BECEzone

THE WEST AFRICAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL
GHANA

Basic Education Certificate Examination

ENGLISH 2003

OBJECTIVE TEST

PART I
SECTION A
COMPREHENSION

Passage I

Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions that follow.

The children rushed out of school that afternoon singing the song they had just learned:

Rain, rain, go away.
Go and come another day.
Little children want to play.
Rain, rain, go away.

But they stopped abruptly when they looked up and saw dark clouds racing across the sky. These were signs of rain and the children were beside themselves with joy. Then they burst into yet another song. The rains will soon come.
The sky will be bright.
And the guns will boom.

As they sang and danced, they were soon joined by their parents in their happiness. It was six months since it had last rained and all that time the farmers prayed for rain that would not come. The result was famine in the country for the land became so dry that new crops could not be sown and cassava could not be uprooted. The streams and the wells had also dried up and the people could find very little water for themselves and their livestock. Was it then strange that adults danced and sang like children in the hope that their troubles would soon be over? They were sure that the fetish priest's sacrifices would not be in vain. But they woke up the next morning to find that the land was still dry; there was not a drop of rain water

Question 1

The children changed their song because





Question 2

The parents also sang and danced because





Question 3

Which of the following is true?





Question 4

Abruptly in the passage means





Question 5

The people wanted to lynch the fetish priest because ......





Question 6

From the passage we learnt that





Passage II

Teacher Amu never lost the opportunity to give pep-talks to his students. Variety is the spice of life, he often began. Then he would tell them how life has opposites, like good and bad. He would talk about the variety of birds, the different kinds of fish and species of trees. His students could always tell when teacher Amu's sermons were about to end. He would raise his voice and look up as he make his point: "God made them all and He said. 'It is good'."

These words had a lasting effect on his students. When the class was over, they would go on reeling with laughter as they recited these words. Soon, it was not surprising when they began to call Teacher Amu. 'God made them all' whenever his back was turned.

But one of them, Kofi Abre, did not consider Teacher Amu's pep-talk funny at all. He was not amused that his classmates joked with his teacher's words. Teacher Amu has said that the world was made up of different things, different people and different habits. So why did they bother when he, Abre, acted differently?

The other day, he shouted down a school mate who called him lazy. He almost bloodied a friend's nose too when his friend scolded him for not doing his homework. Teacher Amu warned that he would punish Abre. It was an act of indiscipline. Kofi Abre shook his head. It was his friend who offended him yet teacher Amu would punish him for being violent and different.

Question 7

The expression, Variety is the spice of life means life





Question 8

The students called Teacher Amu 'God made them all' because ......





Question 9

Kofi Abre did not like the jokes because he ......





Question 10

The word scolded in the passage means





Question 11

Teacher Amu punished Kofi Abre because he ......





SECTION B

Choose from the alternatives lettered A to D, the one which is nearest in meaning to the underlined word in each sentence.

Question 12

Abass was not selected to play because he had little stamina





Question 13

The town was deserted after the war.





Question 14

The police interrogated the suspect at the police station.





Question 15

John was impressed with Joana's gift.





Question 16

Most doctors are cautious in treating patients.





SECTION C

In each of the following sentences a word or groups of word has been underlined. Choose from the alternatives lettered A to D the one that best explains the underlined group of words.

Question 17

The chairman was disturbed because only fifteen members turned up for the meeting. This means that fifteen members ...... the meeting.





Question 18

Tony held his tongue for an hour before speaking. This means that Tony





Question 19

Jones will let the cat out of the bag if he is invited. This means he will ......





Question 20

The P.T.A chairman cleared the air about the increase in dues. This means that he





Question 21

Charles Taylor's shot missed its target by a hair's breadth. This means that





SECTION D

From the list of words lettered A to D, choose the one that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the word underlined in each sentence.

Question 22

Applying cocoa butter to the skin makes it smooth.





Question 23

Do not despise poor people because you are rich.





Question 24

Hearing is an involuntary action.





Question 25

Iddrisu swore that he would rather be a spendthrift than a ......





Question 26

Our friends gave us a cordial welcome.





SECTION D

From the alternatives lettered A to D, choose the one that is most suitably completes each sentence.

Question 27

The youth are advised to abstain ...... sex.





Question 28

Daddy writes beautifully ...... he?





Question 29

Bulky goods are transported ...... sea.





Question 30

Life Skills ...... my favourite subject when I was in school.





Question 31

'Would you mind if I borrowed your pen?'

'Yes, I do'

'Yes, I mind'

'No, I don't'

'No, I wouldn't'





Question 32

'Has Sister Edith ...... her glass of water this evening?'





Question 33

If my uncle had come I ...... have had some money.





Question 34

Newspapers are ...... magazines.





Question 35

I have discovered a new ...... rhyme.





Question 36

I told mum I ...... take my breakfast later.





Question 37

The final match was played ...... three and five o'clock in the afternoon.





Question 38

The girl told her mother that she ...... from church.





Question 39

...... I joined the class late I could pass the examination.





Question 40

The book was ...... difficult to read.