English Comprehension (ENG101)

Spring 2023
Assignment
Total Marks: 20
Lectures: 23-33

Instructions:

 Upload your assignments in a proper format, i.e. MS word file. Corrupt files
will be awarded zero marks.
 The assignments should be zoomed in at 100%.
 Please avoid plagiarism; plagiarized work will be marked zero.
 After the due date, the assignments submitted via email would not be
entertained.
 Please avoid submitting copied assignments; otherwise, such a case would be
referred to the discipline committee.
 The font color should be preferably black and font size 12 Times New Roman.

Q1. The topic sentence in a paragraph clearly states the main idea of the
paragraph. While it is usually at the beginning of the paragraph, it also can be in
the middle or end of it. Keeping this in mind, read the following paragraphs and
identify the topic sentence. (2 x 5 = 10) Marks

1. The process of creating the barbecue is even more fun and important than the
result. First, the family has to decide on matters such as exactly what kinds of
food and in what quantities. Next, shopping is often done by two or more
family members, while the others stay at home to prepare the grill, the table,
and the tableware. When everyone is ready to start grilling, the smells from
the roasting food and the sound of the crackling coals make everyone super
hungry. A constant stream of people and dishes floods out from the kitchen
onto the backyard table, just like ants finding and saving their food. Finally,
when all the food is ready and the cold drinks have been poured, a barbecue
symbolizes summer itself.
Topic sentence:
2. In this modern world with faster means of transportation available to more
people, the train nevertheless continues to be popular. In most countries, train
tickets are often sold out. Why do so many people want to take the train?
Perhaps it is because they are reasonably priced--cheaper than an airplane--and
have large windows from which we can comfortably view the passing world.
Maybe trains are popular because they never get stuck in traffic jams, as cars
and buses often do. Another reason may be that trains are older and sometimes
seem a little romantic. For whatever reason, do not be surprised to see people
preferring trains to other modes of transportation far into the future.
Topic sentence:
 3. My mother is neither tall nor heavy, but she’s the biggest person in my life.
There has been no other person with a greater influence on me. Most mothers
feed, wash, and clothe their children, and my mother is no exception. But
more than this, she made sure that I received the finest education possible.
This education was not at expensive schools or famous universities, but at
home, by her knee, patiently. My mother explained to me the difference
between right and wrong; the virtues of generosity, honesty, and hard work;
and the importance of family and social ties. From her I understood who I was,
where I belonged, and how I should spend my energies. No matter how big I
might grow to be, I hope to be as great as my mother.
Topic sentence:
4. Everyone should wear a life jacket when they are on a boat. Life jackets have
been proven to save lives. No one can predict when an accident might happen.
There may not be enough time to put on a life jacket, but if you are already
wearing it, it may save your life.
Topic sentence:
5. The star system has been the backbone of the American film industry since the
mid-1910s. Stars are the creation of the public, its reigning favorites. Their
influence in the fields of fashion, values, and public behavior has been
enormous. “The social history of a nation can be written in terms of its film
stars,” Raymond Durgnat has observed. Stars confer instant consequence to
any film they appear in. Their fees have staggered the public. In the 1920s,
Mary Pickford and Charles Chaplin were the two highest paid employees in
the world. Contemporary stars such as Julia Roberts and Tom Cruise
command salaries of many millions per film, so popular are these box-office
giants. Some stars had careers that spanned five decades: Bette Davis and John
Wayne, to name just two.
Topic sentence:

Q1. Mark Twain explains the art of writing as “a tale shall accomplish
something and arrive somewhere.” It follows one or more characters through a
series of events. By the end, it arrives at a target destination or purpose fulfilling
its reason for having been told.
Keeping in view the above statement read the given story and answer the
following questions: (2 x 5 = 10) Marks

