JAMB UTME - Use of English - 1987

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase which best fills the gap(s):

The _____ Affairs Officers is expecting all of us in the dining room

The endeavor to maintain proper standard of fairness in journalism must be pursued. It is fatally easy for the journalist to deviate from the straight path. There is his natural desire to ‘make a story’ and insidious temptation to twist facts to square with his paper’s policy. Both are as indefensible as the framing of misleading headlines for the sake of effect. The conscientious journalist must check any tendency to bias, and guard against the dangers inherent in personal antipathies or friendships, and in traditional oppositions between rival schools of thought. When a political opponent, whose stupidity habitually provokes attack, makes an effective speech, honesty requires that he be given credit for it. Where personal relationships might make it easier and more congenial to keep silent than to criticize, the journalist must never forget his duty to the public and the supreme importance of recording the truth

In the question below choose the option opposite in meaning to the word(s) Underlined:

The house-wife was hard up before the end of each month

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase which best fills the gap(s):

The ceremony was rounded _____ very late.

In the question below choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) or phrase Underlined:

We have to identify the protagonists of the new movement

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

' _____ at 9:30 for more news',said the announcer.

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

The nurse kept apologizing to mothers as she stuck her needle _____ every baby at the clinic

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

Dapo has made good use of some useful _____ on the chemical composition of chalk

In the question below choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) or phrase Underlined:

I think i'll like to reiterate the points earlier made.

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase which best fills the gap(s):

_____ guests enjoyed joy's birthday party

In the question below choose the option opposite in meaning to the word(s) Underlined:

Unless we see the evils clearly, contending against them is like fighting the air

Primitive man was probably more concerned with fire as a source of warmth and as a means of cooking food than as a source of light. Before the discovered less laborious ways of making fire, he had to preserve it and whenever he went on a journey he carried a firebrand with him. He discovered that the firebrand, from which the torch may well have developed, could be used for illumination was probably incidental to the primary purpose of preserving a flame.

Lamps too probably developed by accident. Early man may had his first conception of a lamp while watching a twing or fibre burning in the molten fat dropped from roasting carcass. All he had to do was to fashion a vessel to contain fat and float a lighted reed in it. Such lamps which were made of hollow stones or sea-shells have persisted in identical form up to quite recent times.

Primitive man was least concerned with fire as a

In the question below choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) or phrase Underlined:

The distance is not more than twenty kilometres as the crow flies

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

One of the ladies who _____ in the premises _____ been asked to withdraw.

In the question below choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) or phrase Underlined:

My nephew came in stealthily through the back gate

There are one or two things this country can teach others, one of them is the art of writing obituaries. One suspects that the reason why some of our newspapers still manage to break even is because of the great amount of revenue they derive from obituaries. It is not unusual for about one quarter of the volume of an average daily to be constituted of obituaries and in in memorial alone. One possible explanation for this, it has been argued, is that Nigerians value their dead greatly. And there is a saying amongst us that you do not say evil things against the dead. This is obviously the philosophy behind the large dose of encomiums with which our dead are bestowed. From evidences of these obituaries and in memorial, every dead Nigerian must have been something of a saint while alive. This would explain why the death of most Nigerians is attributed to the evil Machinations of the wicked. Only very few people in our country die natural death, and even when they do, the obituaries, etc always give the impression that such deaths constitute the saddest loss to befall the deceased family. And that is why writers of these obituaries and their allied advertisements are experts on ‘mortuary stylistics’. This ‘mortuary stylistics’ the study in the art of eulogizing the dead and making their loss sound so heart breaking, is one of the commodities we can export to other countries.

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase which best fills the gap(s):

My _____ brother intends to get married in December.

In the question below choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) or phrase Underlined:

He as been a life of make-belief

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

The villages looked _____ their leader for good examples.

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

All _____ well with Peter

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

The man insisted on giving unsolicited _____

In the question below choose the option nearest in meaning to the Underlined word(s) or phrase:Ít is very difficult to know who is not entitled to essential commodities these days' observed the mobbed NNSC officials

In the question below choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) or phrase Underlined:

The Director left his secret file to the Secretary in good faith

Manager: Mr.Mbu, I would not describe you as an inefficient worker; I therefore find it difficult to understand why the conference room is so untidy, in spite of the fact that I had reminded you of the meeting scheduled to take place there this afternoon.

