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Question 1 Rapport
You have been sent on indefinite suspension for the part you played in a recent disturbance in which valuable school property was damaged. Write a letter to the principal of your school describing the part that you played and apologizing for your involvement.
Boys' Hostel, Block C,
Government Secondary School,
P.M.B. 1050,
Kaduna,
Kaduna State.
10 July, 2026.
The Principal,
Government Secondary School,
P.M.B. 1050,
Kaduna,
Kaduna State.
Dear Sir,
APOLOGY FOR MY INVOLVEMENT IN THE RECENT DISTURBANCE
I am writing with a deeply remorseful heart concerning the recent disturbance in which valuable school property was damaged, and for which I have been placed on indefinite suspension. I wish to describe honestly the part I played and to tender my sincere apology.
On the evening of the incident, some students began to protest angrily over the poor quality of the food served in the dining hall. Regrettably, I allowed myself to be carried away by the excitement of the crowd. I joined the others in shouting, and in my thoughtlessness I banged on the dining tables and hurled a plastic chair which struck and shattered one of the louvre windows. I did not start the protest, Sir, but I confess that I added to the confusion instead of calming it, and I take full responsibility for the damage my own hands caused.
I have since reflected soberly on my conduct, and I am filled with shame and regret. I now realise that violence solves nothing and that I should have channelled my complaint through the proper, peaceful means, such as the prefects or the student council. My behaviour was wrong, it disgraced the good name of this school, and it destroyed property that our parents' money must now replace.
I therefore tender my unreserved apology to you and to the entire school authority. I am ready to pay for the window I broke and to accept any further reasonable punishment. I give you my solemn word that such misconduct will never again come from me, and I humbly plead for the mercy of readmission so that I may continue my education.
Thank you, Sir, for your understanding and forgiveness.
Yours faithfully,
Ibrahim Sani
(SS2 Science)
Détails de la réponse
Boys' Hostel, Block C,
Government Secondary School,
P.M.B. 1050,
Kaduna,
Kaduna State.
10 July, 2026.
The Principal,
Government Secondary School,
P.M.B. 1050,
Kaduna,
Kaduna State.
Dear Sir,
APOLOGY FOR MY INVOLVEMENT IN THE RECENT DISTURBANCE
I am writing with a deeply remorseful heart concerning the recent disturbance in which valuable school property was damaged, and for which I have been placed on indefinite suspension. I wish to describe honestly the part I played and to tender my sincere apology.
On the evening of the incident, some students began to protest angrily over the poor quality of the food served in the dining hall. Regrettably, I allowed myself to be carried away by the excitement of the crowd. I joined the others in shouting, and in my thoughtlessness I banged on the dining tables and hurled a plastic chair which struck and shattered one of the louvre windows. I did not start the protest, Sir, but I confess that I added to the confusion instead of calming it, and I take full responsibility for the damage my own hands caused.
I have since reflected soberly on my conduct, and I am filled with shame and regret. I now realise that violence solves nothing and that I should have channelled my complaint through the proper, peaceful means, such as the prefects or the student council. My behaviour was wrong, it disgraced the good name of this school, and it destroyed property that our parents' money must now replace.
I therefore tender my unreserved apology to you and to the entire school authority. I am ready to pay for the window I broke and to accept any further reasonable punishment. I give you my solemn word that such misconduct will never again come from me, and I humbly plead for the mercy of readmission so that I may continue my education.
Thank you, Sir, for your understanding and forgiveness.
Yours faithfully,
Ibrahim Sani
(SS2 Science)
Question 2 Rapport
Write an article for publication in a national newspaper on why you think a woman should be your country's next president.
WHY A WOMAN SHOULD BE OUR COUNTRY'S NEXT PRESIDENT
By a Concerned Citizen
For decades, the highest office in our land has been occupied only by men, and yet our problems of corruption, poverty and insecurity remain unsolved. Perhaps it is time to try a different hand upon the wheel. I wish to argue, in this article, that a woman should be our country's next president.
In the first place, women are, by nature, nurturers and peacemakers. A mother sacrifices everything for the welfare of her children and settles quarrels within the home with wisdom and patience. A woman president would bring this same motherly care to the nation, treating the poor and the suffering as her own children and calming the conflicts that tear us apart.
Secondly, women have proved themselves incorruptible and prudent managers. In many homes, it is the woman who stretches a small income to feed and school the whole family. Around the world, countries led by women have shown remarkable honesty and progress. Such careful, honest management is exactly what our treasury desperately needs.
