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Question 1 Report
Write an article for publication in the science magazine on the topic: Science and Technology in National Development.
Model answer: Science-magazine article on 'Science and Technology in National Development.'
This is an article for a science magazine. It requires a title and a by-line and should explain how science and technology drive national development.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: THE ENGINE OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
by a Science Student
No nation in the modern world can rise to greatness without harnessing the power of science and technology. From the food we eat to the phones in our pockets, from the medicines that heal us to the vehicles that move us, science and technology touch every part of our lives and hold the key to the development of any country.
Consider the field of agriculture. Through science, improved seeds, fertilisers, irrigation and modern machinery enable a country to feed its population and even export the surplus. A hungry nation can never develop, so the scientific transformation of farming is the first step to progress.
In the area of health, science and technology save lives on a grand scale. Vaccines wipe out deadly diseases, modern hospitals and equipment cure the sick, and clean water and sanitation protect whole communities. A healthy people is a productive people, and productivity is the foundation of national wealth.
Industry and the economy also depend on technology. Machines and factories turn raw materials into finished goods, create employment, and boost the national income. Nations that manufacture prosper, while those that merely export raw materials remain poor.
Furthermore, science and technology power communication and transport. Roads, railways, aircraft, telephones and the internet knit a country together, ease trade, and link it to the wider world. Modern education, too, is enriched by computers and laboratories that produce skilled manpower for every sector.
To reap these benefits, our nation must invest heavily in science education, equip our schools and universities, fund research, and encourage young people to embrace careers in science and technology. Government and industry must work hand in hand to turn ideas into products.
In conclusion, science and technology are not luxuries but necessities. They are the very engine of national development, and the nation that masters them will surely take its rightful place among the great countries of the world.
Answer Details
Model answer: Science-magazine article on 'Science and Technology in National Development.'
This is an article for a science magazine. It requires a title and a by-line and should explain how science and technology drive national development.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: THE ENGINE OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
by a Science Student
No nation in the modern world can rise to greatness without harnessing the power of science and technology. From the food we eat to the phones in our pockets, from the medicines that heal us to the vehicles that move us, science and technology touch every part of our lives and hold the key to the development of any country.
Consider the field of agriculture. Through science, improved seeds, fertilisers, irrigation and modern machinery enable a country to feed its population and even export the surplus. A hungry nation can never develop, so the scientific transformation of farming is the first step to progress.
In the area of health, science and technology save lives on a grand scale. Vaccines wipe out deadly diseases, modern hospitals and equipment cure the sick, and clean water and sanitation protect whole communities. A healthy people is a productive people, and productivity is the foundation of national wealth.
Industry and the economy also depend on technology. Machines and factories turn raw materials into finished goods, create employment, and boost the national income. Nations that manufacture prosper, while those that merely export raw materials remain poor.
Furthermore, science and technology power communication and transport. Roads, railways, aircraft, telephones and the internet knit a country together, ease trade, and link it to the wider world. Modern education, too, is enriched by computers and laboratories that produce skilled manpower for every sector.
To reap these benefits, our nation must invest heavily in science education, equip our schools and universities, fund research, and encourage young people to embrace careers in science and technology. Government and industry must work hand in hand to turn ideas into products.
In conclusion, science and technology are not luxuries but necessities. They are the very engine of national development, and the nation that masters them will surely take its rightful place among the great countries of the world.
Question 2 Report
The topic of an essay competition organised by the Young Writers Club for final year students is: Our traditional marriage system is more suitable for the present generation of Nigerians than the English system. Write your entry for or against the topic:
Model answer: Essay-competition entry (arguing FOR the topic): 'Our traditional marriage system is more suitable for the present generation of Nigerians than the English system.'
This is an argumentative essay. It needs a title, a clear stand, at least three developed arguments, and a firm conclusion.
IN DEFENCE OF OUR TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE SYSTEM
Marriage is one of the oldest and most important institutions known to man, and every society has evolved its own way of joining a man and a woman as husband and wife. In our own land, two systems now compete for acceptance: our indigenous traditional marriage and the imported English system. I firmly hold that our traditional marriage system is more suitable for the present generation of Nigerians, and I shall give my reasons.
In the first place, traditional marriage unites not merely two individuals but two families and, indeed, two communities. Before a marriage is concluded, both families investigate each other's background, character and health, and this careful scrutiny helps to build stable homes. The English system, which often joins two strangers on the strength of romantic feeling alone, offers no such safeguard.
