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English I · End Term · 22 Dec 2024 (Afternoon)

BSHS1001 · 60 questions · 100 marks · 90 min

Answer key Take as mock

Indian Institute of Technology Madras

BS Degree Programme · Examination & Study Paper

BSHS1001 · English I

End Term · 22 Dec 2024 (Afternoon)

Official Paper

Examination Instructions & Guidelines

Solve on notebook/paper first before checking solutions.
MCQ: Exactly 1 option is correct. Negative marking applies.
Scientific calculator allowed for all calculations.
Official answer key is sealed at the end of this sheet.

Read the passage below, then answer Q1–Q15
Read the following passage and answer the given subquestions:
The young man slumps against a lamp post.
A buzzing aura of insects around his face.
Some spiral down to their deaths, scorched by the heat of the lamp. Rasping, they fall on his chest, arms and legs. He doesn’t throw them off. Or make an attempt to move away. He lies, staring at the makeshift shop in front of him.
The shop: a broken cot with a board nailed to it. Small, fat mangoes heaped in a corner. Bottles of sticky boiled sweets sitting uncertainly on the edge. From a distance, they look filled with colour. Like a palm fan, the old cot-shop woman’s thin hand, laden with bangles, flaps this way and that, trying to keep the flies away.
Peanuts heaped in a cone. He stares intently at them. A still mess of tiny worms, glistening in the lamplight. He feels a mad desire. Brush that thin waving hand out of the way. Grab the peanuts and run. But to do this, he must get up. He knows he cannot. His legs have gone to sleep. Heavy, wooden.
He looks around him. Dead insects on both sides of his body. What if his body goes stiff forever? He tries to swallow the thick gob of saliva pushing at the walls of his cheeks. It is an effort. In the end, the saliva stays stuck to the roof of his mouth. He tightens his lips into a stitch.
A massive back cuts his line of vision and hides the cot-shop. He feels relieved, even thankful. He closes his eyes.
His stomach, worn thin like a cotton rag, pulls into a spasm. His limbs feel like straw. He must find something to eat. How long can this go on? But then, get up—and do what? Maybe he should stretch out and go to sleep.
A hoarse, loud voice startles the evening, shattering its twilight calm. A song. From the film showing in the theatre outside which he lies. The hairs on his forearms rise. His body jerks into tremors. It’s a while before it dies down, accepting the blare that hits it.
(From Current Show by Perumal Murugan, translated by V. Geetha)
Q1MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Key ↓
Based on the given passage, what does the word ‘buzzing’ imply?
1. ASound that bees make when flying
2. BThe sound of rain
3. CA very loud sound
4. DNone of these
Q2MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Key ↓
‘Makeshift’ in the given passage means?
1. AA hand-built shelter
2. BA temporary arrangement
3. CA permanent arrangement
4. DNone of these
Q3MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Key ↓
In the passage, the word ‘stiff’ means ______.
1. AExtremely flexible
2. BSoft and malleable
3. CExtremely pliable
4. DDifficult to bend or move
Q4MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Key ↓
The word ‘hoarse’ in the given context means _____.
1. AA pleasing sound
2. BAn inaudible sound
3. CRough sound
4. DA pleasant sound
Q5MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Key ↓
‘Tremors’ here refers to ____.
1. ABrash movement
2. BSlight, shaky movement
3. CSudden movement
4. DNone of these
Q6MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Key ↓
The young man was startled by a song from the movie theatre.
1. ATrue
2. BFalse
Q7MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Key ↓
The young man is sleeping, satisfied, after a full meal.
1. ATrue
2. BFalse
Q8MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Key ↓
Why did the young man want to run away with the peanuts?
1. ATo sell them
2. BTo plant them
3. CTo satisfy his hunger
4. DAll of these
Q9MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Key ↓
