BECE Past Questions

BECE 1995 English Language Past Questions and Answers

40 objective questions and 4 theory questions from the 1995 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.

Where is the musical performance of songbirds held? It is not in any concert hall but rather on trees, fences and telephone wires. It is from these places that little feathered creatures blend their voices in some of the most melodious songs sung in the world. Songbirds do not just make noise. The male voices in the choir, for instance, have two different messages. Firstly, it is a warning to other males not to come near their partners. Secondly, it is an invitation from the bachelors to the female birds. The most interesting songs which are sung with a lot of vigour are produced during the breeding season by the males to impress the lady birds. Songbirds are very remarkable. They sing three or four notes at a time. To the human ear it sounds like one beat but the birds can identify the different notes because of their keen sense of hearing. At times, what is heard may not be a song of our winged friends but simply an instruction to keep the flock together. It may also be a warning of an approaching danger. Just how birds compose their songs is an interesting subject. Some birds have their songs fixed in their brains at birth. Whilst some imitate others, other birds try to compose songs which are unique. They will never copy what they hear others sing.
  1. According to the passage, members of the chorus can sing without any difficulty because they ......
    1. A. have to sing.
    2. B. easily learn to sing.
    3. C. have good songs.
    4. D. are born good singers.
    Answer: D
  2. The male songbirds sing to ......
    1. A. encourage others.
    2. B. attract the females
    3. C. entertain others.
    4. D. praise nature.
    Answer: B
  3. The most interesting songs are produced ......
    1. A. during competitions.
    2. B. in the morning.
    3. C. during mating periods.
    4. D. in the evening.
    Answer: C
  4. Unique in the passage means
    1. A. suitable
    2. B. similar
    3. C. exciting
    4. D. special
    Answer: D
  5. According to the passage which of the following is true? Birds ......
    1. A. are impressive.
    2. B. are awesome.
    3. C. make too much noise.
    4. D. are ridiculous.
    Answer: A

Passage 2

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

Locusts are descending was joyfully chanted everywhere. Men, women and children left their work or their play and ran into the open to see the unfamiliar sight. The locusts had not come for many years, and only the old people had seen them before. At first, a fairly small swarm came. And then, there appeared a slow-moving mass like a sheet of black cloud drifting towards the villages. Soon it covered half the sky. It was an amazing sight full of power and beauty. Everyone was now about praying that the locust should stay in the village for the night. Although most people had never seen locusts before, they knew by instinct that they were good to eat. At last they descended. They settled on roofs and covered the bare ground. Tree branches broke under them and the whole village turned to brown earth colour with locusts. Many people who went out with baskets trying to catch them were advised to wait until nightfall. And they were right. The locusts settled in the bushes for the night and their wings became wet with dew. Then all the village folks turned out, in spite of the cold harmattan, to fill their bags and pots with locusts. The next morning they were roasted and spread in the sun until they became dry. For many days after, this rare food was mixed with oil and eaten with relish.
  1. Most of the village people were excited about the coming of the locusts because they ......
    1. A. were moving slowly.
    2. B. had come in a swarm.
    3. C. were not common.
    4. D. had covered the sky.
    Answer: C
  2. Why was it easier to catch the locusts in the night? Because the locusts ......
    1. A. could not fly.
    2. B. were settling down.
    3. C. did not like darkness.
    4. D. were feeling sleepy.
    Answer: A
  3. According to the passage, the locust were ......
    1. A. brown
    2. B. black
    3. C. blind.
    4. D. bold
    Answer: A
  4. Turned out in the passage means
    1. A. played outside.
    2. B. slept out.
    3. C. cried aloud.
    4. D. came out.
    Answer: D
  5. Which of the following expressions from the passage indicates that there were a lot of locusts?
    1. A. amazing sight
    2. B. fairly small swarm
    3. C. unfamiliar sight
    4. D. slow-moving mass
    Answer: D

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. According to the passage, which of the following is not true?
    1. A. Locusts are delicious
    2. B. Only the aged knew about the locusts
    3. C. The locusts come only in the dry season
    4. D. The locusts created a beautiful sight

