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Ibeere 1 Ìròyìn
A youth club in your country is organizing an essay competition for final year Senior Secondary School students on the topic: The lingua franca question: problems and prospects. Write your entry.
The Lingua Franca Question: Problems and Prospects
A lingua franca is a common language adopted by people of different mother tongues so that they can communicate with one another. In a country like ours, blessed with hundreds of ethnic groups and languages, the search for a single unifying language is at once necessary and deeply difficult. The lingua franca question, therefore, is one that carries real problems, but it also holds bright prospects, and both sides deserve careful thought.
Consider first the problems. The greatest of these is the sheer multiplicity of languages spoken within our borders. With so many tongues, each ethnic group naturally wishes its own language to be chosen, and the fear of being dominated by another breeds suspicion and rivalry. To raise one indigenous language above the rest as the national lingua franca is to risk resentment, jealousy and even open opposition from the others.
Secondly, there is the problem of the colonial language itself. English, which at present serves as our lingua franca, is a foreign tongue inherited from our colonial masters. Its continued dominance is often blamed for the steady decline of our indigenous languages, many of which are now endangered because young people speak them less and less and take pride only in English.
Thirdly, there is the problem of standard and competence. A great many speakers use a careless mixture of English and local expressions, or fall back on Pidgin, so that a truly uniform standard is hard to establish and maintain across the whole nation. This unevenness weakens the very purpose a lingua franca is meant to serve.
Yet the prospects are equally strong and encouraging. Above all, a shared lingua franca is a powerful bond of national unity. It allows citizens of different backgrounds to trade, to learn, to worship and to govern together in peace, and it teaches them to see one another as brothers and sisters rather than as strangers. A leveller by nature, it is spoken by rich and poor alike and helps to bridge the gap between them.
Furthermore, a lingua franca opens the door to education, science, commerce and international communication. A widely spoken language links us to the wider world and earns us respect among the community of nations. With deliberate and patient policy, government can turn the difficulty into an opportunity by promoting a neutral or widely understood language, developing and modernising our indigenous languages, and encouraging every citizen to be bilingual, mastering both a national language and his own mother tongue. Pidgin, already understood across many groups, shows how a common speech can grow naturally from the people themselves.
In conclusion, the lingua franca question is a delicate one, weighed down by ethnic and cultural sensitivities that cannot be wished away overnight. But with wise policy, mutual tolerance and genuine respect for our indigenous heritage, a common language can become a firm bond of unity rather than a fresh source of division. Handled with patience and fairness, the prospects far outweigh the problems, and a lingua franca can yet become one of the strongest pillars of our nationhood.
Awọn alaye Idahun
The Lingua Franca Question: Problems and Prospects
A lingua franca is a common language adopted by people of different mother tongues so that they can communicate with one another. In a country like ours, blessed with hundreds of ethnic groups and languages, the search for a single unifying language is at once necessary and deeply difficult. The lingua franca question, therefore, is one that carries real problems, but it also holds bright prospects, and both sides deserve careful thought.
Consider first the problems. The greatest of these is the sheer multiplicity of languages spoken within our borders. With so many tongues, each ethnic group naturally wishes its own language to be chosen, and the fear of being dominated by another breeds suspicion and rivalry. To raise one indigenous language above the rest as the national lingua franca is to risk resentment, jealousy and even open opposition from the others.
Secondly, there is the problem of the colonial language itself. English, which at present serves as our lingua franca, is a foreign tongue inherited from our colonial masters. Its continued dominance is often blamed for the steady decline of our indigenous languages, many of which are now endangered because young people speak them less and less and take pride only in English.
Thirdly, there is the problem of standard and competence. A great many speakers use a careless mixture of English and local expressions, or fall back on Pidgin, so that a truly uniform standard is hard to establish and maintain across the whole nation. This unevenness weakens the very purpose a lingua franca is meant to serve.
Yet the prospects are equally strong and encouraging. Above all, a shared lingua franca is a powerful bond of national unity. It allows citizens of different backgrounds to trade, to learn, to worship and to govern together in peace, and it teaches them to see one another as brothers and sisters rather than as strangers. A leveller by nature, it is spoken by rich and poor alike and helps to bridge the gap between them.
