DISTANCE EDUCATION
B.A. (English)/B.A. (English) Addl. DEGREE
EXAMINATION, MAY 2016.
ENGLISH FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS
Time Three hours Maximum 100 marks
SECTION A — 8 40 marks)
Answer any FIVE of the following 1
1. Frame a sentence using the phrase called off.
Are you an advocate? (Identify the kind of
sentence).
The teacher said the angry man was a fool he
should have respected the decorum of the class
and is it not the duty of everyone to behave
properly.
I tried hard and I solved the problem.
(Change into a complex sentence)
Insert suitable articles in the blanks given in the
following passage 2
1
They went to ———————— school after getting
admission in ———————— near by college. They
saw ———————— pair of birds in
———————— mango tree and they were perched
on ———————— tall branch of ————————
tree. They experienced ———————— longing to
return to ———————— school life another time.
Sub. Code
34/110
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2. Prepare notes for the following passage
There are many kinds of books. Books are store
houses of knowledge. There are books on history,
culture, science, architecture, philosophy,
mathematics, geography and space science. Books
are also called as social documents since they bear
the records of human life in different parts of the
world. They provide enough space for the human
mind to read, to think and then continue reading
unlike the television. Each house should possess a
library of its own and parents should encourage
their children to read to make them better citizens.
Fill in the blanks with the correct tense form of the
verb given in brackets. 2
1
Meera ———————— (work) in the hostel
since 2012.
When I ———————— to the theatre,
the film ———————— (start).
She ———————— to temple every
Friday and ————————(worship) Lord
Shiva.
I ———————— (meet) my guide next week
and ———————— (submit) my project
work to him.
Ibrahim ———————— (listen) to music
now.
3. Write a paragraph on any ONE of the following topics
My best friend.
My Role model.
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4. Answer any ONE of the following questions
Write an application for the post of a human
resource officer in an IT company.
Write a letter to your sister on the need to learn
French.
5. Answer any ONE of the following questions
Write a report on the resources available in the
language lab of your department.
As a newspaper report, send a report to the editor
on the Book festival conducted in your place.
6. Fill in the blanks with the right option
Welcome guests with ————————. (affection,
affectation)
I ———————— your conditions. (except, accept)
Latha painted on the ————————. (Canvas,
Canvass)
After the world wars, the soldiers had
———————— peace. (life long, live long)
Since this fruit has thorns, ———————— it
properly. (peal, peel)
Mano got the blessings of the ———————— in
the temple. (sear, seer)
Bacon's writings contain ————————. (whit,
wit)
Under the British rule, we bore the
———————— slavery. (yolk, yoke)
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7. Answer the following questions as directed
Use the appropriate term given in brackets that
express the idea of the phrase given below.
a person who studies birds.
(ornithologist, ornamentalist)
a study of life
(biology, cosmology)
Choose the word which is correctly spelt
spetial
spatial
spashel
spashiel.
Write suitable synonyms for the following words
seethe
vindicate
plead
chuckle
Write suitable antonyms for the following words
wane
considerate
bloom
crooked
Arrange the following words in the given sentence
to make a meaningful sentence
the grave glory paths of but to lead the.
He is not a soft-spoken person.
(Change into a positive sentence)
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8. Fill in the blanks with suitable prepositions 1
She likes to stand ———————— the balcony.
The apple is cut ———————— a knife.
The orange is peeled ———————— Vino.
There is a bicycle ———————— the tree and the
leaves fall ———————— it.
He sat ———————— a sofa, had a fan
———————— him and it circulated air
———————— the room.
SECTION B — 15 60 marks)
Answer any FOUR of the following questions.
9. Answer the following as directed
Change into passive voice
They loved dramas.
The manager is drafting letters to her
personal assistant.
We have furnished our house with appropriate
furniture.
She has improved her talents after several
years of hard work.
Change into active voice
This place is haunted by spirits.
