BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE, PILANI HYDERABAD CAMPUS

BITS F112, Technical Report Writing

Comprehensive Examination
Semester I (2016-17) December 6, 2016
Closed Book Time: 3 Hrs. Marks: 80 (40% weighting)

All the questions are compulsory. Answer the questions as per the given instructions.
1. Go through the conclusion section of a PS-I report presented below and comment on the
following aspects: (10 marks)
i) language use (sentence structure, coherence, cohesion, etc.) (50-70 words)
ii) inclusion/exclusion of necessary content (50-70 words)
iii) Indicate, with the help of examples and suggested changes, how the given conclusion
can be made more effective. (75-100 words)

This project helped us to learn about the basics of optimising and debugging huge chunks
of code. We even learnt python programming language and working with django web
framework. We also learnt the basics of how mongoDB works and how to communicate with
the database by writing code in mongokit.
We now have first-hand experience in working with a team and how to go about
changing code in github and thereby the importance of modularity while coding. We also now
know the intricacies involved while launching a website with a huge reach. We received many
important tips to be kept in mind while creating such a huge site and will surely help us when
we ourselves work in industry.
To conclude, it was a great learning and enriching experience for us and we thank all
the people who helped us in the same.

2. Compare the following two abstracts in terms of how they follow academic norms of
writing abstracts. (Hint: Highlight what components they include and what they dont.) (50-75
words) (7 marks)

Abstract 1 For many years, researchers investigating the brain bases of bilingualism have
concentrated on two basic questions. The first concerns the nature of language representation.

1
That is, if bilinguals' two languages are represented in distinct or overlapping areas of the
brain. The second basic question in the neuropsychology of bilingualism concerns the neural
correlates of language switching, that is, the areas that are active when bilinguals switch from
one language to the other. Performance between single-language and dual-language picture
naming was compared in a group of six Spanish-English bilinguals using behavioral measures
and functional magnetic resonance imaging. Participants showed slower reaction times and
increased activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in the mixed language condition
relative to single language condition. There was no evidence that each language was
represented in different areas of the brain. Results are consistent with the view that language
switching is a part of a general executive attentional system and that languages are represented
in overlapping areas of the brain in early bilinguals.

Abstract 2 Appropriate classification of transients in a nuclear power plant (NPP) is very

important for the safe operation of the plant. It is proposed to develop a machine learning
based application to predict various transients of PFBR for this purpose. An efficient transient
prediction system, to predict the various transients of a nuclear reactor using Artificial ANNs
(ANN)is described in this report. Classification of the transients is done with the help of aANN
that is extensively trained with various simulated plant parameter data using back propagation
algorithm. The feedforward ANN with multi-layer perceptrons is used, which consists of three
layers, namely, input, hidden, and output layers. Back-Propagation learning algorithm is used
to train the ANN where the predicted outputs are compared with the actual outputs and the
error is computed. The error obtained after each iteration is fed back through the network to
update the weights of each connection in the network. This process is repeated till the ANN
converges to some state where the error at the output layer is small. The testing process
involves feeding the inputs into the trained ANN, so that it predicts the output based on the
weights it has learnt. The application developed is integrated and tested on full scope replica
type PFBR operator training simulator platform, which helps in identifying the occurrence of
any transient with a quicker response time.

3. Using the following review of existing research, create a template following which
undergraduate students of engineering can write their review of literature. (8 marks)

The literature on capital punishment suggests that it fails as a deterrent in two key ways. First,
much of the literature suggests that capital punishment does not lower the crime rate. Helen
Prejean, in Deadman Walking, clearly notes that capital punishment does little to lower the
crime rate. Prejean argues that the evidence that executions do not deter crime is conclusive
[] the U.S. murder rate is no higher in states that do not have the death penalty than those
who do (110). Prejeans point is reiterated from a historical perspective in Death and the
American. Here, the author notes that despite the social and economic upheavals that

2
occurred from the 1930s to the 1960s, the crime rate barely changed (2). However, after the
reinstatement of the death penalty in the 1960s, the author notes that crime rates soared (2).
Steven Hawkins points out that law enforcement officials also agree that the death penalty has
failed to stop crime. He explains that a 1995 Peter D. Hart Research Associates survey found
that police chiefs believe the death penalty to be the least effective way of reducing crime
(1).

