JAMB Use of English 2005

B: The rain fell, so we didn't watch the match

The third conditional imagines a different past: without the rain, they would not have missed the match. It therefore implies that rain did fall and they missed the match, which B expresses.

D: He talked continuously in the class

Jawing away is an informal expression for talking continuously, often tiresomely. It describes the boy's excessive talking rather than biting, chewing or necessarily making trouble.

A: He expected that the men would cooperate with him

To pull together is to cooperate towards a shared aim. The headmaster therefore hopes his men will work with him, rather than resign or simply improve their personal circumstances.

A: The trader who made full payment did not have his order reduced

Pruning down an order means reducing its size. The sentence says full payment prevented that reduction, which A preserves; it does not say the order was rejected or increased.

A: The action they executed was their idea

A pawn in someone else's political game is a person used to serve another's purposes. Saying the men were not pawns presents them as acting on their own initiative, making A the closest interpretation.

B: The job is exciting

Not expecting to complain about a lack of excitement suggests that the job will provide plenty of interest or activity. The job is exciting is therefore the closest interpretation; previous experience of the job is not stated.

B: The Governor evaded all the questions

To parry a question is to deflect or evade it instead of answering directly. Evaded therefore matches the governor's response; brilliant answers or mastery would imply something different.

D: different from

Analogous events resemble each other in relevant ways. Different from is the opposite, while similar with points towards resemblance and the other options do not directly contrast similarity.

B: sympathy

Scorn is a contemptuous or dismissive attitude. Sympathy expresses understanding or concern for others, providing the clearest contrast; contempt repeats the meaning and anger is another negative reaction.

C: friendly

A sour look shows displeasure or unfriendliness. Friendly is the opposite attitude; bad and sinister retain negative associations, while satisfactory does not describe a welcoming expression.

C: pleasant

An invidious task is unpleasant or likely to attract resentment. Pleasant reverses that negative quality; difficult and cruel do not express its opposite.

A: detractors

Henchmen are loyal supporters or agents of a powerful person. Detractors oppose or criticize that person, making this the opposite relationship among the choices.

B: rough and dull

Glossy describes a smooth, shiny surface. Rough and dull reverses both properties; the shiny alternatives resemble glossy, and gummy describes a sticky texture.

A: an objective

An opinionated person insists strongly on personal opinions. An objective person considers matters without that personal bias, making objective the best contrast here.

D: simple

Sumptuous furnishings are luxurious and expensive-looking. Simple furnishings lack that lavishness, so simple is the opposite; expensive and lavish point in the same direction.

C: unscared of

Being wary of something means approaching it cautiously because of possible danger. Unscared of gives the opposing lack of fear; worried about and troubled about retain concern.

D: resisting

Acquiescing to demands means accepting or submitting to them without protest. Resisting means opposing them, so it reverses the meaning rather than describing another form of agreement.

B: perceptive

An observant person notices details accurately. Perceptive is therefore closest; curiosity and inquisitiveness concern wanting to know, rather than the ability to notice what is present.

B: crucial

A vital role is an essential or extremely important role. Crucial expresses that importance; credible means believable, while respectable and laudable concern esteem or praise.

D: authentic

The comparison with a photograph shows that the painting closely resembles real life. Authentic is closest in this lifelike sense; picturesque concerns attractiveness and lively concerns energy.

B: want

Poverty is a condition of lacking sufficient money or necessities. Want can mean that deprivation; difficulty and instability are broader conditions, and slums name places rather than the condition.

C: Responsibility

Accountability means being answerable for one's actions and decisions. Responsibility is the nearest option; courage, diligence and respectability describe other qualities.

D: an external

A superficial wound affects the surface rather than deep internal tissue. External is the closest option; superficial does not by itself mean painless, and internal reverses the location.

B: earned a lot of money

To make a pile is an informal expression meaning to make a large amount of money. It indicates a substantial gain, rather than a loss, breaking even or dishonest shortcuts.

B: with regard to the loan

With regard to is the established phrase meaning concerning. It takes singular regard and the preposition to, so with regard to the loan completes the sentence.

C: an attractive carved wooden

The opinion attractive normally comes before the descriptive carved and the material wooden. An is used before the vowel sound beginning attractive: an attractive carved wooden tray.

B: step by step

Step by step is the fixed expression meaning one stage at a time. It uses singular step on both sides of by, rather than plural steps or a different preposition.

D: with / with

One is angry with a person and differs with a person when disagreeing with them. With/with supplies these two relationships; differ from normally introduces a difference in characteristics.

B: several

Several directly modifies the plural noun reasons and means more than a few or more than two. Plenty requires of, and a myriad of would require an article in the construction offered.

C: in / roamed

In the silence describes the quiet setting. Eyes can figuratively roam a room by looking around it, so in/roamed completes both gaps with a coherent meaning.

C: historic

Historic describes an event of special significance. Beginning a new life for the entire cabinet emphasizes that importance; historical usually means relating to history rather than marking a momentous change.

B: can't you

The positive statement uses can and the subject you, so its confirmation tag uses the negative can't you. The other tags introduce auxiliaries that do not match can.

B: selling

With a view to means with the intention of and is followed by a noun or an -ing form. Selling therefore fits: he is improving the flat with the intention of selling it.

D: child soldiers

Child soldiers is the established compound for soldiers who are children. Child stays singular as the noun modifier, while soldiers takes the plural; childish describes behaviour instead of age.

C: will have known

By the end of the match sets a future deadline for knowing the best player. Will have known is the future-perfect form for that expected result; the other modals do not state the same prediction.

C: deference

Deference means respectful regard for someone, especially in recognition of age or authority. It expresses the respect intended in the sentence; indifference is lack of concern and satisfaction is contentment.

D: are

Who refers back to you, so the verb must agree with you: you are convicted. Has been, is and was do not agree with that second-person subject in this construction.

B: suBURbanite (second syllable)

Suburbanite has its primary stress on the second syllable, BUR: su-BUR-ba-nite. The first, third and final syllables do not carry its primary stress in the standard pronunciation.

D: phantom

The noun refuse, meaning rubbish, stresses its first syllable: RE-fuse. PHAN-tom follows the same pattern, while re-FORM, in-TACT and ob-SCURE stress their second syllables.