ENGLISH STUDIES THIRD TERM EXAMINATION JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL – JSS 3 EXAM QUESTIONS

DURATION – 2½

SECTION A – OBJECTIVES

INSTRUCTION – Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow by choosing the most appropriate of the options lettered A – E.

There was once a terrible famine in the land of the animals. Food and money were scarce. Hunger made all the creatures very weak. The mother of Dino, the tortoise, fell ill and was at the point of death. Dinso became very worried because he had no money for her funeral ceremonies. He thought and thought but did not know what to do. At last, he discovered a trick. He assembled all the animals and said to them, ‘I am going to a distant land in search of food for all of us who are hungry, do not send for me unless something unusual happens.’ The animals agreed.

Three days later, Dinso’s mother died. Death is not unusual and Dinso could not be sent for. Discovering the trick, the elephant advised, ‘Let’s tell Dinso that the palm tree bears fruits at the end of its leaves. This unusual and should make him return quickly’. The other animals welcomed the idea, thanked the elephant for the good advice and sent for Dinso. On hearing of palm trees bearing fruits at the end of the leaves, he hastened back. When he arrived, the animals said to him, ‘Your mother is dead; now arrange for her funeral according to our custom. You can’t deceive all the people all the time.’

 

QUESTIONS

1. By giving the advice he gave, there is no doubt that the elephant was a ______ animal.

(a) Cunning (b) great

(c) smart

(d) thoughtful

(e) wise

 

2. The passage is mainly ______ in form.

(a) argumentative

(b) descriptive

(c) expository

(d) narrative

(e) persuasive

 

3. A word that can replace ‘assembled’ as it is used in the passage is ______.

(a) arranged

(b) combined

(c) gathered

(d) grouped

(e) invited

 

4. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

(a) Dinso knew his mother would not die soon.

(b) Dinso was never confused about what to do.

(c) Hunger made Dinso’s mothe fall ill.

(d) The famine did not affect some animals.

(e) The passage is a riddle.

 

5. The most suitable title for the passage could be ______.

(a) Dinso the Elephant

(b) Dinso’s Mother’s Death

(c) Dinso’s Trick

 

PASSAGE II

Until the later half of the nineteenth century, the Europeans knew little about the interior of Africa. By then, much had been learnt about America, Asia and Australia. Because the Europeans knew little about Africa then, this was the chief reason why Stanley, the British explorer, called Africa ‘The Dark Continent’.

Stanley explored the Congo Basin. The Stanley Falls on this river is called after his name. most of the inhabitants of Africa are black in complexion and perhaps this was the second reason the words Dark-Continent were applied to Africa.

One may ask why the inland part of Africa was unknown until about one hundred years ago. Many are of the opinion that this was because the natives of Africa were not friendly towards Europeans. Until then, Arab slave raiders had been enslaving Africans. This made many negroes look upon all whit people as slave dealers.

But we must not forget the difficulties in exploring Africa. The Sahara Desert, the rapids on rivers and the thick forest made travelling very difficult. The damp, heat, mosquitoes and tse-tse flies caused illness to European explorers.

 

QUESTIONS

6. What for many people think was the reason why Africa was unknown for a long time?

(a) The Arab slave raiders were wicked (b) The Arabs enslaved many Africans

(c) Explorers were too busy in other continents.

(d) The natives were unfriendly to the Europeans.

(e) The Sahara Desert was too big to cross.

 

7. The ______ was explored by Stanley.

(a) African coast

(b) Congo Basin

(c) Forested part of Africa

(d) Interior of Africa

(e) Stanley Falls

 

8. What caused ill-health to European explorers?

(a) Snake bites and malaria

(b) The climate and insect

(c) The dangerous rivers and deserts

(d) The rapids on African rivers

(e) The slave raiders’ unfriendliness

 

9. Who called Africa the Dark Continent?

(a) Europeans

(b) Explorers

(c) Stanley

(d) The Americans

(e) The British

 

10. A word that can replace ‘natives’ as it is used in the passage is ______.

(a) indigenes

(b) leaders

(c) traders

(d) visitors

(e) warriors

 

Complete each of the following questions with the most appropriate of the options lettered A- E. 

11. Don’t argue with your mother, it is a sign of ______.

(a) disrespect

(b) irrespect

(c) misrespect

(d) non respesct

(e) unrespect

12. Crude oil is sold to other countries in containers called ______.

(a) barrels

(b) bottles

(c) drums

(d) jars

(e) tanks

 

13. The warder denied seeing the ______ of the prison before they escaped.

(a) contingents

(b) inmates

(c) partners

(d) people

(e) prisoners

 

14. The meeting had to be ______ because of lack of quorum.

(a) adjourned

(b) convened

(c) organized

(d) postponed

(e) suspended

 

15. He could not make a withdrawal because his cheque ______.

(a) bounced

(b) had expired

(c) was authorized

(d) was cleared

(e) was open

 

16. Cholera is the most dreadful ______ I know.

(a) attack

(b) danger

(c) disease

(d) disturbances

(e) sickness

 

17. Avian influenza (Bird Flu) is a/an disease.

(a) dangerous

(b) infected

(c) infectious

(d) relapsing

(e) water-borne

 

18. A 10% ______ was given to my friend when he bought a radio set.

(a) balance

(b) bonanza

(c) change

(d) cost

(e) discount

 