Secretary: Sir, I did instruct the cleaner to tidy up the place before meeting

Manager: Are you trying to hold the cleaner responsible for the untidy condition of the room?

Secretary: Partly, sir, I gave him an instruction which he failed to carry out. It is certainly my intention to make a formal complaint against him for dereliction of duty.

Manager: And would you wash your hands off any blame after that? Do you think that just making a formal complaint against the cleaner absolves you of all blame? When do you consider an assignment as properly executed; when the execution is properly supervised or not? Was it sufficient for you to give instruction to the cleaner with out ensuring that he actually carried them out?

Secretary: Sir, I do not see what else I could have done, short of doing the job myself. The cleaner Is a six-footer and I could not have intimidated him physically.

Manager: I see, I await your complaints against the cleaner, but I shall not forget that you allowed a board meeting to take place in an untidy conference room.

Manager: Mr.Mbu, I would not describe you as an inefficient worker; I therefore find it difficult to understand why the conference room is so untidy, in spite of the fact that I had reminded you of the meeting scheduled to take place there this afternoon.

Secretary: Sir, I did instruct the cleaner to tidy up the place before meeting

Manager: Are you trying to hold the cleaner responsible for the untidy condition of the room?

Secretary: Partly, sir, I gave him an instruction which he failed to carry out. It is certainly my intention to make a formal complaint against him for dereliction of duty.

Manager: And would you wash your hands off any blame after that? Do you think that just making a formal complaint against the cleaner absolves you of all blame? When do you consider an assignment as properly executed; when the execution is properly supervised or not? Was it sufficient for you to give instruction to the cleaner with out ensuring that he actually carried them out?

Secretary: Sir, I do not see what else I could have done, short of doing the job myself. The cleaner Is a six-footer and I could not have intimidated him physically.

Manager: I see, I await your complaints against the cleaner, but I shall not forget that you allowed a board meeting to take place in an untidy conference room.

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase which best fills the gap(s):

One would wish _____ missed that opportunity to be present at the graduation ball

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

Omogbai reported that the examinations _____ before he arrived in the hall

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

Chinyere has not really described the Cabinet as irresponsible; she only _____ it in her speech.

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

The quarrel has got to a stage where someone has to _____

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

Do not take my books out of this office unless you _____ my permission to do so

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase which best fills the gap(s):

Peter was such a skillful boxer that he was not afraid to take _____ anybody.

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

Tonye said that he was going to bed because he was _____ to do any more work

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

The train was to slow so i decided to _____ at the next stop

In the question below choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) or phrase Underlined:She showed an affected interest in the game.

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

My brother does not have a flair _____ mathematics.

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

In my opinion, neither the player nor the coach _____ praise for the result of the match.

In the question below, choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s).

My wife and I were to celebrate our silver anniversary last Sunday. Unfortunately on that ______ day.

There are one or two things this country can teach others, one of them is the art of writing obituaries. One suspects that the reason why some of our newspapers still manage to break even is because of the great amount of revenue they derive from obituaries. It is not unusual for about one quarter of the volume of an average daily to be constituted of obituaries and in in memorial alone. One possible explanation for this, it has been argued, is that Nigerians value their dead greatly. And there is a saying amongst us that you do not say evil things against the dead. This is obviously the philosophy behind the large dose of encomiums with which our dead are bestowed. From evidences of these obituaries and in memorial, every dead Nigerian must have been something of a saint while alive. This would explain why the death of most Nigerians is attributed to the evil Machinations of the wicked. Only very few people in our country die natural death, and even when they do, the obituaries, etc always give the impression that such deaths constitute the saddest loss to befall the deceased family. And that is why writers of these obituaries and their allied advertisements are experts on ‘mortuary stylistics’. This ‘mortuary stylistics’ the study in the art of eulogizing the dead and making their loss sound so heart breaking, is one of the commodities we can export to other countries.

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

Culture patterns are modified as they are _____ from one generation to the next

In the question below choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) or phrase Underlined:

Our teacher seldom comes late to school

Manager: Mr.Mbu, I would not describe you as an inefficient worker; I therefore find it difficult to understand why the conference room is so untidy, in spite of the fact that I had reminded you of the meeting scheduled to take place there this afternoon.

