JAMB Use of English 2002

Question 1

If our thought is to be clear and we are to succeed in communicating it to other people, we must have some method of fixing the meaning of the words we use . When we use a word whose meaning is not certain, we may well be asked to define it. There is a useful traditional device for doing this by indicating the class to which whatever is indicated by the term belongs, and also the particular property which distinguishes it from all other members of the same class. Thus we may define a whale as a marine animal that spouts’. ‘Marine animal’ in this definition indicates the general class to which the whale belongs, and ‘spouts’ indicates the particular property that distinguishes whales from other such marine animals as fishes, seals, jellyfish and lobsters. In the same way, we can define an even number as a finite integer divisible by two, or a democracy as a system of government in which the people themselves rule. There are other ways, of course, of indicating the meanings of words. We may, for example, find it hard to make a suitable definition of the word ‘animal’, so we say that an animal is such a thing as a rabbit, dog, fish or goat. Similarly, we may say that religion is such a system as Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Buddhism. This way of indicating the meaning of a term by enumerating examples of what it includes is obviously of limited usefulness. If we indicated our use of the word ‘animal’ as above, our hearers might, for example, be doubtful whether a sea-anemone or a slug was to be included in the class of animals. It is, however, a useful way of supplementing a definition if the definition itself is definite without being easily understandable. Failure of an attempt at definition to serve its purpose may result from giving as distinguishing mark one which either does not belong to all the things the definition is intended to include, or does belong to some members of the same general class which the definition is intended to exclude. Adapted from Straight and Crooked Thinking, by R. H. Thouless

The expression “we may well be asked” as used in the passage means

1. it is quite likely that we will be asked
2. we cannot escape being asked
3. the listener is always justified to ask questions,
4. it is inconceivable that we will be asked.

Question 3

If our thought is to be clear and we are to succeed in communicating it to other people, we must have some method of fixing the meaning of the words we use . When we use a word whose meaning is not certain, we may well be asked to define it. There is a useful traditional device for doing this by indicating the class to which whatever is indicated by the term belongs, and also the particular property which distinguishes it from all other members of the same class. Thus we may define a whale as a marine animal that spouts’. ‘Marine animal’ in this definition indicates the general class to which the whale belongs, and ‘spouts’ indicates the particular property that distinguishes whales from other such marine animals as fishes, seals, jellyfish and lobsters. In the same way, we can define an even number as a finite integer divisible by two, or a democracy as a system of government in which the people themselves rule. There are other ways, of course, of indicating the meanings of words. We may, for example, find it hard to make a suitable definition of the word ‘animal’, so we say that an animal is such a thing as a rabbit, dog, fish or goat. Similarly, we may say that religion is such a system as Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Buddhism. This way of indicating the meaning of a term by enumerating examples of what it includes is obviously of limited usefulness. If we indicated our use of the word ‘animal’ as above, our hearers might, for example, be doubtful whether a sea-anemone or a slug was to be included in the class of animals. It is, however, a useful way of supplementing a definition if the definition itself is definite without being easily understandable. Failure of an attempt at definition to serve its purpose may result from giving as distinguishing mark one which either does not belong to all the things the definition is intended to include, or does belong to some members of the same general class which the definition is intended to exclude. Adapted from Straight and Crooked Thinking, by R. H. Thouless

One of these summarizes the approaches to definition discussed in the passage.

1. Specifying clearly what distinguishes a particular word or object from its traditional groups.
2. Indicating the class of a word and mentioning its general property with examples.
3. Giving general and specific features followed by examples of what the object or word includes.
4. Mentioning the class of a word or object with its specific property.

Question 4

If our thought is to be clear and we are to succeed in communicating it to other people, we must have some method of fixing the meaning of the words we use . When we use a word whose meaning is not certain, we may well be asked to define it. There is a useful traditional device for doing this by indicating the class to which whatever is indicated by the term belongs, and also the particular property which distinguishes it from all other members of the same class. Thus we may define a whale as a marine animal that spouts’. ‘Marine animal’ in this definition indicates the general class to which the whale belongs, and ‘spouts’ indicates the particular property that distinguishes whales from other such marine animals as fishes, seals, jellyfish and lobsters. In the same way, we can define an even number as a finite integer divisible by two, or a democracy as a system of government in which the people themselves rule. There are other ways, of course, of indicating the meanings of words. We may, for example, find it hard to make a suitable definition of the word ‘animal’, so we say that an animal is such a thing as a rabbit, dog, fish or goat. Similarly, we may say that religion is such a system as Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Buddhism. This way of indicating the meaning of a term by enumerating examples of what it includes is obviously of limited usefulness. If we indicated our use of the word ‘animal’ as above, our hearers might, for example, be doubtful whether a sea-anemone or a slug was to be included in the class of animals. It is, however, a useful way of supplementing a definition if the definition itself is definite without being easily understandable. Failure of an attempt at definition to serve its purpose may result from giving as distinguishing mark one which either does not belong to all the things the definition is intended to include, or does belong to some members of the same general class which the definition is intended to exclude. Adapted from Straight and Crooked Thinking, by R. H. Thouless

The writer uses the expression fixing the meaning of the words we use to mean

1. getting even with the people who always ask for definitions
2. using definitions to help build up their vocabulary
3. repairing the damage done by inadequate definition during communication
4. using definitions to help people communicate their thoughts and argue logically.

Question 6

Those who have been following the arguments for and against the deregulation of the oil industry in Nigeria may have got the impression that deregulation connotes lack of control or indifference on the part of the Government. But there is nothing so far from official quarters to suggest that deregulation will cause the Government to relinquish its control of the oil industry because the absence of direct control does not mean that it will surrender all its rights to the entrepreneurs who may want to participate in the industry. Yet the opposition expressed so far against deregulation stems from the fear that the Government would leave Nigerians at the mercy of a heartless cartel who would command the heights of the oil industry and cause the pump price of fuel to rise above the means of most Nigerians. As a result of such fears, many Nigerians have become resentful of deregulation and, in fact, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened to ‘deregulate’ the Government if it should go ahead with the deregulation plan. But Nigerians have not fared any better with the economy totally in Government control. Until recently, the most important sectors of the economy were in the hands of the Government. Today, the deregulation of some of these sectors has broken its monopoly and introduced healthy competition to make things a little easier for Nigerians. A good example is the breaking of the stifling monopoly of Nigeria Airways. Today, the traveler is king at the domestic airports as opposed to the struggle that air travels used to be under Nigeria Airways monopoly. Before, it was almost easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for travellers to board a plane. Following from this, the apostles of deregulation rightly heap all the blame for the problems associated with petroleum products distribution in this country squarely on the Government, which owns all the refineries and which sells fuel to local consumers through its agency, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). In the same way, the Government argues that if the current NNPC monopoly were broken with the introduction of entrepreneurs to the refining and sale of petroleum products in the country, the Nigerian people would be all the better for it. It stands to reason that once the Government continues to fix maximum prices for petroleum products in this country, the deregulation of the oil sector should bring some relief to the people by ensuring that wastage, corruption and inefficiency are reduced to the minimum. Consumers will also have the last laugh because competition will result in the availability of the products at reasonable prices. This appears to be the sense in deregulation.

An appropriate title for this passage is

1. The Advantages of a Deregulated Economy
2. Highlighting the Dangers of Deregulation
3. Making a Case for Deregulation
4. The problems of the NNPC

