JAMB Literature in English questions

295 questions with answers and explanations. Tap an option to check yourself.

1. Question 141· Literary appreciation: unseen poetry· JAMB

   Read the poem and answer the question. The Harmattan Teacher He comes each year without a bell, this dusty teacher from the north; he cracks our lips to make us tell how little all our lotions are worth. He paints the mango leaves in grey, he hides the sun behind a veil, and mothers wrap their babies' clay- soft shoulders in a woollen shawl. But when he leaves in early March, the sky returns, washed clean and wide, and every tree beneath its arch puts on new leaves, like a bride. (An original poem written for AdmitMe practice.)

   'he hides the sun behind a veil' refers to

   • Anight
   • Ba solar eclipse
   • Crain clouds
   • Dthe dusty haze of the harmattan

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   Explanation and discussion

2. Question 142· Literary appreciation: unseen poetry· JAMB

   Read the poem and answer the question. Market Morning The market wakes before the sun, a thousand voices braided into one; tomatoes blush in pyramids of red, and yams lie sleeping in their dusty bed. A child counts change with careful thumbs, the drummer's echo, then the trader comes, and all the noise, the haggling and the cries, are how a city learns to harmonise. (An original poem written for AdmitMe practice.)

   The rhyme scheme of the poem is

   • Afree verse with no rhyme
   • Babab
   • Cabcb
   • Drhyming couplets

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   Explanation and discussion

3. Question 143· Literary appreciation: unseen poetry· JAMB

   Read the poem below and answer the question. The Lagoon Fisherman (an AdmitMe poem) Before the cockerel clears its throat, Baba is pushing out his boat; the paddle dips, the water sighs, and mist lies heavy on his eyes. He casts his net, a widening moon, and sings a slow, unhurried tune; the fish, those silver whispers, run to meet the coming of the sun. His back is bent, his hands are old, his bones remember every cold; yet still each dawn he takes the oar: the sea is all he's living for.

   In the poem, 'the water sighs' is an example of

   • Alitotes
   • Bsimile
   • Chyperbole
   • Dpersonification

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   Explanation and discussion

4. Question 144· Literary appreciation: unseen poetry· JAMB

   Read the poem and answer the question. Market Morning The market wakes before the sun, a thousand voices braided into one; tomatoes blush in pyramids of red, and yams lie sleeping in their dusty bed. A child counts change with careful thumbs, the drummer's echo, then the trader comes, and all the noise, the haggling and the cries, are how a city learns to harmonise. (An original poem written for AdmitMe practice.)

   The last two lines suggest that the noise of the market

   • Ais what brings the city together
   • Bshould be stopped
   • Cfrightens the child
   • Dhas no meaning

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   Explanation and discussion

5. Question 145· Literary appreciation: unseen poetry· JAMB

   Read the poem and answer the question. Market Morning The market wakes before the sun, a thousand voices braided into one; tomatoes blush in pyramids of red, and yams lie sleeping in their dusty bed. A child counts change with careful thumbs, the drummer's echo, then the trader comes, and all the noise, the haggling and the cries, are how a city learns to harmonise. (An original poem written for AdmitMe practice.)

   'a thousand voices braided into one' suggests

   • Aa quarrel between two traders
   • Bcomplete silence
   • Cmany voices blending into a single sound
   • Done singer

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   Explanation and discussion

6. Question 146· Literary appreciation: unseen poetry· JAMB

   Read the poem below and answer the question. Harmattan Morning (an AdmitMe poem) The dust walks in before the sun, a grey shawl over Kano's roofs; the neem trees cough, the camels run in silence on their padded hoofs. My mother wraps the fire in ash and coaxes it with patient breath, while outside, sharp as any lash, the cold wind whispers news of death. But noon will crack the shawl apart, and light will pour like honey down; the drum of day will find its heart and wake the sleeping, dusty town.

   'light will pour like honey down' contains a

   • Ametaphor
   • Bsimile
   • Cpun
   • Dparadox

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   Explanation and discussion

7. Question 147· Literary appreciation: unseen poetry· JAMB

   Read the poem and answer the question. The Harmattan Teacher He comes each year without a bell, this dusty teacher from the north; he cracks our lips to make us tell how little all our lotions are worth. He paints the mango leaves in grey, he hides the sun behind a veil, and mothers wrap their babies' clay- soft shoulders in a woollen shawl. But when he leaves in early March, the sky returns, washed clean and wide, and every tree beneath its arch puts on new leaves, like a bride. (An original poem written for AdmitMe practice.)

