HSC Board Exam 2026
English 1st Paper
Time: 3 Hours | Full Marks: 100
[N.B. The figures in the right margin indicate full marks.]
Part A — Reading Test
Marks — 60
- Read the following passage and answer the questions no. A and B:
Behula is a legendary folk heroine and one of the main characters of Manasamangal; a medieval epic. She was the daughter of Sayven of Ujaninagar. Lakhindar was the youngest son of Chand Saudagar of Champaknagar. Behula grew up to be a beautiful and intelligent woman and was married to Lakhindar. Chand Saudagar a devotee of Shiva, had boasted that he was cleverer and stronger than Manasa, the snake goddess. He built an iron chamber for Lakhindar, believing it to be impregnable. However, on the wedding night of Behula and Lakhindar, Manasa sent a snake to kill Lakhindar. The snake made itself as fine as a strand of hair and, entering the chamber through a minute hole, bit Lakhindar.
Behula refused to accept her husband’s death. She placed her husband’s corspe on a banana raft and set out on a hazardous journey towards the abode of the gods. Despite all the dangers and temptation she encountered, Behula continued her journey and finally succeeded in reaching the abode of the gods. She pleaded for her husband’s life and promised Manasa that Chand Saudagar would worship her. Moved by Behula’s love for her husband, Manasa not only restored Lakhindar but also his brothers whom she had killed earlier.
Behula returned home with her husband and brothers-in-law, and Chand Saudagar finally bowed before the might of Manasa. Lakhindar and Behula then returned to their heavenly abode as Aniruddha and Usa.
- Choose the correct answer from the alternatives:1×5=5
(a) What is Manasamangal?
(i) A medieval play (ii) A medieval poem
(iii) A medieval epic (iv) A medieval novel
Answer: (iii) A medieval epic
(b) The word ‘legendary’ refers to—
(i) historical (ii) infamous
(iii) mythical (iv) renowned
Answer: (iii) mythical
(c) The synonym of ‘impregnable’ is—
(i) inaccessible (ii) vulnerable
(iii) irresistible (iv) nonproductive
Answer: (i) inaccessible
(d) Why was the iron chamber built?
(i) To put the valuables inside (ii) To save Lakhindar
(iii) To kill snakes (iv) To imprison Manasa
Answer: (ii) To save Lakhindar
(e) How did Behula float on water?
(i) On an iron raft (ii) On a wooden boat
(iii) On a country boat (iv) On a raft
Answer: (iv) On a raft
- Answer the following questions:2×5=10
(a) Do you think that Behula is a legendary character?
(b) How did Behula bring her husband’s life back?
(c) Why was Manasa angry with Chand Saudagar?
(d) What was the ultimate destination of Behula and Lakhindar? And how?
(e) Why did Manasa accept Behula’s prayer?
- Read the text and make a flow chart showing the bad effects of overspending. (No. 1 has been done for you)2×5=10
We spend money for different reasons. We buy foods, clothes or everyday essentials, pay for different services, entertain people, travel to places, help others in need or invest in business and thus spend money everyday. In fact, spending is a part of our life.
Spending may make us happy or unhappy depending on how and why we spend. When we spend money on things that we need and within our limit, it is good. When it becomes a compulsive behaviour, it makes life stressful. Unnecessary spending or spending beyond one’s means has some bad effects. For one thing, it may lead to financial ruin or debt, and for another, it may create unhappiness within families. People who overspend are never satisfied with what they have. They always rush for brands, fashion items, designer clothes, etc. Over a period of time it becomes an addiction which may eventually create psychological problems.
- Making life stressful → 2 → 3 → 4 → 5 → 6
Answer:
1. Making life stressful
2. Leading to financial ruin or debt
3. Creating unhappiness within families
4. Being unsatisfied with own belongings
5. Becoming an addiction
6. Causing psychological problems
- Write a summary of the following text:10
For the first time the streets of Gaza were clean, there wasn’t a paper or cardboard. People were collecting the paper from the streets to use it for baking, because the electricity was disconnected. My mum did not want to bake and she asked me to bring bread from the oven. The queue at the oven stretched from Gaza to the West Bank. People would line up of hours to get to their turn and take half a pack of bread.
