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

Question 91:

• JAMB 1999

  If present trends continue, the world would face major crises by end of the century: insufficient cheap convenient energy. For without such energy, industrial production will fall, agricultural output will drop, transport will be restricted and standard of living in developed countries will plummet. At present, almost all our energy comes from fossil fuels. The earth’s reserves of fossil fuels have been formed from organic matter subjected to enormous heat and pressure of millions of years. But such reserves are finite. Because power demand is increasing very rapidly, fossil fuels will be exhausted within a relatively short time. We can estimate the amount of recoverable fuel under the surface of the earth and we know the rate at which it is being extracted. Fairly simple calculation can therefore determine its remaining life. If present trends continue, gas and oil reserves will be exhausted by the middle of the 21st century-about 70 years from now. Similar estimates for coal and wood reserves suggest a projected supply of 250-300 years. Of course long before fossil fuels are exhausted, demand will greatly exceed supply.
  For too many years, the world has consumed fossil fuels with little thought for the future. In fact, world energy consumption increased almost 600% between 1900 and 1965 and it is projected to increase by another 450% between 1965 and the year 2000. Crude oil has been pumped out of the ground for about 100 years, but over half of it is been consumed in the past 18 years. Coal has been mined for over 800 years, but over a half of it has been extracted in the past 37 years. In sum, most of the world’s consumption of energy from fossil fuels throughout history has taken place within living memory.


From the writer's description of the world energy situation, we may conclude that

A. Developing nations will soon experience poverty
B. Demand for recoverable fuel will plummet
C. Consumption has not affected production
D. Decline had not affected demand

Question 92:

• JAMB 1999

  When Thomas Jefferson wrote in the American Declaration of independence that ‘all men are created equal’, he was not seeking to describe men’s endowments, but their political and legal rights. He was not saying that men do not differ from one another in the powers and dimensions of their bodies, minds and characters. He was asserting that despite variations and differences, they all possessed the right to equal political and legal treatment. We must however, ask of what real values are political and legal equality to a man who has no bread to eat , no clothes to wear, no roof to shelter him, no chance to earn a livelihood? What we understand as a democratic society must provide for its citizen’s minimum status protection in his deprivation, losses and fears.
  In our time, the nations of the democratic world have installed elaborate system of social security and welfare, ranging from compensation for industrial accidents to subsidize housing, unemployment insurance, old age pension, psychiatric care and national health services. It is encouraging that the democratic nations are making a serious effort to provide against the characteristic losses and disasters of human life.
  The evolving status of the Negro in America is attracting the attention of the champions of equality. Much has been written on the wrongs, injustice and inequalities of the coloured citizen of the USA and much remains to be said because the history of this struggle for human rights is still unfolding.


A suitable tittle for the passage is

A. Democracy
B. Discrimination
C. Equality
D. Freedom

Question 93:

• JAMB 2000

The passage below has gaps numbered 16 to 25. Immediately following each gap, four options are provided. Choose the most appropriate option for each gap.  With the most profound respect to the members of the senate, I do not think that it is within the competence of that.........16.......[A. executive B. judicial C. administrative D. legislative] body to pass a motion to........17.......[A. enforce B. nullify C. modify D. order] the executive action of the president. The senate is........18.......[A. a wing B. a portion C. an anchor D. an arm] of the National Assembly. But it is not by itself alone the National Assembly. One can imagine the confusion which would be created if the........19........[A. House of Representative B. Judiciary C. National Assembly D. Executive council] were to take a view dramatically opposed to that reflected in the senate resolution. The strongest objection to the action of the senate is passing the resolution is the fact that it constituted itself the.........20...... [A. litigant B. defendant C. plaintiff D. attorney] as well as the judge of the constitutionality of the action of the president. The function of the senate is to.......21..... [A. enact B. create C. compose D. annul] laws. But the senate has no authority or.......22.....[A. might B. power C. dynamism D. strength] to control the President in the exercise of his.......23......[A. official B. authoritative C. judicial D. executive] powers. It cannot by a mere resolution or motion give any direction to the president regarding the exercise of his powers or can it undo what the president has done in the executive of those powers. The only way in which the exercise of the powers of the president can be........24.......[A. modified B. standardized C. regulated D. ordered] is by........25......[A. an act B. a decree C. a motion D. a bill] of the National Assembly.


Select the correct option for the space numbered 16 in the above passage

A. Executive
B. Judicial
C. Administrative
D. Legislative

Question 94:

• JAMB 2000

The passage below has gaps numbered 16 to 25. Immediately following each gap, four options are provided. Choose the most appropriate option for each gap.  With the most profound respect to the members of the senate, I do not think that it is within the competence of that.........16.......[A. executive B. judicial C. administrative D. legislative] body to pass a motion to........17.......[A. enforce B. nullify C. modify D. order] the executive action of the president. The senate is........18.......[A. a wing B. a portion C. an anchor D. an arm] of the National Assembly. But it is not by itself alone the National Assembly. One can imagine the confusion which would be created if the........19........[A. House of Representative B. Judiciary C. National Assembly D. Executive council] were to take a view dramatically opposed to that reflected in the senate resolution. The strongest objection to the action of the senate is passing the resolution is the fact that it constituted itself the.........20...... [A. litigant B. defendant C. plaintiff D. attorney] as well as the judge of the constitutionality of the action of the president. The function of the senate is to.......21..... [A. enact B. create C. compose D. annul] laws. But the senate has no authority or.......22.....[A. might B. power C. dynamism D. strength] to control the President in the exercise of his.......23......[A. official B. authoritative C. judicial D. executive] powers. It cannot by a mere resolution or motion give any direction to the president regarding the exercise of his powers or can it undo what the president has done in the executive of those powers. The only way in which the exercise of the powers of the president can be........24.......[A. modified B. standardized C. regulated D. ordered] is by........25......[A. an act B. a decree C. a motion D. a bill] of the National Assembly.


Select the correct option for the space numbered 17 in the above passage

A. Enforce
B. Nullify
C. Modify
D. Order

Question 95:

• JAMB 2000

The passage below has gaps numbered 16 to 25. Immediately following each gap, four options are provided. Choose the most appropriate option for each gap.  With the most profound respect to the members of the senate, I do not think that it is within the competence of that.........16.......[A. executive B. judicial C. administrative D. legislative] body to pass a motion to........17.......[A. enforce B. nullify C. modify D. order] the executive action of the president. The senate is........18.......[A. a wing B. a portion C. an anchor D. an arm] of the National Assembly. But it is not by itself alone the National Assembly. One can imagine the confusion which would be created if the........19........[A. House of Representative B. Judiciary C. National Assembly D. Executive council] were to take a view dramatically opposed to that reflected in the senate resolution. The strongest objection to the action of the senate is passing the resolution is the fact that it constituted itself the.........20...... [A. litigant B. defendant C. plaintiff D. attorney] as well as the judge of the constitutionality of the action of the president. The function of the senate is to.......21..... [A. enact B. create C. compose D. annul] laws. But the senate has no authority or.......22.....[A. might B. power C. dynamism D. strength] to control the President in the exercise of his.......23......[A. official B. authoritative C. judicial D. executive] powers. It cannot by a mere resolution or motion give any direction to the president regarding the exercise of his powers or can it undo what the president has done in the executive of those powers. The only way in which the exercise of the powers of the president can be........24.......[A. modified B. standardized C. regulated D. ordered] is by........25......[A. an act B. a decree C. a motion D. a bill] of the National Assembly.


Select the correct option for the space numbered 18 in the above passage

A. A wing
B. A portion
C. An anchor
D. An arm