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Tambaya 1 Rahoto
There was a riot in your school resulting in extensive damage and the Ministry of Education ordered your school to be shut down. Write a letter to the Commissioner for Education, explaining the causes of the disturbance and appealing for the school to be re-opened.
Model Formal Letter to the Commissioner for Education
Community Secondary School,
P.M.B. 1015,
Owerri,
Imo State.
10th July, 2026.
The Commissioner for Education,
Ministry of Education,
Owerri,
Imo State.
Dear Sir,
APPEAL FOR THE RE-OPENING OF OUR SCHOOL
I write on behalf of the students of Community Secondary School, Owerri, to explain the causes of the recent disturbance in our school and to appeal earnestly for the reversal of the order shutting down the school.
Sir, I wish to state, with regret, that a riot broke out in our school last week, resulting in extensive damage to school property. However, the disturbance did not arise from mere indiscipline. For a long time the students had endured serious hardships. There had been an acute shortage of water and a prolonged failure of the electricity supply in the hostels. In addition, the quality of food served in the dining hall had fallen sharply, and repeated complaints to the authorities went unheeded. Matters came to a head when a rumour spread that the examination fees paid by students had been mismanaged. Angry and frustrated, some students lost their self-control, and in the confusion property was damaged.
The students deeply regret the unfortunate incident and the damage that resulted. We have identified those who led the disturbance, and the student body is now committed to peace and order. We have also resolved to channel our grievances henceforth through proper and lawful means.
In view of the above, I humbly appeal, Sir, for the re-opening of our school. Many of us are in our examination classes, and a prolonged closure will ruin our chances and waste a whole academic year. We give our firm assurance that there will be no repetition of such conduct, and we pledge full cooperation with the school authorities.
We shall be most grateful if the school is re-opened without delay so that normal academic activities may resume.
Thank you for your kind consideration and anticipated favourable response.
Yours faithfully,
Chukwuemeka Nwosu
(Senior Prefect)
Bayanin Amsa
Model Formal Letter to the Commissioner for Education
Community Secondary School,
P.M.B. 1015,
Owerri,
Imo State.
10th July, 2026.
The Commissioner for Education,
Ministry of Education,
Owerri,
Imo State.
Dear Sir,
APPEAL FOR THE RE-OPENING OF OUR SCHOOL
I write on behalf of the students of Community Secondary School, Owerri, to explain the causes of the recent disturbance in our school and to appeal earnestly for the reversal of the order shutting down the school.
Sir, I wish to state, with regret, that a riot broke out in our school last week, resulting in extensive damage to school property. However, the disturbance did not arise from mere indiscipline. For a long time the students had endured serious hardships. There had been an acute shortage of water and a prolonged failure of the electricity supply in the hostels. In addition, the quality of food served in the dining hall had fallen sharply, and repeated complaints to the authorities went unheeded. Matters came to a head when a rumour spread that the examination fees paid by students had been mismanaged. Angry and frustrated, some students lost their self-control, and in the confusion property was damaged.
The students deeply regret the unfortunate incident and the damage that resulted. We have identified those who led the disturbance, and the student body is now committed to peace and order. We have also resolved to channel our grievances henceforth through proper and lawful means.
In view of the above, I humbly appeal, Sir, for the re-opening of our school. Many of us are in our examination classes, and a prolonged closure will ruin our chances and waste a whole academic year. We give our firm assurance that there will be no repetition of such conduct, and we pledge full cooperation with the school authorities.
We shall be most grateful if the school is re-opened without delay so that normal academic activities may resume.
Thank you for your kind consideration and anticipated favourable response.
Yours faithfully,
Chukwuemeka Nwosu
(Senior Prefect)
Tambaya 2 Rahoto
As your contribution to a debate, write arguments for or against the proposition. "We are happier than our fore fathers".
