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Showing 2851–2900 of 10710 questions
Instruction
Read the passage below carefully and answer questions 1 to 5.
The emergence of a standard dialect produces the phenomenon known as 'accent' which is quite different from dialect. In the process of learning a foreign language, it is normal to transfer the patterns of an indigenous language to those of the foreign language. With time, however, those of form and most of orthography and phonology gradually get eliminated. This is because these can easily be identified and corrected. They are easy to correct because they do not involve patterns of muscular movement. It is necessary to correct them because otherwise they could seriously impair intelligibility.
With phonetic patterns, on the other hand, there is a great deal of intelligibility tolerance because muscular patterns are involved thus making correction difficult when observed. Besides, phonetic patterns do not impair intelligibility much. Hence the transference of phonetic habits from one language to another is both easier to tolerate and more difficult to avoid than transference at the lexico-grammatical level. It follows that a speaker who is learning a second dialect does so with an accent since the muscles of his speech organs would have crystallized in response to the phonetics of his native language which he learnt first. The speaker therefore speaks the second dialect with the phonetic features of his native dialect. The learning of a standard language is simply the learning of a second dialect - that which has been standardized.
Members of a language community control at least two dialects and use both dialects in different situations. In the rural areas, the native dialect is used in most situations since there is less movement. Therefore, rural dwellers tend to be parochial and maintain the homogeneity of their dialect. In the urban community, on the other hand, there is more demand on the standard dialect than on the rural one. This is because people from different regions converge here. In order to ensure mutual intelligibility resulting from the pressure of communication, a great deal of demand is made on the standard dialect which now becomes the lingua franca amongst them.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2851.Members of a language community control at least two dialects because
Athere is little demand for the indigenous dialects
Bthe convergence of people from regions in the pressure of communication
Cthey want a lingua franca which is produced by mutual intelligibility
Dthey are made up of both rural and urban dwellers
Correct Answer: D
The passage says members of a language community control two dialects — one for rural settings and another (standard) for urban settings. They are made up of both rural and urban dwellers.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2852.According to the passage
Aa lingua franca is the consequence of a standard dialect
Ba foreign language produces the transference of the correct patterns of dialect features
Cmutual intelligibility is the consequence of the pressure of communication
Dspeech organs are shaped by indigenous languages
Correct Answer: C
The passage says "In order to ensure mutual intelligibility resulting from the pressure of communication, a great deal of demand is made on the standard dialect."
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2853.An appropriate title for this passage is
Athe quest for a lingua franca
Bthe emergence of a standard language
Cthe phenomenon of accent
Dmembers of a language community
Correct Answer: C
The passage's core theme is the phenomenon of accent — how it differs from dialect and why it arises.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2854.The word 'those' as used in the passage refers to
Aforms of orthography and phonology
Bpatterns of an indigenous language
Cforeign languages
Dindigenous languages
Correct Answer: B
The word "those" in "transfer the patterns of an indigenous language to those of the foreign language" refers back to patterns of an indigenous language.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2855.Phonetic patterns allow for intelligibility tolerance because
Athey are involved and difficult to avoid
Bthey involve muscular patterns which later crystalize
Cthey give rise to the phenomenon of accent which is easy to tolerate
Dtransference is both difficult to avoid and easy to tolerate
Correct Answer: D
The passage says "transference of phonetic habits from one language to another is both easier to tolerate and more difficult to avoid."
Instruction
Read the passage below carefully and answer questions 6 to 10.
It is possible to have a glimpse of life after death. Man has always believed in an afterlife but only today do we have scientific reports of people who seem to have experienced the sensation of dying but lived to tell about it. On-going research is documenting hundreds of cases each year of the near-death experience (NDE), and scientists think they are finding a clearly identifiable pattern: usually a man is dying and as he reaches the point of greatest physical distress, he hears himself pronounced dead by his doctor. He begins to hear an uncomfortable noise, a loud ringing or buzzing and at the same time feels himself moving very rapidly through a long dark tunnel. After this he suddenly finds himself outside of his own physical body, but still in the immediate physical environment and he sees his own body from a distance as though he is a spectator. He watches the resuscitation attempt from this unusual vantage point and is in a state of emotional upheaval.
