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JAMB Use of English study materials
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JAMB Use of English practice questions

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Question 1Comprehension

Read this passage: 'Ada arrived at the market before dawn. By the time the sun rose, she had sold half her yams. She counted her coins twice, smiled, and bought a new basket.' Which statement is best supported by the passage?

  1. Ada sold all her yams before sunrise.
  2. Ada disliked working in the market.
  3. Ada's yams were selling well that morning. Correct answer.
  4. Ada had borrowed money to buy yams.

Explanation

The passage says that by sunrise she had already sold half her stock and then smiled and bought a basket, which together imply good sales. A supported inference must follow from details actually given, not from outside assumptions.

Question 2Comprehension

Passage: 'The bridge was closed for repairs. Traders who normally crossed it now paid a canoe man twice their usual fare. Some stopped coming to the market altogether.' What is the main idea of the passage?

  1. The bridge repairs raised costs and reduced trade. Correct answer.
  2. Traders prefer travelling by canoe to walking.
  3. Markets should be moved closer to rivers.
  4. Canoe men charge high fares everywhere.

Explanation

The main idea is the central point that all the sentences work together to make: the closure caused higher transport costs and fewer traders. The other sentences are supporting details, not the overall point.

Question 3Comprehension

Passage: 'The old teacher kept every exercise book his pupils returned. He said the errors in them taught him more than the correct answers did.' The word 'them' in the second sentence refers to:

  1. the pupils
  2. the correct answers
  3. the exercise books Correct answer.
  4. the errors

Explanation

Pronoun reference is found by checking which earlier noun fits the grammar and sense of the sentence. The teacher kept exercise books, and it is the errors inside those books that taught him, so 'them' points to the books.

Question 4Comprehension

Passage: 'Musa packed his tools, checked the address on the slip of paper, and set off on foot. He had never been to that part of town before.' What can a reader reasonably infer about Musa?

  1. He is travelling to meet a family member.
  2. He has lost the slip of paper.
  3. He is going to a place unfamiliar to him. Correct answer.
  4. He intends to return his tools to a shop.

Explanation

The final sentence states directly that Musa had never visited that part of town, so unfamiliarity is a safe inference. A valid inference must be anchored in a stated detail rather than in guesswork about his motives.

Question 5Comprehension

Passage: 'The rain came late that year. Farmers who had planted early watched their seedlings wither, while those who waited were rewarded with a good harvest.' Which word best describes the tone of the passage?

  1. Playful
  2. Reflective Correct answer.
  3. Sarcastic
  4. Angry

Explanation

Tone is the writer's attitude as shown by word choice and structure. The balanced contrast between the two groups of farmers, stated calmly and without emotion, gives a thoughtful, reflective tone.

Question 6Comprehension

Passage: 'Ngozi is the most diligent student in the class. She is never absent, submits every assignment on time, and still finds time to help others.' Which sentence best summarises the writer's attitude to Ngozi?

  1. The writer doubts Ngozi's sincerity.
  2. The writer is indifferent to Ngozi.
  3. The writer admires Ngozi's conduct. Correct answer.
  4. The writer pities Ngozi's workload.

Explanation

The writer lists Ngozi's good habits approvingly and calls her 'the most diligent', which signals admiration. Attitude questions require attention to evaluative words rather than to the facts alone.

Question 7Comprehension

Passage: 'The committee met on Monday. It reviewed the budget, argued for three hours, and finally agreed on a figure.' What does the passage suggest about the committee's decision?

  1. It was the result of long discussion. Correct answer.
  2. It was reached quickly and without dispute.
  3. It was postponed to another meeting.
  4. It was made before the budget was reviewed.

Explanation

The sequence shows the committee argued for three hours before agreeing, so the decision followed lengthy debate. Reading for sequence means tracking the order of actions described in the passage.

Question 8Comprehension

Passage: 'Visitors are reminded that the museum closes at five o'clock. Photography is allowed, but flashes must be switched off. Food and drink may be taken only in the courtyard.' Which statement is true according to the passage?