Secondly, traditional marriage is far less expensive and more realistic for the average young Nigerian. Its ceremonies, though colourful, can be adjusted to the means of the families involved. The English system, with its costly white weddings, hired halls, foreign gowns and expensive receptions, plunges many young couples into debt before their married life has even begun.
Thirdly, our traditional system enjoys strong community support that helps marriages to endure. Because the whole family has a stake in the union, elders step in to settle quarrels and to counsel the couple, so that divorce is discouraged. Under the English system, a couple is left largely to themselves, and this isolation partly explains the alarming rate of broken homes today.
Finally, traditional marriage preserves our identity and culture. It keeps alive our language, dress, music and values, and reminds us of who we are in a world that is fast erasing our heritage.
I concede that the traditional system, like every human institution, has weaknesses that must be reformed, such as excessive bride price in some places. But its core strengths make it far better suited to our people than a borrowed system that does not fit our circumstances. For these reasons, I urge my generation to cherish and uphold our traditional marriage system.
Answer Details
Model answer: Essay-competition entry (arguing FOR the topic): 'Our traditional marriage system is more suitable for the present generation of Nigerians than the English system.'
This is an argumentative essay. It needs a title, a clear stand, at least three developed arguments, and a firm conclusion.
IN DEFENCE OF OUR TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE SYSTEM
Marriage is one of the oldest and most important institutions known to man, and every society has evolved its own way of joining a man and a woman as husband and wife. In our own land, two systems now compete for acceptance: our indigenous traditional marriage and the imported English system. I firmly hold that our traditional marriage system is more suitable for the present generation of Nigerians, and I shall give my reasons.
In the first place, traditional marriage unites not merely two individuals but two families and, indeed, two communities. Before a marriage is concluded, both families investigate each other's background, character and health, and this careful scrutiny helps to build stable homes. The English system, which often joins two strangers on the strength of romantic feeling alone, offers no such safeguard.
Secondly, traditional marriage is far less expensive and more realistic for the average young Nigerian. Its ceremonies, though colourful, can be adjusted to the means of the families involved. The English system, with its costly white weddings, hired halls, foreign gowns and expensive receptions, plunges many young couples into debt before their married life has even begun.
Thirdly, our traditional system enjoys strong community support that helps marriages to endure. Because the whole family has a stake in the union, elders step in to settle quarrels and to counsel the couple, so that divorce is discouraged. Under the English system, a couple is left largely to themselves, and this isolation partly explains the alarming rate of broken homes today.
Finally, traditional marriage preserves our identity and culture. It keeps alive our language, dress, music and values, and reminds us of who we are in a world that is fast erasing our heritage.
I concede that the traditional system, like every human institution, has weaknesses that must be reformed, such as excessive bride price in some places. But its core strengths make it far better suited to our people than a borrowed system that does not fit our circumstances. For these reasons, I urge my generation to cherish and uphold our traditional marriage system.
Question 3 Report
You have changed school and after a few months, you discover that your present school is not as good as the former. Write a letter to a friend of yours in your former school giving at least three areas in which the new school does not measure up to the old one.
Model answer: Informal letter to a friend comparing a new school unfavourably with the old.
This is an informal letter. It carries the writer's address and date, an informal salutation, a chatty body, and an informal close. At least three areas of comparison must be given.
18 Olumide Close,
Abeokuta.
10 July, 2026.
Dear Bisi,
How are you and how is everyone at Queen's College? I have missed you all more than words can say. I promised to write once I had settled into my new school, Grace High School, and now that I have spent a few months here, I am sorry to tell you that it does not measure up to our old school at all.
To begin with, the teaching here is far poorer. In our former school the teachers were dedicated, well qualified and always ready to explain difficult topics again and again. Here, many teachers rush through the syllabus, some periods are not taken at all, and homework is rarely marked. I now realise how lucky we were.
Secondly, the facilities are very disappointing. Do you remember our well stocked library, our neat science laboratories and our green sports field? In this school the library has only a handful of old books, the laboratory has almost no equipment, and there is hardly any space for games. Learning has become dull and difficult.
Thirdly, discipline and orderliness are sadly lacking. At Queen's College, rules were firm but fair, and everyone knew what was expected. Here, students come late, make noise during lessons and roam about freely, and the prefects seem powerless. The whole atmosphere is one of confusion.
