Reading passage 1 A.

Raymond Carver wrote several drafts of each of his poems and short stories, cutting everything down to the marrow, not just to the bone. His stories, in particular, bear the traces of unending polish, of putting words in and taking words out. In the lives of most of Carvers characters, history refers to a time when they were better or worse off, happier or unhappier, drinking more or less, than they are now. The narrative method of his early work was situated squarely in the tradition derived from Ernest Hemingway, deploying plain vocabulary, short sentences, the repetition of certain words and phrases, and above all the concealment of essential facts so as to implant a timed explosive in the readers imagination. Carver was Hemingway (most of whose fiction is located abroad) transposed to the blue-collar American margins, populated by men and women who seldom think about the world beyond a land of bad marriages, cramped living rooms, truculent children, and unharnessed addictions of the old-fashioned sort. B. The pleasure of reading Carver, who died in 1988 at the age of fifty, derives partly from his bizarre scenarios and from absurdist dialogue which yet retains the quality of overheard conversation; equally, it comes from pace and phrasing, even paragraphing and punctuation, which the author controls with what are practically musical skills. In the early stories, there is often an ambiguity in a line of speech, or a cloud over the action, which ultimately contributes to the readers thrill of engagement. C. Why Dont You Dance?, the opening story of What We Talk About When We Talk About Love (1981), describes a yard sale and a couples purchase of bed, desk, record player and other items from the old guy who has dragged his house furnishings outside in the hope of raising some cash. Near the end, he and the young woman dance to a dated tune, while her drunken boyfriend lies on the open-air bed, asleep. The girl closed and then opened her eyes. She pushed her face into the mans shoulder. She pulled the man closer. You must be desperate or something, she said. D. Later, relating the experience to friends, She kept talking. She told everyone. There was more to it, and she was trying to get it talked out. After a time, she quit trying. There the story ends. Half a dozen pages long, it is a miniature masterpiece, illustrating the way surreal situations emerges from ordinary life, and how suppression of desire, as much as desire itself, determines fate. E. As the world now knows, the stories in What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, including Why Dont You Dance? were substantially, if not brutally, edited by Gordon Lish, who was Carvers editor first at Esquire magazine, then at McGraw-Hill, publisher of the debut collection Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? (1976), and later at Alfred A. Knopf, which issued the breakthrough book, What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. From the start, critics admired the authors spare manner and his ability to evoke a whole culture and a whole moral condition *in+ the most seemingly slight sketch (Frank Kermode). After that, Carver, in the words of his second wife, literary executor and tireless promoter Tess Gallagher, would come to affect world literature. No exaggeration there. He became one of those writers who are easy to imitate, but perilously so, for no imitation could emulate the authority of the real thing.

F. But what is the real thing? In the original manuscript of Why Dont You Dance? before Lishs blue pencil descended, the girl's sympathetic words to the yard sale vendor, You must be desperate or something, are not uttered while the pair are dancing. The sentence is adapted from an earlier remark she makes to her boyfriend when they first inspect the items for sale. They must be desperate or something. The vendor has yet to make an entrance. It was Lish who changed the words and placed them in her mouth as she pushed her face into the mans shoulder, making it the emotional high point of the narrative. Lish also removed elements of the girls speech as she relates the experience to friends: Oh, my God. Dont laugh. He played records. Look at this phonograph, etc. Overall, however, Lish excised only 9 per cent of the story almost the smallest portion of any in the untitled manuscript that Carver submitted to the publishers. Most of the stories in it were cut by 50 per cent or more, before it was presented to the reading public as What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. Mr. Coffee and Mr. Fixit, originally called Where Is Everyone?, was reduced by 78 per cent in other words, just over a fifth of what Carver wrote survived into the finished book. The same treatment was administered to The Bath, and to a slightly lesser degree (about 70 per cent) to Sacks, After the Denim and So Much Water So Close to Home. G. For many years, Gallagher, in partnership with William L. Stull and Maureen P. Carroll, the editors of Collected Stories, has been campaigning to get the un-Lished version of What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, which they have called Beginners (the original name of the title story), into print. In Gallaghers view, Beginners represents the authentic Carver, the writer she knew and encouraged in the composition of his next book of stories, Cathedral (1983), which displays more abundant narrative talents than Carvers readership had come to expect. Questions You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1 to 14 which are based on Reading Passage 1 Questions 1 to 7 Reading Passage 1 has seven paragraphs A G. From the list of headings below, choose the most suitable heading for each paragraph. Write the appropriate numbers I x in boxes 1 7 on your answer sheet.

List of Headings i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. vii. viii. ix. x. Reduction in length of the stories The search for the original manuscript Raymond Carver: the storyteller Interference of Gordon Lish in Carvers stories Style of Carvers language Editing of Carvers stories An example of Carvers Storytelling Knowledge of a group of editors Carvers Characters Fate and desire in Carvers stories

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Paragraph A Paragraph B Paragraph C Paragraph D Paragraph E Paragraph F Paragraph G

Questions 8 10 Choose the correct letters, A, B, C or D Write your answers in boxes 8 10 on your answer sheet. 8 A. B. C. D. 9 A. B. C. D. 10 A. B. C. D. Carver was compared to Hemmingway because Carver and Hemmingway belonged to the same school of writers. Most of his writings are located abroad. There was a friendship between the two. Carvers stories resemble a lot to Hemmingway. The thing that contributes to the thrill of the readers is The punctuation and paragraphing. Often an ambiguity in a line of speech, or a cloud over the action. The musical skills present in the stories. The quality of overheard conversations. According to Frank Kermode, Carver had the ability to Write picturesque descriptions. Stir up a whole culture and a whole moral condition. Create magic through his punctuation marks. Call up events from real life situations for his stories.

Questions 11 14 Complete each of the following statements (questions 11 14) with the best endings A G from the box below Write the appropriate letters A G in boxes 11 14 on your answer sheet. 11 Gordon Lish, who was Carvers editor first at Esquire magazine

12 13 14

Carvers second wife and literary executor and tireless promoter Tess Gallagher Mr. Coffee and Mr. Fixit, originally called Where Is Everyone? Ernest Hemingway was famous for the tradition of A The concealment of essential facts so as to implant a timed explosive in the readers imagination B Assisted Gallagher in her campaign C Was reduced by seventy eight percent in the finished book D Is a story about a couple who bought some furniture. E Substantially edited the writings of Carver. F Published the books of Carver unedited. G Has been campaigning for the original Carver.

Reading Passage 2 A The Atlantic spread before him like a pool of diamonds, its waves tossing gently in shards of fading bronze light. The young man could not wait to get into the water. As Charles Vansant surveyed the scene, a retriever came up beside him and licked his hand. Charles, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, was enjoying the weekend with his family at Beach Heaven, a resort on the New Jersey shore. He was in love, and looking forward to becoming engaged. His whole life seemed wonderfully arranged. Vansant strode quickly into the shallows. When the water reached his chest, he jack-knifed his body and dived in. There were a few other swimmers splashing and foundering near shore, and Charles quickly swam beyond them. He was strong and moved swiftly into deeper water, the dog following close behind. The young man closed his eyes as his face churned rhythmically into the sharp, cold brine. He felt the rush of coolness along his torso, and his eyes stung with salt water as he stroked with the cadence of the waves. Not far away, the dog kicked with all four legs beneath the surface. The rapid paddling lifted his head above the water and left his shaggy tail floating in a trail of froth. A small crowd on the beach watched Charles as he started to swim beyond the breakers. Among them were his father, Dr Eugene Vansant, a well-to-do doctor, and Charles sister Louise. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, the dog turned back towards the shore. Charles stopped, treaded water, calling out for it to return. But the dog climbed onto the beach and stood on the sand, looking out at the waves. Finally the young man gave up the game and headed back. As he did so, bystanders noticed something odd. A dark fin appeared in the water and began moving towards Charles. Porpoises something rolled in schools parallel to the coast. But this fin was alone and heading swiftly in the direction of the swimmer. People on the beach cried out warnings. But Charles, in the through of the waves, did not appear to hear them. He was close to shore, in no more than 1 metres of water. Safety was at hand. But it was too late. The huge jaws rose from the water, and a white protective

membrane rolled over the creatures eyes. Fifty triangular teeth closed with a pressure of about one tonne per square centimetre on the young mans left leg. E Charles Vansant screamed in mortal agony. On the shore, his father and sister stood transfixed in horror and disbelief. The young man fought valiantly, but his struggle to free himself only tightened the monsters grip on his femoral artery: the great teeth ground down to the bone. Charless sister would later describe how her brother thrashed about in the water. As we rushed towards him, Louis recalled, we could see great quantities of blood. F While Charles fought frantically to save himself, men entered the red-tinged surf to rescue him. The first was Alexander Ott, who showed extraordinary courage by wading into bloodied water where the fish was taking its prey. Gripping Vansant under arms, Ott tried desperately to tow him to shore. He felt a powerful tug in the opposite direction, and faced the horrifying sight of the mammoth fish fastened to Vansants thigh. G The animal and Ott were in a tug of war over the young mans body. The huge creature dwarfed its victim, and pulled against the rescuer with unimaginable strength. More men hurried into the water to help. They succeeded dragging Vansant nearly to the beach, but incredibly the fish followed, its massive conical body scraping the sand. For several seconds the desperate struggle continued. Then, suddenly, the beast released its hold and was gone. A whirl of foam trailed the dark fin as it submerged. Charles Vansant lay crumpled on the beach bleeding profusely.

Questions You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 15 27 which are based on Reading Passage 2 Questions 15 19 Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2? In boxes 15 -19 in your answer sheet write

TRUE FALSE NOT GIVEN 15. 16. 17. 18. 19.

if the statement agrees with the information if the statement contradicts the information if there is no information on this

Vansant was having a holiday at a hill station. Charles Vansant was a college student. Charles Vansant was attacked by a hammerhead shark. He was accompanied by a retriever. He died on spot for the accident.

Question 20 23

Look at the following people (questions 20 23) and the list of statements below. Match each person to the correct statement. Write the correct letter A G in boxes 1 4 on your answer sheet. 20. 21. 22. 23. Charles Vansant Dr Eugene Vansant Alexander Ott Louise

A B C D E F G

Was swimming at the beach Saw the retriever swimming along with him. Dived into the wave to swim with it. Was enjoying at the beach along with Charles. Was the first to see Charles in trouble. Was travelling with his son and daughter. Showed bravery to save the man from the giant killer.

Questions 24 27 Complete the following statements with the correct alternative from the box. Write the correct letter A G in boxes 24 27 on your answer sheet. 24. 25. 26. 27. Charles had no idea of the danger waiting for him in the water Ott was a selfless man because The animal gave in finally because A dark fin appeared in the water

A B C D E F G

There were more men helping Ott to rescue Charles. Charles was a very powerful man. He only thought about other people. He did not care about his own danger while saving Charles. And started moving towards the retriever. Because he did not know about the possible shark attack. And started moving towards Vansant.

