CSS EXAMINATION:   ENGLISH (PRECIS & COMPOSITION-2020

FEDERAL PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION COMPETITIVE EXAMINATION – 2020

                                           ENGLISH (PRECIS & COMPOSITION)

 

TIME ALLOWED: THREE HOURS

PART-I(MCQS):         MAXIMUM 30 MINUTES

PART-I (MCQS)     MAXIMUM MARKS = 20 PART-II                                 MAXIMUM MARKS = 80

NOTE: (i) Part II is to be attempted on the separate Answer Book.

(ii)       Attempt ALL questions from PART II.

(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 be left blank between the answers. All the blank pages of the Answer Book must be crossed.

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

 FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING/ASSIMILATION I ATTEMPTED /PREPARED SOME OF THE PREVIOUS PAPERS. SHARE THESE SUBSEQUENTLY FOR THE ASPIRANTS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF INCOMING EXAMINATIONS.

PART-II

CSS Examination
CSS Examination

 

Q. 2.

Write a précis of the following passage and also suggest a suitable title:

(20)

Manto was a victim of some kind of social ambivalence that converged on self-righteousness, hypocrisy, and mental obtuseness. His detractors branded him as vulgar and obscene and implicated him into a long-dawn legal battle questioning the moral validity of his writings. Without being deterred by their negative tactics, he remained firm in his commitment to exploring the stark realities of life offensive to the conservative taste of some self-styled purists. In the line of Freud, he sought to unravel the mysteries of sex not in an abstract, non-earthly manner but in a palpable, fleshy permutation signifying his deep concern for the socially disabled and depressed classes of society, like petty wage-earners, pimps, and prostitutes.

For Manto, man is neither an angel nor a devil, but a mix of both. His middle and lower-middle-class characters think, feel, and act like human beings. Without feigning virtuosity, he was able to strike a rapport with his readers on some of the most vital socio- moral issues concerning them. As a realist, he was fully conscious of the yawning gap between appearance and reality; in fact, nothing vexed him more than a demonstrable duality in human behaviour at different levels of the social hierarchy. He had an unjaundiced view of man’s faults and follies. As a literary artist, he treated vulgarity discreetly — without ever sounding vulgar in the process. Like Joyce, Lawrence, and Caldwell, in Manto’s work too, men and women of the age find their own restlessness accurately mirrored. And like them, Manto was also ‘raised above his own self by his somber enthusiasm’.

A.   TitleManto: A Realist Writer Defying Social Norms

The passage portrays Manto as a realistic writer who faced criticism and legal troubles for his bold depiction of sex and society. He was not deterred by the hypocrisy and prejudice of his opponents but rather exposed the harsh realities of life for the marginalized and oppressed classes. He did not idealize or demonize human nature but showed it as a complex mixture of good and evil. He also used vulgarity as a literary device, without being vulgar himself. He was able to connect with his readers and reflect on their own anxieties and dilemmas. He was inspired by Freud, Joyce, Lawrence, and Caldwell, and shared their passion for literature.

Q. 3.

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given at the end.

(20)

Globalization is viewed by its proponents as a process of cementing economic, cultural and political bonds between peoples of different countries of the world. One may regard it as a process by which they are welded into a single world society, to be termed as global society. It means internationalization of production and labour leading to integration of economies of developing and developed countries into global economy. To quote Rosaberth M.Kanter, “The world is becoming a global shopping mall in which ideas and products are available everywhere at the same time.”

Globalization is a natural outcome of computer networking and electronic mass communication. Information technology has made it possible for nations of the world to contact one another beyond their national borders. Besides, globalization is also promoted through the growth and proliferation of multinational companies and corporations that operate as transporter networks. Anyhow the flow of capital technology and labour across the borders of countries has accentuated the process of globalization.

Deregulation, liberalism and privatization being assiduously pursued in the developing countries are some other manifestations of globalization. These countries are opening their economies to follow these trends. The size of the public sector is shrinking for the private sector to assume an increasingly important role in the economic development of the Third World countries. The downsizing of the public sector is in line with the spirit of market economy. This is suggested as a measure to cover up their fiscal deficit.

 

Questions:                     (4 marks each)

1.  Define globalization.                        2.  What is electronic mass communication?

3.  What does the term Third World denote?  4.       What is privatization?

5.   Explain ‘liberalism’ in the above context.

A. 1. Globalization is the process of strengthening economic, cultural, and political ties between different countries of the world, leading to the formation of a global society and economy.

2. Electronic mass communication is the use of computer networks and digital devices to transmit information and messages to a large and diverse audience across the world.

3. The term Third World denotes developing countries that are often characterized by low income, high poverty, weak governance, and lack of industrialization.

4. Privatization is the transfer of ownership and control of public sector enterprises and services to the private sector, often through selling, leasing, or contracting.

5. Liberalism in the above context refers to the economic policy of reducing government intervention and regulation in the market, and promoting free trade, competition, and individual choice.

 

Q. 4.

Correct only FIVE of the following:                                                                                                                             (10)

(i)      I won him in the race.                           (ii)  He said that I am playing chess.

(iii)    Unless you do not try, you will never succeed.   (iv) He wrote with ink.

(v)     What country he belongs to?                (vi) When he reaches to manhood, he will visit to England.

(vii)   The new session commences from February 1st, 2020.         (viii) Please send this letter on my address.

