READING AND COMPREHENSION

READ THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE CAREFULLY AND ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS WHICH FOLLOW

Knowledge, they say is power. Knowledge of things is more relevant in the life of every human. I want to
tell you about how knowledge was dispensed all over the world. That was kwaku who wanted to keep all
the wisdom of the world to him-selfish man so that he would be the sole custodian of all human
knowledge. What did he do? He set about collecting them all from far and near, imprisoning them in a
huge pot for future reference. When he felt he had collected them all, he secured the lid. Guess how he
did it? By typing layers of cows hide over the mouth of the pot to make absolutely certain that none
would escaped. I need to keep the box where I alone will know, he said in his characteristics nasal
manner. I’ll choose one tree at random in the forest and mark it with a symbol known only to me! What
did wise kweku do next? What did he do? He waited until everyone had left home and then carried the
pot to his chosen tree-the idiot. He put the pot down and tried it in front of him and started climbing.
After the two steps he slid back to earth. He tried three times with the same results. His son, hiding in
the bush shouted.

Daddy, try tying the pot piggyback and you’ll see the difference! He did it as he was told and lo and
behold! It was much easier. Midway he paused and said, look, I thought I had collected all the wisdom in
the world. See my stupid son; he had one left hiding in his miserable head

Kweku there upon dropped the pot. It hit the ground pomm! And all wisdom spread all over the world.
As for Kweku, he cracked his back and ever since he has had a cracked back. Poor Kweku! Serves him
right. Basically, this is how there was knowledge spread. This means that no one is entitled to keep
knowledge to his or her own. If one has any unique knowledge one needs to impart it to others so that
knowledge will continue to stay among humans.

Answer the following questions;

(a) What term from the passage would you use to describe someone who wants to keep everything
to themselves without considering others?
(b) What were the results of kweku’s three attempts to scale the tree?
(c) Who then taught Kweku the proper thing to do in order to succeed?
(d) What was the mood of Kweku after he had been successful by trying someone else’s advice?
(e) Which moral lesson do you learn from the story?
(f) For each of the following words, give another word or a phrase that means the same, and can fit
into the passage:
(i) Dispensed
(ii) Sole
(iii) Certain
(iv) Symbol
(v) impart
 READING AND COMPREHENSION

READ THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE CAREFULLY AND ANSWER ALL THE

QUESTIONS WHICH FOLLOW

Fatimah was always silent. She learnt a lot within a short time. In one month, she could milk
cows, separate butter and cheese from the milk and cook nearly as well as Rikku’s mother.
At first, she went with Rikku’s mother hawk the sour milk; she was beginning to find her
way to and from town. Fatimah was always chewing tobacco and so her lips, teeth and gums
became red. Hodio noticed that her looks had improved since she came to live with the
family. Her skin was smooth and shiny; she had also put on more flesh. Towards nightfall
when Fatimah came home she would take a pot and go down the stream where she bath and
drew water. Sometimes she went with Leibi and Shaitu; she was never alone. One evening
Hodio followed Fatimah quietly to the stream when the place was quiet and he could hear the
sound of his own footsteps on the dusty road. When he caught up with Fatimah, he suggested
to her to run away with him because he loves her dearly and wanted her to be his wife.
Fatimah refused. She knew that as a slave, she could never hope to marry a freeborn and
proud Fulani like Hoddio Sunsaye. Hodio did not give up. He spoke to her again. He tried to
persuade her to run away with him and live a town where to one cared about tradition and
custom. Eventually, Fatimah agreed to consider his proposal Hodio’s father old Sunsaye, was
the first person who missed Fatimah. He called his wife, Shaitu and asked her if she had seen
Fatimah. She replied in the negative. He asked Rikku and Leibi. No one could tell him where
Hodio and Fatimah were. They then look behind the hut; the horse was not there.

Questions

1. What two things did the girl learn to do in one month? B. gives two adjectives that
describe Fatimah in the first paragraph.
2. What was Hodio’s main reason for following Fatimah to the stream? B. What did
Fatimah refuse to do? C. why did she refused Hodio’s proposal
3. Why Hodio did wants to live in a town?
4. Give another word or phrase that mean the same and can fit in the passage
(I) Silent
(II) Sour
(III) Improved
(IV) Drew
(V) proposal
 READING AND COMPREHENSION

READ THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE CAREFULLY AND ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS WHICH
FOLLOW

One day a poor fisherman went fishing and caught nothing. He was just about to go home
when he felt suddenly the net had grown heavy. He taught he had caught a large fish. But
when he dragged it ashore, he found a heavy copper pot sealed with lead. He took the pot and
opened it. He turned it upside down but nothing came out. Something like smoke came out of
the pot and suddenly a dwarf appeared. I am going to kill you the dwarf shouted. The
fisherman asked why you want to kill me after getting you out of this pot. The dwarf told the
fisherman the creator punished me by keeping me here after I picked a quarrel with him
many years ago. So I have also decided to kill anyone who liberated me from this pot. The
fisherman beseeched the dwarf to spare his life but the dwarf insisted on taking his life. The
poor fisherman said alright I will die but before I die, I want to see how you were kept in the
pot because you look too big to be accommodated in this small pot the dwarf agreed to the
fisherman’s request and entered the pot. When the dwarf entered the pot the fisherman
hurriedly covered the pot with the lead cover and threw it into the sea to perish forever.

QUESTIONS

a. What was found in the fisherman’s net?

b. Why did the dwarf wanted to kill the fisherman?
c. How did the fisherman escape death?
d. How will you describe the dwarf?
e. Explain the following group of words as used in the passage.
i. Picked a quarrel ii. Taking his life
f. Give another word or phrase that is similar to the underlined words and can be fit well
into the passage.
i. Ashore

ii Liberated

iii. Beseeched.

iv. Accommodated

v. perish.