JAMB UTME - Use of English - 2010

Choose the option opposite in meaning to the underlined word(s).

Aisha seems to feel ambivalent about her future.

Answer Details

The word "ambivalent" means having mixed feelings or being unsure about something. Therefore, the option that is opposite in meaning to it is "decisive", which means having the ability to make decisions quickly and confidently.

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the underlined word(s).

The director's remark was extremely opposite to the issue being discussed.

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the underlined word(s).

This is an abridged version of No longer at Ease.

Answer Details

The option nearest in meaning to the underlined word "an abridged version" is "a shortened version". The word "abridged" means to shorten or condense a book or other text, while preserving its basic contents and structure. Therefore, in the context of the sentence, the phrase "an abridged version" means that the book "No longer at Ease" has been condensed or shortened while still maintaining its basic content and structure.

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the underlined word(s).

The uniform makes the guards look absurd.

Answer Details

The underlined word "absurd" means ridiculous. In this sentence, the speaker is saying that the uniform worn by the guards makes them look ridiculous.

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the underlined word(s).

Isa and Ilu ate sumptuous meals on their brother's wedding day.

Answer Details

The option nearest in meaning to "sumptuous" is "expensive". It suggests that the meals were luxurious, delicious and of high quality.

Choose the option that best completes the gap(s).

They are the _____ dresses.

Choose the option opposite in meaning to the underlined word(s).

The captain says sport is being debased by commercial sponsorship.

Answer Details

The option opposite in meaning to the underlined word "debased" is "elevated". The word "debased" means to lower the quality or standards of something, while "elevated" means to raise or increase the quality or standards of something. Therefore, the opposite of "debased" is "elevated".

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.

The passage below has gaps numbered 16 to 25. Immediately following each gap, four options are provided. Choose the most appropriate option for each gap. Each question carries 2 marks.

Drought is a word that invokes strong emotions. This is not surprising as the...16...[A. ideology B. phenomenon C. idea D. component] is usually accompanied by a number of unpleasant developments. These developments have ……..17…..[A. feedback B. results C. implication D. outcomes] for all citizens, starting from the peasant farmers to the state and federal governments which may be plunged into emergency and crisis situation which, if not successfully ……18…..[A. managed B. manipulated C. examined D. studied] could result in social unrest.

The timeliness of the onset of the rains in various regions of the country and their adequate distribution thereafter have become…..19…..[A. objects B. subjects C. issues D. topics] of considerable anxiety to all people. The fact, however, is that periodic reduction in the normal…..20…..[A. amount B. supply C. size D. flood] of rainfall in the country is not new.

Since large areas of the country are drought prone, the consequence are ……21…..[A. effective B. disastrous C. evident D. inevitable]. Dry spells could be very severe. There are two aspects of coping with drought. One has to do with emergency measures and the other with ……22…..[A. routine B. organized C. urgent D. delayed] measures. An immediate consequence of any drought would be famine. In addition, where whole populations are forced to abandon their lands or pastures in search of food, there are bound to be other lasting and…..23…..[A. longitudinal B. objective C. simultaneous D. parallel] consequences such as distress, sales of cattle by livestock owners in order to buy food.

Government should provide farmers with agricultural inputs and ensure that they have easy access to these inputs under the relief…..24…..[A. action B. process C. scheme D. plan]. Emergency measures will be much more……25…..[A. normal B. correct C. idealistic D. effective] if a mechanism is established to ensure adequate preparedness and defence against the occurrence of drought.

Answer Details

The best option for the gap is "scheme". The sentence is talking about providing farmers with agricultural inputs and ensuring that they have easy access to these inputs under the relief _____, which implies a systematic and organized approach. The word "scheme" fits this description and is the most appropriate option.

Choose the option opposite in meaning to the underlined word(s).

The teacher said that Ali's essay was full of many redundant details.

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.

Choose the option that best completes the gap(s).

Long after everyone _____ the hall, Obi still sat inside.

Answer Details

The best option to complete the sentence is "had left." This is because the sentence is in the past tense and refers to an action that happened earlier than another action in the past. The word "long" also implies that a considerable amount of time had passed, further indicating that the action of leaving took place before Obi's continued sitting in the hall. Therefore, the past perfect tense "had left" is most appropriate to show that the leaving occurred before Obi's continued sitting.

Choose the option that best completes the gap(s).

The boy told his mother _____ .

Answer Details

The correct option to complete the sentence is "that was the girl I told you about." This option is correct because it uses the correct grammar rules, with the object pronoun "you" before the verb "told." The sentence means that the boy had previously informed his mother about the girl, and he is now identifying her to his mother. The other options have grammatical errors, such as the use of an incorrect pronoun, a misplaced preposition, or a wrong verb tense, which makes them incorrect.

Select the option that best explains the information conveyed in the sentence.

People are not interested in who rules.

Answer Details

The correct option that explains the information conveyed in the sentence is "People are not concerned about who rules them." In the context of the sentence, the word "interested" implies that people do not care or have a lack of concern for who is in charge or governing them. Therefore, the sentence implies that people are not interested in who rules them.

Choose the option opposite in meaning to the underlined word(s).

Governing a country is not always as straightforward as people sometimes imagine.

Answer Details

: complicated is the opposite of the underlined word straightforward. The word straightforward means easy, simple, or clear. The sentence implies that governing a country is not always easy or simple, so the opposite would be complicated. Therefore, the correct answer is.

Choose the option opposite in meaning to the underlined word(s).

His father surmounted the myriad of obstacles on his way.

Answer Details

The option opposite in meaning to the underlined word 'myriad' is 'few'. In the given context, 'myriad' means a great number of obstacles. It implies that there were many obstacles, making it challenging for his father to achieve his goal. Therefore, the opposite of 'myriad' would be 'few', meaning that there were only a small number of obstacles that his father had to overcome. So, the sentence would be: His father surmounted the few obstacles on his way.

The passage below has gaps numbered 16 to 25. Immediately following each gap, four options are provided. Choose the most appropriate option for each gap. Each question carries 2 marks.

Drought is a word that invokes strong emotions. This is not surprising as the...16...[A. ideology B. phenomenon C. idea D. component] is usually accompanied by a number of unpleasant developments. These developments have ……..17…..[A. feedback B. results C. implication D. outcomes] for all citizens, starting from the peasant farmers to the state and federal governments which may be plunged into emergency and crisis situation which, if not successfully ……18…..[A. managed B. manipulated C. examined D. studied] could result in social unrest.

The timeliness of the onset of the rains in various regions of the country and their adequate distribution thereafter have become…..19…..[A. objects B. subjects C. issues D. topics] of considerable anxiety to all people. The fact, however, is that periodic reduction in the normal…..20…..[A. amount B. supply C. size D. flood] of rainfall in the country is not new.

Since large areas of the country are drought prone, the consequence are ……21…..[A. effective B. disastrous C. evident D. inevitable]. Dry spells could be very severe. There are two aspects of coping with drought. One has to do with emergency measures and the other with ……22…..[A. routine B. organized C. urgent D. delayed] measures. An immediate consequence of any drought would be famine. In addition, where whole populations are forced to abandon their lands or pastures in search of food, there are bound to be other lasting and…..23…..[A. longitudinal B. objective C. simultaneous D. parallel] consequences such as distress, sales of cattle by livestock owners in order to buy food.

