JS3 BECE Practice Tests – English Studies – Set 2

Read the passages below and answer the question that follow by choosing the most appropriate of the options lettered A-E

PASSAGE I

Hands, if not kept clean can be the source of ill-health. The hands come into direct contact with food and everything we touch. It is very important to wash them after using the toilet and before eating, before handling food and whenever they are dirty.

The habit of nail-biting is not right and often causes pain. Dirty fingernails can introduce germs into the body. The process by which the hands are softened, fingernails are trimmed, cleaned and sometimes, varnished is called manicure. A manicure can be done on your hands and fingernails by you at home. Professional manicure can also be obtained at the beauty shop at a price.

Painting or varnishing of fingernails is an old art of grooming. In some parts of the county locally available dyes are applied to the nails and hands to give colour and beautify them. The modern approach is the use of commercially available nail varnish, which comes in an array of colours. Nail varnishes should be chosen carefully. Avoid colours that are vulgar or loud. When too bright or too dull a colour is used, the fingernails appear repulsive, and are uncomplimentary to you. Fingernails can also be well groomed without being painted.

Some habits to cultivate in caring for your hands are, wash your hands before meal, before handling food or cooking, after using toilet and whenever they are dirty. Do not bite your nails.

Nail-biting results in bad nails and often causes pain.

Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A. Dirty fingernails can introduce germs into the body.
B. Habit of nail-biting is hygienic.
C. Nail-biting causes path.
D. Unclean hands can be the source of health.
E. Wash your hands before handling food.

According to the writer, the process by which the hands are softened, fingernails are trimmed, cleaned and varnished is called

A. decoration    B. furnishing    C. grooming   D. manicure    E. painting

The experts feel one can control germs by _____

A. biting finger nails.
B. choosing varnishes carefully.
C. eating balanced diet
D. painting fingers.
E. washing hands after toilet

From the passage it can be said that the writer is a ______

A. lawyer    B. nutritionist    C. painter   D. preacher   E. teacher

A word that can replace cultivate as used in the passage is ______

A. develop    B. learn    C. manipulate   D. imitate    E. study

Read the passages below and answer the question that follow by choosing the most appropriate of the options lettered A-E

PASSAGE II

When soil is misused and no grass is planted on it, it will soon be left bare or covered by few poor plants.

In this state, it is especially likely to suffer from erosion-the removal of the soil by wind or water.

Since there are no roots or creeping plants to hold it together and protect it from the burning rays of the sun, it dries into powder as in level areas where few trees grow to break the force of the wind.

The dust storms of Egypt and Sudan are an example of the way in which strong wind may blow the fine dust from the earth’s surface over distances.

If the sand of a desert is blown away, the farmer may not care very much, but if the top soil is blown away, the land is ruined.

To break the force of the wind and turn it upwards from the surface soil, it is good custom to grow wind breaks made of rows of trees.

The passage says that erosion means _____

A. burning rays of the sun.
B. misuse of soil.
C. soil that is left bare.
D. soil with only few plants.
E. the removal of soil by wind or water.

Soil is held together and protected by ______

A. burning rays of the sun.
B. few trees.
C. roots or creeping plants.
D. strong winds.
E. wise farmers.

According to the passage, what is erosion?

A. Blowing away of desert sand.
B. Blowing away of top soil.
C. Burning rays of the sun.
D. Hard working farmers.
E. Too much sun.

Suitable topic for this passage could be _______

A. Burning rays
B. Cure for deforestation
C. Planting of trees
D. Soil erosion
E. Wind breaks.

Wind breaks check erosion by ____

A. building up sand banks.
B. dust storms of Egypt and the Sudan.
C. preventing too much rainfall.
D. stopping the strong rays of the sun.
E. the force of the wind.

Complete the question with the most appropriate of the options lettered A-E.

During elections, voters put their votes into the _____ boxes provided.

A. ballot    B. campaign    C. rigging   D. voters    E. voting

Nigeria has to attract _____ into the country to boost her economy.

A. ambassadors     B. competitors    C. foreigners    D. investors    E. proprietors

What prefix can be added to the word ‘patient’ from the list below?

A. Dis    B. lm    C. in    D. Re    E. Un

He sells newspapers, so he is a ____

A. hawker    B. journalist    C. marketer   D. newsboy    E. vendor

It is now very difficult to get a/an ______ to visit a country like Britain.

A. aircraft    B. insurance    C. passport   D. ticket    E. visa

The lawn was _____ beautifully.

A. carved    B. chopped    C. mowed   D. shaven    E. weeded

A school principal would be the right _____ for the post of Minister of Education.

A. applicant    B. candidate    C. object   D. personnel    E. subject

The train is expected to stop and pick passengers at every _______

A. bus stop    B. junction    C. park    D. station   E. terminus.

A ______ would soon be passed on women empowerment

A. bill    B. decision    C. decree    D. law   E. mandate.

The prices of some foodstuffs have gone up because of excess demand and ________ supply.

A. abundant    B. enormous    C. excess   D. inadequate   E. sufficient

In a library, _____books are never lent out

A. catalogued    B. documented    C. edited   D. published    E. reference

Mary works as a broadcaster with the state _______

A. Fire Service.     B. Hospital.   C. Police Station.    D. Radio Station.   E. Social Welfare Department.

There was no meat in the market ______ she bought some fish.

A. except    B. since    C. so    D. unless   E. whereas

I saw John _____ in June last year.

A. before    B. presently    C. since   D. sometime    E. sometimes

In the passage below, the gaps indicate missing words. Five options are offered lettered A-E. Fill each gap with the most appropriate of the options.