In seconds, a Palestinian rocket launcher was erected in the area and in less than one second the Israeli planes started bombing it. People began running in all directions and the ambulances came.
People started falling dead ……. others were injured. I was in shock, and people in the street started telling me : “Thank God, You’re safe.”
Anyway, I went back home without the loaf of bread. And my mum yelled at me but still today, she doesn’t know why I didn’t bring the bread.
- Read the following text and fill in the blanks with suitable words from the boxes. There are more words than necessary. Make any grammatical changes if needed:0.5×10=5
cultures | finally | cocoon | powerful | beauty | wings |
symbols | associate | due to | connect | butterfly | regard |
Butterflies are (a) —— as powerful symbols in many (b) —— and contexts. They are often (c) —— with change and growth, (d) —— their fascinating transformation from caterpillar to (e) —— and finally into a graceful (f) —— . In Greek mythology, psyche (meaning ‘Soul’) is often depicted with butterfly (g) ——. Butterflies are thus (h) —— to the soul and the quest for love and (i) ——.
In some cultures, particularly in Asia, butterflies appear in art as (j) —— of love, romance, beauty and freedom.
Answer: (a) regarded (b) cultures (c) associated (d) due to (e) cocoon (f) butterfly (g) wings (h) connected (i) beauty (j) symbols
- Fill in the gaps with appropriate words in each gap:1×10=10
Air and water are two important (a) —— of the environment. These elements are (b) —— for life on earth. They are often (c) —— in many ways. Air is polluted mostly by (d) —— , water by different (e) —— of waste. If we want to live a (f) —— life, we should (g) —— the pollution of the environment. Total prevention may be (h) —— but we can certainly (i) —— pollution by raising (j) —— among people.
Answer: (a) elements (b) essential (c) polluted (d) smoke (e) types/kinds (f) healthy/sound (g) reduce (h) impossible (i) reduce (j) awareness
- The following sentences are jumbled. Rearrange them in proper sequence:1×10=10
(a) The grapes were too high for him to reach.
(b) Oneday, he was very hungry.
(c) Again and again, he jumped.
(d) At last, he entered a vineyard.
(e) Once upon a time, there lived a fox in a forest.
(f) At last, being tired, he went away saying that the grapes were sour.
(g) But each time he failed to reach the grapes.
(h) He took a run and jumped to reach the bunch of grapes but could not reach it.
(i) He searched for food everywhere but he did not get any food.
(j) There were ripe grapes hanging up on the vine.
Answer: e + b + i + d + j + a + h + c + g + f
Part B — Guided Writing
Marks — 40
- Write a paragraph on ‘Artificial Intelligence’, answering the following questions in about 200 words.10
(a) What does artificial intelligence (AI) refer to?
(b) Name some areas where AI is widely used today.
(c) What are the benefits of using AI for teachers in the classroom?
(d) Why is it important for students to learn about AI?
(e) What are the challenges of using AI tools?
- The following is the beginning of a story. Complete it in your own words. Give a suitable title to it:7
Shakil, a university graduate from the department of Food and Nutrition, returned to his village due to his failure to get a suitable job. Being frustrated, one day sitting under a tree he noticed the fall of date juice drop by drop into the jar. Suddenly a new idea came to his mind and thought of processing date juice ……………………
- Suppose, you are Rakib/Rakiba. Your friend Tomal/Tomalika got the first prize on the National Debate Competition-2025. Now write an email congratulating him/her.5
- The pie chart below shows the percentage of supporters of different games in Bangladesh. Now, describe the chart in about 150 words. You should highlight and analyze the information given in the chart.10
- Write down the theme of the following poem.8
Say unto brethen when they see me dead,
And weep for me, lamenting me in sadness :
Think ye I am this corpse ye are to bury?
I swear by God, this dead one is not I.
I in the spirit am, and this my body
My dwelling was my garment for a time.
I am a treasure: hidden I was beneath
This talisman of dust, wherein I suffered.
I am a pearl; a shell imprisoned me,
But leaving it, all trials I have left.
I am a bird, and this was once my cage;
But I have flown, leaving it as a token.
I praise God who hath set me free, and made
For me a dwelling in the heavenly heights.
Ere now I was a dead man in your midst,
But I have come to life, and doffed my shroud.
