JAMB Literature in English 1990 past questions and answers

Lakunle is presented as a

1. A.fine specimen of an educated young man
2. B.truly progressive and enlightened youth
3. C.strong defender of the people's tradition
4. D.caricature of a modern educated man.

'...I am the twinkle of a Jewel But he is the hind-quarters of a lion!...' These lines suggest that

1. A.Sidi is superior to the Bale
2. B.Sidi is weaker than the Bale
3. C.Sidi is cleverer than the Bale
4. D.the Bale is violent.

The central theme of the play is the

1. A.ills of modern days
2. B.clash between tradition and modernity
3. C.problem of courtship
4. D.conflict between the old and the young

From The Lion and the Jewel (Wole Soyinka)

It can be inferred from the above lines that

1. A.there has been no harvest in the village
2. B.the Bale's servants are lazy
3. C.no children have been born recently
4. D.the Bale's servants are revolting.

Since the phrase 'two women' in the above extract refers to Petkoff's own daughter and wife, his grinning is a case of

1. A.sarcasm
2. B.ridicule
3. C.irony
4. D.suspense.

In what particular way did Raina demonstrate that she had fallen in love with Captain Bluntschli by the end of their first meeting?

1. A.By giving him chocolate creams which he preferred to bullets
2. B.By introducing him to her mother
3. C.By giving him her portrait with an inscription
4. D.By saving his life from the Serbian soldiers.

From Arms and the Man (George Bernard Shaw)

This account of an important battle in the play carries a tone of

1. A.admiration
2. B.mockery
3. C.bitterness
4. D.alarm.

'That is a photograph of the gentleman – the patriot and hero– to whom I am betrothed'. The gentleman referred to in this passage is

1. A.Bluntschli
2. B.Sergius
3. C.Petkoff
4. D.Don Quixote.

'... Tide and market come and go And so shall your mother.' The above lines from J.P. Clark's 'Streamside Exchange' depict the

1. A.variation of season
2. B.changing periods of marketing
3. C.constancy of nature
4. D.importance of living.

Gabriel Okara presents the Back in relation to the child-Front in his poem 'The Fisherman's Invocation' as a source of

1. A.inspiration
2. B.destruction
3. C.anxiety
4. D.uncertainty.

'When our Dead come with their Dead When they have spoken to us with their clumsy voices...' These lines from Birago Diop's poem, 'Vanity', refer to

1. A.the way in which the dead communicate with us
2. B.the clash of cultures in modern civilization
3. C.the elders' lack of sophistication
4. D.our inability to understand our ancestors.

The words 'naked' and 'barefoot' as used in Christopher Okigbo's 'The Passage', suggest

1. A.affluence
2. B.primitivity
3. C.penury
4. D.reverence.

Theo Luzuka's 'The Motoka' is cast in the mould of

1. A.a dirge
2. B.a gossip
3. C.an epistle
4. D.a ditty.

'... Their eyes recede from tomorrow, No sense of mission sustains them.' These lines from Odia Ofeimun's 'The Prodigals' express

1. A.a longing for the past
2. B.a lack of progress
3. C.the weight of tradition
4. D.an impatient attitude.

As suggested in Agostinho Neto's 'Night', the problems of the blackman today derive mostly from

1. A.the persistence of a superstitious life style that creates only mystery and terror in an otherwise enlightened world
2. B.a fate that made his skin colour identical to that of night
3. C.the lack of a clear sense of direction coupled with years of oppression that weakened his will
4. D.too much haste to catch up with the rest of the world as a result of which the basic structures of development are not being properly laid down.

From Kwesi Brew's 'The Dry Season'

These lines from Kwesi Brew's 'The Dry Season' mean that

1. A.there is chaos
2. B.this is a hunting season
3. C.the hare will be killed
4. D.the hawk and the dogs are strong.

These lines from Kwesi Brew's 'The Executioner's Dream' suggest that

1. A.even nature rejoices at human sacrifice
2. B.nature is indifferent to man's predicament
3. C.there is harmony in nature
4. D.there is a lot of activity in the undergrowth.

'The Fulani Creation Story' shows that

1. A.the world came about by a series of chance happenings
2. B.the world was created in three days
3. C.a logic of cause-and-effect underlies all creation
4. D.death came into the world when man set himself up as God's rival.

From Arrow of God (Chinua Achebe)

In view of the speaker's aim, this statement is

1. A.ambiguous
2. B.hyperbolic
3. C.ironic
4. D.an understatement

Which of the following BEST describes Ezeulu's mood when he was locked up in Okperi by the white administrator?

1. A.Indifference
2. B.Despair
3. C.Apathy
4. D.Nobility of mind.

From Arrow of God (Chinua Achebe)

The 'misfortune' referred to in this extract was the

1. A.misunderstanding between Akueke and her husband
2. B.outrage which Oduche committed against the sacred python
3. C.sending away of Ezeulu's sons to worship the whiteman's God
4. D.ominous visit of Ezeulu's in-laws to his compound.

The immediate cause of the war between Umuaro and Okperi was the

1. A.land dispute
2. B.murder of Akukalia
3. C.intervention of Captain Winterbottom
4. D.siting of the colonial administrative headquarters at Okperi.

From Arrow of God (Chinua Achebe)

In this passage, Ezeulu is pointing out to his son the wisdom in

1. A.moderation
2. B.bravery
3. C.cowardice
4. D.sitting on the fence.

What is the source of Aissatou's success in life?

1. A.Vengeance
2. B.Feminine courage
3. C.Social connections
4. D.Luck.

Aunty Nabou's subtle influence over young Nabou was developed and effected through

1. A.formal education
2. B.family ties
3. C.oral education
4. D.maternal authority.

From So Long a Letter (Mariama Ba)

The friendship referred to in these lines is that between

1. A.Binetou and Modou Fall
2. B.Ramatoulaye and Daouda Dieng
3. C.Modou Fall and Mawdo Ba
4. D.Aissatou and Ramatoulaye.

The letter form used in the novel is particularly effective because it

1. A.is dramatic in impact
2. B.dispenses with dialogue
3. C.is an intimate form of expression
4. D.is tragic in content.

The basic idea of any given work of art is its

1. A.imagery
2. B.style
3. C.theme
4. D.tone.

The epilogue in a literary composition is

1. A.at the beginning
2. B.in the middle
3. C.at the end
4. D.just before the end.

When a character in a literary work exists primarily to enhance, through contrast, the portrayal of the personal traits of another character, that first character is a

1. A.protagonist
2. B.antagonist
3. C.mirror character
4. D.foil.

A statement whose meaning is contrary to that openly expressed is an example of

1. A.metaphor
2. B.oxymoron
3. C.irony
4. D.personification.

Which of the following is central to narrative fiction?

1. A.Sequence of events
2. B.Dialogue
3. C.Objectivity
4. D.Subjectivity.

Which of the following could be applicable to all genres?

1. A.Symbolism
2. B.Rhythm
3. C.Action
4. D.Narration.

In literary criticism, a casual reference to a figure or an event is regarded as an

1. A.alliteration
2. B.allegory
3. C.allusion
4. D.ambiguity.

A paradox is

1. A.applied to a word or combination of words whose sound resembles the sense
2. B.a statement which seems self-contradictory or absurd, yet turns out to have a valid meaning
3. C.an episode of pantomime introduced through gesture and bodily movement in a play
4. D.an elaborately conceived poem expressing an urban poet's nostalgia for life in the country.

A necessary quality of every work of literature is that it

1. A.shows a creative use of language
2. B.has to be publishable in order to gain wide acceptance
3. C.teaches a moral lesson
4. D.uses characters or actors.

A picaresque novel is a

1. A.work of fiction set in a utopian past recalling the splendour of rural life
2. B.psychological novel with penetrating analyses of human emotions
3. C.futuristic novel set in outer space
4. D.work of fiction tracing the adventures of a scoundrel of low birth.

Devil on the Cross by Ngugi wa Thiong'o

The aesthetic appeal of this seduction emanates from the predominant use of

1. A.simile
2. B.metaphor
3. C.metonymy
4. D.synecdoche.

The literary device consciously used in the above extract is

1. A.metaphysical conceit
2. B.paradox
3. C.oxymoron
4. D.meiosis.

According to the passage, the 'Other Woman' by definition is

1. A.beautiful and vivacious
2. B.dishonest and deceitful
3. C.careless and dowdy
4. D.manipulative and predatory.

The uniqueness of Mr. Wopsle's speech is expressed in this passage through

1. A.a metaphor
2. B.an irony
3. C.a hyperbole
4. D.a flashback.

It can be inferred that the lawyer mentioned above is a

1. A.brave man
2. B.law-enforcement agent allowed to carry pistols
3. C.coward
4. D.gallant man who always protects ladies.

These lines from John Donne's 'Hymn to God the Father' contain examples of

1. A.pun
2. B.personification
3. C.hyperbole
4. D.quibble.

The picture of America presented in this passage is that of a place

1. A.of unknown and uncertain qualities
2. B.choked with red tape
3. C.as inviting as heaven itself
4. D.off-putting on account of the heat.

The character referred to in this passage

1. A.is excited by the news in the paper
2. B.is lonely and unhappy
3. C.has spent a long time over his food
4. D.is pleased with himself after a good meal.