FEDERAL PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
COMPETITIVE EXAMINATION-2022
FOR RECRUITMENT TO POSTS IN BS-17
UNDER THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
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 ONLY FOUR questions from PART-II by selecting TWO questions from EACH SECTION. ALL questions carry EQUAL marks.
PART 1 (MCQs) (COMPULSORY)
Q 1 (i) Select the best option/answer and fill in the appropriate Box on the OMR Answer Sheet. (20 x 1 = 20)
(ii) Answers given anywhere else, other than OMR Answer Sheet, will not be considered.
(a) Choose the word that is nearly most similar in meaning to the capitalized word.
1 QUELL (A) Tremble (B) Suppress (C) Alter (D) Hide
2 WREAK (A) Smell (B) Soak (C) Inflict (D) Twist
3 PLIANT (A) Steady (B) Quick (C) Languid (D) Flexible
4 DRECK (A) Trash (B) Uneasiness (C) Decorated (D) Dull
5 DEBENTURE (A) A Penny Share (B) A short Term Bond (C) A common fund (D) A long term bond
6 DRACONIAN (A) Dreary (B) Catchy (C) Harsh (D) Jelly
7 GRITTY (A) Sandy (B) Silky (C) Bulky (D) Handy
8 RENASCENT (A) Warming again (B) Raising Again (C) Falling again (D) Resting Again
9 PANACHE (A) Noise (B) Weakness (C) Verve (D) Nerve
10 Quarry (A) Wall (B) Hill (C) Bill (D) Prey
(b) Choose the word that is nearly most oppposite in meaning to the capitalized word.
1 PHILISTINE (A) Debutante (B) Novice (C) Intellectual (D) Pious
2 GERMANE (A) Irrelevant (B) Indifferent (C) Impartial (D) Improvident
3 PEAKED (A) Tired (B) Arrogant (C) Pointy (D) Ruddy
4 DROLL (A) Forget (B) Charm (C) Serious (D) Absurd
5 GUMPTION (A) Seriousness (B) Apathy (C) Levity (D) Despair
6 RECONDITE (A) Manifest (B) Flexible (C) Provident (D) Sociable
7 PROTEAN (A) Fickle (B) Unchanging (C) Elaborate (D) Selective
8 ASPERITY (A) Moistness (B) Amenity (C) Sour (D) Generosity
9 FLAUNT (A) Whip (B) Flatten (C) Show Off (D) Hide
10 WEAN (A) Flourish (B) Flush (C) Addict (D) Nourish
PART II
Q 2. Write a précis of the following and suggest a suitable title: (20)
The fear of human beings when faced with the mysteries of life and their weakness by comparison with the vastness of nature created in them a need to communicate with the divine, with the superior powers which they believed regulated the universe and determined their own fates. Knowedge of wishes of the gods was always a sure guide for human behavior. In ancient Greece, the precise nature of these wishes was ‘decoded’ by the art of giving oracles, practiced by soothsayers who had the gift of understanding the signs or signals sent by the gods.
The soothsayers uttered their oraclea by interpreting flashes of lightening, rolls of thunder or the flights of certain birds of prey (omens), alternatively, they might observe the direction in which the fire burned when a sacrifice was made, examine the entrails of animals which had just been sacrificed or base judgments on the sacrificial beast’s willingness to approach the altar. The interptetation of dreams was popular too, and so was palmistry. The most notable soothsayers of ancient Greece were Tiresias, Calchas, Helenus, Amphiaraus and Cassandra.
However, there were abundant instances in which the gods did not manifest themselves to the faithful in the forms of signs but spoke directly to an intermediate who for a short time was overcome by a ‘divine mania’ and transcended his own human essence. Here the prophet- or more usually the prophetess_ entered a state of ecstasy in which he or she delivered the message from the gods to the suppliants.
These practices for foreseeing the future were the basis on which the ancient Greek oracles operated. Each oracle was located within a properly-organized sanctuary and was directly associated with one or other of the gods. Apollo was the archetypal soothsayer for the Greeks, the god who was responsible for conveying to mortals the decisions pronounced by Zeus. The most important of all the oracles, that at the Delphi, delivered the messages with the intervention of Apollo, while the oldest that or Dodona, functioned with the assistance of Zeus.
