(Papers) : IIT Madras HSEE Papers-2018 (English)

Read the given extract and answer the following questions. (The first 5 questions are based on this passage).

The moral-philosophical approach is as old as classical Greek and Roman critics. Plato, for example, emphasized moralism and utilitarianism; Horace stressed that literature should be delightful and instructive. Among its most famous exemplars are the commentators of the age of neoclassicism in English literature (1660-1800), particularly Samuel Johnson. The basic position of such critics is that the larger function of literature is to teach morality and to probe philosophical issues. They would interpret literature within a context of the philosophical thought of a period or group. From their point of view Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus can be read profitably only if one understands existentialism. Similarly, Pope's Essay on Man may be grasped only if one understands the meaning and the role of reason in eighteenth-century thought. Such teaching may also be religiously oriented. Henry Fielding's Tom Jones, for example, illustrates the moral superiority of a hot blooded, young man like Tom, whose sexual indulgences are decidedly atoned for by his humanitarianism, tenderheartedness, and instinctive honor (innate as opposed to acquired through training). Serving as foils to Tom are the real sinners in the novel - the vicious and the hypocritical. Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter is likewise seen essentially as a study of the effects of secret sin on a human soul - that is, sin unconfessed before both God and man, as the sin of Arthur Dimmesdale with Hester Prynne, or, even more, the sin of Roger Chillingworth. Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" suggests that duty and responsibility take precedence over beauty and pleasure. The enemies of the traditional approach to literary analysis have argued that it has tended to be somewhat deficient in imagination, has neglected the newer sciences such as psychology and anthropology, ignored the political, and has been too content with a commonsense interpretation of the material. But it has nevertheless performed one valuable service: in avoiding cultism and faddism, it has preserved scholarly discipline and balance in literary criticism. Any knowledge or insight (with special reference to scholarly disciplines like history, philosophy, theology, sociology, art, and music) that can help to explain or clarify a literary work ought to be given the fullest possible chance to do so. Indeed, in some sense these approaches represent a necessary first step that precedes most other approaches. 

Q.1 What does the word ‘foil’ mean in the given context?
[A] Cover 
[B] Enemy 
[C] Contrast 
[D] Competitor

Q.2 Which of the following statements most accurately defines the moral-philosophical approach?
[A] Ideation of intersubjectivity and polyphonic design
[B] Perception of literature and history as narratives of power and exchange
[C] Rejection of the idea of objective reality
[D] Espousal of an essentialist view of human life that is inward-looking

Q.3 Which school of thought are Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus associated with?
[A] Existentialism
[B] Utilitarianism
[C] Moralism 
[D] Neoclassicism

Q.4 Which of the following statements points out that the moral-philosophical critical approach is most suited to the character analysis of literary personae such as Arthur Dimmesdale, Hester Prynne and Roger Chillingworth? 
[A] The characters are wanderers, separated from their culture and society
[B] The characters have undisclosed, dark, personal lives
[C] The characters share the anxieties of the age regarding the changing role of women
[D] The characters are avenger figures whose objective is the destruction of a vicious and hypocritical society.

Q.5 Choose the most appropriate statement that offers a critique of the traditional approach to literary analysis.
[A] It is unmindful of the political dimension of literature
[B] It fetishizes classical Greek and Roman literature
[C] It challenges the canon by refusing to adhere to principles of literary criticism
[D] It draws inspiration from newer sciences like psychology and anthropology

Read the following poem "After a Death" by Tomas Transtromer and answer the questions given below (There are 5 questions, from no.6 - no.10, based on this poem):

Once there was a shock
that left behind a long, shimmering comet tail.
It keeps us inside. It makes the TV pictures snowy.
It settles in cold drops on the telephone wires.
One can still go slowly on skis in the winter sun
through brush where a few leaves hang on.
They resemble pages torn from old telephone directories.
Names swallowed by the cold.
It is still beautiful to feel the heart beat
but often the shadow seems more real than the body.
The samurai looks insignificant
beside his armor of black dragon scales.