Government should provide farmers with agricultural inputs and ensure that they have easy access to these inputs under the relief…..24…..[A. action B. process C. scheme D. plan]. Emergency measures will be much more……25…..[A. normal B. correct C. idealistic D. effective] if a mechanism is established to ensure adequate preparedness and defence against the occurrence of drought.

Answer Details

The appropriate option for the gap is "managed". The sentence talks about the consequences of drought and how it could result in social unrest. Therefore, it is important to manage the crisis situation that arises due to drought, and this can help to prevent social unrest. The options "manipulated", "examined", and "studied" do not fit the context of the sentence.

The passage below has gaps numbered 16 to 25. Immediately following each gap, four options are provided. Choose the most appropriate option for each gap. Each question carries 2 marks.

Drought is a word that invokes strong emotions. This is not surprising as the...16...[A. ideology B. phenomenon C. idea D. component] is usually accompanied by a number of unpleasant developments. These developments have ……..17…..[A. feedback B. results C. implication D. outcomes] for all citizens, starting from the peasant farmers to the state and federal governments which may be plunged into emergency and crisis situation which, if not successfully ……18…..[A. managed B. manipulated C. examined D. studied] could result in social unrest.

The timeliness of the onset of the rains in various regions of the country and their adequate distribution thereafter have become…..19…..[A. objects B. subjects C. issues D. topics] of considerable anxiety to all people. The fact, however, is that periodic reduction in the normal…..20…..[A. amount B. supply C. size D. flood] of rainfall in the country is not new.

Since large areas of the country are drought prone, the consequence are ……21…..[A. effective B. disastrous C. evident D. inevitable]. Dry spells could be very severe. There are two aspects of coping with drought. One has to do with emergency measures and the other with ……22…..[A. routine B. organized C. urgent D. delayed] measures. An immediate consequence of any drought would be famine. In addition, where whole populations are forced to abandon their lands or pastures in search of food, there are bound to be other lasting and…..23…..[A. longitudinal B. objective C. simultaneous D. parallel] consequences such as distress, sales of cattle by livestock owners in order to buy food.

Government should provide farmers with agricultural inputs and ensure that they have easy access to these inputs under the relief…..24…..[A. action B. process C. scheme D. plan]. Emergency measures will be much more……25…..[A. normal B. correct C. idealistic D. effective] if a mechanism is established to ensure adequate preparedness and defence against the occurrence of drought.

Answer Details

The word "drought" is the subject of the sentence, so we need a noun that describes it. "Ideology" is not appropriate because drought is not a set of beliefs or principles. "Phenomenon" is the best choice because it refers to a natural occurrence, which fits the context of the sentence. "Idea" and "component" are not appropriate because they do not accurately describe what drought is. Therefore, the answer is B. phenomenon.

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the underlined word(s).

The law is often tardy in reacting to changing attitude.

Answer Details

The underlined word "tardy" means slow or delayed. Therefore, the option that is nearest in meaning to "tardy" is "slow."

Select the option that best explains the information conveyed in the sentence.

The footballers moved with their tails between their legs.

Answer Details

The correct option that explains the information conveyed in the sentence is "They were ashamed because they had been defeated." The phrase "moved with their tails between their legs" is an idiomatic expression that is often used to describe a situation where someone is moving away from something in a defeated or shameful manner, similar to the way a dog might move when it is feeling defeated or ashamed. Therefore, the sentence implies that the footballers were defeated and felt ashamed, resulting in them moving with their tails between their legs.

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the underlined word(s).

Her reputation is without a blemish.

Answer Details

The phrase "without a blemish" suggests that there is nothing wrong with her reputation and that it is perfect. Therefore, the option that best represents this idea is "fault", as it refers to something that is incorrect or damaged, and if her reputation is without fault, it means that it is perfect.

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.

Answer Details

The essence of fighting corruption according to the passage is to promote good governance. The passage explains that corruption can slow down development, distort governmental expenditure, destabilize economic systems, erode basic public functions, and reduce the quality of life of the people. Fighting corruption and promoting governance is crucial to developing an environment that facilitates the social, political and economic development of the people. The passage suggests that raising the ethical standards of governance can lead to many benefits, especially for the economic, political, and social development of a country.

The passage below has gaps numbered 16 to 25. Immediately following each gap, four options are provided. Choose the most appropriate option for each gap. Each question carries 2 marks.

Drought is a word that invokes strong emotions. This is not surprising as the...16...[A. ideology B. phenomenon C. idea D. component] is usually accompanied by a number of unpleasant developments. These developments have ……..17…..[A. feedback B. results C. implication D. outcomes] for all citizens, starting from the peasant farmers to the state and federal governments which may be plunged into emergency and crisis situation which, if not successfully ……18…..[A. managed B. manipulated C. examined D. studied] could result in social unrest.

The timeliness of the onset of the rains in various regions of the country and their adequate distribution thereafter have become…..19…..[A. objects B. subjects C. issues D. topics] of considerable anxiety to all people. The fact, however, is that periodic reduction in the normal…..20…..[A. amount B. supply C. size D. flood] of rainfall in the country is not new.

Since large areas of the country are drought prone, the consequence are ……21…..[A. effective B. disastrous C. evident D. inevitable]. Dry spells could be very severe. There are two aspects of coping with drought. One has to do with emergency measures and the other with ……22…..[A. routine B. organized C. urgent D. delayed] measures. An immediate consequence of any drought would be famine. In addition, where whole populations are forced to abandon their lands or pastures in search of food, there are bound to be other lasting and…..23…..[A. longitudinal B. objective C. simultaneous D. parallel] consequences such as distress, sales of cattle by livestock owners in order to buy food.

Government should provide farmers with agricultural inputs and ensure that they have easy access to these inputs under the relief…..24…..[A. action B. process C. scheme D. plan]. Emergency measures will be much more……25…..[A. normal B. correct C. idealistic D. effective] if a mechanism is established to ensure adequate preparedness and defence against the occurrence of drought.

Answer Details

The most appropriate option to complete the gap numbered 20 is "amount". The sentence talks about periodic reduction in the normal "....of rainfall", which refers to the quantity or volume of rainfall that is expected in a particular area over a period of time. Therefore, the best option to complete the sentence is "amount". The other options, such as "supply", "size", and "flood" do not fit the context of the sentence.

Choose the option opposite in meaning to the underlined word(s).

The trader was amused by the cut-throat rush for the goods.

Answer Details

The opposite of "cut-throat" would be something peaceful or harmonious, where there is no intense competition or aggression. So, among the given options, the one that best fits as an opposite in meaning would be "lacklustre," which means something that is dull, boring, or unexciting. In the context of the sentence, the trader's amusement suggests that they found the intense competition among buyers to be entertaining or exciting, rather than worrisome, strange, or mad. So, the opposite of "cut-throat" would be something that is not exciting or competitive, but rather uneventful or unremarkable.

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the underlined word(s).

The principal gave his speech offhand at the sports meeting.

Answer Details

The word "offhand" indicates that the principal gave his speech without preparation, which means that the best option that has a similar meaning is "unprepared."

The passage below has gaps numbered 16 to 25. Immediately following each gap, four options are provided. Choose the most appropriate option for each gap. Each question carries 2 marks.

