Narrative Comprehension Passage - Englishlanguage Jamb Past Questions and Answers

Question 41 :

• JAMB 1981

The appearance of comparative peace which Max’s house presented to me that morning proved quite deceptive. Oh perhaps some of Chief Nanga’s ‘queen bee’ characteristics had rubbed off on me and transformed me into an independent little nucleus of activity which I brought with me into this new place. That first night I not only heard of the new political party about to be born but got myself enrolled as a foundation member. Max and some of his friends having watched with deepening disillusion the use to which our hard-won freedom was being put by corrupt, mediocre politicians had decided to come together and launch the Common People’s Convention.
There were eight young people in his room that evening. All but one were citizens of our country, mostly professional types. The only lady was a very beautiful lawyer who, I learnt afterwards, was engaged to Max whom she had first met at the London School of Economics. There was a trade-unionist, a doctor, another lawyer, a teacher and a newspaper columnist
Max introduced me without any previous consultation as a ‘trustworthy comrade who had only the other day had his girlfriend snatched from him by minister who shall remain nameless’. Naturally I did not care for that kind of image reputation. So I promptly intervened to point out that the woman in question was not strictly speaking my girlfriend but a casual acquaintance who both Chief Nanga and I knew.
‘So it was Chief Nanga, yes?’ said the European and everyone burst out laughing.
‘Who else could it be?’ said one of the others.
The Whiteman was apparently from one of the Eastern Bioc countries. He did not neglect to stress to me in an aside that he was there only as a friend of Max’s. He told me a lot of things quietly while the others were discussing some obscure details about the launching. I was as much interested in what he said as the way in which he said it. His English had an exotic quality occasionally — as when he said that it was good to see intellectuals like Max, myself and the rest coming out of their ‘tower or elephant tusk’ into active politics. And he often punctuated whatever he was saying with ‘yes’ spoken with the accent of a question.




The speaker was attentive to the European because

A. He spoke funny English
B. He was from an Eathern Bioc country
C. What he said and how he said it interested him
D. He is normally attentive to Europeans
E. Courtesy demands that he should be attentive

Question 42 :

• JAMB 1981

  From time to time I hear someone say, ‘But Yoga comes from India, therefore is something “foreign” and I don’t see how we can make use of it’. Of course this is foolishness. It is like saying, ‘I don’t want to listen to the music of Bach because he was a German’, or it is like someone in India declaring, ‘We don’t want to use electricity, because Thomas Edison was an American’ Yoga is universal, it is a priceless gift from the East and its benefits are available to all of us who would accept them.
It is very tragic that many of us, not knowing the facts, have for many years confused Yogis (a person who practices ‘Yoga’ is a Yogi) with a certain class of people in India who are known a s Fakirs. Fakirs have gain extra ordinary control of their senses, but use this control to subject their bodies to abnormal conditions. For example, they sit on the famous ‘bed of nails’ stick pins and feats. They are generally persons of low mentality, and they perform these supernatural things for money, food, favours and so forth. These Fakirs should never be confused with Yogis nor do snake charmers or Indian rope trick practitioners have anything to do with Yoga. Yoga is a natural development for body and mind and a true Yogi will never permit anything harmful or unnatural to be done to his body or mind.
Finally, there is the question of ‘religion’. I am often asked, ‘Is Yoga a religion?’ My answer is, ‘Definitely not! For us, Yoga is a dynamic system of physical exercise and a practical and valuable philosophy to apply to everyday life. In short, Yoga is way of life and everyone, regardless of his religion, can benefit greatly from any6 one or all aspect of Yoga.




