Descriptive Comprehension Passage - Englishlanguage Jamb Past Questions and Answers

Question 261 :

• JAMB 2015

Malnutrition has been described as a tragedy of great magnitude. WHO (World Health Organisation) declares that it is an accomplice in at least half of the 10.4 million child deaths each year. Malnutrition covers a wide range of illness from under-nourishment due to a lack of one or more nutrients such as vitamin and mineral deficiencies to obesity and other diet-related chronic diseases. However, Protein Energy Malnutrition (PEM) is by far the lethal form of malnutrition. Malnutrition is not restricted to children. It casts long shadows in the developing world according to WHO.
Industrialized countries are not free from the scourge of malnutrition as about 11 million people suffer from it. Malnutrition is caused by a deficiency in the intake of nutrients by the cells of the body and it is usually triggered by a combination of factors, an insufficient intake of proteins, calories, vitamins and minerals and frequent infections. Illnesses such as diarrhea, measles, malaria, and respiratory diseases that the body heavily and cause loss of nutrients. They reduce appetite and food intake thus contributing to malnutrition.
Children are at a greater risk of suffering malnutrition. This is because they are in a period of rapid growth that increases the demand for calories and proteins. For Similar reasons pregnant and nursing women are easily prone to malnutrition.
Frequently the baby’s problem begins even before birth. If a mother is undernourished or malnourished before and during pregnancy, the baby will have low weight. Then early weaning, poor feeding habits and lack of hygiene can bring malnutrition. Malnutrition wreaks havoc on the body particularly that of a child and various studies have shown that poor growth in the child is associated with impaired mental development and poor scholastic and intellectual performance. A report from united state calls these effects the most serious long term results of malnutrition. For children who survived malnutrition the aftermath can linger on into adulthood.


Why is malnutrition described as a tragedy of great magnitude?

A. It cause obesity
B. It has great magnitude
C. It is an accomplice of at least half of the 1.4 million child death each year
D. It is all over the world and popular even among the rich and the poor.

Question 262 :

• JAMB 2020

Theatre in the recent past used to be a very popular art in traditional African society.
It used to be a point of intersection where members of the community not only come to entertain themselves,
'but join heads together'. In the traditional context of African drama, therefore, theatre was popular and respectable institution
which preserved the people's culture and tradition.
Theatre was popular with the people because it emphasized community participation, peace and progress.
The presentations focused on the people's lives, their aspirations, fears, and hopes.
But today, the situation is different. Theatre is becoming very unpopular.


Africa of the present age is pre-occupied with many problems yearning for immediate solutions.
The continent is facing hydra-head challenges - challenges on the political, social, and economic scenes.
In a world where Science and Technology are seen as the solutions to these problems, little attention is paid to the arts.
Literature generally, and drama in particular is often rated very low on the utility-scale.
Many Africa today look at drama and theatre as a mere thing of fun, a joke so to say.


Elitism is another barrier that militates against the appreciation of theatre as a communal art.
Folk theatre is appreciated by a negligible number of people, contemporary focus is on literary theatre.
Unfortunately, literary theatre only pretends to serve the interest of its society while in reality, it has a foreign audience in mind.
The use of European and American theatrical conventions by our academic playwrights can bear witness to this anomaly.


The popularity of the literary African theatre is further marred by the medium of communication as
most literary dramas in Africa are written in foreign languages which are not understood by many Africans.
The question often asked is whether the artist should climb down to the level of his community of stay at
his exalted height and wait for the community to gradually move up to him. (1 -10)


Theatre was popular in Africa because ____________

A. Was traditional and simple in nature
B. Dealt with the political, social, and economic problems of the society
C. Was a source of fun
D. Was communal and reflected the common concerns of the people

Question 263 :

• JAMB 2020

Theatre in the recent past used to be a very popular art in traditional African society.
It used to be a point of intersection where members of the community not only come to entertain themselves,
'but join heads together'. In the traditional context of African drama, therefore, theatre was popular and respectable institution
which preserved the people's culture and tradition.
Theatre was popular with the people because it emphasized community participation, peace and progress.
The presentations focused on the people's lives, their aspirations, fears, and hopes.
But today, the situation is different. Theatre is becoming very unpopular.


Africa of the present age is pre-occupied with many problems yearning for immediate solutions.
The continent is facing hydra-head challenges - challenges on the political, social, and economic scenes.
In a world where Science and Technology are seen as the solutions to these problems, little attention is paid to the arts.
Literature generally, and drama in particular is often rated very low on the utility-scale.
Many Africa today look at drama and theatre as a mere thing of fun, a joke so to say.


Elitism is another barrier that militates against the appreciation of theatre as a communal art.
Folk theatre is appreciated by a negligible number of people, contemporary focus is on literary theatre.
Unfortunately, literary theatre only pretends to serve the interest of its society while in reality, it has a foreign audience in mind.
The use of European and American theatrical conventions by our academic playwrights can bear witness to this anomaly.


The popularity of the literary African theatre is further marred by the medium of communication as
most literary dramas in Africa are written in foreign languages which are not understood by many Africans.
The question often asked is whether the artist should climb down to the level of his community of stay at
his exalted height and wait for the community to gradually move up to him.

One of the reasons why theatre is unpopular in modern Africa is that it ____________

A. Is regarded as not being of much use
B. Only deals with culture and tradition
C. Lacks scientific and academic bases
D. Is always funny and looked down upon

Question 264 :

• JAMB 2020

Theatre in the recent past used to be a very popular art in traditional African society.
It used to be a point of intersection where members of the community not only come to entertain themselves,
'but join heads together'. In the traditional context of African drama, therefore, theatre was popular and respectable institution
which preserved the people's culture and tradition.
Theatre was popular with the people because it emphasized community participation, peace and progress.
The presentations focused on the people's lives, their aspirations, fears, and hopes.
But today, the situation is different. Theatre is becoming very unpopular.


Africa of the present age is pre-occupied with many problems yearning for immediate solutions.
The continent is facing hydra-head challenges - challenges on the political, social, and economic scenes.
In a world where Science and Technology are seen as the solutions to these problems, little attention is paid to the arts.
Literature generally, and drama in particular is often rated very low on the utility-scale.
Many Africa today look at drama and theatre as a mere thing of fun, a joke so to say.


Elitism is another barrier that militates against the appreciation of theatre as a communal art.
Folk theatre is appreciated by a negligible number of people, contemporary focus is on literary theatre.
Unfortunately, literary theatre only pretends to serve the interest of its society while in reality, it has a foreign audience in mind.
The use of European and American theatrical conventions by our academic playwrights can bear witness to this anomaly.


The popularity of the literary African theatre is further marred by the medium of communication as
most literary dramas in Africa are written in foreign languages which are not understood by many Africans.
The question often asked is whether the artist should climb down to the level of his community of stay at
his exalted height and wait for the community to gradually move up to him.


In the passage, the term "theatre" and "drama" are used ____________

A. Differently
B. Concurrently
C. Interchangeably
D. Sparingly

Question 265 :

• JAMB 2020

Theatre in the recent past used to be a very popular art in traditional African society.
It used to be a point of intersection where members of the community not only come to entertain themselves,
'but join heads together'. In the traditional context of African drama, therefore, theatre was popular and respectable institution
which preserved the people's culture and tradition.
Theatre was popular with the people because it emphasized community participation, peace and progress.
The presentations focused on the people's lives, their aspirations, fears, and hopes.
But today, the situation is different. Theatre is becoming very unpopular.


Africa of the present age is pre-occupied with many problems yearning for immediate solutions.
The continent is facing hydra-head challenges - challenges on the political, social, and economic scenes.
In a world where Science and Technology are seen as the solutions to these problems, little attention is paid to the arts.
Literature generally, and drama in particular is often rated very low on the utility-scale.
Many Africa today look at drama and theatre as a mere thing of fun, a joke so to say.


Elitism is another barrier that militates against the appreciation of theatre as a communal art.
Folk theatre is appreciated by a negligible number of people, contemporary focus is on literary theatre.
Unfortunately, literary theatre only pretends to serve the interest of its society while in reality, it has a foreign audience in mind.
The use of European and American theatrical conventions by our academic playwrights can bear witness to this anomaly.


The popularity of the literary African theatre is further marred by the medium of communication as
most literary dramas in Africa are written in foreign languages which are not understood by many Africans.
The question often asked is whether the artist should climb down to the level of his community of stay at
his exalted height and wait for the community to gradually move up to him.

One of the arguments in the passage is that academic playwrights ____________

A. Express themselves only in foreign languages
B. Serve as a catalyst in the society's appreciation of theatre
C. Work against the common man's appreciation of theatre
D. Make theatre popular in traditional societies