19. My cousin is the son of my ______.

(a) brother

(b) nephew

(c) sister

(d) step brother

(e) uncle

 

20. The doctor admitted that the patient’s condition was so ______. That he might not survive.

(a) critical

(b) disturbing

(c) feverish

(d) pathetic

(e) pitiable

 

21. There were many mistakes in the newspaper reports because the ______ had not been carefully edited.

(a) articles

(b) captions

(c) columns

(d) drafts

(e) jottings

 

22. The radiator in a car engine contains ______.

(a) brake fluid

(b) engine oil

(c) fuel

(d) hydraulic fluid

(e) water

 

23. After the hearing, the accused ______ not guilty.

(a) appealed

(b) argued

(c) claimed

(d) pleaded

(e) protested

 

24. In a democratic government, the governor is normally ______.

(a) appointed

(b) chosen

(c) elected

(d) nominated

(e) selected

 

25. Before a judge passes his final judgment the lawyer is free to plead for his ______.

(a) client

(b) customer

(c) plaintiff

(d) prosecutor

(e) witness

 

Complete each of the following questions with the most appropriate of the options lettered A – E.

26. ‘Did you pass the exam?’ is best reported as He asked him whether he ______ the exam.

(a) had passed

(b) has pass

(c) has passed

(d) was passing

(e) passed

 

27. ‘ I received the money from my sister’ is best reported as He explained that he ______ the money from his sister.

(a) had received

(b) has received

(c) have received

(d) receives

(e) received

 

28. Mathematics is the subject I found ______ difficult.

(a) far

(b) more

(c) most

(d) much

(e) well

 

29. Adu is the ______ boy of the family.

(a) more taller

(b) most tall

(c) tall

(d) tallest

(e) taller

 

30. She sang so ______ that everybody admired her.

(a) audibly

(b) fluently

(c) melodiously

(d) solemnly

(e) sonorously

 

31. She dresses ______ my cousin.

(a) as

(b) as much as

(c) like

(d) up to

(e) unlike

 

32. He abuses me as if he ______ my father.

(a) has been

(b) is

(c) was

(d) were

(e) was being

 

33. The meeting is due to start at 8:00 O’clock and with Mr. Cole as chairman, you can expect it to start ______ time.

(a) by

(b) for

(c) in

(d) of

(e) on

 

34. The supermarket is located ______ the road.

(a) across

(b) at

(c) on

(d) inside

(e) over

 

35. He didn’t think it was a very good idea to set fire ______ The bush.

(a) with

(b) at

(c) in

(d) of

(e) on

 

36. I long ______ the holidays.

(a) by

(b) for

(c) because of

(d) of

(e) towards

 

37. You should not be taken ______ by appearances.

(a) back

(b) in

(c) out

(d) on

(e) up

 

38. While everyone’s attention was distracted, the thief made ______ With the cash box.

(a) away

(b) in

(c) on

(d) out

(e) up

 

39. My friend asked me to drink ______ water.

(a) a few

(b) a little

(c) few

(d) many

(e) plenty

 

40. This is the house ______ Jack built.

(a) a

(b) in which

(c) some

(d) that

(e) the

 

41. A struggle between opposing forces in a literary work in the ______.

(a) plot

(b) conflict

(c) climax

(d) denouement

 

42. A poem with fourteen lines of rhymed iambic pentrametre is ______.

(a) an epic

(b) sonnet

(c) a quatrain

(d) an octave

 

43. Pick the odd item from the option listed below.

(a) Euphemism

(b) Oxymoron

(c) Hyperbole

(d) Rhythm

 

44. “She waited for him for a thousand years” illustrates.

(a) Euphemism

(b) Hyperbole

(c) Assonance

(d) Ellipsis

 

45. A literary device which expresses meaning in it’s directs opposite.

(a) metaphor

(b) paradox

(c) parody

(d) irony

 

46. Pick the odd item out of the options listed below.

(a) verse

(b) stanza

(c) Rhythm

(d) Dialogue

 

47. The genres of literature are ______.

(a) prose, fiction and novel

(b) drama, non-fiction and fiction

(c) prose, poetry and drama

(d) plays, poems and novels

 

48. Most poems are written in ______.

(a) stanzas

(b) rhymes

(c) chapters

(d) paragraphs

 

49. The dress of an actor is known as ______.

(a) attire

(b) costume

(c) uniform

(d) regalia

 

50. “Fear gripped Bose” is an example of ______.

(a) Apostrophe

(b) metaphor

(c) personification

(d) hyperbole

 

SECTION B – LETTER WRITING/COMPOSITION

INSTRUCTION: Answer one (1) question from this section. Your answer should be about 300 words long.

A. Write a letter to your friend in another school telling him that you have changed school and giving reasons for doing so.

B. Write an essay on what you like to be in future.

 

SECTION C – GRAMMAR

INSTRUCTION: Answer all questions in this section.

1. Complete the following sentences with the correct prepositions.

a. My son is very dear ______ my heart.

b. The girls are suffering ______ Malaria.

c. They had apologized ______ their bad behavior

d. Our enemy was forced to give ______.

e. The teachers warned their students to be careful ______ their work.

 

2. Change the following sentences from Active to Passive

a. Ade arranges the chair ______.

b. The children wrote a letter ______.

c. The students have done the assignment ______.

d. Olu is reading an interesting book ______.

e. I am sweeping the floor ______.