After a while, he collects himself and becomes more accustomed to his odd condition. He notices that he still has a 'body', but one of a very different nature and with very different powers from the physical body he has left behind. Soon after, things begin to happen. Others come to meet and to help him. He glimpses the spirits of relatives and friends who have already died, and a loving, warming spirit of a kind he has never encountered before - a being of light - appears before him. This being asks him a question, non-verbally - to make him evaluate his life - and helps him along by showing him a panoramic instantaneous playback of the major events of his life. Then he finds that he must go back to earth - that the time for his death has not yet come. At this point he resists, for by now he is taken up with his experiences in the afterlife and does not want to return. He is overwhelmed by intense feelings of joy, love and peace. Despite his attitude, though, he somehow reunites with his physical body and lives.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2856.The NDE man appears to be a spectator in the flurry of activities around him because
Ahe is moving rapidly through a long dark tunnel
Bhis new 'body' would not allow him to participate
Che can only watch as the events unfold
Dhe is now a dead man
Correct Answer: C
The passage says he "sees his own body from a distance as though he is a spectator" — he can only watch.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2857.According to the passage, scientific evidence has made it possible
Afor the dead to return and tell their experience
Bto make conjectures about what happens after death
Cto know a little about what happens in the world of the dead
Dfor one to experience the sensation of dying and living again
Correct Answer: C
The passage says we now have "scientific reports of people who seem to have experienced the sensation of dying but lived to tell about it" — we can know a little about it.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2858.The expression 'as he reaches the point of greatest physical distress' as used in the passage means when
Athe man's system finally collapses
Bhis condition seems to get worse
Chis doctor is ready to pronounce him dead
Dthe sick man finally stops breathing
Correct Answer: A
The greatest physical distress is when the body's systems finally fail — the moment of death.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2859.A suitable title for the passage is
Aa glimpse into the world of the dead
Bthe sensation of death and the afterlife
Cresearch into the lives of the dead
Dvisions of an afterlife
Correct Answer: B
The passage covers the sensation of dying and the afterlife experience — B captures both.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2860.That the man was shown a panoramic instantaneous playback of the major events of his life suggests that
Ahe has to assess his deeds in life
Bthere are video machines in the world beyond
Che needs to see the difference between his past life and his new life
Dhe needs to be entertained to take his mind away from the noise around him
Correct Answer: A
The passage says the being "asks him a question... to make him evaluate his life" — he must assess his deeds.
Instruction
Use the passage below to answer questions 11 to 20. The passage has gaps numbered 11 to 20. Immediately following each gap, four options are provided. Choose the most appropriate option for each gap.
Before any detailed analysis begins, the first thing to do with the raw data is to check through the field record books and questionnaires for any .... (11), inconsistencies and incompleteness. In some cases, it may be possible to correct any discovered shortcomings. When it is not possible to carry out these .... (12), a visit to the field may even be necessary. It should however be realized that it is not very often that a revisit is possible.
In most scientific .... (13), such revisits are clearly impossible. This is true of many surveys too. A road traffic survey .... (14) to find out the amount and frequency of daily traffic between two towns cannot be expected to be .... (15). There is no way of going back to check whether the number of vehicles reported for any particular hour is correct or not. With open-ended questions the .... (16) have to be classified into a relatively small number of groups. The process of classifying and of sometimes identifying them by number and letter is called .... (17).
When closed-ended questions are used, it is possible to code all the possible answers before they are actually received. This is called .... (18). What is done, a check through the answers for proper classification, numbering and lettering is still called for at this stage. This whole process of checking through questionnaires and notebooks is called .... (19). Collected data will eventually have to be used in drawing .... (20) and writing a report about the population from which it came.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2861.for any ...., inconsistencies and incompleteness
Amistakes
Bevents
Crecords
Dodds
Correct Answer: A
"Mistakes, inconsistencies and incompleteness" — checking for errors in the data.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2862.it is not possible to carry out these ....
Aplants
Bcorrections
Cexpectations
Dpossibilities
Correct Answer: B
"Carry out these corrections" — fixing the mistakes found.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2863.In most scientific ....
Aquestionnaires
Bdata
Cexperiments
Dconclusions
Correct Answer: C
"Scientific experiments" — where revisits are impossible.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2864.A road traffic survey .... to find out
Aclassified
Bprecoded
Cconducted
Dexperimented
Correct Answer: C
"A survey conducted to find out" — the standard collocation.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2865.cannot be expected to be ....
Aobserved
Bproduced
Cundertaken
Dreproducible
Correct Answer: D
The survey cannot be "reproduced" — you cannot recreate the exact traffic conditions of a given hour.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2866.With open-ended questions the .... have to be classified
Amethods
Bresponses
Cerrors
Dconclusions
Correct Answer: B
"The responses" — what respondents gave, which must be classified.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2867.The process of classifying... is called ....
Aencoding
Brecording
Ccoding
Drecoding
Correct Answer: C
"Coding" — the standard term for classifying responses by number and letter.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2868.This is called ....
Arecoding
Bcoding
Cprecoding
Dencoding
Correct Answer: C
"Precoding" — coding all possible answers before receiving them.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2869.This whole process of checking through questionnaires is called ....
Alisting
Bposting
Cediting
Dauditing
Correct Answer: C
"Editing" — the standard research term for checking questionnaires.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2870.drawing .... and writing a report
Aanalogies
Bexamples
Creferences
Dconclusions
Correct Answer: D
"Drawing conclusions" — the standard research phrase.
Instruction
Read the passage below carefully and answer questions 21 to 25.
By 1910, the motor car was plainly conquering the highway. The private car was now part of every rich man's establishment, although its price made it as yet an impossible luxury for most of the middle class. But for the adventuresome youth, there was the motor cycle, a fearsome invention producing accidents and ear-splitting noises. Already the dignified carriages and smart pony-traps were beginning to disappear from the roads and coachmen and grooms, unless mechanically minded, were finding it more difficult to make a living.
The roads which had gone to sleep since the coming of the railway now awoke to feverish activity. Cars and motor cycles dashed along them at speeds which rivalled those of the express trains and the lorry began to appear. Therefore, the road system was compelled to adapt itself to a volume and speed of traffic for which it had never intended. Its complete adaptation was impossible, but the road surface was easily transformed and during the early years of the century, the dustiness and greasiness of the highways were lessened by tar-spraying. To widen and straighten the roads and get rid of blind corners and every steep gradient were tasks which had scarcely been tackled before 1914. The situation was worst of all in towns where not only was any large scheme of road widening usually out of the question, but also where crowding and danger were all too frequently increased by the short-sighted eagerness of town authorities in laying down tramlines.
Yet, it was not only the road system that was in need of readjustment; the nervous system who used and dwelt by the road suffered. The noises caused by the conversion of the roads into speedways called for a corresponding lightening up of the nerves and especially in the towns, the pedestrian who wished to preserve life and limb was compelled to keep his attention continually on the stretch to practice himself in estimates of the speed of approaching vehicles and to run or jump for his life if he ventured off the pavement.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2871.The writer seems to suggest that
Athe roads that existed were dormant
Bcoachmen and grooms were not mechanically minded
Cthere were no roads before the advent of cars and motor cycles and so people had to be mechanically minded
Dthe volume and speed of traffic on the roads increased with the advent of cars, motorcycles and lorries
Correct Answer: D
The passage says the roads "awoke to feverish activity" with cars, motor cycles and lorries — volume and speed increased.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2872.The writer uses the expression 'unless mechanically minded' to refer to
Acoachmen and grooms adaptable to the new technology
Bcoachmen and grooms who chose to become mechanics
Ctown authorities laying down tramlines
Dthose amenable to change and development
Correct Answer: A
The passage says coachmen and grooms, unless mechanically minded, found it difficult to make a living — only those adaptable to new technology survived.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2873.The statement 'By 1910, the motor car was plainly conquering the highway' means that
Aby 1910 many people knew how to drive motor cars
Bthe motor car was invented in 1910
Chighway codes for motor cars came into effect by 1910
Dby 1910 motor cars became a common sight on the highways
Correct Answer: D
"Conquering the highway" means cars became dominant — a common sight.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2874.From the passage, it is obvious that
Amotor cars were mere luxuries which many peoples tried desperately to acquire
Bthe motor car was invented before the express trains
Cthe train was the fastest means of transport before the motor car and the lorry
Dthe motor car and the lorry came to displace the train traffic
Correct Answer: C
The passage says cars "dashed along them at speeds which rivalled those of the express trains" — implying trains were the fastest beforehand.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2875.One of the following statements can be deduced from the passage
Apeople no longer used trains with the advent of cars and lorries
Bsignificant improvement occurred in road transport since the advent of cars, lorries and motor cycles
Chuman society was static without the express speed of cars and motorcycles
Dsociety would be better without the chaotic volumes and speed of motor cars, lorries and motor cycles
Correct Answer: B
The passage describes the transformation of roads (tar-spraying, etc.) — significant improvement in road transport.
Instruction
In questions 32 to 56, choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fill(s) the gap(s).
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2876..... told of his impending arrival, I worked hard to make his short stay very comfortable
AHave being
BHaving been
CHaving being
DHave I been
Correct Answer: B
"Having been told" — the perfect participle construction.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2877.The weather is probably .... appealing for people who live in Jos .... for foreigners.
Ano less/than
Bmore/as
Cas much/as
Dat least as/but
Correct Answer: A
"No less appealing for people who live in Jos than for foreigners" — the comparison structure.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2878.Ado tried to .... all memory of his dead father.
