JAMB UME USE OF ENGLISH 2005 PAST QUESTIONS

JAMB UME USE OF ENGLISH 2005 PAST QUESTIONS PAPER TYPE D
Read the passage below carefully and answer the question that follow

JAMB UME USE OF ENGLISH 2005 PAST QUESTIONS : PASSAGE I

It is possible to admit that there is life of any sort on the moon. It is a world that is complete and utterly dead, a sterile mountainous waste on which, during the heat of the day, the sun blazed down with relentless fury, but where during the long night the cold is so intents that it far surpasses anything ever experienced on earth. These hard facts are conveniently ignored by those who believe that it would be possible to shoot rockets containing human being to the moon, from which the human explores, could land and explores some portion of the moons’ surface. The explorers would need to be encased in airtight suits and provided with oxygen apparatus to enables them to breathe. Even supposing that they could protect themselves against the great heat by day and extreme cold at night, a worse fate might be in store for them unless their suit were completely bullet-proof. For they would be in danger of being shot by a shooting star. The average shooting star or meteor, which gives so strongly the impression of a star failing from the sky, is a small fragment f matter, usually smaller than a pea and often no longer than a grain of sand. Spaces is not empty but contain great numbers of such fragment. The earth, in its motion round the sun, meets many of these fragments, which enter the atmosphere at a speed many times greater than that of a rifle bullet. The meteor rushing through the air, become intensely heated by friction and is usually completely vaporized before it penetrates within a distance of twenty miles from the surface of the earth. Many millions of these fragments enter our atmosphere in the course of a day, but the atmosphere protects us from them. On the moon, however, they fall to the surface and so great is their number that the lunar explorers would runs a considerable risk of being hit. The difficulties that would have to be encountered by anyone who attempted to explore the moon-assuming that it was possible to there- would be incomparably greater than those that have to be faced in the endeavor to reach the summit of Mount Everest. In two respects only would the lunar explorers have the advantage. In the first place, movement would be less fatiguing because gravitational pull of the moon is not very great, the weight of the moon being only about one eightieth of that of the earth. The second advantage the lunar explorer would have over the climber on Mount Everest would be the absence of strong winds to contend with, the moon having no atmosphere, there can be no wind; nor, of course, can there be any noise, for sound is carried by the air. The moon is a world that is completely still and where utter silence prevails.

Adapted from Harold Spencer: life on the worlds.

1. According to the writer, lifer on earth is made bearable because of the presence of the
   (a) mountain tops
   (b) meteors
   (c) gravity
   (d) atmosphere
2. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
   (a) the moon and the earth are different worlds
   (b) meteors grow on the surface of the moon like the vegetable on earth
   (c) the moon is a hard surface like the earth
   (d) like the earth, the moon is not a lifeless world
3. Te argument put forward by the writer is that
   (a) the mountain on the moon are incomparable greater than the summit of Mount Everest
   (b) lunar exploration is as difficult as climbing mount Everest
   (c) it is untenable to claim that life exist on the moon
   (d) life exit on other world
4. The two advantages lunar explorers are said to have over climbing of mount Everest are less fatigue and the
   (a) weightless nature of the moon
   (b) absence of severe gravitational pull
   (c) absence of high winds
   (d) Absence of atmospheric canopy

5.      From the passage, it can be inferred that
(a) lunar explorer can only use bullet-proof suits on the moon
(b) the stars shoot arrows indiscriminately on the moon
(c) lunar explorer are usually exposed to inexplicable difficulties
(d) the moon is an unproductive world.

