Lesson 4 Scaling a Mountain Peak or Riding Your Dream?
A. Warm-Up Activity:
Look at the photographs of a Bangladeshi girl on top of Mount Everest. They depict the moment when an adventurer saw her dream come true.
B. Read the text and answer the questions that follow.
Nishat Mazumder, a Bangladeshi woman in her early forties, is a sports icon. She comes from a modest background; her father is a businessman and her mother is a housewife. She is the second of four siblings. Although she is not very tall, well-built, or does not have a charming princess look, this apparently ordinary girl has three things she can be proud of: These are:
- She has extraordinarily supportive parents who accepted her dreams as real.
- Her father was a freedom fighter in the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971.
- She scaled the highest peak in the world as the first Bangladeshi girl in 2012.
Nishat’s life presents an inspirational story that the youth in Bangladesh needs to know.
Nishat was born on 5 January 1981 in a village called Teori, situated in Ramganj upazila in Lakshmipur District. She completed her schooling from Bottomley Home Girls’ High School in 1997 and passed HSC from Shahid Anwar Girls’ College in 1999. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Accounting from Dhaka City College and currently works for Dhaka WASA as an accountant. She is also interested in different languages and cultures of the world and has enrolled for her MA in Japan Studies at Dhaka University.
For us, Nishat’s life comes across as especially significant because it tells us how the influence of one person can motivate someone to dream big. As the daughter of a freedom fighter, Nishat had to face many obstacles in her life, but her mother, her role model, gave her courage and determination to overcome them and pursue her dreams.
Ashura Mazumder, Nishat’s mother, is a hardworking and understanding woman who has been a pillar of support for her family in the direst of situations. Nishat learned from her mother how to keep mental strength in calamitous moments of life. Learning from her, Nishat began her dream of conquering mountains.
Have you heard of Superman and the Hollywood film showing his adventures? Christopher Reeve, the actor who played the role of Superman in the film, said in a speech he gave at the Democratic National Convention in 1996, “So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable.” This has happened in Nishat’s life too.
Though she had a long-cherished dream to be a mountaineer, it was not until 2003 that she could climb the 967 feet high Keokradong. The climbing event was organized on 29 May 2003 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay’s conquest of Mount Everest. Nishat had walked the streets of Dhaka with a 15 kg backpack for three consecutive days to make her body ready for the climb before the real expedition.
Factors like chance, dedication, and creating opportunities are important for anyone’s success, but a sportsperson should also have discipline and perseverance to succeed. Institutional and professional training is also necessary. Nishat joined Bangladesh Mountaineering and Trekking Club (BMTC) in 2006 and completed a basic training course at Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling, India, in 2007.
After that, she scaled peaks in the Himalayan range one after another, joining several teams from Bangladesh. Today we have a mountain peak in the Himalayas, the Nepal-Bangladesh Friendship Peak, so named because mountaineers from the two friendly countries jointly climbed it for the first time. Nishat’s team was led by M.A. Mohit, who has been on top of Everest and quite a few other peaks higher than 8000 meters.
In Bangladesh, mountaineering is a new sport activity, and we are yet to develop a culture that will encourage a woman’s mountaineering activities. Nishat took the challenge, and she was supported by her parents. This is an expensive sport, and Nishat and other mountaineers could not have succeeded if several organizations did not help them.
Nishat was an ambassador of the “Because I am a Girl” campaign of Plan International’s Bangladesh chapter in her expedition to Mount Everest in 2012. She wanted to leave a message for all people of Bangladesh that a girl can do anything a boy can do, and hence every girl should have support from her parents and society in every challenging activity.
C. Find the meaning of the following words and make sentences with them:
- Icon
- Trekking
- Perseverance
- Campaign
- Chapter
Answer:
Here are the meanings and sentences for each word:
- Icon
- Meaning: A person or thing regarded as a representative symbol or as worthy of admiration.
- Sentence: “Nelson Mandela is an icon of peace and equality.”
- Trekking
- Meaning: The activity of going on a long, arduous journey, typically on foot, often in mountainous regions.
- Sentence: “After months of preparation, they set out for a trekking adventure in the Himalayas.”
- Perseverance
- Meaning: Continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties or delay in achieving success.
- Sentence: “Her perseverance in studying allowed her to graduate at the top of her class.”
- Campaign
- Meaning: An organized course of action to achieve a goal, often related to social or political issues.
- Sentence: “The environmental campaign aimed to raise awareness about plastic pollution.”
- Chapter
- Meaning: A distinct period or phase in a sequence of events; also a division of a book or other work.
- Sentence: “The book’s final chapter offered a hopeful conclusion to the story.”
D. Answer the following questions:
- What makes Nishat different from most other young women of Bangladesh? How could she climb Mount Everest coming from a country with no mountains?
- How can parents be of great influence in a young person’s life?
- Do you think that a girl should be given all the opportunities that a boy gets? Why or why not?
- Explain “So many of our dreams at first seem impossible” in your own words.
- Suppose you have a sister and she wants to play football in a local team. How can you support her?
Answer:
- What makes Nishat different from most other young women of Bangladesh? How could she climb Mount Everest coming from a country with no mountains?Nishat Mazumder stands out because she achieved a remarkable feat as the first Bangladeshi woman to scale Mount Everest. Her accomplishment is notable given Bangladesh’s lack of significant mountains, which means she had to undergo rigorous training and preparation abroad. Nishat’s determination, support from her family, and extensive training with mountaineering clubs helped her achieve this remarkable goal.
