English exam, help me!

[Madmarv]

hello there

So I'm a pretty good english-talking person comparing to being my 3rd language, 1st arabic and second hebrew, have already done the the course of english advance 1, twice, because I changed subjects and colleges, passed them with great success, over 90, and now I'm doing the very basic course of english (I can pass on this course btw, but the principle told me to do it just to get a very high mark and raise my average ...) so I've done the first course and took around 98, now I've done the second course, and the teacher have given me 67!! I was like, WTF? I fineshed the first student in class, I didn't bring a dictionary with me unlike the rest of the class, and I take this mark? so I opened the exam file that was scanned to computer and uploaded the college's website, and I saw that the teacher was pretty unfair with me and believed I should take atleast over 80 ... the rest of the mistakes were cause by lack of knowledge in the electronics field.

So, I told him to look again at my exam I'm sure he've done few mistakes there, he did it, and he is STILL on his decision ... he even told me that his word is undisputed and next time I doubt his answers I should get a lawyer with me (LOL) and come check the exam with him and the principle ... I was really offended when he said that and it was infront of lots of students, I didn't want to make him look stupid so I just kept silenced.

So I turn to you regarding few questions, if you have the time ofcourse its a very easy exam except that the terms of electronics can be a bit unfamiliar to some of you.

1. The word "In close proximity" in the second paragraph means: Adjacent (my answer).

2. Another word means "extremely important" in the first paragraph: there was only 2 - 3 adjective in there, and those were: simple, inexpensive, and invaluable. there were also "basic circuit ..." and useful. So I choose invaluable (it slept my mind the "in" means the opposite) and answered with "Invaluable". However if the answer is "valuable" then this was a tricky question to me, because the word is not valuable, but its invaluable.

3. The equipment is portable because:
a. it is operated by a transistor
b. it does not require external power supply
c. its current drain is no more than 15ma
d. it needs a 9 v power supply.

I choose b, but the correct answer was d ...... why would something be portable because it needs 9 v power supply? I'm sure my disk-on-key is also portable and it doesn't need 9 v, I believe that what makes a thing portable is that it doesnt require an external power supply, if i'm wrong about this please explain a little bit ty.

Another question that cost me 10 marks!
the correct answer to it was: (copied from the text)
"The circuit is simple and inexpensive and therefore and will therefore be invalubale for ...."
my answer was:
"the circuit is simple and cheap and useful for ...."
Well maybe because I slept only 3 hours that night and were solving pretty fast, I made believe that invaluable meant actually very important, rather than the opposite. Shouldn't he like, gave me atleast 5 points out of 10 on this? he's not strict with anybody this is not a big major engineering course, its just english for practical engineering that is done to 1st year students ... which means he should be a little bit easy with the students (and he was, except not with me at all in this one ...)

Sorry for the big thread and hope to get some answers before I bring this to the principle and make big out of it thank you all for your time.

[ProudAndZionist]

Good luck dude! We can talk on MSN too.

[Ulli]

I am the wrong address, because I feel that my English skills are not sufficient to help you. But Chaim speaks a very clear English and his words are everytime grammatical thought-out. I will notify him. 

[Madmarv]

Thanks very much, I wish I could upload the exam file so you can download it, but I'm afraid there are some certain information there that might not be allowed to be shared online! if you know what I mean ... :\

And proudandzionist, dude, read the whole thread not just the title lol

[Rubystars]

"In close proximity to" is wrong, even though people use it that way all the time. It's still grammatically incorrect. You should either say "close to" or "in proximity to".

For example:

Melissa stood close to her friends at the concert, so she could hear what they were trying to tell her over the loud sound of the music.

I walked in proximity to the mosque today so I could laugh at them as I passed.

Invaluable and valuable basically mean the same thing, like flammable and inflammable mean the same thing. English is weird like that. Invaluable basically means something is very valuable (in other words, priceless). That means that something is so valuable that you can't put a value on it easily, it's irreplaceable, very valuable. For example the Mona Lisa, or Guernica, are invaluable paintings.

B was the right answer about portable. Portable just means you can pick stuff up and move it around. If something has batteries and doesn't need to be attached to a wall, (in other words, doesn't require an outside power supply) then it's more portable.

fast, I made believe that invaluable meant actually very important, rather than the opposite.

You were right, it does mean very important as I explained above.

[Madmarv]

The basic DIP assembly can exhibit three types of failure mechanisms -
two adjacent switches can be shorted together, a switch in the closed
position may not be touching its respective terminal, or a switch in
the open position may be touching its respective terminal. the switch
tester can test for the first-two failure mechanisms simultaneously
in 16-pin devices as well as detect complex combinations of the two.

got any better synonym?

[Rubystars]

Which word do you need a synonym for?

[Madmarv]

Which word do you need a synonym for?

In close proximity

[Rubystars]

Which word do you need a synonym for?

In close proximity

nearby
or
adjacent to

[Madmarv]

Which word do you need a synonym for?

In close proximity

nearby
or
adjacent to

I know that but the teacher have marked my answer as incorrect, I posted the second paragraph above I couldn't find any other synonyms to  "in close proximity" except "adjacent" in that paragraph ... wierd ...
and is my reference to "portable devices" right or wrong?

[Rubystars]

I think you were right about the portability. Your teacher might need some English classes. As I already said, "In close proximity" is not correct to begin with, so the test is in poor English.

