JAMB Use of English 2018

36 reviewed questions with answers and explanations.

Practice selection: full-paper coverage has not been confirmed.

Question 1

The approach to the University is being restructured to ease the flow of traffic, give better security and provide an appropriate introduction to a seat of higher learning. The Works and Services Complex is also under construction, and we intend to move into the completed (major) part of it within the next few weeks. All these projects are being executed with an eye to aesthetics for we recognize the important influence of a beautiful and healthy environment on its inhabitants and feel that a cluster of buildings on a small space such as we have should be so well designed as to have a beneficial psychological and sociological effect on all members of the community. I have gone to these lengths to itemize these examples of current development for two main reasons. Firstly, to advise you that the road diversions and other physical inconveniences currently being experienced will be on the increase because of intense development activity. We therefore appeal to you to bear with us in full knowledge and consolation that such inconveniences are temporary and will soon yield final tangible results. Secondly, to demonstrate our capacity for executing approved projects with dispatch, and to assure Government that we are up to the task. Indeed, I can assure Government that its ability to disburse funds to us will be more than matched by our capacity to collect and expend them on executing various worthy projects in record time.

From the passage we can gather that

  1. there is not much consideration for the health of the inhabitants
  2. there is deliberate effort to inconvenience the people
  3. buildings are put up anyhow
  4. projects are carried out without approval
  5. the inconveniences suffered by the inhabitants will be for a while
Answer and explanation

E: the inconveniences suffered by the inhabitants will be for a while

The writer explicitly says that the inconveniences are temporary and will yield tangible results. This supports E. The passage also describes careful design, approved projects and a healthy environment, so the other options conflict with its account.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 2

The approach to the University is being restructured to ease the flow of traffic, give better security and provide an appropriate introduction to a seat of higher learning. The Works and Services Complex is also under construction, and we intend to move into the completed (major) part of it within the next few weeks. All these projects are being executed with an eye to aesthetics for we recognize the important influence of a beautiful and healthy environment on its inhabitants and feel that a cluster of buildings on a small space such as we have should be so well designed as to have a beneficial psychological and sociological effect on all members of the community. I have gone to these lengths to itemize these examples of current development for two main reasons. Firstly, to advise you that the road diversions and other physical inconveniences currently being experienced will be on the increase because of intense development activity. We therefore appeal to you to bear with us in full knowledge and consolation that such inconveniences are temporary and will soon yield final tangible results. Secondly, to demonstrate our capacity for executing approved projects with dispatch, and to assure Government that we are up to the task. Indeed, I can assure Government that its ability to disburse funds to us will be more than matched by our capacity to collect and expend them on executing various worthy projects in record time.

Unless it can be shown that the money voted for projects can be spent on them in good time

  1. the development activity will not be intense
  2. it will not be easy to convince the Government of our executive ability
  3. it will not be difficult to ask Government for funds
  4. our final results will be unreliable
  5. the road diversions and other inconveniences will continue
Answer and explanation

B: it will not be easy to convince the Government of our executive ability

The writer links rapid execution of approved projects with assuring the Government that the university can perform the task. Without demonstrating timely use of the funds, that assurance would be harder to establish. The passage does not make the other consequences necessary.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 3

The approach to the University is being restructured to ease the flow of traffic, give better security and provide an appropriate introduction to a seat of higher learning. The Works and Services Complex is also under construction, and we intend to move into the completed (major) part of it within the next few weeks. All these projects are being executed with an eye to aesthetics for we recognize the important influence of a beautiful and healthy environment on its inhabitants and feel that a cluster of buildings on a small space such as we have should be so well designed as to have a beneficial psychological and sociological effect on all members of the community. I have gone to these lengths to itemize these examples of current development for two main reasons. Firstly, to advise you that the road diversions and other physical inconveniences currently being experienced will be on the increase because of intense development activity. We therefore appeal to you to bear with us in full knowledge and consolation that such inconveniences are temporary and will soon yield final tangible results. Secondly, to demonstrate our capacity for executing approved projects with dispatch, and to assure Government that we are up to the task. Indeed, I can assure Government that its ability to disburse funds to us will be more than matched by our capacity to collect and expend them on executing various worthy projects in record time.

