Passage
Paragraph #1
The famous Greek philosopher Aristotle said, “Humans are by nature social animals.” What he meant was that human beings, by instinct, seek company of others and establish relationships, much like most animals of the wild, for companionship and for physical and emotional support. Unlike animals, however, human relationships give meaning to their existence and inspire them to do well in education, in workplace or in a profession.
Vocabulary
1) instinct
Barishal 2023
Noun - impulse; intuition; gut feeling; innate tendency; natural urge; drive
বাংলা: সহজাত প্রবৃত্তি, জন্মগত প্রবণতা, স্বতঃস্ফূর্ত আবেগ
Instinct মানে হলো সেই স্বাভাবিক প্রবৃত্তি বা টান যা কোনো শিক্ষা বা চিন্তা ছাড়াই মানুষ বা প্রাণীর ভেতর থেকে জন্মগতভাবে আসে।
instinct শব্দটি বোঝায় এমন একটি অনুভূতি বা প্রবণতা যা সহজাত - অর্থাৎ শেখার আগেই থাকে। একটি শিশু জন্মের পরপরই মায়ের বুকের দুধ খুঁজে নেয় — এটি instinct। কেউ তাকে শেখায়নি, সে নিজেই জানে। ঠিক তেমনি বনের পশুরাও দলবদ্ধ হয়ে থাকে কারণ সেটা তাদের instinct।
A good teacher develops an instinct for knowing when a student is struggling, even without being told.
Passage-এ লেখা আছে: "human beings, by instinct, seek company of others" — অর্থাৎ মানুষ সহজাত প্রবৃত্তির কারণেই অন্যের সাথে মিলে থাকতে চায়, একা থাকতে পারে না। এই instinct মানুষকে সম্পর্ক তৈরি করতে অনুপ্রাণিত করে — কেউ বলে দেয় না, ভেতর থেকেই আসে।
পরীক্ষায় instinct-এর প্রতিশব্দ হিসেবে impulse সবচেয়ে বেশি আসে। দুটো শব্দই "ভেতর থেকে আসা তাড়না" বোঝায়। তবে instinct জন্মগত ও স্থায়ী, আর impulse সাধারণত হঠাৎ ও ক্ষণস্থায়ী — যেমন হঠাৎ কিছু কিনে ফেলার ইচ্ছা।
মনে রাখার সহজ উপায় (Mnemonic)
"ইন-স্টিংক্ট — ভেতর থেকে স্টিং করে!"
"Sting" মানে হুল ফোটানো। Instinct যেন ভেতর (in) থেকে হুল ফোটানোর মতো কাজ করে — কোনো চিন্তা ছাড়াই তোমাকে কোনো কাজ করতে বাধ্য করে। মৌমাছি ভয় পেলে কামড়ায় — কেউ শেখায়নি, instinct-এ কামড়ায়!
বাংলা বাক্যে প্রয়োগ
মানুষ সহজাত instinct-এর কারণেই বিপদে একে অপরের পাশে দাঁড়ায়, এটা কোনো নিয়মের বিষয় নয়।
একজন ভালো মা সন্তানের মুখের দিকে তাকালেই বুঝতে পারেন সে ঠিক আছে কিনা — এটা instinct, অভিজ্ঞতা আর ভালোবাসার মিশ্রণ।
2) seek
Sylhet 2023
Verb — find; look for; search for; pursue; hunt for; try to obtain
বাংলা: খোঁজা, সন্ধান করা, অনুসন্ধান করা
Seek মানে হলো সচেতনভাবে কোনো কিছু বা কাউকে খোঁজা — উদ্দেশ্যমূলকভাবে অনুসন্ধান করা।
Seek শব্দটি বোঝায় কোনো কিছুর সন্ধানে বের হওয়া — হঠাৎ পেয়ে যাওয়া নয়, বরং ইচ্ছাকৃতভাবে খোঁজা।
Passage-এ লেখা আছে: "human beings, by instinct, seek company of others" — অর্থাৎ মানুষ স্বভাবতই অন্যের সংসর্গ খোঁজে, একাকীত্ব এড়াতে চায়। এখানে seek শব্দটি বোঝাচ্ছে যে এই খোঁজাটা সহজাত, জোর করে নয়।
পরীক্ষায় (Sylhet Board 2023) এই প্রশ্নটি সবচেয়ে কঠিন কারণ চারটি অপশনই — achieve, find, pursue, obtain — seek-এর কাছাকাছি অর্থ বহন করে।
Seek-এর past tense হলো sought — এটি irregular verb, তাই বিশেষভাবে মনে রাখতে হবে। "Seeked" বলা ভুল। যেমন: "She sought help" = সে সাহায্য চেয়েছিল।
শব্দটি formal ও literary লেখায় বেশি ব্যবহার হয়। কথ্যভাষায় আমরা বলি "look for" — কিন্তু পরীক্ষার ইংরেজিতে seek বেশি আসে।
মনে রাখার সহজ উপায় (Mnemonic)
"লুকোচুরি খেলায় যে খোঁজে — সে-ই Seeker!"
Hide and seek খেলায় একজন লুকায়, আরেকজন খোঁজে। যে খোঁজে সে হলো seeker — আর seek মানেই খোঁজা। পরীক্ষায় যখন দেখবে seek, মনে করো — লুকোচুরির সেই বাচ্চাটা চোখ বন্ধ করে গুনছে, তারপর সবাইকে খুঁজছে!
