ENGLISH LITERATURE MID TERM TEST FIRST TERM SS 1 SS 2 AND SS 3

 

First Term Examination

CLASS: SSS 1                             Subject: English Language  

 

                                                                   PART  A    

Answer one question from this part. All questions carry equal marks. Your answer should not be less than 400 words except where otherwise stated, you are advised to spend about 50 minutes on this part. 

  1. Narrate to your  classmates an experience you have had or heard about which illustrates the saying: “you reap what you sow”
  2. 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. 
  3. 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 the suitable for publication in your school magazine, describe one of these festivals.  
  4. 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. 
  5. You have receive 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 behavior and during him to turn over a new leaf. 
  6. 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 

 

PART  B

  1. 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-witness is panic as they rush to the scene and stand there looking in dismay. Road traffic accidents are great crowed-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. 

Read traffic accidents have a great potential for causing injury to the human body. The high velocity all 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 do 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 passenger can causes some seruous problems as the wreckage of the 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 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. 

  1. 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-witnesses should do? (c) Mention two of the factors that can increases injuries during accidents(d) why are motor-cyclists more at risk when accidents occur? 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. 

9.

You are advised to spend about 40 minutes on this section 

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 experience of 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 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 come to know the developing personality of their child in a way that no other person really can. They recognize whether he is a lusty eater or a nibbler: vivacious or reserved: adventurous or cautions. 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 relation. 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. 

  1. In two sentences, state how the new-born infant perceives his environment. (b) in one sentence, say what an infant first learns about its parent. (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. 

 

SECTION 1 

Answer all the questions. 

In each of the following sentence, there is one word or group of words underlined and one gap. From the list of wards lettered A to E, chose the word or group of words that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the underlined word and that will, at the same time, correctly fill the gap in the sentence. 

  1. The minister was accused of making utterance that could increase rather than … anxiety among the citizens. (a) modify (b) diminish  (c) intensify (d) remove (e) inculcate 
  2. At the end of the crisis, the leader declared that there was no victor and no ….(a) Winner (b) rebel (c) patriot (d) opponent (e) vanquished 
  3. I was impressed by the man’s eagerness but was rather put off by his wife’s ….(a) anxiety (b)impatience (c) indifference (d) negligence (e) calmness
  4. He is a famous artist but has a …drinking habit. ( a) remarkable (b) admirable (c) notorious (d) wicked (e) hostile. 
  5. The first twin is so vain and the second so…. That one would think they were not brothers. (a) pround (b) admirable (c) notorious (d) negligence (e) hostile.  

 

From the words labeled A to E, choose the word that best competes each of the following sentences. 

  1. The committee set up to investigate the cause of  the riot has called for… from the public. (a)witnesses (b)agenda (c)reports (d) memoranda (e) confessions 
  2. The satellite maintains a constant … round the earth, (a) path (b) orbit(c) circle (d) route (e) chart 
  3. The chairman called him to ….when his comments were getting off the point (a) order (b) command (c) rule (d) stop (e) question 
  4. His……… came through only a few days before he was to be executed (a)execus (b) remission (c) clearance (d) discharge (e) pardon 
  5. The  power failure …. Normal services for days (a) activated (b) energized (c) paralyzed (d) deadened (e) frozened. 
  6. The interest of the students should be of …..importance to any school administrator (a) paramount (b) super (c) superior (d) dominant (e) pre-eminent 
  7. My father wanted to buy a car but the prices of those available were not within his…. (a) limit (b) target (c) scope (d) range (e) sacked 
  8. We reasoned that the kidnappers might kill the young girl if we didn’t pay the …. (a) money (b) charges (c) deposit (d) ransom (e) settlement  
  9. The players would expect some form of ……. After working hard to win the cup (a) compensation (b) gain (c) reward (d) premium (e) fees 

 

From the words or group of words labelled A to E below each of the following sentences, choose the word or group of words that is nearest in meaning to the underlined word or group of words. 

  1. Climbing great heights terrifies me. (a) threatens (b) annoys (c) shocks (d) startles (e) frightens 
  2. Flight WT509, from Lagos, terminates in Maiduguri (a) closes (b) concludes (c) lands (d) ends (e) ceases 
  3. Her terse remarks brought the conversation to an end. (a) curt (b) abusive (c) studied (d) gentle (e) polished 
  4. The prison officials usually torture the inmates (a) lynch (b) murder (c) torment (d) destroy (e) humiliate   
  5. I would regard what he has done as treacherous (a) noble (b) reliable (c) commendable (d) dangerous (e) deceitful 
  6. I don’t agree that the problem is intractable. A insoluble c. baseless d. understandable e. unusual 

 

From the words or group of words labeled A to D choose the one that best completes each of the following sentences 

