ENGLISH (PRECIS & COMPOSITION)

TIME ALLOWED: THREE HOURS

MAXIMUM MARKS: 100

NOTE: 

(i)    SUBJECTIVE PART to be attempted on separate answer book.

(ii)   Attempt ONLY FOUR questions from SUBJECTIVE PART. ALL questions carry EQUAL marks.

(iii)  All the parts (if any) of each Question must be attempted at one place instead of at different places.

(iv)  Write Q. No. in the Answer Book in accordance with Q. No. in the Q. Paper.

(v)    No Page/Space should be left blank between the answers. All the blank pages of the Answer Book must  be crossed.

(vi) Extra attempt of any question or any part of the question will not be considered.

SUBJECTIVE PART

Q2. Write a précis of the following passage and suggest a suitable title: (20)
The incomparable gift of brain, with its truly amazing powers of abstraction, has rendered obsolete the slow and sometimes clumsy mechanisms utilized by evolution so far. Thanks to the brain alone, man, in the course of three generations only, has conquered the realm of air, while it took hundreds of thousands of years for animals to achieve the same result through the process of evolution. Thanks to the brain alone, the range of our sensory organs has been increased a million fold, far beyond the wildest dreams, we have brought the moon within thirty miles of us, we see the infinitely small and see the infinitely remote, we hear the inaudible, we have dwarfed distance and killed physical time. We have succeeded in understanding them thoroughly. We have put to shame the tedious and time-consuming methods of trial and error used by Nature, because Nature has finally succeeded in producing its masterpieces in the shape of the human brain. But the great laws of evolution are still active, even though adaptation has lost its importance as far as we are concerned. We are now responsible for the progress of evolution. We are free to destroy ourselves if we misunderstand the meaning and the purpose of our victories. And we are free to forge ahead, to prolong evolution, to cooperate with God if we perceive the meaning of it all, if we realize that it can only be achieved through a whole-hearted effort toward moral and spiritual development. Our freedom, of which we may be justly proud, affords us the proof that we represent the spearhead of evolution: but it is up to us to demonstrate, by the way in which we use it, whether we are ready yet to assume the tremendous responsibility which has befallen us almost suddenly.

Q3. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: (20)

The vitality of any teaching, or historical movement, depends upon what it affirms rather than upon what it denies, and its survival and continued power will often mean that its positives are insufficiently regarded by opposing schools. The grand positives of Bentham were benevolence and veracity: the passion for the relief of man’s estate, and the passion for truth. Bentham’s multifarious activities, pursued without abatement to the end of a long life, were inspired by a “dominant and all-comprehensive desire for the amelioration of human life”; they were inspired, too, by the belief that he had found the key to all moral truth. This institution, this custom, this code, this system of legislation– does it promote human happiness? Then it is sound. This theory, this creed, this moral teaching – does it rightly explain why virtue is admirable, or why duty is obligatory? The limitation of Bentham can be gauged by his dismissal of all poetry (and most religion) as “misrepresentation’; this is his negative side. But benevolence and veracity are Supreme Values, and if it falls to one of the deniers to be their special advocate, the believers must have long been drowsed. Bentham believes the Church teaches children insincerity by making them affirm what they cannot possibly understand or mean. They promise, for example, to fulfill the undertaking of their god—parents, that they will “renounce the devil and all his works, the pomp and vanity of this wicked world” etc. ‘The Devil” Bentham comments: “who or what is he, and how is it that he is renounced?” Has the child happened to have any dealings with him? Let the Archbishop of Canterbury tell us, and let him further explain how his own “works” are distinguished from the aforesaid “Pomp and Vanity”. What king, what Lords Temporal or Spiritual, have ever renounced them? (Basil Willey)

Questions

(a) What does the writer mean by the following expressions?

Multifarious activities, amelioration of human Life, it is sound, be their special advocate, Renounce the devil, drowsed, gauged, aforesaid.

(b) On what grounds does Bentham believe that the Church teaches children insincerity?

(c) What is Bentham’s philosophy based upon?

(d) What according to the writer is Bentham’s limitation? Teaches children insincerity?

(e) In what context has the Archbishop of Canterbury been quoted i.e. is he praised or condemned?

Q.4. Correct (if needed) only FIVE of the following: (10)

  1. The small child does whatever his father was done.

  2. You need not come unless you want to.

  3. There are not many men who are so famous that they are frequently referred to by their short names only.

  4. The man to who I sold my house was a cheat.

  5. Little money I had I spent on the way.

  6. They were all shocked at his failure in the competition.

  7. He is too important for tolerating any delay.

Q.5 (a) Punctuate the following passage. (5)

sammy and ralph were snowmen sammy was ralphs cousin sammy was a very proper little snowman and ralph was a rebel ralph always wanted to do things differently while sammy always wanted to do what he was supposed to do because ralph wanted to be different he wore sunglasses a yellow flowered tourist hat and a bright blue shirt he also carried a briefcase sammy wore a blue top hat a striped scarf and carried a shovel ralph did have one traditional snowman characteristic that was the same as sammys however like all snowmen he had handsome orange carrot nose.

(b) Re-write the following sentences (ONLY FIVE) after filling in the blanks with appropriate prepositions. (5)

  1. There were secret police ____ the crowd. (in, between, into, among)

  2. We first met ____ a party. (in, at, by, on)

  3. The church is situated ____ a hill. (on, upon, top, atop)

  4. We came ____ car. (from, on, at, by)

  5. There is a police car _____ us. (behind, after, back, before)

  6. The class will start ____ 6pm. (at, by, from, on)

  7. He has opted Political science _____ History of USA for CSS Exam. (in, before, besides, despite)

Q.6. Use ONLY FIVE of the following in sentences which illustrate their meanings. (10)

  1. Establish an alibi

  2. Take something amiss

  3. To hang fire

  4. Cry in the wilderness

  5. Under a cloud

  6. The early bird catches worm

  7. Blink the fact

  8. Bad blood

Q.7. Translate the following Urdu paragraph into English by keeping in view figurative/ idiomatic expression. (10)

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