Anna University B.E HL 0101 - TECHNICAL ENGLISH Question paper

[sams.raghu]

B.E./B.Tech.. DEGREE EXAMINATIONS – JANUARY 2008.

FIRST SEMESTER

HL 0101 - TECHNICAL ENGLISH

(Common to all branches of B.E./B.Tech. – 4yrs and 3yrs courses including Ex B.Sc.)

Time : Three hours Maximum : 100 marks

SECTION 1-(20 x 2 =40 marks)

Answer ALL the questions.

1.   Make antonyms of the following words by adding suitable prefixes :

(a) rational (b) intelligible (c) toxic (d) pious

2.   Match the words in column A with their meanings in column B :

Column A    Column B
(a) Feasibility    exhaust
(b) Option    productive   
(c) Deplete    choice
(d) Constructive    possibility

3. Frame sentences using the given phrases:
(a) Switch over    (b) gone down

4.   Fill in the blanks with suitable prepositions:
Students ___________ engineering are provided ____________ opportunities ________ get practically trained _________ industries / workshops while doing their courses.

5.   Define the following terms:
a.   Capacitor b. Radar

6.   Fill in the blanks by using correct form of the word that agrees with the subject:
a.   Every one of the labourers ____________ (is / are) given a reward.
b.   Neither of the combatants ____________ (was / were) able to beak the record.

7.   Fill in the blanks with appropriate form of the verbs:
Once upon a time, a little orphan boy ___________ (live) with h is relatives who _______ (treat) him harshly. ________ (fright) That he _________ (punish) severely he ____ (escape).

8.   (a) Transfer the following simple sentence into a compound sentce:
The teacher appreciated the student for her brilliance.
(b) Change the following compound sentence into a complex sentence:
The students have a test and so they are studying.

9.   Fill in the blanks with suitable articles:
Just imagine ______ biology teacher explaining __________ respiratory system or just _______ body part like _________ larynx, to the class.

10.   Give the American English equivalents of the following British English words:
a.   Lift
b.   Aerial

11.   Give the American spelling for the following words:
a.   Analyse
b.   Caliber

12.   Change the following into impersonal passive statements:
a.   They treat water chemically
b.   You cannot change the past.

13.   complete the following sentences suitably
a.   if atmospheric pollution becomes worse, ____________.
b.   If you had approached him ___________________.

14.   Fill in the blanks with comparative forms of the Adjectives given in brackets:
a.   The weather this year is ____________ (bad) than last year.
b.   This movie is __________ (dreadful) than the previous one.

15.   Rewrite as directed:
a.   Listening sill is as important as speaking (into comparative degree)
b.   No other acid is powerful as aqua regia (into superlative degree)

16.   Expand the following compound nouns:
a.   Concrete structure
b.   Friction losses

17.   analyse the sentence pattern in the following sentences:
a.   I met him in Madras last week
b.   They made him the chief secretary.

18.   frame sentences for the following patterns:
a.   S+V+C
b.   S+V+IO+DO

19.   edit the following passage:
The English language came to England with the Germanic tribes who overran England in the fifth century old English borrowed many words from Scandinavian language.

20.   Describe the process of preparing lime tea.


SECTION II - [5 X 12 = 60 MARKS]

21.   Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:
Ozone, a molecule made up of three atoms of oxygen, comprises a layer of the atmosphere that absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. chlorine atoms, mainly from man made chloroflurocarbons or CFCs, break apart ozone molecules.

Chlorine compounds used in human activities such as electronics, manufacturing and refrigeration are a primary cause of the ozone hole. A large area of intense ozone depletion occurs annually over Antartica during late August through yearly October. The hole typically breaks up as ozone levels increase in late November.

The atmospheric ozone layer over Antarctica declined to record low levels this year due to the combination of an usually cold winter and the continued presence of man made chlorine chemicals reported by US scientists. The surface area covered by the so called, 'ozone hole' in 1993 over 23 million square kilo metres or about twice the size of the Antarctica land mass, was nearly as large as the record 1992 ozone hole.

INSTRUMENT, a Russian satellite orbiting the earth, measured the concentration of ozone over a region
Near the south pole at less than 100 dobson units. This measurements made at the center of the ozone hole was confirmed by balloon and ground based instruments

A Dobson unit is a measure for the physical thickness of the ozone layer. The balloon born measurements also indicated that the Antarctica ozone layer was totally destroyed between the altitudes of 13.5 and 19 kilo metres, creating an ozone void of 5.5 kilo metre thickness.