An eye for aesthetics in this passage means

  1. regard for space
  2. beneficial psychological effects
  3. regard for health
  4. consideration for beauty
  5. a cluster of buildings alone
Answer and explanation

D: consideration for beauty

The surrounding sentence discusses a beautiful environment and well-designed buildings. Therefore an eye for aesthetics means attention to beauty. Beneficial effects are an intended result of the design, while space and health are related considerations rather than the meaning of aesthetics.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 7

By the time a child has reached the age of two years, the psychologist says that he is 'self-conscious'. This is not the same as the lay use of the term, although there is a connection. The psychologist means that the child is aware that he is a self and not an extension of his mother. This awareness is shown in such behavioural acts as disobedience and the use of the word 'no' with emphasis, because the child is aware that he does not have to obey parental commands. Parental commands (moral imperatives) are given throughout these two years first for the child's own safety e.g. 'Don’t touch the fire' and secondly, so that he begins to develop some sense of right and wrong. An adult is able to weigh the consequences of his actions partly because he has developed a concept or idea of time. The young child lacks this concept and is governed by immediate desires which must be fulfilled. Thus, in some situations, he can be excused for not behaving morally, i.e. making the choice which is 'good' for himself and others. In other situations, he knows what is right and chooses not to do it. Immature adults can also behave in this self-centred way.

What main difference is mentioned between the child and the adult?

  1. Age difference
  2. Weight difference
  3. Time Difference
  4. Developmental Difference
Answer and explanation

D: Developmental Difference

The passage contrasts an adult’s developed ability to weigh consequences with a child’s immediate desires and undeveloped concept of time. This is a difference in development. “Time difference” does not name that developmental capacity, and weight is not discussed.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 8

By the time a child has reached the age of two years, the psychologist says that he is 'self-conscious'. This is not the same as the lay use of the term, although there is a connection. The psychologist means that the child is aware that he is a self and not an extension of his mother. This awareness is shown in such behavioural acts as disobedience and the use of the word 'no' with emphasis, because the child is aware that he does not have to obey parental commands. Parental commands (moral imperatives) are given throughout these two years first for the child's own safety e.g. 'Don’t touch the fire' and secondly, so that he begins to develop some sense of right and wrong. An adult is able to weigh the consequences of his actions partly because he has developed a concept or idea of time. The young child lacks this concept and is governed by immediate desires which must be fulfilled. Thus, in some situations, he can be excused for not behaving morally, i.e. making the choice which is 'good' for himself and others. In other situations, he knows what is right and chooses not to do it. Immature adults can also behave in this self-centred way.

What right has the mother to give orders to the child?

  1. She is the 'owner' of the child
  2. She is stronger than the child
  3. She understands the environment better than the child
  4. She is more self-conscious than the child
Answer and explanation

C: She understands the environment better than the child

The passage explains that parental commands protect the child and help develop a sense of right and wrong. The mother’s greater understanding of the environment supports this guidance. Ownership, strength and greater self-consciousness are not the justification given.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 9

By the time a child has reached the age of two years, the psychologist says that he is 'self-conscious'. This is not the same as the lay use of the term, although there is a connection. The psychologist means that the child is aware that he is a self and not an extension of his mother. This awareness is shown in such behavioural acts as disobedience and the use of the word 'no' with emphasis, because the child is aware that he does not have to obey parental commands. Parental commands (moral imperatives) are given throughout these two years first for the child's own safety e.g. 'Don’t touch the fire' and secondly, so that he begins to develop some sense of right and wrong. An adult is able to weigh the consequences of his actions partly because he has developed a concept or idea of time. The young child lacks this concept and is governed by immediate desires which must be fulfilled. Thus, in some situations, he can be excused for not behaving morally, i.e. making the choice which is 'good' for himself and others. In other situations, he knows what is right and chooses not to do it. Immature adults can also behave in this self-centred way.

