Take-Home Exam (Final) 2020-2021/Fall

EL112 Final Exam

Cut-Off Date : 00/00/2020 Cut off Time: 00/00
/2020

Total Marks : 50

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As per AOU rules and regulations, all students are required to submit their own THE-Final work and avoid
plagiarism. The AOU has implemented sophisticated techniques for plagiarism detection. You will be
penalized for any act of plagiarism as per the AOU's rules and regulations.

Declaration of No Plagiarism by Student (to be signed and submitted by student with THE-Final
work):
I hereby declare that this submitted THE-Final work is a result of my own efforts and I have not plagiarized
any other person's work.

Name of Student :

Signature :

Date :

Section Section Maximum Points Earned Points

Reading Comprehension 10

Grammar 10

Vocabulary 10

Editing & Writing 20

Student’s Total Points

2020/2021 First Semester EL112 pg. 1

 I. Reading Comprehension (10 Points)

Read the following passage and then answer the questions below (10 x 1 = 10 grades)

Risks to existence include both natural catastrophes and human-caused catastrophes. These include risks
such as infectious pandemic disease, asteroid impact, climate change catastrophe, global nuclear war,
volcanic super-eruptions, potential risks from molecular manufacturing, and bioterrorism.

The risks of global pandemics should not be underestimated. "The Black Death" plague, during the 13th till
15th, century devastated Europe, killing 1/3 of the entire population. The consequences of large asteroid
impact on the course of life on Earth are also well established. 65 million years ago a six-mile-wide asteroid
plunged into Earth and exploded. Shock waves, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and dust blocking
out the Sun resulted in mass extinctions, including the dinosaurs. Less commonly known is that the
frequency of volcanic super-eruptions, causing climactic disaster on Earth, is even greater than that of
asteroid disasters. There have been multiple volcanic super-eruptions over the last two million years.
Another volcanic super-eruption could devastate world agriculture and lead to mass starvation. It seems
almost all the known 15 cataclysmic mass extinction events in Earth's history were mediated by changes to
the Earth's climate and atmosphere, historical evidence that should make modern skeptics of climate change
impact at least be careful.

What can we do?

There are many suggestions worthy of consideration. The idea here is not to advocate for some extreme
survivalist mentality, but rather to use reason, foresight, and judgment about how best to protect our future.
The issue deserves our very highest consideration. When considering how much social, political, and
economic priority to place on preventing a negative consequence, here is an idealized equation:

Extent of h arm x Risk / (divided by) the cost of effective prevention (in dollars and in wellbeing)

The higher the result of this idealized equation, calculated as best we can at a given time in history, the
greater the priority should be for real action. The actual decisions of what to do and whether to do it depends
on all three components of the equation. For global existential catastrophes, the "extent of harm" part of this
equation would be astronomical. One can in this way question the relative amount of ink space, dollars, and
time spent on comparatively trivial priorities. Of course, the other parts of the equation -- the statistical
likelihood of specific events and the costs of specific effective preventive actions -- need to be taken into
account before determining the idealized priority. Many of the above suggestions represent a small
investment relative to the world's GNP or total federal outlay. It would be frankly irresponsible from a
societal perspective to not reduce preventable non-trivial risks that threaten existence itself.

Those from all sides of the political spectrum can probably agree that self-defence is a legitimate goal for a
government; preventing global catastrophe is self-defence.

2020/2021 First Semester EL112 pg. 2

Technological progress is not inherently all-good or all-bad -- technology in some of these scenarios might
lead to unprecedented mass destruction, but in other scenarios technology might be humanity's saviour.

We accept health insurance, car insurance, property insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, and dental
insurance as societally appropriate and often worthwhile. Let's add existence insurance to the mix.

1- What are the two main types of catastrophes?

Natural catastrophes

Human-caused catastrophes

2- How many people did Black Death plague during the 13th till 15th century kill in Europe?

A third of the entire population

3- What was the effect of the six-mile-wide asteroid which plunged into Earth and exploded 65
million years ago?

There was mass extinction and also climatic disasters on earth.

4- What is the idealized equation that can help in preventing the negative consequences of
catastrophes?
Extent of harm x risk divided by the cost of effective prevention.

5- Is technological progress all-good? Why?

Yes: this is because it can act as a human savior when problems arise. It also brings about
development.

6- What could be considered a good title for the article?

Effects of catastrophes

7- What does the word mix in the final paragraph refer to?
To be included or be part of

8- What is the opposite of the word ‘existence’ in the first paragraph?

cease

9- Use the word ‘starvation’ from the second paragraph of the article in a sentence of your own to
show its meaning.

If global warming is not reduced, there might be starvation in the country.

