Comprehension/Summary - Jamb English Language Past Questions and Answers

Question 346:

• JAMB 1989

In the past, famine, various types of diseases and natural disasters checked population growth in many countries. At that time, man had not learnt to till the soil sufficiently to improve and increase her yield. Man was unable to do much to conquer these diseases and natural disasters were regarded as a curse of the gods for which man had no answer. Thus famine, diseases and natural disasters remained a nightmare to mankind.
With the present development in technology and modern agriculture, one would have thought that the problem of starvation should have been solved. But starvation still stares man in the face. The increase in population now accounts for the consequent scarcity of food experienced in many parts of the world. However, in some countries, man’s advancement in technology and medicine has rapidly increased the population while improved methods of agriculture and food preservation have caused steady rise in food production. Also, man can now effectively prevent and cure most diseases in the world.
Unfortunately, the working population engaged in agriculture is so small that it cannot produce enough to satisfy the gaping mouths to be fed. In various parts of the world, man has engaged himself in various jobs in order to adjust the food production to match the growing population so his zone, but population growth continues to outstrip food production measures. Incidentally, the source of food and food preservation measures can be limited unlike population growth which may not be effectively checked. Perhaps the only effective checks to population explosion may be the drastic birth control measures. But many religious sects the world over are opposed to many to these birth control measures.


Natural disasters were regarded as a curse of the gods on mankind because man

A. Had no satisfactory solution to natural disasters
B. Had not learnt to till the soil sufficiently
C. Was suffering from the woes pronounced on mankind by the gods
D. Could not send reply to the gods

Question 347:

• JAMB 1989

In the past, famine, various types of diseases and natural disasters checked population growth in many countries. At that time, man had not learnt to till the soil sufficiently to improve and increase her yield. Man was unable to do much to conquer these diseases and natural disasters were regarded as a curse of the gods for which man had no answer. Thus famine, diseases and natural disasters remained a nightmare to mankind.
With the present development in technology and modern agriculture, one would have thought that the problem of starvation should have been solved. But starvation still stares man in the face. The increase in population now accounts for the consequent scarcity of food experienced in many parts of the world. However, in some countries, man’s advancement in technology and medicine has rapidly increased the population while improved methods of agriculture and food preservation have caused steady rise in food production. Also, man can now effectively prevent and cure most diseases in the world.
Unfortunately, the working population engaged in agriculture is so small that it cannot produce enough to satisfy the gaping mouths to be fed. In various parts of the world, man has engaged himself in various jobs in order to adjust the food production to match the growing population so his zone, but population growth continues to outstrip food production measures. Incidentally, the source of food and food preservation measures can be limited unlike population growth which may not be effectively checked. Perhaps the only effective checks to population explosion may be the drastic birth control measures. But many religious sects the world over are opposed to many to these birth control measures.


'But starvation still stares man in the face' means starvation

A. Looks at the face of man
B. Is inevitable to man
C. Flies in the face of man
D. Stil afflicts man

Question 348:

• JAMB 1989

In the past, famine, various types of diseases and natural disasters checked population growth in many countries. At that time, man had not learnt to till the soil sufficiently to improve and increase her yield. Man was unable to do much to conquer these diseases and natural disasters were regarded as a curse of the gods for which man had no answer. Thus famine, diseases and natural disasters remained a nightmare to mankind.
With the present development in technology and modern agriculture, one would have thought that the problem of starvation should have been solved. But starvation still stares man in the face. The increase in population now accounts for the consequent scarcity of food experienced in many parts of the world. However, in some countries, man’s advancement in technology and medicine has rapidly increased the population while improved methods of agriculture and food preservation have caused steady rise in food production. Also, man can now effectively prevent and cure most diseases in the world.
Unfortunately, the working population engaged in agriculture is so small that it cannot produce enough to satisfy the gaping mouths to be fed. In various parts of the world, man has engaged himself in various jobs in order to adjust the food production to match the growing population so his zone, but population growth continues to outstrip food production measures. Incidentally, the source of food and food preservation measures can be limited unlike population growth which may not be effectively checked. Perhaps the only effective checks to population explosion may be the drastic birth control measures. But many religious sects the world over are opposed to many to these birth control measures.


The working population engaged in agriculture cannot feed the teeming population sufficiently because

A. There are gaping mouths to be fed
B. They do not produce what they like to eat
C. There are not enough people engaged in tilling the soil
D. Improved methods of agriculture have not brought about a significant increase in food production

Question 349:

• JAMB 1989

In the past, famine, various types of diseases and natural disasters checked population growth in many countries. At that time, man had not learnt to till the soil sufficiently to improve and increase her yield. Man was unable to do much to conquer these diseases and natural disasters were regarded as a curse of the gods for which man had no answer. Thus famine, diseases and natural disasters remained a nightmare to mankind.
With the present development in technology and modern agriculture, one would have thought that the problem of starvation should have been solved. But starvation still stares man in the face. The increase in population now accounts for the consequent scarcity of food experienced in many parts of the world. However, in some countries, man’s advancement in technology and medicine has rapidly increased the population while improved methods of agriculture and food preservation have caused steady rise in food production. Also, man can now effectively prevent and cure most diseases in the world.
Unfortunately, the working population engaged in agriculture is so small that it cannot produce enough to satisfy the gaping mouths to be fed. In various parts of the world, man has engaged himself in various jobs in order to adjust the food production to match the growing population so his zone, but population growth continues to outstrip food production measures. Incidentally, the source of food and food preservation measures can be limited unlike population growth which may not be effectively checked. Perhaps the only effective checks to population explosion may be the drastic birth control measures. But many religious sects the world over are opposed to many to these birth control measures.


Drastic birth control measures may not be effective checks to population explosion since many religious sects

A. Are disinclined to oppose their use
B. Object to the use of many of them
C. Are disinclined to accept them for use
D. Want the control measures applied

Question 350:

• JAMB 1989

The evidence given so far demonstrates that a nuclear exchange in the Northern Hemisphere would have an unavoidable global aftermath making the continued existence of mankind impossible anywhere. It is also very improbable that a nuclear exchange would be confined exclusively to the vicinity of the industrialized developments indicate that a nuclear disaster would be carried into the territories of the developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. These developments include the preparations being made by aggressive forces for the armed seizure of the Middle East oil fields, the nuclear missile deployment in the south of Western Europe, the establishment of military bases for the rapid deployment of forces in North Africa and the Indian Ocean and the tensions in the south Atlantic and the Caribbean.


A suitable tittle for this passage is

A. Preparation for nuckear war on the third world countries
B. Possible effects of nuclear war on thirs world countries
C. Strategies for a nuclear confrontation
D. The merits and demarits of nuclear exchange