[Madmarv]

I think you were right about the portability. Your teacher might need some English classes. As I already said, "In close proximity" is not correct to begin with, so the test is in poor English.

Exactly, I agree ... and the wierd thing how he approached to me if he can't be wrong, as if his word is god's word ... I hate it when teachers do that ...

[Rubystars]

I think you were right about the portability. Your teacher might need some English classes. As I already said, "In close proximity" is not correct to begin with, so the test is in poor English.

Exactly, I agree ... and the wierd thing how he approached to me if he can't be wrong, as if his word is G-d's word ... I hate it when teachers do that ...

Why don't they have someone who has English as a first language teaching it? They might still get some stuff wrong, because grammar has gone downhill a lot, but they probably would understand more than that teacher would.

[muman613]

In close proximity means Located close to something...

This relates to distance...

http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/24/messages/954.html

 : : : : : In the US we often hear "close proximity". The media and other reports attempting to appear serious often use "close proximity". It appears to mean close or near. Questions: are the two words together a bit redundant? Is this just a US thing? Does one ever recall hearing "distant proximity" or "intermediate proximity"?

: : : : I believe "nearby" would be a better choice of words. From these Merriam Webster entries, it looks like you're right about redundancy:

: : : : Main Entry: prox·im·i·ty
: : : : Pronunciation: präk-'si-m&-tE
: : : : Function: noun
: : : : Etymology: Middle French proximité, from Latin proximitat-, proximitas, from proximus
: : : : Date: 15th century
: : : : : the quality or state of being proximate : CLOSENESS

: : : : Main Entry: prox·i·mate
: : : : Pronunciation: 'präk-s&-m&t
: : : : Function: adjective
: : : : Etymology: Latin proximatus, past participle of proximare to approach, from proximus nearest, next, superlative of prope near -- more at APPROACH
: : : : Date: 1661
: : : : 1 : immediately preceding or following (as in a chain of events, causes, or effects)
: : : : 2 a : very near : CLOSE b : soon forthcoming : IMMINENT

: : : "Usually the extra word is redundant, or such compound expressions can be replaced by single words, as shown in italics in the following examples:
: : : in close proximity to ? near..." http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/ess/pubs/guide/gramm/jargon_e.html

: : Is the widespread use of the redundant word just a US thing?

: It was used by a British playwright, librettist and liricist:
: But then the prospect of a lot / Of dull M.P.'s in close proximity, / All thinking for themselves, is what / No man can face with equanimity. (W.S. Gilbert, _Iolanthe_, 1882)

: _Webster's Dictionary of English Usage_ (1989) explains "Of course there are degrees of proximity, and _colse proximity_ simply emphasizes the closeness" and gives a few examples:

: "in very close proximity" (Ken Druse, _N.Y. Times Mag._, 22 June 1980)
: "in closer proximity" (Jane Nickerson, _N.Y. Times Mag._, 27 June 1954)
: "in the closest proximity to" (Richard Jefferies, _The Open Air_, 1885)
: "into close proximity" (Bell Telephone Laboratories, _The Formation of Ferromagnetic Domains_, 1959)

Redundant words are, sadly, pretty common in the UK. Some that spring immediately to mind are;
A free gift
A skin rash - you can't have a rash other than on your skin!
A dead body
I bet there are dozens of others!!

[Rubystars]

What I don't understand is why his teacher is marking questions he got correct wrong and refusing to change them.

[Madmarv]

Can "invaluable" also means "something extremely important that you can't put a price/value on it?" because seriously, I can't find any other word in that paragraph that means "extremely important" ..... -.- except valuable which is not the exact word so wth here .....

[Americanhero1]

Can "invaluable" also means "something extremely important that you can't put a price/value on it?" because seriously, I can't find any other word in that paragraph that means "extremely important" ..... -.- except valuable which is not the exact word so wth here .....

Main Entry: in·valu·able
Pronunciation: \(ˌ)in-ˈval-yə-bəl, -yə-wə-bəl, -yü(-ə)-bəl\
Function: adjective
Etymology: 1in- + value, verb + -able
Date: 1576
: valuable beyond estimation : priceless <providing invaluable assistance>

[Americanhero1]

Can "invaluable" also means "something extremely important that you can't put a price/value on it?" because seriously, I can't find any other word in that paragraph that means "extremely important" ..... -.- except valuable which is not the exact word so wth here .....

Yes

[Madmarv]

Can "invaluable" also means "something extremely important that you can't put a price/value on it?" because seriously, I can't find any other word in that paragraph that means "extremely important" ..... -.- except valuable which is not the exact word so wth here .....

Yes

then my answer to this was right also :S and to the other one, because there is NO OTHER words means extremely important in that paragraph except that one

[Rubystars]

Can "invaluable" also means "something extremely important that you can't put a price/value on it?" because seriously, I can't find any other word in that paragraph that means "extremely important" ..... -.- except valuable which is not the exact word so wth here .....

That's exactly what it means.

[mord]

I think your teacher is embarrassed to admit you know English better then he does

[Madmarv]

Thank you all
Although I did not have doubt in myself before, but after requesting from my teacher to take another look at my exam, and then ANOTHER one, he is still on his dicision, so I thought I better ask someone who talks english fluently or ask an english teacher just to be extremely sure. I said to myself, why not give it a try here first thanks again, I'll go again and talk to the principle with confidence.