HSC Final Model Test
English Second Paper
Time: 3 Hours Full Marks: 100
Part A: Grammar (Marks 60)
- Fill in the Blanks in the following text with articles (a/an/the) as necessary. Some of the blanks may not require any article. Put a (×) in those blanks. 0.5×10=05
Bangladesh is (a) _____ world’s most densely populated country. Our development efforts are frustrated because of (b) _____ great size of our population. (c) _____ population explosion is (d) _____ constant threat to our environment and (e) _____ society. Her population is growing at such (f) _____ high rate that (g) _____ environment may soon fail to supply (h) _____ people with their minimum necessities. It is indeed (i) _____ alarming situation. Something should be done to change (j) _____ situation.
- Complete the text with suitable preposition. 0.5×10=05
Man is fond (a) ___ turning back from the present to the past again and again. Nothing is more pleasant (b) ___ him than memories of his childhood. Whenever I am sick of the present. I try to get relief (c) ___ the past day of my childhood. A man cannot remember everything that happened in his childhood. But certain events are stored in the sub-conscious mind. They sometime peep (d) ___ mind’s eye. My play ground was the bank of mighty Teesta. In all the seasons this river had great attraction (e) ___ me. Whenever I was not (f) ___ home, I could be found (g) ___ its bank. There would be other children also (h) ___ me. We used to row on the river, jump (i) ___ it and swim (j) ___ it.
- Complete the sentences with suitable phrases/words given in the box. 0.5×10=05
| as if | (be) born | there | have to | would rather |
| used to | what if | what’s it like | as soon as | let alone |
a) There is corruption everywhere in our society. So, we _____ work unitedly to root it out.
b) The meeting of today is not important. _____ we postpone it?
c) The old woman _____ starve than beg. She hates begging.
d) We never think him for his behavior. Whenever anyone asks him something, he pretends _____ he were a beggar.
e) Thomas Alva Edison was very intelligent from his childhood. He _____ do many wicked activities.
f) _____ are many reasons why the students of Bangladesh do not get proper education.
g) _____ living in a town? sometimes, you seem to be very much bored with your life in the busy city.
h) I am not good at English. I cannot write a single sentence _____ a full composition in English.
i) I started for the college _____ the train stopped. Yet, I was 30 minutes late to reach the exam hall.
j) Most of the street children do not know where they _____ or where is their home.
4. Complete the sentences using suitable clauses/phrases 0.5×10=05
a) It is known to all that _____. On the other hand, the lazy suffer in the long run.
b) We believe that _____. He studied heart and soul.
c) No sooner had I got down from the train_____. There were some important things in the luggage.
d) Though he was innocent, _____. He was convicted of murder.
e) The economy of Bangladesh is going through a tough time. It is high time _____.
f) Smoking is injurious to health. Those who smoke, _____.
g) Sabbir is not a strong man. He cannot walk one mile at a stretch let alone _____.
h) I did not have enough wealth. _____, I would have set up a hospital.
i) I was really surprised at his behavior. He acted as if _____.
j) He is not a wealthy man. The car is too luxurious for _____.
5. Read the text and fill in the gaps with the correct form of verbs as per subject and context: 0.5×10=05
There are many reasons for which many students in our country (a) ____ (fail) in our country. That English is a foreign language is the main reason. English is as if it (b) ____ (be) a language (c) ____ (mean) for a particular class of people. It (d) ____ (regard) as a sheer wastage of time. They (e) ____ (begin) to cram as though they (f) ____ (consider) cramming is the only way to learn English. But (g) ____ (have) they been earnest in learning English they could have (h) ____ (learn) it easily. Moreover, they are not (i) ____ (motivate) properly. In addition, the text books (j) ____ (not write) according to the need of the learners.
6. Read the text and change the sentences as directed: 05
a. The birds that come to our country in winter are called migratory birds. (Make it Simple)
b. In winter the weather is too cold for them to live in the north. (Complex)
c. They find a better shelter in Bangladesh. (Passive)
d. We must protect them. (Make it Negative)
e. Migratory birds fly faster than the dove. (Make it Positive)
7. Change the narrative style by using indirect speeches. 05
Sohan said to Abir, “Why are you late for school every day?” “I cannot get up early in the morning, so I don’t have enough time to be ready for school,” he said. “How lazy you are!” said Sohan. If you do not change your habit, you will be a cause of sorrows of your parents.”
8. Identify the unclear pronoun references in the passage to make them clear: 05
There lived a man in a village which had a great attraction to English. He went to a teacher to learn English well though he was in dull headed. He tried his best to teach him, but the man learnt only three English words- ‘yes’, ‘no’ and ‘very good’. Though the man did not know the meanings of it, he used them frequently in his conversation with others. He did not understand that a little learning is dangerous and very soon he would be victim of it.
9. Read the following text and use modifiers as directed in the blanks speeches: 0.5×10=05
Long ago there was an (a)___ (pre-modify the noun) king in England. He was tired of ruling and needed rest. He had (b)___ (pre-modify the noun) daughters Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. He made up his mind (c)___ (post-modify the verb with an infinitive phrase) among his daughters. But he first wanted (d)___ (post-modify the verb with an infinitive phrase) how much they loved him. At first the king asked his (e)___ (pre-modify the noun) daughter how much she loved him. Goneril declared that she loved him (f)___ (use an intensifier to modify the verb) than she could say. Lear, the king, was (g)___ (pre-modify the noun) satisfied. He gave one third of the kingdom. Then he asked his (h)___ (pre-modify the noun) daughter Regan. She replied that her love for him would never change. She was able (i)___ (post-modify the adjective with an infinitive) him. So the king gave her another –third of his kingdom. Then it was the turn of Cordelia, the (j)___ (pre-modify the noun) daughter of the king.
