ENGLISH LANGUAGE PRACTICE PAST QUESTIONS

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PRACTICE PAST QUESTIONS

1. INSTRUCTION: Answer all the questions SECTION A (COMPREHENSION PASSAGE)
2. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
3. How to Make the UBE Work
4. For Nigeria to make a success of the Universal Basic Education programme, all the three tiers of government should give priority attention to teacher training and retraining, production of early childhood educators, infrastructure development, provision of books and instructional materials.
5. The Managing Director, University Press Plc, Mr. Samuel Kolawole, said these factors were imperative to the development of a virile school system. The UBE is the major strategy the Federal Government adopted in 1999 to attain the goal of Education for all by 2015. The policy is aimed at ensuring improved and equitable access to basic, universal and compulsory education for all the children of school age and continuing education for all illiterate adults.
6. Kolawole, in a chat at a workshop, said government should design an all-inclusive approach to ensure the success of the scheme. He pointed out that one area of teacher education to be looked at is the training of professional teachers for the pre-primary school level of education. “If the UBE must succeed, we as nation should review the professional qualification of teachers in pre-primary schools, we should give priority attention to this class of teachers because whatever mistake they make when teaching the kids could be fatal. All quality course books that could stimulate the kids should be massively provided for the school system while the teachers already in the system should be retrained on a regular basis”.
7. Oduntan, however, noted that the government and school owners should invest in human and infrastructural development while teachers should imbibe the virtues of sound human relationship, concern in the discharge of their duties.
8. QUESTIONS

• What is the full meaning of UBE?
• From your knowledge of Social Studies, mention the three tiers of
• Mention three things the government should do to see to the success of
• When and why was UBE adopted?
• Who are the target audience for the policy of UBE?
• Kolawole suggested that priority attention be given to a class of teachers, identify this class from the passage.

• Kolawole, in his contribution, suggested three things to be done for the success of Identify them from the passage.
• Who again made a contribution apart from Kolawole?
• What two things did he suggest?                                                                                   (20 Marks)

1. SECTION B (COMPOSITION)
2. Attempt one question from here: your answer should be about 250 words long.
3. You are free to use the hints below each question and / or other ones you like. Each question carries twenty (20) marks.
4. Write a letter to the Principal of your school on the poor living conditions in your hostel and suggest ways of improving on them.
5. Hints
6. Title
7. Mention the problems you have in the hostel

• Suggest what can be done to solve the problems

1. 20 marks

1. Write a composition on how to play your favourite game
   1. Introduction: Name and explain the Game
   2. Body: How it is played

• 20 marks SECTION C (OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS) Select appropriate option to fill in the gap
• How money have you got in your purse?
  1. many B) any C) much D) little
• My mother has got
  1. a little B) a lot of C) much D) little
• We have got apples and                  oranges in the
  1. A) a little / some B) many / a little C) a few / some D) few/few
• Are there children in the school garden?
  1. a little B) any C) much D) few
• My teacher hasn’t got 6th grade student this year.
  1. some B) any C) a few D) little
• Sam, there            milk in the fridge?
  1. are / any B) is / any C) is / a few
• How cheese has she got in the basket?
  1. many B) much C) any d) are
• There are English teachers in this school this
  1. many B) much C) a little D) little
• We haven’t got toothpaste but we have got          tooth brushes. A)some / some B) some / any C) any / some

1. The first sentence is in the ACTIVE VOICE.
2. Choose the most correct way of saying the same thing in the PASSIVE VOICE:

• They were interviewing her for the

1. She                                  for the job.
2. a). was being interviewed b) was interviewed c) has been interviewed

• Tom is writing the
  1. The letter by
  2. a).was written b) is being written c) has been written
• Everyone understands
  1. English by
     1. is understood b) has been understood c) was understood

• The employees brought up this issue during the

1. This issue                                   by the employees during the meeting. a) has been brought up b) is brought up c) was brought up .

• The professor told him not to talk in

1. He                                  by the professor not to talk in class.
2. has been told b) was told c) was being told
4. Choose, from the list below each sentence, the most appropriate interpretation for the underlined expression.

• Captain Kofi claimed that they fought heavily with the opposing troop for about five weeks before the opponents finally showed their white flag. This means that the opponent gave a signal of
  1. (a) advance (b) surrender (c) victory (d)  retreat (e)  cease-fire.
• Dolapo had long nursed the hope of becoming a medical doctor. This means that Dolapo

1. has been a medical doctor
2. had long been an amateur
3. had been hoping to become a doctor one
4. could have been a medical doctor if she had
5. had long been a medical

• Experience has shown that it pays to strike when the iron is hot. The underlined expressions means

1. take advantage of an available
2. escape when violence is about to break
3. strike a person with hot iron
4. let the blacksmith work on a heater gold.
5. take decisions when one’s anger is at the

• The new President received his visitor with open arms. This means that the new
  1. gave every visitor a perfidious smile.
  2. allowed some visitors in without any
  3. invited all his visitors
  4. welcomed his visitors
  5. loved each of his
• The counselor said that as his hands were full, he would not be able to see me this This means that he
  1. was tired of attending to
  2. was tired of attending to

2. had a lot of money in his hands.
3. was carrying a heavy bundle of
4. was very

• Mallam Sule is a white sepulcher. What he does is at variance with what he This means that Mallam Sule is(a) rebel. (b) a preacher. (c)   a ghost     (d) a hypocrite.  (e) a pastor.
• Ademola is a lucky boy. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. This means that Ademola (a) always uses a silver spoon to (b) was born a weakling.(c) was born as a lucky champion.(d) won a silver spoon at a lottery.(e) was born into a rich family.
• Mercy was asked to take heart at such a trying period. This means that Mercy was advised to (a) take care of her (b) be courageous in the face of difficulties.

