B.A./I ENGLISH : Stream B - Paper I
(Spoken English, Reading Comprehension and Written English)
[This paper is meant for those who have passed English in Class X or those who have been permitted to offer it.]
Time : 3 Hours Maximum Marks : 100
Attempt All questions.
1 Your hr-other- lives in another- city. Send him a telegram congratulating him on finding a new job. 10
2. Describe, in about 150 words, your friend's birthday party. 15
3. Write a letter to the municipality complaining about the stray dogs in your locality. 15
4. Read the following passage and answer the questions given at the end. 25
An owl is a bird. There are two basic types of owls typical owls and barn owls. Owls live in almost every country of the world. Owls are mostly nocturnal, meaning they are awake at night. Owls are predators - they hunt the food that they eat. Owls hunt for mice and other small mammals Insects, and even fish. Owls are well adapted l hunting. Their soft, fluffy feathers make their flight nearly silent. They have very good hearing, which helps them to hunt well in the darkness. The sharp hooked beaks and claws of the owl make it very easy to tear apart prey quickly, although owls also cat some prey whole. Owls eyes are unusual. Like most predators, both of the owl's eyes face front.
The owl cannot move its eyes. Owls are far-sighted. which means they can see very well far away... but they can't see up close very well at all. Fortunately. their distant vision is what they use for hunting, and they can see far away even in low light. Owls have facial disks around their eyes, tufts of feathers in a circle around each eye. These facial disks are thought to help with the owl's hearing. Owls can turn their heads 180 degrees. This makes it look like they might be able to turn their heads all the way around, but 180 degrees is all the owl needs to see what's going on all around him. Perhaps because of the owl's mysterious appearance, especially its round eyes and flexible neck, there are a lot of myths and superstitions about owls. Many cultures believe that owls are unusually wise. Because owls are nocturnal, some cultures associate owls with had omens. The screech of the barn owl is considered by many to sound eerily human, like a person screaming. However, owls probably do not interact with the fates of humans at all. In fact. some owl species may become extinct because of humans.
Questions :
(1) What are the types of owls ?
(ii) Where do owls live ?
(iii) Why are owls called nocturnal ?
(iv) What do owls eat ?
(v) What makes the flight of the owl nearly silent
(vi) How can owls hunt well in darkness ?
(vii) What is the reason behind the superstitions about owls ?
(viii) Why are owls associated with had omens ?
(ix) How do ‘facial disks’ help owls ?
(x) State whether true or false :
(a) Owls interact with fates of human.
(b) Many cultures believe that owls are unusually wise.
(c) The sharp hooked beaks and claws of the owl make it very easy to tear apart prey quickly.
(xi) Make sentences of the following words
(a) silent (b) superstition
(xii) Give a suitable title to the passage.
5. Match statements in Column A with responses given in Column B: 5
Column A Column B
(a) Can you tell me the way to the station ? (1) It is bright and sunny.
(b) How is the weather today? (2) Yes, I have.
(c) When will the train arrive ? (3) No, I am busy tonight
(d) Will you come to the party tonight (4) I am sorry I am new to this place.
(e) Have you completed your homework ? (5) At 6 in the evening
6. Complete the following telephonic conversation by filling in the blanks: 5
A: Hello, Can I speak to Mr. B ?
B: ..................
A : I am A. I called to invite you to a party at our place.
B : ..................
A : The party is to celebrate my new job ?
B: ..................
A I joined my new work last week.
B: ..................
A : Thank you and see you in the evening
B: ..................
7. Frame suitable responses for the following situations: 10
(i) You have lost the hook that you borrowed from your friend. How will you apologies '?
(ii) You want to take a bus to Chandigarh. How will you ask the person at the reception about the timing of the bus ?
(iii) How will you ask the hairdresser to give the latest cut '?
(iv) You are not wearing a watch. How will you ask a stranger to tell you the time '?
(v) You like a jacket in a shop. How will ask the shopkeeper for its price ?
8. Fill in the blanks by selecting the most suitable alternative from the ones given in brackets : 15
Once upon a time there ..................(live/lived) a proud lion. One day the lion got ..................(trapped/trap) in the hunter's net. The lion ..................(try/tried) to get out of the net but he ..................(can/could) not. The lion ..................(give/gave) up hope. Just then a little mouse ..................(came/come) along. The lion (request/requested) the mouse to free him from the net. The mouse.................. (began/begin) to cut the net with his sharp teeth. The mouse did not..................(take/took) much time in cutting the net.The lion ..................(become/became) free. The lion..................(thanked/thanks) the mouse. They..................(became/become) good friends and..................(promise/promised) to help each other. The story ..................(teach/teaches) us that everybody ..................(needs/need) help.