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JAMB Use of English 1993 past questions and answers

98 questions. Try each one, then open the answer to check yourself and read the explanation.

Question 1

Comprehension
JAMB 1993 Passage I: Disease patterns and medical care
The diseases afflicting Western societies have undergone dramatic changes. In the course of a century, so many mass killers have vanished that two-thirds of all deaths are now associated with the diseases of old age. Those who die young are more often than not, the victims of accidents, violence and suicide.

These changes in public health are generally equated with progress and are attributed to more or better medical care. In fact there is no evidence of any direct relationship between changing disease patterns and the so-called progress of medicine.

The impotence of medical services to change life expectancy and the insignificance of much contemporary clinical care in the curing of diseases are all obvious, well documented but well suppressed.

Neither the proportion of doctors in a population nor the quality of the clinical tools at their disposal nor the number of hospital beds is a causal factor in the striking changes in disease patterns. The new techniques available to recognize and treat such conditions as pernicious anaemia and hypertension, or to correct congenital malformations by surgical interventions, increase our understanding of disease but do not reduce its incidence. The fact that there are more doctors where certain diseases have become rare has little to do with their ability to control or eliminate them. It simply means that doctors, more than other professionals, determine where they work. Consequently, they tend to gather where the climate is healthy, where the water is clean, and where people work and can pay for their services.

Adapted from Cambridge Proficiency Examination Practice

The statement, 'The diseases afflicting Western societies have undergone dramatic change', implies that

  1. A.changes have taken place in the mode of diseases affliction
  2. B.medical services have been important in changing life expectancy
  3. C.a lot of significant progress has taken place in public health
  4. D.deaths from diseases in Western societies are minimal
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A (changes have taken place in the mode of diseases affliction)

Explanation

The statement simply says the kinds of diseases that attack people have changed: old mass killers have gone and diseases of old age now dominate. The passage denies that medical care caused this.

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Question 2

Comprehension

The writer is of the view that the diseases which prevail in contemporary Western societies

  1. A.result from modern life styles
  2. B.are concentrated among the elderly
  3. C.kill many people at once
  4. D.are resistant to drugs
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B (are concentrated among the elderly)

Explanation

The passage says two-thirds of all deaths are now linked to the diseases of old age, so today's diseases mainly affect the elderly.

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Question 3

Comprehension

The author thinks that the presence of a large number of doctors in a community

  1. A.does not have much effect on the control of diseases
  2. B.disguises the true facts about diseases
  3. C.controls the spread of diseases
  4. D.improves the overall quality of life in the community
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A (does not have much effect on the control of diseases)

Explanation

The writer says having more doctors where diseases are rare 'has little to do with their ability to control or eliminate them'.

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Question 4

Comprehension

Many doctors, according to the passage, choose to live where

  1. A.research facilities are available
  2. B.they are most needed
  3. C.they can be near colleagues
  4. D.conditions are more in their favour
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D (conditions are more in their favour)

Explanation

Doctors gather where the climate is healthy, the water is clean and people can pay them, that is, where conditions suit them.

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Question 5

Comprehension

The author's attitude to developments in medicine is

  1. A.matter-of-fact
  2. B.cautious
  3. C.indifferent
  4. D.cynical
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D (cynical)

Explanation

He calls it the 'so-called progress of medicine' and speaks of its 'impotence', which shows a scornful, cynical attitude.

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Question 6

Comprehension
JAMB 1993 Passage II: The women of NAM
ADUKE: Listen, my fellow women. The issue has little to do with being literate or not. It is true that most members of NAM (New Awareness Movement) are literate, but this does not make all of us enlightened. We must be able to draw a line between the two. You may be literate and yet possess a consciousness that is decadent and servile. On the other hand, you may not have received any formal education and yet may be the greatest exponent of progressive ideas.

HASANA: I agree with what our sister has said. Let us not allow ourselves to be divided by a greedy and an inflated notion of the certificates we possess. In this century, as we march towards the year 2000, our primary concern should be how best to improve the lot of womanhood in our society. Let us not forget that for each woman who is beaten up by her man for flimsy reasons the status of all of us here is downgraded. For each woman who is insulted for no other reason than that of her sex, every one of us here is spat on in the face. For each woman who is denied opportunities in the society simply because she is a woman, the whole lot of us here are dehumanized. Each widow in this society is an Everywoman, and the lot of each of us should be viewed as collective. Each rotten egg that is thrown at any one of us is an eternal splash of dirt on our faces. Each decayed tomato that is cast at her is a collective curse on our fecundity: each pebble thrown at her, a missile against our very womanhood. This is an age of awareness, and it is the duty of NAM to collectively rise in defence of the rights of women.

IME: We can no longer allow ourselves to be fried alive. We are going to squeeze ourselves into tight-fitting trousers, register into judo classes, and then file out into the street and punch the face of every man we behold.

In distinguishing between literacy and enlightenment, Aduke implies that

  1. A.it is useless to be literate
  2. B.enlightenment is inborn
  3. C.progress can take place without literacy
  4. D.both literacy and enlightenment are symbiotic
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C (progress can take place without literacy)

Explanation

Aduke says someone with no formal education can still be the greatest exponent of progressive ideas, so progress does not depend on literacy.