Thirdly, a woman president would inspire millions of girls. When a woman rises to the very top, every young girl in the village learns that no dream is beyond her reach. This would unlock the talents of half our population, talents our nation has too long wasted.
Fourthly, competence has no gender. Our women now excel as doctors, professors, judges, bankers and ministers. To bar them from the presidency merely because they are women is to reject, out of prejudice, some of our finest brains.
Some may object that leadership is too heavy a burden for a woman. But history answers them: from the warrior queens of old to the great women leaders of today, women have ruled nations wisely and bravely.
In conclusion, a woman president would bring compassion, honesty, inspiration and ability to our highest office. Let us judge our next leader not by gender but by merit, and if the most capable candidate is a woman, let us give her our vote with confidence.
Détails de la réponse
WHY A WOMAN SHOULD BE OUR COUNTRY'S NEXT PRESIDENT
By a Concerned Citizen
For decades, the highest office in our land has been occupied only by men, and yet our problems of corruption, poverty and insecurity remain unsolved. Perhaps it is time to try a different hand upon the wheel. I wish to argue, in this article, that a woman should be our country's next president.
In the first place, women are, by nature, nurturers and peacemakers. A mother sacrifices everything for the welfare of her children and settles quarrels within the home with wisdom and patience. A woman president would bring this same motherly care to the nation, treating the poor and the suffering as her own children and calming the conflicts that tear us apart.
Secondly, women have proved themselves incorruptible and prudent managers. In many homes, it is the woman who stretches a small income to feed and school the whole family. Around the world, countries led by women have shown remarkable honesty and progress. Such careful, honest management is exactly what our treasury desperately needs.
Thirdly, a woman president would inspire millions of girls. When a woman rises to the very top, every young girl in the village learns that no dream is beyond her reach. This would unlock the talents of half our population, talents our nation has too long wasted.
Fourthly, competence has no gender. Our women now excel as doctors, professors, judges, bankers and ministers. To bar them from the presidency merely because they are women is to reject, out of prejudice, some of our finest brains.
Some may object that leadership is too heavy a burden for a woman. But history answers them: from the warrior queens of old to the great women leaders of today, women have ruled nations wisely and bravely.
In conclusion, a woman president would bring compassion, honesty, inspiration and ability to our highest office. Let us judge our next leader not by gender but by merit, and if the most capable candidate is a woman, let us give her our vote with confidence.
Question 3 Rapport
Write a letter to your elder brother working abroad describing the hardship you and your parents are facing at home and requesting him to give some financial assistance.
18 Oke-Ado Street,
Ibadan,
Oyo State.
10 July, 2026.
Dear Brother,
I hope this letter meets you in the best of health and that all is going well with you over there. We think of you constantly and pray daily for your success in the foreign land. I am writing, however, to open my heart to you about the hardship that Mother, Father and I are passing through at home, and to appeal humbly for your kind assistance.
Since Father lost his job at the factory last year, life here has become very difficult. His small pension is not enough for even one square meal a day, and there are times when we go to bed hungry. The little garden behind the house barely feeds us, and prices in the market climb higher with each passing week.
To make matters worse, Mother has been unwell for some months. The doctor says she needs medicine and further tests, but we simply cannot afford the bills. It pains me to watch her suffer in silence for lack of money.
My own education, too, hangs in the balance. My school fees for this term are still unpaid, and the principal has warned that I may be sent home if the debt is not cleared. After all my hard work, I dread the thought of dropping out so close to my final examinations.
Dear brother, I would not trouble you if the need were not so great. I therefore appeal to you, if it is within your means, to send us some financial assistance, so that we may buy Mother's medicine, settle my fees and put food on the table. Whatever you are able to give will be received with the deepest gratitude, and never forgotten.
Please take good care of yourself in the cold country, and do not overwork. We long to see you again. Mother and Father send their warm love.
Your loving brother,
Segun.
Détails de la réponse
18 Oke-Ado Street,
Ibadan,
Oyo State.
10 July, 2026.
Dear Brother,
I hope this letter meets you in the best of health and that all is going well with you over there. We think of you constantly and pray daily for your success in the foreign land. I am writing, however, to open my heart to you about the hardship that Mother, Father and I are passing through at home, and to appeal humbly for your kind assistance.
Since Father lost his job at the factory last year, life here has become very difficult. His small pension is not enough for even one square meal a day, and there are times when we go to bed hungry. The little garden behind the house barely feeds us, and prices in the market climb higher with each passing week.
To make matters worse, Mother has been unwell for some months. The doctor says she needs medicine and further tests, but we simply cannot afford the bills. It pains me to watch her suffer in silence for lack of money.