JAMB UME USE OF ENGLISH 2005 PAST QUESTIONS : PASAGE II

 The second world African festival of art and culture (FESTAC) was tagged in Nigeria in 1977. At the colloquium organized during the festival, various issues affecting the development of the black world, including the inability of most independent Africa nation to make a clean break with the language of colonialism, were discussed by seasoned intellectuals. It was resolved then that each Africa country should assign important function to its major indigenous language in order to facilitate the selection of one of them to replace the colonial language at the nation level. This it was hope, could bring about the much-needed unity and national integration. Beside, since the different Europeans language in use were considered to be unsuitable for the expression of Africa culture values, Africa countries were urged to promote their culture in their l0ocal languages. As they put it, no language could effectively express an experience does not occur in that language; therefore, a campaign should be mounted, as a matter of urgency, to give impetus to the promotion of Africa language. The media in each country, it was suggested, should spearhead the quest for an indigenous national language by educating, motivating and mobilizing their government and people towards the selection of an appropriate local language. This, in itself, was a recognition that the media-a term usually applied in reference to all the important agencies of mass information and entertainment, like the press, the radio and the television-wield tremendous and immeasurable power through their ability to mobilize the people and modify their behaviour, particularly toward important national issues. Regrettably, the media in Nigeria are yet to take up such major roles that would facilitate the emergence of an indigenous national language in the country.

6. A suitable title for this passage is
(a) the media and the language problem of Africa
(b) Africa and FESTAC colloquium
(c) the media and cultural expression in Africa and the black world
(d) Africa intellectuals and colonialism

7. This as used in the paragraph one refers to
(a) each Africa country
(b) the media in  Africa
(c) the colonial language
(d) the indigenous language

8. The writer’s opinion of the media in Nigeria is that they
(a) have made little or no attempt to promote the local language
(b) favour the use of English instead of a Nigeria language
(c) cannot facilitate the emergence of a local national language
(d)  lack the power to mobilized the government and the people of Nigeria

9. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
(a) colonial languages are to blame for all  the problem of Africa
(b) national unity and cohesion will be enhanced through an indigenous national language
(c) the media in Africa can enforce indigenous national languages
(d) the sole purpose of FESTAC was to discuss the language problem of Africa and the black world

10. According to the passage, the colonial language is
(a) superior to Africa language
(b) inadequate for Africa culture expression
(c) effective for national unity and cohesion
(d) restricted as a result of political independence

JAMB UME USE OF ENGLISH 2005 PAST QUESTIONS : PASSAGE III

 One of the most potent elements in body language is eye behaviour. You shift your eye, met another person’s gaze or fail to meet it- and produce an effect out of all proportion to the trilling muscular effort you have made. When two people look searching into other’s eyes, emotions are heightened and the relationship tipped toward greater intimacy. In normal conversation, each eye contact last only abut a second before one or both individual looks away. Because the longer meeting of the eye is rare, it is weighted with significance when it happens and can generate a special kind of human awareness. Most of the time, a lingering look is interpreted as a sign of attraction and this should be scrupulously avoided except in appropriate circumstances. A young woman once complained that man makes me so uncomfortable, half the time when I glance at him he’s already looking at me- and he keeps right on looking. Proper street behaviour requires a balance of attention and intention. You are supposed to look at a passer-by just enough to show that you are aware of his presence. If you look too little, you appear haughty or futile; too much and you are inquisitive. Usually what happened is that people eye each other until they are about eight feet apart, at which point both cast down their eyes. Much of eye behaviour is so subtle that we react to it only on the intuitive level. This has been demonstrated in elaborate experiment. Subject sit and talk in the psychologist’s laboratory, innocent of the fact that their eye behaviour is being observed from behind a one-way vision screen. In one fairly typical experiment, subject was induced to cheat while performing a task, then were interviewed and observed. It was found that those who had cheated met the interviewer’s eyes less often than was normal, an indicating that shifty eyes can actually be a tip off to an attempt to deceive. However, none of the fact of eye behaviour are cut and dried, for there is variation between individuals. People use their eyes differently and spend different amount of time looking at others, no pattern of eye behaviour is precisely predictable in any normal conversation.

Adapted from McQuade (1969) thinking in writing, p. 167

11. Which of the following can be concluded from the opening paragraph?
(a) eye behaviour is one of the non-verbal ways of communication
(b) people are always offended by searching eye contact
(c) the effect of eye contact are always overwhelming
(d) eye movement is the most potent means of expressing intimacy

12. From the expression proper street behaviour requires a balance of attention and intention, it can be concluded that
(a) when intimate groups in the streets, eye contact is usually longer
(b) there is a balance between those with longer eye contact and those with shorter eye contact
(c) before walking the streets one must balance one’s shifty eyes
(d) even among stranger, attitude and purpose can be deducted from eye behaviour