Deep ozone holes will continue to form annually into the next century. Herman an American scientist, said, 'this situation will persist until the stratospheric chlorine levels decrease'.

The ozone layer is expected to heal itself and become thicker as a result of CFC cutbacks, mandated by an international treaty called the Montreal Protocol.

(a) State whether the following statements are True or False :

(i) Ozone is helpful in the process of absorbing certain radiation creating bad effect.

(ii) Ozone depletion never takes place in the universe.

(iii) The 1993 Ozone hole is considered to be the largest as per the world record.

(iv) Dobson units are used for measuring the effects of danger of ozone.

(b) Read the passage carefully and then choose the responses which best reflect the meaning of the text :

(i) Ozone layer is found

(1) Near the north pole

(2) Near the south pole

(3) As a sheet of the atmosphere

(4) At both south pole and north pole .

(ii) The Ozone molecules break apart due to

(1) The ultra violet radiation

(2) The heat of the sun

(3) The planetary movements

(4)   The levels are intermediary

(c) Choose the meaning which best fits the following words as they are used in the text :

(i)   Radiation

(1) Gathering (2) spreading out

(3) Accumulating   (4) penetrating

(ii)   Depletion

(1)    Production    (2) removal

(3) Moisturisation   (4) reduction

(iii) Decline

(1) becoming weaker   (2) becoming thicker

(3)    becoming stronger   (4)   becoming rough

(iv) Altitude

(1)    length    (2)   breadth

(3) height    (4)   circumference

22. Write a letter to the Editor of a newspaper expressing your concern about the increase in the number of road accidents.

23. Rearrange the following jumbled sentences in the correct order :

(a) A quick reading will give a basic idea of the passage.

(b) If he correct answer is not immediately apparent, check if the option fit in with the meaning
and the structure of both the sentence and the passage

(c) Finally use discretion and judgement to choose the correct option from the remaining choices.

(d) Answering cloze tests requires analytical skills.

(e) The second reading should be accompanied with a reading of the options given after the
Passage.

(f) And then eliminate choices that do not clearly fit in the sentence.

24. Write a paragraph of 200 words describing the uses of internet.

25. Transcode the following flow chart into a passage of 150 words :


Cellulose shredded wood
Pulp



Dissolved




Solution of Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda)


Setting bath of dil. Sulphuyic acid


Spinneret


Treads are drawn



Wound on reel


Washed


Dried on roller


Wound on bobbin





26. Read the following passage and make notes on it :

Most robots of today consist of little more than a mechanical arm and a computer memory . The
Memory allows the arm to repeat a simple motion like moving a part from one work-bench to
Another, Because its memory can store a collection of such motions, the robot can switch quickly
from one simple task to another. It will not complain of boredom, bulk at job demarcation lines,
take as tea-break or go sick.

This faithful servant is also a stupid one. It has no problem-solving "intelligence". Also it our senses
That would alert it.


If say , the part that it was meant to pick up was upside down – or not there at all. A robot is less
Capable than a man groping in the dark. At least a man can tell by touch if he merely bumps into
Something.

Although robots are gradually gaining more senses and more "brains", to-days growth in robotics
has come about largely because industry has learnt how to accommodate these mindless ,
mechanical workers. The automobile industry, which employs some 60 percent of the worlds 20,000
robots , has been leading the way to applications.

That should be no surprise. Assembly-line production is repeated with the sort of simple, repetitive jobs that robots can do so well. Robots are being put to work loading and unloading conveyors, welding car bodies together and spray-painting the finished product. Parts of a car have long been carried to human workers on conveyor belts. It takes only a bit of careful engineering to ensure that the parts sent along to robots are presented in precisely the same position each time. Given that accommodation to their senseless, robots can boost productivity with their untiring speed, and boost quality with their mindless ability to do the same job in exactly the same way every time.

Even smaller manufacturers are finding places for robots in their factories. Some are simply using robots to perform tasks like loading and unloading moulds and presses, which are similar to the jobs, jobs robots do in assembly-line plants.

27. Write a letter to the Manager, ASEAN solutions, Ahmedabad, seeking permission to undergo in-plant training for a week. Assume suitable names and addresses. State your reasons for choosing their company.

28. Describe in two paragraphs the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear power as an alternative source of energy (200) words.