MADONNA CATHOLIC COLLEGE

HERITAGE ESTATE OJODU ABIODUN OGUN STATE

FIRST TERM EXAMINATION 2022/2023 SESSION
SUBJECT: ENGLISH LANGUAGE
CLASS: SS 1 TIME: 2HOURS
SECTION A: THEORY.
ANSWER ALL QUESTION
Choose any of the following letters/essays and write. Your writing should contain at least 450 words.
1.The National scholarship Secretariat is organizing an essay competition on the topic: A place of
interest visited write your entry.
2. As the senior Prefect of your school, write a letter to your principal pointing out at least two practices
among students that should be discouraged and two habits that should be promoted among teachers.
3. Your school has decided to increase your school fees, write a letter to your daddy who has travelled
out of state informing him of this recent development in the school.
4. Write a description on 'My Family'

Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions in it.
Although rural people needed kerosene for lighting, they relied on it more for cooking. However,
persistent fuel scarcity has made the commodity hardly affordable where it was available fetching dry
wood from the forest become inevitably the order of the day.
Early one morning, Jojo and I armed with cutlasses and axes, joined other young people who were more
conversant with the forest in search of dry wood. It soon dawned on us that this “essential commodity”
has been driven so far away that we had to wander into the heart of the forest before we could find a
huge branch of tree that looked dry. Convinced that it was, we went into action, each cutting from his
own side.
Scarcely had we started when Jojo suddenly jumped up from her position and exclaimed “goodness!”
when I inquired what has happened, she explained that the ground on which she was standing was lifting
her up. This sounded weird and I went close to examine the ground. It appeared level and was full of dry
leaves. There was no sig of anything other than the bare ground. Mockingly, I asked her to return to
work, adding that her phobia about the forest was changing into an illusion. Nevertheless, I struck the
ground with my cutlass, cutting through it to reassure her that there was noting to fear, But before I
could leave, I noticed blood trickling out of the cut on the ground and we scampered away, developing
goose-flesh.
As we watched from the distance, we observed that there was a writhing movement and gradually a
curled creature stretched into full length about three and a half feet. The earthly but splendid design of
the skin became visible and it started what was like its last struggle away from the spot. Its pace was
decreasingly with every effort to crawl on while more blood was lost as a result of the deep cut it has
received.
Whether it was shock or fear that prevented me from finishing up what is started, I cannot say. But
though we accomplished our aim of going to the forest that day, I was haunted by the guilt of an
unwilling murderer many days after.
a. Why was kerosene important to rural people?
b. State two reasons why the people sought an alternative to kerosene
c. What lifted Jojo up?
d. What did the narrator state that he could not finish?
e. … the heart of the forest …”
i. What figure of speech is contained in this expression
ii. What does it mean?
f. “As we watched from a distance …
i. What is the grammatical name given to this expression as it is used in the passage?
ii. What is its function?
g. For each of the following name given to this expression as it is used in the passage
i. persistent
ii. Inevitably
iii. Weird
iv. Mockingly
v. splendid.

SUMMARY
Armed robbery is one of the most condemnable crimes in contemporary society. People have been
maimed or killed for their money or belongings in the past, but never has robbery with violence been
experienced on such a large scale as observed recently. Armed robbery is typically motivated by the
desire to obtain money and valuables. However, some armed robbers engage in the crime with the
intention of boosting their status. Whatever the motivation, the act is inhumane and can result in injury
and sometimes death of victims.
It is rather unfortunate that in almost all modern societies there are always groups of unemployed young
people, some are unemployable because they have little or no education and lack skills. What is even
worse, these young people are often unprepared for and unwilling to do any manual work to earn an
honest living. They tend to blame the society for their plight and retaliate by indulging in acts of crime
and lawlessness. They grab money and valuable properties of their victims to enable them to survive in
the society which seems to ignore them. To reduce the instances of armed robbery, parents should do
their best to nurture their children in the right way because charity begins at home. They should instill
good values in them and should not hesitate to correct them early in life when they bring home
something that does not belong to them.
The rich, on the other hand, who are mostly the target of armed robbers, provide another cause. Some
show off their wealth ostentatiously, live flamboyantly, go about in flashy and sophisticated cars, hop
from one exotic island to another on holidays and brag about all their escapades on social media much to
the annoyance and envy of the unemployed youth. To bridge the gap about all the haves and have-nots,
the government should provide the basic necessities for its citizens. Social services should be made
available to those without jobs. The provision of such amenities to cater for the entire populace would
help to improve the living conditions of the unemployed and the underemployed. The adequate
provision of infrastructure would ensure that every individual has access to the basic comforts of life.
The breakdown of traditional systems, resulting in the loss of moral and spiritual values, has made
wealth the only thing of value in the eyes of the youth. The ostentatious display of ill-gotten wealth is
applauded and the society hardly questions its source. Many young people therefore engage in all
manner of nefarious activities including armed robbery to make money in order to enjoy the delights and
comforts of modern life and above all, are celebrated by their society. Law enforcement authority can
further reduce the spate of armed robberies by monitoring places known for high incidence of crime.
Constant and intrusive patrols of crime-prone areas can deter potential offenders.
QUESTIONS
A.In three sentences one for each, summarize the factors that make some youth go into armed robbery.
B.In three sentences one for each, summarize how armed robbery can be reduced.
 SECTION B: OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS
Section 1
From the options lettered A-E, choose the word that best completes the sentence.
1. The English alphabet is ______A. 24. B. 36. C.26. D. 34
2. Vowel sounds can be any of the following except_____. A. /e/. B. /a/. C./w/ D./i/
4. FLEETS OF CARS is an example of _____.A. a common noun B. a proper noun C. a collective noun
D. an abstract noun
5. Poverty with peace and contentment is _____ than riches with incessant fear. A. more better B. most
better C. very better D. far better E. so better
6. Sentence types according to function can be any of these except. A. Complex. B.interrrogatives. C.
Imperative. D. Declarative.
7. The gateman asked me ________. A. who I am B. who I was C. who am I D. whom I was
8. She put the files on the principal's table. The underlined expression is termed _______phrase. Noun.
B. Prepositional. C Adjectival. D. Adverbial
9. Alfred is afraid of his wife who has a very ____ size (a) eminent (b) momentous (c) prominent (d)
intimidating
10. The government has imposed an ___ on the importation of used vehicles (a) order (b) edict (c)
embargo (d) act
11. The corpse has been taken to the ____ (a) dispensary (b) mortuary (c) theatre (d) ward
12. What we saw was amazing. The underlined is termed_________clause. A. Adjectival. B.
Prepositional. C. Adverbial. D. Noun
13. His appointment was ______ because of irregularities in his credentials. (a) annulled (b) terminated
(c) suspended (d) dismissed
14. The new car is very attractive but I doubt its ______ (a) style (b) complexity (c) durability (d)
longevity
15. This is the boy_________removed the pipette from the laboratory. A. Who. B. Which. C. while D.
whom.
16. A type of sentence that is made up two different clauses with unequal statuses is called______
sentence (a) compound (b) complex (c) simple (d) interrogative
17. A type of adjective that names the qualities that occur in varying degrees is referred to as _______(a)
comparative(b) superlative(c) gradable(d) non-gradable.
18. One of the following is a vowel sound that has two sounds produced as one sound.(a) consonant(b)
monothong (c) diphthong(d) triphthong
19. When an adjective precedes the noun it qualifies, it is called_______(a) distributive(b) predicative
(c) attributive(d) comparative.
20. I know that you are a student. The underlined is a/an_________clause. (a) adjectival (b) adverbial
(c) noun (d) proper
Section 2
Choose the word(s) that is NEARLY OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined words and at the same
time correctly fill the gaps in the sentence
21. There isn’t enough rice, so its importation is permitted whereas the importation of cement is
_____(a) suspended (b) licensed(c) unaccepted(d) prohibited
22. My grandfather, rather than being ____ was often quite prejudiced in his opinions (a)subjective (b)
discriminating (c) impartial (d) strict
23. Both sides are very hopeful about the outcome of the peace talks, but observers are still very
_______ (a) realistic (b) emphatic (c) explicit (d) pessimistic
24. It took me the whole day to summarize the lecturer's coherent notes. _____(a) scanty(b) illegible(c)
inaccurate(d) coherent
25. The principal of that school was demoted for his incompetence while several other were commended
for their _____(a) punctuality(b) honesty(c) efficiency(d) sincerity
26. Currently nobody is happy with the awful economy of the country. (a) fearful (b) improverished(c)
wonderful(d) homeless
27. While we expected it to be gradual, the process of transition to civilian rule came to an ____ end(a)
abrupt(b) anticipated(c) unhappy(d) unpleasant
28. The workshop is intended to ____________the workers who had been confused by the
management's decisions. A. train. B. enlighten. C. address. D. Confound.