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Question 7

Comprehension

Hasana believes that NAM should not be divided by

  1. A.the worthless certificates which the women possess
  2. B.inflation and greed
  3. C.a misunderstanding of the worth of their certificates
  4. D.a selfish and over-rated belief in their certificates
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D (a selfish and over-rated belief in their certificates)

Explanation

Hasana warns against 'a greedy and an inflated notion of the certificates we possess', that is, a selfish, exaggerated pride in certificates.

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Question 8

Comprehension

'Each widow in this society is an Everywoman' means that

  1. A.every woman in the society is potentially a widow
  2. B.every widow in the society is a woman
  3. C.the suffering of every widow represents the burden of all women
  4. D.widowhood implies the isolation of the woman in society
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C (the suffering of every widow represents the burden of all women)

Explanation

Hasana's point is that what happens to one woman affects all women, so a widow's suffering stands for the burden every woman carries.

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Question 9

Comprehension

The speech of Hasana implies that

  1. A.it is the practice to throw rotten eggs at women
  2. B.it is the practice to cast decayed tomatoes at women
  3. C.to throw rotten eggs and decayed tomatoes at women is to reduce their fecundity
  4. D.to throw rotten eggs and decayed tomatoes at women is dehumanizing
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D (to throw rotten eggs and decayed tomatoes at women is dehumanizing)

Explanation

She treats every insult to a woman, like eggs and tomatoes thrown at her, as an attack that dehumanizes all women.

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Question 10

Comprehension

From the speech by Ime, it is clear that the women

  1. A.intend to do a real battle with the menfolk in defence of their rights
  2. B.will no longer perform their traditional duties
  3. C.are henceforth prepared to adopt a policy of confrontation with the men
  4. D.can do anything that a man can do and sometimes even better
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C (are henceforth prepared to adopt a policy of confrontation with the men)

Explanation

Ime talks of judo classes and punching every man they see, which shows they are now ready to confront men rather than accept their treatment.

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Question 12

Comprehension
JAMB 1993 Passage III: Journey to London
When I set out for London, little did I suspect that I was not on a journey to God's own city where harmony reigned supreme. So used to the frenzied life of Lagos was I that I had come to associate that city with everything that was chaotic, and there was no doubt in my mind that Lagos was one giant symbol of our backwardness. As the plane taxied its way out of the tarmac of our national airport, I heaved a sigh of relief, not so much because I was leaving my own country as that I was being relieved of the tension that had possessed me during those tense hours in the untidy lounge. I had felt so uneasy, my thoughts racing from one uncertainty to another. But I was at last air-borne, moving away from the whole uncertainty, from the whole load of fear, towards a place which I supposed would be an El Dorado.

Everything that happened in the plane passed through my eyes like pictures on the screen. The white air hostess who instructed me on how to use the safety belt was an angel, what with her beauty, her pretty blue dress, and her ever-smiling face. The same lady of the air served me snacks and supper. Another angel, whose queenly voice through an invisible public address system, dished out occasional information on the progress of our journey. I had never felt so relaxed, and my jolted heartbeats each time the plane took what appeared like a sudden brief descent, did not matter. When eventually we were set for landing, the anxiety that came over me was almost thrilling. What was the wonderland going to be like? So overwhelmed was I that I almost lost consciousness of what happened thereafter.

But I would never forget the shock that greeted me when we arrived in the tube station and boarded a train: the sea of white faces and the furtive glances from apparently indifferent co-passengers. I believe that the nostalgic feeling for Lagos which later became part of my life all my days in London began at this point.

Before the plane left Lagos, the writer must have

  1. A.had a second thought about leaving his country
  2. B.been very hungry in the lounge
  3. C.been frightened of all the people in the lounge
  4. D.detested the filth surrounding the lounge
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D (detested the filth surrounding the lounge)

Explanation

He saw Lagos as chaotic and a symbol of backwardness and describes the 'untidy lounge', so he disliked the dirt around him.

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Question 13

Comprehension

When the plane finally took off the writer felt happy because

  1. A.he was thrilled to be in a plane
  2. B.he believed that he was travelling to a problem-free country
  3. C.he no longer felt uneasy
  4. D.for the first time, he would be in El Dorado
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C (he no longer felt uneasy)

Explanation

He says he sighed with relief 'not so much because I was leaving my own country as that I was being relieved of the tension', so his happiness came from no longer feeling uneasy.

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Question 14

Comprehension

The writer's attitude to the air hostesses can be described as

  1. A.lustful
  2. B.worshipful
  3. C.timid
  4. D.gregarious
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B (worshipful)

Explanation

He calls each air hostess 'an angel' and admires her beauty and 'queenly voice', which is a worshipful, admiring attitude.

