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Question 1 Rapport
Write an article suitable for publication in a national newspaper, discussing two major problems facing your country and suggesting ways of solving them.
Model answer: newspaper article
TWO GIANTS THAT MUST BE TAMED
By Emeka Nwosu
Every nation has its troubles, but two problems tower above the rest in our country today: insecurity and unemployment. Unless they are confronted with courage and wisdom, they will continue to hold back our progress and steal the hope of our people.
The first problem is insecurity. Kidnapping, armed robbery and communal clashes have made many citizens live in fear, farmers have abandoned their lands, and investors are scared away. To solve this, the government should equip and motivate the security forces, tackle the root causes such as poverty and injustice, and encourage communities to cooperate with the police through reliable information.
The second problem is unemployment. Thousands of young graduates roam the streets without work, and idleness drives many of them into crime and drug abuse. This problem can be reduced if the government supports small businesses with loans and training, reforms education to teach practical, marketable skills, and creates a friendly climate for industries to grow and employ more hands.
These twin giants are not unbeatable. With honest leadership, careful planning and the united effort of citizens, insecurity and unemployment can be overcome, and our country can march confidently towards a brighter future.
Key features expected: headline and by-line; two clearly identified national problems; at least one practical solution for each; formal newspaper style; logical paragraphs.
Détails de la réponse
Model answer: newspaper article
TWO GIANTS THAT MUST BE TAMED
By Emeka Nwosu
Every nation has its troubles, but two problems tower above the rest in our country today: insecurity and unemployment. Unless they are confronted with courage and wisdom, they will continue to hold back our progress and steal the hope of our people.
The first problem is insecurity. Kidnapping, armed robbery and communal clashes have made many citizens live in fear, farmers have abandoned their lands, and investors are scared away. To solve this, the government should equip and motivate the security forces, tackle the root causes such as poverty and injustice, and encourage communities to cooperate with the police through reliable information.
The second problem is unemployment. Thousands of young graduates roam the streets without work, and idleness drives many of them into crime and drug abuse. This problem can be reduced if the government supports small businesses with loans and training, reforms education to teach practical, marketable skills, and creates a friendly climate for industries to grow and employ more hands.
These twin giants are not unbeatable. With honest leadership, careful planning and the united effort of citizens, insecurity and unemployment can be overcome, and our country can march confidently towards a brighter future.
Key features expected: headline and by-line; two clearly identified national problems; at least one practical solution for each; formal newspaper style; logical paragraphs.
Question 2 Rapport
Your father has just built a new house for the family. Write a letter to your elder brother who lives abroad, describing the new house and the prestige it has accorded your family.
Model answer: informal letter
7 Palm Grove Estate,
Ibadan.
20 April, 2025.
Dear Kunle,
Warm greetings from home! I have wonderful news that I simply cannot keep to myself: Father has at last completed the new family house, and I am writing to describe it to you and to tell you of the pride it has brought us.
The house is a beautiful two-storey building standing on a wide plot in the new estate. It is painted cream with brown roofing, and it has a spacious compound with a well-kept lawn and a car port in front. Inside, there are six large bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, a broad sitting room with polished tiles, a modern kitchen and a comfortable study. At the back is a small garden where Mother grows vegetables and flowers. To crown it all, the house enjoys a steady water supply and a stand-by generator, so we are never in darkness.
You cannot imagine the prestige this house has given our family. Neighbours and relations come to admire it, and our name is now mentioned with respect in the community. Father walks with his head high, and Mother is full of joy. We are all deeply proud of what hard work and God's blessing have achieved.
I look forward to the day you will return and see it for yourself. Do write soon, and take good care of yourself over there.
Your loving brother,
Segun.
Key features expected: informal-letter format; vivid description of the house; mention of the prestige it has brought the family; warm, personal tone; good paragraphing.
Détails de la réponse
Model answer: informal letter
7 Palm Grove Estate,
Ibadan.
