Bece Past Questions & Answers – 2017

(English)

Objective Test
45 minutes
PART A
LEXIS AND STRUCTURE
SECTION A

1. John has given ……………..smoking

A. in
B. off
C. out
D. up

2. The crowd was ………………….large that the Director became frightened.

A. quite
B. so
C. too
D. very

3. When we got there, the buses ………………left.

A. are
B. had
C. have
D. were

4. The book was ……………to me.

A. gave
B. given
C. giving
D. to give

5. Auntie is the lady to ……………..I gave the list.

A. who
B. whom
C. which
D. whose

6. He’s your friend, ……………..?

A. doesn’t he
B. does he
C. isn’t he
D. isn’t it
7. Kay: You didn’t go to Accra did you?
Lee: ……………….
A. No, I did
B. No, I didn’t
C. Yes, did I
D. Yes, I didn’t

8. You had better ………………now.

A. left
B. leave
C. be leaving
D. to leave

9. Kwame asked his friend to ……………..him a pen.

A. borrow
B. excuse
C. lend
D. spare

10. She ended the letter, ………………….

A. ‘Yours sincerely’
B. ‘Your’s sincerely’
C. ‘Yours’ sincerely’
D. ‘Your sincerely’

11. The woman refused to sell me ……………….kerosene.

A. any
B. little
C. plenty
D. some

12. ‘Yes, ….…….a book,’ he said.

A. is
B. its
C. it’s
D. it

13. I know you are much ………………..than Esi.

A. tall
B. taller
C. tallest
D. the taller

14. Neither John nor his friend, …………….. a play to the end.
A. watch
B. watches
C. was watching
D. were watching

15. Araba and Osei are a devoted couple who love ………………
A. each other
B. one another
C. themselves
D. the other

SECTION B
Choose from the alternatives lettered A to D the one which is nearest in meaning to the underlined word in each sentence.

16. The welfare of students should be the concern of teachers.

A. growth
B. joy
C. wealth
D. well-being

17. He said the practice was alien to him.

A. boring
B. new
C. modern
D. unfamiliar

18. He said the story was fictitious.

A. artificial
B. false
C. interesting
D. real

19. The man placed an order for rice and stew at the restaurant.
A. a command
B. a demand
C. a request
D. a directive

20. There is nothing with which to compare the infinite knowledge and power of Providence.
A. endless
B. immeasurable
C. incomplete
D. inconstant

SECTION C
In each of the following sentences a group of words has been underlined. Choose from the alternatives lettered A to D the
one that best explains the underlined group of words.

21. Nimo worked hard after his business collapsed and soon found his feet.
This means that he
A. bought a new fleet of cars.
B. could walk again.
C. revived the business.
D. sold the rest of the business.

22. Manna lay aside some money for Baaba’s party. This means that Manna
A. refused to host the party
B. saved money for the party
C. spent money on the party
D. took a loan to organise the party

23. Mary described the occasion as a red-letter day. This means that the occasion was very
A. bloody
B. enjoyable
C. memorable
D. rough

24. George has been relieved of his post. This means that George has been
A. dismissed
B. given another assignment
C. demoted
D. promoted

25. Foli and Adzovi hit if off quite well. This means they
A. fight often.
B. get on very well.
C. play as a team.
D. present good arguments

SECTION D
From the list of words lettered A to D, choose the one that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the word underlined in
each sentence.

26. People in our village are polite to strangers.

A. cruel
B. mean
C. rude
D. unfair

27. Fishes are plentiful in the pond.

A. little
B. scarce
C. small
D. unusual

28. The price of petrol has fallen for no reason.

A. aggravated
B. doubled
C. risen
D. weakened

29. Cann worked hard to stock the shop.

A. decorated
B. empty
C. fill
D. reinforce

30. There was mayhem as the crowd scattered.

A. anger
B. fear
C. order
D. riot

END OF PAPER

****************ANSWERS
JUNE 2017
ENGLISH LANGUAGE 1
ANSWERS
OBJECTIVE TEST

1. D. up
2. B. so
3. B. had
4. B. given
5. B. whom
6. C. isn’t he
7. B. No, I didn’t
8. B. leave
9. C. lend
10. A. ‘Yours sincerely’
11. A. any
12. C. it’s
13. B. taller
14. B. watches
15. A. each other
16. D. well-being
17. D. unfamiliar
18. B. false
19. C. a request
20. B. immeasurable
21. C. revived the business
22. B. saved money for the party
23. C. memorable
24. A. dismissed
25. B. get on very well
26. C. rude
27. B. scarce
28. C. risen
29. B. empty
30. C. order

JUNE 2017
ENGLISH LANGUAGE 2
1 hour

This paper consists of three parts: A, B and C. Answer three questions in all; one question from Part A and all the
questions in Part B and Part C.