Drought is a word that invokes strong emotions. This is not surprising as the...16...[A. ideology B. phenomenon C. idea D. component] is usually accompanied by a number of unpleasant developments. These developments have ……..17…..[A. feedback B. results C. implication D. outcomes] for all citizens, starting from the peasant farmers to the state and federal governments which may be plunged into emergency and crisis situation which, if not successfully ……18…..[A. managed B. manipulated C. examined D. studied] could result in social unrest.

The timeliness of the onset of the rains in various regions of the country and their adequate distribution thereafter have become…..19…..[A. objects B. subjects C. issues D. topics] of considerable anxiety to all people. The fact, however, is that periodic reduction in the normal…..20…..[A. amount B. supply C. size D. flood] of rainfall in the country is not new.

Since large areas of the country are drought prone, the consequence are ……21…..[A. effective B. disastrous C. evident D. inevitable]. Dry spells could be very severe. There are two aspects of coping with drought. One has to do with emergency measures and the other with ……22…..[A. routine B. organized C. urgent D. delayed] measures. An immediate consequence of any drought would be famine. In addition, where whole populations are forced to abandon their lands or pastures in search of food, there are bound to be other lasting and…..23…..[A. longitudinal B. objective C. simultaneous D. parallel] consequences such as distress, sales of cattle by livestock owners in order to buy food.

Government should provide farmers with agricultural inputs and ensure that they have easy access to these inputs under the relief…..24…..[A. action B. process C. scheme D. plan]. Emergency measures will be much more……25…..[A. normal B. correct C. idealistic D. effective] if a mechanism is established to ensure adequate preparedness and defence against the occurrence of drought.

Answer Details

The word that would best fit the gap numbered 25 in the passage would be "effective". The sentence talks about the need for establishing a mechanism to ensure preparedness and defense against drought, and using emergency measures in case of drought. Therefore, it makes sense to choose the option that indicates that such measures would be successful and have the desired effect, which is "effective".

Stress is by far the most common cause of ill health in our society and may be the underlying cause of as many as 70-80 per cent of all visits to family doctors. It is also the problem that every doctor shares with patients. Experts note that stress is an issue everyone can relate to experimentally. In studying and better understanding about stress, we can derive personal as well as professional benefits.

Stress can be overcome without undergoing duress. They often say anyone who wants to help someone deal with his/her stress should learn to handle his/her first. The manifestation of stress is legion. It can contribute or mimic just about any symptom you can think of. However, the main symptoms are physical, mental, emotional and behavioural. The cause of stress are multiple and varied but they can be classified into external and internal. External stressors can include relatively getting sick or dying, jobs being lost or people criticizing or one becoming angry. However, most of the stress people experience is self-generated.

Experts tell us that we create the majority of our upsets indicating that because we cause most of our own stress, we can do something about it. This gives us a measure of choice and control that we do not always have when outside forces act on us. This also leads to a basic premise about stress reduction. To master stress-change, you have to figure out what you are doing that is contributing to your problems and change it. These changes fall into behaviour, thinking, lifestyle choices and/ or situations you are in. by getting to the root causes of your stress, you can prevent recurrences.

As a way of draining off stress energy, nothing beats aerobic exercise. To understand why, we need to review what stress is. People often think of stress as pressure at work, a demanding boss, a sick child or rush-hour traffic. These may be trigger but stress is actually the body reaction to factors such as these. Stress is the fight-or-fight response in the body, mediated by adrenaline and other stress hormones and comprised such physiologic changes as increased heart rate and blood pressure, faster breathing, muscle tension, dilated pupils, dry mouth and increased blood sugar. In other words, stress is the state of increased arousal necessary for an organism to defend itself at a time of danger.

Exercise is the most logical way to dissipate the excess energy. It is what our bodies are trying to do when we pace around or tap our legs and fingers. It is much better to channel it into a more complete form of exercise like a brisk walk, a run, a bike ride, or a game of squash.

Just as we are all capable of mounting up and sustaining a stress reaction, we have also inherited the ability to put our bodies into a state of deep relaxation called the ‘relaxation response’. In this state, all the physiologic events in the stress reaction are reversed. Pulse slows, blood pressure falls, breathing slows and muscles relax.

One of the interesting things to me about our spaceship is that it is a mechanical vehicle, just as is an automobile. If you own a car, you realize that you must put oil and gas into it and must put water in the radiator and take care of the car as a whole. You begin to develop quite a little thermodynamic sense. You know that you are either going to have to keep the machine in a good order or it is going to be in trouble and fail to function. We have not been seeing our spaceship earth as an integrally-designed machine which to be persistently successful, must be comprehended and serviced in total.

Now there is one outstanding important fact regarding Spaceship Earth and that is that no instrument book came with it. I think it is very significant that there is no instrument book for successfully operating our ship, in view of the infinite attention to all other details displayed by our ship. It must be taken as deliberate and purposeful that an instruction book was omitted. Lack of instruction has forced us to find out that there are two kinds of mangoes-unripe mangoes that will kill us and ripped mangoes which will nourish us. And we had to find out ways of telling which were-which mangoes before we ate it or otherwise we would die. So we were forced because of this to devise scientific experimental procedures and to interpret effectively the significance of the experimental findings. Thus, because the instruction manual was missing, we are learning how we can safely survive on the planet.

Quite clearly, all living beings are utterly helpless at the moment of birth. The human child stays helpless longer than the young of any species. Apparently, it is part of the “invention” that man is meant to be utterly helpless through certain anthropological phases. When he begins to be able to get on a little better, he is meant to discover some of the physical principals inherent in the universe as well as the many resources around him which will further multiply his knowledge. Designed into this Spaceship Earth’s total wealth was a big safety factor. This allowed man to be very ignorant for a long time until he had amassed enough experience from which to extract progressively the system of generalized principals governing increase of energy. The designed omission of the instruction book forced man to discover retrospectively just what his most important capabilities are. He learned to generalize fundamental principles of universe.

According to the writer, the exciting thing about spaceship Earth is that it

One of the interesting things to me about our spaceship is that it is a mechanical vehicle, just as is an automobile. If you own a car, you realize that you must put oil and gas into it and must put water in the radiator and take care of the car as a whole. You begin to develop quite a little thermodynamic sense. You know that you are either going to have to keep the machine in a good order or it is going to be in trouble and fail to function. We have not been seeing our spaceship earth as an integrally-designed machine which to be persistently successful, must be comprehended and serviced in total.

Now there is one outstanding important fact regarding Spaceship Earth and that is that no instrument book came with it. I think it is very significant that there is no instrument book for successfully operating our ship, in view of the infinite attention to all other details displayed by our ship. It must be taken as deliberate and purposeful that an instruction book was omitted. Lack of instruction has forced us to find out that there are two kinds of mangoes-unripe mangoes that will kill us and ripped mangoes which will nourish us. And we had to find out ways of telling which were-which mangoes before we ate it or otherwise we would die. So we were forced because of this to devise scientific experimental procedures and to interpret effectively the significance of the experimental findings. Thus, because the instruction manual was missing, we are learning how we can safely survive on the planet.

