Class 9 (English Assignments)

 

The Broken Bridge

In a small village in Nepal, people crossed a wooden bridge every day to reach the market, school, and health post. The bridge was old, but it was the shortest way to the other side of the river.

One morning, after heavy rain during the night, the villagers found that part of the bridge had broken. Nobody could cross safely. The river was deep and moving very fast.

The village leader called a meeting. Some people wanted to repair the bridge immediately. Others said it was too dangerous because more rain was expected. A few young people suggested building a temporary rope bridge nearby. However, older villagers worried that children and elderly people might fall from it.

There was another route to the market, but it took almost three extra hours to walk. This created a problem because some farmers needed to sell vegetables quickly before they became spoiled.

A teacher from the village school suggested using a tractor and wooden boards to carry people across a shallow area of the river until the bridge was repaired. Some villagers liked the idea, but others said the tractor owner might ask for too much money.

Finally, the villagers decided to form small groups. One group repaired the bridge carefully with stronger wood. Another group helped farmers transport vegetables using the longer road. Students and teachers collected donations to buy materials for the repair work.

After one week, the bridge became safe again. The villagers learned that solving a problem together was better than arguing alone.

Questions

1.     Why was the broken bridge a serious problem for the villagers? Explain in your own words.

2.     Why did some villagers disagree with the idea of building a rope bridge?

3.     What difficulties did the farmers face after the bridge broke?

4.     Describe the different solutions suggested by the villagers during the meeting.

5.     How did teamwork help the villagers solve the problem?

6.     If you were the village leader, what solution would you choose and why?