UPSC IFS 2017 Question Paper for General English

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I.F.S. EXAM-(M)201I

GENERAL ENGLISH

Time Allowed : Three Hours Maximum M arks: 300

Question Paper Specific Instructions

Please read each o f the following instructions carefully before attempting
questions: - - ~ ~

All the questions are to be attempted.

The number o f marks carried by a question Ipart is indicated against it.

Answers must he written in ENGLISH only.

Word limit in questions, if specified, should he adhered to.

You must not disclose your identity in any o f your answers.

Q l, Write an essay of not more than 800 to 1000 words on any one of the
following topics:

(a) Alternative sources of energy — The future of the world

(b) Globalization and the environment

(c) Education or Economics — The more valuable asset ?

(d) India @ 70 : Technology for social justice

Q2. (a) Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper on the role of the youth in
shaping the nation’s future. 25

(b) Write a report on your visit to an NGO which is working against drug
h abuse, describing the efforts to battle the problem. 25

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Q3. Write a precis of the passage given below in about one-third of the
length. Please do not give any title to it. 50

(Note : The precis should he written in your own words.)

I have three visions for India. In 3,000 years of our history, people
from all over the world have come and invaded us, captured our lands,
conquered our minds. From Alexander onwards, the Greeks, the Turks, the
Moguls, the Portuguese, the British, the French, the Dutch, all of them came
and looted us, took over what was ours. Yet we have not done this to any other
nation. We have not conquered anyone. We have not grabbed their land, their
culture, their history and tried to enforce our way of life on them. Why ?
Because we respect the freedom of others. That is why my first vision is that of
freedom. I believe that India got its first vision of this in 1857, when we started
the war of Independence. It is this freedom that we must protect and nurture
and build on. If we are not free, no one will respect us.

My second vision is for India’s development. For seventy years we
have been a developing nation. It is time we see ourselves as a developed
nation. We are among the top 5 nations of the world in terms of GDP. We have
10 percent growth rate in most areas. Our poverty levels are falling. Our
achievements are being globally recognized today. Yet we lack the
self-confidence to see ourselves as a developed nation, self-reliant and
self-assured. Isn’t this incorrect ? I have a third vision. India must stand up to
the world. Because I believe that, unless India stands up to the world, no one
will respect us. Only strength respects strength. We must be strong not only as
a military power but also as an economic power. Both must go hand-in-hand.

Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths,
our achievements ? We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing
success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why ? We are the first in
milk production. We are number one in remote sensing satellites. We are the
second largest producer of wheat. We are the second largest producer of rice.
Another question ; Why are we, as a nation, so obsessed with foreign things ?
We want foreign TVs, we want foreign shirts, we want foreign technology. Why
this obsession with everything imported ? Do we not realize that self-respect
comes with self-reliance ? You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed
nation; it is a highly developed nation. (412 words)

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Q4. Read the passage and answer the questions given below : 10x5=50
I
The art of academic writing is not easy to master. It is a formal skill,
which requires precision and accuracy, and is perfected by continuous and
dedicated practice. Academic writing is the skilful exposition and explanation
of an argument, which the writer has carefully researched and developed over
a sustained period of time. It is a time-consuming activity and demands
patience and perseverance. But the joy of reading and sharing with others,
one’s succinctly composed piece of argument, is incomparable. Before beginning
to write, the writer must ask himself a few questions — Why am I writing ?
What is it that I intend to share with others ? What purpose will my writing
serve ? Have I read enough about the topic or theme about which I am going to
write ? If one is hesitant to answer even one of the aforementioned questions,
one better not write at all ! Because academic writing is a serious activity — it
makes one part of a shared community of readers and writers who wish to
disseminate and learn from well-argued pieces of writing. The structure of an
argumentative essay should take the form of — Introduction (which should be
around ten percent of the entire essay). Body (it should constitute eighty
percent of the piece) and the Conclusion (again, ten percent of the essay). The
introduction should function as the hook which draws the reader in and holds
his attention, the body should include cogent and coherently linked paragraphs
and the conclusion should re-state the argument and offer a substantial ending
to the piece.

(a) How does the passage define academic writing ?

(b) How does reading become an important part of academic writing ?

(c) What, according to the passage, are the key issues to be kept in mind
before starting writing ?

(d) What does the introduction do in the essay ?

(e) What is the role of the conclusion in an argumentative essay ?

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Q5. (a) Rewrite the following sentences after correcting the
grammatical errors in each : 1x10-10
(i) I can’t bear with stress of modem life.
(ii) Yesterday I reach home very late.
(iii) I studied in history because I like it.
^ (iv) Because of the rain, I would have been stuck in the traffic jam.
- (v) Newton is one of the esteem scientist in the world.
(vi) She gone out for a walk barely an hour ago.
(vii) The boxes of chocolates is very expensive.
(viii) If you have reached the station on time you not miss the train.
(ix) The number of people going for a English movie is drastically in
increase.
(x) We should always work to keep pollution over control.

(b) Make sentences using the following words in such a way that the
meaning of each word is clear from the context: 2x5=10
(i) Capital; Capitol
(ii) Wait; Weight
(iii) Sail; Sale
(iv) Dairy; Diary
(v) Dessert; Desert

(c) Use the following idiomatic expressions in sentences in order to
bring out their m eaning: 2x5=10
(i) A hot potato
(ii) The ball is in your court
(iii) Best of both worlds
(iv) Curiosity killed the cat
(v) Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

(d) Make adjectives from the following words : 1 x5=5
(i) Death
(ii) Need
(iii) Capability
(iv) Obscurity
(v) Renown
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(e) Make nouns from the following words : 1 x5=5

(i) Beautiful

(ii) Collect

(iii) Gather
(iv) Swift
(v) Accumulate

(f) Rewrite the following sentences as directed ; 2x5^10

(i) I have made this painting.
(Change to passive voice)

(ii) Is he the musician for the evening ?
(Change to passive voice)
(iii) I told him, “Don’t be late or you’ll miss the flight.”
(Change to indirect speech)
(iv) He is a portrait painter. He is very popular among people.
(Combine the two sentences using ‘and’)

(v) He was searching for the bat. It was under the bed so he couldn’t
find it.
(Combine the two sentences using ‘therefore’)

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