Furthermore, a lingua franca opens the door to education, science, commerce and international communication. A widely spoken language links us to the wider world and earns us respect among the community of nations. With deliberate and patient policy, government can turn the difficulty into an opportunity by promoting a neutral or widely understood language, developing and modernising our indigenous languages, and encouraging every citizen to be bilingual, mastering both a national language and his own mother tongue. Pidgin, already understood across many groups, shows how a common speech can grow naturally from the people themselves.
In conclusion, the lingua franca question is a delicate one, weighed down by ethnic and cultural sensitivities that cannot be wished away overnight. But with wise policy, mutual tolerance and genuine respect for our indigenous heritage, a common language can become a firm bond of unity rather than a fresh source of division. Handled with patience and fairness, the prospects far outweigh the problems, and a lingua franca can yet become one of the strongest pillars of our nationhood.
Ibeere 2 Ìròyìn
The transistor radio you bought from a department store with a two-year guarantee developed a fault after six months. You took it to the technical section of the store where the foreman refused to accept it, alleging that the guarantee did not cover the fault reported. Write a letter to the General Manager of the store lodging your complaint, explaining the nature of the fault and requesting the store to fulfill its guarantee.
This is a formal letter of complaint, so it carries two addresses, a formal salutation and subscription, and a heading. It must explain the fault, refer to the guarantee, and request that the store honour it.
18, Allen Avenue,
Ikeja,
Lagos.
10th July, 2026.
The General Manager,
Grandeur Department Store,
Broad Street,
Lagos.
Dear Sir,
COMPLAINT ON A FAULTY TRANSISTOR RADIO UNDER GUARANTEE
I wish to lodge a formal complaint concerning a transistor radio which I purchased from your store, and to request that your establishment honour the guarantee attached to it.
On 5th January, 2026, I bought a Sonic-brand transistor radio from your electronics department at a cost of eighteen thousand naira. The radio came with a written two-year guarantee, a copy of which, together with the receipt, I have kept safely. For the first few months the set worked perfectly.
However, barely six months after the purchase, the radio developed a serious fault. It now produces a loud, crackling noise instead of clear sound, the tuning knob no longer holds any station steadily, and, worst of all, the set goes off on its own after a few minutes even when the batteries are new. The radio has thus become practically useless.
Accordingly, I took it to the technical section of your store for the free repair promised in the guarantee. To my great surprise, the foreman there refused to accept it, claiming that the guarantee did not cover the type of fault I had reported. I find this position both unfair and unacceptable, for the guarantee clearly promises to cover all manufacturing defects within two years, and the fault developed through no misuse on my part.
I therefore request, sir, that you kindly direct the technical section to accept the radio and either repair it free of charge or replace it with a new one, as the guarantee provides. I have enclosed photocopies of the receipt and the guarantee card for your reference.
I trust that your store, known for its good name, will uphold its promise and resolve this matter promptly. Thank you for your understanding.
Yours faithfully,
Chukwuma Obi.
Awọn alaye Idahun
This is a formal letter of complaint, so it carries two addresses, a formal salutation and subscription, and a heading. It must explain the fault, refer to the guarantee, and request that the store honour it.
18, Allen Avenue,
Ikeja,
Lagos.
10th July, 2026.
The General Manager,
Grandeur Department Store,
Broad Street,
Lagos.
Dear Sir,
COMPLAINT ON A FAULTY TRANSISTOR RADIO UNDER GUARANTEE
I wish to lodge a formal complaint concerning a transistor radio which I purchased from your store, and to request that your establishment honour the guarantee attached to it.
On 5th January, 2026, I bought a Sonic-brand transistor radio from your electronics department at a cost of eighteen thousand naira. The radio came with a written two-year guarantee, a copy of which, together with the receipt, I have kept safely. For the first few months the set worked perfectly.
However, barely six months after the purchase, the radio developed a serious fault. It now produces a loud, crackling noise instead of clear sound, the tuning knob no longer holds any station steadily, and, worst of all, the set goes off on its own after a few minutes even when the batteries are new. The radio has thus become practically useless.
Accordingly, I took it to the technical section of your store for the free repair promised in the guarantee. To my great surprise, the foreman there refused to accept it, claiming that the guarantee did not cover the type of fault I had reported. I find this position both unfair and unacceptable, for the guarantee clearly promises to cover all manufacturing defects within two years, and the fault developed through no misuse on my part.
I therefore request, sir, that you kindly direct the technical section to accept the radio and either repair it free of charge or replace it with a new one, as the guarantee provides. I have enclosed photocopies of the receipt and the guarantee card for your reference.
I trust that your store, known for its good name, will uphold its promise and resolve this matter promptly. Thank you for your understanding.
Yours faithfully,
Chukwuma Obi.
Ibeere 3 Ìròyìn
You have just ended your tenure as the president of the youth club in your community. Write a speech which will be delivered at the last general meeting before you leave office, recounting your achievements and expressing your hopes for the future of the club.
A valedictory speech needs vocatives, an introduction that states the occasion, a body recounting the speaker's achievements in office, an expression of hopes for the future, thanks, and a courteous valediction.
A Valedictory Speech Delivered at the Last General Meeting Before Leaving Office
The Chairman, our patron, distinguished executive members, fellow members of the youth club, ladies and gentlemen. Good evening.
I rise this evening with mixed feelings of joy and nostalgia as I address you for the last time as the President of our beloved youth club. Two years ago, you entrusted me with the leadership of this club, and today I stand before you to render account of that trust and to bid you a fond farewell.
Permit me to recall, with gratitude to God and to you all, some of what we achieved together. When I assumed office, our club had neither a proper meeting place nor a healthy treasury. Through our joint efforts, we raised funds and secured a modest hall that we can now call our own. We also revived the culture of discipline and regular attendance, so that our meetings became lively and well attended.
Beyond our own doors, we made our mark in the community. We organised the annual clean-up of our streets, planted trees along the main road, and offered free lessons to less privileged children during the holidays. Last year, our health outreach, in which we sponsored free medical checks for the elderly, won the commendation of the whole town. These were not my achievements alone but ours, the fruit of unity and hard work.
As I hand over, my heart is full of hope for the future of this club. I urge you to choose your next leaders wisely and to support them as loyally as you supported me. Let us never abandon the spirit of service that has brought us this far. My hope is that this club will grow from strength to strength, touching more lives and becoming a shining example of what committed young people can achieve.
To my executive members and to every one of you, I say a heartfelt thank you for your cooperation, your patience and your friendship. Serving you has been the honour of my life. Though I leave office, I do not leave the club, and I shall always be proud to be counted among its members.
I wish the incoming leadership every success. Long live our youth club, long live our community. Thank you, and goodnight.
Awọn alaye Idahun
A valedictory speech needs vocatives, an introduction that states the occasion, a body recounting the speaker's achievements in office, an expression of hopes for the future, thanks, and a courteous valediction.
A Valedictory Speech Delivered at the Last General Meeting Before Leaving Office
The Chairman, our patron, distinguished executive members, fellow members of the youth club, ladies and gentlemen. Good evening.
I rise this evening with mixed feelings of joy and nostalgia as I address you for the last time as the President of our beloved youth club. Two years ago, you entrusted me with the leadership of this club, and today I stand before you to render account of that trust and to bid you a fond farewell.
Permit me to recall, with gratitude to God and to you all, some of what we achieved together. When I assumed office, our club had neither a proper meeting place nor a healthy treasury. Through our joint efforts, we raised funds and secured a modest hall that we can now call our own. We also revived the culture of discipline and regular attendance, so that our meetings became lively and well attended.
Beyond our own doors, we made our mark in the community. We organised the annual clean-up of our streets, planted trees along the main road, and offered free lessons to less privileged children during the holidays. Last year, our health outreach, in which we sponsored free medical checks for the elderly, won the commendation of the whole town. These were not my achievements alone but ours, the fruit of unity and hard work.
As I hand over, my heart is full of hope for the future of this club. I urge you to choose your next leaders wisely and to support them as loyally as you supported me. Let us never abandon the spirit of service that has brought us this far. My hope is that this club will grow from strength to strength, touching more lives and becoming a shining example of what committed young people can achieve.
To my executive members and to every one of you, I say a heartfelt thank you for your cooperation, your patience and your friendship. Serving you has been the honour of my life. Though I leave office, I do not leave the club, and I shall always be proud to be counted among its members.
