You are the main speaker in an inter-house debate. Write your speech for or against the motion: “Corrupt Public Officers too, Deserve Capital Punishment”
Write a letter to you Local Government Authority commenting on three healt hazards in your area. Make suggestions as to how the situation can be improved.
Write an article for publication in your school magazine on: “The evil effects of examination malpractice in our society.”
Your brother is about to enter secondary school. Write a letter to him, stating at least three problems he is likely to face in school and suggesting ways of solving them.
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
For some, grass is just the green stuff outside the house that they have to mow. For farmers and football players, it is indispensable. For children it is the ideal playground. And those who live in most urban areas assume they have very little to do with grass of any sort. However, almost all of us have daily contact with some type of grass and the product made from it.
Grass makes up a major part of the vegetation that covers the earth And no wonder, since it is one of the most adaptable plant groups on earth, growing in polar regions and deserts in tropical rain forests, and on wind-swept mountain slopes. Entire vegetation areas are dominated by grass.
Unlike many other plants, grass grows, not at the tip but in growth areas above the nodes. New shoots might start from stems growing horizontally on or under the ground. So when the lawn mower or the cow cuts away the tip, or fire rages through a field. grass keeps growing whereas many other plants stop Furthermore. with most grasses, if the – stem is bent over by the wind or trodden underfoot, it can raise itself erect by growing faster on the side facing the ground. For these reasons, grass usually recovers quickly after being damaged. which gives it an edge over other plants in the fight for sunlight.
Grass is not only the most abundant but also the most important flowering plant family on earth. A botanist once described grass as the foundation of our food it is “like a dam protecting mankind from famine.” Try to remember what you ate today. Did you start with a bowl of cereal made with millet. rice, oats, or sorghum? Well, then, you ate grass seeds. Or perhaps you had a roll or other kind of bread. The flour used was made from grass kernels – wheat, rye, barley, and other grains are all grasses Cornflakes and other corn products are no exception. as corn or maize is a grass too. You had sugar in your tea or coffee? More than half of all sugar is made from sugarcane, a grass.
Grass is not only good for food, however. If your house has walls made of clay and straw, it is grass that gives them the necessary strength. In different parts of the world. roofs are thatched with grass. One of the advantages of such roofs is that they keep the interior of the buildings cool regardless of the external temperature.
Grass covers and adorns much of the earth. Apart from the beautiful, peaceful, and relaxing sight of a green meadow or a well-kept lawn, grass is a major oxygen supplier, because of the sheer mass of the green vegetation that it produces.
Finally, its fine roots perform the all-important function of protecting the soil from erosion. Keeping its versatility in mind we are not surprised to learn that the usage and cultivation of grass has a long history. The next time you see a waving cornfield, a lush green meadow, or just humble blades of grass growing between stones in a sidewalk, you might stop and think of this marvelous and most versatile plant family!
(a) In two sentences, one for each, summarize the two reasons why grass forms a major part of the earth’s vegetation.
(b) In four sentences, one for each, summarize the four ways in which grass is useful to humans.
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
It is no longer news that the social and economic problems of African countries continue to worsen. What we experience daily are the vicious consequences of unemployment, inadequate health and educational facilities, urban squalor resulting from a population bursting at the seams and, most frightening of all, the rate at which crime is rising It is also no longer news that many Africans now see ”checking out” of their countries for other supposedly better ones abroad as the only solution to the problems. In this regard, the United State, Britain, Canada, Germany and Italy are the hot favourites. Most of these Africans are usually so desperate to leave that they fall easy prey to all sorts of passport and visa fraud, and often end up smuggling themselves abroad at all costs. In such countries, they have to do all manner of menial jobs, sometimes resorting to criminal activities, and are often cut off completely from families and relations back home. Young girls who have been enticed with assurances of a rosy future often end up in forced prostitution, with all its unpleasant consequences!
Is “checking out”. the ideal solution to Africa’s social and economic problems? Of course not! What is baffling is why Africans cannot see abandoning their countries as a step that holds out no solution at all. All that they achieve, in fact, is the substitution of one set of problems for another!
What then should we do? We must look inwards for a more realistic solution. First, we must develop the will to tackle our problems. Where there is a will, it is said, there is a way. If we abandon our problems instead of tackling them on, we will simply be leaving an unpleasant legacy for future generations. Secondly, we must orient ourselves tows res self-reliance and self-employment, instead of looking helplessly to our embattled government for salaried employment,
Finally, we must seek a long-term solution by addressing the population question. It is obvious that Africa’s outsize population is at the root of the problems. The question we should ask ourselves is. if the average family size in America or Britain were to be as large as the average African family, would these countries still be as attractive to us as they are now? The big puzzle is that we have adopted the white man’s lifestyle in all other respects, but have made an exception of family size.