I must confess that I now regret leaving. I have learnt the hard way that one does not truly value a good thing until it is lost. All the same, I am doing my best to cope, and I look forward to the holidays when we can meet and talk at length.
Please greet all our old friends and teachers for me, and do write back soon.
Your ever loving friend,
Kemi
Answer Details
Model answer: Informal letter to a friend comparing a new school unfavourably with the old.
This is an informal letter. It carries the writer's address and date, an informal salutation, a chatty body, and an informal close. At least three areas of comparison must be given.
18 Olumide Close,
Abeokuta.
10 July, 2026.
Dear Bisi,
How are you and how is everyone at Queen's College? I have missed you all more than words can say. I promised to write once I had settled into my new school, Grace High School, and now that I have spent a few months here, I am sorry to tell you that it does not measure up to our old school at all.
To begin with, the teaching here is far poorer. In our former school the teachers were dedicated, well qualified and always ready to explain difficult topics again and again. Here, many teachers rush through the syllabus, some periods are not taken at all, and homework is rarely marked. I now realise how lucky we were.
Secondly, the facilities are very disappointing. Do you remember our well stocked library, our neat science laboratories and our green sports field? In this school the library has only a handful of old books, the laboratory has almost no equipment, and there is hardly any space for games. Learning has become dull and difficult.
Thirdly, discipline and orderliness are sadly lacking. At Queen's College, rules were firm but fair, and everyone knew what was expected. Here, students come late, make noise during lessons and roam about freely, and the prefects seem powerless. The whole atmosphere is one of confusion.
I must confess that I now regret leaving. I have learnt the hard way that one does not truly value a good thing until it is lost. All the same, I am doing my best to cope, and I look forward to the holidays when we can meet and talk at length.
Please greet all our old friends and teachers for me, and do write back soon.
Your ever loving friend,
Kemi
Question 4 Report
Read the following passage carefully and then answer the questions on it.
The food and oil crises demonstrate the extent of our interdependence. Many developing nations need the food surplus of the developed nations. And many industrialized nations need the oil production of a few developing nations.
Energy is required to produce food, and food to produce energy - and both to provide a decent life for everyone. The problems of food and energy can be resolved on the basis of cooperation — or can, I should say, be made unmanageable on the basis of confrontation. Runaway inflation, propelled by food and oil price increases, is an early warning signal. Let us not delude. ourselves. Failure to cooperate on oil, food and inflation could spell disaster for every nation.
The United Nations must not, and need not allow this to occur. A global strategy for food and energy is urgently required. It is my belief that four principles should guide a global approach.
Firstly, all nations must substantially increase production. Just to maintain the present standards of living, the world_ must almost double its output of food and energy to match the expected increase in the world population by the end of the century. To meet aspirations for a better life, production will have to expand at a significantly faster rate than t population growth. Second, all nations must seek to achieve a level of Prices which not only provide an incentive to producers but which consumers can also afford. It should now be clear that the developed nations are not the only countries which demand and receive adequate returns for their goods. But it should also be clear that by confronting consumers with production restrictions, artificial pricing and the prospect of ultimate bankruptcy, producers will eventually become victims of their own actions. Third, all nations must avoid the abuse of man's fundamental needs for sake of narrow material or bloc advantage. The attempt by any country to use one commodity for political purposes will inevitably tempt other countries to use their commodities for their own purposes. Fourth, the nations of the world must ensure that the poorest among us are not overwhelmed by rising prices of the imports necessary for their survival. The traditional aid donors and the increasingly wealthy oil producers must join hands in this effort
(a) Summarize in one sentence, how the developed and developing nations are interdependent in their needs.
(b) In one sentence, show what the inevitable result of confrontation among nations will be.
(c) In four sentences, one for each, summarize the writer's suggestions for effecting smooth global interdependence.
(a) How the developed and developing nations are interdependent
Many developing nations depend on the food surplus of the developed nations, while many industrialised nations depend on the oil produced by a few developing nations.
(b) The inevitable result of confrontation among nations
Failure to cooperate on oil, food and inflation, through confrontation, could spell disaster for every nation.
(c) The writer's suggestions for smooth global interdependence
Answer Details
(a) How the developed and developing nations are interdependent
Many developing nations depend on the food surplus of the developed nations, while many industrialised nations depend on the oil produced by a few developing nations.