My own education, too, hangs in the balance. My school fees for this term are still unpaid, and the principal has warned that I may be sent home if the debt is not cleared. After all my hard work, I dread the thought of dropping out so close to my final examinations.
Dear brother, I would not trouble you if the need were not so great. I therefore appeal to you, if it is within your means, to send us some financial assistance, so that we may buy Mother's medicine, settle my fees and put food on the table. Whatever you are able to give will be received with the deepest gratitude, and never forgotten.
Please take good care of yourself in the cold country, and do not overwork. We long to see you again. Mother and Father send their warm love.
Your loving brother,
Segun.
Question 4 Rapport
You are the chief speaker in a school debate the topic of which is "Public secondary schools are better than the private ones". Write your speech for or against the topic.
Debate Speech: "Public secondary schools are better than the private ones" (Speaking FOR the motion)
The Chairman, the accurate timekeeper, respected judges, my worthy opponents, fellow students, ladies and gentlemen, good day. I stand before you today, as the chief speaker, to support the motion which declares that public secondary schools are better than the private ones.
Definition: A public secondary school is one owned and funded by the government, while a private school is owned by an individual or organisation for profit. I shall prove that, weighed carefully, the public school stands the taller of the two.
My first and strongest point is qualified and experienced teachers. Teachers in public schools are trained professionals, properly certified and regularly retrained by the government. Many private schools, by contrast, employ cheap, untrained school-leavers to save money, so that the pupil pays a high fee for an unqualified teacher.
My second point is affordability and equal opportunity. Public schools charge little or no fees, opening the door of education to the poor and the rich alike. Private schools, with their heavy fees, shut out the children of ordinary families. Education that reaches everyone is surely better than education reserved for the wealthy few.
My third point is superior facilities and resources. The government builds large public schools with laboratories, libraries, workshops and spacious sports fields. Many private schools, cramped in rented houses, have no room for a single football pitch and squeeze their pupils into converted bedrooms.
My fourth point is discipline and a rich mixture of society. In a public school, children of every background sit side by side, learning tolerance and true citizenship, under a firm code of discipline backed by government authority.
My opponents will boast of the small classes and smart uniforms of private schools. But fine uniforms do not fill empty heads, and a small class taught by an unqualified teacher profits no one. It is the quality of teaching, not the colour of the blazer, that makes a school great.
Ladies and gentlemen, with qualified teachers, affordable fees, superior facilities and sound discipline, the public secondary school is clearly the better. I therefore urge this honourable house to support the motion.
Thank you, and long live our great school.
Détails de la réponse
Debate Speech: "Public secondary schools are better than the private ones" (Speaking FOR the motion)
The Chairman, the accurate timekeeper, respected judges, my worthy opponents, fellow students, ladies and gentlemen, good day. I stand before you today, as the chief speaker, to support the motion which declares that public secondary schools are better than the private ones.
Definition: A public secondary school is one owned and funded by the government, while a private school is owned by an individual or organisation for profit. I shall prove that, weighed carefully, the public school stands the taller of the two.
My first and strongest point is qualified and experienced teachers. Teachers in public schools are trained professionals, properly certified and regularly retrained by the government. Many private schools, by contrast, employ cheap, untrained school-leavers to save money, so that the pupil pays a high fee for an unqualified teacher.
My second point is affordability and equal opportunity. Public schools charge little or no fees, opening the door of education to the poor and the rich alike. Private schools, with their heavy fees, shut out the children of ordinary families. Education that reaches everyone is surely better than education reserved for the wealthy few.
My third point is superior facilities and resources. The government builds large public schools with laboratories, libraries, workshops and spacious sports fields. Many private schools, cramped in rented houses, have no room for a single football pitch and squeeze their pupils into converted bedrooms.
My fourth point is discipline and a rich mixture of society. In a public school, children of every background sit side by side, learning tolerance and true citizenship, under a firm code of discipline backed by government authority.
My opponents will boast of the small classes and smart uniforms of private schools. But fine uniforms do not fill empty heads, and a small class taught by an unqualified teacher profits no one. It is the quality of teaching, not the colour of the blazer, that makes a school great.
Ladies and gentlemen, with qualified teachers, affordable fees, superior facilities and sound discipline, the public secondary school is clearly the better. I therefore urge this honourable house to support the motion.
Thank you, and long live our great school.
