Attempt all the questions.

1. Read the poem and answer the questions given below.

This morning is damp and the road is wet. The sky is overcast. I walked on, with an
umbrella on my head. The road is broad, its sidewalks lonely and desolate. These are shaded
by tall trees like poplars; there were some maples, too. The leaves of maple and different
exotic trees along the boulevard shine yellow like a flower. They keep falling all the time in
early autumn, soft paper-like dry leaves have made the street a carpet of different colours.
Some were swept by rainwater, waiting to be swept in the manholes. Having walked for about
five minutes, I again asked a slim lady walking towards me, tick-tocking her pointed soles,
‘Excuse me, how far may be Musée Rodin, please? She also pointed towards the same
direction and moved ahead. She spoke no words. There are people, but they don’t know me,
neither do I expect to know any of them. A total stranger, a bit scared, I am walking. And I
felt a bit lonely and helpless. After a hundred steps I came to a sharp bend like a dead end,
and across this stood a yellowish cream colored building, at the entrance of which I could
read Musee Rodin.
I entered the building, and as instructed by the curator, I bought a ticket and hired a
special hand machine that will play the recorded voice to explain to me everything in English.
As I passed the administrative building, I came across a beautiful garden; it was full of
pointed shapes of fir and pine trees, giving the best proof of French topiary. Far away stood
other trees like walnut, juniper and yew, birds chirruped from the top. Among the topiary art
stood a huge black bust, on top of which lay a drooping figure of Rodin. Not Rodin himself
but a magnificent sculpture of him. It is commonly known as Rodin’s Thinking Man. The
Thinking Man squatted on a large and tall marble slab, in half bent posture and pensive mood.
This is one of the masterpieces in modern art, an incomparable work. Rodin’s pensive mood
is remarkable.
Three years ago I had visited a smaller museum in Baltimore; Sewa had joined me from
Illinois. In that very small museum, Rodin’s copy too was quite small. Rodin’s little thinker in
Baltimore was a black metal work, just a replica. I remember writing an article which reminds
us of our visit to Baltimore, and van Gogh’s Irises. It got published in Antarderisti edited by
Jyoti Ghimire of the USA.
Since I heard of the name of Rodin as one of the greatest sculptors of the twentieth
century, I had always desired to see him, that is, his work, or his Museum. The brochure
distributed at the metro station suggests: If you are going to spend four days in Paris, please
visit Rodin Museum on the very first day. Enter the sculpture garden premises and go close to
the thinker and feel or experience the weight of the pensive mood he has.
A. From the text, find synonym and antonym as directed in bracket. [6×0.5=3]
a. dreary (syn) b. not glamorous (ant)
c. spiked (syn) d. sacked (ant)
e. majestic (syn) f. original (ant)
B. Write whether the following are true or false. [4× 0.5 = 2]
[4×0.5=2]
a. The author felt excited and happy while he was travelling.
b. He came across a beautiful garden full of maple trees inside the museum.
c. He had visited a museum in the USA during his childhood.
d. The brochure suggested visiting Musee Rodin on the very first day if you are
going to spend four days in Paris.
C. Answer the following questions. [5×1=5]
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 a. How was the weather when the author was on his way to Musee Rodin?
b. Describe the road which he took.
c. How did the stranger help him?
d. What did he do as soon as he entered the museum?
e. Where had he seen a replica of Rodin’s Thinking Man?

2. Read the text and do the exercises that follow.

Vacancy Announcement
A reputed and well-established IT company of Nepal is seeking highly motivated and
skilled individuals for the following positions:
1. Sales Manager (1)
Required Qualifications: Bachelor’s in Management with minimum of one year
experience in sales. A computer literate who can work independently with little supervision
and is willing to travel.
2. Network Engineer (2)
Required Qualifications: Bachelor’s in engineering with minimum one year experience.
Working knowledge of LAN/WAN, Routing (Dynamic/Static),
Switching technologies and networking.
3. Sales officer (1)
Required Qualifications: Bachelor’s in Management with minimum six months experience
in sales with a focus on analyzing growth potential. S/he must have the potential for growing
channel and corporate sales, requires visits to the customers.
Interested applicants may drop in their applications along with resume within seven days by
post to:
The Hiring Manager/Division Manager
P.O. Box: 9643, Kathmandu, Nepal/ Email: applynp@gmail.com
Telephone enquiries will not be entertained.
A. Complete the following sentences with appropriate words/phrases from the text.
[4× 0.5 = 2]
a. Minimum six months experience is required for the post of………………
b. Enquiry by telephone won’t be…………….
c. Bachelor’s in Management with one year experience is need for the post of……….
d. ……………….. will hire the incumbents.
B. Answer the following questions. [3× 1 = 3]
a. How many incumbents are required?
b. What are qualification and competencies required for the post of Network Engineer?
c. How can the interested candidates apply for the post?

3. Read the text and answer the questions below it.

Born in 1454 in Florence, Italy, Amerigo Vespucci grew up in an exciting time -
in the year of his birth, Johannes Gutenberg invented a new version of the printing press,
and new opportunities opened up for anyone who was able to read.

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 His uncle was instrumental in his education; he taught him the physical sciences,
such as astronomy and geography, as well as mathematics and Latin. It was an education
that would spark both his imagination and his investigation into the voyages of
Christopher Columbus, or more appropriately referred to as Cristobal Colon. That
included the all-important search for the spice trade to the West.
His father wanted him to undertake a mercantile career, though, and it was in
that realm that he became an agent for the powerful Medici family in Spain, with the
responsibility of buying, selling, and procuring a variety of goods. He managed to
accumulate a small fortune during this time; it allowed him to indulge in his hobby of
collecting maps and books, items that would eventually aid him in his voyages. After
Columbus’ third expedition, during which he still had not discovered a passage to Asia,
Vespucci felt it was time to begin exploring himself.
He made two voyages along the coast of South America for Spain during 1499
and 1500, and then two for Portugal in 1501 through 1502. During the first expedition, he
explored a large section of the northern coast of South America, from Cape Sao Roque to
the mouth of the Amazon River. He then headed southward to determine the extent of the
mainland.
On January 1, 1502, while sailing for Portugal, he reached a harbor, he named it
Rio de Janeiro, in honor of New Years Day.
Geographer Martin Waldseemuller translated Vespucci’s accounts of his
voyages in 1507, and he suggested that the new continent should be named after its
discoverer. Though originally the name “America” applied only to the southern
continent, by 1516 it had come to encompass both North and South.
A. From the text, find synonym and antonym as directed in bracket. [6×0.5=3]
a. fascinating (syn) b. scintillate (syn)
c. inquisition (syn) d. recede (ant)
e. restrain (ant) f. arbitrate (syn)
B. Write whether the following are true or false. [4× 0.5 = 2]
[4×0.5=2]
e.
Vespucci’s uncle had been really helpful to him in terms of education.
f.
He started his exploration after Columbus’ third expedition.
g.
He made four voyages altogether from 1499 to 1502.
h.
He, himself suggested that the new continent should be named after his
discovery.
C. Answer the following questions. [5×1=5]
f. Why is 1454 considered to be an exciting year in the text?
g. What inspired him to walk on the path of Christopher Columbus?
h. When did he start his voyage?
i. Name those places that he started exploring.
4. Compose a dialogue between two friends who are talking about ways to improve
their English language. [6]
5. Write a review of the movie that you have recently watched. [9]

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