  1. Visitors may not bring cameras into the museum.
  2. Visitors may take photographs without using a flash. Correct answer.
  3. Visitors may eat anywhere in the museum.
  4. The museum remains open after five o'clock.

Explanation

The passage permits photography but forbids flashes, so photographing without a flash is allowed. Detail questions are answered by matching each option strictly against the stated rules.

Question 9Comprehension

Passage: 'The village well had dried up. Women who once fetched water in minutes now walked two kilometres to the stream. Children missed school to help carry the load.' What is the cause of the children missing school?

  1. The stream was too far from the school.
  2. Water had to be fetched from a distant stream. Correct answer.
  3. The children had no uniforms.
  4. The school was closed for repairs.

Explanation

The passage links the children's absence to helping carry water after the well dried up and the walk became long. Cause-and-effect questions require identifying which stated event produces the other.

Question 10Comprehension

Passage: 'Although the new road shortened the journey, it cut the old market town in two, and many shops lost the customers who once passed their doors.' The writer's attitude to the new road is best described as:

  1. openly hostile
  2. cautiously critical Correct answer.
  3. wholly enthusiastic
  4. completely neutral

Explanation

The word 'although' concedes a benefit while the rest of the sentence stresses harm, producing a balanced but critical attitude. Recognising concession markers helps readers judge mixed attitudes accurately.

Question 11Comprehension

Passage: 'The headmaster spoke for forty minutes about punctuality. He arrived late himself, and the assembly hall fell silent as he climbed the stage.' The passage is mainly intended to:

  1. praise the headmaster's speech
  2. highlight the headmaster's hypocrisy Correct answer.
  3. describe the layout of the assembly hall
  4. criticise lateness among students

Explanation

The contrast between the headmaster's lecture on punctuality and his own lateness creates irony aimed at him. The purpose lies in that contrast, not in the literal subject of his speech.

Question 12Comprehension

Passage: 'Bola: You said you would finish the report by noon. / Tunde: I did finish it. I only forgot to send it to you.' What does Tunde's reply reveal?

  1. He is accusing Bola of impatience.
  2. He completed the work but failed to deliver it. Correct answer.
  3. He never started the report.
  4. He misunderstood the deadline.

Explanation

Tunde distinguishes finishing the report from sending it, confirming the work was done but not forwarded. Careful reading of dialogue means separating the action performed from the action expected.

Question 13Comprehension

Passage: 'The doctor examined the boy, then turned to the mother. "He will be fine," she said, "but he must rest for two days."' Which statement is best supported?

  1. The boy needs two days of rest. Correct answer.
  2. The boy must stay in hospital.
  3. The boy has a serious illness.
  4. The mother is a doctor.

Explanation

The doctor's words state the required rest period directly, making this the clearest supported statement. The other options add information the passage does not provide.

Question 14Comprehension

Passage: 'Every year the town holds a fishing festival. Canoes are decorated, drums are beaten, and the whole riverbank fills with noise and colour. Visitors come from far away, and traders do brisk business.' The passage is developed mainly by:

  1. giving reasons and evidence
  2. describing scenes and activities Correct answer.
  3. telling a story about one fisherman
  4. comparing two festivals

Explanation

The paragraph piles up sensory details of decoration, drums, noise and colour, which is description. Identifying the method of development means asking how the sentences build the idea.

Question 15Comprehension

Passage: 'Reading widely does more than improve vocabulary. It exposes the mind to other places, other times and other ways of thinking.' What is the writer's main point about reading widely?

  1. It quickly builds vocabulary alone.
  2. It should replace travel entirely.
  3. It is useful only for passing examinations.
  4. It does more than build vocabulary. Correct answer.

Explanation

The first sentence sets up the thesis that vocabulary is only one benefit, and the second sentence supplies the larger benefit. The main point is the claim the rest of the passage supports.

Question 16Comprehension

Passage: 'The crowd surged forward as the gates opened. Hawkers shouted, children darted between legs, and a woman clutched her basket to her chest.' Which detail best conveys the crowd's disorder?