Debate: "We Are Happier Than Our Forefathers" (Speaking For the Proposition)
Mr Chairman, panel of accurate and impartial judges, my able opponents, ladies and gentlemen. I stand before you today to support the proposition that we are happier than our forefathers. I shall convince this august house that the modern age has brought us comforts and joys that our ancestors could only dream of.
My first point, ladies and gentlemen, is that we enjoy better health and longer lives. Our forefathers were at the mercy of diseases such as smallpox, cholera and malaria, which wiped out whole families. Today, thanks to modern medicine, vaccination and improved hospitals, many of these killers have been conquered, and we live longer, healthier and therefore happier lives.
Secondly, we enjoy the immense benefits of modern technology. Our ancestors trekked for days to deliver a message; we send it across the world in seconds by telephone and the internet. They laboured under the scorching sun; we enjoy electricity, machines and comfortable transport. These conveniences save us time and toil and free us to enjoy life.
Thirdly, we have greater access to education and knowledge. Where our forefathers were largely unlettered and bound by ignorance and superstition, we now have schools, libraries and information at our fingertips. Education has opened doors of opportunity and lifted the fear that ignorance breeds.
My worthy opponents may argue that modern life brings stress, crime and pollution. I concede that our age has its problems. But, ladies and gentlemen, would any of us willingly return to a world without medicine, without electricity, without education, a world ruled by disease and superstition? Surely not. The very fact that we can debate these ideas in comfort today is itself proof of our advantage.
Mr Chairman, distinguished judges, in health, in technology and in education, our lives are richer and more comfortable than those of our forefathers. The comforts far outweigh the discomforts. I therefore urge this noble house to support the proposition that, indeed, we are happier than our forefathers.
Thank you.
Bayanin Amsa
Debate: "We Are Happier Than Our Forefathers" (Speaking For the Proposition)
Mr Chairman, panel of accurate and impartial judges, my able opponents, ladies and gentlemen. I stand before you today to support the proposition that we are happier than our forefathers. I shall convince this august house that the modern age has brought us comforts and joys that our ancestors could only dream of.
My first point, ladies and gentlemen, is that we enjoy better health and longer lives. Our forefathers were at the mercy of diseases such as smallpox, cholera and malaria, which wiped out whole families. Today, thanks to modern medicine, vaccination and improved hospitals, many of these killers have been conquered, and we live longer, healthier and therefore happier lives.
Secondly, we enjoy the immense benefits of modern technology. Our ancestors trekked for days to deliver a message; we send it across the world in seconds by telephone and the internet. They laboured under the scorching sun; we enjoy electricity, machines and comfortable transport. These conveniences save us time and toil and free us to enjoy life.
Thirdly, we have greater access to education and knowledge. Where our forefathers were largely unlettered and bound by ignorance and superstition, we now have schools, libraries and information at our fingertips. Education has opened doors of opportunity and lifted the fear that ignorance breeds.
My worthy opponents may argue that modern life brings stress, crime and pollution. I concede that our age has its problems. But, ladies and gentlemen, would any of us willingly return to a world without medicine, without electricity, without education, a world ruled by disease and superstition? Surely not. The very fact that we can debate these ideas in comfort today is itself proof of our advantage.
Mr Chairman, distinguished judges, in health, in technology and in education, our lives are richer and more comfortable than those of our forefathers. The comforts far outweigh the discomforts. I therefore urge this noble house to support the proposition that, indeed, we are happier than our forefathers.
Thank you.
Tambaya 3 Rahoto
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
The black ant is indisputably one of the smallest visible insects on earth Except with aid of a very powerful microscope, it is difficult if not impossible to locate the eyes, the mouth the nostrils (if it ever has any) or any other part of the body. An air of mystery surrounds the existence of this little creature.
Have you ever taken time off your programme to watch these ants move in row? What gives them the sense of direction, we do not know. Indeed whoever sends them on an errand and how they even know their destination and the type of errand to run we are yet to be told. But they are an extremely well-organized lot.
