DISTANCE EDUCATION
B.A. (English)/B.A. (English) (Addl) DEGREE EXAMINATION,
MAY 2018.
ENGLISH FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS
Time Three hours Maximum 100 marks
PART A — × 8 40 marks)
Answer any FIVE of the following questions.
1. Answer the following according to the instructions
given. x 1
He plays football. (Identify the kind of
sentence)
Frame a sentence using the pharse "break
down".
An apple was eaten by Sudeep. (change into
Active voice)
What does he want (punctuate the given
sentence).
Articles x 2
—————— man in mortal.
I am —————— university student.
She goes to the temple in ——————
mornings.
Kiran is —————— best student in the
class.
Sub. Code
34/110
DE-3484
2
wk4
Harishchandra was —————— honest king.
I am fond of —————— classical music.
Gold is —————— precious metal.
(viii) She returned after —————— hour.
2. Prepare notes for the following passage
Almost all of us have suffered from a headache at
some time or the other. For some a headache is a
constant companion and life is a painful hell of
wasted time. The most important step to cope with
headaches is to identify the type of headache one is
suffering from. In tension headaches (two hand
headache), a feeling of a tight band around the head
exists along with the pain in the neck and
shoulders. It usually follows activities such as long
stretches driving, typing or sifting on the desks.
They are usually short lived but can also last for
days or weeks.
A headache is usually caused due to the spinal
misalignment of the head, due to the posture.
Sleeping on the stomach with the head turned to
one side and bending over positions for a long time
make it worse. In migraine headaches, the pains
usually on one side of the head may be accompanied
by nausea, vomiting, irritability and bright spots of
flashes of light. This headache is made worse by
activities especially bending. The throbbing pain in
the head worsens by noise and light. Certain
triggers for migraines may be chocolate, caffeine,
smoking or MSU in certain food items. The pain
may last eight to twenty four hours and there may
be a hangover for two or three days. Migraines are
often produced by an changes in sight
and sensation. There is usually a family migraine.
DE-3484
3
wk4
Fill in the blanks with correct tense 2
1
When I ———— (come in) the cat ————
(sleep) in my chair.
I ———— to Simla as soon as the college
————(break).
He ———— (work) for four hours when I
———— (arrive) here.
Children ———— ice-cream. (love)
Meena —————— to a movie yesterday.
3. Write the paragraph on any ONE of the following topics

A Rainy Day.
My Friend.
4. Answer any ONE of the following questions
Write a letter to your friend congratulating him on
his brilliant success in the examination.
Write an application for the Post of Accounts Clerk
in a reputed multi-national company.
5. Answer any ONE of the following questions
Write a report on the resources, facilities and
services available in your college library.
As a newspaper correspondent send a report to the
editor on the traffic conditions in the town where
you are based.
DE-3484
4
wk4
6. Fill in the blanks with the right option
An empty space inside something solid, ————
(Hole, Whole).
A round piece of metal, given as an honour,
———— (Medal, Meddle).
A sleeping place in a ship or train, ————
(Birth, Berth).
A Metal container used to heat water, ————
(Cattle, Kettle).
A large grass eating animal, ———— (Deer, Dear).
A written order to a bank to pay a certain amount of
money, ———— (Check, Cheque).
A metal consisting of iron in hard and strong form
———— (Steal, Steel).
An image worshipped as God, ———— (idol. idle).
7. Answer the following questions as directed
Choose the correct answer
Something that can not be believed.
(Incredible, Infallible)
A place where aquatic animals are kept,
(Aquarium, Antique)
Choose the word which is correctly spelt
Cassette
Casette
Cassete
Casete
DE-3484
5
wk4
Write suitable synonyms for the following words
2
1
pretty
slim
delicious
happiness
Write suitable antonyms for the following words
x 1/2
Pleasant
Ordinary
Antique
Friend
Arrange the following words to make a meaningful.
sentence
bill paying departed without his the visitor
He is older than I. (Change into positive sentence)

8. Fill in the blanks with suitable prepositions 1
His shorts are ———— his knees.
Mary sat ———— Tom and Jane.
The bank is ———— the cinema.
I bought this book ———— you.
The wind is blowing ———— the north.
The school is ———— the church.
The restaurant is ————the river.
He started ———— live a better life.
DE-3484
6
wk4
PART B — × 15 60 marks)
Answer any FOUR of the following questions.
9. Answer the following as directed.
Change into Passive Voice
Rama is writing a letter.
He stole my book.
He wrote a letter.
The policeman had caught a thief.
Change into Active Voice
A letter had been written by him.
Cricket was being played by him.
A snake was killed by him.
You will be punished by the teacher.
Change each of the given sentence to the other two
possible degrees of comparison
Shakespeare is one of the greatest poets.
Rani is taller than most other girls.
Change as directed
He died in his native village. into complex
sentence)
It was owing to his teachers that he succeeded.
(into simple sentence)
Failing prompt payment the goods must be
returned. (into compound sentence)
DE-3484
7
wk4
10. Prepare a précis for the following passage
There is an enemy beneath our feet an enemy more
deadly for his complete impartiality. He recognizes no
national boundaries, no political parties. Everyone in the
world is threatened by him. The enemy is the earth itself.
When an earthquake strikes, the world trembles. The
power of a quake is greater than anything man himself
can produce. But today scientists are directing a great
deal of their effort into finding some way of combating
earthquakes, and it is possible that at some time in the
near future mankind will have discovered a means of
protecting itself from earthquakes. An earthquake strikes
without warning. When it does, its power is immense. If
it strikes a modern city, the damage it causes is as great
as if it has struck a primitive village.
Gas mains burst, explosions are caused and fires are
started. Underground railways are wrecked. Buildings
collapse, bridges fall, dams burst, gaping crevices appear
in busy streets. If the quake strikes at sea, huge tidal
waves sweep inland, if it strikes in mountain regions.
avalanches roar down into the valley. Consider the
terrifying statistics from the past 1755 Lisbon, capital of
Portugal the city destroyed entirely and 450 killed.
1970: Peru 50,000 killed. In 1968 an earthquake struck
Alaska. As this is a relatively unpopulated part. only a
few people were killed. But it is likely that this was one of
the most powerful quakes ever to have hit the world.
Geologists estimate that during the tremors, the whole of
the state moved over 80 feet further west into the Pacific
Ocean. Imagine the power of something that can move an
entire subcontinent! This is the problem that the
scientists face. They are dealing with forces so immense
that man cannot hope to resist them. All that can be done
is to try to pinpoint just where the earthquake will strike
and work from there. At least some precautionary
measures can then be taken to save lives and some of the
property.
DE-3484
8
wk4
11. Attempt an essay on any ONE of the following topics
The Unemployment Problem
Television
12. Read the following passage and answer the questions
that follow it
The Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville, one of the most
famous battles of the Civil War, took place in Virginia in
the spring of 1863. For months, the two armies had been
staked out on opposite banks of a narrow river. The
Confederate troops were led by perhaps the most revered
military tactician in American history, General Robert
E. Lee. The Union soldiers were led by "Fighting" Joe
Hooker.
In appearance, personality, and lifestyle, these men
were nearly perfect opposites. Lee, an older man in poor
health with a gray beard, had a somber, measured
demeanor. Hooker was a blond, strapping young man
whose vanity over his appearance was but one aspect of
his egotism. Whereas Lee was devout and principled,
Hooker was known for his rollicking enjoyment of both
women and whiskey.
Hooker had used spies, analysts, and even hot air
balloons to compile a vast amount of intelligence about
Lee's army. He had discerned, for example, that Lee had
only 61,000 men to Hooker's own 1,34,000. Buoyed by his
superior numbers, Hooker covertly moved 70,000 of his
men fifteen miles up and across the river, and then
ordered them to sneak back down to position themselves
behind Lee's army. In effect, Hooker had cut off the
Confederate soldiers in front and behind. They were
trapped. Satisfied with his advantage, Hooker became
convinced that Lee's only option was to retreat to
Richmond, thus assuring a Union victory.
DE-3484
9
wk4
Yet Lee, despite his disadvantages of both numbers
and position, did not retreat. Instead, he moved his troops
into position to attack. Union soldiers who tried to warn
Hooker that Lee was on the offensive were dismissed as
cowards. Having become convinced that Lee had no
choice but to retreat, Hooker began to ignore reality.
When Lee's army attacked the Union soldiers at
5:00 p.m., they were eating supper, completely
unprepared for battle. They abandoned their rifles and
fled as Lee's troops came shrieking out of the brush,
bayonets drawn. Against all odds, Lee won the Battle of
Chancellorsville, and Hooker's forces withdrew in defeat.
When and where did the Battle of Chancellorsville
take place?
Name the two armies which were at war.
In what ways were the two army leaders different
from each other?
How did Hooker gather information about the
enemy army?
What made Hooker to think that his army would
win?
What happened when Lee's army attacked Hooker's
soldiers?
How many soldiers were there in Lee's army?
Hooker felt confident that Lee's army would go back
to ——————.
Chancellorsville
Richmond
Virginia
Washington
DE-3484
10
wk4
13. Use suitable words that express the idea of the
phrase given below
A government by a King or Queen.
One who is all powerful.
Killing of a human being.
Incapable of being read.
One who loves own country.
One who goes on foot.
One who knows many languages.
(viii) One who believes in God.
One who works for free.
An Almirch were clothes are kept.
Match the following words and their meanings
(10 x 1/2
ignore hurt
appreciate a magical object
integrity small raised areas that
appear on the skin
goosebumps a layer of gases
harm without taking any
notice
keyboard the quality of being
honest
moisture a small animal
(viii) ozone a set of keys on a
computer
salamander water in the air
talisman to recognize how good
someone is
DE-3484
11
wk4
14. Read each sentences to find out whether there is any
error, if any, write the alphabet or your choice, if there is
no error then put E (10 x 1.1 2 15)
There were marks on the snow but it were
A B C
unrecognizable. No Error.
D E
He lead me to the rear of the shop where more goods
A B C
were stacked. No Error.
D E
The branch struck him hard and lay him
A B C D
unconscious. No Error.
E
The sudden noise frightened the baby and made it
A B C
to cry. No Error.
D E
The dog wagged it tail when it saw me approaching.
A B C D
No Error.
E
There was signs of neglect showing that no one was
A B C D
living there. No Error.
E
After a few moment, the woman opened the window
A B
and looked out curiously. No Error.
C D E
Can you write an article to be include in the next
A B C
issue of the magazine? No Error.
D E
DE-3484
12
wk4
Decided to leave, I packed my clothes and left a note
A B C
to say I had gone. No Error.
D E
One of the former student donated a large sum of
A B C D
money to the school. No Error.
E
15. Write sentences of your own using any TEN of the given
phrase verbs (10 x 1 2 15)
wind up
take on
wake up
keep up
knock down
go back
fall out
cut off
do without
come by
carry on
bring round
ask for
back away
cut down.
————————