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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.
The lions played the game of 'baw' because Options:Choose the word or phrase from A to D which has its meaning opposite to the underlined word or words in each sentence
She was impertinent until she met her husband.
COMPREHENSION:
Read each passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
PASSAGE I:
Those who have visited the city of Jos in Nigeria attest to its uniqueness. The first striking thing to notice, perhaps, is the benevolence of the climate. It will be no exaggeration to say that in no other Nigerian city does one feel so much at peace, so relaxed, with the climate as in Jos. When people say that Jos is cool, the remark is always a compliment, referring to the cool, serene feeling of being at peace with nature, which one experiences in the city. This feeling is topographically symbolized by the surrounding rocky hills, which adorn the horizon from
every angle of the city. These hills remind you of castles, except that whereas castles are man-made, the hills of Jos are natural edifices in which the master mason who had delicately laid those stones one upon another is no other than God Himself. The sun of Jos shines without malice, and even in February and March, when it is scorching hot in most parts of Nigeria, the heat of Jos dances charmingly on the surface of the skin, as if afraid of hurting the organs beneath. It is as if from above a soft protective layer of blanket intercedes between the heat of the sun and the inhabitants of the city.
Compared to what obtains in most other Nigerian cities, the inhabitants of Jos are openly warm. They are relaxed, and there is the absence of that suffocating feeling, with which a place likes Lagos is associated, of a people madly rushing to their graves. The groceries operating at all nooks and crannies of the city give the impression of a great abundance of a variety of food items. It is almost as if some unseen hands are responsible for the presence of these varieties of edible items. The truth of course is that, in Jos, people - civil servants, farmers and traders
– are socially well-disposed to the influx of the new settlers and novel ideas and this ensures an apparent high degree of self sufficiency. You may be hungry in Jos, but you need not be angry.
If other parts of Nigeria had been like Jos, surely the colonialists would never have left the country without a good fight. Many monuments abound in the city, which tell tales of the Whiteman’s love for this city of solid minerals.
The benevolence of Jos climate is reflected in the
Options:There are many indicators with which to assess or measure corruption. One of them is the affluent living habit of the public official compared to his/her income. Corruption occurs when a public official expects to be induced to perform an act which that public official is ordinarily required to do by law.
Corruption can slow down development. One of the most widely discussed consequences of corruption is the distortion of governmental expenditure. This often results in public money being wasted on white elephant projects, rather than people-oriented services such as health and education. As a result, more opportunities are presented for corrupt use or diversion of funds. Raising the ethical standards of governance can lead to many benefits especially for the economic, political and social development of a country.
Fighting corruption and promoting governance is therefore crucial to developing an environment that facilitates the social, political and economic development of the people. However, while there are often general statements made about the effects of corruption on poverty and development, there is not an explicit recognition that corruption is more than just wealth misappropriation or abuse of power. Corruption impoverishes countries and deprives their citizens of good governance. It destabilizes economic system. When organized crime and other illegal activities flourish, basic public functions are eroded and the quality of life of the people is reduced. Bribery, for example is universally regarded as a crime, but it also reflects socio-economic problems that require broad-based preventive measures and the involvement of the society at large.
Another implication of global measures against corruption is making government work better by improving the economy. Finally, redesigning political and regulatory structures will reduce corruption and other anti-system players that encourage corrupt practices.
From the passage, one of the consequences of corruption is that Options:In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills(s) the gap(s):
Provided you _____ to the market very soon, we shall be able to eat enough
Options:In the question bellow choose the expression or word which best completes each sentence:
The student who went home without an exit has apologised _____ his misconduct
Options:Questions below are based on Bolaji Abdullahi's "Sweet Sixteen"
The fact that Aliya wanted to be a pilot, then a musician, a songwriter, doctor and later a lawyer points to the
Options:In the question below, choose the expression or words which best completes each sentence:
I told you, you would miss the bus. You _____ left home earlier
Options: