KUULCHAT
ENGLISH MOCK
From the alternatives lettered A to D, choose the one which most suitably completes each sentence.
1.
When he lost his job, Yaro was left to sink or swim. This means that Yaro
had to find another job.
shouted for help.
had to survive on his own.
was depressed.
Answer: C
Sink or swim
If you are left to sink or swim, you are given no help so that you succeed or fail completely by your own efforts: My employer gave me no help when I started my new job - I was just left to sink or swim.
2.
Kim is full of himself. This means that Kim is
arrogant.
dangerous.
greedy.
quarrelsome.
Answer: A
Full of oneself: to be very proud, arrogant or conceited, and think only of yourself
3.
The girl intentionally tore her dress.
carelessly
accidentally
willingly
foolishly
Answer: B
4.
Mr Nunyah slaughtered some of his bulls.
killed
treated
examined
castrated
Answer: A
Slaughter: kill (animals) for food
The nearest in meaning could be kill or butcher
5.
We will not allow him to dampen our spirits.
suppress
break
destroy
lower
Answer: B
6.
The chief advised his subjects not to allow anger to get the better of them.
This means that they should not let anger ...... them.
divide
sadden
control
deceive
Answer: C
7.
The project is in the pipeline. This means that it is
being dealt with
being suspended
No longer pursued
stuck in the pipe
Answer: A
In the pipeline: in the process of being planned or developed.
8.
Ammon has always kept his enemies at arm's length. This means that he
abused them
shunned them
threatened them
trusted them
Answer: B
At arm's length: avoid/shun intimacy or close contact.
9.
She received a beautiful psalm.
shall
palm
sand
page
Answer: C
10.
Arming the police does not halt crime.
avoid
prevent
stop
suspend
Answer: C
Halt nearest in meaning:stop, come to a halt, come to a stop, come to a standstill, come to rest, pull up, draw up, stand still, draw to a stand, cease, finish
11.
The results will be released very soon.
withheld
confirmed
withdraw
cancelled
Answer: A
12.
Her clothes would look better if she ...... them.
will wash
washes
washed
would wash
Answer: C
The sentence is a conditional sentence that talks about an unreal situation in the present. In such cases, we use the past simple tense in the if-clause and 'would' + base verb in the main clause.
13.
We're so excited because Amuzu's proposal has been accepted.
suggestion
offer
opinion
view
Answer: B
14.
Choose from the options A to D, the word that is most suitable to fill the gap
motions
ideas
decisions
intentions
Answer: A
A motion is a proposal that is put before a meeting for discussion and a decision. If a motion is passed it becomes a resolution. Resolutions are binding and should be recorded in the minutes of the meeting.
15.
The headteacher asked the pupils to disperse.
assemble
come
meet
stay
Answer: A
Choose from the alternatives lettered A to D the one which is nearest in meaning to the underlined word in each sentence.
16.
The scarcity of doctors is a matter of public concern.
weakness
shortage
suffering
indiscipline
Synonyms (nearest in meaning) for scarcity
Dearth, drought, famine, inadequacy, insufficiency, lack, paucity, shortage, exiguity, infrequency, rareness, rarity, scantiness, sparsity, stringency, uncommonness, want
Antonyms (opposite in meaning) for scarcity
Abundance, enough, excess, plenty, sufficiency, commonness, surplus
17.
The welfare of their students should be the concern of teachers.
wealth
happiness
well-being
growth
Welfare: the health, happiness, and fortunes of a person or group.
The nearest in meaning could be well-being, health, good health, happiness, comfort, security, safety, protection, prosperity, profit, good, success, fortune, good fortune, advantage, interest
18.
She is fond of talking about trivial matters.
unpleasant
unimportant
unexciting
unacceptable
19.
Kwame was too scared to be left alone in the house.
afraid
anxious
uneasy
unhappy
20.
His dubious attitude has made him lose all his good friends.
deceitful
disrespectful
untrue
unforgiving
In each of the following sentences a group of words has been underlined. Choose from the alternatives lettered A to D the one that best explains the underlined group of words.