Certainly, there are no defined routes for them on walls or trees, yet they move in an orderly manner. almost in a straight line. The beautiful thing about these insects is that even when their line of movement is disorganized. they soon regroup and connect themselves again end to end. If in the process. one of them is killed. they quickly recognize that fact from their various positions. Then. one sees them running helter skelter with a seeming insistence on getting at the comrade to confirm its death.
When this has been done, some of them run zigzag at a tremendous speed to alert the others on the route. Soon, they disappear completely. Later. as if everything were over and forgotten they reappear and form a new route and continue their movement transporting food or going on one errand or the other as before Bring your ears close to them and you hear nothing and you wonder what their means of communication could be. Perhaps, most surprising is their high sense of understanding the weather and the climate They are just like men in this area. They know when it is the rainy season and when the dry season comes. In fact, it is true to say that they prepare better for the future than man.
During the dry season. they file out to different places gathering food which they store underground. At the slightest sign of the approach of the rainy season. they all get into the hole and seal it up. Surprisingly. they re-emerge when the dry season sets in. And whoever tells them that the dry season has come we do not know. You can now see the sense in the injunction, "Go to the ant, thou sluggard. learn her ways and be wise."
(a) Why does the writer regard the black ant as one of the smallest insects on earth?
(b) Give reasons why the writer thinks that the way ants live is ' interesting'?
(c) (i) What is the writer's attitude towards the black ant? (ii) Quote an expression from the passage to support your answer.
(d) When this has been done " What does 'this' refer to?
(e) "The beautiful thing about these insects ..."
(i) What grammatical name is given to this expression
(ii) What is its function in the sentence?
(f)What quality of the wins implied in the last sentence of the passage?
(g) For each of the following words or phrases find another word or phrase that means the same and can replace it as it is used in the passage: (i) indisputably; (ii) row; (iii) helter skelter, (iv) a tremendous (v) area (vi) approach.
Comprehension Answers: The Black Ant
(a) Why does the writer regard the black ant as one of the smallest insects on earth?
He regards it so because it is so tiny that, except with the aid of a very powerful microscope, it is difficult if not impossible to locate its eyes, mouth, nostrils or any other part of its body.
(b) Give reasons why the writer thinks that the way ants live is 'interesting'.
He finds it interesting because, although nothing shows how they are directed, the ants move in an orderly, almost straight line without defined routes; when their line is disorganised they quickly regroup and connect end to end; when one of them is killed they recognise the fact, rush to confirm its death and alert the others; and they show a remarkable understanding of the weather, storing food during the dry season and sealing themselves underground before the rains.
(c) (i) What is the writer's attitude towards the black ant?
His attitude is one of admiration and wonder.
(ii) Quote an expression from the passage to support your answer.
"The beautiful thing about these insects is that even when their line of movement is disorganized, they soon regroup and connect themselves again end to end."
(d) "When this has been done" - What does 'this' refer to?
"This" refers to the ants running to get at their dead comrade in order to confirm its death.
(e) "The beautiful thing about these insects ..."
(i) Grammatical name: Noun phrase.
(ii) Function: It is the subject of the sentence.
(f) What quality of the ants is implied in the last sentence of the passage?
The last sentence implies the quality of industry or hard work (diligence and wisdom in preparing for the future), which the lazy sluggard is urged to learn from the ant.
(g) Words and their replacements as used in the passage:
Bayanin Amsa
Comprehension Answers: The Black Ant
(a) Why does the writer regard the black ant as one of the smallest insects on earth?
He regards it so because it is so tiny that, except with the aid of a very powerful microscope, it is difficult if not impossible to locate its eyes, mouth, nostrils or any other part of its body.
(b) Give reasons why the writer thinks that the way ants live is 'interesting'.
He finds it interesting because, although nothing shows how they are directed, the ants move in an orderly, almost straight line without defined routes; when their line is disorganised they quickly regroup and connect end to end; when one of them is killed they recognise the fact, rush to confirm its death and alert the others; and they show a remarkable understanding of the weather, storing food during the dry season and sealing themselves underground before the rains.
