JAMB Use of English 1978

Question 3

All over the world till lately and in most of the world till today, mankind has been following the course of nature: that is to say, it has been breeding up to the maximum. To let nature take her course in the reproduction of the human race may have made sense in an age in which we were also letting her take her course in decimating mankind by the casualties of war, pestilence, and famine. Being human, we have at least revolted against that senseless waste. We have started to impose on nature’s heartless play a humane new order of our own. But when once man has begun to interfere with nature, he cannot afford to stop half way. We cannot, with impunity, cut down the death-rate and at the same time, allow the birthrate to go on taking nature’s course. We must consciously try to establish an equilibrium, or sooner or later, famine will stalk abroad again.

Humane, as used in the passage means

1. sensible
2. wise
3. human
4. benevolent
5. thorough

Question 4

All over the world till lately and in most of the world till today, mankind has been following the course of nature: that is to say, it has been breeding up to the maximum. To let nature take her course in the reproduction of the human race may have made sense in an age in which we were also letting her take her course in decimating mankind by the casualties of war, pestilence, and famine. Being human, we have at least revolted against that senseless waste. We have started to impose on nature’s heartless play a humane new order of our own. But when once man has begun to interfere with nature, he cannot afford to stop half way. We cannot, with impunity, cut down the death-rate and at the same time, allow the birthrate to go on taking nature’s course. We must consciously try to establish an equilibrium, or sooner or later, famine will stalk abroad again.

'We must consciously try to establish an equilibrium, implies that mankind must

1. realistically find an equation
2. strive not to be wasteful
3. deliberately try to fight nature
4. try to fight nature
5. purposely find a balance

Question 6

The endeavor to maintain proper standards 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 opposition 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.

When may a journalist have to act against his own inclination?

1. "When his friends act stupidly
2. When he becomes weak and decrepit
3. When his enemies make a mistake
4. When his political opponents frame misleading headlines
5. After he has been given a bribe

Question 8

The endeavor to maintain proper standards 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 opposition 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.

'Insidious' (line 2) means

1. subtle
2. wicked
3. natural
4. unusual
5. wild

Question 11

So far, I have been speaking of science in its universality viewed from the perspective of the world at large. For in 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 the role which science and technology have played in the upliftment of the material and economic well-being of the developed nations 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 these nations do not have to be 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.

frame of reference in this passage means

1. point of information
2. range of authority
3. economic pattern
4. context of situation
5. wholesome choice

Question 13

So far, I have been speaking of science in its universality viewed from the perspective of the world at large. For in 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 the role which science and technology have played in the upliftment of the material and economic well-being of the developed nations 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 these nations do not have to be 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.

According to the passage, the basic consideration for developing science and technology should be three of the following: 1. technical know-how 2. availability of raw materials 3. Atmospheric pollution 4. the people's tradition and beliefs 5. population 6. capital

1. 2, 1 and 6 only
2. 3, 2 and 4 only
3. 5, 3 and 6 only
4. 6, 5 and 4 only
5. 5, 2 and 6 only

Question 14

So far, I have been speaking of science in its universality viewed from the perspective of the world at large. For in 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 the role which science and technology have played in the upliftment of the material and economic well-being of the developed nations 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 these nations do not have to be 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.

The main idea of this passage is that

1. there is a yawning gap between the have and the have-nots
2. there is need to rid his countrymen from scourges of hunger, disease, ignorance and want
3. there could be atmospheric pollution and population explosion
4. the concerns of science and technology are the same in all countries
5. each nation must plan its development according to its needs and resources

Question 16

These two factors, the altitude and the weather, tend separately and together to defeat the climber. The height weakens, slows him down, it forces him to spend days and nights in the course of his assault on the summit: the weather, besides adding to the demands of his energy and moral fortitude, conspires to deny him the time he needs to complete his mission. Whereas in lower mountains and on easy ground the weather may be no more than a handicap, in the high Himalayas it is decisive, regardless of terrain. The deduction to be drawn from these two factors was clear enough. We must either so fortify ourselves that we could continue, without detriment, to live and have our being above the limit of natural acclimatization, or better still, we must solve the problem of speed. It was desirable, in fact, that we should meet both these requirements and thus give to those chosen to attempt the summit and to their supporting teams some measure of insurance against the vagaries of the weather, for safety in mountain climbing is as much a matter of swiftness as of sureness of foot. Either or both could be achieved only by the administration of oxygen in sufficient quantities to make up for the deficiency in the air, and for the duration of the upward journey above the limit of successful acclimatization.

