ge2321 communication skills lab
DESCRIPTION
it covers anna university syllabusTRANSCRIPT
1
ENGLISH
LANGUAGE
LABORATORY
2
READING
COMPREHENSION
3
READING COMPREHENSION
EXERCISE NO: 1
India Wildlife information with Wildlife adventures
Here is good news for all wildlife adventurers, ornithologist and nature lovers. Tour
My India, a leading tour operating company in India renewed its wildlife portal -
IndiaWildliferesorts.com with new, attractive, more informative and unique presentation.
It has been a great achievement for Tour My India to present the India wildlife resorts
(http://www.indiawildliferesorts.com) with such a unique presentation after a lot of
brainstorming, planning and strategy formulation by industry leaders and travel experts. It
needed a lot of research work on India wildlife, national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, bird
sanctuaries for accumulating information on wild animals, migratory birds, mammals,
reptiles that are rare to be found elsewhere and presenting all the collected information on
the wildlife portal. The site is categorized in 3 main areas - one for wildlife information
including national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and bird sanctuaries, other two for wildlife
resorts and wildlife tour packages. "We are glad that we have been able to represent the
wildlife heritage of India in the best possible way to make it informative and useful for our
clients and all the adventure and travel enthusiasts from all over the world. ", says the
Managing Director, Tour My India.
Wildlife Information:
It is the main attraction of the site with information including general information
of the particular national parks and sanctuaries with the respective wild animals, birds,
resorts and other accommodation facilities available there along with the tour and travel
info and tour packages. Those who are planning for wildlife tours can get information about
how to reach, geographical map etc.
Wildlife Resorts:
Wildlife Resorts is another main section of the site which includes all the
information about resorts and hotels available along with their photo galleries where one
can visualize the incredible resort locations, room facilities…
Wildlife Tour Packages:
It is the biggest section of IWR which provides more than 100 wildlife tour packages
which covers tours at almost all national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and bird sanctuaries.
4
The wildlife packages are designed keeping in mind the interests of wildlife enthusiasts,
nature lovers, and corporate groups. If you are wildlife enthusiasts then wildlife tour
packages, tiger tour packages, wildlife safari tours are best for you. If you are ornithologist
then bird watching tour packages, wildlife safari tours, wildlife packages are suitable to
you. For corporate tours, weekend tour packages, fixed departure tours. Wildlife packages
around major cities flexible with trip date and time duration would be more suitable.
Sequence of sentence
Questions:
1. Fiction is the term used to describe novels, short stories, classics and popular pleasure
reading.
2. Though they cannot be borrowed from the library, tire readers can refer these books in
a reading room set aside for this purpose.
3. Non-fiction describes technical and factual works and books which cover event and
things that exist in reality.
4. Most public and general libraries have three main areas-fictions, non-fiction and
reference.
5. Though they cannot be borrowed from the library, tire readers can refer these books in
a reading room set aside for this purpose
Answers:
1. Most public and general libraries have three main areas-fictions, non-fiction and
reference.
2. Fiction is the term used to describe novels, short stories, classics and popular pleasure
reading.
3. Non-fiction describes technical and factual works and books which cover event and
things that exist in reality.
4. Reference books are simply non-fiction books of a kind. which includes encyclopedias
and dictionaries.
5. Though they cannot be borrowed from the library, tire readers can refer these books in
a reading room set aside for this purpose.
5
EXERCISE NO: 2
Fill in the blanks using the list of words given below:
Christians , delicious , Diwali , rejoicing , Buntings , occasion , Shopkeepers ,
sins , Decorate , idd , Twigs , church , Planting , Christianity
Christmas is the most important festival of the Christians. Christmas is same for
them what Diwali for the Hindus’ Idd for Muslims. It is celebrated on the 25th December
every year with great pomp and show. This festival is celebrated in the memory of the day
on which Christ was born. Christ was the founder of Christianity. It is believed that he
was sent to this world to save mankind. Great preparations are made for the occasion. All
houses and churches are cleaned and white washed. The walls are decorated with paper
flowers, pictures, looking glasses and the wall buntings. All the Christians rich or poor,
young or old take part in it. The shopkeepers who sell Christmas cards and Christmas
presents decorate their shops with beautiful pictures and toys. They do so to attract people
to their shop. The most important part of the festival is the planting of the Christmas tree.
A large branch of the tree is cut down. It is planted in one corner of the house. Then this
branch is decorated with little toys such as dolls, birds, flowers etc. At night candles and
electric bulbs are lighted on its twigs. The Christmas tree looks very bright and Then in the
night all the children of the house are called in. All sing songs and offer prayer to God who
sent his Son, Christ to earth to remove all sins and sufferings. After the prayer all the
members of the house and guests are given. Christmas presents. Christmas cards, pictures,
books and sweets are sent to friends and relatives. Then big feats are arranged. Delicious
dishes are served before all. The house wife looks very important figure. She entertains all
the guests. People prepare best food they can offer on that day. After, the feast is over all
members take part in music. They dance and sing at night. Then the festival comes to a
close. All gather in the church to pray God that they may led a happy life in the coming
year. Christmas is a festival of rejoicing to the Christians all over the world. In the days of
British rule all the schools and colleges are closed for fifteen days on the occasion of this
festival.
Arrange the following jumbled sentences:
1. Christmas is the most important festival of the Christians.
2. Delicious dishes are served before all.
6
3. This festival is celebrated in the memory of the day which Christ was born.
4. the most important part of the festival is planting of Christmas tree.
5. It is celebrated on the 25th December every year wiyh great pomp and show.
Answer:
1. Christmas is the most important festival of the Christians.
2. It is celebrated on the 25th December every year wiyh great pomp and show.
3. This festival is celebrated in the memory of the day which Christ was born.
4. The most important part of the festival is planting of Christmas tree.
5. Delicious dishes are served before all.
Choose the best answer:
1. Christmas is the most important festival of the _____________.
a. Hindu.
b. Christians.
c. Jains.
d. Muslims.
Answer:
b. Christians
2. The most important part of the festival is planting of ____________ tree.
a. Christmas
b. Banyan.
c. Palm.
d. Neem.
Answer:
a. Chrismas
3. Diwali was the festival for________.
a. Hindus.
b. Muslims.
c. Christians.
d. Jains.
Answer:
a. Hindus
7
4. The wall are decorated with _____________
a. Paper flowers.
b. Original flowers.
c. Tulip flowers.
d. Rose flowers.
Answer:
a. Paper flowers
5. Christmas tree is planted in___________.
a. Front of the house.
b. One corner of the house.
c. Back of the house.
d. The garden of the house.
Answer:
b. One corner of the house.
8
EXERCISE NO: 3
Civil war
The Civil War was waged because 11 southern states seceded (broke away and
started their own government) from the Union and formed the Confederate States of
America. The secession took place primarily because of a long-standing debate concerning
states rights, and more specifically the issue of slavery. As new territories became states,
opponents of slavery and advocates of slavery often clashed over whether or not that state
should allow slavery. After violence broke out in Kansas over the issue, and after Kansas
entered the Union as a free state, southerners began to believe that the new president,
Abraham Lincoln would take away their rights to make local decisions and would abolish
slavery. Henceforth, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama,
Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas broke away from the Union and
formed the Confederate States of America. Richmond, Virginia was made its capital and
Jefferson Davis was made president. Kentucky, Maryland, Delaware and Missouri were
divided on the issue and were declared "border states". On April 14, 1861, Congress
declared war on the Confederate States of America
for the purposes of preserving the Union.
The first shots of the Civil War were fired April 12, 1861 at Fort Sumter, South
Carolina. Although there we no deaths reported that day, the shots at Fort Sumter signified
the start of a long, bloody war that would become the most deadly in the history of the
United States. Many major battles such as Bull Run I and II, Antietam and Shiloh, among
others, claimed tens of thousands of lives on both sides in 1861 and 1862. Neither the
Union or the Confederacy had the upper hand.
The turning point in the war, however, occurred on July 1, 1863, when Confederate
and Union armies met at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle that ensued was one of the
bloodiest battles in American history. Eventually, Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern
Virginia was driven away from Pennsylvania by Union general George Meade and his
Army of the Potomac. The battle did much to cripple the Confederate army. Meanwhile,
in the western battlegrounds, Union forces under Ulysses S. Grant had gained control of
the Mississippi River and port of New Orleans which effectively split the Confederacy in
two.
Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia was further decimated after Ulysses S.
Grant was made commander of the Union Army. Grant waged dozens of surprise attacks
against Lee's army in the wilderness of Virginia in 1864. Although the battles resulted in
9
the deaths of tens of thousands of soldiers on the Union side, the Confederate Army was at
the brink of collapse. Meanwhile, Union general William T. Sherman marched through
Georgia and the Carolinas, destroying everything in his path. The march came to be known
as "Sherman's March to the Sea".
Finally, after Union forces had invaded the Confederate capital of Richmond, the
Confederate states surrendered on April 9, 1865, at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia. The
Union was preserved.
Answer the following questions:
1. What does secede mean?
a. To break away from
b. To join
c. To accomplish
d. To lose
Answer:
a. To break away from
2. Which of the following best describes why 11 southern states seceded from the Union?
a. Because the government wanted the states to make important decisions
concerning slavery.
b. Because the southern states wanted the government to make important
decisions concerning slavery.
c. Because the southern states did not want the government to make
important decisions for them concerning slavery
d. Because the government did not want to malke important decisions for the
southern states concerning slavery.
Answer:
c. Because the southern states did not want the government to
make important decisions for them concerning slavery
3. Which of the following is true?
a. Congress declared war before the first shots were fired at Fort Sumter.
b. The first shots fired at Fort Sumter occurred after Congress declared war.
c. Congress declared war after the first shots were fired at Fort Sumter.
d. Abraham Lincoln was president of the Confederacy.
10
Answer:
c. Congress declared war after the first shots were fired at Fort
Sumter.
4. Which of the following was NOT a state that seceded from the Union?
a. Maryland
b. Virginia
c. North Carolina
d. Florida
Answer:
a. Maryland
5. What was the turning point of the Civil War?
a. Shiloh
b. Appomattox Courthouse
c. Antietam
d. Gettysburg
Answer:
d. Gettysburg
11
EXERCISE NO: 4
Bank:
Banks are places where people can keep their money. Most people use banks to save
money in their savings accounts and to pay money from their checking accounts. Today,
when a person earns money from their job, their paycheck is often electronically deposited
(put) into their savings or checking account. Then, he or she can pay their bills by writing
checks from their checking accounts or pay online where their bills are electronically
connected to their bank accounts.
Banks also give loans to people. Banks use the money that their customers deposit
to lend to people to buy new houses, cars, or to start businesses among other reasons. The
bank makes money from lending by charging interest. In other words, people have to pay
back more than they borrowed. This amount depends on how risky the bank thinks the
borrower is and how fast the loan is paid back among other things.
Choose the correct answer:
1. What do banks NOT do?
a. Charge interest
b. Give loans
c. Tax people
d. Allow people to pay bills online from their accounts
Answer:
c. Tax people
2. What do banks NOT do?
a. provide a place for people to save their money
b. lend money to people
c. help people get jobs
d. provide a place where people can pay their bills from
Answer:
c. help people get jobs
12
3. How much "interest" do lenders have to pay?
a. Everyone pays the same amount of interest.
b. Most borrowers don't have to pay interest
c. The story doesn't say
d. It depends on a lot of things
Answer:
d. It depends on a lot of things
4. How does "interest" work?
a. Banks require people to pay back the same amount they borrowed.
b. Banks require people to pay back more money than they borrowed
c. Banks require people to pay back money they borrowed very quickly
d. Banks pay people more money than they borrowed.
Answer:
b. Banks require people to pay back more money than they
borrowed
5. How do banks make money?
a. Electronically
b. By having a lot of accounts
c. Saving their customers deposits
d. Charging interest to those they lend to
Answer:
d. Charging interest to those they lend to
13
EXERCISE NO: 5
Read the following passage and answer the questions:
Let us take a brief look at the planet on which we live. As earth hurtles through
space at a speed of 70,000 miles per hour, it spins, as We all know, on its axis, which causes
it to be flattened at the Poles. Thus, if you were to stand at sea level at the North of South
Pole you would be 13 miles nearer the center of the earth than if you stood on the Equator.
The earth is made up of three major layers a central core, probably metallic, some 4000
miles across, a surrounding layer of compressed rock and to top it all a very thin skin of
softer rock, only About 20 to 40 miles thick - that’s about as thin as the skin of an apple.
Talking in relative terms. The pressure on the central core is unimaginable. It has been
calculated that at the center it is 60 million pounds to the square inch, and this at a
temperature of perhaps 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The Earth’s interior, therefore, would
seem to be of liquid metal and evidence for this is given by the behavior of earthquakes.
When an earthquake occurs, shock waves radiate from the center Just as waves
radiate outwards from the point where a stone drops into a Pond. And these waves pulsate
through the earth’s various layers. Some Waves descend vertically and pass right through
the earth, providing Evidence for the existence of the core and an indication that it is fluid
Rather than solid. Thus, with their sensitive instruments, the scientists who study
earthquakes, the seismologists, can in effect X-ray the earth. Iceland is one of the most
active volcanic regions of the world.
This intrepid explorer clambered down the opening of an extinct Volcano and
followed its windings until he reached the earth’s core. There he found great oceans, and
continents with vegetation. This Conception of a hollow earth we now know to be false. In
the 100 years. Since Jules Verne published his book, the science of volcanology, as it is
called has made great strides. But even so the deepest, man has yet Penetrated is about
10,000 feet. This hole, the Robinson Deep mine in South Africa, barely scratches the
surface; so great is the heat at 10,000 Feet that were it not for an elaborate air conditioning
system, the miners working would be roasted. Oil borings down to 20,000 feet have shown
that the deeper hey go, the hotter it becomes. The Centre of the earth’. The temperature of
the earth at the center is estimated to be anything between 3,000 and 11,000 degrees
Fahrenheit. Some scientists believe that this tremendous heat is caused by the breaking-
down of Radio-active elements, which release large amounts of energy and Compensate
for the loss of heat from the earth’s surface. If this theory is Correct, then we are all living
on top of a natural atomic power house.
14
1. The outer layer of the Earth is compared to the skin of an apple because
a. It is only 20 to 45 miles thick.
b. It is thin in proportion to the Earth’s mass.
c. It is relatively thin compared with the central core.
d. It is softer than the outer layers.
Answer:
a. It is only 20 to 45 miles thick.
2. Which of the following is not true?
It is thought that the interior of the earth is not solid because
a. There is great pressure at the center.
b. Earthquake waves can move vertically.
c. The outer layer is made of rock.
d. The heat at the center is too great.
Answer:
a. There is great pressure at the center.
3. The Robinson Deep mine in South Africa is
a. Too deep to work in.
b. Too hot to work in.
c. Still in use.
d. Very close to the surface.
Answer:
c. Still in use.
4. Since the publication of Jules Verne’s book it has been proved that
a. The center of the earth is not hollow.
b. Oil borings cannot go deeper than 20,000 feet.
c. The earth is hot at the center because heat is lost at the surface.
d. The earth is in danger of exploding.
Answer:
d. The earth is in danger of exploding.
15
5. The behavior of earthquakes is the evidence to show that
a. The outer layer is not semi-solid.
b. The interior of the earth is not solid.
c. The interior layer consists of compressed rock.
d. Earthquakes can be controlled.
Answer:
c. The interior layer consists of compressed rock.
16
LISTENING
COMPREHENSION
17
EXERCISE NO: 1
Fill in the blanks:
A “new black smoker” an undersea mineral chimney emitting hot, iron darkened
water that source attracts unusual marine life has been discovered at about 8,500 feet
underwater by an expedition currently exploring a section of volcanic ridge along the
Pacific Ocean floor off cost Rica. The belt – shaped jelly fish sighted near the vent are
really un use wall and the ones we found may be a different species because nobody has
seen types of this color before added Koran von dam, an earth sciences professor and
hydrothermal vent specialist. The scientist are exploring vehicle the ocean bottom with
Jason a remotely controlled robotic operated by WHO. Using Jason’s mechanical arms
and a temperature probe, they logged water temperature of 335 degrees Celsius at the
vent’s opening “Despite the great temperature of the vent water it doesn’t boils until 390
degree Celsius because pressure on the ocean floor are so great 200 times the pressure of
sea levels”. Klein said, the tremendous pressures result from the weight of almost 2 miles
of seawater pressing down from above.
Say true or false:
1. Linguists are language scientists.
Answer:
True
2. All human beings are born with the capacity to learn only their mother tongue.
Answer:
False
3. Knowing one’s mother tongue alone has minified advantages.
Answer:
False
4. In a globalized world it is very important to know many language.
Answer:
True
18
5. Learning a foreign language is mandatory for most people today.
Answer:
True
6. Most microfibers are synthetic fibers.
Answer:
False
7. Any single fiber by itself can only produce thicker fibers.
Answer:
False
Answer the following questions:
1. How was the earth 3-4 billion years ago?
A. Lush and green.
B. Hot, dry, lifeless.
C. Full of various species of animals.
B. Full of flora and fauna.
Answer:
B. Hot, dry, lifeless.
2. What did the impact of a meteor change on the earth?
A. It sends seeds from space.
B. It created chemical seeds of life.
C. It activated all volcanoes.
D. It created earthquake.
Answer:
B. It created chemical seeds of life.
3. What is most important to create life?
A. Water and fire.
B. Soil and moisture.
C. amine acids
D. Single called organisms.
Answer:
C. amine acids
19
4. Mirroring of amino acids – left and right is called.
A. Reflection.
B. Chirality.
C. Carnival.
D. Superimposing.
Answer:
B. Chirality.
5. What does the Columbia university professor thick about amino acids?
A. They are the building blocks of life.
B. They are the basis of living things.
C. They are delivery by meteor strikes.
D. All the above.
Answer:
D. All the above.
20
EXERCISE NO: 2
Listen to the passage and type the words in the blanks:
In case be hard to decide which foods to buy in American grocery stores these days.
