Effective Communication Skills – I (Paper I)
Semester Two
Time allowed: Two hours |09.00 a.m. – 11.00 p.m.
INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES
• This paper contains 6 questions.
• Marks for each question is indicated.
• This is a closed book examination.
• Answer ALL questions.
ADDITIONAL MATERIALS
• None
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[Part 1 – Vocabulary and Language]
Question 01: (20 marks)
Underline the most suitable option to fill in the blank of the sentence. (10 marks)
1. Digital forensics is the scientific acquisition, analysis, and preservation of data contained in
electronic media whose information can be used as ……. in a court of law.
i. evidence iii. evident
ii. evidently iv. evidential
2. These three topics – LANs, IP and TCP – are often called layers; they ……………… the Link
layer, the Internetwork layer, and the Transport layer respectively.
i. conform iii. constitute
ii. compel iv. compound
3. As a result of …………… advances in Deep Learning (DL), deep learning neural networks
(DNN) have been widely used to improve model performance in computer vision, natural
language processing, and more.
i. recent iii. past
ii. future iv. previous
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4. Google says it plans additional privacy measures to protect teenage users on YouTube and
its search engine, becoming the latest technology giant to adopt ………………. standards in the
face of criticism that companies are not doing enough to protect children.
i. weaker iii. pleasanter
ii. tougher iv. nicer
5. Earlier this year, Twitter's own research found the algorithm had a …………… towards to
cropping out black faces. A Twitter image-cropping algorithm prefers to show faces that are
slimmer, younger and with lighter skin, the researcher has found.
i. bias iii. reluctance
ii. disinclination iv. aversion
6. The research report on Augmented Reality Glasses market is compiled ……………… to
assist the clients in gaining insights and unbiased opinions germane to the growth trajectory
of this business sphere during 2021-2027. Such thorough information is required to
guarantee successful application of the findings.
i. carelessly iii. inconsiderately
ii. recklessly iv. meticulously
7. A global survey of downloads in 2020 shows TikTok, a video-sharing app developed in
China, on top of the list of social media providers for the first time since the study was first
…………………… in 2018.
i. exercised iii. conducted
ii. practiced iv. made
8. Social media adverts must clearly state the use of ………………… images because of the risk
to people's mental health, campaigners have said.
i. realistic iii. authentic
ii. engineered iv. manipulated
9. When it comes to social media, experts have found that social media use appears linked to
negative mental health ………………… among young people. Researchers have noted a rise in
depression among young people since about 2012, with use of social media among teens and
their amount of time spent online increasing in close proximity.
i. impacts iii. promises
ii. biases iv. creations
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10. Introduction of media sharing apps may have ……………. to people feeling lonelier than the
interactive platforms. On these platforms, people may feel lonely for multiple reasons. It
gives one the opportunity to compare their own life positively or negatively with those more
or less successful than them which may also cause an inferiority complex or a superiority
complex.
i. Funded iii. paid
ii. contributed iv. donated
(II) Fill in the blanks of the following paragraph with the words/phrases in the box
below. (10 marks)
AI Is Intelligent? Not Really.
Crawford, you see, is a senior principal researcher at Microsoft and the interview
…………………………… some of her conclusions about whether machines really are
doing the work so that we have time to think. And about the sort of work machines
are doing.
Crawford talked about the vast human and environmental costs of giving
…………………………… over to an artificially intelligent world. I found myself
spontaneously cheering at this: "AI is neither artificial nor intelligent. It is made from
natural resources, and it is people who are performing the tasks to make the systems
appear autonomous."
It's something easily forgotten, as we get so much …………………………. from asking Siri
what the weather is so that we don't have to look outside ourselves. Here's the part,
though, that incited a certain existential giddiness in the remaining slivers of my soul.
Crawford explained something that human beings have known for so long yet
allowed machines to use as the basis for vital, painful, and utterly ………………………
technology. "The idea that you can see from somebody's face what they are feeling is
deeply flawed," she said. "I don't think that's possible." We know this every time we
comment on someone else's holiday snaps.
"You look so happy in that one."
"You're kidding. I'd already decided to dump him."
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Yet here we are selling AI that claims to identify "perceived emotion recognition that
……………………… a range of facial expressions like happiness, contempt, neutrality,
and fear; and recognition and grouping of similar faces in images. “Yes, that comes
straight from Microsoft's own description of its Face API. Which it describes as
delivering "low-friction, state-of-the-art facial recognition."
entertainment revealed detects
ourselves threatening
[Part II – Grammar]
Question 02: (30 marks)
(I) Read the contexts given and complete the sentences using the correct form of the
verb within the parentheses. (10 marks)
The first question has been done for you.
i) Any electronic device has a power button. When anybody presses it, the result is
that you get a device that is switched on. The result is repeated every time it is done.
- When you press the power button on any electronic device, it switches on (switch
on).
ii) Our manager was at the conference hall at 11.00 p.m. The starting time of the
conference was 09.00 p.m.
- By the time our manager …………………………… (go) to the conference, it
…………………………………...... (start, already).
iii) Members of Project X presented the project proposal in 2015. They are still in the
third phase of the project. The plan is to finish it before 2025.
- Members of Project X …………………………………… (work) on the project for almost six
years. In 2023 they …………………………………… (do, still), and by 2025, they
……………………………… (finish) the project.
iv) My boss has plans for next week in the US. The flight is already booked.
- My boss …………………………… (fly) to the US for a physical meeting with the on-site
team.
v) The number of employees to have quit the company so far is 13. I saw my
colleague writing a resignation letter too.
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- 13 employees ……………………… (leave, already) for this month. I have a feeling that
my colleague too …………………………… (leave).
vi) The commentator sounded thrilled when he mentioned Sangakkara hitting a six.
