Answer three questions in all: one question from Section A and
all the questions in Sections B and C.
SECTION A
ESSAY
[5O marks]
Answer one question only from this section.
All questions carry equal marks. Your answer should not be less than 450 words
You are advised to spend about 50 minutes on this section.
1. Your sister who is in school in another town has written to inform you of her plan to drop out of school. Write a reply to her, giving her three reasons why she should not carry out her plan.
[25 marks]
2. You recently watched a very interesting sports competition which your school won narrowly. Your friends who were not there have asked you to tell them how it all went. Narrate the details to them.
[25 marks]
3. Write a letter to the Chairman of the Parent-Teacher Association of your school, complaining about the dilapidated state of the recreational facilities, explaining the adverse effects that this has had on the students and requesting him to get the facilities rehabilitated.
[25 marks]
4. Write an article for publication in your school magazine expressing your views about compulsory extra lessons organized by schools after the normal school hours.
[25 marks]
5. Write a story to illustrate the saying: "Honesty is the best policy".
[25 marks]
SECTION B
COMPREHENSION
[20 marks]
You are advised to spend about 30 minutes on this section.
6. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
Olowogbowo High School had just opened its doors to fresh students to begin the first term. The large school premises was a beehive of activities as cars of different makes, Passenger buses of all brands and taxi cabs converged from different parts of the state on the school. Students from wealthy families and those from indigent background alike were now going to share the same facilities and do everything in common. Their background had ceased to matter and the school had indeed become a level playing field. The important factor was that they had come to the school for one common purpose - to prepare themselves to become functioning members of the society by making full use of the facilities and human resources at the school. They were there to develop their talents as best they could.
Gbola and Bose, who had never left the comfort of their palatial home, were part of the new intakes. They were brought to school in the family chauffeur-driven car and were among the first students to arrive. The school was not yet in full session as only the new students and school prefects were around. The students walked towards their hostels with their bags and boxes of provisions and school supplies. While some talked excitedly about their expectations, others were strung up like cats on hot bricks.
One of the house prefects in charge of Gbola and Bose's hostel apparently decided to pick on Bose. She beckoned to Bose to come over. Bose hesitated but Gbola nudged her to comply. The prefect looked sternly at Bose and sized her up. Suddenly, she remarked, "You must come from a wealthy family. What do you have in your box?" Bose calmly replied, "I have my books, shoes, clothes and provisions. You must have some expensive foreign biscuits and juice in your box, I am sure", the prefect said rudely. Bose replied in the affirmative, the prefect then ordered Bose to bring out the biscuits and juice.
Bose was completely taken aback. She was not ready to part with her provisions. Again, Gbola whispered to her and she obeyed. Surprisingly, Bose did not lose her temper throughout the encounter. She opened the box, brought out the provisions and handed them to the prefect respectfully. The prefect was impressed by Bose's action and attitude. She told her to keep her belongings, saying that she had thought Bose would not obey her, coming as she did from a wealthy family. She wished Bose a pleasant stay at school, and left. Bose thought: "All is well that ends well." She could not help but wonder what would have happened if she had not obeyed.
(a) What purpose brought students to Olowogbowo High School?
[2 marks]
(b) Why was the school described as a level playing field?
[2 marks]
(c) Why did the prefect pick on Bose?
[2 marks]
(d) How did Gbola intervene during the encounter?
[2 marks]
(e) How did Bose react to the encounter?
[2 marks]
(f) What did Bose learn from the encounter?
[2 marks]
(h) "......like cats on hot bricks......" What is the meaning of this expression?
[2 marks]
(i) "......who had never left the comfort of their palatial home......"
(i) What is the grammatical name given to this expression as it is used in the passage?
(ii) What is its function?
[4 marks]
(j) For each of the following words, find another word or phrase which means the same and which can replace it as it is used in the passage:
(i) wealthy; (ii) purpose; (iii) excitedly; (iv) beckoned; (v) sternly; (vi) encounter
[6 marks]
SECTION C
SUMMARY
[30 marks]
You are advised to spend about 40 minutes on this section.
7. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
Man has three basic needs: food, shelter and clothing. Clothes are important as they cover man's nakedness and keep him warm. They are made from fabric, fibre and filament. Africa is one of the continents that provide raw materials for the world's textile industry. However, it is unfortunate that most countries in the continent have not explored this industry to the fullest. Many factors have been documented as responsible for inhibiting the growth of the textile industry in Africa.
The meteoric rise of imports of textiles into the African market, which was formerly dominated by locally-produced fabrics, has shifted the balance in favour of importation. Domestic companies have to compete with foreign imported fabrics, which are relatively cheap and affordable. This development has destroyed the economic base of the local textile industry. Little wonder there is an alarming decrease in the number of indigenous textile manufacturing companies.
The textile industry in Africa has been infiltrated by smuggled fabrics and second-hand clothing materials. Their unabated influx has cost most African countries the collapse of their textile industry. Smuggling has assumed a frightening dimension. The competitive advantage these smugglers have over domestic manufacturers further enhances their business because smuggled fabrics are less expensive than locally-made fabrics due to a multiplicity of taxes paid by domestic companies. The unchecked smuggling of foreign textiles has adversely affected the local textile industry.
The problem of the industry with the economic recession of the 1980s and was aggravated by globalization which helped the foreign multi-national textile manufacturing companies to dominate Africa's textile market. All across Africa, textile producers and exporters are reeling from the impact of new trade rules. These rules, negotiated at the World Trade Organization (WTO), Opened up the market, which had been protected before, thus providing a ready market for textiles produced outside the continent.
The outmoded technology used in the textile industry is worthy of note. The technology is laborious even though the products express Africa's rich cultural heritage. This technology creates difficulty in the acquisition of the raw materials for production. The most challenging part is the dyes needed for printing textile designs. The locally-manufactured dyes are very difficult to produce. They are normally obtained from processing barks and roots using an outmoded form of technology. In spite of the laborious work involved in producing the dyes, they are of low quality.
The raw materials needed for textile production are sourced from the agricultural sector. Therefore, there should be abundant production of cotton locally. The government should give incentives to local cotton growers to encourage the large-scale production of raw materials. Agricultural implements should be made available at affordable cost. People arrested in connection with smuggling, either the designs or the finished products, should be immediately prosecuted. Punishments severe enough to deter others should be meted out to offenders. If the laws are not stringent enough, new ones should be promulgated to deal with this. The local companies must be protected and be allowed to flourish so as to provide employment for the teeming populace.
The government can grant tax holidays to manufacturers operating in the textile sector to reduce their tax burden. This will grant them access to funds so as to improve their production capacity. The government can also make foreign exchange available to enable operators to import the necessary machinery to set up textile plants.
(a) In three sentences, one for each, summarize three factors that led to the collapse of the textile industry in Africa.
[6 marks]
(b) In three sentences, one for each, summarize how the local textile industry can be saved.
[6 marks]