What stopped the young man from running away with the peanuts?
1. AHe did not want to steal from an old person
2. BHe did not like peanuts
3. CThere was police nearby
4. DHe was unable to get himself to move
Q10MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Key ↓
Fill in the blank with the correct answer: His stomach, worn thin like a cotton rag, pulls into a spasm. His limbs feel like straw. He must find _______________ .
1. Asomething to do
2. Bsomething to eat
3. Csomething to watch
4. Dsomething to drink
Q11MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Key ↓
Spiral/Dies
1. AAgainst
2. BInto
3. CUp
4. DAround
5. EDown
Q12MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Key ↓
Looks
1. AAgainst
2. BInto
3. CUp
4. DAround
5. EDown
Q13MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Key ↓
Slumps
1. AAgainst
2. BInto
3. CUp
4. DAround
5. EDown
Q14MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Key ↓
Get
1. AAgainst
2. BInto
3. CUp
4. DAround
5. EDown
Q15MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Key ↓
Jerks/Pulls
1. AAgainst
2. BInto
3. CUp
4. DAround
5. EDown
Read the passage below, then answer Q16–Q25
Read the following article and answer the given subquestions.
Indigenous People May Have Created the Amazon’s ‘Dark Earth’ on Purpose
Indigenous people in the Amazon may have been deliberately creating fertile soil for farming for thousands of years. At archaeological sites across the Amazon River basin, mysterious patches of unusually fertile soil dot the landscape. Scientists have long debated the origin of this “dark earth,” which is darker in color than surrounding soils and richer in carbon. Now, researchers have shown that the indigenous Kuikuro people in southeastern Brazil intentionally create similar soil around their villages. [Edit i] The finding, presented December 16 at the American Geophysical Union meeting, adds evidence to the idea that the Amazonians deliberately manufactured such soil long-ago. [Edit ii] In doing so, these early inhabitants may have inadvertently stored massive quantities of carbon in the soil, says study presenter Taylor Perron, an earth scientist at MIT. [Edit iii] The technique, he says, could provide a blueprint for developing methods of sustainably locking atmospheric carbon in tropical soils, helping fight climate change.
The Western world has long viewed the Amazon as a vast wilderness that was relatively untouched before the Europeans showed up. At the center of this argument is the idea that the Amazon’s soil, which is poor in nutrients, precluded its inhabitants from developing agriculture at a scale required to support complex societies. But a slew of archeological finds in recent decades — including the discovery of ancient urban centers in Amazonian areas of modern-day Bolivia — has revealed that people were actively shaping the Amazon for thousands of years before the arrival of the Europeans. Perron and his colleagues reviewed interviews of the Kuikuro people conducted by a Kuikuro filmmaker in 2018. Those conversations revealed that the Kuikuro villagers actively make dark earth — eegepe in Kuikuro — using ash, food scraps and controlled burns. “When you plant where there is no eegepe, the soil is weak,” explained the elder Kanu Kuikuro in one of the interviews. “That is why we throw the ash, manioc peelings and manioc pulp.” [Edit iv] The team found “striking similarities” between dark earth samples from ancient and modern sites, says Perron. Both were far less acidic than surrounding soils — probably thanks to the neutralizing effect of ash — and contained higher levels of plant-friendly nutrients.
These analyses also revealed that dark earth holds twice the amount of carbon as surrounding soils on average. The technique highlights how the ancient people were able to thrive in the Amazon by developing sustainable farming that doubled as a carbon-sequestration technique. With more and more greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere, making dark earth — or something like it — could be a method of mitigating climate change while supporting agriculture in the tropics. “People in the ancient past figured out a way to store lots of carbon for hundreds or even thousands of years,” Perron says. “Maybe we can learn something from that.” Adapted from: Kreier, Freda. “Indigenous People May Have Created the Amazon’s ‘Dark Earth’ on Purpose.” Science News, 05 Jan, 2023, https://www.sciencenews.org/article/indigenous-people-created- amazon-dark-earth.