20 April, 2025.
Dear Kunle,
Warm greetings from home! I have wonderful news that I simply cannot keep to myself: Father has at last completed the new family house, and I am writing to describe it to you and to tell you of the pride it has brought us.
The house is a beautiful two-storey building standing on a wide plot in the new estate. It is painted cream with brown roofing, and it has a spacious compound with a well-kept lawn and a car port in front. Inside, there are six large bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, a broad sitting room with polished tiles, a modern kitchen and a comfortable study. At the back is a small garden where Mother grows vegetables and flowers. To crown it all, the house enjoys a steady water supply and a stand-by generator, so we are never in darkness.
You cannot imagine the prestige this house has given our family. Neighbours and relations come to admire it, and our name is now mentioned with respect in the community. Father walks with his head high, and Mother is full of joy. We are all deeply proud of what hard work and God's blessing have achieved.
I look forward to the day you will return and see it for yourself. Do write soon, and take good care of yourself over there.
Your loving brother,
Segun.
Key features expected: informal-letter format; vivid description of the house; mention of the prestige it has brought the family; warm, personal tone; good paragraphing.
Question 3 Rapport
Your principal is due for retirement at the end of the academic year As the senior prefect, Write a speech which you would deliver to honour him/her as a send-off party.
Model answer: send-off speech
The Principal, our respected vice-principals, members of staff, distinguished guests, my fellow students, ladies and gentlemen. Good afternoon.
It is both a joy and a sadness that brings me to this podium today. A joy, because we gather to celebrate a great servant of this school; a sadness, because we must bid farewell to a leader we have come to love. On behalf of the entire student body, I welcome you all to this send-off in honour of our dear Principal, who retires at the end of this academic year.
For many years, our Principal has led this school with wisdom, discipline and a warm heart. Under his leadership, our school has risen in academic excellence, our results have improved, and new classrooms and laboratories have been built. Beyond the buildings and the results, however, he has touched our lives. He knew us by name, corrected us in love, and encouraged us to dream big and work hard. To many of us, he has been not merely a principal but a father.
Sir, as you retire, we cannot repay all that you have done, but we pray that God will reward you richly. May your years of rest be filled with good health, happiness and peace. We promise to make you proud by upholding the values you have taught us.
Fellow students, let us rise and give our beloved Principal a resounding round of applause. Thank you, and God bless you all.
Key features expected: speech format with vocatives and greeting; warm tribute to the Principal's achievements and character; good wishes for retirement; suitable, dignified tone; a fitting close.
Détails de la réponse
Model answer: send-off speech
The Principal, our respected vice-principals, members of staff, distinguished guests, my fellow students, ladies and gentlemen. Good afternoon.
It is both a joy and a sadness that brings me to this podium today. A joy, because we gather to celebrate a great servant of this school; a sadness, because we must bid farewell to a leader we have come to love. On behalf of the entire student body, I welcome you all to this send-off in honour of our dear Principal, who retires at the end of this academic year.
For many years, our Principal has led this school with wisdom, discipline and a warm heart. Under his leadership, our school has risen in academic excellence, our results have improved, and new classrooms and laboratories have been built. Beyond the buildings and the results, however, he has touched our lives. He knew us by name, corrected us in love, and encouraged us to dream big and work hard. To many of us, he has been not merely a principal but a father.
Sir, as you retire, we cannot repay all that you have done, but we pray that God will reward you richly. May your years of rest be filled with good health, happiness and peace. We promise to make you proud by upholding the values you have taught us.
Fellow students, let us rise and give our beloved Principal a resounding round of applause. Thank you, and God bless you all.
Key features expected: speech format with vocatives and greeting; warm tribute to the Principal's achievements and character; good wishes for retirement; suitable, dignified tone; a fitting close.
Question 4 Rapport
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
Young people are usually faced with several challenges as they grow up These challenges have increased dramatically as a result of the present impressive advances in science. The Internet and the mobile phone, for instance, have indeed reduced the whole world to a global village and given birth to social media. Social media itself has made it possible for anyone to instantly keep abreast with happenings all around the world.
