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EPR511S - ENGLISH IN PRACTICE - 2ND OPP - JANUARY 2024 |
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nAmlBIA UnlVERSITY
OF SCIEn CE Ano TECHn OLOGY
FACULTYOF HUMAN SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION AND EDUCATION
COURSECODE: EPR511S
COURSENAME: ENGLISHIN PRACTICE
DATE:NOVEMBER 2023
MODE: FM; PM & DI
DURATION: 3 Hours
MARKS: 100
SECONDOPPORTUNITY EXAMINATION QUESTION PAPER
EXAMINERS: Ms C. Bates
Ms T. Kavihuha
Dr J. lndongo
MODERATOR: Ms T. Kanime
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Answer ALL the questions.
2. Write clearly and neatly.
3. Number the answers clearly.
PERMISSIBLEMATERIALS
1. Examination paper
2. Examination script
THIS QUESTION PAPERCONSISTSOF 10 PAGES(INCLUDING THIS FRONT PAGE)
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Section A: Reading Comprehension
[25 marks]
Readthe passage below and then answer the questions that follow.
Green construction
1) There has, in recent years, been an outpouring of information distribution about the impact of
buildings on the natural environment; Information which explains and promotes green and
sustainable construction design, strives to convince others of its efficacy and warns of the dangers of
ignoring the issue. Seldom do these documents offer any advice to practitioners, such as those
designing mechanical and electrical systems for a building, on how to utilise this knowledge on a
practical level.
2) While the terms green and sustainable are often considered synonymous, in that they both
symbolise nature, green does not encompass all that is meant by sustainability, which can be defined
as minimizing the negative impacts of human activities on the natural environment, in particular those
which have long-term and irreversible effects. Some elements of green design may be sustainable too,
for example those which reduce energy usage and pollution, while others, such as ensuring internal
air quality, may be considered green despite having no influence on the ecological balance.
3) Although there are a good many advocates of 'green' construction in the architectural industry,
able to cite ample reasons why buildings should be designed in a sustainable way, not to mention a
plethora of architectural firms with experience in green design, this is not enough to make green
construction come into being. The driving force behind whether a building is constructed with
minimal environmental impact lies with the owner of the building; that is, the person financing the
project. If the owner considers green design unimportant, or of secondary importance, then more
than likely, it will not be factored into the design.
4) The commissioning process plays a key role in ensuring the owner gets the building he wants, in
terms of design, costs and risk. At the predesign stage, the owner's objectives, criteria and the type of
design envisaged are discussed and documented. This gives a design team a solid foundation on which
they can build their ideas, and also provides a specific benchmark against which individual elements,
such as costs, design and environmental impact can be judged.
5) Owners who skip the commissioning process, or fail to take 'green' issues into account when doing
so, often come a cropper once their building is up and running. Materials and equipment are installed
as planned, and, at first glance, appear to fulfil their purpose adequately. However, in time, the owner
realises that operational and maintenance costs are higher than necessary, and that the occupants
are dissatisfied with the results. These factors in turn lead to higher ownership costs as well as
increased environmental impact.
6) In some cases, an owner may be aware of the latest trends in sustainable building design. He may
have done research into it himself, or he may have been informed of the merits of green design
through early discussion with professionals. However, firms should not take it as read that someone
commissioning a building already has a preconceived idea of how green he intends the structure to
be. Indeed, this initial interaction between owner and firm is the ideal time for a designer to outline
and promote the ways that green design can meet the client's objectives, thus turning a project
originally not destined for green design into a potential candidate.
7) Typically, when considering whether or not to adopt a green approach, an owner will ask about
additional costs, return on investment and to what extent green design should be the limiting factor
governing decisions in the design process. Many of these costs are incurred by the increased
cooperation between the various stakeholders, such as the owner, the design professionals,
contractors and end-users. In a typical project, landscape architects and mechanical, electrical and
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plumbing engineers do not become involved until a much later stage. However, in green design, they
must be involved from the outset, since green design demands interaction between these disciplines.
This increased coordination clearly requires additional expenditure. A client may initially balkat these
added fees, and may require further convincing of the benefits if he is to proceed. It is up to the project
team to gauge the extent to which a client wants to get involved in a green design project and provide
a commensurate service.
