Text Book Exercises solved

Unit I

1.1 What is the Ultimate Fate of the Universe

Comprehension

1. Poets and cosmologists both feel concerned about the end of the world. Poets wonder whether the universe will end in fire or in ice. Similarly, cosmologists are worried whether the universe will go on expanding endlessly or will collapse back on itself.
2. The momentum of expansion and the pull or push of gravity are the two factors that determine the evolution of the universe.
3. Hubble Constant is the current rate of expansion of the universe.
4. Cosmological constant or dark energy is the matter with a strong negative pressure found in the universe which helps the universe to expand endlessly.
5. The dark energy helps the universe to go on expanding endlessly.
6. The conclusion from satellite is that the geometry of the universe is flat and the universe will go on expanding forever.

Grammar and vocabulary

: Adverbs are words that give information about the time, place, manner, reason, purpose, comparison etc. of the action denoted by the verb.

They are normally found at the end of a sentence. Occasionally, however, they may be found at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence.

They may also be used to modify an adjective or another adverb, in which case, they are generally placed before the adjective or the adverb.

: Adverbs are words that give information about the time, place, manner, reason, purpose, comparison etc. of the action denoted by the verb.

They are normally found at the end of a sentence. Occasionally, however, they may be found at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence.

They may also be used to modify an adjective or another adverb, in which case, they are generally placed before the adjective or the adverb.

Form: Adverbs normally have the suffix –ly at the end.

However, there are some adverbs that such as fast, next, always, never, even etc. which do not have –ly.

Remember also that there are some words which have -ly at the end but are not adverbs. Friendly, costly, miserly and ugly have –lly but there are adjectives, not adverbs.

Formation: Verbs are generally formed by adding he suffix –ly to the adjectives.

Exercise: Make adverbs from the words given below:

Great – greatly, critical – critically, distant – distantly, recent – recently, speed – speedily, strong – strongly, constant – constantly, continue – continuously, significant – significantly, true - truly.

Note that in the above exercise, the words speed and continue were not adjectives.

The word ‘speed’ is a noun. So we first get the adjective ‘speedy’ by adding the suffix –y and the get the adverb ‘speedily’ by adding –ly to the adjective. The word ‘continue’ is a verb. We first get the adjective ‘continuous’ by adding –ous to the  verb. Then we add –ly to the adjective and get the adverb ‘continuously.

1.2  India in Space

Comprehension:

1. The world’s first artificial satellite went into space fifty years ago.
2. It was a metal sphere two and a half times the size of a football.
3. Satellites help us in relaying telephone conversations around the globe, broadcasting television and radio programmes, keeping watch on the world’s storms and taking photographs of the earth needed for different kinds of purposes.
4. Scientific satellites help us to study our own planet and to look at distant stars. They have enabled man to walk on the moon and to orbit the earth in aboard an international space station.
5. ISS stands for international space station.
6. The function of the launch vehicle is to take the satellite to the required height and to give it the required to stay in the orbit.
7. Only seven countries, including India have the capability to launch satellites.
8. The first Indian satellite went into space in 1950.
9. Chandrayan I is an unmanned spacecraft which will be sent to the moon in two years’ time and will carry scientific instruments with it.

Functions of different Indian satellites:

SLV 3 – To put small satellites into orbit and to give Indian scientists sufficient experience before building more powerful rockets.

PSLV – the same as that of the SLV.

GSLV – To carry India’s satellites for communication and   broadcasting into space.

PSLV -  To take Chandrayan I, India’s firsy unmanned lunar spacecraft to the moon and leave it there.

1.3 Questions without Answers

Comprehension:

1. The Templeton prize is given for progress toward research or discoveries about spiritual realities. It is not possible to assess work in this field in a precise manner. That is why this prize is imprecise.
2. Those who have received this prize so far are John Barrrow, Charles Townes, George Ellis, John Polkinghorne, Freemman Dyson and Paul Davies.
3. The anthropic principle is the theory that states that the universe is so made that intelligent life was bound to emerge in it.
4. Einstein stated this question saying that the most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible.
5. Steven Weinnberg’s version of the same question is: The more the universe seems incomprehensible, the more it also seems pointless.
6. Most scientists (physicists) finally touch upon the question of God because physics starts with precise questions about atomic particles or strong nuclear forces and ends up with very big and imprecise questions like ‘Why are we here?’.
7. Cosmic science claims that it can explain the whole history of the universe from about the first tenth of a second of time onwards.
8. Physicists are of the opinion that it is not possible to say with any certainty whether this universe is the only one  or one of zillions of universes which happens to be lucky enough to produce intelligent creatures like Aristotle and Oprah Winfrey.
9. We ask these questions even though there are no answers because they are worth asking, because the effort to understand the universe is one of the few things that lifts human life above a farce and lends it the grace and beauty of a tragedy.

Gerunds and Infinitives:

Infinitive: The infinitive is the form of the verb which is used after to or a modal verb like will, shall, can, may etc.

Gerund: The gerund is the –ing form of the verb used as a noun.

The –ing form of the verb is given three different names depending on the way it is used.

When it is used as a verb or an adjective, it is called a participle.

When it is used as the name of an activity, it is called a gerund.

When it is used as the name of an object that comes into existence as a result of the activity  

A loving mother (participle)

People living in this city (participle)

Swimming is a good exercise. (gerund)

I have bought a nice painting. (verbal noun)

In most of the cases, the gerund can be replaced by the infinitive and vice versa.

Infinitive, gerund, participle or verbal noun?

1. Drawing – gerund
2. Growing – participle
3. Demolishing – gerund      Building – verbal noun
4. Planning – gerund
5. Engineering – gerund

Replacing gerunds with infinitives

1. Planning – To plan
2. Constructing – To construct
3. Nationalising – To nationalise
4. Privatising – To privatise
5. Improving – To improve

Replacing infinitives with gerunds

1. To visit – Visiting
2. To play – playing
3. To err – Erring,    to forgive – forgiving
4. To give and accept – Giving and accepting
5. To waste – Wasting,    to import – importing

Negative prefixes

Some negative prefixes are: Im- =Impossible;    In- = inconclusive;     Un- = Uneducated    Il- = Illogical     A- = Amoral, Apathetic;     Non- =Non-resident

Words from the passage: Imprecise; Incomprehensible; Atheist

1.4 Flight into Space

Comprehension:

1. Robert Bigelow’s dream is to use inflation technology.
2. He hopes to use inflation technology to build an expandable orbital outpost made up of several Genesis like modules strung together like sausage links that could serve as a space hotel, science laboratory or sports arena.
3. The purpose of Genesis I is to test inflation technology that could be used to fulfil his dream of building a commercial space station.
4. Bigelow has promised to spend $ 500 on space research.
5. It is NASA that gave him the inflatable technology. Or

He got the inflatable technology from NASA.

Adverb Identification

: Adverbs are words that give information about the time, place, manner, reason, purpose, comparison etc. of the action denoted by the verb.

They are normally found at the end of a sentence. Occasionally, however, they may be found at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence.

They may also be used to modify an adjective or another adverb, in which case, they are generally placed before the adjective or the adverb.

Adverbs in he given passage: 1. Successfully 2. Later 3. About 4.Together 5. Just 6. Too 7. Then 8. Even

Derivation of nouns by adding suffixes: Additional Examples

A

1. –ion – Education, Examination, Rotation
2. –or: Conductor, Inventor, Investor
3. –er: Maker, converter, adviser
4. –y Archery, Cookery, Rookery, Distillery
5. –ity: University, Electricity, Punctuality
6. –ism: Magnetism, Criticism, Nepotism
7. –ment: Management, Development, Encouragement
8. –an: Canadian, European, Agrarian
9. –ence: Magnificence, Interference, Reference
10. –ness: Happiness, Illness, Holiness

  B

1. Manage: Manager, Management
2. Sufficient: Sufficiency
3. Natiional: Nationality, Nationalism
4. Invent: Inventor, Invention
5. Global: Globalism
6. Popular: Popularity, Populism
7. Natural: Naturalness, Naturalism, Naturalist
8. Translate: Translator, Translation

C

1. Correct: Correction, Corrector, Correctness
2. Commercial: Commercialism, Commercialist
3. Select: Selector, Selection
4. Prompt: Prompter, Promptness
5. Complete: Completion
6. Separate: Separation, Separateness, Separator
7. Except; Exception
8. Describe: Description, Describer
9. Destroy: Destroyer, Destruction
10. Common: Commoner, Commonness, commonality, Community
11. Contain: Container, Containment
12. Suspicious: Suspicion, Suspiciousness
13. Provide: Provider, Provision, Provisions
14. Cautious: Caution, Cautiousness
15. Permit, Permit, Permission
16. Computer: Computer, Computation
17. Attach: Attachment,

1.5 Natural Gas Rockets

Comprehension

1. Rocket engineers hesitate to experiment with unconventional fuels because they do not want to take any risk as a failure can lead to a big tragedy.
2. Hydrogen needs cryogenic storage.
3. Specific impulse means how much momentum a given weight of fuel can impart when it is burnt. In other words, it means the ratio of the weight of fuel and the momentum it generates.
4. XCOR Aerospace, KT Engineering, C & Space, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency are some of the companies that are experimenting with methane as a rocket fuel.
5. The actual cost of launching a 20000 pound satellite today is 20000*2000*5= 200000000 dollars.

Adjectives:

Adjectives: Adjectives are words that are used to refer to the qualities of nouns.

1. They are most frequently used to modify nouns.

1. They are generally placed before the noun they modify. When this is the case, they are said to pre-modify the noun. Example: An  intelligent boy
2. In a few cases, they are used as post-modifiers i.e. they are placed after the noun they modify as e.g. in the ‘attorney general’ where attorney is the noun and general the adjective.

2. They are also used as subject or object complements.

1. When subject complements, they are placed after the verb. The verb used is a linking verb (some form of ‘be’ or get, become, turn, prove etc.)

This man is very intelligent.

He turned traitor to escape torture.

2. When object complements, they are placed after the object and refer to the same person or thing as the object does.

Grief drove him mad.

Hard work made him successful.

Adjective making suffixes:

1. –cal      chemical, electrical, mechanical, psychological
2. –able     practicable, advisable, useable, dependable
3. –ible      divisible, corrigible, legible, terrible
4. –ant       dependant, conversant, hydrant, debutant
5. –ent      independent, efficient, magnificent,
6. –ful       beautiful, plentiful, faithful, dutiful
7. –y          dusty, lazy, bulky, mighty, weighty
8. –less      painless, harmless, merciless, penniless
9. –ate      deliberate, obstinate, obdurate, immediate
10. –ian       octogenarian, riparian, agrarian,

Change of voice

1. We shifted the table from the first floor to the ground floor.
2. Natural gas is known as home heating fuel to most people.
3. Space engineers are developing engines that burn methane.
4. Hydrocarbons have been opted to be used as chemical propellants by engineers.
5. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency developed the Galaxy express.

Unit II - Natural Resources

1. – Water: The Elixir of Life

Comprehension:

1. Freshwater is water that can be used by living beings to meet their daily needs.
2. We have to be careful about water because it is freshwater is scarce.
3. The demand for water has been increasing steadily due to increase in population and industrial growth.
4. The problem with the distribution of water is that it is not equal. Some areas get so much of it that they can even afford to waste it by washing their cars and watering their lawns
5. whereas other areas do not get even enough water to meet their basic needs.
6. Industries release a lot of polluted water without treating it into the sources of fresh water like rivers and ponds. Sewage water is also allowed to flow into these sources without being treated. Sometimes, an accident can also release polluted water into these sources. That is how water gets polluted.
7. When we save water as, for example by turning off the tap while brushing our teeth, that water can be used by someone else who needs it badly to meet his/her basic needs.
8. Water is tasteless and odourless. It also appears to be colourless to the naked eye in small quantities although it can be seen to be blue in large quantities and with scientific instruments. It is the most universal solvent too.
9. Water stress means that the water available to us to meet our daily needs is much less than the requirement. Moreover, whatever water is there is getting polluted due to carelessness on our part.

True or False:

1. All available water cannot be used by humans.   True
2. Demand for water has always been increasing.  True
3. Some people always face the problem of water scarcity.  True
4. Industries purify water.    False
5. All freshwater is potable (drinkable).    False

Adjective Identification:

      Remember that adjectives are used

1. As pre-modifiers before nouns.
2. As post modifiers after nouns.
3. As subject complements after linking verbs.
4. As object complements after objects.

But also remember that nouns can also be used as pre-modifiers and as subject and object complements.

1. Daily    2.Careful   3.Industrial     4. Scarce    5. Unfit    6. Pure    7. Tasteless     8. Odourless   9. Universal    10. Colourless   11. Essential  

Cause and Effect Expressions

Owing to – Owing to his hard work, he was able to achieve his aim.

Because of – His industrial venture failed because of lack of funds.

Due to – The crops have failed due to heavy rains.

On account of – I could not attend your marriage on account of another engagement.

By virtue of – He succeeded in getting into the IAS by virtue of hard work.

By dint of – He has succeeded in achieving his goal by dint of hard work.

Ascribe to - We can ascribe his success to hard work.

Attribute to – His brilliant performance can be attributed to constant hard work.

Result in – Excessive use of pesticide has resulted in polluting the air.

Lead to – Computerisation of office work leads to unemployment.

Because -  I cannot aspire to become a singer because I do not have a good voice.

Since – I cannot buy an expensive car since I do not have enough money.

For – I cannot harm him for he is my friend.

2.2      The Tree of Life

Comprehension

1. Extinction is a serious environmental problem because it is irreversible.
2. The author gives the example of the Indian cheetah which has already gone extinct. Twenty other mammals have gone extinct.
3. The culture of scientific inquiry is a habit of mind which forbids us from believing anything which cannot be proved by furnishing evidence. We would very much like to develop such a culture among ourselves.
4. We have to protect the environment in strategic terms because biodiversity enriches life and helps us to achieve economic prosperity. Without bio-diversity, life would be poorer and it will become difficult for us to sustain our economic prosperity.
5. Edward O. Wilson has said that we need to protect biodiversity not only from the ethical and moral point of view but also from the point of view of humanity’s future.
6. Indira Gandhi introduced the policy of protecting the environment by setting up separate wings among the governmental set up dedicated to wildlife research and putting an end to poaching.

True or False

1. Humans have harmed the environment deliberately.    False
2. Mass consumption is the major cause of environmental degradation.    True
3. Humans will have great gross natural wealth in the future.   False
4. Fewer varieties of plants and animals are enough for life on earth.    False
5. Biodiversity helps in enhancing life.    True

Tenses:

When speaking of a universal, scientific or geographical truth, we use the present indefinite tense.

The atmosphere makes life possible on planet Earth because of its three very important functions. It contains life giving oxygen, it keeps the earth warm and it absorbs the deadly ultra-violet rays of the sun’s radiation. The earth’s atmosphere is composed of numerous gases. The main gases are nitrogen and oxygen, which make up 78 per cent and 21 per cent of the volume of air respectively. The remaining one per cent of the atmospheric gases is made up of trace gases, which include the green house gases --- carbon-dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapour and ozone ---  so called because they are involved in the earth’s natural greenhouse effect which keeps  the planet warmer than it would be  without an atmosphere. The trace gas ozone is important in protecting life on earth . Ozone is a colourless and odourless gas. It performs an important function of filtering the harmful UV rays from the sun’s radiation.

2.3    Land Use Plan

Comprehension

1. By Land Use Plan, Schaller means that different areas should be earmarked for different purposes. Certain areas should be designated as part of the natural heritage they should be guarded against environmental destruction with the help of the governmental machinery as well as by involving the local people.
2. Political leaders can help in protecting the environment by creating and increasing environmental awareness among the people as Indira Gandhi did in India Roosevelt in America.
3. The basic conflict between economic development and environmental destruction is that economic development is not possible without environmental destruction. However, Schaller is of the view that economic development is possible without destroying the environment.
4. Schaller mentions the cell phone to show that it is indirectly responsible fore destroying the environment. The people who dig the earth to mine coltan which is used to make the capacitor used in the cell phone need food and kill the gorillas and elephants in the forest for food.
5. The connection between a cup of tea and a rainforest is that the rainforest has to be cleared to make land available for tea plantation. So a cup of tea is responsible for the destruction of rainforests.

True or False

1. Local people have an important role in tiger conservation projects.  True
2. Politicians plan well for the protection of nature.  False
3. China has made considerable progress in tiger conservation.  False
4. Those who know about trophy hunting take steps to save the Marco Polo sheep.  False
5. Tigers in Russia have a safer place for living than tigers in china.   True
6. Humans do not truly understand the function of animals and insects in the order of nature.   True
7. Consumption curve level will become normal in course of time.   False

Word Power: Antonyms

Uphill  -  Downhill;    Production  -  Consumption;    Hostile  -  Friendly;  Destruction  -  construction or creation;   Bright  -  Dismal or dull or gloomy

Verbs and verb making suffixes

Classification:

1. Present singular: spreads; can
2. Present plural: put; have; continue; set up; are; can; see; think; tend
3. Present participle: adding; satisfying; funding; going; increasing
4. Past: made; described; put; involved; set up; poached; designated
5. Past participle: made; described; put; involved; set up; poached; designated

Verb Making Suffixes:

1. –ise: criticize; civilize; politicize; energise
2. –ate: Mediate; circulate; pulsate; pollinate
3. –fy: deify; magnify; vilify; rectify
4. –en: lighten; heighten; broaden; widen; lengthen
5. –e: clothe; sheathe; soothe;  

2.4         Painted Storks

Comprehension

1. Submariners make use of different kinds of electronic gadgets and the satellite fed global positioning system to go back to their bases.
2. Migratory birds use celestial navigation i.e. they take the help of the objects in the sky such as the stars to find their way back to their homes. Some researchers also believe that they have some innate sensory objects in their brain that can trace the waves generated by the Earth’s magnetic field and they use those objects to find their way.
3. The author compares submariners with birds because just as the submariners do not have any roads or paths to help them in finding their way, birds also do not have any roads or paths in the sky to help them find their way.
4. The birds have been following the route for the last fifteen years.
5. The birds come to Andhra Pradesh in winter to escape the harsh Siberian winter and food scarcity and for the purpose of breeding.
6. The special thing about the flight formation of the birds is that it is always V shaped.
7. Manufacturers follow the flying pattern of the birds for making their aircrafts in order to minimize the resistance offered by the air in the atmosphere.
8. The number of pelicans and painted storks visiting Andhra Pradesh has reduced due to a fire accident at Telineelapuram a few years ago and increased tree felling. Poaching is also one of the reasons but a minor one.

Formation of Nouns

1. –er:  provider, insurer, maker, writer
2. =age: Marriage, carriage, seepage, mileage
3. –ion: compulsion education, migration, calculation
4. –ity: electricity, university, publicity, activity
5. Ing: painting, building, processing planning

Process and Person Nouns:

                                              Process                                   person

1. Navigate               Navigation                               navigator
2. Migrate                 migration                              Migrant
3. Paint                    Painting                                   Painter
4. Facilitate            Facilitation                              Facilitator
5. Manufacture     Manufacturing                       Manufacturer
6. Protect               Protection                                Protector
7. Conserve           Conservation                            Conservator
8. Organise           Organisation                           Organiser
9. Visualise           visualization                             Visualiser

2.5       Platinum

Comprehension:

1. Platinum is pure, rare, and eternal. It is durable and pliable. It is hypoallergenic, resistant to the oxidizing reaction of blood and compatible with living tissue.
2. Platinum is used to make jewellery, especially diamond jewellery as it holds the stones firmly and securely and enhances their brilliant luster by reflecting it. Its compatibility with living tissue and non-reaction to the oxidizing effect of blood also make it the most suitable metal for making pace-makers.
3. Platinum is a celebration of your individuality because due its high price, very few people can afford to buy it. So it makes you stand out and look different even in a large gathering.
4. The purpose of the author in writing this article is to highlight the qualities of platinum in order to bring out its importance and perhaps to persuade people to buy platinum jewellery.  
5. The target audience of this paragraph seems to be the small number of rich people who can afford to purchase platinum jewellery.

Understanding Adjectives

Group I

1. Pure                   purer                purest
2. Rare                  Rarer                 Rarest
3. White               Whiter               Whitest
4. True                   Truer                 Truest
5. Few                   Fewer               Fewest
6. Deep                Deeper             Deepest

Group II

1. Brilliant                                More brilliant                      Most brilliant
2. Versatile                               More versatile                    Most versatile
3. Hypoallergenic                     More hypoallergenic        Most hypoallergenic
4. Discerning                             More discerning              Most discerning
5. Exclusive                                More exclusive               Most exclusive
6. Distinctive                            More distinctive              Most distinctive

Group III

1. Little                      less                 least
2. Much                      More            Most

Group IV (These adjectives are non-gradable and therefore have no comparative or superlative degree)

1. Ideal
2. Perfect
3. Eternal

Group V (No positive degree)

1. ------------             Inner               Innermost

Degrees of Comparison: Comparing Two Things

1. Rivers are longer than lakes but lakes may sometimes be broader than lakes.
2. TV is more popular than radio these days.
3. A ceiling fan is costlier than a table fan.
4. A motor cycle is heavier than a bicycle.
5. Gold is more precious than silver.

Double Adjectives

1. Illustrative – His behavior is illustrative of the behavior of his class.
2. Illustrious – His illustrious career is an inspiring example for others.
3. Educative – Games have an immense educative value.
4. Educational- All the educational institutions in the state will remain closed tomorrow.
5. Creative – This boy has a lot of creative talent.
6. Creational
7. Sensitive – My skin is very sensitive.
8. Sensible – My argument against dowry was the most sensible of all.
9. Responsive – The state must be responsive to the grievances of the people.
10. Responsible – You are yourself responsible for all your problems.
11. Continuous – The rain did not stop even for a minute. It was continuous.
12. Continual – The rain was continual. When it stopped at all, it stopped only for a few minutes only.
13. Considerate – He was very considerate and tried to help me all that he could.
14. Considerable – He ha s spent a considerable amount of money on his new house.
15. Social – Ram Mohan Roy was a great social reformer.
16. Sociable – You have to be quite sociable to make friends with people.
17. Descriptive – A descriptive article is easier to write than an argumentative one.
18. Describable – The glory of the Almighty is not describable in words.
19. Consumptive – A consumptive person can communicate the disease to another person through breathing.
20. Consumable – Make separate lists of consumable and non consumable goods in the store.  

1. Infrastructure Development

1. Shinde says that the power generation capacity is less than 50% 0f the target and he gave many reasons for the failure to achieve the target.
2. Sun Yaowei  says that power capacity growth in China will slow down in 2008 because the supply in the market is already in excess of the demand.
3. India reduced its target capacity of power generation in the 10th plan period due to a large number of reasons given by S. K. Shinde. But no specific reason is mentioned in the passage.
4. China has added more power generation capacity in one year than India has in ten years.
5. China faced power shortages for four years only.

Comparative Expressions:

1. While - While China has succeeded in controlling population growth, India is still grappling with the problem.
2. Less than – The supply of power in most of the Indian states is less than the demand.
3. Compared with – Compared with India, China’s economic growth has been very fast.
4. No better than – His reputation for honesty is no better than his brother’s.
5. On the other hand – China has succeeded in controlling her population. On the other hand, India has failed to do so.

Filling in the blanks: Comparative Expressions.

