Reading Passage: IELTS Practice

Feroza’s Childhood

Feroza’s Childhood was full of sufferings and sorrows. She never had a moment of happiness in her life . All she remembered from her childhood was the extreme want of food, want of shelter and want of clothing.

In 1972 at the age of 12 she was married to a 24 year old unemployed man. Feroza entered into her husband’s house with the dreams and hope of a young girl but all she saw was more want. It was Feroza who worked for a handful of grains to feed herself, her mother-in-law and her husband. When her first son was born, she was 19. The birth of a child meant another mouth to feed. Feroza’s toiling days became harder with the birth of her second son in 1982. Read more--------------

Her husband was still unwilling to work and therefore she had to work even harder to feed all the five mouths . From morning till dark she worked. When she was 24, her third son was born. Each day became more difficult for Feroza. No matter how hard she could never earn enough to feed everyone. Eight years went by and Feroza was still struggling for herself and her family.

The she came to learn about the Grameen Bank. She became a member of the Bank, took a loan and started her own ‘rice-husking’ business. Gradually she managed to improve her conditions and managed to repay the loan she had borrowed from the Grameen Bank. In 1995 Feroza took an even larger loan and started a stationary shop alongside her husking business. She went to the adult literacy centre and learned to read and write. By 2000 Feroza’s worst days were over. She had solvency, security and happiness. 

A) Write Whether the statements are true or false. If false give the correct answer.

1. Feroza’s life was full of struggle.

2. She was married to an old man.

3.After marriage she had to work hard to support the family.

4. Her days of struggle ended after she became a member of the Grameen Bank.

5. After 1995, Feroza spent all her savings.

B) Fill in each gap in the following passage with a suitable word from the box. There are more words than necessary.

Self	Determination	Created	Initiatives	Educated	Confident
Shaped	Pleasant	Bitter	Reminded	Independent	Life

Feroza had (a) _________memories of her childhood. It (b) _________her of poverty and struggle. She tried hard for a better (c)_______and succeeded through sheer (d)__________Her efforts and (e)____helped her to start an (f)________business. Gradually Feroza got (g)____and was a (h)______person. She was (i)_____made woman who (j)___her own life.