The information on many products makes different claims. The labels suggest that the food
is safe, pure (or) kind to animals.
The label “organic” guaranties that the United States department of agriculture
recognizes the product was grown under special conditions. The department says foot that
meet requirements of its national organic program can use an official labor.
It shows the words “USDA organic” inside a circle. The food is grown without
chemical treatment against insects (or) disease.
The USDA –organic label on meat and dairy products guarantees that they are form
animals that live much of the time outdoors. They have not had hormone substances to
make them grow bigger. But many people buy them because they believe they are more
head full.
The coffee is grown under trees that provide shade for the coffee and homes bird’s
chicken many not have been in over grounded conditions inside a building.
PART: A
1. The label “organic” guarantees that the United States department of agriculture
recognizes the product was grown under ordinary conditions.
Answer:
False
2. Organic meat and dairy products usually cost more than other product.
Answer:
True
21
3. Some coffee growers plant their crops on land with no natural plants to produce
shade from the sun.
Answer:
True
4. The marine – stewardship council says its label promise that fish are not
endangered.
Answer:
True
5. The department says foot that meet requirements of its national – organic program
cannot use on official label.
Answer:
False
PART: B
1. It can be hard to decide which foods to buy in grocery stores these days.
a. American
b. European
c. Indian
d. Spanish
Answer:
a. American
2. The information on many products makes claims.
a. Different
b. Same
c. Unique
d. In different
Answer:
a. American
22
3. The product was grown under conditions.
a. Normal
b. special
c. Abnormal
d. Ordinary
Answer:
b. special
4. It shows the word “USDA organic” inside a.
a. Square
b. Circle
c. Rectangle
d. Triangle
Answer:
b. Circle
5. The food is grown without treatments against insects (or) disease.
a. Chemical
b. Biological
c. Zoological
d. Physical
Answer:
a. Chemical
23
EXERCISE NO: 3
LISTEN TO THE PASSAGE AND TYPE THE CORRECT WORD IN THE
BLANKS:
Professor Gaveled is an engineer who almost gave up his post an institute in
Marseilles because he always felts till at work. He decided against leaving when he
discovered attacks of nausea only worried him when he was in his office at the top of the
building. Thinking that there must be something in the room that disturbed him. He tried
to crack in down with devices sensitive to various chemicals and even with a Geiger
counter but he found nothing until one day just he was about to give up he learned back
against the wall. The whole room was vibrating at a low frequency. The source of this
energy learned out is an air conditioning plant of root of building. Fascinated by the
phenomenon. Gaveled decided to Build machines to produce infra sounds. So that he would
investigate it further. In casting around for likely designs. He discovered that the issue to
all french produced a whole range of low frequency sounds. So he built a police whistle
six feet long and produced it with compressed air. A post mortem revealed that all his
internal organs had been mashed into a jelly by the vibrations.
INDICATES WHEATHER THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS IS TRUE OR
FALSE:
1. Professor gaveled left his job because he felt sick
Answer:
True
2. The cause of the sickness was not in his room
Answer:
False
3. The air-conditioning plant had nothing to do with his sickness
Answer:
False
24
EXERCISE NO: 4
LISTEN THE PASSAGE AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS:
Children’s early during experience is critical to the development of their lifelong
readings skills, a new study from the university of Leicester has discovered.it found that
the age at which we learn words is key to understanding how people read later in life. A
study address of 20 years riddle. When researches investigation reading behavior in
children they find different patterns. Some researchers have found children reading
mimics’ that of reading adults but others have seen a different pattern of reading
behavior’s physiologist have triggered for 20 years to after a convincing explanation for
why different students looking at the same topic have found such different results.
PART A:
1) Computer floppy disks are highly reliable data storage systems
Answer:
False
2) CDRS are very easy to carry as there are available for them.
Answer:
False
3) The problem of floppy disks and CDRS was by the recovery at the zip device.
Answer:
False
4) Thump drives sells like hot ekes.
Answer:
True
5) Computer Greeks love thumps drive.
Answer:
True
25
6) Designing a toy car is good way to teach children the principle of manufacturing
and mechanical engineering.
Answer:
True
7) Student designed the models by using class models.
Answer:
False
8) The high school students used computer design software to shape of the car.
Answer:
True
PART- B
1. What is meant by ‘strained natural resources ‘of the earth?
1. The earth is under strain
2. The earth is resources are over exploited
3. The people on the earth are under strain
4. The magnetism at the earth is under strain.
Answer:
2. The earth is resources are over exploited
2. While protecting the natural environment for future generations it is important to keep
which of these is maid
1. Balance in nature
2. Justification is using expensive methods
3. Environmental cultural and economic concern
4. Long term effect at such exercises
Answer:
3. Environmental cultural and economic concern
26
3. The project started by
1. Creating you model that predicts river flows.
2. Creating a new river valleys
3. Creating new technologies
4. Creating new model for the preservation of nature
Answer:
4. Creating new model for the preservation of nature
27
EXERCISE NO: 5
Listen to the passage and type the correct word in the blanks:-
(a)Part:-gap filling
John logic braid (1888-1946) was a Scottish inverter and engineer who was a
pioneer with development of mechanical. In 1924 television, Baird televised objects in
outline. In 1925, he televised, human faces. In 1926, Baird was the person to television.
Pictures object for motion. In 1930, Baird made the first Public broadcast of away of
2100 tiny cinema Bulbs. Baird the developed color television is 1928 and a stereo
television is 1946. Baird’s mechanical television was unsupported by electronic
television on which he had also worked on.
Part: - A:
1. An exercise regime is very important but quitting it has great consequences
Answer:
TRUE
2. Quitting an exercise regime all though one’s life is important to remain
Answer:
TRUE
3. One of the reading causes of obesity is stopping exercise or running
Answer:
FALSE
4. The reality check is climate change is not the biggest threat to human life
Answer:
TRUE
5. Global warning despite worst case scenarios is not going to human life on the
earth
Answer:
TRUE.
28
Part- B: Multiple choice
1. What is the meaning of “IP v4 exhaustion?
a. It means that numbers are getting exhausted
b. Number identifiers for each device are getting over
c. Number that wake device visible on the internet
d. Supporting system that helps operate a device
Answer:
b. Number identifiers for each device are getting over
2. New customers can get address from,
a. The new service
b. The internet provider
c. Website provider
d. Both ip4 and ip6
Answer:
d. Both ip4 and ip6
3. What did Comcast’s experiment prove?
a. Customers require new rotors
b. Have to deal with some is in computers
c. Have to install new equipment at the service
d. Both a and b are correct
Answer:
d. Both a and b are correct
4. What is the fact is favor of the internet service providers?
a. Its uniqueness
b. Its speed
c. Time available
d. Its vestures
Answer:
c. Time available
29
COMMON ERRORS
IN ENGLISH
30
COMMON ERRORS IN ENGLISH
1. I have visited Niagara Falls last weekend.
Answer:
I visited Niagara Falls last weekend.
2. The woman which works here is from Japan.
Answer:
The woman who works here is from Japan.
3. She’s married with a dentist.
Answer:
She’s married to a dentist.
4. She was boring in the class.
Answer:
She was bored in the class.
5. I must to call him immediately.
Answer:
I must call him immediately.
6. Every students like the teacher.
Answer:
Every student likes the teacher.
7. Although it was raining, but we had the picnic.
Answer:
Although it was raining, we had the picnic.
8. I enjoyed from the movie.
Answer:
I enjoyed the movie.
9. I look forward to meet you.
Answer:
I look forward to meeting you.
31
10. I like very much ice cream.
Answer:
I like ice cream very much.
11. She can to drive.
Answer:
She can drive.
12. Where I can find a bank?
Answer:
Where can I find a bank?
13. I live in United States.
Answer:
I live in the United States.
14. When I will arrive, I will call you.
Answer:
When I arrive, I will call you.
15. I’ve been here since three months.
Answer:
I’ve been here for three months.
16. My boyfriend has got a new work.
Answer:
My boyfriend has got a new job. (or just "has a new job")
17. She doesn’t listen me.
Answer:
She doesn’t listen to me.
18. Wrong you speak English good.
Answer:
You speak English well.
32
19. The police is coming.
Answer:
The police are coming.
20. The house isn’t enough big.
Answer:
The house isn’t big enough.
21. You should not to smoke.
Answer:
You should not smoke.
22. Do you like a glass of wine?
Answer:
Would you like a glass of wine?
23. There is seven girls in the class.
Answer:
There are seven girls in the class.
24. I didn’t meet nobody.
Answer:
I didn’t meet anybody.
25. My flight departs in 5:00 am.
Answer:
My flight departs at 5:00 am.
26. I promise I call you next week.
Answer:
I promise I’ll call you next week.
27. Where is post office?
Answer:
Where is the post office?
33
28. Please explain me how improve my English.
Answer:
Please explain to me how to improve my English.
29. We studied during four hours.
Answer:
We studied for four hours.
30. Is ready my passport?
Answer:
Is my passport ready?
31. You cannot buy all what you like!
Answer:
You cannot buy all that you like!
32. She is success.
Answer:
She is successful.
33. My mother wanted that I be doctor.
Answer:
My mother wanted me to be a doctor.
34. The life is hard!
Answer:
Life is hard.
35. How many childrens you have?
Answer:
How many children do you have?
36. My brother has 10 years.
Answer:
My brother is 10 (years old).
34
37. I want eat now.
Answer:
I want to eat now.
38. You are very nice, as your mother.
Answer:
You are very nice, like your mother.
39. She said me that she liked you.
Answer:
She told me that she liked you.
40. My husband engineer.
Answer:
My husband is an engineer.
41. I came Australia to study English.
Answer:
I came to Australia to study English.
42. It is more hot now.
Answer:
It’s hotter now.
43. You can give me an information?
Answer:
Can you give me some information?
44. They cooked the dinner themself.
Answer:
They cooked the dinner themselves.
45. Me and Johnny live here.
Answer:
Johnny and I live here.
35
46. I closed very quietly the door.
Answer:
I closed the door very quietly.
47. You like dance with me?
Answer:
Would you like to dance with me?
48. I go always to school by subway.
Answer:
I always go to school by subway.
49. If I will be in London, I will contact to you.
Answer:
If I am in London, I will contact you.
50. We drive usually to home
Answer:
We usually drive home.
36
SENTENCE
COMPLETION
37
SENTENCE COMPLETION
1. She hadn’t eaten all day, and by the time she got home she was ______.
a. blighted
b. confutative
c. ravenous
d. ostentatious
e. blissful
Answer:
c. Ravenous
2. The movie offended many of the parents of its younger viewers by including
unnecessary ______ in the dialogue.
a. vulgarity
b. verbosity
c. vocalizations
d. garishness
e. tonality
Answer:
a. Vulgarity
3. His neighbors found his ______ manner bossy and irritating, and they stopped
inviting him to backyard barbeques.
a. insentient
b. magisterial
c. reparatory
d. restorative
e. modest
Answer:
b. Magisterial
38
4. Steven is always ______ about showing up for work because he feels that tardiness
is a sign of irresponsibility.
a. legible
b. tolerable
c. punctual
d. literal
e. belligerent
Answer:
c. Punctual
5. Candace would ______ her little sister into an argument by teasing her and calling
her names.
a. advocate
b. provoke
c. perforate
d. lamente
e. expunge
Answer:
b. To provoke
6. The dress Ariel wore ______ with small, glassy beads, creating a shimmering effect.
a. titillated
b. reiterated
c. scintillated
d. enthralled
e. striated
Answer:
c. To scintillate
7. Being able to afford this luxury car will ______ getting a better paying job.
a. maximize
b. recombinant
c. reiterate
d. necessitate
Answer:
d. To necessitate
39
8. Levina unknowingly ______ the thief by holding open the elevator doors and ensuring
his escape.
a. coerced
b. proclaimed
c. abetted
d. sanctioned
e. solicited
Answer:
c. To abet
9. Shakespeare, a(n) ______ writer, entertained audiences by writing many tragic and
comic plays.
a. numeric
b. obstinate
c. dutiful
d. prolific
e. generic
Answer:
d. Prolific
10. I had the ______ experience of sitting next to an over-talkative passenger on my
flight home from Brussels.
a. satisfactory
b. commendable
c. galling
d. acceptable
e. acute
Answer:
c. Galling
40
11. Prince Phillip had to choose: marry the woman he loved and ______ his right to the
throne, or marry Lady Fiona and inherit the crown.
a. reprimand
b. upbraid
c. abdicate
d. winnow
e. extol
Answer:
c. To abdicate.
12. If you will not do your work of your own ______, I have no choice but to penalize
you if it is not done on time.
a. predilection
b. coercion
c. excursion
d. volition
e. infusion
Answer:
d. Volition
13. After sitting in the sink for several days, the dirty, food-encrusted dishes became
__________________.
a. malodorous
b. prevalent
c. imposing
d. perforated
Answer:
a. Malodorous
14. Giulia soon discovered the source of the ______ smell in the room a week-old tuna
sandwich that one of the children had hidden in the closet.
a. quaint
b. fastidious
c. clandestine
d. fetid
Answer:
e. Fetid
41
15. After making ______ remarks to the President, the reporter was not invited to
return to the White House pressroom.
a. hospitable
b. itinerant
c. enterprising
d. chivalrous
e. irreverent
Answer:
e. Irreverent
16. With her ______ eyesight, Krystyna spotted a trio of deer on the hill side and she
reduced the speed of her car.
a. inferior
b. keen
c. impressionable
d. ductile
e. conspiratorial
Answer:
b. Keen
17. With a(n) ______ grin, the boy quickly slipped the candy into his pocket without his
mother’s knowledge.
a. jaundiced
b. nefarious
c. stereotypical
d. sentimental
e. impartial
Answer:
b. Nefarious
18. Her ______ display of tears at work did not impress her new boss, who felt she
should try to control her emotions.
a. maudlin
b. meritorious
c. precarious
42
d. plausible
e. schematic
Answer:
a. Maudlin
19. Johan argued, “If you know about a crime but don’t report it, you are ______ in that
crime because you allowed it to happen.”
a. acquitted
b. steadfast
c. tenuous
d. complicit
e. nullified
Answer:
d. Complicit
20. The authorities, fearing a ______ of their power, called for a military state in the
hopes of restoring order.
a. subversion
b. premonition
c. predilection
d. infusion
e. inversion
Answer:
a. Subversion
21. The story’s bitter antagonist felt such great ______ for all of the other characters
that as a result, his life was very lonely and he died alone.
a. insurgence
b. malevolence
c. reciprocation
d. declamation
e. preference
Answer:
b. Malevolence
43
22. It is difficult to believe that charging 20% on an outstanding credit card balance isn’t
____________!
a. bankruptcy
b. usury
c. novice
d. kleptomania
e. flagrancy
Answer:
b. Usury
23. The ______ weather patterns of the tropical island meant tourists had to carry both
umbrellas and sunglasses.
a. impertinent
b. supplicant
c. preeminent
d. illustrative
e. kaleidoscopic
Answer:
e. Kaleidoscopic
24. Wedding ceremonies often include the exchange of ______ rings to symbolize the
couple’s promises to each other.
a. hirsute
b. acrimonious
c. plaintive
d. deciduous
Answer:
e. Votive
25. Kym was ______ in choosing her friends, so her parties were attended by vastly
different and sometimes bizarre personalities.
a. indispensable
b. indiscriminate
c. commensurate
d. propulsive
Answer:
b. Indiscriminate
44
26. Phillip’s ______ tone endeared him to his comical friends, but irritated his serious
father.
a. aloof
b. jesting
c. grave
d. earnest
Answer:
b. Jesting
27. Brian’s pale Irish skin was ______ to burn if he spent too much time in the sun.
a. prone
b. urbane
c. eminent
d. erect
Answer:
a. Prone
28. A fan of historical fiction, Joline is now reading a novel about slavery in the ______
south.
a. decorous
b. rogue
c. droll
d. antebellum
Answer:
d. Antebellum
29. Over the years the Wilsons slowly ______ upon the Jacksons’ property, moving the
stone markers that divided their lots farther and farther onto the Jacksons’ land.
a. encroached
b. jettisoned
c. conjoined
d. repudiated
Answer:
a. To encroach
45
30. Mary became ______ at typing because she practiced every day for six months.
a. proficient
b. reflective
c. dormant
d. redundant
e. valiant
Answer:
a. Proficient
31. To find out what her husband bought for her birthday, Susan attempted to ______
his family members about his recent shopping excursions.
a. prescribe
b. probe
c. alienate
d. converge
Answer:
b. To probe
32. Juan’s friends found him in a ______ mood after he learned he
would be homecoming king.
a. jovial
b. stealthy
c. paltry
d. gullible.
