JESUIT MEMORIAL COLLEGE

PORT HARCOURT

ENTRANCE EXAMINATION INTO JS 1 OF 2019/2020 ACADEMIC YEAR

SATURDAY 9 FEBRUARY 2019

TEST SUBJECT: ENGLISH LANGUAGE TIME ALLOWED: 50 MINUTES

DO NOT open this booklet until you are told to do so.

While you are waiting, read the following instructions carefully.

INSTRUCTIONS
1. This test has 50 questions. Answer all.
2. Use HB pencil throughout.
3. Write your Name, Examination Number, Present Grade/Class, Date of Birth and Date of
Examination in the spaces provided below.
4. Answer each question by shading the box on the answer sheet (separate OMR sheet) that
corresponds to the option you have chosen.
5. For each question, shade one box only on the answer sheet (OMR sheet). If you shade more
than one box for any question, you will be marked wrong for that question.
6. If you make a mistake or change your mind about an answer, erase the mistake or wrong
shading neatly and completely with your eraser.
7. Do not waste time on any question. If you find a question difficult, go to the next question.
When you have finished answering all the questions you know, go back and answer the
difficult one(s).
8. Be sure to write your Name, Examination Number, etc. on the answer sheet (OMR sheet).

GOOD LUCK!

NAME: __________________________________________________________________________
Surname Other Name(s)

EXAMINATION NUMBER: ______________________

PRESENT GRADE/CLASS: ________________

DATE OF BIRTH: ________________________

Day Month Year

DATE OF EXAMINATION: ___________________

 SECTION A: COMPREHENSION
Read each of the five passages below carefully and attempt all the questions that follow it. Choose the
option, lettered A-E, that best answers the question based on the passage.

Passage I
You return from work on a muggy August evening. Your unwashed teenage son is on the sofa
playing Fortnite, as he has been doing for the past eight hours. Your daughter, scrolling through
Instagram, acknowledges your presence with a surly grunt. Not for the first time, you ask yourself:
why are school summer holidays so insufferably long?
This is a more serious question than it sounds. Many children will return from the long break having
forgotten much of what they were taught the previous year. One study from the American South
found that this “summer learning loss” could be as high as a quarter of the year’s education. Poor
children tend to be the worst affected, since rich ones typically live in homes full of books and are
packed off to summer camp to learn robotics, Latin or the flute. A study from Baltimore found that
variations in summer loss might possibly account for two-thirds of the achievement gap between rich
and poor children by the age of 14-15. Long holidays definitely strain the budgets of poor families,
since free school meals stop and extra child care kicks in.
Summer holidays vary greatly from country to country. South Korean children get only three weeks
off. Children in Italy and Turkey get a whopping three months. So do those in America, where their
parents, unless they are teachers, have an average of only three weeks off a year, among the shortest
holidays in the rich world. Companies should let them take a bit more, since burnt-out workers are
less productive. But, for their children, six weeks out of class is plenty.
Youngsters will hate the idea of a longer school year. Many grown-ups will object to it, too. It would
cost taxpayers more, since teachers would have to be paid for the extra days. Schools in hotter areas
would spend a fortune on air-conditioning. Sceptics also note that, although those barely rested South
Korean pupils do superbly in exams, they are often miserable. Is that really what you want for your
darlings?
More time in school need not mean repeating the same old lessons. Some extra drilling would be
beneficial, particularly for those falling behind. But the summer could also be a time for different
kinds of learning: critical thinking, practical skills, financial literacy, work placements with local
firms – schools should be free to experiment.

1. According to the author, how long are the summer holidays for children in America?
A. three weeks
B. six weeks
C. nine weeks
D. three months
E. four months

2. In the passage, “muggy” most nearly relates to _________.

A. mood
B. movement
C. occupation
D. time
E. weather

3. “Poor children tend to be the worst affected” by __________.

A. achievement gap
B. burnt-out workers
C. long summer holidays
D. strained budgets
E. summer learning loss
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4. The word “burnt-out” most nearly means _________.
A. bored
B. fatigued
C. injured
D. sick
E. unmotivated

5. Which of the following is NOT an argument against the author’s stance?

A. A longer school year is costlier for the government and schools.
B. Children hate the idea of a longer school year.
C. Children with a longer school year do superbly in examinations.
D. Children with a longer school year tend to be miserable.
E. Many adults reject the idea of a longer school year.

Passage II
King Midas had a great love for gold. His subjects made him large gifts of gold and his servants toiled
in gold mines to satisfy his desire for gold. But King Midas was insatiable.
Zeus, the chief god of Mount Olympus, decided to teach King Midas a lesson about gold. Zeus sent
Hermes, his messenger, to King Midas to ask for whatever gift he desired most.
“Thanks be to Zeus!” exclaimed Midas. “May he grant that everything I touch turns to gold.”
Hermes told Midas that his wish was granted, and he left. As soon as Midas was alone, he touched his
throne, which was carved out of ancient oak wood. Immediately, it turned into solid gold. Midas ran
about his palace, touching everything in his way – walls, curtains, chandeliers, carpets and whatever he
touched was transformed into gold.
His excitement did not last very long, however. Soon it was mealtime. Midas tried to bite into a leg of
chicken, but it turned into a piece of solid gold just as he got it to his lips. He picked up a roast potato
and it, too, turned into gold in his hand. Midas was now thoroughly hungry, thirsty and miserable.
Just at the moment his little daughter, his only child, came into the King’s dining room. Seeing her
father looking so sad, the little girl ran into his arms. As soon as he touched her, she turned into a gold
statue. Midas started wailing loudly as he held the statue, his daughter, in his arms. Now he thoroughly
hated his gift from Zeus. He hated gold.
Hermes, Zeus’ messenger, returned to Midas then. “Is anything the matter, King Midas?” he asked.
“Please, sir,” cried Midas, “ask Zeus to take away my golden touch. Please!” Then, as Hermes
was turning to go, Midas added, “And ask Zeus, please, to grant that everything I touch turns back into
what it was before.”
“Your wish is granted,” said Hermes, and left.
Can you guess the first thing that Midas touched after this?

6. As used in the passage, “roast” is a/an ________.

A. adjective
B. adverb
C. noun
D. pronoun
E. verb

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7. Zeus decided to teach King Midas a lesson about gold because _________.
A. King Midas made his subjects and servants toil in gold mines
B. King Midas was receiving gifts of gold meant for Zeus
C. Zeus wanted to put an end to the love King Midas had for gold
D. Zeus was the chief god of Mount Olympus
E. Zeus was uncomfortable with how rich King Midas was becoming

8. Why did the daughter of King Midas run into his arms?
A. He had an unhappy look.
B. She wanted him to touch her.
C. She was excited to see him.
D. She was hungry.
E. There was gold all over the house.

9. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A. Hermes, the loyal messenger
B. King Midas, lover of gold
C. The Daughter of King Midas
D. Toiling in the gold mine
E. Zeus, the chief god of Mount Olympus

10. What lesson can we draw from the passage?

A. All that glitters is not gold.
B. Be careful what you wish for.
C. Contentment is great gain.
D. Good name is better than riches.
E. One should not subject others to toil.

Passage III
Jesuit Memorial College (JMC) is a sister school of Loyola Jesuit College (LJC), Abuja and one of a
large number of Jesuit schools scattered throughout the world.
As a Jesuit school, we walk in the tradition of the founder of the Society of Jesus, St. Ignatius of Loyola.
St. Ignatius taught us that we are “created to praise, revere and serve God, our Lord.” Consequently,
our first duty as the members of the JMC community is to PRAISE GOD AT ALL TIMES (Laus Deo
Semper).
We can honour God in this way by attending Mass, other college services and religious assemblies in a
spirit of prayer and reverence and in our own private prayer. God is not to be found in the church and
chapels of JMC alone.
When we work, when we play sports, we serve others by example or by generously giving ourselves,
we are called to dedicate all the activities of our lives TO THE GREATER GLORY OF GOD (Ad
Maiorem Dei Gloriam). To help us remember this, the beginning of every piece of our written work is
captioned ‘A.M.D.G.’, and the end is captioned ‘L.D.S.’
These are the two traditional mottoes of the Society of Jesus. The third was added by the former Jesuit
General, Pedro Arrupe (called by some as the second Ignatius), who taught us to be Men and Women
for Others.
We live for others and not for ourselves. We think of how our actions and attitudes affect the wellbeing
of the whole community that surrounds us. We live for others when we behave graciously to those we
dislike and when we treat others and their properties with care and respect. We live for others when we
spend time to alleviate the sufferings of those outside the school community.

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Finally, we should always DO OUR UTMOST BEST (Quant Je Puis) in every area of life. We must
always strive to do more and never be satisfied with less: “Learn as much as you can, to become as
much as you can, so as to give as much as you can”.

11. As used in the passage, “sister” is a/an ________.

A. adjective
B. adverb
C. noun
D. pronoun
E. verb

12. As used in the passage, “alleviate” is synonymous with _________.

A. ease
B. embrace
C. end
D. feel
E. imitate

13. According to the passage, the mottoes of the Society of Jesus are ______________.
A. “Laus Deo Semper” and “Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam”
B. “Laus Deo Semper”, “Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam” and “Men and Women for Others”
C. “Laus Deo Semper”, “Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam” and “Quant Je Puis”
D. “Laus Deo Semper”, “Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam”, “Men and Women for Others” and
“Quant Je Puis”
E. “Men and Women for Others” and “Quant Je Puis”

14. According to the passage, we begin our written works with ‘A.M.D.G’ to remind us _____.
A. of the meaning of Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam
B. of the mottoes of the Society of Jesus
C. to dedicate the activities of our lives to God
D. to end the works with the caption, L.D.S
E. to serve others by example

15. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A. God is not found in the church and chapels of JMC alone.
B. Jesuit schools walk in the tradition of St. Ignatius of Loyola.
C. We can honour God by attending Mass.
D. We live for ourselves and not for others.
E. We should learn as much as we can so as to give as much as we can.

