WAEC SSCE WASSCE 2000 Comprehension passages
COMPREHENSION PASSAGE I
Read the passage below carefully and then answer the questions on it.
Rufus Okeke - Roof, for short - What is there a popular man in his village. Although the villagers did not explain it in so many words, ruth's popularity was a measure of their gratitude to a young man who, unlike most of his fellows nowadays, had not abandoned the village in order to seek work in the towns.
Everyone knows how he has spent two years I said bicycle repairer’s apprentice in Port Harcourt and had given up of his own free will a bright future to return to his people and guide them in these political times. Not that Umuofia needed a lot of guidance.
The village already belonged en masse to the People’s Alliance Party, and its illustrious son, Chief, the Honourable Marcus Ibe, the Minister of Culture.
As was to be expected, Roof was in the service of the honorable minister for the coming elections. He had become a real estate in electioneering campaigning. He could tell the mood and temper of the electorate at any given time.
For instance, he had warned the minister months ago about the radical change that had come into the thinking of remove since the last elections. They wondered.
The villagers had five years in which to see how quickly and plentifully politics brought wealth, chieftaincy titles, doctorate degrees and other honors to individuals like the Honorable Minister.
Yet, no one had explained satisfactorily to them why they still had no doctor to heal the sick, no school for their children, no roads and markets their area.
After this moment everything ‘had moved according to plan’ as Roof will put it. Then he had received strange visits from the leader of the opposition Peoples’ Organization Party. Although he and Ruth were well known to each other, his visit was cold and businesslike. No words were wasted. He placed five pounds on the floor before Roof and said, “We want your vote.”
Roof got up from his chair and went outside. The brief exercise gave him enough time to weigh the proposition. As he spoke his eyes never left the red notes on the floor. He seemed mesmerized by them.
“You know I work for Marcus,” he said feebly.
“Marcus will not be there when you put in your vote.”
“It will not be heard outside this room?” asked Roof,c
“We are after votes not gossip”.
“All right,” said Roof.
The man brought out an object covered with red cloth and preceded to remove the cover. It was a fearsome little clay pot with feathers stuck into it.
Roof’s heart nearly flew out when he saw the object, for he knew the fame of the fetish at Mbanta. Fail to do so as sworn and the gods will act fast. But he was a man of quick decisions. What would a single vote cast in secret for this man take away from Marcus certain victory? Nothing. But as he swore, he perspired profusely and trembled.
Questions
a) Why was Roof popular in his village?
b) Why was he considered a political expert?
c) What indication is given to show the change in attitude of the villagers?
d) Why did Roof reject the proposition from the opposition?
e) Mention the dominant character trait of Roof in the passage.
f) For each of the following words underlined in the passage, give another word or phrase that means the same and which can replace it in the passage:
(i) energetic
(ii) illustrious
(iii) cold
(iv) mesmerized
(v) profusely
g) ...when you put in your vote
(i) What grammatical name is given to this expression?
(ii) What is its function in the sentence?
h) Roof’s heart nearly flew out.
What figure of speech is used in this expression?
COMPREHENSION PASSAGE II
Read the passage below carefully and then answer the questions on it.
Julius came out of the room. Behind him, as he went out, he was aware of the silent eyes of the Principal and the Headmaster. He walked with a defiant limp. Everybody had gone to their classrooms for the last lesson of the day after the three-thirty break.
He walked straight to his classroom at the other end of Block A. He knew that more than three hundred pairs of eyes were looking at him from several windows. He could hear cheering hisses. But he did not care for them. He despised them all. He felt very tall. He suppressed an impulse to whistle.
Silence was shattered when he entered his classroom. The class teacher, who was also the headteacher, was still in the staff room. The boys eagerly stood up and gathered around him. They fired barrels of questions at him. But he must not appear eager to answer them. A cynical lopsided grin hovered on his lips.
He was disappointed that the girls did not rush to him as the boys had done but he was pleased to see that all their starry eyes especially Dora’s – his lovely desk mate’s – were on him. He knew they must know all the details by now and must be anxious to hear the end of it. But he would not give it to them yet. He must be cruel to himself. He must not care about what happens to himself. They must see him as he truly was.
They must completely forget all about the impressions they have gathered about him on the football field or on the racetrack. He felt a savage desire to avenge himself on them, to see them wince with pain as they took the blow that was the real Julius… “Oh, there is nothing to tell”, he said with non-committal sneer. Then quickly he told himself that he must not look serious because, when they discovered the truth, they might think he was crying for himself. What he did not want from anybody was pity. He was a hero and heroes are to be admired not pitied. “They just told me to go.”
There was a stunned silence in the classroom. Julius noticed a crumbled look come on to Dora’s face and quickly said, ‘Oh. It’s only a joke.’ And there were sighs of relief and everybody was laughing with him, saying what a time he had given the ‘Old Bat,’ and what a stand he, Julius, had made. Julius felt very important. He felt a secret elation because they did not yet know the truth. Once they knew that he was really going home, he was certain their admiration for him would be so strong most of them would cry. He laughed carelessly.
Questions.
a) For each of the following words underlined in the passage, give another word or phrase that means the same and which can replace it in the passage:
(i) defiant
(ii) despised
(iii) hovered
(iv) wince
(v) non-committal
b) Silence was shattered when he entered the classroom.
Explain this statement in your own words.
c) Why was the writer not eager to answer his classmates’ questions?
d) Give one word or expression of your own that describes the mood that the writer creates in the classroom.
e) What punishment did the headmaster and the principal give to the writer?
f) Why did the writer’s classroom mates heave a sigh of relief when he told them he was only joking?
g) What he did not want from anybody…
(i) What is the full grammatical name given to this construction?
(ii) What is its function in the sentence?
h) What figure of speech is used in the expression…starry eyes?
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