2018 English Language WAEC SSCE (School Candidates) May/June

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English Language 1 - Objective Questions

Section 1

In each of the following sentences, there is one underlined word and one gap. From the list of words lettered A to D, choose the one that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the underlined word and that will, at the same time, correctly fill the gap in the sentence.

Binetow’s inquisitivesess is in sharp contrast with her sister's
1. indifference
2. noiseness
3. calmness
4. dullness
Though at first it appeared an insignificant idea, it turned out to be quite ______
1. outstannding
2. successful
3. remarkable
4. interesting
After grasping the fundamental as Kwesi had to cope with more procedures
1. advanced
2. academic
3. subsidiary
4. secondary
The youth prefer discussing contemporary issues to _____ones
1. archaic
2. unintergsting ting
3. stale
4. political
As erroneous as it might sound, the Headinaster’s ‘assumption was quite
1. wise
2. correct
3. precise
4. faulty
Halima likes to dwell on trivial matters, rather than
1. strong
2. popular
3. weighty
4. heavy
We all know that Bola is insolent whereas Ade is
1. cowardly
2. respectful
3. humble
4. modest
A few days after Musa’s______ - his “sister longed for his departure.
1. coming
2. entrance
3. arrival
4. welcome
Algebral seems complicated, but with practice it becomes ______
1. solved
2. simple
3. accessible
4. achievable
Mrs. Agide is unassuming whereas her twin sister is
1. cheerful
2. boastful
3. loud
4. rude

Section 2

From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that best completes each of the following sentences.

At Christmas, employees of the Sugar Factory receive huge _____
1. benefits
2. dividends
3. bonuses
4. salaries
The exposed milk in the container has tumed_____(a) sour (b) putrid {c) mouldy (d} stale
1. sour
2. putrid
3. mouldy
4. stale
Not ali activists champion_____ causes
1. worthy
2. real
3. concrete
4. favorable
The Mayor gave a glowing _____at the funeral of the city’s only curator
1. citation
2. statement
3. tributé
4. commendation
At the end of _____the National Anthem is played on our radio station
1. programming
2. production
3. transition
4. iransmission.
The defence counsel was unable to convince the ______ of John's innocence
1. plantiff
2. witness
3. panel
4. jury
Unfortunately, corruption is the ____ of most African countries
1. venom
2. bane
3. disaster
4. backbone
The _____ result proved that the patient had hepatitis
1. incestigation
2. diagnosis
3. Optionprobe 3
4. test
The new book has beatiful _____ which makes it attractive
1. illustrations
2. demonstrations
3. illuminations
4. compositions
Their marriage was finally ______ after years of hostility.
1. cancelled
2. annulled
3. broken
4. separated

Section 3

After each of the following sentences, a list of possible interpretations is given. Choose the interpretation that is most appropriate for each sentence.

Can you imagine Oka behaving as if he has all the knowledge in ‘the world? This means that Oka (a) does not real- ly know anything (5) knows so much more than we think (c) is admired by everybody (d) respecis other people.
1. does not really know anything
2. knows so much
3. is admired by everybody
4. respects other people.
Akin is too full of himself. This means that Akin (a) talks too much (b) eats too much (c}
1. talks too much
2. eats too much
3. is too proud
4. is quite annoying
She slogged her guts out for the examination. This means that she
1. failed the examination despite working hard for it
2. passed the examination despite not working hard for it
3. used unfair means to face the examination.
4. really worked
1 admire Modou: very few people can stomach ali of Adaeze’s insults. This means that Modou
1. tolerated Adaeze’s insults
2. was a weakling
3. had no answer to Adaeze's insults
4. did the right thing by remaining silent
After months. of battling with stroke, he is now a shadow of his former self. This means that he (a) is now frail (b) is vulnerable (c) is i hopeless (d} has almost recovered.
1. is now frail
2. is vulnerable
3. is hopeless
4. has almost recovered
Kura, you can’t be too careful when dealing with Wang. This means that Kura (a) has no reason to be suspicious _ of Wang (b) can fully rely on Wang (c) has to be very careful in his relation- ship with Wang (d)} may feel free in the company of Wang.
1. has no reason to be suspicious _ of Wang
2. can fully rely on Wang
3. has to be very careful in his relation- ship with Wang
4. may feel free in the company of Wang.
Don’t tell me another ccck and bull ’ story. This means that the speaker does not want to (a) be further baffled(b) hear the same old story (c) hear another
1. be further baffled
2. hear the same old story
3. hear another drab story
4. be further deceived
Had he confessed much earlier, she would have trusted him.
1. had confessed earlier on, but he wasn’t trusted
2. had confessed much earlier on and he was trusted
3. hadn’t confessed much earlier on and he was trusted
4. hadn't confessed earlier on and wasn't trusted
Kola: you really worked hard to win the case. Dira: you don't know half of it. This means that
1. it wasn't as difficult as kola had thought
2. Kola's statement wasn't acctually correct
3. it was even more difficult that Kola could imagine
4. winning the case didn't mean much to Kola
Femi is too clever by half. this meanst that Femi
1. displays hus cleverness in an annoying way
2. is not as clever as he thinks
3. pleases everyone he meets
4. hides how clever he really is