But many people are worried that a lot of youths use social media in various negative ways that tend to ultimately increase the challenges they face in life. First, Internet chatting and dating have become common among youths, They spend valuable time in internet cafes or glued to their smart phones with the hope that through Skype or Facebook "luck" would come their way. The time wasted in this way could have been spent on studying and helping their parents with household chores.
Another downside of social media is the easy access to pornography that it offers. Attracted like gnats to bright light at night, many youths spend hours watching pornography This has the inevitable effect of corrupting their minds. in the fantasy world that pornography plunges them into. they care little for anything else. In the end, the casualties are their studies and their morals.
Again, youths are often driven by the "get rich quick" syndrome as they observe successful and affluent members of the society all around them who flaunt their wealth by driving expensive cars and living ostentatious lifestyles. Because many youths are seized by the irresistible desire to become like these people overnight, they readily resort to any available means to succeed, including cyber crime. Since face-to-face contact is not involved, it is easy for these misguided youths to plan and executive all manner of scams on social media.
What can be done to rescue the youths from these influences? First, parents have a crucial role to play. Many youths have improper home training and most parents leave their children to learn life's lessons on their own. They allow them to find solutions to their problems with minimal guidance. The reality is that the sooner parents change their method of raising children, the better.
Teachers also have to play a crucial role. Teachers should realize that just as parents take over the responsibility of teaching when their children are at home, they in turn become the youth's parents at school. They should therefore ensure not only that the right skills are taught the youth, but also that the right attitudes are instilled in them.
The society at large should also realize that at their impressionable age, youths are simply influenced by what they observe happening around them, whether good or bad. So, instead of emphasizing materialism and flaunting of wealth, the society's responsibility towards the youths should be mainly to instil in them its norms, customs and values through proper role modelling. Then the world will become a better place for the youth, because they will be able to control their own destiny.
(a) In three sentences, one for each, summarize the negative influences of social media on youths.
(b) In three sentences, one for each, summarize what must be done to rescue the youths from these influences.
(a) Negative influences of social media on youths (one sentence each):
(b) What must be done to rescue the youths (one sentence each):
Détails de la réponse
(a) Negative influences of social media on youths (one sentence each):
(b) What must be done to rescue the youths (one sentence each):
Question 5 Rapport
Write a story ending with the expression At last, we arrived safely.
Model answer: short story
The journey to my grandmother's village had seemed simple enough when we set out that morning. Father drove, Mother sat in front, and my little sister and I chattered happily in the back seat as the town gave way to open country. None of us imagined the trials that lay ahead.
Barely an hour into the trip, dark clouds gathered and a fierce rain began to fall. The narrow road turned to slippery mud, and before long the car sank into a deep pothole and refused to move. Father tried again and again, but the wheels only spun and threw up mud. We were stranded in the middle of nowhere, soaked and afraid, with night fast approaching.
Just as hope was fading, a group of kind villagers appeared, returning from their farms. Without hesitation they gathered round the car, pushed with all their might, and at last heaved it out of the mud. They even guided us to a firmer path and waved us on with cheerful smiles. Their kindness warmed our hearts on that cold, wet evening.
We drove on slowly and carefully through the deepening darkness, praying that no fresh trouble would befall us. The rain eased, the road improved, and the familiar lights of the village at last twinkled in the distance. Weary but grateful, we turned into my grandmother's compound, where she stood waiting with open arms. At last, we arrived safely.
Key features expected: a coherent narrative with a clear beginning, rising action, climax and resolution; the story must end with the exact expression "At last, we arrived safely."; vivid description; good use of tenses and paragraphing.
Détails de la réponse
Model answer: short story
The journey to my grandmother's village had seemed simple enough when we set out that morning. Father drove, Mother sat in front, and my little sister and I chattered happily in the back seat as the town gave way to open country. None of us imagined the trials that lay ahead.
Barely an hour into the trip, dark clouds gathered and a fierce rain began to fall. The narrow road turned to slippery mud, and before long the car sank into a deep pothole and refused to move. Father tried again and again, but the wheels only spun and threw up mud. We were stranded in the middle of nowhere, soaked and afraid, with night fast approaching.