PART A
ESSAY WRITING
[30 MARKS]
Answer one question only from this part
Your composition should be about 250 words long.
Credit will be given for clarity of expression and orderly presentation of material.

1. You have been installed a chief in your hometown. Write a letter to your friend in another school telling him, at least,
two things you intend doing to develop the town.

2. Write an article for publication in one of the national newspapers on the topic:
The usefulness of the mobile phone.

3. Write a story that ends with the expression: So it pays to be kind to strangers.

PART B
COMPREHENSION
[30 marks]
4. Read the following passage carefully and answer all the questions which follow.

My desire to win gold and also see the sea drove me to a small coastal village. Though I had little food and drink, I
covered a great distance. Towards dusk, I could sight the sea from a distance. I was really excited. Its immense size
stretched as far as the eyes could see.
As the stars appeared in the sky, I ascended the hill and saw the village of my quest. I was dead with fatigue. To
worsen my plight, there were blisters on my heel so I had to take a rest. But as I descended the hill, I was welcomed
by the quietness of the place.
The villagers were enjoying the cool evening air. From the lagoon came the croaking of frogs. Children played and
ran about excitedly. The village life was natural and simple. I sat on a bench close by. How good it was to rest!
I resolved to rest on the bench. As I lay there, a sheet of mist rolled from the sea and settled upon the village. In a
few minutes, the village was filled with mist and everybody was running helter-skelter. I was drenched to the skin. I
had decided to move to the next village when a woman suddenly walked up to me. For some time I had seen her
gazing at me with pity. Now, as if she read my thoughts, she said, “If you would accept my hospitality, you will be
sheltered till the morning. Just charity.” She was about thirty years of age, dressed in black with a pale face and dark
eyes.
Papaye hut held special appeal for me for its serene environment. For many days, I was well catered for and this
enabled me to replenish my energy. It was with a heavy heart, when the time for departure arrived, that I bade
farewell to my benefactress.

a) State why the writer went to the coast.

b) (i) How did the writer find life in the village?

(ii) Why did the writer decide to go to the next village?

c) (i) “… my plight.” What does this refer to?

(ii) “… everybody was running helter-skelter.” What do you think had happened?

d) (i) What two adjectives would you use to describe the character of the woman?
(ii) What does the appearance of the woman suggest?

e) Explain the following expressions in your own words:

(i) drenched to the skin;
(ii) she read my thoughts;
(iii) with a heavy heart.

f) For each of the following words, give another word or a phrase that means the same, and can fit into the passage:
(i) immense;
(ii) ascended;
(iii) resolved;
(iv) serene;
(v) replenish.

PART C
LITERATURE
[10 MARKS]
Answer all the questions in this part

SACKEY J. A. and DARMANI L. (COMP.): The Cockcrow

5. Questions 5(a) to 5(c) are based on one of the prescribed short stories for your study. Provide short answers to
them.

MERRILL CORNEY: Debbie, Sandy and Pepe

(a) What is referred to as Poor little thing in the story?

(b) What is the setting of the story?
(c) The attitude of the girls to the baby bird is that of ………………………….

Read the following extract carefully and answer Questions 5(d) and 5(e)

KAAKYIRE AKOSOMO NYANTAKYI: Tell My Son to Hold On to His Gun

“Be courageous, be courageous, Kwame, be courageous!”
“I will be, Father, I will be,” I answered,
and entered the thick forest …
(Page 93)

(d) Be courageous, be courageous, Kwame, be courageous is an example of the use of a literary device termed
………………….

(e) How did Kwame show that he was courageous at the end of the story?

Read the following extract carefully and answer Questions 5(f) and 5(g)

JEAN WATSON: The Old Man and His Children

Once there was an old man who had seven sons.

They should have been his pride and joy.
But they were not.
(Page 17)

(f) The above extract is a/an ……………………..to a story.

(g) The idea expressed in the second sentence is that of ……………….

Read the following extract carefully and answer Questions 5(h) and 5(j)

AMA ATA AIDOO: The Dilemma of a Ghost

Yes, my young woman, I shall remember you.

I shall remember you in the hours of the night –
In my sleep,
In my sleepless sleep.
(Page 62)

(h) “… young woman” refers to ………………..

(i) The ‘sleepless sleep’ of the speaker is caused by ………………………

(j) “… sleepless sleep” shows that the speaker is ……………………..

END OF ESSAY TEST