National/State Common Entrance Examination Practice Tests – English Studies Set 2

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

Sometime ago, a man punished his three- year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight, and he became infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the tree.

Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, “this is for you, daddy”. He was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his temper flared again when he found that the box was empty. He yelled at her, “don’t you know that when you give someone a present there is supposed to be something inside of it”.

The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said, “Oh daddy, it is not empty I blew kisses into the box, all for you daddy”. The father was crushed. He put his arms around the little girl and begged her for forgiveness. The man kept the box by his bed for years, whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

What did the man do when the girl offered him a gift the next morning? He

A. begged bet     B. kept the gift.     C. was angry.     D. was embarrassed.    E. yelled at her.

What did the girl put in the box that the father did not see? The girl put

A. gold.     B. kisses.     C. love.     D. tears.     E. wrapping paper.

Why was the man angry when he was given the gift? He was angry because

A. the box was empty.
B. the box was put under a tree.
C. the girl wasted wrapping paper.
D. he hated gifts.
E. money was tight.

Why was the girl’s father embarrassed when she brought him a gift? He was embarrassed because

A. he Overreacted
B. he punished her.
C. he was furious.
D. the little girl was crying.
E. there was nothing inside the box.

The man took the imaginary kiss whenever he was ____

A. angry.    B. discouraged.     C. disturbed     D. happy.    E. sick.

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

Ralia was alone, lost in the bush. She was afraid she called out but site had a small voice. It was not. good fur shouting; it was only good for singing. Again and again she shouted, hoping that someone would hear. No one heard. No help came.

She threw herself down and wept. She pulled at her hair and kicked one foot
against the other. She sat up, stood up and again threw herself down. The hush
scratched her body and blood came from the scratches.

Ralia thought of her father and mother. She thought of her dog, Wara. What would they do when she did not go home? Her mother was blind. Her father had hurt his back. Her dog had a bad foot and could not walk. Therefore no one would look for her.

Her mother would only cry and clap her hands. Her dog would only bark arid her
father would only bite his fingers. No one would eat that night. There was nobody to make their food. Ralia again started to weep. She thought, where would she sleep that night? All sorts of insects might bite her. She might be bitten by a snake. The wild animals might kill her. She might die and no one would know where she was.

Culled from Sugar Girl by Kola Onadipe.

“. . . called out” as used in paragraph one of the passage can he replaced with

A. cried.    B. hoped.    C. sang.    D. shouted    E. slept.

Ralia’s mother would only cry and clap her hands because she could not

A. hear.     B. see.     C. person.     D. run     E. walk.

Wara was a/an _____

A. dog.     B. insect.     C. person.     D. snake.     E. wild animal.

According to the passage prepared food for the family ____

A. no one    B. Ralia     C. Ralia’s father     D. Ralia’s mother     E. Wara

A suitable title for this passage could be

A. A Lost Girl.
B. A Sad Family.
C. A Sad Old.
D. An Abandoned Child.
E. Raha, the Blind Girl.

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

The water was polluted.

A. clean    B. dirty    C. packaged     D. pure    E. tasty

The magician disappeared into thin air.

A. dived    B. fled    C. floated    D. rushed    E. vanished

Jane is very unfriendly.

A. nasty    B. selfish    C. stingy    D. unpleasant    E. wicked

The examination will soon resume.

A. begin    B. commence    C. continue    D. start    E. terminate

This year’s harvest was poor.

A. bad    B. late    C. limited    D. partial    E. rich

Complete each of the following statement with the option that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the word in italics

The milk was sour.

A. bitter    B. delicious    C. good    D. lovely    E. sweet

Mr. John bought a huge sheep from the market.

A. big    B. hit    C. short    D. skinny    E. small

The girl was carrying an empty bucket.

A. a deep    B. a dry    C. a full    D. a wet    E. broken

The beggar held a crooked stick.

A. bent    B. long    C. magical    D. straight    E. thin

The school is at its temporary site.

A. basic    B. initial    C. old    D. original    E. permanent

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

The bride and the groom _______absent at the wedding.

A. are    B. is    C. is being    D. were    E. were being

_______of the footballers was given a cash prize for winning the championship.

A. All     B. Any     C. Each     D. Most     E. Some

The supervisor was angry when he discovered that _______ of the students was in the examination hall.

A. all     B. any     C. both     D. either     E. none

The governor, with his four wives, _______ detained by the EFCC about two weeks ago.

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

The superlative form of the word little is ________

A. least.     B. less.     C. lest.     D. lesser.     E. littlest

Ann was the ______ of the two girls.

A. more taller     B. most taller     C. tall     D. taller     E. tallest

The police have seen the criminal _______ they for.

A. have been looking     B. have looked     C. has looked     D. looked    E. being looking

The charming lady presently _________ in one of the new generation banks as a cashier.

A. are working     B. is working     C. work     D. worked     E. works

The past tense of the word broadcast is _______

A. broadcast.     B. broadcasted.     C. broadcaster.     D. broadcasting.     E. broadcasts.

I _______ travelling abroad next year.

A. have     B. have been     C. will be     D. will have been     E. would

He ________ a present from the head teacher.

A. received     B. receved     C. recieved     D. recived     E. resieved

The boy _______ bag was stolen also lost his sandals.

A. that     B. which     C. who     D. whom     E. whose

When Biodun was picking mangoes, a bee _______ him.

A. have stung     B. is stinging     C. sting     D. stings     E. stung

He told you he wasn’t at home ______ ?

A did he     B. didn’t he     C. didn’t you     D. isn’t it     E. wasn’t it

To _______ shall I give this parcel?

A. what     B. who     C. who’s     D. whom     E. whose

Has he finished the work?

A. No, he has     B. No, he isn’t,     C. No, he hasn’t.    D. Yes, he hasn’t.     E. Yes, he is.

If you can appeal to her, I _____ mind.

A. couldn’t     B. needn’t     C. shan’t     D. shouldn’t     E. wouldn’t

The most appropriate prefix for the word modest is _______

A. en-     B. in-     C. im-     D. re-     E. pre-

The statement “I have done the work” in the passive form becomes, the work ____ done by me.

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

________ you want to be dismissed you will not cheat in the examination.

A. Because     B. If     C. Perhaps     D. Unless     E. Until