BECE Past Questions

BECE 2007 English Language Past Questions and Answers

40 objective questions and 4 theory questions from the 2007 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.

Help! Help! Fire! This and other noises like the banging of doors and crunching footsteps woke Barimah up. Something must be done, he exclaimed to his wife Fosua who was already awake. He dressed up quickly, opened the door and went out advising his wife not to leave the house. It was pitch dark outside; the only light came from the flaming house of Agya Atta. By the time Barimah got there, the house was truly in flames and people had gathered around busily and frantically pouring water and sand on the flames. They were doing everything they would to put out the fire. Meanwhile, they had managed to rescue a few things from the fire. These Barimah caused to be packed and taken to his house to prevent them from being looted. He then took Agya Atta's wife and children to his house and quickly returned to fight the flames. Araba had won the hearts of many people by her good deeds and kindness. It was therefore sad to see her lose her property, as well as the house she and Agya Atta had toiled to build.
  1. Barimah asked Fosua to stay indoors because
    1. A. people were running helter-skelter.
    2. B. there was a terrible noise.
    3. C. he suspected danger outside.
    4. D. the place was very dark.
    Answer: C
  2. What did Barimah find immediately he went out?
    1. A. Araba fighting the flames
    2. B. People packing things
    3. C. People shouting
    4. D. Agya Atta's house burning
    Answer: D
  3. put out in the passage means
    1. A. control.
    2. B. extinguish.
    3. C. reduce.
    4. D. destroy.
    Answer: B
  4. From the passage we can infer that the Barimahs and the Agya Attas are
    1. A. classmates.
    2. B. good neighbours.
    3. C. in-laws.
    4. D. age mates.
    Answer: B
  5. People sympathized with Araba because she
    1. A. had been left by her husband.
    2. B. toiled with her husband.
    3. C. was a good woman.
    4. D. was sad.
    Answer: C

Passage 2

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

Many smokers ignore the warning about the dangers of smoking although there is a national campaign against the habit. The United Nations has set aside a day to be observed against the killer habit. The story is told of a young man who became addicted to smoking. In no time, he developed smoking-related diseases and died miserably, leaving behind his wife and children in poverty. Research shows that the smoker is far more likely to suffer, if not die of major diseases like lung cancer and heart failure, than a non-smoker. It is generally known that smoking during pregnancy is undesirable. Women who smoke produce underweight babies. They also likely to miscarry, have still-born babies or lose them after birth. If such children survive and attend school, they do not perform well. What is most annoying about smoking is the risk to passive smokers. Non-smokers breathing in smoke from other people's cigarettes, pipes and cigars stand the risk of contracting the diseases that harm smokers. If smokers knew how non-smokers felt about them, they would give up the habit. The smoker is regarded by many as a social misfit-one who does not consider the welfare of others but his own interest in smoking, no matter where he is.
  1. What has society done about smoking? It has
    1. A. sent smokers to court.
    2. B. given medical treatment to smokers.
    3. C. ignored it.
    4. D. opposed it.
    Answer: D
  2. According to the passage, which of the following is caused by smoking?
    1. A. Malaria
    2. B. Measles
    3. C. Cancer of the lungs
    4. D. Tuberculosis
    Answer: C
  3. Which of the following is true about pregnant women who smoke? They
    1. A. are likely to give birth to dead babies.
    2. B. are not able to breastfeed.
    3. C. are likely to have twins.
    4. D. lose weight.
    Answer: A
  4. Passive smokers are those who
    1. A. befriend smokers.
    2. B. are addicted to smoking.
    3. C. do not smoke at all.
    4. D. inhale smoke from smoker's cigarettes.
    Answer: D
  5. According to the passage, smokers are
    1. A. fearless.
    2. B. selfish.
    3. C. proud.
    4. D. disrespectful.
    Answer: B

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. Senyo tried in vain to stop his friend from stealing the kitten.
      1. A. hard
      2. B. timidly
      3. C. angrily
      4. D. unsuccessfully
    2. With hard work we can overcome any problem.
      1. A. get
      2. B. avoid
      3. C. stop
      4. D. solve
    3. The meal is delicious.
      1. A. fine
      2. B. tasty
      3. C. sweet
      4. D. nutritious
    4. The audience applauded the actors at the end of the play.
      1. A. booed
      2. B. invited
      3. C. rewarded
      4. D. cheered
    5. Jasper lamented the loss of his pet.
      1. A. regretted
      2. B. mourned
      3. C. remembered
      4. D. discovered