Q.6 In the given poem, the aftermath of death is described as leaving behind a "long, shimmering comet tail"
[A] To emphasize the astronomical dimension of death
[B] To emphasize the flickering aura of death
[C] To emphasize the residual impact of death
[D] To emphasize the reptilian nature of death

Q.7 The speaker in the poem talks about going on a ski "in the winter sun/through brush". "Brush" in this context means
[A] Land covered by small trees or bushes
[B] Land filled with snow
[C] Land covered by mud flats
[D] Land filled with slush and quagmires

Q.8 In the poem the phrase "Names swallowed by the cold" refers to
[A] Old telephone directories 
[B] Tails of comets
[C] TV pictures
[D] Leaves on trees

Q.9 The line "It is still beautiful   to feel the heart beat" conveys the resolution that the poem
[A] Moves from melancholy to fear
[B] Moves from melancholy to hope
[C] Moves from melancholy to insignificance
[D] Moves from melancholy to isolation

Q10. The figure of the samurai looking "insignificant beside his armor of black dragon scales" indicates that
[A] Death is an overwhelming reality
[B] Death is a pleasurable experience
[C] Death is not to be feared
[D] Death is not bound by the samurai code of honour

Q.11 Which of the following is NOT a SYNONYM  for the word 'impasse'?
[A] Deadlock
[B] Stalemate 
[C] Headway 
[D] Standoff

Q.12 Which of the following sentences uses the correct correlative conjunctions?
[A] Neither John nor I am to receive the award
[B] Neither John or I am to receive the award
[C] Neither John nor I are to receive the award
[D] Neither John and I are to receive the award

Q.13 In which of the following sentences is the idiom 'Catch-22' correctly used?
[A] Kafka Kumar Kulkarni's success in the HSEE exam is a perfect Catch-22 situation.
[B] When Kafka Kumar Kulkarni got a new job and a fancy car at the same time, friends thought that it was a perfect Catch-22 situation.
[C] When Kafka Kumar Kulkarni lost heavily in the share market, he found himself in a Catch-22 situation.
[D] According to Kafka Kumar Kulkarni, getting your first job is a Catch-22 situation because companies want to hire someone with prior experience.

Q.14 Identify the sentence with the correct article usage from the given options
[A] Srilanka has the wonderful climate.
[B] Kalpana had taken on the position of Head of Department.
[C] Kafka Kumar Kulkarni was most peculiar-looking man.
[D] What are your plans for a future?

Q.15 Identify the sentence with the correct preposition usage from the given options
[A] The increase in real estate prices points about an upturn in the economy.
[B] Don't shout to me, I'm doing my best.
[C] Kafka Kumar Kulkarni knows a lot towards cars.
[D] Jean cared for her disabled mother until her death last year.

Q.16 Identify the complex sentence from the given options
[A] The email that I sent Kafka Kumar Kulkarni bounced back.
[B] I sent Kafka Kumar Kulkarni an email. It bounced back.
[C] I sent Kafka Kumar Kulkarni an email, but it bounced back.
[D] The emails sent to Kafka Kumar Kulkarni are bouncing back.

Q.17 Everybody is asleep, _________? Choose the appropriate question tag from the options given below
[A] isn't it? 
[B] aren't they?
[C] is it?
[D] are they?

Q.18 Choose the correct passive form of the sentence, "They will have eaten grilled sandwiches" from the given options
[A] Grilled sandwiches will be eaten by them.
[B] Grilled sandwiches had been eaten by them.
[C] Grilled sandwiches were being eaten by them.
[D] Grilled sandwiches will have been eaten by them.

Q.19 The company had become a white elephant over the years. What does the idiom 'white elephant' mean?
[A] Large and exotic 
[B] Unreliable and capricious
[C] Famous and unique
[D] Expensive and redundant

Q.20 Which of the following sentences uses the present perfect continuous tense?
[A] The neigbours are having a party for New Year.
[B] They had been travelling for about thirty-six hours.
[C] We are going to do some climbing in the Himalayas.
[D] We've been discussing the proposals for a number of years.

Q.21 Choose the sentence with the correct punctuation from the given options
[A] Dante Dharmalingam the one with the allergies read his story in class and everyone thought it was excellent.
[B] Dante Dharmalingam, the one with the allergies, read his story in class; and everyone thought it was excellent.
[C] Dante Dharmalingam the one with the allergies, read his story in class; and, everyone thought it was excellent.
[D] Dante Dharmalingam, the one with the allergies read his story in class; and, everyone thought, it was excellent.

