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JAMB Use of English 2021 past questions and answers

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

Question 13

Cloze Passage
JAMB 2021 Passage III: The hydrogen bomb as an atmospheric disturbance (cloze, gaps 11–20)
Whatever may be its wider implications, the explosion of hydrogen bomb is, for the meteorologist, simply another atmospheric disturbance. It should therefore be classed with certain rare natural ...11... such as volcanic ...12.... But there are certain features of a man-made disturbance that requires special examination as with all events on this ...13.... It is impossible to describe what happens in details. However we can be reasonably sure of the main effects, and the most impressive of these arises from ...14.... The immediate result of the ...15... is that the air surrounding the bomb is raised very rapidly to an enormously high ...16.... The hot gases expand violently as great ...17..., compressing the air around them into what is called ...18..., or blast wave that is responsible for much of terrible destructive power of the weapon.

Another kind of wave arises because of the weight of the air. The force of the explosion lifts the ...19... around the bomb. The gravity waves can also resemble ordinary ...20... waves. Waves of this type are normally felt by human beings and they have their effect on the weather.

Passage III, gap 13: But there are certain features of a man-made disturbance that requires special examination as with all events on this ________ (13).

  1. A.snow
  2. B.scale
  3. C.skate
  4. D.scanner
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Answer: B (scale)

Explanation

'On this scale' means of this size; the other words make no sense here.

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Question 25

Verb Forms

Choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fill(s) the gap: Do you mind ... another minute or two.

  1. A.to wait
  2. B.wait
  3. C.waiting
  4. D.having waited
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Answer: C (waiting)

Explanation

'Mind' is followed by the -ing form: 'Do you mind waiting?'

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Question 26

Tenses

Choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fill(s) the gap: I wish I ... your age.

  1. A.to be
  2. B.were
  3. C.to have been
  4. D.could be
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Answer: B (were)

Explanation

For an unreal present wish we use 'were' after 'I wish': 'I wish I were your age.'

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Question 27

Tenses

Choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fill(s) the gap: He has only ordered some lettuce and tea. He .... on a diet. He is a bit too fat.

  1. A.can't be
  2. B.needn't be
  3. C.must be
  4. D.mustn't be
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Answer: C (must be)

Explanation

The evidence (light meal, he is fat) leads to a confident conclusion, expressed with 'must be'.

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Question 28

Verb Forms

Choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fill(s) the gap: The philanthropist devoted himself ..... the poor.

  1. A.by helping
  2. B.to be helping
  3. C.to helping
  4. D.in helping
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Answer: C (to helping)

Explanation

'Devote oneself to' takes a noun or -ing form after 'to': 'devoted himself to helping'.

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Question 29

Pronouns

Choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fill(s) the gap: Yours is to command ..... is to obey.

  1. A.theirs
  2. B.their's
  3. C.their
  4. D.theirs
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Answer: D (theirs)

Explanation

The possessive pronoun 'theirs' (no apostrophe) matches 'Yours' in the first part of the sentence.

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Question 30

Prepositions

Choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fill(s) the gap: We have a family mutiny ....our hands.

  1. A.on
  2. B.for
  3. C.from
  4. D.of
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Answer: A (on)

Explanation

The idiom is 'on our hands', meaning a problem we have to deal with.

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Question 46

Synonyms

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the underlined: We all have both good and bad characteristics. Either is, however easily manifested in time of crisis

  1. A.demanded
  2. B.highlighted
  3. C.submerged
  4. D.demonstrated
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Answer: D (demonstrated)

Explanation

To manifest a quality is to show it clearly, i.e. to demonstrate it.

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Question 48

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the underlined: There is no love lust between Hassan and Hassana

  1. A.dislike each other
  2. B.are head over heels in love
  3. C.will love each other
  4. D.are still good friends
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A (dislike each other)

Explanation

'There is no love lost between' two people (the idiom misprinted here as 'love lust') means they dislike each other.

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