A. (i) I beat him in the race. (We use ‘beat’ to indicate winning over someone in a competition, not ‘won’)

(ii) He said that he was playing chess. (We use past tense after ‘said’ to report what someone said in the past)

(iii) Unless you try, you will never succeed. (We do not use ‘do not’ after ‘unless’, as it is already a negative word)

(iv) He wrote in ink. (We use ‘in’ to indicate the medium of writing, not ‘with’)

(v) What country does he belong to? (We use ‘does’ to form a question in the present tense, and invert the subject and the verb)

(vi) When he reaches manhood, he will visit England. (We do not use ‘to’ after ‘reaches’ or ‘visit’, as they are not followed by prepositions)

(vii) The new session commenced on February 1st, 2020. (We use past tense to indicate a past event, not present tense) (viii) Please send this letter to my address. (We use ‘to’ to indicate the destination of sending, not ‘on’)

The difference between ‘in’ and ‘on’. These are two common prepositions that are used to show the location or position of something. Here are some general rules and examples:

  • Use ‘in’ when something is inside or enclosed by something else, such as a box, a room, a country, etc. For example:
    • She put the letter in the envelope.
    • He lives in Canada.
    • They are in the library.
  • Use ‘on’ when something is in contact with or supported by a surface, such as a table, a wall, a floor, etc. For example:
    • There is a vase on the shelf.
    • He hung a picture on the wall.
    • She spilled coffee on the carpet.
  • Use ‘in’ to indicate a part of a larger group or category, such as a genre, a field, a team, etc. For example:
    • She works in marketing.
    • He is in the chess club.
    • I like books in the fantasy genre.
  • Use ‘on’ to indicate a part of a written or electronic document, such as a page, a screen, a website, etc. For example:
    • The answer is on page 42.
    • He saw the news on TV.
  • Use ‘in’ to express a time, such as a month, a year, a season, etc. For example:
    • She was born in July.
    • He graduated in 2020.
    • They travel in winter.
  • Use ‘on’ to express a specific day or date, such as a weekday, a holiday, an anniversary, etc. For example:
    • She has a meeting on Monday.
    • He proposed to her on Valentine’s Day.
    • They got married on June 15th.

 

Q. 5.

(a)  Punctuate the following text, where necessary.                                                                     (5)

Letters between relatives and friends are called personal letters the most important thing in such letters is the content don’t begin with a hackneyed phrase like I was delighted to get your letter received your letter or I have often thought of writing to you use a vigorous clear chatty style

A. Letters between relatives and friends are called personal letters. The most important thing in such letters is the content. Don’t begin with a hackneyed phrase like “I was delighted to get your letter”, “Received your letter”, or “I have often thought of writing to you”. Use a vigorous, clear, chatty style.

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

(i)            I was annoyed ——– him.                  (ii)  This train is bound       Gujrat.

(iii) The pistol went ——- by accident.     (iv)   He kept asking silly questions.

(v)  He was knocked ——- by the bus.      (vi)   Do not meddle  my affairs.

(vii) The meeting was put ——– by the Chairman.———- (viii) He rounded                                                                  his speech with a quote from Ghalib.

 

Q. 

A. Here are the re-written sentences:

(i) I was annoyed with him. (We use ‘with’ to express annoyance or dissatisfaction with someone or something)

(ii) This train is bound for Gujrat. (We use ‘for’ to indicate the destination or purpose of something)

(ii)           The pistol went off by accident. (We use ‘off’ to describe a sudden noise or explosion)

(iv) He kept on asking silly questions. (We use ‘on’ to indicate the continuation or repetition of an action)

(v) He was knocked down by the bus. (We use ‘down’ to indicate a forceful impact or collision that causes someone to fall)

(vi) Do not meddle in my affairs. (We use ‘in’ to indicate involvement or interference in something)

    ( Vii)    The meeting was put off by the Chairman. (We use ‘off’ to        indicate postponement or delay of something)

(viii) He rounded off his speech with a quote from Ghalib. (We use ‘off’ to indicate completion or conclusion of something)

 

Use ONLY FIVE of the following in sentences which illustrate their meanings.

(i)   To break the ice (ii)   Nip in the bud    (iii) See eye to eye with

(v)  Tamper with     (vi)   The small hours (vii) Keep up appearances

A . To break the ice: To do or say something that helps people to relax and start a conversation. For example:

  • He told a funny joke to break the ice at the party.
  • She asked me about my hobbies to break the ice during the interview.

(ii) Nip in the bud: To stop or prevent something from developing or growing. For example:

  • He decided to nip the rumor in the bud before it spread further.
  • She nipped the infection in the bud by taking antibiotics.

(iii) See eye to eye with To agree or have the same opinion as someone. For example:

  • I don’t see eye to eye with him on politics.
  • They see eye-to-eye with each other on most issues.

(v) Tamper with To interfere or alter something in a harmful or unauthorized way. For example:

  • Someone tampered with the evidence at the crime scene.
  • He was accused of tampering with the results of the experiment.

(vi) The small hours: The early hours of the morning, usually between midnight and dawn. For example:

  • He stayed up until the small hours studying for the exam.
  • She returned home in the small hours after a long night out.

(vii) Keep up appearances: To pretend that everything is normal or satisfactory, even when it is not. For example:

  • He tried to keep up appearances by smiling and acting cheerful.
  • She kept up appearances by wearing expensive clothes and jewelry.

 

(iv) For good

(viii) Prima facie

(10)

 

 

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