(c) (i) What is the writer's attitude towards the black ant?
His attitude is one of admiration and wonder.
(ii) Quote an expression from the passage to support your answer.
"The beautiful thing about these insects is that even when their line of movement is disorganized, they soon regroup and connect themselves again end to end."
(d) "When this has been done" - What does 'this' refer to?
"This" refers to the ants running to get at their dead comrade in order to confirm its death.
(e) "The beautiful thing about these insects ..."
(i) Grammatical name: Noun phrase.
(ii) Function: It is the subject of the sentence.
(f) What quality of the ants is implied in the last sentence of the passage?
The last sentence implies the quality of industry or hard work (diligence and wisdom in preparing for the future), which the lazy sluggard is urged to learn from the ant.
(g) Words and their replacements as used in the passage:
Tambaya 4 Rahoto
Narrate an experience you have had or heard about that illustrates the saying: "Where there is a will there is a way"
Model Narrative: "Where There Is a Will, There Is a Way"
Adaeze was born into a poor family in a remote village where few girls ever finished secondary school. Her father was a farmer whose harvests barely fed the family, and her mother sold roasted groundnuts by the roadside. Yet from her earliest years, Adaeze nursed one burning dream: to become a nurse and care for the sick in her community.
The path before her was steep. When she gained admission into the secondary school in the neighbouring town, there was no money to pay her fees. Many advised her father to keep her at home and marry her off, as was the custom. But Adaeze refused to surrender her dream. She rose before dawn each day to help her mother roast and sell groundnuts, saving every coin she earned. After school, while other children played, she fetched water and washed clothes for a small fee. Slowly, painfully, she gathered enough to pay her way, term after term.
The difficulties did not end there. Her village had no electricity, so she read her books by the flickering light of a kerosene lamp, and often by moonlight when there was no kerosene. She walked five kilometres to school and back each day, her worn sandals biting into her feet. There were nights when hunger and exhaustion tempted her to give up, but she would remember her dream and press on.
Her determination did not go unnoticed. A kind-hearted teacher, moved by her diligence, began to lend her textbooks and to coach her after hours. When the school-leaving examinations came, Adaeze sat for them with quiet confidence. The results, when they arrived, sent a wave of joy through the whole village: she had passed brilliantly, and she soon won a scholarship to study nursing.
Years later, Adaeze returned to her village, this time as a qualified nurse posted to the local clinic. The girl who had once sold groundnuts by the roadside now healed the sick and inspired other girls to dream.
Adaeze's story taught our whole community a lasting truth. No obstacle, however great, can stop a person who is truly determined. Indeed, where there is a will, there is always a way.
Bayanin Amsa
Model Narrative: "Where There Is a Will, There Is a Way"
Adaeze was born into a poor family in a remote village where few girls ever finished secondary school. Her father was a farmer whose harvests barely fed the family, and her mother sold roasted groundnuts by the roadside. Yet from her earliest years, Adaeze nursed one burning dream: to become a nurse and care for the sick in her community.
The path before her was steep. When she gained admission into the secondary school in the neighbouring town, there was no money to pay her fees. Many advised her father to keep her at home and marry her off, as was the custom. But Adaeze refused to surrender her dream. She rose before dawn each day to help her mother roast and sell groundnuts, saving every coin she earned. After school, while other children played, she fetched water and washed clothes for a small fee. Slowly, painfully, she gathered enough to pay her way, term after term.
The difficulties did not end there. Her village had no electricity, so she read her books by the flickering light of a kerosene lamp, and often by moonlight when there was no kerosene. She walked five kilometres to school and back each day, her worn sandals biting into her feet. There were nights when hunger and exhaustion tempted her to give up, but she would remember her dream and press on.
Her determination did not go unnoticed. A kind-hearted teacher, moved by her diligence, began to lend her textbooks and to coach her after hours. When the school-leaving examinations came, Adaeze sat for them with quiet confidence. The results, when they arrived, sent a wave of joy through the whole village: she had passed brilliantly, and she soon won a scholarship to study nursing.