8) Of course, there may be financial advantage for the client in choosing a greener design. Casestudies
cite examples of green/sustainable designs which have demonstrated lower costs for long-term
operation, ownership and even construction. Tax credits and rebates are usually available on a
regional basis for projects with sustainable design or low emissions, among others.
1. (i) Discuss two purposes of distributing information about green and sustainable building
design
(ii) Name one shortcoming of these informative documents.
2. The examples of green and sustainable designs given in paragraph 2 show that
A designs must be sustainable in order for them to be described as green.
B the terms green and sustainable have the same meaning.
C some sustainable designs are green, while others are not.
D some designs are termed green, even though they are not sustainable.
3. According to the author, why is there a lack of green buildings being designed?
4. What is the purpose of the commissioning process?
5. What might be the consequences if the owner of a building decides to skip the
commissioning process?
6. Which factors might influence an owner's decision about whether or not to invest in a
green design?
7. Which monetary benefits could be reaped from a green design?
8. Explain the following phrases in bold in the passage in your own words:
(i)
"come to a cropper" (par. 5)
(ii)
"should not take it as read" (par. 6)
(iii) "balk at" (par.7)
9. What do the following pronouns in bold in the passage refer to?
(i)
its (par. 1)
(ii) their (par. 5)
(iii) it (par. 6)
10. Read the 6 sentences below. Write down the 3 sentences that best express the most
important ideas in the passage. You may only choose three sentences.
(2)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(2)
(4)
(3)
(2)
(3)
(3)
(3)
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1. Green, sustainable buildings are advantageous not only in terms of environmental impact.
There are financial benefits as well.
2. Ensuring good internal air quality is one way of ensuring that occupants are satisfied with
a building's design.
3. Since clients are unlikely to choose a green construction design, it is up to the firms to
advocate it.
4. Most clients are prepared to pay extra in order to receive the benefits of green building
design.
5. Architects are more interested in green building design than other contractors, such as
engineers and plumbers.
6. Although the initial costs for designing and constructing green buildings may dissuade
clients from building them, there are financial incentives, particularly in the long term.
Section B: Grammar
Read the passage below and then answer the grammar questions.
Green homes not yet a thing in Namibia
[25 marks]
In most developing countries, designing green residences (i) (to be) not yet a thing. Green properties
are those houses designed and constructed to be energy and water efficient, and are mainly popular
in developed economies. Although some home buyers specify that they would want a property that
subscribes to green standards, most Namibian homes on the market do not have those specifications.
In South Africa though, environmentally friendly green homes are becoming increasingly popular.
According to an IOL News report, many people in South Africa are becoming environmentally
conscious, and prefer to take their homes off the Eskom grid in order to use clean energy.
Gabriel Heita, a real estate agent in Windhoek, says Namibia is still behind the curve, and clients with
strict specifications, including green features on the kind of property they want, find it hard to locate
one. There (ii) (to be) clients who want homes with all green specifications such as solar geysers, solar-
powered to a certain extent and minimal energy use through bulbs, but such are not always available
in Namibia. Most clients who want those features on their properties normally have to make the
adjustments themselves. 111am pleased to report that quite a number of clients were looking for green
properties to buy last year,11 Gabriel said. He added that it (iii) (not to be) on the wish list the year
before.
Currently, South African banks (iv) (to give) green mortgage bonds, a product that Namibia does not
have yet. According to IOL News, Balwin Properties, an apartment estate developer, has managed to
reduce the impact of higher interest rates on its clients by providing 11green bonds" at its developments
that cost less than traditional bonds.
Balwin Properties chief executive Steve Brookes said the company (v) (to see) increased demand for
environmentally conscious living among the buyers at its estates over the last few years. 11ln line with
our ethos of putting clients first, we have leveraged our advancements in building green with the retail
banks to negotiate preferential mortgage rates for clients," he said. Brookes said to date 4 367 green
bonds have been secured for clients, with an estimated saving of N$325 million over the average bond
terms.
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Namibia is still stuck with traditional bonds, and with interest rates increasing by the day, the banks
(vi) (to record) minimal growth in credit extended to the private sector in acquiring homes. At the end
of March this year, banks (vii) (to extend) N$43 billion towards acquiring homes in Namibia.
