BECE Past Questions & Answers – 1997 (English)
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
PART 1
OBJECTIVE TEST
45 minutes
SECTION A COMPREHENSION
Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions which follow
PASSAGE I
When the car suddenly screeched to a halt sending tons of dust into the air, the children of the village ran helter-skelter. Then they rushed to Mr Opiah‟s compound where the car had stopped. They were delighted to see a car again after a very long time and marvelled at its beauty.
Akwasi Seth, Mr Opiah‟s eldest son, the darling boy of the village had finally arrived. The day before, the gong-gong had been beaten to announce the arrival of the first son of the village who had gone to learn the ways of the white man. Everybody was prepared to give him a rousing welcome.
Fervent preparations started there and then. However, the children‟s only anxiety was to see what the man
had brought and listen to what he had to say.
Meanwhile, Mr Opiah and his family, immaculately dressed and full of joy and anxiety, were seated in the house. There was great expectation written all over their faces. They had been told that their son would arrive at
7 a.m. but by 1 p.m. there was still no sign of him. So when they heard the screeching of the car, they all heaved
sighs of relief. They were extremely happy when Akwasi Seth entered the compound. The women began to sing his praises.
Akwasi had not forgotten his culture. He went round shaking hands with everybody. When it was his
father‟s turn the old man hugged him beaming with smiles. His mother also hugged him and shed tears of joy.
1. The children ran helter-skelter because ………….
A. they were expecting a car
B. of the sudden screeching of the car
C. they hadn‟t seen a car before
D. the car was marvellous
2. The villagers got to know that Akwasi Seth was arriving on that day because ………
A. the car stopped in front of Mr Opiah‟s house
B. the gong-gong beater had announced it
C. Mr Opiah had told them about it
D. The children ran to Mr Opiah‟s house
3. Mr Opiah‟s family members were anxious because they ……..
A. were afraid he might not come
B. were planning what to do for him
C. thought Akwasi Seth would not recognize them
D. were surprised at how greatly Akwasi Seth had changed
4. According to the passage, Akwasi Seth
A. was a truant
B. was immaculately dressed
C. shed tears of joy
D. was loved very much
5. Marvelled in the passage means
A. laughed
B. surrounded C. wondered D. entered
6. Akwasi‟s mother shed tears of joy because …………
A. Akwasi looked strange
B. she was ill
C. she was very happy
D. Akwasi remembered his culture
PASSAGE II
At the far end of the village beyond the houses, in its ground, stood the village school, ruled over by the head teacher, Mr Kodwo Twum. Surrounded by shady trees and with large games field to one side, it was one of the best schools in the area.
Mr Twum himself was a teacher of the old school, of the days when education had to be fought for, for the boys walked many kilometres for a chance to read and write. He was very strict, but was held in such esteem by both parents and teachers that no one resented his discipline. He took a personal interest in all his pupils and was affectionately known as “Master” by the big men in the city who had passed through his hands.
The ground round the school was always well kept and tidy, for cutting and weeding the grass was one of the punishments given to inattentive or insolent children. A small farm belonging to the school stretched down the hillside behind it and the children were taught the elements of farming as part of their lesson.
Master Twum‟s house was across the road from the school and next to that belonging to John Agyemang the catechist, so that the two men were often seen gossiping together in the evenings or going into the small village church to discuss parish affairs.
7. The school was to be found ………..
A. on the outskirts of the village
B. in the centre of the village
C. near Mr Kodwo Twum
D. with the houses.
8. According to the passage the school was surrounded by ……..
A. shady trees
B. the games field C. the best schools D. the village
9. Which of the following is not true of Mr Twum?
A. He was respected
B. He was a disciplinarian
C. He was hated by many people
D. He was liked by all his people
10. Insolent in the passage means
A. ruffian
B. difficult
C. disrespectful
D. lazy