Two sick men were given the same room in a hospital. One man could sit up in his bed. His bed was next to the room’s only window. The other man spent all his time lying on his bed opposite the window. The men talked for hours almost every day. They talked about their wives and children,
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Every afternoon the man in the bed by the window would sit up and talk to his roommate about all the things he could see outside the window. The man on the other bed eagerly waited for this speaking and listening time. His friend’s vivid descriptions of passing things seen through the window inspired him to live.
02 Can you guess what the man near the window talked about to his friend?
The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water, while children floated their paper boats. A wonderful view of the skyline could be seen in the distance.
The man by the window told his friend all this in detail. The listener would close his eyes and see everything in his mind’s eye.
Q3 What would the listener feel and do if one day his friend could not sit up and talk?
Days and weeks passed. One morning the doctor came to the room on his daily round. He found the lifeless body of the man by the window. He died peacefully in his sleep. The doctor made all the arrangements to take the body away.
The sad friend wanted to move to the empty bed next to the window. The doctor allowed him.
On his new bed the man painfully propped himself up. He was very excited, He slowly looked through the window to see the real world outside. What did he see?
Q4 Can you guess what he saw?
The window just faced a blank wall. He asked the doctor, “Doctor, I see nothing but a blank wall. How could my friend describe so many wonderful things outside the window?”
The doctor replied, “Did he? The man was completely blind!”
দুটি অসুস্থ পুরুষকে হাসপাতালে একই রুমে রাখা হয়েছিল। একজন মানুষ তার বিছানায় বসতে পারত। তার বিছানা রুমের একমাত্র জানালার পাশে ছিল। অন্য মানুষটি তার সব সময় বিছানায় শুয়ে কাটাত, যা জানালার বিপরীতে ছিল। তারা প্রায় প্রতিদিন কয়েক ঘণ্টা ধরে কথা বলত। তারা তাদের স্ত্রী এবং সন্তানদের নিয়ে আলোচনা করত।
প্রতিটি দুপুরে জানালার পাশে থাকা মানুষটি বসে তার সহকক্ষকে জানালার বাইরে যা দেখা যায় তা নিয়ে বলত। অন্য বিছানায় থাকা মানুষটি উদগ্রীবভাবে এই কথা বলা এবং শোনার সময়ের জন্য অপেক্ষা করত। জানালার বাইরে ঘটে যাওয়া দৃশ্যের তার বন্ধুর জীবন্ত বর্ণনা তাকে জীবিত থাকার অনুপ্রেরণা দিত।
জানালা দিয়ে একটি পার্ক দেখা যেত যেখানে একটি সুন্দর হ্রদ ছিল। হাঁস ও রাজহাঁস জলে খেলত, আর শিশুরা তাদের কাগজের নৌকা ভাসাত। দূরে আকাশরেখার অসাধারণ দৃশ্য দেখা যেত।
জানালার পাশে থাকা মানুষটি তার বন্ধুকে এই সব কিছু বিস্তারিতভাবে বলত। শ্রোতা তার চোখ বন্ধ করে মনের চোখে সব কিছু দেখতে পারত।
দিন ও সপ্তাহ কেটে গেল। এক সকালে ডাক্তার তার দৈনিক রাউন্ডে রুমে এল। তিনি জানালার পাশে থাকা মানুষের মৃতদেহ দেখলেন। সে শান্তভাবে ঘুমের মধ্যে মারা গিয়েছিল। ডাক্তার দেহটি সরানোর সব ব্যবস্থা করলেন।
দুঃখিত বন্ধু জানালার পাশে খালি বিছানায় স্থানান্তরিত হতে চাইলো। ডাক্তার তাকে অনুমতি দিলেন।
তার নতুন বিছানায় মানুষটি কষ্টসহকারে নিজেকে সাপোর্ট করে বসাল। সে খুবই উত্তেজিত ছিল। ধীরে ধীরে জানালার বাইরে বাস্তব জগতটি দেখার জন্য তাকাল। সে কী দেখল?
জানালা শুধুমাত্র একটি ফাঁকা দেওয়ালের দিকে মুখ করেছিল। সে ডাক্তারকে জিজ্ঞেস করল, “ডাক্তার, আমি শুধু একটি ফাঁকা দেওয়ালই দেখছি। আমার বন্ধু কিভাবে জানালার বাইরে এত সুন্দর সব জিনিস বর্ণনা করতে পারেছিল?”