4. Fill in the blank in each of the following sentences using the most appropriate linker given in the
following box. Do not use the same linker twice. (1*5 = 5 marks)
most importantly, however, in addition, besides, in brief

I. _________ industrial waste, the pollution from car fumes is poisoning the environment.
II. You shouldnt drink, smoke or take drugs, or eat unhealthy food. ________, you should
live a healthy lifestyle.
III. In order to travel, you need a passport. __________, you might need a visa, immunization
shots, and written permission to visit certain areas.
IV. The Impressionists used light and colour to give the general feeling of a scene
________the pre-Raphaelites used a lot of detail and bright colours, and showed a
romanticized view of life.
V. Tourism brings much needed money to developing countries. ________, it provides
employment for the local population.

5. Do as directed for each question. (1*5 = 5 marks)

i) Choose the best concluding statement for the given paragraph.

My favourite holiday was last years holiday. We went to Scotland for three weeks. We visited
the big cities and then we travelled to the north. We saw some beautiful countryside and
mountains. The food was also delicious.
The most appropriate concluding statement would be:
a. I love travelling and exploring new places.
b. I am always on a hunt for exotic locations
c. Those three weeks were the best holiday ever!
d. Beautiful landscape and sumptuous food always have always been my weakness.

3
ii) Choose the best concluding section for the given paragraph.
Before I travelled to the UK last year, I thought that British food was just fish and chips, roast beef, apple
pie, rice pudding and endless cups of tea. These foods are popular in Britain, but during my travels, I
discovered that there is so much more to eating in the UK. People from all over the world have made their
home in Britain, and they have brought with them their own food. Even in small towns, you can find
Chinese, Indian and Italian restaurants, amongst others. The UK can be divided into different regions that
each has its own characteristic foods influenced by the culture of the people who live there.
The most appropriate concluding section would be:
a. The British eat many different kinds of food, but the typical diet of many people includes eating
a lot of fast food and ready-made dishes. The popularity of hamburger and pizza restaurants has increased
greatly over the years. As a result of this diet, many British people have food-related health problems. To
create a healthier society, people should learn about eating a good diet and should teach their children to
do the same.
b. Clearly, it is difficult to say that there is one type of British food. Every part of the country has
its own special dishes based on the produce and tastes of that region. From the Ancient Britons and the
Roman, Saxon and Viking invasions to present-day immigrants, the cuisine of the UK continues to
change with its changing population.
c. People who have come from other countries to live in the UK have brought their own traditions
and customs with them and added them to British culture. It is possible to find restaurants from all
different ethnic backgrounds, especially in larger cities around the country. Immigrants may also maintain
their traditions by building places to practise their religion, such as mosques, temples and churches. By
continuing to follow some of their customs and beliefs, immigrants can stay in touch with their past while
also living a new life in a new country.

iii) v) In each of the following questions, one sentence is the cause and the other is the
effect. Rewrite the sentences into one sentence. Be sure to use vocabulary that specifies
cause and effect.

iii) (a) There is no life on Venus. (b) There is no atmosphere on Venus.

(iv) (a) Solar batteries need to be recharged frequently. (b) Solar batteries are impractical for
powering cars on long trips.
(v) (a) The element silicon melts. (b) The temperature is above 1410C.

