Read the following passage carefully and then answer the questions on it.
Returning home after a decade-and-half abroad, our geography master remained incurably addicted to foreign ways and ideas for years after landing here. He would for ever stick to his theory of Africans suffering ring from a curse inflicted on them by the Almighty God for some heinous sins committed centuries ago. He would in support of this theory ask listeners: Why would our mosquito inflict deadly malaria on us whereas the British mosquito does not bite? Why aren’t there poisonous snakes in Britain whereas here most snakes are deadly? Why should the deadly sickle cell disease be peculiar to the black race?
Of course. he hardly waits for answers to these and similar questions before jumping to the same inevitable conclusion. However, he met his match one day when a new student joined the class and heard the litany we were used to. The new boy calmly said. “Sir, I happen to know a few white men who suffer from the sickle cell disease: some are Italians and some are Spanish. The mosquito is equally deadly in India, South-east Asian countries and South America. The United States and some other South American countries have their deadly snakes. And. Sir. I know many white men: some of them British, who would prefer our brilliant sunshine to their horribly cold winter”. And he sat down.
I had never before that day. seen our master so consumed with anger. He directed a burning look at the poor boy, who had no answer to this new battle. Without as much as saying a single word. the master stalked out of the classroom. Needless to say, our anger was turned on the new boy who had decided to rock the boat without taking the time to sound the water. A delegation was sent to the master to apologize to him. He was appeased. But we all noticed something rather unusual thereafter. Never again did he dwell on the issue of Africans being the accursed people.
(a) What point of view is the Geography master fond of advancing?
(b) Mention the three arguments he used to support view.
(c) What extra argument did the new boy offer countering each of the master’s points?
(d) Why do you think the master fought back with his look rather than with further argument?
(e) “. . rock the boat” (i) What figure of speech is this expression?
(f) “who had no answer to this new battle, ” (i) What is the grammatical name given to the above expression? (ii) What is its function in the passage?
(g) For each of the following words, find another word or phrase that means the same and can replace it as it is used in the passage: (i) addicted to: (ii) heinous: (iii) inevitable: (iv)brilliant: (v)stalked:
Explanation
(a) The Geography master is fond of advancing the theory that Africans were suffering from a curse placed on them by God for their sins.
(b)(i) African mosquitoes cause malaria while British mosquitoes do not bite
(ii) There are deadly i snakes n Africa while snakes in Britain are not poisonous
(iii) Sickle cell is only found in Africa
(c) White men (British) prefer Africa's brilliant weather to their cold weather
(d) He knew he had lost his argument or He had no answer to the boy's confrontation or argument
(e) (i) Metaphor (ii) Caused trouble
(f) (i) Relative clause (ii) It qualifies the noun "boy"
(g)(i)Addicted to - used to, fond of, given to (ii) heinous - terrible, atrocious, grievous,
(iii) inevitable - expected, familiar, unavoidable
(iv) brilliant - bright, pleasant, warm (v) Stalked - stormed, walked stiffly