Most of the real estate agents The Namibian has spoken to, said the green homes wave (viii) (to reach)
Namibia soon. Commercial properties have been applying green standards in their construction for
some time, especially new buildings and newly renovated ones. Green properties will become more
popular if banks in Namibia offer green bonds.
[Adapted from The Namibian, 23 May 2022]
1. Change each of the verbs numbered (i) to (viii) in the passage above into the correct
verb tense.
(8)
2. Identify whether the sentences below are in the active or passive voice.
(3)
(i)
Property companies have seen increased demand for environmentally conscious living.
(ii)
The desired adjustments are being made by the client.
(iii) Some clients want homes with all green specifications.
3. Change the sentences in Question 2 above into the opposite voice.
(3)
4. Write the following statement in reported speech:
Gabriel Heita said: "I am plea.sedto report that quite a number of clients were looking for
green properties to buy last year."
(4)
5. Write down one example of each of the following from the first paragraph.
(4)
(i)
Infinitive
(ii)
Gerund
(iii) Present participle
(iv) Past participle
6 (i) Identify the type of conditional used in the sentence below.
(1)
Green homes will become more popular if banks in Namibia offer green bonds.
(ii) Change the sentence above into a third conditional.
(1)
(iii) Complete the following sentence with a suitable result clause:
(1)
If clients wanted a home with green features, ...
Section C: Critical Reading
[10x2 = 20 marks]
Read the passages below and then answer the questions that follow. Only write the number and the
letter of your choice (e.g. 1. A, 2. B, etc.) in the answer book.
Passage1 is adapted from Nicholas Carr, "Author Nicholas Carr: The Web Shatters Focus, Rewires
Brains." Passage2 is from Steven Pinker, "Mind over Mass Media."
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Passage 1
The mental consequences of our on line info-crunching are not universally bad. Certain cognitive skills
are strengthened by our use of computers and the Net. These tend to involve more primitive mental
functions, such as hand-eye coordination, reflex response, and the processing of visual cues. One
much-cited study of video gaming revealed that after just 10 days of playing action games on
computers, a group of young people had significantly boosted the speed with which they could shift
their visual focus between various images and tasks.
It's likely that Web browsing also strengthens brain functions related to fast-paced problem solving,
particularly when it requires spotting patterns in a welter of data. A British study of the way women
search for medical information on line indicated that an experienced Internet user can, at least in some
cases,assessthe trustworthiness and probable value of a Web page in a matter of seconds.
The more we practise surfing and scanning, the more adept our brain becomes at those tasks. But it
would be a serious mistake to look narrowly at such benefits and conclude that the Web is making us
smarter. In a Science article published in early 2009, prominent developmental psychologist Patricia
Greenfield reviewed more than 40 studies of the effects of various types of media on intelligence and
learning ability. She concluded that "every medium develops some cognitive skills at the expense of
others." Our growing use of the Net and other screen-based technologies, she wrote, has led to the
"widespread and sophisticated development of visual-spatial skills." But those gains go hand in hand
with a weakening of our capacity for the kind of "deep processing" that underpins "mindful knowledge
acquisition, inductive analysis, critical thinking, imagination, and reflection."
We know that the human brain is highly plastic; neurons and synapses change as circumstances
change. When we adapt to a new cultural phenomenon, including the use of a new medium, we end
up with a different brain, says Michael Merzenich, a pioneer of the field of neuroplasticity. That means
our online habits continue to reverberate in the workings of our brain cells even when we're not at a
computer. We're exercising the neural circuits devoted to skimming and multitasking while ignoring
those used for reading and thinking deeply.
Passage 2
Critics of new media sometimes use science itself to press their case, citing research that shows how
"experience can change the brain." But cognitive neuroscientists roll their eyes at such talk. Yes, every
time we learn a fact or skill the wiring of the brain changes; it's not as if the information is stored in
the pancreas. But the existence of neural plasticity does not mean the brain is a blob of clay pounded
into shape by experience.
·
Experience does not revamp the basic information-processing capacities of the brain. Speed-reading
programs have long claimed to do just that, but the verdict was rendered by Woody Allen after he
read Leo Tolstoy's famously long novel War and Peace in one sitting: "It was about Russia." Genuine
multitasking, too, has been exposed as a myth, not just by laboratory studies but by the familiar sight
of an SUV undulating between lanes as the driver cuts deals on his cell phone.