  1. This is an improvement …. Your last essay a. on b. with c. by d. for 
  2. The team has suffered defeat … defeat a. by b. with c. over d. after 
  3. Unemployment has been …. The increase since last year. A. of b. at c. on d. in 
  4. Cats sleep … day and hunt at night a. at b. by c. in d. during 
  5. I don’t want anything to interfere… my project a. with b. on c. over d. by 
  6. Two brothers came in … the back door a.within b. along c. across d. through 
  7. … the terms of the agreement with your landlord you should not sub-let the house a. on b. Under c. upon d. by 
  8. Nigeria’s economy was buoyant …. The 1970s. a through b. on c. in d. with 
  9. The musician … waxed that record died fifty years ago. A. who b. whom c. which d. whose 
  10. The author … book you are  reading low, won the noble prize for literature last year a. which b. that c. whose d. whom 
  11. The lady … you were talking about yesterday is here now. A. which b. whom c. who’s  d. whose 
  12. The pencil … you gave me yesterday is lost a. whose b. whom c. that d. who 
  13. I honestly don’t understand … you hate that man. A. when b. where c. why d. now 
  14. I’d like to know … he’ll wriggle out of this case a. how b. whenever c. where d. what 
  15. …. Of the two pencils is yours? A. where b. who c. which d. whose 
  16. ……university is …. Institution of higher learning a. am …an b. An…. C. A…. a d. a…an 
  17. I’d give up smoking if i… you . a am b. were c. was d. are 
  18. It is high time you…. visiting that friend of  yours a. should stop b. stopped c. stop 
  19. …… had he entered when it started to rain. A hardly b. nearly c. almost 
  20. All your ….. like you very much . a brother-in-law b. brothers-in-laws c. brother-in-laws 

 

From the words lettered A to D choose the word that contains sound represented by the given phonetic symbol. An example is given below. 

Example:  /   i/  a. yell b. holy c. boy d. idiot 

The correct answer is c. because only boy contains the sound represented by the given symbol. Now answer the questions that follow. 

  1. /e/ a. wet b. key c. wanted d. eke 
  2. /l/ a. heel b. sit c. high d. bite
  3. /l:/ a. say b. seize c. kill d. ill 
  4. /a   / Cart b. bail c. hate d. cat 
  5. /^/ a. cot b. cut c. curt d. caught
  6. /d/ a. wig b. judge c. cake d. death
  7. /0/ a. thin b. tin c. dose d. those
  8. /   / a. hop b. shop c. stop d. kiss 
  9. /   / a. zebra b. leisure c. missing d. mission 
  10. /h/ a. hour b. power c. honour d. how  

 

 

 

 

First Term Examination

 

CLASS: SSS 2                             Subject: English Language  

 

                                 PART A 

 Answer one question from this part. All questions carry equal marks. Your answer should bot be less than 400 words except where otherwise stated. You are advised to send 50 minutes on this part. 

  1. You have been sent on indefinite suspension for the part you played in a recent disturbance in which valuable school property was damaged. Write a letter to the principal of your school describing the part that you played and apologizing for your involvement. 
  2. Write an article for publication in a national newspaper on why you think a woman should be your country’s next president. 
  3. Write a letter to your elder brother working abroad describing the hardship you and your parents are facing at home and requesting him to give some financial assistance 
  4. You are the chief speaker in a school debate the topic of which is “public secondary schools are better than the private one’s write your speech for or against the topic
  5. Tell a story that ends with the advice. “cut your coat according to your cloth” 
  6. You have just taken part in a local festival in your village. Write an article for publication in a cultural magazine describing the festival, its origin and importance to your people ,  and the role you played. 

 

PART B. 

  1. 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, some commendation. Their goal is to win, and victory brings fame while failure leads to disaster and frustration. Each victory paves the way for a promotion up the ladder, and the higher one climbs the more exposed to the public glare one  gets. A world boxing champion is like a Noble 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 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) stem (vi) calmness.   

 

SECTION II 

  1. You are advised to spend about 40 minutes on this section.

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 examination 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, moths 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 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 registration fee. Any mistake or inaction on the part of any of these may ruin the candidate’s chances. 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 form 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 candidate 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 examiners is trained to score points strictly according to a carefully prepared marking scheme from which he musts 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 stages comes with the collation of results may not be processed if he is involved in a malpractice, has used 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 actins of the candidate and he 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.    

 

  1. In each of the following sentences, there is one word or group of world underlined and one gap. From the list of words lettered A to E., choose the word or group of words that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the underlined word and that will at the same time, correctly fill gap in the sentence. Now answer the following question 
  1. By nature armed robbers are ruthless, I have never seen a … one among them. A. human b. barbarous c. ferocious d. mean e. decent. 
  2. The taxi driver slowed while overtaking the lorry when the proper thing to do was for him to have …. A. throttled b. dispatched c. expedited d. negotiated e. accelerated
  3. The probationary workers do not have the same right as … staff. A. approved b. dismissed c. postponed d. confirmed e. provoked. 
  4. The journey by road… where the rail journey ended. A concluded b. originated c. commenced d. established e. meandered 
  5.  Instead of laughing about this serious matter, you should be ….. a. whimpering b. sober  c. bitter d. indifferent e. unconcerned. 

