So, ‘lel’ means “transparent lead” in Lithuanian, which is certainly not a reference to “lead crystal”, which is not a term any longer used in Lithuania. In English, ‘lel’ can refer to another element, such as mercury, and it is not a term used in English. Thus, ‘lel’ is not a reference to lead crystal.
I wonder how many onam exam question papers would actually use that one word; probably not too many, since so many students might think it refers to a reference to crystal. I’d imagine many students want to learn about crystals and are trying to memorize what the word ‘crystal’ means; and this one word – plus the one which means ‘lead crystal’ – can cause a great deal of confusion among them.
I’ve never seen any one exam question paper where the student chooses the right term instead of “lel”. Sometimes they are correct, and sometimes they are incorrect. It depends on the way the student reads the passage and the teacher’s instructions.
One student who sat for me in my introductory Chemistry class once said that she wanted to know whether or not she could take the answer sheet and study chemistry in the meantime. She asked me if there was anything in particular that was written in the answer sheet that she should study.I explained to her that the answer sheet was used to answer a very specific and well-defined problem, not to be confused with a matter that was not so well defined. I said that I thought it was perfectly okay to use the word ‘crystal’ because it was a very general term that could be used in any context.
When a student gets all of the correct answers in any course, they know the answer without hesitation; they don’t need more guidance or encouragement. It’s possible for them to understand the term ‘lel’ and learn how to use it without help.
If you choose to read an oral exam question paper, then your main goal should be to understand the material, understand its elements, its meaning, and its connection to the word ‘lel’. If you have any doubts as to the answer, you may need to consult a professor for clarification. Of course, it would be much better if you choose the correct term, but your goal should be to be able to understand the material better.
In that sense, you can even choose the right terms, if the material will allow it. In some classes, all students must write an answer sheet which clearly identifies the material and their answers; if that’s the case, you may be able to write the correct answer without needing the term ‘lel’.
On the other hand, if you chose to use ‘lel’ as your main term, you might not be quite as lucky as you would be if you read an oral exam question paper that uses the correct terms. If you’re uncertain about whether or not the material is ‘clear’, you may not be able to understand the material all that well.
If you’re certain that you have read an oral exam question paper that using the wrong term, you should try to figure out why it was chosen and read the term again. in a little more detail.
I could be completely wrong, and it might turn out that a biology or chemistry student was being questioned about the same material, but for different reasons. so you might find this an interesting exercise. – though you shouldn’t expect to pass with the test if you feel like you’re muddling up your answers!
