Read the following passage carefully and then answer the questions on it.
When neighbours learnt that the Umorus household had been raided by robbers, they were genuinely downcast because the easy-going Umorus minded their own business and had contributed immensely to the development of the area. Visitors early that morning were shocked at the way the doors were vandalized before the robbers forced their way into the living-room to make away with the radio, the television, the wall clock, and the video cassette recorder.
As some sympathizers discussed the perfection with which modern robbers strike nowadays, a few of them drove to the police station and soon arrived with detectives. Quickly, statements were obtained from the couple and a few neighbours, all in an attempt to pin down suspects. From these statements. it was learnt that the bushes and uncom-pleted houses nearby had not been searched. The officer ordered his men to comb the bushes and the unfinished structures. While this lasted, he stood over the culvert near one of the buildings.
Thoroughly, from room to room, from tree to tree, the searchers toiled. But it was a fruitless exercise. The help rendered by neighbours did not yield clues. At last, the police boss concluded that the robbers were beyond their reach, and so called off their chase. He blew his whistle and ordered his men into the jeep. Reassuring Mr. Umoru that the search would continue, he instructed the driver to move.
All the while, in the culvert, their booty by their side, the two robbers snored on. Had a stray dog not given them away, later in the afternoon, they would have escaped with their booty.
(a) Why were the neighbours concerned about the robbery in the house of the Umorus?
(b) Identify the two types of sympathizers mentioned in the passage.
(c) (i) Were the Police careful enough in their search? (ii) Why do you think so?
(d) What finally happened to the robbers?
(e) 'Had a stray dog not given them away'
(i) What is the grammatical term used to describe the above expression, as used in the passage?
(ii) What is its function?
(f) Give one word that could replace each of the following as used in the passage: (i) immensely; (ii) vandalized; (iii) pin down (iv) comb; (v) structures; (vi) chase.
Comprehension answers (Umoru robbery passage).
(a) Why were the neighbours concerned about the robbery in the house of the Umorus?
The neighbours were concerned because the Umorus were easy-going people who minded their own business and had contributed immensely to the development of the area, so the misfortune that befell such good neighbours genuinely saddened them.
(b) Identify the two types of sympathizers mentioned in the passage.
The first type were those who merely stood around discussing the perfection with which modern robbers strike, while the second type were the practical ones who drove to the police station and returned with detectives.
(c)(i) Were the Police careful enough in their search?
No, the police were not careful enough in their search.
(c)(ii) Why do you think so?
Although the officer ordered his men to comb the bushes and unfinished buildings, he himself merely stood over the culvert where the robbers were actually hiding and never searched it, so the very spot that held the criminals was overlooked.
(d) What finally happened to the robbers?
The two robbers, who had fallen asleep in the culvert with their booty beside them, were given away later in the afternoon by a stray dog, and so they did not escape with their loot.
(e) 'Had a stray dog not given them away'
(i) Grammatical term: It is a conditional clause (an adverbial clause of condition, in the inverted form without "if").
(ii) Function: It functions as an adverbial of condition; it states the condition upon which the robbers' possible escape depended.
(f) One-word replacements as used in the passage:
- (i) immensely: greatly / enormously
- (ii) vandalized: destroyed / wrecked
- (iii) pin down: identify / pinpoint
- (iv) comb: search / scour
- (v) structures: buildings
- (vi) chase: pursuit / hunt
Comprehension answers (Umoru robbery passage).
(a) Why were the neighbours concerned about the robbery in the house of the Umorus?
The neighbours were concerned because the Umorus were easy-going people who minded their own business and had contributed immensely to the development of the area, so the misfortune that befell such good neighbours genuinely saddened them.
(b) Identify the two types of sympathizers mentioned in the passage.
The first type were those who merely stood around discussing the perfection with which modern robbers strike, while the second type were the practical ones who drove to the police station and returned with detectives.
(c)(i) Were the Police careful enough in their search?
No, the police were not careful enough in their search.
(c)(ii) Why do you think so?
Although the officer ordered his men to comb the bushes and unfinished buildings, he himself merely stood over the culvert where the robbers were actually hiding and never searched it, so the very spot that held the criminals was overlooked.
(d) What finally happened to the robbers?
The two robbers, who had fallen asleep in the culvert with their booty beside them, were given away later in the afternoon by a stray dog, and so they did not escape with their loot.
(e) 'Had a stray dog not given them away'
(i) Grammatical term: It is a conditional clause (an adverbial clause of condition, in the inverted form without "if").
(ii) Function: It functions as an adverbial of condition; it states the condition upon which the robbers' possible escape depended.
(f) One-word replacements as used in the passage:
- (i) immensely: greatly / enormously
- (ii) vandalized: destroyed / wrecked
- (iii) pin down: identify / pinpoint
- (iv) comb: search / scour
- (v) structures: buildings
- (vi) chase: pursuit / hunt