Saad looked out the window and sighed. The driveway was still empty and it was
getting dark. He checked the clock and sighed again, deeper this time. His dad had
said that he would pick him up by 5:30 pm, but it was almost seven and Saad hadn't
heard a word from him. He walked up the stairs to his room and put away his baseball
glove. Saad figured that even if his Dad did miraculously show, it wouldn't be much
fun playing catch in the dark. Saad sat down on the couch and tried to do some of his
reading homework, but he couldn't get his dad off his mind.
The phone rang at about 8:00 pm and Saad let it go to the machine. It was his Dad:
"Hey Saad, I'm so sorry that I couldn't make it tonight. I had to finish up a big project
at work. Maybe we can catch a baseball game this weekend. Oh wait, this weekend’s
no good. How about next weekend? That should work. You and I are going to the
stadium for sure, Saadie. I hope all is well…"

Saad listened to the machine in disgust. He knew that his dad had a job and a life, but
he couldn't understand why he was always flaking out on him. Saad thought to
himself: Couldn't someone else get one of these bad news speeches once in a while?
Why does it always have to be me? Saad crashed on the couch with his book opened
to the first page and fell asleep.

The next day at school, Saad didn't turn in his math or science homework and he
failed a pop quiz in reading class. Saad’s homeroom teacher, Ms. Ayesha, noticed
Saad’s uncharacteristically poor performance and asked him to stay after class. Saad
sort of murmured a response that sounded like “Ok.” When the bell rang, the other
children filed out of the class. Saad huffed and waited with his head on his desk. Ms.
Ayesha pulled up a chair next to him.

“What’s up, Saad? You’re not doing your homework; you’re not studying for tests,
and this isn’t like you. Something must be bothering you. What is it?” Saad didn’t
want to tell her. He knew that if he started talking a flood of emotions would pour out
of him. He just wanted to be alone with his pain, so he sat there quietly, not even
looking at Ms. Ayesha. “Well Saad, if you don’t want to talk, I will. I know that
something’s bothering you and you’ve got to get it out. You don’t need to tell me, but
you need to tell someone or this thing is going to eat you up. Saad, you’ve got to feel
your best to do your best. The sooner you get this thing off your chest, the sooner you
can heal.”

As Saad walked home from school, he reflected on the things that Ms. Ayesha had
told him. He knew that he hadn’t been himself recently. Maybe he stopped doing his
work because he was looking for attention from his father. He hadn’t really thought
about it too much up until now, but as he walked home that night he realized that he
wasn’t just letting his dad spoil his plans: he was letting him spoil his life. Saad
figured that Ms. Ayesha was right. He couldn’t do his best until he felt his best. He
decided to take her advice and talk to someone about it.

That night when Saad got home from school, he called his Dad. The call went to
voicemail after ringing seven or eight times. Saad had heard his Dad’s answering
machine message more times than he cared to remember, but this time things were
different. When it ended, he would say what he really felt. When the phone beeped,
Saad began talking:

“Dad, it’s Saad. I can’t go to the stadium with you next weekend. I’ve got a lot of
homework to catch up on. Also, I don’t really want to spend another day looking out
the window and waiting. When you break plans with me, Dad, it hurts me, and I’m
sick of getting hurt. It’s not too late to rebuild our relationship, but we’re going to
have to start small. Maybe you can help me with my homework sometime or
something. Dad, I love you, but that’s how I feel.”

As Saad ended the call, he felt as though a tremendous burden had been lifted off of
his shoulders. He didn’t know whether his dad would change. He didn’t even think
that he would, but it didn’t matter. Saad had changed. He had expressed his feelings to
the right person, rather than just bottling them up inside of himself and he had a clear
head as he worked through his assignments that night.

1. Read the above mentioned text carefully and give it a suitable title.

2. What is the author’s purpose?

a. entertain
b. inform
c. persuade

3. What is genre of the text?

a. nonfiction
b. fiction
c. folklore

4. Mention the narrator’s point of view after reading the text.

a. 1st-person
b. 2nd-person
c. 3rd-person omniscient

5. What is the tone of the writer in the text?

a. Ironic
b. Satirical
c. Gloomy