Question 5 Rapport
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
We have often heard students making wild assertions that the public examining bodies are their worst enemies. Some, in fact, see the officials of these public examining bodies as wicked souls scheming day and night to devise ways of failing them. How correct are these assertions? The facts will speak for themselves.
The task of setting an examination paper begins long before the examination day. Indeed. months or years before then, seasoned experts in the-various subjects are given the teaching and examination syllabuses and requested to set questions. These are compiled for subsequent scrutiny. Then a second set of experts is invited to examine the questions critically, make necessary modifications and come up with questions that conform with acceptable standards. The result of this exercise is a set of polished and unambiguous questions that are very fair to those being examined. These questions are then securely stored.
The next stage is the registration of candidates This stage involves not just the examining body, but also the candidates, their parents. their teachers. principals and some other members of the public. This is so because apart from the candidate having to fill in the forms. his principal has to endorse them while the parents have to provide the registration fee. Any mistake or inaction on the part of any of these may ruin the candidates chances. If, for instance, the candidate makes a mistake in his choice of subjects or in completing his forms or if the principal does not forward the registration fee at the right time. his chances in the examination may be jeopardized.
Next is the conduct of the examination itself. Again. more officials from outside the examining body than from within it are involved. Think of the supervisors. the invigilators, and even the security officials. They are definitely more in number than the staff of the examining body and any one of them could take an action that might result in the failure of candidates. Take the invigilator for instance If he is negligent candidates could swap answer scripts under his very nose; and when this is detected by the markers, as it often is. the results of the candidates may be cancelled.
Probably, the most hated person to the candidates is the marker whom they, in their ignorance, regard as a wicked drunkard who delights in failing candidates. What candidates do not realize is that an examiner is trained to score points strictly according to a carefully prepared marking scheme from which he must not deviate it is his constitution. Besides, his work is consistently checked by his team leader and the chief examiner. Should he be discovered to have marked inaccurately, he could be removed. So, contrary to candidates' opinion. the examiner is a seasoned teacher, a careful scorer, a person always on his guard.
The final stage comes with the collation of results. This stage is mainly computerized, and computers do not make mistakes. A candidate's results may not be processed if he is involved in a malpractice, has used a wrong examination number or no number at all, or if he fails to write all the papers that make up a subject. So. when a result is withheld, the fault is mostly that of the candidate.
How then should we view the activities of the public examining bodies? Definitely, we should view them with understanding, sympathy and appreciation.
(a) In one sentence, summarize the writer's purpose in this passage.
(b) In two sentences, one for each, state how the actions of the candidate and the invigilator can jeopardize the candidate's chances of success.
(c) In three sentences, one for each summarize the steps taken by examining bodies to ensure that candidates are given a fair chance of success.
Summary Answers: The Public Examining Bodies
(a) In one sentence, summarize the writer's purpose in this passage.
The writer's purpose is to show that, contrary to the belief of students, public examining bodies are not their enemies but bodies that work carefully and fairly to give candidates every chance of success.
(b) In two sentences, one for each, state how the actions of the candidate and the invigilator can jeopardize the candidate's chances of success.
The candidate can ruin his own chances by making a mistake in his choice of subjects or in completing his registration forms. The invigilator can ruin a candidate's chances through negligence that allows candidates to swap answer scripts, leading to the cancellation of their results when the malpractice is detected.
(c) In three sentences, one for each, summarize the steps taken by examining bodies to ensure that candidates are given a fair chance of success.
Détails de la réponse
Summary Answers: The Public Examining Bodies
(a) In one sentence, summarize the writer's purpose in this passage.
The writer's purpose is to show that, contrary to the belief of students, public examining bodies are not their enemies but bodies that work carefully and fairly to give candidates every chance of success.
(b) In two sentences, one for each, state how the actions of the candidate and the invigilator can jeopardize the candidate's chances of success.
The candidate can ruin his own chances by making a mistake in his choice of subjects or in completing his registration forms. The invigilator can ruin a candidate's chances through negligence that allows candidates to swap answer scripts, leading to the cancellation of their results when the malpractice is detected.
(c) In three sentences, one for each, summarize the steps taken by examining bodies to ensure that candidates are given a fair chance of success.
Question 6 Rapport
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
A candidate in an examination hall is a close cousin of the boxer in the ring. Both are fighting for a prize or, at least, for some champion is like commendation. Their goal is to win, and victory brings fame while failure leads to disaster and frustration. Each victory paves the way fora promotion up the ladder, and the higher one climbs the more exposed to the public glare one gets. A worid boxing a Nobel Prize winner among academics; each is at the apex of his career, but the route to that position can be tortuous and rough. The examination candidate is not a very normal person for the simple reason that he is under severe pressure. Although he is alert and his pulse is fast, he is liable to commit elementary errors without knowing.