 

From the words lettered A to E, choose the word that best completes each of the following sentences. 

  1. The officer expressed his…. At being unfairly dismissed a. indignity b. indigestion c. indiscretion d. indignation e. indiscipline. 
  2. It gives me much….. to welcome you to the beginning of the new session. A. relish b. enjoyment c. pleasure d. current e. popular. 
  3. Miss Anieke is very …with her pupils because she loves them all . a. prevalent b. familiar c. plain d. current e. popular.  
  4. He added a brief …to his letter a. postscript b. postmark c. postmortem d. posture e. posted 
  5. The…….. that the hospital should be upgraded was warmly welcome a. design b. purpose c. proposal d. undertaken e. theorem.

 

From the words lettered A to E below each of the following sentences, choose the word that is nearest in meaning to the underlined word. 

  1. He eventually found the missing book.oon b. lately c. subsequently d. frequently e. finally. 
  2. The evidence of the witness corroborates that of the accused. A. negates b. reinforces c. opposes d. disclaims e. nullifies. 
  3. The attacker advanced on his opponent in a menacing fashion. A. threatening b. unforgettable c. fascinating d. crucial e. wonderful. 
  4.  The man retired after thirty-five years of meritorious service to the nation. A. patriotic b. notorious c. commendable d. beautiful e. regrettable. 
  5. The story he told was incredible. A. indelible b. acceptable c. horrible d. unbelievable e. permissible.

 

From the words or group of words lettered  A to D choose the  one that best completes each of the following sentences. 

  1. The two warring parties met for days to iron…. Their differences. A. of b. in c. up d. out 
  2. The business tycoon’s daughter was carried …. By the flattery of her suitor. A. on b. out c. along d. away 
  3. The measures taken were intended to bring ____the prices of consumer goods. A. out b. off c. away d. down 
  4. I was still explaining my action when Tina rudely cut…….a. on b. off c. away d. in  
  5. The girl thought that she would get … with her stubbornness. A. over b. up c. away d. around 
  6. We asked him to com with us and …a. he comes b. he did c. did he d. he does
  7. Although he greeted her … …. A. but she did not answer b. she does not answer c. she did not answer d. but she was yet to answer 
  8. The thief died shortly after …… shot at by the police. A. been b. having c. becoming d. being 
  9. If you don’t withdraw the defamatory statement, I shall have no alternative ……..seek redress in a court of all. A. till b.  until I c. than d. but to 
  10. She said that heard Julie …. A. sing b. song. C. sang d. sung 

 

 

In the following passages, the numbered gaps indicate missing words. Against each number in the list below each passage, give options are given in columns lettered A to E. choose the word that is the most suitable to fill the numbered gap in the passage.

 

Words in English Language, and any other language for that matter, have one -26_ a word -27—has more than one meaning 28- on its usage in the -29- also, a particular thing or situation may be -30 using many -31 – words or groups of words. Yet two words -32- ever have exactly the same meaning. Thus, although a word may have many -33- , these do not mean exactly the same thing. -34 -, it is important that the writer should be very -35- 

 

A            B            C        D        E

  1. Semblance         likeness         similarity     thing        peculiarity 
  2. even         equally         usually     rarely         never 
  3. relying     depending         particularly     reflecting     especially 
  4. context     paragraph        phrase     content     contest 
  5. quoted     ascribed         invented     procured     described 
  6. divergent     opposing        direct        different    difficult 
  7. sometimes     often             hardly        always     occasionally 
  8. metaphors     synonyms         antonyms     homonyms    syllables 
  9. finally         eventually         additionally    consequently    similarly 
  10. effective     worried         agitated    relaxed    option 

 

In each of the following questions the main/primary stress is indicated by writing the syllable on which it occurs in capital letters. 

From the words lettered A to D, choose the one that has the correct stress. An example is given below. 

Example: democratic A. DE-mo-cra-tic b. de-MO-cra-tic c.de-mo-CRA-tic d. de-mo-cra-TIC. 

the correct answer is c. because the main/primary stress of the word democratic is on the third syllable. 

 now answer the questions that follow

  1. Confidently a. CON-fi-dent-ly b. con-FI-dent-ly c. con-fi-DENT-ly d. con-fident-LY 
  2. Incompetent a. IN-com-pe-tent b.in-COM-pe-tent c. in-com-PE-tent d. in-com-pe-TENT 
  3. Matriculate a.ma-TRI-cu-late b. ma-tri-CU-late c. MA-tri-cu-late d. ma-tri-cu-LATE
  4. Mobility a. MO-bi-li-ty b. mo-bi-li-TY C. MO-bi-LI-TY d. mo-bi-LI-ty 
  5. Confidential a. con-fi-DEN-tial b.CON-fi-den-tial c. con-FI-den-tial d. con-fi-den-TIAL 

 

From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that contains the sound represented by the given phonetic symbol. An example is given below. 