I wish the incoming leadership every success. Long live our youth club, long live our community. Thank you, and goodnight.
Ibeere 4 Ìròyìn
Write an article suitable for publication in a foreign magazine on the traditional marriage system of your people.
An article for a foreign magazine needs a title and a byline, and it should explain the custom clearly to readers unfamiliar with the culture, in orderly paragraphs.
The Traditional Marriage System of My People
By Ngozi Adeyemi
To readers abroad, marriage may mean simply a wedding in a church or a registry. Among my people, however, marriage is far more than the union of two individuals; it is the joining of two families, and it follows a rich sequence of customs handed down over many generations. I write to share the beauty of this traditional marriage system.
Everything begins with courtship and enquiry. When a young man finds a woman he wishes to marry, he informs his parents, who make discreet enquiries about her family, their character, health and reputation. This care reflects the belief that one marries not only a person but a whole lineage.
The next stage is the formal introduction. Accompanied by his parents and elders, the suitor visits the girl's family to make his intentions known. Kola nuts are broken and prayers are offered, and the girl is asked, before all, whether she accepts the man. Her consent is essential, for no honourable marriage is forced.
Then comes the presentation of the bride price and gifts, the heart of the ceremony. The suitor's family brings a list of items agreed upon by both sides: drinks, yams, livestock, clothing, and a token bride price. Far from being a purchase, these gifts are a mark of appreciation to the bride's family and a sign that the man is able to care for a home.
The climax is the traditional wedding celebration itself. Dressed in the colourful attire of our people, the bride, amid music and dancing, is often asked to find her groom in the crowd and to present him with a cup of palm wine, a graceful symbol of her choice. Feasting, drumming and the blessings of the elders follow, and the two families are bound together in lasting friendship.
In conclusion, the traditional marriage system of my people is a celebration of family, community and continuity. Its ceremonies may differ from those of other lands, but its purpose is the same the world over: to unite two people, and their families, in love, respect and enduring harmony.
Awọn alaye Idahun
An article for a foreign magazine needs a title and a byline, and it should explain the custom clearly to readers unfamiliar with the culture, in orderly paragraphs.
The Traditional Marriage System of My People
By Ngozi Adeyemi
To readers abroad, marriage may mean simply a wedding in a church or a registry. Among my people, however, marriage is far more than the union of two individuals; it is the joining of two families, and it follows a rich sequence of customs handed down over many generations. I write to share the beauty of this traditional marriage system.
Everything begins with courtship and enquiry. When a young man finds a woman he wishes to marry, he informs his parents, who make discreet enquiries about her family, their character, health and reputation. This care reflects the belief that one marries not only a person but a whole lineage.
The next stage is the formal introduction. Accompanied by his parents and elders, the suitor visits the girl's family to make his intentions known. Kola nuts are broken and prayers are offered, and the girl is asked, before all, whether she accepts the man. Her consent is essential, for no honourable marriage is forced.
Then comes the presentation of the bride price and gifts, the heart of the ceremony. The suitor's family brings a list of items agreed upon by both sides: drinks, yams, livestock, clothing, and a token bride price. Far from being a purchase, these gifts are a mark of appreciation to the bride's family and a sign that the man is able to care for a home.
The climax is the traditional wedding celebration itself. Dressed in the colourful attire of our people, the bride, amid music and dancing, is often asked to find her groom in the crowd and to present him with a cup of palm wine, a graceful symbol of her choice. Feasting, drumming and the blessings of the elders follow, and the two families are bound together in lasting friendship.
In conclusion, the traditional marriage system of my people is a celebration of family, community and continuity. Its ceremonies may differ from those of other lands, but its purpose is the same the world over: to unite two people, and their families, in love, respect and enduring harmony.
Ibeere 5 Ìròyìn
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
With some ten hours' journey before them, the professor and his men at first thought of heeding Pa Chukwuka's advice that they should stay till Monday morning. But the professor knew that his department would almost be paralysed for a whole day if he and his colleagues should stay on. That he did not like. So, the journey commenced and, a little later, the heavens were let loose.
