Descriptive Comprehension passage - Jamb English Language Past Questions and Answers

Question 46:

• JAMB 1984

A British electronics manufacturer has built a factory in which quartz crystals can be grown in 3 weeks. The natural growth of quartz takes 3 million years, and very often the crystals are not sufficiently pure to satisfy the precise needs of science. However, the manufactured crystals are exceptionally pure, and this is important because quartz, in transistors is used in an astonishing number of devices where constant accuracy is required: radio and television transmitters and receivers, space satellites and computers are familiar examples. In order to make artificial quartz, very small pieces of the natural crystal imported from Brazil are placed in long, narrow, steel cylinders. A high pressure and a high temperature are maintained within the cylinders for 3 weeks, and at the end of this the small fragments have grown to the required weight of one pound. The quartz is then ready to be made into the tiny transistors that have replaced the much larger thermionic valves.


The manufactured crystals have to be pure

A. Because natural quartz is pure
B. To maintain hygiene in factory work
C. To satisfy the precise needs of importers
D. To satisfy the exact requirements of science
E. Otherwise they would take 3 million years to grow.

Question 47:

• JAMB 1984

A British electronics manufacturer has built a factory in which quartz crystals can be grown in 3 weeks. The natural growth of quartz takes 3 million years, and very often the crystals are not sufficiently pure to satisfy the precise needs of science. However, the manufactured crystals are exceptionally pure, and this is important because quartz, in transistors is used in an astonishing number of devices where constant accuracy is required: radio and television transmitters and receivers, space satellites and computers are familiar examples. In order to make artificial quartz, very small pieces of the natural crystal imported from Brazil are placed in long, narrow, steel cylinders. A high pressure and a high temperature are maintained within the cylinders for 3 weeks, and at the end of this the small fragments have grown to the required weight of one pound. The quartz is then ready to be made into the tiny transistors that have replaced the much larger thermionic valves.


According to the passage, quartz is used

A. Only in a few devices
B. In a lot of devices
C. In wrist watches
D. For jewellery
E. For steel cylinders

Question 48:

• 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 49:

• 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 50:

• 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