Answer:
a. Jovial
33. His suit of armor made the knight ______ to his enemy’s attack, and he was able to
escape safely to his castle.
a. vulnerable
b. churlish
c. invulnerable
d. static
Answer:
c. Invulnerable
46
34. Choosing a small, fuel-efficient car is a ______ purchase for a recent college
graduate.
a. corrupt
b. tedious
c. unhallowed
d. sardonic
Answer:
e. Judicious
35. Such a ______ violation of school policy should be punished by nothing less than
expulsion.
a. copious
b. flagrant
c. raucous
d. nominal
Answer:
b. Flagrant
36. With all of the recent negative events in her life, she felt ______ forces must be at
work.
a. resurgent
b. premature
c. malignant
d. punctilious
Answer:
c. Malignant
37. The ______ rumors did a great deal of damage even though they turned out to be
false.
a. bemused
b. prosaic
c. apocryphal
d. ebullient
Answer:
c. Apocryphal
47
38. When her schoolwork got to be too much, Pam had a tendency to
______, which always put her further behind.
a. dedicate
b. rejuvenate
c. ponder
d. excel
e. procrastinate
Answer:
e. To procrastinate
39. Racha’s glance was a ______ invitation to speak later in private about events of the
meeting.
a. trecherous
b. scintillating
c. tactful
d. tacit
Answer:
c. Tacit
40. She reached the ______ of her career with her fourth novel, which won the Pulitzer
Prize.
a. harbinger
b. apogee
c. metamorphosis
d. dictum
Answer:
b. Apogee
41. The ______ townspeople celebrated the soldier’s return to his home by adorning
trees with yellow ribbons and balloons.
a. somber
b. jubilant
c. pitiless
d. cunning
Answer:
b. Jubilant
48
42. The governor-elect was hounded by a group of ______ lobbyists and others hoping
to gain favor with her administration.
a. facetious
b. abstruse
c. magnanimous
d. fawning
Answer:
d. Fawning
43. The mock graduation ceremony—with a trained skunk posing as the college
president—was a complete ______ that offended many college officials.
a. tempest
b. epitome
c. quintessence
d. travesty
Answer:
d. Travesty
44. The busy, ______ fabric of the clown’s tie matched his oversized jacket, which was
equally atrocious.
a. mottled
b. bleak
c. credible
d. malleable
Answer:
a. Mottled
45. Kendrick’s talent ______ under the tutelage of Anya Kowalonek, who as a young
woman had been the most accomplished pianist in her native Lithuania.
a. bantered
b. touted
c. flourished
d. embellished
Answer:
c. To flourish
49
46. The children were ______ by the seemingly nonsensical clues until Kinan pointed
out that the messages were in code.
a. censured
b. striated
c. feigned
d. prevaricated
Answer:
e. To flummox
47. As the ______ in Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is a hero able to capture the audience’s
sympathy by continually professing his love for Juliet.
a. protagonist
b. enigma
c. facade
d. activist
Answer:
a. A protagonist
48. The chess master promised to ______ havoc upon his opponent’s pawns for taking
his bishop.
a. wreak
b. warrant
c. ensue
d. placate
Answer:
a. To wreak
49. I have always admired Seymour’s ______; I’ve never seen him rattled by anything.
a. aplomb
b. confluence
c. propriety
d. compunction
Answer:
a. Aplomb
50
50. The soldiers received a military ______ to inspect all their vehicles before traveling.
a. allotment
b. dominion
c. affectation
d. calculation
e. mandate
Answer:
e. Mandate
51
ERROR
IDENTIFICATION
52
ERROR IDENTIFICATION
1. He's rather tired now. The children wore out with all their questions.
Answer:
He is rather tired now. The children wore him out with all their
questions.
2. First, he come out in spots, and then he became very hot and feverish.
Answer:
First, he came out in spots, and then he became very hot and
feverish.
3. I'm not surprised he passed out it after drinking all that beer.
Answer:
I'm not surprised he passed out after drinking all that beer.
4. I took two weeks of in July.
Answer:
I took two weeks off in July.
5. We all came down in flu over Christmas.
Answer:
We all came down with flu over Christmas.
6. If I don't pull it through, will you take care of the children?
Answer:
If I don't pull through, will you take care of the children?
7. He's like a dictator. I am apparently just here to carry up his orders.
Answer:
He's like a dictator. I am apparently just here to carry out his
orders.
8. He laid up for three weeks with a badly broken foot last month.
Answer:
He was laid up for three weeks with a badly broken foot last month.
53
9. I went to the theatre where the play was better than in any other theatre.
Answer:
I went to the theatre where the play was better than that in any
other theatre.
10. In the list of errors here was a misrelated participle and a faulty use of tenses.
Answer:
In the list of errors here were a misrelated participle and a faulty use
of tenses.
11. She is one of those people who takes it to heart.
Answer:
She is one of those people who take it to heart.
12. The lecture, interesting and which was forcefully delivered, ended in applause.
Answer:
The lecture which was interesting and which was forcefully
delivered, ended in applause.
13. Referring to your letter of the 9th, the books have already been dispatched.
Answer:
Referring to your letter of the 9th, I wish to inform you that the
books have already been dispatched.
14. She is definitely as capable, if not more capable than her sister.
Answer:
She is definitely as capable of, if not more capable than her sister.
15. No one, including Jane and I, has a greater right than she to be chosen monitor of the
class
Answer:
No one, including Jane and me, has a a greater right than she to be
chosen monitor of the class.
54
16. The majority of the members of the class is in favor of an excursion.
Answer:
The majority of the members of the class are in favor of an
excursion.
17. He is one of the top students who has been selected for the debate.
Answer:
He is one of the top students who have been selected for the debate.
18. The number of grammatical errors marked in his two essays are too many.
Answer:
The number of grammatical errors marked in his two essays is too
many.
19. Although he had been preparing for the championship, still he had not peaked when
the championship started.
Answer:
Although he had been preparing for the championship, yet he had
not peaked when the championship started.
20. A large number of people is coming for the party.
Answer:
A large number of people are coming for the party.
21. The steps which the school can and are adopting are listed in this letter.
Answer:
The steps which the school can adopt and are adopting are listed in
this letter.
22. We are told that Mr. Tan is to retire, which will be a great loss to the school.
Answer:
We are told of Mr. Tan's retirement which will be a great loss to the
school.
23. Finally, at the end of the meeting, a decision was arrived at.
Answer:
At the end of the meeting, a decision was arrived at.
55
24. The difficulty of making the new arrangements and preparing the report were great.
Answer:
The difficulty of making the new arrangements and preparing the
report was great.
25. My dislike for a helmet made me sell my motor-cycle.
Answer:
My dislike of a helmet made me sell my motor-cycle.
26. Several important new discoveries have been made.
Answer:
Several important discoveries have been made.
27. In my opinion, I consider nobody is more competent than him.
Answer:
In my opinion, I consider nobody is more competent than he.
28. Generally speaking, these mistakes occur often.
Answer:
Generally speaking, we find that these mistakes occur often.
29. I agree that you are as strong as I am, but my skills are better than you.
Answer:
I agree that you are as strong as I am, but my skills are better yours.
30. Due to popular demand, tiger oil is now sold in big cans.
Answer:
Owing to popular demand, tiger oil is now sold in big cans.
31. Of the hundreds of applicants less than twenty were short-listed.
Answer:
Of the hundreds of applicants fewer than twenty were short-listed.
32. If you want to succeed you should do like I do.
Answer:
If you want to succeed you should do as I do.
56
33. This exercise is good and which is easy is recommended.
Answer:
This exercise which is good and which is easy is recommended.
34. The number of people who attended the two meetings were small.
Answer:
The number of people who attended the two meetings was small.
35. He is as clever, if not cleverer than his brother.
Answer:
He is as clever as, if not cleverer than his brother.
36. Realizing how richly he deserved to win, my feelings of jealousy turned into
feelings of admiration.
Answer:
Realizing how richly he deserved to win, I discovered that my
feelings of jealousy turned into feelings of admiration.
37. The teacher had the book on his table which I had borrowed from the library.
Answer:
The teacher had on his table the book which I had borrowed from
the library.
38. If he was my brother I would never allow him to read that book.
Answer:
If he were my brother I would never allow him to read that book.
39. I read books and sometimes did some homeworks.
Answer:
I read books and sometimes did some homework.
40. He tried to please her by all possible mean.
Answer:
He tried to please her by all possible means.
57
41. No sooner he heard the news than he wept aloud.
Answer:
No sooner had he heard the news than he wept aloud.
42. He took medicine because he might get well soon.
Answer:
He took medicine so that he might get well soon.
43. He was scolded as well as beaten.
Answer:
He was beaten as well as scolded.
44. I rely on you doing this.
Answer:
I rely on your doing this.
45. I insisted to have my allowance paid now.
Answer:
I insisted on having my allowance paid now.
46. Her father prevented her to go out.
Answer:
Her father prevented her from going out.
47. The sky isn't cloudy, is it? Yes, it isn't.
Answer:
The sky isn't cloudy, is it? No, it isn't.
48. He was not only convicted but also accused.
Answer:
He was not only accused but also convicted.
49. Don't go in the sun.
Answer:
Don't go out in the sun.
58
50. He does not know to swim.
Answer:
He does not know how to swim.
59
CAREER
LAB
60
JOB APPLICATION
LETTER
61
JOB APPLICATION LETTER
10th March, 2014
Panruti.
From
B.S.Akshathaa,
6, Building society road no: 1,
Rasipuram,
Namakkal (DT) – 637408.
To
The Manager,
ABC Pvt. Ltd,
Ennore,
Chennai-57.
Respected Sir,
Subject: Application for the post of Assistant Manager - reg.
As I came to know about the vacancy of the Assistant Manager post in your
esteemed company from an advertisement in The Hindu newspaper dated 9th March, 2014.
I wish to apply for the above mentioned post.
I am a B.E graduate studied in University College of Engineering, Panruti. I have
an experience in marketing as I worked in network marketing company as a part time for
1 year.
I enclosed my resume with this letter. If you give me an opportunity to work in your
company, I will do my level best to get your entire satisfaction.
Thank You,
Yours faithfully,
B.S.Akshathaa.
62
RESUME
B.S.AKSHATHAA
6, building society road no: 1 E-mail: [email protected]
Rasipuram, Phone: +91 952-469-4893
Namakkal. Pin code: 637408
Tamilnadu.
India.
Objective:
Seeking a position where I can utilize my knowledge, abilities and Personal skills
while being resourceful, innovative and flexible that offers professional growth along with
the organization.
Educational Qualification:
BE in Computer science and engineering from University College of Engineering,
Panruti in 2010
HSC Passed in First Class [98%] from Sri Vidya Mandir Higher Secondary School,
Rasipuram in 2006.
SSLC Passed in First Class [98%] from Sri Vidya Mandir Higher Secondary School,
Rasipuram in 2004.
Experience:
I worked in network marketing company as a part time for 1 year.
Two years’ experience in a software company as a web designer.
Technical Skills:
Languages: C & C++, Java
Design: Basics of Adobe Photoshop,MS-Office
Area of Interest
Data structure
Operating system
Computer architecture
Projects:
63
Final year project in image processing.
Strengths:
A sincere hard worker.
Able to communicate and cope up with team.
Team building and Team bonding.
Able to organize and integrate individual efforts into a team work.
Implant Training:
Undergone an IMPLANT TRAINING in Cuddalore BSNL office.
Workshop:
Participated in workshop on MOZILLA at VIT University, Vellore
Participated in HADOOP workshop conducted by GOOGLE at MIT University,
Chennai
Academic Achievements:
Got 100% attendance score throughout the completion of degree.
Got state rank in final year.
Personal Profile:
Name: Akshathaa.B.S
Date of Birth: 11.11.1993
Father’s Name: Balaji.S.K
Sex: Female
Marital Status: Single
Languages Known: English, Tamil and Telugu.
Nationality: Indian.
Permanent Address: 6, building society road no: 1, Rasipuram, Namakkal (DT).
Declaration:
I consider myself familiar with Computer Engineering Aspects. I am also confident
of my ability to work in a team.
I hereby declare that the information furnished above is true to the best of my
knowledge.
64
Date: 10.3.2014 Yours faithfully,
Place: Panruti
(Akshathaa.B.S)
65
RESUME
66
RESUME
B.S.AKSHATHAA
6, building society road no: 1 E-mail: [email protected]
Rasipuram, Phone: +91 952-469-4893
Namakkal. Pin code: 637408
Tamilnadu.
India.
Objective:
Seeking a position where I can utilize my knowledge, abilities and Personal skills
while being resourceful, innovative and flexible that offers professional growth along with
the organization.
Educational Qualification:
BE in Computer science and engineering from University College of Engineering,
Panruti in 2010
HSC Passed in First Class [98%] from Sri Vidya Mandir Higher Secondary School,
Rasipuram in 2006.
SSLC Passed in First Class [98%] from Sri Vidya Mandir Higher Secondary School,
Rasipuram in 2004.
Experience:
I worked in network marketing company as a part time for 1 year.
Two years’ experience in a software company as a web designer.
Technical Skills:
Languages: C & C++, Java
Design: Basics of Adobe Photoshop,MS-Office
Area of Interest
Data structure
Operating system
Computer architecture
67
Projects:
Final year project in image processing.
Strengths:
A sincere hard worker.
Able to communicate and cope up with team.
Team building and Team bonding.
Able to organize and integrate individual efforts into a team work.
Implant Training:
Undergone an IMPLANT TRAINING in Cuddalore BSNL office.
Workshop:
Participated in workshop on MOZILLA at VIT University, Vellore
Participated in HADOOP workshop conducted by GOOGLE at MIT University,
Chennai
Academic Achievements:
Got 100% attendance score throughout the completion of degree.
Got state rank in final year.
Personal Profile:
Name: Akshathaa.B.S
Date of Birth: 11.11.1993
Father’s Name: Balaji.S.K
Sex: Female
Marital Status: Single
Languages Known: English, Tamil and Telugu.
Nationality: Indian.
Permanent Address: 6, building society road no: 1, Rasipuram, Namakkal (DT).
Declaration:
I consider myself familiar with Computer Engineering Aspects. I am also confident
of my ability to work in a team.
I hereby declare that the information furnished above is true to the best of my
knowledge.
68
Date: 10.3.2014 Yours faithfully,
Place: Panruti
(Akshathaa.B.S)
69
PRESENTATION
SKILLS
70
PRESENTATION SKILLS
Ideas, concepts or issues talked about or spoken to a group or audience. Public
speaking is one of the most feared things “I could make such a fool of myself”.
Essential Elements of a Presentation
The following elements should be included in every presentation:
Introducing Yourself:
This is your first opportunity to engage and connect with your audience. Get
personal and share your own story. Who are you? Why are you there? What will you be
doing during your time with them? Likewise, find out about your audience. What are their
names? Interests? Backgrounds? In this way, you can all learn what inspiration and
curiosity you share.
Inspiration and Involvement:
Learners get more involved when they move outside preconceptions and open up to
new ways of thinking.
Build your audience’s engagement by exploring why your topic is important. Ask leading
questions that help the group express what they care about as individuals. Why is this
important to you? Have you ever wondered…?
Connect your topic to your learners’ interests, community, school, or current events.
Connect these interests to your overall presentation goals.
Background Your Audience Needs:
Each group has their own journey to make in order to learn what you want to teach.
The information you present, as well as your presenting style, will depend on the specific
group you’re addressing.
71
If you can, find out about your group in advance: grade-level, science background,
etc. Use your knowledge of audience and your teaching goals to determine what
information or vocabulary the audience needs to learn.
Introduce important new words and ideas in ways that respect the learners’ needs:
Use pictures or objects to share ideas.
Ask learners to define words for you.
Write definitions for the group as you go.
Learning Experiences:
You’re setting the stage for your audience to do its own learning. It’s important to
let each learner make discoveries in a hands-on way, because this makes the information
you’re providing their own. The key steps to keep in mind are:
Provide context for activities with related demonstrations, assisted use of tools, and
clear instructions.
Provide materials, tools, and instructions that allow each learner to have a personal,
hands-on experience.
Let learners do their own thinking — in large or small groups or as individuals.
Help them draw conclusions from what they experience.
Provide ways for learners to document and share their conclusions.
Wrap up and Closing:
Are there things that you would like to say to wrap up the concepts presented and
to say good-bye to the students?
Directions for clean-up of materials, if necessary
Conduct a “What did you learn?” discussion
Suggest ways they can find out more on their own.
72
Support for Follow Through:
Support your audience! Build their confidence by providing them with appropriate
tools, materials, and references that they can use independently. Are you going to be an
ongoing contact, or will you be leaving handouts, additional activities, or further
references? You want your group to continue their learning after you’ve gone — come
prepared with information about how they can do it on their own.
Presenter
Makes good eye contact - hold eye contact for 3 - 5 seconds
Movement is deliberate and purposeful
Gestures are natural
Talks to the audience (not ceiling, floor, flip chart, or slides)
Nothing in hands
Excitement about your story/message/vision
Passion
Verbal clutter (um, ah, ya’ know) at a minimum
Proper pronunciation and grammar
Relates to audience
Demonstrates confidence
Uses stories and humor appropriately
Dress for success (as a presenter)
Prepared – practice, practice, practice
Presentation:
Clear, concise message
Organized logically
Enthusiastic
Relevant to the audience
Conduct a dry run
73
Information up to date
Includes resources
Correct spelling
Neat and consistent material
Slides - consistent, concise, color
Body Language
More than half of your impact as a speaker depends upon your body Language.
Body language comprises gesture, stance, and facial expression.