Soaps are sodium or potassium salts of long chain carboxylic acids (fatty acids) while detergents are salts of long chain sulphates or sulphonates. Hence, soaps and detergents have a long organic tail with a (negatively charged) polar head, that is, they are anionic in nature. The organic chain is hydrophobic (water hating) but lyophilic( oil loving) whereas the polar head is hydrophilic (water loving) and lyophobic (0il hating).

The cleansing action of both detergents and soaps is about the same. Dirty clothes and skin have oily layers. Simple wetting and rinsing of such clothes and skin would not remove the dirt because the oil is immiscble in water. When a detergent or soap is used along with water, the lyophilic tails of the detergent species tag on to the oily layer and the hydrophilic heads face the water. The agitation causes the oily matter to break into small droplets and is trapped inside the lyophilic ‘cage’ formed by the detergent molecules.

Thus the oily matter is kept suspended in water. The structure formed by the detergent molecules where the oil is trapped is called a micelle. The role of the detergent molecules is to prevent the oil droplets from coalescing once again and returning to the cloth.

The differences between soaps and detergents stem from their sensitivities to hard water and acidic conditions. When hard water (which contains magnesium and calcium ions in higher than permitted levels) is used, the soap precipitates out as calcium or magnesium salts.

On the other hand,  the detergents are less prone to complexation with the metal ion and hence would be less affected by hard water. Likewise, the soap would precipitate out under acid conditions as the carboxylic acid group would be protonated whereas the detergent would survive under acidic conditions better.

Sentence Structure

English makes use of seven basic sentence patterns depending on the way sentence elements combine together. There are five sentence elements: subject, verb, object, complement and adverbial which may be adjunct, conjunct or disjunct.

The seven sentence patterns are:

1. Subject + Verb (I am sleeping. Or The pace of work has gone up.)

The verb used in this pattern is intransitive i.e. one which does not need any object.

2. Subject + Verb + Subject Complement (i. He is my friend. Ii. He is very intelligent.) The subject complement gives information about the subject. It can be a noun as in (i) or an adjective as in (ii).
3. Subject +Verb + Adverbial of Place (He is in the library.)

The verb used in pattern 2. And 3.is some form of the linking verb ‘be’ or some other linking like become, get, turn, prove, seem, look etc.

4. Subject + Verb + Object (The ball hit the boy.)

The verb used in this pattern is mono-transitive i.e. one which requires only one object known as the direct object.

5. Subject +Verb + Object 1 + Object 2 (My father gave me a gift)

The verb used in this pattern is di-transitive i.e. one which requires two objects. The sentence remains incomplete until the second object is supplied. The first object is generally a person and is known as the indirect object and the second object is generally a thing and is known as the direct object. The first subject can be moved behind the second object but in that case it becomes a prepositional phrase preceded by the preposition ‘to’ or ‘for’.

6. Subject +Verb +Object +Object Complement (i. Unhygienic food can make us ill. Or ii. Luck has made him a hero)

The verb used in this pattern is a complex transitive verb which must be followed by an object which is then followed by some information about the object which is known as the object complement. The object complement can be an adjective phrase or a noun phrase.

7. Subject +Verb + Object + Adverbial of place (The child put the bag near the table.

Here again, the verb is mono-transitive but the adverbial of place in this case is mandatory as the sentence remains incomplete without it.

2. Industrial Park

Comprehension:

1. An industrial park is an area set aside for industrial development.
2. Industrial parks are generally located close to a place where all kinds of transport facilities like roads, railways, airports and navigable rivers are easily available.
3. The two kinds of industrial parks are: 1. Industrial park dedicated to industry and 2. Office park where only offices and light industry are allowed
4. The objectives of setting up industrial parks are: i. To reduce the per-business expenditure on providing dedicated infrastructure by limiting it to a demarcated area ii. To attract entrepreneurs to set up industries by providing an integrated infrastructure in one location. Iii. To separate industrial areas from urban areas in order to reduce the environmental and social impact of industry. Iv. To provide for localized environmental controls specific to the needs of an industrial area.
5. The significance of ‘no special environmental safeguards’ in the sentence  is that one of the chief objectives of setting up industrial parks is not taken care of.
6. The trend in the U. S. from the 1970s to the 1990s was to set up more and more industrial parks.
7. David Brooks says so because industrial parks compel large numbers of people to live in the exurbs (suburban areas) away from the thickly populated urban areas.
8. Industrial parks are criticized on the following grounds:

1. They are based on the wildly optimistic speculation that industrialists would automatically be attracted to set up industries in them when they are set up.
2. They cut off large sections of people from the people living in the urban areas.
3. They destroy large areas of valuable fertile agricultural land.
4. They are distant from the places where the employees live and thus force the employees to travel long distances to reach the place of work.
5. Sometimes, large areas of brownfield land which is unfit for any other purpose remain unused as they are close to urban areas.

American English and British English

These two regional varieties, though basically similar, have some important differences. The most important differences are those of vocabulary. Americans use different words for certain concepts from the ones used by the Britons. In Addition to these, there are also some differences of spelling (labour – labor, programme – program), of pronunciation (The Americans ignore the ‘t’ in often), and of grammar (The Americans use the preposition ‘thru’ instead if ‘to’ and do not use the preposition against after protest. They use the continuous tenses where the British use perfect continuous ones)

British                                                 American

Industrial estate                             industrial park                     

Lift                                                     elevator

Railway                                            railroad

Mobile phone                                cell phone         

Lorry                                                truck

Financial                                         fiscal

Tap                                                  faucet

Pavement                                      sidewalk

Autumn                                         fall

Petrol                                            gas

First floor                                     ground floor

Post                                              mail

Film                                               movie

Engineer                                     locomotive driver

3. Highway to Danger

Comprehension

True or False

1. A long distance driving enthusiast does not like the city roads because these roads are not maintained well. False
2. The East Coast Road is a freeway. True
3. It is not the responsibility of the Highways Department to give an estimate of the traffic density. True
4. The number of accidents has come down recently. False
5. The volume of traffic on the highways is very high. True
6. The number of accidents is not so significant as the loss of valuable individual lives. True
7. Careless motorists alone are responsible for most of the accidents. False

Sentence Completion

1. The reasons for the chaos on city roads are violation of one way traffic rule, jumping the red light, weaving through vehicles to so stop as close to the middle of a junction as possible without caring for the stop line etc.
2. The shrubs and trees on the median are meant to prevent the high beams from having a blinding effect on the drivers coming from the opposite side.
3. Greater Chennai covers the areas of Chennai which are outside the city limits but are part of Chennai.
4. The study reveals that 1200 vehicles ply at high speeds every hour.
5. 10598400 road user kilometers are calculated for 184 kilometers of highways within Greater Chennai.
6. The major causes of accidents on the highways are jaywalking, senseless driving, poor policing, and absence of an active highway patrol.

Homographs

Homographs are words which are spelled alike but have different meanings. They may or may not have different pronunciations. When they have the same pronunciation, they are homophones too. Even words which have related meanings but are used as different parts of speech are treated as homophonic words. For example, absent (V) and absent (Adj.) are treated as different words which are homographs.  

Some Examples of Homographs

1. Converse: (N) – I do not believe that a rich man is always happy. Sometimes, the converse is true.
2. Converse: (V) – I converse with my friend for ten minutes yesterday.
3. Console: (N) -  Several buttons on the console help the teacher to communicate with the students individually or collectively as he pleases.
4. Console: (V) – It was difficult to console the mother of the accident victim.
5. Wind (N): - The wind is very cold today.
6. Wind (N): - Our opponents have got wind of our plan.
7. Wind (V): - Nowadays, we do not need to wind our watches.
8. Perfect (Adj.):  - There was perfect silence in the room even in the absence of the teacher.
9. Perfect (V): - He has perfected his skill of copying other people’s signatures.
10. Row (N): Your seat is in the second row.
11. Row (N): It was not I who stated the row.
12. Bow (N): In the olden days, bows and arrows were used as weapons in battles with great skill.
13. Bow (V): I bowed before the old man as a mark of respect.
14. Bow (N): - The young man greeted the elderly guest with a bow.

Homophones

Homophones are different words which are pronounced alike. They may not always differ in spelling. Sometimes, two are more homophones may have the same spellings i.e. they may be homophones as well as homographs.

Some examples of Homophones

1. Fare: i.  The bus fare has been increased due to an increase in the prices of diesel

ii. We were served rich fare at the party.

iii. I have fared very well in the examination.

Fair: i. People went to the fair dressed in their best clothes.

ii. She has a very fair complexion.

iii. I have not received a fair treatment at your hands.

2. Pray: I pray to God every day before doing anything else in the morning.

Prey: (V) - The lion pounced upon its prey and killed it no time.

(N) – The big animals in the forest prey upon the small ones.

3. Brake: He applied the brakes suddenly to avoid an accident.

Break: Failure in love has broken his heart.

4.Rain: (N) – Crops in this area depend mainly on rain.

(V) – It has been raining cats and dogs for two hours.

Reign: There was complete communal harmony in Punjab during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

Rein:  Sonia Gandhi has handed over the reins of the party to Rahul Gandhi.

5.Strait:  A strait is a narrow passage of water that connects two seas or two large bodies of water.

Straight: I go straight to my house after the office hours.

6.Write: I have already written two novels.

Right: i. You have no right to insult me.

ii. He always gives me the right advice.

iii. I always write with right hand.

Words often confused for one another

1. Patrol: A police patrol helped the accident victims.
2. Petrol: Petrol is darer than diesel in Punjab.
3. Affect: Timely rain has brightened the crop prospects.
4. Effect: this incident will have a bad effect on the relation between the two countries.
5. Accept: He has accepted the offer made to him by a multinational company.
6. Except: All except him agreed with me that the prices should not be increased.
7. Pore: The pores in the leaves of the trees are known as the stomata.
8. Pour: It poured heavily yesterday for two hours.
9. Stationary: A speeding car ran into a stationary truck yesterday.
10. Stationery: My father runs a stationery shop near a school.
11. Discreet: The manager handled the sensitive issue in a very discreet manner.
12. Discrete: Every human being has a discrete personality.
13. Complement: The subject complement in a sentence can be a noun phrase or an adjective phrase.
14. Compliment: I thanked him for the compliment that he had paid me.
15. Canvass: I canvassed actively for the congress in the recent elections.
16. Canvas: A painter pours out his heart on the canvas.
17. Counsel: I counseled him to be patient and he followed my counsel.
18. Council: Mohali will now have a municipal corporation instead of a municipal council.

4. Making Inroads

Comprehension

1. Roads were not seen in large parts of India for many years because, perhaps, the government did not realize their importance and the improvement they could bring about in the lives of the people or because the government did not have the requisite funds. (The answer to this question is not to be found in the passage.)
2. Roads lead to the creation of more jobs, reduce child mortality, help in controlling crime, spreading literacy and education and giving better access to health facilities. They also make the life of the people more comfortable and raise their standard of living by increasing the income of the people.
3. The rural people now have access to more jobs. There are fewer child deaths and less crime. More girls get education now and the attendance in schools has also improved. In short, we can observe many changes in the lives of the rural people.
4. Roads have improved the quality of the lives of women in rural areas. They do not have to walk long distances to collect firewood or make cow dung cakes because roads have brought the cooking gas to the villages.
5. Infant and child mortality came down in the villages because roads gave the village people better access to health facilities.
6. Enrollment and attendance in the schools have improved as it has become easier for the students and the teachers to reach their schools and the incidence of disease has also decreased. Also, people have a greater inclination to send their children to school.

Tenses

1. L & T Company has built many IT parks in Tamilnadu.
2. Malaysia has got contracts to construct national highways in India.
3. National Highways Authority of India has undertaken massive efforts to improve road connectivity.
4. State Highways Department has stepped up maintenance work of roads in the state.
5. Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) scheme has become very popular today.