Thus, he may repeat or omit one word, miss the spelling of another, or interchange the positions of two words. If he reads over, which he hardly ever does, he may see what was originally in his brain rather than what is on paper. So, most errors escape him. More alert than at ordinary times though his brain maybe, it can play funny tricks in the examination hall. Thus, while struggling with the question, he may suddenly recall an old joke or a long forgotten and obscure incident. Right there in the examination hall, while his pen is dancing furiously on the paper, the candidate may remember a beautiful tune as if his mind is saying: "Forget this task, enjoy some music."
Happily, these do not usually disrupt the exercise at hand: the task goes on while the candidate may smile to himself at the strange recall of the joke or music.
The brain can play a different type of trick. A fact long stored up and remembered a short while before the examination can suddenly evaporate. All attempts to recall it may prove unsuccessful. Usually, till the paper ends, the fact remains elusive only to resurface much later when not needed.
The candidate does not fare better in an oral examination. His problems are heightened by the fact that his fate depends entirely on the examiner's assessment of him rather than what he writes down himself. The facial appearance of the examiner is also a strong factor since a stern, unsmiling examiner can be intimidating.
Yet, an examination candidate need not be frightened. He needs all the calmness he can muster. He should sleep soundly before the exercise trusting that all the preparations he made earlier will not fail him at the hour of need. The fact is that one forgets more when one is tired, especially when one panics unnecessarily.
(a) In what two ways is an examination candidate similar to a boxer?
(b) Identify two direct results of pressure on the candidate.
(c) Give two examples of the funny tricks the brain can play on the candidate.
(d) Give two reasons why a candidate may have a greater problem at an oral examination than at a written paper.
(e) ". . while his pen is dancing furiously on the paper' (i) What figure of speech is this? (ii) What does it mean?
(f) A candidate in an examination hall...."
(i) What is the grammatical name given to the expression above as it is used in the passage?
(ii) What is its function in the sentence?
(g)For each of the following words, find another word or phrase which means the same and which can replace it as it is used in the passage: (i) paves: (ii) apex; (iii) severe: (iv) elusive: (v) stern (vi) calmness.
Comprehension Answers: The Examination Candidate and the Boxer
(a) In what two ways is an examination candidate similar to a boxer?
First, both are fighting for a prize or for commendation, with victory bringing fame and failure bringing disaster and frustration. Second, each victory paves the way for a promotion up the ladder, so that the higher each climbs, the more he is exposed to public attention.
(b) Identify two direct results of pressure on the candidate.
Because of the severe pressure, the candidate becomes liable to commit elementary errors without knowing, such as repeating or omitting a word, misspelling a word, or interchanging the positions of two words. Also, even when he reads over his work, he tends to see what was originally in his brain rather than what is actually on the paper, so most errors escape him.
(c) Give two examples of the funny tricks the brain can play on the candidate.
First, while struggling with a question, the candidate may suddenly recall an old joke, a long-forgotten incident or a beautiful tune. Second, a fact that was well stored up and remembered shortly before the examination may suddenly evaporate and remain elusive until after the examination.
(d) Give two reasons why a candidate may have a greater problem at an oral examination than at a written paper.
First, his fate depends entirely on the examiner's assessment of him rather than on what he himself writes down. Second, the facial appearance of a stern, unsmiling examiner can be intimidating and thus increase his difficulty.
(e) "... while his pen is dancing furiously on the paper"
(i) Figure of speech: Personification.
(ii) Meaning: It means that the candidate is writing very fast and energetically.
(f) "A candidate in an examination hall ..."
(i) Grammatical name: Noun phrase.
(ii) Function: It is the subject of the sentence.
(g) Words and their replacements as used in the passage:
Détails de la réponse
Comprehension Answers: The Examination Candidate and the Boxer
(a) In what two ways is an examination candidate similar to a boxer?
First, both are fighting for a prize or for commendation, with victory bringing fame and failure bringing disaster and frustration. Second, each victory paves the way for a promotion up the ladder, so that the higher each climbs, the more he is exposed to public attention.
(b) Identify two direct results of pressure on the candidate.
Because of the severe pressure, the candidate becomes liable to commit elementary errors without knowing, such as repeating or omitting a word, misspelling a word, or interchanging the positions of two words. Also, even when he reads over his work, he tends to see what was originally in his brain rather than what is actually on the paper, so most errors escape him.
