Read the passage and answer questions no. 1, 2 and 3:

Meherjan lives in a slum on the Sirajgonj Town Protection Embankment. 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, arable land and cattle. The erosion of the Jamuna gradually consumed all her land property. It finally clamied 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.

উত্তরঃ Energy, liveliness, movement, passion, or sometimes destruction and transformation.

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The phrase 'dancing flames' uses personification, attributing a human-like quality of dancing to fire. This vivid imagery creates a sense of dynamic movement and energy, making the flames appear alive and captivating. Symbolically, it often represents vitality, enthusiasm, passion, or continuous activity. Depending on the literary context, it can also suggest the mesmerizing yet powerful and potentially destructive or transformative nature of fire.

উত্তরঃ Her house, land, and all her possessions.

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Meherjan lost her house, her agricultural land, and all her personal belongings due to the destructive force of river erosion. This tragedy left her completely homeless and forced her to live in a slum, struggling for survival. Her story is a poignant representation of the severe impact of natural disasters like river erosion on the lives and livelihoods of many vulnerable people in Bangladesh.

উত্তরঃ

Meherjan is alone at present because she has lost her family members and her home due to the devastating effects of river erosion. This environmental disaster has made her a climate refugee.

River erosion is a common natural calamity in Bangladesh, frequently displacing people and destroying their livelihoods. Victims often lose their homes, land, and sometimes even their loved ones, forcing them to migrate and live in extreme poverty and isolation.

In Meherjan's case, the river Padma has completely devoured her land and house, taking away her shelter and sense of security. The loss of her husband and children, combined with the destruction of her entire life's possessions, has left her without any support system, rendering her utterly alone in her struggle for survival.

উত্তরঃ

The people of Bangladesh suffer profoundly due to climate change, which exacerbates existing vulnerabilities and introduces new challenges across various sectors. The country's low-lying deltaic geography makes it exceptionally susceptible to the adverse effects of global warming.

One of the most immediate forms of suffering comes from increased frequency and intensity of natural disasters. Cyclones and storm surges devastate coastal areas, destroying homes, infrastructure, and livelihoods. Flash floods and prolonged monsoon floods inundate vast regions, washing away crops, livestock, and displacing millions, leading to immense economic losses and human suffering.

Furthermore, rising sea levels cause saltwater intrusion into arable land and freshwater sources, particularly in the southern coastal belt. This renders agricultural land infertile, reduces crop yields, and creates acute shortages of safe drinking water, directly impacting food security and public health. River erosion, intensified by altered river flows and extreme weather, continually devours land, forcing countless families to become climate refugees.

The cumulative effect of these climate-induced disasters is a cycle of poverty and displacement. Many people are compelled to migrate to urban centers in search of work, often living in precarious conditions. This disruption of traditional lifestyles, coupled with increased health risks from waterborne diseases and malnutrition, profoundly impacts the overall well-being and socio-economic stability of the vulnerable populations in Bangladesh.

উত্তরঃ To convey the central theme or main message of the passage.

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Identifying the main purpose of a passage is a crucial skill in reading comprehension. It refers to the primary reason why an author wrote a particular text. Understanding this purpose helps readers grasp the core message and the author's intent behind presenting the information.

For SSC students, questions about the main purpose often test their ability to synthesize information and infer the author's primary goal. Common purposes include informing, describing, persuading, narrating, or explaining a concept. By focusing on the introduction, conclusion, and key sentences of each paragraph, students can usually deduce the central aim of the passage.