Question 8

Those who have been following the arguments for and against the deregulation of the oil industry in Nigeria may have got the impression that deregulation connotes lack of control or indifference on the part of the Government. But there is nothing so far from official quarters to suggest that deregulation will cause the Government to relinquish its control of the oil industry because the absence of direct control does not mean that it will surrender all its rights to the entrepreneurs who may want to participate in the industry. Yet the opposition expressed so far against deregulation stems from the fear that the Government would leave Nigerians at the mercy of a heartless cartel who would command the heights of the oil industry and cause the pump price of fuel to rise above the means of most Nigerians. As a result of such fears, many Nigerians have become resentful of deregulation and, in fact, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened to ‘deregulate’ the Government if it should go ahead with the deregulation plan. But Nigerians have not fared any better with the economy totally in Government control. Until recently, the most important sectors of the economy were in the hands of the Government. Today, the deregulation of some of these sectors has broken its monopoly and introduced healthy competition to make things a little easier for Nigerians. A good example is the breaking of the stifling monopoly of Nigeria Airways. Today, the traveler is king at the domestic airports as opposed to the struggle that air travels used to be under Nigeria Airways monopoly. Before, it was almost easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for travellers to board a plane. Following from this, the apostles of deregulation rightly heap all the blame for the problems associated with petroleum products distribution in this country squarely on the Government, which owns all the refineries and which sells fuel to local consumers through its agency, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). In the same way, the Government argues that if the current NNPC monopoly were broken with the introduction of entrepreneurs to the refining and sale of petroleum products in the country, the Nigerian people would be all the better for it. It stands to reason that once the Government continues to fix maximum prices for petroleum products in this country, the deregulation of the oil sector should bring some relief to the people by ensuring that wastage, corruption and inefficiency are reduced to the minimum. Consumers will also have the last laugh because competition will result in the availability of the products at reasonable prices. This appears to be the sense in deregulation.

The writer seems to suggest that

1. Nigerians do not understand the sense in deregulation.
2. a deregulated economy will cause the Government to be indifferent to the plight of ordinary Nigerians.
3. only a heartless cartel will benefit by the deregulation of the oil industry.
4. the anxiety caused by the deregulation question is groundless.

Question 9

Those who have been following the arguments for and against the deregulation of the oil industry in Nigeria may have got the impression that deregulation connotes lack of control or indifference on the part of the Government. But there is nothing so far from official quarters to suggest that deregulation will cause the Government to relinquish its control of the oil industry because the absence of direct control does not mean that it will surrender all its rights to the entrepreneurs who may want to participate in the industry. Yet the opposition expressed so far against deregulation stems from the fear that the Government would leave Nigerians at the mercy of a heartless cartel who would command the heights of the oil industry and cause the pump price of fuel to rise above the means of most Nigerians. As a result of such fears, many Nigerians have become resentful of deregulation and, in fact, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened to ‘deregulate’ the Government if it should go ahead with the deregulation plan. But Nigerians have not fared any better with the economy totally in Government control. Until recently, the most important sectors of the economy were in the hands of the Government. Today, the deregulation of some of these sectors has broken its monopoly and introduced healthy competition to make things a little easier for Nigerians. A good example is the breaking of the stifling monopoly of Nigeria Airways. Today, the traveler is king at the domestic airports as opposed to the struggle that air travels used to be under Nigeria Airways monopoly. Before, it was almost easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for travellers to board a plane. Following from this, the apostles of deregulation rightly heap all the blame for the problems associated with petroleum products distribution in this country squarely on the Government, which owns all the refineries and which sells fuel to local consumers through its agency, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). In the same way, the Government argues that if the current NNPC monopoly were broken with the introduction of entrepreneurs to the refining and sale of petroleum products in the country, the Nigerian people would be all the better for it. It stands to reason that once the Government continues to fix maximum prices for petroleum products in this country, the deregulation of the oil sector should bring some relief to the people by ensuring that wastage, corruption and inefficiency are reduced to the minimum. Consumers will also have the last laugh because competition will result in the availability of the products at reasonable prices. This appears to be the sense in deregulation.

Which of the following conclusions can be reached from the passage?

1. Nigerians cannot buy fuel at exorbitant prices.
2. The deregulation of the oil industry does not preclude the Government from exerting its influence.
3. The deregulation of the economy will solve all the problems of petroleum products distribution.
4. The Government is hell-bent on leaving Nigerians at the mercy of a heartless cartel.

