WAEC Literature in English 2015 Past Questions

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

Question 1
UNSEEN PROSE AND POETRY

Read the passage and the question

A modest two-room hut built of mud and roofed with straw graciously sheltered the Mensahs. One of the rooms advertised itself as a living room. The kind earthenware pot willingly kept company with four ever-smilling stools. The pot eternally contained cool water for guests. The second room was a warm-hearted bedroom without a bed. The poor pair had to sleep on bare straw mats on the polished dirt floor Some overwashed rags deputised for blankets and sheets and pillows. Two strong dry logs, facing each other like bitter rivals burned themselve out at night, not merly to keep the couple warm but mainly to ward off hungry mosquitoes and other hostile pests.
There was no door to ward off the cold night air. Some rude devices, however, were contrived to keep the room quite safe from prying eyes and curious domestic animals. Would any thief be ever tempted to peep into such a rude room of such a poor pair?

The expression 'such a rude room of such a poor pair' illustrates
  • A.onomatopoeia
  • B.pun
  • C.rhyme
  • D.alliteration
Objective
Question 2
UNSEEN PROSE AND POETRY

Read the passage and the question

A modest two-room hut built of mud and roofed with straw graciously sheltered the Mensahs. One of the rooms advertised itself as a living room. The kind earthenware pot willingly kept company with four ever-smilling stools. The pot eternally contained cool water for guests. The second room was a warm-hearted bedroom without a bed. The poor pair had to sleep on bare straw mats on the polished dirt floor Some overwashed rags deputised for blankets and sheets and pillows. Two strong dry logs, facing each other like bitter rivals burned themselve out at night, not merly to keep the couple warm but mainly to ward off hungry mosquitoes and other hostile pests.
There was no door to ward off the cold night air. Some rude devices, however, were contrived to keep the room quite safe from prying eyes and curious domestic animals. Would any thief be ever tempted to peep into such a rude room of such a poor pair?

The setting is
  • A.dawn
  • B.sunset
  • C.midday
  • D.night
Objective
Question 3
Read the poem and answer the question

Proud mothers of the coming age,
'Tis good to find you now engage
Your minds and time your lives to raise
Above the level of bygone days.

'Tis good to see you play your part
With spirit and undaunted heart,
It gives young Afric's throbbing soul
A glimpse of a bright and glorious goals.

God bless you, mothers of our race,
God cause to shine on you His face;
And give you strength and all you crave
To bring forth sons and daughters brave

The rhyme scheme is
  • A.aabb ccdd eeff
  • B.abab abab aabb
  • C.abca abbc abab
  • D.abba abca abab
Objective
Question 4
Read the poem and answer the question

Proud mothers of the coming age,
'Tis good to find you now engage
Your minds and time your lives to raise
Above the level of bygone days.

'Tis good to see you play your part
With spirit and undaunted heart,
It gives young Afric's throbbing soul
A glimpse of a bright and glorious goals.

God bless you, mothers of our race,
God cause to shine on you His face;
And give you strength and all you crave
To bring forth sons and daughters brave

The theme of the poem is
  • A.the love of mother
  • B.invoking the spirit of womanhood
  • C.admiration for women's hard work
  • D.the suffering of women
Objective
Question 5
Read the poem and answer the question

Proud mothers of the coming age,
'Tis good to find you now engage
Your minds and time your lives to raise
Above the level of bygone days.

'Tis good to see you play your part
With spirit and undaunted heart,
It gives young Afric's throbbing soul
A glimpse of a bright and glorious goals.