13. The reason given for the non-finality of research result on eye contact is
(a) that research finding on eye contact have not been subjected to further empirical test
(b) that some subjects cheat during experiment, thus invalidating research findings
(c) lack of uniformity in eye behaviour and the variability of contact situation
(d) lack of concord and foresight among psychologist who carry out research on eye movement

14. Fro m the findings of research describes in the passage, one can reason that
(a) guilty people make less frequent gazed during interrogation
(b) innocent people maintain longer eye contact than the guilty ones
(c) a feeling guilty is occasioned by shifty eyes
(d) shifty eyes are equally induced by innocence and guilt

15. The young woman in the passage was uncomfortable because
(a) the man’s short and sharp gazed  would tip the relationship towards greater intimacy
(b) stranger who made the man’s type of eye  contact were likely to be dangerous
(c) she was allergic to eye contact
(d) the man appeared to be showed interest in her by his prolonged  eye contact

JAMB UME USE OF ENGLISH 2005 PAST QUESTIONS : PASSAGE IV

The passage below has gaps numbered 16 to 25. Immediately following each gap, four options are provided. Choose the most appropriate option for each gap. Each question carries 2 marks.

The superiority of democracy over other forms of government has long been established. From its Greek origin the term ‘democracy’ has been defined as a political …16…. [A hegemony B pattern C system D influence] based on fair representation and liberty for the individual. The… 17… [An example B principle C statement D purposes] of liberty and equitable representation are rooted in the definition given by Aristotle of Greece about 2500 years ago. In the word of Aristotle, the basis of a democratic …..18… [A state B law C population D instinct] is liberty; Aristotle also emphasized the democratic…19… [A form B ideal C issue D law] of freedom based on equality; more than 2000 years after Aristotle, the tenets of liberty, justice and equitable representation continue to …20… [ A swing up B draw up C hold sway D move on ] from the time of the Greek city- state to the emergency of the modern nation- state, the fundamentals of democratic rule have remained universal ….21….[ A subjects B elections C practices D values ] in the western hemisphere revolutionary struggles were waged to enthrone democracy over …22… [A autocratic B liberal C collective D individuals] rule. Among these were the American revolution of 1776, the French revolution of 1789 and the Haitian revolution of 1804, the first of such projects to be …23…. [A introduced B practiced C undertaking D supervised] by a black nation. The American president, Abraham Lincoln, in the famous Gettysburg address …24….[A complicated B simplified C multiplied D delineated] the essential features of democratic ..25… [A government B notion C motion D governance] when he defined democracy as a government of the people, by the people, for the people.

Adapted from the guardian, October. 10, 2003. P. 54.

JAMB UME USE OF ENGLISH 2005 PAST QUESTIONS : LEXIS, STRUCTURE AND ORAL FORMS

IN EACH OF QUESTION 26 TO 40, CHOOSE TE OPTION NEAREST IN MEANING TO THE WORD OR PHRASE IN ITALICS.

26. Emeka’s painting was so realistic that it could almo9st have been a photograph. A authentic B lively C concrete D picturesque

27. That fateful decision changed the company’s outlook in many ways A disastrous B unsuccessful C wonderful D uncontrollable

28. Obi’s dog is old but still lively A barking B frisky C howling D attractive

29. No wonder sikemi later became a detective; she has been very observant A inquisitive B inductive C curious D perceptive

30. The boxer fizzed out just in the sixth round A became tiered but fought on the spiritedly B surrendered rather disappointingly C knocked out his opponent D showed off his talents

31. The common practice among some media practitioner is to be sensational in their reporting A rampant B ordinary C cogent D prevalent

32. The greatness of the creator of the universe is always inexpressible to many adherents of certain faith    A ineffable B unbearable C wonderful D inevitable

33. The accident victim received a superficial wound from the crash A a painless B a serious an external D an internal

34. Nigeria has been playing a vital role in the political and economic development of Africa A respectable B creditable C laudable D crucial

35. Many people used to live in poverty A the slum B instability C want D difficulty

36. We made a pile in the business deal A cut corners B broke even C earned a lot of money D lost a lot of money

37. The manager described mfon as a man of vehement character A clever and helpful B troublesome and noisy C weak and uninterested D strong and insistent

38. Courteously, Ade stood back to let his teacher go first through the door A calmly B patiently C politely D carefully

39. His taciturnity amazed everyone in the court during the legal tussle A sensibility B pervasiveness C obliviousness D reticence

40. Accountable is certainly a desirable quality in a politician A responsibility B respectability C diligence D courage

In each of question 41 to 43, choose the option that has the same vowel sound as the one represented by the letters underlined

41. luck A lack B turn C look D brother

42. guard A guide B argue C chat D gourd

43. beer A fair B bear C pier D pear

In each of question 44 to 46v, choose the option that has the same consonant sound as represented by the letters underlined.