   The mood of the last stanza is one of

   • Aboredom
   • Bfear
   • Canger
   • Drenewal and joy

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   Explanation and discussion

8. Question 148· Literary appreciation: unseen poetry· JAMB

   Read the poem below and answer the question. The Lagoon Fisherman (an AdmitMe poem) Before the cockerel clears its throat, Baba is pushing out his boat; the paddle dips, the water sighs, and mist lies heavy on his eyes. He casts his net, a widening moon, and sings a slow, unhurried tune; the fish, those silver whispers, run to meet the coming of the sun. His back is bent, his hands are old, his bones remember every cold; yet still each dawn he takes the oar: the sea is all he's living for.

   The tone of the last stanza of the poem is one of

   • Aadmiration for the fisherman's devotion
   • Bmockery
   • Canger
   • Dfear

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   Explanation and discussion

9. Question 149· Literary appreciation: unseen poetry· JAMB

   Read the poem below and answer the question. The Lagoon Fisherman (an AdmitMe poem) Before the cockerel clears its throat, Baba is pushing out his boat; the paddle dips, the water sighs, and mist lies heavy on his eyes. He casts his net, a widening moon, and sings a slow, unhurried tune; the fish, those silver whispers, run to meet the coming of the sun. His back is bent, his hands are old, his bones remember every cold; yet still each dawn he takes the oar: the sea is all he's living for.

   The description of the net as 'a widening moon' is

   • Aa metaphor
   • Ba simile
   • Can apostrophe
   • Dan oxymoron

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   Explanation and discussion

10. Question 150· Literary appreciation: unseen poetry· JAMB

    Read the poem and answer the question. Market Morning The market wakes before the sun, a thousand voices braided into one; tomatoes blush in pyramids of red, and yams lie sleeping in their dusty bed. A child counts change with careful thumbs, the drummer's echo, then the trader comes, and all the noise, the haggling and the cries, are how a city learns to harmonise. (An original poem written for AdmitMe practice.)

    The overall tone of the poem is

    • Aappreciative and celebratory
    • Bangry
    • Cmournful
    • Dfearful

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    Explanation and discussion

11. Question 151· Literary appreciation: unseen poetry· JAMB

    Read the poem below and answer the question. Harmattan Morning (an AdmitMe poem) The dust walks in before the sun, a grey shawl over Kano's roofs; the neem trees cough, the camels run in silence on their padded hoofs. My mother wraps the fire in ash and coaxes it with patient breath, while outside, sharp as any lash, the cold wind whispers news of death. But noon will crack the shawl apart, and light will pour like honey down; the drum of day will find its heart and wake the sleeping, dusty town.

    The rhyme scheme of each stanza of the poem is

    • Aaabb
    • Babab
    • Cabba
    • Dabcb

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    Explanation and discussion

12. Question 152· Literary appreciation: unseen poetry· JAMB

    Read the poem below and answer the question. Harmattan Morning (an AdmitMe poem) The dust walks in before the sun, a grey shawl over Kano's roofs; the neem trees cough, the camels run in silence on their padded hoofs. My mother wraps the fire in ash and coaxes it with patient breath, while outside, sharp as any lash, the cold wind whispers news of death. But noon will crack the shawl apart, and light will pour like honey down; the drum of day will find its heart and wake the sleeping, dusty town.

    'the neem trees cough' is an example of

    • Apersonification
    • Bsimile
    • Chyperbole
    • Donomatopoeia

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    Explanation and discussion

13. Question 153· Literary appreciation: unseen poetry· JAMB

    Read the poem and answer the question. Market Morning The market wakes before the sun, a thousand voices braided into one; tomatoes blush in pyramids of red, and yams lie sleeping in their dusty bed. A child counts change with careful thumbs, the drummer's echo, then the trader comes, and all the noise, the haggling and the cries, are how a city learns to harmonise. (An original poem written for AdmitMe practice.)

    'tomatoes blush' is an example of

    • Asimile
    • Bpersonification
    • Chyperbole
    • Dlitotes

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    Explanation and discussion

14. Question 154· Literary appreciation: unseen poetry· JAMB

    Read the poem below and answer the question. Harmattan Morning (an AdmitMe poem) The dust walks in before the sun, a grey shawl over Kano's roofs; the neem trees cough, the camels run in silence on their padded hoofs. My mother wraps the fire in ash and coaxes it with patient breath, while outside, sharp as any lash, the cold wind whispers news of death. But noon will crack the shawl apart, and light will pour like honey down; the drum of day will find its heart and wake the sleeping, dusty town.