Quite clearly, all living beings are utterly helpless at the moment of birth. The human child stays helpless longer than the young of any species. Apparently, it is part of the “invention” that man is meant to be utterly helpless through certain anthropological phases. When he begins to be able to get on a little better, he is meant to discover some of the physical principals inherent in the universe as well as the many resources around him which will further multiply his knowledge. Designed into this Spaceship Earth’s total wealth was a big safety factor. This allowed man to be very ignorant for a long time until he had amassed enough experience from which to extract progressively the system of generalized principals governing increase of energy. The designed omission of the instruction book forced man to discover retrospectively just what his most important capabilities are. He learned to generalize fundamental principles of universe.

Answer Details

The writer's mood in the passage is that of optimism. He highlights the fact that despite the lack of an instruction manual for operating Spaceship Earth, humans have managed to discover and develop their knowledge of the universe through trial and error. The writer believes that humans have the capability to learn and adapt to their environment, even without a set of instructions to follow. Therefore, the overall tone of the passage is hopeful and optimistic.

Select the option that best explains the information conveyed in the sentence.

As debutantes in that tournament, the super eagles were up against their first opponents by three goals to nil.

Answer Details

The sentence is describing the performance of the Super Eagles in their first match of the tournament. The most appropriate option is "The Super Eagles were playing in the tournament for the first time, but they won their match by three goals to nothing."

Choose the option that has the same consonant sound as the one represented by the underlined letter.
Southern

Select the option that best explains the information conveyed in the sentence.

The witness said he had no axe to grind with his brothers.

Answer Details

The sentence means that the witness did not have any personal interests or hidden motives for or against his brothers. He did not hold any grudges or biases against them.

Choose the option that best completes the gap(s).

Lemoti _____ as a painter, but also as a sculptor.

Answer Details

The correct answer is "is gifted not only". This means that Lemoti is talented not only as a painter but also as a sculptor. The phrase "not only" is used to introduce another thing or person in addition to the one already mentioned, emphasizing that both are true. The word "only" alone suggests that Lemoti has talent in one area and not in others, which is not the case according to the sentence.

Select the option that best explains the information conveyed in the sentence.

The woman was mournful as her husband was found dead drunk.

Answer Details

The option that best explains the information conveyed in the sentence is "She was sad because her husband was absolutely drunk". This sentence describes a woman who is feeling mournful, which is another word for sad or sorrowful. The reason for her sadness is that her husband was found "dead drunk", which means he was extremely intoxicated with alcohol. The other options do not accurately capture the meaning of the sentence.

Choose the option opposite in meaning to the underlined word(s).

Beneath Ado's guff exterior, he's really very kind-hearted.

Choose the option that rhymes with the given word.

Seer?

Answer Details

The option that rhymes with "seer" is "spear".

Choose the option that has the same vowel sound as the one represented by the underlined letter.
Hope

Select the option that best explains the information conveyed in the sentence.

Uche is full of himself.

Select the option that best explains the information conveyed in the sentence.

Though Mr. Iro is our new chairman, he views other members with jaundiced eye.

Answer Details

The best explanation for the sentence is "He takes an unfavorable position concerning his members." The phrase "views other members with jaundiced eye" means that Mr. Iro sees other members of the group or organization with suspicion, doubt, or a critical eye. It suggests that he may not trust them or may have negative preconceptions about them, despite being the new chairman.

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the underlined word(s).

We were all enthusiastic as we awaited the result of the election.

Answer Details

The option nearest in meaning to the underlined word "enthusiastic" is "elated." This means that the people were very excited and pleased about the outcome of the election.

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the underlined word(s).

The director's remark was extremely apposite to the shrine.

The passage below has gaps numbered 16 to 25. Immediately following each gap, four options are provided. Choose the most appropriate option for each gap. Each question carries 2 marks.

Drought is a word that invokes strong emotions. This is not surprising as the...16...[A. ideology B. phenomenon C. idea D. component] is usually accompanied by a number of unpleasant developments. These developments have ……..17…..[A. feedback B. results C. implication D. outcomes] for all citizens, starting from the peasant farmers to the state and federal governments which may be plunged into emergency and crisis situation which, if not successfully ……18…..[A. managed B. manipulated C. examined D. studied] could result in social unrest.

The timeliness of the onset of the rains in various regions of the country and their adequate distribution thereafter have become…..19…..[A. objects B. subjects C. issues D. topics] of considerable anxiety to all people. The fact, however, is that periodic reduction in the normal…..20…..[A. amount B. supply C. size D. flood] of rainfall in the country is not new.

Since large areas of the country are drought prone, the consequence are ……21…..[A. effective B. disastrous C. evident D. inevitable]. Dry spells could be very severe. There are two aspects of coping with drought. One has to do with emergency measures and the other with ……22…..[A. routine B. organized C. urgent D. delayed] measures. An immediate consequence of any drought would be famine. In addition, where whole populations are forced to abandon their lands or pastures in search of food, there are bound to be other lasting and…..23…..[A. longitudinal B. objective C. simultaneous D. parallel] consequences such as distress, sales of cattle by livestock owners in order to buy food.

Government should provide farmers with agricultural inputs and ensure that they have easy access to these inputs under the relief…..24…..[A. action B. process C. scheme D. plan]. Emergency measures will be much more……25…..[A. normal B. correct C. idealistic D. effective] if a mechanism is established to ensure adequate preparedness and defence against the occurrence of drought.

Choose the option that best completes the gap(s).

When we looked up, we _____ the plane some miles away?

Answer Details

The option that best completes the sentence is "sighted." This is because the context of the sentence suggests that the speaker saw an airplane some miles away, so the past tense of the verb "to sight" (meaning to see or catch sight of) should be used. The other options ("site," "cited," and "sited") are not correct because they have different meanings that do not fit the context of the sentence.

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the underlined word(s).

The panacea for a country's economic mess lies in systematic planning and hardwork.

Answer Details

The word 'panacea' means a solution or remedy for all problems, and the option that best captures this meaning is "cure." So, the sentence means that the solution to a country's economic problems is in having a systematic plan and working hard.

Choose the option opposite in meaning to the underlined word(s).

Ada gave her husband a look that made words superfluous.

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.

The passage below has gaps numbered 16 to 25. Immediately following each gap, four options are provided. Choose the most appropriate option for each gap. Each question carries 2 marks.

Drought is a word that invokes strong emotions. This is not surprising as the...16...[A. ideology B. phenomenon C. idea D. component] is usually accompanied by a number of unpleasant developments. These developments have ……..17…..[A. feedback B. results C. implication D. outcomes] for all citizens, starting from the peasant farmers to the state and federal governments which may be plunged into emergency and crisis situation which, if not successfully ……18…..[A. managed B. manipulated C. examined D. studied] could result in social unrest.

The timeliness of the onset of the rains in various regions of the country and their adequate distribution thereafter have become…..19…..[A. objects B. subjects C. issues D. topics] of considerable anxiety to all people. The fact, however, is that periodic reduction in the normal…..20…..[A. amount B. supply C. size D. flood] of rainfall in the country is not new.

Since large areas of the country are drought prone, the consequence are ……21…..[A. effective B. disastrous C. evident D. inevitable]. Dry spells could be very severe. There are two aspects of coping with drought. One has to do with emergency measures and the other with ……22…..[A. routine B. organized C. urgent D. delayed] measures. An immediate consequence of any drought would be famine. In addition, where whole populations are forced to abandon their lands or pastures in search of food, there are bound to be other lasting and…..23…..[A. longitudinal B. objective C. simultaneous D. parallel] consequences such as distress, sales of cattle by livestock owners in order to buy food.