Section 4

From the words lettered A to D below each of the following sentences, choose the word or group of words that is nearest in meaning to the underlined word as it is used in the sentence.

He was such a brilliant footballer!
1. an inspired
2. an intelligent
3. a dazzling
4. a skillful
The politician is a fluent speaker
1. an eloquent
2. a superficial
3. an insightful
4. a perssuasive
Everyone has the urge to succeed in life
1. compulsion
2. desire
3. need
4. courage
When he heard the gunshot, he into the thick forest
1. tight
2. deep
3. dense
4. close
That was a timely intervention
1. suitable
2. accurate
3. prompt
4. major
David is not only hardworking but also scrupulous
1. painstaking
2. ambitious
3. pleasant
4. daring
We really have to vbeb careful because the situation is rather tricky
1. deceitful
2. trivial
3. unexpected
4. difficult
I think that his essay is impeccable
1. errorneous
2. correct
3. satisfactory
4. faultless
There has been a marked change in her study habit
1. significant
2. real
3. full
4. complete
He was directed to write the letter
1. advised
2. instructed
3. persuaded
4. forced

Section 5

From the words or group of words lettered A to D, choose the word or group of words that best completes each of the following sentences.

Every one of the students ____ to be .excited about the excursion
1. was
2. seeming
3. is seeming
4. seems
We should assist the poor, _____?
1. shall we
2. isn't it
3. shouldn't we
4. we shouldn't
Either he or you ____ to clean up the mess
1. has
2. have
3. where
4. was
If Musa had woken up earlier, be _____breakfast. { would not have missed
1. ought not fo miss
2. shall have missed
3. may have missed
He would rather appeal the decision ____ defeat
1. instead of accepting
2. than accepting
3. than accepts
4. than accept
The student complained that he _____ the teacher.
1. was not hearing
2. could not hear
3. does not hear
4. is not hearing
My brither _____ in Lagos for the past ten years.
1. is living
2. lived
3. will lived
4. has been living
I am totally dissapointed ______ grades.
1. from
2. with
3. for
4. on
He is a doctor but dabbles ____ politics now and then.
1. in
2. through
3. on
4. with
_____ arrived before the manager.
1. Neither he nor
2. Neither me nor he
3. Either I nor him
4. Neither me nor him
The evening was rounded_____ with a dance
1. off
2. up
3. out
4. down
I _____have done the dishes but i haven't had the time
1. will
2. should
3. might
4. shall
I have heard _____you said
1. what
2. which
3. that
4. whatever
Life in the city is ____challenging for the lazy
1. too much
2. so much
3. very much
4. much too
It is always _____ that gets the blame
1. me
2. I
3. myself
4. mine
He spends a _____ deal of his time studying
1. large
2. great
3. big
4. huge
I guess he holds _____ sensitive position
1. some kind
2. many kind
3. some kind
4. many kind
He always gives ______ for coming late to school
1. one excuse or the another
2. one excuse or the other
3. some excuse or another
4. some excuse or the other
___You turn down the volume of the raidio? I am trying to read!
1. May
2. Will
3. Would
4. Should
I know it's a secrete so i ____ tell anyone
1. couldn't
2. shan't
3. needn't
4. mightn't
At the last minute Amidu backed ____ of the plan
1. up
2. off
3. out
4. down
He ____ be very handsome but i don't like him
1. shall
2. will
3. might
4. can
During her early days in school, she ____ stufy for hours
1. would
2. may
3. can
4. shall
He ____ this morning in a dazzling white shirt
1. turned off
2. turned in
3. turned by
4. turned out
The police have _____ a warning to all residents of the area
1. put on
2. put in
3. put off
4. put out
My parents taught me a lot of lessons most of ____are difficult to forget
1. which
2. who
3. whom
4. what
Sani ____ on a babanna peel and fell down
1. slide
2. slid
3. had slid
4. was slid
I was looking forward to _____ from you
1. hear
2. hearing
3. be hearing
4. have heard
I have made remarkable progress _____ learning French
1. by
2. at
3. in
4. for
The beans have not been properly _____
1. grind
2. ground
3. grounding
4. grounded