6. Read each of the following passages carefully and identify the main idea of the passage
from the given options. (1*10 = 10 marks)

i) Tea is the worlds second most popular drink after water. Tea is a big part of the Chinese
culture. A Chinese saying identifies the seven basic daily necessities as fuel, rice, oil, salt, soy

4
sauce, vinegar, and tea. According to Chinese legend, tea was invented accidentally by the
Chinese Emperor Shen Nong in 2737 B.C. China is one of the main producers of tea, and tea
remains Chinas national drink.

a) Why tea is so popular

b) The importance of tea in the Chinese culture
c) The health benefits of tea
d) Drinking water is good for you

ii) Autocratic leaders are hands-on leaders who keep strict control over group members and their
activities. They ask few questions, make the decisions, give orders, and are likely to use coercion
to make others carry out their assignments. Laissez-faire leaders are hands-off leaders who leave
most of the decisions to the group and tend not to get involved. Democratic leaders encourage
group participation in decision-making and problem solving. Their style falls between the other
two extreme.

a) Democratic leaders are more effective than autocratic leaders.

b) There are three leadership styles.
c) Autocratic leaders are strict, laissez-faire leaders are hands-off leaders, and democratic leaders
encourage group participation in decision-making.
d) Employees prefer to work with democratic leaders.
iii) Are Americans today waiting longer to get married? According to 2003 Census Bureau
figures, the answer is yes. The Associated Press reports that one-third of men are still single
when they reach age 34 and that nearly one-quarter of women are still single at that age.
Compared with data for 1970, these figures are four times higher. In 1970, the percent of never-
married men aged 30-34 was 9 percent; the rate has risen to 33 percent. The percent of never-
married women increased from 6 percent to 23 percent. The typical marriage age for men in
2003 was 27.1 years, up from 25.3 in 1970. The typical age for women rose from 20.8 to 23.2.
a) The Americans are confused about getting married.
b) Men marry at a later age than women do.
c) Americans today are waiting longer to get married.
d) More men than women are still single at age 34.
iv) While silk-stocking Manhattan is asleep, East Harlem is starting to bustle. The poor are early
risers. They have jobs others dont want: the early-hour jobs, the late-hour jobs. The streets are
filled with fast-moving people: men, women, and swarms of children of all sizes. Some will
stand at the bus stops, but most will crowd into the downtown subways that speed them to jobs to
5
serve the affluent. East Harlem is a busy place, night and day, filled with the joyous and troubled
lives of residents rather than the heavy commercial traffic of mid-Manhattan. There is so much
togetherness.
-From A Day in East Harlem by Patricia Cayo Sexton
The main idea of this passage is that the residents of East Harlem
a). are dissatisfied with their jobs.
b). are poorer than Manhattans residents.
c). share common struggles and goals.
d). disdain the rich of Manhattan.
v) Baseball has been a part of Americans lives for over 100 years. In 27 out of 50 American
cities, there are 29 professional teams and thousands of minor league teams. Most Americans
attend more baseball games than any other professional sport games. Baseball is not only part of
American life but also part of slang, fashion, music, and movies.

a) The importance of baseball stadiums

b) The reasons why baseball slang is used
c) Prominence of minor league baseball
d) Importance of baseball in America
vi) It was my first day on the job. For almost eight hours thirty screaming first-graders would be
entirely my responsibility. I had spent all night preparing my lesson plan, I ironed my nicest suit,
and I even got a pep talk from one of my old teachers. Still, nothing could prepare me for the
nightmare that I walked into. Not one of the students listened to a word I saidit took me
almost an hour to get them all seated and quiet. They could tell that I was new, and they made
minced meat out of me.
a) The students of my first class were notorious
b) Reminisces/ Memories of my first job as a teacher
c) I was ragged on my first day as a teacher
d) I wore my best suit to class on my first day as a teacher
vii) Americas two-party system, composed of Democrats and Republicans, is ineffective and
unfair. The United States is supposed to be the home of the free, but how can we be free if we
have only two stale choices for president? Both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party
have been in existence for so many years that theyre out of touch with what the average
American needs. Its impossible to find candidates who do not regurgitate the old ideas of the
party that they belong to. With such a ridiculous system, we will never have the opportunity to

6
elect innovative politicians who have strong ideas that will help the country. Until we break out
of the two-party model, politics will remain an uninspiring arena for many citizens.

