Common Entrance English 2017

 

 

2017 ENGLISH STUDIES (NCEE) Time allowed: 60 minutes

 

SECTION A: COMPREHENSION

 

Read the passage below carefully and answer the questions that follow by choosing the most appropriate of the options lettered A-E (Nos.1-10)

 

PASSAGE 1

Long time ago, babies began to talk immediately they were born. They could tell their mothers when they were sick, thirsty or hungry and needed some food.

One day, a woman left her new born baby in the room and rushed to fetch water from the nearby Stream. A woman, newly married, entered the room to fetch fire for her evening meal. Unknown to her that the baby was watching, she quickly took some meat that was kept across the heat. When the mother of the baby returned, he disclosed to her that the woman had taken some of the meat.

The matter was taken to the king and the baby narrated how the woman hid the meat under her cloth before leaving the room. The new wife and her husband bowed their heads in shame. The king himself was embarrassed by the incident.

 

News of the incident spread all over the kingdom and people mocked the woman anytime they saw her passing. "This cannot be allowed to continue” cried the king. Babies must be stopped from embarrassing adults with their talks.

He ordered that a lump of flesh be forced down the throats of new born babies to prevent them from talking until they are old enough to differentiate between right and wrong.

 

1.      According to the passage, babies: A. Cried for their needs  B. Talked before they were born  C. Talked but no longer do now  D. Talked only when they had problems  E. Talked only when they saw evil 

2.      The new wife entered the room to: A. Check if the baby was awake   B. Cook her meal  C. Fetch fire for her meal  D. Steal the meat  E. Watch over the baby 

3.      The woman knew her meat was stolen because: A. Her neighbour informed her   B. She hid somewhere in the room   C. She saw the new wife coming out of her room   D. The baby informed her   E. The meat was not the way she left it 

4.      The most suitable title for this passage could be: A. Babies and their Mothers  B. The Embarrassed Woman  C. The Final Judgment  D. The Stolen Meat  E. Why babies don't talk 

5.      The king reasoned that if babies were allowed to continue talking, they could: A. Be too wise for their age  B. Disgrace adults with their talks  C. Disrespect adults  D. Disturb their mothers  E. Take over his kingdom 

 

PASSAGE II

If you could look inside a television set or inside the walls of a house, you'd find a network of electric wires. This network doesn't puzzle electricians because each wire is a different colour to show what kind of wire it is. The different colours tell the electricians where each wire should be connected. We call this colour coding

Colour coding helps many other people as well. People in business often use files with different coloured stickers on them. Each colour means something to the people using the files. Map makers also have colour codes. They use different colours for states or countries, so that you can see where one ends and another begins.

In the sport of archery, archers use bows to shoot arrows at targets. Each coloured circle on the target means a different number of points. An arrow in the golden bull's-eye in the centre of the target scores the highest number.

The archers shoot a certain number of arrows at the target and then collect their arrows. Each archer recognizes his arrows by the colours painted on the shafts.

Colours can also be codes for players or points in other games such as chess, draughts, snookcr, tiddlywinks, marbles and cards.

 

Culled from Child Craft World Book International Volume 15

 

6.      Another word that can replace "puzzle" as used in the passage is: A. Confuse  B. Disorganize  C. Injure  D. Shock  E. Surprise 

7.      The word "golden" as used in the passage is: A. A noun  B. A pronoun  C. A verb  D. An adjective  E. An adverb 

8.      According to the passage, in which of these can colour be used to score points?: A. Badminton  B. Chess  C. Football  D. Hockey  E. Scrabble 

9.      To score high in the sport of archery, the arrow must: A. Be recognized by the archer  B. Hit the golden bull's-eye  C. Hit the target  D. Reach the colours in the target  E. Remain in the target 

10.  Colour coding helps the following except: A. Archers  B. Businessmen  C. Electricians  D. Footballers  E. Map makers

 

SECTION B: LEXIS

 

Choose from the options lettered A-E the one that is nearest in meaning to the word in italics (Nos. 11-15)

 

11.  We found the missing items inside the cupboard in the store: A. Abandoned  B. Forgotten  C. Hidden  D. Lost  E. Neglected 

