Read the passage carefully and answer the questions following it (1-3). Bangladeshi cuisine is rich and varied with the use of many spices. We have delicious and appetizing food, snacks, and sweets. Boiled rice is our staple food. It is served with a variety of vegetables, curry, lentil soups, fish and meat. Fish is the main source of protein. Fishes are now cultivated in ponds. Also we have fresh-water fishes in the lakes and rivers. More than 40 types of fishes are common, Some of them are carp, rui, katla, magur (catfish), chingri (prawn or shrimp), Shutki or dried fishes are popular. Hilsha is very popular among the people of Bangladesh. Panta hilsha is a traditional platter of Panta bhat. It is steamed rice soaked in water and served with fried hilsha slice, often together with dried fish, pickles, lentil soup, green chilies and onion. It is a popular dish on the Pohela Boishakh. The people of Bangladesh are very fond of sweets. Almost all Bangladeshi women prepare some traditional sweets. ‘Pitha’ a type of sweets made from rice, flour, sugar syrup, molasses and sometimes milk, is a traditional food loved by the entire population. During winter Pitha Utsab, meaning pitha festival is organized by different groups of people, Sweets are distributed among close relatives when there is good news like births, weddings, promotions etc. Sweets of Bangladesh are mostly milk based. The common ones are roshgulla, sandesh, rasamalai, gulap jamun, kaljamun and chom-chom. There are hundreds of different varieties of sweet preparations. Sweets are therefore an important part of the day-to-day life of Bangladeshi people. 1. Guess the meaning of the following words and choose the correct meaning closest to the text. (a) cuisine— (i) cook (ii) food (iii) cooking (iv) cooking process (b) platter— (i) a large, flat dish (ii) plate (iii) utensil (iv) pot (c) molasses— (i) molecule (ii) a thick treacle (iii) sugar (iv) sweet (d) staple— (i) step (ii) measure (iii) main (iv) steep (e) traditional— (i) of trade (ii) commercial (iii) heritage (iv) conventional

Answer to the question no-1: (a) => (iv) cooking process; (b) => (i) a large, flat dish; (c) => (ii) a thick treacle; (d) => (iii) main; (e) => (iv) conventional.

2. Answer the following questions. (a) How is our staple food served? (b) Where are fishes cultivated now? (c) Are fishes available in our country? If yes, how? (d) How do we prepare panta hilsha? (e) What is the traditional and common dish on the Pohela Boishakh? Answer to the question no-2: (a) Our staple food, boiled rice, is served with a variety of vegetables, curry, lentil soups, fish and meat. (b) Fishes are now cultivated in ponds. (c) Yes, fishes are available in our country, Fishes are now cultivated in our ponds. In addition, our rivers, canals, haors, bills etc. also abound with plenty of fishes. (d) We prepare panta hilsha with steamed rice soaked in water and served with fried hilsha slice, often together with dried fish, pickles, lentil soup, green chilies and onion. (e) Panta hilsha is the traditional and common dish on the Pohela Boishakh.

3. Summarize the above passage in around 90 words. Answer to the question no-3: Summery: Bangladeshi cuisine is rich and varied with the use of many spices. It tastes delicious and appetizing. Boiled rice is the main cuisine which is the staple food of Bangladeshi people. It is served with vegetables, curry, lentil soups, fish and meat. Again Panta hilsha is a popular dish on the occasion of Pohela Boishakh. Besides, ‘Pitha’ a type of sweets made from rice, flour, sugar syruy, molasses and sometimes milk, is a traditional food loved by the entire population. Various kinds of sweets are distributed among the friends and relatives when there is a good news