MID TERM TEST FIRST TERM ENGLISH STUDIES SS 2

FIRST TERM EXAMINATION

                             SUBJECT: ENGLISH LANGUAGE    CLASS: SS TWO (2)     Time: 

SECTION A

Answer one question from this section. Your answer should not be more than 400 words.

1. Write a story to illustrate the saying: he who laughs last laughs longest.
2. Write a story that illustrates the saying: “I wish I had listened to my parents”
3. You are the chief speaker in a debate on the topic: technology has made the world a better place. Write your           argument for or against the motion.
4. Describe carefully the animal you consider most useful in the service of man.

SECTION B

COMPREHENSION

Answer all questions in this section. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.

       When I innocently put my hands in the pockets of my school shorts. That day, little did I realise that it would cause an uproar. I did this to keep my hands out of mischief and so stay out of trouble.  I still remember a particular day when one classmate of mine was accused of punching another boy on the nose and giving him nose bleeding, which took some time to stop. Even though the boy had protested that it was not intentional. He was not only thrashed but also suspended from school for a month. From that incident, I had learnt to restrain my hands by putting them in my pockets.

      However, one day, as I had my hands in my pockets, as usual, the most feared teacher in my school, nicknamed “Mr. Terror”, saw me and beckoned to me to come forward. I responded promptly, still keeping my hands in my pockets. As I stood in front of him in fright, the loo he gave me almost froze me. Then he yelled, “Where do you think you are? In front of whom do you suppose you are standing? By the way, what’s your name? “I am Joe Mensah, sir, I muttered frightfully. “What work does your father do?” he thundered again. ‘he is the permanent secretary in the ministry of works, sir………” I managed to say. He became all the more infuriated. “No wonder, your father’s position has gone into your head”. “Excuse me sir….” Before I could say anything more, he gave me three deadly slaps. And then it happened. I passed out, more from fright than the slaps!

     I later learnt that it took about four hours to resuscitate me. During those four hours the trauma that the teacher went through is better imagined than experienced. Fear gripped him. For once, the most feared teacher in the school was visibly shaken. Naturally, my classmates were happy that “Mr. Terror” had found himself in a terrible predicament. However, they were equally concerned about my plight. And when I eventually came round, the while school was full of jubilation.

QUESTIONS

1. What is ironical about the writer putting his hands in his pockets that day?
2. What interpretation did the teacher give to the writer’s action of putting his hands in his pockets?
3. Why could the writer not explain the reason for his action?
4. What cause the writer to pass out?
5. How did the writer now what happened after he had passed out?
6. “Fear gripped him”. What figure of speech is used in this expression?
7. “Before I could say anything else….”
8. What grammatical name is given to this expression as it is used in the passage?
9. What is its function?

For each of the following words or phrase, find another word or phrase which means the same and which can replace it as it is used in the passage.

1. An uproar
2. Beckoned
3. Promptly
4. Yelled
5. Infuriated
6. Plight

SECTION C

SUMMARY

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

  In recent times, the internet has come under criticism by some members of the society as they describe as distraction to young people of school age. This assertion is always corroborated with references to cyber cafes where young people engage in all sorts of indecent and sometimes illegal activities. There is no gain saying the fact that the internet can be a distraction to anybody just as anything under the sun can. However, it would be wrong to say that the internet is meant to distract young people. Our age is that of information and the primary purpose of the internet is to make information available to all about people places and things all over the world. Since information is the basis of knowledge, it follows that the internet has lots of educational advantages for the young people of school age.

       Prospective candidates can now apply for public examination through the internet. After meeting the requirements of the examination are done online and further communication between candidates and the examination bodies before and after the examinations maintained through the use of scratch cards. Also, successful candidates have the opportunity to apply for admission to any higher institution anywhere in the world as information about such schools is readily available at their websites. The processing and follow-up of the admission procedures are done on-line. So, the cost and risk of travelling from one place to another for these purposes have been greatly reduced.

   In school, student found the internet are invaluable tool for effective learning, because it provides answers to questions on any subject in any field of study. Search engines like “Google” and “ask” are equally available for further probe into subject areas. It therefore makes information for research and assignments easy to obtain.  Furthermore, the internet has become a means of socialization among students since they can interact with fellow students with similar interests from any part of the world through the use of email, newsgroups and chat rooms. By this, they develop their interpersonal skills

       Also, worth mentioning is the fact that youths who did not have the opportunity of being educated through the regular schools can get qualitative education through the internet. The availability of facilities such as video conferencing has made it possible for people to join live classes while in their rooms. It cannot be denied that young people who become distracted by the internet lack focus, discipline and good background. This is where families, schools and society at large have failed in their role of preparing the children to utilize to the full this very useful gift to our generation.

QUESTION

1. In one sentence, summarise the major function of the internet.
2. In five sentence, one for each, summarise the educational advantages of the internet to youths.

SECTION D

In each of the following sentences there is one underlined word and one gap.  From the list of words lettered A-D, choose the one that is mostly OPPOSITE IN MEANING to the underlined word and that will, at the same time, correctly fill the gap in the sentence.

1. Last year our farmers cultivated more crops than they ___________ (a) Destroyed (b) uprooted (c) harvested (d) yielded
2. The new governor is very conservative whereas the former was ______(a) Radical (b) fanatical (c) dictatorial (d)impractical
3. Most African countries face poverty while few enjoy _______(a) Influence (b) money (c) affluence (d) power
4. After the gulf war,  there was neither the vanquished nor the __________(a) captain (b) victor (c) champion (d) oppressed
5. Many African men prefer ________ to the white man’s monogamy (a) polygamy (b) polyandry (c) bigamy (d) celibacy

   From the words lettered A-D choose the word that best completes each of the following re

1. Doreen added a _____ to her letter to yakubu  (a) Postscript (b) poster (c) postdate (d) postmark
2. The proposer ________ most of the opponents points to win the debate. (a) Refused (b) refuted (c) rejected (d) rebuked
3. The armed robbers ________ every room in the bank to look for money  (a) Explored (b) ransacked (c) raked (d) swept
4. The new politician has nobody to ______ for his honesty  (a) Attest (b) plead (c) sign (d) vouch
5. There would have been a riot in our school but for the timely _______ of our staff. (a) Intervention (b) interruption (c) interference (d) invasion

SECTION E

In the following passages, the numbered gaps indicate missing words. Against each number in the list below each passage, four options are offered in columns each columns lettered A-D. Choose the word that is most suitable to fill the numbered gaps in the passages.

      There is no doubt that the __11__ failure of students in English language and mathematics is one of the greatest __12__ facing the __13___ of these subjects in West Africa today. Can this problem be __14__? One can, no doubt change the __15__of motivating students to learn for the better. We are all aware that English language and mathematics are essential __16__ of the school __17__. A student may excel in all other __18__ but his failure in English language or mathematics can __19__ his chances of furthering his education beyond the secondary school __20_. It is for this __21__ that more emphasis ought to be placed on the __22__ teaching and learning of these subjects.

      English language and mathematics require a lot of ___23__ to allow for __24__ teaching and learning. Once this is done, there is no doubt that many __25__ can be derived.