Q 3. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given at the end. (20)
Civil society refers to all of the places where individuals gather together to have conversation, pursue common interests and, occasionally, try to influence public opinion or public policy. In many respects, civil society is where people spend their time when they are not at work or at home. For example, a group of people gather at a local park every Thursday afternoon for a game of football. Most of them arrive well before the game begins and any for some time after it ends. Some of them go out for dinner or a drink after the game. In the course of their meetings they talk about a wide range of topics, including football but also extending, to include issues such as work, family, relationahips, community events, racial issues and politics. This kind of solidarity can be found in a variety of othor places in civil society – such as sports clubs, bowling leagues, reading groups and social movements – where individuals get together to associate on the basis of some shared interest fostering more effective forms of citizenship. Even though people may come together on the basis of an interest they all share in common, they eventually have to develop productive strategies for dealing with conflicts and differences that emerge within the association. Team mates in a bowling league discover, on certain issues, significant differences of opinion. And yet, because they value the association and look forward to participating in its activities, they do not respond to these differences by exiting the scene. Instead, they search for the ways of interacting that will not threaten the solidarity of the group. In the process, they learn to appreciate and to tolerate social differences, a valuable skill to have in an increasingly multicultural nation. They also develop a general sense of social trust and mutual obligation, which makes society function more efficiently (this is what political scientists and sociologists are talking about when they refer to the importance of social capital). Gathering together in an association, people begin to think about their shared private interest as a collective public interest, and they try to make sure that this public interest is safe and secured. For example, the group that gets together for a weekly football game begins to talk about the park as an important community resource; if feel that the park is being mistreated or mismanaged, will organize a ‘save the park’ campaign to try to influence their local politicians and the other residents of the community. Recently, there has been growing concern that civil society is weaker than it used to be, because people are losing interest in joining associations. As citizens become increasingly disconnected from voluntary associations, they will experience less trust and less social connection, and as a result political institutions will function less efficiently. However, some scholars opine that many people are simply choosing to participate in different kinds of associations with fewer face-to-face meetings but supplemented with ‘virtual’ interactions facilitated by resources.
Questions: (4 marks each)
1 How does the author characterize the concept of civil society?
2 Why does civil society strive towards better socialization drive by tolerance?
3 What do you understand by the term ‘Social Capital’ used in this passage?
4 Why does a civil society assume the role of a public stake holder?
5 What impact is feared by the weakening state of civil society?
Q. No. 4 . Correct only FIVE of the following:
(i) I must walk two miles to school every morning when i was a child.
(ii) After the storm we had got to pickup some fallen branches.
(iii) Guitar is most popular instrument among teen age boys, but not girls.
(iv) The grass not looking green so green now because it isn’t raining since last month.
(v) The cold air made me shiver a little when i was waiting for him.
(vi) I offered my seat to an older woman who just smiled me.
(vii) She packed her bags carried downstairs and put the back seat of the car.
Q.5 (a) Punctuate the following text, where necessary.
unfortunately we often miss a basic school lesson every big task consists of several small ones done precisely and perfectly as a nation we actually need to learn the art of breaking down our moonlit goals into small accomplishable tasks it will reduce frustration anxiety depresssion in society and embarrassment for the government machinery too as they dont have to defend their unkept promises.
Q.5 (b) Rewrite the following sentences (only FIVE ) after filling in the blanks with appropriate preposition. (05)
(i) Despite regular practice he never seems to win ____ tennis.
(ii) ____ luck, we should be in Islamabad by 5 p.m.
(iii) He went ____ his own record nobody forced him to go.
(iv) My husband brought me some flowers today. He must be ____ something .
(v) My younger son tripped ____ the cat and fell downstairs.
(vi) You look really ____ the weather. Are you ill?
(vii) The car went ____ the brow of the hill and was soon out of sight.
(viii) He told his career was ____ ruins because of pandemic.
Q 6. Use only FIVE pairs of words in sentences clearly illustrating their meanings. (10)
(i) Annalist, Analyst (ii) Gest, Jest (iii) Sleigh, Slay (iv) Shoot, Chute (v) Coign, Coin (vi) Key, Quay (vii) Wile, While (viii) Leek, Leak
Q 7. Translate the following into English by keeping in view figurative/idiomatic expressions. (10)
ہر دور اپنے ساتھ بہت سے ایسے معاملات بھی لے کر آتا ہے جو کسی کی پسند کے نہیں ہوتے مگر انہیں قبول کرنا ہی پڑتا ہے۔ بعض اوقات ایسا بھی ہوتا ہے کہ قدرت شاید ہمیں آزمانے کی خاطر ایسا بہت کچھ ہمارے سامنے رکھتی ہے جو ہمارے مطلب کا نہیں ہوتا بلکہ اس سے ہمارا کوئی تعلق ہی نہیں ہوتا مگر پھر بھی اسے زندگی کا حصہ بناتے ہوئے چلنا پڑتا ہے۔ آج بھی ایسا ہی چل رہا ہے۔ ہر صدی اپنے ساتھ ایسی تبدیلیاں لاتی رہی ہے جو گذشتہ صدیوں کے مقابلے میں بالکل نئی تھیں۔ فطری علوم و فنون کی ترقی نے انسان کو ایسا بہت کچھ دیا ہے جسے علمی و معاشی عمل کا کچرا قرار دیا جا سکتا ہے۔ قدرت ہمیں پھل دیتی ہے تو ساتھ ہی ساتھ اس بات کا بھی پابند کرتی ہے کہ اس کے چھلکوں کو ڈھنگ سے ٹھکانے لگائیں۔ اگر ایسا نہ کیا جائے تو ماحول کی غلاظت بڑھتی ہے۔