BECE English Langauge Past Questions and Answers

ENGLISH LANGUAGE

SECTION A: COMPREHENSION

Read the passages below and answer the questions that follow by choosing the most appropriate of the options lettered A-E (Nos. 1-9).

PASSAGE 1

John lives in a village with his wife and children. He is a popular farmer in the village. He is into different kinds of farming. He has a hut in the farm where they relax during their breakfast and lunch. They always have their dinner at home. They can also find themselves in the hut when it is raining, very sunny or even when they are tired.

His children always have their breakfast at home only on school days. When school closes, they all, after keeping school related things at home, make their way to the farm to join their parents. They always cover very long distances between their home and farm on foot. They do this without ever complaining. This is simply because they have good parents.

Even John’s elder children, who are now in higher schools in the city, come home on holidays to help in the farming.

John takes good care of his needs and those of his family members. This is possible because of what he gets from the farm. He pays the school fees of his children; buys uniform and books for them. Whatever the children need is always attended to with ease.

On Sundays, John and all his family members go to church. They do not remember their farm activities on a day of worship. His family is a model for many families in the village.

1.     According to the passage, John is

A. a hardworking farmer

B. a man with many wives

C. blessed with only male children

D. planning to go to school

E. the only farmer in the village

2.     The hut in the passage, does NOT have one of the following as its function.

A. A place to stay when the weather is unfriendly

B. Breakfast is eaten in it

C. They have dinner in it

D. A. place for having lunch

E. They relax in it when they are tired

3.     John’s children are good because they

A. always obey their parents

B. bring lunch o the farm

C. go to the farm even when it is raining

D. join their parents in their uniform

E. only eat their first meal in the farm

4.     One of the following is NOT true of the passage.

A. John and his family do farm work for six days in a week

B John does not like education

C. John is a Christian

D John satisfies his needs

E The needs of John’s children are provided for

5.     Another word or phrase that can replace model as used in the passage is

A. generous giver B. good example C. harvester D. pillar E. shelter

PASSAGE II

There was once a dervish in the service of a king. The king used to give him, daily, a piece of cake and a bowl of honey. The dervish ate the cake and put the honey into a jar which he always carried on his head. Honey, however, in those days was very dear, and one day the dervish, noticing that his jar was nearly full, thought of the high price his honey would fetch in the market.

“I will sell my honey for a piece of gold and buy ten sheep, all will bring forth young ones so that in the course of one year, I shall have twenty sheep- their numbers will steadily increase and in four years, I shall be the owner of four hundred sheep. I shall then buy a cow and an ox and acquire a piece of land. My cow will bring forth calves, the ox will be useful in ploughing my land, while the cows wilt provide me with milk. In five years time, the number of my cattle wilt have increased considerably and I shall be the possessor of great wealth. I shall then build a magnificent house, acquire slaves and maid-servants and marry a beautiful woman of noble background. She will become pregnant and bear me a son; a robust and beautiful child. A lucky star will shine at the moment of his birth, and he will be happy and blessed and bring honour to my name after my death. Should he, however, refuse to obey me, I will beat him with this stick, thus”.

And so soliloquising, the dervish raised the stick, which hit the jar and broke it, so that the honey poured away.

6.     The dervish’s_____was a piece of cake and a bowl of honey.

A. commission   B. price    C. rent  D. salary   E. wage

7.     The dervish hoped to have_______sheep in four years.

A. ten           B. twenty        C. forty        D. twenty-five   E. four hundred

8.     Another word that can replace ‘dear’ as it is used in the passage is.       A. common     B expensive     C. precious   D. lovely       E. rare

9.     How would you describe the dervish?

A. Dubious  B. Diligent C. foolish D. presumptuous E. greedy

10.   Which of the statements is correct according to the passage? The dervish

A. worked for the king

B. had a wife and a son

C. lived in the palace

D. eventually became very rich

E. lost all he worked hard for

SECTION B

VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT

Complete each of the following questions with the most appropriate of the options, lettered A – E (Nos.11-35).

11.   The fruit was______ripe and ready to be eaten.

A. fully      B. much      C. not      D. too      E. very

12.   The boy’s father warned him not to______with bad friends.

A. be familiar  B. engage C. go out  D. keep company E. move

13.   Several____attended the workshop on capacity-building.

A. delegates  B. participants  C. persons  D. spectators  E. witnesses

14.   Microsoft ware was________by an American, Bill Gates.

A. developed  B. invented  C. introduced D. made E. formed

15.   The National Assembly will pass the________on child abuse next year.

A. bill  B. decision C. information  D. law E. penalty

16.   The new principal stressed the importance of________amongst the students.

A. disobedience  B. hooligalism C. lateness D. punctuality  E. truancy

17.   The staff gave the director a________ovation.

A. sitting    B. sounding   C. standing  D. surprising  E. walking

18.   My mother-in-law who is my wife’s_______will visit us next month.

A. grand mother  B. mother  C. old mother D. old woman  E. step-mother

19.   The doctor examined the patient in his

A. consulting room

B. laboratory

C. labour room

D. theatre

E. ward

20.   Air_______ has been described as a major health hazard in industrial communities.

A crash        B. diffusion     C. mishap     D. pollution   E. raid