    'a grey shawl over Kano's roofs' refers to the

    • Aharmattan dust haze
    • Bsmoke from the mother's fire
    • Cevening darkness
    • Drain clouds

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    Explanation and discussion

15. Question 155· Literary appreciation: unseen poetry· JAMB

    Read the poem below and answer the question. The Lagoon Fisherman (an AdmitMe poem) Before the cockerel clears its throat, Baba is pushing out his boat; the paddle dips, the water sighs, and mist lies heavy on his eyes. He casts his net, a widening moon, and sings a slow, unhurried tune; the fish, those silver whispers, run to meet the coming of the sun. His back is bent, his hands are old, his bones remember every cold; yet still each dawn he takes the oar: the sea is all he's living for.

    In the poem, 'those silver whispers' refers to the

    • Amist
    • Bwaves
    • Cstars
    • Dfish

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    Explanation and discussion

16. Question 156· Literary appreciation: unseen poetry· JAMB

    Read the poem and answer the question. The Harmattan Teacher He comes each year without a bell, this dusty teacher from the north; he cracks our lips to make us tell how little all our lotions are worth. He paints the mango leaves in grey, he hides the sun behind a veil, and mothers wrap their babies' clay- soft shoulders in a woollen shawl. But when he leaves in early March, the sky returns, washed clean and wide, and every tree beneath its arch puts on new leaves, like a bride. (An original poem written for AdmitMe practice.)

    In 'The Harmattan Teacher', the harmattan is presented through

    • Aa simile only
    • Bonomatopoeia
    • Cpersonification
    • Dan apostrophe to the reader

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    Explanation and discussion

17. Question 157· Literary appreciation: unseen poetry· JAMB

    Read the poem and answer the question. The Harmattan Teacher He comes each year without a bell, this dusty teacher from the north; he cracks our lips to make us tell how little all our lotions are worth. He paints the mango leaves in grey, he hides the sun behind a veil, and mothers wrap their babies' clay- soft shoulders in a woollen shawl. But when he leaves in early March, the sky returns, washed clean and wide, and every tree beneath its arch puts on new leaves, like a bride. (An original poem written for AdmitMe practice.)

    The rhyme scheme of the first stanza is

    • Aabab
    • Baabb
    • Cabba
    • Dabcd

    Show answer

    Explanation and discussion

18. Question 158· Literary appreciation: unseen poetry· JAMB

    Read the poem below and answer the question. The Lagoon Fisherman (an AdmitMe poem) Before the cockerel clears its throat, Baba is pushing out his boat; the paddle dips, the water sighs, and mist lies heavy on his eyes. He casts his net, a widening moon, and sings a slow, unhurried tune; the fish, those silver whispers, run to meet the coming of the sun. His back is bent, his hands are old, his bones remember every cold; yet still each dawn he takes the oar: the sea is all he's living for.

    Each stanza of 'The Lagoon Fisherman' rhymes

    • Aabab
    • Baabb
    • Cabba
    • Dabcb

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    Explanation and discussion

19. Question 159· Literary appreciation: unseen prose· JAMB

    Read the passage and answer the question. Obinna had promised himself that he would not look back at the bus park. Yet as the bus pulled away from Ninth Mile, groaning like an old man climbing stairs, he turned and saw his mother still standing by the roadside, her wrapper flapping in the dust. He had always thought leaving would feel like flying. Instead it felt like a rope being slowly pulled from his hands, inch by inch, until only the burn remained. (An original passage written for AdmitMe practice.)

    Obinna's turning to look back shows that

    • Ahe was angry with his mother
    • Bhis feelings were stronger than his promise
    • Che had forgotten his bag
    • Dthe bus had stopped

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20. Question 160· Literary appreciation: unseen prose· JAMB

    Read the passage below and answer the question. Mama Ngozi's shop stood at the corner of Ugbene Street like an old soldier who had refused to retire. Its zinc roof had rusted to the colour of kola nuts, and its door, which had not closed properly since the flood two rainy seasons ago, was held shut at night by a stone and a prayer. Yet every morning the children came, coins warm in their palms, to buy groundnuts and chin-chin, and every morning Mama Ngozi greeted each of them by name, as though each one were the first customer she had ever had. 'Business is not money,' she told her son Emeka, who had come home from Lagos with a phone that never stopped ringing and plans that never stopped growing. 'Business is people.' Emeka laughed and said she was living in the past. She only smiled and wiped the counter again.

    Mama Ngozi's words 'Business is people' show that she values

    • Alarge shops
    • Bquick profit
    • Cmodern technology
    • Dher relationships with customers

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    Explanation and discussion