Argumentative/persuasive Comprehension passage - Jamb English Language Past Questions and Answers

Question 51:

• JAMB 1989

I am always amazed when I hear people saying that sport creates goodwill among nations and that if only the common people of the world could meet one another at football or squash, they would have no inclination to meet on the battle field. Even if one didn’t know from concrete example (the 1936 Olympic games, for instance) that international sporting contests lead to orgies of hatred, one could deduce it from general principals.
Nearly all the sports practiced nowadays are competitive. You play to win, and the game has little meaning. Unless you do your utmost to win. On the village green, where you pick up sides and not feeling of local patriotism is involved, it is possible to play simple for fun of it and exercise, but as soon as the question of prestige arises, as soon as you feel that you and some larger unit will be disgraced if you lose, the most savage combative instincts are aroused. Anyone who has played even in a school football match knows this. At the international level, sport is frankly a mimic warfare. But the significant thing is not the behaviour of the players but the attitude of the spectators and behind the spectators are the nations who work themselves into furies over these absurd contests and seriously believe at any rate for short period that running, jumping and kicking a ball are tests of national virtue.
Even a leisurely game demanding grace rather than strength can cause much ill-will. Football, a game in which everyone gets hurt and every nation has its own style or play is far worse. Worst of all is boxing. One of the most horrible sights in the world is a fight between white and coloured boxers before a mixed audience


Boxing is regarded as the worst game in the passage because

A. Of the behaviour of the boxers themselves
B. Of the amount of ill-will that can be generated among spectators of different races
C. Of the ill-will that can be generated by a game that demands strength from the competitors
D. Is a game in which both players get hurt rather badly

Question 52:

• JAMB 1989

I am always amazed when I hear people saying that sport creates goodwill among nations and that if only the common people of the world could meet one another at football or squash, they would have no inclination to meet on the battle field. Even if one didn’t know from concrete example (the 1936 Olympic games, for instance) that international sporting contests lead to orgies of hatred, one could deduce it from general principals.
Nearly all the sports practiced nowadays are competitive. You play to win, and the game has little meaning. Unless you do your utmost to win. On the village green, where you pick up sides and not feeling of local patriotism is involved, it is possible to play simple for fun of it and exercise, but as soon as the question of prestige arises, as soon as you feel that you and some larger unit will be disgraced if you lose, the most savage combative instincts are aroused. Anyone who has played even in a school football match knows this. At the international level, sport is frankly a mimic warfare. But the significant thing is not the behaviour of the players but the attitude of the spectators and behind the spectators are the nations who work themselves into furies over these absurd contests and seriously believe at any rate for short period that running, jumping and kicking a ball are tests of national virtue.
Even a leisurely game demanding grace rather than strength can cause much ill-will. Football, a game in which everyone gets hurt and every nation has its own style or play is far worse. Worst of all is boxing. One of the most horrible sights in the world is a fight between white and coloured boxers before a mixed audience


Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Running, jumping and kicking a ball are tests of national virtue
B. At the national level, sports is frankly a mimic warfare
C. The most savage combative instincts are aroused by anyone who has played in a school football match
D. Nations work themselves up because they tend to believe that6 sports are tests of national virtue

Question 53:

• JAMB 1989

I am always amazed when I hear people saying that sport creates goodwill among nations and that if only the common people of the world could meet one another at football or squash, they would have no inclination to meet on the battle field. Even if one didn’t know from concrete example (the 1936 Olympic games, for instance) that international sporting contests lead to orgies of hatred, one could deduce it from general principals.
Nearly all the sports practiced nowadays are competitive. You play to win, and the game has little meaning. Unless you do your utmost to win. On the village green, where you pick up sides and not feeling of local patriotism is involved, it is possible to play simple for fun of it and exercise, but as soon as the question of prestige arises, as soon as you feel that you and some larger unit will be disgraced if you lose, the most savage combative instincts are aroused. Anyone who has played even in a school football match knows this. At the international level, sport is frankly a mimic warfare. But the significant thing is not the behaviour of the players but the attitude of the spectators and behind the spectators are the nations who work themselves into furies over these absurd contests and seriously believe at any rate for short period that running, jumping and kicking a ball are tests of national virtue.
Even a leisurely game demanding grace rather than strength can cause much ill-will. Football, a game in which everyone gets hurt and every nation has its own style or play is far worse. Worst of all is boxing. One of the most horrible sights in the world is a fight between white and coloured boxers before a mixed audience


'Mimic' as used in the passage means

A. Comic
B. Silent
C. Imitated
D. Practised

Question 54:

• 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

Question 55:

• 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.


'Aggressive' in the passage means

A. Millitant
B. Dissident
C. Reactionary
D. Revolutionary