- “And Sangakkara ………………………. (strike) a six pushing Sri Lanka to a fascinating
win”.
vii) Our client from China wants to have a meeting tomorrow. My boss is busy
tomorrow morning.
- When our client calls my boss tomorrow morning, she ………………………… (work,
certainly) on the project report.
(II) Write the following dialogue in passive form. (05 marks)
Leave out the doer if necessary.
A: Did you finish the project before leaving?
B: Yes, I did. Anyways, have you collected the parcel?
A: Yes. Thank you for reminding me. My niece sent this as a birthday gift.
B: What is it? Is that a flute?
A: Yes. I love playing the flute. In fact, I will be playing a song at the concert.
B: Wonderful! So, you’re not only an engineer, right buddy?
A: Thanks man. I will invite you to my very own concert soon.
B: Perfect! And good luck!
Change the underlined sentences. There should be only 05 changes.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
III) Read the contexts given. Use the given subordinating conjunctions and fill in the
blanks to bring the meaning conveyed in each context.
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The first one has been done for you. (05 marks)
i) Google One is going to be a hit. The reason for that is Google’s continuous success
with new products.
- Google One is going to be a hit because Google has been continuously successful with
new products.
ii) Trump wanted to ban Tik Tok in the US. Biden has taken a different approach by
withdrawing such suggestions.
- ……………………………… Trump wanted to ban Tik Tok in the US Biden has taken an
opposing stance about it.
iii) The Team got a reward for performing its best. Now they can go out for dinner.
- ………………………………. the Team got a reward for best performance, they can go out
for dinner.
iv) Everybody needs a peaceful mindset. The truth is no one can give it to us. We have
to create it.
- ……………………………… we give peace to our mind, no one else can give it.
v) You are likely to feel overwhelmed with emotions. Talk to yourself and try to find
yourself.
- You should talk to yourself and try to find yourself ………………………………. you feel
overwhelmed with emotions.
vi) I noticed something weird and turned around. With that someone knocked me
out.
- Someone knocked me out …………… I was turning around after feeling weird.
just as since even though
unless as soon as
(IV) Use conditional forms to construct sentences to bring out the meaning conveyed
in each context. (10 marks)
i) It is normal that my friend always completes her work because she is very
committed.
- If my friend starts something, she always completes her work.
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ii) There is a solid chance of my colleague going to the concert, but someone has to call
him and invite him to join. There is still time to call him as well.
- If somebody calls and invites, my colleague …………………………………………………………
(go)
iii) I think I believe my friend/ co-worker because I do not know him well-enough.
- If I saw his true face, I ……………………………………………………………………………………….
(believe)
iv) Whenever there is a chance for me to help my mother, I do only to be rewarded
with tastier food.
- if I help my mother, she ……………………………………………………………………………………..
(give)
v) The IT Manager wishes that things were different. He did not predict the situation,
and now most of the Engineers have left the company.
- If the IT Manager had predicted the situation, the Engineers ………………………………
……………………………………………………………. (leave, not).
vi) Joey wishes that things were different. He did not ask Chandler to join. Now
Chandler has found another roommate replacing Joey.
- If Joey had asked Chandler to join him, Chandler ………………………………………………….
………………………………………….. (find, not).
[Part III – Comprehension]
Question 03: (10 marks)
Read the following passage and answer the questions in your own words.
Hackers have stolen some $600 million in cryptocurrency from the decentralized
finance platform Poly Network, in what it says is the largest theft in the industry's
history. A vulnerability in Poly Network allowed the thief to make off with the funds, the
platform said Tuesday, begging the attacker to return the money.
"The amount of money you hacked is the biggest one in the defi history," Poly Network
wrote in a letter to the attacker it posted to Twitter. "The money you stole are from tens
of thousands of crypto community members... you should talk to us to work out a
solution."
Following the hack, Poly Network established several addresses to which it said the
attacker could return the money. By noon, much more money, about $261 million, had
been returned, according to the blockchain forensics firm Chainalysis. In notes
appended to some of the transactions, Chainalysis said, the attacker claimed to have
hacked Poly Network "for fun :)" and that he or she undertook the attack as a challenge.
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"I take the responsibility to expose the vulnerability before any insiders hiding and
exploiting it!" the attacker wrote. "I understood the risk of exposing myself even if I don't
do evil. So I used temporary email, IP or _so called_ fingerprint, which were untraceable.
I prefer to stay in the dark and save the world.".
(CNN Business – 11 August 2021)
1. According to the newspaper article published on CNN, what is it about? (1 Mark)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
2. What is the “industry” that is referred to in the text? (2 Mark)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
3. According to the passage, why has the attacker hacked Poly Network? (2 Marks)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
4. Why do you think that the attacker says: “I prefer to stay in the dark”? (2 Marks)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
5. Change the following statement into indirect speech (1 Marks)
Poly Network wrote: “The money you stole are from tens of thousands of crypto
community members and you should talk to us to work out a solution"
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
6. Write synonyms for the following words to bring out the meaning conveyed in the
passage. (2 marks)
a. Make off (Line 03) - …………………………….
b. Undertook (Line 12) - ……………………………..
[Part IV – Writing]
Question 04: (15 marks)
Use your own words and write a comprehensive description as to how you would give
instructions to somebody who wants to save an excel file as a pdf. (Word Limit – 75
words).
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Question 05: (10 marks)
Interpret the data in the following chart paying attention to some of the significant
data. Use the papers provided to write your answers. Marks will not be awarded if the
answer does not contain interpretations.
Question 06: (15 marks)
Select one of the statements and write an argumentative essay on it. (200 words)
a. Online education is crucial during a pandemic situation.
b. The impact of technology has made a drastic change in the lives of humans.
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~ This is the end of your evaluation ~
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