GITAM (Deemed to be University)

Hyderabad
Gandhi School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Semester I – Model Question Paper

Branch: Date:
Subject Code: Duration: 3 Hours
Subject Name: Max. Marks: 60

PART A

I. Answer any five questions given below: (5x3=15 Marks)

a) Differentiate between interpersonal and group communication 3M

b) Match the following definitions with the correct term: 3M

a. The study of body movements and gestures 1.Proxemics

b. The study of space and distance in communication 2. Vocalics
c. Use of time in communication 3. Haptics
d. Appearance, dress culture, accessories 4. Chronemics
e. nonverbal communication competence dealing with touch 5. Artifacts
f. Communication dealing with volume, tone, pitch of voice 6. Kinesics

c) Convert the following words into phonetic transcription:

a. shape b. judge c. money d. coin e. seat f. about

d) Fill in the blanks with appropriate homophones/homographs given in the box. Change
the tense if required.

break/brake rein/rain/ rein sent/scent/cent

board/bored isle/aisle principal/principle

When the ------------entered the classroom, teacher was explaining about a king who
----------- the kingdom. Some students were ------------------- to listen to the lecture
and were sleeping. The teacher walked down -------------------- between the rows of
the desks. She gave a ------------------ and --------------- the students out for ten
minutes.
e) Identify the parts of speech of the underlined words in the paragraph. 3M

One of the most popular photo application is Camera 360 which is a free Android app
and has more filters than any free photo app. It has Magic Skin and Light Colour filters
that help enhance the skin tone and there’s a filter just to highlight your lips. Apart from
a range of black and white Colour filters, this one has some fun features that add ghosts
to the photograph or turn it into a sketch.

f) Skim and Scan the given text and identify the following details: 3M

1. Topic Sentence
2. Main Points
3. Sub-points

The 21st century is witnessing an information revolution in which information processing

and retrieval are being reliably done at incredible speeds. Advances in information
technology has provided us with a wide range of effective communication tools, which has
made communication easier, faster, and more reliable than it used to be. The computer is
the most effective communication tool. There are several factors that have made
computers so popular today. Firstly, computers are able to store a large amount of data due
to their storing capacity. A computer has memory to store data and it is the ability of a
computer to store a large amount of data that has made it popular in offices and
universities. Secondly, computer can process data into meaningful information. That
means that computers can not only store data, they can process them too. Finally,
computers have also the ability to perform fast and accurate calculations.

g) Share your experience of learning English under EGP Course during the first semester
of your BA Programme. Include your experience with the prescribed syllabus, classroom
instructions, assignments and tests while writing a paragraph in about 75 words. 3M

h) Complete the essay by adding ‘Body’ in about 50 words based on the ‘Introduction’
given here. Also, specify the type of the essay. 3M

Should plastic bag be banned nationwide as a way to reduce litter and protect
wildlife? To reduce litter and help protect wildlife, more communities across the
country need to ban plastic shopping bags. This essay will explain why plastic
bags should be banned to reduce litter and protect wildlife.

PART B
Answer the following questions: (9x5=45 Marks)

II. a) The teacher was disappointed with your Power Point Presentation. How do you
define your ‘SMART’ objectives of communication to improve performance in PPT
presentations?
(OR)

b) What is the process of communication? Explain the strategies for effective

communication.
III. a i. Infer the meaning of the words in bold from the given context. 2½M

Macbeth is a brave soldier and a powerful man, but he is not a virtuous one. He is easily
tempted into murder to fulfill his ambitions to the throne, and once he commits his first crime
and is crowned King of Scotland, he embarks on further atrocities with increasing ease.
Ultimately, Macbeth proves himself better suited to the battlefield than to political intrigue,
because he lacks the skills necessary to rule without being a tyrant.
(www.sparknotes.com)
ii. The words in bold represent idioms. Explain the meaning of the idioms used: 2M

My uncle is a couch potato. Once in a blue moon, he gets engaged in a work.