Q16MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Key ↓
Proofread the sentence marked in bold as [Edit i] to improve the article. [Edit i] The finding, presented December 16 at the American Geophysical Union meeting, adds evidence to the idea that the Amazonians deliberately manufactured such soil long-ago.
1. AThe finding, presented on December 16 at the American Geophysical Union meeting, adds evidence to the idea that the Amazonians deliberately manufactured such soil long- ago.
2. BThe finding, presented in December 16 at the American Geophysical Union meeting adds evidence to the idea that long-ago Amazonians deliberately manufactured such soil.
3. CThe finding, presented at December 16 at the American Geophysical Union meeting, adds evidence to the idea that long-ago, Amazonians deliberately manufactured such soil.
4. DThe finding, presented december 16 at the American Geophysical Union meeting, adds evidence to the idea that Amazonians deliberately manufactured such soil long- ago.
Q17MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Key ↓
Punctuate the sentence marked in bold as [Edit ii] correctly to improve the article. [Edit ii] In doing so, these early inhabitants may have inadvertently stored massive quantities of carbon in the soil, says study presenter Taylor Perron, an earth scientist at MIT.
1. A“In doing so, these early inhabitants may have inadvertently stored massive quantities of carbon in the soil, says study presenter Taylor Perron, an earth scientist at mit.
2. B“In doing so, these early inhabitants may have inadvertently stored massive quantities of carbon in the soil,” says study presenter Taylor Perron, an earth scientist at MIT.
3. CIn doing so these early inhabitants may have inadvertently stored massive quantities of carbon in the soil, says study presenter Taylor Perron an earth scientist at MIT.
4. D“In doing so these early inhabitants may have inadvertently stored massive quantities of carbon in the soil,” says study presenter Taylor Perron an earth scientist at MIT.
Q18MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Key ↓
Punctuate the sentence marked in bold as [Edit iii] correctly to improve the article. [Edit iii] The technique, he says, could provide a blueprint for developing methods of sustainably locking atmospheric carbon in tropical soils, helping fight climate change.
1. A“The technique, he says, could provide a blueprint for developing methods of sustainably locking atmospheric carbon in tropical soils, helping fight climate change.”
2. B“The technique he says could provide a blueprint for developing methods of sustainably locking atmospheric carbon in tropical soils, helping fight climate change.”
3. C“The technique,” he says, “could provide a blueprint for developing methods of sustainably locking atmospheric carbon in tropical soils, helping fight climate change.”
4. D“The technique,” he says could provide a blueprint for developing methods of sustainably locking atmospheric carbon in tropical soils helping fight climate change.”
Q19MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Key ↓
Punctuate the sentence marked in bold as [Edit iv] correctly to improve the article. [Edit iv] The team found “striking similarities” between dark earth samples from ancient and modern sites, says Perron.
1. A“The team found striking similarities between dark earth samples from ancient and modern sites” says Perron.
2. B“The team found ‘striking similarities’ between dark earth samples from ancient and modern sites,” says Perron.
3. CThe team found ‘striking similarities’ between dark earth samples from ancient and modern sites, says Perron.
4. D“The team found “striking similarities” between dark earth samples from ancient and modern sites,” says perron.
Q20MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Key ↓
