MODEL QUESTION PAPER

(Effective from the academic year 2024-2025)

SR GUDLAVALLERU ENGINEERING COLLEGE

Seshadri Rao Knowledge Village, Gudlavalleru 521 356
Semester-End Examinations: I B. Tech – Semester I / II
COMMUNICATIVE ENGLISH
Time: 3 hours Maximum Marks: 70

Note: This question-cum-answer booklet consists of 22 pages. Questions are printed on all
pages except pages 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 17 and 22. You may use page 22 for rough work. Strike
out the rough work by drawing a line through it before handing in the answer script.

PART A
1. Answer all the following questions as directed. 20 x 1 = 20

Choose synonyms for the underlined words and write their letters (a, b, c or d) in the
brackets.

a. Knowledge is the most precious treasure of all things because it can never be given away or
stolen or consumed. ( )
(i) dreadful (ii) valuable (iii) commonplace (iv) insignificant
b. He is a prolific writer. He has published ten novels and five collections of short stories.
(i) unproductive (ii) limited (iii) productive (iv) rare ( )
c. He felt a deep sense of pride after completing the challenging project. ( )
(i) humiliation (ii) apathy (iii) comfort (iv) achievement

d. She had to suffer a lot after her husband’s death. But with great resilience, she bounced back
from her sufferings. ( )
(i) delicateness (ii) flaw (iii) strength (iv) courage

Choose antonyms for the underlined words and write their letters (a, b, c or d) in the
brackets.

e. His behavior at the party was quite peculiar and confused many of the guests. ( )

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 (i) normal (ii) bizarre (iii) eccentric (iv) unusual
f. The agile movements of the gymnast impressed everyone at the competition. ( )
(i) nimble (ii) clumsy (iii) quick (iv) graceful
g. We couldn’t complete the project on time because the resources provided were inadequate.
(i) sufficient (ii) insufficient (iii) deficient (iv) meagre ( )
h. The team was ecstatic after winning the championship. ( )
(i) cheerful (ii) unhappy (iii) energetic (iv) confused

Fill in each blank choosing between the two commonly confused words in brackets.

i. She was ........................ (quiet / quite) pleased with the results of her project, because they
were far better than her expectations.

j. I think I have said enough. I don't want to discuss the matter any ................. (farther / further).

2. Choose the right answer to each question and write its letter in the space given.

a. Which one of the following sentences follows the Subject+Verb+Object structure? ( )

(i) The students are in the classroom (ii) She quickly ran
(iii) The chef cooked a delicious meal (iv) John is tall

b. Which sentence follows the Subject+Verb+Indirect Object+Direct Object structure? ( )

(i) Swathi gave myself a gift (ii) The professor taught the lesson to the students
(iii) He handed the report to his boss (iv) The teacher gave the students homework
c. Which one of the following sentences has the correct word order? ( )
(i) Quickly she the homework finished (ii) She quickly finished the homework
(iii) She finished quickly the homework (iv) The homework she quickly finished
d. Which sentence has the correct subject-verb agreement? ( )
(i) The list of items are on the table (ii) The dogs barks loudly.
(iii) Time and tide waits for none (iv) Each of the students were given a book.

e. In which sentence does the subject agree with the verb? ( )

(i) Everyone in class need to study.
(ii) Some of the grapes in our local market comes from Kashmir.
(iii) Mathematics are required subject for a college degree.
(iv) Here comes the famous star from that movie.

f. Which one of the following sentences is correct? ( )

(i) A large number of soldiers has died for the country.

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 (ii) A large number of soldiers have died for the country.
(iii) A large number of soldiers are died for the country.
(iv) A large number of soldiers is died for the country.

Fill in the blanks choosing the right prepositions.

g. The cat is hiding __________ the sofa. ( )

(i) under (ii) between (iii) on (iv) with
h. The report was compiled _______ data sources before the presentation. ( )
(i) from (ii) with (iii) by (iv) on

i. Which sentence is in the passive voice? ( )

(i) My car has been stolen.
(ii) The teacher explained the concept clearly.
(iii) I don’t remember when I did it.
(iv) The children are playing in the park.

j. Which one of the following is the correct passive form of the sentence, “Her father burnt the
house.”? ( )
(i) The house has been burnt by her father.
(ii) The house was burnt by her father.
(iii) The house was being burnt by her father.
(iv) The house had been burnt by her father.

PART B

In all, 5 questions should be answered in this part.