(OR)
b) i. Fill in the blanks with suitable phrasal verbs. 2½M

Take off Turn down look for switch on believe in

Do you _____________ in ghosts? I am very much afraid. Please ------------------ the lights
and _____________ the radio. I will ______________ my coat and _____________ some
book to read.

ii. Identify the stressed syllable of the following words: 2M

a. Regain b. economic c. presentation d. photography

f) IV. a)

(OR)

b)

V. a Read the text below and prepare notes on it.

Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it
may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased
health problems. Body mass index (BMI), a measurement which compares weight and height,
defines people as overweight (pre-obese) when their BMI is between 25 kg/m2 and
30 kg/m2, and obese when it is greater than 30 kg/m2.
Obesity increases the likelihood of various diseases, particularly heart disease, type 2
diabetes, breathing difficulties during sleep, certain types of cancer, and osteoarthritis.
Obesity is most commonly caused by a combination of excessive dietary calories, lack of
physical activity, and genetic susceptibility, although a few cases are caused primarily by
genes, endocrine disorders, medications or psychiatric illness. Evidence to support the view
that some obese people eat little yet gain weight due to a slow metabolism is limited; on
average obese people have a greater energy expenditure than their thin counterparts due to the
energy required to maintain an increased body mass.
The primary treatment for obesity is dieting and physical exercise. To supplement this, anti-
obesity drugs may be taken to reduce appetite or inhibit fat absorption. In severe cases,
surgery is performed or an intra-gastric balloon is placed to reduce stomach volume and/or
bowel length, leading to earlier satiation and reduced ability to absorb nutrients from food.
Obesity is a leading preventable cause of death worldwide, with increasing prevalence in
adults and children, and authorities view it as one of the most serious public health problems
of the 21st century. Obesity is stigmatized in much of the modern world (particularly in the
Western world), though it was widely perceived as a symbol of wealth and fertility at other
times in history, and still is in some parts of the world.

(OR)

b) Read the passage carefully and answer the questions on the basis of the information
provided in the passage. (10 Marks)

Alternative medicine is, by definition, an alternative to something else: modern,

Western medicine. But the term ‘alternative’ can be misleading, even off-putting for
some people. Few practitioners of homeopathy, acupuncture, herbalism and the like
regard their therapies as complete substitutes for modern medicine. Rather, they
consider their disciplines as supplementary to orthodox medicine. The problem is that
many doctors refuse even to recognize ‘natural’ or alternative medicine, to do so calls
for a radically different view of health, illness and cure. But whatever doctors may
think, the demand for alternative forms of medical therapy is stronger than ever
before, as the limitations of modern medical science become more widely understood.
Alternative therapies are often dismissed by orthodox medicine because they are
sometimes administered by people with no formal medical training. But, in
comparison with many traditional therapies, western medicine as we know it today is
a very recent phenomenon. Until only 150 years ago, herbal medicine and simple
inorganic compounds were the most effective treatments available. Despite the
medical establishment’s intolerant attitude, alternative therapies are being accepted by
more and more doctors, and the World Health Organization has agreed to promote the
integration of proven, valuable, ‘alternative’ knowledge and skills in western
medicine.
Choose the correct options. (1 x 4 = 4 Marks)

A. Alternative therapy is often rejected by conventional doctors because

a) it is not beneficial
b) it is misleading
 c) practitioners are usually considered less formally trained

B. Few practitioners of alternative medicine think their therapies should

a) substitute modern medicine
b) complement modern medicine
c) be accepted by the medical establishment

C. Western medicine
a) is based on many traditional therapies
b) has existed for a comparatively short time
c) is practiced by people with no formal medical training

D. The World Health Organization

a) has an intolerant attitude towards alternative therapies.
b) will encourage an inclusion of alternative therapies in modern medicine
c) promotes only western medicine

2. Give a suitable title to the passage. (1M)

3. Why is it necessary to think of an alternate medicine? (1 M)
4. What is the opinion of the writer regarding alternative medicine? (1 M)
5. Give examples of the alternate forms of medical therapy as provided in the
passage.
6.Write a summary of the given passage in your own words (in about 50 words).
(2 M)

VI. a)Write an essay on ‘Waste Management’ in about 150 words. Follow these steps
while writing:

A. Brainstorm the topic

B. Prepare an outline
C. Organize the ideas
D. Final Draft
(OR)

b) Some people believe that college students should consider only their own talents and
interests when choosing a field of study. Others believe that college students should base
their choice of a field of study on the availability of jobs in that field.

Write a response in which you discuss which view more closely aligns with your own position
and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your
position, you should address both of the views presented. Provide references too.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
******