    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. John is always light-hearted in spite of his problems. This means that in spite of his problems, John is always
      1. A. careless.
      2. B. cheerful.
      3. C. cool.
      4. D. proud.
    2. After that accident Ayorkor has really gone through the mill. This means Ayorkor has
      1. A. changed her lifestyle.
      2. B. become wiser.
      3. C. suffered a lot.
      4. D. received some money.
    3. Moro felt very much at home at his friend's house. This means that Moro
      1. A. knew his friend's house.
      2. B. was comfortable and relaxed.
      3. C. was disappointed.
      4. D. lived with his friend.
    4. The students were all ears during the programme. This means that the students
      1. A. answered questions.
      2. B. looked closely.
      3. C. closed their ears.
      4. D. listened intently.
    5. It took our new prefect two months before he could find his feet. This means that it took the prefect two months before he
      1. A. knew everybody.
      2. B. became confident.
      3. C. won a prize.
      4. D. become popular.

    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. The Member of Parliament is very generous: he has done much for his people.
      1. A. honourable
      2. B. proud
      3. C. talkative
      4. D. unkind
    2. If you are indolent, you will not pass the examination.
      1. A. hard working
      2. B. rude
      3. C. careless
      4. D. honest
    3. When asked about the theft, Kwame said he was guilty.
      1. A. surprised
      2. B. afraid
      3. C. absent
      4. D. innocent
    4. Handle the glass with care; it is fragile.
      1. A. rigid
      2. B. beautiful
      3. C. unbreakable
      4. D. new
    5. Some of our customs are old-fashioned.
      1. A. modern
      2. B. attractive
      3. C. interesting
      4. D. funny

    Section E

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

    1. Of all the Brown children, Ato is ......
      1. A. the short.
      2. B. the shorter.
      3. C. the shortest.
      4. D. short.
    2. Amma was so frightened ...... she fainted.
      1. A. so
      2. B. as
      3. C. then
      4. D. that
    3. Aberewa has ...... friends who often visit her.
      1. A. few
      2. B. much
      3. C. a little
      4. D. a few
    4. Kofi is the boy to ...... I gave the pen.
      1. A. whose
      2. B. which
      3. C. whom
      4. D. who
    5. You are tired, ......?
      1. A. aren't you
      2. B. don't you
      3. C. isn't it
      4. D. not so
    6. He said that he ...... come
      1. A. will
      2. B. would
      3. C. has
      4. D. have
    7. When Daddy arrived, Mummy ...... finished cooking.
      1. A. has
      2. B. had
      3. C. have
      4. D. having
    8. He was ...... tired that he couldn't finish the race
      1. A. much
      2. B. too
      3. C. so
      4. D. very
    9. The farmer was ...... by a poisonous snake.
      1. A. bitten
      2. B. beaten
      3. C. bit
      4. D. beat
    10. You have put too ...... sugar in the porridge.
      1. A. many
      2. B. much
      3. C. few
      4. D. small
    11. Yaw is a ......
      1. A. handsome, tall man.
      2. B. handsome man tall.
      3. C. tall, handsome man.
      4. D. man, tall, handsome.
    12. I am ...... to walking to school everyday.
      1. A. using
      2. B. uses
      3. C. use
      4. D. used
    13. The mechanic succeeded ...... the generator
      1. A. at repairing
      2. B. in repairing
      3. C. to repair
      4. D. with repairing
    14. If I ...... with my grandmother, I would have enjoyed village life.
      1. A. had lived
      2. B. have lived
      3. C. have been living
      4. D. am living
    15. Atia has given ...... smoking.
      1. A. off
      2. B. out
      3. C. up
      4. D. in

    Paper 2: Theory

    1. Write a letter to your friend abroad explaining how Independence Day in Ghana is celebrated.
    2. Write a letter to your District Chief Executive about the acute shortage of water in your area, and suggest at least two ways of solving the problem.
    3. As Senior Prefect, write the speech that you will deliver at your school's Speech and Prize-giving Day.
    4. Describe to your friend how your favourite game is played.

    Worked solutions to the theory questions are free in the app.

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