21.
On seeing the angry mob approaching the school, our school prefect told us to take to our heels. This means that the prefect told us to ......
hurry up
join them
run away
walk gracefully
22.
We tried all we could to amuse her but she kept a straight face. This means that she
did not listen to us.
looked straight ahead.
refused to laugh.
cried all the more.
A straight face
A blank or serious facial expression, especially when trying not to laugh.
Example: My father kept a straight face when he joked.
23.
Asua had to eat his words when Asante Kotoko lost to Tano Bofoakwa FC.
This means that Asuo ......
admitted that he was wrong
denied everything he had said
became very ashamed
lost his appetite
24.
I'm going to make you eat your words.
That means that you will.........
become shocked
be punished
admit you are wrong
face the consequences of your actions
Eat your words be forced to admit that what you have said before was wrong
Example: Nick told everyone that he'd be picked for the team, but when he wasn’t chosen he had to eat his words.
25.
I was informed at the eleventh hour about his decision to leave town. This means that I heard it
very late.
at eleven o'clock.
immediately.
in good time.
The eleventh hour
The last moment or almost too late
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.
26.
That shop has been temporarily closed down.
constantly
deliberately
legally
permanently
Opposite of temporary is permanent
27.
The story was written in simple language.
foreign
strange
local
complex
28.
The pupils are confident of passing the examination.
determined
doubtless
uncertain
uneasy
29.
No one enjoyed the old man's humourless stories
funny
peculiar
familiar
cheerful
30.
These simple rules were infringed.
observed
violated
changed
formulated
Antonyms (opposite in meaning) for infringe
Give, obey, receive, comply, discharge, observe
Synonyms (nearest in meaning) for infringe
Breach, contravene, disobey, encroach, impose, intrude, meddle, offend, trespass, borrow, break, crash, entrench, infract, invade, lift, obtrude, pirate, presume, steal, transgress
Narrate an interesting story that ends with the statement, Indeed, it was a great achievement.
CONTENT
This is an imaginative composition, and you should show a clear understanding of the statement. To earn full marks or higher, you should give a background/cause of the event which led to the achievement (e.g. a problem/an emergency/a mission etc.), the achievement itself, its effect on everyone, and why it deserves the statement, "Indeed, it was a great achievement".
Note: Fables (stories with animal characters) are not accepted. The story should also end with the statement Indeed, it was a great achievement.
ORGANIZATION
The story should have a title, a setting and a plot. It should have a beginning, a climax and a conclusion i.e appropriate linking words should be used to connect ideas. You are encouraged to make effective use of story telling techniques (dialogue, flashback, etc.)
EXPRESSION
The language should be decent. The choice of words should be appropriate to the subject matter. A good blend of varied sentence patterns/types is expected. The use of figurative language and the effective use of direct speech is encouraged. You are encouraged to create the right atmosphere for your story.
MECHANICAL ACCURACY
Concord (subject - verb, noun-pronoun), tense, determiners, prepositions, punctuation, spelling should be used correctly. Each sentence and proper noun should begin with a capital letter. Be careful not to use "i" instead of "I" for the first person pronoun (subject).
Write arguments for or against the topic: It is more advantageous to live in the village than in the city.
1. Bring all the sides you do not support (opposing view)
2. Follow with the side you support. Your point of view should refute all the opposing views that you have presented earlier
3. Declare your stand at the end of the composition
Your paragraphs should be well developed and properly linked.
You must check your spellings and punctuations and construct meaningful sentences.
Ensure that you use capital and small letters correctly at their appropriate places, thus for instance I for the pronoun "I" and not "i", etc.
You have been offered admission to a Senior High School to pursue a programme which you do not like. Write a letter to the headmaster of the school stating at least two reasons why you want the programme changed.