The writer dislikes Fakirs because

A. Fakirs have gained extraordinary control of thier senses
B. Fakirs are confused with Yogis
C. Fakirs subject their bodies to abnormal conditions, and perform supernatural feats for money
D. Fakirs do not practice Yoga
E. Being a Yogi himself, he is jealous f Fakirs

Question 43 :

• JAMB 1981

  Dear John,
Many thanks for your letter. I was glad to hear that you had done so well in your examinations. Let me send you my hearty congratulations. You certainly deserved this result as I know you worked very hard. You ask how I have been spending the time since I took my examinations. I have been waiting so eagerly for the result that, I must admit, I have not done half of the things I planned to do during this extended holiday. However, I have been doing a lot of reading. There were so many different things I was interested in when I was at school and did not have the time to read about because they were not on the syllabus. I have read two books about geology, which is a fascinating subject. I hope to make a hobby of geology when I get to the University. It will make a change from the study of law. i have also read several novels mostly modern ones by authors like Graham Greene, C.S Foster and Somerset Maugham. How enjoyable it is to read a book for pleasure and not for examination! I have not given a thought to law, and not read one book about the subject. I shall have e four long years at the University to devote to it.
I have also been going once or twice a week to the National Boy’s Club. I took part in the table-tennis tournament, but I did not do very well, I’m afraid. I have been playing football for the Club every Sunday afternoon. I will certainly let you know my examination results as soon as I have them. I must say that I become less confident about the result each day. It was encouraging to hear that this was the case with you, and since you did so well perhaps there is still hope for me!
Yours sincerely
Osman.




John deserves to pass his examinations because

A. The examinations were easy
B. He was a brilliant student
C. He prepared very well for it
D. He was a lucky student
E. The examiner was very liberal

Question 44 :

• JAMB 1981

  Dear John,
Many thanks for your letter. I was glad to hear that you had done so well in your examinations. Let me send you my hearty congratulations. You certainly deserved this result as I know you worked very hard. You ask how I have been spending the time since I took my examinations. I have been waiting so eagerly for the result that, I must admit, I have not done half of the things I planned to do during this extended holiday. However, I have been doing a lot of reading. There were so many different things I was interested in when I was at school and did not have the time to read about because they were not on the syllabus. I have read two books about geology, which is a fascinating subject. I hope to make a hobby of geology when I get to the University. It will make a change from the study of law. i have also read several novels mostly modern ones by authors like Graham Greene, C.S Foster and Somerset Maugham. How enjoyable it is to read a book for pleasure and not for examination! I have not given a thought to law, and not read one book about the subject. I shall have e four long years at the University to devote to it.
I have also been going once or twice a week to the National Boy’s Club. I took part in the table-tennis tournament, but I did not do very well, I’m afraid. I have been playing football for the Club every Sunday afternoon. I will certainly let you know my examination results as soon as I have them. I must say that I become less confident about the result each day. It was encouraging to hear that this was the case with you, and since you did so well perhaps there is still hope for me!
Yours sincerely
Osman.




You will regard Osman during term time as a student who reads

A. All types of books
B. Always
C. All the subjects on the curriculum
D. Much more than other students
E. Only the books that are prescribed

Question 45 :

• JAMB 1981

  Dear John,
Many thanks for your letter. I was glad to hear that you had done so well in your examinations. Let me send you my hearty congratulations. You certainly deserved this result as I know you worked very hard. You ask how I have been spending the time since I took my examinations. I have been waiting so eagerly for the result that, I must admit, I have not done half of the things I planned to do during this extended holiday. However, I have been doing a lot of reading. There were so many different things I was interested in when I was at school and did not have the time to read about because they were not on the syllabus. I have read two books about geology, which is a fascinating subject. I hope to make a hobby of geology when I get to the University. It will make a change from the study of law. i have also read several novels mostly modern ones by authors like Graham Greene, C.S Foster and Somerset Maugham. How enjoyable it is to read a book for pleasure and not for examination! I have not given a thought to law, and not read one book about the subject. I shall have e four long years at the University to devote to it.
I have also been going once or twice a week to the National Boy’s Club. I took part in the table-tennis tournament, but I did not do very well, I’m afraid. I have been playing football for the Club every Sunday afternoon. I will certainly let you know my examination results as soon as I have them. I must say that I become less confident about the result each day. It was encouraging to hear that this was the case with you, and since you did so well perhaps there is still hope for me!
Yours sincerely
Osman.




Osman couldn't do most of what he had planned for the holiday because

A. He thought he would fail
B. He was afraid of failure
C. Waiting for the result made him sick
D. His anxiety for the results of the examination made other activities unattractive to him
E. He could not find anything else to do