rokeya, worked throughout her life for women's rights, especially for their right to education. She believed that women should have same opportunities as men. This great woman was born in Pairabondh village of Rangpur in 1880. She came from an educated Muslim family. Her father was a landlord. Since childhood, she had a yearning for learning. She had a great affection for her mother tongue Bangla. She also wanted to learn English because of its enriched literature. So, her eldest brother taught her Bangla and English. Her marriage in 1896 didn't stop her from learning. Her husband Khan Bahadur Sakhawat Hussain was very cooperative, and always encouraged her. After her husband's death in 1909, she set up a girls' school in her husband's name in Bhagalpur for promoting female education. Later, she moved it to Kolkata. Besides running a school, she wrote some short stories and novels. 'Sultana's Dream', 'Padmarag', 'Pipasa', etc are her prominent works. Through her work and writings, she tried to make the women folk conscious of their rights. Today, so many women are seen working in every sector because of Begum Rokeya. She died in 1932. We still remember her with great respect.

Florence Nightingale

Florence Nightingale is the pioneer of modern nursing and the greatest inspiration of this profession. She was a daughter of rich British parents. Her father was a landlord. In 1820, while her parents were visiting Florence in Italy, she was born. According to the name of the city, she was named Florence Nightingale. From her carly age, she was different. Her mind was very soft. She felt the sufferings of people as if it were her own. She used to visit the hospitals of her country, and became upset to see the poor nursing conditions there. So, she went to Germany to study nursing at Nurses' Training Institute. Then she took her first job in a London hospital. During the Crimean War (1853-56), Nightingale along with a group of 38 nurses went to Turkey to work for the sick British soldiers. She worked day and night to help the wounded soldiers. After the war, Nightingale returned to England. For her role in nursing, she was given an honourable title 'The Lady with the Lamp' by the Times. Later, Nightingale set up Nightingale School for nurses in London. This great woman died on 13 August, 1910. We all remember her with respect.

Helen Keller

Helen Keller was a great humanitarian. She was born in 1880 in Tuscumbia, Alabama. She became blind, deaf and dumb at the age of two after suffering from a high fever. On Graham Bell's advice, her father went to the director of Perkins School for the blind in Boston. A student named Annie Sullivan was sent from that school to help Helen in communicating with others. Helen started her formal education in 1890 at the Horace Mann School for the deaf. Though she was disabled, she had an indomitable desire to acquire knowledge. She learnt reading through Braille, and also learnt how to type. Annie always sat beside her in the class, and explained her all the lectures and texts.

Finally, Helen received BA degree from Radcliff College in 1904. Helen deeply cared for the sick and injured people. As a disabled person, she had her own experience. A disabled person can't use some parts of their body like normal people. So, they face various obstacles in their life. Knowing this well, Helen took steps for making learning easier for disabled people. She continued to work for them till her death. This great woman died in 1968.