Questions 3 and 4 are compulsory. Answer both (a) and (b) in each of these two questions;
they carry 5 marks each.
In the case of questions 5-10, you can choose between 5 and 6, 7 and 8, and 9 and 10. Each
question carries 10 marks.

Marks: 5 x 10 = 50

3. Read the passage given below and answer the two questions (a and b) that follow.

Don't soothe kids with digital devices

A new study published in the journal, Frontiers in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, finds that
children who are offered tablets, smartphones and other digital devices, when they throw a
tantrum, will not learn to regulate their emotions.

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These digital pacifiers may lead to worse behavioural issues and impact their ability to manage
anger later in life. Children learn about emotional regulation and affective responses to different
situations in the first few years of life.
To find out the impact of the recent trend of giving children digital devices to calm them,
researchers from Hungary and Canada asked more than 300 parents of two-to-five-year-olds to
complete questionnaires on their media use, first in 2020 and again one year later. Children
whose parents used digital devices more often to calm them down had worse anger and
frustration management skills a year later.
"Tantrums cannot be cured by digital devices," the lead researcher said. She added, "Children
have to learn how to manage their negative emotions for themselves. They need the help of their
parents during this learning process, not the help of a digital device."
Courtesy of: The Week, 4 August 2024
tantrum - a sudden short period of angry, unreasonable behaviour, especially in a child

a. Answer each question in about 50 words. In the case of multiple-choice questions, write
the number of your answer (i, ii, iii or iv) in the spaces provided.
Marks: 5 x 1 = 5

1. What is (many) people's belief about the effect of digital devices on children when they
have a tantrum?

2. What is the lead researcher's opinion on this belief? ( )

i. She finds her research supporting the belief.
ii. She asserts on the basis of her study that the belief is untrue.
iii. She argues on the basis of her study that digital devices should be used sparingly.
iv. She finds a contradiction between earlier studies and her own research on this
subject.

3. What do you think was the purpose of asking the parents to complete a questionnaire
again in 2021?

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 4. When children throw a tantrum, many parents give them digital devices to pacify them
instead of spending time with them and helping them regulate their emotions. Why do
you think they do so?

5. The purpose of the study was ( )

i. to measure the emotional levels of children with addiction to digital devices.
ii. to find out the effect of giving children digital devices to pacify them.
iii. to find out the impact of digital devices on children’s tantrums.
iv. to find out to what extent digital devices can pacify children when they throw a
tantrum.

b. Write an imaginary discussion as suggested below. Marks: 1 x 5 = 5

The study described above has found that digital devices do not have a positive effect on children
in managing and regulating their emotions. In the cases studied in the survey, they have only had
a harmful effect. This raises a question: What alternative strategies can parents use to help their
children regulate their emotions?

Please remember that it is a complex issue. It is easy to say that instead of attempting to soothe
their children with digital devices, parents must spend quality time with their children and help
them manage their emotions. To what extent is this really possible? In the modern world, a large
number of families are nuclear ones in which both parents are working to ensure a secure
financial footing. But, at the same time, childcare and other domestic responsibilities should not
be neglected. What do parents earn money for after all? Is it possible for parents to adopt a
combination of different strategies instead of simply offering digital devices when their children
throw a tantrum?

Explore different possibilities in your imaginary discussion with three or four friends and arrive
at a solution.

The discussion must have at least ten exchanges consisting of 150-200 words.

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4. Answer the following two questions as directed.

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a. Rishi Kumari is your new roommate. Having joined the BTech course late, she has missed
classes for about a month, but she is confident that she can work hard and catch up with the
other students. But the language lab work is rather confusing to her. It is because she has
never seen a language lab before.

Write an imaginary conversation between you and Rishi Kumari. Through a series of
interesting exchanges, give Rishi Kumari an idea of a language lab, what kind of work the
language lab syllabus demands, and what work you have done in the SRGEC language lab
so far. Reassure her that, with your help, she can pick up things in just about a week, and
that, given her intelligence level, she can even outmatch the others.

Use informal language because the participants in the conversation are friends after all.
Avoid getting into lecture mode just because you are providing information. The fixed
phrases for conversations ("useful expressions") you have studied on the course may come
in handy.

Length: 2 pages

Marks: 1 x 5 = 5

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b. Switch roles now. You are Rishi Kumari, and your roommate, Evangeline, has advised
you to seek the permission of the Principal for using the language lab from 4.00 to 6.00 pm
every day for one week. Evangeline has promised to be with you during those two hours to
help you get acquainted with the language lab work.

Write a letter to the Principal. In the letter, mention all the relevant facts and request his
permission. Use the right format and formal language.