Gesture:
Do use your hands. They don't belong on your hips or in your pockets or folded
across your chest either or held behind your back. Use them-to help emphasize a point, to
express emotion, to release tension, and to engage your audience.
Stance:
How you stand in front of the room speaks before open your mouth. Your stance
can tell the audience that you're happy, scared, confident, or uncomfortable. Audiences
"read" these messages unthinkingly but unfailingly. Stance speaks. A balanced stance with
weight even but slightly forward tends to say that the speaker is engaged with the audience.
A slumped stance leaning to one side can says the speaker doesn't care.
The feet should point straight ahead, not quite shoulder-width apart. When not
gesturing, the hands should sit quietly at the sides of the presenter. Letting the hands fall
to the sides between gestures projects ease. These moments of stillness between gestures
also have the effect of amplifying the gestures. Yes, you can move around, but remember
to punctuate that movement with stillness. Constant motion, such as swaying, is a
distraction that can annoy your listeners.
74
Facial expression:
The movements of your eyes, mouth, and facial muscles can build a connection with
your audience. Alternatively, they can undermine your every word. Eye focus is the most
important element in this process. No part of your facial expression is more important in
communicating sincerity and credibility. Nothing else so directly connects you to your
listeners-whether in a small gathering or a large group.
The other elements of facial expression can convey the feelings of the presenter,
anything from passion for the subject, to depth of concern for the audience. Unfortunately,
under the pressure of delivering a group presentation, many people lose their facial
expression. Their faces solidify into a grim, stone statue, a thin straight line where the lips
meet. Try to unfreeze your face right from the start.
Bring it all together:
While we all want to believe that it's enough to be natural in front of a room, it isn't
really natural to stand up alone in front of a group of people. It's an odd and unusual thing
that creates stress, tension, and stomach troubles. Being natural won't cut it. We need to be
bigger, more expressive, and more powerful. It takes extra effort and energy. It also takes
skill and practice. With so much depending on communication and communication
depending on body language, it's worth getting it right. Work on your body language-
gesture, stance, and facial expression-to make the most of every speaking opportunity
Top Ten Mistakes Made by Presenters:
1. No presentation objectives - If you don't know what your audience should do at
the end of your presentation, there is no need for you to present. Knowing your objectives
is the key to developing an effective presentation.
75
2. Poor visual aids - Visual aids are designed to reinforce the main points of your
presentation. Without effective visuals, you are missing a key opportunity to communicate
with your audience
.
3. Ineffective close - Closing your presentation is extremely important. It is when
you tie up your presentation and spell out what you want your audience "to do". A weak
close can kill a presentation
4. Mediocre first impression - Audiences evaluate a presenter within the first two
minutes of the presentation. Presenters who make a bad first impression can lose credibility
with their audience and as a result diminish their ability to effectively communicate the
information in the presentation.
5. No preparation - The best presenters prepare for every presentation. Those who
prepare and practice are more successful in presenting their information and anticipating
audience reaction. Practices does make perfect!
6. Lack of enthusiasm - If you aren't excited about the presentation, why should
your audience be? Enthusiastic presenters are the most effective ones around!
7. Weak eye contact - As a presenter, you are trying to effectively communicate
with your audience to get your message across. If you don't make eye contact with the
members in your audience, they will not take you or your message seriously.
8. Ignoring audience reaction - Look at your audience and read how they are
receiving the information you are providing. Be prepared to adjust your presentation to
bring them into the process if needed.
9. Lack of facial expressions - Don't be a zombie. Effective speakers use facial
expressions to help reinforce their messages.
10. Sticky floor syndrome - There is nothing worse than a speaker who is glued to
the floor. Be natural and don't stay in one place.
76
Handling Questions
Presentations often create opportunities to answer specific questions from the
audience. Here are some tips for answering questions successfully:
Prepare
Think about the questions that might come up
-Prepare the answers before the presentation
-Build the answers into the presentation
Control the situation:
You decide when questions are appropriate and let your audience know.
If you want questions after the presentation
“There will be an opportunity to ask questions at the end of the
presentation”.
“Please hold your questions until the end of the presentation”
“We won’t have time during the presentation for questions but I’ll be around
after to answer any questions you have”
If you’ll accept questions during the presentation
“Feel free to ask questions during the presentation.”
“I will be covering that information later in the presentation if you wouldn’t
mind holding your question until then.”
Understand and clarify:
If you aren’t sure what the question is or you want some time to prepare your
answer:
“That’s an interesting question. Can you tell me a little more?”
“I’m not sure I understand what you are asking. Could you rephrase it?”
“I want to make sure I give you the best answer. Are you asking. . .?”
77
Reflecting the question:
Reflecting a question is a good technique for meetings or training situations, not
necessarily presentations
“Before I answer, I’d be interested in knowing how everyone else feels.”
“What do you think about that?”
Be concise
When you answer the question, be as brief and concise as you can but:
Answer closed-ended questions with more than just ‘yes’ or ‘no’
Using Flip Charts and/or White Boards
The flip chart and/or white board is used to:
Pre-write points when possible.
Record ideas from the audience to be used later
Illustrate an idea as you deliver your presentation
Preparation
Make sure you have plenty of paper on your flip chart tablet (you don’t want to run
out half way through a presentation.
Check the markers – use markers specifically made for flip charts or white boards
(invest in your own set of each)
Identify wall space where you might hang flip chart pages you need to display.
Bring wall tape for flip chart paper (if you plan to hang it up)
Pre-written information
Spend time – make it neat
Vary colors with purpose (colors help retention)
78
Write notes you might want to remember in pencil on the flip chart (you can see
them, the audience cannot
Leave a blank page between each pre-written flip chart page
Color
Use the same color on each line.
Avoid harsh (unless making a point) or light colors (red is harsh, yellow is too light).
Vary colors with purpose (changing points, different category, headings, etc.)
During Presentation
Continue to talk while drawing/writing
Write in large, printed text – make it readable from anywhere in the room
If recording audience response, abbreviate - don’t try to write word-for-word
Position flip chart before the presentation so the audience can see even while you
are writing
Stand to the side of the flip chart or portable white board and write across it.
Avoid turning your back to the audience
Use caution when using a white board – clothing might inadvertently move through
the ink
Using Slides
Your slide show is there to support your presentation. Here are some general tips:
Putting too much on slides detracts the audience from your words
Audiences like consistency – repeated company logo, titles in same place, fonts,
backgrounds, and colors (use the AECOM presentation template!)
The audience will associate your slides with you; if they feel uncomfortable with
the slides, they might feel uncomfortable with your presentation
Punctuation
Capitalize appropriately and consistently
AVOID USING ALL CAPITAL LETTERS FOR TEXT
Most slides do not require punctuation since they are written as bullet point.
79
Use punctuation in paragraphs and quotations
Bulleted Points and Numbered Steps
Numbers indicate order (usually of importance or consequence).
If you do not want to imply order, use bullets
White Space
Well-designed slides provide enough white space* so the slide is properly “framed”.
Five-Five Rule – no more than 5 bullets (points) to a page, no more than 5 words
per bullet
Graphics and Animations
Graphics and animations should make or support a point, or bring additional value
Using Color
Studies show that the proper use of color increases retention by 66%.
Use colors appropriately to make your point.
Background colors should contrast with the lettering; dark lettering, light
background, light lettering should be on a dark background.
Consistency – your audience should know what to expect from slide to slide.
Wholesale abrupt changes create disconnections for your audience; any abrupt
changes should be done for a specific reason
While Presenting
Print a copy of your slides and make presenters notes as your guide while you are
presenting; you can print in ‘Notes view’ if you’ve included notes in PowerPoint
Become familiar with your equipment well before your presentation.
80
Know the technical portion of your slides – use animations and transitions with
purpose.
Look at audience (imitate the weatherman); this can only be done if you practice
your presentation.
Stay on track – cover points in order; don’t make the audience search.
FACTORS AFFECTING PRESENTATION
1. Communication skills
2. Audience Analysis
3. Body Movements
4. Audio-Video Aids
5. Appearance
6. Attitude
7. Language
POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARDS PRESENTATION
The confident and positive student excels in the art of presentation by overcoming
his stage fear and initial nervousness. He finds the entire process enjoyable. He holds the
line till the end and the audience find themselves immersed in the process of the
presentation. This kind of speaker emerges as an assertive communicator, who’s having
very positive attitude towards his own presentation. It helps him in making his audience
accept his presentation with open mindedness. If one fails in creating interest and
enthusiasm, the audience will turn indifferent. So what you need to do is:
CREATE INTEREST AND ENTHUSIASM
YOU ARE THE EXPERT
Verbal Content, Voice Modulation and Body Language
Because they determine the effectiveness of your presentation as:
VERBAL CONTENT: 7%
81
VOICE MODULATION: 38%
BODY LANGUAGE: 55%
These factors combined together enhance the overall effect of your presentation.
The speaker will have to take these things in mind before going for any presentation.
SEVEN STEPS TO A SUCCESSFUL PRESENTATION
1. Decide upon the objective
2. Manner of Presentation
3. Mode of Presentation
4. Preparation of script
5. Preparation of visual Aids, Handouts and feedback forms.
6. Rehearse
7. The presentation.
PRINCIPLES OF ORAL PRESENTATION
I. Objectivity
II. Clarity
III. Brevity
IV. Simplicity
V. Persuasion
VI. Language
VII. Body Language
VIII. Practice
IX. Rapport / Harmony
X. Adaptability - audience analysis
XI. Personal Appearance
XII. Logical order
When you are in the process of presenting the matter to the audience you need to be
extremely careful about the introduction and the conclusion of the presentation. When you
commence/begin, keep one thing in mind: capture the attention of audience right at the start
82
by making the opening spell-bound/powerful. If you miss at the beginning, you will not be
able to regain your as well as their confidence in the presentation.
The conclusion of a presentation is equally important while you were able to secure
their attention because of your impressive introduction or opening, you have to leave them
with a feeling that the entire presentation was complete and of a great significance.
The speaker should keep in mind the fact that the conclusion or the grand finale is
his show. The presenter should keep in mind the time factor. The last 10-15 min. should be
reserved for summary. He should know where and when to stop.
83
TECHNICAL
PRESENTATION
84
TECHNICAL PRESENTATION
DATA STRUCTURES
INTRODUCTION
Efficient data structures have been studied extensively for over thirty years,
resulting in a vast literature from which the knowledgeable programmer can extract
efficient solutions to a stunning variety of problems. Much of this literature purports to be
language-independent, but unfortunately it is language-independent only in the sense of
Henry Ford: Programmers can use any language they want, as long as it’s imperative.1
Only a small fraction of existing data structures are suitable for implementation in
functional languages, such as Standard ML or Haskell
The methodological benefits of functional languages are well known, but still the
vast majority of programs are written in imperative languages such as C. However, there
is one aspect of functional programming that no amount of cleverness on the part of the
compiler writer is likely to mitigate — the use of inferior or inappropriate data structures.
Unfortunately, the existing literature has relatively little advice to offer on this subject.
SOURCE LANGUAGE
All source code will be presented in Standard ML, extended with primitives for lazy
evaluation. However, the algorithms can all easily be translated into any other functional
language supporting both strict and lazy evaluation.
TERMINOLOGY
Any discussion of data structures is fraught with the potential for confusion, because
the term data structure has at least four distinct, but related, meanings
An abstract data type (that is, a type and a collection of functions on that type).
We will refer to this as an abstraction.
A concrete realization of an abstract data type. We will refer to this as an
implementation, but note that an implementation need not be actualized as code—a
concrete design is sufficient.
85
An instance of a data type, such as a particular list or tree. We will refer to such
an instance generically as an object or a version. However, particular data types
typically have their own nomenclature. For example, we will refer to stack or queue
objects simply as stacks or queues.
A unique identity that is invariant under updates. For example, in a stack-based
interpreter, we often speak informally about “the stack” as if there were only one
stack, rather than different versions at different times. We will refer to this identity
as a persistent identity. This issue mainly arises in the context of persistent data
structures; when we speak of different versions of the same data structure, we mean
that the different versions share a common persistent identity.
Roughly speaking, abstractions correspond to signatures in Standard ML,
implementations to structures or functions, and objects or versions to values. There
is no good analogue for persistent identities in Standard ML.2
The term operation is similarly overloaded, meaning both the functions supplied
by an abstract data type and applications of those functions. We reserve the term operation
for the latter meaning, and use the terms operator or function for the former...
The Banker’s Method
We adapt the banker’s method to account for accumulated debt rather than
accumulated savings by replacing credits with debits. Each debit represents a constant
amount of suspended work. When we initially suspend a given computation, we create a
number of debits proportional to its shared cost and associate each debit with a location in
the object. The choice of location for each debit depends on the nature of the computation.
If the computation is monolithic (i.e., once begun, it runs to completion), then all debits are
usually assigned to the root of the result. On the other hand, if the computation is
incremental (i.e., decomposable into fragments that may be executed independently), then
the debits may be distributed among the roots of the partial results. The amortized cost of
an operation is the unshared cost of the operation plus the number of debits discharged by
the operation. Note that the number of debits created by an operation is not included in its
amortized cost. The order in which debits should be discharged depends on how the object
will be accessed; debits on nodes likely to be accessed soon should be discharged first. To
prove an amortized bound, we must show that, whenever we access a location (possibly
triggering the execution of a suspension), all debits associated with that location have
already been discharged (and hence the suspended computation has been paid for). This
guarantees that the total number of debits discharged by a sequence of operations is an
86
upper bound on the realized shared costs of the operations. The total amortized costs are
therefore an upper bound on the total actual costs.
Debits leftover at the end of the computation correspond to unrealized shared costs,
and are irrelevant to the total actual costs. Incremental functions play an important role in
the banker’s method because they allow debits to be dispersed to different locations in a
data structure, each corresponding to a nested suspension. Then, each location can be
accessed as soon as its debits are discharged, without waiting for the debits at other
locations to be discharged. In practice, this means that the initial partial results of an
incremental computation can be paid for very quickly, and that subsequent partial results
may be paid for as they are needed. Monolithic functions, on the other hand, are much less
flexible. The programmer must anticipate when the result of an expensive monolithic
computation will be needed, and set up the computation far enough in advance to be able
to discharge all its debits by the time its result is needed.
The Physicist’s Method
Like the banker’s method, the physicist’s method can also be adapted to work with
accumulated debt rather than accumulated savings. In the traditional physicist’s method,
one describes a potential function that represents a lower bound on the accumulated
savings. To work with debt instead of savings, we replace with a function that maps each
object to a potential representing an upper bound on the accumulated debt (or at least, an
upper bound on this object’s portion of the accumulated debt). Roughly speaking, the
amortized cost of an operation is then the complete cost of the operation (i.e., the shared
and unshared costs) minus the change in potential. Recall that an easy way to calculate the
complete cost of an operation is to pretend that all computation is strict.
Any changes in the accumulated debt are reflected by changes in the potential. If an
operation does not pay any shared costs, then the change in potential is equal to its shared
cost, so the amortized cost of the operation is equal to its unshared cost. On the other hand
if an operation does pay some of its shared cost, or shared costs of previous operations,
then the change in potential is smaller than its shared cost (i.e., the accumulated debt
increases by less than the shared cost), so the amortized cost of the operation is greater than
its unshared cost. However, the change in potential may never be more than the shared
cost—the amortized cost of an operation may not be less than its unshared cost. We can
justify the physicist’s method by relating it back to the banker’s method. Recall that in the
87
banker’s method, the amortized cost of an operation was its unshared cost plus the number
of debits discharged.
In the physicist’s method, the amortized cost is the complete cost minus the change
in potential, or, in other words, the unshared cost plus the difference between the shared
cost and the change in potential. If we consider one unit of potential to be equivalent to one
debit, then the shared cost is the number of debits by which the accumulated debt could
have increased, and the change in potential is the number of debits by which the
accumulated debt did increase. The difference must have been made up by discharging
some debits. Therefore, the amortized cost in the physicist’s method can also be viewed as
the unshared cost plus the number of debits discharged. Sometimes, we wish to force a
suspension in an object when the potential of the object is not zero. In that case, we add the
object’s potential to the amortized cost. This typically happens in queries, where the cost
of forcing the suspension cannot be reflected by a change in potential because the operation
does not return a new object.
The major difference between the banker’s and physicist’s methods is that, in the
banker’s method, we are allowed to force a suspension as soon as the debits for that
suspension have been paid off, without waiting for the debits for other suspensions to be
discharged, but in the physicist’s method, we can force a shared suspension only when we
have reduced the entire accumulated debt of an object, as measured by the potential, to
zero. Since potential measures only the accumulated debt of an object as a whole and does
not distinguish between different locations, we must pessimistically assume that the entire
outstanding debt is associated with the particular suspension we wish to force. For this
reason, the physicist’s method appears to be less powerful than the banker’s method. The
physicist’s method is also weaker in other ways. For instance, it has trouble with operations
that take multiple objects as arguments or return multiple objects as results, for which it is
difficult to define exactly what “change in potential” means. However, when it applies, the
physicist’s method tends to be much simpler than the banker’s method. Since the
physicist’s method cannot take advantage of the piecemeal execution of nested
suspensions, there is no reason to prefer incremental functions to monolithic functions. In
fact, a good hint that the physicist’s method might be applicable is if all or most suspensions
are monolithic.
