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UME 2001 Questions Questions 1 to 9 are based on Literary Appreciation 1. 'Careened, These oily tears

Dripping down the tears on your depressed face,

Will one day be staunched, I swear!' - Ibiwari Ikiriko, Oily Tears. The tone of the poet is A. optimistic B. supplicatory C. sympathetic D. piteous 2. 'Lift not the painted veil which those who

live call life: though unreal shapes be pictured there,

And it but mimic all we would believe' With colours idly spread, - behind, lurk fear,'

- P. B. Shelly, Sonnet The stanza above is an example of a A. quatrain B. couplet C. free verse D. limerick 3. 'Symbol of fruitfulness, symbol of

barrenness Mother and destroyer, the calm and the storm!

Life and desire and dreams and death Are born of the sea; this swarming land.' - Frank Collymore, Hymn to the Sea

The address to the sea in the lines above is done by the use of

A. personification B. praise C. symbolism D. apostrophe 4. 'When he gave me the bottle, and I opened

it, I was shocked by the odour that hit my nose: I immediately corked it again, and spat on the floor.'.

- Isidore Okpewho, The Last Duty. The reaction in the passage above is that of

A. rejection B. anger C. protest D. nausea 5. 'CYCLIST gets down and begins to prop his

bicycle CYCLIST: All right. If you're sure it won't

take long. BARBER: I am known for my lightning

clippers Even the soldiers know me. I can shave the head of an entire battalion between one coup and the next Sit down and relax your back. Cycling is not easy when you've abandoned it for some time.

Wole Soyinka, The Beautification of Area Boy

The literary devices in the dialogue above are

A. humour and irony B. allusion and paradox C. irony and parody D. hyperbole and allusion 6. 'For seven days it rained that June;

A storm half out to sea kept turning around like a dog trying to settle himself on a rug; We were the fleas that complained in his hair.' - John Updike, Wash

The image set in the lines above are of A. the days of Noah B. rain and flood in June C. discomfort and likely destruction D. an animal insects and fun. 7. 'We have been asleep, Mr. Speaker, my

fellow citizens; asleep in our dream of security! Asleep in our well-meaning, sportsmanlike way of wishing the other fellow well. Asleep in the false security of accepting all men of goodwill who would be free as men of honor.'

- Ralph Ellison, Juneteenth The force of the speech above is sustained on

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A. delivery B. musically C. repetition D. oratory 8. 'Thomas Gradgrind, sir. A man of realities. A

man of facts and calculations. A man who proceeds upon the principle that two and two are four, and nothing over, and who is not to be talked into allowing for anything over.'

- Charles Dickens, Hard Times. From the passage above, Thoms Gradgrind is

A. dogmatic B. hostile C. theoretical D. eloquent 9. 'Jose Palacios, his oldest servant, found him

floating naked with his eyes open in the purifying waters of his bath and thought he had drowned. He knew this was ,one of the many ways the General medicated, but the ecstasy in which he lay drifting seemed that of a man no longer of this world.'

- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, The General in His Labyrinth

The master in the passage above is obviously in a state of

A. labyrinth B. drowning C. forgetfulness D. trance Questions 10 to 13 are based on Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea. 10. The character 'boy' is used alongside 'the

Old Man' in the novel to demonstrate A. the humiliation that is in old age B. man's refusal to grow old C. different types of characters in the

story D. the failing productivity that

accompanies old age 11. The Old Man and the Sea epitomizes A. the relationship between, a man and a fish B. the vain expectations of man C. life on the high seas

D. a fulfilled life 12. The skeleton of the marlin implies the A. sharks' predatory inclination B. futility of human struggle C. old man's lack of faith D. old man's incompetence in fishing 13. Santiago loses his catch to the sharks

because A. the blood attracts them B. he does not sail home early C. the sharks are predators D. it is too dark Questions 14 to 16 are based on Camara Laye's The African Child 14. Laye's stay with Uncle Mamadou reveals a

lot about A. his unwillingness to stay with his

parents B. his affection for his uncle C. the strength of communal living in

Africa D. the irresponsibility of his parents 15. The setting of The African Child is a kingdom

with A. Islamic and modern traditions B. pre-Islamic and Islamic traditions C. pre-Islamic traditions D. pre-Islamic and modern traditions 16. Laye's first-person narrative technique A. makes the work very humorous B. makes his work less realistic C. quickens the tempos of his narrative D. makes his story more believable Questions 17 to 19 are based on Buchi Emecheta's Second Class Citizen. 17. Pa Noble became a living legend because A. several conflicting stories were woven

around him B. he attained the status of a first-class

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citizen C. he was the only successful son of a

Benin chief D. he was rich and very generous 18. The marriage of Adah and Francis collapses

because of A. Adah's unfaithfulness to Francis B. the influence of British culture C. Adah's desire for personal fulfilment D. external pressures on the couple 19. The central theme in Second Class Citizen is

that women should A. be involved in national and

international politics B. beware of men and their sweet words C. seek spiritual guidance before going

into marriage D. free themselves from the negative

forces of patriarchy Questions 20 to 24 are based on Femi Osofisan’s Moruntodun. 20. The character of Marshal in the play shows

that A. human beings are selfless B. human beings are the same C. men love Women D. human beings love power 21. The sub-plots of the play are united by A. an interest in peace B. the audience participation C. a lack of focus D. a common concern for the heroine 22. The war in the play symbolizes the struggle

between the A. capitalists and the socialists B. bourgeoisie and the proletariat C. market women and the men D. farmers and the consumers 23. The diction of the play can be described as A. political and rhetorical

B. arrogant and condemnatory C. urgent but a political D. poetic but difficult 24. The frequent intervention of the Director

makes the stage experience of Morountodun very

A. prolonged B. boring C. informal D. uncoordinated Questions 25.to 29 are based on William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. 25. Malvolio:

Not yet old enough for a man, nor young enough for a boy; as a squash is before 't is a peascod, or a codling when 't is almost an apple', 't is with him in standing water, between boy and man. He is very well-favoured, and he speaks very shrewishly; one would think his mother's milk were scarce out of him. The images in the quotation above express the speaker's

A. contempt and admiration B. hatred and pity C. contempt and disregard D. disregard and pity 26. Come away, come away, death, And in sad cypress let me be laid.., In the lines above, the character is A. expressing his preference for a cypress

coffin B. expressing his unhappiness about death C. lamenting over his unreciprocated love D. wishing for death to come 27. The traditional verse form of speech as

dialogue in Twelfth Night is used to symbolize the

A. impressiveness of the character B. distinction between verse arid prose C. function of poetry in the play D. traditionality of the play

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28. Duke: Be clamorous, and leap all civil bounds, Rather than make unprofited return.

Duke's statement above to Cesario means that he should

A. make trouble to see Olivia B. jump the fence to see Olivia C. shout to be seen and heard by Olivia D. fortify himself against any denial to see

Olivia 29. Twelfth Night is preoccupied with the

juxtaposition of A. death and disappointment B. appearance and reality C. life and disappointment D. love and death Questions 30 to 42 are based on selected poem from R. Johnson and D. Ker, et al (eds.): New Poetry from Africa, Wole Soyinka (ed.): Poems of Black Africa; K.E. Senanu and T. Vincent (eds.): A Selection of African Poetry; M. Umukoro and A. Sani, et al(eds.): Exam Focus: Literature-in-English; A. E. Eruvbetine and M. Jibril, et al (eds.): Longman Examination Guides: Poetry; E.W. Parker (ed.): A Pageant of Longer Poems and D. I. Nwoga (ed.): West African Verse. 30. In Niyi Osundare's 'They Too Are The Earth',

musical effect is achieved by A. repetition B. double rhymes C. assonance D. end rhymes 31. 'In Tempe or the dales of Arcady? What men or gods are these? What maidens loth? What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape? What pipes and timbrels? What wild ecstasy?'

In Keats 'Ode on a Grecian Urn', the recurrent use of the rhetorical question in the lines above suggests

A. admiration and amazement B. confusion and fear C. shock and surprise D. worry are sadness 32. The rhyming pattern in the last stanza of

Okigbo's 'Hurrah for Thunder' makes the stanza

A. an octave B. a quatrain C. a couplet D. a sestet 33. The theme of Browning's 'My Last Duchess'

is A. an aristocrats's marital problems B. the pitfalls of a duchess now dead C. an ambassador's personal life D. the pride and arrogance of an aristocrat 34. Tanure Ojaide's 'The Owl Wakes Us'

portrays a society that is A. unstable B. hunted by the owl C. gripped with fear D. peaceful 35. In Mapanje's 'When This Carnival Finally

Closes', the poet is describing the A. role of spirits in a carnival B. preparation for a carnival lost C. role of drumming and dancing in a

carnival D. role of sycophancy and bad leadership 36. From the tone of Wole Soyinka's Telephone

Conversation', the two persons talking hold each other in

A. mutual suspicion B. deep affection C. high esteem D. outright contempt 37. The major theme of Thomas Gray's 'Elegy

Written in a Country Churchyard' is that death renders life.

A. meaningless for the rich B. meaningful for the poor C. meaningless for all

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D. meaningful for all 38. In Rubadiri's 'Stanley Meets Mutesa', the

poet portrays the hardship experienced by the explorer's party through

A. visual and verbal images B. visual and tactile images C. olfactory and visual images D. auditory and olfactory images 39. Browning's 'My Last Duchess' apparently

shows Duke's A. hatred for common love B. desire to marry beautiful women C. appreciation of works of art D. praise of Fra Pandolf 40. John Keats' 'Ode on a Grecian Urn'

expresses the idea that A. the Grecian Urn is ancient B. the Grecian Urn is mysterious C. every work of art is beautiful D. life is long, art is longer 41. In Oswald Mtshali's. 'Nightfall in.Soweto',

night A. drives man's enemy B. fools man's enemy C. hides man's enemy D. aids man’s enemy 42. The curfew tolls the knell of parting day, The lowing herd wind slowly o’er the lea,

The plowman homeward plods his weary way, And leaves the world to darkness and to me.' In the lines above from Gray's 'Elegy Written in a Country Church yard', the imagery is

A. of an approaching night in a rustic setting

B. of an approaching death in a village C. about a village under a curfew one

night D. of a man abandoned in his homeward

journey

Questions 43 to 50 are based on General Literary Principles 43. The most important concepts in poetry are A. story and action B. plot and rhythm C. rhythm and imagery D. plot and character 44. The literary device which anticipates that an

event will take place is best described as A. foreshadowing B. rising action C. flashback D. parody 45. The flat character in a literary work A. is the same as the round character B. cannot be found in an allegory C. is capable of growing D. always embodies a quality 46. The overwhelming pride that destroys the

tragic hero is called A. tragedy B. nemesis C. catharsis D. hubris 47. A farce refers to a drama that has elements

of the A. serious B. satiric C. comic D. tragic 48. Catharsis is experienced A. after one has written a play B. when a play is still being staged C. before watching a play D. after watching a play 49. An extended fictional narrative which is

realistic is know as a A. diary B. novel C. novella D. short story 50. The technique in which both the stage and

the auditorium are involved in a play production is called

A. theatre of the absurd

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B. role-playing C. audience participation D. total theatre. 2001 Answers 1. Option A.

- The tone is optimistic because it predicts an end to the shedding of tears. The phrase oily tears is a metonymy for oil spill being a cause of sorrow (i.e. tears) to the addressee, and the poet being of a strong hope that oil spilling and attendant suffering will become a past tense matter (staunched) sooner than later, is clearly OPTIMISTIC

2. Option A. - The stanza is a quatrain because it has four lines.

3. Option D. - Addressing the sea as if it is a human being is an example of apostrophe. The sea is not qualified with human being pronoun grammatical references (personification) or eulogized (praised) being addressed as a second-person human being, present with the poet.