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Question 15

Comprehension

The writer, on getting into the train, was shocked because

  1. A.there were no attendants
  2. B.of the large number of white faces
  3. C.the people appeared unfriendly
  4. D.the train was not neater than those in Nigeria
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C (the people appeared unfriendly)

Explanation

He was shocked by the 'furtive glances from apparently indifferent co-passengers', meaning the people seemed cold and unfriendly.

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Question 16

Cloze Passage
JAMB 1993 Passage IV (cloze): Food aid and population planning
Did you ever pause to think that eating and mating may be ________ (16) to the extent of becoming targets for a planned international political strategy? If by an accident of geography, you happen to live in a region of Africa, Asia or Latin America that is one of the ________ (17) of foreign 'aid', then pay ________ (18) to an insight provided by Josne de Castro, a Brazilian sociologist and a former president of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The United States imposes birth control, not to help the poor countries — no one believes any more in its 'disinterested' aid programme — but because that is its strategic, defence ________ (19). We must ________ (20) that the pill is North America's best guarantee of continuing the domination of the Third World. If ever the Third World achieves normal development, Washington's 'Roman Empire' will ________ (21).

These views were ________ (22) about a decade later, when R. T. Ravenholt of the United States Office of Population stated that the United States was seeking to provide the means by which one quarter of the world's fertile women can be ________ (23).

These two statements are indicative of the ________ (24) of interests of multinational pharmaceutical corporations, defence strategists and food politicians. Whether or not population planning is a ________ (25) of the ruling elite for finding a scapegoat for its ineptitude, it is debatable. However, it is evident that there exists an inextricable link between food aid and population planning policies.

Passage IV, gap 16: Did you ever pause to think that eating and mating may be ________ (16) to the extent of becoming targets for a planned international political strategy?

  1. A.interlinked
  2. B.intertwined
  3. C.interposed
  4. D.intermingled
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A (interlinked)

Explanation

'Interlinked' means closely connected, which fits the idea that food and population are linked as political targets.

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Question 17

Cloze Passage

Passage IV, gap 17: If by an accident of geography, you happen to live in a region of Africa, Asia or Latin America that is one of the ________ (17) of foreign 'aid', then pay attention to an insight provided by Josne de Castro…

  1. A.receivers
  2. B.receptors
  3. C.recipients
  4. D.obtainers
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C (recipients)

Explanation

People or countries that receive aid are called 'recipients' of aid; 'receptors' is a term for body or radio parts.

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Question 18

Cloze Passage

Passage IV, gap 18: …then pay ________ (18) to an insight provided by Josne de Castro, a Brazilian sociologist and a former president of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

  1. A.hid
  2. B.heed
  3. C.attention
  4. D.cognizance
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C (attention)

Explanation

The fixed expression is 'pay attention to'. ('Hid' is not a word here, and we 'take', not 'pay', cognizance.)

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Question 19

Cloze Passage

Passage IV, gap 19: The United States imposes birth control, not to help the poor countries — no one believes any more in its 'disinterested' aid programme — but because that is its strategic, defence ________ (19).

  1. A.aim
  2. B.problem
  3. C.method
  4. D.policy
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D (policy)

Explanation

A government's planned course of action on defence is its 'defence policy'.

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Question 20

Cloze Passage

Passage IV, gap 20: We must ________ (20) that the pill is North America's best guarantee of continuing the domination of the Third World.

  1. A.realize
  2. B.recognize
  3. C.reckon
  4. D.discern
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A (realize)

Explanation

'Realize that' means to become aware of a fact, which is what the writer urges readers to do.

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Question 22

Cloze Passage

Passage IV, gap 22: These views were ________ (22) about a decade later, when R. T. Ravenholt of the United States Office of Population stated that the United States was seeking to provide the means by which one quarter of the world's fertile women can be sterilized.

  1. A.confirmed
  2. B.affirmed
  3. C.established
  4. D.reaffirmed
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A (confirmed)

Explanation

A later statement that proves earlier views true 'confirms' them.

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Question 23

Cloze Passage

Passage IV, gap 23: …the United States was seeking to provide the means by which one quarter of the world's fertile women can be ________ (23).

  1. A.fertilized
  2. B.impregnated
  3. C.sterilized
  4. D.childless
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C (sterilized)

Explanation

The passage is about birth control, so the means would make women unable to have children, that is, 'sterilized'.

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Question 24

Cloze Passage

Passage IV, gap 24: These two statements are indicative of the ________ (24) of interests of multinational pharmaceutical corporations, defence strategists and food politicians.

  1. A.conflict
  2. B.convergence
  3. C.collision
  4. D.collusion
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B (convergence)

Explanation

The drug companies, defence planners and food politicians all want the same thing, so their interests meet: a 'convergence of interests'.

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Question 25

Cloze Passage

Passage IV, gap 25: Whether or not population planning is a ________ (25) of the ruling elite for finding a scapegoat for its ineptitude, it is debatable.

  1. A.ploy
  2. B.style
  3. C.desire
  4. D.scheme
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A (ploy)

Explanation

A 'ploy' is a cunning trick; here, a trick the elite might use to blame others for its own failures.

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Question 26

Sentence Interpretation

Select the option that best explains the information conveyed in the sentence: Between you and me, I would say that the equipment has outlived its usefulness.

  1. A.I believe that the equipment is no longer useful to either of us
  2. B.I believe that the equipment continues to be useful to either you or me
  3. C.My idea of the usefulness of the equipment should remain known only to the two of us
  4. D.My idea of the usefulness of the equipment is shared by both of us
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C (My idea of the usefulness of the equipment should remain known only to the two of us)

Explanation

'Between you and me' is said before a private opinion that should not be repeated. The speaker shares his view that the equipment is useless and wants it kept between the two of them.

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Question 27

Sentence Interpretation

Select the option that best explains the information conveyed in the sentence: Emeka wished he had started school early.

  1. A.Emeka started school early as he wished
  2. B.Emeka regretted starting school early
  3. C.Emeka regretted not starting school early
  4. D.Emeka could have started school early if he had wished
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C (Emeka regretted not starting school early)

Explanation

'Wished he had started' shows he did not start early and is sorry about it.

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Question 28

Sentence Interpretation

Select the option that best explains the information conveyed in the sentence: He was between the devil and the deep blue sea.

  1. A.He was in danger
  2. B.He was scared
  3. C.He stood between the devil and the sea
  4. D.He was in a dilemma
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D (He was in a dilemma)

Explanation

'Between the devil and the deep blue sea' is an idiom for facing two equally bad choices, a dilemma.

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Question 29

Sentence Interpretation

Select the option that best explains the information conveyed in the sentence: The boys who rioted, were suspended by the principal.

  1. A.Only some of the boys rioted and they were suspended
  2. B.All the boys rioted and were suspended
  3. C.Many boys rioted and were suspended
  4. D.A few boys rioted and were suspended.
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A (Only some of the boys rioted and they were suspended)

Explanation

'Who rioted' picks out a particular group of boys, those who rioted, so only those boys were suspended.

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Question 30

Sentence Interpretation

Select the option that best explains the information conveyed in the sentence: Whoever would have thought that he would lose the presidential election?

  1. A.Everyone believed that he would lose the election
  2. B.It was commonly believed that he would win the election
  3. C.He was supposed to lose the election
  4. D.No one believed that he would win the election
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B (It was commonly believed that he would win the election)

Explanation

The question expresses surprise at his defeat, showing that people generally expected him to win.

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Question 31

Sentence Interpretation

Select the option that best explains the information conveyed in the sentence: It's wonderful that Musa is already out of hospital.

  1. A.The fact that Musa is out of hospital causes great wonder
  2. B.The fact that Musa is out of hospital is a miracle
  3. C.It is surprising that Musa is out of hospital
  4. D.It is very pleasing that Musa is out of hospital
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D (It is very pleasing that Musa is out of hospital)

Explanation

Here 'wonderful' means 'delightful' or 'very good', so the speaker is pleased, not surprised.

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Question 32

Sentence Interpretation

Select the option that best explains the information conveyed in the sentence: You could have heard the sound if you weren't asleep.

  1. A.You were not asleep so you heard the sound
  2. B.You were asleep so you did not hear the sound
  3. C.You heard the sound though you were asleep
  4. D.You did not hear the sound though you were not asleep
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B (You were asleep so you did not hear the sound)

Explanation

The condition is unreal: you were asleep, so you did not hear the sound.

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Question 33

Sentence Interpretation

Select the option that best explains the information conveyed in the sentence: Had Aminu been a dull student, his failure wouldn't have surprised anybody.

  1. A.Aminu failed and it surprised everybody since he was dull
  2. B.Aminu was not a dull student and so everybody was surprised that he failed
  3. C.Because Aminu was a dull student, everybody was surprised that he failed
  4. D.Aminu had been a dull student, and so nobody was surprised that he failed.
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B (Aminu was not a dull student and so everybody was surprised that he failed)

Explanation

'Had he been dull' means he was not dull; so his failure did surprise people.

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Question 34

Sentence Interpretation

Select the option that best explains the information conveyed in the sentence: The president of the club said that he would cross the bridge on getting there.

  1. A.He was waiting for an opportunity to take a decision
  2. B.When he got to the river he would build a bridge across it
  3. C.He would take a decision at the appropriate time
  4. D.When he got to the river he would cross at the bridge.
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C (He would take a decision at the appropriate time)

Explanation

'Cross the bridge when you get to it' means dealing with a problem only when it actually arises.

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Question 35

Sentence Interpretation

Select the option that best explains the information conveyed in the sentence: His refusal to help us, dealt a death-blow to our plans.

  1. A.because he did not help, our plans did not materialize
  2. B.He helped and our plans materialized
  3. C.He blew our plans to pieces
  4. D.He supported our plans so it worked.
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A (because he did not help, our plans did not materialize)

Explanation

A 'death-blow' ends something completely; because he refused to help, the plans failed.

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Question 36

Antonyms

Choose the option opposite in meaning to the word(s) in italics: It is entirely up to you to make a profession of your faith

  1. A.confess your belief
  2. B.turn your faith into a business
  3. C.deny your faith
  4. D.loudly proclaim your religion.
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C (deny your faith)

Explanation

To make a profession of your faith is to declare it openly; the opposite is to deny it.

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Question 37

Antonyms

Choose the option opposite in meaning to the word(s) in italics: He won the election because he was able to carry his people with him

  1. A.alienate his people
  2. B.go out with the people
  3. C.have the support of the people
  4. D.fail to provide the people with transport.
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A (alienate his people)

Explanation

To carry people with you is to keep their support; the opposite is to alienate (turn them away from) them.

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Question 38

Antonyms

Choose the option opposite in meaning to the word(s) in italics: They often quarrelled before leaving the house but made it up by the time they returned home

  1. A.added it up
  2. B.reconciled
  3. C.fell out
  4. D.compounded the problem
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C (fell out)

Explanation

'Made it up' means became friends again; 'fell out' means quarrelled, the opposite.

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Question 39

Antonyms

Choose the option opposite in meaning to the word(s) in italics: The effect of rising prices has snowballed considerably

  1. A.risen
  2. B.decreased
  3. C.frozen
  4. D.grown
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B (decreased)

Explanation

'Snowballed' means grown rapidly; the opposite is 'decreased'.

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Question 40

Antonyms

Choose the option opposite in meaning to the word(s) in italics: The economic situation is responsible for the recent discord in many families

  1. A.division
  2. B.resourcefulness
  3. C.harmony
  4. D.suffering
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C (harmony)

Explanation

'Discord' is disagreement or conflict; its opposite is 'harmony'.

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Question 41

Antonyms

Choose the option opposite in meaning to the word(s) in italics: The college was worried about Tunji's garrulous tendencies

  1. A.reticent
  2. B.loquacious
  3. C.quarrelsome
  4. D.outspoken
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A (reticent)

Explanation

'Garrulous' means too talkative; 'reticent' means saying little, the opposite. 'Loquacious' is a synonym.

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Question 42

Antonyms

Choose the option opposite in meaning to the word(s) in italics: We have found that cassava is a sine qua non item in our industry

  1. A.useful
  2. B.indispensable
  3. C.useless
  4. D.dispensable
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D (dispensable)

Explanation

A 'sine qua non' is something absolutely necessary; the opposite is 'dispensable' (can be done without).

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Question 43

Antonyms

Choose the option opposite in meaning to the word(s) in italics: Science may be a complicated area of learning, but its teaching needs to be demystified

  1. A.simplified
  2. B.twisted
  3. C.made difficult
  4. D.distorted.
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C (made difficult)

Explanation

To demystify is to make something clear and easy to understand; the opposite is 'made difficult'. 'Simplified' means the same, not the opposite.

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Question 44

Antonyms

Choose the option opposite in meaning to the word(s) in italics: Surveying the sky in the quiet of the night gives me an ethereal feeling

  1. A.human
  2. B.earthly
  3. C.mundane
  4. D.commonplace
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B (earthly)

Explanation

'Ethereal' means heavenly or not of this world; its direct opposite is 'earthly'.

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Question 45

Antonyms

Choose the option opposite in meaning to the word(s) in italics: The awareness of mortality has always imposed some restraint on man's excesses

  1. A.celestiality
  2. B.eternity
  3. C.continuity
  4. D.inexistence
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B (eternity)

Explanation

'Mortality' means being bound to die; the opposite idea is living for ever, 'eternity'.

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Question 46

Antonyms

Choose the option opposite in meaning to the word(s) in italics: The decision we have taken is irrevocable

  1. A.responsible
  2. B.irresponsible
  3. C.reversible
  4. D.irreversible
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C (reversible)

Explanation

'Irrevocable' means cannot be changed or reversed; the opposite is 'reversible'.

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Question 47

Antonyms

Choose the option opposite in meaning to the word(s) in italics: The lawyer pointed out a discrepancy in the two stories

  1. A.similarity
  2. B.gap
  3. C.falsehood
  4. D.difference
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A (similarity)

Explanation

A 'discrepancy' is a difference between things that should match; the opposite is a 'similarity'.

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Question 48

Antonyms

Choose the option opposite in meaning to the word(s) in italics: Their high level of dishonesty has made that department infamous in the entire secretariat

  1. A.reputable
  2. B.notorious
  3. C.unpopular
  4. D.acceptable
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A (reputable)

Explanation

'Infamous' means well known for something bad; 'reputable' means having a good reputation.

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Question 49

Antonyms

Choose the option opposite in meaning to the word(s) in italics: When Uche wouldn't come to quickly enough, the principal rushed him to the hospital

  1. A.revive
  2. B.pass out
  3. C.arrive
  4. D.come up
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B (pass out)

Explanation

To 'come to' is to regain consciousness; the opposite is to 'pass out' (lose consciousness).

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Question 50

Antonyms

Choose the option opposite in meaning to the word(s) in italics: The governor's action is out of tune with the declarations of his party

  1. A.in disagreement
  2. B.in line
  3. C.out of touch
  4. D.in touch
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B (in line)

Explanation

'Out of tune with' means not in agreement with; the opposite is 'in line with'.

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Question 51

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) in italics: Ator led a dog's life for the twenty years he stayed in the United Kingdom

  1. A.lived a dirty life
  2. B.was promiscuous
  3. C.was domesticated
  4. D.led an unhappy and troubled life
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D (led an unhappy and troubled life)

Explanation

'A dog's life' is an idiom for a miserable, hard life.

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Question 52

Synonyms

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) in italics: The chief's brother was a complete nonentity

  1. A.upstart
  2. B.vagabond
  3. C.riff-raff
  4. D.person of inexperience
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C (riff-raff)

Explanation

A 'nonentity' is a person of no importance; of the options, 'riff-raff' (worthless, unimportant people) is closest.

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Question 53

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) in italics: The principal warned us against burning the candle at both ends

  1. A.being careless with candles
  2. B.wearing ourselves out
  3. C.being too generous
  4. D.disloyalty
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B (wearing ourselves out)

Explanation

'Burning the candle at both ends' means working or living so hard, early and late, that you exhaust yourself.

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Question 54

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) in italics: Biola decided to give the task everything he had

  1. A.all his money
  2. B.all his time
  3. C.complete attention
  4. D.complete attendance
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C (complete attention)

Explanation

Giving a task everything you have means devoting your full effort and attention to it.

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Question 55

Synonyms

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) in italics: The result of the election would have been different if some people had not been disfranchised

  1. A.disfavoured
  2. B.banned from contesting
  3. C.allowed to rig
  4. D.prevented from voting
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D (prevented from voting)

Explanation

To be 'disfranchised' is to be denied the right to vote.

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Question 56

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) in italics: We enjoy the story but it sounds larger than life

  1. A.too long and unsubstantiated
  2. B.a little watery and lifeless
  3. C.completely untrue
  4. D.somewhat unusual
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D (somewhat unusual)

Explanation

Something 'larger than life' seems more remarkable or dramatic than ordinary things, so the story sounds unusual; it is not said to be untrue.

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Question 57

Synonyms

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) in italics: Olu might visit London next summer

  1. A.could
  2. B.will
  3. C.should
  4. D.can
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A (could)

Explanation

'Might' expresses a possibility; 'could' also expresses possibility. 'Will' is certainty and 'should' is duty.

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Question 58

Synonyms

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) in italics: General Murtala Muhammed excelled in deeds of prowess

  1. A.warfare
  2. B.politics
  3. C.courage
  4. D.eloquence
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C (courage)

Explanation

'Prowess' means great skill or bravery, especially in battle; 'courage' is closest.

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Question 59

Synonyms

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) in italics: The teacher's face broke into an incredulous smile when he heard Adamu's reason for coming late

  1. A.irritating
  2. B.artificial
  3. C.unbelieving
  4. D.irresponsible
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C (unbelieving)

Explanation

'Incredulous' means unwilling or unable to believe something.

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Question 60

Synonyms

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) in italics: Recreation is important in contemporary civilization

  1. A.leisure
  2. B.treasure
  3. C.freedom
  4. D.pleasure
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A (leisure)

Explanation

Recreation is what we do for enjoyment in our free time, which is 'leisure'.

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Question 61

Synonyms

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) in italics: He won most of his fights because of his unorthodox style

  1. A.crude
  2. B.dishonest
  3. C.aggressive
  4. D.unconventional
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D (unconventional)

Explanation

'Unorthodox' means not following the usual way, that is, 'unconventional'.

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Question 62

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) in italics: Jide says he read in the papers that our uncle has been declared a persona non grata by the French government

  1. A.unwelcome guest
  2. B.impersonator
  3. C.ungrateful person
  4. D.unofficial guest
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A (unwelcome guest)

Explanation

'Persona non grata' (Latin) is a person who is not welcome in a country.

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Question 63

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) in italics: The Vice-Chancellor, who is a stickler for rules, refused the request by students for the semester to be rescheduled

  1. A.a puritan
  2. B.a pedantist
  3. C.a disciplinarian
  4. D.an idealist
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B (a pedantist)

Explanation

A stickler for rules insists on following every rule exactly; a 'pedant' (here 'pedantist') is fussy about small rules and details.

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Question 64

Synonyms

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) in italics: The town looked deserted but we moved in with some trepidation

  1. A.confidence
  2. B.surprise
  3. C.hesitation
  4. D.fear.
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D (fear.)

Explanation

'Trepidation' means fear or anxiety about what may happen.

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Question 65

Vocabulary in Context

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: I have no respect for individuals who are too ________

  1. A.compliance
  2. B.compliant
  3. C.compliable
  4. D.complicated
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B (compliant)

Explanation

After 'too' we need an adjective; 'compliant' means too ready to obey others. 'Compliance' is a noun and 'compliable' is not standard.

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Question 66

Prepositions

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: The policemen who were to keep watch connived ________ the robber's escape

  1. A.with
  2. B.at
  3. C.to
  4. D.for
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B (at)

Explanation

To 'connive at' something is to secretly allow a wrong act, such as an escape, to happen. We connive with a person, not with an event.