Length: 1½ - 2 pages Marks: 1 x 5 = 5

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5. This question has two parts -- (a) and (b). Answer both.

a. Fill in each blank with a suitable word from the boxes to make acceptable collocations.
Marks: 5 x 1 = 5

take successful false acquired facilitated

i. The trainer is discussing strategies for a ............................................. career in business.

ii. The popular television channel, Star Vijay, has ............................................. the satellite

rights to the movie, Baahubali 2: The Conclusion.

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 iii. At the meeting, our Chairman encouraged all the teachers to .............................................

advantage of the training opportunities the college was offering.

iv. It was a very engaging session, and it generated quite a lot of ideas. An expert from the

university ............................................. the discussion.

v. Vani was determined not to be fooled by any further .............................................

promises.

b. Complete the following paragraph choosing appropriate cohesive devices from the boxes.

Marks: 5 x 1 = 5

as a result despite on the contrary for instance furthermore

A healthy diet is crucial to overall well-being. ............................................., consuming a variety

of fruits and vegetables provide essential vitamins and minerals that the body needs to function

properly. ............................................. foods rich in fiber aid digestion and help maintain a

healthy weight. ............................................., many people continue to choose processed foods

that are high in sugar and unhealthy fats. ............................................., poor dietary choices can

lead to serious health problems, such as obesity and heart disease. .............................................

the negative effects of an unhealthy diet, some individuals struggle to change their eating habits.

Nevertheless, adopting a balanced diet can significantly improve energy levels and reduce the

risk of chronic illnesses.

OR

6. This question has two parts -- (a) and (b). Answer both.
a. In each exchange below, there is one error commonly found in Indians' use of English.
Correct it. Rewrite the corrected sentence in the space given.
Marks: 5 x 1 = 5
i. Ram: Hi, Sana! How are my cooling glasses?

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 Sana: Nice. But why are you wearing them even at night?

...........................................................................................................................................

ii. Sufi: Madam, we are meeting this evening, aren’t we?

Dr Potluri: No, Sufi, I’m afraid not. I have to go for shopping this evening. How about
tomorrow morning? At ten?
...........................................................................................................................................

iii. Peter: Hi, Gopi! You’re going to the canteen, isn’t it?
Gopi: Yes, Peter. For a cup of coffee. Do join me.

...........................................................................................................................................

iv. Deepthi: You’re panting for breath, Raghu. What’s the matter?

Raghu: I was held up at the gate, Deepthi; there was a long queue. I came running

whybecause I didn’t want to be late.

................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................

v. Doctor: You have flu-like symptoms, Sravan.

Sravan: Flu? Is it something like pneumonia, doctor?

Doctor: No, no, that is different, this is different. But both have similar symptoms.

...........................................................................................................................................

b. Fill in the blanks choosing the right articles. If no article is required in a sentence, write
“no article” in the blank.
Marks: 5 x 1 = 5

i. I have enrolled for an art course in ……………….. (a / an) university.

ii. It looks as though it’s going to rain. Why don’t you take ……………….. (a / an)

umbrella?

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 iii. Thanks to digital transactions, you don’t get to see small denomination notes nowadays.

Have you seen ……………….. (a / an) one rupee note recently?

iv. .................... (the / no article) Honesty is the best policy.

v. .................... (the / no article) Ganga is the longest river in India.

7. Make a summary of the following text, reducing it to about one-third of its original
length. Give a suitable title to your summary.

Make a rough draft first. After making all the corrections in it, copy it out neatly in the
space given for the fair draft. Then strike out the rough draft. Marks: 1 x 10 = 10

In most textbooks – whether they are on environmental studies, science, mathematics or English
– women are depicted as stereotypes in traditional occupations such as washing, cooking, house-
keeping, fetching water, and sewing.

The gender bias and stereotyping is reflected at all levels – themes, language and visuals – even
in books that present general and scientific information. There are lessons on ‘a farmer, his land,
and his son.’ In a family, the person who is worried is often the father, and his worry is almost
always about the marriage of his daughters. Men are depicted as achievers and women are
portrayed as the ‘women behind successful men.’ Men are shown as agriculturalists, scientists,
doctors and inventors, while women are presented as workers doing household chores.

Even in mathematics textbooks, shopkeepers, merchants, mechanics, watch-makers and bankers

are almost always men. Even in illustrations in science textbooks, the students who are
performing experiments and engaged in discussion are boys. Girls are shown only in passive
roles.

