JAMB English Language 2020 Past Questions & Answers

Theatre in the recent past used to be a very popular art in traditional African society. It used to be a point of intersection where members of the community not only come to entertain themselves, 'but join heads together'. In the traditional context of African drama, therefore, theatre was popular and respectable institution which preserved the people's culture and tradition. Theatre was popular with the people because it emphasized community participation, peace and progress. The presentations focused on the people's lives, their aspirations, fears, and hopes. But today, the situation is different. Theatre is becoming very unpopular.

Africa of the present age is pre-occupied with many problems yearning for immediate solutions. The continent is facing hydra- head challenges - challenges on the political, social, and economic scenes. In a world where Science and Technology are seen as the solutions to these problems, little attention is paid to the arts. Literature generally, and drama in particular is often rated very low on the utility-scale. Many Africa today look at drama and theatre as a mere thing of fun, a joke so to say.

Elitism is another barrier that militates against the appreciation of theatre as a communal art. Folk theatre is appreciated by a negligible number of people, contemporary focus is on literary theatre. Unfortunately, literary theatre only pretends to serve the interest of its society while in reality, it has a foreign audience in mind. The use of European and American theatrical conventions by our academic playwrights can bear witness to this anomaly.

The popularity of the literary African theatre is further marred by the medium of communication as most literary dramas in Africa are written in foreign languages which are not understood by many Africans. The question often asked is whether the artist should climb down to the level of his community of stay at his exalted height and wait for the community to gradually move up to him.

The question asks for the reason theatre was popular in the past. The passage states that theatre was popular because it 'emphasized community participation' and 'focused on the people's lives, their aspirations, fears, and hopes'. Option D, which says it was 'communal' and 'reflected the common concerns of the people', is a direct summary of these points from the text.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option B because the passage mentions political and social problems, but it connects these issues to the present decline of theatre, not its past popularity.

Theatre in the recent past used to be a very popular art in traditional African society. It used to be a point of intersection where members of the community not only come to entertain themselves, 'but join heads together'. In the traditional context of African drama, therefore, theatre was popular and respectable institution which preserved the people's culture and tradition. Theatre was popular with the people because it emphasized community participation, peace and progress. The presentations focused on the people's lives, their aspirations, fears, and hopes. But today, the situation is different. Theatre is becoming very unpopular.

Africa of the present age is pre-occupied with many problems yearning for immediate solutions. The continent is facing hydra- head challenges - challenges on the political, social, and economic scenes. In a world where Science and Technology are seen as the solutions to these problems, little attention is paid to the arts. Literature generally, and drama in particular is often rated very low on the utility-scale. Many Africa today look at drama and theatre as a mere thing of fun, a joke so to say.

Elitism is another barrier that militates against the appreciation of theatre as a communal art. Folk theatre is appreciated by a negligible number of people, contemporary focus is on literary theatre. Unfortunately, literary theatre only pretends to serve the interest of its society while in reality, it has a foreign audience in mind. The use of European and American theatrical conventions by our academic playwrights can bear witness to this anomaly.

The popularity of the literary African theatre is further marred by the medium of communication as most literary dramas in Africa are written in foreign languages which are not understood by many Africans. The question often asked is whether the artist should climb down to the level of his community of stay at his exalted height and wait for the community to gradually move up to him.

The question asks for a reason why theatre is unpopular, based on the provided passage. The passage states that in a world focused on Science and Technology, 'drama in particular is often rated very low on the utility-scale'. This phrase directly means that theatre is not considered very useful, which matches option A perfectly.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option D because the passage says theatre is seen as 'a mere thing of fun, a joke so to say,' but this is a description of the perception, while option A explains the underlying reason for that perception (low utility).

Theatre in the recent past used to be a very popular art in traditional African society. It used to be a point of intersection where members of the community not only come to entertain themselves, 'but join heads together'. In the traditional context of African drama, therefore, theatre was popular and respectable institution which preserved the people's culture and tradition. Theatre was popular with the people because it emphasized community participation, peace and progress. The presentations focused on the people's lives, their aspirations, fears, and hopes. But today, the situation is different. Theatre is becoming very unpopular.

Africa of the present age is pre-occupied with many problems yearning for immediate solutions. The continent is facing hydra- head challenges - challenges on the political, social, and economic scenes. In a world where Science and Technology are seen as the solutions to these problems, little attention is paid to the arts. Literature generally, and drama in particular is often rated very low on the utility-scale. Many Africa today look at drama and theatre as a mere thing of fun, a joke so to say.