The two-year old child begins to refuse orders

  1. in order to annoy his parents
  2. because he does not understand them
  3. to assert his independence
  4. because he has just learnt the new word 'no'
Answer and explanation

C: to assert his independence

The child has become aware of being a separate self rather than an extension of his mother. Saying no expresses this independence. The writer does not say that the aim is to annoy the parents, that the commands are misunderstood or that refusal is merely a newly learned word.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 11

Time was when boys used to point toy guns and say 'Bang!'. Now, they aim real guns and shoot one another. Nearly 4,200 teenagers were killed by firearms in 1990. Only motor vehicle accidents kill more teenagers than firearms and the firearms figures are rising. The chance that a black male between the ages of 15 and 19 will be killed by a gun has almost tripled since 1985 and almost doubled for white males, according to the National Centre for Health Statistics. Who could disagree with Health and Human Services Secretary, Donna Shalala, when she pronounced these statistics 'frightening and intolerable'? In the shameful light of this 'waste of young lives' in Ms. Shalala's words, an often-asked question seems urgently due to be raised again: Would less violence on television — the surrounding environment for most children and young adults — make violence in actual life less normal, less accepted, less horrifying? It may be difficult to prove an exact correlation between the viewer of fantasized violence and the criminal who acts out violence after turning off the set. But if the premise of education is granted - that good models can influence the young - then it follows that bad models can have an equivalent harmful effect. This is the reasonable hypothesis held by 80 per cent of the respondents to a recent Times Mirror poll who think that violent entertainment is 'harmful to society'. Witness enough mimed shootouts, see enough 'corpses' fall across the screen, and the taking of a human life seems no big deal. Even if a simple causal relationship cannot be established between watching violence and acting it out, is not this numbed sensitivity reason enough for cutting back on the overkill in films and TV? From: The Christian Science Monitor, April 16–22, 1993, p. 20, CSPS, Boston, MA, USA.

From the passage, it can be inferred that since 1985

  1. more black males between the ages of 15 and 19 have been getting killed by guns
  2. more white than black males have been getting killed by guns
  3. more black males between the ages of 15 and 19 have been killing one another with guns
  4. more black than white males have been killing one another with guns.
Answer and explanation

A: more black males between the ages of 15 and 19 have been getting killed by guns

The historical passage reports an almost tripled risk of gun death for black males aged 15–19 since 1985. A expresses the corresponding rise. The passage does not identify who killed the victims or establish that the absolute number exceeded the number of white victims.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 12

Time was when boys used to point toy guns and say 'Bang!'. Now, they aim real guns and shoot one another. Nearly 4,200 teenagers were killed by firearms in 1990. Only motor vehicle accidents kill more teenagers than firearms and the firearms figures are rising. The chance that a black male between the ages of 15 and 19 will be killed by a gun has almost tripled since 1985 and almost doubled for white males, according to the National Centre for Health Statistics. Who could disagree with Health and Human Services Secretary, Donna Shalala, when she pronounced these statistics 'frightening and intolerable'? In the shameful light of this 'waste of young lives' in Ms. Shalala's words, an often-asked question seems urgently due to be raised again: Would less violence on television — the surrounding environment for most children and young adults — make violence in actual life less normal, less accepted, less horrifying? It may be difficult to prove an exact correlation between the viewer of fantasized violence and the criminal who acts out violence after turning off the set. But if the premise of education is granted - that good models can influence the young - then it follows that bad models can have an equivalent harmful effect. This is the reasonable hypothesis held by 80 per cent of the respondents to a recent Times Mirror poll who think that violent entertainment is 'harmful to society'. Witness enough mimed shootouts, see enough 'corpses' fall across the screen, and the taking of a human life seems no big deal. Even if a simple causal relationship cannot be established between watching violence and acting it out, is not this numbed sensitivity reason enough for cutting back on the overkill in films and TV? From: The Christian Science Monitor, April 16–22, 1993, p. 20, CSPS, Boston, MA, USA.

In Secretary Donna Shalala's view, the situation depicted by the statistics is

  1. disturbing and conducive
  2. topical and intimidating
  3. tense and reassuring
  4. alarming and unbearable.
Answer and explanation

D: alarming and unbearable.

The quoted description is “frightening and intolerable”. “Alarming and unbearable” expresses the same response: alarming means causing fear or concern, and unbearable means impossible to tolerate. The positive words in the other pairs conflict with that reaction.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 13

Time was when boys used to point toy guns and say 'Bang!'. Now, they aim real guns and shoot one another. Nearly 4,200 teenagers were killed by firearms in 1990. Only motor vehicle accidents kill more teenagers than firearms and the firearms figures are rising. The chance that a black male between the ages of 15 and 19 will be killed by a gun has almost tripled since 1985 and almost doubled for white males, according to the National Centre for Health Statistics. Who could disagree with Health and Human Services Secretary, Donna Shalala, when she pronounced these statistics 'frightening and intolerable'? In the shameful light of this 'waste of young lives' in Ms. Shalala's words, an often-asked question seems urgently due to be raised again: Would less violence on television — the surrounding environment for most children and young adults — make violence in actual life less normal, less accepted, less horrifying? It may be difficult to prove an exact correlation between the viewer of fantasized violence and the criminal who acts out violence after turning off the set. But if the premise of education is granted - that good models can influence the young - then it follows that bad models can have an equivalent harmful effect. This is the reasonable hypothesis held by 80 per cent of the respondents to a recent Times Mirror poll who think that violent entertainment is 'harmful to society'. Witness enough mimed shootouts, see enough 'corpses' fall across the screen, and the taking of a human life seems no big deal. Even if a simple causal relationship cannot be established between watching violence and acting it out, is not this numbed sensitivity reason enough for cutting back on the overkill in films and TV? From: The Christian Science Monitor, April 16–22, 1993, p. 20, CSPS, Boston, MA, USA.

Why does the writer say that “the firearms figures are rising”?

  1. more teenagers are now getting killed by firearms than by motor vehicle accidents
  2. more teenagers now carry firearms than used to be the case
  3. more teenagers are now getting killed by firearms than used to be the case
  4. firearms now have figures that are terribly high
Answer and explanation

C: more teenagers are now getting killed by firearms than used to be the case

The figures refer to teenagers killed by firearms, and rising means increasing over time. C states this comparison. The passage says that motor vehicle accidents still kill more teenagers, so A reverses its claim; it gives no count of teenagers carrying guns.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 14

Time was when boys used to point toy guns and say 'Bang!'. Now, they aim real guns and shoot one another. Nearly 4,200 teenagers were killed by firearms in 1990. Only motor vehicle accidents kill more teenagers than firearms and the firearms figures are rising. The chance that a black male between the ages of 15 and 19 will be killed by a gun has almost tripled since 1985 and almost doubled for white males, according to the National Centre for Health Statistics. Who could disagree with Health and Human Services Secretary, Donna Shalala, when she pronounced these statistics 'frightening and intolerable'? In the shameful light of this 'waste of young lives' in Ms. Shalala's words, an often-asked question seems urgently due to be raised again: Would less violence on television — the surrounding environment for most children and young adults — make violence in actual life less normal, less accepted, less horrifying? It may be difficult to prove an exact correlation between the viewer of fantasized violence and the criminal who acts out violence after turning off the set. But if the premise of education is granted - that good models can influence the young - then it follows that bad models can have an equivalent harmful effect. This is the reasonable hypothesis held by 80 per cent of the respondents to a recent Times Mirror poll who think that violent entertainment is 'harmful to society'. Witness enough mimed shootouts, see enough 'corpses' fall across the screen, and the taking of a human life seems no big deal. Even if a simple causal relationship cannot be established between watching violence and acting it out, is not this numbed sensitivity reason enough for cutting back on the overkill in films and TV? From: The Christian Science Monitor, April 16–22, 1993, p. 20, CSPS, Boston, MA, USA.

According to the writer’s argument, what follows “if the premise of education is granted”?

  1. Violence on television encourages violence in the real life.
  2. Good models can influence the young
  3. Entertainment on television is harmful to society
  4. The viewer of fantasized violence is the criminal who acts out violence
Answer and explanation

A: Violence on television encourages violence in the real life.

The writer reasons that if good models can influence the young, bad models can have a harmful influence too. A best expresses the proposed link to violence in real life. B is the starting premise, C is broader than violent entertainment, and D wrongly identifies every viewer as a criminal. This is the writer’s argument, not a demonstrated causal finding.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 26

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “throws his weight around” in this sentence: “In spite of his humble beginning, Audu now throws his weight around.”

  1. Audu is arrogant despite his simple upbringing
  2. Despite his obvious poverty, Audu is a proud man.
  3. His noble birth notwithstanding, Audu is a proud man
  4. From his poor background, Audu is now a rich man
Answer and explanation

A: Audu is arrogant despite his simple upbringing

To throw your weight around is to act in an overbearing way, using or displaying power. A captures Audu’s arrogance despite his modest upbringing. The idiom does not establish his present wealth, continuing poverty or noble birth.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 29

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “hard currency” in this sentence: “The manager paid us in hard currency”

  1. We were paid in new notes
  2. We were paid in foreign currency
  3. We were paid in dollars and pound sterling
  4. We were paid in a strong and stable currency
Answer and explanation

D: We were paid in a strong and stable currency

Hard currency is a currency regarded as strong and stable in value. D gives that defining meaning. New notes concern physical condition; foreign currency need not be stable; named currencies are examples rather than the definition.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 32

Choose the option opposite in meaning to “flabby” in this sentence: “Eze's skin now looks flabby as a result of his changed circumstances.”

  1. neat
  2. firm
  3. weak
  4. oily
Answer and explanation

B: firm

“Flabby” describes skin or flesh that is loose and lacks firmness. “Firm” is the opposite. “Weak” is closer to flabby in meaning, while “neat” and “oily” describe different qualities.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 35

Choose the option opposite in meaning to “esoteric” in this sentence: “We watched in wonder as she rattled away in the esoteric language.”

  1. inscrutable
  2. familiar
  3. secret
  4. obscure
Answer and explanation

B: familiar

“Esoteric” describes language understood by only a small group. “Familiar” is the closest opposite among the choices because it suggests language people recognize and understand. “Inscrutable”, “secret” and “obscure” all suggest difficulty or restricted understanding.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 38

Choose the option opposite in meaning to “in gross” in this sentence: “His textile business deals are in gross.”

  1. wholesale
  2. imported
  3. retailed
  4. exported
Answer and explanation

C: retailed

“In gross” means in large quantities or wholesale. The opposite trading pattern is retail, selling in smaller quantities to individual customers; “retailed” is therefore the closest choice. “Wholesale” has the same meaning, while importing and exporting concern movement between countries.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 41

Choose the option opposite in meaning to “whims and caprices” in this sentence: “The masses are controlled by the whims and caprices of their rulers.”

  1. wish
  2. parochialism
  3. will power
  4. level-headedness
Answer and explanation

D: level-headedness

“Whims and caprices” are unpredictable decisions driven by passing impulses. “Level-headedness” means calm, sensible judgment and is the closest opposite. A wish may itself be a passing desire; parochialism means narrow outlook, and willpower means determination.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 43

Choose the option opposite in meaning to “wielding” in this sentence: “Our party is wielding potent political power.”

  1. assuming
  2. renouncing
  3. restoring
  4. reappraising
Answer and explanation

B: renouncing

“Wielding” power means exercising or using it. “Renouncing” means giving it up, which is the closest opposite. “Assuming” means taking it on, “restoring” means bringing it back, and “reappraising” means assessing it again.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 44

Choose the option opposite in meaning to “allegiance” in this sentence: “The ruler expects full allegiance from his subjects at all times.”

  1. obedience
  2. homage
  3. disloyalty
  4. disapproval
Answer and explanation

C: disloyalty

“Allegiance” means loyalty or faithful support. “Disloyalty” is its direct opposite. “Obedience” and “homage” express forms of compliance or respect, while “disapproval” is an unfavorable opinion and need not mean disloyalty.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 46

Choose the option opposite in meaning to “concerted” in this sentence: “The leader called for concerted efforts in order to get over the problems.”

  1. combined
  2. definite
  3. disparate
  4. isolated
Answer and explanation

D: isolated

Concerted efforts are coordinated or made jointly. Isolated efforts are made separately, so D gives the clearest opposite. Combined is a synonym, definite describes certainty, and disparate describes difference rather than directly expressing separate action.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 47

Choose the option opposite in meaning to “obsolete” in this sentence: “The video tape recorder was made obsolete by the introduction of the satellite dish.”

  1. antiquated
  2. useless
  3. fashionable
  4. functional
Answer and explanation

C: fashionable

Obsolete means outdated or no longer current. Fashionable means current or in vogue and is the closest opposite. Antiquated is similar to obsolete. Functional only means able to work: equipment can still function while being obsolete.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 48

Choose the option opposite in meaning to “inclinations” in this sentence: “Segun is somebody who always follows his own inclinations”

  1. impulses
  2. aversions
  3. dispositions
  4. deviations
Answer and explanation

B: aversions

Inclinations are preferences or tendencies towards something. Aversions are strong dislikes that turn someone away from it, so B gives the opposite. Impulses and dispositions are related tendencies; deviations are departures from a course rather than dislikes.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 49

Choose the option opposite in meaning to “languish” in this sentence: “The poor man is compelled to languish in his poverty-stricken situation.”

  1. luxuriate in
  2. deteriorate in
  3. suffer in
  4. laugh at
Answer and explanation

A: luxuriate in

To languish in a situation is to suffer or remain in an unpleasant state. To luxuriate in something is to enjoy its comfort or pleasure, so A reverses the sense. Deteriorate and suffer continue the negative meaning; laugh at does not express the opposite condition.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 52

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “redeemable” in this sentence: “His loss suddenly became redeemable.”

  1. repulsive
  2. incurable
  3. exclusive
  4. recoverable
Answer and explanation

D: recoverable

Redeemable means capable of being recovered, saved or made good. Recoverable fits the loss in this sentence. Incurable suggests something cannot be remedied, while repulsive and exclusive describe unrelated qualities.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 53

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “sanctioned” in this sentence: “The move to expel the chairman was sanctioned by members of the party.”

  1. opposed
  2. supported
  3. unleashed
  4. initiated
Answer and explanation

B: supported

Here “sanctioned” is a verb meaning approved or authorised. Supported is therefore the nearest option. Opposed reverses the meaning; initiated means started, and unleashed means released. The noun “sanctions” can refer to penalties, but that is not the sense used here.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 54

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “leer” in this sentence: “After the meeting, I read a leer on his face as he looked at the woman”

  1. bad look
  2. satisfying meaning
  3. poor smile
  4. pleasant disposition
Answer and explanation

A: bad look

A leer is an unpleasant, often suggestive look. “Bad look” is the closest available meaning. A pleasant disposition is a friendly temperament, not this facial expression; satisfying meaning and poor smile do not capture its unpleasant intent.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 55

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “awry” in this sentence: “The plane has gone awry”

  1. wrong
  2. wild
  3. well
  4. wide
Answer and explanation

A: wrong

When something goes awry, it goes wrong or departs from its proper course. A is the nearest meaning. Well reverses that sense, while wild and wide do not express the failure or deviation intended here.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 56

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “easily offended” in this sentence: “Because Jamiu is also easily offended, he was not considered for the post of head boy.”

