Waec English language 2020 Past Questions and Answers

Question 146:

• WAEC 2020

Write a story that ends with the statement: I had never felt so embarrassed in my life.

Question 147:

• WAEC 2020

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
My mother never thought it necessary to inform any of her children that she would pay them a visit in Lagos at any time. After all, no child would refuse her entry into their home. She had always been lucky to meet a member of the household each time she came Visiting and it was unimaginable to her that a day would come when no one would de at home to receive her.
In her usual manner, Mama boarded a vehicle from the village at noon with all her luggage which usually comprised the local delicacies we all enjoyed eating whenever she came visiting Since she was aware of the time of the day everyone would be back home from work, she was not worried when the bus made frequent stops to either pick up or discharge passengers. while the journey lasted, Mama chatted heartily with a fellow passenger who was also going to See her son in Lagos and the two exchanged telephone numbers.
Eventually, the vehicle crawled to a final stop and everyone alighted. Mama flagged down a taxi and headed for her daughters' house. Although the fare demanded by the driver, was outrageous and the money on her could not cover it. Mama believed that when she got to the house, her daughter or son-in-law would come to her aid by making up the difference.
How wrong she was! Unknown to Mama, my husband and I had traveled out of town on one of our numerous official assignments while my son had returned to the university campus, The only person on the premises was the new watchman. Mama s dilemma, however, began with the payment of the taxi fare. When she alighted with some of her luggage, she met the cold unfriendly stare of a complete stranger. She tried frantically to introduce herself to the watchman but could not communicate effectively because of the language barrier. To her embarrassment, the taxi driver called her a fraudulent old woman, left his contact number, and drove off in annoyance with one of her bags.
Mama remembered that the woman with whom she had traveled on the bus had given her her phone number and she decided to call her for help. After what seemed like an eternity, the woman's son drove in his car to fetch Mama. My mother was quite grateful for that but she will never forget the fact that she had to eat spaghetti and omelette for dinner.
That night, I received a call from a complete stranger informing me of my mother's ordeal. I had to rush back to Lagos the following day to bring Mama back home and get her bag from the taxi driver. My mother left for the village two days after and has since made it a point to call before she visits anyone.


(a) Why did the writer's mother never inform her children of her intention to visit them?
(b) How did Mama while away the hours on the journey?
(c) State two difficulties Mama faced when she arrived Lagos.
(d) Why did the taxi driver leave with one of Mama's bags?
(e) Why do you think that Mama will never forget what she had for dinner?
(f)... Who was also going to see her son in Lagos... (i) What grammatical name is given to this expression as it is used In the passage? (ii) What is its function?
(g)... seemed like an eternity... What does this expression mean'?
(h) What lesson did Mama learn from this trip? (i) For each of the following words, find another word or phrase which means the Same and which can replace it as it is ed in the passage: (i) unimaginable; (ii) heartily; (iii) outrageous; (iv) numerous; (v) frantically; (vi) fraudulent.

Question 148:

• WAEC 2020

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
There are gifts of nature without which human survival on Earth is impossible. Some of these gifts include water, oxygen and the forest. The last is of particular interest. Forests occupy a vast landmass and are found in many parts of the World. They are uncultivated lands thickly covered with trees. Forests have played a significant role in the Survival of humans, Unfortunately, thousands of hectares are destroyed each year due to human activities. It is, however, becoming increasingly obvious that if appropriate steps are not taken to curb the wave of forest destruction, the future Survival of humans iş hanging in the balance. This realization is fueling the campaign to preserve this wonderful gift of nature.
Forests are more important to humans than humans are to them. Forest trees serve as a protection against erosion Without the canopy provided by trees, the land will be exposed to all the elements such as strong winds and heavy rainfall The strong winds blow the soil while running water washes away the top soil with its nutrients, Thus, the most fertile land becomes barren. Wood from trees also serves as an important material in building construction. It is cut and .processed for use in building houses and shelters which provide protection against the inclement weather. With this, the forest shields both humans and the Earth. It is therefore important to ensure the continued availability of this important natural resource. To this end, there is the need for the relevant authorities to enact laws that will mandate tree planting to replace felled ones. Where such laws already exist, efforts must be made to enforce compliance.
The inventiveness of humans has led to the discovery of another use for forest trees. Logs can be cut, chopped into pieces, ground by machines and turned into wood pulp which then goes through some other processes and paper is the end product. We can imagine the great things timber does when we look at the tons of books that are produced and read Worldwide. Thanks to technology, it is now possible to operate a paperless society to some extent. Everyone must therefore continue to make a conscious effort to protect the forest by going paperless. Soft copies of books should be preferred to hard copies. More newspaper publishers now have online outlets where news items are published. Hence, Subscription to these outlets will ensure, a reduction in the demand for paper.
Forests feed the earth, humans, and animals that live in them. Through the addition of humus and vegetable matter from dead leaves and droppings of animals, the soil is replenished with mulch, minerals, and manure, which are much better than fertilizers. Humans also get food from the nutrient-packed plants and animals of the forest and even use them for medicinal purposes. Thus. governments must discourage the cultivation of forest as farmlands by creating forest reserves. Such reserves should be protected by law to prevent encroachment. This will ensure unfettered growth of trees, and ultimately, the survival of humans.


(a) In three sentences, one for each, state three benefits derived from forests.
(b) In three sentences, one for each, state three measures to control deforestation.