12.  The pupils are eager to go on holiday: A. Afraid  B. Desperate  C. Keen  D. Prepared  E. Reluctant 

13.  The enemies invaded the village: A. Attacked  B. Conquered  C. Encamped  D. Searched  E. Visited 

14.  The eyewitness gave a vivid account of the fatal accident: A. Brief  B. Brilliant  C. Detailed  D. Horrible  E. Vague 

15.  I shall certainly pass my examinations if I study very hard: A. Definitely  B. Doubtfully  C. Frankly  D. Honestly  E. Truthfully 

 

Choose from the options lettered A–E the one that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the word in italics (Nos. 16–20):

 

16.  The child felt secured in his mother's arms: A. Abandoned  B. Comfortable  C. Detached  D. Protected  E. Unsafe 

17.  The soldiers retreated when their commander was shot: A. Advanced  B. Begged  C. Disappeared  D. Mourned  E. Surrendered 

18.  The criminal did not show any sign of guilty during interrogation: A. Forgiveness  B. Innocence  C. Regret  D. Repentance  E. Weakness 

19.  He was elevated for his hard work: A. Demoted  B. Praised  C. Punished  D. Rebuked  E. Rewarded 

20.  The comforting word sent him to sleep: A. Angry  B. Consoling  C. Disturbing  D. Pleasing  E. Reassuring 

 

SECTION C: STRUCTURE

Complete each of the following statement with the most appropriate of the option: lettered A-E (Nos. 21-40)

 

21.  Of the three cars, my uncle's is the _____ expensive: A. More   B. Most   C. Much   D. Quite  E. So 

22.  I ____ some gifts from my friends: A. Received  B. Receved  C. Recevied  D. Reiceived  E. Riveived 

23.  The child is suffering from ____: A. Malnutretion  B. Malnutrision  C. Malnutrition  D. Manutrition  E. Melnutrition 

24.  Okon has a ____ bag: A. Beautiful leather small   B. Beautiful small leather  C. Leather beautiful small  D. Leather small beautiful  E. Small beautiful leather 

25.  Mother was cooking lunch when I _____ back home: A. Came   B. Come   C. Comes  D. Had come  E. Have come 

26.  I was advised to look _____ the word in the dictionary: A. At   B. By   C. Down  D. Into  E. Up 

27.  Miss Gloria, together with her cousin, _____ visiting the United States of America next year: A. Are  B. Has been  C. Was  D. Were  E. Will be 

28.  Abraham is thirsty,____ he?: A. Doesn't  B. Is   C. Isn't  D. Wasn't  E. Will 

29.  The most appropriate prefix for the word 'faithful' is: A. Im-  B. In-  C. On-  D. Re-  E. Un- 

30.  She ____ to school every day: A. Is trekking  B. Trek  C. Trekked  D. Trekking  E. Treks 

31.  The teacher asked_____ shoes were left outside?: A. These  B. This  C. Those  D. What  E. Whose 

32.  The hunters warned the villagers to beware ____ dangerous animals: A. Against  B. By  C. From  D. Of  E. With 

33.  Father hurt ____ when he fell down: A. Himself  B. Itself  C. Oneself  D. Theirself  E. Themselves 

34.  Tayo and Tom ___ in the same class: A. Are  B. Has been  C. Is  D. Is being  E. Were being 

35.  She is beautiful _____ arrogant: A. Also   B. And   C. But   D. Or   E. While 

36.  It is often said that if wishes were ____ would ride: A. Available, beggars  B. Cars, the rich  C. Horses, beggars  D. Horses, the rich  E. Planes, beggars 

37.  The robbers ____ ran out of the room when they saw the police: A. Angrily  B. Forcefully  C. Gradually  D. Quickly  E. Sluggishly 

38.  The statement "You must finish your homework," the teacher said, rewritten in reported speech becomes: A. He could finish my homework    B. He might finish his homework    C. He must have finished his homework    D. I might finish my homework    E. I must finish my homework 

39.  The statement "The cat ate the meat" rewritten in passive form becomes: A. Had been eaten    B. Has been eaten    C. Is being eaten   D. Is eaten  E. Was eaten 

40.  Indeed, _____ an examination without adequate preparation could lead to failure: A. To be writing   B. To have been writing    C. To have written    D. To write    E. Writing