44. Healthy A that B they C father D path

45. Film A walk B chalk C salt D psalm

46. English A orange B ink C impugn D single

In each of question 47 to 56, select the option that best explains the information conveyed in the sentence.

47. One thing I will not be complaining about in my new job is a lack of excitement
(a) the job is exciting
(b) the job is not too exciting
(c) the job has been previously down
(d) the job is bad

48. If the trader paid in full, his order was not pruned down.
(a) Unless the trader paid in full his order would be rejected
(b) the trader who made full payment did not have his order reduced
(c) as trader did not increase his order, he did not need to pay in full
(d) the trader who made some payment did not have his order delayed

49. If I visited England, I might go to Manchester city.
(a) I did not go to England and could not go to Manchester city
(b) I could not visit Manchester city because I did not want to go to England
(c) whenever I visit England, I could go to Manchester city.
(d) When I go to England, I could go to Manchester city

50. The men were not pawns in someone else’s political game
(a) they loved playing political games
(b) they were used by someone’s political game
(c) the action they executed was their idea
(d) the men used someone else’s plan

51. The class was tired of the new boy jawing away all the time
(a) he talked continuously in the class
(b) he was always making trouble for the class
(c) he was always chewing in the class
(d) he bit off people’s jaw

52. The man puts his foot down whenever he is convinced of his action
(a) he makes his mark wherever he goes
(b) he desire to assert his will in the situation
(c) he demonstrates firmness of character
(d) he demonstrates someone who likes to oppressed around him

53. the governor parried all the question put to him by the journalist
(a) the governor evaded all the questions
(b) the governor mastered all the question
(c) the governor answered all the question brilliantly
(d) the governor failed all the question

54.the new headmaster hoped that his men would pull together
(a) he was certain that they would resign en masses
(b) he was certain that their condition would improved under him
(c) he expected that the men would cooperate with him
(d) he thought that the men would composed themselves at work

55. The crisis ended as suddenly as it began
(a) the crisis stopped almost immediately
(b) the crisis has suddenly begun
(c) the crisis will stop immediately
(d) the crisis will not end suddenly

56. if the rain hadn’t fallen, we would have missed the match
(a) the rain didn’t fall, so we didn’t watch the match
(b) the rain fell so we watched the match
(c) the rain is still fallen, so we will miss the match
(d) the rain fell, so we didn’t watched the match

In each of questions 57 to 58, the word in capital letter has the emphatic stress. Choose the option to which the given sentences relate. 

57. THE EAGLES won the match
(a) what did the eagle win?
(b) Did the eagles lose the match?
(c) Did the eagle win the match?
(d) Who won the match?

58. Your mother CAN cook the meal
(a) isn’t my mother able to cook the meal?
(b) What can my mother do?
(c) Can my father cook the meal?
(d) Who will cook the meal?

In each of question 59 to 60, choose the option that has a different stress pattern from the others.
59 A criticism B impossible C interpreter D remarkable

60 A canoe B knowledge C impound D subject (verb)

In each of question 61 to 63, choose the appropriate stress pattern from the option. That syllables are written in capital letters.

61. Departmentalism A departmenTAlize B DEpartmentalism D dePARTmentalize

62. Jurisprudence A jurispruDENCE B jurisPRUdence C juRISprudence DJUrisprudence

63. Suburbanite A suBURbanite B SUburbanite C suburbaNITE D suburBAnite

In each of question 64 to 65, choose the option tat has the same stress pattern as the given word.

64. Refuse (noun) A intact B obscure C phantom D reform

65. Downtrodden A functional B internal C downgrading D prescribing

IN EACH OF QUESTIONS 66 TO 80, CHOOSE THE OPTION OPPOSITE IN MEANING TO THE WORD OR PHRASE IN ITALICS.

