MID-SEMESTER EXAMINATION

(MARCH 2012 SESSION)

ENGLISH FOR GENERAL PROFICIENCY
FLL0013
LECTURER :
MATRIC NO

: .

VENUE

: .

PROGRAMME : ..

MAY 2012

DURATION : 2 HOURS

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Candidates must read all questions carefully.

2. The examination script consists of the followings:
Part
A

Types of
Questions
13 Short Answers

3 Short Answers

3 Essays

Instruction
Answer ALL
questions
Answer ALL
questions
Answer ONE (1)
question ONLY

Answer Sheets to be
Used
Question paper
Question paper
Answer booklet

THIS EXAMINATION SCRIPT CONTAINS 12 PAGES INCLUDING THE FRONT COVER

DO NOT OPEN THE EXAMINATION SCRIPT UNTIL FURTHER INSTRUCTION

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PART A
(20 marks)
Time: 40 minutes

INSTRUCTION
This part contains THIRTEEN (13) questions. Answer ALL questions in the space provided.

Passage 1
I

Palliative care is a new concept that is alien to many Malaysians. The World
Health Organization (WHO) defines palliative care as an approach that improves the
quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with lifethreatening illness. The main emphasis is on reducing the symptoms of a disease or
slowing its progress rather than finding a cure. It also aims to improve quality of life, by
reducing or eliminating pain and other physical symptoms and enabling the patient to
overcome psychological and spiritual problems while supporting the partner and family.

II

HOSPIS Malaysia is a charitable organization set up in 1991 to provide

professional palliative care services to those in need of them. Besides, it provides
training and education programmes to doctors and nurses. All its services are provided
free-of-charge to all, irrespective of race, colour or creed. HOSPIS Malaysia takes in
patients with life-threatening illnesses that no longer respond to curative treatment. Most
of the patients suffer from AIDS, neuromuscular disease or organ failure.

III

The objectives of palliative care offered by HOPSIS Malaysia are many. The
primary objective is to provide relieve from pain and distressing symptoms with an
emphasis on reducing or totally getting rid of the pain. In the case of cancer patients, it
means relieving the nausea that follows chemotherapy.

IV

Palliative care is definitely not caring for the dying; it neither attempts to hasten
nor postpone death. Instead, it believes in the affirmation of life, caring for the living.
Dying is treated as a normal process and while the patient is alive, care givers do
everything possible to help patients maintain their quality of life not just in the final
stages, but also in the weeks, months and years before death.

Another objective of palliative care is to offer a support system for patients and
their families. For patients it means helping them to cope with their condition an helping
them live as actively as possible till they die. As such one of the main activities of
HOPSIS Malaysia is the homecare programme in which specially trained care nurses
attend to patients in the privacy and comfort of their own homes. In addition, it offers
support mechanisms and patient aids such as wheelchairs, beds, oxygen concentrators ,
crutches, commodes and nebulizers.

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VI

In case of families, the main objective is to help members cope during their
patients illness and treatment, and in the case of death it helps them to cope with grief.
This includes counseling and a 24-hour on-call service which is available so that families
do not feel alone in caring for their loved ones. In the case of providing support, the main
objective of the palliative caregivers is not to take over the responsibility of caring for the
patient. The role of the family as the primary caregiver is not taken away from them.

VII

HOPSIS Malaysia has introduced what is called Palliative Day Care (PDC)
services to patients who are physically mobile. It is done for several reasons and in
diverse ways. First, it is an important source of respite of relief. In other words, it gives
care givers a break. At the same time, Day Care Services at a centre provide a different
environment which can in turn help to divert and comfort patients.

VIII

Centres offering PDC services also provide treatment opportunities such as

physiotherapy and occupational therapy. These one-stop centres ask as social stimulus
to eliminate feelings of boredom and isolation in patients. Activities that are organized
also promote creativity and personal development. The bottom line is HOPSIS Malaysia
strives to enhance the quality of life and all concerned by attending to every aspect of a
patients life and his or her familys needs.

IX

Like other volunteer organizations, HOPSIS Malaysia is a community service

organization. The hospital system alone cannot provide all that is needed to care for the
sick and dying. It is time for able-bodied people to offer their time and effort to do their bit
for their less fortunate fellow beings.

1.

What are the TWO (2) main aims of palliative care?

(a)
(b)
(2 marks)

2.

What TWO (2) assumptions can we make about the patients illness if they are being
looked after by HOPSIS
(a)
(b)
(2 marks)

3.

What is the effect of chemotherapy mentioned in paragraph III?

(1 mark)

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4.

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Find a word in the passage that has the same meaning as

(a)

natural (paragraph IV)

(b)

deal (paragraph V)

(c)

loneliness (paragraph VIII)

(3 marks)

5.

Why does the hospital system need organizations like HOPSIS Malaysia?

(1 mark)

6.

Who do you think can qualify as a volunteer with HOPSIS Malaysia?

(1 mark)

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Passage 2

Wildlife conservation must be dynamic, evolving as conditions change, seeking

always to become more effective, so said Rachel Carson. Ever since she was a child,
Rachel Carson was interested in nature and devoted to birds. She was born on May 27,
1907 in Springdale, Pennsylvania. Carson began writing when she was an adolescent.
Her first article was published in the St. Nicolas literary magazine for children.

II

Carson enrolled in Pennsylvania Collage for Women where she studied biology
and graduated with flying colours in 1929. In 1936, she received a Masters degree in
Zoology from the Johns Hopkins University. While continuing to study during the
summer at the Marine Biological Laboratories in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, Carson
taught at the University of Maryland. It was this time that she became fascinated with the
sea. In 1935, she worked part-time, writing science radio scripts for the Fish and Wildlife
Service. This job later led to a full-time appointment as a junior aquatic biologist.

III

In September 1937, Carsons article, The Undersea, was published. This article
became the starting point for her first book, Under the sea-Wind. In 1949, she became
chief editor of publications at the Fish and Wildlife Service. Ten years after her first book
was published, Carson circulated a second piece of work, The Sea Around Us which
won the John Burroughs Medal and the National Book award. In the first year, it sold
more than 200,000 copies.

IV

After publishing her second book, Carson retired from the Fish and Wildlife
Service in order to write full time. She was concerned with the governments abuse of
new chemical pesticides and pest control programmes which were distributing poisons,
without regard for the welfare of animals.

The more I learned about the use of pesticides, the more appalled I became.
What I discovered was that everything which meant most to me as a naturalist was
being threatened, and that nothing I could do would be more important, Carson stated.

VI

In 1962, she described the danger of harmful chemicals in her bestseller Silent
Spring which raised the awareness of the need to protect the environment. The
message in her book was clear. It was a warning about the dangers of destroying the
environment.

VII

The following excerpt from her book explains what she felt about nature: There
was once a town in the heart of America where all life seemed to live in harmony with its
surroundings. Then, a strange blight crept over the area and everything began to
change. There was a strange stillness. The few birds seen anywhere were moribund;
they trembled violently and could not fly. It was a spring without voices. On the morning
that had once throbbed with the dawn of chorus of scores of bird voices, there was no
sound; only silence lay over the fields and woods and marsh.

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VIII

As a result of her book, which has been translated into over 40 languages, new
environmental laws were passed. People all over the world became involved in activities
to protect the environment. Today, the book is still recognized as the cornerstone of the
new environmentalism. In 1962, in a letter to her friend, Carson wrote: The beauty of
the living world I was trying to save has been uppermost in my mind that, and anger at
the senseless, brutish things that were being done. I have felt bound by a solemn
obligation to do what I could if I didnt at least try, I could never be happy again in
nature. Now, however, I can believe that I have at least helped a little.

IX

On April 14, 1964, Rachel Carson died in Sliver Springs, Maryland of cancer at
the age of 56. In commemoration of her achievements as a writer, biologist and
environmentalist, the U.S Department of the Interior erected a plaque in her honour at
the Carson Wildlife Refuge in Maine. Inscribed on the plaque are the words of Ms.
Carson: All the life of the Planet is inter-related. Each species has its own ties to others.
And all are related to the earth. This is the theme of The Sea Around Us, and the other
sea books, and it is also the message of Silent Spring.