4. Option D. - The feeling of nausea is indicated by words like shocked, odour and spat.

5. Option D. - The excerpt smacks of plenteous exaggerations (hyperbole), and a once-upon-a time reference (allusions).

6. Option C. - There is element of discomfort and likelihood of destruction for rain to be on for seven days.

7. Option C. - The word asleep is repeated several times within a short space. The oratory effect called force of the speech excerpt is enhanced by the emphatic repetition of the word asleep.

8. Option A. - Mr. Thomas Gradgrind is projected as a yes-man, completely initiative-deficient, hence his being a dogmatic, in the excerpt.

He will not be persuaded to change his opinion.

9. Option D. - The man was in trance. His oldest servant

“...found him floating naked with his eyes open in the purifying waters of his bath and thought he had drowned. For the fact that he lay drifting in addition to a man no longer of this world portends getting into a situation that was not planned or controlled.

10. Option D. - The old man and the boy portends the

failing productivity that accompanies old age While one is old and experienced, the other is young and inexperienced.

11. Option B. - The old man’s expectations are in vain. After a hard struggle, all he could come back home with, after going several days without any catch, are bones.

12. Option B. - The old man takes his efforts as futile as the marlin arrives at the beach with him, as a skeleton, rather than a complete fish, having been accosted by sharks.

13. Option A. - The old man loses his catch because of the blood that attracts the sharks.

14. Option C. - Laye fits into Uncle Mamadou’s family as just another child in the family, showing that communal living is strong.

15. Option B. - The pre-Islamic and Islamic traditions.

16. Option D. - The novel is autobiographical Laye’s first person narrative technique lends credibility to the story.

17. Option A. - Pa Noble became a living legend because different types of conflicting stories were woven around him.

18. Option C.

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- Adah's desire for personal fulfillment leads to the collapse of the marriage of Adah and Francis.

19. Option D. - The central theme in Second Class Citizen is that women should free themselves from negative forces of patriarchy.

20. Option D. - The character of Marshal shows that human beings are in passionate love with power.

21. Option D. - The heroine brings together all the sub-plots.

22. Option B. - The play is written from the socialist perspective which holds that the most important social issue is the class struggle between those who produce wealth, the proletariat and those who appropriate the wealth, the bourgeoisie.

23. Option A. - The play deals with political issues.

24. Option C. - A director is usually unobtrusive but for Morountodun, the casts sit among the audience and the director intervenes frequently to make the stage experience informal.

25. Option A. - The expression well favoured denotes admiration. The expression shewishly shows contempt. Malvolio is contemptuous of the young man as immature, but he admires his eloquence and logical arguments.

26. Option C. - The character has not won the attention of the person he loves.

27. Option A. - It is the important characters who speak in verse.

28. Option D. - The Duke does not want Cesario to come back without seeing Olivia, so, he instructs Cesario to even cause trouble if that is the only way he could see Olivia.

29. Option B. The play’s major and minor plots are crafted as mistaking-identities.

30. Option A. - In They Too Are The Earth, musical effect is achieved through repetition.

31. Option A. - The recurrent use of rhetorical questions shows the admiration and amazement felt by the poet.

32. Option C. - The two lines are consecutive lines of verse that rhyme together usually in the same metre.

33. Option D - The Duke is proud and arrogant, so, he looks down on the Duchess. Throughout the poem, the aristocratic Duke remains vainglorious- as he sings the song of the bad and unethical reasons, volunteered for the murder of his Duchess.

34. Option A. - It portrays a society that is unstable. The owl is a fear-inspiring creature, yet, heightened fearfulness is manifestation

35. Option D. - The poet is describing the role of sycophancy and bad leadership.

36. Option A - Both the prospective tenant and landlady suspect each other.

37. Option C. - Nobody, whether poor or rich, can avoid death. At death, man passes into forgetfulness and indifference to the world and its activities.

38. Option B. - The poet portrays the hardship experienced by the explorer’s party through visual and tactile images. The explorer’s party encountered danger face-to-face and they engaged their senses of touch, in dealing with most of the dangers surmounted.

39. Option C. - The Duke is highly appreciative of his Duchess portrait painted by Fra Pandolf and

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he speaks gloriously of the bronze cast sea-horse for him by claws of Innsbruck.

40. Option D. - The urn is described as of everlasting-span longer than a man’s life-span.John Keats states that a thing of beauty is joy forever.

41. Option D. - There is a clear reason in the way the poet aphostrophically addresses night as his mortal enemy (agent of death), in the last line of the poem. Night enables evil people to carry out their aims.

42. Option A. - The poem is about the approach of night in a village.

43. Option C. - Poetry depends on rhythm and imagery. These mostly enhance lead-ways to the messages and poetic beauties underlining a piece of poem.

44. Option A. - Foreshadowing anticipates what is yet. Flashback relates to the past, parody is mimickery, while rising-action may not be a register common to literary appreciation.

45. Option D. - The flat character in a literary work always embodies a quality. He neither grows, nor turns a round character, and often greatly manifests in allegories.

46. Option D. - Hubris is the uncontrollable pride that causes the downfall of a hero. An action of the past (nemesis), or tragedy as a drama form, or catharsis (powerful or violent emotional development), are not synonymous with pride inherent of tragic flaws.

47. Option C. - A farce makes people laugh. It is a pretty ingredient of comedy.

48. Option D. - Catharsis, the action of getting rid of troublesome feelings, comes when watching a play.

49. Option B. - A novel is a fictional narrative which is realistic and of a certain length. Diary is never fictional. Novella and short story are limitedly realistic fictions.

50. Option C. - The stage consists of the cast and the auditorium is made up of the audience. A total theatre implies the space, effects audience, cast and costumes, role-playing is casting, while theatre of the absurb connotes a trouble.

UME 2002 Questions - Type Y Questions 1 to 3 are based on Abubakar Gimba's Witnesses to Tears. 1. In the novel, AI-Amin's initial reservations

about his daughter's engagement to Lahab are informed by

A. a premonition of his death B. Lahab's doubtful morality C. Hussaina's immaturity D. his fear of loneliness 2. The witnesses to the tears in the novel are A. Saahir and Lahab B. Lahab and Hussaina C. Lahab and Sagiir D. AI-Amin and Hussaina 3. The novel is largely set in A. Futa Toro B. Sabonville city C. Alligator city D. Nuclear city Questions 4 to 7 are based on George Orwell's Animal Farm.

4. Old Major ends his speech to the animals with a song in order to

A. spur them to action B. entertain them C. display his ability to sing D. teach them how to sing an anthem 5. The execution of some of the animals on

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the orders of Napoleon is to A. prevent Snowball from coming back to

the farm B. make the pigs constitute themselves

into a special class C. achieve the pigs' socialist goals without

further delay D. pave way for Napoleon to become an

absolute ruler 6. The message of the novel is that A. capitalism is as bad as communism B. humanism is better than animalism C. communism is better than capitalism D. no society exists where everyone is

equal 7. After the expulsion of Snowball from the

farm, the triumvirate that ran the farm was composed of

A. Minimus, Napoleon and Squealer B. Jessie, Napoleon and Bluebell C. Boxer, Old Major and Napoleon D. Squealer, Boxer and Napoleon. Questions 8 to 10 are based on S. I. Osammor's The Triumph of the Water Lily. 8. The dominant impression of the first person

narrative in the novel gives it A. an omniscient character B. an epistolary character C. a biographical character D. an autobiographical character 9. The persona of the novel sees death as a

welcome provided one A. has loved and cared for one's spouse B. has left behind children to be

remembered by C. has fulfilled one's destiny on earth D. will haunt the living for the past offences 10. The metaphor of the 'Water Lily' in the

novel is indicative A. the tragic demise of Odibe B. death as the finality of man's

experience C. victory over tribulation D. the tragic demise of Nkem Questions 11 to 20 are based on Literary Appreciation 11. 'But there was stillness about Ralph as he sat that marked him out: there was his size and attractive appearance; and most obscurely, yet powerfully, there was the conch. The being that had blown that, had sat waiting for them on the Platform with the delicate thing balanced on his knees, was set apart.' - Golding, Lord of the Flies

In the passage above, the conch symbolises A. bestiality B. authority C. dictatorship D. civilization

12. 'The old Squire was an implacable man: he made in violent anger, but he was not moved from them after his anger subsided as fiery as volcanic matters cool and harden into rock'

- George Eliot, Silas Miner In the statement above, the Squire is portrayed as a

A. kind and generous friend B. father to everyone in the community C. miserly and ungracious ruler D. quick tempered and adamant man 13. 'I'm not going to be drawn into that old trap

of an argument and be picked up by the tail like some wet rat out of a sewer.’

The speaker in the statement above is being A. symbolical B. analogical C. metaphorical D. parabolical Use the excerpt below to answer questions 14 and 15 'Oshor"... Winds howl forth-howl forth,

hold back hold back-is it the time-

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on endless time-slung in oblivion, make minced meat of your prey.' Charity Angya, The Cycle of the Moon. 14. The mood captured in the lines above is one

of A. fear B. happiness C. indifference D. joy 15. The literary device used is A. parallelism B. irony C. onomatopoeia D. repetition 16. 'Those years of my travels. Years of

innocence and experience ... months of twidding my thumbs with insecurity. In search of my true people. Yes, in search of my true people. But wherever I went I did not find people but caricatures of people who insisted on being taken seriously as people Perhaps I was on the wrong planet.

In the wrong skin.' - Dambudzo-Marechera, Black Sunlight.

The passage above expresses the state of mind of

A. an alienated man B. an adventurer C. a renegade soldier D. a prisoner 17. 'If I can fasten but one cup upon him with

that which he had drunk tonight already He'll be as full of quarrel and offence As

my young mistress' dog...' - Shakespeare, Othello

From the statement above it can be inferred that the speaker is

A. disobedient B. quarrelsome C. servile D. scheming 18. 'Thathat is why wwe must acc-c-cept the

universal d-d-dome, b-b-because ththere is no d-d-d-direction. The b-b-bridge is the d-d-dome of rreligion and b-b-bridges d-ddon't jjjust g-g-go from hhhere to ththere; a bridge also faces backwards'

- Wole Soyinka, The Interpreters The idiolectal feature of the character's

speech is the A. repetition of consonant sounds B. multiplication of medial consonant

sounds C. repetition of initial consonant sounds D. duplication of consonant sound clusters 19. 'It was January and Monday. I began to

understand. After every weekend, my father had to gather his nerve to go back to teaching. During the Christmas vacation he became slack and in a fury of screw-turning had to retighten himself. The long haul he called the stretch between Christmas and Easter.'

- John Updike, The Centaur. The long haul in the narrative above describes

A. a long strike B. Christmas and Easter holidays C. a long period of hard work D. a long vacation 20. 'Fierce harmattan sun on innocent tendrils;

torrential downpour on leaking thatch roofs; painful comfort of helpless eunuchs; thorny beauty of modern witches; the falcon's call on day-old-chicks, ours is tragi-comic dialogue:... mute echoes of pains'. . The sonority and rhythmical structure of the lines above are achieved through a pause-pattern called

A. enjambment B. caesura C. apostrophe D. scansion Questions 21 to 30 are based on General Literary Principles ' 21. A body of imaginative men and women of

letters is generally referred to as A. litterateur B. laureattes C. literaria D. literati 22. A poem written to celebrate one's wedding

is A. a pastoral B. an epithalamium

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C. a prothalamium D. a terza rima 23. An iambic metrical foot consists of A. An unstressed syllable following a

stressed syllable B. a stressed syllable following another

stressed syllable C. an unstressed syllable following

another unstressed syllable D. a stressed syllable following an

unstressed syllable. 24. Empathy is achieved when the audience A. feels betrayed by the director B. denounces and humiliates the

protagonist C. vicariously participates in the stage

experience D. attacks the character foil 25. The overall design of a drama to which all

other components relate is its A. catharsis B. exposition C. structure D. symbol 26. What does the protagonist do in a

picaresque novel? A. He embarks on a journey B. He slows down the narration C. He draws illustrative pictures D. He becomes an artist 27. In the plot of a novel emphasis should be

placed on A. showing casual connection of incidents B. the vivid presentation of incidents C. the accurate presentation of incidents D. narrating the truth of incidents 28. An irredeemable reversal of the hero's

fortune in a tragedy is called. A. anagnorisis B. peripeteia C. purgation D. hubris. 29. A system of plot development which

creates the future through anticipation and the past through memory is

A. deja vu B. avant-garde C. medieval D. metaphysical 30. A limerick has is A. ornate style, humour, irony and seven

lines B. humour, rhyme scheme and five lines C. formal and elaborate style and humour D. a stinging climax, rhyme scheme and

five lines Questions 31 to 40 are based on selected poems from Ker, D. et al (eds.): New Poetry from Africa; Soyinka, W. (ed.): 'Poems of Black Africa; Senanu K. E. and Vincent, T. (eds): A Selection of African Poetry; Umokoro, M. et al (eds.): Exam Focus: Literature-in-English; Eruvbetine, A. E. et al (eds.): Longman Examination Guides and Nwoga D. J. (ed.): West African Verse. 31. 'And my children left their peaceful

nakedness For the uniform of iron and blood'

In the lines above from David Diop's 'Loser of Everything', the imagery depicts a displacement of

A. innocence by violence B. nature by science C. village life by barrack life D. the natural by the artificial 32. Yusuf Kassam's 'Maji Maji' is presented as a A. traditional poem B. narrative poem C. lyric D. dirge 33. 'Pataki and mustard flowers. Like blue and

yellow eyes Peep through the green grass.’ The literary devices used in the lines above from Mohan Singh’s ‘A Village Girl’ are

A. enjambment and alliteration B. rhyme and limerick C. simile and irony D. repetition and assonance 34. The theme of Kalu Uka's Earth to Earth' is A. the destruction of the earth B. the early death of a loved one

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C. burial and death D. man and mortality 35. Lenrie Peters in 'She came in Silken Drapes'

reflects A. the paradox of childbirth B. the joy of motherhood C. the mystery of love and childbirth D. a woman's agony in labour 36. John Donee's 'Death be not Proud' is

informed by a A. romantic inquest into the nature of

mortality B. rejection of the belief in eternity C. metaphysical attack on the

omnipotence of God D. metaphysical persuasion on the

immortality of man 37. The mood of the narrator in Mohun Singh's

'A Village Girl' is one of A. affection B. antagonism C. admiration D. hatred 38. The dominant imagery in Kofi Awoonor's

'The Cathedral' is A. olfactory B. auditory C. tactile D. visual 39. ‘I said I had the tree. It wasn’t true. The

opposite was true. The tree had me’. The imagery in The tree had me from Robert Frosts 'Wild Grapes' is

A. the adventures of some wild children in the forest

B. the dramatic suspension of a child on a tree

C. the successful climbing of an adventurous boy

D. reminiscent of man's transcendentalism 40. Arthur Nortje's 'Nightfall' depicts A. the yearning for self-fulfillment in life B. the horrors of nightfall C. the yearning for love D. anxiety at nightfall. Questions 41 to 45 are based on Oliver Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer. 41. The play is essentially about the

A. theft of Miss Nevile's trinket box B. Comedy of errors of one night C. Incompatibility of Mr. and Mrs.

Hardcastle D. Love affair between Kate and Marlow 42. In the play, the general picture depicted is

that of A. Lower-class degeneracy B. Successfully arranged marriages' C. Chaotic value systems D. Clearly focused personalities 43. From the stage directions, it is apparent

that Oliver Goldsmith makes use of a A. Set each for the upper and lower

classes B. Different set for each Act C. Variety of sets to suit the subject

matter D. Single set in the whole play 44. Hardcastle: And I love everything that's old:

old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines; and I believe, Dorothy (taking her hand) you'll own I have been pretty fond of an old wife.

Mrs. Hardcastle: Lord, Mr. Hardcastle, you're forever at

your Dorothy's, and your old wife's. You may be a Darby, but I'll be no Joan, I promise you. I am not so old as you'd make me, by more. than one good year.

The dialogue above reveals the couple's A. Fear of the unknown B. Difference in lifestyle C. Love for each other D. Humorous disposition. 45. Kate could best be described as A. A mild tempered heroine B. An unassuming aristocrat C. A hot-tempered aristocrat D. An acutely sensitive character Questions 46 to 50 are based on J. P. Clark's The Wives' Revolt.

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46. Characterization in the play is A. economical but ineffective B. economical and effective C. elaborate but ineffective D. elaborate and effective 47. The play is preoccupied with A. the fight by women to keep their goats B. the evil that oil money breeds C. women liberation from male

domination D. women's protest against men's

wickedness 48. The highest measure women in the

community can take to register their protest is to

A. take to prostitution B. carry out the nude act C. abandon their husbands D. abandon their children 49. The plot of the play is lineal as reflected in

the A. episodic nature of the play B. movement of the women C. arrangement of the events in the play D. progression of the argument of Okoro 50. OKORO: I'll kill her today. IDAMA: No. you won't. There run, Koko,

oh, I say run! [He pushes her gently

but firmly towards her room] The event above happens in A. Iyara when Okoro discovers Koko's

infidelity B. Erhuwaren when Koko suspects and

accuses her husband C. Erhuwaren when Okoro suspects Koko

of infidelity D. Erhuwaren before Koko's return from

Iyara. 2002 Answers 1. Option B.

- Al-Amin’s reservations are informed by Lahab’s doubtful morality.

2. Option A.

- The witnesses to tears in the novel are Lahab and Saahir.

3. Option B. - The novel is largely set in Sabouville City.

4. Option A. - The song is to motivate the animals to act to free themselves. The issue at stake to Old Major is not entertainment neither is it singing and song making.

5. Option D. - Napoleon uses the execution to put fear in the animals so that they will accept him as a dictator. The order is the first step towards gagging of opposition to his dictatorial interest.

6. Option D. - The animals start with the claim that all animals are equal and end declaring that some animals are more equal than others. The animals in the first instance revolt against capitalism where a few controls the wealth, whereas the animals` communism again degenerates into another set of few people in control of the wealth.

7. Option A. - Minimus, Napoleon and Squealer are the three main pigs that rule together in the farm.

8. Option D. - The first person narrative technique gives the story an autobiographical character. It is a pre-requisite literary device for writing autobiographies.

9. Option C. - The persona of the novel sees death as a welcome event provided one has fulfilled one’s destiny on earth.

10. Option C. - The water lily always floats over water thus translating metaphorically to overpowering, dominion or triumph over some challenges. The metaphor is indicative of victory over tribulation.

11. Option B.

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- The person with the conch commands the attention of others.

12. Option D. - The squire is said to make decisions in anger which he never changes.

13. Option B. - Analogy is made between two things to show that they are similar in some way. The situations coded old trap of an argument and wet rat picked up by its tail are analogues and not symbols or metaphors or a ten-sided object called parabola.

14. Option A. - Fear is suggested by the word howl. The poet is apprehensive that the wind`s strength might endanger him.

15. Option D. - The expressions howl forth and hold back are repeated.

16. Option A. - He goes about looking for his people but finds them not. The speaker is not in conformity with the new realities dawning on him.

17. Option D. - The speaker is plotting how to manipulate as to disgracing another person referred to as ~him~ in a way to make him angry.

18. Option C. - All the sounds, repeated sounds, are initial consonants.

19. Option C. - The period between Christmas and Easter is mainly for work, not vacation. Hauling is a working state still in progress (not a strike, vacation or holiday).

20. Option B. - This is a pause-pattern for enhancing movement from one major idea to another or from one major point to another.

21. Option D. - The literati is a body of imaginative men and women of letters.

22. Option B. - When a poem is described as an epithalamium, it is one in celebration of

marriage. It is an adopted concept since 1594 AD after Edmund Spencer`s poem entitled `Upon The Bridal Chamber` (English) – epithalamium (Greek) written in celebration of his marriage to Elizabeth Boyle that year 1594 AD.

23. Option A. - It consists of an unstressed syllable following a stressed syllable. It is the rhyme rule.

24. Option C. - Empathy occurs when the audience shares in the stage experience. The audience in the theatre follows performance and simultaneously understands the feelings of the dramatis personae.

25. Option C. - Structure is the overall design of a drama. This is because the plot-structure of a play for performance is often set from exposition to climax to anticlimax and finally to denouement. The conflict of a performance will just be mentioned until it fully unfolds i.e., climaxed whereas the reasons why the conflict should no longer exist (anti-climax) follow from here until final resolution of the conflicts (denouement) takes place.

26. Option A. - A picaresque novel tells about the travel of the protagonist (an amusing main character).

27. Option A. - Plot is the sequence of events. In the concept of the novel, the subject of truth is immaterial, so also are issues of accuracy or vividity in incidents` presentation.

28. Option B. - Peripeteia is the reversal of fortune suffered by a tragic hero. This is another term for fatal flaw (a little distinct from tragic-flaw) exposing a tragedy`s hero as a tragic character of the highest order.

29. Option A. - Déjà vu involves a situation in which one has the strange feeling of having had the current experience.

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Medieval implies AD 1100 – AD 1500. An avantgarde is a form of literature which is extremely modern and seemingly strange or shocking whereas the term metaphysical in literature is connected to literary forms thriving ratiocination or wise arguments.

30. Option B. - A humorous short poem with two long lines that rhyme with each other followed by two short lines that rhyme with each other and ending with a long line that rhymes with the first two.

31. Option A. - Peaceful nakedness stands for innocence while iron and blood stands for violence.

32. Option B. - MajiMaji by Kassam is a narrative poem that tells a story. The poem, in a style of narrator and an audience, narrates how the Germans first set their feet in Tanzania, to effect their colonization.

33. Option A. - There is no pause and no end punctuation but the line has a meaningful grammatical meaning – enjambment; alliteration - a poetic or literary effect achieved by using several words that begin with the same or similar consonants,

34. Option B. - The theme of the poem is the early death of a loved one.

35. Option C. - The poem reflects the riddle of love and child-birth. The qualities of a female spouse`s dressing is predicative of the love her male spouse will toast to advance the relation towards a child-birth compliment.

36. Option D - The poem is informed by a metaphysical persuasion on the immortality of man. The poet ratiocinates that man is immortal, since all the deads will awake at God`s throne of judgement, on the last day.

37. Option C. - The mood is that of admiration. His analytical and personalized affectionate tone chosen for the narration point to this.

38. Option D. - In the poem, we visualize a tree, dirty patch, surveyors, builders and finally, a huge senseless cathedral.

39. Option B. - The imagery is the dramatic suspension of a child on a tree.

40. Option A. - Arthur Nortje’s Nightfall predicts the yearning for self-fulfillment in life. The poet`s expectation of summer at the nearly outset of winter season, description of tomorrow as portending of sweetness – if somebody is hopeful – all point to ambition for future success.

41. Option B. - Marlow is in error about the identity of his host.

42. Option C. - Chaotic value systems. The play dwells on ways of life that are barely easy to comprehend for adoption.

43. Option D. - A single set is used in the whole play.

44. Option B. - The husband loves old things but the wife does not.

45. Option B. - Kate disagrees with her husband’s description of her as old but not angry.

46. Option B. - In J. P. Clark’s The Wives’ Revolt, characterization is economical and effective as there are few characters.

47. Option C. - The wives’ Revolt deals with women liberation from male domination. Most of the women in the play overtly or covertly hardly gave in to the direct or indirect male-chauvinism under-current in it.

48. Option B. - By going naked publicly, the women can demonstrate their indispensability.

49. Option A. - The arrangement of episodes makes the plot lineal. The play`s incidents succeed into

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one another according to points on a line from left to the right.