66. After fifty years, he could not find anyone who was contemporary with him at college
(a) friendly with
(b) contested against
(c) strange to
(d) belonged to

67. The president can afford to dispense with some of his henchmen
(a) advisers
(b) detractors
(c) body guard
(d) sycophants

68. Many Nigerians are wary of night journeys.
(a) Unscarred of
(b) worried about
(c) trouble about
(d) satisfactory with

69. Some people consider the leather upholstery and thick rugs a bit sumptuous
(a) simple
(b) lavish
(c) expensive
(d) desirable

70. The proprietor accused uche of silently acquiescing to the student demands
(a) adjusting
(b) resisting
(c) compromising on
(d) submitting to

71. The teacher recounted two event that were analogous with each other
(a) advantageous to
(b) similar with
(c) different from
(d) distant from

72. The dramatist provided a satisfactory denouement to the play
(a) criticism
(b) introduction
(c) audition
(d) climax

73. Idris gives me a sour look every time I ass by him
(a) satisfactory
(b) friendly
(c) sinister
(d) bad

74. Asabe bought a glossy pair of shoes
(a) smooth and shining
(b) wrought and gummy
(c) smooth and shiny
(d) rough and dull

75. The principal was filled with scorn when we gave our reason for coming late
(a) sympathy
(b) contempt
(c) pity
(d) anger

76. it would be difficult to defeat such a highly motivated team
(a) very immature
(b) very demoralized
(c) highly deluded
(d) completely  disillusioned

77. Manu is hard to convince because he is an opinionated person
(a) an imperative
(b) a discursive
(c) a subjective
(d) an objective

78. The view of the plateau are in stark contrast to the work a day cottage below
(a) ugly and unfascinating
(b) ordinary and uninteresting
(c) beautiful and interesting
(d) comfortable and fascinating

79. The judge did not grant the request that the wirness should appear by proxy
(a) be represented by a counsel
(b) not appear at all
(c) answer question by phone
(d) be present by person

80. The officer was given an invidious task
(a) pleasant
(b) difficult
(c) vivid
(d) cruel

In each of question 81 to 100, choose the option that best complete the gaps   

81. The bank manager assured us that there was nothing to worry about … [A with regard to the loan B as regard to the loan C with regards to the loan D in regard to the loan]

82. The train…. [A has left B had left C would leave D was leaving] before I arrived

83. I am writing to you for… [A plenty B myriad of C concerned D several] reasons

84. Yesterday, my mother asked me…. [A if I was tired B if I am tired C are you tired? D whether I was tired?]

85. Tsadu always cautions that difficult job should be done… [A step by step B steps by steps C step from step D steps after steps]

86. by the end of the football match today, we…. [A would have known B will have know C could have known D might have known] the best player

87. The public library has stopped …. [A lending B borrowing C loaning D renting] books to readers

88. You, who …. [A was B are C has been D is] convicted, should appeal.

89. In spite of shade’s good looks, her hair is always …. [A uncared for B unkept C unkempt D unwashed]

90. you can  travel on your own,….[A shan’t you B won’t you C isn’t it D can’t you]?

91. I was often angry …. Oche since he differed … [A against/from B with/with C about/with D with/to] to often.

92. A nursery rhyme is used to teach pupils how to spell the word …..[A hippoppotemus B hippopotamus C hipoppotemus D hippopotamus]

93. Is it true that okoro ….[A would have returned B should return C would return D had returned]when the gates were closed?

94. The secretary-general was shocked at the number of ….. [A children solders B child’s soldiers C child soldiers D childish soldiers]

95. We won’t leave until it…. [A stops B had stopped C will stop D stopped] raining

96. The man is refurbishing the flat with a view to … [A selling B sell C be selling D have sold] it

97. The first prize was…. [A a carved attractive wooden B an attractive carved wooden C a carved wooden attractive D a wooden attractive carved] tray

98. it is Africa for a younger person to show…. [A satisfaction B deference C understanding D indifference] to elders

99. As we sat… the silence. My eyes… [A in/ roamed B under/ ked C along/ observed D over/ surrounded] the room

100. The …. [A historic B history of the C historicity of the D historical] event marked the beginning of a new life for entire cabinet.