BECE Past Questions

BECE 1993 English Language Past Questions and Answers

40 objective questions and 4 theory questions from the 1993 BECE English Language paper. Answers and worked solutions for questions 1 to 10 are below; the rest are free in the app.

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Paper 1: Objectives

Section A: COMPREHENSION

Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Bako was both intelligent and hardworking so he soon learnt all that Garba taught him of the art of reading and writing. Now he was able to earn a little extra income as a letter-writer and reader to his fellow illiterate labourers. All the people trusted him because he never revealed any information he got from the letters to anyone. Bako's happiest moments came on Saturdays when he received his pay and on Mondays when the labourers returned to work bringing with them all the gossip and laughter of their villages. Unfortunately, a misfortune befell Bako. One day, as he stood gazing proudly at a big tree, which he had just felled, another tree being cut down by a fellow labourer struck him on the head. The branches tore his face and he fell unconscious. His friends carried him to Adom Hospital. The accident changed Bako's life. His handsome face became permanently scarred. He lost his strength and job. At first, he hoped that in time he would regain his strength but Bako grew weaker and weaker.
  1. According to the passage, Garba taught Bako to ......
    1. A. use a matchet.
    2. B. fell trees.
    3. C. read and write.
    4. D. gossip and laugh.
    5. E. read and fell trees.
    Answer: C
  2. Bako got additional income by ......
    1. A. cutting down trees.
    2. B. going to the hospital.
    3. C. meeting his friends on Monday.
    4. D. working as a letter-writer and reader.
    5. E. felling trees and reading letters.
    Answer: D
  3. The people trusted Bako because he ......
    1. A. kept what he knew about them secretly.
    2. B. wrote and read their letters.
    3. C. gossiped and laughed with them.
    4. D. was hardworking and clever.
    5. E. earned extra income.
    Answer: A
  4. How did the accident affect Bako?
    1. A. He lost his senses and job
    2. B. He could not read and write again
    3. C. He became weak and jobless
    4. D. His face was stitched
    5. E. His friends left him
    Answer: C
  5. Bako liked Mondays because ......
    1. A. Monday started the week
    2. B. He met all his friends again
    3. C. He received his pay
    4. D. He wrote and read letters
    5. E. He heard news from other villages
    Answer: E
  6. He fell unconscious means he ......
    1. A. fell asleep
    2. B. became mad
    3. C. lost his confidence
    4. D. lost awareness of his surroundings
    5. E. fell down and died
    Answer: D

Passage 2

Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions that follow.

We can have close friends for a very long time. But when friendship and duty come into conflict, as I once experienced, many problems may occur. Almost all my friends and I are leading members of our school's Supporters Club. In the beginning of our final year it was time to elect new officers for the club. Everyone stood the chance of being elected. When I was elected as President, I knew it would be a tough job because I would be in charge of my closest friends. The real test would come when the sports season started. Just as I had imagined, there were many disputes. No one listened to what I said. Everyone just wanted to have fun instead of cheering our athletes. I knew I had to motivate them and use discipline and that was exactly what I did. Many of my friends could not understand this. While some of them stopped coming to the games others were not talking to me at all. I finally decided to have a talk with everyone. I frankly admitted that I did not like the job but since I had it, I was determined to do my best. I also told them to leave sports matters on the field because my friends were more important to me than the job. From that little talk, I had everything resolved.
  1. Why did the writer think his job would be difficult?
    1. A. The other members were final year students
    2. B. He had to control his closest friends
    3. C. He was inexperienced
    4. D. He had to work with new officers
    5. E. Some of his friends stopped talking to him
    Answer: B
  2. Which of the following words best describes the behaviour of the writer's friends?
    1. A. Uncooperative
    2. B. Jealous
    3. C. Insulting
    4. D. Funny
    5. E. Talkative
    Answer: A
  3. According to the passage which of the following statements is true? The writer
    1. A. settled the misunderstanding between him and his friends.
    2. B. stopped talking to his friends.
    3. C. lost all his closest friends.
    4. D. appointed only his friends as officers
    5. E. did not listen to the advice of his friends.
    Answer: A
  4. The word disputes means ......
    1. A. misgiving.
    2. B. debates
    3. C. insults
    4. D. wars
    5. E. differences
    Answer: E

Section B

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

    Answers and solutions for questions 11 to 40 are free in the BECE Past Questions app, with timed practice and offline study.

