Complete SSS1 English Language exams questions covering reading comprehension, vocabulary (synonyms and antonyms), family-related terms, and essay topics. Perfect study guide for Senior Secondary 1 students preparing for English examinations.
SS 1 English Language Comprehensive Test & Exams Questions
SECTION ONE
Comprehension Passage
INSTRUCTION:- Read the passage below and answer the questions that follows.
As I watched Musa step out of the plane, I concluded that diligence, intelligence and luck had turned Musa from the rustic pauper of thirty years earlier to a highly successful professional. Here was a village boy of yesteryear, an orphan from early life, cheated out of his heritage by his half-brothers and uncles whose actions forced him to fend for himself. So, how did he become an intentionally acclaimed computer wizard?
When his well-to-do father died three years after his mother, he had gained admission to a fee-paying secondary school. Had his parents lived, that would not have been a problem. But his closet relatives were interested in sharing assets than handling liabilities. They shared the three building in the city as well as several cocoa plantations with hundreds of oil palms. None considered it right to take on the care of the poor boy.
Lefty in the lurch, he clung on to a classmate who had longed to work in the city as petty clerk. They moved to the city. Both were engaged by a big-time retailer in all sorts of goods, which he gave out to the boys to hawk on the busy roads. There were no salaries; all they had were commission from each day’s sales. Musa and his friend could be out in the streets from 6.00am till almost midnight. That way they were able to keep body and soul together.
But Musa soon decided that his return could cater for a little more than that. His yearning for education still very keen, he cut short his daily schedules at 4.00pm to attend an evening organized by some secondary school teachers and he made very rapid progress. Often, after classes, he would return to the streets. He never fared worse than any of the other learners, most of whom attended classes after normal school. In time, he sat for and with flying colours. Indeed, his results were among the best in the country.
An oil company which had a policy of sponsoring the university in the various disciplines awarded him a scholarship. Thus, his university education in computer science was fully sponsored. Eventually, he emerged as the best graduate in the university. Their training made him a top 3-D computer programmer in engineering and architectural designs. So as he stepped out of the plane, returning from on of his school international conferences, I could not but reach the conclusion I had earlier.
Read Also: SSS 2 English Language Practice Test: Questions & Answers- Second Term
QUESTIONS
Where was the writer when he arrived at the conclusion with which he opened the passage?
What tragedy had beset Musa early in life?
What worsened Musa’s plight?
How did Musa solve the problem of acquiring secondary education?
What element of luck contributed to Musa’s success?
“……who had longed to work in the city”
i. what is the grammatical name given to this expression as it is used in that passage?
ii. what is its function?
G. For each of the following words or phrase, find another word or phrase which means the same and which can replace it as it is used in the passage i. Fend for ii. Considered iii. Engaged iv. Yearning v. Eventually
SECTION 3
In each of the following sentences, there is one underlined word and one gap. From the list of words lettered A to D, choose the one that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the underlined word and that will, at the same time, correctly fill the gap in the sentences.
The comment I made at the conference was general; being _____ would have hurt some people. A. ordinary B. specific C. tactful D. candid.
Buba was purposeful in his search for a job but Bala was rather ____about his A. ordinary B. specific C. tactful D. candid.
In recent tournaments I have seen amateurs play better than so-called _______ A. experts B. veterans C. specialists D. professionals.
The student appeared_______ But we were all confident in his ability. A. afraid B. nervous C. unconvinced D. ignorant.
Giraffes are attractive animals but snakes are______ A. repulsive B. ugly C. poisonous D. offensive.
The man refused to accept the offer of a job in the rural area; he preferred one in the ______________ area. (a) local (b) urban (c) township (d) municipal
He is quite an outspoken young man but his father is ____________ (a) humorous (b) sober (c) taciturn (d) silent
One of the twins was as daring as the other was ________________. (a) morose (b) timid (c) secretive (d) rational
A gully, which is a natural phenomenon, should not be mistaken for a tunnel, which is ________________ (a) supernatural (b) false (c) artificial (d) modern.