Question 11

Recognizing the need for objectivity in their work, the early report writers worked to develop a writing style which would convey this attitude. They reasoned that the source of the subjective quality in a report is the human being. And they reasoned that objectivity is best attained by emphasizing the factual material of a report rather than the personalities involved. So they worked to remove the human being from their writing. Impersonal writing style was the result. By impersonal writing is meant writing in the third person – without I’s, we’s or you’s. In recent years, impersonal writing has been strenuously questioned by many writers. These writers point out that personal writing is more forceful and direct than is impersonal writing. They contend that writing which brings both reader and writer into the picture is more like conversation and therefore more interesting. And they answer to the point on objectivity with a reply that objectivity is an attitude of mind and not a matter of person. A report, they say, can be just as objective when written in personal style as when in impersonal style. Frequently, they counter with the argument that impersonal writing leads to an overuse of passive voice and a generally dull writing style. This last argument, however, lacks substance. Impersonal writing can and should be interesting. Any dullness it may have is wholly the fault of the writer. As proof, one has only to look at the lively styles used by the writers for newspapers, news magazines and journals. Most of this writing is impersonal – and usually it is not dull. As in most cases of controversy, there is some merit to the arguments on both sides. There are situations in which personal writing is best. There are situations in which impersonal writing is best. And there are situations in which either style is appropriate. The writer must decide at the outset of his work which style is best for his own situation. His decision should be based on the circumstances of each report situation. First, he should consider the expectations or desires of those for whom he is preparing the report. More than likely he will find a preference for impersonal style, for, like most human beings, businessmen have been slow to break tradition. Next, the writer should consider the formality of the report situation. If the situation Is informal, as when the report is really a personal communication of information between business associates, personal writing is appropriate. But if the situation is formal, as is the case with most reports, the conventional impersonal style is best. Lesikar, R. V.: Report Writing for Business

One argument given in support of personal writing is that it

1. has informal features which make it more diverting than impersonal writing
2. makes writers more focused and less boring
3. can be more objective than impersonal writing
4. is the style to use in all situations involving businessmen.

Question 12

Recognizing the need for objectivity in their work, the early report writers worked to develop a writing style which would convey this attitude. They reasoned that the source of the subjective quality in a report is the human being. And they reasoned that objectivity is best attained by emphasizing the factual material of a report rather than the personalities involved. So they worked to remove the human being from their writing. Impersonal writing style was the result. By impersonal writing is meant writing in the third person – without I’s, we’s or you’s. In recent years, impersonal writing has been strenuously questioned by many writers. These writers point out that personal writing is more forceful and direct than is impersonal writing. They contend that writing which brings both reader and writer into the picture is more like conversation and therefore more interesting. And they answer to the point on objectivity with a reply that objectivity is an attitude of mind and not a matter of person. A report, they say, can be just as objective when written in personal style as when in impersonal style. Frequently, they counter with the argument that impersonal writing leads to an overuse of passive voice and a generally dull writing style. This last argument, however, lacks substance. Impersonal writing can and should be interesting. Any dullness it may have is wholly the fault of the writer. As proof, one has only to look at the lively styles used by the writers for newspapers, news magazines and journals. Most of this writing is impersonal – and usually it is not dull. As in most cases of controversy, there is some merit to the arguments on both sides. There are situations in which personal writing is best. There are situations in which impersonal writing is best. And there are situations in which either style is appropriate. The writer must decide at the outset of his work which style is best for his own situation. His decision should be based on the circumstances of each report situation. First, he should consider the expectations or desires of those for whom he is preparing the report. More than likely he will find a preference for impersonal style, for, like most human beings, businessmen have been slow to break tradition. Next, the writer should consider the formality of the report situation. If the situation Is informal, as when the report is really a personal communication of information between business associates, personal writing is appropriate. But if the situation is formal, as is the case with most reports, the conventional impersonal style is best. Lesikar, R. V.: Report Writing for Business

Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

1. The impersonal style helps to achieve a measure of objectivity in report writing.
2. The impersonal style has been widely acclaimed.
3. Most report writing is characterized by the sparing use of the impersonal style.
4. Most writers use the impersonal style to achieve objectivity in their reports.

Question 14

Recognizing the need for objectivity in their work, the early report writers worked to develop a writing style which would convey this attitude. They reasoned that the source of the subjective quality in a report is the human being. And they reasoned that objectivity is best attained by emphasizing the factual material of a report rather than the personalities involved. So they worked to remove the human being from their writing. Impersonal writing style was the result. By impersonal writing is meant writing in the third person – without I’s, we’s or you’s. In recent years, impersonal writing has been strenuously questioned by many writers. These writers point out that personal writing is more forceful and direct than is impersonal writing. They contend that writing which brings both reader and writer into the picture is more like conversation and therefore more interesting. And they answer to the point on objectivity with a reply that objectivity is an attitude of mind and not a matter of person. A report, they say, can be just as objective when written in personal style as when in impersonal style. Frequently, they counter with the argument that impersonal writing leads to an overuse of passive voice and a generally dull writing style. This last argument, however, lacks substance. Impersonal writing can and should be interesting. Any dullness it may have is wholly the fault of the writer. As proof, one has only to look at the lively styles used by the writers for newspapers, news magazines and journals. Most of this writing is impersonal – and usually it is not dull. As in most cases of controversy, there is some merit to the arguments on both sides. There are situations in which personal writing is best. There are situations in which impersonal writing is best. And there are situations in which either style is appropriate. The writer must decide at the outset of his work which style is best for his own situation. His decision should be based on the circumstances of each report situation. First, he should consider the expectations or desires of those for whom he is preparing the report. More than likely he will find a preference for impersonal style, for, like most human beings, businessmen have been slow to break tradition. Next, the writer should consider the formality of the report situation. If the situation Is informal, as when the report is really a personal communication of information between business associates, personal writing is appropriate. But if the situation is formal, as is the case with most reports, the conventional impersonal style is best. Lesikar, R. V.: Report Writing for Business

From the passage, what determines the appropriateness of a style is the

1. theme
2. reader
3. writer
4. situation

Question 29

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: These _____ must have _____ the World Bank officials.

1. analysis/attracted
2. analyses/attract
3. analyses/attracted
4. analysis/attract

Question 59

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “extraneous”: I wonder what will be left of his essay when the extraneous material is deleted.

1. main
2. relevant
3. erroneous
4. superfluous

Question 61

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “luminaries”: They are considered to be legal luminaries.

1. experts
2. practitioners
3. directors
4. powers

Question 62

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “think”: Practising medicine is not as lucrative as many people think.

1. know
2. assume
3. consider
4. understand

Question 63

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “disparaging”: The manager made disparaging remarks about the retiring officer.

1. parochial
2. cynical
3. derogatory
4. rude

Question 64

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “misconstrued”: The teacher’s apparent nonchalant attitude was misconstrued by his students.

1. condoned
2. misquoted
3. misinterpreted
4. misrepresented.

Question 65

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “recrimination”: Let us not indulge in recrimination.

1. unfounded allegation
2. counter-accusation
3. accusation
4. indictment.

Question 66

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “therapeutic”: Teachers of music believe in its therapeutic effect.

1. lyrical
2. healing
3. sound
4. rhythmic

Question 67

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “eerie”: The man outran his wife when they heard the eerie sound.

1. hissing
2. harsh
3. scary
4. loud

Question 68

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “pyrrhic victory”: His success may be described as a pyrrhic victory.

1. a deserving victory
2. costly
3. indecisive
4. an easy victory

Question 69

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “assumed office”: The Executive Secretary has just assumed office.

1. resumed work
2. been sworn in
3. started work
4. returned

Question 70

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “parley”: The warring tribes have been told to parley with each other.

1. hold talks
2. observe a truce
3. suspend hostilities
4. sign a treaty.

Question 71

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “a stringer for”: He is a stringer for a newspaper.

1. a financier of
2. a reporter for
3. an editor of
4. a freelancer for

Question 72

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “puerile”: Adigun’s jokes are always puerile.

1. entertaining
2. empty
3. childish
4. amusing

Question 73

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “adamant about / reprisal”: I wish the commander were less adamant about his proposed reprisal attack on the enemy.

1. unyielding about/retaliatory
2. tolerant of/surprise
3. sentimental about/rehearsed
4. supportive of/retributive

Question 76

Choose the most appropriate interpretation: The organization is constantly in a state of flux.