Secretary: Sir, I did instruct the cleaner to tidy up the place before meeting

Manager: Are you trying to hold the cleaner responsible for the untidy condition of the room?

Secretary: Partly, sir, I gave him an instruction which he failed to carry out. It is certainly my intention to make a formal complaint against him for dereliction of duty.

Manager: And would you wash your hands off any blame after that? Do you think that just making a formal complaint against the cleaner absolves you of all blame? When do you consider an assignment as properly executed; when the execution is properly supervised or not? Was it sufficient for you to give instruction to the cleaner with out ensuring that he actually carried them out?

Secretary: Sir, I do not see what else I could have done, short of doing the job myself. The cleaner Is a six-footer and I could not have intimidated him physically.

Manager: I see, I await your complaints against the cleaner, but I shall not forget that you allowed a board meeting to take place in an untidy conference room.

You all know how friendly we are with Okperi. Do you think that any Umuaro man who goes to prison there will come back alive? But that apart, do you forget that this is the moon of planting? Do you want to grow this year?s crops in the prison house in a land where your fathers owe a cow? I speak as your elder brother. I have travelled in Olu and I have travelled in Igbo and I can tell you that there is no escape from the white man. He has come when suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat left for him, he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stool. The white man is like that. Before any of you here was old enough to tie a cloth between the legs I saw with my own eyes what the white man did to Abame. Then I knew there was no escape. As day light chases away darkness so will the white man drive away all our customs. I know that as I say it now it passes by your ears, but it will happen. The white man has power which comes from the true God and it burns like fire. This is the God about whom we preach every eighth day???..

Unachukwu?s opponents were now shouting that this was a meeting of an age group that they had not assembled to join with him in chewing the seed of foolishness which they called their new religion.

?We are talking about the white man?s road? said a voice above the others.

?Yes, we are talking about the white man?s road. But when the roof and walls of a house fall in, the ceiling is not left standing. The white man, the new religion, the soldiers, the new road-they are all part of the same thing. The white man has a gun, a machete, a bow and carries fire in his mouth. He does not fight with one weapon alone?.

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

The poor little kid has been down _____ fever these few days

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

We have done three quarters of the journey already; we _____ as well see the end of it

In the question below choose the option opposite in meaning to the word(s) Underlined:The explosive growth of world population has not been caused by a sudden increase in human fertility

There are one or two things this country can teach others, one of them is the art of writing obituaries. One suspects that the reason why some of our newspapers still manage to break even is because of the great amount of revenue they derive from obituaries. It is not unusual for about one quarter of the volume of an average daily to be constituted of obituaries and in in memorial alone. One possible explanation for this, it has been argued, is that Nigerians value their dead greatly. And there is a saying amongst us that you do not say evil things against the dead. This is obviously the philosophy behind the large dose of encomiums with which our dead are bestowed. From evidences of these obituaries and in memorial, every dead Nigerian must have been something of a saint while alive. This would explain why the death of most Nigerians is attributed to the evil Machinations of the wicked. Only very few people in our country die natural death, and even when they do, the obituaries, etc always give the impression that such deaths constitute the saddest loss to befall the deceased family. And that is why writers of these obituaries and their allied advertisements are experts on ‘mortuary stylistics’. This ‘mortuary stylistics’ the study in the art of eulogizing the dead and making their loss sound so heart breaking, is one of the commodities we can export to other countries.

Primitive man was probably more concerned with fire as a source of warmth and as a means of cooking food than as a source of light. Before the discovered less laborious ways of making fire, he had to preserve it and whenever he went on a journey he carried a firebrand with him. He discovered that the firebrand, from which the torch may well have developed, could be used for illumination was probably incidental to the primary purpose of preserving a flame.

Lamps too probably developed by accident. Early man may had his first conception of a lamp while watching a twing or fibre burning in the molten fat dropped from roasting carcass. All he had to do was to fashion a vessel to contain fat and float a lighted reed in it. Such lamps which were made of hollow stones or sea-shells have persisted in identical form up to quite recent times.