Section 6

In the following passage, the numbered gaps indicate missing words. Against each number in the list below the passage, four options are given in columns lettered A to D. Choose the word that is most suitable to fill the numbered gaps in the passage.

*question text

	A	B	C	D
71	creation	provision	construction	production
72	debts	pitfalls	risks	problems
73	hawkwer	peddler	retailer	trader
74	plunge	invest	break	delve
75	colleague	comrade	fellow	partner
76	tendencies	properties	attributes	features
77	skills	talents	knack	foresight
78	outputs	yields	products	materials
79	controls	checks	restrains	briddles
80	assets	waelth	stock	resources

English Language 2 - Theory

Section A - Essay Writing

All questions carry equal marks. Your answer should not be less than 450 words. You are advised to spend about 50 minutes on this section.

Question 1
Question 2
Question 3
Question 4
Question 5

Section B - Comprehension

You are advised to spend about 30 minutes on this section.

The crowd was massive. Men, women, boys and girls from every nook and cranny of the village had gathered under the big Iroko tree. Also, in the crowd was an American couple , tourists, who were enjoying their holiday. At the centre of the large circle of people was the magician who had a reputation of performing unbelievabe feats. Everybody was impresses with the feats which went along with the hilarious drumming.

Then came the next time. The magician's three aids each took out a local gun, while the magician danced even wilder. The gun-totting aids took up position in three different corners. The drumming became more frenzied and the magician performed more acrobatics. The people weere not to wonder for long what the guns had to do with the whole show. One afterr the other, the aids aimed at the magician while he steadied himself to receive the shots. Each gun boomed with a loud report and the magician jumped up in celebration of his survival. The three shots seemingly got to him but he simply laughed to scorn the shooters.

The American tourist was more than mystified. They could not explain it. How could a man receive bullet shpts in his chest and still reemain unscathed? In disbelief, he shouted "This is amazing, can't be explained. But wait a minute, I'll join the show myself." There and then, he went to his car, took out his riffle, and returned to the crowd. "I'm gonna get this guy!" he proclaimed.

He toom the aim. The magician saw him out of the corner of his eye. He surveyed the scenario and decided that he was not prepared for this. Quickly, he showed a clean pair of heels. Tearing through the crowd, he ran for hus dear life. Some thought this was still part of the show, but when the man would not return, it was clear taht he had bidden the audience a hasty farewell.

Question 6
1. What suggests that the show was free?
2. What evidence is there that the performance was not a one-man show?
3. Why was the magician confident to recieve the shots from his aides?
4. What did the Amerian tourist set out to prove?
5. What might have happened if the American had completed his contemplated action?
6. ...he showed a clean pair of heels. What does this expression mean?
7. ...which went along with drumming. (i)What is the grammatical name given to this expression as it is used in the passage? (ii) What is it's function?
8. For each of the following words, find another word or phrase which means the same and which can replace it as it is used in the passage. (i) feats (ii) aides (iii) steadied (iv) mystified (v) unscathed (vi) hasty

Section C - Summary

You are advised to spend about 40 minutes on this section.