Stubbornly, the five cars ploughed through. The Niger was crossed a little after 4p.m., and Asaba was soon behind the travellers. In front was the departmental car with the professor, his two kinsmen, and his bride. Their mission was the formal traditional marriage ceremony. At the rear was the secretary's car. Stealthily, against all odds, the convoy crept on. Yet, for hundreds of kilometres, the rain persisted: lighter in some places. heavier in others but present in one form or the other throughout.
Darkness descended with a gentle suddenness over the landscape. The dark arrow of finality nearly struck Dr Stephen Dimgba a few kilometres outside Aba. The on-coming heavy truck dazzled him with its powerful headlights. As it roared towards him, his bespectacled eyes were momentarily blinded. He swerved off the road for the devil of the long lorry. The muddy, side gutter help turn the swerve into an exaggerated skid. By the time the monster roared past, Stephen and his four fellow travellers were struggling to get off the inferno that started after the accident.
(a) What had the travellers been told before the journey?
(b) Why did the professor and his colleagues decide to travel all the same?
(c) (i) What was the mission of the travellers? (ii) Quote the sentence that tells you this.
(d)(i) Where did the accident occur? (ii) Give two reasons why the accident occurred.
(e) (i) What figure of speech is the expression, "the heavens were let loose."
(ii) Give the meaning of the expression as used in the passage.
(f) Give another word or phrase that can replace each of the following words as used in the passage:
(i) heeding; (ii) kinsmen (iii) odds; (iv) roared; (v) monster; (vi) inferno.
(a) What the travellers had been told before the journey
They had been told, by Pa Chukwuka, to stay till Monday morning rather than set out that day.
(b) Why the professor and his colleagues decided to travel all the same
Because the professor knew that his department would be almost paralysed for a whole day if he and his colleagues stayed on, and that was something he did not like.
(c)(i) The mission of the travellers
Their mission was the formal traditional marriage ceremony (of the professor and his bride).
(c)(ii) Sentence that tells us this
"Their mission was the formal traditional marriage ceremony."
(d)(i) Where the accident occurred
It occurred a few kilometres outside Aba.
(d)(ii) Two reasons why the accident occurred
(e)(i) Figure of speech in "the heavens were let loose"
It is a metaphor (an expression also carrying hyperbole).
(e)(ii) Meaning of the expression
It means that a very heavy downpour of rain suddenly began; it started to rain extremely heavily.
(f) Words and their replacements
Awọn alaye Idahun
(a) What the travellers had been told before the journey
They had been told, by Pa Chukwuka, to stay till Monday morning rather than set out that day.
(b) Why the professor and his colleagues decided to travel all the same
Because the professor knew that his department would be almost paralysed for a whole day if he and his colleagues stayed on, and that was something he did not like.
(c)(i) The mission of the travellers
Their mission was the formal traditional marriage ceremony (of the professor and his bride).
(c)(ii) Sentence that tells us this
"Their mission was the formal traditional marriage ceremony."
(d)(i) Where the accident occurred
It occurred a few kilometres outside Aba.
(d)(ii) Two reasons why the accident occurred
(e)(i) Figure of speech in "the heavens were let loose"
It is a metaphor (an expression also carrying hyperbole).
(e)(ii) Meaning of the expression
It means that a very heavy downpour of rain suddenly began; it started to rain extremely heavily.
(f) Words and their replacements
Ibeere 6 Ìròyìn
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
It is now fashionable to hear discussions centering on the disproportionate representation of males and females in the population. it is indeed not uncommon to hear people say that for every man there are about two or three women; so, every man can marry more than one woman. This theory is, of course, more popular among adherents who favour the seeming glamour of the polygamous way of life. The big question is: 'How correct is this theory?' And what are the facts?
The stark reality is that in any normal population out of every one hundred conceptions, about fifty-three to fifty-five are for boys, and about forty-five to forty-seven are for girls. So, there are potentially more boys than girls in any normal population. However, because of many factors, some of which are not fully clear, the foetus of a boy is far more fragile than that of a girl. So, there are more miscarriages of male children than of female ones. So, by the time the children are born, the ratio between boys and girls has been reduced to about fifty-two boys to forty-eight girls.
As infants, boys are more delicate than girls. Boys are less resistant to certain killer diseases and girls thus have a higher chance of survival. The result is that before adolescence, at about the age of between nine and eleven years, boys and girls are virtually at par in the population.