Reading Passage 3 A People lose their heads quite often in Hindu mythology. On a fathers whim, a son cuts off his mothers head; demons are decapitated to expel the chaos-threatening poison lurking in their throats; the fidelity of wives and the faith of devotees are tested by beheading; and, in the rituals myth sustains, animals lose their heads to satisfy sacrificial imperatives. But, as Wendy Doniger reassures us in her courageous and scholarly book, in Hindu myth beheading is seldom fatal. Nor is it without meaning and purpose, for decapitation proves a means of achieving a creative fusion between apparently incongruous parts. Heads are restored, but they are also misplaced. Doniger recounts a South Indian tale in which the wife of a sage is sentenced to death by her husband. At the moment of execution, the Brahmin wife, from the highest of castes, embraces a Pariah, a woman from the very lowest of castes, an untouchable, and in the confusion, both women lose their heads. The sage relents, pardons both women and restores their heads, but one woman now bears a Brahmin head on a Pariah body, the other a Pariah head on a Brahmin body. This story is full of the kinds of multiple meanings that flash throughout this fascinating book. In the anxious world of the Brahmin imaginary, it articulates high-caste fears about the confusion of classes, the miscegenation of types that constantly threatens in this mixed-up, decadent age. But the tale also hints at male violence (against women), feminine sympathy (here a cause of calamity) and the misguided authority of a man who, in seeking to restore order, is in fact responsible for creating even greater confusion. The metaphorical transposition of heads sheds light on other issues too. Attempts to uphold the dharmic order through elite Sanskrit texts are repeatedly subverted by the alternative voices of the subordinated and marginalized women, pariahs, tribal people. Reading myths helps reveal the processes by which the Hindu tradition, far from being a timeless monolith, has been enriched by influences from within India (folklore, dissenting religions such as Buddhism and a diversity of regional cultures), as well as from without, including Islam and Christianity. The question is not so much where these disparate elements came from but how, through the infinite inventiveness of the Hindus, they came together and stayed together. The Hindus is, in one way, a celebration of the inventive nature and permissive power of myths. Myths give insight into human dilemmas and fears but they also create, above all in Hinduism, the cultural room and psychological space to imagine an almost infinite range of actions and consequences. Even if many of those possibilities are imagined expressly in order to be denied, they retain the ability to generate new, alternative, sometimes contradictory ideas, as when Ravana in rereadings of the Ramayana is transformed from demon to hero, or the long-suffering Sita becomes a woman with attitude, enlivened by a hint of extramarital desire. Doniger suggests that what myth makes possible in the mind can sometimes inform social behaviour inspiring the oppressed or creating the ideals to which the sati (the devoted wife) subscribes in choosing self-immolation.

Yet the relationship between myth and history is seldom simple. At one level, myths are more than history. Born in a specific time, drawing sustenance from the everyday, they can illuminate the changing material world, and can, as with the rights and status of women, chart significant shifts in social practice. But they can seldom be read simply as raw historical data. Just because people say things, even in seemingly authoritative texts such as the Laws of Manu or the Kama Sutra, does not mean that they practise what they write, or that the events described necessarily happened.

G Myths do not exist just to echo the zeitgeist. As Doniger points out, the Ramayana and Mahabharata were roughly contemporaneous and yield extensive evidence of intertextuality and yet they present very different outcomes: one is triumphalist, the other deeply tragic. And while some texts, such as the songs of female bhakti saints, have a startling openness in their treatment of rape, abortion and abandonment, Doniger is well aware that these critical insights seldom transform society at large.

Questions You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 28 40 which are based on Reading Passage 3. Questions 28 32 The passage has seven paragraphs labelled AG. Which paragraph contains the following information? Write the correct letter A-G in boxes 28-32 on your answer sheet. NB: You may use any letter more than once. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. Mythological stories reflect certain human characteristics with a message. The relationship between history and mythology. Presence of frequent beheading in Hindu mythology. The impact of mythology in common life. The openness of Hindu mythology to other religions.

Questions 33 36 Complete the sentences below with words taken from Reading Passage 3.

Use NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 33-36 on your answer sheet.

33. 34. 35. 36.

Though there are many instances of beheading in Hindu mythology but they are. Above all, myths create and psychological space for imaginations. The Brahmin story denounces the dilemma between . The authoritative texts of mythology are more hypothetical than .

Questions 37 40 Complete the summary of the paragraphs E G below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 37-40 on your answer sheet.

The Hindu mythological texts help us to look through the human 37 . The Hindu myth often creates a scope for the understanding of 38 . Though myths are not direct historical evidences but they refer to the 39 . These myths can hardly deliver a picture of the 40 .