1.

What was unusual about Rachel Carsons childhood?

(1 mark)

2.

We are told that Carson worked while studying. What does this tell us about Carson?

(1 mark)

3.

What job did Carson take up as a result of her love for the sea?

(1 mark)

4.

What award did Carsons book, The Sea Around Us, win?

(1 mark)
5.

Why was Carson concerned about the governments pest control programmes?

(1 mark)

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6.

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How do you know that Carsons second book was a success? State THREE (3) pieces
of evidence.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(3 marks)

7.

In your opinion, do you think Carsons contribution was important? Give reason.

(2 marks)

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PART B
(50 marks)
Time: 40 minutes

INSTRUCTION
This part consists of THREE (3) questions. Answer ALL questions in the space provided.

1.

Choose the correct verb in each of the following sentence.

(a)

Each of the men (were/was) given ten minutes to speak to the president of the
company.

(b)

Beyond the river (is/are) a dress store and a shoe store.

(c)

Here (is/are) your notebook and dictionary.

(d)

Neither of the corporations (has/have) received the necessary state charter yet.

(e)

My entire supply of checks (was/were) missing.

(f)

Physics (is/are) taken by many students to complete their science requirement.

(g)

A natural monopoly (is/are) public utilities.

(h)

Neither of the unions (has/have) studied the working conditions yet.

(i)

Sitting in the chair by the file cabinets (is/are) the secretary.

(j)

The data (was/were) published by the company.

(k)

The cost of goods (vary/varies) greatly in the different states.

(l)

Where (is/are) one of the letters from Brown and Company?

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(m)

Neither of the salesmen (wants/want) to help me.

(n)

One of the trade marks (has/have) not been registered yet.

(o)

Five percent of the profits (is/are) to be distributed to the stockholders.

(p)

Food tests taken on Friday (confirm/confirms) my original diagnosis.

(q)

Neither the employers nor the union (desire/desires) a strike vote.

(r)

Neither the size nor the color of the envelopes (are/is) correct.

(s)

Each of the loans (has/have) been recalled by the bank.

(t)

The news of the economic decline (has/have) been upsetting.

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(20 marks)

2.

Fill each blank with a, an or the. If no articles are required, put an x.

(a)

There is _____ box of sweet on _____ table.

(b)

Do you need _____ degree in Economics or _____ degree in finance to be a

better manager?

(c)

When we arrived, she went straight to _____ kitchen and started to prepare
_____ meal for us.

(d)

He has _____ cut on his leg and _____ bruise on _____ chin.

(e)

_____ Mt. Everest is _____ highest mountain in _____ world.

(f)

Switch off _____ air-conditioner please. I have _____ cold.

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(g)

We reached _____ top of _____ hill during _____ afternoon.

(h)

Do you like _____ weather here? Isn't it too hot during _____ day but it is very
cold at _____ night?
(20 marks)

3.

Join each pair of sentences into one by using a suitable conjunction.

(a)

We will go for an outing. We will do so if the weather is fine.

(b)

We had better get ready now. We may not have time to reach the airport.

(c)

The meeting had to be called off. There was not enough quorum.

(d)

Mr. Liew has been sick. He has been so since coming back from Japan.

(e)

Do not start the rehearsal yet. The chairman has not arrived.

(f)

The debating teams were very happy. Both were declared joint-champions.

(g)

The players gave their best. They still did not win the match.

(h)

We are proud to be Malaysians. We must fly the Jalur Gemilang on National Day.

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(i)

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The boys were unhappy with their results. The girls were also unhappy with
theirs.

(j)

Let us be more serious in our revision. We may not perform as well as we want.

(10 marks)

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PART C
(30 marks)
Time: 40 minutes

INSTRUCTION
This part contains THREE (3) questions. Answer only ONE (1) question in the answer booklet
provided.

Write an introductory paragraph for ONE (1) of the following topics. Your introduction should
have a thesis statement.
1.

What do you think are the characteristics of a good leader?

(30 marks)

2.

Factors that contribute to air pollutions.

(30 marks)

3.

The benefits of reading.

(30 marks)

END OF QUESTION PAPER

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