HSC Board Exam 2026
English 2nd Paper
Time: 3 Hours | Full Marks: 100
[N.B. The figures in the right margin indicate full marks.]
Part A – Grammar (Marks – 60)
- Fill in the blanks of the following text with articles where necessary. Some of the blanks may not require any article. Put a cross (x) in those blanks:
Though Bangladesh is struggling to achieve (a) ______ status of a middle income country, it is still beset with many problems. Unemployment problem is one of (b) ______ big challenges in Bangladesh. Hundreds and thousands of highly educated people are unemployable (c) ______ government job is like (d) ______ golden deer to the educated youth. Nearly one hundred candidates apply for (e) ______ single post. (f) ______ mentioned problem is becoming acute day by day. Some pragmatic steps need to be taken in this regard. Firstly, (g) ______ government should emphasize on technical education. Secondly, (h) ______ educated people should not only run after government jobs. Thirdly, (i) ______ job seekers need to be engaged in self-motivated jobs. We think unemployment problem will be addressed as early as possible to boost (j) ______ overall development of Bangladesh.
- Complete the text with suitable prepositions:
It is known to all that smoking is detrimental (a) ______ health. It causes many incurable diseases. There is hardly any easy remedy (b) ______ this disease. People are aware (c) ______ the matter. Yet they stick (d) ______ this bad habit. Smoking is also injurious (e) ______ a non-smoker. Unfortunately the smokers do not think (f) ______ the non-smokers while smoking. As a result, the non-smokers fall an easy victim (g) ______ their victims. (h) ______ some cases, children become the worst sufferers because (i) ______ their parents’ whimsical smoking. So the smokers should consider the adverse effect of smoking (j) ______ the non-smokers.
- Complete the sentences with suitable words/phrases given in the box:
had better | would rather | was born | Let alone | feel like |
There | what does … look like | It | Has to | As soon as |
(a) You look exhausted. You ______ take rest to refresh yourself.
(b) ______ was time when every child used to relish home-made food.
(c) The man who wears a crown ______ bear the burden of responsibility.
(d) Kazi Nazrul Islam is our national poet. He ______ in 1899 in a village named Churulia.
(e) ______ is raining cats and dogs. So, let’s stay at home and not go to university.
(f) I bought a can of orange juice. But I haven’t had any breakfast yet.
(g) Salma has never travelled by train, but she’s going to visit her aunt in London.
(h) The examination was going on. The students stopped writing ______ the bell rang.
(i) Have you ever seen a kingfisher? ______ a kingfisher?
(j) Nature assumes a spectacular sight during the spring. The blossom of various flowers and the sweet scents of the cuckoo touch our mind — ______ seems that everything has got a new life.
- Complete the following sentences with suitable clauses/phrases: (0.5×10=5)
(a) Respect is reciprocal. You cannot expect respect from others unless ______.
(b) Women constitute half of the total population of Bangladesh. No progress is possible ______.
(c) Time is very precious. So, we should make the best use of time with a view to ______.
(d) Corruption is the main hindrance to the development of our country. It is high time ______.
(e) Early rising is beneficial to health. Those who rise ______.
(f) Illiteracy is regarded as a curse. It results ______.
(g) There are many trees important for our existence. They supply oxygen without which ______.
(h) There is a wise saying that united we stand, ______. So, we must be united to protect the dignity of our country.
(i) Self-help is the best help. Allah helps those ______.
(j) Illiteracy is a curse. If all the children of Bangladesh went to school, ______.
- Read the text and fill in the gaps with the correct form of verbs as per subject and context: (0.5×10=5)
Reading is really like (a) ______ (take) a great pleasure in pursuit of knowledge. It is a journey towards enlightenment. Even if you have (b) ______ (read) one good book a year, you (c) ______ (know) what reading (d) ______ (give). It provides you with incomparable pleasure. Read one good book and you will know what the joys of reading (e) ______ (be). Reading (f) ______ (mean) enriching your mind. It gives you both information and knowledge and teaches you to distinguish between the two. Reading informs you of what (g) ______ (happen) around you, helps you (h) ______ (remain) updated about what (i) ______ (change). It is through reading you understand that knowledge (j) ______ (know) no boundaries and the hunger for it is insatiable.
- Read the text and change the sentences as directed:
Man cannot live without water. The other name of water is life.