Just as hope was fading, a group of kind villagers appeared, returning from their farms. Without hesitation they gathered round the car, pushed with all their might, and at last heaved it out of the mud. They even guided us to a firmer path and waved us on with cheerful smiles. Their kindness warmed our hearts on that cold, wet evening.
We drove on slowly and carefully through the deepening darkness, praying that no fresh trouble would befall us. The rain eased, the road improved, and the familiar lights of the village at last twinkled in the distance. Weary but grateful, we turned into my grandmother's compound, where she stood waiting with open arms. At last, we arrived safely.
Key features expected: a coherent narrative with a clear beginning, rising action, climax and resolution; the story must end with the exact expression "At last, we arrived safely."; vivid description; good use of tenses and paragraphing.
Question 6 Rapport
You are advised to spend about 30 minutes on this section.
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
When I was in primary four. thirty-five years ago, schools closed for the day at 1:30pm. My two friends and I would then proceed for 'full' recreation as we either played football in hidden neighbourhoods or went downstream to swim till dusk. The reprimands and occasional spankings we got from our mothers could not deter us. Our youthful adventurous spirit would not be suppressed.. We were resolute in our desire to be free of what we thought were too many chores. As far as we were concerned, that should be the preserve of the female gender.
One day we went fishing in a stream on the outskirts of the village after we had had our fill of entertainment playing football. We each caught some fish but were not satisfied: we wanted crabs which we could sell on our way back home to augment the meagre money for recess' that each of us got when going off to school every day. We caught two big crabs from the first two holes we dug before going for a third. Convinced that we had dug deep enough. the eldest of us dipped his right hand into the hole that was about three-quarters filled with water, and soon reported excitedly that he had made a big catch As he dragged it to the surface, we screamed in sudden terror. The 'big catch' was the fleshly middle part of a shimmering black snake! No one waited for the other as we scrambled for safety, leaving our other catch behind the boy splashed frantically through the water. falling over twice before reaching us on the bank of the stream None of us ventured back, more for fear of the snake than the dusk that had suddenly descended on the village.
When I got home, I met Mother. my two siblings and some anxious relations at the doorstep. They were about setting out to comb the entire village since their previous search to my school, my mates' homes and the few playgrounds n the village had been futile. The concerned look on Mother's face told me I had stirred up a hornets' nest and should be prepared for the sting. My muddy legs and hands betrayed the lie I had hurriedly cooked up. I got the beating of my life, first from Mother and then Father who came into the house and upon being told what had happened, went straight for the thick rubber he had wound around his bicycle carrier for tying loads.
(a) State two reasons why the writer and his friends always came home late.
(b) Why did the boys get home late on that fateful day?
(c) Why did the boys not realize that it was getting dark?
(d) In what two ways was the writer unlucky on that day?
(e) How does the writer's mother usually demonstrate her disapproval of his behaviour?
(f)…. I had stirred up a hornets’ nest and should be prepared for the sting"
(i) What figure of speech is used in this expression?
(ii) What does it mean?
(g) "As he dragged it to the surface. "
(i) What grammatical name is given to this expression as it is used in the passage? What is its function? (ii) For each of the following words, find another word or phrase which means the same and which can replace it as it s used in the passage:
(I) deter;
(ii) preserve;
(iii) augment:
(iv) ventured;
(v) concerned.
(a) Two reasons the writer and his friends always came home late:
(b) On that fateful day they got home late because, after playing football, they went fishing in a stream on the outskirts of the village, trying to catch fish and crabs which they could sell.
(c) They did not realize it was getting dark because they were completely engrossed in their play and in the excitement of catching fish and crabs.
(d) Two ways the writer was unlucky that day:
(e) The writer's mother usually shows her disapproval through reprimands and occasional spankings (beatings).
(f)(i) Metaphor (idiomatic expression).