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    1. The Manager was dismissed for gross inefficiency.
      1. A. laziness
      2. B. dishonesty
      3. C. incompetence
      4. D. misconduct
      5. E. disrespect
    2. Prices of goods have been fairly controlled.
      1. A. kept down
      2. B. kept away
      3. C. kept off
      4. D. kept out
      5. E. kept hanging
    3. Remember to look over your work when you finish.
      1. A. watch
      2. B. look on
      3. C. oversee
      4. D. read through
      5. E. overlook
    4. Although the labourers agreed to do the work, they did it reluctantly.
      1. A. leisurely
      2. B. nervously
      3. C. unwillingly
      4. D. sparingly
      5. E. angrily
    5. The thief was humiliated when he was caught.
      1. A. sentenced
      2. B. cautioned
      3. C. beaten up
      4. D. discouraged
      5. E. mocked at

    Section C

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

    1. I don't like Ben. He is always pulling my legs. This means Ben is always ......
      1. A. pulling me down
      2. B. gossiping about me
      3. C. abusing me
      4. D. borrowing my shoes
      5. E. teasing me
    2. The judge turned a deaf ear to what the murderer said. This means the judge .....
      1. A. was partially deaf
      2. B. ignored what the murderer said
      3. C. favoured the murderer when he heard his story
      4. D. pretended that he was listening to the murderer's story
      5. E. was asleep when the murderer gave his evidence
    3. If you don't want to regret, cut your coat according to your cloth. This means ......
      1. A. live within your means.
      2. B. use the coat cut from your cloth.
      3. C. sew your own coat.
      4. D. put on your cloth and coat.
      5. E. do not worry about the problems of others.
    4. Were it not for the policemen the workers would have gone on strike. From this we know the policemen......
      1. A. didn't go on strike.
      2. B. saw the workers on strike.
      3. C. forced the workers to go on strike.
      4. D. and the workers were on strike.
      5. E. prevented the workers from going on strike.
    5. Razak has been in a bad way for several days. This means Razak has been ......
      1. A. badly treated
      2. B. unable to eat for many days
      3. C. misbehaving
      4. D. quite ill
      5. E. very unfriendly towards everyone

    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.

    1. Our school is now famous throughout the district.
      1. A. popular
      2. B. anonymous
      3. C. unknown
      4. D. irrelevant
      5. E. hidden
    2. Our new pastor is very modest in his ways.
      1. A. friendly
      2. B. kind
      3. C. particular
      4. D. boastful
      5. E. fashionable
    3. Issa was very rude to his teacher.
      1. A. respectful
      2. B. polite
      3. C. obedient
      4. D. truthful
      5. E. gentle
    4. We walked on the smooth side of the pavement.
      1. A. hard
      2. B. rough
      3. C. coarse
      4. D. slippery
      5. E. narrow
    5. The president was denounced by his subjects.
      1. A. elected
      2. B. welcomed
      3. C. supported
      4. D. advised
      5. E. hailed

    Section E

    From the alternatives lettered A to D, choose the one which most suitably completes each sentence.

    1. Our ancestors ...... to us a lot of knowledge about our culture.
      1. A. handed in
      2. B. passed out
      3. C. passed through
      4. D. handed down
    2. The government has set ...... a committee on education
      1. A. apart
      2. B. up
      3. C. in
      4. D. by
    3. None of the suspects ...... his guilt.
      1. A. admit
      2. B. admits
      3. C. are admitting
      4. D. have admitted
    4. Amidu promised to be patient until his toy ...... repaired.
      1. A. has been
      2. B. will be
      3. C. was
      4. D. can be
    5. The Headmaster, with his assistant ...... inspecting the new school library
      1. A. will have been
      2. B. are
      3. C. have been
      4. D. is
    6. I would have told you about the wedding if I ......
      1. A. have known
      2. B. know
      3. C. had known
      4. D. have been knowing
    7. His writing is so bad that I can't make it ......
      1. A. on
      2. B. out
      3. C. down
      4. D. in
    8. You will be ill if you ...... too much.
      1. A. are eating
      2. B. eat
      3. C. had eaten
      4. D. ate
    9. If it ...... necessary, I shall see you again at six o'clock.
      1. A. is
      2. B. had been
      3. C. is being
      4. D. was
    10. If we had not closed down the market, the traders ...... there.
      1. A. shall still be
      2. B. will still be
      3. C. are still going
      4. D. would have still been
    11. Mr. Adu has never been pleased with his children's performance, ......?
      1. A. hasn't he
      2. B. didn't he
      3. C. has he
      4. D. did he
    12. You prefer playing soccer to volley ball, ......?
      1. A. do you
      2. B. will you
      3. C. won't you
      4. D. don't you?
    13. The cashier was rude to his boss, ......?
      1. A. was he
      2. B. wasn't he
      3. C. did he
      4. D. didn't he
    14. These days students are not very interested ...... improving their English
      1. A. on
      2. B. about
      3. C. of
      4. D. in
    15. Kofi ate ...... food than anyone else.
      1. A. more
      2. B. most
      3. C. much
      4. D. too much

    Paper 2: Theory

    1. Write a letter to a friend who wants to visit your school giving him directions to your school and telling him about two interesting things he will see on his visit.
    2. As the Senior Prefect of your school, write a letter to your District Chief Executive telling him about three problems which worry the pupils of your school.
    3. Describe a festival which was celebrated recently in your area.
    4. Describe a dream you will never forget.

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