(a) Mention two sequences of the usual desperation of Africans to leave their countries.
(b) The writer argues that escaping abroad is not the ideal solution to Africa’s problems. Quote one sentence from the passage that sums up the writer’s recommended solution.
(c)According to the writer, why should Africans solve their problems rather than avoid them?
(d) What does the writer consider the most serious cause of African’s problems?
(e) What does the writer imply by using the word “supposedly” in the second paragraph?
(f) “What we experience daily . ” (i) What grammatical name is given to this expression as it is used in the passage?
(ii) What is its function?
(g) ” a population bursting at the seams ” What figure of speech is contained in this expression?
(h) For each of the following words or phrases. find another word or phrase which means the same and which can replace it as it is used in the passage. (i) prey’ (ii) enticed: (iii) ideal; (iv) holds out; (v) tackle: (vi) head-on.
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
When Eze was invited to spend his Easter holidays with Uncle Chike in Lagos, he jumped for joy! He had always pictured Lagos as a wonderland of bright lights, paved roads, elegant people riding by in their expensive cars, and beautiful residential quarters. This invitation was the wonderful opportunity for him to leave his small village for the first time and experience first-hand the good life of the city that he had imagined so much about!
The fateful day came and Eze, happy as a lark, bid an excited good-bye to his family. The first leg of his trip started modestly in the back of the rickety lorry that plied the dirt road linking his village to the rest of the world, but Eze was sure that he would later ride triumphantly into Lagos on one of those legendary luxury buses that he admired so much. This was also an experience to look forward to!
When he arrived in Lagos, it was almost dark. The first things that struck him as he alighted from the bus were the teeming crowd with their desperate unsmiling faces, the deafening noise of the ceaseless traffic, the polluted air with its acrid smell of exhaust fumes and decay, the endless rows of dirty and crumbling concrete buildings, and the filth everywhere. What a sharp contrast with the city he had built up in his imagination! But surely there must still be much to look forward to. Back in the village, Uncle Chike was regarded as a well-to-do trader. So Eze was further surprised and disappointed to find that he lived in a single room in a sleazy part of the city. At night, it got hot and stuffy, but they dared not open the windows as this would bring an invasion of mosquitoes.
Eze woke up the next morning feeling clammy, but he could still not have a bath. As his uncle took him to a shack across the street for a hurried breakfast of thin tea and mouldy bread, he explained that they usually bought water from a mobile tanker that had not come for some time. Eze was still recovering from his surprise at this information when they rushed off for his uncle s market stall, and he had his first unpleasant ride in one of the notorious molue buses of the city.
As they struggled down from the bus, shoving against the solid mass of desperate, bad-tempered commuters, Eze thought of his village, and the city suddenly lost whatever was left of its attraction for him. True, the village was small; life there was monotonous, and it lacked some essential amenities_ But it was peaceful; you drank clean water and ate what you wanted fresh; you moved about freely and breathed clean air; and everyone was friendly and helpful. Greatly disillusioned with the city, Eze longed to return to his beloved village!
(a) State two experiences that Eze looked forward to.
(b) Mention any two features of the city that Eze noticed at once
(c) What two discoveries surprised and disappointed Eze when he arrived in the city?
(d) Mention any two experiences in the city that Eze found unpleasant.
(e) What conclusion did Eze draw from his experiences in. the city?
(f) ” as a lark …” What figure of speech is contained in this expression?
(g) “When he arrived. in Lagos,…” (i) What grammatical name is given to this expression as it is used in the passage?
(ii) What is its function? .
(h) 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) pictured; (ii) stuffy; (iii) invasion; (iv) hurried; (v) attraction; (vi) monotonous.
You are the chief speaker in a debate on the topic “Wealth is more important than health,” Write your speech for or against the topic.
The poor state of the facilities in your school is causing the studens freat concern. As the Senior Prefect, write a letter to the chairman of the Board of Governors highlighting the problems and requesting him to come to the aid of the school.
Read the following passage carefully and answer the question on it. .
You cannot expect to go through life without meeting problems. Difficulties, perplexities and frustrations are an inevitable part of human experience. Accepting this idea of the inevitability of problems will help you to approach them in a robust frame of mind rather than thinking that you are a victim specially singled out by a malignant fate.
When confronted with a problem, the first thing to do is to gather i all relevant data to get acquainted with all the facts of the case. Then write down exactly what the problem is, stating it simply in black and white. This gives you something definite with which to come to terms. The problem is, assessed and you will now have something concrete to deal with.
Next, give serious thought to the problem, making sure that such thought does not degenerate into worry as worry accomplishes nothing. Aim at clear, dispassionate thought, viewing the problem as if it were friend’s and not your own. Look at it from all angles and from the view point. of all concerned. You court disaster if you are entirely selfish in your outlook. The single important purpose of all this is to discover all possible solutions to the problem.
