ASO 2011- Main Paper 1

Read the following passage and answer the following questions (186 - 190) on it.
         People tend to amass possessions, sometimes without being aware of doing so. Indeed they can have a delightful surprise when they find something useful which they did not know they owned. Those who never have to change house become indiscriminate collectors of what can only be described as clutter. They leave unwanted objects in drawers, cupboards and attics for years in the belief that they may one day need just those very things. As they grow old, people also accumulate belongings for two other reasons, lack of physical and mental energy, both of which are essential for turning out and throwing away, and sentiment. Things owned for a long time are full of associations with the past, perhaps with the relatives who are dead, and so they gradually acquire a value beyond their true worth.
            Some things are collected deliberately in the home in an attempt to avoid waste. Among these I would list string and brown paper, kept by thrifty people when a parcel has been opened, to save buying these two requisites. Collecting small items can easily become a mania. I know someone who always cuts out from newspapers sketches of model clothes that she would like to buy, if she had the money. As she is not rich, the chances that she will ever be able to afford such purchases are remote. But she is never sufficiently strong-minded to be able to stop the practice. It is a harmless habit, but it litters up her desk to such an extent that every time she opens it, loose bits of paper fall out in every direction.
              Collecting as a serious hobby is quite different and has many advantages. It provides relaxation for leisure hours, as just looking at one's treasure is always a joy. One does not have to go out for amusement as the collection is housed at home. Whatever it consists of - stamps, records, first editions of books, china glass, antique furniture, pictures, model cars, stuffed birds, toy animals — there is always something to do in connection with it, from finding the right place for the latest edition to verifying facts in reference books. This hobby educates one not only in the chosen subject, but also in general matters which have some bearing on it. There are also other benefits. O meet like-minded collectors to get advice, compare notes, to exchange articles, to show off the latest find. So one's circle of friends grows. Soon the hobby leads to travel, perhaps to a meeting in another town, possibly a trip abroad in search of a rare specimen, for collectors are not confined to any one country. Over the years one may well become an authority on one's hobby and will very probably be asked to give informal talks to little gatherings and then, if successful, to larger audiences. In this way self-confidence grows, first from mastering a subject, then from being able to talk about it. Collecting, by occupying spare time so constructively, makes a person contented, with no time for boredom.

Read the following passage and answer the following questions (191–195) on it.
             There are three main groups of oils : animal, vegetable and mineral. Great quantities of animal oil come from whales, those enormous creatures of the sea which are the largest remaining animals in the world. To protect the whale from the cold of the Arctic seas, nature has provided it with a thick covering of fat called blubber. When the whale is killed, the blubber is stripped off and boiled down, either on board ship or on shore. It produces a great quantity of oil which can be made into food for human consumption. A few other creatures yield oil, but none so much as the whale. The livers of the cod and the halibut, two kinds of fish, yield nourishing oil. Both cod liver oil and halibut liver oil are given to sick children and other invalids who need certain vitamins. These oils my be bought at any chemist.
                Vegetable oil has been known from antiquity. No household can get on without it, for it is used in cooking. Perfumes may be made from the oils of certain flowers. Soaps are made from vegetable and animal oils.
             To the ordinary man, one kind of oil may be as important as another. But when the or the engineer refers to oil, he almost always means mineral oil, the oil that drives tanks, aeroplanes and warships, motor-cars and diesel locomotives; the oil that is used to lubricate all kinds of machinery. This is the oil that has changed the life of the common man. When it is refined into petrol it is used to drive the internal combustion engine. To it we owe the existence of the motor-car, which has replaced private carriage drawn by the horse. To it we owe the possibility of flying. It has changed the methods of warfare on land and sea. This kind of oil comes out of the earth. Because it burns well, it is used as fuel and in some ways it is superior to coal in this respect. Many big ships now burn oil instead of coal. Because it burns brightly, it is used for illumination; countless homes are still illuminated with oil-burning lamps. Because it is very slippery, it is used for lubrication. Two metal surfaces rubbing together cause friction and heat; but if they are separated by a thin film of oil, the friction and heat are reduced. No machine would work for long if it were not properly lubricated. The oil used for this purpose must be of the correct thickness; if it is too thin it will not give sufficient lubrication, and if it is too thick it will not reach all parts that must be lubricated.
              The existence of oil wells has been known for a long time. Some of the Indians of North America used to collect and sell the oil from the wells of Pennsylvania. No one, however, seems to have realized the importance of this oil until it was found that paraffin-oil could be made from it; this led to the development of the wells and to the making of enormous profits. When the internal combustion engine was invented, oil became of worldwide importance.

Read the following passage and answer the following questions (196 - 200) on it.
               It was March 25, 1998. That was the day when our School Anniversary was celebrated.
              The Governor was invited to be the Chief Guest. Like many of my schoolmates I was very busy making arrangements for the function. We decorated the school, particularly the auditorium, as well as we could. The auditorium, where the function was to be held, looked like a fairyland.
             Just at the stroke of five the Governor's car entered the school campus. Accompanied by the Principal, the Vice Principal and the President of the Students' Union, the Chief Guest went to the dais and took his seat. In his valedictory speech the Governor stressed the importance of discipline among pupils.
            The next item on the programme was distribution of prizes, which I had been eagerly awaiting. I was one of those who were to be awarded prizes on the occasion. I came in first in elocution competition. When my name was called I felt a thrill of joy. When I was receiving my prize, I heard the audience clapping. I shivered when the Governor shook my hand while giving me the prize. I thought it was a dream. When I felt the prize and looked at it, I realized that it was a reality. It was a book entitled Lives of Great Men.
          That has been an important day in my life -- a day which I can never forget. Whenever I see that book, it takes me back to the memorable day. I have read the book several times and every time I read it, it drives home H.W. Longfellow's well-known lines "Lives of great men all remind us we can make our lives sublime ........"