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.
Comprehension Passage
Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow it
Olumba removed a small black amulet from his neck and substituted a bigger one. The former was for general protection at home, the latter for protection and luck whilst travelling. Ready at last he picked up his matchet and headed for the chief's with Ikechi behind him.
Olumba worked ahead looking up as usual. Just what he was searching for in the sky Ikechi couldn't tell. Perhaps his shortness accounted for his habit since, he often had to look up in the faces of his taller companions. What he lacked in height he made up in solid muscles and he looked strong. His wrestling pseudonym was Agadaga, a name which meant nothing but which somehow conveyed an impression of strength.
Eze Diali, the chief, sat at one end f his reception hall ringed by the village elders who he had called to a meeting. The rest of the hall was filled with much younger men.
'People of Chiolu, the chief began', I have learnt that poachers from Aliakoro will be at the Great Pond tonight. There is no doubt that they will try to steal from the Pond of Wagaba which as you know is rich in fish. Our plan tonight is to bring one or more of these thieves home alive and ask for very large ransoms. This line of action will have two effects. Firstly, it will prove our charges of poaching against the people of Aliakoro, and secondly, the payment of very large ransom will be a deterrent. We need seven men for this venture. I call for volunteers'
Who will head this party?' the chief asked, looking round. Chituru, one of the elders, said' 'Eze Diali, let us not waste time. Olumba is the man for the job. We all know that he had led many exploits like this one'. We still need six men', Eze Diali said. Eager youths came surging forward. Their well-formed muscle rippled as they elbowed one another. It was difficult to choose.
'I suggest Olumba should choose his men He knows the boys very well and his judgment should be reliable'. It was Wezume, another village elder, who spoke.
The chief called meeting because
Options:The obvious function of a daily paper is to give news to the people, but this, at the moment, may be done in three ways, which are not all equally laudable. First, there is the paper which set out to give a brief resume of the news and backs this up by well-written articles on the current affairs by leading writers and experts. Secondly, there is the ‘daily’ which caters for popular taste, and contains only the most sensational and exciting bits of news, supporting them with comic-strips, pictures children’s corners, women’s sections and readers’ letters on anything but weighty topics. Thirdly, there is the propaganda type of paper, which presents only those versions of the news which agree with its own particular political outlook. All this gives news in different ways; but what deeper function can the ideal daily paper have?
In the case of the Nigerian daily newspaper, the first type gives the thinking reader an unbiased view of the world situation, so that he can judge the importance of recent events for himself, but it does not indicate to him what he ought to think. The drawbacks to this is that semi-literate or uneducated find it dull or difficult and so are discouraged from reading such a paper regularly, because it demands too much thought and effort from them. The main advantage of this type of paper, however, is its soundness, excellent English expression and general effect of widening the readers’ knowledge on a variety of subjects.
The second type interest the majority and give them more striking items of news in an easily comprehensible way, accompanied by lavish photographs and usually with some slight political bias towards the left and the interests of the working class, from which most of its readers come. The drawback of this type is that there is not enough solid thinking mater and the English is often faulty in style – tending towards ‘journalese’. The advantage is that it is quickly and easily read, on the bus or train or over the breakfast table, and gives a superficial knowledge of current affairs to people who would not have the time or inclination to read ‘heavier’ literature. Also, it is a ‘family’ paper, which every member of the household can enjoy, since there is something to please all their tastes.
The third type to some extent, appeals to emotion, not reason. It instruct the reader in exactly what that particular editor believe he ought to think, and does not give him a chance to have a mind of his own by letting him hear the other person’s point of view. The drawback is that it prevents people from thinking for themselves, and causes political hysteria rather than logical thinking. the only advantage is that it does represent the ‘freedom of the press’ to publish whatever it likes, and allows discontented people to air their grievances instead of letting them smoulder underground.
From these examples, it should be clear that the ideal function of a daily paper would be to present the news clearly and simply, and to support it with articles in good English which shows the points of view of various competent people of different outlooks on current problems. The reader could then choose which line of thought appealed to him most. Women’s and children’s sections would be good so long as they did not grow so out of proportion that the paper depended solely upon them for its popularity. Good pictures would add to the paper’s instructive value as well as to its interest; and advertisements, kept in bounds, might be helpful, both as shopping guides and as a financial help to the paper itself. All these points seem to be desirable in a daily paper now that the radio helps in giving news headlines.
The writer seems to suggest that Options:Select the option that best explains the information conveyed in the sentence.
Only two ministers survived the recent cabinet reshuffle.
Options:Fill in the blank spaces in the following sentences making use of the best of the five options:
Asmau, did you see the snapshop of _____
Options:The medical definition of miscarriage is the spontaneous loss of a pregnancy before twenty-four weeks. Miscarriage is very common, occurring in ten to twenty per cent, of confirmed pregnancies. Most of those feature ...16... twelve weeks of pregnancy. The most common ...17... is vaginal bleeding, which can range from light spotting to heavier than a period. You may see blood clots, brown discharge or other tissues that are not ...18... identifiable. Sometimes a sac-like structure is seen. Often, there is cramping with pelvic or back pain. You may find that the usual symptoms of pregnancy, such as breast tenderness, feeling sick and having to pass urine more ...19... than usual stop unexpectedly. Sometimes there are no signs or symptoms of miscarriage and pregnancy symptoms continue, and the miscarriage only ...20... in a routine scan . About half all early miscarriages happen because of a problem in the way the genetic material from the egg and sperm have combined during ...21... it can be difficult to find out why this has ...22... , but it is more likely to be due to random chance than to any underlying problem with either parent. Imbalances in pregnancy hormones, problems in the immune...23... ,and some serious infections are also thought to make miscarriages more likely. The risk of miscarriage ...24... with age because the quality of eggs deteriorates . If a woman drinks too much alcohol or smokes heavily, the risk of miscarriage is higher. It is also increased with ...25... pregnancies such as twins.
Adapted from Saturday punch, 13 October 2007
Choose the most appropriate answer in the gap numbered 19 Options:If we examine the opportunities for education of girls or women in less developed countries, we usually find a dismal picture. In some countries, the ratio of boys to girls in secondary schools is more than seven to one. What happens to the girls? Often they are kept at home to look after younger siblings and to perform a variety of domestic chores. Their education is not perceived as in any way equal in importance to that of boys. When a non-literate or barely literate girl reaches adolescence, she has little or no qualification for employment, even if her community provides any opportunity for the employment of women. The solution is to get her married as soon as possible, with the inevitable result that she produces children too soon, too often and too late. With no formal education, she is hardly aware that there is any alternative. In a study made in Thailand, it was noted that the literate woman marries later and ceases childbearing earlier than her non-literate counterpart. But the latter is so chained to her household by the necessities of gathering fuel, preparing food and tending children that she is very difficult to reach, even if health services, nutrition, education, maternal and child health centres are available in her community. She does not understand what they are intended to do.
The non-literate woman is very difficult to reach because she Options:Choose the option opposite in meaning to the word(s) or phase in italics.
The witness averred that she had seen Dosun at the scene of the crime.
Options:Choose the word/expression which best completes each sentence :
Biliaminu sent the expensive present to one Miss Sanda of the United African Organization and not to _____ of the Central Bank of Nigeria
Options:Answer the following question below and choose the option opposite in meaning to the underlined word or phrase in.
Dupe was promoted for her efficiency
Options: