DISTANCE EDUCATION
B.A. (English) /B.A. (English) (Addl) DEGREE
EXAMINATION, MAY 2017.
ENGLISH FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS
Time Three hours Maximum 100 marks
PART A — 8 40 marks)
Answer any FIVE questions.
1. Answer the following accordingly. × 1
Mt. Everest is the tallest peak in the world
(into positive)
Salem is not so cool as Coimbatore
(into comparative)
Selvi is one of the best girls in the class.
(into positive)
Punctuate the following.
Sunil whose brother was my classmate in school
met me this morning.
Insert suitable articles. × 2
1
———— thesaurus is ————— reverse dictionary,
given ————— idea or concept, it supplies
—————— words or words by which ——————
ideas may be expressed. For example, you will find
—————— whole set of synonyms.
Sub. Code
34/110
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2. Make notes of the following passage. × 8
There are several kinds of crossword puzzles. One kind is
the prize competition in which the person who finds the
correct answers gets a big prize. But the answers are very
hard to find. Since several words appeal equally,
appropriate, bad, mad or sad, for example, in the clue
sentence, '…. People are seldom popular'. Such
competition attract people who are fond of gambling,
because by paying a small entry fee, they can win big
prizes. The second type of crossword puzzle is one in
which there is only one possible answer to every clue. But
this answer is elusive and calls for some detective work
on our part. The clue gives only hints about the word. A
clue like 'Mate changes to flesh for food' will elude you till
you realize that by changing the spelling of mate you get
meat your comprehension and your general knowledge
are put to the test. The effort to solve such crosswords is
an intellectual exercise. The third type of crossword is a
straight forward exercise in which words matching the
definitions given in the clues have to be found and
written in the appropriate place in the crossword square.
There are no catches or tricks. This type is useful in the
study of vocabulary. As simple exercises in problem
solving, they provide some entertainment, too.
The first step in note making is to read through the
passage quickly to find out what it is about. After reading
it, you find that it deals with cross words. So you may
think of the title.
3. Write a paragraph of 250 words on any ONE of the
following: × 8
All the glitters are not gold.
Globalisation.
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4. Answer any ONE of the following. × 8
Write a letter to your father asking his permission
to join an excursion party.
Write a letter to the post master of your area
complaining about irregular delivery of your letters.
5. Answer any ONE of the following: × 8
You are the secretary of the Resident's association
of your locality. Write the annual report of the
activities of your association.
Write a newspaper report to the following situation,
Train accident near Vaniyambadi at 8.30 p.m
Kanyakumari Express three bogies derailed 30
killed 58 injured 10 in critical condition Rescue
operation on investigation in progress fish plates
found lying near the track.
6. Fill in the blanks with suitable words given in the
brackets. × 1
I gave her a ————————— on the State Bank
of India for Rs. 10,000 (check cheque)
——————— are nutritious food when eaten raw.
(Carat/Carrot)
Varieties of ——————— are available in the
market (Cloth/Clothe).
She went to ——————— to buy Milk
(Dairy/Diary)
Some people ————————— for love and
affection (earn yearn)
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The Manager was ——————— than the Head
Clerk. (Elder Older)
We are normally expected to wash out ——————
on returning home from outside (Feat /Feet)
He is the ——————— proprietor of the business
(sole/soul)
7. Answer the following 1
Choose the best answer
A number of singers in a Church
(Choir /Gang /Batch /Flock)
A place frequented for reasons of pleasure or health.
(Resort Hospital/ Museum Temple)
Give the synonyms of the following words.
Contract (tract /expand /give abridge)
Skip (Overlook Introduce Insert Notice)
Give the Antonyms of the following words.
Urban (rustic /rural /civil domestic)
Inspired (overwhelmed Dispirited Disillusioned/
uninspired)
Form the negative of the following sentences.
He may go to chennai tomorrow.
Sheela will not get the first rank.
8. Fill in the blanks with suitable prepositions. 1
I am used ——————— hard work.
The members of his family are coming
——————— this train.
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They walked ——————— the sea shore.
I met ——————— an accident last month.
It is easy to deal——————— him.
Sheela is good ——————— music.
They arrived ——————— the bus stand.
We were ——————— time for the marriage.
PART B — 15 60 marks)
Answer any FOUR of the following.
9. Rewrite the following sentences into passive voice.

The ship was wrecked.
Rita knows me.
They elected him Secretary.
Do you speak French?
Rewrite the following sentences into Active voice.

Was the match won by India?
We are taught Sanskrit by him.
Trees will have been planted by them.
A letter is being written by Chikky.
Change the following as directed.
On reaching there, we were shocked
(into complex)
The man who is standing there is my uncle
(into simple)
They ran very fast. They caught the bus
(into compound)
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I am sure of his death (into complex)
The news is the most popular programme on
the T.V. (into comparative)
Vidya and Deepa are not so tall as Purnima
(into Superlative)
Mr. Ravi is better than any other eye
specialist in the town (into positive)
10. Make a precise of the following passage and give a
suitable title.
a boy!" Magical words that give happiness to the
entire family, to the mother in law, and to the mother
who gave birth to a baby boy.
only a girl words of dejection and disappointment
that make the entire family unhappy. That's our mindset.