Q.22 Identify the sentence with the correct adverb usage from the given options
[A] I see in this book that the city of Dallas has a large museum.
[B] What did you paint the house white for?
[C] Where is the house at?
[D] Where did you see the deer at when you were in IIT Madras?

Q.23 Identify the sentence with the correct pronoun usage from the given options
[A] They were hurting theirselves by their conduct.
[B] Its a long way home.
[C] Everyone was in their place when the bell rang.
[D] Whom did you choose yesterday?

Q.24 Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct?
[A] Everyone was waiting to hear the results.
[B] Everyone and all was waiting to hear the results.
[C] Everyone were waiting to hear the results.
[D] All was waiting to hear the results.

Q.25 Identify the most appropriate ANTONYM of the word "oblivion" from the given options
[A] Ostentation 
[B] Remembrance
[C] Ovation
[D] Extinction

Q.26 Which of the following sentences CANNOT take on a passive form?
[A] The ship slowly disappeared from view.
[B] He described the situation to me.
[C] Are they meeting him at the airport?
[D] Kafka Kumar Kulkarni talked me into buying a motorbike.

Q.27 Choose the sentence with the correct word order from the given options
[A] Dante Dharmalingam followed the instructions out exactly.
[B] Dante Dharmalingam had to get rid of his car and he sold off it at a very low price.
[C] Dante Dharmalingam told the children off for stealing his apples.
[D] Dante Dharmalingam had to clean the mess up on the kitchen floor.

Q.28 Which of the following sentences correctly uses the comparative degree?
[A] Kafka Kumar Kulkarni is more faster than Dante Dharmalingam in solving equations.
[B] Resisting hierarchy is better than silently suffering the agony and anguish of subjugated living.
[C] Patience is greatest virtue than overvaulting ambition.
[D] She was the fairest of them all.

Q.29 Which of the following prefixes can be added to the word "step"?
[A] Un 
[B] Non 
[C] Ex
[D] Mis

Q.30 Choose the correct SYNONYM for the word "denigrate" from the list of options given below
[A] Belittle 
[B] Sanctify
[C] Expand
[D] Detain

Q.31 The sentences given below are not in the right order. Choose the right one from the options given
p. By the mid-20th century, ballet throughout the world had become an esoteric and extravagant minority interest, exclusive and self-obsessed.
q. It still has its purist corners, dazzling shrines to decadence - the Japanese court tradition and Bolshoi tradition come to my mind.
r. But elsewhere, the influence of folkdance and popular dance from around the world, and even of athletics and gymnastics, has made ballet one of the most eclectic and dynamic of all performing arts.
s. But in the latter half of the century with increased international travel and awareness of other cultures, ballet has been regenerated.
[A] prsq 
[B] psqr 
[C] sqpr
[D] rsqp

Q.32 "Kafka Kumar Kulkarni was _____________ by a series of delays that nearly made him miss his flight". Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate option 
[A] ensconced 
[B] solicited
[C] relegated 
[D] beleaguered

Q.33 "The plane __________ at twice the speed of sound when it passes overhead". Choose the correct tense from the given options to fill in the blanks
[A] would have travelled
[B] will travel
[C] will be travelling 
[D] will have been travelling

Q.34 "Sylvia Plath said to her husband, 'Where are you going out tomorrow?'" Which of the given options is the most appropriate if the given sentence is reported in indirect speech?
[A] Sylvia Plath asked her husband where he was going out tomorrow.
[B] Sylvia Plath asked her husband where he was going out the next day.
[C] Sylvia Plath told me that she asked her husband where he was going out tomorrow.
[D] Sylvia Plath asked her husband if he was going out the next day.

Q.35 Identify the grammatically correct sentence from the options given
[A] The President Trump is to make a statement later today.
[B] The name of the Donald Trump is known all over the world.
[C] Kafka Kumar Kulkarni is a good orator, but he will never be the Donald Trump.
[D] Do they mean the Donald Trump or someone else?

Q.36 Which of the following options is the most appropriate ANTONYM of the word 'Protagonist'?
[A] Antagonist
[B] Villain
[C] Rogue 
[D] Desperado

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Courtesy: CBSE