[BA 1st Sem Question Papers, Dibrugarh University, 2014, English, General]
UNIT – I
1. Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
Humans communicate through conversation following the rules of etiquette. Conversation analysis is a branch of Sociology which studies the structure and organization of human interaction with more specific focus on conversational interaction. Thus the art of conversation is basic to human interaction and is often spontaneous in nature. It is proved in the fact that whenever there is a gathering or a crowd, there is noise as people always tend to talk to each other spontaneously given an opportunity. The two most essential purposes of conversation are – first to exchange information among the participants and second to question the other. One of the basic elements of conversation is to discuss and to share opinions. But when conversation goes beyond the permissible limits of etiquette, most often it turns out to be an acrimonious argument or a shouting game where speakers shout at each other sometimes leading to violence. Human conversations can be divided into four categories on the basis of their subject content. They are (a) Conversations about subjective ideas, which often serve to extend understanding and awareness. (b) Conversations about objective facts, which may serve to consolidate a widely held view. (c) Conversations about other people (usually absent), which may be critical, competitive, or supportive. These include gossip. (d) Conversations about oneself, which sometimes indicate attention-seeking behaviour or can provide relevant information about oneself to its participants. The most useful conversation is that where the participants discuss ideas and visions for future and the worst type of conversation is that which revolves around another absent person in a negative way. So it is said that “Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events and small minds discuss people”.
Functions of conversations are classified mainly by their nature and aim. Sharing information is one of the most important functions of conversation. Small talk is aimed more at personal bonding than sharing information. So in small talk, topic of discussion is not important, getting to know each other is. The other type of conversation is banter which usually involves friends and relies on humour and jokes. Although we indulge in various types of conversations in our daily life, we never seem to take them seriously. However, our ‘image’, that is, what other think of us, is created mainly from what we say and how we say.
Questions:
- What is conversation analysis? 2
- What are the two most essential purposes of conversation? 2
- What happens when conversation goes beyond the limit of etiquette? 2
- What are the four categories of human conversation? 2
- What is the worst type of conversation? 1
- How is our image created? 1
2. Make a précis of the following passage in about 80 words and add a suitable title to it: 10
There are two types of education – liberal and vocational. Liberal education teaches us how to live, whereas vocational education how to make a living. In India, in the past, more stress was always laid on liberal education rather than on vocational because people believed that vocations are learnt through heredity and no education is needed for that. Liberal education was given more importance as it was considered to be the real education. People believed liberal education makes a person acquire ‘knowledge’ and hence respectable. Liberal education teaches subjects like Language, Literature, History, Philosophy, Pure Sciences, etc., the subjects considered to make one dignified, while vocational education teaches subjects like Carpentry, Welding, Draughtsman ship, Tailoring, TV or Motor Mechanism, etc., which are considered less dignified. After the country attained independence, it was felt that students completing courses in liberal education are found to be lacking in employability. As soft subjects failed to provide them with suitable jobs befitting to their qualification or made them capable of earning a livelihood, then the need for vocational education was felt. Even Mahatma Gandhi, who knew the pulse of Indian emphasized on the fact that as the country was poor, students should be able to ‘earn while learn’. Now in the 10+2+3 education system, due importance has been given to vocational education and subjects like Computer Application, Electronic Technology, Leatherwork, Woodcraft, Photography, Repair and Maintenance of Scooter, Motorcycle and Four-wheelers have been introduced so as to make pre=vocational work experience possible. Not there is a network of vocational institutions in the country which impart training in a large variety of courses. But we need many more such institutions to train our young men and women and prepare them for the growing job market. Such trained young people get jobs more easily. Moreover they can start their own enterprises after getting trained in a craft. Vocational education can play an important part in solving the problem of unemployment of our country.
UNIT – II
3. (a) Write a letter to the Editor of an English daily, describing the devastation caused by the recent floods in your area and how the government agencies failed to provide any relief to the affected people. (Do not mention the name of your college or your name anywhere in the letter.) 7
Or
You are resident of Dibrugarh town. You have observed the reckless motorbike riding of underage youths on the streets. Write a letter to the Superintendent of Police (Traffic) to take necessary measures to curb this menace. (Do not mention the name of your college or your name anywhere in the letter.)
(b) “Wanted a Post-Graduate candidate for the post of Assistant Teacher in Economics in Excel Junior College, Milan Nagar, Dibrugarh. Interested candidates with required qualification may apply to the Principal /Secretary along with the CV within 15 days of the publication of this advertisement.”
Respond to this advertisement as a candidate without mentioning the name of your college or your name anywhere in the application. 8
Or
You are planning to take a group of thirty students on a tour to South India. Write a letter to Darshan Travel Agency, H.S. Road, Dibrugarh, asking them about their overall charges for conducting the whole trip. (Do not mention the name of your college or your name anywhere in the letter.)