The crops the farmer planted will be _______ in three months’ time. (a) sold (b) weeded (c) uprooted (d) harvested
SECTION FOUR
From the words lettered A to D below each of the following sentences, choose the word or groups of words that is nearest in meaning to the underlined word as it is used in the sentence.
A group of experts was brought in to verify the authencity of the evidence A. support B. improve C. correct D. ascertain
Due to the pressure of work, the old man had no alternative but to relinquish his post A. give out B. give in C. give up D. give away.
The obstinate boy soon met his Waterloo when the war broke out A. Proud B. stubborn C. careless D. rude.
The prescribed textbooks are difficult to find in the bookshops A. highlighted B. right C. actual D. recommended.
Our stationery supplies are exhausted A. completed B. finished C. consumed D. destroyed
It is foolish to depend entirely on mundane things. A. imported B. material C. attractive D. expensive
Only a pragmatic approach will solve this problem. A. constant B. careful C. practical D. drastic
The governor rebutted all the allegations against him. A. rejected B. removed C. revoked D. refuted
He was jailed for failing to obey the court injunction. A. law B. order C. fine D. proceedings
The World Bank made funds available to the government for poverty alleviation. A. reduction B. removal C. termination D. elimination
SECTION FIVE
Find an appropriate family-related word to fill in the gaps. The answers are provided below.
My father has a brother and a ______, so that means I have one _____ and one aunt on my father’s side of the family.
Someday, I hope to have a lot of ______. Of course, that means that the children of my children need to have more children!
After five years of marriage, they decided to get _____ because they couldn’t get along with each other.
Upon her husband’s death, she became a _____ and never married again.
My mother remarried last year. Now, I’m the _____ of my stepfather.
Peter’s _____, but he would like to get married and have children one day.
We started our ______ in Germany after we had met at an English-language school.
My _____ looks exactly like me, but I was born 30 minutes before she was.
He has an excellent relationship with his _____. They still celebrate holidays together with their children despite their divorce.
I’m ______ to be married in June! I can’t wait!
ESSAY
SECTION A Answer one question only from this section. All questions carry equal marks. Your answer should not be less than 450 words.
Your friend in another school has requested some information about your school to enable him to decide on moving over to your school. Write a letter to him discussing at least three areas in which your school excels.
Write an article for publication in your school magazine, discussing the reasons why children in your area drop out of school and suggesting ways of minimizing this negative trend.
There has been a continued discussion on the evils of unemployment. Write a letter to the Commissioner for Labour highlighting at least three of these evils and suggest ways of addressing them.
You are one of the speakers in a debate on the topic: ‘Women should not be in paid employment while they are still bearing children.’ Write your contribution for or against the proposition.
Write a story ending with the words: I wish I had listened to my father.
Answers:
1. Where was the writer when he arrived at the conclusion with which he opened the passage? Answer: The writer was at an airport, watching Musa step out of a plane returning from an international conference.
2. What tragedy had beset Musa early in life? Answer: Musa became an orphan early in life – his mother died first, and his father died three years later when Musa had just gained admission to a fee-paying secondary school.
3. What worsened Musa’s plight? Answer: Musa was cheated out of his inheritance by his half-brothers and uncles who shared his father’s assets (three buildings and cocoa plantations with oil palms) among themselves but refused to take responsibility for his care and education.
4. How did Musa solve the problem of acquiring secondary education? Answer: Musa attended evening classes organized by secondary school teachers. He worked as a street hawker during the day (cutting his schedule short at 4:00 pm) and attended classes in the evening, often returning to the streets after classes to earn more money.
5. What element of luck contributed to Musa’s success? Answer: The element of luck was that an oil company had a policy of sponsoring university education in various disciplines and awarded Musa a scholarship based on his excellent examination results, which were among the best in the country. This fully sponsored his university education in computer science.
6. “……who had longed to work in the city”
i. What is the grammatical name given to this expression as it is used in the passage? Answer: Adjectival clause or Relative clause
ii. What is its function? Answer: It modifies or qualifies the noun “classmate” by providing additional information about him.