1. (c) avoid a heart attack. (d) examine her conscience thoroughly. (e) test her heartbeat and blood pressure regularly.
2. Choose the word or group of words which best completes each sentence.

• Grace took her sister to school……….she went to the (a)if (b)so that

1. (c)until     (d)before

• ……………its raining, I always drive (a) Although (b)Until (c) When (d) Nevertheless
• Boarders may receive visitors………………. the Housemaster is

1. (a)provided that (b) so far (c)in case that (d)considering that

• There was no meat in the market…………. Okon bought some (a)so (b)unless
• since (d)in case
• Bimbo and Dada ……. (a)each other (b)one another (c)themselves (d) themself
• Of the three books…….is the most difficult? (a)what (b)who (c)which
• The students……..should decide whom to elect as the class (a)themselves

1. (b)themselves (c)theirself (d) theirselves

• You and…..will play table tennis ( a)me (b) I (c) them (d) myself.

1. Pick out the odd words from the following.
2. /aʊ / a) tout b) old c) south d) how
3. /eɪ/ a) hate b) hail c) pay d) pry
4. / əʊ/ a) lawn b) tow c) sole d) fold
5. / aɪ / a) bail b) mile c) bite d) pile
6. /ɔɪ/ a) toy b) boy c) yawn d) soil
8. Choose from the options lettered A-D the one that contains the given phonetic symbol
9. 36 /ɔɪ/ a) toy b) ball c) yawn d) salt
10. /eɪ/ a) hit b) key c) pay d) mean
11. /eə/ a) air b) fern c) lure d) here
12. /əʊ/ a) lawn b) tow c) took d) fool
13. / i: / a) ear b) earth        c) leg    d)tea
14. Choose the correct order of adjectives in the following sentences.
15. The woman is wearing a
    1. yellow long B)) long yellow
16. He is a tall thin B) thin tall
18. The company makes A) excellent farming
19. B) farming excellent
20. James recently departed on a
21. A) Camping long B)) long camping
22. LITERATURE
23. `THE PRICELESS JEWEL` WRITTEN BY CHUKS GENERIC
24. Teacher Okarfor is years old when the play (A) forty-five (B) sixty-five (C)  fifty-five (D) fifty-three (E) sixty
25. Who is being referred to as `Priceless Jewel`? (A) Teacher Okafor (B) Mrs Okafor (C) Ogugua (D) Angela (E) Okechukwu
26. Nduka and Aniekwue are to give the village the fine of———– for raising machetes at
27. each other.(A) one-he-goat (B)two-he-goats (C) five-he-goats (D) a goat and a ram(E)
28. Angela represents for four years, (A) Idi Araba Community School(B) Ilode Community School(C) Ijero Community School (D)Urban Day Community School (E)Olomina Community
29. Opuna and Obion attack .(A)Nnan (B) Ofuani(C) Olona (D)Ijebu (E)Oshimiti
30. ARROW OF DESTINY BY ANN IWUAGWU
31. Choose the correct option for each question from the following.
32. Cynthia’s mother works in the United States of America as a/ an ………… a) Nurse
    1. Architect c) Teacher d)
33. Idris’ sister’s name is…………….. a) Mrs Peters b) Mrs Isa c) Mrs Enejor d)
34. Ikechukwu
35. Who is Cynthia? a) The prophetess b) The protagonist c) Mrs Isa’s daughter d) Idara’s friend
36. Cynthia has to relocate back to………………. due to Idris’ (a) Lagos (b) Abuja (c) Port- Harcourt (d) New
37. Cynthia’s mother died as a result of…………….. a) heart attack b) childbirth c) hypertension d) stroke

POETRY: ‘SUCCESS’ by Flourish Amoo and Yinka Akindele

1. Choose the correct options from the following.
2. According to the poets what is the reward of hard work?
3. a) Tiredness b) success c) sickness d) riches
4. Which hard-working creature do the poets mention?
5. a) Lion b) Dog c) Ant d) Bee
6. What holds the key to success? a) hard work b)laziness c) power d) idleness
7. According to the poets hard work does the following to a person except………… a)hard
8. work strengthens the body b)prepares you for the future c) kills your body system d) makes you successful.
9. As busy as bee is an example of a) Metaphor b) simile c) hyperbole d) metonym e) personification
10. In what culture of Nigeria is the ‘Osu’ culture being practised? a) Yoruba b) Efik c) Igbo d)Hausa e) 60 marks