My______, that is my uncle’s _______, decided to ________ about four years after the ________ of her first________. (5 marks)

A. aunt, cousin, be-friend, exit, girl-friend 
B. cousin, daughter, marry,  death, lover
C. mother, niece, court, divorce, madam 
D. niece, sister, love, hatred, mistress 
E. sister, wife, re-marry, quarrel, wife

Her new love himself was a ______ having _______ his only wife about two years earlier.

A. bachelor, disowned 
B. groom, divorced 
C. loner, left 
D. widow, missed 
E. widower, lost

He had two children from his first______who were anxious to have a _____.

A. affair, half-mother
B. contact, mother
C. marriage, step-mother
D. relationship, niece
E. unity, sister

They complained that they were tired of being referred to as half __.

A. breed    B. caste    C. children    D. orphans    E. people

Complete the question with the most appropriate of the options lettered A-E.

Miss Bako looks forward to ______ Europe next summer

A. had visited    B. has visited    C. have visited   D. visited   E. visiting

Bimbo is good _____ basketball while her sister plays volleyball very well.

A. at    B. by    C. on    D. in    E. for

Big tropical trees were planted on side _____ of the road.

A. any    B. both    C. each    D. neither   E. such.

They have ____ eggs than we do.

A. fewer    B. least    C. less    D. little    E. much

School resumes tomorrow, we need to get ____ things in town.

A. a few    B. a little    C. few    D. little    E. much

Mr Uche’s daughters are pretty, but Ada is the _____ of them all.

A. more pretty    B. most pretty    C. prettier   D. prettiest   E. pretty

The man, with his children _____ in a storey building.

A. are living    B. has lived    C. have lived   D. live    E. lives

She goes to school _____ a bus everyday.

A. at    B. by    C. in    D. on    E. with

Which of the two _____ yours.

A. are    B. be    C. has    D. is    E. were

John has _____ for you.

A. a new    B. few news    C. much news   D. news    E. some news

I wish I _____ gone for the concert.

A. couldn’t    B. didn’t    C. hadn’t   D. shouldn’t    E. won’t

They think too much of themselves, _____ they?

A. do    B. don’t    C. didn’t    D. shall    E. won’t

We need not search for the money, ______ we?

A. couldn’t    B. do    C. need    D. shall    E. won’t

My gather owns this company, said John. This statement is best reported as John said that ______company.

A. his father owned that
B. his father owned the
C. his father owns that
D. my father owned this
E. my father owns this

“We shall be early to school today”, said the children. The indirect form of this statement is, the children said that,

A. they shall be early to school next week.
B. they shall be early to school tomorrow.
C. they would be early to school that day.
D. we shall be early to school today.
E. we should be early to school tomorrow.

_______travelled to the village.

A. I and Peter
B. Me and Peter
C. Peter and her
D. Peter and I
E. Peter and me.

She wanted me to close my _____ eye.

A. any    B. each    C. other    D. others    E. own

The task is quite demanding _____ it?

A. does    B. is    C. isn’t    D. was    E. wasn’t

The party started ______ hour ago.

A. a    B. an    C. any    D. many    E. some

The sentence I lost my purse, re-written in the passive structure will become;
A purse _____ lost.

A. had been    B. has been    C. is    D. is being   E. was.

The sentence He celebrated his birthday, rewritten in the passive structure will be, His birthday______ celebrated.

A. has been    B. had been    C. is   D. is being    E. was

______ it was a very tough examination, he came out in flying colours.

A. Although    B. Since    C. So    D. Thus    E. Yet

My friend _____ in Lagos for ten years now.

A. had been living    B. had lived   C. has lived    D. has been living   E. have lived

Which of the words below is correctly spelt?

A. Buttres    B. Knowledge    C. Loiterring   D. Sacrilage   E. Truely

The prefix neo means

A. after    B. before    C. many    D. new    E. not

We did not only condemn the action but also __________ it.

A. criticize    B. criticizes    C. criticized   D. must criticize   E. will criticize

By June 30th, she ______twelve years old.

A. is    B. has been    C. would be    D. was   E. will be.

The boy ______ bicycle was stolen, is in my class.

A. his    B. who’s    C. which    D. who    E. whose

The children sometimes ____ by air.

A. travel    B. travels    C. traveled   D. are traveling    E. will travel

We saw him in the library, ____ ?

A. are we    B. didn’t we    C. shall we   D. isn’t it    E. was it

Choose from the options lettered A -E, the one that contains the given phonetic symbol.

/dʒ/

A. church    B. father    C. geography   D. then    E. thing

/tʃ/

A. engine    B. June    C. language   D. match    E. pleasure

/ʒ/

A. blaze   B. father   C. joy    D. pleasure    E. village

/ʃ/

A. dress     B. fish     C. house     D. sit     E. was

/ɔɪ/

A. boil      B. height      C. house      D. might      E. out

/əʊ/

A. boy      B. coil      C. out      D. soil      E. whole

/eI/

A. height      B. fail      C. might      D. noise      E. shout

/ə/

A. better      B. dirty      C. girl      D. jump      E. shirt

/ɔ:/

A. flour      B. look      C. pull      D. push      E. force

/u:/

A. borne      B. flood      C. floor      D. mood      E. shut

/ʌ/

A. ache      B. blot      C. couple      D. drain      E. plastic

/a:/

A. cocoa      B. honour      C. gentle      D. humble     E. nephew.

/k/

A. colic      B. jungle      C. knee      D. knowledge     E. saviour.

/iə/

A. birth      B. guess      C. peculiar      D. sector     E. wheat

/ai/

A. biometric      B. cart      C. divorce     D. hawk      E. punish