Loading....

WAEC SSCE - English Language - 2001 (Objective)

Question 1 Report

After each of the following sentences, a list of possible interpretations of the sentence is given. Choose the interpretation that you consider most appropriate for each sentence.
It is cold comfort to tell a hungry man that starvation improves health. This means that telling a hungry man this is
Answer Details
The most appropriate interpretation of the sentence "It is cold comfort to tell a hungry man that starvation improves health" is that telling a hungry man this is unhelpful. This sentence means that it is not comforting at all to tell a hungry person that starving themselves is good for their health. The phrase "cold comfort" implies that the supposed comfort being offered is not actually helpful or reassuring. In fact, it is the opposite because starvation can lead to malnutrition and other health problems. Therefore, option c) unhelpful is the best interpretation for this sentence.