Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
Chief Ibezim and the District Officer were good friends Ibezim z was the chief Priest of Ani, the earth goddess in Ndiuzo, and although the District Officer was stationed in far-away, Unueke and the Chief Priest by his calling should not travel out of Ndiuzo, their friendship remained as solid as a rock.
They became friends after Ibezim had testified before the Distrit Officer in the land dispute between Ndiuzo and umueke. He was the only man to testify against his own people in that dispute, and had struck the District Officer as an honest man who was telling the truth.
This was what earned Ibezim the admiration and friendship of the District Officer. Consequently, the District Officer advised him to send his son to the new school and the new religion that held out so much promise of positive change in the future. And when the system of indirect rule necessitated the appointment of a warrant chief at Ndiuzo, the District Officer also promptly thought of his honest friend as the most suitable candidate.
On the other hand, lbesim s testimony in the land dispute earned him the wrath of many of his own people. They not only held him responsible for their loss of the disputed land but also resented his friendship with the District Officer and his patronage of the new education and religion which were threatening to erode the old ways of the land. So, when the District Officer wanted Chief lbezim at Umueke. and he sought to confer with his people on what to do, his detractors quickly turned their backs on him and left him alone in his dilemma. Some even secretly hoped that he was going to be arrested and detained.
After a long period of hesitation Ibezim finally decided to break with tradition and go to Umueke. The times were changing and he was sure the earth goddess would understand and condone his going away from the village.
When he came back, those who had wished him the worst got the shock of their lives. They now had a new Warrant Chief to rule over them!
(a) What had earned Chief Ibezim the District Officer's friendship?
(b) State two ways in which lbezim benefited from his friendship with the District Officer.
(c) Give two reasons why the villagers were unhappy with Chief lbezim.
(d) State the dilemma in which Chief Ibezim found himself
(e) "....Ibezim finally decided to break with tradition. What tradition is meant here?
(f) "When he came back. (I) What grammatical name is given to this expression? (ii) What is its function as it is used in the sentence?
(g) ....as solid as a rock" What figure of speech is contained in this expression?
(h)For each of the following words, find another word or phrase that means the same and can replace it as it is used in the passage (i) calling: (ii) consequently;
(iii) promptly; (iv) wrath; (iv) detractors; (vi) condone.
Comprehension Answers: Chief Ibezim and the District Officer
(a) What had earned Chief Ibezim the District Officer's friendship?
Chief Ibezim earned the friendship by testifying truthfully in the land dispute between Ndiuzo and Umueke; he was the only man to testify against his own people, and this struck the District Officer as the mark of an honest man telling the truth.
(b) State two ways in which Ibezim benefited from his friendship with the District Officer.
First, the District Officer advised him to send his son to the new school and the new religion, which held great promise for the future. Second, when a warrant chief was to be appointed at Ndiuzo, the District Officer promptly thought of Ibezim as the most suitable candidate, and he was made Warrant Chief.
(c) Give two reasons why the villagers were unhappy with Chief Ibezim.
First, they held him responsible for their loss of the disputed land because of his testimony. Second, they resented his friendship with the District Officer and his support for the new education and religion, which were threatening to erode the old ways of the land.
(d) State the dilemma in which Chief Ibezim found himself.
His dilemma was that, as chief priest of the earth goddess, he was by his calling not supposed to travel out of Ndiuzo, yet the District Officer wanted him to come to Umueke; he had to choose between obeying the tradition that bound him to the village and honouring his friend's request to travel.
(e) "... Ibezim finally decided to break with tradition." What tradition is meant here?
The tradition meant is that which forbade the chief priest of Ani, the earth goddess, from travelling out of Ndiuzo, his village.
(f) "When he came back,"
(i) Grammatical name: Adverbial clause (of time).
(ii) Function: It modifies the verb "got" (in "got the shock of their lives"), telling us when the action happened.
(g) "... as solid as a rock." What figure of speech is contained in this expression?
It is a simile.
(h) Words and their replacements as used in the passage:
- (i) calling - vocation / profession
- (ii) consequently - therefore / as a result
- (iii) promptly - immediately / at once
- (iv) wrath - anger / fury
- (v) detractors - critics / opponents
- (vi) condone - overlook / forgive
Comprehension Answers: Chief Ibezim and the District Officer
(a) What had earned Chief Ibezim the District Officer's friendship?
Chief Ibezim earned the friendship by testifying truthfully in the land dispute between Ndiuzo and Umueke; he was the only man to testify against his own people, and this struck the District Officer as the mark of an honest man telling the truth.
(b) State two ways in which Ibezim benefited from his friendship with the District Officer.
First, the District Officer advised him to send his son to the new school and the new religion, which held great promise for the future. Second, when a warrant chief was to be appointed at Ndiuzo, the District Officer promptly thought of Ibezim as the most suitable candidate, and he was made Warrant Chief.
(c) Give two reasons why the villagers were unhappy with Chief Ibezim.
First, they held him responsible for their loss of the disputed land because of his testimony. Second, they resented his friendship with the District Officer and his support for the new education and religion, which were threatening to erode the old ways of the land.
(d) State the dilemma in which Chief Ibezim found himself.
His dilemma was that, as chief priest of the earth goddess, he was by his calling not supposed to travel out of Ndiuzo, yet the District Officer wanted him to come to Umueke; he had to choose between obeying the tradition that bound him to the village and honouring his friend's request to travel.
(e) "... Ibezim finally decided to break with tradition." What tradition is meant here?
The tradition meant is that which forbade the chief priest of Ani, the earth goddess, from travelling out of Ndiuzo, his village.
(f) "When he came back,"
(i) Grammatical name: Adverbial clause (of time).
(ii) Function: It modifies the verb "got" (in "got the shock of their lives"), telling us when the action happened.
(g) "... as solid as a rock." What figure of speech is contained in this expression?
It is a simile.
(h) Words and their replacements as used in the passage:
- (i) calling - vocation / profession
- (ii) consequently - therefore / as a result
- (iii) promptly - immediately / at once
- (iv) wrath - anger / fury
- (v) detractors - critics / opponents
- (vi) condone - overlook / forgive
