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12th Jun, 2025 5:37 AM

BECE

BECE 1991- ENGLISH LANGUAGE

PASSAGE I

When Mr. Appiah looked at the two happy faces of his nephews, he forgot about his aching feet and smiled. He had spent the whole day showing Asare and Attah, who came from the village, around Accra. He was satisfied that they were happy. It was not until they were seated on a bench in the public garden that he realized how hot, tired and dusty he was.

It was a long time since he had walked so much. Like many other successful men, Mr. Appiah had acquired the habit of going everywhere in his car, so that day's sight-seeing expedition had worn him out.

"Well, what do you think of Accra?"

He asked the boys.
"Oh!" exclaimed Attah. "It's a wonderful place!"

"I didn't imagine any place could be like this, Uncle," said Asare, "Everything is so splendid. The roads are very wide and the buildings magnificent."

"Boys, don’t get the wrong impression. Today you’ve seen the best parts of our city, but there are bad areas with buildings falling apart, narrow streets and insanitary conditions. However, these buildings are being demolished," said Mr. Appiah.

1. Mr. Appiah was hot, tired, and dusty because:
   A. he had gone to bring his nephews from the village
   B. he had taken his nephews to the high buildings
   C. he had shown the boys around the city of Accra
   D. he had helped them to demolish the buildings
   E. he had been satisfied that the boys were happy
   
   
2. Where were the boys living before visiting Accra?
   A. In the high buildings
   B. In the village
   C. In the big houses
   D. In the public gardens
   E. In the buildings falling apart
   
   
3. "Everything is so splendid" means everything is:
   A. satisfactory
   B. magnificent
   C. important
   D. brilliant
   E. special
   
   
4. According to the passage, many successful men are used to:
   A. walking around Accra
   B. bringing their nephews from the village to Accra
   C. going on sight-seeing in the city of Accra
   D. talking with boys in the public gardens
   E. riding in cars wherever they go
   
   
5. Which of the following statements is not true according to the passage?
   A. Every part of the city is wonderful and splendid
   B. Mr. Appiah normally rides in his car
   C. Asare and Attah are in Accra for the first time
   D. The boys rested in the public gardens
   E. The boys as well as Mr. Appiah must have been hot, tired, and dusty
   
   
6. "Insanitary conditions" in the last paragraph means:
   A. some people in Accra are insane
   B. some places in Accra are dirty and unclean
   C. insanitary is seen in all conditions in the city
   D. unsatisfactory reports about the city
   E. there are many sanitary inspectors in Accra
   
   
7. "Demolished" as used in the passage means:
   A. replaced
   B. repaired
   C. painted
   D. pulled down
   E. hired out
   
   

PASSAGE II

The Akosombo Dam and the great Volta Lake are famous over the world. The two main reasons for building the dam were to generate electricity and to use the electricity for the production of aluminium from bauxite.

Aluminium is used throughout the world; so both the production of electricity and the production of aluminium are of great value to Ghana.

It may seem strange to talk about producing electricity by building a dam, but in fact a lot of dams have been built all over the world for this purpose. What happens is that a concrete wall, called a dam, is constructed across a river at a narrow point. A large lake then develops behind the wall. Tunnels are made in the dam so that water from the lake can rush fiercely through them. This powerful flow of water is used to drive huge machines called turbines, to generate electricity. All that the engineers need is the water rushing down from the lake, and all this costs them nothing! But of course, the building of the dam and the fixing of the machines cost a great deal of money.

Big dams have been built in many parts of the world. The Akosombo Dam is one of the biggest. However, the lake, which has been formed, is in fact the biggest man-made lake in the world.

8. The main reasons why Akosombo Dam was built were:
   A. to produce electricity to manufacture aluminium
   B. to produce electricity from aluminium and bauxite
   C. to find the mineral called bauxite and use it
   D. to use aluminium and electricity
   E. to make aluminium, bauxite, and electricity
   
   
9. Aluminium is produced from:
   A. dams
   B. electricity
   C. bauxite
   D. machines
   E. tunnels
   
   
10. From the passage, dams are built all over the world mainly to:
    A. produce aluminium from bauxite
    B. provide water for the generation of electricity
    C. extract bauxite from lakes
    D. provide water for drinking
    E. make electricity cheap
    
    
11. Which of the following statements is not true according to the passage?
    A. The Akosombo Dam is the biggest in the world
    B. The production of both electricity and aluminium is of great value to Ghana
    C. Water from the lake runs fiercely through tunnels
    D. The Akosombo dam is valuable to Ghana
    E. A great collection of water running through tunnels can produce electricity anywhere in the world
    
    
12. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
    A. In building dams, rivers are blocked at their broadest points
    B. Water is used to produce electricity
    C. Building the dam and fixing machines to produce electricity cost nothing at all
    D. In producing electricity, engineers need a lot of petrol to drive the machines
    E. Turbines are used in the production of electricity
    
    
13. The most suitable title for the passage is:
    A. Akosombo and Bauxite
    B. Electricity from Water
    C. Dams of the World
    D. Electricity and Power
    E. Aluminium from Electricity
    
    

SECTION B: VOCABULARY (SYNONYMS)

Choose from the alternatives lettered A to D the one which is nearest in meaning to the underlined word in each sentence.