You all know how friendly we are with Okperi. Do you think that any Umuaro man who goes to prison there will come back alive? But that apart, do you forget that this is the moon of planting? Do you want to grow this year’s crops in the prison house in a land where your fathers owe a cow? I speak as your elder brother. I have travelled in Olu and I have travelled in Igbo and I can tell you that there is no escape from the white man. He has come when suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat left for him, he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stool. The white man is like that. Before any of you here was old enough to tie a cloth between the legs I saw with my own eyes what the white man did to Abame. Then I knew there was no escape. As day light chases away darkness so will the white man drive away all our customs. I know that as I say it now it passes by your ears, but it will happen. The white man has power which comes from the true God and it burns like fire. This is the God about whom we preach every eighth day………..

Unachukwu’s opponents were now shouting that this was a meeting of an age group that they had not assembled to join with him in chewing the seed of foolishness which they called their new religion.

‘We are talking about the white man’s road’ said a voice above the others.

‘Yes, we are talking about the white man’s road. But when the roof and walls of a house fall in, the ceiling is not left standing. The white man, the new religion, the soldiers, the new road-they are all part of the same thing. The white man has a gun, a machete, a bow and carries fire in his mouth. He does not fight with one weapon alone’.

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

We must not take with us the feelings of inadequate _____ experienced during preparations for the debate

The endeavor to maintain proper standard of fairness in journalism must be pursued. It is fatally easy for the journalist to deviate from the straight path. There is his natural desire to ‘make a story’ and insidious temptation to twist facts to square with his paper’s policy. Both are as indefensible as the framing of misleading headlines for the sake of effect. The conscientious journalist must check any tendency to bias, and guard against the dangers inherent in personal antipathies or friendships, and in traditional oppositions between rival schools of thought. When a political opponent, whose stupidity habitually provokes attack, makes an effective speech, honesty requires that he be given credit for it. Where personal relationships might make it easier and more congenial to keep silent than to criticize, the journalist must never forget his duty to the public and the supreme importance of recording the truth

You all know how friendly we are with Okperi. Do you think that any Umuaro man who goes to prison there will come back alive? But that apart, do you forget that this is the moon of planting? Do you want to grow this year’s crops in the prison house in a land where your fathers owe a cow? I speak as your elder brother. I have travelled in Olu and I have travelled in Igbo and I can tell you that there is no escape from the white man. He has come when suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat left for him, he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stool. The white man is like that. Before any of you here was old enough to tie a cloth between the legs I saw with my own eyes what the white man did to Abame. Then I knew there was no escape. As day light chases away darkness so will the white man drive away all our customs. I know that as I say it now it passes by your ears, but it will happen. The white man has power which comes from the true God and it burns like fire. This is the God about whom we preach every eighth day………..

Unachukwu’s opponents were now shouting that this was a meeting of an age group that they had not assembled to join with him in chewing the seed of foolishness which they called their new religion.

‘We are talking about the white man’s road’ said a voice above the others.

‘Yes, we are talking about the white man’s road. But when the roof and walls of a house fall in, the ceiling is not left standing. The white man, the new religion, the soldiers, the new road-they are all part of the same thing. The white man has a gun, a machete, a bow and carries fire in his mouth. He does not fight with one weapon alone’.

Unachukwu's speech in this passage shows that he

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

Bassey's evidence led _____ Okon being imprisoned for life

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

Roli failed because the examination was _____ difficult for her

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

During demonstration, the mobile police were instructed to break _____ the students defence line

In the question below choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) or phrase Underlined:

It is claimed that there is an extinct volcano near Pankshin

Primitive man was probably more concerned with fire as a source of warmth and as a means of cooking food than as a source of light. Before the discovered less laborious ways of making fire, he had to preserve it and whenever he went on a journey he carried a firebrand with him. He discovered that the firebrand, from which the torch may well have developed, could be used for illumination was probably incidental to the primary purpose of preserving a flame.

Lamps too probably developed by accident. Early man may had his first conception of a lamp while watching a twing or fibre burning in the molten fat dropped from roasting carcass. All he had to do was to fashion a vessel to contain fat and float a lighted reed in it. Such lamps which were made of hollow stones or sea-shells have persisted in identical form up to quite recent times.