Example /ci/ a. yell b. holy c. boy d. idiot 

The correct answer is c because only boy contains the sound represented by the given symbol. 

     Now, answer the questions that follow:

  1. /t/ a. listen b. carried c. action d. walked 
  2. /^/ a. love b. aout c. coup d. know 
  3. /J/ a. match b. missive c. coup d. measure 
  4. /   :/ a. hut b. hot c. fought d. fort 
  5. /t  / a. shame b. character c. sure d. church 
  6. /0 / a. therefore b. thompson  c. health d, dear  
  7. /e/ a. hide b. realm c. real d, hate 
  8. /o/ a. them b. through c. tied d. thank 
  9. /a  / a. cake b. bye c. mail d. mark 
  10. /   / a. laugh b. cough c. lava d. stay 

 

                             

First Term Examination

 

CLASS: SSS 3                             Subject: English Language  

                                                       PART A 

 

Answer 1 question from this section all question carry equal marks. Your answer should not be less than 450 words long. 

You are advised to spend about 50 minutes on this section 

  1. You are in the final year in secondary school. Write a letter to your uncle, who an influential person in the society, telling him what you intend to do next and asking for  his assistance. 
  2. You have just returned to the city from your village where you spent the last holiday. In an article suitable for publication in your school magazine, compare life in your village with that in the city. 
  3. There was a riot in your school resulting in extensive damage and the Ministry of Education ordered your school to be shut down . write a letter to the commissioner for Education, explaining the causes of the disturbance, and appealing for the school to be-opened . 
  4. As your contribution to a debate, write arguments for or against the proposition:  

                                                                             “ we are happier than our fore fathers” 

  1. Narrate an experience you have had or heard about that illustrates the saying 

                                                                                “where there is a will, is a way” 

 

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

The black ant is indisputably one of the smallest visible insects on earth. Except with aid of a very powerful microscope, it is difficult if not impossible to locate the eyes, the mouth, the nostrils (if it ever has any) or any other part of the body. An air of mystery surrounds the existence of his little creature. 

Have you ever taken time off your programme to watch these ants move in row? What gives them the sense of direction, we do not know. Indeed, whoever sends them on an errand and how they even know their destination and the type of errand to run we are yet to be told. But they are an extremely well-organized lot. 

Certainly, there are no defined routes for them on walls or trees, yet they move in an orderly manner, almost in a straight line. The beautiful thing about these insects is that  even when their line of movement is disorganized, they  soon regroup and connect themselves again to end if in the process, one of them is killed, they quickly recognize that fact from their various positions Then, one sees them running helter-skelter with  a seeming insistence on getting at the comrade to confirm its death. 

When this has been done. Some of them run zigzag at a tremendous speed to alert others on the route. Soon, they disappear completely. Later, as if everything food or going one one errand or the other as before. Bring your ears close to them and you hear nothing and you wonder what their means of communication could be. 

Perhaps, most surprising is their high sense of understanding the weather and the climate. They are just like men in this area. They know when it is the rainy season when the dry season cornes. In fact, it is true to say that they prepare better for the future than man. 

During the dry season, they file out to different places gathering food which they store underground. At the slightest sign of the approach of the rainy season, they all get into the hole and seal it up. Surprisingly they re-remerge when they dry season sets in and whoever tells them that they dry season has come we do not know. You can now seethe sense in the injunction, “Go to the ant, thou sluggard, learn ways and be wise.”

  1. Why does the writer regard the black ant as one of the smallest insects on earth? (b) Give reasons why the writer thinks that the way ants live is interesting? (c) (i) what is the writer’s attitude towards the black ant? (ii) Quote an expression from the passage to support your answer. (d) when this has been done….” What does ‘this’ refer to? (e) “The beautiful thing about these insects…(i) what grammatical name is given to this expression (ii) what is its function in the sentence? (f) what quality of the ant is implied in the last sentence of the same and can replace it as is used in the passage: 
  2. (i) indisputably; (ii) row;(ii) helter skelter (iv) a tremendous (v) area (vi) approach.  

 

  1. You are advised to send about 50minute in this section  

Read the following carefully and answer the questions it. 

In all school systems of the world, some schools are considered ‘better’ than others. In fact, based on such a judgment parents often go to great lengths to have their children enrolled in one school rather than another. One yardstick for making this judgment is student achievement especially general performance in public examinations. Furthermore, among some experts that school A is better than B  in Mathematics and Science while the latter is better than the former in English Language and the Liberal Arts. Whatever the focus of these comparative statements, there remains the fact schools do vary in terms of average student achievement. 