Read the following passage carefully| and answer the question on it.

Drug abuse is a menace in many countries. The continued abuse of drugs usually leads to addition. This problem is more common among youths. The drugs that can be abused vary from prescribed medication to more controlled substances. ‘Alcohol, cigarette and controlled substances such as cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and so on are addictive*drugs that are often used by many young people. They can be smoked, swallowed, inhaled or injected into the bloodstream.

There are numerous adverse medical and psychological consequences associated with drug addiction.Individuals have been known to suffer irreversible damage from the abuse of drugs. It can affect the central nervous system as well as cause memory loss, brain damage and depression.

Drug addicts may display psychotic behaviours, mood swings andmay be predisposed to irascible. deci- sion making. They. are also likel¥-to suffer general health problems related fo the lungs, heart and kidneys. In fact, the adverse behavioural and physical effects of ding addiction on the indi- vidual are enormous.

Apart from the problems for the individual, the families of drug addicts are not spared. Since addicts are usually incapable of functioning as ‘normal’ members of the society, they abuse their families. They are pron to abusing spouses and children. There have been reports of children expensive treatment and rehabilitation. These have huge cost implications that put a lot of pressure on the family budget. Inn addition, their families face stigmatization in their communities. The sociéty at large also suffers.

Drug addicts are more likely to be involved in criminal activities than people who are not. Many of the heinous crimes reported have been attributed to drug addiction. The abuse of alcohol is one of the reasons for the incréasing number of road accidents. An increase in crime rate forces the government to commit huge resources to fighting crime, resources that could have been used to provide more social amenities. Moreover, most criminal gangs are formed and thrive on money from drugs. Although the addicts have made the drug trade seemingly attractive and profitable, no-one should pro- mote it. Regardless of the apparently insurmountable nature of the problems associated with drug addiction, some menace. People need to be more educated on the effects of addiction on themselves and their families. Children must be taught in schools and at home the need to stay away from drugs. The law enforcement agencies should also be better empowered and resourced to apprehend dealers in order to curtail the availability of drugs in circulation. Another step is to ensure that drug addicts receive early treatment. Such treatment should be based om the specific drug the individual is addicted to. While it may appear impossible to eliminate the problems of addiction, relentless efforts in taking the steps above will help to weaken the grip of drug abuse on sour society.

Question 7
1. In three sentences, one for each, state three categories of people that are affected by drug addiction and what they suffer.
2. In three sentences, one for each, identify three ways to combat drug addiction in the society.

English Language 3 - Test of Orals

Section 1

From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that has the same vowel sound as the one represented by the letter(s) underlined.

coin
1. toy
2. rod
3. lord
4. ride
blow
1. brown
2. blew
3. road
4. now
lawyer
1. lawless
2. lorry
3. adapt
4. flying
decided
1. bled
2. hid
3. skew
4. hide
cup
1. oven
2. cot
3. crop
4. curl
pure
1. sure
2. you
3. curse
4. more
how
1. low
2. drought
3. bowl
4. bought
short
1. but
2. shoot
3. spot
4. jaw
stew
1. slow
2. blue
3. gnaw
4. good
could
1. cold
2. cod
3. pull
4. cool
league
1. lick
2. pleasure
3. people
4. learn
high
1. yell
2. buy
3. quail
4. toil
stay
1. height
2. rake
3. rise
4. rose
burn
1. barn
2. owl
3. girl
4. purse
parse
1. spice
2. irk
3. chart
4. eye

Section 2

From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that has the same consonant sound(s) as the one represented by the letter(s) underlined.

kin
1. knife
2. scheme
3. scene
4. known
same
1. isle
2. dies
3. daze
4. loose
parent
1. pius
2. physics
3. corps
4. pharmacy
tax
1. asked
2. ached
3. lacks
4. kiss
zero
1. days
2. cease
3. seizure
4. measure
flame
1. dough
2. pillar
3. psyche
4. photo
cheek
1. chemist
2. campaign
3. sharp
4. cheque
apt
1. rapid
2. taped
3. packed
4. prefect
sing
1. examine
2. sinner
3. miner
4. kingship
shadow
1. treasure
2. century
3. chess
4. trash
wept
1. begged
2. bombed
3. caused
4. stopped
strict
1. indict
2. incite
3. inflict
4. listen
jump
1. digest
2. geese
3. dozen
4. gear
scratch
1. secret
2. screen
3. street
4. school
think
1. smart
2. tooth
3. tiny
4. worthy

Section 3

From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that rhymes with the given word.

leisure
1. razor
2. sure
3. measure
4. pressure
ballet
1. palate
2. tablet
3. chalet
4. blanket
imbue
1. undue
2. defuse
3. recruit
4. outdone
waste
1. placed
2. caged
3. host
4. forged
thrive
1. move
2. clime
3. shrine
4. arrive

Section 4

From the words lettered A to D, choose the one that has the correct stress.

installation
1. IN-stal-la-tion
2. in-STAL-lation
3. in-stal-LA-tion
4. in-stal-la-TION
unwillingness
1. UN-wil-ling-ness
2. un-WIL-lin-ness
3. un-wil-LING-ness
4. un-wil-ling-NESS
circumstances
1. CIR-cum-stan-ces
2. cir-CUM-stan-ces
3. cir-cum-STAN-ces
4. cir-cum-stan-CES
manipulate
1. MA-ni-pu-late
2. ma-NI-pu-late
3. ma-ni-PU-late
4. ma-ni-pu-LATE
apologize
1. A-pol-o-gize
2. a-POL-o-gize
3. a-pol-O-gize
4. apol-O-gize

Section 5

In the following options lettered A to D, all the words except one have the same stress pattern. Identify the one with the different stress pattern and shade your answer in the usual way.

1. attention
2. amplify
3. alluring
4. important
1. interest
2. revenge
3. profess
4. support
1. concept
2. control
3. confess
4. confuse
1. decision
2. incursion
3. mutation
4. motionless
1. cargo
2. cater
3. cover
4. cartoon

Section 6

In each of the following sentences, the word that receives the emphatic stress is written in capital letters. From the questions lettered A to D, choose the one to which the given sentence is the appropriate answer.

AYO asked Mary to come today
1. Did Chike ask Mary to come?
2. Did Ayo order Mary to come today?
3. Did Ayo ask Dad to come today?
4. Did Ayo ask Mary to come today?
Wood is cheap in the South THIS year
1. Is cassava cheap in the south?
2. Is wood expensive in the South this year?
3. Is wood cheap in the north this year?
4. Is wood cheap in the south every year?
NEW students shoud pay tuition fees
1. Should new pupils pay tuition fees?
2. Should old students pay tuition fees?
3. Should new students pay hostel fees?
4. Can new students pay tuition fees?
Dad requested the DRIVER to open the door
1. Did mum request the driver to open the door?
2. Did dad order the driver to open the door?
3. Did dad request the gardener to open the door?
4. Did dad request the driver tpo oshut the door?
Ade's BICYCLE is made of steel
1. Is Bola's bicycle made of steel?
2. Is Ade's car made of steel?
3. Was Ade's bicycle made of steel?
4. Is Ade's bicyle made of plastic?

Section 7

From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that contains the sound represented by the given phonetic symbol.

/u/
1. choose
2. tool
3. book
4. scoop
/c/
1. beer
2. says
3. isle
4. raid
/ɔ:/
1. coy
2. law
3. cot
4. plow
/b/
1. bulge
2. doubt
3. subtle
4. lamb
/ei/
1. alone
2. greet
3. height
4. neigh
/ɪə/
1. dear
2. chair
3. night
4. reign
/au/
1. choir
2. owl
3. pour
4. pure
/ð/
1. thyme
2. pith
3. smooth
4. thin
/n/
1. ankle
2. knock
3. hymn
4. hung
/j/
1. cue
2. quit
3. judge
4. cheer