The author believes that to overcome the problem of altitude and weather, the climber needs mainly

1. courage and speed
2. energy and moral fortitude
3. sufficient quantities of oxygen
4. swiftness and sureness of foot
5. quick acclimatization

Question 26

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “dark horse”: In the match against the uplanders team, the sub mariners turned out to be the dark horse

1. played most brilliantly
2. played below their usual form
3. won unexpectedly
4. lost as expected
5. won as expected

Question 27

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “small fry”: Only the small fry get punished for such social misdemeanors

1. small boys
2. unimportant people
3. frightened people
4. frivolous people
5. inexperienced people

Question 28

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “heart in his mouth”: He spoke with his heart in his mouth

1. courageously
2. with such unusual cowardice
3. with a lot of confusion in his speech
4. without being able to make up his mind
5. with fright and agitation

Question 29

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “leader”: The leader in today's issue of our popular newspaper focuses on inflation

1. president
2. headline
3. editorial
4. columnist
5. proprietor

Question 30

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “a bore”: From the ways my friend talks, you can see he is such a bore

1. rude
2. brilliant
3. uninteresting
4. overbearing
5. humorous

Question 31

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “concurrently”: His jail terms were to run concurrently

1. simultaneously
2. uniformly
3. laboriously
4. consecutively
5. judiciously

Question 32

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “symmetry”: There is some obvious symmetry in the whole presentation

1. confusion
2. hesitation
3. excitement
4. orderliness
5. dissatisfaction

Question 33

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “insolvent”: The bill has to wait as we are now insolvent

1. overworked
2. bankrupt
3. unsettled
4. insoluble
5. affluent

Question 34

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “fell through”: All his plans fell through

1. failed
2. were accomplished
3. had to be reviewed
4. were rejected
5. fell

Question 35

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “broke even”: The balance sheet at the end of the business year shows that we broke even

1. lost heavily
2. made profit
3. neither lost nor gained
4. had no money to continue business
5. were heavily indebted to our bankers

Question 37

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “breakthrough”: The result of his experiment represents a breakthrough in medical science

1. an outstanding success
2. catastrophe
3. an end to such experiments
4. breaking point
5. a colossal failure

Question 39

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “go into”: The state government appointed a commission of inquiry to go into the community's complaints carefully and without prejudice

1. investigate
2. search
3. look for
4. account for
5. ascertain

Question 43

Choose the most appropriate interpretation: If my father had not arrived, I would have starved. This sentence means

1. My father did arrive and I didn't starve
2. I had to starve because my father didn't come
3. my father didn't arrive and I didn't starve
4. I should have starved but I didn't
5. I had starved before my father arrived

Question 44

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “neck and neck”: The two sprinters were running neck and neck

1. exactly level
2. very slowly
3. very fast
4. with their necks together
5. together

Question 45

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “stared”: He stared at her

1. glanced
2. peeped
3. looked
4. gazed
5. fixed

Question 46

Choose the most appropriate interpretation: When the man was caught by police, he presented a bold front

1. he attacked the policemen boldly
2. he walked up to the policemen
3. he faced the situation with apparent boldness
4. he bravely attempted to give them a present
5. he frowned at them in a defiant manner

Question 47

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “at close quarters”: I have been able to observe him at close quarters

1. in government house nearby
2. within a short space of time
3. in a small family house
4. at close range
5. at regular intervals

Question 48

Choose the most appropriate interpretation: At the site of the ghastly accident the poor woman's hair stood on end

1. the woman's hair became straight
2. the wind blew her hair upwards
3. the woman was unmoved
4. the woman disarranged her hair
5. the woman was frightened

Question 49

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: When the beggar was tired, he _____ down by the roadside

1. lied
2. laid
3. layed
4. lay
5. lain

Question 52

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: The employer, not the salesman and his representative _____ responsible for the loss

1. are
2. are being
3. are never
4. have been
5. is Complete each of the following sentences by choosing the option that most suitably fills the space;

Question 56

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: If you travel by air you will be given an allowance to cover _____

1. a luggage
2. luggage
3. luggages
4. a baggage
5. baggages

Question 58

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: The green snake which lives in the green grass is using a perfect _____

1. ambush
2. under cover
3. camouflage
4. shelter
5. subterfuge

Question 59

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: In order to carry out necessary examination the dead body was _____

1. extracted
2. extradited
3. exiled
4. expelled
5. exhumed

Question 61

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: He went abroad with a view _____ a business partner

1. to find
2. to be finding
3. to have found
4. to finding
5. he will find

Question 63

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: They _____ receive visitors on short notice.