Why is it then that some schools have high average student achievement while others have low average  student achievement? The reasons are not far-fetched. 

The first reason is that some schools are located in privilege area in the sense that the students come from homes where parents care about theirs children’s education, ensure that the children are well-fed, show interest in their school work and provide easy access to books in the home. On the other hand, there are schools which serve less privileged communities, and whose students come from homes where parents are unable to provide the necessary support services for good academic work. Students in the first type of school would generally have a higher rate of achievement than those in the second type.

Another reason for the difference in academic achievement between schools in how well the schools are equipped . schools that have good laborites and libraries, ample space, places to sit and write for every student and optimum-sized classrooms usually record a higher standard of student achievement than those where the basic equipment lacking or where the student are crammed into inadequate spaces. 

The quality of the teachers also has do with the differences in student achievement between schools.  A teacher that does not have a good grasp of his subject matter nor is committed to his job cannot produce an outstanding student. On the other hand students will generally attain a high standard where the teacher is an expert in his field, knows how to structure the material to be learned, demands a lot from his students and motivates them. Also, school management has been found to have a relationship with student achievement. Students perform in schools where the leadership is enthusiastic and creative than in schools where the principals and teachers adopt a casual attitude to their job. 

Finally, discipline cannot be divorced from the learning process, and this is often seen from the perspective of general student behavior. there student show a disregard for the rules and regulations that guide good learning by disobeying their teachers, neglecting their home work or playing truant, they cannot make any reasonable academic progress. On the other hand, students who comport themselves well have laid good foundation for academic success. 

  1. In one sentence, summarize the yardsticks used to make a distinction between one school and another 
  2. (b) in five sentences, one for each, summarize the factors responsible for the different levels of achievement in schools. 

 

  1. Now answer the following question 

In each of the following sentences, there is one word or group of words underlined and one gap. From the list of words or group of words lettered A to D, choose the one that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the underlined word or group of words and that will at the same time, correctly fill the gap in the sentence. 

  1. To encourage productivity we must reward industry and …laziness. A. withhold b. withdraw c. punish d. oppose
  2. I took the drug to relieve my headache only for it to ….. my condition. a. alleviate b. provoke c. abate d. aggravate
  3. An optimist wears a smile most of the time but…. Goes about with a long face. A. an oculist b. an activist c. a pacifist d. a pessimist 
  4. You will make a good counselor by listening to your clients rather than … them. A offending b. ignoring c. mishandling d. threatening 
  5. Tell Chike something confidential and he makes it … the next minute. A. public b. personal c. popular d. curse.

 

From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that best completes each of the following sentences 

  1. He is young man of …. Character. A. stable b. permanent c. transient d. recognized 
  2. My parents do not … late night parties. A. indulge b. suffer c. tolerate d.create
  3. I have known him only recently so I cannot … for his honesty. A. sign b. stand c. vouch d. support 
  4. In some cultures, dead peole are buried, but in others they are …. A. cremated b. baked c. fired d. flamed. 
  5. The lady is a …. Beauty. A. raging b. ravaging c. ravenous d. ravishing 

 

 

  1. After each of the  following sentences, a list of possible interpretations is given. Choose the interpretation that you consider most appropriate for each sentence. 
  1. I am sure you didn’t know that the lady is light-fingered. This means that the lady is . a. careless in handing things b. fair-skinned c. prone to stealing d. skilful with her hands. 
  2. Unfortunately nowadays most young person do not see with their parents over matters of friendship and fashion. This means that parent and their children. A can’t look one another in the face. B. hold strong views on friendship and fashion c. have clothes different from their friends d. hold different views about friendship and fashion. 
  3. It is alleged that the accountants doctored the accounts of the company. This means that the accountants. A called in the company doctor b. falsified the accounts c. became sick on account of the bribe they received d. improved the account of the company 
  4. He has just been made the new chief Executive so he will need some time to learn the ropes. This means that with time he well . a fix new gadgets in his new office. B. clear the abandoned things on the site c. master the demands of his new office d. learn the use of ropes in his new office. 
  5. After the investigation , many of the workers were given their marching orders. This means that the workers. A. were dismissed b. were ordered to march. C. received fresh instructions about their job. D. were given orders similar to the first ones.  

 

  1. From the words lettered A to D below each of the following sentences, choose the word or group of words that is nearest in meaning to the underlined word as it is used in the sentence. 
  1. His parents have endorsed her marriage to the widower. A. examined b. criticized c. approved d. refused 
  2. I  went through his work; it was all gibberish. A. meaningless b. meaningful c. brutal d. too simple 
  3. Corporal punishment is still used in some school as a deterrent to undisciplined students. A. remedy b. measure c. discouragement d. prevention 
  4. Occasionally he rises to a level of rare excellence in his academic. A. unusual b. common c. scare d. temporary
  5. His contribution to be development of the hospital remains unrivalled. A. unbroken b. undisputed c. unparalleled d. undisclosed.  

