Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
Of all the banes confronting the economies of developing nations, not in the least in seriousness is inconsistency in policy. Apart from the quite obvious factor of frequent changes of governments in these countries, a phenomenon which invariably tolls the death knell of existing policies each time a government is swept out of office, even stable governments themselves seem to have a knack of modifying policies frequently. A leader of government is often regarded as radical, and hence popular, when he shakes up his cabinet. Such shake-ups often lead to a change of policy.
Quite often, such avoidable changes reflect the shifts in the leaders’ friendship patterns. In the third world countries, a position at the top attracts large number of friends, a phenomenon which engenders keen rivalry for attention among the friends. Back-biting is hence not uncommon, and a favorite who is today regarded with an office may easily get the boot tomorrow.
Besides, the poor economic situation, a common cause of social unrest, brings about frequent changes in policy. An economic policy which does not produce the expected result within a short time is usually thrown out, often with the initiators of the policy. Sadly though the fault lies, not so much with the policy as with factors both within and outside, beyond the operators. The truth here is that failure tends to rush leaders into taking rash actions which result in further damage.
Finally, quite a number of the sharp changes are dictated, or at least influenced, from outside. In a situation where a weak country decides to embrace a stronger one. it has to contend with some dictation from the stronger partner. To reach an agreement with another country necessarily means modifying operations at home in so far as the agreement affects activities at home. For instance, to take a loan from a stronger country is to tailor one’s economic operations to reflect the spirit of the loan agreement.
Frequent changes in policy harm development far more than is realized. Apart from the financial wastage brought about by the sudden abandonment of projects when new rulers assume office, the resulting sense of insecurity scares off foreign investors. Besides, inconsistency of policy hinders the concentration of effort on specific projects. Moreover, the frequent abandonment of projects mid-stream, especially those being executed under international agreements tends to suggest to aid donors and leaders that the beneficiaries are not serious. And potential donors and leaders’ prefer dealing with serious-minded and committed leaders.
(a) In three sentences, one for each, state the factors responsible for frequent changes in policy.
(b) In three sentences, one for each, state the results of the frequent changes in policy.
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
What is efficient reading? Basically, it involves the ability to read through a passage fairly quickly and the ability to understand what has been read. It is a mark of intellectual immaturity to hold on to a passage for hours without being able to make meaning out of it. Also. it is a mark of bad reading not to be able to recall and discuss what has been read.
The foregoing has however put the issue rather too simply. The ability to read through a passage at a good rate can be attained only after a mastery of the grammatical structures of the language. Without a sound mastery of words and how they function under various situations, and understanding how sentences are generated, one cannot read even the simplest passage efficiently. Rather, failure would ever dog one’s footsteps.
Considering the issue from another perspective, merely mastering the vocabulary and structure of the language is not enough. The reader’s frame of mind is equally important. Think of a man who is disturbed by the death of a dear one. Such a man would not be able to concentrate on the reading task. If the death, of the dear one is still fresh, he might read through a passage several times without understanding it. On the other hand. if the reader is too excited, he might not be able to concentrate, Take the case of a man who has just read in the newspaper that he has won a handsome sum of money. If he has to read a passage, he may not be able to concentrate.
Furthermore, the physical state of the body affects one’s ability to read efficiently. So also does the presence or absence of distractions. This is why it is best to read when the body is still fresh and in a place far from noise and other distractions.
(a)According to the passage what is efficient reading?
(b) State any two language skills that are essential for efficient reading?
(c) State any two other factors that affect a reader’s understanding of a passage.
(d) The reader’s frame of mind” (i) What grammatical name is given to describe the above expression? (ii) What is its function in the sentence?
(e) What figure of speech is the expression ‘failure would ever dog ones footsteps’?
(f) For each of the following words, find another word or phrase that means the same and can replace it as used in the passage:
(i) immaturity (ii) sound (ii) generated (iv) perspective (v) handsome.
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
We are today faced with a great ecological problem for which we are largely responsible. The planet Earth, the only home of man is bathed in a steady rain of the sun’s rays. Most of these rays supply us heat and light, but a small percentage is deadly. These are the ultraviolet- B rays (or UV -B). If these were to get to the surface of the earth directly, they would kill us off. Luckily, the earth’s surface is shielded from these rays by the ozone layer; but sadly enough this ozone layer is being destroyed by man. The ozone layer is formed from a kind of oxygen with three atoms ( \(O_{3}\) ) instead of the normal two (\(O_{2}\) ).
