FIRST TERM EXAMINATION

SUBJECT: ENGLISH LANGUAGE

SECTION A: VOCABULARY/LEXIS AND STRUCTURE

In the following passages, the numbered gaps indicate missing words. Against each
number in the list below each passage, four options are offered in columns lettered A
to D. Choose the word that is the most suitable to fill the numbered gaps in the
passages.

In international law and relations, -1- has come to be accepted as the most popular -2-
of government. Therefore other-3-types have gradually been seen as unacceptable.
This affects – 4 - among nations based on each government's primary -5-.
Consequently, we have -6- with resultant -7- considered with a view to averting the
debilitating geographical, economic and political -8- are very -9- decisions of nations
could cause. Impacts which -10-. Thus, this -11- is -12- to all the nations of the world.

A B C D

1. theocracy democracy oligarchy

autocracy

2. kind process variety system

3. non- governmental non-conforming non-aggressive non-committal

4. talks mergers combinations alliances

5. corroboration collaboration consent conformity

6. agreement speeches discourse

consultations

7. compensations concessions allowances

options

8. desires aspirations Views interests

9. points indices reasons factors

10. highly seriously swiftly graphically

11. unique collaborative singular unilateral

12. method rule avenue process

13. sufficient beneficial consoling

complementary
SECTION B: READING COMPREHENSION PASSAGE.

Read the following passage and answer the questions on it.

It was a little past 10 a.m but the medium- sized hall that served as a prayer
house was already brimming with people from different parts of the
metropolis, who had come to seek cure or answers to their problems. The
majority of this lot were those with seemingly intractable mental health
conditions. The superintendent of the prayer house in questions was often
spoken of in whispers as possessing uncanny spiritual powers to exercise evil
spirits. It was also believed that he had answers to numerous illnesses that
defied orthodox medication. Wednesday of each week was set aside for these
healing sessions.

On this particular Wednesday, noisy supplications to the Most High and

ceaseless invocation of His name to free those supposedly held captive by
alleged evil spirits had reached fever pitch. Suddenly, a middle - aged man
broke loose from the crowd and ran as fast as his wobbly legs could permit.
Some male workers from the prayer house gave him a hot chase.

At first, bemused by - standers rained curses on the fleeing man, wondering

why a man in his right senses would in broad daylight rob a house of God.
They obviously mistook the man for a robber fleeing from the scene of his
crime. But he was not. Minutes later, he was caught and chained hands and
feet, despite his struggle against his captors who intermittently lashed him
with horse whip. As he was being violently dragged along the street, the man
ceaselessly muttered incomprehensible words that sounded like the muttering
of a colony of baboons. Then, a clear picture of the situation dawned on the on
- lookers. The man, after all, was not a thief and has stolen nothing; rather, his
ability to think and reason properly had taken flight of him. Simply put, he was
mentally deranged.

The above incident is a common occurrence in many parts of the country. It

aptly underscores the devastating mental health conditions plaguing a
sizeable number of people in recent times. It also points to the unspeakable
and inhuman treatment which people with such health disorders suffer at the
hands of self-styled spiritualists. This is the usual lot of mental patients whose
family members refuse to take advantage of orthodox treatment.
Questions

1. What brought the people to the prayer house?

2. State the functions of the superintendent of the prayer house.

3. What was wrong with the on-lookers' assessment of the run-away man?

4. Mention two instances of inhuman treatment in the passage.

5. What is the writer's attitude towards the treatment of lunatics at prayer house?

".. like the muttering of a colony of baboons."

6. What figure of speech is contained in this expression?

7. "… Whose family member refuse to take advantage of orthodox treatment"

i. What grammatical name is given to this expression as it is used in the passage?

ii. What is its function?

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. intractable

ii. supplications

iii. wobbly

iv. intermittently

V. deranged

SECTIONC: SUMMARY

It is now fashionable to hear discussions centring 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 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 miscarriage of
male children than female ones. So, by the time the children are born, the ratio
between boys and girls have 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 bread-winners, the soldiers and the travelers. 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 mid-thirties, there are more Women than
men.

Finally, in their 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.

Question:

a. In five sentences, one for each factor, summarize the factors responsible for the
progressive reduction in the number of males as against females from conception to
adulthood.

b. In one sentence, state why some form of polygamy is possible in a normal

population.

SECTION D: COMPOSITION

1. You have recently moved into a new neighbourhood with your parents.

Write a letter to your sister who is studying overseas giving, at least three reasons for
disliking the new place.

2. Write an article for publication in a national newspaper on the topic:

Vocational Training is the answer to unemployment among the youths.

3. Your country's Public Transport System is not functioning properly. Write a letter
to the Minister of Transport highlighting the causes and suggesting, at least, two
measures to remedy the situation.