14. Your dress material is inferior to what I bought from the shop. This means that your dress material is:
    A. of poor quality
    B. very beautiful
    C. brightly coloured
    D. expensive
    
    
15. The girl is a spendthrift: she used all her pocket money to buy a pair of shoes. This means:
    A. careless
    B. bold
    C. extravagant
    D. kind
    
    
16. The pupils in the town often help in communal activities. This means that they help in:
    A. all activities
    B. interesting activities
    C. public activities
    D. usual activities
    
    
17. The aroma of Kate’s food made everyone hungry. This means the food:
    A. smells good
    B. is tasty
    C. is spicy
    D. is valuable
    
    

18. He wasn’t at the scene of the accident, ______?
    A. wasn’t he
    B. isn’t it
    C. did he
    D. was he
    
    
19. You don’t speak Chinese, ______?
    A. do you
    B. can you
    C. don’t you
    D. won’t you
    
    
20. We worked hard in our final year, ______?
    A. did we
    B. isn’t it
    C. aren’t we
    D. didn’t we
    
    
21. They have lost the match, ______?
    A. didn’t they
    B. isn’t it
    C. haven’t they
    D. is it
    
    
22. He has stolen the box ______:
    A. in which we kept the gold chain
    B. which we kept in the gold chain
    C. we kept the gold chain
    D. where we kept the gold chain
    
    
23. ______ hard he tried, Adansi came last in the test.
    A. Whatever
    B. How
    C. Whenever
    D. However
    
    
24. Akwetey did the exercise ______:
    A. even though he was sick
    B. during which he was sick
    C. but he was sick
    D. for which he was sick
    
    
25. We are not allowed ______:
    A. to walk at the lawn
    B. to be walking across the lawn
    C. walking across the lawn
    D. to walk across the lawn
    
    
26. Everybody was pleased ______ the pastor’s sermon.
    A. for
    B. in
    C. with
    D. at
    
    
27. John’s father congratulated him ______ his success in the examination.
    A. on
    B. during
    C. at
    D. to
    
    
28. The patient is generally recovering ______ his illness:
    A. from
    B. with
    C. for
    D. during
    
    
29. We have been in this school ______ three years.
    A. since
    B. in
    C. by
    D. for
    
    
30. It would be unwise to ______ the chance of making extra money.
    A. throw away
    B. throw in
    C. throw over
    D. throw by
    
    
31. Koku was sad when he lost his mother, but he will soon ______ it:
    A. get along
    B. get on
    C. get by
    D. get over
    
    
32. ______ these words in your dictionary.
    A. Look around
    B. Look on
    C. Look up
    D. Look about
    
    
33. If he ______ the elections, he would have become an assemblyman.
    A. won
    B. has won
    C. had won
    D. should win
    
    
34. If he continues to work hard, he ______ his examination with ease.
    A. will pass
    B. is passing
    C. has passed
    D. would pass
    
    
35. The news he brought ______ bad:
    A. are
    B. were
    C. has been
    D. was
    
    

SECTION D: VOCABULARY (ANTONYMS)

36. The headmaster thanked his teachers for a wonderful job done.
    A. quick
    B. difficult
    C. big
    D. bad
    E. odd
    
    
37. The present-day youth still indulge in all forms of drug abuse.
    A. avoid
    B. increase
    C. discourage
    D. disallow
    E. discontinue
    
    
38. Some people prefer to eat lean meat.
    A. uncooked
    B. fatty
    C. spoilt
    D. bloody
    E. tasty
    
    
39. Kojo’s teacher was reluctant to accept his explanation for being late to school.
    A. willing
    B. afraid
    C. unable
    D. planning
    E. likely
    
    
40. The workers wanted their director to hold the meeting.
    A. continue
    B. delay
    C. cancel
    D. support
    E. interrupt
    
    

SECTION B: THEORY QUESTIONS

1. Your class teacher has punished you for something you did not do. Write a letter to your headmaster or headmistress explaining why you think you have been punished unfairly.
   
   
2. You would like to continue your education in the senior secondary school, but your parents do not want you to. Write a letter to a relative explaining why you want to continue your education and asking him or her for help.
   
   
3. Describe a market scene in your town or village.
   
   
4. Write a story that ends: I suddenly woke up and realised it was all a dream.
   
   

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