Collocation

A collocation is a group of words which are often found together. ‘A remote village’ and ‘sweeping changes’ are two examples of collocation.

Exercise:

1. Remote sensing, remote control, remote sensor, remote areas.
2. Drastic changes, radical changes, basic changes, revolutionary changes.

1. Home appliance, home needs, home finance
2. Radio news, radio programme, radio broadcast.radiotherapy
3. Self help, self confidence, self praise, self dependence, self glorification
4. Infant mortality, infant care, infant health, infant vaccination
5. Infrastructure development, infrastructure creation, infrastructure facilities

5. Fiber Optic Transmission

Comprehension

Note-taking

	Features	Conventional telecommunication	Fiber optic communication
1	medium	Copper cables	Fiber optic cables
2	Quality of transmission	Poor, disturbed, unsatisfactory	Very clear
3	speed	high	Very high
4	signals	electrical	Light
5	bandwidth	limited	Unlimited

The Structure of a Paragraph

A paragraph should be an organic whole. All the sentences in it should be logically arranged to make it an organic whole. Every sentence should be in its proper place. If the subject of the paragraph is some concept or problem, the first part of the paragraph should introduce the concept or the problem. The middle should elaborate it by giving evidence, examples or arguments and the ending should contain the conclusion.

Topic sentence

Supporting details

Concluding statement

Exercise on arrangement of sentences in a paragraph

1. With the upsurge in economic activities, India is consuming over a whopping 127 million tons of crude oil a year and is forced to import about 70% of its needs.
2. The current yearly consumption of diesel alone is approximately 40 million tons in India constituting about 40% of all petro-products.
3. In the current scenario, exploring energy alternatives in the form of bio-fuels, namely, ethanol and bio-diesel assumes top priority.
4. Bio-diesel, derived from the plants (bearing oils) like sunflower, canola or jatropha curcas, can be used as a substitute or an additive to diesel.
5. It can provide power similar to conventional diesel and thus can be used in diesel engines.
6. It is non-toxic and environment friendly as it produces substantially less carbon monoxide and the combustion gases contain no sulpur dioxide and unburnt hydrocarbons.

Unit 4

1. Robot Soldiers

Comprehension

1. A comparison of the two passages shows us that in order to grasp the attention of the reader, it is essentially for us to begin an article I a dramatic and interesting manner. A mere catalogue facts tends to be dull and is likely to put the reader off.
2. The second passage has a greater appeal. Although both the passages give the same factual information, the second one introduces the topic in an interesting manner. The introductory remarks arouse the interest of the reader and whet his appetite to learn more about the subject.

2. For a Snapshot of the Web

Comprehension

1. Choose the correct answer

A) Which is the newest company? i.Google  ii.Yahoo  iii. Microsoft            iv. Webaroo                                  Ans. iv

2. Content density means ……………………………..  .

i. giving the essential information   ii. giving all information   iii. giving the information required by the user    iv. giving additional information to the user    ans. I

3. The servers of Webaroo scan the internet for …………………… .

i. quantity, coverage and length   ii. Quality, coverage and size   iii. Length, width and depth   iv. access, use and coverage  Aans. Ii

4. The system updates itself to ………………………………….. .

  i. get new information  ii. throw old information out  iii. Make itself new  iv. include necessary information     Ans.  i

True or False

1. Webaroo plans to open up a new facility for internet users.    True
2. According to Brad Husick, the internet is always difficult to use.     False
3. Webaroo has set up many data centres.    False
4. Web users go through all pages given by search engines.    False
5. Webaroo is set up by an Indian and an American.    True
6. All information on the web is useful.   False

Choosing the appropriate meaning

1. Legions  -  great numbers
2. Fledgling  -  Recently formed organization
3. Access  -  Reachability
4. Redundancy  -repetition
5. Strive  -  Try hard
6. Frustratioin   -  Disappointment

3. Mobile Phone menace

Comprehension

1. The main idea of the passage is that using the mobile phone while driving or walking along or crossing the road is dangerous not only for the users but also for the others. In spite of the campaign to make people desist from doing so, road users continue to do so thus putting the lives of other people at risk as well as their own.
2. People on roads are put to serious threat because drivers as well as other people using the road do not desist from using the mobile phone while using the road.
3. Motorcyclists hold the phone in one hand or between a contorted shoulder and the ear or stick the phone through the helmet or ask the pillion rider to hold the phone to their ear. Sometimes, they also use the hands free earpiece.
4. In spite of all the efforts of the police to make them desist from using the phone while driving, motorcyclists do not desist from doing so. Using the phone takes their attention away from driving and that often leads to accidents which sometimes even prove fatal.

Tense Use

I happened to travel by auto one day, when it suddenly jerked to a halt. The driver had got a call on his mobile. I did not grudge him the time till I realized he was discussing the bajjis that he had eaten at his friend’s house. Angry, I asked him to resume his conversation later. I was taken aback when he turned around and accused me of being impatient.

4. Knowledge Society

Understanding Compound Nouns

Nouns which consist of just one word which is a noun are called simple nouns. Sometimes come across nouns which consist of more than one word all of which are nouns.  Such nouns are known as compound nouns. Given below are some examples along with their meanings.

1. Robot soldiers  -  Soldiers who are not men but robots
2. Yankee robots  -  Robots which are Yankees (Americans)
3. Computer science  -  Science of computers
4. Service provider  -  The person or agency that provides a service
5. Phone menace  -  Menace caused by phones
6. Knowledge society  -  Society of people who want to share knowledge
7. Information technology  -  Technology dealing with the spread of information
8. Management  -  Science of management  
9. Research station  -  Station where research is carried on
10. Control board  -  Board with switches or buttons that control something
11. World peace  -  Peace in the world
12. Space administration  -  Administration that controls space related activities
13. Knowledge worker  -  A worker who works in the field of knowledge

Compound Nouns for Phrases

One who organizes programmes  -   A programme organizer

A corporation which deals with power  -  A power corporation

A branch of engineering that deals with transportation  -  Transportation engineering

A branch of science that is concerned with information  -  Information science

A field of engineering that deals with software  -  Software engineering

A technology that is devoted to textiles  -  Textile technology

A science about polymers  -  Polymer science

A planet which is a dwarf  -  A dwarf planet

Word Power – Filling in the blanks by selecting words out of a given list

Termites are notorious for their destructive effect on buildings. But do you know that they can teach us a lesson or two in maintaining temperatures inside buildings I an eco-friendly manner?

Magnetic termites found in Australia and Macrotemes Bellicosus in Africa build large mounds. Some of them rise to a height of 7.5m. In spite of the high fluctuation  in external temperature, the internal temperature of the African termite towers is maintained well. Sometimes, the fluctuation may be in the order of 10 degree C to 44 degree C.

There is a branch of science called bio-mimicry that studies nature and adapts it for engineering and design applications. James Benyus, a celebrated biologist from the U>S>, made the term bio-mimicry popular. In Janine’s view, the avowed objective of mimicking is not to extract from nature but to learn from it. Learning from termite activity is one aspect of this science.

Termites control temperature by building thick outer walls and air vents. The outer wall is made up of a mix of mud and saliva. This is a very strong material and the local people use it for building houses and even roads.

The orientation of the tower helps wind drive air through the tower. The air mixes with the water droplets brought by the termites from the subterranean level and rises through the central passage. When the outside temperature is hot, all air vents are kept open and air is allowed to drift. When the temperature outside is low and the air cold, obstacles are built along the passages to block the draft. This helps to keep the inside temperature hot. This technology is impressive and designers have tried to adopt it for efficient air-conditioning of buildings.

Mick Pearce is one of the early architects who adopted this termite behavior to design the East Gate office complex and shopping mall in Harare, Zimbabwe. The architect first limited the glass façade  to 25 per cent. A simple device was invented. Fresh air from outside was sucked through the atriums using fans.It circulated through hollow spaces under the floors and into the rooms through baseboard ventilators. The air then is drawn through many brick funnels on the roof. During cooler nights, fans circulate air through the building and flush the stored heat in the building to the cooler surrounding outside. This has helped the building use less than 10 per cent of the energy of a conventional building its size.

Thermoregulation is a variation of this principle and is designed by Atelier Ten—environmental engineers, London and it is used in the Federation Square, Melbourne. It is a maze of zigzag corrugate concrete walls. It uses the diurnal temperature variations to provide a passive cooling system. In the night, cool air is pumped in and the concrete cooled. During the day, air is pumped again through the labyrinth and the concrete cools it in turn. This cooled air then flows to the atrium.

In Janine Benyus’ words, technology has to be measured in terms of “how well adapted it is to life on earth over the long term”. Going by this, criterion, one may find that many of our designs are yet to be adapted well. They may be technological virtuosities. But the question is: what do they mean in the long term? The hope here is that bio-mimicking would offer a route to innovative and adaptive technologies.

5. Nanotechnology

Comprehension

1. Viruses are described as villains because they cause diseases like AIDS, polio and influenza and can lead to system crashes and data loss in computers.
2. The unique characteristic of viruses is that they replicate very rapidly and can combine with semiconductors and electronic materials.
3. Green chemistry refers to chemical processes which do not have any harmful effect on the environment.
4. The bringing together of nanotechnology and green chemistry will enable us to manufacture faster, better, cheaper and environment friendly transistors, batteries, solar cells diagnostic materials for detecting cancer, and semi-conductors for use in modern electrical all kinds of devices from computers to cell phones.
5. Belcher’s nanofactories are superior to traditional semiconductor and battery manufacturing because they do not need any toxic and expensive materials, generate little waste, grow at room temperature and promise to be inexpensive and biodegradable.
6. Rejeski strongly believes that nanotechnology is the future because huge amounts of money are being spent on nanotechnology research and development worldwide and this research promises to change almost everything in our lives ---- medical care, energy sources, communications and food.
7. Nanotechnology is closely related to the Industrial Revolution because it is going to revolutionise the production processes and increase production immensely as the  industrial revolution did in the nineteenth century.
8. Belcher’s research can be useful in solving the world’s energy problems as it is expected to improve the efficiency of the methods of production, storage and transmission of energy. It is also likely to remove many of the obstacles in the way of a hydrogen based transportation system in which fuel-cell powered cars and trucks will be used for the purpose.
9. Nanotechnology is the technology which deals with the measurement, prediction and construction of materials as small as atoms and molecules.
10. To drive home the concept of nanometer, the example of the human hair has been given. The author makes the concept clear by telling us that the width of a human hair is equal approximately to 80000 nanometers.

Disyllabic Prefixes

A disyllabic prefix is a prefix which consists of two syllables. (A syllable is a unit having any number of sounds from one to eight. Only one of these sounds is a vowel. The others are consonants. Their number in a syllable can be zero to eight. But the maximum number of consonants before the vowel can be three and the maximum number of consonants after the vowel can be four. Thus we can have a syllable which consists of only one sound which is a vowel. But we cannot have a syllable that contains no vowel.

1. Auto  -  Automobile, Automatic, Autoengineering, Autocracy, Autobiography
2. Cyber  -  Cybernetics, Cyber-cafe, cyber-link, Cybercrime
3.   Eco  -  Ecofriendly, Ecojournalism, Ecoengineering, Ecotourism
4. Giga  -  Gigawatt, Gigabyte, Gigacycle, Gigameter
5. Hyper  -  Hyperactive, Hypersensitive, Hyperallergic, Hypertension
6. Inter  -  Internet, International, Interpersonal, Interlinguistic
7. Mega  -  megabyte, Megawatt, Megacycle, Megavolt, Megameter
8. Micro  -  Microscope, Microphone, Microprocessor, micrometer, Microeconomics
9. Multi  -  Multi-tasking, Multi-storey, Multimedia, Multipurpose, Multi-level
10. Para  -  Paralinguistic, Paramedical, Paraglider, Paraphrase, Parabolic
11. Photo  -  Photosynthesis, Photosensitive, Photogenic, Photovoltaic, Photograph
12. Semi  -  Semi-circle, Semi-conductor, Semi-rural, Semi-urban, Semi-literate
13. Super  -  Superconductivity, Superlative, Superman, Supercede, Super-sensitive
14. Tele  -  Telecommunication, Telephone, Telegraph, Telepathy
15. Under  -  Underprivileged, Underdog, Underpass, Undergarments, Underage,

Word Power – Filling in the blanks

1. Chennai has several automobile industries.
2. India and other countries promote ecotourism.
3. Solar cells are called photovoltaic cells.
4. Today, people use more cell phones than telephones.
5. Some courses of study related to medicine are called paramedical courses.

Definition Writing

A definition consists of three parts. The first part is the term that is to be defined. The second part is the name of the class to which the term belongs and the third part contains the characteristic/s of the class.

1. (1)A man is (2) an animal that (3) walks on two legs.
2. (1)A catalyst is a (2) substance that (3) makes a chemical reaction happen faster without being changed.
3. (1)A knowledge society is a (2) formal association (3) of people with similar interests, who try to make effective use of their combined knowledge about their areas of interest and in the process contribute to this knowledge.

Definitions

1. Robot – A robot is a machine that resembles a human being and can perform mechanical or routine tasks on command.
2. Technology – Technology is the branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and use of technical means and their interrelation with life, society and environment, drawing upon such subjects as arts, engineering, applied sciences, and pure sciences.
3. Biotechnology – Biotechnology is the branch of science that deals with the use of living organisms or other biological systems in the manufacture of drugs or other products or for environment management as in waste recycling.
4. Internet – Internet is a vast computer network  linking smaller computer networks world wide.
5. Mobile phone – A mobile phone is any wireless telephone that operates over a relatively large area.
6. Satellite – A satellite is a natural body that revolves round a planet. It can also be a device designed to be launched into orbit around the earth or some other planet.
7. Chat Room – A chat room is a site on a computer network where online conversations are held in real time.
8. Battery – A battery is a device consisting of one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electric energy.
9. Zinc Oxide – Zinc oxide is a white or yellowish white amorphous, odorless, water insoluble powder used chiefly as a paint pigment and in several other industries.
10. Laptop – A laptop is a portable microcomputer, usually battery operated, small enough to rest on the user’s lap and having a screen that closes over the keyboard like a lid.

Punctuation

1. Period or full stop is used at the end of an assertive sentence whether affirmative or negative.
2. A question mark is used at the end of a question.
3. A comma is used at the place where there is short pause in the sentence.
4. A semi-colon is used at a place where there is a slightly longer pause in the sentence.
5. The exclamation mark is used at the end of a sentence which expresses strong emotions.
6. Parenthesis is used to separate a diversion from the main topic.
7. Underlining or italics, or bold type is used to mark emphasis.
8. An apostrophe is used to show possession or belonging and to mark omitted letters.
9. A series of dots is used to show the omission of words. Three dots indicate that one word has been omitted. More than three dots indicate the omission of more words than one.
10. The first letter of the first word of a sentence is capitalized. Similarly, the first letter of all the major words of a proper noun. The first letter of the major words in a title or heading is also  capitalized.

Exercise on Punctuation

As soldiers fired bursts from m 16 rifles at an urban warfare training site, a group of college students gathered on the edge of a small runway nearby to demonstrate the latest advance in aerial robotics, an emerging technology that could save lives in combat and natural disasters.

Some of the diminutive aircraft resembled the single engine model planes flown by hobbyists on weekends but they were packed with computer gadgetry, video cameras and satellite guidance systems; others were miniature helicopters; and some were totally out of the box such as a yellow four propeller craft resembling a hovercraft, a creation of students at the college of engineering in Delhi.

All of them were programmed to accomplish their tasks on their own without any remote control manipulation by human controllers. They differ from other unmanned aircraft such as the Predator and Global Hawk, must be guided by people.

Sponsored by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International of Arlington, Virginia, the competition attracts students from around the world who design and build planes flown during the annual three day competition at Fort Benning.

UNIT V

Travel and Tourism

1. Man’s Desire for Travel

Comprehension

1. Mavis Hobbs became disabled because of the motor neuron disease which she is suffering from.
2. She describes her friend Kylee as a ‘fun loving young’ fellow.
3. The Maori chief carried her on his shoulders when the going was tough.
4. When Kylee went dancing, Mavis whiled away her time watching the TV or chatting with the people in the lounge.
5. She visited Brazil in order to get treatment from a number of faith healers that she had been told about.
6. Her travel experiences taught her to look at the ways of living of the people from an angle totally different from the one that she had before she got her disease.
7. Her advice to other disabled travelers is to visit the places they want to visit without delay so that they may not have any regrets later.
8. Ms. Hobbs is an Australian.

Word Power

A visually disabled/impaired/challenged/handicapped British adventurer touched down on Sydney on 1st May 2007 to end an epic 21,725-km flight by microlight aircraft from London. Miles Hilton-Barber, a 58 year old father of three, braved/boldly faced snowstorms, freezing temperatures, and torrential downpours during his 54 day flight/aerial journey under the supervision of a sighted co-pilot, Richard Meredith-Hardy (46).

“It’s the realization of an amazing dream,” Mr. Hilton-Barber told reporters at Sydney’s Bankstown airport. “I’ve wanted to be a pilot since I was a kid. Now I’m totally blind and I’ve had the privilege/good fortune of flying more than halfway around the world,” he said. Mr. Hilton-Barber, who lost his eyesight to a hereditary condition/disease about 20 years ago, is hoping the trip will raise $2.5 million (Australian) for the charity Seeing is Believing, which works for the prevention of blindness in developing countries.

He took to the skies from the Biggin Hill air base in South London on March 7 in a microlight aircraft—which looks like a cross between a tricycle and a motorized hang-glider—with the aid/help of audio device that reads out navigational information such as air speed and altitude.

Mr. Hilton-Barber has also conquered Mount Kilimanjaro and Mont Blanc, run marathons in the Sahara and Gobi deserts, and even attempted/tried  to reach the South Pole, hauling a sledge over 400 km of Arctic ice.

2. The Great Indian Globetrotter   

Comprehensiion

1. Both the Indian globetrotter and the Indian diaspora are Ubiquitous. You find them wherever you go in the world.
2. The Indian middle class is flush with money. They are filled with the newly acquired sense of adventure and a global worldview. These factors inspire them to travel through as much of the world as they can. Added to these are the competitive offers by different airlines and the packages offered by the countries and cities which want to attract tourists. These packages are alluring enough to attract even those who would otherwise not be able to afford to travel abroad. They also tempt the rich to undertake more foreign trips than they would do otherwise.
3. Advertising woos the prospective tourists to by flaunting the beauties of the tourist destinations and thus tempts them to make the trip to those destinations. They also bring to their notice the competitive packages offered by the airlines and hospitality industry which make these trips more affordable.
4. Even smaller countries seriously engage in promoting tourism because money these tourists spend helps their economies to grow and brings employment and prosperity to their people.
5. The Indian traveler feels at home anywhere in the world because wherever he/she goes, he finds some of his compatriots who have either settled their or are visiting the place like him/her. Due to this reason, he/she does not feel that he/she is alone or among strangers.
3. First Woman Tourist in Space

Comprehension

1. Ms. Ansari is a successful entrepreneur and co-founder of a new telecommunications company.
2. The current value of an American dollar in Indian currency is Rs. 66.68. However, it keeps fluctuating from day to day.
3. Ms. Ansari had to pay approximately Rs. 1200 million to Space Adventures to go on this space tour.
4. Her childhood dream was to explore the space and to experience how it feels to fly in the Earth’s orbit.
5. Ms. Ansari underwent a cosmonaut training programme in order to become eligible to join the crew of the Soyuz TMA spacecraft and travel in space.

Infinitives

The infinitive in English is the base form of the verb from which all other forms are derived preceded by ‘to’. In English, the infinitive can be used for various purposes. One of the purposes for which is used is to express the purpose or aim of an action or activity. When used for this purpose, it may sometimes be preceded by ‘in order’. In American English, it can also be preceded by ‘With a view’. But in British English, when ‘to’ is preceded by ‘with a view’, the –ing form of the verb has to be used.

He migrated to the city with a view to find work there.  (American)

He migrated to the city with a view to finding work there.  (British)

In certain contexts, the infinitive can be used without the ‘to’ and is then known as the bare infinitive.

Purpose Statements

1. The purpose of an aircraft is to transport travelers from one place to another via air.
2. An airport is meant to land and take of aircraft safely.
3. The purpose of a train is to transport people over railway tracks.
4. The purpose of a railway station is to send and receive trains in stations.
5. The purpose of a rocket is to carry satellites into space.
6. The aim of a launch pad is to send off rockets.

Punctuation

The East Coast Road (ECR) is, no doubt, one of the finest roads in India. But it is not the safest one for travel. The traffic authorities have put up barricades in several places to reduce the speed of the vehicles. This may be effective in controlling speeding vehicles but it is very dangerous. No one can deny that several accidents take place due to the barricades.

There are two reasons for this. One, there is no signboard indicating that there are signboards ahead. And two, there is no proper lighting where the signboards are put up.

Sometimes, the barricades hit by some vehicles are left as they are – in the middle of the road. Will the traffic authorities take notice of this and set things in order?

4. Travel as Discovery

Comprehension

1. The author compares to a narcotic because, like a narcotic it is addictive and affords pleasure to the traveler. He compares it to an antidote because, like an antidote, it relieves us of the deadening effect of from the oppressive feeling engendered by city life.
2. The author leaves Seoul because the atmosphere there suffocates him.
3. The disadvantages of low budget travel are that one has to walk a lot, eat cheap food and even remain half hungry sometimes. As a result, one becomes extremely tired and physically weaker by the time one returns home.
4. The advantages of low budget travel are that one comes into a very close touch with nature and its beauties and happens to see more people. One does not only observe the sublime beauty of nature. One experiences not only the sublimity of nature but also how communities ans nature coexist with each other.
5. The spring moves the author with its purity. He can quench his thirst with the pure water of the spring.
6. The author feels pity for some people because when they go on travel, they do not enjoy its true pleasures. They indulge only in sight-seeing. They only observe the sublime beauty of nature. They cannot experience it. Nor can they experience how nature and communities coexist in perfect harmony.
7. The trees teach us that the spiritual handicap which prevents us from having communion with nature is much greater than a physical handicap.
8. According to the author, what people commonly call travel is just an exercise in sight-seeing. They take a tour bus, get a guide book with a list of the monuments to be seen, take the photographs of the monuments and are satisfied. True travel consists in walking on foot, going off the trodden path to make one’s own discoveries. It means strangeness, risk and beauty. This way, one not only sees but experiences the beauty of the places that one visits, feels the sublimity of nature and learns how nature and communities coexist harmoniously without disturbing each other.

5. Hypersonic Travel

Comprehension

1. Indian defence scientists have planned to build a Mach 6.5-7 speed aircraft.
2. The speed of the French Concorde is about 2000 km per hour.
3. In developing a high speed passenger aircraft, the crucial thing is not the speed but the sudden high speed acceleration required during taking off and the deceleration during landing because during these, all the forces are felt by the passenger.
4. The future possibilities in aviation are the development of a personal aircraft like a personal computer, an environment friendly aircraft running on fuel cells and a silent aircraft.
5. Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) uses air-breathin technology.
6. Hydrocarbon fuel is easy to handle.
7. The special materials required for hypersonic cruise vehicles are a range of carbon-composites, nickel-based super alloys, niobium alloys and high thermal conducting copper alloy etc.