Which of the following can be considered an example of technical vocabulary used in the article?
1. ACarbon sequestration
2. BSlew
3. CFood scraps
4. DMysterious patches
Q21MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Key ↓
State true or false. The below-given is an example of an effective concluding sentence that gives a suggestion without making a prediction. “People in the ancient past figured out a way to store lots of carbon for hundreds or even thousands of years,” Perron says. “Maybe we can learn something from that.”
1. ATrue
2. BFalse
Q22MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Key ↓
Which of the following does the article NOT attempt to do?
1. AIt shows that scientific evidence can disprove some of Europe’s preconceived notions about the Amazon.
2. BIt shows that the Kuikoro people’s technique might be helpful in teaching us to sustainably store atmospheric carbon in the soil.
3. CIt shows the importance of manioc peelings and manioc pulp in developing a model of sustainable carbon sequestration for the future.
4. DIt shows that the ancient people of the Amazon may have had their own techniques of sustainable farming in a soil that was not rich in nutrients.
Q23MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Key ↓
State true or false. A working knowledge of the Kuikuro language is a prerequisite to understand this article.
1. ATrue
2. BFalse
Q24MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Key ↓
“When you plant where there is no eegepe, the soil is weak,” explained the elder Kanu Kuikuro in one of the interviews. “That is why we throw the ash, manioc peelings and manioc pulp.” Study the quote given above. The article uses this quote to _____.
1. AEmphasise the feelings of the Kuikuro people
2. BReveal that the Kuikuro villagers actively make “dark earth”
3. CAllow room for disagreement
4. DTo mitigate climate change
Q25MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Key ↓
With more and more greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere, making dark earth — or something like it — could be a method of mitigating climate change while supporting agriculture in the tropics. In the above-given sentence, the relevance of the modal verb is that
1. AIt shows that the source of the article is not credible
2. BIt is a unifying strategy for the article
3. CIt offers comparison and contrast
4. DIt allows room for disagreeing with the idea
Read the passage below, then answer Q26–Q30
Read the passage and answer the given subquestions.
People came to him when the patient ____(1)_____ (is) on his last legs. Dr. Raman often burst out, ‘Why couldn’t you have come a day earlier?’ The reason was obvious—____(2)_____ (visit) fee twenty-five rupees, and more than that, people liked to shirk the fact that the time had come to call in Dr. Raman; for them there was something ominous in the very association. As a result, when the big man ______(3)____ (come) on the scene, it was always a quick decision one way or another. There was no scope or time for any kind of wavering or whitewashing. Long years of practice of this kind had _____(4)____ (breed) in the doctor a certain curt truthfulness; for that very reason his opinion was valued; he was not a mere doctor _____(5)_____ (express) an opinion but a judge pronouncing a verdict. The patient’s life hung on his words. This never worried Dr. Raman. He never believed that agreeable words ever saved lives.
Q26MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Asked 17 times Key ↓
Choose the correct option for blank (1).
1. AIs
2. BWas
3. CWere
4. DAre
Q27MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Asked 17 times Key ↓
Choose the correct option for blank (2).
1. AVisiting
2. BVisited
3. CVisits
4. DVisit
Q28MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Asked 17 times Key ↓
Choose the correct option for blank (3).
1. ACome
2. BComes
3. CCame
4. DComing
Q29MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Asked 17 times Key ↓
Choose the correct option for blank (4).
1. ABred
2. BBreeds
3. CBreeding
4. DBreed
Q30MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Asked 17 times Key ↓
