BECE JHS English Language 2018 Past Questions

```From the alternatives lettered A to D, choose the one which most suitably completes each sentence.```
Salifu was ……..surprised that he could not talk.

As School Prefect, write a letter to your District or Municipal or Metropolitan Chief Executive requesting the maintenance of the buildings in your school.

```From the alternatives lettered A to D, choose the one which most suitably completes each sentence.```
This amount is all ………I have on me.

Write arguments for or against the topic: Life in the city is more dangerous than that in the village.

```From the alternatives lettered A to D, choose the one which most suitably completes each sentence.```
I am told the boy is a friend of ……….

Write a report to the Headteacher of your school about how a senior girl beat up a junior boy.

```From the alternatives lettered A to D, choose the one which most suitably completes each sentence.```
Rice and beans ……a good meal for children.

```COMPREHENSION
Read the following passage carefully and answer all the questions which follow
When Pozo adopted Abate and Ali, he vowed to take great care of them. And he did his best. But Abate and Ali did exactly as they were told not to. Their greatest passion was snail-hunting.
As he left home for an important meeting one afternoon, Pozo told the boys that he would be particularly pleased if they did not join any snail-hunting group or go snail-hunting by themselves. He even promised surprise presents if they abstained from snail-hunting for once It was quite obvious to everyone that there would be snail-hunting as there had been a heavy downpour that morning.
Pozo’s meeting was a marathon. When he arrived home at 8:30 that night, neither of the boys was at home. He felt that something grave might have happened. He stood still for some time confused. He switched on his radio and tuned in to his favourite station, Hiawa FM and the breaking news was: “Five snail-hunters have been run over at Yaaboi by the early evening in-coming Densuano-bound train”. As the dreadful news hit him, Pozo winced.
Pozo was so stupefied that he did not notice Ali enter the house, sweating and breathless, carrying a head-load of snails But where was Abate?
Furtively, the back door squeaked open. In stole the other boy, also sweating and breathless under the weight of the head-load of snails On seeing him, Pozo sighed, relieved. He shook his head. “These boys will surely be the death of me”, he murmured to himself. “When will they do exactly as they are told?”```

(a) (i) Why was Pozo taking care of the boys?
(ii) Why do you think Pozo did not want the boys to go snail-hunting?

(b) State the two reasons why Pozo was sure that the boys would go snail-hunting.

(c) What is the meaning of the sentence, “Pozo’s meeting was a marathon”?

(d) (i) Why was Pozo so worried when he returned from the meeting?
(ii) How did the news of the rail accident affect Pozo?

(e) Explain in your own words the following expressions as used in the passage:
(i) have been run over;
(ii) in stole the other boy;
(iii) be the death of me.

(f) For each of the following words, give another word or phrase that means the same, and can fit into the passage:
(i) vowed;
(ii) passion;
(iii) abstained;
(iv) grave;

```From the alternatives lettered A to D, choose the one which most suitably completes each sentence.```
Yaw is …….clever to be cheated.

LITERATURE

Question 5(a) to 5(c) are based on the abridged and simplified version of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist

NOTE
The candidate:
• Must ensure that there are no grammatical / expression errors, otherwise, he/she may lose marks.
• Must provide only one answer to any given question. If he/she provides two options and one of them is wrong, he/she loses all the marks for that question.
• Must ensure that all spellings are correct.
• May decide not to answer in complete sentences.

CHARLES DICKENS: Oliver Twist

“Oliver walked 70 miles to London. In such a big city, no one would ever find him!
It was chilly and his feet hurt but he was happy to leave his old, miserable life behind”

(a) Two of the people who treated Oliver badly, making him run away to London are

(b) An example of the use of contrast in the extract is ………

(c) “ ……the one item she had” was

MERRILL CORNEY: Debbie, Sandy and Pepe

“Well, we’ll just have to look after him ourselves then”, she said.
“We’ll make a soft nest for him and feed him and when he grows up, he will stay in our garden.”

(d) What did they choose for a nest for Pepe?

(e) Which figure of speech is mainly used in the extract?

The Dilemma of a Ghost

AMA ATA AIDOO:
My spirit Mother ought to have come for me earlier.
Now, what shall I tell them who are gone?
The daughter of slaves who come from the white man’s land.
Someone should advise me on how to tell my story.
My children, I am dreading my arrival there.
Where they will ask me news of home.
Shall I tell them or shall I not?

(f) Who is the speaker?

(g) What do the following expressions in the extract refer to?
(i) “……..who are gone?”
(ii) “………….there”.

LAWRENCE DARMANI: Scribbler’s Dream

Scribbler,
The dream in your mind fills the shelf.
When upon the shelf you gaze,
5 vacuum stares at you.
There is your quill and parchment
but heavy are your hands.
Why?
Because disuse numbs the wrist.

(h) What does “Scribbler” refer to?
(i) What does “The dream in your mind” refer to?

```From the alternatives lettered A to D, choose the one which most suitably completes each sentence.```
The two rivals are fond of insulting ………

```From the alternatives lettered A to D, choose the one which most suitably completes each sentence.```
Of all the pupils in the class, Ekua is ……..

```From the alternatives lettered A to D, choose the one which most suitably completes each sentence.```
It is high time Adzo …… home.

```From the alternatives lettered A to D, choose the one which most suitably completes each sentence.```
You should be ……..more careful about what you say.

```From the alternatives lettered A to D, choose the one which most suitably completes each sentence.```
Atsu is looking forward to ……..his friends at the party.

```From the alternatives lettered A to D, choose the one which most suitably completes each sentence.```
The harder you study, ……..your chance of success.

```From the alternatives lettered A to D, choose the one which most suitably completes each sentence.```
If you had asked me, I ………you.

```From the alternatives lettered A to D, choose the one which most suitably completes each sentence.```
I don’t really know what you want, ………I?

```From the alternatives lettered A to D, choose the one which most suitably completes each sentence.```
I will not walk to school with ………. of the boys.

```From the alternatives lettered A to D, choose the one which most suitably completes each sentence.```
Jane fell ill ………..measles.

```Choose from the alternatives lettered A to D the one which is nearest in meaning to the underlined word in each sentence.```
Aminu’s bushy eyebrows gave him a very severe look.

```Choose from the alternatives lettered A to D the one which is nearest in meaning to the underlined word in each sentence.```
My father had the benefit of good education.

```Choose from the alternatives lettered A to D the one which is nearest in meaning to the underlined word in each sentence.```
Kwame was too scared to be left alone in the house.

```Choose from the alternatives lettered A to D the one which is nearest in meaning to the underlined word in each sentence.```
The new school is ideal for Mr. Mensah’s children.

```Choose from the alternatives lettered A to D the one which is nearest in meaning to the underlined word in each sentence.```
The internet is of enormous benefit to education.

```In each of the following sentences a group of words has been underlined. Choose from the alternatives lettered A to D the one that best explains the underlined group of words.```
Afua celebrates her birthday today but I cannot make it. This means that the speaker

```In each of the following sentences a group of words has been underlined. Choose from the alternatives lettered A to D the one that best explains the underlined group of words.```
The interview was conducted to separate the sheep from the goats. This means that the interview aimed at

```In each of the following sentences a group of words has been underlined. Choose from the alternatives lettered A to D the one that best explains the underlined group of words.```
Being the eldest child of the family, Joojo claimed the lion’s share of the father’s property. This means that Joojo had

```In each of the following sentences a group of words has been underlined. Choose from the alternatives lettered A to D the one that best explains the underlined group of words.```
The students were all ears during the presentation. This means that the students

```In each of the following sentences a group of words has been underlined. Choose from the alternatives lettered A to D the one that best explains the underlined group of words.```
Dallies is the pick of the bunch. This means that Dallies

```From the list of words lettered A to D, choose the one that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the word underlined in each sentence.```
The headteacher asked the pupils to disperse

```From the list of words lettered A to D, choose the one that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the word underlined in each sentence.```
The current is slow downhill.

```From the list of words lettered A to D, choose the one that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the word underlined in each sentence.```
The bread is stale.

```From the list of words lettered A to D, choose the one that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the word underlined in each sentence.```
Akos has nothing to be boastful of.

```From the list of words lettered A to D, choose the one that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the word underlined in each sentence.```
The pupils are confident of passing the examination.