Eliminating Amortization
Most of the time, we do not care whether a data structure has amortized bounds or
worst-case bounds; our primary criteria for choosing one data structure over another are
88
overall efficiency and simplicity of implementation (and perhaps availability of source
code). However, in some application areas, it is important to bind the running times of
individual operations, rather than sequences of operations. In these situations, a worst-case
data structure will often be preferable to an amortized data structure, even if the amortized
data structure is simpler and faster overall. Raman [Ram92] identifies several such
application areas, including
Real-time systems: In real-time systems, predictability is more important than raw
speed. If an expensive operation causes the system to miss a hard deadline, it does not
matter how many cheap operations finished well ahead of schedule.
Parallel systems: If one processor in a synchronous system executes an expensive
operation while the other processors execute cheap operations, then the other processors
may sit idle until the slow processor finishes.
Interactive systems: Interactive systems are similar to real-time systems —users
often value consistency more than raw speed [But83]. For instance, users might prefer
1001- second response times to 99 0.25-second response times and 1 25-second response
time, even though the latter scenario is twice as fast.
Remark:
Raman also identified a fourth application area—persistent data structures.
Does this mean that amortized data structures are of no interest to programmers in these
areas? Not at all. Since amortized data structures are often simpler than worst-case data
structures, it is sometimes easier to design an amortized data structure, and then convert it
to a worst-case data structure, than to design a worst-case data structure from scratch.
Eliminating Amortization
we describe scheduling — a technique for converting many lazy amortized data
structures to worst-case data structures by systematically forcing lazy components in such
a way that no suspension ever takes very long to execute. Scheduling extends every object
with an extra component, called a schedule that regulates the order in which the lazy
components of that object are forced.
Scheduling
Amortized and worst-case data structures differ mainly in when the computations
charged to a given operation occur. In a worst-case data structure, all computations charged
89
to an operation occur during the operation. In an amortized data structure, some
computations charged to an operation may actually occur during later operations. From
this, we see that virtually all nominally worst-case data structures become amortized when
implemented in an entirely lazy language because many computations are unnecessarily
suspended. To describe true worst case data structures, we therefore need a strict language.
If we want to describe both amortized and worst-case data structures, we need a language
that supports both lazy and strict evaluation. Given such a language, we can also consider
an intriguing hybrid approach:
Worst-case data structures that use lazy evaluation internally. We will obtain such
data structures by beginning with lazy amortized data structures and modifying them in
such a way that every operation runs in the allotted time. In a lazy amortized data structure,
any specific operation might take longer than the stated bounds. However, this only occurs
when the operation forces a suspension that has been paid off, but that takes a long time to
execute. To achieve worst-case bounds, we must guarantee that every suspension executes
in less than the allotted time. Define the intrinsic cost of a suspension to be the amount of
time it takes to force the suspension under the assumption that all other suspensions on
which it depends have already been forced and memoized, and therefore each take only
O(1) time to execute. (This is similar to the definition of the unshared cost of an operation.)
The first step in converting an amortized data structure to a worst-case data structure is to
reduce the intrinsic cost of every suspension to less than the desired bounds. Usually, this
involves rewriting expensive monolithic functions as incremental functions. However, just
being incremental is not always good enough — the granularity of each incremental
function must be sufficiently fine. Typically, each fragment of an incremental function will
have an O(1) intrinsic cost.
Data-Structural Bootstrapping
The term bootstrapping refers to “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps”. This
seemingly nonsensical image is representative of a common situation in computer science:
problems whose solutions require solutions to (simpler) instances of the same problem. For
example, consider loading an operating system from disk or tape onto a bare computer.
Without an operating system, the computer cannot even read from the disk or tape! One
solution is a bootstrap loader, a very tiny, incomplete operating system whose only purpose
is to read in and pass control to a somewhat larger, more capable operating system that in
turn reads in and passes control to the actual, desired operating system. This can be viewed
as an instance of bootstrapping a complete solution from an incomplete solution.
90
Another example is bootstrapping a compiler. A common activity is to write the
compiler for a new language in the language itself. But then how do you compile that
compiler? One solution is to write a very simple, inefficient interpreter for the language in
some other, existing language. Then, using the interpreter, you can execute the compiler
on itself, thereby obtaining an efficient, compiled executable for the compiler. This can be
viewed as an instance of bootstrapping an efficient solution from an inefficient solution. In
his thesis [Buc93], Adam Buchsbaum describes two algorithmic design techniques he
collectively calls data-structural bootstrapping. The first technique, structural
decomposition, involves bootstrapping complete data structures from incomplete data
structures. The second technique, structural abstraction, involves bootstrapping efficient
data structures from inefficient data structures. In this chapter, we reexamine data-
structural bootstrapping, and describe several functional data structures based on these
techniques.
Functional Programming
Functional programming languages have historically suffered from the reputation
of being slow. Regardless of the advances in compiler technology, functional programs
will never be faster than their imperative counterparts as long as the algorithms available
to functional programmers are significantly slower than those available to imperative
programmers. This thesis provides numerous functional data structures that are
asymptotically just as efficient as the best imperative implementations. More importantly,
we also provide numerous design techniques so that functional programmers can create
their own data structures, customized to their particular needs. Our most significant
contribution to the field of functional programming, however, is the new understanding of
the relationship between amortization and lazy evaluation. In the one direction, the
techniques of amortized analysis, provide the first practical approach to estimating the
complexity of lazy programs. Previously, functional programmers often had no better
option than to pretend their lazy programs were actually strict.
In the other direction, lazy evaluation allows us to implement amortized data
structures that are efficient even when used persistently. Amortized data structures are
desirable because they are often both simpler and faster than their worst-case counterparts.
Without exception, Conclusions the amortized data structures described in this thesis are
significantly simpler than competing worst-case designs.
91
Because of the overheads of lazy evaluation, however, our amortized data structures
are not necessarily faster than their strict worst-case cousins. When used in a mostly single-
threaded fashion, our implementations are often slower than competing implementations
not based on memoization, because most of the time spent doing memoization is wasted.
However, when persistence is used heavily, memoization more than pays for itself and our
implementations fly. In a follow-up to Bird, Jones, and de Moor have recently exhibited a
problem for which a lazy solution exists that is asymptotically superior to any possible
strict solution. However, this result depends on several extremely restrictive assumptions.
Our work suggests a promising approach towards removing these restrictions. What is
required is an example of a data structure for which a lazy, amortized solution exists that
is asymptotically superior to any possible strict, worst-case solution. Unfortunately, at this
time, we know of no such data structure — for every lazy, amortized data structure we
have developed, there is a strict, worst-case data structure with equivalent bounds, albeit
one that is more complicated.
Persistent Data Structures
We have shown that memoization, in the form of lazy evaluation, can resolve the
apparent conflict between amortization and persistence. We expect to see many persistent
amortized data structures based on these ideas in the coming years. We have also reinforced
the observation that functional programming is an excellent medium for developing new
persistent data structures, even when the target language is imperative. It is trivial to
implement most functional data structures in an imperative language such as C, and such
implementations suffer few of the complications and overheads associated with other
methods for implementing persistent data structures. Furthermore, unlike these other
methods, functional programming has no problems with data structures that support
combining functions such as list catenation. It is no surprise that the best persistent
implementations of data structures such as catenable lists and catenable dequeues are all
purely functional.
Programming Language Design
Order of Evaluation Most functional programming languages support either strict
evaluation or lazy evaluation, but not both. Algorithmically, the two orders of evaluation
fulfill complementary roles — strict evaluation is useful in implementing worst-case data
structures and lazy evaluation is useful in implementing amortized data structures.
Therefore, functional programming languages that purport to be general-purpose should
92
support both. $-notation offers a lightweight syntax for integrating lazy evaluation into a
predominantly strict language. Polymorphic Recursion Data structures based on structural
decomposition obey invariants that can be precisely captured by non-uniform recursive
datatypes. Unfortunately, processing such datatypes requires polymorphic recursion,
which causes difficulties for type inference and hence is disallowed by most functional
programming languages. We can usually sidestep this restriction by rewriting the datatypes
to be uniform, but then the types fail to capture the desired invariants and the type system
will not catch bugs involving violations of those invariants.
The usefulness of higher-order, recursive modules. In languages such as Standard
ML that do not support higher-order, recursive modules, we can often sidestep this
restriction by manually in lining the desired definitions for each instance of bootstrapping.
Clearly, however, it would be cleaner, and much less error-prone, to provide a single
module-to-module transformation that performs the bootstrapping. In the case of
bootstrapped heaps, Simon Peyton Jones and Jan Nicklisch [private communication] have
recently shown how to implement the desired recursion using constructor classes. Pattern
Matching Ironically, pattern matching— one of the most popular features in functional
programming languages — is also one of the biggest obstacles to the widespread use of
efficient functional data structures. The problem is that pattern matching can only be
performed
On data structures whose representation is known, yet the basic software-
engineering principle of abstraction tells us that the representation of non-trivial data
structures should be hidden. The seductive allure of pattern matching leads many functional
programmers to abandon sophisticated data structures in favor of simple, known
representations such as lists, even when doing so causes an otherwise linear algorithm to
explode to quadratic or even exponential time.
Open Problems
We conclude by describing some of the open problems related to this thesis. What
are appropriate empirical measurements for persistent data structures? Standard
benchmarks are misleading since they do not measure how well a data structure supports
access to older versions. Unfortunately, the theory and practice of benchmarking persistent
data structures is still in its infancy.
93
For ephemeral data structures, the physicist’s method is just as powerful as the
banker’s method. However, for persistent data structures, the physicist’s method appears
to be substantially weaker. Can the physicist’s method be improved and made more widely
applicable?
The catenable dequeues are substantially more complicated than the catenable. Is
there a simpler implementation of catenable dequeues closer in spirit to that of catenable
lists?
Finally, can scheduling be applied to these implementations of catenable lists and
dequeues? In both cases, maintaining a schedule appears to take more than O(1) time.
94
NON TECHNICAL
PRESENTATION
95
NON TECHNICAL PRESENTATION
TRAVEL
One of the principal values of travelling is that, it breaks the monotony of life and
work. Life, for most people, is a mad rush from one place to another, from one activity to
another, trying to gather as much as possible.
In this process, people tend to forget, who they are and what they are. There is no
time to ponder and wonder. They tend to forget the values of life. Travelling is a time when
people relax, reflect and ponder. Most people, after a pleasant travel, return home with a
fresh outlook, new zeal and a better determination.
Travelling has also a great informative value. It widens the grasp of our knowledge
of geography, different cultures and people, etc… reason for traveling includes recreation,
tourism ,research travel for the gathering of information, for holiday to visit people,
volunteer travel for charity, migration to begin life somewhere else, religious pilgrimages
and mission trips, business travel trade commuting , etc…Travel may occur by human-
powered transport such as walking or bicycling, or with vehicles, such as public transport,
automobiles, trains and airplanes. Etc.
Motives to travel include pleasure, relaxation, discovery and exploration, getting to
know other cultures and taking personal time for building interpersonal relationships.
Travel may be local, regional, national (domestic) or international. For example, when
people of Assam visit South India, they learn a great deal. They come to know about the
geographical features of South India, such as the existence of numerous rivers, coconut
groves, backwaters, spice gardens, rubber plantations, oceans, seas, factories, cities, etc.
They also learn many things about the Dravidian culture which characterize the people’s
style of living there. They come to know about their mode of living, social life, agriculture,
worship, beliefs, art forms, etc. Such a visit is bound to enlighten the visitor and make
him/her more appreciative of other cultures.
Travel has a way of slowing you down, of waking you up, of pulling you up out of
your daily routines and seeing life in a new way. This new way of looking at the world
need not end when you resume your life at home. Here are 5 key ways in which the lessons
you learn on the road can be used to enrich the life you lead when you return home…
96
1) Time = Wealth
By far the most important lesson travel teaches you is that your time is all you really
own in life. And the more you travel, the more you realize that your most extravagant
possessions can’t match the satisfaction you get from finding new experiences, meeting
new people, and learning new things about yourself. “Value” is a word we often hear in
day-to-day life, but travel has a way of teaching us that value is not pegged to a cash
amount, that the best experiences in life can be had for the price of showing up (be it to a
festival in Rajasthan, a village in the Italian countryside, or a sunrise ten minutes from your
home).
Scientific studies have shown that new experiences (and the memories they
produce) are more likely to produce long-term happiness than new things. Since new
experiences aren’t exclusive to travel, consider ways to become time-rich at home. Spend
less time working on things you don’t enjoy and buying things you don’t need; spend more
time embracing the kinds of activities (learning new skills, meeting new people, spending
time with friends and family) that make you feel alive and part of the world.
2) Be Where You Are
A great thing about travel is that it forces you into the moment. When you’re
celebrating carnival in Rio, riding a horse on the Mongolian steppe, or exploring a souk in
Damascus, there’s a giddy thrill in being exactly where you are and allowing things to
happen. In an age when electronic communications enable us to be permanently connected
to (and distracted by) the virtual world, there’s a narcotic thrill in throwing yourself into a
single place, a single moment. Would you want to check your bank-account statement
while exploring Machu Picchu in Peru? Are you going to interrupt an experience of the
Russian White Nights in St. Petersburg to check your Facebook feed? Of course not —
when you travel, you get to embrace the privilege of witnessing life as it happens before
your eyes. This attitude need not be confined to travel.
A home, how often do you really need to check your email or your Twitter feed?
When you get online, are you there for a reason, or are you simply killing time? For all the
pleasures and entertainments of the virtual-electronic world, there is no substitute for real-
life conversation and connection, for getting ideas and entertainment from the people and
97
places around you. Even at home, there are sublime rewards to be had for unplugging from
online distractions and embracing the world before your eyes.
3) Slow Down
One of the advantages of long-term travel (as opposed to a short vacation) is that it
allows you to slow down and let things happen. Freed from tight itineraries, you begin to
see the kinds of things (and meet the kinds of people) that most tourists overlook in their
haste to tick attractions off a list. A host of multi-million-dollar enterprises have been
created to cater to our concept of “leisure,” both at home and on the road — but all too
often this definition of leisure is as rushed and rigidly confined as our work life. Which is
more emblematic of leisure — a three-hour spa session in an Unbid hotel, or the freedom
to wander Bali at will for a month?
All too often, life at home is predicated on an irrational compulsion for speed — we
rush to work, we rush through meals, we “multi-task” when we’re hanging out with friends.
This might make our lives feel more streamlined in a certain abstracted sense, but it doesn’t
make our lives happier or more fulfilling. Unless you learn to pace and savor your daily
experiences (even your work-commutes and your noontime meals) you’ll cheating your
days out of small moments of leisure, discovery and joy.
4) Keep it Simple
Travel naturally lends itself to simplicity, since it forces you to reduce your day-to-
day possessions to a few select items that fit in your suitcase or backpack. Moreover, since
it’s difficult to accumulate new things as you travel, you to tend to accumulate new
experiences and friendships instead — and these affect your life in ways mere “things”
cannot.
At home, abiding by the principles of simplicity can help you live in a more
deliberate and time-rich way. How much of what you own really improves the quality of
your life? Are you buying new things out of necessity or compulsion? Do the things you
own enable you to live more vividly, or do they merely clutter up your life? Again,
researchers have determined that new experiences satisfy our higher-order needs in a way
that new possessions cannot — that taking a friend to dinner, for example, brings more
lasting happiness than spending that money on a new shirt. In this way, investing less in
98
new objects and more in new activities can make your home-life happier. This less
materialistic state of mind will also help you save money for your next journey.
5) Don’t Set Limits
Travel has a way revealing that much of what you’ve heard about the world is
wrong. Your family or friends will tell you that traveling to Colombia or Lebanon is a
death-wish — and then you’ll go to those places and have your mind blown by friendliness,
beauty and new ways of looking at human interaction. Even on a day-to-day level, travel
enables you to avoid setting limits on what you can and can’t do. On the road, you naturally
“play games” with your day: watching, waiting, listening; allowing things to happen.
There’s no better opportunity to break old habits, face latent fears, and test out repressed
facets of your personality.
That said, there’s no reason why you should confine that sort of freedom to life on
the road. The same Fear-Industrial Complex that spooks people out of traveling can
discourage you from trying new things or meeting new people in own your hometown.
Overcoming your fears and escaping your dull routines can deepen your home-life — and
the open-to-anything confidence that accompanies travel can be utilized to test new
concepts in a business setting, rejuvenate relationships with friends and family, or simply
ask that woman with the nice smile if she wants to go out for coffee. In refusing to set
limits for what is possible on a given day, you open yourself up to an entire new world of
possibility.
Travelling has a special importance to students. Many of the things they learn in
textbooks can be practically understood when they visit various places. When they visit
cities, such as, Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, etc., or the famous lakes such as Chilka Lake in
Orissa, Logtak Lake in Manipur, Dal Lake in Kashmir, etc., their grasp of geography is
deepened. Visits to industrial centers, such as, Jamshedpur, Kharagpur, Ranchi, Bangalore,
Coimbatore, or important places like Madurai, Pondicherry, Goa, Kovalam, Cochin,
Bhopal, Srinagar, Chandigarh, etc. open their minds beyond their world. Therefore,
travelling has a great academic and scholastic value.
Another significant value of travelling is that it has the potential to improve one’s
health. A visit to places like Nainital, Darjeeling, Shillong, Panchmari, Goa, Kovalam,
Ooty, etc. can have tremendous effect on our physical and mental health. The beauty and
cold of the hills, the charm of the valleys, the chirping of birds, the song of the rivers, the
99
howling of animals, pleasant air, quiet places, etc., can heal many of our mental and
physical problems. In the Indian context, travelling and visiting places have another
important value that of understanding other’s traditions and cultures.