ডাক্তার উত্তর দিলেন, “তিনি কি বর্ণনা করেছিলেন? মানুষটি সম্পূর্ণ অন্ধ ছিলেন!”
Vocabulary Box: The Two Sick Men
Words/Phrases | Meaning | Synonyms | Antonym |
Sick (adjective) | অসুস্থ | ill, unwell | healthy, well |
Opposite (preposition) | বিপরীতে | facing, across from | same side, beside |
Roommate (noun) | রুমমেট | companion, fellow patient | |
Eagerly (adverb) | উৎসুকভাবে | keenly, impatiently | reluctantly, indifferently |
Vivid (adjective) | প্রাণবন্ত | graphic, lively | dull, vague |
Descriptions (noun) | বর্ণনা | accounts, depictions | silence |
Inspired (verb) | অনুপ্রাণিত করত | encouraged, motivated | discouraged, deterred |
Overlooked (verb) | মুখোমুখি ছিল | faced, looked out on | ignored, missed |
Floated (verb) | ভাসত | sailed, drifted | sank, submerged |
Skyline (noun) | আকাশরেখা | horizon, cityscape | |
In detail (phrase) | বিস্তারিতভাবে | thoroughly, meticulously | briefly, vaguely |
Mind’s eye (phrase) | মানসচক্ষু | imagination, mental picture | reality, actual sight |
Lifeless (adjective) | প্রাণহীন | dead, without life | alive, living |
Arrangements (noun) | ব্যবস্থা | preparations, plans | disarray, disorder |
Painfully (adverb) | ব্যথার সাথে | with difficulty, agonizingly | easily, comfortably |
Propped himself up (phrase) | নিজেকে ঠেকিয়ে ধরল | raised himself, sat up | lay down, reclined |
Blank (adjective) | খালি | bare, empty | full, covered |
Completely (adverb) | সম্পূর্ণরূপে | totally, entirely | partially, slightly |
Blind (adjective) | অন্ধ | sightless, unable to see | sighted, seeing |
Here are 50 MCQ questions based on the hospital story passage:
- How many men were given the same hospital room?
A) One
B) Two
C) Three
D) Four - Where was the first man’s bed located?
A) Opposite the window
B) Next to the window
C) Near the door
D) Near the nurse station - What could the first man do that the other could not?
A) Walk
B) Sit up
C) Run
D) Stand - Where did the second man spend all his time?
A) Sitting
B) Lying down
C) Walking
D) Reading - What did the two men talk about?
A) Politics
B) Food
C) Their wives and children
D) Books - How often did the men talk?
A) Once a week
B) Every morning
C) Almost every day
D) Once a month - What did the man by the window describe to his roommate?
A) His dreams
B) The outside view
C) His past life
D) Hospital rules - What did the man opposite the window do during the descriptions?
A) Slept
B) Listened eagerly
C) Read a book
D) Ate food - What inspired the man lying down to live?
A) The hospital staff
B) Vivid descriptions of the outside world
C) Medicine
D) Visiting family - What did the window overlook?
A) A street
B) A park with a lake
C) A mountain
D) A desert - Which animals played on the lake?
A) Cats and dogs
B) Ducks and swans
C) Fish
D) Horses - What were the children doing at the lake?
A) Swimming
B) Fishing
C) Floating paper boats
D) Feeding ducks - How could the listener see the scenes described?
A) Using a telescope
B) With his mind’s eye
C) By looking outside
D) Using binoculars - What would the listener do if the friend could not talk one day?
A) Ignore him
B) Feel sad and lonely
C) Ask the nurse
D) Read a book - How did the man by the window die?
A) In an accident
B) Peacefully in his sleep
C) In surgery
D) In a fall - Who found the lifeless body of the man by the window?
A) Nurse
B) Doctor
C) Another patient
D) Visitor - What did the doctor do after finding the man dead?
A) Called the police
B) Took the body away
C) Ignored it
D) Sent a message home - What did the sad friend want to do?
A) Leave the hospital
B) Move to the bed next to the window
C) Ask for medicine
D) Sleep in another room - Did the doctor allow the sad friend to move?
A) Yes
B) No
C) Partially
D) Later - How did the man feel on his new bed?