29.He was rather perplexed at the end of meeting. A. divergent. B undismayed. C. discordant. D.
Strident.
30. While the robber remained unruffled after he had been arrested his wife became__________A.
defiant. B. rude. C.agitated. D. energetic.
Section 3
Choose the word or group of words that is NEAREST IN MEANING to the underlined word as it is
used in the sentence.
31. Nowadays, children are given much more latitude than before(a) advice (b) freedom(c) luxury (d)
variety
32. My neighbor lives a humdrum life (a) busy (b) careless (c) monotonous (d) humble
33. The manager described the new accountant as a man of impeccable character (a) serious (b)
dangerous (c) faultless (d) rigid
34. The teacher sent the boy out of the class for his impertinence (a) timidity (b) indifference (c)
rudeness (d) cheating
35. This book is the abridged version of the original (a) edited (b) detailed (c) shortened
(d)revised
36. The thief’s jail term are to run concurrently (a) consecutively (b) alternatively (c) immediately
37. The lawyer stated clearly that rock star's wealth was bequeathed to the third wife (a)lpassed down
(b)interited(c) announced (d) referred
38. The incessant political crisis was a major deterrent to the national development. (a) difference(b)
delay(c) improvement (d) advocate.
39. The state of the nation currently has created many destitutes. (a) scavengers(b) improverished(c)
devils(d) homeless
40. I watched as the thief made his way stealthily into the back of the house. (a) boldly (b) fiercely(c)
secretly (d) openly
In the following sentences, the numbered gaps indicate missing words. Against each number in the list
below four options are given in columns lettered A toD. Choose the word that is most suitable to fill the
numbered gaps In the following passage.
Fishing is one of the overlooked sports in the world. It really requires very little and inexpensive-
______41____. While you enjoy the slorrt, you will be getting food for your efforts as ____42____is
highly nutritious. A fisherman can use a simple pole and ____43____which are not expensive or a rod
and reel, to fish. The standard fishing method is to put a ___44____or ___45____on a hook. The fish
will see this and nibble it, strike it or snap at it. When the fish tries to cat it, the ___46____catches it in
the throat.
It is also good to use __47___for fishing equipment. These indicate when a fish is nibbling at the bait.
This method is more reliable than to watch for ____48____on the water surface. Fishermen who fish on
a small______49___do so from river the river___50_____and some row in boats to the middle of the
river.
41. A. equipment. B.machinery. C.implement. D.apparatus
42. A. salmon. B.fish. C.markerel. D.sardine
43. A.rope. B. wire. C.cord. D.thread
44. A.gnat. B.bait. C.worm. D.fly
45. A.fish. B.meat. C.chaff. D.lure
46.A. needle. B.hook. C.pin. D.line
47.A. float. B.mats. C.rafts. D.plank
48. A. wave. B.bubble. C.foam. D.signs
49. A.level. B size. C.scale. D.base
50. A. embarment. B.bank. C.cliff. D.bridge
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that has the same vowel sound as the one represented
by the letter(s) underlined.
51. Foal. A. Pull B. Pool C. Pail. D. Pole
52. Won. A. One. B. Con. C. Wan. D. Clone
53. Pier. A. Liar. B.pie. C. Peers. D.pears.
54. Lie. A. Lion B. Python C. Pantheon D. Sieve
55. Mirth. A. Much. B. Word. C.Myth . D. Weird
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that has the same consonant sound as the one
represented by the letter(s) underlined.
56. Whom. A. When. B. Ahoy. C. Dawn. D.war
57. Examine. A. Assume. B. Excess. C. Axle. D. Exhaust.
58. Wings. A. Pins. B. Wind. C.Wigs. D. Lungs.
59. Mate. A. Stand. B. Damn. C. Punt D. Pawn
60. Red. A. Erred. B. Arid C. Aired. D. Are