HSC-14

Part A : Grammar (40 Marks) [Answer any eight questions out of nine.]

1.      Complete the passage with suitable verbs from the list. Put them in the correct tense. Use the negatives where necessary.

obtain

run

regard

take

redefine

come

go

Education is (a) _________ as the yardstick of development. Development and education (b) ________ hand in hand (c) _________ degrees is not prime objective of education. Education has to be (d) ____ ______. It is high time we (e) ________ measures to spread education.

2.      Fill in the blanks with suitable prepositions.

I leave the house at around 7:30 am. In the morning to avoid the traffic and get behind my desk before 8. I usually start my day by going (a) ___ ______ the overnight e-mails. By 9:00 am. People start going (b) ______ ___ my office (c) ________ abhor meetings/ discussions. During the course of the day I read various reports, review business and credit proposals and make decisions (d) _________ a variety of topics. There are numerous formal internal/ external meeting and there are several committees (e) ________ which I sit.

3.      Use articles where necessary. Put a cross (x) where an article is not needed.

(a) _________ newspaper is called (b) _________ storehouse of knowledge. In the morning we eagerly wait for a newspaper. We cannot do a single day without newspaper. It contains the news of (c) ________ entire world. We can get (d) _________ news of (e) ________ world. It plays (f) _________ important role in creating public (g) _________ opinion. Through newspaper we know (h) _________ culture of another country. (i) _________ economist can write articles on economics. (j) __ _______ essayist can write essays and they are published through newspapers.

4.      Fill in the blanks with suitable linking words from the list.

often

as

when

in stead of

rather

once

because

for that reason

(a)________ in a little village of America there lived a man called Rip Van Winkle. He was gentle and kind. (b)_________ he was always willing to run errands and do little jobs for them, the people of the village liked him. (c) _________ Rip came along, the children shouted with joy for they knew that he liked nothing better than to take part in the games. (d) _________ he would sit in the cool shade of a tree and tell them fine tales of India and witches and fairies. One thing made Rip unhappy and that was work. (e)________ he was very poor and his wife and children were always hungry and ill- clad.

5.      Make meaningful sentences with the following idioms (any five).

Get by heart, apple of one’s eye, take after, fresh blood, far fetched, lean against, beyond one’s means.

6.      Rewrite the following in the reported speech.

“Have you ever been to Cox’s Bazar?” I asked Hasan, “No, I have never gone there,” replied Shahadat. “But I long for visiting the place.” “I had an opportunity to visit the sea-beach last year,” said Hasan. How charming the scenery is!”

7.      Read the following passage and transform the underlined sentences as directed.

a)      The effects of deforestation are too many to describe (Complex).

b)      This destruction disturbs our ecological balance (Interrogative).

c)      It causes serious damage to the soil (Passive). If we cut trees at random, the country will one day turn into a great desert. The temperature will rise.

d)     The greenhouse effect will be caused by it (Active).

e)      Ultimately the country will be unsuitable for living (Negative).

8.      Fill in the blanks with tag questions.

One day he was sitting alone in his beautiful flower garden. He was speaking to himself.

a)      Everybody loves flower, __________?

b)      Today flowers are used on different occasions, __________?

c)      We need flower to greet our honorable guests, __________?

d)     Now many people cultivate flowers, __________?

e)      This will better the living condition of the poor flower peddlers, __________?

9.      Complete the following sentences.

a)      As you sow, so __________.

b)      Although Bangladesh is a populous country it ________.

c)      He is my teacher who _________.

d)     I wish I __________.

e)      He took up a part-time job so that __________.

ANSWER

Part A : Grammar

1.      Right form of verbs

(a) regarded; (b) go; (c) Obtaining; (d) redefined; (e) took.

2.      Appropriate prepositions

(a) through; (b) to; (c) for; (d) on; (e) on.

3.      Use of articles

(a) the; (b) the; (c) the; (d) the; (e) the; (f) an; (g) x; (h) the; (i) An; (j)   An.

4.      Use of linking words

(a) Once; (b) As; (c) When; (d) Often; (e) For that reason.

5.      Making sentences with phrases & idioms

Get by heart : You have to get the poem by heart.

Apple of one’s eye : His only son is the apple of his eye.

Take after : He takes after his father.

Fresh blood : We need a fresh blood to boost the some banking sector.

Far-fetched : The whole story sounds far-fetched.

Lean against : You should not lean against the wall.

Beyond one’s means : It is beyond my means to buy a car.

6.      Changing the form of speech

Hasan asked Shahadat if he (s) had ever been to Cox’s Bazar. Shahadat replied in the negative and said that he had never gone there but added that he longed for visiting the place. (Then) Hasan said that he had an opportunity to visit the sea- beach the previous year and exclaimed with joy that the scenery was very charming.

7.      Transformation of sentences

a)      The effects of deforestation are so many that none can describe them.

b)      Doesn’t this destruction disturb our ecological balance?

c)      Serious damage is caused to the soil by it.

d)     It will cause the green house effect.

e)      Ultimately the country will not suitable for living.

8.      Tag questions

One day he was sitting alone in his beautiful flower garden. He was speaking to himself.

a)      Everybody loves flower, don’t they?

b)      Today flowers are used on different occasions, aren’t they?

c)      We need flower to greet our honorable guests, don’t we?

d)     Now many people cultivate flowers, don’t they?

e)      This will better the living condition of the poor flower peddlers, won’t it?

9.      Completing sentences

a)      As you sow, so you reap.

b)      Although Bangladesh is a populous country it is full of natural resources.

c)      He is my teacher who teacher us English.

d)     I wish I were a bird.

e)      He took up a part-time job so that he could defray his educational expenses.