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase which best fills the gap(s):

I was _____ hearing distance of the speaker.

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

We surely ought to have an _____ arrangement in case somebody discovers the presents strategy

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the underlined word.

I would not like you to do the work piecemeal.

In the question below choose the option opposite in meaning to the word(s) Underlined:

The Lions lost the match because their goalkeeper was in a haze most of the time

In the question below choose the option opposite in meaning to the word(s) Underlined:

The retired General became a hard- nosed officer after fighting the war

In the question below choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) or phrase Underlined:

Some workers went on rampage at a trade-fair.

In the question below choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) or phrase Underlined:

I know you've been eaves-dropping all along.

In the question below choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) or phrase Underlined:At the age of 80, Musa wished he could put the clock back

In the question below choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) or phrase Underlined:

The sudden death of the king put paid to the ambition of the Minister

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

A tale of two cities _____ the _____ we are studying for examination

In the question below choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) or phrase Underlined:

Bola has a sonorous voice.

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

My little daughter has _____ sights; hence she now wears glasses

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

We discovered at the end of last term that we had to read _____ books before we could confidently go for our final examination

In the question below choose the option opposite in meaning to the word(s) Underlined:

My bother's primary school foundation was solid and this influenced his secondary education

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

He did not stop to ask himself why _____ such thing.

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

Student: Excuse me sir, must we complete the assignment before lunch? Teacher: No you _____

You all know how friendly we are with Okperi. Do you think that any Umuaro man who goes to prison there will come back alive? But that apart, do you forget that this is the moon of planting? Do you want to grow this year’s crops in the prison house in a land where your fathers owe a cow? I speak as your elder brother. I have travelled in Olu and I have travelled in Igbo and I can tell you that there is no escape from the white man. He has come when suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat left for him, he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stool. The white man is like that. Before any of you here was old enough to tie a cloth between the legs I saw with my own eyes what the white man did to Abame. Then I knew there was no escape. As day light chases away darkness so will the white man drive away all our customs. I know that as I say it now it passes by your ears, but it will happen. The white man has power which comes from the true God and it burns like fire. This is the God about whom we preach every eighth day………..

Unachukwu’s opponents were now shouting that this was a meeting of an age group that they had not assembled to join with him in chewing the seed of foolishness which they called their new religion.

‘We are talking about the white man’s road’ said a voice above the others.

‘Yes, we are talking about the white man’s road. But when the roof and walls of a house fall in, the ceiling is not left standing. The white man, the new religion, the soldiers, the new road-they are all part of the same thing. The white man has a gun, a machete, a bow and carries fire in his mouth. He does not fight with one weapon alone’.

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

Chinedu took his umbrella with him in case it _____

In the question below choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) or phrase Underlined:

The man insisted on having no strings attached to the agreements

In the question below, choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s).

Owing to the constant harassment of the populace by armed robbers, all night guards have been instructed to shoot _____ every moving thing.

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

No one has said anything yet, but i think i _____ be getting a salary increase next month

You all know how friendly we are with Okperi. Do you think that any Umuaro man who goes to prison there will come back alive? But that apart, do you forget that this is the moon of planting? Do you want to grow this year’s crops in the prison house in a land where your fathers owe a cow? I speak as your elder brother. I have travelled in Olu and I have travelled in Igbo and I can tell you that there is no escape from the white man. He has come when suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat left for him, he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stool. The white man is like that. Before any of you here was old enough to tie a cloth between the legs I saw with my own eyes what the white man did to Abame. Then I knew there was no escape. As day light chases away darkness so will the white man drive away all our customs. I know that as I say it now it passes by your ears, but it will happen. The white man has power which comes from the true God and it burns like fire. This is the God about whom we preach every eighth day………..

Unachukwu’s opponents were now shouting that this was a meeting of an age group that they had not assembled to join with him in chewing the seed of foolishness which they called their new religion.

‘We are talking about the white man’s road’ said a voice above the others.

‘Yes, we are talking about the white man’s road. But when the roof and walls of a house fall in, the ceiling is not left standing. The white man, the new religion, the soldiers, the new road-they are all part of the same thing. The white man has a gun, a machete, a bow and carries fire in his mouth. He does not fight with one weapon alone’.