- How can parents be of great influence in a young person’s life?Parents can significantly influence a young person’s life by providing emotional support, encouragement, and guidance. They help shape their child’s values, confidence, and ambitions. When parents support their child’s dreams and offer practical advice and resources, it can empower the child to pursue their goals and overcome obstacles.
- Do you think that a girl should be given all the opportunities that a boy gets? Why or why not?Yes, a girl should be given all the opportunities that a boy gets. Everyone, regardless of gender, deserves equal access to opportunities and resources. Equal opportunities ensure that everyone can reach their full potential and contribute to society based on their abilities and interests rather than being limited by gender-based restrictions.
- Explain “So many of our dreams at first seem impossible” in your own words.The phrase means that many of our aspirations and goals appear unachievable when we first consider them. What seems impossible initially often becomes possible with determination, effort, and perseverance. Dreams may start as distant goals, but with hard work and persistence, they can eventually become reality.
- Suppose you have a sister and she wants to play football in a local team. How can you support her?To support your sister, you can encourage her by showing interest in her passion for football. Help her find a local team or training program and assist with logistical needs, like transportation. Cheer her on during matches and practices, and offer emotional support to boost her confidence and enthusiasm.
E. Read the text below quoted from an article on Nishat Mazumder written by Afsan Chowdhury in bdnews24.com on 26 May 2012, and fill in the gaps using the right form of the words given below:
Words to Use:
- member
- promote
- climb
- accompany
- conquer
Nishat ______ the Everest’s 8,850-meter-high (29,035-foot-high) summit from the northern side of the mountain in Nepal. She was ______ on her journey by M A Mohit, the second Bangladeshi to have ______ the Everest. Nishat and Mohit are both ______ of the Bangla Mountaineering and Trekking Club which has been a key force in ______ mountain climbing in Bangladesh.
Answer:
Nishat climbed the Everest’s 8,850-meter-high (29,035-foot-high) summit from the northern side of the mountain in Nepal. She was accompanied on her journey by M A Mohit, the second Bangladeshi to have conquered the Everest. Nishat and Mohit are both members of the Bangla Mountaineering and Trekking Club which has been a key force in promoting mountain climbing in Bangladesh.
F. Wasfia Nazreen is another accomplished mountaineer who was the first Bangladeshi woman and first Bengali to climb the seven summits of the world. Here is a jumbled text that briefly describes her accomplishments. Read the text and rearrange it into a cohesive paragraph.
Wasfia had already climbed two of the seven top mountains of the world by then, and for the third she targeted Mount Everest. Her life like Nishat’s is also an example for others to follow. She was climbing the peak as part of the Seven Summits campaign, which was held to celebrate 40 years of independence of Bangladesh.
Wasfia had the courage to prove the national spirit of Bangladeshi people who have a record of sacrificing their lives for the mother tongue and upholding the country’s dignity when needed. Another mountaineer Wasfia Nazreen reached the Everest on May 26, 2012 while millions of Bangladeshis all over the world waited for her news. She also suggested that women are part of this nation making project. However, her project is rather daring and exceptional.
Answer:
Wasfia Nazreen is an accomplished mountaineer who was the first Bangladeshi woman and first Bengali to climb the seven summits of the world. By the time she targeted Mount Everest for her third peak, she had already climbed two of the seven top mountains. Wasfia was climbing Everest as part of the Seven Summits campaign, held to celebrate 40 years of independence of Bangladesh.
Her life, like Nishat’s, serves as an example for others to follow. Reaching Everest on May 26, 2012, Wasfia demonstrated the national spirit of the Bangladeshi people, who are known for their courage and sacrifice. Her project, though daring and exceptional, also highlighted that women are an integral part of national achievements. Millions of Bangladeshis around the world eagerly awaited news of her success, underscoring her significant accomplishment
G. Do you have a dream of doing something great? Discuss with a partner and then write a paragraph on how you can realize it.
Answer:
My Dream and How I Plan to Realize It
My dream is to become a successful entrepreneur and launch a tech startup that focuses on innovative solutions for environmental sustainability. To realize this dream, I plan to follow a structured approach. First, I will gain relevant knowledge and skills by pursuing a degree in business and technology, which will provide me with the necessary foundation.
I will also seek internships and work experiences in the tech industry to gain practical insights and build a professional network. Networking with industry professionals and attending conferences will help me stay updated with the latest trends and technologies. Additionally, I will start by working on smaller projects and prototypes to test my ideas and refine them based on feedback.
Securing funding through investors or grants will be crucial, so I will prepare a solid business plan and pitch. By staying dedicated, continuously learning, and adapting to challenges, I believe I can turn my dream into a successful reality.
Unit 3: Life Style : Lesson 1: Manners around the world
Lesson 1 -Unforgettable History
Unit 2: Lesson 1 What is a dream?
Unit Three: Lifestyle Lesson 4: Fitness
Lesson 1: The Storm and Stress of Adolescence
Lesson 2: Adolescence and Some (Related) Problems in Bangladesh
Lesson 3 : Why Does a Child Hate School?
Lesson 5: Say ‘No’ to Bullying
Lesson 1: Sheikh Kamal: Life of an Achiever
Lesson 2 Affectionate, Lively and Always Smiling Sheikh Kamal