Your letter must contain the main content, stating at least two reasons why you want to change your programme
The letter is a formal letter and must contain the features below:
i. Your address
ii. Date
iii. Recipient's address
iv. Salutation - Dear + Sir/Madam,
v. Heading/Title of the letter in block letters and underlined
vi. Body
vii. Subscription - Yours faithfully, Yours sincerely, etc.
viii. Signature
ix. Your full name (in brackets)
The language should be formal with no room for slang or colloquialism and there should be politeness of expression. A good blend of varied sentence patterns and a good use of vivid idiomatic expressions.
You are to mention the particular programme you were offered and the particular one you wanted to offer.
Your paragraphs should be well developed and properly linked.
You must check your spellings and punctuations and construct meaningful sentences.
Ensure that you use capital and small letters correctly at their appropriate places, thus for instance I for the pronoun "I" and not "i", etc.
Possible reasons to change programme
1. The difficulty of a particular programme
2. The career openings available to the candidate after school or for further studies, etc.
Give an account of a memorable event in your life.
Your essay must have the following features:
i. Title or heading
ii. Introduction
iii. Body
iv. Conclusion
Read the following passage carefully and answer all the questions which follow.
My desire to win gold and also see the sea drove me to a small coastal village. Though I had little food and drink, I covered a great distance. Towards dusks, I could sight the sea from a distance. I was really excited. Its immensesize stretched as far as the eyes could see.
As the stars appeared in the sky, I ascended the hill and saw the village of my quest. I was dead with fatigue. To worsen my plight, there were blisters on my heel so I had to take a rest. But as I descended the hill, I was welcomed by the quietness of the place.
The villagers were enjoying the cool evening air. From the lagoon came the croaking of frogs. Children played and ran about excitedly. The village life was natural and simple. I sat on a bench close by. How good it was to rest!
I resolved to rest on the bench. As I lay there, a sheet of mist rolled in from the sea and settled upon the village. In a few minutes, the village was filled with mist and everybody was running helter-skelter. I was drenched to the skin. I had decided to move to the next village when a woman suddenly walked up to me. For some time I had seen her gazing at me with pity. Now, as if she read my thoughts, she said, "If you would accept my hospitality, you will be sheltered till the morning. Just charity." She was about thirty years of age, dressed in black with a pale face and a dark eyes.
Papaye hut held special appeal for its serene environment. For many days, I was well catered for and his enabled me to replenish my energy. It was with a heavy heart, when the time for departure arrived, that I bade farewell to my benefactress.
(a) State why the writer went to the coast.
(b)I. How did the writer find life in the village?
II. Why did the writer decide to go to the next village?
(c)I. "............ my plight." What does this refer to?
II. "............ everybody was running helter-skelter". What do you think had happened?
(d)I. What two adjectives would you use to describe the character of the woman?
II. What does the appearance of the woman suggest?
(e) Explain the following expressions in your own words:
I. drenched to the skin;
II. she read my thoughts;
III. with a heavy heart.
(f) For each of the following words, give another word or phrase that means the same, and can fit into the passage:
I. immense;
II. ascended;
III. resolved;
IV. serene;
V. replenish.
a)
To win/search for/find/look for gold and to see/look at the sea.
b)
i)
The village life was natural and simple.
ii)
To look for a place of rest/accomodation.
c)
i)
His/her tirednes or fatigue
ii)
The village had been filled with mist/the village was filled with mist.
d)
i)
Hospitable/kind/benevolent/generous/kind-hearted/caring/loving/sympathetic/compassionate/charitable
ii)
He was mourning or bereaved/she has lost a dear one
e)
i)
drenched to the skin → extremely wet/very wet/completely wet/really wet/really soaked
ii)
she read my thoughts → she knew what I was thinking/what was on my mind
iii)
with a heavy heart → a feeling of sadness,sorrow,great unhappiness,regret
f)
i)
immense → expansive, vast, very large, very big, enormous/very wide
ii)
ascended → climbed/went up/moved up/climed up
iii)
resolved → decided/made up my mind
iv)
serence → peaceful, quiet, calm, cool, undisturbed, tranquil
v)
replenish → regain, restore, renew