God bless you, mothers of our race,
God cause to shine on you His face;
And give you strength and all you crave
To bring forth sons and daughters brave

The literary device used in line 7 is
  • A.conceit
  • B.personification
  • C.hyperbole
  • D.pathos
Objective
Question 26
UNSEEN PROSE AND POETRY

Read the passage and the question

A modest two-room hut built of mud and roofed with straw graciously sheltered the Mensahs. One of the rooms advertised itself as a living room. The kind earthenware pot willingly kept company with four ever-smilling stools. The pot eternally contained cool water for guests. The second room was a warm-hearted bedroom without a bed. The poor pair had to sleep on bare straw mats on the polished dirt floor Some overwashed rags deputised for blankets and sheets and pillows. Two strong dry logs, facing each other like bitter rivals burned themselve out at night, not merly to keep the couple warm but mainly to ward off hungry mosquitoes and other hostile pests.
There was no door to ward off the cold night air. Some rude devices, however, were contrived to keep the room quite safe from prying eyes and curious domestic animals. Would any thief be ever tempted to peep into such a rude room of such a poor pair?

The write's attitude to the couple is one of
  • A.resignation
  • B.indifference
  • C.patronage
  • D.praise
Objective
Question 27
UNSEEN PROSE AND POETRY

Read the passage and the question

A modest two-room hut built of mud and roofed with straw graciously sheltered the Mensahs. One of the rooms advertised itself as a living room. The kind earthenware pot willingly kept company with four ever-smilling stools. The pot eternally contained cool water for guests. The second room was a warm-hearted bedroom without a bed. The poor pair had to sleep on bare straw mats on the polished dirt floor Some overwashed rags deputised for blankets and sheets and pillows. Two strong dry logs, facing each other like bitter rivals burned themselve out at night, not merly to keep the couple warm but mainly to ward off hungry mosquitoes and other hostile pests.
There was no door to ward off the cold night air. Some rude devices, however, were contrived to keep the room quite safe from prying eyes and curious domestic animals. Would any thief be ever tempted to peep into such a rude room of such a poor pair?

The dominant literary device used in the passage is
  • A.litotes
  • B.personification
  • C.simle
  • D.paradox
Objective
Question 28
UNSEEN PROSE AND POETRY

Read the passage and the question

A modest two-room hut built of mud and roofed with straw graciously sheltered the Mensahs. One of the rooms advertised itself as a living room. The kind earthenware pot willingly kept company with four ever-smilling stools. The pot eternally contained cool water for guests. The second room was a warm-hearted bedroom without a bed. The poor pair had to sleep on bare straw mats on the polished dirt floor Some overwashed rags deputised for blankets and sheets and pillows. Two strong dry logs, facing each other like bitter rivals burned themselve out at night, not merly to keep the couple warm but mainly to ward off hungry mosquitoes and other hostile pests.
There was no door to ward off the cold night air. Some rude devices, however, were contrived to keep the room quite safe from prying eyes and curious domestic animals. Would any thief be ever tempted to peep into such a rude room of such a poor pair?

The rhetorical question that ends the passage stresses the
  • A.wickedness of thieves
  • B.poverty of the couple
  • C.security of the hut
  • D.filthiness of the surrounding
Objective
Question 29
Read the poem and answer the question

Proud mothers of the coming age,
'Tis good to find you now engage
Your minds and time your lives to raise
Above the level of bygone days.

'Tis good to see you play your part
With spirit and undaunted heart,
It gives young Afric's throbbing soul
A glimpse of a bright and glorious goals.

God bless you, mothers of our race,
God cause to shine on you His face;
And give you strength and all you crave
To bring forth sons and daughters brave

The poet's tone is one of
  • A.sadness
  • B.joy
  • C.condemnation
  • D.sarcasm
Objective
Question 30
Read the poem and answer the question

Proud mothers of the coming age,
'Tis good to find you now engage
Your minds and time your lives to raise
Above the level of bygone days.

'Tis good to see you play your part
With spirit and undaunted heart,
It gives young Afric's throbbing soul
A glimpse of a bright and glorious goals.

God bless you, mothers of our race,
God cause to shine on you His face;
And give you strength and all you crave
To bring forth sons and daughters brave

'To bring forth sons and daughters brave'' illustrates
  • A.paradox
  • B.zeugma
  • C.inversion
  • D.epigram
Objective