JAMB Literature in English 1981 past questions and answers

Chief-Who-Is-Chief won Anansewa for his wife because he

1. A.paid the largest dowry
2. B.showed the greatest love for her
3. C.bribed Property Man
4. D.was a friend of Anansewa's father
5. E.paid her school fees.

George Kweku Ananse in the Marriage of Anansewa was

1. A.a tricker
2. B.an exploiter
3. C.a Christian
4. D.an orator
5. E.a politician.

The Marriage of Anansewa is a play based on Ghanaian

1. A.politics
2. B.traditional marriage ceremonies
3. C.folktales
4. D.Lady Macbeth could not sleep
5. E.oral poetry.

After the murder of Duncan, Macbeth was still dissatisfied because

1. A.he wanted to see the witches again
2. B.he had only paved the way for Banquo's son
3. C.he felt remorse
4. D.Lady Macbeth could not sleep
5. E.there was knocking at the gate.

From Macbeth (Shakespeare)

These words were spoken by

1. A.Banquo
2. B.Macbeth
3. C.Malcolm
4. D.Lady Macbeth
5. E.Macduff.

Macbeth is confident that he will not be defeated in battle because

1. A.all his enemies had gone into exile
2. B.he is a better fighter than Macduff
3. C.he had already killed Banquo
4. D.Lady Macbeth gives him courage
5. E.the witches gave him an assurance.

'They have tied me to a stake: I cannot fly, But bear like I must fight the course'. Macbeth here is represented as

1. A.confident and arrogant
2. B.pitiable and evil
3. C.pitiable but courageous
4. D.pitiable and fearful
5. E.merry and confident.

Which group of characters appears in Macbeth?

1. A.Audrey, Phebe, Silvius
2. B.Charles, Malcolm, Banquo
3. C.Lennox, Donalbain, Seyton
4. D.Duncan, Frederick, Banquo
5. E.Oliver, Ross, Adam.

The banished Duke regained his kingdom when his brother Frederick

1. A.was defeated in battle
2. B.was rejected by his people
3. C.died on his way to the woods
4. D.was converted by a religious man
5. E.became too old to rule.

Olivia hated Orlando because Orlando

1. A.defeated Charles in the wrestling contest
2. B.was in love with Rosalind
3. C.was preferred by the people to himself
4. D.was more educated than himself
5. E.ran away from home.

From As You Like It (Shakespeare)

The speaker of the above lines from As You Like It is

1. A.Jacques
2. B.Orlando
3. C.Adams
4. D.Duke Senior
5. E.Le Bosu.

In As You Like It, the Forest of Arden could symbolize

1. A.passion
2. B.anxiety
3. C.goodness
4. D.wealth
5. E.power.

In Kongi's Harvest, there is a struggle for power between Kongi and

1. A.Daodu
2. B.Oba Danlola
3. C.Segi's father
4. D.the Aweri fraternity
5. E.the people.

Part of the meaning of Kongi's Harvest lies in the fact that Kongi's final harvest is

1. A.a big yam
2. B.respect
3. C.disaster
4. D.honour
5. E.fame.

In Kongi's Harvest, Wole Soyinka dramatizes

1. A.the fall of a great man
2. B.the rise of the carpenter's brigade
3. C.the tragedy of Segi
4. D.the growth and development of political tyranny
5. E.the destruction of a great African country.

Drama is essentially different from poetry because it

1. A.always involves many characters
2. B.exists mainly in action
3. C.uses elevated language
4. D.uses localized imagery
5. E.deals with tragic experiences.

Prose extract (Question 20)

The mood caught in this scene is one of

1. A.excitement
2. B.warmth
3. C.hopefulness
4. D.high spirits
5. E.sadness.

The poet of these lines

1. A.shows cheap love
2. B.is incapable of seriousness
3. C.considers heaven's cloths worthless
4. D.is a sensitive, serious lover
5. E.is an unrealistic, wishful man.

In this passage the elders are presented as

1. A.very admirable people
2. B.decent and honest
3. C.impressed by the Secretary
4. D.impressively learned
5. E.distinctly progressive.

For this poet, the passing year has

1. A.been one of satisfaction and fulfilment
2. B.had nothing to do with his personal life
3. C.brought death to relatives
4. D.meant unrealized hopes
5. E.brought changes.