50. Option C. Of course, that is the truth. UME 2003 Questions Questions 1 to 10 are based on Literary Appreciation 1. One rhyme scheme typical of the English sonnet is A. abab cded efef gg B. abab cded cde dee C. abba abba cde dee D. abba abba cde cde. 2. The form of poetry that celebrates with nostalgia the ideal world of the countryside is referred to as A. a ballad B. an ode C. a pastoral D. an elegy 3. In literary convention, 'aside' is used to A. distinguished between events B. emphasize scenes as different from acts C. gossip about other characters D. make a pointed remark 4. The tragic character is the person hose experiences arouse pity and A. sympathy B. terror C. horror D. frustration 5. Allegory is used to describe a work in which A. both animals and humans swap roles B. humans are transposed into animals C. abstract ideas are personified D. animals are given human characters 6. The writing convention in which the events in narrative are scrambled as they come to the writer' mind without any attempt to arrange them in orderly sequence is called

A. psycho-consciousness styles B. narrator's mind style C. stream of consciousness D. shifting style

7. Farce thrives on A. big events B. incidents C. premonition D. absurdity 8. The author of a novel sustains readers' interest through the use of A. suspense B. ambiguity C. prologue D. ancedotes 9. 'Theatre-in-the-round' is employed to achieve a A. quick resolution of conflicts B. contest between the hero and the

villain C. close rapport between players and spectators D. hilarious ending 10. In its classic form, the short story is distinguished by its A. prosaic conception B. narrative form C. resolution D. compact plot Questions 11 to 15 are based on Oliver Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer. 11. 'My heart thus pressing-fix'd my face and eye’. With a sententious look, that nothing means A. he is being sentimental B. his gesture means nothing C. he is a pious man D. his heart is pressing against his face and eye. 12. The Dorothy of the play is A. Young Marlow’s mother B. Kate, Hardcastle’s daughter C. Miss Neville’s mother D. Tony Lumpkin’s mother 13. The use of the traditional verses form in the play applies to A. the prologue, songs and the epilogue B. male characters C. the character of Sir Charles Marlow

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D. female characters 14. The story of the play would have been different but for A. Miss Hardcastle's attitude towards her guest B. the insensitivity of Mrs. Hardcastle C. Tony's misinformation of Young Marlow and Mr. Hastings D. Mr. Hardcastle's ignorance of Young Marlow's true identity 15. The success of the play as a comedy relies on the author's use of A. stock comic characters B. Dramatic irony C. stage and scenic disguise D. comic relief Questions 16 to 20 are based on J.P Clark's The Wives' Revolt 16. In the play the central idea is that gender equality is A. both undesirable and unattainable B. desirable but unattainable C. attainable and desirable D. obnoxious but desirable 17. In their flight, the women settle at Iyara in order to A. cure cross-price B. hurt their husbimds C. forestall reconciliation D. seek peace 18. '… Great orators in the assembly, and poor nannies at home.’ Those being ridicules here are the A. husbands B. old women C. wives D. spinsters 19. '… Those with full breasts have walked out, and that leaves you. Me and the old … girls returned home on retirement. It's the dry season, child.' The character to whom the words are

spoken in the play is in A. front of the verandah of Okoro's house B. the kitchen, upstage C. okoro's front yard, downstage D. the direction of the kitchen, offstage 20. The mutual exchange of abuse in the play is reminiscent of A. Ikaki B. Udje C. Etiyeri D. Ekpe 21. 'James started showing interest in Buchi a

long time ago. In playing the hunter, he realised that he needed a bait. This turned out to be his frequent offer of assistance to the needy young woman. But Buchi has proved to be a difficult game. The more James trailed her the more he realised that she could not be easily caught.'

The choice of wars in the passage above is remarkable because it is A. drawn from hunting B. largely confusing C. quite appropriate D. very difficult 22. 'And so Tom awoke; and we rose in the dark

And got with our bags and our brushes to work Though the morning was cold, Tom was happy and warm; So if all do their duty they need not fear harm.' In the lines above, Tom is warm because he

A. has just woken from sleep B. is wearing warm clothes C. is working indoors D. is doing his duty 23. 'Loveliest of trees, the cherry now is hung with bloom along the bough and stands about the woodland ride wearing white for Eastertide. A. E. Houseman, Loveliest of Trees, the Cherry Tree ' In the excerpt above, the subject matter is A. love of tree B. snow at easter B. woodland ride D. cherry bloom 24. 'The gloom will give way to light And the thorny path cleared of pain The storms wilt bow to the prompting of peace Lost moments of glory will be restored

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And strangles opportunities reborn: We shall yet regain the dawn!' The suggestion that runs through the short poem above is that of A. fear of change B. anxiety and worry C. sorrow and dejection D. anticipation of positive change 25. 'To see a world in a grain of sand And a heaven in a wild flower Hold infinity in the palm of your hand And eternity in an hour' - William Blake, To see a World In a Grain of Sand The predominant figure of speech used in the lines above is A. hyperbole B. metaphor C. simile D. paradox 26. 'As virtuous men pass mildly away, And whisper to their souls, to go Whilst some of their sad friends do say, The breadth goes now, and some say, no.' - John Donne: A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning The tone of this poem is generally A. appreciative B. conversational C. imaginative D. serious

27. 'If God is the sale author of man's life and all that befall him on earth, does it not stand to reason that all evils that befall man are God sanctioned?

If man generally turns to God to bail him out of evil or bad occurrences, is one wrong then to conclude that He allows evil to befall man to bring him back to Him?

The literary style used in the passage above is

A. interrogative B. discursive C. accusative D. rhetorical

Use the passage below to answer questions 28 and 29.

'I am informed the day recycles itself today When I slept in the Lord in February . I blame no one for an untimely death I bless God for a noble departure- His words The Lord taketh the righteous away before evil days.' 28. The persona in the poem appear happy to have died A. during the day B. a noble death C. an untimely death D. at an old age 29. The lines above express A. procreation B. Anniversary C. resurrection D. incarnation 30. 'Jibunoh was simply a difficult man. He was

hated by all his neighbours and deserted by his relations. He was the first and only person to beat a policeman in the entire village. He also had ten cases instituted against him for either stealing or violating the rights of others. He had no regard for deanery or normal conduct. No lover of peace or order could be his friends. It is not surprising that his death elicited jubilation rather than mourning'.

The passage above reveals that Jibunoh symbolizes A. wickedness B. lawlessness C. isolation D. insanity Questions 31 to 40 are based on selected poems from Ker, D. et al (eds.): New poetry from Africa; Soyinka, W. (ed): Poems of Black African; Senanu, K. E. And Vincent, T. (eds.): A selection of African Poetry; Umukoro, M. et al (eds): Exam Focus: Literature in English; Eruvbetine, A. E. Et al (eds): Longman Examination guides and Nwoga, D. I. (Ed). West African Verse. 31. 'As if men hung here unblown, Their mildewed buds of love like pollen Late caught, damp in a swollen The sound devise in the stanza above from Kalu Uka's 'Earth to Earth' is A. rhyme B. repetition

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C. onomatopoeia D. a refrain 32. The dominant images in 'She Came in Silken Drapes' are A. agricultural B. monumental C. horticultural D. medical 33. The mood of the persona in Nortje’s Nightfall’ is one of A. sadness and joy B. joy and helplessness C. joy and gaiety D. sadness and hopeless 34. The arrangement of David Diop's Loser of Everything' In two stanzas reflects his use of A. amplification B. enjambment C. reinforement D. contrast

35. The tone of Kofi Awoonor's ‘The Cathedral' is one of A. indifference B. awe C. reverence D. contempt

36. The subject matter of Kassim's 'Maji Maji' is A. colonialism B. politics C. independence D. socio-economic crises

37. In Acholonu's 'The Dissident', Amadioha is portrayed as a god that is A. treacherous B. merciless C. jealous D. Cruel 38. Donne's 'Death, be not proud' is A. a sonnet B. a dirage C. an epic D. a balled

39. In Robert Frost's 'Wild Grapes', the girl's brother throws down grapes in the manner he does to A. allow himself time in - between to eat B. make his sister have her fill C. make is his sister desire to climb the tree D. allow himself to have some fun 40. 'On the sand hill her footprints Gleam like a prisoner's chain .. ' The lines above from Mohan Singh's 'A Village Girl' suggest the girl's A. difficulty in walking B. firmness of bearing

C. slow movement D. psychedelic movement Questions 41 to 43 are based on S.I. Osammor's The Triumph of the water Lily. 41. The Language of the novel is generally A. entertaining B. romantic C. reportive D. educative 42. The plot of the novel is A. achronological B. linear C. convoluted D. cyclical

43. The attitude of the narrator to religion in the novel is A. liberal B. ambigious C. fundamentalist D. fanatical Questions 44 to 46 are based on Abubakar Gimba's Witnesses to Tears 44. The stealing of three thousand naira by the

messenger and the manner of its presentation can be interpreted as Gimba's

A. sentimental attachment to money B. justification of social vices C. approbation of stealing D. condemnation of social injustice 45. The subject matter of the novel is A. the evils of materialism B. the gains of love C. marital infidelity D. child abuse 46. The events in the novel span A. seven days B. two days C. forty days D. five days Questions 47 to 50 are based on George Orwell's Animals Farm 47. The overthrow of Jones happens sooner than expected because the animals A. are milked by Jones B. experience acute suffering C. are better schemers D. receive assistance from Foxwood

48. In the novel, Boxer is respected for his A. hard work B. duplicity

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C. intellect D. reticence 49. The dominant technique in the book is A. symbolism B. foreshadowing C. reminiscence D. irony 50. In the novel, ‘animalism’ is a system of thought that emphasizes A. disparity B. conformity C. equality D. animality 2003 Answers 1. Option A. - The usual rhyme scheme of the English

sonnet is Abab cded efefgg 2. Option C. - A pastoral is concerned with simple

peaceful country life. This is all about world-view in the agrarian English Christian villages, before the industrial revolution.

3. Option D. - An aside is a remark of character not

meant for the ears of other characters and is used to make an important revelation to the audience.

4. Option B. - The experience of the tragic hero arouses

pity and fear. 5. Option C. - In allegory, human beings represent ideas.

Animals or inanimate objects are the characters of an allegory.

6. Option C. - This is a narrative mode that produces a

character’s random thoughts and association.

7. Option D. - Farce deals with absurd situation. It is a

form of drama mostly crafted with unbelievable incidents.

8. Option A. - Suspense is the state of expectation of

what will happen next. It is a technique or device of delaying the expectation of readers as to how a course of event or incident will turn out.

9. Option C. - Theatre-in-the-round brings about rapport

between players and spectators.

10. Option D. - The plot of the short story is compact. It is

limited. 11. Option A. - The heart is the seat of sentiments. All

things acted out are always from the mind. 12. Option D. - Mrs. Hardcastle’s (mother of Squire Tony

Lumpkins and Miss Catherine Hardcastle) is the Dorothy of the play as this is her first name.

13. Option A. - It applies to the prologue, songs and the

epilogue. The verse form as used showcases the social class statuses of the characters, and peculiarities of the plays physical setting.

14. Option C. - It is Tony’s mis-information that makes

Marlow treat his prospective father-in-law with impudence and have the courage to propose marriage to the lady he takes for a maidservant.

15. Option B. - The author uses dramatic irony - a point in

drama in which a character, out of ignorance, says or does something which runs counter to the prevalent course of action whose real outcome is known to the audience but is hidden from the character under discussion. Dramatic irony is an important device that often formally complements farcical incidents for crafting comedy.

16. Option C. - The wives’ revolt makes it clear that

gender equality is attainable and desirable. 17. Option B. - They know the men cannot do without

them. This is their resolve to clip the men`s ego.

