Comprehension/Summary - Jamb English Language Past Questions and Answers

Question 121:

• JAMB 2017

In the book "Independence" Wearing woolens, lamb cardigans, extra socks, gloves and Balliol scarf signified that Tayo was _______?

A. Cold
B. Going to a party
C. Sick
D. Walking in the rain

Question 122:

• JAMB 2017

In the novel "Independence" Tayo lied to Vanassa that Christine was his ______?

A. Sister
B. Niece
C. Aunt
D. Cousin

Question 123:

• JAMB 2017

This question is based on S. L. Manyika's INDEPENDENCE
According to Tayo the two major problems of Nigeria were

A. Tribalism and religion
B. Politics and culture
C. Bribery and corruption
D. Greed and mismanagement

Question 124:

• JAMB 1981

Read the passage and answer the question that follows  It was a Sunday afternoon that I saw the lorry standing in front of the post office. I had seen it long before my brother saw it, but it was he who said to me “Don’t you think it odd that the post office should be open this afternoon? What do you think is happening? ‘Come round the corner, out of sight, and let’s watch’, I answered. My brother Michael was younger than me, so I kept him behind me, and peering round the corner told him what I saw. ‘There are four men coming out, carrying a very heavy box’ ‘Oh! I exclaimed. ‘It’s a safe, ‘I think they’re burglars, said my brother who was full of suspicion. ‘One of them has fallen over ‘I said; ‘the safe is too heavy for them’. You go and fetch the police said my brother, ‘and I’ll stay here and watch,’ ‘No you go and get them’, I replied, because I wanted to see what was going to happen. My brother ran off and then, suddenly, a man came running out of the post office, shouting, ‘Hurry! Hurry! Get it on the lorry!’ He joined the first four and they managed to get the safe up on to the back of the lorry. When they had done this, the man who had shouted got into the driver’s seat, but the lorry would not start. Just then my brother came back with three policemen. To cut a long story short, the men were all arrested and my brother and I had to go and give evidence before a magistrate. The men went to prison, of course, in the end, but you should have seen the face of the leader - it was contorted with rage — when he learned that the safe they had managed to steal was empty, and all the money was in the bank.




the brothers thought it was odd for the post office to be open because

A. Nobody works on Sundays
B. People should be in church
C. Post offices should open only five days in the week
D. They were ignorant
E. That was probably the second time they had seen it open on a Sunday

Question 125:

• JAMB 1981

Read the passage and answer the question that follows  It was a Sunday afternoon that I saw the lorry standing in front of the post office. I had seen it long before my brother saw it, but it was he who said to me “Don’t you think it odd that the post office should be open this afternoon? What do you think is happening? ‘Come round the corner, out of sight, and let’s watch’, I answered. My brother Michael was younger than me, so I kept him behind me, and peering round the corner told him what I saw. ‘There are four men coming out, carrying a very heavy box’ ‘Oh! I exclaimed. ‘It’s a safe, ‘I think they’re burglars, said my brother who was full of suspicion. ‘One of them has fallen over ‘I said; ‘the safe is too heavy for them’. You go and fetch the police said my brother, ‘and I’ll stay here and watch,’ ‘No you go and get them’, I replied, because I wanted to see what was going to happen. My brother ran off and then, suddenly, a man came running out of the post office, shouting, ‘Hurry! Hurry! Get it on the lorry!’ He joined the first four and they managed to get the safe up on to the back of the lorry. When they had done this, the man who had shouted got into the driver’s seat, but the lorry would not start. Just then my brother came back with three policemen. To cut a long story short, the men were all arrested and my brother and I had to go and give evidence before a magistrate. The men went to prison, of course, in the end, but you should have seen the face of the leader - it was contorted with rage — when he learned that the safe they had managed to steal was empty, and all the money was in the bank.




The narrator kept his younger brother behind him because

A. Big brothers must protect their younger ones
B. He wanted to relay all that was happening to him
C. His brother was too short for his liking
D. Younger brothers are not easily frightened
E. He was very brave