Word Power: Antonyms

1. Fiction  -  fact
2. Acceleration  -  deceleration
3. Landing  -  taking off
4. Friendly  -  hostile

Word Formation

1. Biotic – antibiotic, a-biotic,
2. Chrome – monochrome, polychrome
3. Culture – monoculture, multiculture, polyculture, microculture, macroculture
4.  Dynamics – aerodynamics, thermodynamics,
5. Graph – monograph, polygraph, photograph, telegraph,
6. Human – subhuman, inhuman, antihuman
7. Meter – thermometer, micrometer, multi-meter, macro-meter, mono-meter, photometer,
8. Phone – telephone, photophone, microphone,
9. Plane – aeroplane,
10. Scope – telescope, microscope,
11. Syllabic – monosyllabic, polysyllabic, multisyllabic,
12. Theism – atheism, monotheism, polytheism

Prepositios

Air tavel is a common mode of travel for millions. Due to/ in view of/ because of/with increasing competition among the airlines, more people are likely to travel. More than one billion people travel by air each year and for the majority of people, it is safe. Despite the current security concerns, air travel is likely to remain one of the best modes of transport. But it can be a problem for people with problems  of the lungs especially due to increase in the number of survival years, thanks to the increasing medical research.

With/due to/because of the introduction of modern aircrafts, passengers will be exposed to an altitude of 8000 feet and in some cases exceeding 20 hours. Apart from the potential of increasing risks of medical illness, there are lots of physiological disturbances that can occur or precipitate a problem among people.

1. Natural Disaster Management

Direct and Indirect Speech (Narration)

Direct Speech/Narration: When the exact words used by the speaker are reproduced by the person reporting what the speaker has said/says/will say, the speech is known as the direct speech/narration.

Indirect Speech:  when the narrator reproduces in his own words what the speaker has said/says/will say, the speech is said to be the indirect/reported speech/narration.

Change of Speech/Narration

Direct to Indirect: Three basic types of changes are effected while changing direct speech into indirect speech. Rules to be followed for these are given below:

1. Rules applicable to all types of sentences

1. Change of Pronouns: The following formula is followed for the change of pronouns:  

           1 ---- S

                    2 --- O

                   3 --- N

This formula, known as the 1,2,3 son formula, says that

1. The pronouns belonging to the first person in the reported speech are changed into the person of the subject of the reporting verb.
2. The pronouns belonging to the second person in the reported speech are changed into the person of the object of the reporting verb.
3. The pronouns belonging to the third person in the reported speech are not changed.

It is to be remembered that we have to change only the person of the pronouns. The case, number and gender (where gender distinction is there) remain unchanged. The following table will clarify what has been said here.

Person	Sub. Sing.	Sub. Pl.	Ob. Sing.	Ob. Pl.	Poss. Adj. Sing.	Poss. Adj. Pl.	Poss. Nom. Sing.	Possessive Nominal Pl.	Reflexive. Sing.	Reflexive. Pl.
first	i	we	me	us	my	our	mine	ours	myself	ourselves
second	you	you	you	you	your	your	yours	yours	yourself	yourselves
Third Masc.	he	they	him	them	his	their	his	theirs	himself	themselves
Third Fem.	she	they	her	them	her	their	hers	theirs	herself	themselves

We have to remember that while effecting the change of pronouns, we have to remain within the column. Crossing the columns is not allowed because doing so means changing the case/number/gender.

Change of Tense:

1. If the reporting verb is in the present tense or future tense, no change is made in the tense of the reported speech.
2. If the reporting verb is in the past tense, the tense of the verb is changed according to the following rules:

Present tenses                change into          corresponding past tenses

Past indefinite                changes into          past perfect

Past continuous              changes into          past continuous

Past perfect                       No change

Past perfect continuous         no change

Future tenses                 will or shall changes into would.

                                         Shall changes into should only in questions containing a                    

                                         Proposal, a request for permission or an offer of help.    

Can (possibility or ability)      changes into    could  

Can (performance)                   changes into      was/were able to

May                                        changes into           might   

Must (present)                    changes into           had to

Must (future)                       changes into          would have to

3. If the reported speech contains a universal truth, a habitual fact or a scientific or geographical truth, the tense of the reported speech is not changed even if the reporting verb is in the past tense.

Words denoting nearness or remoteness (distance) in place or time

Some words denoting nearness or remoteness (distance) in place or time are also changed as follows if the tense of the verbs is changed in accordance with the above rules.

This ………that,      these …………..those,        here ……….. there     now ……..then

Hence ………. Thence,       hither ……… thither     today …….. that day

Yesterday …… the previous day or the day before,

Tomorrow ………. The next day or the day after

Last week/ month/year ………. The previous week/month/year

2. Sentence type specific rules:

1. Affirmative Sentences or Statements

1. The reporting verb say is change into tell, inform etc. if the object is present. If there is no object, tell can be retained or changed into announce, declare, state, affirm, announce, promise etc. according to the sense.
2. Inverted commas are replaced by the conjunction ‘that’. Sometimes, no conjunction is used in their place.  

2. Interrogative Sentences or Questions

1. Yes/No Questions

1. The reporting verb say is changed to ask or inquire. If the object is present, it comes directly after ask. But if inquire is used, the preposition ‘of’ is inserted before the object. ‘Demand’ or ‘want to know’ can also sometimes be used. Even the verb ‘wonder’ can be used in some cases.
2. The inverted commas are replaced by the conjunction ‘if’ or ‘whether’.
3. The helping verb is moved after the subject.
4. The question mark is replaced by the period (full stop).

2. Wh—questions

1. The reporting verb ‘say’ is replace by ‘ask’ etc. as in the case of yes/no questions
2. The inverted commas are removed but no conjunction is used in their place.
3. The helping verb is moved behind the subject. However, in some sentences beginning with an interrogative adjective or pronoun, it is already placed behind the subject and we do not have to move it. This is   the case when the question word itself is the subject.
4. The question mark at the end is replaced by the period (full stop).

3. Imperative sentences or commands

1. The reporting verb say is replaced by request or order/command or advise according to the sense.
2. If there is no object after the reporting verb, it has to be supplied before the sentence ic changed into the indirect.
3. The inverted commas are replaced by ‘to’. If the command is a negative one, do is removed and ‘not is placed before ‘to’. If the command begins with the word ‘always’ or ‘never’, ‘to’ is placed after these words.
4. The form of the verbs in the imperative mood is not changed. But when the indicative mood comes in, normal tense change rules begin to be applied.

4. Imperatives beginning with ‘let’.

Request or permission

If an imperative sentence beginning with ‘let’ is a request for permission or an advice/counsel, it can be changed like the other imperative sentences not beginning with ‘let’.

However, if it contains a suggestion or proposal, a different set of rules has to be applied.

Proposal or suggestion

1. The reporting verb say is replaced by the verb suggest or propose.
2. Inverted commas are replaced by the conjunction that.
3. The word ‘let’ is omitted and the case of the pronoun following it is changed from objective to subjective.
4. The subject is then followed by ‘should’.
5. The rules for the change of pronouns are also different. The person of the pronoun us is changed as follows:

If either the subject or the object is in the first person, it continues to be in the first person.

If neither of the two is in the first person but one of the two is in the second person, it changes into the second person.

If both the subject and the object are in the third person, it changes into the third person.

6. The other rules relating to the change of tense etc. are applied.

5. Exclamatory sentences

1. Beginning with an exclamatory interjection

Important interjections and their meanings:

Hurrah – joy,            Alas – sorrow, regret, grief           Bravo – Applause,

Oh – wonder/surprise, joy, appreciation, admiration,     Ah – regret, sorrow, grief

1. The reporting verb say is replaced by ‘exclaim with joy, sorrow, wonder, admiration, appreciation, applause, regret, delight etc. as the case may be. ‘Exclaim joyfully, sorrowfully etc. may also be used.
2. The conjunction ‘that replaces the inverted commas.
3. The interjection is then omitted.
4. If the sentence that follows the interjection is an ordinary affirmative sentence, it is given after ‘that’ with due changes of tense, pronouns etc.
5. If the sentence following the interjection is an exclamation beginning with what or how, it is changed as explained in the next section.
6. The sign of exclamation is replaced by a period (full stop).

2. Beginning with what or how

1. The reporting verb say is changed as explained in the section above.
2. The conjunction ‘that’ replaces the inverted commas’
3. The exclamation is changed into an affirmative sentence. (The sentence now starts with the subject, ‘what’ or ‘how’ is omitted and the adverb ‘very’ is inserted before the adjective for emphasizing the emotion.)
4. The sign of exclamation is replaced by the period (full stop.

6. Optative sentences

There are two kinds of optatiive sentences. i. Containing a wish

And ii. Containing a blessing or a curse.

Wish

These sentences may begin with ‘I wish’, ‘would that’, ‘oh that’, or ‘oh for’.

1. The reporting verb say is replaced by wish.
2. The inverted commas are replaced by the conjunction ‘that’.
3. Then the words ‘I wish’, ‘oh that’ or ‘would that’ are omitted and the remaining part of the sentence is given with due changes of tense, pronouns etc.
4. The sign of exclamation at the end is replaced by the period.

Blessing or curse   

1. ‘Say’ is replaced by ‘pray’.
2. The inverted commas are replaced by the conjunction ‘that’.
3. The modal verb ‘may’ is moved behind the subject.
4. Due changes of tense and pronouns are made.
5. Sometimes, ‘bless or ‘curse’ may be used to replace ‘say’. But they must be followed by an object which may be supplied if it is not already there.
6. When this is the case, the inverted commas are replaced by ‘saying that’ instead of simply ‘that’.
2. Preparing for Earthquakes

Comprehension

1. Some forty years ago, the plate bearing India began to collide with thw plate bearing Eurasia. As a result f this continuous collision, the Himalyas came into existence.
2. The Asian monsoon came about as a result of the rise of the Himalayas and the Tibetan plateau adjacent to it.
3. Scientists observe faults with the help of the Ground Positioning System (GPS) receivers which monitor the position of places on both sides of the plate boundary.
4. The Himalayas is a place of potential danger because, according to the estimate of a geologist, sufficient strain has accumulated at about a dozen places in this mountain range to cause a mighty earthquake with an intensity of more than 8.
5. Civil engineers can help people in facing earthquakes by making buildings and other civil structures earthquake proof so that they may be able to face earthquakes without giving way.  

2. True or False

1. The Tibetan plateau moved up due to a collision between two plates.    True
2. The colliding plates are Sumo wrestlers.   False
3. Scientists cannot exactly predict when earthquakes will occur.     True
4. Earthquakes will occur near plate boundaries only.     False
5. Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai can also be affected by earthquakes any time.     True
6. Awareness alone will save the people from earthquakes completely.     True

3. Completing the Sentences.

1. GPS stands for Ground Positioning System.
2. The magnitude of a great earthquake predicted by a geologist in the Himalayas is more than 8.
3. The earthquake in Bhuj occurred on the Republic Day in2001.
4. The number of people who died at Bhuj is 2000.
5. Major Indian cities are prone to earthquakes.

Tenses

Half of Greenland and vast areas of Antarctica are destined to melt if global warming continues  at the same pace until the end of the century, scientists warn/have warned. Their research shows that the loss of so much ice will trigger dramatic rises in the sea levels, ultimately swamping low-lying islands and coastal regions and threatening the flood defences of cities such as London.

The last time so much ice was lost from the poles – in a period between ice ages 129,000 years ago --- global sea levels rose 4 to 6 meters.

Experts believe many coastal regions will suffer long before sea levels rise significantly, because even a minor rise makes storm surges more devastating and increases the risk of flooding.

The warning comes/has come from climatic scientists who combined/ have combined historical records of Arctic and Antarctic ice melting with advanced computer models capable of predicting future environmental conditions.  