Years later, Adaeze returned to her village, this time as a qualified nurse posted to the local clinic. The girl who had once sold groundnuts by the roadside now healed the sick and inspired other girls to dream.
Adaeze's story taught our whole community a lasting truth. No obstacle, however great, can stop a person who is truly determined. Indeed, where there is a will, there is always a way.
Tambaya 5 Rahoto
You are in the final year in secondary school. Write a letter to your uncle, who is an influential person in the society, telling him what you intend to do next and asking for his assistance.
Model Informal Letter to My Uncle
Government Secondary School,
P.M.B. 2020,
Enugu.
10th July, 2026.
Dear Uncle Chike,
I hope this letter meets you and your family in good health. I am well, and my studies are going on smoothly. I have been thinking a great deal about you lately and how you have always encouraged me to aim high, and it is on the matter of my future that I now write.
As you know, I am in my final year in secondary school, and my school-leaving examinations are only a few months away. By God's grace, I have prepared well and I am confident of good results. I write to tell you what I intend to do after school and to seek your kind assistance.
It is my ambition to study Medicine at the university. Since childhood I have longed to become a doctor so that I can care for the sick and be of service to our community, where good medical care is sadly lacking. I intend to sit for the university entrance examination this year and to work hard until I gain admission into a reputable institution.
Uncle, this is where I humbly seek your help. You are a respected and influential person in our society, and your guidance would be of great value to me. First, I would be grateful for any advice you can offer on how best to prepare for the university and the profession. Secondly, since my parents have several other children to train and their means are limited, I appeal to you for financial support towards my registration and tuition. Any assistance you can render, however small, would lift a heavy burden from my family and bring me one step closer to my dream.
I promise you, Uncle, that I will not disappoint you. I will work diligently and make you proud of the confidence you place in me. I look forward to your kind reply and your wise counsel.
Please extend my warm greetings to Aunty and my cousins.
Your loving nephew,
Ikenna.
Bayanin Amsa
Model Informal Letter to My Uncle
Government Secondary School,
P.M.B. 2020,
Enugu.
10th July, 2026.
Dear Uncle Chike,
I hope this letter meets you and your family in good health. I am well, and my studies are going on smoothly. I have been thinking a great deal about you lately and how you have always encouraged me to aim high, and it is on the matter of my future that I now write.
As you know, I am in my final year in secondary school, and my school-leaving examinations are only a few months away. By God's grace, I have prepared well and I am confident of good results. I write to tell you what I intend to do after school and to seek your kind assistance.
It is my ambition to study Medicine at the university. Since childhood I have longed to become a doctor so that I can care for the sick and be of service to our community, where good medical care is sadly lacking. I intend to sit for the university entrance examination this year and to work hard until I gain admission into a reputable institution.
Uncle, this is where I humbly seek your help. You are a respected and influential person in our society, and your guidance would be of great value to me. First, I would be grateful for any advice you can offer on how best to prepare for the university and the profession. Secondly, since my parents have several other children to train and their means are limited, I appeal to you for financial support towards my registration and tuition. Any assistance you can render, however small, would lift a heavy burden from my family and bring me one step closer to my dream.
I promise you, Uncle, that I will not disappoint you. I will work diligently and make you proud of the confidence you place in me. I look forward to your kind reply and your wise counsel.
Please extend my warm greetings to Aunty and my cousins.
Your loving nephew,
Ikenna.
Tambaya 6 Rahoto
You have just returned to the city from your village where you spent the last holiday. In an article suitable for publication in your school magazine, compare life in your village with that in the city.
Life in the Village and Life in the City: A Comparison
By a Student Correspondent
Having just returned to the city after spending the last holiday in my village, my mind is filled with vivid contrasts. The two worlds are so different that one would scarcely believe they belong to the same country. In this article I wish to compare life in my village with life in the city.
The Pace and Environment
Life in the village is slow, quiet and peaceful. The air is fresh, the streams are clear, and the nights are calm but for the chorus of crickets. In the city, on the other hand, life moves at a furious pace. The streets roar with traffic, factories belch smoke, and there is scarcely a moment of silence, even at night. Where the village soothes the spirit, the city keeps one constantly on the move.
Social Life and Community
In the village, everyone knows everyone else, and the spirit of togetherness is strong. Neighbours share their joys and sorrows, help one another on the farm, and gather in the moonlight to tell folktales. The city, by contrast, is crowded yet lonely. People live side by side as strangers, each too busy to greet the other. The warmth of community that I so enjoyed in the village is sadly missing in the city.
Amenities and Opportunities
Yet the city has clear advantages. It boasts good schools, hospitals, electricity, pipe-borne water and countless opportunities for work and advancement. The village, for all its beauty, often lacks these basic facilities; the sick may travel many miles to find a doctor, and the young must leave home in search of employment.
Conclusion
Both the village and the city, then, have their attractions and their drawbacks. The village offers peace, fresh air and warm fellowship, while the city offers comfort, opportunity and progress. For my part, I treasure the quiet of my village but appreciate the promise of the city. If only the amenities of the city could be brought to the village, life there would be complete.
Bayanin Amsa
Life in the Village and Life in the City: A Comparison
By a Student Correspondent
Having just returned to the city after spending the last holiday in my village, my mind is filled with vivid contrasts. The two worlds are so different that one would scarcely believe they belong to the same country. In this article I wish to compare life in my village with life in the city.
The Pace and Environment
Life in the village is slow, quiet and peaceful. The air is fresh, the streams are clear, and the nights are calm but for the chorus of crickets. In the city, on the other hand, life moves at a furious pace. The streets roar with traffic, factories belch smoke, and there is scarcely a moment of silence, even at night. Where the village soothes the spirit, the city keeps one constantly on the move.
Social Life and Community
In the village, everyone knows everyone else, and the spirit of togetherness is strong. Neighbours share their joys and sorrows, help one another on the farm, and gather in the moonlight to tell folktales. The city, by contrast, is crowded yet lonely. People live side by side as strangers, each too busy to greet the other. The warmth of community that I so enjoyed in the village is sadly missing in the city.
Amenities and Opportunities
Yet the city has clear advantages. It boasts good schools, hospitals, electricity, pipe-borne water and countless opportunities for work and advancement. The village, for all its beauty, often lacks these basic facilities; the sick may travel many miles to find a doctor, and the young must leave home in search of employment.
Conclusion
Both the village and the city, then, have their attractions and their drawbacks. The village offers peace, fresh air and warm fellowship, while the city offers comfort, opportunity and progress. For my part, I treasure the quiet of my village but appreciate the promise of the city. If only the amenities of the city could be brought to the village, life there would be complete.
Tambaya 7 Rahoto
Read the following carefully and answer the questions on it.
In all school systems of the world, some schools are considered 'better' than others. In fact, based on such a judgment parents often go to great lengths to have their children enrolled in one school rather than another. One yardstick for Furthermore, making this judgment is student achievement, especially general performance in public examinations. _ among some experts in education, opinions about schools are further narrowed down to subject areas. For example, one often hears that school A is better than B in Mathematics and Science while the latter is better than the former in English Language and the Liberal Arts. Whatever the focus of these comparative statements, there remains the fact that schools do vary in terms of average student achievement.
Why is it then that some schools have high average student achievement while others have low average student achievement? The reasons are not far-fetched. The first reason is that some schools are located in privileged areas in the sense that the students come from homes where parents care about their children's education ensure that the children are well-fed, show interest in their school work and provide easy access to books in the home. On the other hand, there are schools which serve less privileged communities, and whose students come from homes where parents are unable to provide the necessary support services for good academic work. Students in the first type of school would generally have a higher rate of achievement than those in the second type.