Passage IV
African babies are brought up on the spoken word. Songs are sung to celebrate their birth and their
being given names. Mothers and nurses or ayahs sing lullabies to babies to soothe them when they are
agitated and to lull them to sleep. The babies enjoy the sweet melodies and the lively rhythms of the
lullabies, but of course they are too young to understand the words. Indeed, although they are sung to
them, a lot of the words in the lullabies are not addressed to the babies. They are often an expression of
the mother’s or the ayah’s feelings about her situation and about the people around her. Lullabies
composed and sung by mothers usually dwell on the pride and joy of motherhood, hopes of greatness
for the baby and awareness of the jealousy of neighbours and even some members of the family.
The ayahs’ songs are different. They are often harsh and critical of the baby, its mother and the whole
family. Sometimes they even threaten the baby. This is not surprising. Ayahs are often young girls and
they find the task of looking after a baby quite difficult and tedious. Also, quite often these young nurses
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or ayahs are distant relatives of the mother or father of the baby, and they may not be treated very kindly
by the baby’s parents. They will, therefore, let out their anger and their frustration in the songs they
sing to the baby in their care.

16. As used in the passage, “ayah” most nearly means ________.

A. aunt
B. cousin
C. half-sibling
D. nanny
E. stepmother

17. According to the author, “a lot of the words in the lullabies are not addressed to the babies” because
the __________.

A. babies are brought up on the spoken word

B. babies are too young to understand the words
C. babies enjoy the sweet melodies and the lively rhythms of the lullabies
D. lullabies are often an expression of the mother’s or the ayah’s feelings
E. mothers and ayahs sing lullabies to babies to soothe them

18. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A. Ayahs are usually relatives of the parents of the baby.
B. Ayahs enjoy the task of looking after the babies.
C. Ayahs sing lullabies to express frustration.
D. Babies do not understand the words of the lullabies.
E. Mothers sing lullabies to express pride.

19. The tone of the author is ________.

A. critical
B. harsh
C. hypocritical
D. objective
E. persuasive

20. Judging from the passage, the author’s feeling towards African babies is _______.
A. detached
B. emotional
C. hateful
D. loving
E. spiteful

Passage V
Leonardo da Vinci was the son of a prosperous lawyer. He was born in Florence in Italy. His father
paid for his education and eventually sent him to be apprenticed to a sculptor. Leonardo, however, is
remembered today as an artist, and perhaps his most famous picture is the ‘Mona Lisa’ which was the
portrait of the wife of a wealthy merchant in Milan. Another famous painting is ‘The Last Supper’
which was a fresco painted on the wall of a dining room in a monastery in Milan. Unfortunately, over
the years, much of this painting has peeled away from the wall.
As well as being such a clever artist, Leonardo was also a skilled engineer and therefore many of the
princes of Italy wanted him to work for them. He helped to prepare the fortifications of the city; he built
locks and harbours and made various weapons. While working in Milan he filled dozens of notebooks
with drawings and notes. All his writing was done from right to left, and some said that this was to

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confuse people. This is not the reason, because Leonardo was left-handed and found it easier to write
in that way.
Amongst the plans he left behind were ones for a submarine, a helicopter and an aeroplane. Of course,
technical knowledge had not advanced far enough for anyone to build submarines or helicopters.
Hundreds of years were to pass before Leonardo’s clever guesses were shown to be possible.
Amongst his other achievements, Leonardo dissected dead bodies and discovered how muscles work;
he examined the heart and found its purpose, and he found that air was not made up of just one gas. He
was also a skilled musician. One would then conclude by saying that probably the most brilliant man
of the Renaissance was Leonardo da Vinci.

21. According to the passage, Leonardo da Vinci is most famous for his _________
A. art
B. discoveries
C. engineering
D. music
E. writing

22. The author described Leonardo da Vinci as probably the most brilliant man of the Renaissance
period because _________.

A. Leonardo da Vinci filled dozens of notebooks with drawings and notes.

B. Leonardo da Vinci is remembered for many outstanding things he did.
C. Leonardo da Vinci was a skilled musician.
D. Leonardo da Vinci was the son of a prosperous lawyer.
E. Leonardo received a good education.