Having examined the problem broadly and impartially, carefully examine all the possible solutions or courses of action. the knowledge that you have done this will keep you from useless regrets later, when you can remind yourself that all possible courses of action were examined and you chose what appeared to be the best. Next, eliminate all proposed solutions which are seen on further thought to be impracticable.
You will now find that your list has been whittled down to two or three possibilities. At this stage it is often a good plan to get out into the open air. go for a walk or a ride, preferably somewhere with wide horizons. There out in the open, review the problem afresh. You will find it appears much less formidable. Ask yourself how the difficulty will appear in ten years time, or even one! This fresh review enable you to make a final choice as you turn to the remaining solutions and. before you return home, decide which you are going to adopt. As you go to sleep that night, let your last thoughts be upon your decision. If, in the morning, you still feel it is the best one to take, go ahead.
If you have a friend you think is capable of giving sound advice, consult him. Do this before your final decision, so that you will have the benefit of his views before you decide. Talking things over with another is always a great help. It enables you to isolate the problem and to decide which are the important factors. Even if the friend offers no advice, a sympathetic word will help you, you will see them in a clearer light. Some will appear impossible even while you speak. Alternatively, one will appear most attractive.
In dealing with problems, remember the time factor. Although some problems solve themselves in time, and delaying tactics are therefore the best form of action for them, most other problems generally get more complicated the longer they are left. You should therefore get to grips with problems immediately they occur.
All told, reasonable foresight and imagination can prevent many problems ever arising. Tact, thoughtfulness and responsible conduct can also keep life largely problem-free.
(a)In six sentences. one for each, summarise the steps to be taken when faced with a problem and state why each step is necessary.
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
Dele groaned and got out of bed. There was no clock on the mantle-piece and the room was still dark, but he knew that he was already late for work, probably by up to an hour. He was a commercial bus driver and had to get started as early as 5.00 a.m. and go almost non-stop until about 9.00 p.m. to be able to make the daily returns that the bus owner demanded.
On the previous day, he had attended an all-night party – a late uncle’s burial ceremony – where he had drunk himself almost senseless before crawling home on his face and hurried off to work, but not before carefully fastening on his upper left arm the amulet he had always worn for protection against accident. A similar amulet hung concealed under the steering column of his bus. On his way, still feeling groggy, he caught his left toe against a stump and had some misgiving. It was a bad sign, and he was supposed to go back home and then set out again. But there was no time for that now, so he hurried on. At the bus station, Dele quickly loaded his bus and sped off without any of the necessary checks on the vehicle. He had to make up for lost time. It was the rush hour, so the bus was overloaded as it often was, with many passengers hanging on to the doors. The tyres were threadbare, the brakes were faulty and the road was wet, but, still feeling a little sleepy, Dele sped on. Many passengers protested about his reckless driving, but he would not listen. After all, didn’t he have protection against accident?
As the vehicle took the last turn before its destination, Dele saw a broken-down truck blocking his side of the road. Under normal circumstances, he could have brought the bus safely to a halt, but the circumstances were far from normal. The careening bus hit the parked vehicle, swerved wildly across the road and plunged into a ditch. Dele’s surprise before he sank into oblivion was the failure of his supposed protective amulets.
(a) Why did Dele wake up late?
(b) …he caught his left tow against a stump and had some misgiving. What does this tell us about Dele?
(c) Give two reasons why Dele drove recklessly.
(d) Why was Dele unable to stop his faulty vehicle?
(e) What was Dele’s condition after the accident?
(f) After all; didn’t he have protection against accident? What literary device is used in this expression?
(g) …wildly across the road… (i) What is the grammatical name given to the expression as it is used in the passage? (ii) What is its function? (h) 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) probably (ii) returns (iii) groggy (iv) misgiving (v) threadbare (vi) reckless.
Read the following passage carefully and answer the question on it.
The chalkboard is by far the commonest teaching aid used at virtually.all levels of education from the nursery to the university. It is the most enduring teaching aid and perhaps will be the most difficult to replace. In the advanced-countries of the world, it is being threatened by the overhead protector. However, the overhead projector requires constant supply of electricity which is one reason we cannot rely on it yet. The chalkboard used to be black, which why the name “blackboard” stuck for ages; but today, there are boards of various colours: blue, green, even white.
Now, most chalkboards are made of wood nailed to the wall, instead of the concrete board made of cement and f ine sand that was more common. some are also made of metal. The chalkboard has the advantages of low cost, availability and ease of maintenance, usually involving mere cleaning and occasional retouching of the surface with the renovator. However, if the board is metal, the felt marker should be protected against drying by replacing the cap When it is not in use. The major drawback in the use of the chalkboard is that the information on it can only be temporary. if there is only one board for the class, it is usually impossible to leave the information there for more than a few hours, since other teachers would want to use it.