Another reason for the difference in academic achievement between schools is how well the schools are equipped. Schools that have good laboratories and libraries, ample space. places to sit and write for every student and optimum-sized classrooms usually record a higher standard of student achievement than those where the basic equipment is lacking or where the students are crammed into inadequate spaces.
The quality of the teachers also has to do with the differences in student achievement between schools. A teacher that does not have a good grasp of his subject matter nor is committed to his job cannot produce an outstanding student. On the other hand students will generally attain a high standard where the teacher is an expert in his field, knows how to structure the material to be learned, demands a lot from his students and motivates them. Also, school management has been found to have a relationship with student achievement. Students perform better in schools where the leadership is enthusiastic and creative than in schools where the principals and teachers adopt a casual attitude to their job.
Finally, discipline cannot be divorced from the learning process, and this is often seen from the perspective of general student behaviour. Where students show a disregard for the rules and regulations that guide good learning by disobeying their teachers, neglecting their homework or playing truant, they cannot make any reasonable academic progress. On the other hand, students who comport themselves well have laid a good foundation for academic success.
(a) In one sentence, summarize the yardsticks used to make a distinction between one school and another.
(b) In five sentences, one for each. summarize the factors responsible for the different levels of achievement in schools.
Summary Answers: Differences in Achievement Between Schools
(a) In one sentence, summarize the yardsticks used to make a distinction between one school and another.
Schools are distinguished from one another mainly by their students' general achievement, especially their performance in public examinations, and, more narrowly, by their achievement in particular subject areas.
(b) In five sentences, one for each, summarize the factors responsible for the different levels of achievement in schools.
Bayanin Amsa
Summary Answers: Differences in Achievement Between Schools
(a) In one sentence, summarize the yardsticks used to make a distinction between one school and another.
Schools are distinguished from one another mainly by their students' general achievement, especially their performance in public examinations, and, more narrowly, by their achievement in particular subject areas.
(b) In five sentences, one for each, summarize the factors responsible for the different levels of achievement in schools.
Tambaya 8 Rahoto
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
One of the puzzles to which I had no solution as a child was how my cousin could seal an envelope with his saliva. Each time he wrote a letter for my illiterate father, he merely ran his tongue over the inner edge of the flap of the envelope, folded it and then sealed it. Just like that! In my puzzlement, I tried the same trick repeatedly with two pieces of paper but my saliva failed to hold them together. I then theorized that my cousin's saliva must be gummy. If that was so, why wasn't mine? My studied search for a solution led to the very sound conclusion that my cousin's saliva was gummy because he was the only educated man in the family. By extension. I reasoned that all educated people had sticky saliva.
But it didn't take me long to wonder why my cousin's lower jaw was not stuck to the upper jaw. Indeed. I wondered how morsels of food could roll down to his gullet without sticking to the tongue and the palate. Each time I was around when he ate, I watched him put one morsel after another into his mouth without experiencing any problem in getting it down.
After many days, indeed weeks, of pondering over this thorny issue. I decided that while all educated men had sticky saliva, they had developed a special mechanism for neutralizing the stickiness when eating.
My theory received a severe jolt one day when father had to get a letter written but my cousin was not around. Father sent to the next house for his niece. the nearest educated person around. After the lady had written the letter, father brought out an old envelope which had probably been lying forgotten for months on his cupboard. But, to my amazement, the flap would not stick well to the body of the envelope, no matter how many times she applied her saliva. In the end, father used some pap as gum. With this. my new puzzle was: "Why was the educated man's saliva sticky while the educated woman's saliva was not?" Before long, I decided that the woman's saliva was not so sticky because she was not as learned as the man. So, I updated my theory: the more learned a person was, the more gummy his saliva would be. Fine theory.