Throughout adolescence, from the age of twelve to nineteen years, boys continue to fall victim of many ailments at a much higher degree than girls do, Besides, boys' tendency to be more adventurous, more daring and more risk-taking, expose them far more to mishaps. Some of these do reduce their representation in the population. So, by the end of the age of adolescence, there are slightly more girls than boys. The reduction, thereafter, in the number of males continues progressively. Men are the breadwinners, the soldiers and the travellers. It is during their middle age that very many men die tragically, as soldiers in their boots, so to say. The net result of this is that by the time they are in the mind-thirties and forties, there are more women than men.
Finally, in their late forties and fifties, far more men than women die of cardiac diseases like hypertension. heart-attack and anxiety. This is the period when there are clearly more widows than widowers.
On the whole, therefore, there are more females than males but certainly not in the proportion claimed by adherents of polygamy. During their marriageable years, there are about eleven wives to ten husbands-that is husbands and wives of the same age. That in some communities one man could marry as many as fifteen wives is a result of the fact that men normally marry from among the ladies younger than they are. This, more than any other factor. allows some men who are inclined to polygamy to have their way.
(a) In five sentences, one for each factor, summarize the factors responsible for the progressive reduction in the number o' f males as against females from conception to adulthood.
(b) In one sentence, state why some form of polygamy is possible in a normal population.
(a) Factors responsible for the progressive reduction in the number of males as against females, from conception to adulthood (one sentence for each factor)
(b) Why some form of polygamy is possible in a normal population (one sentence)
Some form of polygamy is possible because men normally marry from among ladies younger than themselves, so that the pool of available younger women allows a man inclined to polygamy to take more than one wife.
Awọn alaye Idahun
(a) Factors responsible for the progressive reduction in the number of males as against females, from conception to adulthood (one sentence for each factor)
(b) Why some form of polygamy is possible in a normal population (one sentence)
Some form of polygamy is possible because men normally marry from among ladies younger than themselves, so that the pool of available younger women allows a man inclined to polygamy to take more than one wife.
Ibeere 7 Ìròyìn
There was a terrible storm in your town during which houses were destroyed. Your family house was among those affected. Write a letter to your uncle working overseas describing the disaster and requesting for his help in reconstructing the house.
This is an informal (friendly) letter to a relative, so it carries the writer's address and date, an informal salutation, and an informal subscription. The body must describe the storm and disaster and request the uncle's help in rebuilding.
12, Oke-Aro Street,
Sango,
Ogun State.
10th July, 2026.
Dear Uncle Bassey,
I hope this letter meets you and your family in good health. I write with a heavy heart to inform you of a terrible disaster that has befallen our town and, sadly, our own family house.
Three days ago, a violent storm swept through our town in the early hours of the evening. It began with a strange darkness and a rising wind, and within minutes the sky was torn by lightning and deafening thunder. The wind grew into a raging tempest that ripped roofs from buildings, uprooted great trees, and tossed zinc sheets through the air like paper. Rain poured down in torrents, and before long the streets had become rivers of muddy water.
By the time the storm passed, our neighbourhood lay in ruins. Many houses were destroyed, and I am pained to tell you that our family house was among them. The entire roof was blown off, two of the walls collapsed under the force of the wind and rain, and most of our belongings were soaked or buried in the rubble. Thankfully, no life was lost in our household, for which we thank God, but we are now without proper shelter and have taken refuge with a kind neighbour.
Uncle, it is in this moment of distress that I turn to you. The cost of rebuilding the house is far beyond what my parents can bear, especially now that they have lost so much. I therefore humbly appeal to you, on behalf of the whole family, to come to our aid in reconstructing the house. Any assistance you can offer, however small, will be received with deep gratitude and will help to put a roof over our heads once more.
Please convey our warm greetings to Aunt and the children. We eagerly await your reply and pray for your continued good fortune abroad.
Your loving nephew,
Emeka.
Awọn alaye Idahun
This is an informal (friendly) letter to a relative, so it carries the writer's address and date, an informal salutation, and an informal subscription. The body must describe the storm and disaster and request the uncle's help in rebuilding.
12, Oke-Aro Street,
Sango,
Ogun State.
10th July, 2026.
Dear Uncle Bassey,
I hope this letter meets you and your family in good health. I write with a heavy heart to inform you of a terrible disaster that has befallen our town and, sadly, our own family house.