UNIT – III
4. (a) Using headings and sub-headings and recognizable abbreviations, make notes of the following passage and write a summary of the passage in about 75 words: 5+5=10
Sex ratio in India always remains a skewed proposition. Almost all States of India suffer from an imbalanced sex ratio grossly in favour of males. The national sex ratio according to 2011 Census is 940, that is, 940 women for every 1000 men. But even the sex ratio of some of our neighbouring Asian countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh and China is also equally disturbing. The People’s Republic of China has a sex ratio of only 926, even worse than India: Bangladesh has a sex ratio of 978, slightly better than India. Pakistan has a sex ratio of 943, almost equal to India. However, some developed countries have a better sex ratio than Asian counterparts – the USA has a healthy sex ratio of 1025, Brazil has an even better sex ratio of 1042, Russian Federation has a sex ratio which can be considered best in comparison to America and Brazil, it is 1167 women for every 1000 men. But why in Asian countries, especially in India, the sex ratio is consistently going down in favour of men when it should have been balanced or in favour of the women? The reason is not far to find; there is a history of cultural and social bias against women in India. In India and its neighbourhood, male child is always considered to be more valuable and as asset for the household whereas a girl child is considered a liability because of age-old socio-cultural attitude. So most expecting mother want to have a male child rather than a female one. As a result of this lopsided attitude, in most cases, they go for a sex determination test and terminate the child if it is found to be a girl. This practice of pre-birth sex determination test has been declared illegal yet this heinous crime continues clandestinely as in most cases, it is patronized by a section of the unscrupulous medical practitioners. In India, illegal sex determination test is a very flourishing business. This practice has caused a serious imbalance in sex ratio in India and its neighbourhood. The Government of India has woken up to this problem now. But it will take some time to change the mindset of the Indian parents so that they will consider the boy or a girl baby as equal and desist from medically terminating a girl child before its birth. They need to be educated and this can be possible only through spreading female literacy. Along with this, there should be sustained propaganda against child marriage and strict and deterrent punishment for persons or institutions indulging in the illegal practice of termination of girl child. In North India, some of the States have such a skewed sex ratio that it will take a long time to correct it. The sudden spurt in crimes against women is a visible side effect of low birthrate of females in comparison to males in India. If proper and effective measures are not taken now, the problem would keep affecting the social fabric of India and undermine the position of women in Indian Society.
Or
(b) Answer any two of the following:
- Why is note-making necessary? Discuss the methods of note-making. 2+3=5
- What is ‘memo’? What are its uses? 3+2=5
- You are the Manager of a restaurant. Write a memo to your staff, directing them to be more active in customer service. (Do not mention your name.) 5
Or
5. (a) Write the features of a good report. 7
Or
Prepare a report on the observation of Prize Distribution Ceremony of your college held at the end of the College Week. (Do not mention the name of your college.)
(b) Write a paragraph from the outlines given below: 4
Child labour is a serious problem in India – caused because of poverty, illiteracy – children work instead of going to school – parents must send their children to school – government has taken steps to spread education – only education can make a child a proper man.
(c) Write a paragraph on any one of given topics:
- Summer vacation.
- College canteen.
- Library.
UNIT – V
6. (a) The table given below shows the names of some of the most populous countries of the world and the percentage of world population that live there. Write a paragraph collecting information from the table:
Name of the country
|
Total population
|
% of world population
|
China
|
1366070000
|
19
|
India
|
1247770000
|
17.4
|
United States of America
|
318537000
|
4.44
|
Indonesia
|
252164800
|
3.51
|
Brazil
|
202977000
|
2.83
|
Pakistan
|
188020000
|
2.62
|
(b) Answer the following questions collecting information from the table given below:
Name of the district
|
Total population
|
Rate of literacy (%)
|
Rate of male literacy (%)
|
Rate of female literacy (%)
|
Dibrugarh
|
1185072
|
68.96
|
77.30
|
59.95
|
Jorhat
|
999221
|
76.34
|
83.62
|
68.49
|
Sivasagar
|
1051736
|
74.47
|
81.53
|
66.81
|
Tinsukia
|
1150062
|
60.95
|
70.15
|
50.78
|
Questions:
- Which district has the highest population? 1
- Which district has the lowest population? 1
- Which district has the highest rate of literacy? 1
- Which district has the lowest rate of literacy? 1
- Which district has the second highest male literacy? 1
(c) The pie chart given below shows the division of land use of village. Write a few sentences on the basis of the information provided therein: 5
(d) Look at the photograph and write a paragraph on it:
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