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THE WEST AFRICAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL GHANA

Basic Education Certificate Examination

English Language 2021

OBJECTIVE TEST

SECTION A

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

Question 1

Can I borrow your ............ Hat?

Question 2

She will not give us ........... more money.

Question 3

You would be hungry if you ..... to eat.

Question 4

You have seen them, .... you?

Question 5

Habib goes to school ......... train.

Question 6

She does not like ........ letters.

Question 7

You will be ill if you ....... raw meat.

Question 8

It was done according .......... the rules.

Question 9

............... the challenges, we succeeded.

Question 10

My brother, with his wife and children,........... travelling to Salaga next weekend.

Question 11

It is high time we ...... the journey.

Question 12

I prefer oranges ........... mangoes.

Question 13

His aunt ....... spoke to us lives in Tamale.

Question 14

Araba couldn't resist ....... the food while on the fire.

Question 15

My neighbour, ............ dog barks every night, has left town.

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 16

The __chosen__ poems are very relatable.

Question 17

Arming the police does not __halt__ crime.

Question 18

All the __lax__ rules have been cancelled.

Question 19

The youth should be ruled by the __fundamental__ ideals of courtesy.

Question 20

The porter could not __endure__ his insults.

SECTION C

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.

Question 21

Azara __burn her fingers__ when she took sides with her friend. This means that Azara

Question 22

A desperate man may __clutch at straws__ to save himself. This means that he may

Question 23

Gil __held her tongue__ on sensitive political issues. This means that she

Question 24

The project is __in the pipeline__. This means that it is

Question 25

Ammon has always kept his enemies __at arm's length__. This means that he

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 26

That shop has been __temporarily__ closed down.

Question 27

He normally __alights__ at the station.

Question 28

Abeiku feels __unsafe__ in his house.

Question 29

The audience laughed at his __funny__ stories.

Question 30

The prefect __rebuked__ the student for his rude behaviour.

THEORY

THEORY QUESTIONS

This paper consists of three parts: A, B and C. Answer three questions in all;one question from Part A and all the questions in Part B and Part C. Answer all the questions in your answer booklet. Credit will be given for clarity of expression and orderly presentation of material.

Question 1

Write a letter to the Ministry of Transport suggesting two ways of improving the public transport road system in the country.

Question 2

As the main speaker in a debate on the motion, Students should not wear uniform to school, write your speech for or against the motion.

Question 3

Write a letter to invite your cousin to spend the holidays with your grandparents, giving two reasons why he/she should pay them a visit.

Question 4

The tiger, the chectah and the cat belong to the same family. The tiger is the largest member of the family. Although it is a wild animal, it is __sometimes__ trained to assist acrobatic in entertaining people. The chectah is the fastest animal on land. It can be trained to hunt other animals. Cats are found in many homes but there are wild ones too. Although cats are found in many homes, man did not __intentionally__ domesticate them. Before man learnt to grow crops and rear animals, he used to depend on plants and animals in the bush for food. When he __gathered__ grains, which were seeds of grass, he accidentally took away the food of the rodents such as mice and rats. These followed their foods indoors. The wild cat, the natural enemy of the rats and mice, also followed the __the domestic granaries__ Cats did not eat the grains that were becoming the main source of __nourishment__ for man. Therefore, they were encouraged to remain at home in order to get rid of the rodents. Man, also __probably__ found out that cats were neater and quieter than dogs When ships were invented and man began to trade farther, grains were very important commodities. They were used not only as provisions but as __items of barter__. The mice and the rats went along, once again followed by the cats. In this way, a food chain that began in grasslands to the south and east Mediterranean Sea has spread to __all corners of the world__

Question 5

  1. What two types of cats are mentioned in the passage?
  2. How did the cat become a domestic animal?

Question 6

For what two reasons did man prefer cats to dogs?

Question 7

What human activity led to the spread of cats to all corners of the world?

Question 8

  1. ... a food chain. What is referred to as a food chain in the passage?
  2. Why do you think grains were easily transported to all corners of the world?

Question 9

Explain, in your own words, the following expressions as used in the passage:

  1. the domestic granaries;
  2. items of barter;
  3. all corners of the world

Question 10

For each of the following words, give another word or a phrase that means the same and can fit into the passage:

PART AESSAY WRITING

Answer one question only from this part. Your composition should be about 250 words long.

Questions for this section are in the printed paper.

PART BCOMPREHENSION [30 MARKS]

Read the following passage carefully and answer all the questions which follow.

Questions for this section are in the printed paper.

LITERATURE

PART C LITERATURE [10 marks]

Answer all the questions in this part.

Question 1

CHARLES DICKENS: Oliver Twist 'Mr. Bumble mad Oliver miserable and the boy couldn't wait to get away from the workhouse.'

Question 2

They refers to .......

Question 3

An imagery of .......... is created in the extract.

Question 4

What idea did Eulalie buy?

Question 5

What feeling has she got now?

Question 6

How does Ato react to her feelings?

Question 7

The literary device used in laughs the rose is ...

Question 8

According to the poem, what is the color of God?