Section B

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

  1. The government has banned the use of hard drugs in the country.
    1. A. destroyed
    2. B. forbidden
    3. C. controlled
    4. D. reduced.
  2. Our Headmaster invited many prominent citizens to our speech day.
    1. A. known
    2. B. popular
    3. C. distinguished
    4. D. good
  3. The dry season is imminent.
    1. A. very close
    2. B. partly over
    3. C. severe
    4. D. gone
  4. The meeting was postponed to another date.
    1. A. cancelled
    2. B. removed
    3. C. called
    4. D. shifted
  5. The man was furious when his son failed the examination.
    1. A. angry
    2. B. anxious
    3. C. shocked
    4. D. frightened

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. By the end of the lesson, we were completely at sea. This means that we were ......
    1. A. fast asleep
    2. B. totally confused
    3. C. quite disturbed
    4. D. very inspired
  2. She did her best to keep on the right side of her teacher. This means she did her best not to ...... her teacher.
    1. A. interrupt
    2. B. mislead
    3. C. misunderstand
    4. D. offend
  3. You shouldn't have hit Kuuku so hard; it was rather unkind of you. From this we know that Kuuku was
    1. A. being naughty.
    2. B. hurt
    3. C. kind
    4. D. hit
  4. If we hadn't gone to the beach so early, we would have met our visitor. This means that ......
    1. A. we went to the beach late.
    2. B. we did not meet our visitor.
    3. C. our visitor waited for us.
    4. D. we met our visitor at the beach.

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. There are guards on our border because the government wants to eliminate smuggling.
    1. A. notice
    2. B. manage with
    3. C. encourage
    4. D. investigate
  2. The candidate worked the problem with a great deal of precision.
    1. A. sense
    2. B. energy
    3. C. inaccuracy
    4. D. detail
  3. My grandmother likes old fashioned clothes..
    1. A. special
    2. B. decorated
    3. C. modern
    4. D. stylish
  4. I am going to arrange the books in the cupboard.
    1. A. display
    2. B. scatter
    3. C. list
    4. D. spill
  5. Most of the men were sacked by the company.
    1. A. used
    2. B. punished
    3. C. warned
    4. D. employed

Section E

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

  1. It's a pity I have hardly ...... food to give you.
    1. A. a little
    2. B. too much
    3. C. some
    4. D. any
  2. I was given ...... money than you were given.
    1. A. much more
    2. B. many
    3. C. much
    4. D. many more
  3. The book you gave me was not ...... than the one I had before.
    1. A. any better
    2. B. much better
    3. C. any good
    4. D. very better
  4. Are you sure ...... shirts on that table were the ones I gave you?
    1. A. that
    2. B. these
    3. C. those
    4. D. some
  5. Give me the book ...... I lent you yesterday.
    1. A. whom
    2. B. what
    3. C. whose
    4. D. which
  6. Of the three girls, Awo is the ......
    1. A. shorter
    2. B. more shortest
    3. C. most short
    4. D. shortest
  7. The soldier was promoted because he was the ...... among the lot.
    1. A. most courageous
    2. B. courageous
    3. C. more courageous
    4. D. much courageous
  8. Your nephew could not pass the interview because he was not ...... before the panel members.
    1. A. confident much
    2. B. confident quite
    3. C. confident enough
    4. D. confident somehow
  9. Mr. Amakye has been robbed ...... his property.
    1. A. from
    2. B. for
    3. C. by
    4. D. of
  10. The patient went ...... a lot of body exercises
    1. A. in out
    2. B. out
    3. C. through
    4. D. ahead
  11. Can I have a chat ...... you?
    1. A. to
    2. B. with
    3. C. by
    4. D. on
  12. Kwesi learnt harder so he ...... the examination
    1. A. passed
    2. B. would have passed
    3. C. can pass
    4. D. passes
  13. Let's go out and play, ......?
    1. A. will we
    2. B. do we
    3. C. would we
    4. D. shall we
  14. Can I come to your house on Saturday,......?
    1. A. all right
    2. B. of course
    3. C. certainly
    4. D. please
  15. You aren't hungry, are you?
    1. A. No, you aren't
    2. B. Yes, I am not
    3. C. No, I am not
    4. D. No, I am

Paper 2: Theory

  1. You do not want to go to a boarding school. Write a letter to your sister who is in another town giving her three reasons why you will like to go to a day school.
  2. As the Head Prefect of your school, write a letter to the Chairman of your Parent-Teacher Association telling him about two problems in the school which you want the Association to help solve.
  3. Describe how your favorite game is played. Give two reasons why you like it.
  4. Describe a day you will never forget in your life.

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