  1. Children darted between legs. Correct answer.
  2. The gates opened.
  3. A woman clutched her basket.
  4. Hawkers shouted.

Explanation

Darting between people's legs shows movement that is uncontrolled and unpredictable, which best conveys disorder. Judging which detail is strongest requires comparing what each one implies about the scene.

Question 17Comprehension

Passage: 'The teacher said the essay was good. Then she added: "But your conclusion repeats what you have already said."' What is the teacher's criticism?

  1. The essay has no conclusion.
  2. The conclusion is repetitive. Correct answer.
  3. The introduction is too short.
  4. The essay is generally poor.

Explanation

The teacher's remark that the conclusion repeats earlier material identifies repetition as the fault. Reported speech plus a direct quotation must be read together to locate the specific criticism.

Question 18Comprehension

Passage: 'Some people argue that mobile phones should be banned in schools. Others reply that phones are valuable learning tools when used with discipline. The debate continues.' Which statement best describes the passage?

  1. It recommends a new school policy.
  2. It presents two opposing views without deciding between them. Correct answer.
  3. It states that phones are useless in learning.
  4. It proves that phones should be banned.

Explanation

The passage sets out two positions and ends by noting the debate continues, so it presents both sides without a verdict. Neutral reporting is recognised by the absence of a concluding judgement.

Question 19Comprehension

Passage: 'The farmers had waited months for rain. When the clouds finally gathered, they gathered for days without breaking. The river rose, and the fields disappeared under water.' The passage is best described as:

  1. a celebration of abundant rain
  2. a neutral weather report
  3. a comparison of two farming methods
  4. an ironic reversal of expectation Correct answer.

Explanation

The farmers hoped for rain, but the rain brought flooding instead of relief, which reverses their expectation. Irony is identified when an outcome contradicts the hope or intention set up earlier.

Question 20Comprehension

Passage: 'The clerk examined the form, sighed, and pushed it back across the counter. "You have written your name where the date should be," she said.' Why did the clerk push the form back?

  1. The form was too old to accept.
  2. The office had closed for the day.
  3. The form was missing a signature.
  4. The form had been filled in wrongly. Correct answer.

Explanation

The clerk's explanation shows the name was entered in the wrong field, so the form was completed incorrectly. Answers to 'why' questions must be traced to the stated reason in the passage.

Question 21Comprehension

Passage: 'The library was silent except for the turning of pages. Outside, a hawker called out his wares, and a bus braked noisily at the junction. Inside, nobody looked up.' What does the final sentence emphasise?

  1. The hawker was disturbing the readers.
  2. The readers were deeply absorbed. Correct answer.
  3. The bus had broken down at the junction.
  4. The library was about to close.

Explanation

The contrast between the noise outside and the readers' failure to look up stresses their concentration. Contrast structures are often used to highlight the quality of one element in the scene.

Question 22Comprehension

Passage: 'The chairman praised the team's effort, noted the small budget they had worked with, and reminded the audience that results take time.' The chairman's remarks are best seen as:

  1. an attack on the audience
  2. a demand for immediate resignation
  3. a defence of the team's performance Correct answer.
  4. a refusal to discuss the budget

Explanation

Praise, a mitigating factor and a plea for patience together form a defence of the team. Reading for rhetorical strategy means seeing how separate remarks combine into one purpose.

Question 23Comprehension

Passage: 'A: The new tax will hurt small traders. B: Hurt them? It will close half the shops on this street.' How does B's reply differ from A's statement?

  1. B changes the subject to housing.
  2. B rejects A's view entirely.
  3. B denies that small traders exist.
  4. B agrees but exaggerates the effect. Correct answer.

Explanation

B repeats A's word 'hurt' and intensifies it to closing shops, so the reply agrees while magnifying the consequence. Recognising repetition and intensification shows how a speaker extends rather than disputes a point.