Government should provide farmers with agricultural inputs and ensure that they have easy access to these inputs under the relief…..24…..[A. action B. process C. scheme D. plan]. Emergency measures will be much more……25…..[A. normal B. correct C. idealistic D. effective] if a mechanism is established to ensure adequate preparedness and defence against the occurrence of drought.

Choose the option opposite in meaning to the underlined word(s).

The weather was still very heavy and sultry.

Choose the option that best completes the gap(s).

The new trade agreement should facilitate _____ .

Answer Details

The correct option to fill the gap in the sentence is "more rapid economic growth". In the context of the sentence, the word "facilitate" means to make something easier or more convenient to happen. Therefore, the sentence implies that the new trade agreement should make it easier for there to be faster and stronger economic growth, which is expressed by the phrase "more rapid economic growth".

The passage below has gaps numbered 16 to 25. Immediately following each gap, four options are provided. Choose the most appropriate option for each gap. Each question carries 2 marks.

Drought is a word that invokes strong emotions. This is not surprising as the...16...[A. ideology B. phenomenon C. idea D. component] is usually accompanied by a number of unpleasant developments. These developments have ……..17…..[A. feedback B. results C. implication D. outcomes] for all citizens, starting from the peasant farmers to the state and federal governments which may be plunged into emergency and crisis situation which, if not successfully ……18…..[A. managed B. manipulated C. examined D. studied] could result in social unrest.

The timeliness of the onset of the rains in various regions of the country and their adequate distribution thereafter have become…..19…..[A. objects B. subjects C. issues D. topics] of considerable anxiety to all people. The fact, however, is that periodic reduction in the normal…..20…..[A. amount B. supply C. size D. flood] of rainfall in the country is not new.

Since large areas of the country are drought prone, the consequence are ……21…..[A. effective B. disastrous C. evident D. inevitable]. Dry spells could be very severe. There are two aspects of coping with drought. One has to do with emergency measures and the other with ……22…..[A. routine B. organized C. urgent D. delayed] measures. An immediate consequence of any drought would be famine. In addition, where whole populations are forced to abandon their lands or pastures in search of food, there are bound to be other lasting and…..23…..[A. longitudinal B. objective C. simultaneous D. parallel] consequences such as distress, sales of cattle by livestock owners in order to buy food.

Government should provide farmers with agricultural inputs and ensure that they have easy access to these inputs under the relief…..24…..[A. action B. process C. scheme D. plan]. Emergency measures will be much more……25…..[A. normal B. correct C. idealistic D. effective] if a mechanism is established to ensure adequate preparedness and defence against the occurrence of drought.

Choose the option that best completes the gap(s).

A wide range of options _____ made available to students in their final year last year.

Answer Details

The option that best completes the gap(s) is 'were'. In the given sentence, the subject is 'a wide range of options', which is plural. The verb should agree with the subject in number, making the correct verb form in the past tense plural. Therefore, the correct form of the verb to complete the sentence is 'were', making the sentence grammatically correct. The sentence should read: "A wide range of options were made available to students in their final year last year."

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the underlined word(s).

A political impasses does not offer the best opportunity for merrymaking.

Answer Details

The underlined word "impasses" refers to a situation where progress is blocked or halted due to disagreements or conflicts between different groups or parties involved. Therefore, the option that is nearest in meaning to "impasses" is "gridlock." The sentence is saying that when there is a political gridlock, it is not a good time to celebrate or have fun because the situation is not conducive to progress or positive outcomes.

Choose the option opposite in meaning to the underlined word(s).

The journalist's write-up contained a plethora of detail.

Answer Details

The underlined word "plethora" means an excess or overabundance of something. In this sentence, the journalist's write-up contained a lot of details. The option opposite in meaning to "plethora" is "shortage," meaning a lack or insufficiency of something.

Stress is by far the most common cause of ill health in our society and may be the underlying cause of as many as 70-80 per cent of all visits to family doctors. It is also the problem that every doctor shares with patients. Experts note that stress is an issue everyone can relate to experimentally. In studying and better understanding about stress, we can derive personal as well as professional benefits.

Stress can be overcome without undergoing duress. They often say anyone who wants to help someone deal with his/her stress should learn to handle his/her first. The manifestation of stress is legion. It can contribute or mimic just about any symptom you can think of. However, the main symptoms are physical, mental, emotional and behavioural. The cause of stress are multiple and varied but they can be classified into external and internal. External stressors can include relatively getting sick or dying, jobs being lost or people criticizing or one becoming angry. However, most of the stress people experience is self-generated.

Experts tell us that we create the majority of our upsets indicating that because we cause most of our own stress, we can do something about it. This gives us a measure of choice and control that we do not always have when outside forces act on us. This also leads to a basic premise about stress reduction. To master stress-change, you have to figure out what you are doing that is contributing to your problems and change it. These changes fall into behaviour, thinking, lifestyle choices and/ or situations you are in. by getting to the root causes of your stress, you can prevent recurrences.

As a way of draining off stress energy, nothing beats aerobic exercise. To understand why, we need to review what stress is. People often think of stress as pressure at work, a demanding boss, a sick child or rush-hour traffic. These may be trigger but stress is actually the body reaction to factors such as these. Stress is the fight-or-fight response in the body, mediated by adrenaline and other stress hormones and comprised such physiologic changes as increased heart rate and blood pressure, faster breathing, muscle tension, dilated pupils, dry mouth and increased blood sugar. In other words, stress is the state of increased arousal necessary for an organism to defend itself at a time of danger.

Exercise is the most logical way to dissipate the excess energy. It is what our bodies are trying to do when we pace around or tap our legs and fingers. It is much better to channel it into a more complete form of exercise like a brisk walk, a run, a bike ride, or a game of squash.

Just as we are all capable of mounting up and sustaining a stress reaction, we have also inherited the ability to put our bodies into a state of deep relaxation called the ‘relaxation response’. In this state, all the physiologic events in the stress reaction are reversed. Pulse slows, blood pressure falls, breathing slows and muscles relax.

Choose the option that best completes the gap(s).

Last Monday his father asked me, _____ .

Stress is by far the most common cause of ill health in our society and may be the underlying cause of as many as 70-80 per cent of all visits to family doctors. It is also the problem that every doctor shares with patients. Experts note that stress is an issue everyone can relate to experimentally. In studying and better understanding about stress, we can derive personal as well as professional benefits.

Stress can be overcome without undergoing duress. They often say anyone who wants to help someone deal with his/her stress should learn to handle his/her first. The manifestation of stress is legion. It can contribute or mimic just about any symptom you can think of. However, the main symptoms are physical, mental, emotional and behavioural. The cause of stress are multiple and varied but they can be classified into external and internal. External stressors can include relatively getting sick or dying, jobs being lost or people criticizing or one becoming angry. However, most of the stress people experience is self-generated.

Experts tell us that we create the majority of our upsets indicating that because we cause most of our own stress, we can do something about it. This gives us a measure of choice and control that we do not always have when outside forces act on us. This also leads to a basic premise about stress reduction. To master stress-change, you have to figure out what you are doing that is contributing to your problems and change it. These changes fall into behaviour, thinking, lifestyle choices and/ or situations you are in. by getting to the root causes of your stress, you can prevent recurrences.