 

11.From the words lettered A to D below each of the following sentences, choose the word or group of word that  best completes each of the following sentences.  

  1. I think she ….her mother. A. takes b. takes to c. takes after d. takes for 
  2. The next national league match will ….sometime next month. A. come in b. come along c. come about d. come off 
  3. With the recent police action we expect the high incidence of crime to …a. die down b. die away c. die off d. die up
  4. No matter how much a bully tries to intimidate you just….him. a. stand up before b. stand up against c. stand up to d. stand up for 
  5. The two men … each other. A. fell out for b. fell out with c. fell out from d. fell out on 
  6. The intervention forces have successfully…. The rebels’ supplies. A. cut in b. cut off c. cut up d. cut away 
  7. She …. To his overtures much delay. A. gave out b. gave up c. gave away d. cut away 
  8. He… not retort when I am speaking. A. dare b. dare c. dared d. will dare 
  9. It is you and john who …wanted. A. is b. are c. was d. will 
  10. Please go on, I …. You. am hearing b. hear c. can hear d. was hearing 
  11. By this time next year, I ….. here for ten years. A. have worked b. had been working c. would have worked d. will have been working 
  12. The seeds … in the nursery before they were transplanted last week. A. germinate b. had germinated c.  would germinate 
  13. It is hoed that new house… complete next year. A. has been b. is being c. had been d. will be. 
  14. I can’t see him anywhere so he …… a. can have gone b. shall have gone c. must have gone d. would have gone. 
  15. I wish hassana…… at the birthday party yesterday. A. would have been b. is c. have been d. were 
  16. ….. here, the case would have been settled long ago. A had my mother been b. were my mother to be c. if my mother were to be d. my mother having been 
  17. The clown made everybody in the market…… a. to be laughing b. to laugh c. laugh d. laughed 
  18. These days ….. wealth appears to be easy. A. acquiring b. to be acquiring c. having acquired d. to have acquired. 
  19. The principal is really a kind person…heart. A. in b. at c. by d. off
  20. Hi, lady don’t you ever get tired of dancing? …a. I don’t ever b. yes, I don’t c. no, I do d. no, il don’t

 

  1. From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that contains the sound represented by the given phonetic symbol. An example is given below. 

Example /   i/ a. yell b. holy c. boy d. idiot 

The correct answer is c because only boy contains the sound represented by the given symbol. 

     Now, answer the questions that follow:

  1. /i:/ a. bee b. height c. third d. sit
  2. /a   / a. buy b. sack c. dark d. area  
  3. /^/ a. cock b. earth c. pond d. lunch 
  4. /    / a. fare b. bird c. wed d. dear 
  5. /el / a. aisle b. eat c. wait d. dirt  
  6. /j / a. you b. just  c. wedge d, ditch  
  7. / 3 / a. brochure b. mason c. quiz d, leisure 
  8. /   / a. thrash b. vision c. assume d. cheat 
  9. /   / a. dozen b. weight  c. worth  d. bathe 
  10. /d3/ a. just b. ghost c. dose d. dogged 

 

                              

First Term Examination

 

CLASS: SSS 1                            Subject: Literature 

 

                                 PART A 

Answer all questions 

  1. ‘At the fall of the house they lived in, the widow lost her husband, her sewing machine and her ear-rings, what is the major device deployed? (a) metaphor (b) oxymoron(c) bathos (d) simile 
  2. What is the dominant device exemplified in this “I came , I saw but was conquered”? (a) allusion (b) blank verse (c) free verse (d) illusion 
  3. A deliberate understatement in which one uses the negative in order to express the opposite (antithesis (b)litotes (c) hyperbole (d) apostrophe 
  4. The expression of the exact opposite of what a one means or has in mind through the words are not supposed to be taken at face valve is (a) sarcasm (b) euphemism (c) irony (d) metonymy 
  5. “the US is making use of many Nigerian scientific brains in her technological programmes,” what figure of speech is used here? (a) synecdoche (b) metonymy (c) metaphor (d) oxymoron  
  6. To derive the meaning of a word through its sound is referred to as (a) phonetics (b) phoneme (c) oxymoron (d) onomatopoeia 
  7. When two words opposite in meaning stand shoulder to shoulder in a remark, a figure of speech knows as ___ has been used (a) enjambment (b) oxymoron (c) melodrama (d) hyperbole 
  8. ‘Jolliba stood on the middle of the road, unafraid of the surging traffic, as if he was no longer alive. The major literary derive is __?
  9. “the child is the father of the man,” the user deploys ____? 
  10. “The sunshine of her smile left me restless for days” the user deploys ____? 
  11. “for me a delicious music and the prayers start my typical day”. The preceding sentence is an example of the use of _____(a) simile (b) litotes (c) bathos (d) synaesthesia 
  12. The figure of speech which states an unpleasant fact in a mild, pleasant manner is called.(a) oxymoron (b) echoism (c) sarcasm (d) euphemism 
  13. A figurative expression which a part stands for a whole is referred to as (a) personification (b) amplification (c)synecdoche (d)metonymy 
  14. A question asked in a poem drama or prose which does not demand an answer before it makes an impact is known as_____
  15. ‘Hillary, the heiress of the Clinton political dynasty, held her bead high as she harangued hooligans in Harlem’ the dominant literary dance deployed is __(a) metonymy (b)denouement (c) alliteration (d) anagnoris