Elitism is another barrier that militates against the appreciation of theatre as a communal art. Folk theatre is appreciated by a negligible number of people, contemporary focus is on literary theatre. Unfortunately, literary theatre only pretends to serve the interest of its society while in reality, it has a foreign audience in mind. The use of European and American theatrical conventions by our academic playwrights can bear witness to this anomaly.

The popularity of the literary African theatre is further marred by the medium of communication as most literary dramas in Africa are written in foreign languages which are not understood by many Africans. The question often asked is whether the artist should climb down to the level of his community of stay at his exalted height and wait for the community to gradually move up to him.

The question requires you to understand how the author uses specific words within the provided text. By reading the passage, you will notice the author switches between 'theatre' and 'drama' when talking about the same subject. For example, the passage starts with 'Theatre in the recent past' and later says 'In the traditional context of African drama', showing that the terms are being used to mean the same thing, or interchangeably.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose 'differently' because they know the technical difference between the words in literary studies, but the question is strictly about how they are used within this specific passage.

Theatre in the recent past used to be a very popular art in traditional African society. It used to be a point of intersection where members of the community not only come to entertain themselves, 'but join heads together'. In the traditional context of African drama, therefore, theatre was popular and respectable institution which preserved the people's culture and tradition. Theatre was popular with the people because it emphasized community participation, peace and progress. The presentations focused on the people's lives, their aspirations, fears, and hopes. But today, the situation is different. Theatre is becoming very unpopular.

Africa of the present age is pre-occupied with many problems yearning for immediate solutions. The continent is facing hydra- head challenges - challenges on the political, social, and economic scenes. In a world where Science and Technology are seen as the solutions to these problems, little attention is paid to the arts. Literature generally, and drama in particular is often rated very low on the utility-scale. Many Africa today look at drama and theatre as a mere thing of fun, a joke so to say.

Elitism is another barrier that militates against the appreciation of theatre as a communal art. Folk theatre is appreciated by a negligible number of people, contemporary focus is on literary theatre. Unfortunately, literary theatre only pretends to serve the interest of its society while in reality, it has a foreign audience in mind. The use of European and American theatrical conventions by our academic playwrights can bear witness to this anomaly.

The popularity of the literary African theatre is further marred by the medium of communication as most literary dramas in Africa are written in foreign languages which are not understood by many Africans. The question often asked is whether the artist should climb down to the level of his community of stay at his exalted height and wait for the community to gradually move up to him.

This question tests your ability to identify a specific point or argument made by the author in the text. The passage clearly states that 'most literary dramas in Africa are written in foreign languages which are not understood by many Africans'. Since academic playwrights are the creators of this literary drama, this statement directly supports option A as a key argument.

Common mistake: Students may wrongly choose option C because it is a valid conclusion from the passage, but option A represents a more direct and explicitly stated argument mentioned in the text.

Theatre in the recent past used to be a very popular art in traditional African society. It used to be a point of intersection where members of the community not only come to entertain themselves, 'but join heads together'. In the traditional context of African drama, therefore, theatre was popular and respectable institution which preserved the people's culture and tradition. Theatre was popular with the people because it emphasized community participation, peace and progress. The presentations focused on the people's lives, their aspirations, fears, and hopes. But today, the situation is different. Theatre is becoming very unpopular.

Africa of the present age is pre-occupied with many problems yearning for immediate solutions. The continent is facing hydra- head challenges - challenges on the political, social, and economic scenes. In a world where Science and Technology are seen as the solutions to these problems, little attention is paid to the arts. Literature generally, and drama in particular is often rated very low on the utility-scale. Many Africa today look at drama and theatre as a mere thing of fun, a joke so to say.

Elitism is another barrier that militates against the appreciation of theatre as a communal art. Folk theatre is appreciated by a negligible number of people, contemporary focus is on literary theatre. Unfortunately, literary theatre only pretends to serve the interest of its society while in reality, it has a foreign audience in mind. The use of European and American theatrical conventions by our academic playwrights can bear witness to this anomaly.

The popularity of the literary African theatre is further marred by the medium of communication as most literary dramas in Africa are written in foreign languages which are not understood by many Africans. The question often asked is whether the artist should climb down to the level of his community of stay at his exalted height and wait for the community to gradually move up to him.

The phrase 'climb down' is used figuratively to mean moving from a high, complex position to a lower, simpler one. The passage contrasts this with staying at an 'exalted height', which implies using difficult language. Therefore, for a playwright to 'climb down' means they should make their language simpler and more accessible for the community to understand.

Common mistake: Students may wrongly choose option C ('use language that is most appreciated by the people') because it sounds positive, but it is not the direct meaning of the idiom 'climb down', which specifically refers to reducing complexity.