  1. troublesome
  2. stubborn
  3. docile
  4. irritable
Answer and explanation

D: irritable

Someone who is easily offended is readily irritated or upset. Irritable is the closest description. Troublesome means causing problems, stubborn means unwilling to change, and docile means easily managed; these do not express the same sensitivity.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 57

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “monstrous” in this sentence: “The witness provided a monstrous account of the event”

  1. shocking
  2. verbatim
  3. supportive
  4. tragic
Answer and explanation

A: shocking

Monstrous can describe something outrageously bad or shocking. A gives the closest meaning for the account. Supportive means helpful, verbatim means word for word, and tragic describes sorrow without necessarily expressing outrageousness.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 58

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “prolific” in this sentence: “He is a prolific writer.”

  1. an influential
  2. a very productive
  3. a clever
  4. a well-known
Answer and explanation

B: a very productive

A prolific writer produces a large amount of writing. Very productive captures that meaning. Being influential, clever or well-known does not necessarily mean producing many works.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 59

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “convention” in this sentence: “The chairman advised the participants to follow convention in stating their points.”

  1. eloquence
  2. prudence
  3. tradition
  4. advice
Answer and explanation

C: tradition

Convention here means an established custom or accepted way of doing something. Tradition is the nearest option. Eloquence is skill in expression, prudence is good judgement, and advice is guidance rather than an established practice.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 60

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “convoluted” in this sentence: “The recommended novel has a convoluted theme”

  1. an attractive
  2. a simple
  3. a complicated
  4. a disgusting
Answer and explanation

C: a complicated

A convoluted theme is complicated and difficult to follow. C gives the nearest meaning. Simple is its opposite; attractive and disgusting describe reactions to the theme rather than its complexity.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 61

Choose the option nearest in meaning to “preparedness” in this sentence: “The government has announced its preparedness for the scheme”

  1. determination
  2. pleasure
  3. readiness
  4. regret
Answer and explanation

C: readiness

Preparedness means being ready for an event or task. Readiness is therefore the matching word. Determination concerns resolve, pleasure concerns enjoyment, and regret concerns disappointment about something.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 72

Choose the option that best explains this sentence: “I owe you far less than you owe me”

  1. I owe you something, but you owe me much more
  2. Your debt is not much greater than mine.
  3. What we owe each other is approximately the same
  4. My debt to you is greater than yours to me
Answer and explanation

A: I owe you something, but you owe me much more

Far less means much less. If my debt to you is much smaller than your debt to me, you owe me much more, as A states. B understates the difference, C makes the debts similar, and D reverses their relative sizes.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 73

Choose the option that best explains this sentence: “Ogiri takes after his father; he fawns upon anyone with influence”

  1. Ogiri, who looks like his father, follows rich and influential people about
  2. Ogiri, who always follows his father, tries to act like an influential person
  3. Like his father, Ogiri hates influential people
  4. Like his father, Ogiri likes to flatter people with influence in society
Answer and explanation

D: Like his father, Ogiri likes to flatter people with influence in society

To take after someone is to resemble that person in appearance or character. To fawn upon someone is to flatter them excessively. D preserves both ideas: Ogiri shares his father’s habit of flattering influential people.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 74

Choose the option that best explains this sentence: “He had hardly spoken when the bell rang.”

  1. he found it difficult to speak, and then the bell rang
  2. The bell rang very soon after he spoke.
  3. When the bell rang, he was still speaking
  4. He spoke in a harsh manner and the bell rang
Answer and explanation

B: The bell rang very soon after he spoke.

The construction “had hardly ... when” shows that the second event occurred almost immediately after the first. Thus the bell rang very soon after he spoke. It does not mean speaking was difficult, that he spoke harshly or necessarily that his speech was still continuing.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Question 78

Choose the option that best explains this sentence: “The dispute over land acquisition has now come to a head.”

  1. The problem has now been referred to the headquarters.
  2. Because of the dispute, land acquisition has now been halted
  3. The problem has now been solved
  4. The problem has reached crisis proportions.
Answer and explanation

D: The problem has reached crisis proportions.

To come to a head is to reach a critical point at which action or a decision is needed. D conveys this crisis. The idiom does not mean that the dispute has already been solved, referred to headquarters or that acquisition has necessarily stopped.

AI-reviewed · source checked

Plan your study weekAll Use of English years