VISION HIGH SCHOOL

THIRD TERM PROMOTION EXAMINATIONS – 2023/24 ACADEMIC SESSION

SUBJECT: ENGLISH STUDIES CLASS: SS 2 TIME: 2 HOURS

SECTION A: CONTINOUS WRITING

Answer only [1] question from this session.

1. The topic of an essay competition organized by the Young Writers’ Club for final year
students is: “Our Traditional Marriage system is more suitable for the present
generation of Nigerians than the English system.” Write your entry for or against the
topic.
2. You were one of those arrested by the police at the scene of a crime. Write a letter to
the Commissioner of Police giving details of the crime, pleading your innocence and
requesting to be released.
3. You witnessed the campaigns that preceded a local government election in your area in
which the favorite candidate was defeated. Give a vivid account of the events before,
during and after the election to your friends, explaining why you think the candidate
lost.
4. Write an article for publication in the science magazine on the topic: “Science and
Technology in National Development.”
5. Write a story in which you were personally involved, ending with, “If I knew he (or
she) was this kind of person, I wouldn’t have gone out with him (or her).”

SECTION B: COMPREHENSION

Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Malnutrition has been declared as a tragedy of great magnitude. WHO declares it is an
accomplice in at least half of the 10.4 million child deaths each year. Malnutrition covers a
wide range of illnesses from undernourishment due to a lack of one or more nutrients such as
vitamins and mineral deficiencies – to obesity and other diet related chronic diseases.

However, Protein-Energy Malnutrition (PEM) is by far the most lethal form of malnutrition.
Malnutrition is not restricted to children. It casts long shadows in the developing world
according to WHO. Industrialized countries are not free form the scourge of malnutrition as
about 11 million people suffer from it. Malnutrition is caused by a deficiency in the intake of
nutrients by the cells of the body, and it is usually triggered by a combination of factors – an
insufficient intake of proteins, calories, vitamins and minerals, and frequent infections.
Illnesses such as diarrhea, measles, malaria and respiratory diseases tax the body heavily and
cause loss of nutrients. They reduce appetite and food intake thus contributing to malnutrition.

Children are at a greater risk of suffering malnutrition. This is because they are in a period of
rapid growth that increases the demand for calories protein. For similar reasons, pregnant and
nursing women are easily prone to malnutrition. Frequently, the baby’s problem begin even
before birth. If a mother is undernourished or malnourished before and during pregnancy, the
baby will have a low weight. Then early weaning, poor feeding habits and lack of hygiene
shall bring on malnutrition. Malnutrition wreaks havoc on the body particularly that of a child
and various studies have shown that poor growth in a child is associated with impaired mental
development, and poor scholastic and intellectual performance. A report from United Nations
calls these effects the most serious long-term results of malnutrition. For children who survive
malnutrition, the aftermath can linger into adulthood.

QUESTIONS:
1. Why is malnutrition described as a tragedy of great magnitude?
2. What, according to the passage, are the immediate causes of malnutrition?
3. Why are pregnant women and nursing women easily vulnerable to malnutrition?
4. How can a child’s problem begin before birth?
5. What, according to the passage, are the long-term results of malnutrition?
6. “…the scourge of malnutrition…” What figure of speech is this?
7. “…who survive malnutrition,” [i] what is the grammatical name given to this
expression? [ii] What is its function?
8. For each of the following words, find another word or phrase that has the same meaning,
and can replace it as used in the passage.
[i] Magnitude [ii] lethal [iii] restricted [iv] industrialized [v] risk [vi] havoc

SECTION C: SUMMARY

Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Apart from bringing forth children, a mother has also to carter for their emotional welfare. She
plays a vital role in helping a child learn about love and affection – lessons that may be just as
important as the satisfaction of his physical needs. In order to develop into a well-balanced
adult, a child needs a warm, secure environment while growing up. Here again, a mother’s
role is crucial. So, whatever else a woman might do, this is her primary function in society.
Besides looking after her children, the mother is often their principal teacher. It is mainly the
mother or grandmother who patiently teaches the child to speak, to walk, and to do household
chores and countless other thing. Little wonder then that one’s language the world over is
referred to as one’s ‘mother tongue’ rather than ‘father tongue’.

Today, more women than ever have to work outside the home to help support their families.
Millions of women work on the land, or care for livestock. This labor, usually underpaid or
unpaid, feeds half the world. In Africa, 70 percent of the food is grown by women, in Asia the
figure is 50 – 60 percent and in Latin America 30 percent.

In the Western world, most women leave home daily to work in offices, schools and factories.
Many of them are indeed getting into top positions, although they are still outnumbered by
men at this level. Although, they generally earn less than men, simply because they are women,
they nonetheless provide very essential services that keep many factories and institutions
running. Indeed, in many countries of the world, most nurses, midwives, doctors and teachers
are women. One of the greatest gift that women can give their families is compassion. When
a family member falls sick, the mother take son the role of a nurse, while still shouldering all
her other responsibilities. A woman’s compassion may even motivate her to eat less than
herself so that her children do not go without food. Researchers have found that some women
consider their food intake as sufficient even when they are malnourished. They are so
accustomed to giving the larger share to their husbands and children that as long as they can
still work, they consider themselves adequately fed.

Sometimes, a woman’s compassion is expressed in her concern for the local environment. The
environment matters to her, since she also suffers when drought, desertification, and
deforestation impoverish the land. In one ton in India, women were outraged when they learnt
that a lumber company was going to cut down about 2,500 trees in a nearby forest. When the
loggers arrived, the women were already in place, hands joined, protectively encircling the
trees. “You will have to cut us down as well if you want to cut down the trees,” they told the
loggers. The forest was saved.

Perhaps because of her biological role as a provider of succor and compassion, a woman is
hardly ever a soldier. However, if need be, she can take arms to save her children and her
community. And when a woman does that, oh, she can be terrible! The Dahomey warriors who
tormented the ancient Egba for ages were women in arms. However, it is perhaps best to save
women the abominable role of killers and reserve them for what they are best at: bringing forth
and bringing up the young ones.

QUESTION:
In five sentences, one for each, state the functions of women – one from each paragraph.

SECTION D: TEST OF ORALS

From the options lettered A-D, choose the word that has the same sound as the underlined
part of the given word.
1. Cheap [a] sheep [b] lashes [c] poach [d] chemistry
2. Liquor [a] quiz [b] square [c] account [d] lizard
3. Strife [a] strive [b] strip [c] phase [d] vibes
4. Thank [a] tick [b] tank [c] stick [d] thin
5. Seizure [a] sink [b] usual [c] zero [d] daze
From the options lettered A-D, choose the word that rhymes with the given word.
6. Roam [a] from [b] come [c] home [d] loan
7. Bough [a] thought [b] dough [c] low [d] how
8. Rain [a] frighten [b] frame [c] feign [d] many
9. Knight [a] knife [b] cite [c] knot [d] cent
10.Jeer [a] jeep [b] gear [c] gauge [d] hear
From the options lettered A-D, choose the word that has the correct stress – indicated by
capital letters.
11. [a] BE-ne-fi-cial [b] be-NE-fi-cial [c] be-ne-FI-cial [d] be-ne-fi-CIAL
12. [a] PE-cu-ni-ary [b] pe-CU-ni-ary [c] pe-cu-NI-ary [d] pe-cu-ni-ARY
13. [a] RE-du-pli-cate [b] re-DU-pli-cate [c] re-du-PLI-cate [d] re-du-pli-CATE
14. [a] SAT-is-fac-tory [b] sat-IS-fac-tory [c] sat-is-FAC-tory [d] sat-is-fac-TORY
15. [a] DIS-pu-ta-tious [b] dis-PU-ta-tious [c] dis-pu-TA-tious [d] dis-pu-ta-TIOUS
In the following options lettered A-D, all except one has the same stress pattern. Choose the
option with a different stress pattern.
16. [a] mulatto [b] mystery [c] pucker [d] public
17. [a] genius [b] enthrone [c] matron [d] eager
 18. [a] multiple [b] never [c] rotter [d] distaste
19. [a] motivate [b] invade [c] concern [d] inveigh
20. [a] income [b] nibble [c] confirm [d] muffler

SECTION E: OBJECTIVES (LEXIS & STRUCTURE)

From the options lettered A-D, choose the word or group of words that best completes the
sentence.
1. When I arrived, I noticed that he ____ in the kitchen. [a] had slept [b] has slept [c] is
sleeping [d] will sleep
2. He was dismissed because he ____ the cheque [a] must not issue [b] ought not to issue
[c] should not have issued [d] will have issued
3. Is there ____ chalk in the classroom? [a] a [b] any [c] many [d] plenty
4. The ____ toys have been stolen [a] children [b] childrens [c] children’s [d] childrens’
5. Marvelous passed his examination ____ he was a determined student. [a] although [b]
because [c] unless [d] when
Choose the option that is nearly opposite in meaning to the underlined words.
6. Femi Kashimu is rather innocent of the accusation. [a] sure [b] guilty [c] free [d] insaned
7. The soldiers almost starved the prisoners to death. [a] fed [b] cook [c] supplied [d]
served
Choose the option that is nearest in meaning to the underlined words.
8. The most competent teacher in the school was awarded. [a] adequate [b] cautious [c]
efficient [d] pertinent
9. The new play is boring. [a] humorous [b] uninteresting [c] interesting [d] serious
From the options lettered A-D, choose the correct interpretation to the expressions below.
10. Please, hit the nail on the head [a] tell a lie [b] nail your head [c] expose the nail [d]
say the real thing
11. Her father turned a cold shoulder to her when she was young. This means he [a]
neglected her completely [b] helped her greatly [c] did not see her in the cold [d] saw
her shoulder cold
12. He has been sick since last week and now he is a shadow of his former self. This means
he [a] looks like a shadow [b] is thin and weak [c] appears strong and healthy [d] has
changed a little
13. His father cautioned him but he turned a deaf ear. This means he [a] closed his ears [b]
abused his father [c] changed his ways [d] refused to listen
14. The peace meeting nipped the crisis in the board. This means [a] the meeting was
deadlock [b] there was disagreement [c] the crisis was averted [d] the crisis escalated
15. It is alleged that the accountants doctored the accounts of the company. This means that
the accountants [a] called in the company doctor [b] falsified the accounts [c] became
sick [d] improved the accounts of the company