A visit to various parts of India will make us realize that India is a mosaic of cultures,
races and creed and that diversity is the chief hallmark of our land. In this context, travelling
can help national integration and unity to a great extent.
Traveling or seeing places is an important part of our education. One cannot believe
a fact to be true unless one sees it. The education that we receive from schools and colleges
does not provide clear knowledge or idea of places.
For instance, a student who does not travel at all and goes through his books only
does not find any meaning in the name of Haldighat or Kurukshetra except that the battle
of Haldighat and the battle of Kaurbus and Pandavas were fought in the places respectively.
It happens just because he receives this much knowledge from the book. But in the recent
days people are found to be curious about visiting places of historical importance. The
modern man is curious to learn things and to travel place of historical interest. With the
advancement of transport system travelling has become easier than what it was in the
primitive days. The modern transport system has made the lives of the travelling people
easier by decreasing the distance by the swiftness of vehicles. The prevailing journeys do
not cost more than those were in the primitive days.
The purposes of travelling are different for different people. There are some people
who travel for the sake of pleasure. The people that are heavily burdened either at their
domestic front or at their offices move too far off places for relieving their worries and
anxieties. The poets and writers make a trip to distant places for collection of facts for their
Writings. Businessmen also visit various places to enquire as to whether there are scopes
for expansion of their business. It is common for statesmen to visit other countries on a
goodwill mission.
Travelling provides the benefit of sightseeing and gives Pleasure to the visitor. In
addition, it gives a scope to an individual to have firsthand knowledge of variegated people
inhabiting the world. One cannot appreciate the work of art created by master hands unless
one visits places and things.
100
A visit to a place imparts practical knowledge of important places, persons, things
and the nature of people. The recollections of the past certainly flash over one's mind as
one visit some historical monuments. Besides this by visiting places, the vision of an
individual becomes enlarged just as by sitting at a small place makes one's vision narrow.
The business people are made aware of the natural products of different countries
by travelling. The intellectual outlook of students is heightened by travelling. We derive
the benefit of getting ourselves acquainted with the characteristics of foreign people. The
world outside becomes clearer than what it would have been under other circumstances by
travelling.
The superimposition of travelling remains on the fact that too is better than books.
In different countries we come across people of different tastes, fashions, caste, creed, and
color. Once we know their ways of living it arouses a sense of brotherhood in us for them.
By travelling we avail of the scope of making a change of thing. By Visiting
Mountain and forest area we enjoy the wild beauty of nature. Those who lead their life in
a populated city get free air and enjoy beauty by travelling. By visiting places of natural
beauty our thought process is transported to a new region. We are capable of moving round
the globe within a short time.
Nowadays, traveling has become a habit for many people. Some people travel twice
a year, others travel once a year, while the rest do not travel at all. Generally speaking,
there are two types of traveling; the first kind is traveling with an organized group. The
other type is traveling separately. Personally, I prefer traveling alone.
First of all, it is significant to consider timing, because during the trip, I am the one
who is managing the time schedule. By way of example, traveling is usually tiring because
of the activities, such as partying, sports and others. Hence, the passenger need to take rest,
so I would like to sleep comfortably without any one annoyance.
In addition to the importance of timing, the preference of particular location plays a
great role in the traveling filed, because traveling must be fun and not dull. For instance, I
get bored in places like museums and exhibitions. Thus, I prefer to spend my time at places
where I can find amusement, such h as drag racing, clubs, and nature or just watch a sport
games.
101
On the other hand, in some cases the organized group could be a memorable
experience, especially, if the travelers are all mature or adolescents. For example, in
summer 2010 I had traveled with an organized group for a summer school program in
England, and it was an unforgettable trip, because I had learned how to cooperate with my
team and how to be more responsible about my own stuff as a teenager.
Travel gives us knowledge and pleasure at the same time. Travel gives us wisdom.
We learn better through travel than through books. In books we read the experience of
other people or the second-hand knowledge of other people. But in travel we directly
experience and directly know every object and everything. We develop the qualities of
painstaking, patience and frugality as we travel. We learn how to contact unknown people.
No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head
on his old, familiar pillow. I've always enjoyed traveling and having experience with
different cultures and different people. But it's also a wonderful thing to be able to benefit
and enable research, not only in our country but around the world.
Finally I conclude my speech, travelling has tremendous educative, informative and
social value. It widens people’s mental horizon, improves health, and adds thrill and
relaxation to life. Traveling is useful, no doubt. So, every student should take up travels
three or four times a year. They can travel during their holidays and vacations. Therefore
educational tour should become an integral part of modern education. Travelling also
boosts our national economy and the development of tourism industry. My favorite quote
about the travel is “The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.”
102
SOFT SKILLS
103
SOFT SKILLS
A GENERAL OVERVIEW
There is an axiom in business circles, which suggests that hard skills will get a
person an interview, but soft skills will land that person a job. This means an applicant with
years of education and experience in the field might have the hard skills necessary to fill
the position, but lack soft skills such as leadership ability or self-motivation necessary to
perform well on the job.
Soft skills is a sociological term relating to a person's "EQ" (Emotional Intelligence
Quotient), the cluster of personality traits, social graces, communication, language,
personal habits, friendliness, and optimism that characterize relationships with other
people. A person's soft skill EQ is an important part of his/her individual contribution to
the success of an organization.
LEADERSHIP
Leadership is fall in to five categories
Strategic Thinking
Vision and Direction
Inspiring Commitment
Leading Change
Conflict Resolution
General description:
Leadership - a critical management skill incorporating ability to motivate a group
of people toward a common goal. At a very simplistic level leadership can be defined as
making sure the organization is doing the right things, whereas management is making sure
the organization is doing things right.
Unit 1.1: Strategic Thinking
Strategic thinking can be defined as the process for identifying what the right things
are. The key word is value. The secret of great strategic thinking is having a real
appreciation of what constitutes value for customers. Value comprises a number of key
needs and wants, which must be satisfied.
104
The strength, weakness, opportunity and threat analysis (SWOT) is a great exercise
in strategic thinking. In this, personal strengths or what you do well, are identified. Next
comes the identification of weaknesses, because it is important know what is not done well
and to develop plans to remedy this.
Unit 1.2: Vision and Direction
To achieve a successful future, effective leaders define their intended vision,
translate this into a plan, communicate the plan to employees, and develop their
commitment.
An effective leader builds a results based a culture of enthusiastic, motivated,
confident teams of employees committed to achieving the organization’s future vision. The
effective leader wants to build competitive advantage and long term value. An effective
leader needs to understand personal attitudes, in particular that people want to be
appreciated.
For a leader to be effective in this role, he/she must:
Provide a clear purpose informed by better insights than the competition on what
creates value for employees, customers and the enterprise.
Set ambitious performance objectives that provide stretch, challenge the status quo
and energize the organization.
Have conviction around the strategic issues and opportunities that provide the
highest value for the organization.
Mobilize the organization by encouraging employees to recognize which markets
to serve and which sources of competitive advantage to target.
Challenge and change the internal barriers to strategic decision-making, such as
short-termism, incrementalism and blind spots.
105
Unit 1.3: Inspiring Commitment
To inspire another is to fill that person with enlivening or exulting emotion. Inspiration
is the spark for motivation where motivation leads to action. Inspiration gives us reason
and desire. In fact, virtually any stimulation of one of the five senses can trigger inspiration.
Even with all of these sources, inspiration is not a frequent event. Some strategies to inspire
others are
Use positive words: Positive words inspire positive emotions. Encourage others by
reminding them of their talents, skills, and gifts. Focus on what they have done and
not what they have not done. Project a positive personality.
Show others that you care: People don’t care about how much you know until they
know how much you care. Take a genuine interest in other people.
Be a role model: People are inspired by those who “walk the walk”. Do not be
afraid to share your own stories of accomplishment. Leaders who inspire practice
what they preach and lead by example.
Challenge others: Those leaders whom we love to hate are the ones who challenge
us to do our best. A properly executed challenge can both motivate and inspire.
Share stories: People need to believe in what is possible. Stories that people can
relate to can be very inspiring. Choose stories that convey the same persistence and
determination.
Be enthusiastic: There is no better way to inspire others than by being filled with
enthusiasm yourself. This enthusiasm is energy that easily spreads from one person
to the next. To be effective, enthusiasm must be genuine; there is no faking
enthusiasm.
Unit 1.4: Leading Change
Even if an organization has an excellent reason to change, it still needs to make that
change happen without upsetting the organization or its people. That takes a sensible
strategy, a robust process and – most importantly of all – people with the right skills to lead
that change.
106
When leaders or managers are planning to manage change, there are five key principles
that need to be kept in mind:
Different people react differently to change
Everyone has fundamental needs that have to be met
Change often involves a loss, and people go through the “loss curve”
Expectations need to be managed realistically
Fears have to be dealt with
Unit 1.5: Conflict Resolution
Conflict is a natural consequence of putting people together to work on tasks that
require close cooperation. People have differing ways of thinking, differing perspectives
and experiences, expectations and norms for behavior and they work in different ways.
The source of conflicts:
Here are the main reasons why conflicts may arise among team members:
Confusion of interests with needs
Communication on different wavelengths
Internal conflict inside the teams
Lack of communication
Refusal to communicate
Conflict of interests
How can conflict be handled?
Avoiding: The team members choose not to confront or become involved in the
cause of the problem. This basically means that the conflict will be covered up
and hidden, making it impossible to deal with it. If you do not know that there
is a conflict, it is impossible to deal with it.
Accommodating: The team members adapt to the others’ needs and put these
above their own needs. This means that they do not show what they really feel,
and so the conflict is likely to arise again.
107
Competing: The team members choose to satisfy their own needs by asserting,
controlling, or resisting. This would mean that members “put their foot down,”
state their opinions clearly, and present ultimatums: “my way or no way!”
Collaborating: The team members enter into dialogue with a positive attitude,
attempting to create mutually satisfying solutions and create win-win situations.
This is probably the most demanding strategy, but without a doubt the most
efficient and productive way to address the conflict.
Preparing for conflict situations: protocols for handling conflict
MANAGEMENT
Management is fall in three categories:
Leading a Team
Team Work
Motivation
General description
This module deals with the basics of management skills, the skills a manager must
master to be successful and shows how these management skills build on each other toward
success. The main role of a manager in any organization is to lead, motivate and encourage
employees to work together, to achieve the organizational goals. To achieve the goals, a
manager has to plan, organize and control the available resources including the human
resource of the organization
Unit 2.1: Leading a Team
To nurture the success of any team, a team leader must perform certain tasks. These
skills will be helpful to employees at any level of the organization who are responsible for
leading problem-solving teams, customer service teams, production teams, and others.
Readers will understand how the role of the team leader differs from traditional supervisors
and will begin to develop the critical skills required to help a team reach its goal.
108
Qualities of a leader
A leader is a person you would follow somewhere that you would not go alone.
Leaders must have personal qualities and skills that make them role models for others. Here
are some other qualities a leader should possess:
Self-oriented
Creative
Flexible
Self-disciplined
Self-confident
Committed
Strong sense of responsibilities
Balanced temperament
Quick to learn
Energetic
Organized
Able to cope up with frustrations
Able to resist stress pressure
Good problem solver
Enthusiastic
Interpersonal
Tolerant
Ethical
Sensitive
Social attitude
Effective listening skills
Persuasive
Unit 2.2: Team Work
In real teamwork, the right people with the right skills, knowledge, and perspectives
join to collectively explore challenges, generate creative solutions, and work diligently to
build the necessary support and commitment for the implementation of the project.
T: Talent
E: Enthusiasm
109
A: Accountability
M: Management
W: Work-able
O: Openness
R: Respect
K: Keenness
Three common types of teams:
Functional or departmental teams: Groups of people from the same work area or
department who meet on a regular basis to analyze customer needs, solve problems,
provide members with support, promote continuous improvement, and share
information.
Cross-functional teams: Groups of people who are pulled together from across
departments or job functions to deal with a specific product, issue, customer,
problem, or to improve a particular process.
Self-managing teams: Groups of people who gradually assume responsibility for
self-direction in all aspects of work.
Unit 2.3: Motivation
Motivation plays an impeccably valuable role in any organization. It is a trait that
should be instilled in every employee of an organization, despite their designation or
responsibilities. Having stated that; it is imperative that, senior management looks at ways
of increasing team motivation within an organization.
Motivators include:
interesting work
success and appreciation
self-development
responsibility
progression
110
Other factors include:
rewards for work done
interpersonal relationships
working conditions
relationships between the board and the team members
organisation of the work flow
internal rule
personal life
Norms and protocols for working together
PERSONAL DELIVERY
Personal delivery is fall in to three categories
Effective Communication
Presentation Skills
Effective Meetings
General description
This module deals with Interpersonal and delivery skills, which are the skills that a
person uses to interact with other people and are sometimes also referred to as people skills
or communication skills. Interpersonal skills involve using abilities such as active listening
and tone of voice, they include team working, collaboration, performance, conflict
resolution, etc. It is how well you communicate with someone and how well you behave
or carry yourself. For us, they help people further our careers.
Unit 3.1: Effective Communication
“Communication is the process by which people attempt to share a meaning via the
transmission of symbolic messages.” The average person spends three quarters of their life
communicating. Successful team managers need to communicate even more.
Communication is not just expressing yourself, or just delivering a message; it is getting
others to understand you. A successful communication process includes the following
stages:
111
Perception of the message
Understanding the message
Evaluation of the message
Response to the message
Unit 3.2: Presentation Skills
The ability to conquer nervousness and speak with self-confidence is not difficult
to acquire. It is not a gift bestowed by Providence on only a few rarely endowed individuals.
Everyone can develop his own capacity if he has sufficient desire to do so.
The material of your presentation should be concise, to the point and tell an interesting
story. In addition to the obvious things like content and visual aids, the following are just
as important as the audience will be subconsciously taking them in:
Your voice – how you say it is as important as what you say
Body language – a subject in its own right and something about which much has
been written and said. In essence, your body movements express what your attitudes
and thoughts really are. You might like to check out this web page
Appearance - first impressions influence the audience’s attitudes to you. Dress
appropriately for the occasion.
Unit 3.3: Effective Meetings
Meetings are very important tools in any organization for dealing with daily
activities, but they can be also a source of problems and a waste of time if not properly
conducted. A meeting occurs when people come together and communicate with each
other.
Design considerations for specific types of meetings
Communication
Problem solving
Changing the framework
112
SELF MANAGEMENT
Self-management is fall in to five categories
Self-Awareness
Integrity
Flexibility and Adaptability
Self Confidence
Resilience
General description
The Self-Management module deals with skills that we consider to be extremely
important in our daily professional activities, because this sort of skills tell an employer
whether or not your personality fits the personality of the company, the bosses, and the co-
workers.
Over 50 percent of the people who are not successful on the job have trouble with
their co-workers and bosses, so it’s important for you to show employers how you fit into
their operations, and you have to keep in mind that many employers would rather hire an
inexperienced worker with good self-management skills than an experienced worker who
might cause problems.
Unit 4.1: Self Awareness
Self-Awareness is having a clear perception of your personality, including strengths,
weaknesses, thoughts, beliefs, motivation, and emotions. Self-Awareness allows you to
understand other people, how they perceive you, your attitude and your responses to them
in the moment.
Tips to get more self-aware
Learn to know yourself better
Stop your inner critic
Be nice to yourself
Reward yourself
Learn to tolerate contact and proximity
Talk to others
Learn to make claims
Take center stage
113
Risk rejection and criticism
Learn to say “NO!“ and to answer back
Learn to clearly occur
Unit 4.2: Integrity
Integrity is a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures,
principles, expectations, and outcomes. The word "integrity" stems from the Latin
adjective integer (whole, complete). In this context, integrity is the inner sense of
"wholeness" deriving from qualities such as honesty and consistency of character.
Used words describing people identified as possessing 'integrity':
strength of character
walking the talk, doing what was promised
authentic, straightforward, what's on the inside is displayed on the outside
open, honest and direct in their dealings with others
clear and uncompromised values, and clarity about what's right and wrong
self-aware and self-reflective
mature and wise
Five Ways to build job integrity
Maintain accurate records
Be accountable to another employee
Keep your word
Don't take advantage of relationships
Pull your weight
Unit 4.3: Flexibility and Adaptability
Flexibility is a personality trait — the extent to which a person can cope with
changes in circumstances and think about problems and tasks in novel, creative ways.
114
How do you prove to a recruiter you have these skills?
It is not good enough to simply say “I can adapt to situations” or “I am flexible in
the way I work”, you have to prove that you are by giving appropriate examples. Use the
STAR technique to describe it:
S- Define the Situation
T- Identify the Task
A- Describe the Action you took
R- Highlight the Result you achieved
Unit 4.4: Self Confidence
"Self-confidence is knowing that we have the capacity to do something good and
firmly decide not to give up."
How to build self-confidence?
Remember that no one is perfect.
Identify your successes.
Be thankful for what you have.
Be Positive, even if you don't feel the same way.
Accept compliments gracefully.
Stick to your principles.
Unit 4.6: Resilience
Resilience in psychology refers to the idea of an individual's tendency to cope with
stress and adversity.