1. use to
2. are used to
3. used to
4. are always
5. are use to

Question 64

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: His suggestions are completely _____ the point and cannot be accepted.

1. to
2. about
3. beside
4. on
5. under

Question 65

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: For _____ he is a secretary we shall not have correct minutes

1. because
2. as long as
3. so long
4. in as much
5. although

Question 66

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: He went up quickly and returned _____

1. fastest
2. fastly
3. as fastly
4. as fast
5. in fastness

Question 67

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: Invariably, he ends his letters _____ amicably

1. you
2. your's
3. yours'
4. yours
5. your own

Question 68

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: If I went to the cinema I _____ early

1. shall return
2. am returning
3. would return
4. had return
5. may return

Question 70

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: The frightening explosion in the factory _____ a whole wing.

1. washed out
2. wiped out
3. rooted out
4. flushed out
5. cleared out

Question 76

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: The managing director did not pay his staff last month _____ ?

1. didn't he
2. had he not
3. is not it
4. did he
5. has he

Question 78

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: Granted you are my senior by one year, you cannot _____ me around as if I were your servant

1. control
2. dribble
3. order
4. ask
5. compel

Question 80

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: Because the referee was partial and his opponent rough, the loser of the wrestling match received _____ cheers than the winner

1. thunderous
2. many more
3. overwhelming
4. a little more
5. several

Question 81

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: The boxer was highly rated _____ his doggedness and ability to absorb heavy punches

1. by
2. through
3. for
4. about
5. in

Question 84

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: My little boy is hyper-active and he is therefore prone _____ accidents

1. with respect to
2. for
3. to
4. about
5. as regards

Question 85

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: His horrible high-pitched laugh _____ on my nerves

1. jags
2. jabs
3. jams
4. jars
5. jeers

Question 86

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: The train rattled along _____ full speed

1. in
2. at
3. with
4. by
5. on

Question 87

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: You would have thought that somebody would have informed me _____

1. shouldn’t they
2. wouldn’t you
3. I should think
4. You agree
5. isn’t it

Question 89

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: What a relief that the strike _____ when it did!

1. would end
2. was ending
3. ended
4. has ended
5. is ending

Question 90

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: We should take care _____ the robbers come back

1. may be
2. should in case
3. perhaps
4. probably
5. in case

Question 96

Choose the option opposite in meaning to “plaintiff”: The plaintiff made very cogent submissions to the trial judge.

1. bailiff
2. prosecutor
3. lawyer
4. defendant
5. accused Substitute for the underlined word in the following sentence the word that most closely expresses the opposite meaning:

Question 98

Choose the most appropriate interpretation: The dog was limping. It appeared that one of its legs might have been injured

1. The dog was limping as if it had an injured leg
2. The dog was limping as it had an injured leg
3. The dog was limping so it had an injured leg
4. The dog was limping so as it had an injured leg
5. The dog was limping for it had an injured leg

Question 99

Choose the most appropriate interpretation: I can walk that distance and have done so many times

1. I am used to walk that distance
2. I used to walk that distance
3. I used to walking that distance
4. I am used to walking that distance
5. I will walk that distance

Question 100

Choose the most appropriate interpretation: For all he cared, his parents might have been dead for years.

1. although concern about his parent, he had been unable to find out if they were alive
2. He cared for no one except his parents, and it was possible that they had died long before
3. he did not care whether his parents were alive or had died long before
4. He was concerned about everyone not just his parents, who might have died long before
5. He cared very much for his parents even though they were dead USE OF ENGLISH 1979 COMPREHENSION Read each passage and answer the questions that follow; Foreign Language Learning