 

Model unseen prose passage 

Football is the only sport on earth that can be considered truly global. Simple and inexpensive, it is equally likely to be found in a tight Marseille banlieve, an obscure corner of a Lagos slum, and the heart of a Buenos Aires barrio.

Marley’s music is similar universal. It is the embodiment of the ghetto sufferah, it is the embodiment of the ghetto sufferah, the dispossessed street urchin whose never-ending battle for survival transcends continent and race. 

The game of football is also natural and slits neatly into the worldview of the Bastaman. For them, it is imperative to follow the lows of nature, not the smothering impositions decreed by Babyon. 

  1. The passage is ___(a) narrative (b) descriptive (c) expository (d) argumentative 
  2. The dominant literary device used in the passage is ___(a) metaphor (b) simile (c) parallelism (d) antithesis 
  3. From the passage, it could be inferred that Marley is (a) an actor (b) a musician (c) a player (d) a ghetto sufferah. 
  4. The dominant device in the second sentence of paragraph one is synecdoche (b) metonymy (c) metaphor (d) oxymoron 
  5. The dominant literary device used in the passage is ___

 

SECTION B.  Answer 4 question out of all 

  1. Explain 10 terms of literature with example each 
  2. Explain 10 features of poetry 
  3. Explain 10 features of drama 
  4. Explain these: (i) Biography (ii) Autobiography (iii) Plot (iv) Novel (v) Theme 
  5. Explain 10 forms of drama. 

 

 

 

  

First Term Examination

 

CLASS: SSS 2                                Subject: Literature 

                                 SECTION  A  

Answer Four 4  questions only, out of all …………..… 

  1. Write short notes on the following (a) Baroka (b) Lakunle (c) sid
  2. Explain 10 terms of literature 
  3. Recount the events of the play as a case of the guiler beguiled. 
  4. Comment on the structure of the poem “A Government Driver on his Retirement”. 
  5. Comment of any five poetic devices employed in the poem –“ A Government Driver on His Retirement”. 
  6. Identify 3 themes in “The Lion and the Jewel “ and discuss them in detail. 

 

SECTION B. 

I am the helpless fish 

Frying in your bow of cooking oil 

You lean against the kitchen wall 

Smiling with the thoughts of coming feasts 

But nature in time will call 

You’ll render account squatting on your heels 

Your hunger returns with new demands 

And I will not be there to 

Feed the needs of 

Recurrent appetite 

  1. The theme of this poem is ___(a) fishing (b) hunger (c) oppression (d) hatred 
  2. “I am the helpless fish,” in line 1 denotes the use of ___ (a) metaphor (b) simile (c) personification (d) oxymoron 
  3. ‘feed the needs ….; is an example of ___(a) internal rhyme (b) personification (c) repetition (d) alliteration 
  4. The tone of this poem is ___(a) celebratory (b) happy (c) joyful (d) melancholic 
  5. This poem is written in the form of ___(a)a ballad (b) a panegyric poem (c) a sonnet (d) a dramatic monologue 

 

Wish I could still laugh with the lotus 

On the bank of Nile 

 

Take off my clothes 

And dive into the Zambezi 

 

Join spirit dancers 

In the middle of the Ganges 

 

Romp with the Rio 

To the thunder of the samba 

 

Ask the Mississippi ;

For a bowl of water….

