WAEC English Language 1996 Past Questions

You are the chief speaker in a debate on the topic: 'Female children are more beneficial than male children to their parents'. Write out your speech for or against the motion.

The performance of your country in a recent international sports competition has generated a lot of comments. Write a letter to the editor of one of your national newspapers discussing the, factors responsible for the level of performance and the lessons that should be learnt.

A foreign magazine has requested articles on some traditional ceremonies of your people. Write your contribution describing any one ceremony such as marriage, funeral or child-naming.

You had a quarrel with a very good friend of yours some time ago and since then both of you have not been on speaking terms. Write a letter to him or her expressing your regret at the break in your relationship and your desire for a reconciliation

You were among a group of students from your school who went on an excursion to places of interest in your country. Narrate to your classmates who did not go what you saw in at least two of the places visited and how you have benefited from the experience.

Write an article for publication in a national newspaper discussing the causes and consequences of the excessive desire for material wealth among Nigerians.

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it. 
      We are today faced with a great ecological problem for which we are largely responsible. The planet Earth, the only home of man is bathed in a steady rain of the sun's rays. Most of these rays supply us heat and light, but a small percentage is deadly. These are the ultraviolet- B rays (or UV -B). If these were to get to the surface of the earth directly, they would kill us off. Luckily, the earth's surface is shielded from these rays by the ozone layer; but sadly enough this ozone layer is being destroyed by man. The ozone layer is formed from a kind of oxygen with three atoms ( \(O_{3}\) ) instead of the normal two (\(O_{2}\) ). 
      Ozone occurs naturally in the stratosphere, several kilometres above the earth's surface. It absorbs the dangerous UV-B rays but allows the much needed and safe light to pass through. There in the stratosphere, it is constantly being created by the sun's rays; thus it is a self-repairing shield. But man is now gradually destroying this vital shield with his industrial gases. The most lethal of these gases are the chlorofluorocarbon, or CFC, which are used in making all kinds of foamed plastic products, propellants in spray cans, coolants in air conditioners and refrigerators and solvents to clean electronic equipment. 
      Down here, they are not lethal. But after they have leaked from air conditioners, plastic foam, cups, etc, they slowly drift up to the stratosphere where, bombarded by ultraviolet rays, they break up at last, releasing chlorine,the real ozone killer. Sadly, one chlorine molecule may remain active for a century, destroying thousands of ozone molecules. 
(a) What is the greatest ecological problem which man faces today? 
(b)(i) What is the ozone layer made of? (ii) Where is it normally found? 
(c) Describe the importance of the ozone layer. 
(d) How is man destroying the ozone layer? 
(e) Give the name of a gas specifically mentioned as very dangerous to the ozone layer. 
(f) What kind of figurative expression is: The planet, Earth, the only home of man, is bathed in a steady rain of the sun's rays? 
(g)  hi are used in making all kinds of foamed plastic products 
(i) What grammatical name is given to this expression? 
(ii) What is its function in the sentence? 
(h) For each of the following words, find another word or phrase that means the same and can replace it as used in the passage: 
(i) shielded (ii) absorbs (iii) vital (iv) lethal; (v)active.

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it. 

      What is efficient reading? Basically, it involves the ability to read through a passage fairly quickly and the ability to understand what has been read. It is a mark of intellectual immaturity to hold on to a passage for hours without being able to make meaning out of it. Also. it is a mark of bad reading not to be able to recall and discuss what has been read. 
      The foregoing has however put the issue rather too simply. The ability to read through a passage at a good rate can be attained only after a mastery of the grammatical structures of the language. Without a sound mastery of words and how they function under various situations, and understanding how sentences are generated, one cannot read even the simplest passage efficiently. Rather, failure would ever dog one's footsteps. 
      Considering the issue from another perspective, merely mastering the vocabulary and structure of the language is not enough. The reader's frame of mind is equally important. Think of a man who is disturbed by the death of a dear one. Such a man would not be able to concentrate on the reading task. If the death, of the dear one is still fresh, he might read through a passage several times without understanding it. On the other hand. if the reader is too excited, he might not be able to concentrate, Take the case of a man who has just read in the newspaper that he has won a handsome sum of money. If he has to read a passage, he may not be able to concentrate. 
      Furthermore, the physical state of the body affects one's ability to read efficiently. So also does the presence or absence of distractions. This is why it is best to read when the body is still fresh and in a place far from noise and other distractions. 
(a)According to the passage what is efficient reading? 
(b) State any two language skills that are essential for efficient reading? 
(c) State any two other factors that affect a reader's understanding of a passage. 
(d) The reader's frame of mind" (i) What grammatical name is given to describe the above expression? (ii) What is its function in the sentence? 
(e) What figure of speech is the expression  'failure would ever dog ones footsteps'? 
(f) For each of the following words, find another word or phrase that means the same and can replace it as used in the passage: 
(i) immaturity (ii) sound (ii) generated (iv) perspective (v) handsome. 

 Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.

 
      Of all the banes confronting the economies of developing nations, not in the least in seriousness is inconsistency in policy. Apart from the quite obvious factor of frequent changes of governments in these countries, a phenomenon which invariably tolls the death knell of existing policies each time a government is swept out of office, even stable governments themselves seem to have a knack of modifying policies frequently. A leader of government is often regarded as radical, and hence popular, when he shakes up his cabinet. Such shake-ups often lead to a change of policy. 
      Quite often, such avoidable changes reflect the shifts in the leaders' friendship patterns. In the third world countries, a position at the top attracts large number of friends, a phenomenon which engenders keen rivalry for attention among the friends. Back-biting is hence not uncommon, and a favorite who is today regarded with an office may easily get the boot tomorrow. 
      Besides, the poor economic situation, a common cause of social unrest, brings about frequent changes in policy. An economic policy which does not produce the expected result within a short time is usually thrown out, often with the initiators of the policy. Sadly though the fault lies, not so much with the policy as with factors both within and outside, beyond the operators. The truth here is that failure tends to rush leaders into taking rash actions which result in further damage. 
      Finally, quite a number of the sharp changes are dictated, or at least influenced, from outside. In a situation where a weak country decides to embrace a stronger one. it has to contend with some dictation from the stronger partner. To reach an agreement with another country necessarily means modifying operations at home in so far as the agreement affects activities at home. For instance, to take a loan from a stronger country is to tailor one's economic operations to reflect the spirit of the loan agreement. 
      Frequent changes in policy harm development far more than is realized. Apart from the financial wastage brought about by the sudden abandonment of projects when new rulers assume office, the resulting sense of insecurity scares off foreign investors. Besides, inconsistency of policy hinders the concentration of effort on specific projects. Moreover, the frequent abandonment of projects mid-stream, especially those being executed under international agreements tends to suggest to aid donors and leaders that the beneficiaries are not serious. And potential donors and leaders' prefer dealing with serious-minded and committed leaders.

(a) In three sentences, one for each, state the factors responsible for frequent changes in policy.

(b) In three sentences, one for each, state the results of the frequent changes in policy.