As a way of draining off stress energy, nothing beats aerobic exercise. To understand why, we need to review what stress is. People often think of stress as pressure at work, a demanding boss, a sick child or rush-hour traffic. These may be trigger but stress is actually the body reaction to factors such as these. Stress is the fight-or-fight response in the body, mediated by adrenaline and other stress hormones and comprised such physiologic changes as increased heart rate and blood pressure, faster breathing, muscle tension, dilated pupils, dry mouth and increased blood sugar. In other words, stress is the state of increased arousal necessary for an organism to defend itself at a time of danger.

Exercise is the most logical way to dissipate the excess energy. It is what our bodies are trying to do when we pace around or tap our legs and fingers. It is much better to channel it into a more complete form of exercise like a brisk walk, a run, a bike ride, or a game of squash.

Just as we are all capable of mounting up and sustaining a stress reaction, we have also inherited the ability to put our bodies into a state of deep relaxation called the ‘relaxation response’. In this state, all the physiologic events in the stress reaction are reversed. Pulse slows, blood pressure falls, breathing slows and muscles relax.

Choose the option that has the same vowel sound as the one represented by the underlined letter(s).
Fuss

Choose the option that has the same consonant sound as the one represented by the underlined letter(s).

cough?

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

Choose the option opposite in meaning to the underlined word(s).

I am optimistic about the interview though it was a mind-bending exercise.

Answer Details

The option opposite in meaning to "mind-bending" is "an easy" because mind-bending means something that is very difficult or mentally challenging. Therefore, an easy exercise is the opposite of mind-bending.

Choose the option opposite in meaning to the underlined word(s).

Her ingenuous smile drew our attention.

Choose the most appropriate stress pattern from the options. The stressed syllable are written in capital letters(s).

satisfactory?

Stress is by far the most common cause of ill health in our society and may be the underlying cause of as many as 70-80 per cent of all visits to family doctors. It is also the problem that every doctor shares with patients. Experts note that stress is an issue everyone can relate to experimentally. In studying and better understanding about stress, we can derive personal as well as professional benefits.

Stress can be overcome without undergoing duress. They often say anyone who wants to help someone deal with his/her stress should learn to handle his/her first. The manifestation of stress is legion. It can contribute or mimic just about any symptom you can think of. However, the main symptoms are physical, mental, emotional and behavioural. The cause of stress are multiple and varied but they can be classified into external and internal. External stressors can include relatively getting sick or dying, jobs being lost or people criticizing or one becoming angry. However, most of the stress people experience is self-generated.

Experts tell us that we create the majority of our upsets indicating that because we cause most of our own stress, we can do something about it. This gives us a measure of choice and control that we do not always have when outside forces act on us. This also leads to a basic premise about stress reduction. To master stress-change, you have to figure out what you are doing that is contributing to your problems and change it. These changes fall into behaviour, thinking, lifestyle choices and/ or situations you are in. by getting to the root causes of your stress, you can prevent recurrences.

As a way of draining off stress energy, nothing beats aerobic exercise. To understand why, we need to review what stress is. People often think of stress as pressure at work, a demanding boss, a sick child or rush-hour traffic. These may be trigger but stress is actually the body reaction to factors such as these. Stress is the fight-or-fight response in the body, mediated by adrenaline and other stress hormones and comprised such physiologic changes as increased heart rate and blood pressure, faster breathing, muscle tension, dilated pupils, dry mouth and increased blood sugar. In other words, stress is the state of increased arousal necessary for an organism to defend itself at a time of danger.

Exercise is the most logical way to dissipate the excess energy. It is what our bodies are trying to do when we pace around or tap our legs and fingers. It is much better to channel it into a more complete form of exercise like a brisk walk, a run, a bike ride, or a game of squash.

Just as we are all capable of mounting up and sustaining a stress reaction, we have also inherited the ability to put our bodies into a state of deep relaxation called the ‘relaxation response’. In this state, all the physiologic events in the stress reaction are reversed. Pulse slows, blood pressure falls, breathing slows and muscles relax.

Answer Details

According to the passage, the true statement is that stress is better handled by the individual. The passage discusses how stress is a common cause of ill health, but also notes that individuals have control over their own stress and can take steps to reduce it. The passage suggests that individuals can identify the causes of their stress and make changes to their behavior, thinking, lifestyle, and situations in order to prevent it. Additionally, the passage notes that exercise can be a helpful way to dissipate excess energy and prevent the physical symptoms of stress.

Choose the option that rhymes with the given word.

joys

Answer Details

The option that rhymes with "joys" is "boys" because they have the same ending sound pronounced as "oiz". The other options do not have the same ending sound as "joys".

Choose the most appropriate stress pattern from the options. The stressed syllable are written in capital letters(s).

captivity?

One of the interesting things to me about our spaceship is that it is a mechanical vehicle, just as is an automobile. If you own a car, you realize that you must put oil and gas into it and must put water in the radiator and take care of the car as a whole. You begin to develop quite a little thermodynamic sense. You know that you are either going to have to keep the machine in a good order or it is going to be in trouble and fail to function. We have not been seeing our spaceship earth as an integrally-designed machine which to be persistently successful, must be comprehended and serviced in total.

Now there is one outstanding important fact regarding Spaceship Earth and that is that no instrument book came with it. I think it is very significant that there is no instrument book for successfully operating our ship, in view of the infinite attention to all other details displayed by our ship. It must be taken as deliberate and purposeful that an instruction book was omitted. Lack of instruction has forced us to find out that there are two kinds of mangoes-unripe mangoes that will kill us and ripped mangoes which will nourish us. And we had to find out ways of telling which were-which mangoes before we ate it or otherwise we would die. So we were forced because of this to devise scientific experimental procedures and to interpret effectively the significance of the experimental findings. Thus, because the instruction manual was missing, we are learning how we can safely survive on the planet.

Quite clearly, all living beings are utterly helpless at the moment of birth. The human child stays helpless longer than the young of any species. Apparently, it is part of the “invention” that man is meant to be utterly helpless through certain anthropological phases. When he begins to be able to get on a little better, he is meant to discover some of the physical principals inherent in the universe as well as the many resources around him which will further multiply his knowledge. Designed into this Spaceship Earth’s total wealth was a big safety factor. This allowed man to be very ignorant for a long time until he had amassed enough experience from which to extract progressively the system of generalized principals governing increase of energy. The designed omission of the instruction book forced man to discover retrospectively just what his most important capabilities are. He learned to generalize fundamental principles of universe.

Answer Details

From the passage, it can be deduced that man learns by experiment and deduction. The author mentions how lack of an instruction book for Spaceship Earth forced humans to find out things through scientific experimental procedures and interpret their findings effectively. The passage also emphasizes how designed into this Spaceship Earth's total wealth was a big safety factor, allowing humans to be very ignorant for a long time until they had amassed enough experience from which to extract progressively the system of generalized principles governing increase of energy. Therefore, the passage suggests that humans learn by experimenting and deducing generalized principles from their experiences.

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the underlined word(s).

Kaltume crouched over the papers on her desk.

Answer Details

The option nearest in meaning to the underlined word "crouched" is "bent over", which means to lean forward and downward, especially with the body close to the ground or another surface.

Choose the option that best completes the gap(s).

Vital _____ is still spread _____ word of mouth in most villages in Africa.

Choose the option that best completes the gap(s).

