JAMB English Language 1978 Past Questions

Practice each question, then open it to see the full details.

Choose the option that best conveys the meaning of the underlined portion in the following sentence;
In the match against the uplanders team, the sub mariners turned out to be the dark horse

A.played most brilliantly
B.played below their usual form
C.won unexpectedly
D.lost as expected
E.won as expected

Choose the option that best conveys the meaning of the underlined portion in the following sentence;
Only the small fry get punished for such social misdemeanours

A.small boys
B.unimportant people
C.frightened people
D.frivolous people
E.inexperienced people

Choose the option that best conveys the meaning of the underlined portion in the following sentence;
He spoke with his heart in his mouth

A.courageously
B.with such unusual cowardice
C.with a lot of confusion in his speech
D.without being able to make up his mind
E.with fright and agitation

Choose the option that best conveys the meaning of the underlined portion in the following sentence;
The leader in today's issue of our popular newspaper focuses on inflation

A.president
B.headline
C.editorial
D.columnist
E.proprietor

Choose the option that best conveys the meaning of the underlined portion in the following sentence;
From the ways my friend talks, you can see he is such a bore

A.rude
B.brilliant
C.uninteresting
D.overbearing
E.humorous

Choose the option that best conveys the meaning of the underlined portion in the following sentence;
His jail terms were to run concurrently

A.simultaneously
B.uniformly
C.laboriously
D.consecutively
E.judiciously

Choose the option that best conveys the meaning of the underlined portion in the following sentence;
There is some obvious symmetry in the whole presentation

A.confusion
B.hesitation
C.excitement
D.orderliness
E.dissatisfaction

Choose the option that best conveys the meaning of the underlined portion in the following sentence;
The bill has to wait as we are now insolvent

A.overworked
B.bankrupt
C.unsettled
D.insoluble
E.affluent

Choose the option that best conveys the meaning of the underlined portion in the following sentence;
All his plans fell through

A.failed
B.were accomplished
C.had to be reviewed
D.were rejected
E.fell

Choose the option that best conveys the meaning of the underlined portion in the following sentence;
The balance sheet at the end of the business year shows that we broke even

A.lost heavily
B.made profit
C.neither lost nor gained
D.had no money to continue business
E.were heavily indebted to our bankers

Choose the option that best conveys the meaning of the underlined portion in the following sentence;
He was appointed specifically to put the recruits through

A.assign them to work
B.train them
C.discipline them
D.assist them at work
E.supervise them at work

Choose the option that best conveys the meaning of the underlined portion in the following sentence;
The result of his experiment represents a break through in medical science

A.an outstanding success
B.catastrophe
C.an end to such experiments
D.breaking point
E.a colossal failure

Choose the option that best conveys the meaning of the underlined portion in the following sentence;
Being an optimist, our professor always sees the bright side of most things

A.charming
B.illumined
C.brilliant
D.pleasing
E.cheerful

Choose the option that best conveys the meaning of the underlined portion in the following sentence;
The state government appointed a commission of inquiry to go into the community's complaints carefully and without prejudice

A.investigate
B.search
C.look for
D.account for
E.ascertain

Choose the option that best conveys the meaning of the underlined portion in the following sentence;
The traffic situation in Lagos can lead to disastrous consequences; a man lost a very lucrative job because he was held up by it

A.confused
B.delayed
C.annoyed
D.intrigued
E.obstructed

Choose the option that best conveys the meaning of the underlined portion in the following sentence;
Mrs. Dada has been deserted by her husband because he feels she has a heart of stone

A.she has a heavy heart
B.she has little warmth of feeling
C.she has a hard heart
D.she is hard hearted
E.she has a strong heart

Choose the option that best conveys the meaning of the underlined portion in the following sentence;
Mr. Jack could be a successful businessman if he paid more attention to the more intricate aspects of his account

A.Mr Jack will undoubtedly succeed
B.Mr Jack cannot succeed
C.Jack will have a very good chance of succeeding
D.Mr. Jack will find it difficult to succeed
E.Mr Jack will succeed in spite of all odds

If my father had not arrived, I would have starved. This sentence means

A.My father did arrive and I didn't starve
B.I had to starve because my father didn't come
C.my father didn't arrive and I didn't starve
D.I should have starved but I didn't
E.I had starved before my father arrived

Choose the option that best conveys the meaning of the underlined portion in the following sentence;
The two sprinters were running neck and neck

A.exactly level
B.very slowly
C.very fast
D.with their necks together
E.together

Choose the option that best conveys the meaning of the underlined portion in the following sentence;
He stared at her

A.glanced
B.peeped
C.looked
D.gazed
E.fixed

Choose the option that best conveys the meaning of the underlined portion in the following sentence;
When the man was caught by police he presented a bold front

A.he attacked the policemen boldly
B.he walked up to the policemen
C.he faced the situation with apparent boldness
D.he bravely attempted to give them a present
E.he frowned at them in a defiant manner

Choose the option that best convey the meaning of the underlined portion in each of the following sentence;
I have been able to observe him at close quarters

A.in government house nearby
B.within a short space of time
C.in a small family house
D.at close range
E.at regular intervals

Choose the option that best conveys the meaning of the underlined portion in each of the following sentence;
At the site of the ghastly accident the poor woman's hair stood on end

A.the woman's hair became straight
B.the wind blew her hair upwards
C.the woman was unmoved
D.the woman disarranged her hair
E.the woman was frightened

Complete each of the following sentences by choosing the option that most suitably fills the space;
When the beggar was tired he ..... down by the roadside

A.lied
B.laid
C.layed
D.lay
E.lain

Complete each of the following sentences by choosing the option that most suitably fills the space;
He did not like .... leaving the class early

A.we
B.us
C.our
D.ourselves
E.our selves

Complete each of the following sentences by choosing the option that most suitably fills the space;
Before the operation, the dentist found that his patient's teeth....

A.have long decayed
B.have long been decayed
C.have long being decayed
D.had long decayed
E.had been decayed

Complete each of the following sentences by choosing the option that most suitably fills the space;
The employer, not the salesman and his representative .... responsible for the loss

A.are
B.are being
C.are never
D.have been
E.is

Complete each of the following sentences by choosing the option that most suitably fills the space;
The boy was born before his parents actually got married and so the court has declared him ....

A.illegal
B.illegitimate
C.illicit
D.unlawful
E.untenable

As he was still owing me two naira, i was careful not to .... him any more money

A.lend
B.loan
C.borrow
D.extend
E.credit

Complete each of the following sentences by choosing the option that most suitably fills the space;
Last week the .... at the theater was the longest i had ever seen

A.assembly
B.congregation
C.convention
D.audience
E.crowd

Complete each of the following sentences by choosing the option that most suitably fills the space;
If you travel by air you will be given an allowance to cover ....

A.a luggage
B.luggage
C.luggages
D.a baggage
E.baggages

Complete each of the following sentences by choosing the option that most suitably fills the space;
Tennyson and Browning lived about the same time and therefore .... poets

A.contrary
B.contractual
C.contemporaneous
D.contemporary
E.contemptible

Complete each of the following sentences by choosing the option that most suitably fills the space;
The green snake which lives in the green grass is using a perfect ....

A.ambush
B.under cover
C.camouflag
D.shelter
E.subterfuge

Complete each of the following sentences by choosing the option that most suitably fills the space;
In order to carry out necessary examination the dead body was ....

A.extracted
B.extradited
C.exiled
D.expelled
E.exhumed

Complete each of the following sentences by choosing the option that most suitably fills the space;
Remember this matter is strictly .....

A.between you and i
B.among you and me
C.among you and me
D.between you and me
E.between you and myself

Complete each of the following sentences by choosing the option that most suitably fills the space;
He went abroad with a view .... a business partner

A.to find
B.to be finding
C.to have found
D.to finding
E.he will find

Complete each of the following sentences by choosing the option that most suitably fills the space;
He had just entered the office .... the telephone rang

A.as
B.before
C.since
D.when
E.until

Complete each of the following sentences by choosing the option that most suitably fills the space;
They .... receive visitor on short notice

A.use to
B.are used to
C.used to
D.are always
E.are use to

Complete each of the following sentences by choosing the option that most suitably fills the space;
His suggestion are completely .... the point and cannot be accepted

A.to
B.about
C.beside
D.on
E.under

Complete each of the following sentences by choosing the option that most suitably fills the space;

For .... he is a secretary we shall not have correct minutes

A.because
B.as long as
C.so long
D.in as much
E.although

Complete each of the following sentences by choosing the option that most suitably fills the space;
He went up quickly and returned ....

A.fastest
B.fastly
C.as fastly
D.as fast
E.in fastness

Complete each of the following sentences by choosing the option that most suitably fills the space;
Invariably, he ends his letters .... amicably

A.you
B.your's
C.yours'
D.yours
E.your own

Complete each of the following sentences by choosing the option that most suitably fills the space;
If i went to the cinema i .... early

A.shall return
B.am returning
C.would return
D.had return
E.may return

Complete each of the following sentences by choosing the option that most suitably fills the space; The traditional folktales form an .... to the book

A.index
B.insertion
C.information
D.overview
E.appendix

Complete each of the following sentences by choosing the option that most suitably fills the space;
the frightening explosion in the factory .... whole wing

A.washed out
B.wiped out
C.rooted out
D.flushed out
E.cleared out

Complete each of the following sentences by choosing the option that most suitably fills the space;
Our plane was scheduled to .... at 10.00 hrs but it was delayed because of the bad weather

A.fly out
B.take off
C.start out
D.shoot off
E.lift off

Complete each of the following sentences by choosing the option that most suitably fills the space;
As luck would have it, the weather brightened almost immediately and after six hours flight we .... at Heathrow Airport

A.touched down
B.dropped
C.came down
D.flew down
E.stopped

Complete each of the following sentences by choosing the option that most suitably fills the space;
Before we left the airport, each passenger was made to .... certain form

A.fill in
B.write in
C.enter in
D.go through
E.read out

Complete each of the following sentences by choosing the option that most suitably fills the space;
My father cannot bear the .... of the concoction that emanates from my mothers soup pot

A.sweet
B.savouring
C.aroma
D.smell
E.scent

Complete each of the following sentences by choosing the option that most suitably fills the space;
I would not have condescended to appease the traffic policeman but i happened .... traffic regulation

A.to have broken
B.to be breaking
C.to break
D.to break in
E.to have evaded