Choose the correct option for blank (5).
1. AExpress
2. BExpressed
3. CExpressing
4. DHad expressed
Read the passage below, then answer Q31–Q35
Based on the above data answer the given subquestions.
Q31MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Asked 15 times Key ↓
Plume
1. APortal
2. BArmoire
3. CFeather
4. DTimber
5. ESatchel
Q32MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Asked 15 times Key ↓
Bag
1. APortal
2. BArmoire
3. CFeather
4. DTimber
5. ESatchel
Q33MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Asked 15 times Key ↓
Door
1. APortal
2. BArmoire
3. CFeather
4. DTimber
5. ESatchel
Q34MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Asked 15 times Key ↓
Cupboard
1. APortal
2. BArmoire
3. CFeather
4. DTimber
5. ESatchel
Q35MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Asked 15 times Key ↓
Log
1. APortal
2. BArmoire
3. CFeather
4. DTimber
5. ESatchel
Read the passage below, then answer Q36–Q40
Complete the telephonic conversation given below with most polite and correct responses. Receptionist: Good afternoon, Verma Enterprises. (i) _______________________
Caller: Hello, this is Usha Patel from Vision Tech. Can I speak with Raghu Nath in IT?
Receptionist: Sure, ma’am. What's the purpose of your call?
Caller: I need to discuss the new software integration.
Receptionist: (ii) ___________________________________
Raghu: Hi, this is Raghu Nath in IT. How can I help?
Caller: Hello, Raghu. This is Usha from Vision Tech. I want to go over the new software integration details.
Raghu: Sure, we plan to start next Monday and finish in two weeks. Does that work?
Caller: Yes, will there be any downtime?
Raghu: About an hour during setup, scheduled off-peak.
Caller: Great. (iii) ___________________________
Raghu: I'll email it by the end of the day.
Caller: (iv) __________________Looking forward to working with you.
Raghu: No problem, Usha. Reach out if you need anything.
Caller: Will do. Thanks. Bye.
Raghu: (v) _________________
Based on the above data answer the given subquestions.
Q36MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Asked 40 times Key ↓
Which among the following is an appropriate response for blank (i)?
1. AWhat’s your problem?
2. BHow can I help you?
3. CWhat do you expect me to do?
4. DWhat’s the matter with you?
Q37MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Asked 40 times Key ↓
Which among the following is an appropriate response for blank (ii)?
1. APlease hold while I transfer your call
2. BStay on hold for a moment, and don’t speak
3. CKeep quiet!
4. DBe on hold, buddy!
Q38MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Asked 40 times Key ↓
Which among the following is an appropriate response for blank (iii)?
1. AI want to meet the manager
2. BSend the schedule if you want!
3. CCan we plan the meeting for this week?
4. DCan you send a detailed schedule?
Q39MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Asked 40 times Key ↓
Which among the following is an appropriate response for blank (iv)?
1. AI am not working on the project, Raghu
2. BHow can I help you, Raghu?
3. CThanks, Raghu
4. DI will not be attending the meeting, Raghu
Q40MCQ2 Marks·Choose one option
Asked 40 times Key ↓
Which among the following is an appropriate response for blank (v)?
1. AI am on a conference call
2. BBye, Usha
3. CI will be speaking with the manager
4. DI will handle the project, Usha
Q41MCQ1 Mark·Choose one option
Asked 14 times Key ↓
Choose the correct sentence that demonstrates proper subject verb agreement
1. ABoth the book and the pen is on the table.
2. BBoth the book and the pen are on the table.
3. CBoth the book and the pen be on the table.
4. DBoth the book and the pen am on the table.
Q42MCQ1 Mark·Choose one option
Asked 3 times Key ↓
Choose the sentence with the correct preposition.
1. AShe is allergic of cats.
2. BShe is allergic with cats.
3. CShe is allergic to cats.
4. DShe is allergic by cats.
Q43MCQ1 Mark·Choose one option
Asked 3 times Key ↓
Identify the incorrect sentence among the two based on the usage of the verb:
1. AI know the answer.
2. BI am knowing the answer.
Q44MCQ1 Mark·Choose one option