বাংলা বাক্যে প্রয়োগ
মানুষ জন্মগতভাবেই অন্যের সাহচর্য seek করে, কারণ একাকীত্ব তার পক্ষে সহ্য করা কঠিন।
পরীক্ষায় ভালো করতে হলে শুধু পাঠ্যবইয়ের মধ্যে সীমাবদ্ধ না থেকে জ্ঞান seek করার অভ্যাস তৈরি করতে হবে।
3) company
Rajshahi 2023
Noun — association; companionship; fellowship; togetherness; presence
4) existence
Rajshahi 2023
5) inspire
Sylhet 2025
Short Questions
1) "Man is by nature a social animal." - Explain.
Sylhet Board 2025, Rajshahi Board 2023
Answer:
"Man is by nature a social animal" is a famous quote by the Greek philosopher Aristotle. By this he meant that human beings are not designed to live alone. By instinct, they naturally seek the company of others and form relationships, just as most wild animals do, for companionship and for physical and emotional support. However, what sets humans apart from other animals is that their relationships go beyond mere survival. Human relationships give deeper meaning to life and inspire people to achieve more in education, in the workplace, and in their profession. In short, living in society and forming bonds with others is not a choice for humans but a fundamental part of their nature.
2) How is man's relationship different from those of other animals?/ Differentiate man's relationships from those of other animals.
Sylhet Board 2025, Barishal Board 2023, Cumilla Board 2023
Answer:
Human relationships are fundamentally different from those of animals in terms of depth and purpose. Animals form relationships mainly for companionship and for physical and emotional support, which are basic survival needs. Human relationships, on the other hand, go beyond these basic needs. They give meaning to a person's existence and inspire them to do well in education, in the workplace, and in the profession that they pursue. In short, while animals form relationships merely to survive, humans form relationships to grow, achieve, and find deeper meaning in life.
Paragraph #2
Relationships are of different kinds. Some are familial and intimate, formed by blood and by marriage; some are social like the ones we have with friends and some are made in schools where we form close bonds with classmates and teachers. Relationships can also be fostered in workplaces, which may quickly change from professional to social. There are relationships also between human beings and animals, between children and their toys that they cannot part with.
6) intimate
Rajshahi 2023
7) foster
Rajshahi 2023
8) professional
Rajshahi 2023
Short Questions
3) What types of relationships are there? / What different types of relationships are there? / Name different types of relationships.
Sylhet Board 2025, Barishal Board 2023, Cumilla Board 2023
Answer:
Relationships come in many different forms. Some are deeply personal and family-based, arising from blood ties or the bond of marriage. Others are social in nature, such as the friendships we develop with people around us. Educational institutions like schools are also important places where people develop strong connections with fellow students and their teachers. The workplace is another setting where relationships grow, often starting as professional ones but gradually becoming more personal and social. Beyond human-to-human bonds, relationships can also exist between people and animals, and even between children and the objects they are deeply attached to, such as their favourite toys.
4) What is the role of school in man's relationship?
Cumilla Board 2023
Answer:
School plays a significant role in shaping a person's relationships. It is one of the earliest places outside the family where a person begins to connect with others. In school, students spend a considerable amount of time together, which naturally leads to the formation of strong and lasting bonds among them. They also develop meaningful connections with their teachers, who guide, support, and inspire them throughout their academic journey. In short, school serves as one of the most important environments where a person first learns to build and maintain relationships beyond their family.
Paragraph #3
All these relationships keep us close to each other and provide us all kinds of support, love and affection. A person who has no family feels the pain of loneliness and isolation. There is no one to laugh or cry with him/her. When we share our joy with someone, it simply redoubles, and we when we suffer a loss and someone shares our sorrow, it lessens. Relationships are thus needed for our emotional health.
Short Questions
5) What happens to a person who has no family?/ What pain does a person feel who has no family?/ “A person who has no family feels the pain of loneliness and isolation." - Explain.
Sylhet Board 2025, Barishal Board 2023, Cumilla Board 2023, Rajshahi Board 2023
Answer:
A person without a family endures a great deal of emotional suffering. Without loved ones around, he or she has nobody to turn to in times of happiness or grief, which makes life feel extremely empty and isolated. Joyful moments lose their fullness because there is no one to share them with, and painful experiences become even harder to bear because there is no one to offer comfort or understanding. This sense of being completely alone and cut off from others takes a serious toll on a person's emotional well-being. In short, the absence of family leaves a person in a state of deep loneliness and isolation.
This question and its variations are super important because they have appeared in every board exam where this passage was tested.
6) How do relationships help us with mental health?
Rajshahi Board 2023
Answer:
7) How do we increase our joy and decrease our misery?
Rajshahi Board 2023
Answer:
8) How does relationship help a man?/ Why is relationship important?/ Why is relationship so significant?/ Describe the importance of relationship.
Sylhet Board 2025, Barishal Board 2023, Cumilla Board 2023, Rajshahi Board 2023
Answer:
Human relationships are fundamentally different from those of animals in terms of depth and purpose. Animals form relationships mainly for companionship and for physical and emotional support, which are basic survival needs. Human relationships, on the other hand, go beyond these basic needs. They give meaning to a person's existence and inspire them to do well in education, in the workplace, and in the profession that they pursue. In short, while animals form relationships merely to survive, humans form relationships to grow, achieve, and find deeper meaning in life.
Paragraph #4
To build relationships, we need to have trust and respect for each other, and love where this is needed. We cannot be selfish and possessive if we want to establish an effective relationship. But quite often we see people quarrelling and fighting with each other which only brings misery and loss to all.
Short Questions
9) What are some of the preconditions of a good relationship?
Barishal Board 2023
Answer: