Jamb English Language 1985 Past Questions and Answers

Question 76:

• JAMB 1985

Read each passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Obi: Let’s go to the Sport Club Cafeteria. One naira
per meal is a privilege in this country.
And God knows that I am too broke to afford
anything More
Olu: Got a membership identity card? Don’t forget
the place is for bona fide members
only.
Obi: Forget it. There are other types of
identity cards, remember. Just flash
something before the eyes of those men at the
gate, provided it looks like an identity card.
Olu: Ee...eh, I see. That is why the place is
always congested. I don’t think it
is even worth the trouble. I can’t stand a
queue.
Obi: That shouldn’t bother you. You don’t have to
join the queue. Just walk
straight to the serving point without fear
and be sure you shout your
order.
Olu: But only V.I.Ps have the right to break
queues.
Obi: Sure, but V.I Ps don’t wear badges on their
faces. Post man, pose. After
all this is Nigeria
olu: You mean there are many impostors here?
Obi: Certainly, and many people with privileges
too. If you want to get
along, you must pose, and to get along
means getting what you want
If you choose to term it ‘privileges, it
suits me. It is all a question of
semantics.


The conversation about queues in the passage reveals that

A. Everybody at the Club Caferia queues
B. Club members can always break queues in the cafeteria
C. People always break queues in the cafeteria on the pretext that are V.I.Ps
D. Only people who are capable of posing can break queues
E. There is nothing wrong in breaking queues

Question 77:

• JAMB 1985

Read each passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Obi: Let’s go to the Sport Club Cafeteria. One naira
per meal is a privilege in this country.
And God knows that I am too broke to afford
anything More
Olu: Got a membership identity card? Don’t forget
the place is for bona fide members
only.
Obi: Forget it. There are other types of
identity cards, remember. Just flash
something before the eyes of those men at the
gate, provided it looks like an identity card.
Olu: Ee...eh, I see. That is why the place is
always congested. I don’t think it
is even worth the trouble. I can’t stand a
queue.
Obi: That shouldn’t bother you. You don’t have to
join the queue. Just walk
straight to the serving point without fear
and be sure you shout your
order.
Olu: But only V.I.Ps have the right to break
queues.
Obi: Sure, but V.I Ps don’t wear badges on their
faces. Post man, pose. After
all this is Nigeria
olu: You mean there are many impostors here?
Obi: Certainly, and many people with privileges
too. If you want to get
along, you must pose, and to get along
means getting what you want
If you choose to term it ‘privileges, it
suits me. It is all a question of
semantics.


From the whole conversation, it is clear that Obi and Olu are

A. Irresponsible
B. Selfish
C. Privileged
D. 'go-gotters'
E. Epitomes of the Nigerian society

Question 78:

• JAMB 1985

Days passed fast for Ntanya and Teresa. They could hardly notice the land getting brown all over kachawanga again, since neither of them noticed any more the sun come up and go down. Ntanya would work very hard in the field hauling in the last harvest and Teresa would stay at home washing, cooking and waiting, waiting for him to come home. She would cook his meal with extra care and when there was little meat she would only give bits to the children and not even touch it herself but use only the smell to get her food down and reserve the whole chunk for her husband. When Ntanya would come home with sweat on his brows she would put the wooden tray on a stool for him and sit down by him watching him eat with great satisfaction: every bolus that went down Ntanya’s throat would also go down her own throat. When Ntanya would insist on sharing the food with her she would always say she had eaten already no matter how hungry she might be. Ntanya would then eat and drink to his satisfaction and rest a while in the sun after saying ‘Thank you mother’


Bolus in this passage means

A. Adam's apple
B. Thorat pill
C. Liquid
D. Piece of meat
E. Large morsel

Question 79:

• JAMB 1985

Days passed fast for Ntanya and Teresa. They could hardly notice the land getting brown all over kachawanga again, since neither of them noticed any more the sun come up and go down. Ntanya would work very hard in the field hauling in the last harvest and Teresa would stay at home washing, cooking and waiting, waiting for him to come home. She would cook his meal with extra care and when there was little meat she would only give bits to the children and not even touch it herself but use only the smell to get her food down and reserve the whole chunk for her husband. When Ntanya would come home with sweat on his brows she would put the wooden tray on a stool for him and sit down by him watching him eat with great satisfaction: every bolus that went down Ntanya’s throat would also go down her own throat. When Ntanya would insist on sharing the food with her she would always say she had eaten already no matter how hungry she might be. Ntanya would then eat and drink to his satisfaction and rest a while in the sun after saying ‘Thank you mother’


Ntanya and Teresa could hardly notice the land getting brown because

A. They were on their honeymoon
B. They had just got married
C. They hardly noticed the sun
D. The sun did not come up
E. Etanya worked very hard in the field

Question 80:

• JAMB 1985

Days passed fast for Ntanya and Teresa. They could hardly notice the land getting brown all over kachawanga again, since neither of them noticed any more the sun come up and go down. Ntanya would work very hard in the field hauling in the last harvest and Teresa would stay at home washing, cooking and waiting, waiting for him to come home. She would cook his meal with extra care and when there was little meat she would only give bits to the children and not even touch it herself but use only the smell to get her food down and reserve the whole chunk for her husband. When Ntanya would come home with sweat on his brows she would put the wooden tray on a stool for him and sit down by him watching him eat with great satisfaction: every bolus that went down Ntanya’s throat would also go down her own throat. When Ntanya would insist on sharing the food with her she would always say she had eaten already no matter how hungry she might be. Ntanya would then eat and drink to his satisfaction and rest a while in the sun after saying ‘Thank you mother’


Teresa gave only bits of meat to the children because

A. They would get the more from Ntanya
B. She cooked it with extra care
C. They were young
D. She kept most of it for her husband
E. She could not afford meat