(b) The inevitable result of confrontation among nations
Failure to cooperate on oil, food and inflation, through confrontation, could spell disaster for every nation.
(c) The writer's suggestions for smooth global interdependence
Question 5 Report
Read the following passage carefully and then answer the questions on it.
When you come to think seriously about it, you cannot but conclude that the only permanent factor in international relations is national interest. This, at least among the advanced nations of the world, is very clear. A few instances would suffice.
Take the issue of political ideology. The world used to be, and is still to some degree, divided into distinguishable ideological camps. A nation is ruled either by a democratic or a dictatorial regime. From the way these two ideological camps launch verbal attacks on each other, one would assume they would never have anything to do in common. But there are numerous instances when a democratic regime had been drawn into the open embrace of a totalitarian regime. So it was during the two world wars when democratic and totalitarian regimes found themselves on the same side.
Consider also the factor of economic policies. We know today that capitalism and socialism, as economic policies, are poles apart. The two systems, at least in theory, cannot tolerate each other. But in actual fact, there has been cooperation between capitalist and socialist states when they learn they can be interdependent economically. Trading, after all, does not know one ideology from another, and money is used for the same purpose whether in China or in America.
From the foregoing, it would be correct to claim that there is no country in the world which is democratic in all respects, nor is there any which is exclusively dictatorial. Even more correct than this is the claim that there is no wholly capitalist state, nor is there a completely socialist nation. Therefore, definitions must be made cautiously, and recognition must be given to the fact that each capitalist state embraces a certain degree of socialism, and every socialist nation accommodates some degree of capitalism. So, why need we be rigid in our political and economic inclinations?
(a)What does the writer consider the most important factor in international relations?
(b) Identify the two political and the two economic systems mentioned in the passage.
(c) According to the passage, under what condition has there been cooperation between capitalist and socialist states?
(d) Why should we be flexible in our political and economic given to inclinations
(e) ...... they would never have anything to do in common.
(i) What is the grammatical name given to the above expression as used in the passage?
(ii) What is its function?
(f) For each of the following words, find another the above phrase that word or phrase at means the same and can replace it as used in the passage: (i) advanced; (ii) distinguishable (iii) numerous; (iv) ideology; (v) cautiously
Comprehension answers: National interest in international relations passage.
(a) The most important factor in international relations, according to the writer: The writer considers national interest to be the only permanent, and therefore the most important, factor in international relations.
(b) The two political and the two economic systems mentioned: The two political systems are democracy (democratic/rule by a democratic regime) and dictatorship (totalitarianism/rule by a dictatorial or totalitarian regime). The two economic systems are capitalism and socialism.
(c) The condition under which there has been cooperation between capitalist and socialist states: There has been cooperation between them when they realise that they can be interdependent economically, that is, when they discover that trading with each other serves their mutual economic interest, since trade and money recognise no ideology.
(d) Why we should be flexible in our political and economic inclinations: We should be flexible because no country is purely one thing or the other: there is no wholly democratic or wholly dictatorial state, and no wholly capitalist or wholly socialist nation. Every capitalist state contains a degree of socialism and every socialist nation accommodates some capitalism, so rigidity is unrealistic and unwise.
(e)(i) Grammatical name for 'they would never have anything to do in common': It is a noun clause (a subordinate/dependent clause).
(e)(ii) Its function: It functions as the object of the verb 'assume' (it is the direct object stating what one would assume).
(f) Words and their replacements as used in the passage:
Answer Details
Comprehension answers: National interest in international relations passage.
(a) The most important factor in international relations, according to the writer: The writer considers national interest to be the only permanent, and therefore the most important, factor in international relations.
(b) The two political and the two economic systems mentioned: The two political systems are democracy (democratic/rule by a democratic regime) and dictatorship (totalitarianism/rule by a dictatorial or totalitarian regime). The two economic systems are capitalism and socialism.
(c) The condition under which there has been cooperation between capitalist and socialist states: There has been cooperation between them when they realise that they can be interdependent economically, that is, when they discover that trading with each other serves their mutual economic interest, since trade and money recognise no ideology.
(d) Why we should be flexible in our political and economic inclinations: We should be flexible because no country is purely one thing or the other: there is no wholly democratic or wholly dictatorial state, and no wholly capitalist or wholly socialist nation. Every capitalist state contains a degree of socialism and every socialist nation accommodates some capitalism, so rigidity is unrealistic and unwise.
