MBA IN CUSTOMS & INTERNATIONAL TRADE 2021

MBAC 501: Professional Communication Skills

Final Examination (Take Home)

September 26, 2021, Exam Duration: 03 hours (1000 – 1330h)

Instructions to Candidates

Add the standard cover page with the title “Take Home Exam” and straight start
hrs
answering the questions from next page. Save as a PDF document with your registration
number as the file name and upload to the given link in the subject page of Prajna portal.
As informed, your answer script will be subject to Turnitin similarity search. Please
upload the document during the specified time period.
• Answer all ten (10) questions in Parts A and B.
• Each question will carry the marks indicated.
• The word count for each question where applicable, is indicated beside the question.

Part A (70 marks)

1. Given below is news article that appeared in Daily FT on Friday, 10 September.
Customs officers told to be extra vigilant
Sri Lanka Customs Director General Major Gen. (Retd.) G.V. Ravipriya has instructed
his team to be extra vigilant to ensure banned or suspended items don’t reach the country.

In an order issued on Wednesday, Ravipriya has told his officers that goods, which were
currently suspended or banned under the Imports and Exports Control Act, were being
released through unaccompanied passenger baggage warehouses in the guise of bona-
fide passenger baggage or gifts.

The officers have been advised not to release any goods which are temporarily suspended
or banned under the regulations and imported as bona-fide unaccompanied passenger
baggage or as gifts with immediate effect.

Write a memorandum to your Director General of Customs highlighting the limitations

and problems that you encounter as a member of Sri Lanka Customs, in carrying out what
is stated in the above newspaper article as well as in general, in carrying out your general
duties as an employee of Sri Lanka Customs. Word count should be between 500 - 750
words. (30 marks)
2. You are required to rewrite the following letter, correcting the English mistakes, i.e.
grammar, punctuating, spelling, capitalization, etc. (20 marks)

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 No. 213, Gordons Place,
Colombo, 22nd Nov. 2019
Dear Mr. Perera,

I am writing this for the purpose of bringing to your notice that you did not pay my rent
dew to me for the last six month’s although I have send you several letters which you even
did not reply. You will have the common sence I believe to realize or much of
inconveniences I am put into as a result of not paying regularly me rent. Need I tell you
that being solely dependant on my rents for my livelihood, you should be more prompt
about you payments. And also, I a familied man! I has to see about my childrens education
to. Since of late, that tax-collector is coming every day worry me about the corterly taxes
and I have been forced to borough sum money and pay its

You being a garment servant, should understand things better than that. I am not going to
tolerate you indifference no longer. But I shall give one weaks notice to recover my rent.
Otherwise, I shall take the law in to me hands and take legal action on you. Hoping a reply
by return post.
Your’s faithfully
shelton De silva

3. Select one topic sentence from the ones given below, and construct one paragraph for the
sentence selected. (Please ensure that you write only one paragraph.)

Note: The paragraph must have unity and coherence with adequate elaboration. Limit it to a
maximum of 150 words. Show evidence of your planning before writing this paragraph.
(20 marks)
(a) How to stimulate the national economy during a pandemic.
(b) How to increase efficiency and effectiveness at Sri Lanka Customs.
(c) Importance of English education for public sector employees.

Part B (30 marks in total – Half a mark for each question)

4. Identify the “parts of speech” in the following sentence and write the appropriate “part of
speech” in front of the words given in 4.1 to 4.10 below. i.e. noun, pronoun, verb,
adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction or an interjection.
Vinitha eagerly waited for the moment when she would become a chartered accountant.
4.1. Vinitha
4.2. eagerly
4.3. waited
4.4. for
4.5. the
4.6. moment
4.7. she
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 4.8. a
4.9. chartered
4.10. accountant.

5. Choose the correct answer and write the question number and correct word / answer only.

5.1. Eksath and (I , me, myself) presented a marketing plan to the management.
5.2. Submit your expense claim to Ajith or (she, her) by 30th September.
5.3. (Us, We) employees will vote whether to approve the contract.
5.4. No one in the office worked harder on the project than (her, she).
5.5. Are you sure it was (he, him) who called me this morning?