It is not easy to draw complex diagrams showing minute details, such as part’s of the body and contours, unless one is a good artist. Where one has succeeded with laborious illustrations, using different colours, it could be painful when the board has to be cleaned by the next teacher. However, there are nowadays various innovations, including foldable boards made of plywood, which allow teachers more room to leave their materials for longer periods.
Finally, it is a great disadvantage that during the course of teaching, more time is spent writing on the board than when one is using the overhead projector. So, in all, more time is needed for any lesson when one uses the board rather than the overhead projector.
(a) Why does the writer use the word chalkboard rather than blackboard most of the time?
(b) Mention two different types of chalkboard that have been in use.
(c) Mention two disadvantages of the chalkboard.
(d) Why should the cap of the felt pen be re placed when the pen is not in use?
(e) The major drawback in the use of the chalkboard (i) What grammatical name is given to the expression as it is used in the passage? (ii) What is its function?
(f) …it is being threatened by the overhead projector… (i) What figure of speech is used in this expression? (ii) What does it mean? (g) For each of the following words, find another word or phrase which means the same and which can replace it as it used in the passage: (i) virtually (ii) constant (iii) various (iv) temporary (v) laborious (vi) room
Write a story ending with the words: I wish I had listened to my father.
You are one of the speakers in a debate on the topic: Women should not be in paid employment while they are still bearing children. Write your contribution for or against the proposition.
There has been a continuous discussion on the evils of unemployment. Write a letter to the Commissioner for Labour highlighting at least three of these evils and ways of addressing them.
Write an article for publication in your school magazine, discussing the reasons children in your area drop out of school and suggesting ways of minimizing this negative trend.
Your friend in another school has requested some information about your school to enable him decide on moving over to your school. Write a letter to him discussing at least three areas in which your school excels.
Write an article suitable for publication in a national newspaper on the benefits that will be derived from the government showing interest in agriculture.
Your father insists that you must study medicine at the University, but you have an entirely different course in mind. Write a letter to him explaining why you prefer this other course and why he should allow you make your own choice.
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
Although world agencies have made numerous efforts to stop malnutrition, achievements have fallen short of hope For example, in 1996 the United Nations set the goal of reducing by half the number of the world’s undernourished some 400 million people – by the year 2015. Commendably, some progress has been made. But the report of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nation for 2001 acknowledges that unfortunately there has been a slowdown in the projection, and that the number of undernourished people has actually increased considerably in the majority of developing countries.
Malnutrition is usually triggered by a combination of two factors, namely: an insufficient intake of proteins, calories vitamins, and minerals, and frequent infections. Such illness as diarrhoea, measles, malaria, and respiratory disease tax the body heavily and cause loss of nutrients. They reduce appetite and food intake, thus contributing to malnutrition. The undernourished child is in turn more susceptible to infections. Thus a vicious circle is formed that increases the mortally rates for protein-energy malnutrition. Children are at greater risk of suffering malnutrition because they are in a period of rapid growth that increases the demand for calories and proteins. For similar reasons, pregnant and nursing women are vulnerable to malnutrition.
Malnutrition has far-reaching effects. First, it wreaks havoc on the body, particularly that of a child. Every organ and system – including the heart, kidneys, stomach, intestines, lungs, and brain – may be affected. Various studies have shown that poor growth in a child is closely associated with impaired mental development and poor scholastic and intellectual performance. Secondly. for children who survive malnutrition, the aftermath can linger on into adulthood. Recent research relates undernourishment in infancy to a tendency towards such chronic illnesses in adulthood as heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
How can children be best protected from malnutrition? it is essential to improve the diet of the mother. Pregnant and nursing women need to consume more calories and proteins. Proteins in particular help in the production of the mother’s milk. So when there is little food, preference should be given to women of childbearing age and to little children. Secondly, in almost all cases, the best possible food for a baby is its mother’s milk. This is especially so during the first days after birth because mother’s milk contains antibodies that protect the baby from infection. During the first four months or so, breast milk provides all the nutrients that the baby needs in order to grow and develop properly. But breastfeeding should be continued for as long as necessary, which could be up to two years. And after the baby is weaned, the greatest possible variety of foods in different combinations should be introduced to provide nutrients that protect the baby. The mother should focus on providing the child with good-quality food. neither forcing the child to eat after it is full nor withholding food from the child when it appears to want more.
(a) In one sentence summarize the causes of malnutrition
(b) In two sentences, one for each. summarize the two major effects of malnutrition.
(c) In three sentences, one for each summarize the three preventive measures against malnutrition recommended in the passage