The letter has been written by Vina's parents.
Let the door be shut.
It was decided by the management to increase
the bonus.
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Change each of the given sentences to the other two
possible degrees of comparison
Raghav is more intelligent than many other
students in the batch.
Lily is the most beautiful flower in my garden.
Change as directed
Though she runs fast, she can not beat her
competitor. (into compound)
They were lazy so they did not prosper in life.
(into simple)
If she understands others, she will win their
hearts. (into complex)
10. Prepare a precis for the following passage
A river has its source in the mountains. It cuts a deep
channel in the soil and rocks over which it passes. Lots of
soil and rocks, called silt, are swept along in the water. At
this stage, the river has fewer bends. The river slows
down when it comes down and flows on flat land. It
becomes wider and the silt sinks to its bed. The river has
more bends in this stage. But it slows down as it reaches
the sea. It drops all silt and creates a wet, low-lying land
called delta. The river then divides itself into smaller
streams and flows across the delta to the sea.
11. Attempt an essay on any ONE of the following topics
Science and its application in life.
The need to study literature.
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12. Read the following passage and answer the questions
that follow it.
If people who commit crimes are not punished, they will
go on committing crimes. We have therefore a police force
for investigating crimes and apprehending criminals. In
the same way, if there are disputes about property,
contracts, rights and other matters. They have to be
decided in a court of law. They are called civil cases and
are decided in the court according to the civil law. Cases
of crime are dealt with criminal law. It is not easy to find
out that whether a person is guilty or not, so in every
such case evidence has to produced to show whether a
person did or did not commit the crime. In civil cases also,
each party in a case has to produce evidence to its claim.
In the past, the village panchayats dealt with the
disputes of the villagers. But now villagers can go to the
law courts for settlement but that is a tedious and costly
process.
A police force is necessary because it
settles disputes
decides civil cases
inquires into crimes and arrests criminals
punishes criminals.
The word 'apprehending' in the given context means
understanding
arresting
recognizing
punishing.
What are civil cases?
What are the laws that deal with crime?
Which is necessary for a person to prove that he is
innocent of a crime?
What do the village panchayats do?
What is a tedious process?
Give a suitable title to the passage.
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13. Use suitable words that express the idea of the
phrase given below
troubles and difficulties in the initial stages of
an activity
a business partner who provides capital for a
venture but does not take part in its operation
a person who studies geology
a forgetful, inattentive person
a very short visit
a boastful talk
big fuss over a trivial matter
(viii) an unfairly large share
a fair bargain or treatment
an urgent matter to be dealt at once.
Match the following words and their meanings
(10 2
1
continue brighten
nurture prison
illuminate a rogue
gaol forest
knave deny
forgo diligent
woods have the appearance of
becoming
(viii) reject go without
industrious to go on
seem to grow
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14. Spot the error, if any, in each of the given sentences
(10 1 2
1 15)
One of the girls were reading the article when the
a b c
teacher entered the class room. No error.
d e
She ran as quick as she can and stopped to take rest
a b c d
for a while. No error.
e
The Ganges is in floods and each of the four villages
a b c
are flooded. No error.
d e
Whenever I go to the market, please remember me
a b c
to buy fruits. No error.
d e
He is one of those rare individuals who always help
a b c d
people in crisis. No error.
e
They could come in through the back door if they
a b
wanted to, isn't it? No error.
c d e
I have a dozen pens on my table and if needed you
a b c
could use them. No error.
d e
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That nurse from Kasi likes dancing and
a b
hopes someday to become one. No error.
c d e
He practised well because he wanted to win
a b
each competition in his sports career. No error.
c d e
One of the questions he asked me was, who did you
a b c
travel with? No error.
d e
15. Write sentences of your own using any Ten of the given
phrasal verbs (10 1 2
1
ask for
bring about
carry out
come by
carry on
get up
go into
let off
make up
pull through
set up
send for
wear away
wake up
taken aback.