A) Sad
B) Excited
C) Angry
D) Sleepy - What did the man do after sitting on the new bed?
A) Closed his eyes
B) Slowly looked through the window
C) Talked to the nurse
D) Fell asleep - What did the man see outside the window?
A) A beautiful park
B) A blank wall
C) Ducks and swans
D) Children floating boats - How did he react to the view outside?
A) He was happy
B) He was confused
C) He laughed
D) He cried - What question did the man ask the doctor?
A) “Is my friend alive?”
B) “How could my friend describe so many things outside?”
C) “Can I leave the hospital?”
D) “Why am I here?” - How did the doctor reply about the man by the window?
A) He was lying
B) He was blind
C) He could see everything
D) He dreamed everything - Which sense did the man by the window lack?
A) Sight
B) Hearing
C) Touch
D) Smell - Why could the man opposite the window see the outside world in his mind?
A) Because he looked carefully
B) Through vivid descriptions
C) Using a telescope
D) Using binoculars - How did the man opposite the window imagine the lake?
A) From a book
B) From his friend’s descriptions
C) From the wall
D) From television - What type of view was seen in the distance?
A) Mountains
B) Skyline
C) Desert
D) Forest - How did the man by the window tell the details?
A) In detail every day
B) Once a week
C) Only once
D) Rarely - What inspired the bedridden man to live?
A) Medicine
B) Descriptions of the world
C) Visits from family
D) Nurses - What time of day did the descriptions usually happen?
A) Morning
B) Afternoon
C) Evening
D) Night - How did the man opposite the window “see” the ducks and swans?
A) Through a telescope
B) In his mind
C) Outside the window
D) From pictures - What emotion did the man opposite the window feel while listening?
A) Fear
B) Excitement and joy
C) Anger
D) Sadness - Did the man by the window physically see anything outside?
A) Yes
B) No
C) Sometimes
D) Often - How long did the men talk every day?
A) Minutes
B) Hours
C) Seconds
D) Days - What did the man opposite the window learn to do?
A) Paint
B) Imagine the outside world
C) Walk
D) Sing - What was the position of the window in the room?
A) It faced a blank wall
B) It faced the garden
C) It faced the hospital corridor
D) It faced a street - Why did the first man inspire the second man?
A) By showing him pictures
B) Through storytelling
C) Through teaching
D) By reading books - Who were the main characters in the story?
A) Doctor and nurse
B) Two sick men
C) Children
D) Visitors - How did the second man feel after seeing the blank wall?
A) Confused and surprised
B) Happy
C) Excited
D) Calm - What did the doctor reveal about the first man?
A) He was blind
B) He could see
C) He was dreaming
D) He was deaf - How did the first man communicate the scenes?
A) By drawing
B) By describing vividly
C) By pointing
D) By writing - Did the second man ever see the real view as imagined?
A) Yes, fully
B) No, it was just a blank wall
C) Partially
D) Sometimes - Which activity did the second man do while listening?
A) Slept
B) Imagined the scenes in his mind
C) Read a book
D) Talked to the nurse - What type of window view was initially imagined?
A) Mountain
B) Park with lake and ducks
C) Desert
D) Forest - What did the first man not need to see to inspire his friend?
A) Food
B) The real outside world
C) Books
D) Pictures - How did the man opposite the window “see” the skyline?
A) Through telescope
B) In his imagination
C) Through the window
D) Through photos - What did the man feel while imagining the children’s paper boats?
A) Joy
B) Fear
C) Anger
D) Confusion - What lesson does the story convey?
A) Imagination can overcome limitations
B) Always trust appearances
C) Never talk to strangers
D) Always sit by the window
Here are the answers to the 50 MCQs based on the hospital story:
- B) Two
- B) Next to the window
- B) Sit up
- B) Lying down
- C) Their wives and children
- C) Almost every day
- B) The outside view
- B) Listened eagerly
- B) Vivid descriptions of the outside world
- B) A park with a lake
- B) Ducks and swans
- C) Floating paper boats
- B) With his mind’s eye
- B) Feel sad and lonely
- B) Peacefully in his sleep
- B) Doctor
- B) Took the body away
- B) Move to the bed next to the window
- A) Yes
- B) Excited
- B) Slowly looked through the window
- B) A blank wall
- B) He was confused
- B) “How could my friend describe so many things outside?”
