National/State Common Entrance Examination Practice Tests – English Studies Set 1

Read the passage below carefully and answer the questions that follow by choosing the most appropriate of the options lettered A - E

PASSAGE 1

At first, the dog considered the challenge mean and refused to accept it. But realizing how persistent the tortoise was in his demand, he accepted.

There and then, the animals appointed a day at the race course for the demonstration. In the night before the appointed day, the tortoise took a large piece of fresh bone and hid it in the bush not fr from the race course. That same night, the dog invited his friends to celebrate his impending victory.

When the race started the following day, other animals who attended, laughed at the tortoise, who was about one yard away from the starting point when the dog bad already disappeared from their sight. In a short time, the dog reached the place where the piece of bone was hidden and was attracted immediately by its smell. Looking back and not seeing the tortoise, he jumped into the bush in search of the bone. It took him some time to find it and longer time to chew it, At last, when he set off to complete the race, he found that the bone had cost him the bet, and that the tortoise, of all animals, had won the race.

The dog became miserable among his fellow animals. Soon he decided to leave the bush for good. From that day, the dog came to the town to live with men.

According to the passage, the dog accepted the challenge because

A. he knew hens faster than fir tortoise.
B. he wanted his friends to celebrate victory.
C. he was sure of winning the race.
D. the tortoise gave him a fresh bone
E. the tortoise insisted on it.

When did the tortoise hide the bone?

A. A day before the race
B. The night after the race
C. Few hours before the race
D. On the appointed day
E. Two days before the race

The other animals laughed at the tortoise because ______

A. he carried a heavy fresh bone.
B. he could not reach the final point.
C. he ran faster than the dog.
D. he was far behind the dog when the race started.
E. the dog had won the race.

Why did the dog leave the bush forever?

A. He loved the town.
B. He wanted to live with men.
C. He was banished by the other animals.
D. He was put to shame before his fellow animals.
E. The bone had cost him the bet.

The most suitable title for this passage is ______

A. A Contest between the Tortoise and the Dog.
B. An Invitation of the Dog.
C. The Danger of a Large Piece of Bone.
D. The Great Challenge.
E. The Victory of the Dog in the Race.

Read the passage below carefully and answer the questions that follow by choosing the most appropriate of the options lettered A - E

A seed contains a baby plant with its own supply of food, all wrapped in a tough outer coat. Some seeds come from cones of trees such as pines and firs. But most seeds arc made inside flowers and protected by a soft, fleshy fruit.

Some seeds are as tiny as specks of dust. You need a magnifying glass to see them properly. Others are much larger. The peas you eat are seeds. If you open them up you can see the baby plants inside.

The pips in oranges and tomatoes are also seeds, so are peanuts and plum stones.

Seeds are scattered from plants during the harmattan season. The tough coals protect the baby plants right through the dry season. Then the warmth of rainy season stirs the seeds to life, and the tiny plants inside start to grow.

Which of the following words can replace ‘wrapped’ as used in the passage?

A. covered      B. exposed      C. locked      D. scattered      E. tied

The expression ‘as tiny as specks of dust’ is an example of ______

A. idiom.     B. irony.      C. metaphor.      D. proverb.      E. simile.

Which of the following statement is not true according to the passage?

A. All seeds arc as tiny as specks of dust.
B. All seeds are protected by a strong coat.
C. Most seeds are produced from flowers.
D. Some seeds are edible.
E. You need magnifying glasses to see some seeds.

According to the writer, what protect seeds during the dry season?

A. Coats     B. Flowers     C. Fruits     D. Pines     E. Plants

According to the passage, when do seeds germinate?

A. Dry season      B. Harmattan period      C. Hot season     D. Rainy season    E. Warm period

Choose from the options lettered A —E, the one that is nearest in meaning to the word in italics

Olu visits us often.

A. frequently     B. irregularly     C. occasionally    D. randomly     E. rarely

He assisted me in lifting the heavy load.

A. encouraged     B. guided     C. helped     D. joined     E. led

The teachers monitored the students’ academic performance.

A. commended     B. determined     C. recorded    D. supervised    E. supported

The room was untidy.

A. clean     B. colourful     C. dirty     D. smelling     E. sparking

The baby was abandoned by its mother.

A. dumped     B. embraced     C. helped     D. rejected     E. rescued

Choose from the options lettered A – E, the one that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the word/expression in italics

John is a habitual late corner.

A. a normal     B. a perpetual      C. a regular      D. an occasional    E. an unrepentant

The teacher told the pupils that the assignment was compulsory.

A. important     B. mandatory     C. necessary     D. obligatory    E. optional

She rejected the gift from her father.

A. accepted     B. discarded     C. dumped     D. examined    E. refused

The family has moved out of Yola.

A. evacuated to     B. left for    C. moved to     D. remained in     E. transferred to

Amina is quite inquisitive.

A. anxious    B. curious    C. indifferent    D. insolent    E. intelligent

Complete each of the following statements with the most appropriate of the options lettered A — E

My mother ____ fish from the market every Tuesday.

A. bought    B. buy    C. buys    D. has bought    E. will buy

Chike ____ away the rubbish in the refuse bin.

A. had threw    B. has throw    C. has throwing    D. has thrown    E. have thrown

She _____ handball when she was young.

A. has played     B. is playing     C. play     D. played     E. plays

He loves traveling, ____ he?

A. does     B. doesn’t     C. don’t     D. isn’t     E. wasn’t

The prefix, ______ can be added to “possible” to form a new word.

A. il-     B. im-     C. in-     D. re-     E. un-

The test is difficult, ______ it?

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

He has houses in Lagos _____ Abuja.

A. also     B. and     C. nor     D. or     E. with

The child danced to the ____ of the music

A. rhythm     B. rhythym     C. rideem     D. riethym     E. rythm

Binta has a ____ wristwatch.

A. small gold fine      B. small fine gold     C. gold fine small      D. fine small gold     E. gold small fine

He rode the bicycle ____ two hours.

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

The thieves came in _____ the bathroom window.

A. by      B. on      C. through      D. under      E. with

The thieves came in _____ the bathroom window.

A. by      B. on      C. through      D. under      E. with

One of the boys ____ sick.

A. are      B. has being      C. have been      D. is      E. were

Active voice: The dog chased the thief.
Passive voice: The thief _____ chased by the dog.

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

Daniel is the ______ of the pupils in our class.

A. more smarter     B. most smartest     C. smart     D. smarter     E. smartest

The four boys shared the banana among ______

A. himself.      B. ourselves.      C. theirselves.      D. themself.      E. themselves.

If one studies hard, ______ will surely pass.

A. it      B. one      C. site      D. we      E. you

Active voice: Bala grows tomatoes.
Passive voice: Tomatoes ____ grown by Bala.

A. are     B. had      C. is      D. is being      E. was

The common _____ of malaria is fever.

A. sympthon      B. smptom      C. symptom      D synptom      E. synpton

I can’t see _____ mango in the fridge.

A. a few      B. any      C. more      D. much      E. some