(c) Give two examples of the funny tricks the brain can play on the candidate.
First, while struggling with a question, the candidate may suddenly recall an old joke, a long-forgotten incident or a beautiful tune. Second, a fact that was well stored up and remembered shortly before the examination may suddenly evaporate and remain elusive until after the examination.
(d) Give two reasons why a candidate may have a greater problem at an oral examination than at a written paper.
First, his fate depends entirely on the examiner's assessment of him rather than on what he himself writes down. Second, the facial appearance of a stern, unsmiling examiner can be intimidating and thus increase his difficulty.
(e) "... while his pen is dancing furiously on the paper"
(i) Figure of speech: Personification.
(ii) Meaning: It means that the candidate is writing very fast and energetically.
(f) "A candidate in an examination hall ..."
(i) Grammatical name: Noun phrase.
(ii) Function: It is the subject of the sentence.
(g) Words and their replacements as used in the passage:
Question 7 Rapport
You have just taken part in a local festival in your village. Write an article for publication in a cultural magazine describing the festival, its origin and importance to your people and the role you played.
The New Yam Festival of Ihiala: A Celebration of Gratitude
By a Correspondent
Every year, as the rains give way to the golden promise of harvest, my village of Ihiala comes alive with colour, music and thanksgiving. This is the season of the New Yam Festival, known to us as Iwa Ji, and I was privileged to take part in it during the last celebration.
The Origin of the Festival
The New Yam Festival is as old as the village itself. Our elders tell us that in the distant past, yam was the chief crop that stood between our people and hunger. Because it was believed that the earth goddess and the ancestors made the harvest possible, the community set aside a special day to thank them before anyone was allowed to eat the new yam. To eat the new crop before the festival was regarded as an insult to the gods and a sign of ingratitude. Thus the festival began as a solemn act of thanksgiving, and it has been handed down from generation to generation.
The Celebration
On the appointed day, the whole village gathered at the village square, dressed in bright wrappers, beads and feathered caps. The eldest man, holding a roasted yam, offered prayers to God and the ancestors and then tasted the yam first, signalling that everyone else could now eat. Immediately, drums thundered, masquerades danced, and young men wrestled to the cheers of the crowd. Women brought out pounded yam and rich soups, and there was more than enough for every visitor.
Its Importance to My People
The festival is far more than eating and dancing. It teaches gratitude, reminding us that no harvest comes by human strength alone. It also strengthens unity, for sons and daughters return from far cities to be with their kinsmen. Quarrels are settled, marriages are arranged, and the young are taught the customs of the land. In this way the festival preserves our culture and binds the community together.
The Role I Played
My own role was to lead the youth cultural dance. For weeks we had rehearsed under the moonlight. On the day, in our matching attire, we moved in perfect rhythm to the talking drum, and the applause of the elders filled me with pride. I also helped to welcome guests and serve refreshments.
The New Yam Festival is the heartbeat of my people. It is my hope that this cherished tradition will never fade, but will continue to unite and inspire generations yet unborn.
Détails de la réponse
The New Yam Festival of Ihiala: A Celebration of Gratitude
By a Correspondent
Every year, as the rains give way to the golden promise of harvest, my village of Ihiala comes alive with colour, music and thanksgiving. This is the season of the New Yam Festival, known to us as Iwa Ji, and I was privileged to take part in it during the last celebration.
The Origin of the Festival
The New Yam Festival is as old as the village itself. Our elders tell us that in the distant past, yam was the chief crop that stood between our people and hunger. Because it was believed that the earth goddess and the ancestors made the harvest possible, the community set aside a special day to thank them before anyone was allowed to eat the new yam. To eat the new crop before the festival was regarded as an insult to the gods and a sign of ingratitude. Thus the festival began as a solemn act of thanksgiving, and it has been handed down from generation to generation.
The Celebration
On the appointed day, the whole village gathered at the village square, dressed in bright wrappers, beads and feathered caps. The eldest man, holding a roasted yam, offered prayers to God and the ancestors and then tasted the yam first, signalling that everyone else could now eat. Immediately, drums thundered, masquerades danced, and young men wrestled to the cheers of the crowd. Women brought out pounded yam and rich soups, and there was more than enough for every visitor.
Its Importance to My People
The festival is far more than eating and dancing. It teaches gratitude, reminding us that no harvest comes by human strength alone. It also strengthens unity, for sons and daughters return from far cities to be with their kinsmen. Quarrels are settled, marriages are arranged, and the young are taught the customs of the land. In this way the festival preserves our culture and binds the community together.
