Learning outcomes

After we have studied this unit, we will be able to

• ask and answer questions
• talk about people
• read and understand texts
• write answers to questions
• write short paragraphs and compositions
• understand and enjoy stories, poems, and other text materials

A Look at the picture. Ask and answer these questions.
1 Who is the woman?
2 What do you know about her?

B Read about Begum Rokeya.

Begum Rokeya (1880-1932) was a famous writer and a social worker. She lived in undivided Bengal in the early 20th century. She believed that women should have the same rights and opportunities as men have in the society. So she fought for their cause throughout her life.

Begum Rokeya was born in a village called Pairabondh, Rangpur in 1880. Her father Jahiruddin Muhammad Abu Ali Haider Saber was an educated landlord. Rokeya was married to Syed Sakhawat Hussain in 1897. Her husband was the Deputy Magistrate of Bhagalpur, now a district in the Indian state of Bihar. He was very cooperative, and always encouraged Rokeya to go on with her activities.

Many upper-class Muslims of Bengal at that time learnt Arabic and Persian as a medium of education and communication. But Rokeya had great love for her mother tongue. She learnt Bangla and English from her eldest brother Ibrahim.

C Tick the correct answer.
1 Begum Rokeya fought for
a democracy.
b independence.
c women's rights.

2 Rokeya was born in
a a village.
b a town.
c a slum.

3 Rokeya loved
a English.
b Bangla.
c Urdu.

4 Shakhawat Hossain's working place was
a Pairabandh
b Bhagalpur
c Rangpur

5 Bhagalpur is a district in
a Bangladesh.
b West Bengal.
c Bihar.

D Complete the following chart with information from the text. One is done for you.

E Answer these questions.
1 What was Begum Rokeya's belief?
2 What did she fight for?
3 What kind of family did she come from?
4 Why did many upper-class Muslims learn Arabic and Persian at that time?
5 Why did Rokeya learn Bangla?

A Read these questions first. Then listen to the teacher/ CD and answer the questions.
1 What did Begum Rokeya do to make people remember her husband?
2 Do you know what kind of books she wrote?

B Listen again and tick the best answer.
1 Sakhawat Hossain died in
a 1902.
b 1909.
с 1932.

2 Begum Rokeya set up a girls' high school in
a Kolkata.
b Bhagalpur.
c Pairabandh.

3 Begum Rokeya set up this school in memory of her
a husband.
b father.
c mother.

4 There was a dispute in her husband's family. Here 'dispute' means that the members
a were of the same opinion.
b had different opinions.
c did not like each other.

5 Sakhawat Hossain Memorial Girls' school is
a a private school.
b a government school.
c a muslim school.

6 Begum Rokeya wrote
a short stories and poems.
b novels and poems.
c novels and short stories.

C Answer the following questions.
1 What did Begum Rokeya do for female education?
2 Why did she move Sakhawat Memorial Girls' High School to Kolkata?
3 What are some of her important writings?

Key words: humanitarian, disabled, plantation, communication, interpret

A Talk about the picture.
1 Who is the woman in the picture?
2 What is she famous for?

B Read about Helen Keller.
Helen Keller was a great humanitarian. She cared deeply for the sick, injured and disabled people. The disabled people have physical or mental problems that limit their activities or senses. Helen devoted her life to help them.

Helen was born in 1880 in Alabama, USA. Her parents were Captain Arthur Keller and Katherine Adams Keller. Her family was not rich. Their main source of income was cotton plantation.

Helen was born healthy, but in 1882 she became deaf, dumb and blind after a high fever. Her father heard about Perkins School for the Blind in Boston and contacted the Director there. In 1887 the Director sent one of his best students, Anne Sullivan, to help Helen. Anne worked hard to enable her to communicate.

In 1890 Helen's formal education started at Horace Mann School for the deaf in Boston. In 1892 she went to Wright Humason School for the deaf in New York. Helen improved her communication skills and studied regular academic sub-jects. She then decided to go to college, and attended Cambridge School for Young Ladies in 1896. Later she studied at Radcliffe College. Here she learnt Braille, which was a new technique for reading. She also learnt how to type. Anne Sullivan was always with Helen. She sat with Helen in class and helped her by interpreting lectures and texts. In 1904 Helen received her BA degree with Honours from Radcliffe College.

Helen spent her life helping disabled people to learn. She died on June 1, 1968.

Match the words with the meanings

D True or False? If false, give the correct answer.
1 Helen always helped the suffering people.
2 She came from a rich family.
3 Anne Sullivan was a good teacher of Helen Keller.
4 She died young.
5 Sullivan was taught by Helen.

D True or False? If false, give the correct answer.
1 Helen always helped the suffering people.
2 She came from a rich family.
3 Anne Sullivan was a good teacher of Helen Keller.
4 She died young.
5 Sullivan was taught by Helen.

E Answer the questions.
1 What did the Director do for Helen?
2 How did Helen increase her reading skills at Radcliffe College?
3 What is Helen famous for?

F Find a humanitarian lady in your locality. Write a paragraph in 50 words about what she does for others.

A Read the previous lessons (2-4) on Begum Rokeya and Helen Keller, and complete the table (1-8) with information from the texts.

B Now read the completed chart and write one or two sentences for each of the 8 points in the chart. Look at the examples.

Point 1: Begum Rokeya was born in 1880. Helen Keller was also born in 1880.
Point5: Begum Rokeya was self educated and learnt Bangla and English from her brother. But Helen Keller got formal education from school and college.

Notice: In point 1, also is used when the same information is used.
In 5, but is used when different pieces of information are used

C Use the information / facts about Florence Nightingale and write a composition about her.

• Born-1820, Florence, Italy
• Parents rich - father landlord
• Studied nursing at Nurses' Training Institute, Germany
• First job in a London hospital
• Went to Turkey with a group of 38 nurses to work for the sick British soldiers during the Crimean War (1853-56)
• Worked day and night to help the wounded soldiers
• Returned to England - Title: the Lady with the Lamp by the Times - role in nursing
• Set up Nightingale School for nurses in London
• Died-13 August 1910