1. The organization is moribund.
2. The organization is experiencing good times.
3. The organization is facing a difficult period.
4. There are periodic changes in the organization.

Question 77

Choose the most appropriate interpretation: His meteoric rise to fame surprised everyone.

1. People were amazed at his rapid success.
2. He rose to the top quite unexpectedly.
3. His rise to fame was only temporary.
4. He became successful very suddenly.

Question 79

Choose the most appropriate interpretation: Audu was taken bad in the middle of the night.

1. He was ill
2. He was caught.
3. He was drunk
4. He was robbed.

Question 80

Choose the most appropriate interpretation: After the successful operation, he recovered by leaps and bounds.

1. His well-bound wounds aided his recovery.
2. He did a lot of keep-fit exercises.
3. He used to jog regularly.
4. He got well very rapidly.

Question 81

The word in capitals has emphatic stress. Choose the question to which the sentence responds: The university has been TEMPORARILY closed.

1. Has the university been permanently open?
2. Has the campus been permanently closed?
3. Has the college been temporarily closed?
4. Has the university been permanently closed?

Question 82

The word in capitals has emphatic stress. Choose the question to which the sentence responds: The king RAN to the palace.

1. Where did the king run to?
2. Did the queen run to the palace?
3. Did the king walk to the palace?
4. Who ran to the palace?

Question 83

The word in capitals has emphatic stress. Choose the question to which the sentence responds: He travelled ONLY 20 kilometres before his car stopped.

1. Did he travel only 20 kilometres after his car stopped?
2. Did he travel exactly 20 kilometres before his car stopped?
3. Did he travel more than 20 kilometres before his car stopped?
4. Did you walk only 20 kilometres before the vehicle stopped?

Question 84

The word in capitals has emphatic stress. Choose the question to which the sentence responds: The man BOUGHT the newspaper.

1. What did the man buy?
2. Is this the newspaper which the man bought?
3. Who bought the newspaper?
4. Did the man read the newspaper?

Question 85

The word in capitals has emphatic stress. Choose the question to which the sentence responds: My UNCLE retired from the police.

1. Did your brother retire from the police?
2. Did your brother resign from the police?
3. Did your uncle retire from the army?
4. Did your sister resign from the police?

Question 87

Choose the option opposite in meaning to “hook, line and sinker”: He gave an unsatisfactory excuse but the boss swallowed it hook, line and sinker.

1. completely
2. with a pinch of salt.
3. entirely
4. without mincing words.

Question 89

Choose the option opposite in meaning to “hardline”: The hardline posture of the labour leader has not helped matters.

1. imposing
2. difficult
3. compromising
4. uncompromising

Question 90

Choose the option opposite in meaning to “frugality”: The high cost of living these days calls for a lot of frugality

1. economy
2. recklessness
3. prudence
4. extravagance

Question 91

Choose the option opposite in meaning to “incontrovertible”: The evidence the leader gave was incontrovertible.

1. logical
2. indubitable
3. practicable
4. contestable

Question 92

Choose the option opposite in meaning to “underscores”: Tunde’s reaction underscores the point I was making.

1. contradicts
2. justifies
3. summarizes
4. emphasizes

Question 93

Choose the option opposite in meaning to “adroit”: Everyone admired the manager’s adroit handling of the crises in the company.

1. clever
2. clumsy
3. skilful
4. tactless

Question 94

Choose the option opposite in meaning to “redounds to”: The chairman’s conduct redounds to the image of the company.

1. contributes to
2. detracts from
3. assists in
4. reflects on.

Question 96

Choose the option opposite in meaning to “extemporaneous”: The President gave another extemporaneous speech last Friday.

1. fascinating
2. unfavourable
3. unprepared
4. planned.

Question 97

Choose the option opposite in meaning to “averred”: The witness averred that she had seen Dosun at the scene of the crime.

1. confirmed
2. argued
3. affirmed
4. denied

Question 99

Choose the option opposite in meaning to “indomitable”: The athlete has unexpectedly become indomitable.

1. unruly
2. unconquerable
3. weak
4. disoriented.