We do not celebrate girls Even in our mythology,
only the birth of boys in mentioned. Parvati gave birth to
two sons. Sita had her twins; Kunti and Madri produced
the Pandavas and Karna; even goddess never gave birth
to daughters Where have all the daughters gone? In our
society, women who do not produced male children are
considered incomplete, inadequate, unlucky and even
cursed. A male of spring is a must. Conventional reasons
are often cited for the boy child fixation, like continuing
the lineage and the family name, carrying on the family
business, inheriting property, supporting parents in their
old age, performing the last rites, etc, whether they are
relevant or not in our present day situation. The
absence of a son is more keenly felt in rural areas because
of such conventions as that only the male child can
represent the family at temples, religious ceremonies,
and other important social gatherings.
The situation may be changing but the change is very
slow. The issue of sons and daughters continues to be
important in our social structure formulated by men for
this own advantages.
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11. Write an essay on 400 words on any ONE of the
following.
Uses of Internet
Women's education.
12. Read the following passage and answer the questions
given below.
Within days of the tragic death of Sarika shah comes
news that a women watching the evening show of a Hindi
film in a cinema in chennai, with her husband and family
friends, was teased and abused by three men.
Who were sitting behind her. They are said to have used
filthy and vulgar language, kicked by her seat and
repeated expletives used in the film. When the members
of the family protested, the trio created a ruckus but
other intervened and threw them out; they returned with
five more toughies and created such a pandemonium that
the show had to be suspended.
Despite an ordinance, stepped up police vigil, public
condemnation and the tragic loss of life, this event on the
heels of the Sarika Shah incident makes the term 'eveteasing'
appear grossly in adequate to describe the pain
and humiliation inflicted on a woman purely because of
her gender; it is nothing but sexual harassment. The
Romeos who indulge in this gender based are
macho replicas of the male stereotypes portrayed on the
screen.
'Eve-teasing', as a phenomenon is not a prank; it is
deadly cancer in our society a cancer that has its roots
mainly in the appropriate response to femininity in
modern life. While such ancient customs such as chivalry,
fraternal feeling towards women, and respect for them
have been mostly destroyed in our present day life, new
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and appropriate responses are yet to be formulated; only
catcalls, whistles and the surreptitious budge or 'teased
have gained wide currency. The modern day portrayal
of women on the screen, in advertising' in fashion
parades, and in other forms of in appropriate exhibition
of the female body is the mass media including women's
magazines has diminished the respect for women.
Consumerism has converted the human anatomy into a
commodity.
Who is Sarika Shah?
What happened when the members of the women's
family protested?
What is meant by 'eve-teasing'?
What is the difference between 'ragging' and eveteasing'?
What measures were taken by the government after
the Sarika Shah incident?
Do you think girls should be given training in
martial arts?
What does the writer compare 'eve teasing' with?
————————— has converted the human
anatomy into a commodity
Consumeration Conception Concept
Remuneration.
13. Give one words substitution for the following.
Home for the destitute
Piece of small land surrounded by water
The house or shelter of an Eskimo.
One who attends to the teeth
One who studies the working of the human
mind
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A man of letters
The stand from which a preaches delivers its
Sermon.
(viii) An edition a book in which it has been
condensed.
A plant or animal growing on another.
Tank where fish or water plants are kept.
Match the words in Column A with their meanins in
Column B. (10 × 2
1
Column A Column B
Mind-set mentioned
deficient unfair and often
unfavourable feeling
off-spring marked of noticeable
cited a strong unreasonable
feeling
relevant lacking something
pronounced to strengthen by adding
materials
prejudice connected with the subject
(viii) fixation a child or children
formulated mental disposition
reinforce planned after thinking
about the details carefully
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14. Read each sentences to find out whether there is any
error, if any, write the alphabet of your choice, if there is
not error than put E. (10 × 1 2
1 15)
She did/ the work very well, however/ She showed
A B
no interest/ in anything beyond the assignment
C D
No Error
E
I have read very carefully the three first chapters
A B
of this book and I have just glanced through the/
C
rest of the novel/ No Error
D E
Raju's habit of/ delaying his work/ put his colleagues
A B C
to a lot of trouble No Error
D E
Mahendra and his friend/ were going to
A B
see a picture when they met his common friend
C D
No Error
E
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You had better rest for some day
A B C
at a peaceful place No Error
D E
Randhir as well as his three friends/ were invited/
A B C
to the Russian festival in Delhi No Error
D E
The jury is divided in their division No Error
A B C D E
He cut the plants with a scissor /the were blunt/
A B C D
No Error
E
The bus/ has arrived when we reached /the stand
A B C D
No Error
E
The chief minister has just returned
A B C
back from the centre No Error
D E
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15. Use any TEN of the following in sentences of your own
(10 × 1 2
1 15)
to have cold feet
my hands are full
one's cup of tea
apple pie-order
face value
rank and file
fish out of water
blow hot and cold
midas touch
short and sweet
a hot potato
a lady's man
to cut both ends
null and void
rise and shine.