1998 WAEC English Language Theory Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.       The most memorable experience…

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.

      The most memorable experience of my life was an incident that occurred some thirty years ago when I was in the fourth form in the secondary school. In those days, the speech-making and prize-giving day was always a great event. It was always a day when the results of the promotion examinations were announced to the students after weeks of suspense. The afternoon commenced with all the students taking their seats in the large hall, and the members of staff, led by the principal, filing in. There were also three guests, each of them an important figure  in the town. The principal and the dignitaries made speeches admonishing the students to work hard in order to attain their goal. Then the prize-giving commenced.

      Soon, it was the turn of my class For the overall best student, my name was called. This was not unexpected, the position having become almost identified with me. Amidst the clapping, I stood up and moved towards the principal whose outstretched hand held a fat book. I was already before him when he peered through his heavy spectacles, surveyed my figure and held back the book. There was a sudden silence. Students were amazed  at this turn of events. Then he explained, “You ‘II have your prize when you pay your outstanding fees.”

      I stood there almost petrified. Had I been warned of this disgrace, I would simply not have stood up let alone bothering to go forward. There I was, the sorry focus of attention I wished my legs would refuse their function but they did no such thing. On the other hand they refused to beat a retreat, at least, for those burning seconds. Then suddenly, spontaneously, the students started clapping and hailing me. Thus, my return journey was more loudly cheered than the outward journey.

      For the prize in English, my name was also called. Of course I sat still but the students hailed on. The prize was kept. For Mathematics, it was the same drama. Somehow the students’ behaviour saved the day for me.

      Poorly clothed, in torn tennis shoes and being a debtor, I was the talk of the school. The little fee I had paid that year was earned through doing menial jobs at weekends, supplemented with donations from some school mates. Father’s financial difficulties had been aggravated by a protracted court case. He had no alternative but to ask me to withdraw from school and look for a job. This I had refused to do.

      I had borne the cross gallantly until that day when the principal’s action threatened to kill whatever courage remained in me. I ordered the tears to gush out to flood my sad face, but the ovations forced the spring to remain dry. I had the loudest ovation that day: the students’ response to my plight was my own prize.

(a) Why were the students usually in suspense before the prize-giving day?

(b) Why was the announcement of the writer’s name as the winner of the best student prize not a surprise?

(c) What two proofs are there in the passage to show that the writer was liked by his school mates?

(d ) Why was his father unable to pay his school fees?

(e) “whose outstretched hand held a fat book” (i) What grammatical name is given to this expression as it is used in the passage? (Ii)What is its function in the sentence?

(f) “/ had borne the cross gallantly . ..”

(i) What figure of speech is this expression?

(ii)What does it mean as it is used in the passage?

(g) For each of the following words, find another word or phrase which means the same and which can replace it as it is used in the passage: (i) memorable (ii) figure (iii) amazed (iv) menial (V) protracted (vi) plight