18. Option A. - This is a usual women`s nagging phrases

and actually men are not created for taking nanny duties at home – it is a feminine business. The husbands possess the powers

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of oratory but cannot take care of things at home as women can.

19. Option D. - The character spoken to is in the direction

of the kitchen, offstage. 20. Option B. - Udje is the traditional satiric poetry of the

Urhobo. 21. Option A. The key words in the passage are hunter,

bait, trailed, caught. These words make the passage an extended metaphor.

22. Option D. - The passage implies that doing his duty

keeps Tom warm and clearly to be working afresh.

23. Option D. - Cherry bloom is the description showcased

in the excerpt. 24. Option D. - Optimism runs through the passage. The excerpt asserts this fact - present things

of opposite dimension sooner than later, will turn positive.

25. Option B. - Every line is a metaphor – an imaginative

way of describing something by referring to something else which is the same in a particular way.

26. Option D. - Subject of death is being elucidated in the

quatrain. 27. Option D. - The questions are rhetorical; hence

answers are implied in them. 28. Option B. - He blesses the Lord for taking him before

evil days, implying he was still admired and not disgraced before his death – a noble death.

29. Option B. - The excerpt is a year in memoriam or a

year-remembrance of a death occurrence. 30. Option B. - Jibunor broke the law with impunity. 31. Option A. - The poem uses end rhyme aaa.

32. Option D. - The poem gives the picture of a pregnant

woman who has come to the hospital to give birth.

33. Option D. - The mood of the persona in the poem is

one of sadness and hopelessness. 34. Option D. - The arrangement of the poem in two

stanzas reflects the poet’s use of contrast. 35. Option D. - The poet is full of contempt for the

cathedral which he sees as empty and meaningless.

36. Option A. - The subject matter of Kessim’s MajiMaji is

colonialism. The poem narrates how the Germans stole in, to colonize Tanzania.

37. Option B. - In Acholonu’s ‘The Dissident,’ Amadioha is

portrayed as a god (of thunder) that is merciless which kills without blinking any eye-lid.

38. Option A. - The poem’s 14 lines is a petrachan sonnet

divided into one octet rhyming abbaabba and one sextex rhyming cdcdef.

39. Option A. - He throws down grapes in the manner he

does to allow himself time in-between to eat.

40. Option B. - The two lines suggest the girl’s firmness of

bearing. 41. Option C. - The language of the novel is generally

reportive. 42. Option B. - The plot of the novel is linear; Events in

the novel succeed into one another in one to one correspondence right from the point to exposition to climax to anti-climax to denouement.

43. Option A. - The attitude of the narrator to religion in

the novel is liberal – believes people should have a lot of freedom in decision making.

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44. Option D. - The theft by the messenger and its

presentation can be interpreted as the author’s condemnation of social injustice. The accused is not taken as innocent of the theft, before his guilt is pronounced.

45. Option A. - The subject matter of the novel is the evils

of materialism. There is no gain in piling up riches one cannot finish to expend in a life-time.

46. Option A. - The events in the novel span seven days. 47. Option B. - The animals were left unfed and they

rebelled earlier than planned. A hungry man as an angry man can vent such anger, unexpectedly.

48. Option A. - Boxer often spends extra-time working

selflessly for the progress of the animal farm.

49. Option A. - The explicit narration of the poem thrives

so well on the device of symbolism. 50. Option C. - Animalism says all animals are equal.

Remember that the motto of the animal farm at first is “all animals are equal”.

UME 2004 Questions - Type S. Questions 1 to10 are based on selected poems from Ker, D, et al (eds.): New Poetry From Africa; Soyinka, W. (ed.): Poem of Black Africa; Senanu, K. E. And Vincent T. (eds.): A Selection of African Poetry; Umukoro M. et al (eds.): Exam Focus: Literature-in-English; Eruvbetine, A. E. et al (eds).: Longman Examination Guides and Nwoga, D. I. (Ed.): West African Verse 1. In Acholonu's The Dissidents, 'the daughter of my father’ is a A. heroine B. villain C. character D. narrator 2. '... a huge senseless cathedral of doom; in

Kofi Awoonor's The Cathedral implies A. meaningless foreign religious practices B. meaningless indigenous religious practices C. the architectural beauty of the cathedral D. the Catholic Church practices 3. The persona in Kassam's Maji Maji represents the A. warriors B. Germans C. Mzee D. listeners 4. David Diop's Loser of Everything can be seen as A. lamentation of the destruction of African values B. the suppression of an African village C. a celebration of African values D. an account of warfare between an African community and an invading force 5. Kalu Uka's Earth to Earth is concerned with the A. fertilization of the earth by moisture B. loss of man's property C. seasonal flow of nature D. happy beginning and sad end of life 6. 'Love and loveless hate' and 'Love, lustreless word' in Lenrie Peters' She Came in Silken Drapes’ suggests that A. love is a meaningless word B. joy and sadness often mingle C. love is forever sweet D. love breeds hate 7. Arthur Nortje's Nightfall is written against the backdrop of A. apartheid B. revolution C. celebration D. violence 8. The allusion of Eurydice's experience in Robert Frost's Wild Grapes is an imagery of death and A. reincarnation B. resurrection C. rebirth D. growth 9. Mohan Singh's A Village Girl centres on A. the description of a village girl B. beauty an its appreciation C. man in nature

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D. the elegance of a girl 10. In John Donne's Death, be not Proud, the poet believes that death is A. immortal B. mighty C. pleasurable D. dreadful Questions 11 to 20 are based on Literary Appreciation 11. 'Everywheres now, freedom is on the loose And in its name, men and women slaughter One another with terrible abandon Carnage has become the means of Settling simple scores with our friends' - Okinba Launko: Pain Remembers, Love Rekindles The dominant rhetorical device in the poem above is A. innuendo B. assonance C. oxymoron D. limerick 12. ‘This thing you are doing is too heavy for you,’ he said. ‘I went to school only a little, but I have killed many many more years in this world than you have,' - Gabriel Okara: The Voice It can be inferred from the passage above that the A. listener is a porter B. listener is wise C. speaker is a murderer D. speaker is more experienced 13. 'The guilty are too well-fed to pass through the needle's eye of our scorn the noose of public contempt hangs idle at the market place' - Odia Ofeimun: The Poet Lied and Other Poems The allusion in the excerpt above is A. mythical B. biblical C. historical D. classical 14. 'My brother you flash your teeth in response to every hypocrisy My brother with gold-rimmed glasses You give your master a blue-eyed faithful look

My poor brother in immaculate evening dress Screaming and whispering and pleading in the parlours of condescension' - D. Diop: The Renegade The poet's attitude here is A. paradoxical B. envious C. ironical D. sarcastic 15. MR. BOROFO: I heartily curse the day my wife decided to go to England. Ever since then, I have had nothing but we must do this because it is done in England, we mustn't do that, because it is not done by English people and so on ad nauseam. The subject matter of the passage above is the A. uncritical acceptance of European values B. woes of English marriage C. adventures in England D. intransigence of an African wife 16. 'Since you left here My mind longs after there Now in the dark I grope Keenly striving to cope' - Gbemisola Adeoti: Absence The dominant technique in the lines above is A. irony B. rhyme C. alliteration D. metaphor 17. He was an odd-looking duck, Inman was. He

was in his mid-fifties but still had a head of thick black hair, which began low on his forehead and was slicked back over his small round skull. Everything about Inman was round. He seemed to be made of a series of balls piled one on top the other

- Tom Wolfe: A Man in Full The author's attitude to human in the

passage above is one of A. praise B. hatred C. ridicule D. admiration 18. 'Senhor Jose got cold during the night. After

24

having uttered those redundant useless words, here she is, he wasn't sure what else he should do. It was true that, after long and arduous labours, he had managed, at last, to find the unknown woman, or rather, the place where she lay, a good six feet beneath an earth that still sustained him'

- Jose Saramago: All the Names What happens to the unknown woman in

the passage above? A. She runs away B. She is awake C. She falls asleep D. She is dead 19. 'I am alone And the murmur of my lips Carry song and tears homewards From a plain away from home' - Okogbule Wonodi: Lament for Shola The poet - persona here expresses a feeling

of A. elation B. anger C. nostalgia D. sorrow 20. Be him English Be him African Be him Nigerian The lines above are an example of A. epitaph B. anaphora C. tautology D. epigram Questions 21 to 30 are based on General Literary Principles 21. A dramatic composition or musical play in

which many or all the words are sung is called

A. an oratorio B. a motet C. an opera D. a concert 22. The poetic device that forcefully brings

together two seemingly unrelated ideas or concepts is

A. conceit B. contrast C. couplet D. diatribe 23. For a play to be successful on stage, it must

not be short of A. audiences B. speeches C. actions D. characters 24. The setting in pastoral poetry is usually

A. oceanic B. urban C. ecumenical D. idyllic 25. The exclusive right given to authors to

protect their works from unlawful production is

A. a copyright B. an authority to write C. an author's right D. a constitutional provision 26. In a narration, the first person is A. the author B. a participant C. the publisher D. an observer 27. A deliberate imitation of a literary style with

the intention to ridicule is A. paradox B. prosody C. pun D. parody 28. Point of denouement in a literary work is

the A. point at which the major character is

shown in his true colours B. point of disagreement in a narrative C. point of the resolution of the puzzling

issues D. cathartic point in a tragedy 29. Periphrasis in poetic diction is marked by A. circumlocution B. irony C. proverb D. parable 30. Melodrama is a theatrical performance in

which A. the serious is treated in a satirical way B. subordination of characterization to

plot occurs C. music and dance predominate D. evil triumphs over good Questions 31 to 35 are based on J. P. Clark's The Wives' Revolt 31. The tradition of Erhuwaren endorses A. polyarchy B. anarchy C. matriarchy D. patriarchy 32. Imagery in the play is A. always sexual and licentious B. sometimes sexual but not licentious C. always sexual but not licentious D. sometimes sexual and licentious 33. When does the play open and close?

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A. In the afternoon B. At midnight C. In the morning D. In the evening 34. 'But those are the hags and witches we

wanted out of town.' The expression hags and witches refers to A. old unmarried girls and wives retired

home from their husbands B. the three women who turned into goats C. all the women in the play D. handmaids, headwives, most favoured

wives nursing mothers and pregnant wives.

35. The 'Proclamation' and 'Reclamation' segments of the play are performed

A. as an aside B. by a chorus off-stage Questions 36 to 40 are based on Oliver Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer 36. The major thematic preoccupation of the

play is A. the constraints on parental

obligations B. the problems of class and English

mannerisms C. the presentation of a mannerless

society D. changing the traditional view about

English comedy 37. Miss Hardcastle is able to 'conquer' at the

end of the play because of her A. indiscretion B. beauty C. wit D. brawn 38. One of the enriching features of the play is

the A. match making attempts by Mrs.

Hardcastle B. manipulation of appearance and

reality C. use of rural and urban settings D. lopsided resolution of conflicts 39. The epilogue of the play deals with the

impermanence of A. nature B. friendship

C. womanhood D. love 40. 'There be two gentlemen in a post-chaise at

the door. They have lost their way up of the forest... The two gentlemen in the excerpt above

are A. Diggory and Saunders B. Marlow and Hastings C. Marlow and Hardcastle D. Diggory and Hastings Questions 41 to 44 are based on George Orwell's Animal Farm 41. The turn of events in the novel shows that

the novelist is A. iconoclastic B. fatalistic C. rhetorical D. optimistic 42. The events in the novel are set in A. a possible social climate B. the distant past C. a real human society D. an imagined world 43. The last major battle in the novel is the

battle A. of the Cowshed B. of the Windmill C. to oust Mr. Jones D. to overthrow Snowball 44. The ideological leader of the revolution in

the novel is A. Squealer B. Old Major C. Napoleon D. Snowball Questions 45 to 47 are based on Abubakar Gimba's Witnesses to Tears 45. 'A repulsive game, nonetheless. Majority

participation in a vice doesn't turn it into a virtue, no matter the social standing of the participants.’

The game referred to in the passage above

is. A. graft B. gambling C. draught D. scrambling 46. In the novel, the foil to Lahab's character is

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A. Tanka B. Al-Amin C. Sagiir D. Saahir 47. In the novel, Serah dies of A. haemorrhoids B. gunshot wounds C. asthma D. asphyxiation Questions 48 to 50 are based on S. I. Osammor's The Triumph of the Water Lily 48. Nkem leaves Odili's house because A. she is not a faithful wife B. she wants to keep her marriage C. of pressure from outsiders D. she is barren 49. The preoccupation of the novel is A. the life and times of Julian Odili B. Norman Obi's courtship of Effua . C. the benefits of the extended family in

Nigeria D. the travails and successes of Nkem and

Odili 50. 'What is in the past is gone forever. It is only

the present that belongs to us! Grasp what chance of happiness you can find at the moment with both hands!’

The past in the extract above refers to A. Odibe B. Norman C. Chris D. Odili 2004 Answers 1. Option C. - The daughter of my father is the character

showcased in the question. 2. Option A. - The word cathedral is same as shrine in

African milleu; hence, its denotation of a miniature foreign religious practice which is incompatible with the gracious African Traditional religion.

3. Option C. - The revered old man story-teller in the

poem is the Mzee. 4. Option A. - This is a pure negritude poem mourning

derailment of the precious African values. It can be seen as the suppression of an African Village.

5. Option D. - The poem is concerned with the happy

beginning and sad end of life. 6. Option B. - The poem suggests that love and sadness

often mingle. 7. Option A. - Nightfall is written against the backdrop of

apartheid. The impetus to the crafting of the poem dated back to the pre-1994 South African milleu often referred to as Segregation i.e., Apartheid.

8. Option C. - The allusion is an imagery of death and

rebirth. 9. Option B. - The poem centres on beauty and its

appreciation. 10. Option C. - The poet believes that death is

pleasurable. In comparing death to a normal sleep, the poet calls on mankind to be less afraid of death, but to replace it with despise.

11. Option A. - The dominant rhetorical device in the

poem is innuendo. 12. Option D. - The speaker is older and, therefore, more

experienced than the listener. 13. Option B. - It is an allusion to the Bible where it is said

that it is easier for the camel to pass through the eye of the needle than for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God.

14. Option D. - The sarcasm is to ridicule the person

referred to as the renegade. 15. Option A. - The wife uncritically adopts the dos and

don’ts of England. Here, Mrs. Brofusem, to her husband, is a gullible character who loves aping English ways, whether or not its content is tenable under the African climate and culture.

16. Option B. - The rhyme is aabb.

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17. Option C. - The author shows his attitude of ridicule

by comparing human to balls piled one on top the other.

18. Option D. - Being six feet beneath the earth means

she is dead and buried. 19. Option C. - “... carry song and tears homewards from

a plain away from home” shows that the poet-persona expresses homesickness.

20. Option B. - The poet uses the same words as the

opening of the successive lines. The three lines in parallelism have a grammatical construction of subject-verb inversion – the hallmark of anaphora.

21. Option C. A musical play in which many or all of the

words are sung is an opera. Another name for this is dance-drama.

22. Option A. Conceit is the device that forcefully brings together two seemingly unrelated ideas or concepts. It is an imaginative poetic image or writing that contains such an image, especially a comparison that is extreme or far-fetched.

23. Option C. - A play involves players acting a story on

stage. Drama is action and action is drama. 24. Option D. - A pastoral is a poem about life in the

country side. A pastoral-poem must be set in homogeneous rural enclave renown of adherence to social and religious moralities.

25. Option A. - A copyright prevents other people from

producing an intellectual work without the permission of the author.

26. Option B. - A participant opens the narration. The

narrator, as the leading participant in a narration, is the first person; his audience is second-person; others mentioned in the course form the third-persons.

27. Option D.

- A parody is an imitation of a literary work that mocks certain characteristics of the work. This is the same as mimicry.

28. Option C. - Denouement is the point of resolution of

all conflicts undercurrent in a literary work. 29. Option A. - Periphrasis, a round-about statement is

also referred to as circumlocution. Another term for this is verbosity or round-about statement.

30. Option B. - The characters in a melodrama are

superficial. They are rarely rated higher than the conflict points showcased in their characterization.

31. Option D. - The tradition of Erhuwaren endorses

patriarchy. In this case, succession to power in the community is from the father to the son; a female is of no consideration.

32. Option B. - Imagery in the play is always sexual but

not licentious. 33. Option D. - This clearly manifests from the order in

which the sub-plots succeed into one another, in time sequence beginning in the evening and closing again at another evening.

34. Option A. - In African milleu, women who are unable

to maintain their matrimonies or unlucky to be married, are commonly labeled as witches and hags.

35. Option C. - The Proclamation and Reclamation

segments of the play are performed on-stage and off-stage.

36. Option B. - The characters are pre-occupied with

social status and manners. 37. Option C. - Miss Hardcastle acts wisely and wins

young Marlow’s love. She conquers because she applies good intelligence to her situation.

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38. Option B. - Mrs. Hardcastle’s attempt to make her son

interested in her foster daughter so as to gain the girl’s belongings reveals manipulation of appearance.

39. Option A. - Nature is described to be impermanent. 40. Option B. - Marlow has come to propose marriage to

Miss Hardcastle and his friend Hastings comes along for a secret meeting with his prospective wife.

41. Option A. - The author is iconoclastic in that he has no

faith in social revolution which he ridicules in the novel.

42. Option D. - The story is set in an imagined world in

which animals behave like human beings. There has never been a real geographical place in history, where animals had taken over functions of mankind, as described in Animal Farm.

43. Option B. - The last major battle is the battle of the

windmill. This is the battle between the animals and Mr. Frederick, where he assaulted the animals with guns and destroyed their wind-mill project.

44. Option D. - Ideological Leader of the revolution is

Snowball. 45. Option A. - The game referred to in the passage is

graft. The phrase repulsive game (something to despise) is a piece of metaphor for bribery.

46. Option B. - In the novel, the foil to Lahab’s character

is Al-Amin. 47. Option D. - Sarah dies of asphyxiation (inability to

breathe well). 48. Option B. - Nkem leaves Odili’s house because she

wants to keep her marriage. 49. Option D.

- The pre-occupation of the novel is the travails and successes of Nkem and Odili.

50. Option A. - The past in the extract refers to Odibe. He

is the character wanting to seduce Nkem away from her real marriage.

UME 2005 Questions Questions 1 to 5 are based on Ahmed Terima's Attaihiru 1. To justify the deposition of the Emirs of

Bida and Kontagora, the British authorities accuse them of

A. oppression B. mendacity C. partiality D. embezzlement 2. 'I wish him luck with his infidel friends, but

he must remember that there is only one moon at a time, one sun at a time.'

The speaker in the passage above is referring to a

A. moon gazer B. slave raider C. muezzin D. usurper 3. Lord Lugard and the British military find it

easy to penetrate the Sokoto Caliphate because the

A. Muslim faithfuls fight with bows and arrows while the British soldiers use rifles

B. Emir of Zazzau calls the whitemen to save him from the attack of a fellow Muslim, the Emir of Kontagora

C. emirates of Sokoto and Zaria have not been friends since the reign of Caliph Abdulrahman

D. emirates are only united to fight the whitemen when it is the turn of Sokoto

4. Caliph Attahiru's dream about heavy smoke

on the battlefield and the ancestors passing the flag of Islam from one head to another serves as

A. a flashback B. a prophecy

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C. foreshadowing D. a reverie 5. Madawaki: The whiteman is an uninvited

guest to our land, he must observe, not dictate.

The statement above is prompted by the A. abolition of slave trade B. undermining of caliphal authority C. introduction of direct rule D. imposition of taxes Questions 6 to 10 are based on William Shakespeare's Hamlet. 6. Claudius, though a murderer, is presented

as a character. A. who has a superlative administrative

style B. with a living conscience that torments

him C. to whom past events have no

significance D. with an admirable physical

appearance 7. The call made on Hamlet to avenge his

father's death makes him A. purposeful B. impoverished C. confused D. amused 8. Hamlet: Suit the action to the word,

the word to the action; with this special observance, that you o'erstep not the modesty of nature.

Here Hamlet is urging the players to A. reflect reality B. be good actors C. justify their actions D. be creative on stage 9. The principal function of the play-within-

the-play in Hamlet is to A. amuse Claudius B. confirm the claim of the ghost C. divert attention from the mains event D. create some comic relief in the

tragedy 10. In The Mouse- Trap, the murderer is A. Claudius B. Lucianus C. Gozango D. Baptista Questions 11 to 13 are based on Femi Ademiluyi’s ‘The New Man’ 11. Brigadier General Johnson’s plan to

assassinate President Monye is revealed to A. Biola Denji B. the SAB superior C. the President’s ADC D. a friend 12. In the novel, Asejire refers to a A River B. town C. farmer D. cleric 13. The mob in the novel is portrayed as A. A monster and a snake B. a bad group C. demonstrators D. fighters Questions 14 to 16 are based on Ayi Kwei Armah's Fragments 14. The novel suggests that an individual who

stays apart from his society will A. be praised for his action B. be alienated by his society C. be broken by his society D. live a fulfilled life 15. The setting of the novel is the A. traditional Nigerian society B. post-independence Ghanaian society C. pre-independence Ghanaian society D. modern Nigerian society 16. Naana's attitude is one of A. contempt B. neutrality C. fulfillment D. enthusiasm Questions 17 to 20 are based on Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles. 17. Angel Clare is depicted as A. a rebellious and self-opinionated

character B. an independent-minded character

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C. a fastidious and garrulous character D. a flirtatious and impulsive young man 18. 'Phases' in the novel refers to A. phases of the moon and their effects on

the plot B. moments of awareness of Tess'

misfortune C. points of conflict between good and

evil D. stages of development in the life of

Tess 19. From the tragedy of Tess, it can be said that Thomas Hardy is concerned with the evils of A. modernization B. industrialization C. democratization D. colonization 20. Angel Clare's ambition in marrying Tess d'Urbervilies is to secure a wife with A. high social standing B. great fortune C. rustic innocence D. a wide knowledge of the world Questions 21 to 30 are based on selected poems from Ker. D. et al (eds.): New Poetry fro Africa; Soyinka, W. (ed.): Poems of Black Africa; Senanu, K. E and Vincent, T. (eds.): Selection of African Poetry; Umukoro, M. et al (eds.): Exam Focus Literature-in-English; Eruvbetine, A. E. et al (eds.): Longman Examination Guides and Nwoga D. I. (ed.): West African Verse 21. Brutus' A Troubadour I Traverse is inspired

by his struggle against A. injustice B. capitalism C. colonialism D. zealotry 22. The theme of Wangusa's A Taxi Driver of His

Death is A. the taxi driver’s contemplation of the

vehicle as the likely cause of his death B. that a driver's death must surely be

caused by his vehicle C. the danger in the driving profession D. that roads are death-traps for drivers 23. J. P. Clark’s Agbor Dancer portrays

A. a sophisticated dancer B. a girl attuned to her culture C. an uncivilized dancer D. a wild girl 24. The subject matter of Senghor's I Will

Pronounce Your Name is A. Elissa B. Naeti C. Love D. a nameless girl 25. The tone of Ofeimun's We Must Learn

Again to Fly is that of A. encouragement B. discouragement C. disappointment D. enthusiasm 26. In Cheney-Coker's Myopia, the myopic ones

are the A. peasants B. rulers C. poets D. traders 27. The Poet - persona in serenade is A. boastful B. arrogant C. persuasive D. deceptive 28. 'And the name dies before the man.' From the statement above in Houseman's

To an Athlete Dying Young, what happens to the athlete?

A. He comes to a disgraceful end B. He loses his medal to another C. He dies eventually D. He dies prematurely 29. In Keats' On the Grasshopper and Cricket,

‘poetry of earth' refers to A. poetry written about earth B. songs by grasshopper and cricket C. poetry written by mother earth D. songs by birds, grasshoppers and

crickets 30. In On His Blindness, Milton uses the

experience of his blind state to A. condemn himself B. appreciate God C. abuse God D. disregard his fellow men Questions 31 to 40 are based on General Literary Principles

31. The predominant use of the third-person pronoun in a novel creates a

A. sense of detachment on the part of

31

the writer B. sense of detachment on the part of

the reader C. psychological affinity with the

characters D. balance of opinion among the

characters 32. A poem without a regular rhyme scheme is

a A. traditional poem B. ballad C. lyrical poem D. blank verse 33. Aesthetics in literature has to do with the

creation of A. imagery B. lines C. beauty D. themes 34. Cast in a play refers to A. all the actors B. three of the actors C. a few of the actors D. an exclusive social class in the play 35. A tragic hero, according to the Aristotelian

precept, must be a A. noble character with hubris B. lowly character who suddenly

stumbles on some fortunes C. king with deep affection for his

subjects D. central character after whom the play

is named 36. A careful choice of words dictated by a

particular mood or an event refers to A. register B. cadence C. rhyme D. tone 37. The insertion of material unrelated or

distantly related to the specific subject under discussion in a given work is called

A. digression B. flashback C. regression D. reverie 38. When an object is invested with a meaning

beyond its immediate reference, it becomes A. an irony B. a symbol C. a subject D. an epigram 39. Unity of time in a tragedy implies that all

actions should take place A. simultaneously B. intermittently C. in a single revolution of the sun

D. within the same locale 40. A short, carefully phrased expression meant

to elicit amusement and surprise is A. hyperbole B. limeric C. tercet D. wit Questions 41 to 50are based on Literary Appreciation. 41. 'History's stammerer When will your memory master the vowels of your father's name? - Niyi Osundare: Waiting Laughters The literary device used in the excerpt

above is A. apostrophe B. rhetorical question C. pun D. run-on-line 42. 'It is a beauteous evening, calm and free The holy time is quiet as a Nun Breathless with adoration; the broad sun Is sinking down in its tranquility; The gentleness of heaven broods O'er the

sea: Listen! The mighty Being is awake And doth with his eternal motion make A sound like thunder-everlasting.' - W. Wordsworth: It is a Beauteous

Evening The rhyme scheme of the stanza above is A. cbbcdda B. bbac ddac C. ddca bbca D. abbc addc 43. 'And the promised pleasure will never ever be found in the face of vanished treasure in the face of plundered pound hidden beneath roots of greener grasses in a land far from the masses' The tone of the poem above is A. pessimistic B. optimistic C. interrogative D. persuasive 44. The expression 'The ripest is the saddest

encounter' is an example of A. euphemism B. hyperbole

32

C. paradox D. metaphor 45. 'My heart is a quiet drum, something it flares like a parched thunder cracking through a damask sky it lifts me in its fired spectacle.' - Cynthia James: Drumology The imagery in the excerpt above is largely A. olfactory and visual B. olfactory and tactile C. tactile and auditory D. auditory and visual 46. 'If an eagle be imprisoned On the back of a coin And the coin is tossed into the sky That coin will flutter But the eagle will never fly’ - Henry Dumas: America The poem above achieves its literary effect

through the use of A. alliteration B. parallelism C. repetition D. solecism 47. 'They came on like a whirlwind, and dashed

over the line snorting, kicking, squealing in a compact, pie bald tossing mob of bay, brown grey backs, eyes staring, necks extended, nostrils red long tails, streaming. As soon as they had leaped upon the road the thick dust flew from under their hoofs, and within six yards of Giorgio only a brown cloud with vague forms of necks and cruppers rolled by, making the soil tremble….’

- Joseph Conrald: Nostromo The passage above describes a troop of A. cows B. elephants C. camels D. horses 48. "She wanted to split herself. But she

checked herself. 'Get dressed,' she said earnestly. 'Get

dressed and let's go. You know I have a lot of things to do. And if we are going to meet again like this... 'She slapped the bed, 'then it won’t be here. It will be at the Samson and Delilah.'"

- Festus Iyayi: Violence In the passage above, the speaker can be

described as

A. domineering B. treacherous C. friendly D. hungry 49. Mr. Becky exploded: I did not come here to

ask for a school report on my son. Did you or did you not savagely attack the child, knowing fully well that his health is most delicate at best of times?

- Wole Soyinka: Isara: A Voyage Around Essay

In the excerpt above, Mr. Beckley is trying to

A. put the addressee on the defensive B. show off to the listener C. provoke a fight D. find out the truth from the addressee 50. Where has my love blown his horn? The tune of his horn is well-known Young men of my clan Have you heard the horn of my love? - Okot P'Bitek: Horn of My Love The overriding feeling of the persona in this

extract is A. anxiety B. certainty C. frustration D. joy 2005 Answers 1. Option A. - Though the British claimed that they want

to install good government, it is a case of calling a dog a bad name to hang it.

2. Option D. - The complaint in the excerpt is the fact

that the person has teamed up with the speaker`s enemies in order to rubbish him.

3. Option D. - It was easy because the emirates are only

united to fight the white men when it is the turn of Sokoto. This is because the Caliphate is the headquarters of the world of the emirates and, it is not expected to fall prey to the British military.

4. Option C. - The dream predicts what will happen in

future. The Caliph had been divinely inspired to see the incident of the British military invasion of his domain before occurrence.

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5. Option B. - The statement is prompted by

undermining the caliphal authority. 6. Option B. - He was presented as a character with a

living conscience that torments him. 7. Option C. - The call further confused Hamlet. At first,

Prince Hamlet does not understand the connection of King Claudius (his uncle) to the death of King Hamlet (his father).

8. Option A. - The players are urged to satirically obviate

King Hamlet`s death by King Claudius` intrigues of killing him with poison to inherit his wife i.e., Prince Hamlet`s mother.

9. Option B. - Hamlet uses the play-within-the-play to

confirm his father’s ghost claim that his brother killed him.

10. Option B. - Lucianus is the satirical murderer depicting

King Claudius, the real murderer of King Hamlet.

11. Option A. - Biola Denji is ADC to Brigadier-General

Johnson and the person to whom Johnson ordered to follow him to the Presidential Palace with the pistol with which to assassinate President Monye.

12. Option D. - The name in full is that of Prophet Samson

Elijah Asejire who is referred to as a cleric. 13. Option A. - The mob in the novel is portrayed as a

monster and a snake. 14. Option C. - An individual who stays apart from his

society will be broken by his society. 15. Option B. - Ayi Kwei Arman’s Fragments is about life

in Ghana after independence. 16. Option A. - As an old woman whose views are not

solicited nor appreciated, Naana’s attitude is one of contempt.

17. Option A.

- Angel Clare is depicted as a rebellious and self-opinionated character.

18. Option D. - Phases in the novel refer to stages of

development in the life of Tess. 19. Option A. - The writer is concerned with the evils of

modernization. 20. Option C. - Angel Clare’s ambition in marrying Tess is

to secure a wife with rustic innocence. 21. Option A. - Brutus’ ‘A Troubadour/Traverse” criticizes

the injustice of apartheid. 22. Option A. - The theme is the taxi driver’s

contemplation of the vehicle as the likely cause of his death.

23. Option B. - The poem portrays a girl who is well

attuned to her culture. 24. Option B. - Senghor talks about Naeti. 25. Option A. - That we must not lose hope. Unarguably,

the poet is preaching the need to always face life with courage, either in gain or loss.

26. Option B. - The rulers are short-sighted. They are the

ones who, in opulent living, close their eyes to the undeserved poverty being faced by the masses or people they rule.

27. Option C. - The persona in the poem is persuasive – a

preacher of courage to the hopeless. 28. Option B. - Losing his medal to another athlete. The

athlete loses focus before attaining the status of a glorious champion.

29. Option D. - The melodious sounds made by birds,

grasshoppers and crickets are referred to as poetry of earth.

30. Option B. - Milton gives glory to God for what he is

able to accomplish even in blindness. 31. Option A.

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- The use of third person pronoun creates a sense of detachment on the part of the other.

32. Option D. - Blank verse is the poem having regular

rhyme scheme. 33. Option C. - Aesthetics deals with beauty. 34. Option A. - Cast in a play refers to all the actors. We

can as well call such actors and actresses the dramatis personae.

35. Option A. - Aristotle holds that a tragic hero should be

a noble character with hubris. A tragic hero often falls because of his unrepentant nature and being proud.

36. Option D. - A careful choice of words dictated by a

particular mood or an event refers to tone. 37. Option A. - Digression occurs when the writer brings

in a matter not related to the specific subject under discussion.

38. Option B. - A symbol is an object that carries more

than the surface meaning. 39. Option C. - Unity of time in a tragedy implies that all

actions should take place in a day. 40. Option D. - This is a short, humorous poem. This

figure of speech is also called conceit i.e., intelligent arguments laid out in mockery tone.

41. Option B. - A question in which the expected answer

is implied is a rhetorical question. 42. Option D. - Free a Mun b sun b tranquility c sea a

awake d make d – (abbc addc) 43. Option A. - The persona in the poem is disinterested

as to if the camel of his complaints will ever be addressed. That is, the promised pleasure will never be found.

44. Option B.

- The situation in the excerpt is copiously grossly exaggerated.

45. Option D. - The lines appeal to hearing and sight as

words connoting onomatopoeia are used. 46. Option C. - The |f| consonant is repeated in the initial

position in flutter and fly. 47. Option D. - Troop of agile horses running on laterite

road in the dry season will always raise heavy dust.

48. Option A. - The speaker is domineering since her

statements are commands. 49. Option A. - The speaker is trying to intimidate the

addressee. 50. Option A. - The speaker is anxious to know where her

lover has blown his horn. UTME 2012 LITERATURE-IN-ENGLISH Questions - RED

1. Which Question Paper Type of Literature in English as indicated above is given to you? A. Type Green B. Type Purple C. Type Red D. Type Yellow

Questions 2 to 5 are based on J.C. De

Graft’s Sons and Daughters

2. Who is the paternal aunt to Aaron and Maana? A. Mrs. Bonu B. Hannah C. Fosuwa D. Adwao.

3. From the play, George is a A. laboratory attendant B. pharmacist

35

C. nurse D. medical doctor.

Use the quotation below to answer question 4 and 5 ‘If you touch me I shall smash your face with this bottle’.

4. The statement is made by A. Maanan to Lawyer B B. Maanan to Mrs Bonu C. James to Awere D. Awere to Aaron

5. The issue at stake is that A. Maanan is trying to compromise B. Lawyer B is trying to kiss Maanan C. James sees Awere as a bad influence D. Mrs. Bonu is taunting Maanan for loving her husband

Questions 6 and 10 are based on

William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet

6. ‘From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-crossed lovers takes their life….’ The lines above suggest that the tragedy in the play A. could have been averted B. is predestined C. is brought on by enmity D. brought misfortune on the lovers

7. ‘O she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the check of night A rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear.’ From the lines above, Juliet’s beauty is presented A. in contrast to the dark night

B. as a source of envy to all C. in terms of riches D. as being outstanding.

8. ‘The all-seeing sun Ne’er saw her match since first the world begun’. The lines above are spoken by A. Count Paris in praise of Juliet B. Romeo in praise of Juliet C. Romeo in praise of Roseline D. Lady Capulet in praise of Roseline

9. The major role of Mercutio in the play is to A. serve as a contrast to Romeo B. aid and abet Romeo’s passion C. annoy Tybalt D. accompany Romeo to Friar

Lawrence 10. The play shares the feature of classical

tragedy through the use of A. violence on stage B. chorus C. comic relief D. flashback

Questions 11 to 13 are based on Ferdinand Oyono’s The Old Man and the Medal

11. ‘Meka, kneeling down in his usual

fashion with his behind up in the air. Kelara knelt down beside him, Amalia and her husband knelt down as well’. The actions of Meka, Kelara, Amalia and her husband signify A. parable B. dance C. prayer D. celebration

12. ‘He had knocked his toes against so many things that he had no toenails anymore and the yaws he had suffered from in his youth had twisted his toes up so that they pointed to the sky’.