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Question 67

Conjunctions

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: Kaka is ________ to acquire knowledge, but also eager to display it

  1. A.not only anxious
  2. B.anxious not only
  3. C.not only that she is anxious
  4. D.anxious
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A (not only anxious)

Explanation

'Not only … but also' must join matching parts: 'not only anxious to acquire … but also eager to display'.

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Question 68

Conjunctions

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: Wodu will not come ________ she is asked

  1. A.after
  2. B.provided
  3. C.unless
  4. D.because
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C (unless)

Explanation

'Unless' means 'if not': she will not come if she is not asked.

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Question 69

Pronouns

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: You must forbid ________ coming

  1. A.he's
  2. B.that he is
  3. C.him for
  4. D.his
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D (his)

Explanation

Before a gerund ('coming') we use a possessive: 'forbid his coming'.

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Question 70

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: Oche should leave for New York on Friday ________ being equal

  1. A.all the things
  2. B.all other things
  3. C.other things
  4. D.other things all
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C (other things)

Explanation

The fixed expression is 'other things being equal' (also 'all things being equal'), meaning if nothing changes.

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Question 71

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: The woman warned her daughter not to ________ with bad boys

  1. A.move
  2. B.be moving
  3. C.be keeping company
  4. D.keep company
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D (keep company)

Explanation

The idiom is 'keep company with' someone; the simple infinitive 'not to keep company' fits a warning.

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Question 72

Vocabulary in Context

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: Ali is crying because his mother was killed in a ________ accident

  1. A.motor
  2. B.traffic
  3. C.motor vehicle
  4. D.road
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D (road)

Explanation

The usual expression for a crash on the road is 'road accident'.

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Question 73

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: Otokpa is not very bold. He's not ________ a rough life

  1. A.cut up for
  2. B.cut for
  3. C.cut off for
  4. D.cut out for
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D (cut out for)

Explanation

'Not cut out for' something means not naturally suited to it.

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Question 74

Concord

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: Some of the food ________ spoilt

  1. A.is
  2. B.are
  3. C.were
  4. D.have
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A (is)

Explanation

'Food' is uncountable, so 'some of the food' takes a singular verb: 'is'.

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Question 75

Nouns and Determiners

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: They spent the last holiday with their ________

  1. A.sister in-laws
  2. B.sisters-in-law
  3. C.sisters-in-laws
  4. D.sisters-inlaws
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B (sisters-in-law)

Explanation

In compounds like 'sister-in-law' the plural 's' goes on the main word: 'sisters-in-law'.

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Question 76

Verb Forms

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: You should not need ________ twice

  1. A.to tell
  2. B.telling
  3. C.tell
  4. D.to have been told
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B (telling)

Explanation

'Need' + -ing has a passive meaning: 'you should not need telling twice' means you should not need to be told twice.

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Question 77

Nouns and Determiners

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: The ________ discouraged me from reading it.

  1. A.story's lengths
  2. B.length of the story
  3. C.story length
  4. D.stories length
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B (length of the story)

Explanation

'The length of the story' is the correct singular phrase and matches 'it' (one story).

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Question 78

Vocabulary in Context

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: When the teacher asked him to join the queue outside, he considered it ________ to his dignity

  1. A.an attack
  2. B.an insolence
  3. C.an affront
  4. D.a disrespect
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C (an affront)

Explanation

An 'affront to someone's dignity' is the fixed phrase for an insult. 'Insolence' and 'disrespect' are uncountable and do not take 'an/a'.

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Question 79

Vocabulary in Context

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: When he joined the staff of the school, he had various duties ________ to him

  1. A.detailed
  2. B.assigned
  3. C.prescribed
  4. D.enlisted
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B (assigned)

Explanation

Duties are 'assigned to' a person.

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Question 80

Prepositions

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: The secretary was blamed ________ the untidy state of the office

  1. A.for
  2. B.about
  3. C.over
  4. D.on
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A (for)

Explanation

We say someone is 'blamed for' something.

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Question 81

Vocabulary in Context

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: After a long talk with the police, Baba confessed his guilt and so the other boys with whom he was accused were ________

  1. A.vindicated
  2. B.consoled
  3. C.convinced
  4. D.exonerated
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D (exonerated)

Explanation

'Exonerated' means officially cleared of blame for a crime, which follows when the real culprit confesses.

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Question 82

Nouns and Determiners

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: You think she hasn't got any friends? Of course she's got ________

  1. A.many more
  2. B.quite much
  3. C.quite a few
  4. D.few
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C (quite a few)

Explanation

'Quite a few' means a fairly large number and fits a countable noun (friends). 'Few' would mean almost none.

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Question 83

Pronouns

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: He moved out of the house because the landlord and his wife were always fighting ________

  1. A.them selves
  2. B.theirselves
  3. C.each other
  4. D.one another
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C (each other)

Explanation

For two people we use 'each other'; 'one another' is traditionally for more than two.