- B) He was blind
- A) Sight
- B) Through vivid descriptions
- B) From his friend’s descriptions
- B) Skyline
- A) In detail every day
- B) Descriptions of the world
- B) Afternoon
- B) In his mind
- B) Excitement and joy
- B) No
- B) Hours
- B) Imagine the outside world
- A) It faced a blank wall
- B) Through storytelling
- B) Two sick men
- A) Confused and surprised
- A) He was blind
- B) By describing vividly
- B) No, it was just a blank wall
- B) Imagined the scenes in his mind
- B) Park with lake and ducks
- B) The real outside world
- B) In his imagination
- A) Joy
- A) Imagination can overcome limitations
Here are 30 WH questions based on the hospital story passage:
- Who were given the same hospital room?
- Where was the first man’s bed located?
- What could the first man do that the other could not?
- Where did the second man spend all his time?
- What did the men talk about almost every day?
- When did the man by the window usually describe the outside?
- What did the window overlook?
- Which animals played on the lake?
- What were the children doing at the lake?
- How did the listener “see” the outside world?
- Why did the listener eagerly wait for the descriptions?
- What effect did the vivid descriptions have on the listener?
- How long did the men talk each day?
- Who came on his daily round to check the patients?
- What did the doctor find one morning?
- How did the man by the window die?
- What did the sad friend want to do after his roommate died?
- Did the doctor allow the friend to move to the bed by the window?
- How did the man feel on his new bed?
- What did he do after sitting on the new bed?
- What did the man see outside the window on the new bed?
- How did he react to the view outside?
- What question did he ask the doctor?
- How did the doctor respond about the man by the window?
- Why could the man opposite the window imagine such a beautiful world?
- What did the listener imagine about the ducks and swans?
- What did the listener imagine about the children’s paper boats?
- What did the man opposite the window imagine about the skyline?
- How did the listener feel while imagining the scenes?
- What lesson does the story teach about imagination?
Here are answers to the 30 WH questions based on the hospital story:
- Two sick men were given the same hospital room. They shared the room during their stay.
- The first man’s bed was next to the window. This allowed him to see outside.
- The first man could sit up in his bed. The second man could only lie down.
- The second man spent all his time lying on the bed opposite the window. He could not sit up like his roommate.
- The men talked about their wives and children. These conversations were almost daily.
- The man by the window described the outside every afternoon. This was their special speaking time.
- The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. It was a beautiful and peaceful view.
- Ducks and swans played on the water. They swam and moved gracefully.
- Children floated paper boats on the lake. They enjoyed playing with them.
- The listener saw the outside world with his mind’s eye. He imagined everything vividly.
- The listener eagerly waited for the descriptions because they were his way to experience the outside. He felt excited and happy during that time.
- The vivid descriptions inspired the listener to live. They gave him hope and joy.
- The men talked for hours each day. Their conversations were long and meaningful.
- The doctor came on his daily round to check the patients. He observed their condition carefully.
- One morning the doctor found the lifeless body of the man by the window. He realized the man had died peacefully.
- The man by the window died peacefully in his sleep. There was no suffering involved.
- The sad friend wanted to move to the empty bed next to the window. He hoped to experience the view himself.
- Yes, the doctor allowed the friend to move to the bed by the window. He could sit there after the first man’s death.
- The man felt excited on his new bed. He was eager to see the outside world.
- He slowly looked through the window to see the world outside. He was full of anticipation.
- The man saw only a blank wall outside the window. There was nothing beautiful like he had imagined.
- He was confused and surprised by what he saw. He could not understand how his friend described so many wonderful things.
- He asked the doctor, “How could my friend describe so many wonderful things outside the window?” He was curious and puzzled.
- The doctor replied that the man by the window was completely blind. He had described everything from his imagination.
- The man opposite the window imagined a beautiful world because his friend described it vividly. He could picture everything in his mind.
- The listener imagined the ducks and swans playing on the lake. He saw them swimming and moving gracefully in his mind.
- He imagined the children floating paper boats on the water. It gave him a sense of joy and playfulness.
- He imagined the skyline in the distance. He pictured it as a wonderful view.
- The listener felt happy and excited while imagining the scenes. He experienced emotions as if he were actually there.
- The story teaches that imagination can overcome limitations. Even without seeing, one can experience beauty and joy through descriptions.