(e)(i) Grammatical name for 'they would never have anything to do in common': It is a noun clause (a subordinate/dependent clause).
(e)(ii) Its function: It functions as the object of the verb 'assume' (it is the direct object stating what one would assume).
(f) Words and their replacements as used in the passage:
Question 6 Report
Write a story in which you were personally involved, ending with, 'if I knew he was that kind of person, I wouldn't have gone out with him."
Model answer: Story ending with 'if I knew he was that kind of person, I wouldn't have gone out with him.'
The story must be personal ('in which you were personally involved') and must end, word for word, with the given sentence. The plot should lead naturally to that regretful conclusion.
A LESSON WELL LEARNT
Chuka was the most charming boy in our neighbourhood. He was well dressed, generous with his words and always had a joke ready. When he invited me to accompany him to a birthday party across town, I felt flattered, and, ignoring the quiet warning of my elder sister, I agreed to go.
The evening began pleasantly enough. Chuka arrived in a borrowed car, complimented my dress and spoke so smoothly that my earlier doubts melted away. But as we drove, I began to notice things I had overlooked before. He drove recklessly, laughing at my fear, and boasted about how he had cheated a shopkeeper the day before. A small knot of worry tightened in my stomach.
At the party, the mask slipped completely. Chuka drank far too much, quarrelled loudly with an old friend, and used language that made me cringe. When a waiter accidentally spilt a drink on him, he flew into a violent rage and shoved the frightened boy against the wall. The other guests stared in disgust. I sat frozen, ashamed to be seen in his company, wishing the ground would open and swallow me.
Things grew worse on the way home. Chuka insisted on driving though he could barely see straight, and when I begged him to slow down he snapped at me rudely. At a junction he scraped another car and, instead of stopping, sped off, cursing. My heart pounded with fear until, at last, he dropped me at my gate without so much as an apology for the dreadful evening.
I stumbled indoors, shaken to the core. My sister took one look at my face and asked what had happened. As I poured out the whole miserable story, tears welling in my eyes, I shook my head and said the words that have stayed with me ever since: if I knew he was that kind of person, I wouldn't have gone out with him.
Note: Marks reward a well constructed personal story, a plot that leads logically to the fixed ending, the exact closing sentence, and accurate expression.
Answer Details
Model answer: Story ending with 'if I knew he was that kind of person, I wouldn't have gone out with him.'
The story must be personal ('in which you were personally involved') and must end, word for word, with the given sentence. The plot should lead naturally to that regretful conclusion.
A LESSON WELL LEARNT
Chuka was the most charming boy in our neighbourhood. He was well dressed, generous with his words and always had a joke ready. When he invited me to accompany him to a birthday party across town, I felt flattered, and, ignoring the quiet warning of my elder sister, I agreed to go.
The evening began pleasantly enough. Chuka arrived in a borrowed car, complimented my dress and spoke so smoothly that my earlier doubts melted away. But as we drove, I began to notice things I had overlooked before. He drove recklessly, laughing at my fear, and boasted about how he had cheated a shopkeeper the day before. A small knot of worry tightened in my stomach.
At the party, the mask slipped completely. Chuka drank far too much, quarrelled loudly with an old friend, and used language that made me cringe. When a waiter accidentally spilt a drink on him, he flew into a violent rage and shoved the frightened boy against the wall. The other guests stared in disgust. I sat frozen, ashamed to be seen in his company, wishing the ground would open and swallow me.
Things grew worse on the way home. Chuka insisted on driving though he could barely see straight, and when I begged him to slow down he snapped at me rudely. At a junction he scraped another car and, instead of stopping, sped off, cursing. My heart pounded with fear until, at last, he dropped me at my gate without so much as an apology for the dreadful evening.
I stumbled indoors, shaken to the core. My sister took one look at my face and asked what had happened. As I poured out the whole miserable story, tears welling in my eyes, I shook my head and said the words that have stayed with me ever since: if I knew he was that kind of person, I wouldn't have gone out with him.
Note: Marks reward a well constructed personal story, a plot that leads logically to the fixed ending, the exact closing sentence, and accurate expression.
Question 7 Report
You were one of those arrested by the police at the scene of a crime. Write a letter to the Commissioner of Police giving details of the crime, pleading your innocence and requesting to be released.