Resilience can be described by viewing:
good outcomes regardless of high-risk status
constant competence under stress
recovery from trauma
using challenges for growth that makes future hardships more tolerable
115
GROUP
DISCUSSION
116
GROUP DISCUSSION
INTRODUCTION TO GROUP DISCUSSION
Group Discussion is an important part of the selection process where employers
evaluate the candidates’ potential to be a leader and also the ability to work in teams.
Normally group discussions are used in the selection process for management
trainees and executive positions. The objective of a group discussion is to mainly check
your team playing skills because as a manager, you will be working in organizations with
people. Employers are looking for candidates who have potential to be executives and to
lead teams of people.
The group discussion is a test of your interactive skills and how good you are at
communicating with other people. You’ll have to be able to understand the other person’s
point of view while making your point and ensure that your team as a whole reaches a
win-win situation; in other words a solution/agreement which is both feasible and
accepted by all members of the team. A group discussion, to that extent, is a simulated
managerial setting.
Groups of 8-10 candidates are formed into a leaderless group, and are given
a specific situation to analyse and discuss within a given time limit, which may vary
between twenty minutes and forty-five minutes.
They may be given a case study and asked to come out with a solution for a
problem.
They may be given a topic and are asked to discuss the same.
Skills assessed during a Group Discussion:
Leadership Skills - Ability to take leadership roles and be able to lead, inspire and
carry the team along to help them achieve the group’s objectives.
Communication Skills - Candidates will be assessed in terms of clarity of thought,
expression and aptness of language. One key aspect is listening. It indicates a willingness
to accommodate others views.
117
Interpersonal Skills - People skills are an important aspect of any job. They are
reflected in the ability to interact with other members of the group in a brief situation.
Emotional maturity and balance promotes good interpersonal relationships. The person
has to be more people centric and less self-centered.
Persuasive Skills - The ability to analyze and persuade others to see the problem
from multiple perspectives.
Essentially, the group discussion is a test of your ability to think on your feet, your
analytical prowess and your ability to make your point in a team-based environment.
Tips for the Group Discussion:
· A good level of general awareness will come in handy so that you aren't at a loss
of words on certain issues.
· Topics can be from a wide range of issues. It could be a topic on current events,
business news, sports or anything very general. The wider your reading interests, the better
prepared you will be.
· Take time to think of what you are going to say. Always enter the room with a
piece of paper and a pen. In the first two minutes jot down as many ideas as you can before
verbalizing them.
· Work out various strategies to help you enter the discussion - initiate the discussion
or agree with someone else's point and then move onto express your views.
· Starting the discussion is considered to be good however it isn't that important;
what is important is that you speak for a period long enough for you to be able to
communicate your viewpoint.
· Be patient; don't lose your cool if anyone says anything you object to. The key is
to stay objective: Don't take the discussion personally.
· Remember the six C's of effective communication - Clarity, Completeness,
Conciseness, Confidence, Correctness and Courtesy.
118
· Be responsive to ideas from other people and very receptive and open-minded but
don't allow others to change your own viewpoint.
· Employers are looking for a range of different skills and although you may think
that leadership is key, and want to demonstrate this in a discussion, you need to be careful
that you don't dominate the discussion as this may come across as aggressive.
· Quality and NOT QUANTITY: Often, participants think that success in group
discussions depends on their decibel levels – i.e. how much they speak and how loud they
speak. Ironically, it’s the opposite.
· Rounding the discussion off - when about 2-3 minutes are left, someone in the
group must take the initiative and summarize all the issues discussed.
119
EXAMINATIONS-HAS IT KILLED EDUCATION
Group members involved in the group discussion were:
Abirami, Akshathaa, Amirtharaj, Amudhavalli, Ancyfloviya, Anuradha, Benital,
K.Dhivya, R.Dhivya, Gayathri.
INTRODUCTION:
Anuradha: Ancient China was the first country in the world that implemented
a national wide standardized test, which was called as 'Imperial examination' in 605
AD. The purpose of examination was to select for able candidates for specific
governmental positions. This examination system was later applied to education.
• In closed book system, the test taker was tested based on the memory to respond
to specific items. In open book system, the test taker was tested based on the
analyzing capability, test taker can use a reference book and a calculator when
responding to an item.
DISCUSSION
Benital: In my point of view exams are not kill education only the exam patterns
are kills the education. The need of education is to improve the personality of the
students. Improve the personality is mean that to develop the skill. Now a days the
students are study the subject for get a good marks the parents and teachers also like
this only. But it is waste. Education is to learn the subject not study the subject there
is lot of difference between them. First of all the students should have the clear idea
about this difference.
In my point of view without examination no one judge any person is expert in
his/her field. As our Indian culture said the god takes test of the people if you pass
in the test of god you surly won the world. Examination is the most important step
to show your ability in his/her field. Our schools and colleges are more forces on
120
only theoretical portion. In our college only theoretical marks are decide the final
grade of mark sheet and not including the marks of the practical exam. So, the
students have not any value of practicals, thus they all are poor in practical
knowledge. So, the requirement of to change teaching and also examination pattern.
Ancyfloviya: Many of the students committing suicide, because of excess
pressure of examinations. It totally depends on our mentality.it is not necessary to
commit suicide, students must overcome from that situation.
According to me exams is killing education. I have seen it, students just start
mugging up all the things from the book and are just bothered about their marks. No
one actually understand the concepts. They don't even know what they are studying
and for what! They just want good marks and that's all what they live for. I mean
what’s the point of getting good marks if you are not able to apply those concepts?
I have seen people doing ratification in maths and science also! I mean maths and
science are something you should understand and being able to apply those concepts
in real life. And they wants to be doctors and engineers!.
In my point of view, education is the only thing which helps us to learn the thing
practically. In other sense I mean that education is the only way which we can
enhance by applying it into our practical life. Not by just learning the matter and
vomiting it onto the papers during exam and later on forgetting everything!.
Education is what that we can probably increase by learning slowly and gradually
we shouldn't judge a person on behalf of his or her marks or grade we should
recognize the ability of that particular person. And according to me that ability
cannot be judge through regular exams sheet. Because everyone do not have a
capability of ratification and mugging up.
Abirami: In my opinion, education means to learn something and exam is the
way to judge yourself that what we have learn in learning process. But too much of
examination makes the student a parrot who just starts memorizing the theories and
he doesn't get too much times for using in practical way and it reduces its practical
knowledge also I want to say that our examination system is too theoretical, it should
be more practical means 50% theoretical and 50% practical. And these are the
reasons that leads to failure of a students in an interview.
121
Examination in some form has almost always been a part of education, but the
standardized, norm-referenced test is particularly dangerous because it allows a very
small group of people to decide what kids or adults should be learning and how they
ought to demonstrate that knowledge. Standardized tests have myriad limitations in
that they are almost without fail culturally biased, biased towards certain socio-
economic groups, or administered in such a way that they have no bearing on real-
world situations, knowledge or experience.
There are schools like SRV,SHIRSTI,.etcthat do not administer tests of any kind
and one could argue that the "education" at their school (K-12) is incredibly
successful. Lots of people argue that it can't be because they don't measure it, but
they do through interactions with the students and adults at the school and there is
an enormous amount of "self-examination" happening as the students determine for
themselves what areas they need to improve.
R.Dhivya: in most schools, examinations are a fact of life, administered by their
classroom teachers, by the state, or perhaps sometime soon by the federal
government. Using them as a tool to evaluate teachers or students is a very
dangerous game fraught with politicization and all kinds of other nastiness, but using
them to determine what areas you want to focus on, etc., is not without its
merits. These tests cannot be used to rank students or teachers, but if they are used
to decide that a greater focus on a particular skill set is necessary or that a particular
group of students or teachers or even administrators need to work on something,
again they can have their merits. The problem is that they are used almost
exclusively to do the former rather than the latter.
In my point of view, I dont think that it is examinations that are killing schools
so much as oit is the kind of examinations that are being given, Testing is a good
way to gauge level of understanding, but testing should be reflective of the scope of
that material that has been taught and not a measure of how well the test taker can
guess the correct answer. Examinations should consist of both multiple choice and
essay questions, thereby allowing those students who know the concepts and can
relate them well a chance to shine in the written portion even if they have trouble
with multiple choice tests. These exams should also reflect the actual curriculum as
122
taught by the school, not a set of questions chosen by some outside agency who is
not in the classroom and does not know the material that is being taught. The
problem with the testing systems we have now (and by this I mean standardized tests
like the FCAT) is that teachers have been forced to teach to the test, rite
memorization style, and have lost the ability to relate concepts from the past to ideas
in the present on a broader scale.
Amudhavalli: Its not so !!
While it might be true that examinations as the sole criterion for judging
performance might not be a good idea , examinations can still be used as one of the
many performance criteria. Examinations can be combined with other tools like
projects , assignments and presentations to judge a student's performance. The
weightages for the different tools would have to be carefully chosen after taking into
consideration the nature of the course as well as the depth of the course. If the subject
calls for a mere understanding of the facts , the weightage of examinations can be
more . However if the subject has more practical implementaions , the weightages
for the projects can be made substantially higher. Also rather than questioning the
usefulness of exams , it would be better if we focus on the nature / quality of the
questions in the examination . If the questions call for a mere cramming of the
subject , it would not necessarily be a good judgement of the students abilities. On
the other hand , if the questions were to test the understanding of the concepts and
the applications that it could have , it calls for a larger amount of analysis /thinking
from the student . Such an examination would be more ideal to hudge the student.
Examinations is a form of evaluation.
a. These will monitor the level of learning of the students.
b. It will diagnose the aspect of difficulty of the students
c. It will assess the teaching of the teacher, either effective or not.
d. It will serve as guide to further teaching
e. It will serve as basis for school development
123
f. It will reflect on the attainment of goals and objectives of the school
K.Dhivya:In my point of view,I will go with Swami Vivekananda,he said
education is not the amount of information that is put into your brain and runs riot
there, undigested, all your life.
But today's education system is cramming oriented where examinations only test
a student's learning ability and not their command over the subject. Good grades do
not indicate a student's aptitude or his/her proficiency in the particular subject.
So I fully agree that examinations are killing education.
Children find examinations more menacing than ghost stories. Excessive study
pressure is making both students and parents' life a veritable hell.
According to Swami Vivekananda education is the manifestation of the
perfection already in man. He said education is not book-learning. It is the training
by which the expression of will are brought under control and become fruitful.
Swamiji said real education is that which rings out the strength of character, a
spirit of philanthropy and the courage of a lion.
In consonance to Swamiji's view of education, I think we should have
examinations that test our strength of mind, and character and hence help to expand
our intellect and not the stereo-typed examinations which only test our memory.
I sincerely hope, pray and also take responsibility as a teacher to ensure that we
can bring into practice a new cult of education where Homo sapiens would
metamorphose to human beings.
I would like to ask a question to everyone involved in this disussion. In India
there plenty of 9 or 10 pointers or the students who get over 90percent in exams. But
still we complain about our cream resources being brainwashed. If they are so
124
educated acccording to our current examination system then how could be they so
foolish to be brainwashed. Most of our elite students prefer foreign universities
rather than our IITs, NITs, & IISC for research. Students prefer NASA over ISRO.
If the education system is correct, then why is there shortage of scientists and
researchers in our country. (As that is not the case with China).
If the examination system is correct, then why do we elect our MPs and MLAs
who are so corrupt. If examination system is correct, then for a student to get
admitted to a college, why is the necessity for him/her to appear for 10 entrance
exams? When you appear for an interview, why do they verify our certificates in
original even after five rounds including the vital technical round. Why is urinating
on road side and bettle spit stains are a common sight in India? Our education system
has been designed to impart correct values to the students but by the time it reaches
them it gets diluted. Examination has become a passport for a student which he needs
to fill up to lead a successful life.
Hence as mentioned by some of the members above, more stress should be given
on practically educating the students rather than encouraging them to score on
writing.
Akshathaa: According to me, nowadays exam rare becoming an joke no
examiner or university take it seriously all are playing fool around it testing ability
through exam is an wrong concept because many unethical thing are going on such
as paper chits,copying,leaking out exam paper and also the parer checker are doing
parility while cheacking the papers etc so where is the way to test each and every
students ability?
My opinion about the education is gaining knowledge, and learning things which
we don't know, suppose we learnt all the things and if don't have an examination, we
may forget the things and we may not have interest to revise again. In this way there
is no use of learning all things which exist in the world. If exams are there a feeling
like fear will come to our mind and we will learn the things in very clear and perfect
manner, but that fear must help us to study not to discourage.
For judging our selves we should have an examinations. In this competitive world
125
millions of people are studying, we should know our position among them. It is very
easy to find that position by exams. I'm saying that no one will steal our knowledge
so try to improve knowledge only. And don't have fear about exams. Then nobody
will say "Exams has killed education".
First of all, an exam is something which is used to test the efficiency of the student
but before that we need to consider some major points about exams.
1) with respect to exams the student just mug up the answers and present them.
2) they doesn't test the student understand the subject or not,
3) Due to the failure in Exams students commit suicides or harm themselves.
Etc.
Here I don't say I hate exams or I oppose exams, in fact I seriously support the
exams but I oppose the pattern or the means of conducting the exams.
See, an exam should always be able to test whether the student have understood
the class or his education etc, but it should not force the student to mug up, copy,
malpractice etc.
Hence I convey that the pattern or the type of exams should be changed but not
stoping.
Hence I conclude that the type of exams are misleading the education but not the
exams are killing the education.
I agrepinge with the others on the point that exams are necessary to judge our
knowledge.
But I think it must be in a way that it must test the internal knowledge of the
student. Because some times the student with more knowledge may not b able to
attend/present in the exam, so the situation affects his career.
126
Let me quote an incident, I have a friend who is good at her studies with great
knowledge, but she never gets good marks, the reason is her writing. Once she had
attended her interview, she passed every stage with highest mars, but did not get
selected.
So what I want to say is Exams are very essential for a student. But the present
process of examinations is killing the 'REAL' education.
Anuradha:The word education means " to bring out what is already in" and not
putting stuff blindly in. Examination in our country has destroyed the true meaning
of education. Instead today students are more interested in getting good grades rather
than acquiring true knowledge of the subject. Einstein said " imagination is more
important than knowledge" however examination has killed education and best
example is the latest survey done by corporate India where it has declared that only
20% of the total graduates produced are talented or 20% have understand.
Another example can be of the movie 3 idiots where only the lead hero amir
proved himself the true engineer rest his friends found themselves traveling in the
wrong field. Gaining good grades should not be the main motive of students instead
they should excel in the field of their interest. My suggestion is examination should
be replaced by open book tests and group dynamics. Every student should be given
opportunities in every field so that they recognize their potential better.
According to meOur students are focusing on getting good marks and getting
good ranks. They are thinking that that is the whole of education. They are not
focusing on acquiring skills. Even these days our so called educated teachers and
students are omitting the chapters for the sake of examination saying that this is not
important for the examination. So, for what purpose they have kept in the syllabus
?we have got many platforms to judge or to prove ourselves. Examinations should
help us to assess our skills. But these days examinations are letting us to mug up the
things.
Some body said that Examinations helps us to handle stressful and difficult
situation which is blunder. Our "EDUCATION" itself teaches How to act in the
127
difficult situations ? So we have to practice these in our day to day life.
If examinations help the students to handle the stressful situations then,
To me, I dont think that exams are a must.For instance in foreign countries
there are no exams but only assignments which provides room for acqiiring a
thorough undersanding of the subject.The main aim of education is to make use of
what we learn in real life situations.For the same we should be in love with the
subject.Most of us study for exams in order to secure good marks but we donot
develop an interest towards the subject.So in my opinion there is no need of exams
for we can take our own time to grasp the subject in-depth.
In my opinion, I strongly recommend that the system of Continuous And
Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) should be implemented as this will definitely puts
an effort bringing a student's personality development. By learning the outcome of
the method of examination, I remembered a thought - " Common sense is not so
common " as it is emphasizing only to mug up the subject , whether understand or
not, hardly matters. Over burden of work is in both the systems, but it only depend
upon the student how he/she is performing. And from my analyzing, CCE is a better
option as it will bring out the confidence and potential of the students with many
projects, tools F.A.s and S.A.s. This will make the students to express themselves
not only in writing, but verbaly also.
Amirtharaj: EDUCATION is the one thing to the human beings to survive in this
complicated society. Coming to the present topic, in my perspective view
examinations are most important things to know our talent. They are not killed the
spirit of education. If we don't have proper way to know about ourselves, and our
strengths and abilities we can't lead in this society. Examinations are the things to
see ourselves. If we don't have exams, we don't and won't learn and at least we don't
try how to grow up our personality. But now a days every one is becoming business,
because of this thing cleaver people are suffered because they don't have the ability
to buy education, and the people who has money they only study higher education.
This is very horrible thing in our society.
128
Our education system has become examination oriented and not the education
imparting oriented at best. Every individual capacities to learn, memories the things
and ability to grasp the knowledge is different to each other in this world. No human
being is same in intellectual and emotional quotient. Our natural instinct towards the
adopting a method of learning is different then how a common classroom filled with
different level of understandings be taught by a single teacher in same way. Every
child is unique and the quality of learning, leadership, memorizing the things,
emotional quotient, intelligence quotient is unique to each other in this world. My
point is that instead of making the education examination oriented it should made
learning oriented. As every one is just running to get the 99% or more marks by
memorizing/burning oil at full night, which is killing the nobel concept of imparting
education. In our country where the legacy is of imparting the education the
complete study of the individual wisdom, IQ, EQ, Memory, Physical strength,
Vision, Leadership etc even in ancient times, Guru dronacharya imparted education
to all the pandavas as par their different abilities to excel and not by their status or
anything else. If it would have been the present system of our education which is
only preparing us for final examination scoring to take marks
Examinations are necessary to assess our academic excellence.