Ozone occurs naturally in the stratosphere, several kilometres above the earth’s surface. It absorbs the dangerous UV-B rays but allows the much needed and safe light to pass through. There in the stratosphere, it is constantly being created by the sun’s rays; thus it is a self-repairing shield. But man is now gradually destroying this vital shield with his industrial gases. The most lethal of these gases are the chlorofluorocarbon, or CFC, which are used in making all kinds of foamed plastic products, propellants in spray cans, coolants in air conditioners and refrigerators and solvents to clean electronic equipment.
Down here, they are not lethal. But after they have leaked from air conditioners, plastic foam, cups, etc, they slowly drift up to the stratosphere where, bombarded by ultraviolet rays, they break up at last, releasing chlorine,the real ozone killer. Sadly, one chlorine molecule may remain active for a century, destroying thousands of ozone molecules.
(a) What is the greatest ecological problem which man faces today?
(b)(i) What is the ozone layer made of? (ii) Where is it normally found?
(c) Describe the importance of the ozone layer.
(d) How is man destroying the ozone layer?
(e) Give the name of a gas specifically mentioned as very dangerous to the ozone layer.
(f) What kind of figurative expression is: The planet, Earth, the only home of man, is bathed in a steady rain of the sun’s rays?
(g) hi are used in making all kinds of foamed plastic products
(i) What grammatical name is given to this expression?
(ii) What is its function in the sentence?
(h) For each of the following words, find another word or phrase that means the same and can replace it as used in the passage:
(i) shielded (ii) absorbs (iii) vital (iv) lethal; (v)active.
Write an article for publication in a national newspaper discussing the causes and consequences of the excessive desire for material wealth among Nigerians.
You were among a group of students from your school who went on an excursion to places of interest in your country. Narrate to your classmates who did not go what you saw in at least two of the places visited and how you have benefited from the experience.
You had a quarrel with a very good friend of yours some time ago and since then both of you have not been on speaking terms. Write a letter to him or her expressing your regret at the break in your relationship and your desire for a reconciliation
A foreign magazine has requested articles on some traditional ceremonies of your people. Write your contribution describing any one ceremony such as marriage, funeral or child-naming.
The performance of your country in a recent international sports competition has generated a lot of comments. Write a letter to the editor of one of your national newspapers discussing the, factors responsible for the level of performance and the lessons that should be learnt.
You are the chief speaker in a debate on the topic: ‘Female children are more beneficial than male children to their parents’. Write out your speech for or against the motion.
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
Every child, whether he comes to his family by birth or adoption, discovers what a family is through the experiences family life. The new-born infant has no way of knowing which of the many faces that hover above him belongs to a parent. He has no way of knowing what a parent is. He only knows that he is comfortable or uncomfortable, hungry or satisfied Gradually, as the months-go by, he begins to know who brings comfort when he is uncomfortable and food when he is hungry. He comes to know the feel of the arm that holds him close when he eats and holds him safe in his bath. He knows the voice that soothes him and sings to him. He grows to know who responds to his needs when he cries out. This is the special person in the whole strange new world who belongs specially to him This is his first recognition of a parent.
The mother and father who care for a child, who listen for his voice and try to interpret what he means, who comfort him, feed him and play with him discover for the first time what it is to be parents. They do not become parents by virtue of conception and birth alone. They grow to be parents just as the infant grows to recognize them as such. They corn’ to know the developing personality of their child in a way that no other person really can. They recognize whether he is i a lusty eater or a nibbler: vivacious or reserved: adventurous or cautious. By observing his intellectual and physical abilities, they also get to know what he may become in future. They are concerned with meeting his needs and wants: and fostering his growth to maturity.
Sometimes because of their responsibility to their child, parents have to do unpleasant things. They have for instance, to take him for injections. He can have no choice about taking medicine when he is ill. He must learn quickly and not necessarily at his own pace, that fire is not a play-thing. In the intimacies of daily living, the child and the parents learn the bitter and the sweet of family relations. It is through the experiences of family life that a child and his parents grow to be a family. For every parent, biological or adoptive, it is the daily loving care of the child and his responsiveness that build up the parents’ feelings. For every child, it is being loved and being cared for that produce family closeness.
(a) In two sentences, state how the new-born infant perceives his environment.
(b) In one sentence, say what an infant first learns about its parents.
(c) In two sentences, say what parents learn about their child as he grows up.
(d) In one sentence, summarize what a responsible parent often has to do in the interest of the child.
Read the following passage carefully and then answer the questions on it.
We are interested in the various kinds of injury that can occur in road traffic accidents, how to prevent them and their first aid management. Most of us have probably witnessed one form of road traffic accident or another. The universal reaction of eye-witnesses is panic as they rush to the scene and stand there looking in dismay. Road traffic accidents are great crowd-pullers as everyone wants to stop and have a look. However, the three most useful things you can do if you are at the scene of a road traffic accident are to assist in the rescue of the trapped victims; to render first aid treatment to victims; and to help in conveying injured people to the nearest hospital.
Road traffic accidents have a great potential for causing injury to the human body. The high velocity at which the motor vehicle is travelling the sudden deceleration on impact and the hard rigid nature of the motor-car body, all contribute to increase the potentials of injury Probably. the most risk-laden road traffic accidents are those which involve motor-cyclists as they d. o not have a solid motor-car body to protect them from the direct impact of an oncoming vehicle on the road.
Road traffic accidents involving motor-cyclists are the cause of high mortality as the human skull is often fractured on impact with the hard surface of the road. Road traffic accidents involving cars and their passengers can cause some serious problems as the wreckage of the i car may trap some people inside. This may mean that the crumpled car body needs-to be cut away before the victims can be saved. If the road accident results in a fire, then this can be disastrous as the fire will prevent rescuers from i coming near, thus resulting in the quick demise of the victims from burns. This is why every car-driver must possess a fire extinguisher in his vehicle. This little device may save lives in some situations.
(a) What, according to the writer, do eye-witnesses usually do as soon as an accident occurs?
(b) What three things does he suggest that eye-witness. es should do. ?
(c) Mention two of the factors that can increase injuries during accidents.
(d) Why are motor-cyclists risk when accidents occur?
(e) Why does the writer suggest that every car-driver should have a fire extinguisher in his vehicle?
(f) “If the road accident results in a fire…” (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) universal: (ii) conveying: (iii) velocity: (iv) potentials: (v) disastrous:
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:
A vehicle in which you were travelling was involved in an accident and several passengers including yourself were injured. Describe to sympathizers. who have come to visit you in hospital how the accident happened and what followed.
You have received information that your brother, who is schooling in another part of the country, is playing truant and keeping bad company. Write a letter warning him of the consequences of such behaviour and urging him to turn over a new leaf.
You have noticed a general decline in the level of discipline and morality in your society. In an article suitable for publication in a national newspaper, discuss some instances of this decline and its probable causes; and suggest ways in which the trend can be reversed.
During the last holidays, you had the opportunity to travel to another state and to witness some of the traditional festivals in the area. In an article suitable for publication in your school magazine, describe one of these festivals.
Write a letter to the Commissioner for Agriculture in your state deploring the low level of food production in the state and suggesting measures which the government should take to ensure that there is sufficient food for all.
Narrate to your classmates an experience you have had or heard about which illustrates the saying: “You reap what you sow”
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
We have often heard students making wild assertions that the public examining bodies are their worst enemies. Some, in fact, see the officials of these public examining bodies as wicked souls scheming day and night to devise ways of failing them. How correct are these assertions? The facts will speak for themselves.
The task of setting an examination paper begins long before the examination day. Indeed. months or years before then, seasoned experts in the-various subjects are given the teaching and examination syllabuses and requested to set questions. These are compiled for subsequent scrutiny. Then a second set of experts is invited to examine the questions critically, make necessary modifications and come up with questions that conform with acceptable standards. The result of this exercise is a set of polished and unambiguous questions that are very fair to those being examined. These questions are then securely stored.
The next stage is the registration of candidates This stage involves not just the examining body, but also the candidates, their parents. their teachers. principals and some other members of the public. This is so because apart from the candidate having to fill in the forms. his principal has to endorse them while the parents have to provide the registration fee. Any mistake or inaction on the part of any of these may ruin the candidates chances. If, for instance, the candidate makes a mistake in his choice of subjects or in completing his forms or if the principal does not forward the registration fee at the right time. his chances in the examination may be jeopardized.
Next is the conduct of the examination itself. Again. more officials from outside the examining body than from within it are involved. Think of the supervisors. the invigilators, and even the security officials. They are definitely more in number than the staff of the examining body and any one of them could take an action that might result in the failure of candidates. Take the invigilator for instance If he is negligent candidates could swap answer scripts under his very nose; and when this is detected by the markers, as it often is. the results of the candidates may be cancelled.
Probably, the most hated person to the candidates is the marker whom they, in their ignorance, regard as a wicked drunkard who delights in failing candidates. What candidates do not realize is that an examiner is trained to score points strictly according to a carefully prepared marking scheme from which he must not deviate it is his constitution. Besides, his work is consistently checked by his team leader and the chief examiner. Should he be discovered to have marked inaccurately, he could be removed. So, contrary to candidates’ opinion. the examiner is a seasoned teacher, a careful scorer, a person always on his guard.
The final stage comes with the collation of results. This stage is mainly computerized, and computers do not make mistakes. A candidate’s results may not be processed if he is involved in a malpractice, has used a wrong examination number or no number at all, or if he fails to write all the papers that make up a subject. So. when a result is withheld, the fault is mostly that of the candidate.
How then should we view the activities of the public examining bodies? Definitely, we should view them with understanding, sympathy and appreciation.
(a) In one sentence, summarize the writer’s purpose in this passage.
(b) In two sentences, one for each, state how the actions of the candidate and the invigilator can jeopardize the candidate’s chances of success.
(c) In three sentences, one for each summarize the steps taken by examining bodies to ensure that candidates are given a fair chance of success.
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
A candidate in an examination hall is a close cousin of the boxer in the ring. Both are fighting for a prize or, at least, for some champion is like commendation. Their goal is to win, and victory brings fame while failure leads to disaster and frustration. Each victory paves the way fora promotion up the ladder, and the higher one climbs the more exposed to the public glare one gets. A worid boxing a Nobel Prize winner among academics; each is at the apex of his career, but the route to that position can be tortuous and rough. The examination candidate is not a very normal person for the simple reason that he is under severe pressure. Although he is alert and his pulse is fast, he is liable to commit elementary errors without knowing.
Thus, he may repeat or omit one word, miss the spelling of another, or interchange the positions of two words. If he reads over, which he hardly ever does, he may see what was originally in his brain rather than what is on paper. So, most errors escape him. More alert than at ordinary times though his brain maybe, it can play funny tricks in the examination hall. Thus, while struggling with the question, he may suddenly recall an old joke or a long forgotten and obscure incident. Right there in the examination hall, while his pen is dancing furiously on the paper, the candidate may remember a beautiful tune as if his mind is saying: “Forget this task, enjoy some music.”
Happily, these do not usually disrupt the exercise at hand: the task goes on while the candidate may smile to himself at the strange recall of the joke or music.
The brain can play a different type of trick. A fact long stored up and remembered a short while before the examination can suddenly evaporate. All attempts to recall it may prove unsuccessful. Usually, till the paper ends, the fact remains elusive only to resurface much later when not needed.
The candidate does not fare better in an oral examination. His problems are heightened by the fact that his fate depends entirely on the examiner’s assessment of him rather than what he writes down himself. The facial appearance of the examiner is also a strong factor since a stern, unsmiling examiner can be intimidating.
Yet, an examination candidate need not be frightened. He needs all the calmness he can muster. He should sleep soundly before the exercise trusting that all the preparations he made earlier will not fail him at the hour of need. The fact is that one forgets more when one is tired, especially when one panics unnecessarily.
(a) In what two ways is an examination candidate similar to a boxer?
(b) Identify two direct results of pressure on the candidate.
(c) Give two examples of the funny tricks the brain can play on the candidate.
(d) Give two reasons why a candidate may have a greater problem at an oral examination than at a written paper.
(e) “. . while his pen is dancing furiously on the paper’ (i) What figure of speech is this? (ii) What does it mean?
(f) A candidate in an examination hall….”
(i) What is the grammatical name given to the expression above as it is used in the passage?
(ii) What is its function in the sentence?
(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) paves: (ii) apex; (iii) severe: (iv) elusive: (v) stern (vi) calmness.
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