Model answer: Formal letter to the Commissioner of Police pleading innocence.
This is a formal letter. It requires the writer's address, date, recipient's designation and address, salutation, heading, body, and a formal close.
c/o The Divisional Police Station,
Central Cell,
Onitsha.
10 July, 2026.
The Commissioner of Police,
Anambra State Police Command,
Awka.
Dear Sir,
PLEA OF INNOCENCE AND REQUEST FOR RELEASE
I write with the deepest respect to plead my innocence in connection with an incident for which I have been arrested and detained, and to request my release.
On Saturday, 4 July, 2026, at about six o'clock in the evening, I was walking home from the public library along Market Road when I noticed a large crowd gathered near a provisions store. Out of ordinary curiosity, I moved closer to see what was happening. It turned out that armed robbers had attacked the store and made away with money and goods. Before I could grasp the situation, police officers arrived, cordoned off the area and arrested everyone within sight, including me, as a suspect.
I wish to state, most sincerely, that I had no hand whatsoever in the crime. I am a seventeen year old final year student of Community Secondary School, Onitsha, and I was merely a passer-by drawn to the scene like many others. I did not know the robbers, I carried no weapon, and nothing stolen was found on me. My school authorities and my parents can testify to my good character and can confirm that I was at the library that afternoon.
I therefore appeal to you, Sir, to look into my case with fairness and compassion, and to order my release so that I may return to my studies, especially as my final examinations are near. I am willing to report to the police at any time should my presence be required for further investigation.
I trust in your sense of justice and look forward to a favourable response.
Yours faithfully,
Obinna Eze
Answer Details
Model answer: Formal letter to the Commissioner of Police pleading innocence.
This is a formal letter. It requires the writer's address, date, recipient's designation and address, salutation, heading, body, and a formal close.
c/o The Divisional Police Station,
Central Cell,
Onitsha.
10 July, 2026.
The Commissioner of Police,
Anambra State Police Command,
Awka.
Dear Sir,
PLEA OF INNOCENCE AND REQUEST FOR RELEASE
I write with the deepest respect to plead my innocence in connection with an incident for which I have been arrested and detained, and to request my release.
On Saturday, 4 July, 2026, at about six o'clock in the evening, I was walking home from the public library along Market Road when I noticed a large crowd gathered near a provisions store. Out of ordinary curiosity, I moved closer to see what was happening. It turned out that armed robbers had attacked the store and made away with money and goods. Before I could grasp the situation, police officers arrived, cordoned off the area and arrested everyone within sight, including me, as a suspect.
I wish to state, most sincerely, that I had no hand whatsoever in the crime. I am a seventeen year old final year student of Community Secondary School, Onitsha, and I was merely a passer-by drawn to the scene like many others. I did not know the robbers, I carried no weapon, and nothing stolen was found on me. My school authorities and my parents can testify to my good character and can confirm that I was at the library that afternoon.
I therefore appeal to you, Sir, to look into my case with fairness and compassion, and to order my release so that I may return to my studies, especially as my final examinations are near. I am willing to report to the police at any time should my presence be required for further investigation.
I trust in your sense of justice and look forward to a favourable response.
Yours faithfully,
Obinna Eze
Question 8 Report
You witnessed the campaigns that preceded a local government election in your area in which the favourite candidate was defeated. Give a vivid account of the events before, during and after the election to your friends, explaining why you think the candidate lost.
Model answer: Account of a local government election (before, during and after), explaining why the favourite candidate lost.
This is a narrative/descriptive account addressed to friends. It should be organised clearly into the three stages and give reasons for the defeat.
My friends, the local government election in our area was one of the most dramatic events I have ever witnessed, and I want to give you a vivid account of all that happened before, during and after it.
Before the election, the whole area was alive with campaigning. Posters covered every wall, loudspeakers blared from morning till night, and rallies were held in market squares and school fields. The favourite, Chief Danladi, was a wealthy and popular man who drew the largest crowds. He shared money, rice and branded shirts, and everyone assumed his victory was certain. His main rival, Mr. Okoro, was less known and far less rich, but he moved quietly from house to house, listening to people's complaints about bad roads, poor schools and unemployment, and promising practical solutions.
On the day of the election, voters trooped out early and stood patiently in long queues under the hot sun. Party agents watched the ballot boxes like hawks, and police officers kept order. There were a few tense moments when supporters of the two camps exchanged hot words, but voting went on peacefully. As counting began that evening, an anxious silence fell over the crowd gathered at the collation centre.