In this passage describing the end of a school day, children's movements are made memorable through the use, in lines 4-5 of

1. A.simile
2. B.metaphor
3. C.alliteration
4. D.cadence
5. E.inversions.

Zambia Shall Be Free is a

1. A.biography
2. B.autobiography
3. C.novel
4. D.novella
5. E.short story.

What Gerry liked most about Theodore Shephanides in My Family and Other Animals was his

1. A.smart appearance
2. B.difference
3. C.gift of a microscope
4. D.lovely tea parties
5. E.inexhaustible knowledge.

In the early days of the Durrell's sojourn on the Island of Corfu, Gerry's most constant companion was

1. A.Christaki
2. B.Roger
3. C.Spiro
4. D.Yani
5. E.Larry.

Naipaul's The Middle Passage is best described as

1. A.a novel
2. B.a tragic play
3. C.an autobiography
4. D.a satire.

From Gray's 'Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard'

In these lines from Gray's 'Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard' the poet is referring to

1. A.the plowman and the herd
2. B.the rich people of the village
3. C.the congregation in the church
4. D.the politicians
5. E.all those buried in the graveyard.

As the magi journey towards their destination, voices singing in their ears said their undertaking was

1. A.worthwhile
2. B.uncertain
3. C.foolish
4. D.wise
5. E.commendable.

From Kwesi Brew's 'The Sea Eats Our Land'

The figure of speech used in these lines from Kwesi Brew's. 'The Sea Eats Our Land's is

1. A.oxymoron
2. B.personification
3. C.metaphor
4. D.simile
5. E.synecdoche.

In 'Salute to the Elephant', the poet

1. A.warns about the danger of elephants
2. B.tells the story of elephants
3. C.describes the attributes of the elephants
4. D.shows where to find elephants
5. E.wants the destruction of elephants.

From Keats' 'Ode to a Nightingale'

In these lines from Keats 'Ode to a Nightingale' the poet uses

1. A.alternate rhymes
2. B.heroic couplet
3. C.blank verse
4. D.octosyllabic metre
5. E.terza rima.

The main idea suggests in Kalu Uka's poem 'Earth to Earth'

1. A.death and burial
2. B.man's mortality
3. C.the changes in seasons
4. D.the propitiation of ancestors
5. E.the falling of dew-drops.

From Brutus' 'A Troubadour I Traverse'

The above lines from Brutus' poem 'A Troubadour I Traverse' indicate that the poet

1. A.is a traveller
2. B.is an explorer who collects things
3. C.enjoys amorous adventures
4. D.loves a woman
5. E.has a deep-rooted love for his country.

The night is significant in 'Nightfall in Soweto' because E night brings a lot of enjoyment.

1. A.people stay in their houses
2. B.crimes are committed at night
3. C.the people can rest their tired bones at night
4. D.black peoples are persecuted even in their own homes at night

The word 'fence' in Peter's poem 'The Fence' symbolizes

1. A.racial prejudice
2. B.falsehood
3. C.truth
4. D.moral indecision
5. E.social classes.

In Rubadiri's 'Stanley Meets Mutesa' Mtu Mweupe Karibu means

1. A.whiteman, you are a man of excellent calibre
2. B.white man stay in peace with us
3. C.whiteman you are welcome
4. D.whiteman go back to your country
5. E.whiteman here are cables for you.

In Lord Tennyson's 'Ulysses' the phrase 'happy Isles' refers to

1. A.the abode of the dead
2. B.the palace of Achilles
3. C.the abode of the gods
4. D.the ringing plants of windy Troy
5. E.the land of an idle king.

S.T. Colerige's 'Kubla Khan' is a poem about

1. A.a dream world
2. B.the world of demon lovers
3. C.the river Alph
4. D.a sunless sea
5. E.sunny spots of greenery.

'The Myth of the Bagre' is an example of

1. A.a dream world
2. B.a narrative poem of initiation
3. C.a poem in praise of manly prowess
4. D.a poem recited at marriage festivals
5. E.a poem sacred to the memory of ancestors.

At the mines where Xuma worked, the workers were

1. A.satisfied
2. B.confused
3. C.rebellious
4. D.overworked
5. E.respected.

Peter Abraham's Mine Boy can be described as a

1. A.regional novel
2. B.detective novel
3. C.romantic novel
4. D.novel of social criticism
5. E.historical novel.

Leah was finally arrested by the police because she

1. A.was betrayed by an enemy
2. B.was outwitted by the Fox
3. C.did not offer a big enough bribe to the police
4. D.bribed the wrong person
5. E.became too militant.

When Kofi's grandparents in The Narrow Path learnt that Nani wanted to marry Edzi, they

1. A.did not approve
2. B.made her change her religion
3. C.congratulated him
4. D.welcomed Edzi with open arms
5. E.disowned him.

Because he was transferred often, Kofi's father in The Narrow Path

1. A.made a lot of money
2. B.became a very famous headmaster
3. C.loved travelling a great deal
4. D.could not train his children properly
5. E.could save no money to build himself a house at home.