Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
Mr Cissey pulled on his trousers very hurriedly and dragged himself to the veranda. He was bent on getting to his office beforehis workers. The previous day, he had reprimanded his staff for regularly coming to work late, and threatened to give the sack to any of them who would repeat the offence. Today, he must get to work in time not only to serve as a role model but also to show that he really meant what he had said.
He managed to squeeze himself behind the wheel of his car which was at least two sizes too small to accommodate his paunch. He inserted the ignition key and turned it but the car would not start; the engine just grumbled. On the second attempt, it coughed and finally roared to life on the third. It moved grudgingly to the gate and stopped. Cissey immediately realised that he would be caught in a traffic jam. It was evident that he would arrive at his workplace late.
For about two hours, Cissey just sat, glued to his seat, fuming. Hard as he tried to control his temper, the misbehaviour of other drivers once prompted him to bawl at them. Then suddenly, after the interminable wait, the street cleared and Cissey sped off. It was almost three hours after leaving home that he got to his workplace. The staff were already there and when he entered the building, he found his secretary and the clerical staff apparently immersed in their assignments, with an air of dutifulness. One look at their boss warned them that they had better keep quiet to save their skin. But as soon as he closed the door to his office he heard soft voices mumbling words he could not understand. Worst of all, he heard subdued laughter from his secretary.
Cissey immediately shot out of the chair ready to vent his spleen on these underlings but suddenly plopped bac into his seat. On second thoughts, he changed his mind. How could he castigate them for what they had not caused?
(a) Why was Mr Cissey in a hurry to get to his office?
(b) What two indications are there in the passage that Mr Cissey was a huge man?
(c) How did Mr Cissey express his anger while caught in the traffic?
(d) Why did Mr Cissey become angry with his staff?
(e) What was the attitude of the staff towards their boss?
(f) .,,when he entered the building … What grammatical name is given to this expression as it is used in the passage? (ii) What is its function?
(g) How could he castigate them for what they had not caused? What literary device is used in the expression above?
(h) What is meant by the expression vent his spleen in the last paragraph?
(i) 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) reprimanded (ii) evident (iii) prompted (iv) interminable (v) immersed (vi) subdued.
Explanation
(a) To be there before his staff OR To show an example of punctuality OR To dismiss those who would come late.
(b) (i) He squeezed himself behind the wheel. (ii) He had a paunch.
(c) He shouted (bawled) at the other drivers and fumed.
(d) They laughed at him and mumbled.
(e) They feared him/fear.
(f)(i)Adverbial clause (of time). (ii) Modifies (the verb) "found".
(g) Rhetorical question. (h) Show his anger. (I)(i) reprimanded - scolded, rebuked, chided (ii) evident - clear, obvious (iii) prompted - caused, forced, led, provoked (iv) interminable- (very) long, unending, endless, prolonged. (v) immersed - buried, absorbed, engrossed, engulfed (vi) subdued - stifled, suppressed, restrained, repressed, muffled.