English Sample Paper
(Reading and Writing Test)
Candidates are required to answer the questions in their own words as far as practicable. The figures in the margin indicate full marks.
1. Read the following passage and do the activities that follow. (10)
Health means different things to different people. To some, it means not having pains anywhere in the body. Others think of it as being free of illness or disease. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Most people just think of the last part of the definition “the absence of disease or infirmity”, but apparently there is more to health than just that. Let us look at the other three aspects mentioned in the definition- “complete physical, mental and social well-being.”
Physical health means how well all the different parts of the body function. Mental health refers to the ability to think clearly and sensibly, and social well-being means the ability to make and keep relationships with other people. All these different aspects are necessary for the complete health of the individual.
In the East, we have our own definitions of health. The Hindus do not consider the body and the spirit as separate from each other but as an integrated whole. Both body and the spirit are an integral part of human beings. The Taoists believe that both body and mind should be in a state of balance. According to Buddhists, the mind and the body are in unison. This means that health is not confined to the well-being of the body alone, spiritual, mental, and social health also has to be considered.
A) Write down the antonyms of the following words. (2)
a) wellness b) presence
B) Answer the following questions in a sentence. (4)
a) What does the WHO stand for?
b) What do you mean by mental health?
c) What is the Taoists’ position on health?
d) What do the Buddhists say about body-mind relation?
C) State whether the following statements are true or false. (4)
a) Health only means the absence of disease.
b) Different parts of the body's functions are physical health.
c) Mind is an integral entity of health for the Hindus.
d) Thinking sensibly and clearly pertains to mental health.
3) Read the passage and answer the questions given below. (10)
As I grew older, I began to resent that it seemed forbidden for a girl to think about things other than fashion and beauty matters. All the time I was admitting My Little Aunt, the little devil in me was judging her, whispering this and that. I grew tired of her ‘fashion talk’. To me, it seemed time-consuming, not so constructive, and even worthless. When I got older, I used to insult her with comments like ‘Auntie, is there anything you can think of other than shoes and bags?’ or “This is all so foolish, I’d rather talk about something worth talking about.” Nevertheless, I would impress my peers with all the fashion and beauty tips of an aunt who had passed down to me. My adolescent years were full of conflict between the longing to be like her and my refusal to become one of her kind.
Later, she became a Special Education teacher in a college. Now, she would talk about how happy she was being with children and she was learning the meaning of life from her students. She would often say, “I’m so lucky to have such a good job, Rozy, Sis.” It was only when I grew much older and got married that I came to realize how lucky I am to have an aunt who can have a good conversation with me. Nowadays, she gladly advises me, not only on fashion and beauty but also on everything from married life to our careers. She not only made my childhood happy but also made my whole life richer by becoming my life’s mentor. Come what may, I know there’s always someone that I can count on. My little aunt will always be there, ten years ahead of me.
A. State whether the statements are true or false. (4)
a) The narrator started hating her aunt and her fashion when she got older.
b) The narrator used to communicate tips about fashion.
c) Rozy was very proud to be a teacher.
d) The aunt was ten years younger than Rozy.
B) Answer the following questions in short. (4)
a) What did Rozy use to think of her aunt’s fashion talk?
b) How did Rozy insult her aunt?
c) Why did Rozy feel she was lucky to have her aunt?
d) What did she learn as a teacher in college?
C) Write down the synonyms of the following. (2)
a) exhausted b) valueless
4) Read the given advertisement and answer the questions given below. (15)
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
Dalit Development Forum (DDF), an organization working for the upliftment of rural Dalit communities invites applications from qualified and experienced Nepali citizens for the following posts for implementing a project related to local good governance in Dolpa District.
1. Executive Director (1): The incumbent with a Bachelor’s Degree, preferably a Master’s Degree in any field and 3 to 5 years of experience in the related field may apply.
2. Administrative cum Account Officer (1): The incumbent with Bachelor’s Degree and 3 to 5 years experience in the related field is eligible to apply.