Recommendation Writing

While writing recommendations, we can make use of the following modal auxiliaries and adjectives:

Modal auxiliaries: should, ought to, must, be (is/am/are) to be

Adjectives: desirable, advisable, essential, required, mandatory, recommended etc.

3. Ride the High Tide

Comprehension

1. The review begins by giving us a brief overview of the book.
2. In the second paragraph, the author sums up the book as a positive portrayal of emotions that follow a tragedy and as a first person account by a boy who is puzzled by the sudden changes in his life and his hopes for a new tomorrow.
3. The author relates the book to a series of books because the books in that series have the same theme and give the same positive message to inspire the people struck by a big tragedy.
4. The author mentions the funding from Germany due to two reasons. i. to express his/her gratitude for the help to the donors and ii. To prick the conscience of her own countrymen.
5. The review ends by stating the message of the book, which is that the people affected by natural calamities do not keep brooding over them for long. They soon put them behind them begin to move forward.

4. half of Forest Area Fire Prone

Comprehension

1. Forest fires are a serious problem in India because half of India’s forest area is fire prone and forest fires cause a huge financial loss of 4400 million every year.
2. Ecologists fear that forest fires in India may hasten the destruction of the organic matter which contains plant nutrients, which is already very fast due to the tropical climate. If that happens, it will degrade the quality of the forests immensely.
3. The problems with forest fire management in India are that very little scientific information on forest fires is available and, in the absence of such information, no solutions can be prescribed. The only thing that we can do is to try to control the man made recurrent fires by involving the local communities in the effort.
4. There are different reasons for which some communities set fires to forests. They do so to

1. clear land for the growth herbaceous plants to be used as fodder
2. clear land for shifting agriculture
3. collect non-timber forest products like Mahua fruits
4. please the local deities.

5. Tribal people in the western side burn the forests to celebrate the birth of a son or to get the mineral rich ash. This ash is washed down into their fields by the rains in the monsoon season and increases the fertility of their fields.
6. Burning of crop remains from fields, controllred burning by the forest department getting out of control, throwing of a cigarette or bidi by a careless passerby, repair of vehicles on roadsides and campfires made by tourists are the main causes of accidental fires.
7. The aim off the pilot study was to gain first hand information and to use the knowledge and experience so gained to step up the efforts to highlight the forest fire issue and facilitate the development and implementation of a meaningful national plan for the control and management of forest fires in the country.

Compound Adjectives

Compound adjectives are adjectives which consist of two words. The two words constituting a compound adjective may be joined together to make one word, joined together by a hyphen or kept separate.

The following table shows how compound adjectives are formed and what types of words go into their formation.

	Structure	Examples
1	Noun + adjective	Fire-prone, accident-prone, blood thirsty
2	Noun + past participle	Man-made, hand-written, love-lorn
3	Noun + present participle	Path-breaking, heart-breaking, confidence-inspiring, blood-sucking
4	Adjective + past participle	Ready-made, sharp-witted, full throated
5	Adverb + adjective	Fully-automatic, partially-correct,
6	Adverb + present participle	Fast-moving,
7	Adverb + past participle	Fully-loaded, hurriedly-planned,

Explaining compound adjectives

1. Light-absorbing material   = a material which absorbs light
2. State-owned enterprise     = an enterprise owned by the state
3. Decision making process   =  a process used for making decisions
4. Ladder mounted vehicle    = a vehicle mounted with ladders
5. Locally-available resource  = A resource which is available locally

Making compound adjectives

1. An equipment that fights fire  =  fire-fighting equipment
2. A machine that sells tickets     =  ticket-selling machine
3. A room that is cooled by an air conditioner  =  an air-conditioned room
4. A diode that emits light   =  a light emitting diode
5. An economy that is driven by the market  =  a market driven economy

Noun + present participle v/s noun + past participle

When a noun + present participle compound adjective is followed by a noun, it is the noun which performs the job and the noun in the compound adjective is the receiver.

When a noun + past participle compound adjective is followed by a noun, the noun in the adjective performs the action and the noun which follows it is the receiver.

1. A missile-guiding system = a system that guides a missile
2. A missile-guided system  = a system that is guided by a missile
3. A satellite-tracking computer = a computer that tracks missiles
4. A satellite-tracked computer = a computer that is tracked by a satellite
5. A Wheel-aligning machine = a machine that aligns wheels
6. A wheel-aligned machine = a machine the wheels of which have been aligned
7. An algorithm-writing software = a software that writes algorithms
8. An algorithm-written software = a software that has been written by a software
9. Product-advertising agency = an agency that advertises products
10. Product advertised agency = an agency that has been advertised by its products
11. Industry-supporting program == a program that supports industry
12. Industry supported program = a program that is supported by industry  

5. World Institute for Disaster Risk Management

Comprehension

1. The Board of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University established the World Institute of Disaster Risk management in conjunction with the ProVention Consortium of the world Bank.
2. The two sources of hazardous events are nature and technology.
3. WIDRM was set up to enable people to anticipate disasters and take action to protect life and property, and to ensure sustainable social and economic development.
4. WIDRM achieves its objectives by filling knowledge gaps, providing a clearing house for information, building know-how, mobilizing resources, and forging partnerships with governments, private enterprises, international agencies, and NGOs
5. Developing countries lack an adequate institutional framework in which to apply the reliable and cost effective technologies for early warning, prevention, and mitigation even when they are available.
6. Natural disasters often cause considerable damage to life and property, infrastructure, cultural heritage and the ecological basis for life. They also lead indirectly to huge losses in terms of business interruption, loss of production, and loss of services. These losses are often much greater than the direct loses.
7. Developing countries are affected more severely by natural disasters because they result in a dramatic fall in Gross National product.
8. Natural disasters and technology are interrelated because natural disasters often lead to technological failures which in turn lead to more suffering and misery as a result of natural disasters.

True r False

1. Mangers in all areas have a great responsibility to deal with natural and technological disasters effectively.    True
2. WIDRM alone can reduce risks in potential areas.           False
3. WIDRM is an independent organization without any relation to other organizations.       False
4. Indirect losses are heavier than direct losses.       True

1. Quality of Life

Comprehension

1. The first draft for the constitution of the ISI was prepared by the Institution of Engineers (India).
2. The ISI was set up on January 6, 1947.
3. The first standard drawn by the ISI was for the national flag of the country.
4. The various functions of the ISI include formulation of standards, issuing of certificates, testing of products, ensuring international cooperation and promotion of standards.
5. The BIS Act 1986 was passed in order to provide recognition and status to the organization so that it may be able to perform its functions more effectively.
6. The technical committees involve all categories of people interested in a standard like the manufacturers and the consumers in addition to the experts and after seeking their views, they formulate the standards.
7. The standards are classified as basic standard, product specifications, and methods of codes and practices.
8. To the consumer, an ISI mark means that the product conforms to the standards laid down in the specification by the Bureau of Indian Standards.
9. The standards are maintained constantly through regular surveillance of the manufacturing process, surprise inspections and testing of samples taken from the factory as well as from the market. If anybody is found to be using the ISI mark fraudulently, they are punished under the BIS Act.
10. The functions of the laboratories set up by the BIS are to conduct tests on the ISI marked products to ensure that they conform to the standards laid down by the Bureau and to test the samples offered by the manufacturers for the grant of the ISI certificate. They also offer specialized services for the calibration of testing equipment and instruments and help to procure standard reference materials.

Relative Pronouns

1. Relative pronouns are pronouns which join a relative clause to the noun which it modifies. Examples of relative pronouns are who, whom, whose, that and which. Of these, whom and which may sometimes be preceded by a preposition like by, to, of, from, in etc. Whose may also sometimes take preposition before it.
2. It may be noted that who, whom and whose can be used only to refer to persons. But which is used only to refer to non-persons i.e. things, animals, abstract concepts and clauses. That can be used to refer to both persons and non-persons.’
3. It may also be noted that, in addition to the relative pronouns, relative adverbs like when, where, how, why etc. can also be used to join relative clauses to the nouns modified by them.
4. The relative pronouns who, that and which may be omitted when they occur before a defining relative clause. When this is done, we say that zero relative pronoun has been used. In other words, zero relative pronoun means no relative pronoun.  

Defining and non-defining relative clauses and punctuation

1. A defining relative clause is a relative clause which helps us to identify the referent of the noun which it modifies.  For example, in the sentence

            The man who gave you this book is my brother.,

            We do not know which man we are talking of. We get to know his identity when we hear the words ‘who gave you the book. In other words, it is the relative clause which establishes the identity of ‘the man’. Such relative clauses are called defining relative clauses.

2. When we can establish the identity of the referent of the noun modified by the relative clause without the help of the relative clause, the clause is said to be non-defining relative clause. Look at the following sentence.

Her husband, who lives in Delhi, visits her only on weekends.

In this sentence, we know the person we are talking of even before we are told that he lives in Delhi. This relative clause only gives us some additional information about the man. So, this relative clause is a non-defining relative clause.

Note the use of the comma before this clause, which has not been used before the relative clause in the sentence in 1.

So, also note that a defining relative clause does not have any comma before or after it but a non-defining relative has a comma both before and after it.

Exercises

Combining two sentences into one complex sentence using a relative pronoun

1. It was Dalton who said that atoms could not be split.
2. It is London which is the capital of England.
3. It is Harvard University which is the world’s number one university.
4. It is the ISI which formulates standards for goods and services in India.
5. Mr. Prasad is a quality control engineer who certifies the export worthiness of the products of his company.     Or

Mr. Prasad, who is a quality control engineer, certifies the export worthiness of the products of his company.                   Or

It is Mr. Prasad, who is a quality control engineer, who certifies the export worthiness of the products of his company.

Rewriting complex sentences as simple sentences

1. The electronic circuit should be checked first.
2. The doctor administered the medicine to the patient.
3. The architect designs huge buildings.
4. The educational institution should provide for campus placement facility.
5. An innovative idea catches the attention of people.

Converting simple sentences into complex sentences

1. It was William Harvey who discovered the circulation of blood.
2. It was Einstein by whom the general theory of relativity was postulate.
3. It is oxygen and water which sustain life n the earth.
4. It is carbon monoxide and other harmful substances that cause ozone depletion.
5. It is the manufacturing units that must maintain standards in their products.