The death knell sounded on my latest theory one day when father sent me to buy an envelope from a nearby shop. Having bought it, I studied its flap closely and discovered that its inner edge had some glossy material. It felt sticky to my touch. Curious, I ran my tongue over it and I sealed the envelope. That was it! It got stuck, refusing to be parted no matter how much I tried. When I delivered it that way. father rightly guessed that I had tampered with it Although I received a spanking. I was consoled that at last, I had unravelled the mystery.
(a) State the writer's original theory.
(b) State the modification to the original theory.
(c) What incident gave rise to the modification of the theory?
(d) Why didn't the flap stick to the envelope when the woman tried to seal it?
(e) What lesson did the writer finally learn?
(f) "The death knell sounded on my latest theory"
(i) What type of figurative expression is this? (ii) What does it mean?
(g) "... which had probably been lying forgotten for months on his cupboard."
(i) What grammatical name is given to this expression? (ii) What is its function as it is used in the sentence?
(h) For each of the following words. find another word or phrase that means the same and can replace it as it is used in the passage:
(i) puzzlement (ii) thorny (iii) severe (iv) theory (v) unraveled
Comprehension Answers: The Sticky Saliva
(a) State the writer's original theory.
The writer's original theory was that all educated people had sticky or gummy saliva, and that this was why his educated cousin could seal an envelope simply by running his tongue over the flap.
(b) State the modification to the original theory.
He modified it to say that the more learned a person was, the more gummy his saliva would be, so that a highly educated man's saliva was stickier than that of a less educated woman.
(c) What incident gave rise to the modification of the theory?
The modification arose when his cousin was absent and an educated woman, his father's niece, was called to write a letter, but her saliva could not make the flap of the envelope stick, so that father had to use pap as gum.
(d) Why didn't the flap stick to the envelope when the woman tried to seal it?
The flap did not stick because the envelope was an old one that had probably been lying forgotten for months on the cupboard, so the gum on its flap had dried up and lost its stickiness.
(e) What lesson did the writer finally learn?
He finally learned that it was not saliva that sealed an envelope, but the glossy, sticky gum already applied to the inner edge of the flap, which becomes adhesive when moistened.
(f) "The death knell sounded on my latest theory"
(i) Type of figurative expression: Metaphor.
(ii) Meaning: It means that his latest theory was completely destroyed or proved wrong; it came to an end.
(g) "... which had probably been lying forgotten for months on his cupboard."
(i) Grammatical name: Relative clause (adjectival clause).
(ii) Function: It qualifies (describes) the noun "envelope", telling us more about it.
(h) Words and their replacements as used in the passage:
Bayanin Amsa
Comprehension Answers: The Sticky Saliva
(a) State the writer's original theory.
The writer's original theory was that all educated people had sticky or gummy saliva, and that this was why his educated cousin could seal an envelope simply by running his tongue over the flap.
(b) State the modification to the original theory.
He modified it to say that the more learned a person was, the more gummy his saliva would be, so that a highly educated man's saliva was stickier than that of a less educated woman.
(c) What incident gave rise to the modification of the theory?
The modification arose when his cousin was absent and an educated woman, his father's niece, was called to write a letter, but her saliva could not make the flap of the envelope stick, so that father had to use pap as gum.
(d) Why didn't the flap stick to the envelope when the woman tried to seal it?
The flap did not stick because the envelope was an old one that had probably been lying forgotten for months on the cupboard, so the gum on its flap had dried up and lost its stickiness.
(e) What lesson did the writer finally learn?
He finally learned that it was not saliva that sealed an envelope, but the glossy, sticky gum already applied to the inner edge of the flap, which becomes adhesive when moistened.
(f) "The death knell sounded on my latest theory"
(i) Type of figurative expression: Metaphor.
(ii) Meaning: It means that his latest theory was completely destroyed or proved wrong; it came to an end.
(g) "... which had probably been lying forgotten for months on his cupboard."
(i) Grammatical name: Relative clause (adjectival clause).
(ii) Function: It qualifies (describes) the noun "envelope", telling us more about it.
(h) Words and their replacements as used in the passage:
Za ka so ka ci gaba da wannan aikin?