NECO 2023 ENGLISH LANGUAGE COMPREHENSION PASSAGE PAPER II By: Dinzei Maureen Marris

NECO ENGLISH LANGUGE PAPER II

SECTION

CONTINUOUS WRITING

(50 MARKS)

You are required to answer only one question from this section. Your answer should not be less than 450 words. All questions carry equal marks. You are advised to spend about 45 minutes on this section.

1.      Your mother written to you asking of the profession you would like to pursue after leaving secondary school. Reply her letter, stating your preferred profession and giving reasons for making the choice.

2.      Write a story to illustrate the saying: Charity begins at home.

3.      You are the chief speaker in a debate on the topic: The Establishment of Federal Government College is a Blessing to the Nigerian Child. Write your assignment for or against the proposition.

4.      Write an article suitable for publication in your school magazine on the topic: Indiscipline among Secondary School Students and Ways of Curbing it.

SECTION B

COMPREHENSION

(20 MARKS)

You are advised to spend about 30 minutes on this section.

5.      Read the passage below carefully and answer the questions on it.

In this part of the world, one group that is yet to be appreciated by many is “The Teacher”. The teacher belongs to the noble profession. He is the moulder of the society who frames the minds of the young ones that will take charge of the economic sector of the country in the future. He develops the intellectual capacity of the would-be leaders. He develops from cradle the analytical mind of the future diplomats and nurtures to fruition the ideals of great political thinkers.

When religious leaders fail to impart the right knowledge, the teacher takes up the gauntlet for the re-orientation of the child who has been indoctrinated with the teaching of affluence and fanaticism. This re-orientation is done using moral instruction in schools. He emphasizes the need for justice, love, honesty, sincerity, diligence, discipline, reward and punishment. The teacher re-discovers the positive values in the maladjusted children. The guidance counselor-a teacher- has been forced to perform the abandoned roles of the parents.

However, it is disappointing that all these become slave labour as the teacher has been seriously denigrated. The efforts of the teachers are not appreciated by the parents who have neglected their duties, abandoning them to the teacher. The, teacher, a builder of nation’s human resources, is unfortunately despised and neglected by the people he made and institutions he is serving. The ruling class does not care about him. His issues are not looked upon as important and are hardly remembered only during graduation ceremonies but forgotten as soon as the imparted knowledge places one in a position of authority.

The teacher who depends on the society which ought to protect him, incidentally, has been enveloped by so much insensitivity of the society such that he is now abandoned to his fate.

The teacher has been unjustly accused of imposition of all forms of illegal levies and given all manner of names. He is the target of every other group critical of the falling standard of education whereas the teacher has no power to improve on the infrastructure of the school and has no access to grants for improvement of libraries or laboratories. He is only to be seen and not to be heard. Consequently, the teacher cannot disabuse the mind of the misinformed public that has failed to recognize his role as the greatest contributor to national growth and development.

Under this circumstance that the teacher has found himself, he has to work harder in order to train and produce better informed leaders. If he relaxes, things would get worse. If he works harder, there is hope that tomorrow would be better for the nation and for him.

a.       State two attributes of the teacher as mentioned in the passage. (2marks)

b.      Mention two instances in the passage that show that the public has been misinformed about the roles of the teacher. (2marks)

c.       What irony of life is highlighted in the passage? (2marks)

d.      What wrong values do religious leaders impart on the child? (2marks)

e.       How has the teacher corrected this teaching? (2marks)

f.       “…the teacher takes up the gauntlet…”

What does the expression above mean? (1mark)

g.       “…who have neglected their duties…”  

i.                    What grammatical name is given to this expression? (1mark)

ii.                  What is its function in the sentence? (2marks)

h.      Find one word or phrase which is nearest in meaning to and can at the same time replace each of the following words as used in the passage:

        i.            noble (1 mark)

      ii.            cradle (1 mark)

    iii.            impart (1 mark)

    iv.            affluence (1 mark)

      v.            denigrated (1 mark)

    vi.            important (1 mark)