3. Messenger (1): The incumbent with SLC and 2 to 3 years experience in the related field is eligible to apply.
For the post 1 and 2, candidates should possess fluency in English both written and spoken and computer literate. Interested candidates are requested to submit a covering letter and the latest resume to: dalitdf@yahoo.com no later than February 25, 2009. Salary, perks, and other facilities shall be as per the organization’s rules and regulations. The selection committee has the right to accept or reject all the applications received. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for further proceedings.
Dalit women and those belonging to the minorities are strongly encouraged to apply.
A) Match the following columns. (4)
Column A Column B
a) Upliftment a) educated
b) Incumbent b) qualified
c) Eligible c) improvement
d) Literate d) an official
B) Complete these sentences with the correct information in the ad. (3)
a) The company has vacancies for the posts of ……..
b) …….is the deadline for submitting the application.
c) Application can be submitted through………..
C) Answer the following questions. (8)
a) Who is more preferred for post 2?
b) State the requirements for post-2.
c) How much salary is promised for posts 1 and 2?
d) Who makes the final decision for the applicants?
5) Relate the circumstances that led the young man to renounce his claim over the right to own two million. (5)
Or
Explain how the writer brings a stark contrast between the city dwellers and the country dwellers in the aftermath of the atomic war.
6). Develop the given outlines into a readable story with a suitable title and a moral. (6)
Two goats …..narrow bridge…..come from two opposite directions…..both want to pass at the same ….both reach in the middle of the bridge and say ‘let me go first’………both remain standing for minutes ……..both get angry and fight…….both fall into the river and die…
7. Write an essay on “Racial Harmony” in about 200 words. (12)
8) Rewrite the following sentences choosing the correct option from the brackets. (6)
……..moon causes tides. (A/An/The/-)
Look at those people swimming ……pool.(in/at/on)
Someone is calling you, ...…..? (isn’t he/is he/ aren’t they)
People …… know what the future will bring. (doesn’t/don’t/won’t)
I …… … how this problem can be solved. (can’t know/ doesn’t know/ don’t know)
He goes to school on foot. The correct “How- question” for the statement is: ………. (How does he go to school?/ How did he go to school?/ How does he goes to school?)
My friends …… me at the bus park tonight. (have met/are meeting/ will have met)
Did you see the accident? Alternatively, The policeman asked me if …….(I saw the accident/I had seen the accident / I have seen the accident)
The details should be checked. It can be said or rewritten as "They ……..the details". (should have checked/ should be checked/ should check)
What’s the name of the man …….is standing there? (whom/who/whose)
If I had been to Japan, I ……………… Hiroshima. (will visit/would have visited/would visit)
My father is a good man. He gets all of us ……hard. (to work/work/worked)
9) Choose the correct answer from the brackets to complete the following text and copy them in your answer booklet. (5)
When you are invited to a meal in Thailand, the words of invitation literally mean ‘come and eat rice.’ Indeed, nearly all Thai dishes are eaten with rice, which ……..(grows/grows/grew) there very easily as …..(a/an/the) climate is warm and there is plenty of rain. Rohman, a Thai, said, “…….. (The food is served /The food was served/ The food had been served) in neatly cut-up pieces.” In the past, the Thai used to eat …..(by/from/with) their hands but most of them use knives and forks these days. Following their traditional way of eating, they …….(wash/ washes/are washing) their right hand in a bowl of water and eat the food. After the meal, the hand ………….(is carefully cleaned/ was carefully cleaned/ was carefully clean). The meal mostly consists of different spicy dishes. They have the meals ……….(serve/served/to serve) in bowls which everyone shares……(because/though/despite) each person doesn’t have own bowl of rice. Thailand has a coastline,……….? (hadn’t it/doesn’t it/isn’t it). If fish and shellfish…………….(are/were/had been) not found in abundance, the meal won’t be complete.
Best of Luck