(ii) It means that he had caused or provoked serious trouble and should be ready to face the punishment/angry reaction that would follow.
(g)(i) "As he dragged it to the surface" is an adverbial clause of time; its function is to modify the verb "screamed", telling when they screamed in terror.
(ii) Words and their replacements as used in the passage:
Détails de la réponse
(a) Two reasons the writer and his friends always came home late:
(b) On that fateful day they got home late because, after playing football, they went fishing in a stream on the outskirts of the village, trying to catch fish and crabs which they could sell.
(c) They did not realize it was getting dark because they were completely engrossed in their play and in the excitement of catching fish and crabs.
(d) Two ways the writer was unlucky that day:
(e) The writer's mother usually shows her disapproval through reprimands and occasional spankings (beatings).
(f)(i) Metaphor (idiomatic expression).
(ii) It means that he had caused or provoked serious trouble and should be ready to face the punishment/angry reaction that would follow.
(g)(i) "As he dragged it to the surface" is an adverbial clause of time; its function is to modify the verb "screamed", telling when they screamed in terror.
(ii) Words and their replacements as used in the passage:
Question 7 Rapport
The electricity supply in your school has been irregular. As the Senior Prefect, write a letter to the Chairman of the parent -Teacher Association (PTA) telling him about the effect of this on the school and the need to provide a stand-by generator for the school.
Model answer: formal letter
Government Secondary School,
Aba.
12 February, 2025.
The Chairman,
Parent-Teacher Association,
Government Secondary School,
Aba.
Dear Sir,
THE NEED FOR A STAND-BY GENERATOR FOR THE SCHOOL
On behalf of the entire student body, and in my capacity as Senior Prefect, I write to inform you of the serious effects of the irregular electricity supply in our school and to appeal for the provision of a stand-by generator.
For several weeks now, power supply from the national grid has been most unreliable. The effects on the school have been damaging. In the science laboratories, practical lessons that require electrical equipment can no longer be carried out properly. In the computer room, our lessons are frequently interrupted, so that we fall behind the syllabus. The boarding students study in darkness at night, which strains their eyes and lowers their performance. Even routine activities such as pumping water and using the public-address system have become difficult.
In view of these problems, I respectfully appeal to the Association to provide the school with a stand-by generator. A reliable generator would restore normal teaching and learning, support practical work, and greatly improve the welfare of both boarders and day students.
I am confident that the Association, which has always had the interest of the school at heart, will give this urgent matter the attention it deserves. Thank you, Sir.
Yours faithfully,
Chinedu Eze,
Senior Prefect.
Key features expected: formal-letter format; clear effects of the power problem; a persuasive appeal for a generator; respectful, official tone.
Détails de la réponse
Model answer: formal letter
Government Secondary School,
Aba.
12 February, 2025.
The Chairman,
Parent-Teacher Association,
Government Secondary School,
Aba.
Dear Sir,
THE NEED FOR A STAND-BY GENERATOR FOR THE SCHOOL
On behalf of the entire student body, and in my capacity as Senior Prefect, I write to inform you of the serious effects of the irregular electricity supply in our school and to appeal for the provision of a stand-by generator.
For several weeks now, power supply from the national grid has been most unreliable. The effects on the school have been damaging. In the science laboratories, practical lessons that require electrical equipment can no longer be carried out properly. In the computer room, our lessons are frequently interrupted, so that we fall behind the syllabus. The boarding students study in darkness at night, which strains their eyes and lowers their performance. Even routine activities such as pumping water and using the public-address system have become difficult.
In view of these problems, I respectfully appeal to the Association to provide the school with a stand-by generator. A reliable generator would restore normal teaching and learning, support practical work, and greatly improve the welfare of both boarders and day students.
I am confident that the Association, which has always had the interest of the school at heart, will give this urgent matter the attention it deserves. Thank you, Sir.
Yours faithfully,
Chinedu Eze,
Senior Prefect.
Key features expected: formal-letter format; clear effects of the power problem; a persuasive appeal for a generator; respectful, official tone.
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