Three days ago, a violent storm swept through our town in the early hours of the evening. It began with a strange darkness and a rising wind, and within minutes the sky was torn by lightning and deafening thunder. The wind grew into a raging tempest that ripped roofs from buildings, uprooted great trees, and tossed zinc sheets through the air like paper. Rain poured down in torrents, and before long the streets had become rivers of muddy water.
By the time the storm passed, our neighbourhood lay in ruins. Many houses were destroyed, and I am pained to tell you that our family house was among them. The entire roof was blown off, two of the walls collapsed under the force of the wind and rain, and most of our belongings were soaked or buried in the rubble. Thankfully, no life was lost in our household, for which we thank God, but we are now without proper shelter and have taken refuge with a kind neighbour.
Uncle, it is in this moment of distress that I turn to you. The cost of rebuilding the house is far beyond what my parents can bear, especially now that they have lost so much. I therefore humbly appeal to you, on behalf of the whole family, to come to our aid in reconstructing the house. Any assistance you can offer, however small, will be received with deep gratitude and will help to put a roof over our heads once more.
Please convey our warm greetings to Aunt and the children. We eagerly await your reply and pray for your continued good fortune abroad.
Your loving nephew,
Emeka.
Ibeere 8 Ìròyìn
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
It has been found by researchers in education that the odds are stacked high against the learner from a deprived socio-economic background. A learner, whose parents are illiterate, whose. parents earn poor income, who has no access to the electronic media of information, and who has no educated siblings or peers to learn from, faces an uphill task in his educational career. The task is even more difficult if the learner lives in an obscure rural area for he is then cut off from modern civilization.
The learner from an academically enriched background, whose parents are highly learned and financially stable, and who has constant access to the electronic media, has a head start over his deprived counterparts from the village. Therefore, it is unfair that learners from different backgounds should face the same competition for admission into higher institutions or for employment opportunities since nobody determines their background.
Unfair as the practice may be, it is not easy to work out an alternative system. n e first place, distinguishing between students from academically enriched and those from educationally deprived backgrounds and reserving some places for the latter, would amount to double standard. Indeed, such a policy would inevitably engender a number of malpractices on the part of candidates. Moreover, formulating a policy by which learners from educationally deprived background are given special employment opportunities would tend to play down the practice of selection on the basis of merit.
It does appear that the way out is to minimize the odds against which the less advantaged learners have to struggle. If rural communities are improved, and if conscious efforts are made to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor, much would have been done to help the socio-economically disadvantaged learners overcome some of the odds against them.
(a) Mention three factors that distinguish the two classes of learners described in the passage.
(b) Which word in the first paragraph shows that the writer based the article on facts and not on speculation?
(c) Why does the writer say that the present practice is unfair?
(d) Give two reasons why the writer thinks that there is no alternative to the present practice.
(e) Whose parents are highly learned and financially stable?
(i) What grammatical name is given to the expression?
(ii) What is its function as used in the sentence?
(f) Give one word or phrase which can replace each of the following words as used in the passage:
(i) deprived; (ii) career; (iii) counterpart; (iv) practice (vii) distinguishing.
(a) Three factors that distinguish the two classes of learners
(Also acceptable: the presence or absence of educated siblings or peers to learn from, and whether the learner lives in an obscure rural area or not.)
(b) Word in the first paragraph showing the article is based on facts
The word is found (in "It has been found by researchers in education"), which shows the article rests on research findings rather than on speculation.
(c) Why the writer says the present practice is unfair
Because learners from very different backgrounds, which none of them chose, are made to face the same competition for admission into higher institutions and for employment; the disadvantaged learner from a deprived home is thus judged by the same standard as the privileged one who has enjoyed a head start.
(d) Two reasons why the writer thinks there is no alternative
(e)(i) Grammatical name of the expression
It is an adjectival (relative) clause.
(e)(ii) Its function
It qualifies (modifies) the noun parents, describing what kind of parents are meant.
(f) Words and their replacements
Awọn alaye Idahun
(a) Three factors that distinguish the two classes of learners
(Also acceptable: the presence or absence of educated siblings or peers to learn from, and whether the learner lives in an obscure rural area or not.)