Most books allocate “home-keeping” for girls and “home-ruling” for boys. This kind of “gender
apartheid” is an attempt to ghettoize girls and segregate girls and boys in ways that perpetuate
male control. Unless this gender bias is eliminated from our curriculum in general and textbooks
in particular, education will continue to strengthen the stereotyping of men and women.
(218 words)
stereotype -- a belief or idea of what a particular type of person or thing is like
gender apartheid -- discrimination against individuals because of their sex

ROUGH DRAFT

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 FAIR DRAFT

TITLE:

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 OR

8. Write a paragraph of 100-120 words on the following topic.

Marks: 1 x 10 = 10

SOCIAL MEDIA IS FAST REPLACING TRADITIONAL JOURNALISM

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9. Read the passage from 'The Gift of the Magi' given below and answer each question that
follows in not more than 50 words. In the case of multiple-choice questions, write the
number of your answer [i, ii, iii or iv] in the spaces provided.
Marks: 10 x 1 = 10

She found it at last. It surely had been made for Jim and no one else. There was no other like it in
any of the stores, and she had turned all of them inside out. It was a platinum fob chain, simple
and chaste in design, properly proclaiming its value by substance alone and not by meretricious
ornamentation -- as all good things should do. It was even worthy of The Watch. As soon as she
saw it, she knew that it must be Jim's. It was like him. Quietness and value -- the description
applied to both. Twenty-one dollars they took from her for it, and she hurried home with the
eighty-seven cents. With that chain on his watch, Jim might be properly anxious about the time
in any company. Grand as the watch was, he sometimes looked at it on the sly on account of the
old leather strap that he used in place of a chain.

a. 'She found it at last.' What did she find at last?

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b. Why did she want to buy it?

c. Why did Jim look at the watch "on the sly" sometimes?

d. "Quietness and value -- the description applied to both." This means that in Della's
assessment ( )
i. both the chain and Jim were worthy of each other.
ii. both the watch and the chain were worthy of each other.
iii. both the chain and Jim had substance without being showy
iv. both the chain and Jim were valuable because they were quiet.

e. "With that chain on his watch, Jim might be properly anxious about the time in any
company." This means ( )

i. that Jim might often look at his watch on the pretext of checking the time in order to
show off the platinum fob chain.
ii. that Jim might often look at his watch on the pretext of checking the time to make sure
that the watch with its expensive chain was secure.
iii. that Jim might often be checking the time because of his worry about wasting his time
in the company.
iv. that Jim might often look at his watch to remind himself of Della's sacrifice and feel
sorry.

f. "The Watch" -- the capitalisation of the first letters of these two words suggests ( )
i. that it is the only watch of its kind in the world
ii. that it is the only watch in their family
iii. that Della regards the watch as very important
iv. that "The Watch" is the name of Jim's watch

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g. '...and she had turned all of them inside out.' Did Della really turn all those stores inside out?

h. 'She found it at last' -- What does "at last" suggest? ( )

i. after so many days
ii. after a long search
iii. at the end of the day
iv. after a good deal of bargaining

i. Pick out one word from the passage which is the opposite of "meretricious ornamentation"
and write it in your answer book.

j. The paragraph indicates that when Della at last found what she wanted, her feeling was one
of (choose the most appropriate word) ( )
i. anxiety
ii. excitement
iii. surprise
iv. satisfaction

OR

10. Answer the following questions on 'Elon Musk' and 'The Power of Intrapersonal
Communication.' In each case, write the number of your answer [i or ii] in the space
given.
Marks: 10 x 1 = 10

a. Zip2 was ....................................

i. an internet city guide
ii. an underground system

b. PayPal is ....................................
i. a business directory
ii. an online financial services company

c. SpaceX was founded with the goal of ....................................

i. reducing space transportation and enabling human colonisation of Mars
ii. providing online maps for newspapers

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d. The world's first high-performance electric car was ....................................
i. Tesla's Roadster
ii. Tesla's Powerwall

e. Neuralink is ....................................
i. a nanotechnology start-up
ii. a high-speed transportation start-up

f. Positive self-talkers ....................................

i. keep a self-reflective journal
ii. tell themselves that they are capable

g. A person's world view depends on ....................................

i. his/her seeking the views of others
ii. his/her beliefs and attitudes

h. When one's decisions are aligned with one's values,

....................................
i. there is value-orientation in one's actions
ii. one is likely to succeed in one's actions

i. Negative self-talk is associated with

....................................
i. adaptive thinking
ii. anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem

j. Positive affirmation can boost ....................................

i. one's egoism
ii. one's self-esteem

FOR ROUGH WORK

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