The principal said that he was pleased _____ my effort.

Answer Details

The principal said that he was pleased with my effort. This means that the principal expressed satisfaction and approval towards the effort that I put in. The word 'pleased' means happy and satisfied, and 'with' is used to show the reason or cause of the feeling. So, the principal was happy and satisfied because of the effort that I made.

Choose the most appropriate stress pattern from the options. The stressed syllable are written in capital letters(s).

political

Answer Details

The most appropriate stress pattern for "political" is poLItical, with the stress on the third syllable. This means that the syllables "po" and "cal" are unstressed, while the syllables "li" and "ti" are stressed. This is the most common stress pattern for the word "political" in English.

Choose the option that best completes the gap(s).

The man was happy that his son confessed his guilt and so the others were _____.

Answer Details

The man was happy that his son confessed his guilt and so the others were exonerated. The word "exonerated" means to be declared not guilty or released from blame. In this context, since the son confessed his guilt, it means that the others were also declared not guilty or released from any blame.

Choose the option that best completes the gap(s).

He can recall the important dates in the nation's history, it is interesting to listen as he rattles _____.

Answer Details

The correct option to fill the gap in the sentence is "off". In the context of the sentence, "rattles off" means that he is able to list or recite important dates in the nation's history with ease and speed. Therefore, the sentence implies that it is interesting to listen to him as he quickly and accurately recalls these dates.

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the underlined word(s).

Jankoli was dressed in an old assortment of clothes.

Answer Details

The word "assortment" refers to a group of different types of things or people. In the context of the sentence, it means Jankoli was wearing a variety of old clothes. Therefore, the option nearest in meaning to "assortment" is "melange", which also means a mixture of different things.

Select the option that best explains the information conveyed in the sentence.

As regards the matter, we have crossed the rubicon.

Answer Details

The sentence "As regards the matter, we have crossed the rubicon" means that a decision has been made and there is no turning back. The best option that explains the information conveyed in the sentence is "We are irrevocably committed."

Choose the option opposite in meaning to the underlined word(s).

Ndeni gave a flawless speech at the party.

Answer Details

The option opposite in meaning to the underlined word "flawless" is "imperfect".

Choose the option that rhymes with the given word.

Shine?

Answer Details

The option that rhymes with "shine" is "fine". This is because "shine" and "fine" have the same vowel sound in their final syllable, which is pronounced as "ai-n".

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the underlined word(s).

Thousands of workers have been victims of retrenchment since the military came back to power.

Answer Details

The option nearest in meaning to the underlined word 'retrenchment' is unemployment. In the context given, the word 'retrenchment' means the termination of employment by a company due to economic reasons such as financial difficulties, restructuring, or downsizing. This often results in workers losing their jobs, becoming unemployed, and facing financial difficulties. The word 'unemployment' refers to the state of being without a job or work, and this is the closest meaning to 'retrenchment' in this context.

Choose the option that best completes the gap(s).

Based on the facts before me, I have no alternative _____ to hold you responsible.

Answer Details

The most appropriate option to complete the sentence is "but." This is because the phrase "no alternative" implies that there were other options considered before arriving at the decision to hold the person responsible. The word "but" shows a contrast between the conclusion reached and the other possible alternatives that were considered.

The passage below has gaps numbered 16 to 25. Immediately following each gap, four options are provided. Choose the most appropriate option for each gap. Each question carries 2 marks.

Drought is a word that invokes strong emotions. This is not surprising as the...16...[A. ideology B. phenomenon C. idea D. component] is usually accompanied by a number of unpleasant developments. These developments have ……..17…..[A. feedback B. results C. implication D. outcomes] for all citizens, starting from the peasant farmers to the state and federal governments which may be plunged into emergency and crisis situation which, if not successfully ……18…..[A. managed B. manipulated C. examined D. studied] could result in social unrest.

The timeliness of the onset of the rains in various regions of the country and their adequate distribution thereafter have become…..19…..[A. objects B. subjects C. issues D. topics] of considerable anxiety to all people. The fact, however, is that periodic reduction in the normal…..20…..[A. amount B. supply C. size D. flood] of rainfall in the country is not new.

Since large areas of the country are drought prone, the consequence are ……21…..[A. effective B. disastrous C. evident D. inevitable]. Dry spells could be very severe. There are two aspects of coping with drought. One has to do with emergency measures and the other with ……22…..[A. routine B. organized C. urgent D. delayed] measures. An immediate consequence of any drought would be famine. In addition, where whole populations are forced to abandon their lands or pastures in search of food, there are bound to be other lasting and…..23…..[A. longitudinal B. objective C. simultaneous D. parallel] consequences such as distress, sales of cattle by livestock owners in order to buy food.

Government should provide farmers with agricultural inputs and ensure that they have easy access to these inputs under the relief…..24…..[A. action B. process C. scheme D. plan]. Emergency measures will be much more……25…..[A. normal B. correct C. idealistic D. effective] if a mechanism is established to ensure adequate preparedness and defence against the occurrence of drought.

Answer Details

The word that would best complete the gap in question number 21 is "disastrous." This is because the sentence talks about the consequences of drought and mentions how dry spells could be very severe. The word "disastrous" fits perfectly in this context as it refers to something that is causing great damage or harm.

Choose the option that has the same vowel sound as the one represented by the underlined letters.

Indict?

Choose the option that best completes the gap(s).

His wife was badly injured in the fracas, but I think she will pull _____ .

Choose the option that best completes the gap(s).

The federal Government has _____ child trafficking.

Stress is by far the most common cause of ill health in our society and may be the underlying cause of as many as 70-80 per cent of all visits to family doctors. It is also the problem that every doctor shares with patients. Experts note that stress is an issue everyone can relate to experimentally. In studying and better understanding about stress, we can derive personal as well as professional benefits.

Stress can be overcome without undergoing duress. They often say anyone who wants to help someone deal with his/her stress should learn to handle his/her first. The manifestation of stress is legion. It can contribute or mimic just about any symptom you can think of. However, the main symptoms are physical, mental, emotional and behavioural. The cause of stress are multiple and varied but they can be classified into external and internal. External stressors can include relatively getting sick or dying, jobs being lost or people criticizing or one becoming angry. However, most of the stress people experience is self-generated.

Experts tell us that we create the majority of our upsets indicating that because we cause most of our own stress, we can do something about it. This gives us a measure of choice and control that we do not always have when outside forces act on us. This also leads to a basic premise about stress reduction. To master stress-change, you have to figure out what you are doing that is contributing to your problems and change it. These changes fall into behaviour, thinking, lifestyle choices and/ or situations you are in. by getting to the root causes of your stress, you can prevent recurrences.

As a way of draining off stress energy, nothing beats aerobic exercise. To understand why, we need to review what stress is. People often think of stress as pressure at work, a demanding boss, a sick child or rush-hour traffic. These may be trigger but stress is actually the body reaction to factors such as these. Stress is the fight-or-fight response in the body, mediated by adrenaline and other stress hormones and comprised such physiologic changes as increased heart rate and blood pressure, faster breathing, muscle tension, dilated pupils, dry mouth and increased blood sugar. In other words, stress is the state of increased arousal necessary for an organism to defend itself at a time of danger.

