Read the following passage carefully and then answer the questions on it.
It was Kola's first day at work. That morning. he woke up at exactly five 0 clock. He had slept late the night before as he was getting ready for the D-day.
Securing a job was a relief to Kola and his parents. For two years. Kola had roamed the streets in search of work. He had finished his mandatory national youth service two years. service two years before after returning from America where he obtained his master's degree in Business Administration at the State University. During these years, he has been living on his parents. Of course they were happy caring for him as having him around was what mattered. They could not bear the pain of him returning to America after missing him for ten years. Kola detested this too much. He felt his freedom was being curtailed by his continued dependence on his parents for survival. There was nothing he could do for the moment. He was not then a man.
Kola arrived at the office of the secretary to the Managing Director of Friendly Construction Company that morning full of smiles. He was to start as the company's Personnel Manager. He was surprised to see the secretary already at her seat typing. She looked up from her typing with surprise. She wondered what could have kept the young man so late on the first day of his assumption of duties. She was sure the Managing Director would not take it lying down.
She was on the verge of asking him why he was late when the door to the Director's office opened and the director stepped into the secretary's office.
Good morning Sir', Kola greeted him.
"Morning, Mr. Kola", replied the Director. By my time he continued it is now two minutes after 9 o'clock. You are one hour two minutes late. This is a bad way to begin. Kola hurriedly checked his wrist watch, He wanted to speak, but he was stuck for words.
(a) Give one reason why Kolas securing of a job was a relief to his parents.
(b) In one sentence, explain what the writer meant by saying Kola had been living on his parents.
(c) Write a sentence to explain what you think prevented Kola from returning to America after waiting for two years without a job. (d) What in the writer's opinion was responsible for Kola's parents untiring care for him? Quote a sentence from the passage to support this.
(e) State in one sentence why Kola was then not a man.
(f) In one sentence or phrase. give the meaning of each of the following words or group of words as it is used in the passage
(i) D-day (ii) Roamed; (iii) Mandatory; (iv) Lying down; (v) Stuck for words.
(g) (i) What kind of grammatical structure is "with surprise" (ii) What is its function in the sentence?
(a) One reason Kola's securing of a job was a relief to his parents: It was a relief because for two years Kola had roamed the streets in search of work while depending on them for survival, so his getting a job eased that burden.
(b) What the writer meant by saying Kola had been living on his parents: It means that, having no job or income of his own, Kola had been depending entirely on his parents for his food, shelter and all his needs.
(c) What prevented Kola from returning to America: Kola did not return to America because his parents, who had missed him for the ten years he was away, could not bear the pain of his going back and wanted to keep him close.
(d) What was responsible for the parents' untiring care, with support: In the writer's opinion, it was their joy in having their son around after a long absence that made them care for him tirelessly. Supporting sentence: "Of course they were happy caring for him as having him around was what mattered."
(e) Why Kola was then not a man: Kola felt he was not yet a man because his freedom was curtailed by his continued dependence on his parents for survival, since a real man should be able to fend for himself.
(f) Meanings of the words or groups of words as used in the passage:
- (i) D-day - the important or long-awaited day (of his resumption at work)
- (ii) Roamed - wandered about aimlessly
- (iii) Mandatory - compulsory / obligatory
- (iv) Lying down - accepting it meekly without complaint or reaction
- (v) Stuck for words - unable to find anything to say
(g) (i) Grammatical structure of "with surprise": It is an adverbial phrase (a prepositional phrase functioning as an adverb).
(ii) Function: It modifies the verb "looked up," describing the manner in which the secretary looked up from her typing.
(a) One reason Kola's securing of a job was a relief to his parents: It was a relief because for two years Kola had roamed the streets in search of work while depending on them for survival, so his getting a job eased that burden.
(b) What the writer meant by saying Kola had been living on his parents: It means that, having no job or income of his own, Kola had been depending entirely on his parents for his food, shelter and all his needs.
(c) What prevented Kola from returning to America: Kola did not return to America because his parents, who had missed him for the ten years he was away, could not bear the pain of his going back and wanted to keep him close.
(d) What was responsible for the parents' untiring care, with support: In the writer's opinion, it was their joy in having their son around after a long absence that made them care for him tirelessly. Supporting sentence: "Of course they were happy caring for him as having him around was what mattered."
(e) Why Kola was then not a man: Kola felt he was not yet a man because his freedom was curtailed by his continued dependence on his parents for survival, since a real man should be able to fend for himself.
(f) Meanings of the words or groups of words as used in the passage:
- (i) D-day - the important or long-awaited day (of his resumption at work)
- (ii) Roamed - wandered about aimlessly
- (iii) Mandatory - compulsory / obligatory
- (iv) Lying down - accepting it meekly without complaint or reaction
- (v) Stuck for words - unable to find anything to say
(g) (i) Grammatical structure of "with surprise": It is an adverbial phrase (a prepositional phrase functioning as an adverb).
(ii) Function: It modifies the verb "looked up," describing the manner in which the secretary looked up from her typing.