SS 3 SECOND TERM EXAMINATION

ENGLISH LANGUAGE – SS3

SECTION A: COMPREHENSION PASSAGE

Instruction: Read carefully and answer the questions.

I first remember my first close encounter with our principal known to us as “The Lion of Aye Hill”, he was a most feared human being. The popular saying was that no other lion ever roared on Aye Hill on which the school was situated. So, when the senior prefect informed me that the principal wanted to see me, I was particularly terrified. My friends too were concerned for few students were ever sent for unless they had committed some serious offence. Indeed, had their dismissal or suspension announced to them in the principal’s office without the ritual of investigation and defence.

As I trudged along towards the principal’s office, I tried to remember what I had done wrong. In the process, I assured myself that he must have seen me stealing out of the dormitory two days before. I had crept out of the dormitory two days before. I had crept out stealthily early in the evening to see my uncle who, as my only guardian in the town, always had some money for me. I had got some money from him and hurried back just before twilight out bell. It was uneventful and I had assumed that nobody saw me. But now, here I was , sent for!

I knocked feebly and the principal answered from within, “come in!” I entered on shaky legs and greeted him. He answered without looking up from the paper on which he was writing. Without looking up still, he motioned me to sit down. This surprised me, for available reports had it that he never allowed students such luxury. I sat down and waited for the storm to break. For long minutes, I waited.

Finally, he finished the task and looked up. “My boy”, he said, “what were you doing in town so late in the evening two days ago?” I told him the truth, for I knew the futility of trying to tell a lie. “I knew”, he said calmly. “I am aware you’ve lost your father and that your uncle is all you have in this town. You went to take some money, I knew. However, in future, just come over to me and you’ll have all you need. That way you’ll not have to break school regulations and Mar your good records.

Before I could recover from the shock, he took out some currency notes and put them in my hand. Smiling calmly, he bade me good afternoon. I was speechless and hot tears rolled down my checks.

Questions

1. Why was the boy afraid when he was told that the principal wanted to see him?
2. What offence had the boy apparently committed?
3. Why do you think the principal treated the boy the way he did?

4i. Does your impression of the principal at the end of the passage agree with the impression at the beginning?

1. Mention one point in support of your answer.
2. “… waited for the storm to break”

i, What figure of speech is the expression?

ii, What does it mean as it is used in the passage?

6. “Before I could recover from the shock …”
7. What is the grammatical name given to this expression?
8. What is the function?
9. 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, encounter: ____________.             ii, terrified: __________.     iii, trudged: ____________

iv, stealthily: ______________.          v, futility: ____________.

Section B:     Structure

Insert pronouns in the following sentences

8. Kiria and Williams defended ________ adequately.
9. We took the magazines ________ we did not need to the incinerator.

Rewrite the sentences below using conjunction.

Example: My Akpan is a rich man. He is very stingy

Answer: Mr Akpan is a rich man but he is very stingy.

10. The incident happened. No one expected it.
11. I kept it in a place. He said I should keep it.

Fill in the gaps with the appropriate prepositions.

12. My brother doesn’t have a flair ___ Mathematics.
13. Silk materials ought to be prohibited _______ being brought into the country.
14. The snake entered the house _______ the open door.

Write out and underline the adjunct

15. They ate voraciously so much that they could not walk.
16. I will reply your message if I see him.
17. We shall set out by dawn.

Make a sentence with the modal forms to express permission

18.i, should: __________

ii, May: __________

Section C – Summary Writing

Read carefully and answer the questions.

The people of this country enjoy little or no health care . This is due to lack of necessary qualified doctors and lack of facilities in Nigerian hospitals. I mean standard health care is not freely accessible to all and sundry. The rate of income of the masses of this country is poor. So, useful health care that can possibly be acquired through money is not within the reach of the poor.

Also, in the few available hospitals, the average number of doctors is one per one thousand people. Even three quarters of these doctors are foreigners. This situation especially often makes diagnosis a difficult task because the patient hardly understands the language of the physician and verse versa. This circumstances therefore, is an obstacle to the administration of treatment under Nigerian health care system.

Questions

19. In only three sentences, state why this country enjoys little or no health care.
20. State in a short sentence why diagnosis is a difficult task in Nigerian health care.

Section D: Essay Writing

Write on any of the following

1. There has been an outbreak of a pandemic in the country. Write an article for publication in a health magazine stating the causes and effects, suggesting what should be done in order to check it.
2. You were an eye witness to a filling station burn down by a group of protesters. Write a report to the police to aid them in their investigations.