a) The democratic and American party are not enterprising enough.

b) Politics has become absolutely boring.
c) Americas two party system no longer caters to the needs of the citizens and needs a major
rehaul.
d) America doesnt have candidates who come up with innovative ideas to that take the country
forward.
viii) The piano as we know it today is roughly the same as it always has been. A piano is
actually a string instrument, though its played by striking keys attached to the strings. The first
piano, known as a clavichord, was a version of a harp turned on its side and enclosed in a small
box. You can still see examples of a clavichord, which looks like an oblong box with a keyboard
running nearly the length of one long side. A clavichord would fit on your lap, while a modern
piano is much larger. Since about 1450, keyboards have remained the same, except that the
placement of the black and white keys was reversed. But with that single exception, there are
representations of pianos as they look today dating back to the fourteenth century. The
instrument works so well that there has been little reason to modify it over time.
a) The different adaptations of piano over the period of time.
b) Even today, the piano looks same as it were in 14th C representations.
c) A modern piano is much larger than a clavichord
d) Piano is one of the most unique instruments which work very well and there has been hardly
any reasons to modify it.
ix) The fact that electronic computers are now used for data processing has led the general public
to believe that it is a mysterious, complicated science and that the computers are giant brains.
Both of these ideas are false. A computer is basically just a high-speed adding machine that
performs the functions it is told to. If the input data are varied even a little, the computer is
unable to operate until it is programmed to accept the variations. The business operations it
performs are impressive only because of the extremely high speed of manipulation, but most of
these operations have been used for decades. Unlike man, the computer performs repetitive
calculations without getting tired or bored.
a) A computer is not that efficient as general perception of the public.
b) A computer is a mysterious giant brain.
c) A computer is impressive because of its high speed.
d) A computer is superior to man in many ways.
7
x) The Louisiana Purchase proved to be one of the shrewdest business pacts in the entire history
of the United States. The purchase doubled in the area of the country and provided territory from
which fourteen new states were created either wholly or in part. It also gave us control over the
mouth of the Mississippi River and opened up the way to foreign trade. Prior to the purchase, the
waterway had been blocked by the Spanish, probably with the approval of Napoleon. The land
that was bought was rich in timber, minerals, and natural resources of many kinds. Finally, the
cost of the transaction was unbelievably low; the total of $15 million amounted to about four
cents an acre.
a) Most Americans were very pleased with the purchase.
b) The land bought by the Louisiana Purchase was rich in minerals and hence highly profitable.
c) The land bought by the Louisiana Purchase was very cheap.
d) The Louisiana Purchase was a very good business deal for the U.S.

7. Read the passage carefully and choose the right option for each of the following
questions that follow. (1*10 = 10 marks)

Everyone likes to blame their sense of defeat on someone else; and for some time scientists have
been a favourite scapegoat. I want to look at their responsibility, and for that manner
everybodys, rather more closely. They do have a special responsibility; but it is a complicated
one. And it is not the whole responsibility. For example, science obviously is not responsible for
the readiness of people, who do not take private quarrels beyond the stage of insult, to carry their
public quarrels to the point of war. Many animals fight for their needs, and some for mere greed,
to the point of death. Bucks fight for females, and birds fight for their territories. The fighting
habits of man are odd because he displays them, only in groups. But they were not supplied by
scientists. On the contrary, science has helped to end several kinds of group murder, such as
witch hunting, and the taboos of the early nineteenth century against disinfecting hospitals.
Neither is science responsible for the existence of groups which believe themselves to be in
competition: for the existence above all of nations. And the threat of war today is always a
national threat. Some bone of contention and competition is identified with a national need.
Science did not create nations: on the contrary, it has helped to soften those strong national
idiosyncrasies, which it seems necessary to exploit if war is to be made with enthusiasm. And
wars are not made by any traditional groups: they have been made by highly organized societies,
they are made by nations.
The sense of doom today is not a fear of science; it is a fear of war. And the causes of war were
not created by science. No, science has not invented war; but it has turned it into a very different
thing. The people who distrust it are not wrong. The man in the pub who says Itll wipe out the

