ENGLISH LANGUAGE THIRD TERM EXAMINATION SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL – SS 1 EXAM QUESTIONS

DURATION – 2½

SECTION A – OBJECTIVES

INSTRUCTION – Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions. 

EFFICIENT READING

What is efficient reading ? Basically, it involves the ability to read through fairly quickly and ability to understand what has been read. It is a mark of intellectual immaturity to hold on to a passage for hours without being able to make meaning out of it. Also, It is a mark of bad reading not to be able to recall and discuss what has been read.

The foregoing has however put the issue rather too simple. The ability to read through a passage at a good rate can be attained only after a mastery of the grammatical structure of the language.

Without a sound mastery of words and how they function under various situations and understand how sentence are generated one cannot read even the simplest passage efficiently. Rather, Failure would ever dog one’s footsteps.

Considering the issue from another Perspective, merely mastering the vocabulary and structure of the language is not enough. The reader’s frame of mind is equally important. Think of a man who is disturbed by the death of a dear one. Such a man would not be able to concentrate one the reading task. If the death of the dear one is still fresh, he might read through a passage several times without understanding it . On the other hand if the reader is excited he might not be able to concentrate. Take the case of a man who has just in the newspaper that he has won a handsome sum of money. If he has to read a passage, he may not be able to concentrate.

Furthermore, the physical state of the body affects one’s ability to read efficiently. So also does the presence or absence of distractions. This is why it is best to read when the body is still fresh and in a place far from noise and other distractions.

 

QUESTIONS

1. What is efficient reading according to the passage?

2. State two of the factors that could affect a reader’s understanding of a passage.

3. Mention two language skills that are essential for efficient reading.

4. Why is it necessary to study when the body is still fresh?

5. “ Failure would ever dog one’s footsteps“.

6. What Figure of speech is contained in the above expression?

7. “ The reader’s frame of mind ______“ What is the grammatical name of the above expression for each of the following words, find another word or phrase that can replace it as used in the place.

I. Sound

II. Attained

III. Perspective

IV. Generated

V. Handsome

 

In each of questions 8 – 12 choose the option opposite in meaning to the underlined word.

8. Everyone prays for PROSPERITY in life.

(a) Creativity

(b) Adversity

(c) Progress

(d) Disappointment

 

 

9. The police APPREHENDED the bandits.

(a) Condemned

(b) Released

(c) Attacked

(d) Arrested

 

10. Judith likes eating SOUR fruits.

(a) Tasty

(b) Sweet

(c) Beautiful

(d) Bitter

 

11. The doing will AGGRAVATE the patients condition.

(a) Lesson

(b) Increase

(c) Heal

(d) Weaken

 

12. It was a TRANSPARENT administration.

(a) Flexible

(b) Translucent

(c) Transitory

(d) Insincere

 

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the bold word 13 – 17. 

13. The new pledged to emancipate the people.

(a) empower

(b) entrap

(c) liberate

(d) emulate

 

14. English Language is a requisite entry qualification for admission into university.

(a) agreed

(b) usual

(c) cogent

(d) essential

 

15. Germany is an American ally.

(a) companion

(b) enemy

(c) partner

(d) colleague

 

16. I sell pure water after school in order to augment my school fees.

(a) enlarge

(b) subsidize

(c) support

(d) reduce

 

17. Some children imitate their teachers.

(a) mimic

(b) admire

(c) ridicule

(d) hoax

 

In each of the questions 18 – 22, select the options A – D that most appropriately fills each gap from the list that follows.

18. The suit was filed ______ the Lagos High Court.

(a) in

(b) at

(c) with

(d) by

 

19. An orange a day can help a person fight ______ cold.

(a) out

(b) at

(c) off

(d) with

 

20. I had hardly ______ down to sleep when l heard the gunshot.

(a) lay

(b) lied

(c) lain

(d) laid

 

21. You can stay in my room ____________ as you want.

(a) as long

(b) so long

(c) in as much

(d) for as long

 

22. I hope to embark ______a trip next week.

(a) for

(b) on

(c) with

(d) in

 

From the option lettered A – D choose the letter that represents the word. Which has the correct stress pattern represented in capital letters.

23. Photographer

(a) Pho-To-gra-pher

(b) PHO – to – gra – pher

(c) Pho – to – gra – PHER

(d) pho –to – GRA – pher

 

24. Photographic

(a) pho – to – GRA – phic

(b) PHO – to – gra – phic

(c) pho – TO – gra – phic

(d) pho – to – gra – PHIC

 

25. Projection

(a) pro – JEC – tion

(b) pro – jec – TION

(c) PRO –jec – tion

(d) Pro – jec – tion

 

26. Communicate

(a) co – MMU – ni – cate

(b) co – mmu – NI – cate

(c) CO – mmu – ni – cate

(d) co – mmu – ni – CATE

 

From the word lettered A – D choose the word that contains the consonant represented by the phonetic symbol given.

27. / ʧ /

(a) each

(b) Judge

(c) cash

(d) badge

 

28. /dჳ /

(a) girl

(b) gin

(c) drag

(d) wag

 

29. / ә /

(a) thing

(b) breathe

(c) bathe

(d) anthem

 

30. / ꭍ /

(a) ocean

(b) ask

(c) vision

(d) casual

 

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

Sandra and John had to share the same house because of __31___ difficulties. After some time, they found themselves __32__ and fell in love. They then decided to ___33__ their relationship. Sandra _34___ her boyfriend to her parents, who approved of their getting _35___. John in turn took his __36___ to his parents. They too gave their blessing to the relationship and the __37___ day was fixed. Both families then set about for the preparing great day. There was a large attendance that day and the __38___ priest advised the ____39__to remain___40___ to each other all their lives.

31. A. accommodation B. Residence C. house D. rent

32. A. Comparable B. adorable C. compatible D. admirable

33. A. co-operate B. join C. unite D. marry

34. A. introduced B. disclosed C. revealed D. invited

35. A connected B. engaged C. admitted D. accepted

36. A. companion B. fiancée C. partner D. colleague

37. A. unification B. blessing C. marriage D. wedding

38. A. praying B. presiding C. officiating D. celebrating

39. A. lovers B. friends C. couple D. two

40. A. withdrawn B. close C. loving D. faithful

 

SECTION B – COMPOSITION

Choose one of these topics and write on it. The length of each or essay should not exceed 450 words.

I. Write a letter to your father marring four important events which took place in your school last term.

II. Write a letter to your local government chairman the need to provide portable water for your community.

III. Write for or against the motion which says that technical schools should be abolished.

IV. Write a story that begins or ends with saying “ Had l known that comes at last “.

 

SECTION C – SUMMARY

Read the passage and answer the questions. 

Impure water can be purified in several ways, The simple way is by filtering. Large quantities of water can be filtered using a clean white sheet of cloth folded several times. Another way is to prepare a simple filter bed. This kind of bed helps to remove solid particles from water. To make water safer for drinking , chemicals are added to kill harmful micro – organisms. An example is chlorine. The best way to get pure water is by distillation. This involves boiling the water. The steam produced is condensed by cooling to form pure water.

 

QUESTION – In three sentences, one for each , state the ways impure water can be purified.