Question 24Comprehension

Passage: 'The report notes that enrolment rose by twenty per cent. It does not say, however, how many of the new students completed the course.' The writer's purpose in the second sentence is to:

  1. praise the school's success
  2. question the value of the first figure Correct answer.
  3. explain how students enrol
  4. prove that enrolment fell

Explanation

By pointing out a missing piece of information, the writer implies the enrolment figure alone is incomplete evidence of success. This is a subtle criticism achieved through an omission rather than a direct claim.

Question 25Comprehension

Passage: 'The old man kept a lamp burning all night. "Travellers lose their way in the dark," he would say, "and a small light is better than a loud complaint."' What does the saying suggest about the old man's philosophy?

  1. Practical help is better than mere talk. Correct answer.
  2. Complaints are more effective than actions.
  3. Lamps are expensive to maintain.
  4. Travellers should avoid night journeys.

Explanation

The contrast between 'a small light' and 'a loud complaint' values quiet action over protest. Interpreting a proverb requires mapping its two contrasted images onto general ideas.

Question 26Comprehension

Read this passage: 'The rain came late that year, and it came wrongly. It fell in three violent days, then stopped, leaving the soil hard on top and dry beneath. Farmers who had planted early watched their seedlings yellow and die; those who had waited lost the planting season altogether.' Which statement best expresses the main idea of the passage?

  1. The rain was harmful because of its timing and force, not its absence alone. Correct answer.
  2. The planting season is too short in this region.
  3. Farmers who planted early always lose their crops.
  4. Three days of rain is enough for any farm.

Explanation

A main-idea question asks for the central point the whole passage supports. Every detail here - the late arrival, the three violent days, the hard surface over dry soil - works to show that the rain's manner and timing ruined the season. The other options either overstate a detail or draw a general rule the passage does not state.

Question 27Comprehension

Passage: 'Musa arrived at the office at seven. By eight he had read every file on his desk. When the supervisor came in at nine, Musa had already drafted three replies and was asking for more work.' The passage suggests that Musa is:

  1. new to the office
  2. tired of his job
  3. slow but careful
  4. eager and efficient Correct answer.

Explanation

The inference rests on the sequence of times and completed actions: arriving early, reading all files within an hour, and drafting three replies before nine. These details together point to a worker who is both quick and keen. Nothing in the passage indicates slowness, boredom or inexperience.

Question 28Comprehension

Passage: 'The market women had known the old bridge all their lives. When the engineers arrived with their drawings and their long words, the women listened politely, then went back to their stalls. The bridge was still there, and so were they.' The tone of the last sentence is best described as:

  1. openly celebratory
  2. anxious and uncertain
  3. bitter and accusing
  4. quietly ironic Correct answer.

Explanation

Tone is the writer's attitude, carried by word choice and structure. The flat, balanced statement that 'the bridge was still there, and so were they' quietly undercuts the engineers' plans without anger or joy - the effect is dry irony. There is no strong emotion of bitterness, fear or celebration in the phrasing.

Question 29Comprehension

Passage: 'The chairman's speech was short. He thanked the workers, promised nothing, and sat down. The applause that followed was polite rather than warm.' What does the passage imply about the workers' feelings?

  1. They were disappointed but restrained. Correct answer.
  2. They were angry enough to protest.
  3. They were deeply moved by his honesty.
  4. They approved of the brevity of the speech.

Explanation

The phrase 'polite rather than warm' signals restrained, lukewarm approval, and the promise of nothing explains the coolness. The workers therefore feel let down but keep their feelings in check. Anger or deep emotion would require stronger language than 'polite applause'.

Question 30Comprehension

Passage: 'A: The new levy will make life hard for market traders. B: Hard? It will send them home before noon.' What is the function of B's question 'Hard?'

  1. It challenges A's word as too mild and prepares for a stronger claim. Correct answer.
  2. It shows that B disagrees with A completely.
  3. It seeks factual proof of A's assertion.
  4. It asks A to repeat the statement because B did not hear it.

Explanation

Repeating a speaker's word as a question is a rhetorical device: it rejects the word as inadequate and sets up a sharper restatement. B does not deny that life will be hard - he intensifies it, saying traders will be driven away entirely. So the question is a stepping stone to a stronger claim, not a request for information or a flat disagreement.

Question 31Comprehension

Passage: 'The scheme was launched with great fanfare. Three years later, the office that ran it has two staff, no vehicle and a filing cabinet of unanswered letters.' The writer's attitude towards the scheme is one of:

  1. open admiration
  2. mild disapproval Correct answer.
  3. cautious optimism
  4. complete indifference

Explanation

Attitude is revealed through contrast: the grand launch is set against the shrunken office with no vehicle and unanswered letters. The effect is critical, but the tone is dry and understated rather than furious - mild disapproval. Admiration or optimism would require positive detail, and indifference would not bother to note the decline.

Question 32Comprehension

Passage: 'You may borrow the book, provided you return it before Friday and do not lend it to anyone else.' Which statement is consistent with the passage?

  1. The borrower may lend the book to a friend.
  2. The borrower may keep the book after Friday.
  3. The borrower must return the book by Friday. Correct answer.
  4. The borrower must buy the book if it is damaged.

Explanation

The condition 'provided you return it before Friday' makes returning by Friday a requirement of the permission. The second condition separately forbids lending the book onward. Any option that relaxes either condition, or adds a rule about buying, goes beyond what the passage states.

Question 33Comprehension

Passage: 'The notice reads: Candidates should report to the examination hall thirty minutes before the scheduled time. Latecomers will not be admitted once the paper has begun.' Which candidate would be refused entry?

  1. One who arrives exactly at the scheduled time.
  2. One who arrives twenty minutes early and waits outside.
  3. One who arrives thirty minutes before the scheduled time.
  4. One who arrives five minutes after the paper has started. Correct answer.

Explanation

The notice bars admission to anyone arriving after the paper has begun, so a candidate five minutes late must be refused. Those arriving at or before the scheduled time satisfy the requirement, since the deadline for admission is the start of the paper. The question tests applying a stated rule to a concrete case.

Question 34Comprehension

Passage: 'The hospital has introduced a queue number system. Patients now take a ticket at the gate and wait for their number to be called. The matron reports that quarrels at the records desk have fallen sharply.' Which conclusion is best supported?

  1. The hospital has employed more records staff.
  2. The new system has reduced conflict among waiting patients. Correct answer.
  3. Patients prefer the new system to seeing a doctor.
  4. Patients now receive treatment faster than before.

Explanation

The passage links the ticket system to a reported fall in quarrels at the records desk, which supports the conclusion that conflict has decreased. It gives no evidence about treatment speed, staffing levels or patient preferences beyond the queue. A supported conclusion must stay within what the passage actually reports.

Question 35Comprehension

Passage: 'The speaker said: "We must not forget the farmers who feed us. We must not forget the teachers who shape us. And above all, we must not forget the nurses who heal us."' The repeated sentence structure is used mainly to:

  1. hide the speaker's real opinion
  2. create rhythm and emphasis Correct answer.
  3. introduce a new topic
  4. shorten the speech

Explanation

Repetition of a sentence frame - 'We must not forget...' - is a rhetorical device that builds rhythm and drives home each group in turn. The rising climax 'above all' shows the repetition is deliberate emphasis, not padding. It neither conceals opinion nor changes the subject.

Question 36Comprehension

Passage: 'The road was newly tarred. Yet by the second rainy season, potholes had appeared at every bend, and drivers had begun to swerve onto the shoulders.' The word 'Yet' in the passage signals:

  1. a contrast with what was expected Correct answer.
  2. a cause-and-effect relationship
  3. a conclusion drawn from evidence
  4. a list of similar events

Explanation

'Yet' is a contrast marker: a newly tarred road leads us to expect smoothness, and the potholes contradict that expectation. It does not introduce a cause, a series of similar points, or a conclusion. Recognising such signposts helps a reader follow the writer's line of thought.