Asked 4 times Key ↓
The consonant cluster in the word flip is an instance of _________.
1. AInitial CC
2. BFinal CC
3. CInitial CCC
4. DFinal CCC
Q45MCQ1 Mark·Choose one option
Asked 2 times Key ↓
The compound word ice-cold is stressed on the ___________.
1. AFirst syllable
2. BSecond syllable
3. CNo stress
Q46MCQ1 Mark·Choose one option
Asked 6 times Key ↓
The word ‘entrepreneur’ has _____ syllables.
1. A2
2. B3
3. C4
Q47MCQ1 Mark·Choose one option
Asked 2 times Key ↓
Choose the correct option. She has ______ too hard today.
1. AWorks
2. BBeen working
3. CWorking
Q48MCQ1 Mark·Choose one option
Asked 4 times Key ↓
Choose the future perfect continuous tense sentence from the following options:
1. AYou will win the exam
2. BYour mother will love you forever
3. CShe will have been learning to drive a car for three hours
4. DWill she do it again?
Q49MCQ1 Mark·Choose one option
Asked 14 times Key ↓
Thousand rupees ___________ the fine for that traffic violation.
1. AIs
2. BWill
3. CWere
4. DAre
Q50MCQ1 Mark·Choose one option
Asked 7 times Key ↓
Fill in the blank with the most suitable phrasal verb. The culprit, overwhelmed by guilt, _____ in front of the jury.
1. ABroke down
2. BBroke apart
3. CBroke up
4. DBroke out
Q51MCQ1 Mark·Choose one option
Asked 4 times Key ↓
Fill in the blank with the most suitable modal verb. Your prospective employer _____ file a petition on your behalf with USCIS for you to come to the USA as a temporary nonimmigrant worker. Hint: To denote a binding obligation imposed by the government.
1. ACan
2. BMust
3. CMight
4. DCould
Q52MCQ1 Mark·Choose one option
Asked 3 times Key ↓
Fill in the blank with the most appropriate phrase/idiom corresponding to the meaning provided. He disliked having to confront his father, but he knew that he would just have to _____. Intended meaning: To force yourself to do something difficult or unpleasant and face the consequences, or to be brave in a difficult situation.
1. ABeat a dead horse
2. BMiss the boat
3. CBite the bullet
4. DZip his lip
Q53MCQ1 Mark·Choose one option
Key ↓
Which word is both a noun and a verb?
1. AHappy
2. BQuickly
3. CPlant
4. DBeautiful
Q54MCQ1 Mark·Choose one option
Key ↓
"Whose book is this?" What type of pronoun is 'whose'?
1. APersonal
2. BPossessive
3. CInterrogative
4. DRelative
Q55MCQ1 Mark·Choose one option
Asked 3 times Key ↓
Identify the adverb of manner:
1. AHere
2. BNow
3. CQuickly
4. DVery
Q56MCQ1 Mark·Choose one option
Asked 4 times Key ↓
Which sentence uses an adjective in the comparative degree?
1. AThis is a good book.
2. BThat was the best movie ever.
3. CShe's smarter than her brother.
4. DHe's very tall.
Q57MCQ1 Mark·Choose one option
Asked 2 times Key ↓
"an hour" Why is 'an' used instead of 'a'?
1. A"Hour" begins with a vowel letter
2. B"Hour" begins with a vowel sound
3. CIt's an exception to the rule
4. DBoth "Hour" begins with a vowel letter and "Hour" begins with a vowel sound
Q58MCQ1 Mark·Choose one option
Asked 7 times Key ↓
Which /p/ sound in the word people is aspirated?
1. A/p/ in the first syllable
2. B/p/ in the second syllable
3. CBoth /p/ sounds are aspirated
4. DNo /p/ sounds are aspirated
Q59MCQ1 Mark·Choose one option
Asked 4 times Key ↓
Consider the sentence Jane was a rebel when she was young. The word rebel in this sentence is stressed as _________.
1. A
2. B
Q60MCQ1 Mark·Choose one option
Asked 6 times Key ↓
Which semi-vowel occurs in the transition between the words “she” and “actually” in the sentence “I can’t believe she actually remembered”?
1. A/w/
2. B/y/

Official Key

Master Answer Key & Explanations

Official answer keys from IIT Madras BS past papers. Click any question to review.

Reveal Key

Q1A

Q2B

Q3D

Q4C

Q5B

Q6A

Q7B

Q8C

Q9D

Q10B

Q11E

Q12D

Q13A

Q14C

Q15B

Q16A

Q17B

Q18C

Q19B

Q20A

Q21A

Q22C

Q23B

Q24B

Q25D

Q26B

Q27A

Q28C

Q29A

Q30C

Q31C

Q32E

Q33A

Q34B

Q35D

Q36B

Q37A

Q38D

Q39C

Q40B

Q41B

Q42C

Q43B

Q44A

Q45B

Q46C

Q47B

Q48C

Q49A

Q50A

Q51B

Q52C

Q53C

Q54C

Q55C

Q56C

Q57B

Q58A

Q59A

Q60B

Questions and answer keys are reproduced from the official IIT Madras BS papers. BTechi is not affiliated with IIT Madras.