Exercise is the most logical way to dissipate the excess energy. It is what our bodies are trying to do when we pace around or tap our legs and fingers. It is much better to channel it into a more complete form of exercise like a brisk walk, a run, a bike ride, or a game of squash.

Just as we are all capable of mounting up and sustaining a stress reaction, we have also inherited the ability to put our bodies into a state of deep relaxation called the ‘relaxation response’. In this state, all the physiologic events in the stress reaction are reversed. Pulse slows, blood pressure falls, breathing slows and muscles relax.

The word in capital letters has the emphatic stress. Choose the option to which the given relates.

EMEKA finished his home work yesterday.

Select the option that best explains the information conveyed in the sentence.

The headmaster managed to take his way out of having to give a speech.

Answer Details

The sentence means that the headmaster was able to avoid giving a speech, probably in a difficult situation or in a context where giving a speech would have been expected of him. Therefore, the option that best explains the information conveyed in the sentence is "He managed to get himself out of a difficult situation".

The word in capital letters has the emphatic stress. Choose the option to which the given sentence relates.

Taiwo SAILED to London.

Answer Details

The sentence relates to "Did Taiwo sail to London?" because it is a question asking if Taiwo used a boat or ship to travel to London.

The passage below has gaps numbered 16 to 25. Immediately following each gap, four options are provided. Choose the most appropriate option for each gap. Each question carries 2 marks.

Drought is a word that invokes strong emotions. This is not surprising as the...16...[A. ideology B. phenomenon C. idea D. component] is usually accompanied by a number of unpleasant developments. These developments have ……..17…..[A. feedback B. results C. implication D. outcomes] for all citizens, starting from the peasant farmers to the state and federal governments which may be plunged into emergency and crisis situation which, if not successfully ……18…..[A. managed B. manipulated C. examined D. studied] could result in social unrest.

The timeliness of the onset of the rains in various regions of the country and their adequate distribution thereafter have become…..19…..[A. objects B. subjects C. issues D. topics] of considerable anxiety to all people. The fact, however, is that periodic reduction in the normal…..20…..[A. amount B. supply C. size D. flood] of rainfall in the country is not new.

Since large areas of the country are drought prone, the consequence are ……21…..[A. effective B. disastrous C. evident D. inevitable]. Dry spells could be very severe. There are two aspects of coping with drought. One has to do with emergency measures and the other with ……22…..[A. routine B. organized C. urgent D. delayed] measures. An immediate consequence of any drought would be famine. In addition, where whole populations are forced to abandon their lands or pastures in search of food, there are bound to be other lasting and…..23…..[A. longitudinal B. objective C. simultaneous D. parallel] consequences such as distress, sales of cattle by livestock owners in order to buy food.

Government should provide farmers with agricultural inputs and ensure that they have easy access to these inputs under the relief…..24…..[A. action B. process C. scheme D. plan]. Emergency measures will be much more……25…..[A. normal B. correct C. idealistic D. effective] if a mechanism is established to ensure adequate preparedness and defence against the occurrence of drought.

Answer Details

The best option to complete the gap is "parallel". This is because the sentence talks about other lasting and consequent impacts that will follow where whole populations are forced to abandon their lands or pastures in search of food. The word "parallel" means existing or occurring at the same time, in a corresponding or corresponding way, which is a suitable description of the situation described in the sentence.

Choose the option opposite in meaning to the underlined word(s).

The crowd was very receptive to the speaker's suggestion.

Answer Details

The option opposite in meaning to the underlined word "receptive" is "disobedient".

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the underlined word(s).

The girl's father was astounded to see her appear from the shrine.

Answer Details

The word "astounded" expresses a feeling of great surprise and shock. The option that is nearest in meaning to "astounded" is "astonished".

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the underlined word(s).

Ugo's is eligible for the post of secretary.

Answer Details

The underlined word "eligible" means that Ugo has the necessary qualifications or meets the requirements to be considered for the position of secretary. Out of the four options, "nominated" means someone has been proposed or suggested for a position or an award. "Invited" means someone has been asked or requested to attend an event. "Intelligent" means someone is smart or has good mental abilities. The only option that is similar in meaning to "eligible" is "qualified". "Qualified" means that someone has the necessary abilities, knowledge, or qualifications to do a particular job. Therefore, the correct answer is "qualified".

The word in capital letters has the emphatic stress. Choose the option to which the given sentence relates.

My bag is made of LEATHER?

Choose the option that best completes the gap(s).

One of the women who _____ in the premises _____ been ordered to quit.

Answer Details

The correct option to fill the gaps in the sentence is "sells / has". In the context of the sentence, the subject is "one of the women", which is singular, so the correct verb form to use with it is "has" (singular), not "have" (plural). The verb that matches the subject in number is "sells", not "sell". Therefore, the correct sentence is "One of the women who sells in the premises has been ordered to quit."

Choose the option that best completes the gap(s).

Many people would always find reasons to _____ the law.

Answer Details

The option that best completes the sentence is "circumvent." To circumvent the law means to find ways to avoid or bypass it. People may do this for various reasons, such as to gain an unfair advantage or to escape punishment for their actions. However, circumventing the law is generally not considered ethical or legal and can lead to negative consequences. Therefore, it is important to abide by the law and seek legal means of achieving one's goals.

One of the interesting things to me about our spaceship is that it is a mechanical vehicle, just as is an automobile. If you own a car, you realize that you must put oil and gas into it and must put water in the radiator and take care of the car as a whole. You begin to develop quite a little thermodynamic sense. You know that you are either going to have to keep the machine in a good order or it is going to be in trouble and fail to function. We have not been seeing our spaceship earth as an integrally-designed machine which to be persistently successful, must be comprehended and serviced in total.

Now there is one outstanding important fact regarding Spaceship Earth and that is that no instrument book came with it. I think it is very significant that there is no instrument book for successfully operating our ship, in view of the infinite attention to all other details displayed by our ship. It must be taken as deliberate and purposeful that an instruction book was omitted. Lack of instruction has forced us to find out that there are two kinds of mangoes-unripe mangoes that will kill us and ripped mangoes which will nourish us. And we had to find out ways of telling which were-which mangoes before we ate it or otherwise we would die. So we were forced because of this to devise scientific experimental procedures and to interpret effectively the significance of the experimental findings. Thus, because the instruction manual was missing, we are learning how we can safely survive on the planet.

Quite clearly, all living beings are utterly helpless at the moment of birth. The human child stays helpless longer than the young of any species. Apparently, it is part of the “invention” that man is meant to be utterly helpless through certain anthropological phases. When he begins to be able to get on a little better, he is meant to discover some of the physical principals inherent in the universe as well as the many resources around him which will further multiply his knowledge. Designed into this Spaceship Earth’s total wealth was a big safety factor. This allowed man to be very ignorant for a long time until he had amassed enough experience from which to extract progressively the system of generalized principals governing increase of energy. The designed omission of the instruction book forced man to discover retrospectively just what his most important capabilities are. He learned to generalize fundamental principles of universe.

Choose the option that best completes the gap(s).

Western education is one of the _____ child trafficking.

Answer Details

The correct option to fill the gap in the sentence is "legacies". This sentence implies that Western education has played a significant role in reducing child trafficking, hence it is seen as a legacy of Western education. Legacy means something that is handed down or remains from a previous generation or time. Here, it means that Western education has left behind a positive impact on society, which is the reduction of child trafficking.