Question 37Comprehension

Passage: 'The committee praised the proposal. It noted, however, that the cost had been underestimated and that no completion date was given.' The word 'however' shows that the second sentence:

  1. contradicts the first sentence entirely
  2. qualifies the praise with reservations Correct answer.
  3. repeats the first sentence in different words
  4. gives the reason for the praise

Explanation

'However' introduces a qualification: the praise stands, but it is limited by two noted problems. The sentence does not deny the praise or explain it; it adds conditions and doubts. This is the common pattern of qualified approval in formal reports.

Question 38Comprehension

Passage: 'The school's new library opens at eight and closes at six. It is closed on Sundays and public holidays. Membership is free for all registered students.' A registered student arrives at the library at five forty on a Saturday. What follows from the passage?

  1. The student must wait until eight o'clock.
  2. The student may use the library for twenty minutes. Correct answer.
  3. The student cannot enter because it is a weekend.
  4. The student will be asked to pay a membership fee.

Explanation

Saturday is not excluded - only Sundays and public holidays are - and the library closes at six, so a student arriving at 5:40 has twenty minutes of use. The passage also says membership is free for registered students. The answer requires combining the opening hours with the list of closing days.

Question 39Comprehension

Passage: 'The old teacher never raised his voice. When a boy misbehaved, he would simply stop talking and look at him until the whole class fell silent. No cane hung behind his door.' What impression of the teacher does the passage create?

  1. He was popular but ineffective.
  2. He was unable to keep order.
  3. He controlled the class through quiet authority. Correct answer.
  4. He was feared for his harsh punishments.

Explanation

The details - never raising his voice, using silence and a look, and having no cane - all build a picture of calm authority rather than force. The class falls silent without punishment being mentioned. This is an impression question, answered by gathering the writer's descriptive choices.

Question 40Comprehension

Passage: 'The trader weighed the yams, named his price, and waited. The customer looked at the yams, then at the trader, then at the yams again, and said nothing.' What does the customer's silence most likely indicate?

  1. She does not want to buy anything.
  2. She is bargaining by withholding agreement. Correct answer.
  3. She has already agreed to the price.
  4. She cannot see the yams clearly.

Explanation

In a market exchange, silence after a price is named is a bargaining tactic: the buyer delays agreement to push for a lower price. The repeated glances at the yams show interest, not indifference. The passage gives no hint of poor eyesight or immediate agreement.

Question 41Comprehension

Passage: 'The village had no clinic. For years, women in labour were carried on bicycles to the next town. Last year the council built a clinic with a delivery room. Now the bicycles are used to carry vegetables to market.' The last sentence mainly serves to:

  1. show that bicycles are unreliable
  2. criticise the council's spending
  3. illustrate the change the clinic brought Correct answer.
  4. explain how vegetables are grown

Explanation

The final sentence reuses the bicycle image from the first part of the passage, now for a peaceful purpose. That contrast illustrates, without stating it, how much life has changed since the clinic was built. It is a device of showing rather than telling.

Question 42Comprehension

Passage: 'Some say the internet has made us lazy thinkers. Others reply that it has merely changed the kind of thinking we do. The argument will not be settled by anecdote; it needs evidence about how people actually read, remember and reason.' The writer's position is that:

  1. the argument has already been settled
  2. the internet has definitely made people lazy
  3. the debate needs evidence rather than stories Correct answer.
  4. anecdotes are the best guide to thinking

Explanation

The writer reports both sides without taking either, then states what the argument requires: evidence about reading, memory and reasoning, not anecdote. The position is therefore about method, not about which side is right. Recognising this distinguishes the writer's own view from the views being reported.

Question 43Comprehension

Passage: 'The minister promised that every household would have clean water within two years. The reporter noted that the same promise had been made in two previous budgets, and that the water board's allocation had been cut in the current one.' The reporter's method is to:

  1. insult the minister personally
  2. compare the promise with past promises and current funding Correct answer.
  3. interview villagers about their water supply
  4. praise the budget for its honesty

Explanation

The reporter makes no personal attack and offers no new interviews; instead, the promise is set beside earlier identical promises and a funding cut. This juxtaposition invites the reader to doubt the promise without the reporter saying so directly. It is criticism by documented contrast.