The destination of educating yourself is not only to write examinations and
getting marks but also to learn and to manifest your perfection.
The students should not study the things just for examinations. , they should
learn.
Gayathri: In my opinion examinations have not killed the education because
without examination we cannot judge the knowledge of a person. But the thing is
now a days every one has created a short cut to pass the exams by just mugging the
important questions and scoring high marks without even understanding the subject.
Actually the flaws lies in the education system not the examination system, today's
systems is in desperate need of model curriculum for the education. Todays
education system only develop an individual from exam point of view not overall
develop of the personality, no credit is given for co-curricular like drama, sports,
129
music at school level nor in college level in most of the institution only passing and
scoring in the exam is the main moto of the students.
So if we really want to have a change we must change the model of the education
in India.
My opinion about the education is gaining knowledge, and learning things which
we don't know, suppose we learnt all the things and if don't have an examination, we
may forget the things and we may not have interest to revise again. In this way there
is no use of learning all things which exist in the world. If exams are there a feeling
like fear will come to our mind and we will learn the things in very clear and perfect
manner, but that fear must help us to study not to discourage.
For judging ourselves we should have an examinations. In this competitive
world millions of people are studying, we should know our position among them. It
is very easy to find that position by exams. I'm saying that no one will steal our
knowledge so try to improve knowledge only. And don't have fear about exams.
Then nobody will say "Exams has killed education".
Conclusion:-
Examinations are not killing the education, but the pattern of some exams are
killing it. Questions must in a way to make students think about it in order to write
an answer. The weightage of practicals should be more than the theoretical subjects.
Exams must include projects, assignments and presentations to judge the actual
worth of a student.
130
INTERVIEW
SKILLS
131
INTERVIEW SKILLS
Interviewing is an art and you are there to sell yourself and the services that fit in
the requirement of the employer. When an employer is interviewing a potential employee
they are usually looking for Hard as well Soft/behavioral skills that an employee can apply
on the job. The soft skills are not technical in nature related to the job, for which they are
looking at the candidates.
Sometimes when we have a poor interview, we blame the person we’ve interviewed.
That person might be a design stakeholder or current or potential customer. You might be
conducting behavioral or stakeholder interviews or running usability test sessions. The
interviews may have been at participants’ offices or homes, in your offices, or in the field.
Regardless of the situation, you may be tempted to label a participant unengaged,
inappropriate, inarticulate, or worse.
Bad interviews can result in missing data, incomplete detail, misleading results,
partial insights, and lost opportunities. Your reports, presentations, and recommendations
document what you’ve learned from your research and the decisions you’ve made based
on it, so you need to ensure your research is the best it can be—that you get good
interviews.
Some criteria for evaluating an interview:
To what extent are the participant’s answers spontaneous, rich, specific, and
relevant?
Are the interviewer’s questions shorter and the participant’s answers longer? The
longer, the better.
What is the degree to which the interviewer follows up and clarifies the meanings
of relevant aspects of the participant’s answers?
Did the interviewer interpret the meaning of the participant’s answers throughout
the interview? Ideally, this should occur to a large extent.
Did the interviewer attempt to verify his or her interpretations of the participant’s
answers during the course of the interview?
132
Was the interview self-communicating? Did it communicate a self-contained story
that requires hardly any additional description or explanation?
Some soft skills that an employee must have:
1. INTERPERSONAL: Working with others. Participation as a member of a team.
Your contribution to a group effort. Teaching others a new skill. Serving
clients/customers. The ability to work well to satisfy a customer's expectations.
Exercising leadership. The ability to communicate ideas to justify a position. To be
able to work in a diverse environment. To be able to work well with either men or
women from diverse backgrounds.
2. COMMUNICATION: It is very important to communicate effectively .To
communicate effectively the correctness of grammar is very important.
3. INFORMATION: The skill to acquire and use information effectively. The skill to
acquire and evaluate, organize, arid maintain, interpret and communicate
information. The way one uses a computer to process information.
4. SYSTEMS: The skill to understand complex interrelations. The ability to
understand systems, know how social, organizational, and technological systems
work and bow to effectively operate them. To be able to monitor and correct
performance based on distinguishing trends, predicting impacts on system
operations, diagnosing systems/ performance and correcting malfunctions.
5. TECHNOLOGY: The skill to work with a variety of technology. The ability to
select appropriate technology by assessing procedures, tools or equipment,
including computers and related technologies. To be able to apply the appropriate
technology by understanding the overall intent and proper procedure for setup and
the operation of the equipment. The ability to maintain and troubleshoot equipment
and technology in order to prevent, identify, or solve problems with equipment,
including computers and other technologies.
Preparation for interview:
133
Preparing your responses can take on many forms. For some, jotting down an outline
may help in preparing; for others, practicing verbal responses will be more effective. It is
not enough to simply read the questions; you should plan your response. Mock interviews,
conducted by the Executive Search staff, are highly recommended as an effective means
of preparation.
Once you have secured the interview, you should begin to focus on interview
preparation. Do not be fooled into thinking that you can simply walk into an interview and
answer a few questions. The employer will often meet with several hundred candidates in
order to find 5-7 potential employees. Your goal must be to demonstrate your interest and
qualifications for the position.
Interviewers have many expectations of you as a candidate for potential hire. You
must know general information about the position for which you are interviewing. You
must also be able to articulate your qualifications and interest. In addition, the employer
expects for you to have researched his/her organization and understand the nature of the
organization.
Through research and practice, interviewing skills can be perfected. It is a widely
known fact that the best candidate does not always get the job. Many qualified candidates
are passed over due to lack of interview preparation or an inability to articulate, "fit" for
the position. Once you arrive at the interview stage, it is your ability to sell yourself that
will help ensure a job offer. The following suggestions outline proven methods of
enhancing your interviewing skills and improving your opportunities of employment.
Analyze the position for which you intend to work:
Before you are able to convince an employer that you want to be an employee, it is
important that you understand what the job profile to gather this important information is.
Basic research will prove valuable as you prepare to demonstrate a match between your
credentials and the position for which you are interviewing.
134
Research the Organization:
To begin, you must research the company or agency to determine the nature of the
organization. The more that you know about the employer, the more comfortable you will
feel in the interview. In order to ascertain sincere interest, many interviewers will begin the
process with a question such as, "Why are you interested in our organization?" or "Tell me
what you know about our company." This is certainly not a question that you can "bluff"
your way through. It is a mistake to assume you know enough about the organization
without conducting any research. Only through research will you be able to answer the
question with confidence
Through your research, you should become familiar with:
Type of organization and its function.
Vision, mission and goals.
Products or services.
Divisions and subsidiaries.
Position description and career paths.
Sales and earnings.
Size.
Competitors.
Location, including international operations, projects.
First Impression:
You will not get a second chance to make a first impression when it comes to
interviews. Your nonverbal skills and the manner in which you present yourself will be
evaluated in addition to your verbal responses to interview questions.
Be sure to arrive for your interview 10-15 minutes early. This will provide you
with time to get used to ambience, to check your appearance and collect your thoughts prior
to the interview. Be sure to greet the receptionist, secretary or others in the office in a
friendly and courteous manner. These employees often have some influence in the hiring
process.
As you are waiting on the interviewer to greet you, be sure to position yourself so
that you have a good view of the hall or reception area from which you expect the employer
to enter. You do not want to have your back facing the employer when he/she enters the
135
room. When the employer greets you, be sure to stand and offer a firm handshake. Look
the employer in the eyes and offer a return greeting similar to, "Nice to meet you." If the
employer mispronounces your name, clearly state your name as you shake his/her hand.
The only thing that you should be carrying is a portfolio with paper and pen. You are
always encouraged to take an extra copy of your resume with you for all interviews. For
on-site interviews, women may also carry a small, professional looking purse.
As you enter the interview room, wait for the employer to indicate where you should
be seated. After the employer is seated, it is your cue to also take a seat. During the
interview, remember to practice good nonverbal skills:
Sit up straight with your shoulders back and hands resting in your lap. Never cross
your finger and hands, as it indicates that you lack confidence and keeping things
to the chest.
Place both feet on the floor.
Maintain eye contact to demonstrate interest and enthusiasm.
Use limited hand gestures to emphasize key point.
Be aware of nervous movements such as tapping of your foot or playing with a
ring.
Try to smile when responding to questions (when appropriate); a smile will indicate
confidence and enthusiasm.
Try to relax; you will find that you are better able to respond to questions if you
simply relax a little.
Answer question as best you can
If needed , pause for thought
Ask for clarification
Say in the moment
Never lie, about anything
Don’t name a number first
Illegal questions
136
Dressing:
The way in which you dress for your interview will tell the employer about your
professional savvy and, in some cases, will be one of the factors an employer will take into
account in evaluating you as a candidate. Also, by dressing professionally, you will appear
more mature and seasoned.
Two-piece business suit (navy or other dark color).
Consistent look: avoid wearing a business suit with sandals or sneakers.
Well-groomed hair: avoid unusual styles or color.
Minimal cologne or perfume.
No visible body art: cover tattoos with clothing if possible.
Breath mints, use one before greeting the recruiter.
No visible body piercing (other than earrings for women)
Women:
White, off-white, or neutral-colored blouse with a conservative neckline.
Suit i.e. salawar kameez or saree is the right fit.
No ill-fitting (short, tight, clingy, or slit) skirts.
Avoid open-toe strappy high heels, sandals, or shoes with decorations.
Conservative nail polish, avoid unusual colors, e.g., blue or green
Understated makeup
Small stud earrings instead of dangling or oversized earrings
Long hair pulled back in a neat, simple style. No "big hair" or elaborate styles
Men
Long-sleeved shirt in white or light blue.
Conservative necktie in terms of color and pattern. Avoid cartoon characters, less-
than-serious graphics, or theme ties.
High-fitting dark socks. Avoid light colored socks with a dark suit.
Business-style leather shoes.
Matching shoe and belt color. Do not mix black and brown.
Briefcase or portfolio, no backpack
Tips for interview:
137
Shake hands firmly.
Look the employer in the eye when you are talking.
Speak clearly, don't mumble.
If you need time to think before answering, take time. Stick to the subject at hand,
which are the job and your skills related to it.
Don't fidget in your seat and otherwise show nervousness with your body.
Don't take notes during the interview.Don't complain about a former boss or co-
worker. By complaining in this way, you're likely to make the employer think that
you are hard to get along with.
Don't ask about salaries, sick leaves, pensions, vacations, or benefits on the first
interview
Don't exaggerate, state the facts.
Getting Comfortable with a Style of Speech
“Once you’ve drafted your script, you need to read it aloud—both to check for any
awkward spoken language and to help gauge an interview’s duration.” Once you’ve drafted
your script, you need to read it aloud—both to check for any awkward spoken language
and to help gauge an interview’s duration. If there are multiple interviewers, make sure
everyone can comfortably read the script out loud.
Ideally, after a few read through, you’ll start to remember the question sequence.
This familiarity lets you follow whatever natural path a conversation takes—jumping
around from topic to topic—but still get full coverage of your questions by looping back
smoothly. Mastering this semi-structured approach enables you to follow up on responses
with deeper probes, while avoiding your unintentionally skipping questions or losing your
place in the script.
The Interview Process:
The first interview you will encounter is called a screening interview. It may take
place on campus (through the On-campus Interview Program), at a job fair, or at the
employer's office. This type of interview generally lasts 30 minutes to one hour. The
purpose of the screening interview is to separate unqualified applicants from qualified ones.
An invitation for a second interview may be offered in a few days from the screening
interview or it may take up to four weeks. Usually, only a small percentage of candidates
will be invited back for the second interview.
138
The second interview is an in-depth interview conducted at the site of the
organization. It may last anywhere from one hour to two days. Some employers may even
call you back three or four times before making a decision regarding your candidacy.
Through your research, you should be able to identify three to five skills that you
believe the employer will seek in a successful candidate. With this in mind, carefully
consider your background and qualifications. Do not assume that the interviewer will
appreciate your qualifications by reading your resume.
Having carefully prepared for this moment, you should approach the interview
with confidence. Each interview will be different; some interviews will be very structured
and formal while others may be casual and informal. Interviewing styles will vary. Do not
become overly concerned if the person who is interviewing you asks difficult questions;
try to remain calm and respond to all questions in a positive manner.
The interview generally consists of five interrelated stages: introduction and
icebreaker; verifying information and asking questions; responding to your questions;
closing the interview and decision-making.
The first stage is a basic introduction and "ice breaker". The interviewer will try to
establish rapport with you by talking about an unrelated topic such as the weather. Keep
all of your comments positive, even if the weather is terrible that day; the employer will
have concerns if you start off complaining about small, insignificant events.After a few
minutes of introduction, the employer will begin asking questions and verifying
information from your resume. As each question is posed, take a moment to consider your
answer. Try not to look up at the ceiling or down at the floor as you consider your reply.
Start your response in a positive note; be careful not to start with "um" or another verbal
filler. Be sure to provide specific examples of accomplishments to demonstrate skills.
Always speak in first person when describing the situation. Whenever possible, try
to articulate the value of the experience in terms of how the experience has prepared you
for the position for which you are interviewing. Do not be overly concerned if the
interviewer is taking notes during the interview process. Keep your composure and try to
keep your eyes level so that when the employer looks up, you will have eye contact.
Before each interview, you should carefully prepare two or three questions based
on your research. This is not the time to ask questions concerning salary or benefits. You
may ask about trends in the field or ask for clarification on information that you have read.
139
If you do not have any questions for the employer, he/she may think that you are not
interested. Following your questions, you may take a minute to summarize your interests
and qualifications
After the interview, the employer will assess your qualifications and determine "fit"
between you and the position. This is also a time for you to evaluate your interest in the
position. Immediately following your interview, take time to write down questions you
were asked, general impressions, and questions that you may now have as result of the
interview. Also, evaluate your interviewing skills and consider ways you can improve for
your next interview. Remember to send a thank you letter to the employer within 24 hours.
The Second round of Interview:
Very few employment offers are made after a screening interview. Before an offer
is extended, an employer will generally require a second interview. Being invited for a
second interview indicates that the employer has sincere interest in you as a candidate;
however, it does not mean that a job offer is pending. Again, it is your responsibility to
prepare for the interview and do your best to market your skills and abilities. Before
accepting the invitation, carefully assess your interest in the organization. Only accept an
invitation for a second interview if you have an interest in the organization.
A second interview may last from one hour to two full days; the most typical
interviews last from four to six hours. If the interview is within driving distance, be sure to
confirm directions and parking instructions. If your second interview necessitates long
distance travel, a company representative will generally make airline and hotel
arrangements for you. Be sure to ask this representative if other expenses, such as meals,
will be prepaid or if you should plan on paying for these expenses and submitting receipts.
Before your interview, you should receive a schedule which includes the names and
titles of the people with whom you will meet. If you do not receive a schedule, you should
call and ask for this information. Be sure to know the name of the person for whom you
should ask when you arrive on site. Plan to arrive 15 minutes early so you can check your
appearance and collect your thoughts prior to the start of your interviews. As always,
politely greet the receptionist or others you may meet while waiting on your interview.
Throughout the course of the day, you may meet with a number of different
employees. Pay close attention to their names and titles. A title may help you understand
140
the type of response that particular individual is seeking. You should prepare for the second
interview just as you prepared for the screening interview: thoroughly review your research
on the organization, gathering additional information if possible, and be prepared to
demonstrate a match between your qualifications and the position. Good communication
skills are very important at this stage.
Waiting
The interview was wonderful (you thought) and the interviewer said she would get
in touch with you (but that was four weeks ago) and you are going crazy! Waiting can
cause stress and anguish. You need to remember that no one makes you wait without a
reason. Before you panic, try to recall if the interviewer indicated the time frame for
selection. It may be weeks or a month before an employer is able to get back with you
regarding a decision. If you do not hear from the interviewer in the time frame discussed
follow up with a phone call to inquire about the status of your application.
Common reasons for a delay in response from an employer include:
You are on a second list and the employer is still following up with the first list.
Depending on the percentage of acceptances from the first list, the employer may
invite you for a second interview.
The employer is interviewing all possible sources and it is taking longer than
anticipated.
Office emergencies, that have nothing to do with you, are requiring immediate
attention.
If you have any questions about the "right" thing to do or if you are feeling anxious, talk
with Executive Search Executive.
Preparing for Success:
“Interviewing well is not easy, but it’s a learnable skill—and it’s vital to get it right.
”Lauded basketball coach Bobby Knight once said, “The will to succeed is important, but
what’s more important is the will to prepare.”
141
Your first step should always be finessing everything that’s within your control
before the interview—the problem, people, presence, phrasing, and so on. It helps to create
moments that are conducive to reflection and the sharing of relevant information.
Sample Interview Questions:
1. What is your greatest strength?
2. What is your greatest weakness?
3. If you and all the other potential employees had the same background in education
and experience what would make me hire you over the others?
4. If you were hiring somebody for this position, what qualities would you look for?
5. Are you more comfortable working as a part of a team or individually?
6. Why are you leaving your current Job? Tell me about a situation where something
went very wrong and how you handled the situation?
Best Advice:
Stay positive in all your answers.
Promote your skills.
Watch your body language.