23. As used in the passage, “writing” is a/an ________.

A. adjective
B. adverb
C. noun
D. pronoun
E. verb

24. “and some said that this was to confuse people”

In the expression above, “some” is a/an ________.
A. adjective
B. adverb
C. noun
D. pronoun
E. verb

25. As used in the passage, “dissect” most nearly means ________.

A. bury
B. cut up
C. paint
D. preserve
E. write about

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 SECTION B: REGISTER
From the options, lettered A to E, choose the word that best fills the spaces numbered 26-30.

The rate at which students fail the Junior School English Language Examination is very ____26____.
Studies show that less than 40 percent of the total number of ____27____ who ____28____ for the
examination achieved a ‘credit’ pass. What are the causes of this mass failure? One of the major factors
is ____29____ number of teachers. In most schools, an English Language teacher teaches over two
hundred students every day. Under this condition, no thorough teaching can be done. For students to
acquire useful ____30____ in the use of English, they must be given assignments, which must be
marked to enable them to correct their mistakes.

A B C D E
26 alarming gratifying important impressive significant
27 academics candidates graduates participants pupils
28 applied contested sat vied wrote
29 adequate high inadequate poor unqualified
30 certificate experience grades practice skills

SECTION C: LEXIS AND STRUCTURE

From the options, lettered A-E, choose the word or group of words that best completes the following
sentences.

31. The word “boycott” derives from the name of Charles C. Boycott, an English land agent in Ireland
__________ ostracized for refusing to reduce rent.

A. that had been

B. that was
C. which was
D. who had been
E. who was

32. Although Mandy is younger than her sister, she ___________two.

A. has been the taller of the
B. is the more taller of the
C. is the most tall of the
D. is the taller of the
E. is the tallest of the

33. ________ the office now?

A. Who's in
B. Whos in
C. Whos’ in
D. Whose in
E. Whose' in

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34. While everyone was asleep the thief made ________ with the money.
A. away
B. down
C. of
D. out
E. up

35. There are five _______ on the banana tree.

A. monkey
B. monkeyes
C. monkeys
D. monkies
E. monkys

36. Adam should read this book. _______ he?

A. can
B. can’t
C. should
D. shouldn’t
E. won’t

Sentences 37-40 contain errors of some kind. Read each sentence carefully and choose the option,
lettered A-E, that correctly identifies its error.

37. David was known for belching; and telling inappropriate jokes in public.
A. Capitalization
B. Grammar
C. Hyphenation
D. Punctuation
E. Spelling

38. Graduation from High School is considered a momentous occasion by many.

A. Capitalization
B. Grammar
C. Hyphenation
D. Punctuation
E. Spelling

39. Nurses plays a vital role in the healthcare profession.

A. Capitalization
B. Grammar
C. Hyphenation
D. Punctuation
E. Spelling

40. The park was serine at twilight.

A. Capitalization
B. Grammar
C. Hyphenation
D. Punctuation
E. Spelling

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 SECTION D: PHONETICS
From the options, lettered A-E, choose the word that contains the phonetic symbol indicated.

41. /æ/
A. Cage
B. Cat
C. Face
D. Late
E. Pay

42. /aɪ/
A. Bear
B. Ewe
C. Eye
D. Pale
E. Tail

43. /k/
A. Chaos
B. Chase
C. Cheap
D. Chip
E. Church

SECTION E: LOGICAL REASONING

From the options, lettered A-E, choose the word or group of words that best completes each of the
following expressions.

44. Drip is to gush as ________.

A. bend is to angle
B. cry is to laugh
C. curl is to roll
D. dent is to destroy
E. stream is to tributary

45. Soldier is to barrack as ________.

A. chew is to mouth
B. cover is to book
C. dress is to hem
D. lion is to den
E. prince is to princess

46. Fox is to chicken as _______.

A. cat is to mouse
B. dog is to cat
C. lion is to pumpkin
D. rabbit is to hen
E. rat is to mouse

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In questions 47-50, indicate whether the third statement is True, False or Uncertain by choosing the
corresponding the option, lettered A-C.

47.
First Statement: The silver fish can swim faster than the black fish.
Second Statement: The gold fish can swim faster than the black fish.

Third Statement: The gold fish can swim faster than the silver fish.

If the first two statements are true, then the third statement is _________.
A. True
B. False
C. Uncertain

48.
First Statement: All rabbits have fur.
Second Statement: Some rabbits are pets.

Third Statement: Some pets have fur.

If the first two statements are true, then the third statement is _________.
A. True
B. False
C. Uncertain

49.
First Statement: Deciduous trees shed their leaves in the dry season.
Second Statement: Conifers keep their leaves all year round.

Third Statement: Conifers are deciduous.

If the first two statements are true, then the third statement is _________.
A. True
B. False
C. Uncertain

50.
First Statement: If it is raining, then the ground is wet.
Second Statement: The ground is wet.

Third Statement: It is raining.

If the first two statements are true, then the third statement is _________.
A. True
B. False
C. Uncertain

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