Question 44Comprehension

Passage: 'A: Every student should learn a trade before leaving school. B: Should every doctor and lawyer also train as carpenters?' What is the weakness B is pointing to in A's argument?

  1. A has confused a trade with a hobby.
  2. A's word 'every' makes the claim too broad to defend. Correct answer.
  3. A has given no evidence for the claim.
  4. A's proposal is too expensive to implement.

Explanation

B's question tests the absolute word 'every' by offering professional examples where the rule would be absurd. The technique exposes an over-general claim rather than disputing cost or evidence. The defect lies in the scope of the word, not in the details of the proposal.

Question 45Comprehension

Passage: 'The stadium was full an hour before the match. Drums sounded from the north stand, and a sea of colours moved slowly towards the gates.' The expression 'a sea of colours' is an example of:

  1. simile
  2. metaphor Correct answer.
  3. hyperbole
  4. personification

Explanation

A metaphor states that one thing is another without using 'like' or 'as'; here the crowd is called a sea to suggest its size and movement. A simile would require 'like a sea of colours'. Personification would give human qualities to a non-human thing, and hyperbole would be deliberate exaggeration.

Question 46Comprehension

Passage: 'The rain did not fall; it marched across the roofs, drummed on the zinc and shouted down the chimneys.' The dominant figure of speech in this sentence is:

  1. euphemism
  2. simile
  3. personification Correct answer.
  4. litotes

Explanation

The rain is given human actions - marching, drumming and shouting - which is personification. No comparison using 'like' or 'as' appears, so it is not a simile. Litotes is understatement by denial, and euphemism is a mild substitute for a harsh term; neither fits.

Question 47Comprehension

Passage: 'The shopkeeper counted the coins twice, wrote the figure in a small book, and locked the book in a drawer before serving the next customer.' The details in the passage are arranged mainly to:

  1. describe the shopkeeper's careful habits Correct answer.
  2. criticise the shopkeeper's slowness
  3. explain how coins are minted
  4. show that customers were impatient

Explanation

Each action - counting twice, recording the figure, locking the book away - is a small sign of care with money. The sequence builds a portrait of a methodical person. There is no criticism of speed and no mention of minting or impatient customers.

Question 48Comprehension

Passage: 'The letter began: "Dear Sir, I write with reference to your advertisement in last Tuesday's paper, and I wish to apply for the post of accounts clerk."' This opening is most appropriate for:

  1. a friendly letter to a cousin
  2. a formal letter of application Correct answer.
  3. a letter of complaint to a neighbour
  4. a personal letter of condolence

Explanation

The salutation 'Dear Sir', the reference to an advertisement and the explicit mention of applying for a post together mark a formal letter of application. Register, purpose and addressee all point the same way. A friendly or condolence letter would use a personal salutation and very different content.

Question 49Comprehension

Passage: 'The governor's aide said the bridge would be completed 'in the fullness of time'. A reporter later discovered that the contract had no completion date.' The phrase 'in the fullness of time' is used to:

  1. promise early completion
  2. avoid giving a definite date Correct answer.
  3. state a precise deadline
  4. describe the bridge's design

Explanation

'In the fullness of time' is a vague, formal phrase meaning 'eventually, at some unspecified point'. The discovery that the contract had no completion date confirms the phrase was used to avoid commitment. It commits the speaker to nothing and so cannot be a precise deadline or a promise of speed.

Question 50Comprehension

Passage: 'The pupils cleaned the stream behind their school. They removed tyres, bottles and plastic bags. Six months later, fish had returned to the water.' Which statement best captures the relationship between the two parts of the passage?

  1. The stream was never really polluted.
  2. The fish returned for reasons unrelated to the cleaning.
  3. The cleaning of the stream led to the return of the fish. Correct answer.
  4. The pupils removed the fish along with the rubbish.

Explanation

The passage presents an action followed, six months later, by a result, inviting the reader to see the cleaning as the cause. The word 'later' marks the sequence, and the return of fish is offered as the outcome. It does not claim scientific proof, but the relationship drawn is cause and effect.