The Role I Played
My own role was to lead the youth cultural dance. For weeks we had rehearsed under the moonlight. On the day, in our matching attire, we moved in perfect rhythm to the talking drum, and the applause of the elders filled me with pride. I also helped to welcome guests and serve refreshments.
The New Yam Festival is the heartbeat of my people. It is my hope that this cherished tradition will never fade, but will continue to unite and inspire generations yet unborn.
Question 8 Rapport
Tell a story that ends with the advice. "Cut your coat according to your cloth".
Model Narrative: "Cut Your Coat According to Your Cloth"
When my father died at the beginning of my final year in secondary school, our family income shrank overnight. My mother, a petty trader in the market, could barely keep food on the table, yet I refused to let reality soften my expensive dreams. My eyes were fixed on a lavish graduation party that my classmate, Chuka, was planning for the whole set.
Chuka came from a wealthy home. He hired a hall, ordered a live band, and asked each of us to contribute twenty thousand naira. I did not have twenty naira to spare, but pride pushed the truth aside. That evening I stood before my mother and demanded the money as though it were my right.
She looked at me for a long moment, her hands still smelling of the smoked fish she sold. "My son," she said quietly, "a wise person spends according to what he has, not according to what he wishes he had." I heard the words but did not listen. I sulked for days, and in my desperation I did something shameful: I took the savings my mother kept in a tin behind the wardrobe, money meant for my registration fees.
The party came and went in a blur of loud music and borrowed glamour. But when the examination registration date arrived, the tin was empty. My mother wept, not because of the money alone, but because her only son had chosen vanity over sense. I could not register for that year's examination. While my mates sat for their papers, I sat at home, my expensive shoes gathering dust, my heart heavy with regret.
It took my mother a whole year of extra toil to raise the fees again. During those long months I learned to trek to school, to patch my old uniform, and to say no to pleasures I could not afford. When at last I sat for and passed my examinations, I did so as a humbler and wiser young man.
Years later, whenever I am tempted to live beyond my means, I remember that empty tin and my mother's tears. I have learned, at great cost, the timeless wisdom of the elders: cut your coat according to your cloth.
Détails de la réponse
Model Narrative: "Cut Your Coat According to Your Cloth"
When my father died at the beginning of my final year in secondary school, our family income shrank overnight. My mother, a petty trader in the market, could barely keep food on the table, yet I refused to let reality soften my expensive dreams. My eyes were fixed on a lavish graduation party that my classmate, Chuka, was planning for the whole set.
Chuka came from a wealthy home. He hired a hall, ordered a live band, and asked each of us to contribute twenty thousand naira. I did not have twenty naira to spare, but pride pushed the truth aside. That evening I stood before my mother and demanded the money as though it were my right.
She looked at me for a long moment, her hands still smelling of the smoked fish she sold. "My son," she said quietly, "a wise person spends according to what he has, not according to what he wishes he had." I heard the words but did not listen. I sulked for days, and in my desperation I did something shameful: I took the savings my mother kept in a tin behind the wardrobe, money meant for my registration fees.
The party came and went in a blur of loud music and borrowed glamour. But when the examination registration date arrived, the tin was empty. My mother wept, not because of the money alone, but because her only son had chosen vanity over sense. I could not register for that year's examination. While my mates sat for their papers, I sat at home, my expensive shoes gathering dust, my heart heavy with regret.
It took my mother a whole year of extra toil to raise the fees again. During those long months I learned to trek to school, to patch my old uniform, and to say no to pleasures I could not afford. When at last I sat for and passed my examinations, I did so as a humbler and wiser young man.
Years later, whenever I am tempted to live beyond my means, I remember that empty tin and my mother's tears. I have learned, at great cost, the timeless wisdom of the elders: cut your coat according to your cloth.
Question 9 Rapport
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
The most memorable experience of my life was an incident that occurred some thirty years ago when I was in the fourth form in the secondary school. In those days, the speech-making and prize-giving day was always a great event. It was always a day when the results of the promotion examinations were announced to the students after weeks of suspense. The afternoon commenced with all the students taking their seats in the large hall, and the members of staff, led by the principal, filing in. There were also three guests, each of them an important figure in the town. The principal and the dignitaries made speeches admonishing the students to work hard in order to attain their goal. Then the prize-giving commenced.
Soon, it was the turn of my class For the overall best student, my name was called. This was not unexpected, the position having become almost identified with me. Amidst the clapping, I stood up and moved towards the principal whose outstretched hand held a fat book. I was already before him when he peered through his heavy spectacles, surveyed my figure and held back the book. There was a sudden silence. Students were amazed at this turn of events. Then he explained, "You 'II have your prize when you pay your outstanding fees."