(a) Water is polluted in many ways. (Make it complex)
(b) The water which is pure is essential for our survival. (Make it simple)
(c) Many people throw wastes in water and pollute it. (Make it compound)
(d) The farmers of our country are aware for cultivation. (Change into passive voice)
(e) It is one of the most important elements for all living beings. (Make it positive)
- Change the form of narrative style by using indirect speech:
The traveller said, “Can you tell me the way to the nearest hotel?” “Yes,” said the peasant. “Do you want one in which you can spend the night?” “No,” replied the traveller. “I only want to have my meal.”
- Identify the unclear pronoun references in the following text where necessary. Rewrite the sentences to make the pronoun references clear and underline the changes:
Books are the medium through which human beings talk with enlightened minds, the great men of the world. We consider it to be our best friends. It introduces them to the life and the world. Books are the mirrors of past, present and even future. They are having an active voice. We can know about the thoughts and deeds of their ancestors through it.
- Read the following text and use modifiers in the blank spaces as directed:
Newspapers play a role in (a) ______ (pre-modify the noun) the news; they are not mere circulation. It publishes news and views of home and abroad. Only (b) ______ (post-modify the noun) knowledge is not enough in this competitive world. A newspaper helps a man (c) ______ (post-modify the verb) the world with intelligence; his general knowledge. Apart from reading (d) ______ (pre-modify the noun) the news with an objective, he also reads newspapers daily. Newspapers help one (e) ______ (use an infinitive phrase) of the world. Students can collect a lot of information (f) ______ (post-modify the noun using a present participle phrase). There are (g) ______ (pre-modify the noun) newspapers. One should select the newspaper (h) ______ (post-modify the verb) (i) ______ (use a quantifier) newspaper’s personal experience. On the other hand, some newspapers present news (j) ______ (use an adverb to post-modify the verb).
- Use appropriate sentence connectors in the blank spaces of the following text: (0.5×10=5)
Trees are vital for the environment. (a) ______, they bear a great impact on the climate. (b) ______ we are not careful about them. (c) ______, we destroy trees at random. (d) ______, one day the country will bear the consequences of deforestation. (e) ______ ours is an agricultural country, our economy depends on it. (f) ______, our agriculture is dependent on rain. (g) ______, trees play a vital role in our climate. (h) ______, trees keep the soil strong. (i) ______, trees save us from flood and many other natural calamities. (j) ______.
- Read the passage and write the antonym or synonym of the words as directed: (0.5×10=5)
Patriotism means loving one’s own country. It is a noble virtue. It removes all sorts of meanness from human mind and makes it broad. Patriotism inspires a man to shed the last drop of blood to defend the freedom and sovereignty of his country. A man without this quality is no better than a beast. A true patriot is honoured by all. His only aim is to promote the welfare of his country and countrymen.
(a) noble (antonym): ______
(b) meanness (synonym): ______
(c) broad (antonym): ______
(d) inspire (antonym): ______
(e) defend (synonym): ______
(f) sovereignty (antonym): ______
(g) beast (synonym): ______
(h) honour (antonym): ______
(i) promote (synonym): ______
(j) welfare (synonym): ______
- There are ten errors in the use of punctuation marks in the following text. Rewrite the text correcting the errors and use capital letters where necessary: (0.5×10=5)
Jerry : I can chop some wood today.
Writer : But I’ve a boy coming from the orphanage.
Jerry : I’m the boy.
Writer : You’ll have to wait for him.
Jerry : Size doesn’t matter, chopping wood is. I’ve been chopping wood at the orphanage for a long time.
Writer : Very well. There’s the axe. Go ahead and see what you can do.
Part B – Composition (Marks – 40)
- Suppose you are a student of class XII in “X” college located in Narayanganj. Recently your father has been transferred to Cumilla. But you want to continue your study till H.S.C examination in Narayanganj. Now, write an application to the principal of your college requesting him to sanction you a seat in the college hostel. (Marks 8)
- Suppose you are a reporter of a reputed English daily. Now, write a report on the “Anti-Social activities of the Teen Gangs” of your locality. (Marks 8)
- Write a paragraph showing contrast between “Early Rising and Late Rising” in 150 words. (Marks 10)
16. Write a short composition in 200 words on “Moral Degradation”. (Marks 14)