I Registration No ....................... .

Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology

B.B.A. (Special) Honours Degree

Final Examination

Year 1, Semester I

BM 1060 - English Language Skills I

Duration: 3 Hours

May 2019
Instructions to Candidates:

• The question paper contains SEVEN questions on SIX pages excluding the
cover page.
• Answer all the questions in the paper itself.
• The total mark for this paper is 70 and contributes 70% to the final grade.
• Marks will be reduced for illegible handwriting.
• Mobile phones and other devices capable of storing or retrieving information
are not allowed.
Question 01 (10 marks)
Read the following text and answer the questions.
Youth Unemployment around the World

A new report says the number of young people without a job is still very high in many countries.
There are currently 73 million people around the world aged 15-24 who want to work but cannot
find a job. The International Labour Organization (ILO) states that although youth
unemployment is coming down in rich countries, it is rising in most of Asia, the Middle East,
North Africa and Brazil. The youth unemployment rate in China increased from 9.3 per cent in
2010 to 10.6 per cent in 2014. In Brazil, the figure for youth unemployment was 14 per cent at
the beginning of2015, but reached almost 16 per cent by the end of the same year. The ILO
warns that youth unemployment worldwide is set to rise.

The ILO claims it is difficult for many young people who are looking for work. It said: "It's still
not easy to be young and starting out in today's labour market." It is particularly bad for many
young women. The highest rate of youth unemployment around the world is for women in the
Middle East and North Africa. This figure is around 45 per cent. There are many reasons for the
gloomy figures for youth unemployment. One major factor is the global financial collapse of
2008. Many countries have still not recovered from that. The ILO says youth unemployment is
not just important for a country's economy. It also affects health, social unrest and levels of
people's happiness.

(Adapted from https:l/breakingnewsenglish. com/1510/1510 11-youth-unemployment.html)

State whether the statements below are True, False or Not Given. Write the appropriate
answer in front of each statement. (2*5=10 marks)
1. A decline in youth unemployment rates is taking place in rich countries .................. .
2. The youth unemployment rate in China increased by approximately 1 per cent during a
period of two years ................ ..
3. More women are entering the job market in Asia .................. .
4. Many countries have overcome the issues created by the economic crisis of2008.

5. The ILO states that youth unemployment has social and psychological effects apart from
economic ones ................. ..

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Question 02 (08 marks)
Rewrite the sentences to make them nonsexist or gender neutral. (2*4=08 marks)
1. The average student is worried about his grade.

2. An e-mail writer should use language with caution when he writes emails.

3. A lecturer should not be biased about his students.

4. A busy executive should scan his emails by reading the subject lines first.

Question 03 (08 marks)

Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the verb. (1 *8=8 marks)
1. He usually ....................... (drink) tea, but today he is drinking coffee.
2. Do you .......................... (check) the Courseweb everyday?

3. I ................................................... (read) a very interesting novel these days.

4. When we arrived at the lecture hall, the lecture ...................................................... ..
(start).
5 ...................... you ................... (cry) at the end of the film? I thought it was really sad.
6. He ......................................................................... (not complete) the report yet. He is still
writing it.
7. Let's meet later. I ....................................... (call) you this afternoon.
8 ........................... you .......................................... (lend) me the money? I need it
urgently.

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Question 04 (08 marks)

The following pie chart represents how internet users above the age of 16 prefer to browse
the web. Examine the chart and complete its description with suitable words which are
provided within brackets. (1 *8=8 marks)
(majority, tablet, over, shows, least, minority, popular, go)

other

on a tablet
19%
on a laptop
30%

Figure I (Adapted from https://preply.com/en/blog/2018/08117/charts-graphs-and-diagrams-in-

the-presentation/)

This graph .................... the results of a survey in which people aged sixteen and
................. were asked about their preferred devices for accessing the internet. The question
referred to going online at home and in other places. Participants mentioned four main devices in
their answers: a smartphone, a laptop, a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . and a desktop computer.

From the pie chart, it is clear that the ............................... of participants prefer to use
smartphones and laptops, with just three per cent difference between the two. Nearly a third of
participants prefer to ......................... online with a smartphone. Thirty per cent like to use a
laptop. A desktop computer accounts for fourteen per cent of users' preferred devices. Only a
small ............................... prefer a device other than these main four.

In conclusion, since mobile and portable devices are the most ........................... choices, it
is clear that many participants are accessing the internet outside their homes. The desktop
computer is the ......................... popular of the four main devices. In future, we can
probably expect to see more and more people accessing the internet with smartphones as their
preferred choice.

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 ~-

Question 05 (08 marks)

The following email is jumbled. Put it into the correct order and write the email
accordingly in the space given below. (1 *8=8 marks)

A. Director, Ken's Cheese House

B. Dear Mr. Flintstone
C. I am enclosing a copy.
D. Kenneth Beare
E. Please contact us again if we can help in any way.
F. The order will be shipped within three days via UPS and should arrive at your store in
about 10 days.
G. Yours sincerely
H. With reference to our telephone conversation yesterday, I am writing to confirm your
order for: 120 x Cheddar Deluxe Ref. No. 855.

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Question 06 (20 marks)
You purchased a new washing machine a week ago, but when you got home you discovered that
it did not work properly. You called the customer service to report the problem but you have not
yet received any help. Write a letter of complaint to the company. Limit your letter to !50
words.

In your letter:

• Introduce yourself
• Explain the situation
• Say what action you would like the company to take

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Question 07 (08 marks)

Write a paragraph using ONE of the topics below. Do not exceed 60 words.

1. A main advantage of learning English as the global language

2. Two essential skills for an undergraduate

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-End of Question Paper-