Arecall
Bobliterate
Ceulogize
Dobstruct
Correct Answer: B
"Obliterate all memory" — erase it.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2879.This imposing edifice .... a fortune to build.
Ahad costed
Bcosted
Ccost
Dhave cost
Correct Answer: C
"Cost a fortune" — past tense of "cost" (unchanged).
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2880.Three quarters of the hostel .... been painted and three quarters of the students .... moved in.
Ahas/has
Bhave/has
Chave/have
Dhas/have
Correct Answer: D
"Hostel" is singular → "has"; "students" is plural → "have."
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2881.They let him go in .... of his age.
Arespect
Bregard
Cdisregard
Dconsideration
Correct Answer: D
"In consideration of his age" — the standard phrase.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2882..... you come early to the new house, clean up my flat.
AWhile
BBy chance
CShould
Dshould in case
Correct Answer: C
"Should you come early" — the inverted conditional.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2883.These villagers .... to grow rice.
Aused
Bare used
Cwere use
Duse
Correct Answer: A
"Used to grow rice" — past habit.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2884.When Ajike met her .... husband at the party she felt like reconciling with him.
Astrange
Bloving
Ccaring
Destranged
Correct Answer: D
"Estranged husband" — separated.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2885.He does not seem to know how to solve the problem ....?
Adoes not he
Bdoes he
Cdoes he not
Ddoesn't he
Correct Answer: B
Tag question for "he does not" is "does he?"
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2886.Some scientists are trying to .... human beings in their laboratories.
Aimitate
Bimplicate
Creplicate
Dfabricate
Correct Answer: C
"Replicate human beings" — reproduce/clone.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2887.A wide range of options .... made available to the political parties during the recently concluded elections.
Ais
Bwas
Cwere
Dare
Correct Answer: C
"Range of options" — plural agreement "were."
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2888.The meeting was called to .... divergent views on the subjects of a national conference.
Are-present
Breconstitute
Creconcile
Drecommend
Correct Answer: C
"Reconcile divergent views" — bring together differing opinions.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2889.The police came early enough to .... the bomb planted by the rioters.
Adetonate
Binsulate
Cdiffuse
Ddefuse
Correct Answer: D
"Defuse the bomb" — disarm it.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2890.The government which .... recruiting .... workers suddenly stopped doing so.
Ais/their
Bwere/there
Cwas/its
Dare/its
Correct Answer: C
"Government which was recruiting its workers" — singular past.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2891.They had to .... the generator when the electricity failed.
Aresort to
Bswitch on
Clight up
Dfall back on
Correct Answer: D
"Fall back on the generator" — use as a backup.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2892.I do not think any sane person would have acted in such a .... manner.
Arational
Bcruel
Csecret
Dcomposed
Correct Answer: B
Context implies the action was unreasonable — "cruel manner" fits.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2893.Neither Agbo nor his parents .... the meetings now.
Ahas attended
Battend
Cattends
Dattended
Correct Answer: B
With "neither... nor," the verb agrees with the nearer subject — "parents attend."
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2894.Modern dancing has become rather scientific and so acquires ....
Aa rapping voice
Bbizarre costuming
Cimmense instrumentation
Dsome choreographic skill
Correct Answer: D
"Choreographic skill" — related to dance.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2895.Of course, we all saw the culprit .... and hit the man on the head.
Aapproaching
Bapproaches
Capproached
Dapproach
Correct Answer: D
After verbs of perception, use bare infinitive — "saw the culprit approach."
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2896.The Company director showed the contractor a .... of the proposed office complex.
Aphotocopy
Bphotograph
Cprototype
Dmicrofilm
Correct Answer: C
"Prototype" — a model of something to be produced.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2897.Had he considered his public image carefully, he .... for his opponent in the election.
Awould have stood down
Bmight have stood aside
Cshould have stepped down
Dwould have stepped aside
Correct Answer: A
"Would have stood down" — the conditional perfect construction.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2898.The editor was not happy that the Nigerian press was hemmed ....
Aup
Bacross
Cin
Dover
Correct Answer: C
"Hemmed in" — restricted or confined.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2899.More .... to your elbow as you campaign for press freedom!
Aenergy
Bpower
Ceffort
Dgrease
Correct Answer: B
"More power to your elbow" — the standard idiom.
JAMB (UTME)
English Language
2001
Q2900.A child that shows mature characteristics at an early age may be described as ....
Aprecocious
Bingenious
Cpremature
Dpreconceived
Correct Answer: A
"Precocious" — showing mature qualities at an early age.