JAMB English Language 2013 Past Questions & Answers

Music plays a vital role in human society. Good music provides entertainment and emotional release, and it accompanies activities ranging from dances to religious ceremonies. Music is heard everywhere; in auditoriums, homes, elevators, schools, sports arenas and on the streets. Recorded performance is a sensational innovation elevation of the twentieth century. Thanks to modern technology like compact disc (CD) digital video disc (DVD) and the MP 3 player, music can now be heard in divers places. Such places include living rooms and cars, jogging paths can also function as new kinds of concert halls where we can hear what we want as often as we want.

Live performances provide a special excitement. In a live performance artistes put themselves on the line. To avoid embarrassment, the artiste must train beforehand and ensure that technical difficulties are avoided and that the listeners are actively involved. What is performed, how it sounds to the excitement of such a moment and feelings are exchanged between stage and hall.

Our response to a musical performance or an artiste is subjective and rooted in deep feelings. Even professional critics can differ strongly in their evaluations of a performance. There is no one ''Truth'' about what we hear and feel. Does the performed project a concept, an overall idea, or an emotion? Do some sections of a piece, but not others, communicate something to you? Can you figure out why? It is up to us as listeners to evaluate performances of music so that we can fully enjoy it. People listen to music in many different ways. For instance, music can be a barely perceived background as in a film or a totally absorbing experience as in a concert.

The passage describes a live performance where feelings are exchanged 'between stage and hall'. In this context, 'stage' is used figuratively to represent the person performing on it, which is the artiste. Likewise, 'hall' represents the people watching in the concert hall, who are the audience, making the correct answer the interaction between the artiste and the audience.

Common mistake: Students may mistakenly choose 'artiste and his music', focusing only on the performer and forgetting that the word 'hall' represents the location of the audience.

Music plays a vital role in human society. Good music provides entertainment and emotional release, and it accompanies activities ranging from dances to religious ceremonies. Music is heard everywhere; in auditoriums, homes, elevators, schools, sports arenas and on the streets. Recorded performance is a sensational innovation elevation of the twentieth century. Thanks to modern technology like compact disc (CD) digital video disc (DVD) and the MP 3 player, music can now be heard in divers places. Such places include living rooms and cars, jogging paths can also function as new kinds of concert halls where we can hear what we want as often as we want.

Live performances provide a special excitement. In a live performance artistes put themselves on the line. To avoid embarrassment, the artiste must train beforehand and ensure that technical difficulties are avoided and that the listeners are actively involved. What is performed, how it sounds to the excitement of such a moment and feelings are exchanged between stage and hall.

Our response to a musical performance or an artiste is subjective and rooted in deep feelings. Even professional critics can differ strongly in their evaluations of a performance. There is no one ''Truth'' about what we hear and feel. Does the performed project a concept, an overall idea, or an emotion? Do some sections of a piece, but not others, communicate something to you? Can you figure out why? It is up to us as listeners to evaluate performances of music so that we can fully enjoy it. People listen to music in many different ways. For instance, music can be a barely perceived background as in a film or a totally absorbing experience as in a concert.

This question requires you to make a logical conclusion based on the information in the entire passage. The passage explains that music can be a 'barely perceived background' in one setting (like a film) or a 'totally absorbing experience' in another (like a concert). This shows that the way music is appreciated changes depending on the context or environment, making option D the correct deduction.

Common mistake: Students may wrongly choose option A because the passage mentions the 'special excitement' of live performances, leading them to believe that appreciation in a crowd is always better.

Music plays a vital role in human society. Good music provides entertainment and emotional release, and it accompanies activities ranging from dances to religious ceremonies. Music is heard everywhere; in auditoriums, homes, elevators, schools, sports arenas and on the streets. Recorded performance is a sensational innovation elevation of the twentieth century. Thanks to modern technology like compact disc (CD) digital video disc (DVD) and the MP 3 player, music can now be heard in divers places. Such places include living rooms and cars, jogging paths can also function as new kinds of concert halls where we can hear what we want as often as we want.

Live performances provide a special excitement. In a live performance artistes put themselves on the line. To avoid embarrassment, the artiste must train beforehand and ensure that technical difficulties are avoided and that the listeners are actively involved. What is performed, how it sounds to the excitement of such a moment and feelings are exchanged between stage and hall.

Our response to a musical performance or an artiste is subjective and rooted in deep feelings. Even professional critics can differ strongly in their evaluations of a performance. There is no one ''Truth'' about what we hear and feel. Does the performed project a concept, an overall idea, or an emotion? Do some sections of a piece, but not others, communicate something to you? Can you figure out why? It is up to us as listeners to evaluate performances of music so that we can fully enjoy it. People listen to music in many different ways. For instance, music can be a barely perceived background as in a film or a totally absorbing experience as in a concert.

The question asks for a reason given in the passage for the excitement of live performances. The passage states that the artiste must ensure 'that the listeners are actively involved' and that 'feelings are exchanged between stage and hall.' This active involvement and exchange of feelings directly means the performance is interactive, making option A the correct answer.

Common mistake: Students may wrongly choose option B because the passage mentions the artiste trains to 'avoid technical difficulties', but this is a preparation, not a guarantee that the performance will be error-free.

Music plays a vital role in human society. Good music provides entertainment and emotional release, and it accompanies activities ranging from dances to religious ceremonies. Music is heard everywhere; in auditoriums, homes, elevators, schools, sports arenas and on the streets. Recorded performance is a sensational innovation elevation of the twentieth century. Thanks to modern technology like compact disc (CD) digital video disc (DVD) and the MP 3 player, music can now be heard in divers places. Such places include living rooms and cars, jogging paths can also function as new kinds of concert halls where we can hear what we want as often as we want.

Live performances provide a special excitement. In a live performance artistes put themselves on the line. To avoid embarrassment, the artiste must train beforehand and ensure that technical difficulties are avoided and that the listeners are actively involved. What is performed, how it sounds to the excitement of such a moment and feelings are exchanged between stage and hall.

Our response to a musical performance or an artiste is subjective and rooted in deep feelings. Even professional critics can differ strongly in their evaluations of a performance. There is no one ''Truth'' about what we hear and feel. Does the performed project a concept, an overall idea, or an emotion? Do some sections of a piece, but not others, communicate something to you? Can you figure out why? It is up to us as listeners to evaluate performances of music so that we can fully enjoy it. People listen to music in many different ways. For instance, music can be a barely perceived background as in a film or a totally absorbing experience as in a concert.

The question asks for the reason music is vital to human society based on the passage. The second sentence of the passage directly states that 'Good music provides entertainment and emotional release'. Option D, 'music provides enjoyment and relief', is the correct answer because 'enjoyment' is another word for entertainment, and 'relief' is another word for emotional release.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option C because the passage mentions CDs, MP3s, and DVDs, but these are examples of *how* music is heard, not the fundamental reason *why* it is vital to society.

Music plays a vital role in human society. Good music provides entertainment and emotional release, and it accompanies activities ranging from dances to religious ceremonies. Music is heard everywhere; in auditoriums, homes, elevators, schools, sports arenas and on the streets. Recorded performance is a sensational innovation elevation of the twentieth century. Thanks to modern technology like compact disc (CD) digital video disc (DVD) and the MP 3 player, music can now be heard in divers places. Such places include living rooms and cars, jogging paths can also function as new kinds of concert halls where we can hear what we want as often as we want.

Live performances provide a special excitement. In a live performance artistes put themselves on the line. To avoid embarrassment, the artiste must train beforehand and ensure that technical difficulties are avoided and that the listeners are actively involved. What is performed, how it sounds to the excitement of such a moment and feelings are exchanged between stage and hall.

Our response to a musical performance or an artiste is subjective and rooted in deep feelings. Even professional critics can differ strongly in their evaluations of a performance. There is no one ''Truth'' about what we hear and feel. Does the performed project a concept, an overall idea, or an emotion? Do some sections of a piece, but not others, communicate something to you? Can you figure out why? It is up to us as listeners to evaluate performances of music so that we can fully enjoy it. People listen to music in many different ways. For instance, music can be a barely perceived background as in a film or a totally absorbing experience as in a concert.

This question requires you to find a statement that is true based on the information given in the text. The passage explains that for a live performance, an artiste must train beforehand to avoid embarrassment. This training, which is musical practice, improves the quality of the performance that the audience and critics will evaluate. Therefore, the music (in the form of training) enhances the 'performance' that is subject to 'evaluation', making option A correct.

Common mistake: Students may mistakenly choose option D because the passage clearly states that music provides 'emotional release' and influences feelings, but option A is a more specific point drawn from the discussion on how artistes prepare for live shows.

In 1951, the Government decided to start a Pottery Training Centre where new and more advantaged technical methods, especially glazing, could be taught. The centre was intended to serve the whole of the defunct Northern Region, and there were several reasons for choosing Abuja . The first was the excellence of the traditional pottery made in the Emirate. Secondly, firewood is plentiful; this is a most important consideration, because in the making of glazed pottery, more firewood than clay is required. Thirdly, there are good clays, and good local sources for the raw materials needed for the glazes. Fourthly, water, which is another important raw material, is plentiful. Finally, Abuja is in a central position for the whole region and is a town where learners from many different parts can find a congenial temporary home, and where the Emir and his Council are actively interested in the project.

Nearly all the making is done by a process called throwing;, so called because the lumps of clay are thrown the potter onto a wheel-head. They are weigh out so that each pot will be roughly the same size; for example, for making pint-sized jugs, the lumps of clay will be one and a half kilogrammes. The potter sits on the saddle of the wheel and spins it by pushing a pedal with his left foot. He has a bowl of water, a loofah, a bamboo knife, a pointed stick or porcupine quill, a wooden-smoothing tool which potters call a rib, and a piece of wire-like object that is used for wedging. He makes the wheel-heal slightly damp, and throws the lumps into the middle. The first work is to force the lump to the centre, then he presses his thumb into the middle of the lump, using water to keep it slippery. When the bottom is of the right thickness, he begins to draw up the walls until they are of the right height. Then he shapes the belly and shoulder of the pot. He trims off any waste clay. In this way, a small and medium- sized pot can be made quickly and accurately.

This question tests your ability to find specific information directly stated in the passage. The last sentence of the passage says that with the described method, 'a small and medium-sized pot can be made quickly and accurately.' Option A, which states that pots can be made 'quickly and correctly', is the correct answer because 'accurately' and 'correctly' mean the same thing in this context.

Common mistake: Students might wrongly choose option D, assuming that a machine like a potter's wheel makes the job easy and requires no training, but the passage clearly states that a 'Training Centre' was established to 'teach' the methods.

In 1951, the Government decided to start a Pottery Training Centre where new and more advantaged technical methods, especially glazing, could be taught. The centre was intended to serve the whole of the defunct Northern Region, and there were several reasons for choosing Abuja . The first was the excellence of the traditional pottery made in the Emirate. Secondly, firewood is plentiful; this is a most important consideration, because in the making of glazed pottery, more firewood than clay is required. Thirdly, there are good clays, and good local sources for the raw materials needed for the glazes. Fourthly, water, which is another important raw material, is plentiful. Finally, Abuja is in a central position for the whole region and is a town where learners from many different parts can find a congenial temporary home, and where the Emir and his Council are actively interested in the project.

Nearly all the making is done by a process called throwing;, so called because the lumps of clay are thrown the potter onto a wheel-head. They are weigh out so that each pot will be roughly the same size; for example, for making pint-sized jugs, the lumps of clay will be one and a half kilogrammes. The potter sits on the saddle of the wheel and spins it by pushing a pedal with his left foot. He has a bowl of water, a loofah, a bamboo knife, a pointed stick or porcupine quill, a wooden-smoothing tool which potters call a rib, and a piece of wire-like object that is used for wedging. He makes the wheel-heal slightly damp, and throws the lumps into the middle. The first work is to force the lump to the centre, then he presses his thumb into the middle of the lump, using water to keep it slippery. When the bottom is of the right thickness, he begins to draw up the walls until they are of the right height. Then he shapes the belly and shoulder of the pot. He trims off any waste clay. In this way, a small and medium- sized pot can be made quickly and accurately.

This question tests your ability to find specific information within the reading passage. The text clearly states, 'They are weigh out so that each pot will be roughly the same size'. This sentence directly answers the question, confirming that weighing the lumps of clay is how the potter ensures the pots are almost identical.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option C, 'By knowing what to do from experience', because it sounds logical in real life, but the question requires you to use only the information given in the passage.

In 1951, the Government decided to start a Pottery Training Centre where new and more advantaged technical methods, especially glazing, could be taught. The centre was intended to serve the whole of the defunct Northern Region, and there were several reasons for choosing Abuja . The first was the excellence of the traditional pottery made in the Emirate. Secondly, firewood is plentiful; this is a most important consideration, because in the making of glazed pottery, more firewood than clay is required. Thirdly, there are good clays, and good local sources for the raw materials needed for the glazes. Fourthly, water, which is another important raw material, is plentiful. Finally, Abuja is in a central position for the whole region and is a town where learners from many different parts can find a congenial temporary home, and where the Emir and his Council are actively interested in the project.