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

The hunter brought home _____ antelope.

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase which best fills the gap(s):

Many candidates _____ to realise the difference between written and spoken English

So far I have been speaking of science in its universality, viewed from the perspective of the world at large. For the context of our own country and our sister developing countries, many of the factors mentioned earlier are not very important. For example, pollution, deterioration of the environment and population explosion are not yet serious problems for us in this country.

Let me now turn to a more specific area, namely the question of scientific choice for developing countries. There is no doubt that role which science s and technology have played in the upliftment of the material and economic well-being of the developed nation will, and does, influence the criteria that the Third World nations must choose in order to establish their science policies and priorities.

But the criteria to be used by this nation do not have the same as those which have brought the developed countries to their present stage of evolution. For while human beings have the same problems, their solutions, to be meaningful will have to be sought within some relevant frame of reference, such as the available resources and expertise, social values, place and time in the historical scale.

In the question below choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) or phrase Underlined:

I cannot understand how he suddenly became audacious contrary to his nature

In the question below choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) or phrase Underlined:

Your extreme patience sometimes infuriates me

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

My boss is usually a charming man but _____ he can be very irritable

Manager: Mr.Mbu, I would not describe you as an inefficient worker; I therefore find it difficult to understand why the conference room is so untidy, in spite of the fact that I had reminded you of the meeting scheduled to take place there this afternoon.

Secretary: Sir, I did instruct the cleaner to tidy up the place before meeting

Manager: Are you trying to hold the cleaner responsible for the untidy condition of the room?

Secretary: Partly, sir, I gave him an instruction which he failed to carry out. It is certainly my intention to make a formal complaint against him for dereliction of duty.

Manager: And would you wash your hands off any blame after that? Do you think that just making a formal complaint against the cleaner absolves you of all blame? When do you consider an assignment as properly executed; when the execution is properly supervised or not? Was it sufficient for you to give instruction to the cleaner with out ensuring that he actually carried them out?

Secretary: Sir, I do not see what else I could have done, short of doing the job myself. The cleaner Is a six-footer and I could not have intimidated him physically.

Manager: I see, I await your complaints against the cleaner, but I shall not forget that you allowed a board meeting to take place in an untidy conference room.

In the question below choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) or phrase Underlined:

It is of fundamental importance that one sleeps properly.

The endeavor to maintain proper standard of fairness in journalism must be pursued. It is fatally easy for the journalist to deviate from the straight path. There is his natural desire to ‘make a story’ and insidious temptation to twist facts to square with his paper’s policy. Both are as indefensible as the framing of misleading headlines for the sake of effect. The conscientious journalist must check any tendency to bias, and guard against the dangers inherent in personal antipathies or friendships, and in traditional oppositions between rival schools of thought. When a political opponent, whose stupidity habitually provokes attack, makes an effective speech, honesty requires that he be given credit for it. Where personal relationships might make it easier and more congenial to keep silent than to criticize, the journalist must never forget his duty to the public and the supreme importance of recording the truth

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

Ore _____ so if she had thought it necessary

The endeavor to maintain proper standard of fairness in journalism must be pursued. It is fatally easy for the journalist to deviate from the straight path. There is his natural desire to ‘make a story’ and insidious temptation to twist facts to square with his paper’s policy. Both are as indefensible as the framing of misleading headlines for the sake of effect. The conscientious journalist must check any tendency to bias, and guard against the dangers inherent in personal antipathies or friendships, and in traditional oppositions between rival schools of thought. When a political opponent, whose stupidity habitually provokes attack, makes an effective speech, honesty requires that he be given credit for it. Where personal relationships might make it easier and more congenial to keep silent than to criticize, the journalist must never forget his duty to the public and the supreme importance of recording the truth

In the question below choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) or phrase Underlined:

Nothing irritates the clerk more, than being assigned miscellaneous duties

There are one or two things this country can teach others, one of them is the art of writing obituaries. One suspects that the reason why some of our newspapers still manage to break even is because of the great amount of revenue they derive from obituaries. It is not unusual for about one quarter of the volume of an average daily to be constituted of obituaries and in in memorial alone. One possible explanation for this, it has been argued, is that Nigerians value their dead greatly. And there is a saying amongst us that you do not say evil things against the dead. This is obviously the philosophy behind the large dose of encomiums with which our dead are bestowed. From evidences of these obituaries and in memorial, every dead Nigerian must have been something of a saint while alive. This would explain why the death of most Nigerians is attributed to the evil Machinations of the wicked. Only very few people in our country die natural death, and even when they do, the obituaries, etc always give the impression that such deaths constitute the saddest loss to befall the deceased family. And that is why writers of these obituaries and their allied advertisements are experts on ‘mortuary stylistics’. This ‘mortuary stylistics’ the study in the art of eulogizing the dead and making their loss sound so heart breaking, is one of the commodities we can export to other countries.

In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s):

The way that big boy bullied his sister with relish make me think he could be a _____

In the question below, choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fills the gap(s).

The first graduation ceremony of the university was attended by men from all ______ of life.

The endeavor to maintain proper standard of fairness in journalism must be pursued. It is fatally easy for the journalist to deviate from the straight path. There is his natural desire to ‘make a story’ and insidious temptation to twist facts to square with his paper’s policy. Both are as indefensible as the framing of misleading headlines for the sake of effect. The conscientious journalist must check any tendency to bias, and guard against the dangers inherent in personal antipathies or friendships, and in traditional oppositions between rival schools of thought. When a political opponent, whose stupidity habitually provokes attack, makes an effective speech, honesty requires that he be given credit for it. Where personal relationships might make it easier and more congenial to keep silent than to criticize, the journalist must never forget his duty to the public and the supreme importance of recording the truth

The duty of the journalist to the public entails

Manager: Mr.Mbu, I would not describe you as an inefficient worker; I therefore find it difficult to understand why the conference room is so untidy, in spite of the fact that I had reminded you of the meeting scheduled to take place there this afternoon.

Secretary: Sir, I did instruct the cleaner to tidy up the place before meeting

Manager: Are you trying to hold the cleaner responsible for the untidy condition of the room?

Secretary: Partly, sir, I gave him an instruction which he failed to carry out. It is certainly my intention to make a formal complaint against him for dereliction of duty.

Manager: And would you wash your hands off any blame after that? Do you think that just making a formal complaint against the cleaner absolves you of all blame? When do you consider an assignment as properly executed; when the execution is properly supervised or not? Was it sufficient for you to give instruction to the cleaner with out ensuring that he actually carried them out?

Secretary: Sir, I do not see what else I could have done, short of doing the job myself. The cleaner Is a six-footer and I could not have intimidated him physically.

Manager: I see, I await your complaints against the cleaner, but I shall not forget that you allowed a board meeting to take place in an untidy conference room.

In the question below choose the option opposite in meaning to the word(s) Underlined:It is generally believed that misers are not loved by many

You all know how friendly we are with Okperi. Do you think that any Umuaro man who goes to prison there will come back alive? But that apart, do you forget that this is the moon of planting? Do you want to grow this year’s crops in the prison house in a land where your fathers owe a cow? I speak as your elder brother. I have travelled in Olu and I have travelled in Igbo and I can tell you that there is no escape from the white man. He has come when suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat left for him, he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stool. The white man is like that. Before any of you here was old enough to tie a cloth between the legs I saw with my own eyes what the white man did to Abame. Then I knew there was no escape. As day light chases away darkness so will the white man drive away all our customs. I know that as I say it now it passes by your ears, but it will happen. The white man has power which comes from the true God and it burns like fire. This is the God about whom we preach every eighth day………..

Unachukwu’s opponents were now shouting that this was a meeting of an age group that they had not assembled to join with him in chewing the seed of foolishness which they called their new religion.

‘We are talking about the white man’s road’ said a voice above the others.

‘Yes, we are talking about the white man’s road. But when the roof and walls of a house fall in, the ceiling is not left standing. The white man, the new religion, the soldiers, the new road-they are all part of the same thing. The white man has a gun, a machete, a bow and carries fire in his mouth. He does not fight with one weapon alone’.

In the question below choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) or phrase Underlined:'This is a miniaturized version of your house' remarked the Architect.

In the question below choose the option nearest in meaning to the word(s) or phrase Underlined:

The Chief approached the issue with convincing disinterestedness.