BECE 2021 English Language Past Questions and Answers

Paper 1: Objectives

Section A: LEXIS AND STRUCTURE

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

1. Can I borrow your ............ Hat?
   1. A. blue new straw
   2. B. new blue straw
   3. C. new straw blue
   4. D. straw new blue
   Answer: B
2. She will not give us ........... more money.
   1. A. any
   2. B. even
   3. C. much
   4. D. little
   Answer: A
3. You would be hungry if you ..... to eat.
   1. A. are refusing
   2. B. refuse
   3. C. refused
   4. D. were refusing
   Answer: C
4. You have seen them, .... you?
   1. A. did
   2. B. didn't
   3. C. had
   4. D. haven't
   Answer: D
5. Habib goes to school ......... train.
   1. A. by
   2. B. in
   3. C. on
   4. D. with
   Answer: A
6. She does not like ........ letters.
   1. A. to be writing
   2. B. to write
   3. C. write
   4. D. writing
   Answer: D
7. You will be ill if you ....... raw meat.
   1. A. ate
   2. B. eat
   3. C. had eaten
   4. D. have eaten
   Answer: B
8. It was done according .......... the rules.
   1. A. by
   2. B. of
   3. C. to
   4. D. with
   Answer: C
9. ............... the challenges, we succeeded
   1. A. As such
   2. B. However
   3. C. In spite of
   4. D. Nevertheless
   Answer: C
10. My brother, with his wife and children, .......... travelling to Salaga next weekend.
    1. A. are
    2. B. is
    3. C. was
    4. D. were
    Answer: B

    The subject is my brother, which is singular; "with his wife and children" does not change that. Next weekend is the future, so: is travelling.

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11. It is high time we ...... the journey.
    1. A. are starting
    2. B. shall start
    3. C. start
    4. D. started
12. I prefer oranges ........... mangoes.
    1. A. on
    2. B. than
    3. C. to
    4. D. for
13. His aunt ....... spoke to us lives in Tamale.
    1. A. that
    2. B. which
    3. C. who
    4. D. whom
14. Araba couldn't resist ....... the food while on the fire.
    1. A. by opening
    2. B. open
    3. C. to open
    4. D. opening
15. My neighbour, ............ dog barks every night, has left town.
    1. A. which
    2. B. who
    3. C. who's
    4. D. whose

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 chosen poems are very relatable.
    1. A. preferred
    2. B. selected
    3. C. prescribed
    4. D. given
17. Arming the police does not halt crime.
    1. A. avoid
    2. B. prevent
    3. C. stop
    4. D. suspend
18. All the lax rules have been cancelled.
    1. A. mild
    2. B. previous
    3. C. weak
    4. D. wrong
19. The youth should be ruled by the fundamental ideals of courtesy.
    1. A. essential
    2. B. known
    3. C. popular
    4. D. realistic
20. The porter could not endure his insults.
    1. A. accept
    2. B. agree
    3. C. approve
    4. D. bear

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.

21. Azara burn her fingers when she took sides with her friend.
    1. A. got herself into trouble
    2. B. hated her friend
    3. C. showed how brave she was
    4. D. supported her friend
22. A desperate man may clutch at straws to save himself.
    1. A. decide to act bravely
    2. B. seize any opportunity
    3. C. try all clever means
    4. D. use a secret strategy
23. Gil held her tongue on sensitive political issues.
    1. A. bit her tongue
    2. B. kept silent
    3. C. maintained her stand
    4. D. refused to laugh
24. The project is in the pipeline.
    1. A. being dealt with
    2. B. being suspended
    3. C. no longer pursued
    4. D. stuck in the pipe
25. Ammon has always kept his enemies at arm's length.
    1. A. abused them
    2. B. shunned them
    3. C. threatened them
    4. D. trusted them

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. That shop has been temporarily closed down.
    1. A. constantly
    2. B. deliberately
    3. C. legally
    4. D. permanently
27. He normally alights at the station.
    1. A. ascends
    2. B. boards
    3. C. enters
    4. D. joins
28. Abeiku feels unsafe in his house.
    1. A. afraid
    2. B. rejected
    3. C. secure
    4. D. unhappy
29. The audience laughed at his funny stories.
    1. A. cheerful
    2. B. humourless
    3. C. familiar
    4. D. peculiar
30. The prefect rebuked the student for his rude behaviour.
    1. A. defended
    2. B. justified
    3. C. pardoned
    4. D. praised

Paper 2: Theory

PART A ESSAY WRITING

Answer one question only from this part. Your composition should be about 250 words long.