10- Which of the following is not a type of asteroid disasters:

a. shock waves
b. oil slicks
c. earthquakes
2020/2021 First Semester EL112 pg. 3
 d. tsunamis

II. Vocabulary (10 Points)

A) Choose the correct answer (5 X 1 = 5 points)
1- Don’t forget to remind me of tomorrow’s meeting.
a. learn
b. remember
c. remind
d. forget
2- A / An acquaintance is a person you know slightly, but he or she is not a close friend.
a. daughter
b. acquaintance
c. parent
d. colleague
3- Go back to the previous page and you will find the graph I am talking about.
a. previous
b. next
c. another
d. enough
4- Regardless of what you said, I still respect you.
a. Regardless
b. Particularly
c. Although
d. Even
5- A/An psychologist studies the biological development of humans.
a. educationist
b. sociologist
c. psychologist
d. anthropologist

B) Match words in A with their definitions in B (5 X 1 = 5 points):

(A) (B)
1- rehearsal (going over something several times)
2- clear (easy to see)
3- retain (keep for yourself)
4- media (television, radio, Facebook, and so on)
5- discipline (field of study)

III. Grammar (10 Points)

Do as shown between brackets (10 X 1 = 10 points)

2020/2021 First Semester EL112 pg. 4

 1- Would you please explain (unless -who-what-why) this part of the course is important? (Choose)

Would you please explain why part of this part of the course is important?

2- Is rehearsal just repetition? (Make an indirect question using: if)

What if rehearsal is just a repetition.

3- Mona: ‘I’ve lost your book.’ (Change into reported speech)

I told Mona that I had lost her book.

4- At the end of the war, we returned back to our town. (Fill in with the right preposition).

5- He allowed me (use) his car yesterday. (Use the correct form of the verb ‘use’)

He allowed me to use his car yesterday.

6- The lecturer suggested (read) chapter 2 of the book. (Correct the verb between brackets).

The lecturer suggested reading chapter 2 of the book.

7- They say that oil will run out by 2050. (Start the sentence with: It…)

It is said that oil will run out by 2050.

8- Sites which they have dot com they are commercial sites. (Rewrite the sentence correctly)

Sites that have dot com are commercial.

9- Columbus, (who-when-which-where) crossed the Atlantic in 1492, was the first European to

reach the Americas. (Underline the right word)

10- He used to help me when he was young. (Change into negative)

He used not to help me when I was young.

2020/2021 First Semester EL112 pg. 5

 IV. Writing (20 Points)

A- Rewrite the following passage correcting the 10 mistakes it contains. Fill out the correction
table first. (10 X ½ = 5 points):

Correction Table

Mistake Line Correction

1. castom 1 custom

2. although 5 , although

3. inclean 2 unclean

4. depends very often on 1 depends on

5. Thus 3 Thus,

6. No full stop 3 .

7. Wrong punctuation( ;) 2 Put ,

8. Capitalization of all and 3 and 4 All…….

australian’s
Australian’s

9. Laugh on 3 Laugh at

2020/2021 First Semester EL112 pg. 6

 10. flish 7 flesh

Write the edited passage here.

The kind of food we eat depends on custom or habit and sometimes on religion. Brahmins will not touch
meat, Muslims and Jews will not touch the pigs' flesh because they are unclean animals. All races of
mankind have their own different ideas on this matter. Thus, the English used to laugh at the French because
the latter ate frogs' legs and some kinds of snails; the Australians dislike rabbits, although the English eat
them and the Burmese eat the flesh of crocodiles and elephants. Nevertheless, there are many reasons for
these likes and dislikes. Thus, in eastern countries, pigs are very dirty feeders, whereas they are kept on
clean food in Europe. The result is that their flesh is eaten in Europe but not in India.

B- Social media has improved the lives of both the old and the young. Write an essay of not less
than 300 words arguing for or against the above statement. (15 points).

Social media is a computer-based technology that allows the sharing of information, thoughts, and ideas

through virtual communities and networks. This social media has enabled people to interact and has

improved every person's life. Social has improved the life’s of both the old and the young by the following:

It has brought about family connection: this has helped improve both the young and the old because the

old can interact with the young and share advice with them. The old can also interact with their

grandchildren, who are far. With these family relationships are strengthened and stay connected to one

another.

Enables communication: via social media, information is spread fast and easily from one person to another.

This has enabled both the youths and the old to be informed very fast on issues that arise in the country and

emergencies that might affect them. This makes them always updated on what is happening around them.

Social media is used in marketing: both the youth and the old can sell their goods online without traveling.

This very essential to the old since they can find their earnings even when they can't travel. They can find

their daily bread and advertise their product. It has also led to employment opportunities for the unemployed

youths since they can sell their ideas and products instead of idling around.

2020/2021 First Semester EL112 pg. 7

It has enabled them to research health issues: this is because it has given them tools like E-health,

enabling them to chat online, connect and collaborate with online health care providers to find out their

health status and how to manage them. Also, chat rooms like patienrslikeme.com are good for patients with

similar health issues to advise and encourage each other. Especially those with a chronic disease can comfort

each other and thus making one hopeful. It also helps those in remote areas and saves patients from the

hassles of traveling to doctors' offices.

Enhances increased brain activities among the youths and the old: this is because when they are
actively engaged on social media, their neural activity increases, especially when they are
chatting or commenting on other people's posts. Their minds become fully engaged, and this
helps them function longer.

End of Exam!

2020/2021 First Semester EL112 pg. 8