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Question 84

Concord

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: The vermin on his body ________ hideous

  1. A.makes the lunatic look
  2. B.make the lunatic look
  3. C.makes the lunatic to look
  4. D.make the lunatic to look
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A (makes the lunatic look)

Explanation

'Vermin' is treated here as a singular mass, so 'makes'; after 'make' we use the bare infinitive 'look', not 'to look'.

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Question 85

Nouns and Determiners

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: Do you think all ________ not enough to help the investigators?

  1. A.these informations are
  2. B.this informations are
  3. C.this information is
  4. D.these information are
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C (this information is)

Explanation

'Information' is uncountable: it has no plural and takes 'this' and 'is'.

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Question 86

Verb Forms

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: Do you prefer ________ my rickety car?

  1. A.going on foot to taking
  2. B.to go on foot to taking
  3. C.going on foot than taking
  4. D.to go on foot than to take
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A (going on foot to taking)

Explanation

The pattern is 'prefer doing X to doing Y': 'prefer going on foot to taking'.

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Question 87

Conjunctions

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: No sooner ________ to fall

  1. A.did we set out when the rain had started
  2. B.had we set out than the rain started
  3. C.were we setting out than the rain started.
  4. D.we had set out when the rain started
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B (had we set out than the rain started)

Explanation

'No sooner' is followed by inverted past perfect ('had we set out') and then 'than'.

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Question 88

Vocabulary in Context

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: The company was charged with a ________ of contract

  1. A.negligence
  2. B.violation
  3. C.disregard
  4. D.breach
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D (breach)

Explanation

Failing to keep the terms of a contract is called a 'breach of contract'.

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Question 89

Nouns and Determiners

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: The army ran short of ________

  1. A.arm and ammunitions
  2. B.arms and ammunitions
  3. C.arms and ammunition
  4. D.arm and ammunition
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C (arms and ammunition)

Explanation

Weapons are 'arms' (always plural), and 'ammunition' is uncountable, so no 's'.

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Question 90

Concord

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: The helpless ________ our sympathy

  1. A.require
  2. B.requires
  3. C.does require
  4. D.do requires
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A (require)

Explanation

'The helpless' means helpless people, a plural, so the verb is 'require'.

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Question 91

Vocabulary in Context

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: My brother got married to a woman with ________ manners

  1. A.gorgeous
  2. B.exquisite
  3. C.decent
  4. D.attractive
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C (decent)

Explanation

Good behaviour is described as 'decent manners'; 'gorgeous' and 'attractive' describe looks.

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Question 92

Vocabulary in Context

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: The thief we caught yesterday was ________ as an official of the company

  1. A.disguised
  2. B.concealed
  3. C.masked
  4. D.veiled
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A (disguised)

Explanation

To dress up so as to look like someone else is to be 'disguised as' that person.

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Question 93

Adjectives and Adverbs

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: The carpenter asked for ten packets of ________ nails

  1. A.fifteen-centimetre
  2. B.fifteen centimetres'
  3. C.fifteen-centimetres
  4. D.fifteen-centimetres'
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A (fifteen-centimetre)

Explanation

A number + unit used as an adjective before a noun is hyphenated and singular: 'fifteen-centimetre nails'.

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Question 94

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: The President refused to shake ________ with the visiting Prime Minister

  1. A.hand
  2. B.hands
  3. C.a hand
  4. D.his hand
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B (hands)

Explanation

The idiom is 'shake hands with' someone.

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Question 95

Tenses

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: The trader complained that he ________ robbed

  1. A.had been
  2. B.has been
  3. C.was being
  4. D.is being
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A (had been)

Explanation

'Complained' is past, so the earlier robbery is in the past perfect: 'had been robbed'.

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Question 96

Vocabulary in Context

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: How can we believe this witness when no one will ________ his story?

  1. A.collate
  2. B.correlate
  3. C.collaborate
  4. D.corroborate
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D (corroborate)

Explanation

To 'corroborate' a story is to confirm it with further evidence.

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Question 97

Vocabulary in Context

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: The journalist's unpopular views made him the subject of much ________

  1. A.admiration
  2. B.derision
  3. C.admonition
  4. D.suspicion
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B (derision)

Explanation

Unpopular views lead to mockery: 'derision' means scornful laughter.

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Question 98

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: Idubor has gone to see his mechanic because his car engine needs to be turned ________

  1. A.in
  2. B.off
  3. C.up
  4. D.on
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C (up)

Explanation

An engine that needs servicing needs to be 'tuned up' (adjusted to run well); 'up' is the particle that fits.

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Question 99

Vocabulary in Context

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: I was so anxious to arrive early for the lecture that I ________ my notes in the car

  1. A.forgot
  2. B.left
  3. C.dropped
  4. D.abandoned
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B (left)

Explanation

When a place is mentioned, we 'leave' something somewhere; we 'forget' something without naming a place.

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Question 100

Vocabulary in Context

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: Good schools don't just teach their students, they ________ them

  1. A.inform
  2. B.instruct
  3. C.educate
  4. D.coach
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C (educate)

Explanation

'Educate' means to develop the whole person, which is more than just teaching; that is the contrast the sentence makes.

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