1. Write a letter to the Ministry of Transport suggesting two ways of improving the public transport road system in the country.
2. As the main speaker in a debate on the motion, Students should not wear uniform to school, write your speech for or against the motion.
3. Write a letter to invite your cousin to spend the holidays with your grandparents, giving two reasons why he/she should pay them a visit.

PART B COMPREHENSION

Read the following passage carefully and answer all the questions which follow.

4. Read the following passage carefully and answer all the questions that follow.
   
   The tiger, the cheetah, and the cat belong to the same family. The tiger is the largest member of the family. Although it is a wild animal, it is sometimes trained to assist acrobats in entertaining people. The cheetah is the fastest animal on land. It can be trained to hunt other animals. Cats are found in many homes, but there are wild ones too.
   
   Although cats are found in many homes, man did not intentionally domesticate them. Before man learned to grow crops and rear animals, he used to depend on plants and animals in the bush for food. When he gathered grains, which were seeds of grass, he accidentally took away the food of rodents such as mice and rats. These followed their food indoors. The wild cat, the natural enemy of the rats and mice, also followed into the domestic granaries.
   
   Cats did not eat the grains that were becoming the main source of nourishment for man. Therefore, they were encouraged to remain at home in order to get rid of the rodents. Man also probably found out that cats were neater and quieter than dogs.
   
   When ships were invented and man began to trade farther, grains were very important commodities. They were used not only as provisions but as items of barter. The mice and the rats went along, once again followed by the cats. In this way, a food chain that began in grasslands to the south and east of the Mediterranean Sea spread to all corners of the world.
   
   Questions:
   
   a) i) What two types of cats are mentioned in the passage?
   
   ii) How did the cat become a domestic animal?
   
   b) For what two reasons did man prefer cats to dogs?
   
   c) What human activity led to the spread of cats to all corners of the world?
   
   d) i) '...a food chain.' What is referred to as a food chain in the passage?
   
   ii) Why do you think grains were easily transported to all corners of the world?
   
   (e) Explain, in your own words, the following expressions as used in the passage:
   
   i) the domestic granaries;
   
   ii) items of barter;
   
   iii) all corners of the world;
   
   f) For each of the following words, give another word or a phrase that means the same and can fit into the passage:
   
   i) sometimes;
   
   ii) intentionally;
   
   iii) gathered;
   
   iv) nourishment;
   
   v) probably;

PART C LITERATURE

Answer all the questions in this part.

5. Question (a) to (c) are based on the abridged and simplified version of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist.
   
   CHARLES DICKENS: Oliver Twist
   
   'Mr. Bumble made Oliver miserable and the boy couldn't wait to get away from the workhouse.'
   
   (a) Mr. Bumble made Oliver miserable because .....
   
   (b) Who is Mr. Bumble?
   
   (c) How did Mr. Bumble try to get rid of Oliver?
   
   Read the following extract carefully and answer Questions (d) and (e).
   
   KEN SARO-WIWA: Home Sweet Home
   
   'They came in the usual assortment of rags: gowns picked up from the stores of second-hand clothes traders, singlets bearing the words, Oxford University, mildewed blouses. Some women wore shirts that are meant for men; one of them was in a printed cotton nightgown that had faded beyond recognition.' [Page 104]
   
   (d) 'They' refers to .......
   
   (e) An imagery of .......... is created in the extract.
   
   Read the following extract carefully and answer Questions (f) and (h).
   
   AMA ATA AIDOO: The Dilemma of a Ghost
   
   EULALIE: 'Ya, I remember I bought the idea, but I got the feeling ...'
   
   (Page 178)
   
   ATO: 'Heavens, women! They are always getting feelings. First, you got the feeling you needed a couple of years to settle down and now you are obviously getting a feeling.'
   
   (f) What idea did Eulalie buy?
   
   (g) What feeling has she got now?
   
   (h) How does Ato react to her feelings?
   
   Read the following extract carefully and answer Questions (i) and (j).
   
   V.B. AAKYE: The Colour of God
   
   'How silly man is,' laughs the rose, 'Why should he be black or white, Or green or yellow or even red?'
   
   (Act 2, Page 46)
   
   (i) The literary device used in 'laughs the rose' is ...
   
   (j) According to the poem, what is the color of God?

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