Nearly all the making is done by a process called throwing;, so called because the lumps of clay are thrown the potter onto a wheel-head. They are weigh out so that each pot will be roughly the same size; for example, for making pint-sized jugs, the lumps of clay will be one and a half kilogrammes. The potter sits on the saddle of the wheel and spins it by pushing a pedal with his left foot. He has a bowl of water, a loofah, a bamboo knife, a pointed stick or porcupine quill, a wooden-smoothing tool which potters call a rib, and a piece of wire-like object that is used for wedging. He makes the wheel-heal slightly damp, and throws the lumps into the middle. The first work is to force the lump to the centre, then he presses his thumb into the middle of the lump, using water to keep it slippery. When the bottom is of the right thickness, he begins to draw up the walls until they are of the right height. Then he shapes the belly and shoulder of the pot. He trims off any waste clay. In this way, a small and medium- sized pot can be made quickly and accurately.

The question tests the meaning of the phrase 'trims off any waste clay' as used in the passage. 'To trim' means to cut small amounts off something to make it neater, and 'waste' refers to something that is not needed. Therefore, when the potter 'trims off any waste clay', he is cutting away the extra, unnecessary parts to give the pot a clean and finished shape.

Common mistake: Students might choose 'cut the clay' because 'trim' means to cut, but this option is not specific enough as it misses the key idea of removing 'waste' or 'unnecessary' material, which is crucial to the meaning.

In 1951, the Government decided to start a Pottery Training Centre where new and more advantaged technical methods, especially glazing, could be taught. The centre was intended to serve the whole of the defunct Northern Region, and there were several reasons for choosing Abuja . The first was the excellence of the traditional pottery made in the Emirate. Secondly, firewood is plentiful; this is a most important consideration, because in the making of glazed pottery, more firewood than clay is required. Thirdly, there are good clays, and good local sources for the raw materials needed for the glazes. Fourthly, water, which is another important raw material, is plentiful. Finally, Abuja is in a central position for the whole region and is a town where learners from many different parts can find a congenial temporary home, and where the Emir and his Council are actively interested in the project.

Nearly all the making is done by a process called throwing;, so called because the lumps of clay are thrown the potter onto a wheel-head. They are weigh out so that each pot will be roughly the same size; for example, for making pint-sized jugs, the lumps of clay will be one and a half kilogrammes. The potter sits on the saddle of the wheel and spins it by pushing a pedal with his left foot. He has a bowl of water, a loofah, a bamboo knife, a pointed stick or porcupine quill, a wooden-smoothing tool which potters call a rib, and a piece of wire-like object that is used for wedging. He makes the wheel-heal slightly damp, and throws the lumps into the middle. The first work is to force the lump to the centre, then he presses his thumb into the middle of the lump, using water to keep it slippery. When the bottom is of the right thickness, he begins to draw up the walls until they are of the right height. Then he shapes the belly and shoulder of the pot. He trims off any waste clay. In this way, a small and medium- sized pot can be made quickly and accurately.

The question asks for the meaning of the word 'congenial' as used in the passage. The passage describes Abuja as a place where learners can find a 'congenial temporary home', suggesting a pleasant, suitable, and friendly environment. Therefore, 'nice' is the best synonym among the options because it captures this sense of being pleasant and agreeable.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose 'congested' because it sounds somewhat similar to 'congenial', but it actually means overcrowded, which is the opposite of the intended meaning in the context of a suitable home.

Whatever may be its wider implications, the explosion of hydrogen bomb is, for the meteorologist, simply another atmospheric disturbance. It should therefore be classed with certain rare natural 11 (A. programmes B. occurrences C. resources D. laws), such as volcanic 12 But there are certain features of a man-made disturbance that requires special examination. As with all events on this 13 It is impossible to describe what happens in details. However we can be reasonably sure of the main effects, and most impressive of these arises from 14 The immediate result of the 15 is that the air surrounding the bomb is raised very rapidly to an enormously high 16 The hot gases expand violently as great 17 compressing the air around them into what is called 18 or blast wave that is responsible for much of terrible destructive power of the weapon.

Another kind of wave arises because of the weight of the air. The force of the explosion lifts the 19 (A. atmosphere B. space C. height D. form around the bomb. The gravity waves can also resemble ordinary 20 (A. stream B. lake C. ocean D. river) waves. Waves of this type are normally felt by human beings and they have their effect on the weather.

This question tests your ability to choose the best word for the context. The passage compares a bomb explosion to 'certain rare natural...' things. An 'occurrence' is an event or something that happens. Since the passage gives a volcanic eruption as an example of a natural disturbance, 'occurrences' is the most suitable word to fill the gap.

Common mistake: A common mistake is choosing 'Resources' because the phrase 'natural resources' is very familiar, but the context here is about events or disturbances, not materials.