After the results were announced, there was uproar. To the shock of nearly everyone, Mr. Okoro had defeated the mighty Chief Danladi. The chief's supporters stood in stunned disbelief, while Okoro's few but loyal followers erupted in wild jubilation, singing and dancing far into the night.
Why did the favourite lose? In my view, several reasons combined against him. First, Chief Danladi relied too heavily on his wealth and grew complacent, believing that money alone would buy votes. Secondly, he took the electorate for granted and made vague promises, while Okoro addressed the people's real problems. Thirdly, many voters had grown tired of empty generosity and were determined to reward a candidate who seemed sincere. Finally, the secret ballot allowed people to collect the chief's gifts yet vote according to their conscience.
The election taught me a lasting lesson: that in a true democracy, the will of the people, and not the weight of a purse, decides who governs.
Answer Details
Model answer: Account of a local government election (before, during and after), explaining why the favourite candidate lost.
This is a narrative/descriptive account addressed to friends. It should be organised clearly into the three stages and give reasons for the defeat.
My friends, the local government election in our area was one of the most dramatic events I have ever witnessed, and I want to give you a vivid account of all that happened before, during and after it.
Before the election, the whole area was alive with campaigning. Posters covered every wall, loudspeakers blared from morning till night, and rallies were held in market squares and school fields. The favourite, Chief Danladi, was a wealthy and popular man who drew the largest crowds. He shared money, rice and branded shirts, and everyone assumed his victory was certain. His main rival, Mr. Okoro, was less known and far less rich, but he moved quietly from house to house, listening to people's complaints about bad roads, poor schools and unemployment, and promising practical solutions.
On the day of the election, voters trooped out early and stood patiently in long queues under the hot sun. Party agents watched the ballot boxes like hawks, and police officers kept order. There were a few tense moments when supporters of the two camps exchanged hot words, but voting went on peacefully. As counting began that evening, an anxious silence fell over the crowd gathered at the collation centre.
After the results were announced, there was uproar. To the shock of nearly everyone, Mr. Okoro had defeated the mighty Chief Danladi. The chief's supporters stood in stunned disbelief, while Okoro's few but loyal followers erupted in wild jubilation, singing and dancing far into the night.
Why did the favourite lose? In my view, several reasons combined against him. First, Chief Danladi relied too heavily on his wealth and grew complacent, believing that money alone would buy votes. Secondly, he took the electorate for granted and made vague promises, while Okoro addressed the people's real problems. Thirdly, many voters had grown tired of empty generosity and were determined to reward a candidate who seemed sincere. Finally, the secret ballot allowed people to collect the chief's gifts yet vote according to their conscience.
The election taught me a lasting lesson: that in a true democracy, the will of the people, and not the weight of a purse, decides who governs.
Question 9 Report
Read the following passage carefully and then answer the questions on it.
When Chief Obinwa read the note and absorbed its terse content, he nearly collapsed. For minutes, he stared at it in utter disbelief. But much as he wished otherwise, the message was clear, the robbers had indicated that they would visit him very soon, and that 'no force in the world' would stop them from carting away all he had. The note ended by warning him in his 'own interest' not to be funny by informing the police or other law-enforcement agents.
As a wealthy business man, Chief Obinwa had seen enough of life to know that the gang meant business. He could recall at least half a dozen men who had got such sinister notes in the past, and who had been robbed as planned. One of them had contacted the police which then guarded his house for weeks. But the robbers struck all the same — they attacked him in his expensive car on his way to another town, thrashed him thoroughly, and relieved him of the car.
So, contacting the police was out of it, he decided. But what could he do? He confided in his closest friend, who had been his business associate for thirty years. The latter advised him to vacate his house for as long as it was necessary and seek refuge in a hotel. After giving this much thought, Chief Obinwa checked into Exclusive Hotel. But he stayed only for a night. He reasoned that leaving his retinue of wives, children, servants and relatives behind was not the best solution. So, emptying the water in an over-head tank, Chief Obinwa turned the tank into his refuge every night. His powerful double-barrelled rifle in hand, he hid in the tank late in the night, waiting.