7. For each of the following words or phrases, find another word or phrase which means the same:
i. Fend for – Answer: Take care of / Provide for / Support
ii. Considered – Answer: Thought / Regarded / Deemed
iii. Engaged – Answer: Employed / Hired / Recruited
iv. Yearning – Answer: Longing / Desire / Craving
v. Eventually – Answer: Finally / Ultimately / In the end
Section Three: Antonyms (Opposite Meanings) Questions and Answers
1. The comment I made at the conference was general; being _____ would have hurt some people. Answer: B. specific
2. Buba was purposeful in his search for a job but Bala was rather ____about his. Answer: C. tactful (Note: The most appropriate opposite would be “aimless” or “haphazard,” but from the given options, this appears to be the intended answer)
3. In recent tournaments I have seen amateurs play better than so-called _______. Answer: D. professionals
4. The student appeared_______ but we were all confident in his ability. Answer: B. nervous
5. Giraffes are attractive animals but snakes are______. Answer: A. repulsive
6. The man refused to accept the offer of a job in the rural area; he preferred one in the ______________ area. Answer: (b) urban
7. He is quite an outspoken young man but his father is ____________. Answer: (c) taciturn
8. One of the twins was as daring as the other was ________________. Answer: (b) timid
9. A gully, which is a natural phenomenon, should not be mistaken for a tunnel, which is ________________. Answer: (c) artificial
10. The crops the farmer planted will be _______ in three months’ time. Answer: (d) harvested
Section Four: Synonyms (Similar Meanings) Questions and Answers
1. A group of experts was brought in to verify the authenticity of the evidence. Answer: D. ascertain
2. Due to the pressure of work, the old man had no alternative but to relinquish his post. Answer: C. give up
3. The obstinate boy soon met his Waterloo when the war broke out. Answer: B. stubborn
4. The prescribed textbooks are difficult to find in the bookshops. Answer: D. recommended
5. Our stationery supplies are exhausted. Answer: B. finished
6. It is foolish to depend entirely on mundane things. Answer: B. material
7. Only a pragmatic approach will solve this problem. Answer: C. practical
8. The governor rebutted all the allegations against him. Answer: D. refuted
9. He was jailed for failing to obey the court injunction. Answer: B. order
10. The World Bank made funds available to the government for poverty alleviation. Answer: A. reduction
Section Five: Family-Related Vocabulary Questions and Answers
1. My father has a brother and a ______, so that means I have one _____ and one aunt on my father’s side of the family. Answer: sister / uncle
2. Someday, I hope to have a lot of ______. Of course, that means that the children of my children need to have more children! Answer: grandchildren / great-grandchildren
3. After five years of marriage, they decided to get _____ because they couldn’t get along with each other. Answer: divorced
4. Upon her husband’s death, she became a _____ and never married again. Answer: widow
5. My mother remarried last year. Now, I’m the _____ of my stepfather. Answer: stepchild / stepson / stepdaughter
6. Peter’s _____, but he would like to get married and have children one day. Answer: single / bachelor
7. We started our ______ in Germany after we had met at an English-language school. Answer: relationship / courtship
8. My _____ looks exactly like me, but I was born 30 minutes before she was. Answer: twin sister / twin
9. He has an excellent relationship with his _____. They still celebrate holidays together with their children despite their divorce. Answer: ex-wife / former wife
10. I’m ______ to be married in June! I can’t wait! Answer: engaged / getting married
Essay Section Guidelines
Choose ONE question only. Your answer should be at least 450 words.
Essay Topic Options:
- Informal Letter: Write to your friend about three areas where your school excels
- Magazine Article: Discuss reasons for school dropout and solutions
- Formal Letter: Write to Commissioner for Labour about unemployment evils and solutions
- Debate Speech: “Women should not be in paid employment while they are still bearing children” (for or against)
- Narrative Essay: Story ending with “I wish I had listened to my father”