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The description above is in reference to the foot of A. Kelara B. Meka C. Egamba D. Mvondo

13. ‘They said their prayers in a monotonous sing-song, kneeling on their bamboo bed like camels waiting to be loaded’. The dominant figure of speech in the excerpt above is A. rhetorical question B. simile C. metaphor D. mixed metaphor.

Questions 14 to 16 are based on Buchi Emecheta’s The Joy of Motherhood

14. As a symbol of marital success and fulfillment, Ibuza community places a lot of importance on A. childbirth B. wealth C. male child D. female child

15. Ona on her dying bed appeals to Agbadu to A. give her a befitting burial B. take good care of her children C. take another wife D. allow Nnu Ego marry a man of her

choice. 16. The little money Nnaife makes after

returning from Fernando Po is used for A. expanding Nnu Ego’s business B. taking care of his family C. sending his children to school D. getting more wives.

Questions 17 to 20 are based on George Orwells’s

Nineteen Eighty-Four

17. The novel is mainly classified as a A. metaphor B. hyperbole

C. satire D. fiction 18. Winston writes that the hope of the

country lies on the A. ministry of truth B. proles C. party D. children

19. In the novel, two minutes hate is a programme designed for A. parents B. thought police C. the community D. children

20. To drop his philosophy of life and imbibe the tenets of the party, Winston is subjected to all forms of torture and inhuman treatment by A. O’Brien B. thought Police C. Big Brother D. Goldstein. Questions 21 to 30 are based on selected poems from Johnson, R et al (eds.): New Poetry from Africa; Soyinka, W.(ed): Poems of Black Africa; Senanu, K. E. and Vincent, T.(eds): A Selection of African Poetry; U. Maduka, C. T. et al: Exam Focus: Literature in English; Eruvbetine, A. E. et al (eds.): Longman Examination Guides; Nwoga, D. I. (ed.); West African Verse and Adeoti G.: Naked Soles.

21. The movement in Adeoti’s Naked Soles is characterized by A. hope and agreement B. freedom and self-determination C. pricks and tears D. disappointment and disarray

22. One of the dominant themes of Rubadiri’s An African Thunderstorm is the A. relationship between man and

nature B. activities of man during rainy

seasons

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C. effect of rain on women and children

D. problem of climate change. 23. In Kunene’s A Heritage of Liberation,

the weapons are to be preserved for the generation yet unborn by the A. gods B. elders C. people D. government

24. Give Me The Minstrel’s Seat ends on a clarion call for A. freedom B. peace C. rectitude D. commitment.

25. ‘…the youthful hue/sits on thy skin like a morning dew…’ The excerpt above from Marvell’s To His Coy Mistress is an example of A. simile B. anaphora C. paradox D. onomatopoeia.

26. In Lawrence’s Bat, the poet compares bats with A. sparrows B swans C. swallows D. crows

27. Elliot’s The Journey of the Magi could be said to examine the issues of A. three trees on the low sky B. empty wine-skins C. spiritual rebirth D. holy pilgrimage

28. ‘We would be believing we dreamt it’ The figure of speech in the line above from Acquah’s In the Navel of the Soul is A. apostrophe B assonance C. antithesis D. alliteration

29. The casualties in Launko’s End of the War are A. women B. children C. men D. soldiers

30. The theme of Cope’s Sonnet VII is A. art of poetry B. adventure

C. contempt for literature D. isolation.

Questions 31 to 40 are based on General Literary Principles

31. A literary work in which the characters and events are used as symbols is known as A. characterization B. allegory C. metaphor D. parallelism .

32. Characterization in a novel refers to the A. writer’s opinion of the characters B. way the characters are revealed to

the reader C. characters and the way they behave D. reader’s opinion of the characters.

33. In literary work, verbal irony refers to a A. device in which the speaker means

the opposite of what he says B. situation in which a character

speaks or acts against the trend of events

C. difficult situation which defies a logical or rational resolution

D. device in which the actor on stage means exactly what he says.

34. In the theatre, words spoken by a character that are meant to be heard by the audience but not by other characters on stage is called A. aside B. soliloquy C. acoustic D. tone

35. Drama is the representation of a complete series of actions by means of A. movement and gesture for the

screen and audience B. speech, movement and gesture for

the stage only

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C. speech, movement and gesture for the stage, screen and radio

D. speech, gesture and movement for the screen and radio.

36. A poet’s use of regular rhythm is known as A. allegory B. assonance C. metre D. onomatopoenia

37. A literary genre which directly imitates human action is A. drama B. comedy C. prose D. poetry.

38. A fable is a story in which A. allegations are made about a

character B. animals or things are used as

characters C. there is an important setting D. the story is told in poetic form.

39. The juxtaposition of two contrasting ideas in a line of poetry is A. euphemism B. synecdoche C. catharsis D. oxymoron

40. The main aim of caricature is to A. describe B. expose C. emphasize D. ridicule Questions 41 to 50 are based on Literary Appreciation

41. O! ceremony, show me but thy worth What is thy soul of adoration The figure of speech in the lines above is A. antithesis B. invocation C. personification D. apostrophe.

42. ‘What eyes will watch our large mouths

Shaped by the laughter of big children What eyes will watch our large mouths? Birago Diop: Vanity The tone of the lines above is one of A. sarcasm B. sacrilege C. chiasmus D. eulogy.

43. The old man slept in his favourite chair The wind ran its fingers through his hair He looked like a tree gone dry of sap And his hands were dry upon his lap The rhyme scheme of the poem above is A. bbaa B. aabb C. abab D. baba

44. Unequal laws unto a savage race, That hoard, and sleep, and feed…. The lines above show that the speaker A. detest discrimination B. is desirous of adventure C. hates his old wife D. knows much of his city men.

45. …How can I look at Oyo and say I hate long shiny cars? How can I come to the children and despise international schools? And koomson comes, and the family sees Jesus Christ in Him… The feeling conveyed by the speaker above is one of A. anger B. alienation C. hope D. Despair.

46. ‘Hide me now, when night children haunt the earth,’ (Wole Soyinka: Night) Night Children in the stanza above reflects the consciousness of

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A. Birds B. armed robbers C. animals D. spirit beings.

47. ‘Serrated shadows, through dark leavers Till, bathed in warm suffusion of your dapped cells Sensation pained me, faceless, silent as night thieves.’ (Wole Soyinka: Night) The dominant mood in the lines above is one of A. apprehension B. Defiance C. joy D. Indifference.

48. ‘The drums overwhelmed the guns…’ (J.P Clark Casualties) The poet in the excerpt above uses A. litotes B. symbolism C. onomatopoeia D. alliteration

49. ‘… They do not see the funeral piles At home eating up the forests …’ (J.P Clark: Casualties) The imagery created in the above excerpt is achieved through A. metaphor B. personification C. synecdoche D. metonymy

50. ‘I cannot rest from travel: I will drink Life to the lees, all times I have enjoyed Greatly, have suffered greatly.’ (A. L. Tennyson: Ulysses) The lines above inform the reader that the poet A. is determined to suffer B. has his poetic imagination kindled C. will cure his sour mood D. will not drink much.

2012 Answers - RED 1. Option C. The Type is Red. 2. Option C. Fosuwa is the paternal aunt to Aaron and

Maanan as she is the great elder sister of

Mr. James Ofusu, the father of Aaron and Maanan.

3. Option D. George read and practiced Medicine in the

play. 4. Option A. Maanan is the character that brandishes a

broken tumble to attack Barrister Bonu to prevent him from kissing her.

5. Option B. The issue at stake is that Lawyer Bonu is

trying to kiss Maanan. 6. Option C. They suggest that the tragedy in the play is

brought on by enmity of the Montague and Capulet families.

7. Option A. Juliet’s beauty is presented in contrast to

the dark night suggesting that the richness and brightness of Juliet’s beauty shines out in the night.

8. Option B. Romeo avouched his love to Juliet as a

perfect act of God. 9. Option B. Mercutio’s role in the play is to aid and abet

Romeo’s passion. 10. Option B. The play shares the features of classical

tragedy through the use of chorus used to enlighten the audience more on the progress of the plot.

11. Option C. The posture assumed by the character is

indicative of mood for supplication. 12. Option B. The description is in reference to the foot of

Meka, the novel’s hero. 13. Option B. The dominant figure of speech in the

excerpt is simile. 14. Option A. Ibuza community places a lot of importance

on male child. 15. Option D. Ona appeals to Agbadi to allow Nnu Ego

marry a man of her choice.

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16. Option D. The little money Nnaife makes after

returning from Fernando Po is used for getting more wives.

17. Option C. The novel is mainly classified as a satire as it

is of caricature-construct. 18. Option B. Winston writes that the hope of the country

lies on the children where country houses will be turned into children’s holiday camps.

19. Option D. It is a programme designed for thought

police. 20. Option A. Winston is subjected to all forms of torture

and inhuman treatment by O’Brien. 21. Option C. The movement is characterized by pricks

and thorns signifying painful passage and pin-full path.

22. Option A. It shows the inevitable influence of nature

on man, his activities and environment. 23. Option A. These are their collective sacrifices, cultural

edifies, prayers, relics of their forefathers, etc.

24. Option C. The poet admonishes his friends to cherish

a good name as a good name is better than silver and gold. This is a very moral and correct way of behaving.

25. Option A. The excerpt is an example of simile. 26. Option C. The poet compares bats with swallows. 27. Option C. In order to be purified, man has to undergo

some moments of difficulty, problems and inhibitions.

28. Option D. This is the repetition of initial consonant

sounds in words. 29. Option C. The casualties are women who have lost

sons and husbands in the war.

30. Option A. The theme is contempt for literature which,

according to the poet, leads to boredom. 31. Option B. Where persons, events and ideas represent

not only themselves on the literary level but also stand for something else on the symbolic level.

32. Option B. This is done by the writer using dialogue,

dialect, description and action. 33. Option A. Where a character says one thing but

means another. 34. Option A. It is a theatrical convention that the aside is

not audible to other characters on stage. 35. Option C. Drama serves the stage, screen and radio. 36. Option C. This refers to the rhythmic arrangement of

syllables in verse. 37. Option A. This is Aristotle’s description of drama.

Actions or gesticulations differentiate drama from other genres.

38. Option B. This is a brief story illustrating moral

instructions through animal character. 39. Option D. This is bringing two contradictory ideas

together to arrive at a logical truth. Examples include “eloquent silence”, “necessary evil”, “sick health” and “cold fire”.

40. Option D. An action that makes someone or

something look useless, foolish or worthless.

41. Option D. This is because ceremony is addressed as if

it possesses human being’s virtues of worth and soul.

42. Option A. A bitter kind of wit which often employs

irony and is always intended to mortify its victim.

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43. Option B. The rhyme scheme is aabb. 44. Option A. It shows that the speaker hates injustice

and recognizes equal rights. 45. Option B. A feeling that a situation cannot be

changed. 46. Option D. It is spirits that haunt the earth at night. 47. Option A. This is a feeling of worry or fear of an

impending calamity. 48. Option B. This is the use of symbols to represent a

thing, idea or quality. Drums denote joy and peace while guns denote hardship of fighting.

49. Option B. This involves giving animate qualities to

inanimate objects. 50. Option B. The lines show that the poet is hopeful.