Then, one night, the robbers came in a lorry. They were about a dozen. As they were forcing their way in, Obinwa aimed at their leader, and brought him down with a loud report. Another shot, and a second man fell. Surprised, the others fled, with Chief Obinwa's shots seeing them off. By day break, the news spread fast. The body of Chief Obinwa's friend and business associate was found in a pool of blood at the entrance to the chiefs house. He was the leader of the gang!
(a)(i) What message did Chief Obinwa receive? (ii) Why did he decide not to call in the police?
(b) Why did Chief Obinwa's friend give the kind of advice he gave?
(c) Why did Chief Obinwa drop the idea of continuing to hide in a hotel?
(d) Why was the chief able to repel the thieves single-handedly?
(e) his retinue of wives, children servants and relatives behind....
(i) What is the grammatical name given to this expression (ii) What is its function?
(f) For each of the following words, find another word or phrase that could replace it as used in the passage:
(i) absorbed; (ii) sinister (iii) associate (iv) refuge (v) report.
Comprehension answers: Chief Obinwa passage.
(a)(i) The message Chief Obinwa received: He received a threatening note from robbers informing him that they would visit him very soon and that no force in the world would stop them from carting away all he had, and warning him, in his own interest, not to be funny by informing the police or other law-enforcement agents.
(a)(ii) Why he decided not to call in the police: He decided against it because experience had taught him that the police could not protect such victims. He recalled at least half a dozen men who had received similar notes and been robbed all the same, including one who was guarded by the police for weeks yet was still attacked, beaten and robbed of his car; so he concluded that contacting the police was useless and might even be dangerous.
(b) Why Chief Obinwa's friend gave the advice he gave: The friend, who was secretly the leader of the robbery gang, advised the chief to leave his house and hide in a hotel so as to lure him away from his home and his protection, making it easy for the gang to strike; the advice was a deliberate trick, though it appeared to be well meant.
(c) Why Chief Obinwa dropped the idea of continuing to hide in a hotel: He dropped it after only one night because he reasoned that abandoning his large household of wives, children, servants and relatives to save himself was not the best solution; he felt he should stay and protect them.
(d) Why the chief was able to repel the thieves single-handedly: He was able to do so because he had cleverly hidden himself, armed with his powerful double-barrelled rifle, inside the emptied overhead water tank. From that concealed vantage point he took the robbers by surprise as they forced their way in, shooting down their leader and a second man, so that the rest fled in confusion.
(e)(i) Grammatical name for 'his retinue of wives, children, servants and relatives': It is a noun phrase.
(e)(ii) Its function: It functions as the object of the verb 'leaving' (that is, the object of the gerund/participle 'leaving'), naming what he would be leaving behind.
(f) Words and their replacements as used in the passage:
Answer Details
Comprehension answers: Chief Obinwa passage.
(a)(i) The message Chief Obinwa received: He received a threatening note from robbers informing him that they would visit him very soon and that no force in the world would stop them from carting away all he had, and warning him, in his own interest, not to be funny by informing the police or other law-enforcement agents.
(a)(ii) Why he decided not to call in the police: He decided against it because experience had taught him that the police could not protect such victims. He recalled at least half a dozen men who had received similar notes and been robbed all the same, including one who was guarded by the police for weeks yet was still attacked, beaten and robbed of his car; so he concluded that contacting the police was useless and might even be dangerous.
(b) Why Chief Obinwa's friend gave the advice he gave: The friend, who was secretly the leader of the robbery gang, advised the chief to leave his house and hide in a hotel so as to lure him away from his home and his protection, making it easy for the gang to strike; the advice was a deliberate trick, though it appeared to be well meant.
(c) Why Chief Obinwa dropped the idea of continuing to hide in a hotel: He dropped it after only one night because he reasoned that abandoning his large household of wives, children, servants and relatives to save himself was not the best solution; he felt he should stay and protect them.
(d) Why the chief was able to repel the thieves single-handedly: He was able to do so because he had cleverly hidden himself, armed with his powerful double-barrelled rifle, inside the emptied overhead water tank. From that concealed vantage point he took the robbers by surprise as they forced their way in, shooting down their leader and a second man, so that the rest fled in confusion.
(e)(i) Grammatical name for 'his retinue of wives, children, servants and relatives': It is a noun phrase.
(e)(ii) Its function: It functions as the object of the verb 'leaving' (that is, the object of the gerund/participle 'leaving'), naming what he would be leaving behind.
(f) Words and their replacements as used in the passage:
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