8
world, the woman in the queue who says it isnt natural they do not express themselves very
well; but what they are trying to say does make sense. Science has enlarged the mechanism of
war, and it has distorted it.
-----From The Common Sense of Science by Jacob Bronowski

i. What is the meaning of the phrase a favourite scapegoat?

a. A Subject of targeted victimization
b. An unlucky goat met with an unfortunate fate
c. An interesting goat
d. None of the above
ii. Science is the major reason for the outbreak of wars. Based on the paragraph is the
statement correct?
a. Completely correct
b. Completely wrong
c. To a certain extent
d. None of the above
iii. According to the passage science has helped in the following
a. In spreading the message of war
b. In the genocide in several wars
c. To end the several kinds of group murder, witch hunting, and the taboos of the
early nineteenth century
d. None of the above
iv. The meaning of the phrase it has helped to soften those strong national idiosyncrasies is
a. Soften the strong national strange or unusual things
b. Soften the strong national patriotic feelings
c. Soften the strong national orthodox and conservative feelings
d. Soften the strong national fanatic ideals
v. The opposite of the meaning of bone of contention as mentioned in the passage is
a. A subject or issue over which there is continuous disagreement
b. A subject or issue over which there is continuous agreement
c. A subject or issue over which there is consistent argument
d. A subject or issue over which there is constant contradiction
vi. The sense of doom today is
a. The fear of the consequences of war.
b. The fear of the outbreak of war
c. The fear of scientific weapons invented recently
d. All of the above
9
vii. Men are responsible for the following
a. To carry their public quarrels to the point of war
b. To take their private quarrels beyond the stage of insult
c. To take fight individually.
d. None of the above.
viii. The threat of war today is
a. National
b. International
c. Global
d. Universal
ix. According to the passage, wars are made by
a. Scientists
b. Science
c. Individuals
d. Highly organized societies and nations
x. The man in the pub says Itll wipe out the world, the woman in the queue who says it
isnt natural what they are saying is:
a. War will wipe out the world
b. It is not a natural disaster
c. The enlarged scope of war and the ill effects
d. The gravity and intensity of the war

8. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. (1*13 = 13 marks)
Television addiction is no mere metaphor
A The term "TV addiction" is imprecise, but it captures the essence of a very real phenomenon.
Psychologists formally define addiction as a disorder characterized by criteria that include
spending a great deal of time using the thing; using it more often than one intends; thinking
about reducing use or making repeated unsuccessful efforts to reduce use; giving up important
activities to use it; and reporting withdrawal symptoms when one stops using it.

B All these criteria can apply to people who watch a lot of television. That does not mean that
watching television, in itself, is problematic. Television can teach and amuse; it can be highly
artistic; it can provide much needed distraction and escape. The difficulty arises when people
strongly sense that they ought not to watch as much as they do and yet find they are unable to
reduce their viewing. Some knowledge of how television becomes so addictive may help heavy
viewers gain better control over their lives.

10
C The amount of time people spend watching television is astonishing. On average, individuals
in the industrialized world devote three hours a day to the activity fully half of their leisure
time, and more than on any single activity except work and sleep. At this rate, someone who
lives to 75 would spend nine years in front of the television. Possibly, this devotion means
simply that people enjoy TV and make a conscious decision to watch it. But if that is the whole
story, why do so many people worry about how much they view? In surveys in 1992 and 1999,
two out of five adults and seven out of ten teenagers said they spent too much time watching TV.
Other surveys have consistently shown that roughly ten per cent of adults call themselves TV
addicts.

D To study peoples reactions to TV, researchers have undertaken laboratory experiments in

which they have monitored the brain waves, skin resistance or heart rate of people watching
television. To study behavior and emotion in the normal course of life, as opposed to the
artificial conditions of the laboratory, we have used the Experience Sampling Method (ESM).
Participants carried a beeper*, and we signaled them six to eight times a day, at random, over the
period of a week; whenever they heard the beep, they wrote down what they were doing and how
they were feeling.