- Use appropriate sentence connectors in the blank speeches of the following passage: 0.5×10=05
Feeding the ever-growing population is a big challenge for Bangladesh in the coming decades. (a)___ when the country loses cultivable land every day due to excessive pressure on land for human settlement. (b)___, river erosion and other non-agricultural uses contribute to the loss of agricultural land (c)___, we need some immediate steps to meet the challenge. (d)___, we need more imaginative and effective organizations of productions. (e)___, we can take up “contract farming” for promoting food production. (f)___, we can go for land reclamation in the Bay of Bengal. (g)___, it is essential to improve agricultural production in general. (h)___, support from the public sector is necessary to generate and promote technologies. (i)___, we need bio-technology research and development of hybrid crops and animal species. (j)___, we must develop partnerships with multinational private sector firms and institutions.
- Read the passage and write the antonym or synonym of the words as directed below: 0.5×10=05
Robert Bruce was a famous king. Enemies invaded his kingdom. The king fought bravely but lost the battle. He had to flee from his kingdom to save his life. And he took shelter in a remote cave. The king was always in a gloomy state for his unhappy condition. Once he was lying in the cave. Then he saw a spider trying hard to reach the ceiling of the cave. The spider failed again and again to succeed. But it did not give up hope. Bruce saw the spider climbing to the ceiling after some unsuccessful attempts. This dauntless spider inspired Bruch to shake off the darkness of the despair. He gathered an army of strong men and attacked his enemies. The enemies courted defeat and Robert Bruce regained his kingdom.
a) famous (antonym) b) invade (synonym) c) bravely (antonym) d) flee (synonym) e) remote (antonym) f) gloomy (synonym) g) ceiling (antonym) h) dauntless (synonym) i) defeat (antonym) j) regained (synonym)
12. There are ten errors in the use of punctuation marks in the following text. Re-write the text correcting the errors. 0.5×10=05
One day while going to college I met an old man who had nothing of his own having seen me he began to cry but could not as he was too weak to cry feeling a great pity for him I wanted to know about him what led him to this miserable condition so, I started asking him questions.
- Write an application to the principal of your college seeking permission to go on a study tour. 08
- Write a report on Devastating consequences of drug addiction 08
- Write a paragraph using 100-150 words on “Internet” 10
- Write a composition using 200-250 words on “Students and Social Service” 14
Answer Sheet:
1. a) the b) the c) × d) a e) × f) a g) the h) the i) an j) the
2. a) of b) to c) from d) through e) for f) at g) on h) with i) into j) in
3. a) have to b) what if c) would rather d) as if e) used to f) there g) what’s it like h) let alone i) as soon as j) are born.
4. Complete the sentences using suitable clauses/phrases 0.5×10=05
- a) It is known to all that the industrious persons will shine in their life.
On the other hand, the lazy suffer in the long run.
b) We believe that he would shine in life. He studied heart and soul.
c) No sooner had I got down from the train than I lost my luggage. There were some important things in the luggage.
d) Though he was innocent, he was hung. He was convicted of murder.
e) The economy of Bangladesh is going through a tough time. It is high
time we changed our economy by doing hard work.
f) Smoking is injurious to health. Those who smoke will suffer in the
long run.
g) Sabbir is not a strong man. He cannot walk one mile at a stretch let
alone ten miles.
h) I did not have enough wealth. If I had found much money, I would
have set up a hospital.
i) I was really surprised at his behavior. He acted as if he were mad.
j) He is not a wealthy man. The car is too luxurious for him to buy.
5. (a) fail (b) were (c) meant (d) is regarded (e) begin (f) considered (g) had (h) learnt (i) motivated (j) are not written
6. a. The birds coming to our country in winter are called migratory birds.
b. In winter the weather is so cold for them that they cannot live in the north.
c. A better shelter is found in Bangladesh by them.
d. We cannot but protect them.
e. The dove does not fly as fast as migratory birds.
7. Sohan asked Abir why he was late for school every day. Abir replied that he could not get up early in the morning and so he didn’t have enough time to be ready for school. Sohan exclaimed with wonder and said that he was very lazy. Sohan further said that if he did not change his habit, he would be a cause of sorrows of his parents.
8. There lived a man in a village who had a great attraction to English. He went to a teacher to learn English well though he was in dull headed. The teacher tried his best to teach him, but he learnt only three English words- ‘yes’, ‘no’ and ‘very good’. Though he did not know the meanings of them, he used them frequently in his conversation with others. He did not understand that a little learning is dangerous and very soon he would be victim of it.
9. (a) old (b) three (c) to distribute (d) to know (e) to know (f) more
(g) very (h) second (i) to satisfy (j) youngest
10. (a) especially (b) moreover (c) so (d) again (e) besides
(f) furthermore (g) so (h) for this (i) again (j) in fine
11. a) notorious b) occupy c) cowardly d) escape e) adjacent f) overcast g) floor h) bold i) win j) recovered
12. One day while going to college I met an old man, who had nothing of his own. Having seen me, he began to cry but could not as he was too weak to cry. Feeling a great pity for him I wanted to know about him what led him to this miserable condition. So, I started asking him questions.