I stood there almost petrified. Had I been warned of this disgrace, I would simply not have stood up let alone bothering to go forward. There I was, the sorry focus of attention I wished my legs would refuse their function but they did no such thing. On the other hand they refused to beat a retreat, at least, for those burning seconds. Then suddenly, spontaneously, the students started clapping and hailing me. Thus, my return journey was more loudly cheered than the outward journey.
For the prize in English, my name was also called. Of course I sat still but the students hailed on. The prize was kept. For Mathematics, it was the same drama. Somehow the students' behaviour saved the day for me.
Poorly clothed, in torn tennis shoes and being a debtor, I was the talk of the school. The little fee I had paid that year was earned through doing menial jobs at weekends, supplemented with donations from some school mates. Father's financial difficulties had been aggravated by a protracted court case. He had no alternative but to ask me to withdraw from school and look for a job. This I had refused to do.
I had borne the cross gallantly until that day when the principal's action threatened to kill whatever courage remained in me. I ordered the tears to gush out to flood my sad face, but the ovations forced the spring to remain dry. I had the loudest ovation that day: the students' response to my plight was my own prize.
(a) Why were the students usually in suspense before the prize-giving day?
(b) Why was the announcement of the writer's name as the winner of the best student prize not a surprise?
(c) What two proofs are there in the passage to show that the writer was liked by his school mates?
(d ) Why was his father unable to pay his school fees?
(e) "whose outstretched hand held a fat book" (i) What grammatical name is given to this expression as it is used in the passage? (Ii)What is its function in the sentence?
(f) "/ had borne the cross gallantly . .."
(i) What figure of speech is this expression?
(ii)What does it mean as it is used in the passage?
(g) For each of the following words, find another word or phrase which means the same and which can replace it as it is used in the passage: (i) memorable (ii) figure (iii) amazed (iv) menial (V) protracted (vi) plight
Comprehension Answers: The Prize-Giving Day
(a) Why were the students usually in suspense before the prize-giving day?
The students were in suspense because it was on that day that the results of their promotion examinations, which they had awaited for weeks, were finally announced.
(b) Why was the announcement of the writer's name as the winner of the best student prize not a surprise?
It was not a surprise because the writer had regularly won that position, so much so that the title of overall best student had almost become identified with him.
(c) What two proofs are there in the passage to show that the writer was liked by his school mates?
First, when the principal withheld his prize and disgraced him, the students spontaneously clapped and hailed him, cheering his return journey more loudly than his outward one. Second, some of his school mates had earlier helped him by giving donations towards the little fee he managed to pay.
(d) Why was his father unable to pay his school fees?
His father was unable to pay because his financial difficulties had been made worse by a long, drawn-out court case.
(e) "whose outstretched hand held a fat book"
(i) Grammatical name: It is a relative clause (an adjectival clause).
(ii) Function: It qualifies (describes) the noun "principal", telling us more about him.
(f) "I had borne the cross gallantly ..."
(i) Figure of speech: Metaphor.
(ii) Meaning: It means that he had endured his suffering, hardship and shame bravely and without complaining.
(g) Words and their replacements as used in the passage:
Détails de la réponse
Comprehension Answers: The Prize-Giving Day
(a) Why were the students usually in suspense before the prize-giving day?
The students were in suspense because it was on that day that the results of their promotion examinations, which they had awaited for weeks, were finally announced.
(b) Why was the announcement of the writer's name as the winner of the best student prize not a surprise?
It was not a surprise because the writer had regularly won that position, so much so that the title of overall best student had almost become identified with him.
(c) What two proofs are there in the passage to show that the writer was liked by his school mates?
First, when the principal withheld his prize and disgraced him, the students spontaneously clapped and hailed him, cheering his return journey more loudly than his outward one. Second, some of his school mates had earlier helped him by giving donations towards the little fee he managed to pay.
(d) Why was his father unable to pay his school fees?
His father was unable to pay because his financial difficulties had been made worse by a long, drawn-out court case.
(e) "whose outstretched hand held a fat book"
(i) Grammatical name: It is a relative clause (an adjectival clause).
(ii) Function: It qualifies (describes) the noun "principal", telling us more about him.
(f) "I had borne the cross gallantly ..."
(i) Figure of speech: Metaphor.
(ii) Meaning: It means that he had endured his suffering, hardship and shame bravely and without complaining.
(g) Words and their replacements as used in the passage:
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