The financing of the university will always be a vexatious problem not only because of the need for it to maintain a level of independence that allows for the thriving of intellectual pursuit but also for the size of the funding that is required to maintain an acceptable level of infrastructure in a modern university. The experience of the Nigerian university in recent years has, in this regard, been almost alarming. The funding levels requited constitute sufficient reasons for diversifying the sources. Even if the government was in a position on its own to meet all of the university's financial requirements, I consider it desirable that every effort be made to reduce such contribution in the interest of university autonomy. I also hold the view that the university should seek to become dependent, in a substantial way, on funds generated from within. In other words, the sources of funding the university should be diversified as much as possible. Based on this principle, ·we can identify four sources - government, industry, students, and individual philanthropists. I must add quickly that each source has its own set of problems in its continuous interaction with the university, which ought to be addressed here.

Of all the four major sources of financing university education mentioned above, contribution through fees from the students involves intricate issues of special concern If government gives as an expression of its obligation to promote the general welfare of society if industry gives in order to enhance its chances of procurement of needed human information and material resources, as well as enhance its social responsibility if the general public gives as an indication of voluntary support for a worthy social cause, students (and by inference, their parents) should give in order to purchase an economic good for meeting their own felt need in the expectation that they will be satisfied with the product purchased. .

[Adapted from Onosode, GO: 'The politics of Managing People, Prospects and Poverty: The Role of the University, 1990 OAU Convocation

The first sentence of the passage states that a university needs independence to allow for 'the thriving of intellectual pursuit.' The word 'thrive' means to grow, develop, or prosper vigorously. This idea of successful growth is best captured by the phrase 'to expand without any hindrances,' making option C the correct answer.

Common mistake: Students may wrongly pick option D, 'carry out effective research', because research is a key part of intellectual pursuit, but the word 'thriving' in the passage suggests a broader idea of overall growth and expansion, which is better captured by option C.

The financing of the university will always be a vexatious problem not only because of the need for it to maintain a level of independence that allows for the thriving of intellectual pursuit but also for the size of the funding that is required to maintain an acceptable level of infrastructure in a modern university. The experience of the Nigerian university in recent years has, in this regard, been almost alarming. The funding levels requited constitute sufficient reasons for diversifying the sources. Even if the government was in a position on its own to meet all of the university's financial requirements, I consider it desirable that every effort be made to reduce such contribution in the interest of university autonomy. I also hold the view that the university should seek to become dependent, in a substantial way, on funds generated from within. In other words, the sources of funding the university should be diversified as much as possible. Based on this principle, ·we can identify four sources - government, industry, students, and individual philanthropists. I must add quickly that each source has its own set of problems in its continuous interaction with the university, which ought to be addressed here.

Of all the four major sources of financing university education mentioned above, contribution through fees from the students involves intricate issues of special concern If government gives as an expression of its obligation to promote the general welfare of society if industry gives in order to enhance its chances of procurement of needed human information and material resources, as well as enhance its social responsibility if the general public gives as an indication of voluntary support for a worthy social cause, students (and by inference, their parents) should give in order to purchase an economic good for meeting their own felt need in the expectation that they will be satisfied with the product purchased. .

[Adapted from Onosode, GO: 'The politics of Managing People, Prospects and Poverty: The Role of the University, 1990 OAU Convocation

The question asks for the writer's reason for wanting multiple funding sources. The passage explicitly states, '...I consider it desirable that every effort be made to reduce such contribution [from the government] in the interest of university autonomy.' This shows that the writer's primary goal for diversifying funds is to protect the university's independence, which is what 'enhance university autonomy' means.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose option C because the passage does mention the large amount of funding needed, but the author's specific argument is that autonomy is the most important reason, even if the government could provide all the money.

The financing of the university will always be a vexatious problem not only because of the need for it to maintain a level of independence that allows for the thriving of intellectual pursuit but also for the size of the funding that is required to maintain an acceptable level of infrastructure in a modern university. The experience of the Nigerian university in recent years has, in this regard, been almost alarming. The funding levels requited constitute sufficient reasons for diversifying the sources. Even if the government was in a position on its own to meet all of the university's financial requirements, I consider it desirable that every effort be made to reduce such contribution in the interest of university autonomy. I also hold the view that the university should seek to become dependent, in a substantial way, on funds generated from within. In other words, the sources of funding the university should be diversified as much as possible. Based on this principle, ·we can identify four sources - government, industry, students, and individual philanthropists. I must add quickly that each source has its own set of problems in its continuous interaction with the university, which ought to be addressed here.