(b) Word in the first paragraph showing the article is based on facts
The word is found (in "It has been found by researchers in education"), which shows the article rests on research findings rather than on speculation.
(c) Why the writer says the present practice is unfair
Because learners from very different backgrounds, which none of them chose, are made to face the same competition for admission into higher institutions and for employment; the disadvantaged learner from a deprived home is thus judged by the same standard as the privileged one who has enjoyed a head start.
(d) Two reasons why the writer thinks there is no alternative
(e)(i) Grammatical name of the expression
It is an adjectival (relative) clause.
(e)(ii) Its function
It qualifies (modifies) the noun parents, describing what kind of parents are meant.
(f) Words and their replacements
Ibeere 9 Ìròyìn
Tell a story that ends with the words: It was a bitter experience, but I learnt my lesson.
A story that ends with a given sentence must move naturally toward it, and the closing words must appear exactly as given in the very last line.
The Shortcut
Everyone in my class knew that the mathematics examination would be tough, and I, who had spent the term chasing football rather than figures, was more anxious than most. Instead of turning to my books in the weeks before the paper, I turned to a foolish plan. A boy named Kola, who sat behind me, boasted that he could obtain the questions beforehand from a certain source, for a price. Against the quiet voice of my conscience, I agreed and paid him the little money I had saved.
The night before the examination, Kola brought me a crumpled sheet, swearing it contained the very questions we would sit. I abandoned all real study and crammed only the answers to those few problems, congratulating myself on my cleverness. I went to bed proud, certain that I had outwitted both the teachers and my hard-working classmates.
The morning came, and with it my downfall. When the question papers were handed out and I turned the first page, my heart froze. Not a single question matched the sheet I had memorised. The paper was completely different. While others bent to their work, I sat staring at problems I had made no effort to understand, my mind as empty as my prepared notes were useless. I scribbled a few desperate lines, but it was hopeless.
Worse still, the invigilator noticed my restlessness and, on searching my desk, found the crumpled sheet of leaked questions. I was marched out of the hall before the whole class, my name recorded, and my paper cancelled. The shame of that walk, past the pitying eyes of the very classmates I had thought myself cleverer than, was almost unbearable.
My parents were called, and I was suspended for a week. Yet, painful as it was, that punishment taught me what no lecture ever had: that there is no honest shortcut to success, and that hard work and integrity are the only true paths. I returned to school a changed student, and I never again sought to cheat my way through anything. It was a bitter experience, but I learnt my lesson.
Awọn alaye Idahun
A story that ends with a given sentence must move naturally toward it, and the closing words must appear exactly as given in the very last line.
The Shortcut
Everyone in my class knew that the mathematics examination would be tough, and I, who had spent the term chasing football rather than figures, was more anxious than most. Instead of turning to my books in the weeks before the paper, I turned to a foolish plan. A boy named Kola, who sat behind me, boasted that he could obtain the questions beforehand from a certain source, for a price. Against the quiet voice of my conscience, I agreed and paid him the little money I had saved.
The night before the examination, Kola brought me a crumpled sheet, swearing it contained the very questions we would sit. I abandoned all real study and crammed only the answers to those few problems, congratulating myself on my cleverness. I went to bed proud, certain that I had outwitted both the teachers and my hard-working classmates.
The morning came, and with it my downfall. When the question papers were handed out and I turned the first page, my heart froze. Not a single question matched the sheet I had memorised. The paper was completely different. While others bent to their work, I sat staring at problems I had made no effort to understand, my mind as empty as my prepared notes were useless. I scribbled a few desperate lines, but it was hopeless.
Worse still, the invigilator noticed my restlessness and, on searching my desk, found the crumpled sheet of leaked questions. I was marched out of the hall before the whole class, my name recorded, and my paper cancelled. The shame of that walk, past the pitying eyes of the very classmates I had thought myself cleverer than, was almost unbearable.
My parents were called, and I was suspended for a week. Yet, painful as it was, that punishment taught me what no lecture ever had: that there is no honest shortcut to success, and that hard work and integrity are the only true paths. I returned to school a changed student, and I never again sought to cheat my way through anything. It was a bitter experience, but I learnt my lesson.
Ṣe o fẹ tẹsiwaju pẹlu iṣe yii?