E As one might expect, people who were watching TV when we beeped them reported feeling
relaxed and passive. The EEG studies similarly show less mental stimulation, as measured by
alpha brain-wave production, during viewing than during reading.

F What is more surprising is that the sense of relaxation ends when the set is turned off, but the
feelings of passivity and lowered alertness continue. Survey participants commonly reflect that
television has somehow absorbed or sucked out their energy, leaving them depleted. They say
they have more difficulty concentrating after viewing than before. In contrast, they rarely
indicate such difficulty after reading. After playing sports or engaging in hobbies, people report
improvements in mood. After watching TV, people's moods are about the same or worse than
before.

G Within moments of sitting or lying down and pushing the "power" button, viewers report
feeling more relaxed. Because the relaxation occurs quickly, people are conditioned to associate
viewing with rest and lack of tension. The association is positively reinforced because viewers
remain relaxed throughout viewing.

H Thus, the irony of TV: people watch a great deal longer than they plan to, even though
prolonged viewing is less rewarding. In our ESM studies the longer people sat in front of the set,
the less satisfaction they said they derived from it. When signaled, heavy viewers (those who

11
consistently watch more than four hours a day) tended to report on their ESM sheets that they
enjoy TV less than light viewers did (less than two hours a day). For some, a twinge of unease or
guilt that they aren't doing something more productive may also accompany and depreciate the
enjoyment of prolonged viewing. Researchers in Japan, the U.K. and the U.S. have found that
this guilt occurs much more among middle-class viewers than among less affluent ones.

I The orienting response is an instinctive reaction to any sudden or new, such as movement or
possible attack by a predator. Typical orienting reactions include the following the arteries to the
brain grow wider allowing more blood to reach it, the heart slows down and arteries to the large
muscles become narrower so as to reduce blood supply to them. Brain waves are also interrupted
for a few seconds. These changes allow the brain to focus its attention on gathering more
information and becoming more alert while the rest of the body becomes quieter.

The list below gives some characteristics of addiction.

Which THREE of the following are mentioned as characteristics of addiction to television?

Identify them.

A harmful physical effects B loss of control over time

C destruction of relationships D reduced intellectual performance
E discomfort when attempting to give up F dishonesty about the extent of the addiction

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage?
Write Yes / No / Not Given against the following sentences:

YES if the statement agrees with the writer's claims

NO if the statement contradicts the writer's claims

NOT GIVEN if there is impossible to say what the writer

thinks about this

iv) One purpose of the research is to help people to manage their lives better.
v) Watching television has reduced the amount of time people spend sleeping.
vi) People's brains show less activity while watching television than when reading.
vii) There is a relationship between the length of time spent watching TV and economic status.

12
 viii) Pleasure increases in proportion to the length of time spent watching TV.
Classify the following feelings or mental states as generally occurring:

A before watching television C after watching television

B while watching television D both while and after watching

television

(Mark A/B/C/D against the given feelings/mental states)

ix) reduced anxiety and stress.

x) increased fatigue.
xi) higher levels of concentration.
xii) less mental activity.
xiii) worry about time wasted.

9. Underline the redundant expression in each of the following sentences. (1*7 = 7 marks)
i. Advance planning can avoid destruction of a historical site.
ii. Although my future plans are uncertain, I intend to adhere to my fundamental belief that
humans were meant to be lazy.
iii. The prices of car companies have fallen down by 30% in the last one week.
iv. The final conclusion was to close the bakery.
v. Timmy said the UFO he spotted was oblong in shape.
vi. According to our mayor, the root cause of crime is poverty.
vii. Becky was late getting home because of a terrible tragedy at work.

10. Write your argument and counter-argument in one sentence for each of the following
topics. The first part of the sentence should contain the counter argument. (2*2 = 5
marks)

i) Science and religion ii) Attendance policy at BITS

13