6. 6.1-6.4 Choose the correct answer that describes the underlined verb and write the
question number and correct word / answer only.
6.5 -6.10 Choose the correct answer and write the question number and correct word /
answer only.

6.1. Rasika answers all e-mail quickly (transitive, intransitive, linking)

6.2. Kapila felt bad about the mistake ((transitive, intransitive, linking)
6.3. The meeting was cancelled (active voice, passive voice, subjunctive mood)
6.4. The flowers smelled fragrant (transitive, linking, helping)
6.5. We appreciate (you, your) bringing the matter to our attention.
6.6. If we had (gone, went) to the training session, we might have learned something.
6.7. All the financial statements are (laying, lying) on your desk.
6.8. The accountant (brought, bought) all the reports to the meeting.
6.9. The partially completed building has (set, sat) there untouched for a year.
6.10. Samanthi wishes she were boss (subjunctive mood, imperative mood)

7. Choose the correct answer and write the question number together with the correct word /
answer only.

7.1. Of the two versions of the film ‘Muwan Pelessa’, I like the black and white version
(better, best).
7.2. When it is raining, people should drive (carefuller, more carefully, more careful).
7.3. Sri Lanka is currently experiencing the (worse, worst) foreign reserves crises within
the past 2 decades.
7.4. Thilak and Asitha did (a, an) exceptional job of redesigning the company website.
7.5. (This, These) sorts of meetings can be very productive.
7.6. If you did (good, well) in the interview, you will be promoted.
7.7. Kumari took (less, fewer) vacation leave this year than she did last year.
7.8. We (could, couldn’t) hardly believe the news.
7.9. The art world is comparing the (seven-year-old, seven year old) child to Picasso.
7.10 United Airlines showed off its (newly painted, newly-painted) planes after its
merger with Continental.

8. Choose the correct answer and write the question number together with the correct word /
answer only.

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 8.1. It is not surprising that philanthropists like Melinda Gates and (he, him) are
admired.
8.2. Lalitha is frustrated because she receives (to, too)many text messages from her
contacts.
8.3. She feels (as if, like) these numerous text messages are affecting her productivity.
8.4. Anula was honoured to sit (beside, besides) the CEO at the conference.
8.5. Divide the profits evenly (between, among) the three partners.
8.6. Please submit your form (in to, into) your supervisor by Friday.
8.7. Management and the staff alike agreed (to, with) the contract.
8.8. This plan is different (from, than) the one I suggested.
8.9. Three (and, by) three make six.
8.10. He will not come (and, if) it rains.

9. Re-write the complete sentences by having the correct punctuation.

9.1. PwC will expand its operations to Singapore Malaysia Brunei China and Australia
9.2. Jagath C. Pathirana MBA is chairman president and CEO of JCP and Company
9.3. Linkedin got a head start in the professional networking world however new sites
are working hard to catch up
9.4. New Coke was one of the most famous product failures in history Sony Betamax
and McDonlds Arch Deluxe were two other well-known failures
9.5. Prasanna Cooray has one major career goal he wants to become CEO of a large
corporation.
9.6. Wow what a fun event
9.7. Dr Victor Perera Rajeev Peiris and Asanka Jayalath have been appointed to the
commission of inquiry
9.8. My ex-boss may reconsider and hire me back
9.9. Did Thilak Silva say You should set goals beyond your reach so you always have
something to live for
9.10. Roshani and Devika who had been friends for years went on vacation together
every year.

10. Re-write the below sentences by having the correct capitalization.

10.1. the week before christmas is the busiest time for sri lanka post.
10.2. Have you watch the swedish version of the film the girl with the dragon tatoo that I
sent you.
10.3. subject: task force meeting on thursday, september 30.
10.4. janaki earned a bachelors degree in science from the faculty of science, university of
colombo.
10.5. Inland revenue department requires corporations to complete form 1120 before 30th
september 2021 deadline.

-End of the question paper-