  1. What is the subject matter of this poem? (a) desires and wishes (ab) African rivers (c) rivers in the world (d) pain 
  2. The expression …”thunder of the samba”, illustrates ___(a) alliteration (b) simile (c) hyperbole (d) rhyme. 
  3. In line 10, the use of the ellipsis denotes__(a)happiness (b) love (c) omission (d) laughter
  4. How many stanzas does this poem have? (a)1 (b) 5 (c)18 (d) 9
  5. ‘Romp with the Rio,’ illustrates the use of __(a) alliteration (b)anaphora (c)metonymy (d) oxymoron 

Write the figurative expressions deployed in the following 

  1. “the furrow followed free,”_______
  2. “willing to wound, yet afraid to strike ,”________
  3. “even ten thousand oceans cannot wash my quilt,”______
  4. “The trees groaned as they fell,”___
  5. “Seven days on empty stomach make one weak,”________
  6. “The woods decay, the woods decay and fall,”_______
  7. “Parting is such sweet sorrow,”________
  8. “The moan of doves in immemorial elms , “__________
  9. “ I shall float like a butterful ,”_____
  10. “That beautiful lady that has just passed us is everyman’s wife, “___
  11. “ The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew,” __
  12. “such was her beauty that it made men crazy ,”___
  13. “Funmi is boiling with fury ,’___
  14. “For slaves, life death and death was life ,”___
  15. “Beyonce was as tender as the morning rose flower,” ____
  16. “Should we continue in sin so that grace may abound ? ,”____
  17. “Death lays icy hands on kings,”___
  18. “in the African culture, grey hair is very much respected,”____
  19. “Death, be not proud,”___
  20. “I wish i had your type of teeth” (when the speaker is mocking the addressed because of the latter’s poor dentition)

 

 

  

First Term Examination

 

CLASS: SSS 3                                Subject: Literature 

                                 SECTION  A  

Answer Four 4  questions only, out of all …………..… 

  1. Write short notes on the following (a) Baroka (b) Lakunle (c) sid
  2. Explain 10 terms of literature 
  3. Recount the events of the play as a case of the guiler beguiled. 
  4. Comment on the structure of the poem “A Government Driver on his Retirement”. 
  5. Comment of any five poetic devices employed in the poem –“ A Government Driver on His Retirement”. 
  6. Identify 3 themes in “The Lion and the Jewel “ and discuss them in detail. 

 

SECTION B. 

I am the helpless fish 

Frying in your bow of cooking oil 

You lean against the kitchen wall 

Smiling with the thoughts of coming feasts 

But nature in time will call 

You’ll render account squatting on your heels 

Your hunger returns with new demands 

And I will not be there to 

Feed the needs of 

Recurrent appetite 

  1. The theme of this poem is ___(a) fishing (b) hunger (c) oppression (d) hatred 
  2. “I am the helpless fish,” in line 1 denotes the use of ___ (a) metaphor (b) simile (c) personification (d) oxymoron 
  3. ‘feed the needs ….; is an example of ___(a) internal rhyme (b) personification (c) repetition (d) alliteration 
  4. The tone of this poem is ___(a) celebratory (b) happy (c) joyful (d) melancholic 
  5. This poem is written in the form of ___(a)a ballad (b) a panegyric poem (c) a sonnet (d) a dramatic monologue 

 

  1. Wish I could still laugh with the lotus 
  2. On the bank of Nile 

 

  1. Take off my clothes 
  2. And dive into the Zambezi 

 

  1. Join spirit dancers 
  2. In the middle of the Ganges 

 

  1. Romp with the Rio 
  2. To the thunder of the samba 

 

  1. Ask the mississipp;
  2. For a bowl of water….
  1. What is the subject matter of this poem? (a) desires and wishes (ab) African rivers (c) rivers in the world (d) pain 
  2. The expression …”thunder of the samba”, illustrates ___(a) alliteration (b) simile (c) hyperbole (d) rhyme. 
  3. In line 10, the use of the ellipsis denotes__(a)happiness (b) love (c) omission (d) laughter
  4. How many stanzas does this poem have? (a)1 (b) 5 (c)18 (d) 9
  5. ‘Romp with the Rio,’ illustrates the use of __(a) alliteration (b)anaphora (c)metonymy (d) oxymoron 
    1. Write the figurative expressions deployed in the following 
  6. “the furrow followed free,”_______
  7. “willing to wound, yet afraid to strike ,”________
  8. “even ten thousand oceans cannot wash my quilt,”______
  9. “The trees groaned as they fell,”___
  10. “Seven days on empty stomach make one weak,”________
  11. “The woods decay, the woods decay and fall,”_______
  12. “Parting is such sweet sorrow,”________
  13. “The moan of doves in immemorial elms , “__________
  14. “ I shall float like a butterful ,”_____
  15. “That beautiful lady that has just passed us is everyman’s wife, “___
  16. “ The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew,” __
  17. “such was her beauty that it made men crazy ,”___
  18. “Funmi is boiling with fury ,’___
  19. “For slaves, life death and death was life ,”___
  20. “Beyonce was as tender as the morning rose flower,” ____
  21. “Should we continue in sin so that grace may abound ? ,”____
  22. “Death lays icy hands on kings,”___
  23. “in the African culture, grey hair is very much respected,”____
  24. “Death, be not proud,”___
  25. “I wish i had your type of teeth” (when the speaker is mocking the addressed because of the latter’s poor dentition)