Moreover, the effects of experience are highly specific to the experiences themselves. If you train
people to do one thing (recognize shapes, solve math puzzles, find hidden words), they get better at
doing that thing, but almost nothing else. Music doesn't make you better at math, conjugating Latin
doesn't make you more logical, brain-training games don't make you smarter. Accomplished people
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don't bulk up their brains with intellectual calisthenics; they immerse themselves in their fields.
Novelists read lots of novels, scientists read lots of science.
The effects of consuming electronic media are likely to be far more limited than the panic implies.
Media critics write as if the brain takes on the qualities of whatever it consumes, the informational
equivalent of "you are what you eat." As with ancient people who believed that eating fierce animals
made them fierce, they assume that watching quick cuts in rock videos turns your mental life into
quick cuts or that reading bullet points and online postings turns your thoughts into bullet points and
online postings.
1. The author of Passage1 indicates which of the following about the use of screen-based
technologies?
A It should be thoroughly studied.
B It makes the brain increasingly rigid.
C It has some positive effects.
D It should be widely encouraged.
2. Which sentence provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?
A Certain cognitive skills are strengthened by our use of computers and the Net. (par. 1)
B But it would be a serious mistake to look narrowly at such benefits and conclude that
the Web is making us smarter. (par. 3)
C In a Science article published in early 2009, prominent developmental psychologist
Patricia Greenfield reviewed more than 40 studies of the effects of various types of
media on intelligence and learning ability. (par. 3)
D She concluded that "every medium develops some cognitive skills at the expense of
others. (par. 3)
3. The author of Passage1 indicates that becoming adept at using the Internet can
A make people complacent about their health.
B undermine the ability to think deeply.
C increase people's social contacts.
D improve people's self-confidence.
4. As used in Passage1, par. 4, "plastic" most nearly means
A creative.
B artificial.
C malleable.
D sculptural.
5. The author of Passage2 refers to the novel War and Peace primarily to suggest that
Woody Allen
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A did not like Tolstoy's writing style.
B could not comprehend the novel by speed-reading it.
C had become quite skilled at multitasking.
D regretted having read such a long novel.
6. According to the author of Passage2, what do novelists and scientists have in common?
A They take risks when they pursue knowledge.
B They are eager to improve their minds.
C They are curious about other subjects.
D They become absorbed in their own fields.
7. The analogy in the final sentence of Passage2 has primarily which effect?
A It uses ornate language to illustrate a difficult concept.
B It employs humour to soften a severe opinion of human behaviour.
C It alludes to the past to evoke a nostalgic response.
D It criticises the view of a particular group.
8. The main purpose of each passage is to
A compare brain function in those who play games on the Internet and those who
browse on it.
B report on the problem-solving skills of individuals with varying levels of Internet
experience.
C take a position on increasing financial support for studies related to technology and
intelligence.
D make an argument about the effects of electronic media use on the brain.
9. Which choice best describes the relationship between the two passages?
A Passage2 relates first-hand experiences that contrast with the clinical approach in
Passage1.
B Passage2 critiques the conclusions drawn from the research discussed in Passage1.
C Passage2 takes a high-level view of a result that Passage1 examines in depth.
D Passage2 predicts the negative reactions that the findings discussed in Passage1
might produce.
10. On which of the following points would the authors of both passagesmost likely agree?
A Computer-savvy children tend to demonstrate better hand-eye coordination than do
their parents.
B Those who criticise consumers of electronic media tend to overreact in their criticism.
C Improved visual-spatial skills do not generalise to improved skills in other areas.
D Internet users are unlikely to prefer reading onscreen text to reading actual books.
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Section D: Creative writing
[30 marks]
Write an essay based on ONE of the following topics. You should write between 300 and 350 words
(about one and a half pages). Indicate the number of words used.
1. Namibia will be electing a new president soon. Which three sectors would you like the new
president to prioritise and why?
2. Adults should be responsible for their elderly parents and are obliged to help them
financially. Write an essay to support and refute this statement.
3. The use of technology causes loneliness in our society. Write an essay to explain why you
agree or disagree with this statement.
4. Discussthe three most important things to consider when looking for a job.
5. Women and men should have the same rights and responsibilities in spousal relationships.
Write an essay to explain to what extent you agree and disagree with this statement.
6. In your opinion, what are the three most effective ways in which a parent can punish a
teenager?
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