Of all the four major sources of financing university education mentioned above, contribution through fees from the students involves intricate issues of special concern If government gives as an expression of its obligation to promote the general welfare of society if industry gives in order to enhance its chances of procurement of needed human information and material resources, as well as enhance its social responsibility if the general public gives as an indication of voluntary support for a worthy social cause, students (and by inference, their parents) should give in order to purchase an economic good for meeting their own felt need in the expectation that they will be satisfied with the product purchased. .

[Adapted from Onosode, GO: 'The politics of Managing People, Prospects and Poverty: The Role of the University, 1990 OAU Convocation

This question requires you to find the closest meaning of a phrase from the passage. The word 'intricate' means complex or complicated, and 'issues of special concern' refers to matters that need careful attention. Therefore, 'complex matters requiring careful thoughts' is the option that best defines the entire expression.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option D because 'knotty problems' is a good synonym for 'intricate issues,' but they overlook that the passage does not state these issues concern 'everybody'.

The financing of the university will always be a vexatious problem not only because of the need for it to maintain a level of independence that allows for the thriving of intellectual pursuit but also for the size of the funding that is required to maintain an acceptable level of infrastructure in a modern university. The experience of the Nigerian university in recent years has, in this regard, been almost alarming. The funding levels requited constitute sufficient reasons for diversifying the sources. Even if the government was in a position on its own to meet all of the university's financial requirements, I consider it desirable that every effort be made to reduce such contribution in the interest of university autonomy. I also hold the view that the university should seek to become dependent, in a substantial way, on funds generated from within. In other words, the sources of funding the university should be diversified as much as possible. Based on this principle, ·we can identify four sources - government, industry, students, and individual philanthropists. I must add quickly that each source has its own set of problems in its continuous interaction with the university, which ought to be addressed here.

Of all the four major sources of financing university education mentioned above, contribution through fees from the students involves intricate issues of special concern If government gives as an expression of its obligation to promote the general welfare of society if industry gives in order to enhance its chances of procurement of needed human information and material resources, as well as enhance its social responsibility if the general public gives as an indication of voluntary support for a worthy social cause, students (and by inference, their parents) should give in order to purchase an economic good for meeting their own felt need in the expectation that they will be satisfied with the product purchased. .

[Adapted from Onosode, GO: 'The politics of Managing People, Prospects and Poverty: The Role of the University, 1990 OAU Convocation

In the passage, the author argues for increasing the number of funding sources for universities beyond just the government, listing four potential sources. To 'diversify' in this context means to expand or broaden the range of these sources. Therefore, 'widened' is the best option as it correctly describes the action of increasing the number and variety of places the university gets money from.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose 'varied' because it is a common synonym for 'diverse', but the passage's context emphasizes expanding the number of sources, which 'widened' captures more accurately.

The financing of the university will always be a vexatious problem not only because of the need for it to maintain a level of independence that allows for the thriving of intellectual pursuit but also for the size of the funding that is required to maintain an acceptable level of infrastructure in a modern university. The experience of the Nigerian university in recent years has, in this regard, been almost alarming. The funding levels requited constitute sufficient reasons for diversifying the sources. Even if the government was in a position on its own to meet all of the university's financial requirements, I consider it desirable that every effort be made to reduce such contribution in the interest of university autonomy. I also hold the view that the university should seek to become dependent, in a substantial way, on funds generated from within. In other words, the sources of funding the university should be diversified as much as possible. Based on this principle, ·we can identify four sources - government, industry, students, and individual philanthropists. I must add quickly that each source has its own set of problems in its continuous interaction with the university, which ought to be addressed here.

Of all the four major sources of financing university education mentioned above, contribution through fees from the students involves intricate issues of special concern If government gives as an expression of its obligation to promote the general welfare of society if industry gives in order to enhance its chances of procurement of needed human information and material resources, as well as enhance its social responsibility if the general public gives as an indication of voluntary support for a worthy social cause, students (and by inference, their parents) should give in order to purchase an economic good for meeting their own felt need in the expectation that they will be satisfied with the product purchased. .

[Adapted from Onosode, GO: 'The politics of Managing People, Prospects and Poverty: The Role of the University, 1990 OAU Convocation

The question requires you to identify the main focus of the passage regarding university funding. The passage begins by discussing the problems with funding and immediately points to the government's role, even arguing that its contribution should be reduced for the sake of university autonomy. The entire argument for diversifying funding is built around the central, emphasized problem of over-reliance on the government, making it the most discussed source.

Common mistake: Students might wrongly choose another option like 'students' because the author proposes diversifying funding sources, but the passage's main emphasis is on the existing problem, which revolves around government funding.