2. Total Quality Management

Comprehension

1. It was Japan which gave the concept of TQM to the world.
2. A TQM company gives the highest priority to customer satisfaction because its success depends on the success of the customers. The satisfaction of the customers gives it a competitive advantage, an edge over its rivals in the market.
3. The management shows personal involvement in creating and deploying clear quality values and goals consistent with the objectives of the company as well as in creating and deploying systems, methods and performance measures for achieving those goals. These systems and methods guide all quality related activities of the employees and encourage them to participate in them. The development and performance indicators are linked directly or indirectly to customer requirements and satisfaction and to management and employee remuneration.
4. TQM maintains high levels of customer satisfaction by continuously improving the quality of the products of a company. Continuous improvement of the processes of manufacturing is ensured which, in turn, ensures continuous improvement in the quality of the products.
5. Quick action is helpful to a company as it enables it to identify and resolve the problems in the production process before they are passed on to the next internal customer. It helps a company to respond quickly to the needs of the customers.
6. Recognizing problems as system related has many advantages. It leads to an improvement of the processes which results in improvements in the quality of the products. It also increases the efficiency and reduces the time gap between concept, execution and results.
7. A TQM company achieves active employee participation by evolving reward and recognition systems which emphasise the achievement of quality objectives. It gives importance to the education and training of the employees and encourages them to take more responsibility, communicate more effectively and act creatively and to innovate. It also tries to achieve this objective by linking remuneration to customer satisfaction achieved by the employees.
8. The two awards given to companies for quality achievement are the Deming Prize given by the Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineer instituted in 1951 and the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (US) instituted in 1988

Antonyms

Sr. No.	word	Antonym with a negative prefix	Antonym without a negative prefix
1	Order	Disorder	Chaos
2	Known	Unknown	Obscure
3	Important	Unimportant	Trivial, Minor, Petty
4	Continuous	Discontinuous	Sporadic, Irregular
5	Satisfaction	Dissatisfaction	Exasperation, Dejection, Depression, Hunger, Curiosity
6	Functional	Non-functional, Dysfunctional	Dead, Broken
7	Consistent	Inconsistent	Sporadic, Occasional
8	Legitimate	Illegitimate	Clandestine
9	Directly	Indirectly	Obliquely
10	Divided	Undivided	United
11	Rational	Irrational	Sentimental, Emotional
12	Appropriate	Inappropriate	Wrong
13	Conformity	Nonconformity	Difference, Opposition, Departure
14	Successful	Unsuccessful	Flop
15	Communicate	-------------------	Hide, Conceal

3. Euro vs Bharat Stage Norms

Comprehension

1. BS –III was implemented in 2005.
2. BS –IV will be implemented in 2010.
3. The harmful emissions are carbon monoxide, unburnt hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides.
4. The difference between the BS and EU standards is that in BS standards, the maximum speed in the last part of the cycle is 90 km/h whereas in the EU standards, it is 20 km/h.
5. The function of Onboard diagnostic System is to indicate the malfunctioning of emission control and engine performance.
6. The three way catalytic converter and electronic fuel injection have been compared because both of them are used for the same purpose namely to destroy all the three undesirable emissions (HC, CO and NOx.) in a single step.
7. The author says that India must urgently use innovative methods to arrive at mass emissions under actual service conditions because they will help us to arrive at appropriate norms in a way equivalent to the Euro norms. It is necessary to do so because to be able to import India manufactured vehicles, we must conform to the internationally accepted standards.

4. World University Rankings

Comprehension

1. The Times Higher Education Supplement has proved that Indian Universities can compare favourably with the top universities of the world.
2. In the previous year, the IIM was placed at number 94.
3. The striking thing about the performance of Asian universities is that they have considerably improved their showings in 2006-07. Three universities from Japan alone are among the 24 new entrants into the top 200 list.
4. The World Universities ranking was started in 2004.
5. From Asia, Japan, Malaysia and Korea have performed well.
6. The universities in the UK have secured 29 positions among the top 200 universities of the world.
7. Israel represents the Middle East.
8. The parameters of the survey are peer reviews, ratio of international faculty to total faculty, ratio of international students to total students and ratio of total students to total faculty.
9. Out of the Asian countries, Japan has the highest number of universities among the top 200. Eleven Japanese universities are among the top 200.
10. Asian universities have obtained seven ranks among the top 50.

Exercise on tenses

1. IIM (A) has revised its fee structure.
2. Columbia University and Australian National University have improved their ranks.
3. Technology has contributed to increase in standards of living.
4. Asian universities have fared well in the survey.
5. An Indian university has introduced a masters program in nanotechnology.

Editing

The internet is also known as the cyberspace, the information superhighway, the online community, the electronic library and the digital revolution. This modern technology is called the ‘road’ or the information superhighway. The World Wide Web is one of the advanced facilities on the internet. The applications available on the internet are E-mail, mailing lists, newsgroup, chat moo, video-conferencing and the World Wide Web (www). The internet is used for many things.

5. Touchstone for Life

Comprehension

1. In school, Einstein was notorious for eating large amounts of paste, the smell of ‘dill pickles and peanut butter’, his unruly hair, rumpled clothes and playing pranks in the class such as barking or snorting or throwing paper wads at his classmates. Once, he even released a rabid skunk in the class and then began to dance in front of it to make it hiss and spray.
2. One day, he threw a spitball at the back of a classmate’s head. As the ball flew towards its target, he noticed the change in its path caused by the force of gravity which was considered to be immutable. This incident set him thinking whether the force of gravity was really immutable and whether the laws of physics were really unchangeable. He became curious and determined to find out the truth. Thus he became seriously interested in physics.
3. He had been expelled from the Rotterdam Academy where he studied after he disturbed the class by releasing a skunk in the class but he was too embarrassed to admit it to his parents. So he went to London and began to work as a violinist in an orchestra. Soon, he began to feel bored playing the tunes composed by others. So he left London and went to New York to try his luck there.
4. At the Fashion Institute of Technology, he had a conflict with a powerful professor over an algorithm to calculate optimum lapel width. As a result, further opportunities to him at the University were closed to him. So he left the Institute.                    Or

He did not continue to work at the Fashion Institute of Technology because all further opportunities to him were closed as a result of a quarrel which he had with a powerful professor over an algorithm to calculate optimum lapel width.

5. To complete his doctoral work, he used to study in candlelight at night after his wife and children went to bed.
6. His research papers, which included ‘The Theory of Relativity’ were published in 1905. These papers were so well received by the scientific fraternity that he immediately became a popular scientist.
7. His bad habits were stealing lab equipment and teaching supplies and elaborate practical jokes on his colleagues.
8. Einstein was a scientific genius. He was also very good at performing arts. He was a very dedicated student of science too. But he also suffered from some bad habits. As a student, he was notorious for playing mischievous pranks in the class which annoyed his teachers. He stole the lab equipment and the teaching supplies from the institution where he worked and played practical jokes on his colleagues. Thus he was a strange and complex human being.

Editing

The Chennai-Tiruchi-Madurai petro-product pipeline comes with a host of advantages. One of the major benefits of the pipeline is its potential to prevent the adulteration of the products. It will ease traffic congestion and reduce pollution on the roads as well as save a lot of money on transportation. Of course, the supply of oil will be uninterrupted. The pipeline will not only enhance the all round growth and development of the state but also contribute significantly to the conservation of environment.

1. Sixth Sense

Comprehension

1. ‘Mysterious Borderland ‘ as used here means the territory of our mind which is beyond the reach of our five senses. The existence of such a territory has been proved but not yet understood.
2. The role of the internal receptors is to perceive those phenomena which the five senses are unable to perceive.
3. The story of Dr. Smythe’s dog proves that in lower creatures, the senses like seeing and hearing are much more keenly developed than they are in human beings.
4. It was a German zoologist, Karl von Frisch, who explained the flight behavior of bees.
5. Some organs on the flanks of many kinds of fish which can register extremely slight changes in the flow of water help them not to clash with each other or escape from predators even in the dark. With the help  of these organs, the fish can detect a nearby fin or even sound vibrations from above the surface of water.
6. (7) The author describes the sixth sense as ancient because it is believed that initially, man possessed it like the other animals. But with the passage of time, as civilization progressed, they faded out
7. (8) The author relates the lack of adequate sixth sense with civilization and consciousness because we can still find it in some primitive or unsophisticated people, children and people under great stress. This fact indicates that the sixth sense comes into play more freely when our brain does not override it.

Pronouns

Pronouns are words that can take the place of nouns or noun phrases or even noun clauses after they occur once in a given text. Pronouns are one of the several cohesive devices that English uses to bind sentences together. They link sentences together by referring back to the nouns which they replace. It is not possible for us to understand a text unless we are able to identify the reference of the pronouns in the text correctly.

1. His – the pet
2. His – Dr. Smythe
3. Him – Dr. Smythe
4. His – Dr. Smythe
5. Their – the soldiers
6. His – Dr. Smythe
7. Its – the dog
8. He – the dog
9. He – the dog
10. He – the dog

Dummy IT

The pronoun ‘it’ is sometimes as a subject at the start of a sentence without it carrying any meaning in the given text. Most of the time, it refers to a phrase or a clause which occurs later in the sentence and is the real subject of the sentence. Look at the following sentences.

1. It is impossible to achieve perfection without practice.
2. It was his father who helped me with money.

We can reframe these sentences by making the words in bold type the subjects of the sentences.

1. To achieve perfection without practice is not possible.
2. Who helped me with money was his father.

It is clear now that the function of the word ‘it’ in these sentences is only to take the place of the words in bold type, which are the real subjects of the sentences.

The word ‘it’ , when used like that is known as the dummy it and the real subject which it replaces is known as the postposed subject.

The dummy it can also sometimes stand for certain concepts such as time, air, weather, rain, snow etc. which are not named in the sentence. Look at the following sentences and you will understand.

1. It is 3 pm.  (The time is 3 pm.)
2. It has been raining heavily since morning.   (The rain has been raining------ .)
3. It was snowing when we reached Shimla.   (The snow was snowing ---------------- .)
4. It was very cool yesterday.    (The weather was very cool yesterday.)
5. It is close today.   (The air is close today.)

Note that the dummy it does not refer to any noun that has occurred earlier in the text as the pronoun ‘it’ does as, for example, it does in the second of the following sentences:

The child was crying continuously. It was hungry.

Paragraph Formation

A paragraph can be a coherent whole only if all the sentences comprising it are arrange in a logical manner.

1. International development Enterprises, India (IDEI) is an Indian non-profit organization.
2. It is committed to ensuring the prosperity of poor farmers by developing disseminating low-cost irrigation technologies.
3. It has developed a micro-irrigation technology called treadle pump.
4. The treadle pump is a low-cost, foot operated water lifting device that is ideally suited for small areas of land.
5. The device is low-priced, easy to install and operate.
6. It is well-suited for areas with abundant ground water.
7. It is also gender friendly as both men and women can easily operate it.

2. Creative Idea Generation

Listening Comprehension

Choose the correct answer

1. What does the passage primarily deal with?    Ans.  B. The production of innovative ideas.
2. What role does your subconscious have in creating new ideas?    Ans. D. It works constantly on your problem until you get your new idea.
3. Which of the following approaches to creating new ideas is NOT mentioned in the passage?     Ans.   C. Sudden flash approach.
4. Why does the author say that creativity is like any other skill?      Ans.  A. It can be learnt by practice.
5. What attitude does the author show towards creativity?   Ans.  D. Positive
6. What is the consequence of generating more and more creative ideas?   Ans. B. You become an expert.

True or False?

1. The author talks about a creative idea.       False
2. There are any number of methods for creating new ideas.              False
3. You cannot create new ideas if you are not intelligent.         True
4. Practice in creating new ideas helps you better.        True

3. Pierre and Marie Curie

Comprehension

Choose the correct answer.

1. It can be inferred from the passage that ------- . Ans. C. scientists encouragement and infrastructure.
2. Which of the elements is NOT mentioned in the passage?    Ans. D. Thorium
3. The Curies refused to patent the process of extracting radium because ------------ . Ans. A. they considered radium as belonging to the world.
4. The Curies did not think the French honour important because ----------- .                             

Ans. D. they were more interested in a laboratory.

5. The Curies did not go to Stockholm because ------------- .    Ans. B. they were ill.
6. What is the unique feature of uranium?    Ans. D. It is effective in the treatment of cancer.

True or false?

1. Both Pierre and Marie Curie were determined to discover two elements.  False
2. Marie was patriotic.     True
3. The Curies did not give importance to their personal welfare.     True
4. The Dean of the Sorbonne was angry with Pierre.    False

Correct Definitions

1. Lured out                       Ans. A. Found
2. Call for                         Ans. C. Appear
3. Urged upon                 Ans. A. Recommended strongly

Pronouns in the first two paragraphs and their references.

Para 1.

They – Pierre and Marie Curie

They – Pierre and Marie Curie

They – Pierre and Marie Curie

Para 2.

Its – Polonium

That – Radioactivity

Its - Radium

That – power of radiation

4. Online Sale of Rabindranath Tagore’s Works

Comprehension

1. Rabindranath Tagore established  the Visva Bharati University.
2. The purpose of making Tagore’s works available online is to facilitate access to the University’s wide range of products and publications to national and international buyers.
3. One web address is linked to the other to facilitate access to the University’s wide range of products and publications to national and international buyers.
4. The different kinds of works by Tagore are songs, sculptures and paintings.
5. Buyers can make payments online.