Descriptive Comprehension passage - Jamb English Language Past Questions and Answers

Question 56:

• JAMB 1986

  Those who are familiar with it will tell you that Ludo, like human life itself, is a game both of chance and skill. You need skill in deciding how to make the most advantageous use of the figures that turn up on the die when you cast it. Since each player has at least four alternative ways of using his figures, two players with equal luck may fare differently, depending on how cleverly each one uses his figures. The element of luck, again as in human life, plays a dominant role however. For no matter how skilful a player may be in using the figures he gets on the die, he has a slim chance of winning if he continually throws low figures. While a combination of ones and twos may be useful in checking the advance of one’s opponents, it will not take one home fast enough to win. On the other hand: consistent throws of sixes and fives with the very minimum of skill, will help a player to home all his four counters before any of the three other players, unless, of course, he has no idea of the game at all.


It is implied in the passage that two players may fare equally if they

A. Have equal luck
B. Apply similar skill to figures
C. Apply similar skill to similar figures
D. Have equal skill

Question 57:

• JAMB 1986

  Those who are familiar with it will tell you that Ludo, like human life itself, is a game both of chance and skill. You need skill in deciding how to make the most advantageous use of the figures that turn up on the die when you cast it. Since each player has at least four alternative ways of using his figures, two players with equal luck may fare differently, depending on how cleverly each one uses his figures. The element of luck, again as in human life, plays a dominant role however. For no matter how skilful a player may be in using the figures he gets on the die, he has a slim chance of winning if he continually throws low figures. While a combination of ones and twos may be useful in checking the advance of one’s opponents, it will not take one home fast enough to win. On the other hand: consistent throws of sixes and fives with the very minimum of skill, will help a player to home all his four counters before any of the three other players, unless, of course, he has no idea of the game at all.


It is implied in the passage, that in Ludo threes and fours are

A. Very high throws
B. Medium throws
C. Low throws
D. Very low throws

Question 58:

• JAMB 1986

  Those who are familiar with it will tell you that Ludo, like human life itself, is a game both of chance and skill. You need skill in deciding how to make the most advantageous use of the figures that turn up on the die when you cast it. Since each player has at least four alternative ways of using his figures, two players with equal luck may fare differently, depending on how cleverly each one uses his figures. The element of luck, again as in human life, plays a dominant role however. For no matter how skilful a player may be in using the figures he gets on the die, he has a slim chance of winning if he continually throws low figures. While a combination of ones and twos may be useful in checking the advance of one’s opponents, it will not take one home fast enough to win. On the other hand: consistent throws of sixes and fives with the very minimum of skill, will help a player to home all his four counters before any of the three other players, unless, of course, he has no idea of the game at all.


According to the passage, a player with consistently high throws will

A. Almost certainly win a game
B. Certainly win a game
C. Almost certainly not win a game
D. Deliberately not win a game

Question 59:

• JAMB 1986

  Those who are familiar with it will tell you that Ludo, like human life itself, is a game both of chance and skill. You need skill in deciding how to make the most advantageous use of the figures that turn up on the die when you cast it. Since each player has at least four alternative ways of using his figures, two players with equal luck may fare differently, depending on how cleverly each one uses his figures. The element of luck, again as in human life, plays a dominant role however. For no matter how skilful a player may be in using the figures he gets on the die, he has a slim chance of winning if he continually throws low figures. While a combination of ones and twos may be useful in checking the advance of one’s opponents, it will not take one home fast enough to win. On the other hand: consistent throws of sixes and fives with the very minimum of skill, will help a player to home all his four counters before any of the three other players, unless, of course, he has no idea of the game at all.


In the passage, the possession of skill specifically enables a player to

A. Win
B. Throw good figures
C. Use his figures efficiently
D. Check his opponents effectively

Question 60:

• JAMB 1987

You all know how friendly we are with Okperi. Do you think that any Umuaro man who goes to prison there will come back alive? But that apart, do you forget that this is the moon of planting? Do you want to grow this year’s crops in the prison house in a land where your fathers owe a cow? I speak as your elder brother. I have travelled in Olu and I have travelled in Igbo and I can tell you that there is no escape from the white man. He has come when suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat left for him, he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stool. The white man is like that. Before any of you here was old enough to tie a cloth between the legs I saw with my own eyes what the white man did to Abame. Then I knew there was no escape. As day light chases away darkness so will the white man drive away all our customs. I know that as I say it now it passes by your ears, but it will happen. The white man has power which comes from the true God and it burns like fire. This is the God about whom we preach every eighth day...........
Unachukwu’s opponents were now shouting that this was a meeting of an age group that they had not assembled to join with him in chewing the seed of foolishness which they called their new religion.
‘We are talking about the white man’s road’ said a voice above the others.
‘Yes, we are talking about the white man’s road. But when the roof and walls of a house fall in, the ceiling is not left standing. The white man, the new religion, the soldiers, the new road-they are all part of the same thing. The white man has a gun, a machete, a bow and carries fire in his mouth. He does not fight with one weapon alone’.


The dominant subject of this passage is the

A. White man's road
B. New religion
C. White man's influence
D. White man's weapons