English is the study of the English language. The goal is to improve communication skills by practicing listening, speaking, reading, writing, and understanding language rules like pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar.
Select the option that best explains the information conveyed in the sentence.
Grandma told the boys a story that cheered them up.
Options:Choose the option that has the same vowel sound as the one represented by the letter(s) underlined.
Beer
Options:As a rule the Emopa are very brave indeed and are among the few Africans who still hunt lion with the spear. They also kill elephants, not for food but for spear blooding or to prove their manhood. When elephants are located, there is great excitement and fierce competition among the young men. Each tries to be first to blood his spear, the one who does so claims the trophy. No young man is looked upon with favour by the girls until he has won his spurs by killing a dangerous animal.
But as brave as the Emopa are, two fierce man-eaters completely overawed them. This was partly due to the cunning and boldness of the lions, partly to the fact that when hunted, they would always retreat into dense riverine and undergrowth, where it was impossible for man to poise and throw a spear. Superstition had also added its quota to the fear with which they were regarded. It was said that before starting off on a raid the lions would retire to an open sandy place and there make two rows of depressions in the sand with their paws. Then, using twings as counters, they would play the ancient game of ‘baw’ (a game of unknown antiquity, which resembles draughts and is played all over Africa). If the omens were good they would raid a village and claim a victim, if not, they would wait. Another story had it that the lions were the spirits of two ‘holy men’ who had now come back in this shape to seek their revenge. So strongly was this view held that the local Emopa had petitioned a practising ‘holy man’ to come from a great distance to exorcise the spirits. He came with book, bell and candle and charged a fee of a hundred goats but the lions continued their depredations. To add to the legend of the lions invulnerability many hunters had tried on previous occasions to kill them and had failed owing to lack of time. This confirmed the Emopa’s opinion that lions were supernatural beings and that it was useless to hunt them.
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT a superstitious reason for fearing the lions? Options:In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):
My brother does not have a flair _____ mathematics.
Options:In 1973, Japanese sericulturists arrived in Malawi with a batch of 40000 silkworm eggs. They were taken to the Bvumbwe Agricultural Research Station in Thyolo District. In this station, work is being done to determine the favourable silkworm rearing conditions and areas where Mulberry trees whose leaves the worms feed on, could grow well. According to researchers, the silkworms which eventually develop into cocoons from which raw silk is produced do well in areas with warm climatic conditions.
Silk is one of the strongest of the fibres. In fact, for thousands of years, silk fabrics have been regarded as the most beautiful and durable materials woven by man. Many people call silk “the cloth of kings and queens”.
The weaving of silk originated in China. An old Chinese book, believed to be written by Confucius, tells us the wife of Emperor Huangi-ti was the first person to make fabrics of silk. Around 2640 B.C, Emperor Huangi-ti asked his wife His Ling-shih to study the worms that were destroying the mulberry trees in his garden. The Empress took some of the cocoons. She picked up the gauzy mass and found that one of the threads could be unwound almost without end from the cocoon. His Ling-shih had discovered silk! She was delighted with the discovery and even wove a ceremonial robe for the Emperor out of the cocoon threads. After that, the officials in the Emperor’s court wore brightly dyed robes on important occasions.
People in other countries regarded the new fibres as something rare and beautiful. A few traders went to China to learn about making cloth from silk, but the Chinese kept their Silk worms a closely guarded secret.
Choose the meaning which best fits the underlined phrase from the passage, Closely guarded secret
Options:In the question below choose the most appropriate option nearest in meaning to the word(s) or phrase(s) in underlined:
The result of the election would have been different if some people had not been disfranchised
Options:In the past, learning English as a separate subject seemed relatively easy. The textbook selected and graded items of language which were put into context and then practiced intensively. New items were carefully controlled do that the student could cope quite easily. Now that English used as a medium of instruction, however, all this has changed. Unknown items of grammar and vocabulary appear in texts which attempt to explain new and often difficult information. Difficulties with the language interact with difficulties as regards the subject matter. The student’s reading in his own subject slows down and his comprehension becomes less secure. He expresses himself slowly and often fails to convey his ideas exactly. He is disappointed to find that under pressure he makes a lot of unnecessary mistakes in area where he knows the correct language forms. His social relation are difficult as he cannot find the right phrase quickly enough to keep a conversation going; so his language often betrays him into dullness, coldness, or worst of all rudeness. Instead of the students being in control of the language, the language seems now to be in control of the student.
All of this can be very depressing and the student can start to feel very anxious. Working in a foreign language is also very tiring, and the concentration and self-discipline required to correct one’s mistakes is very great indeed.
The expression 'his language often betrays him into dullness,coldness,or worst of all, rudeness' means that Options:Professor Ikin emerged from the charm incident a changed man. During the preceding months when his wife had talked persistently about Dr. Okoro and his American friends he had paid little heed to her. He assumed that nagging was her way of life. Dr. Okoro did not constitute a threat to him; they were not in the same department so they could not be competing for the headship of the department. Even if they thought the same subject, Okoro could surely not deem to be a rival to him. He was an Associate Professor while Okoro had only just become a Lecturer Grade II. If he had yielded to his father’s pressure to marry early he might have produced a child as old as Dr. Okoro. Two member of the Provisional Council had had intentionally dropped broad hints that he was lined up to take over from Dr. Wilson as Vice Chancellor. He did not therefore need to any more notice of Dr. Okoro’s attitude towards him than a cow take notice of a fly perching on its back.
It was true Dr. Okoro got on well with the Americans who happened to be at the helm of the affair of Songhai. But what could they do for him? At best, in the teeth of strong opposition from all quarters, they could make him a Senior Lecturer. Even that will require the approval of the Provisional Council, and Okoro should not take for granted that half the members would not accept him as a child born today who would attain full maturity tomorrow. Professor Ikin knew what displeased the Americans about him – it was his lack of a Ph.D., but he hoped that over the years they would learn to judge a man by what he produces rather than by the degrees he has accumulated. If they did not, it was just too bad because only an earthquake could move him away from Songhai at such a crucial stage of its development.
Dr. Okon cannot be seen as a threat to professor Ikin because Options:In the question below choose the option nearest in meaning to the underlined:
Thousands of students are candidates for the examination but only very few pass
Options: