In *Harvest of Corruption* by Frank Ogodo Ogbeche, the 'babe' manipulated by Ochuole to deceive Chief Ade Amaka is
Distractor check: Students often confuse Ogeyi with Aloho, given their close proximity as female characters in the text. Reasoning to the answer: Aloho is the 'babe' used by Ochuole to trap Chief in *Harvest of Corruption*, falling victim to their fraudulent schemes. Common mistake: Confusing the exploited victim Aloho with her supportive friend Ogeyi.
In *Harvest of Corruption*, the speaker reflecting on Aloho’s dangerous decision, saying 'O! God forgive me,' is
Distractor check: Inspector Inaku or the Doctor might seem plausible because they also comment on the moral decay within the narrative. Reasoning to the answer: Chief Ade Amaka speaks these lines, contemplating Aloho’s role in his schemes while feigning moral reflection. Common mistake: Attributing antagonist dialogue to law enforcement characters.
The central setting of *Harvest of Corruption* is
Distractor check: Mabu or Gbossa might be picked by students mixing up the various fictional locations mentioned across the curriculum plays. Reasoning to the answer: Jabu is the fictional setting, symbolizing a corrupt society where political and administrative vices thrive. Common mistake: Mixing up the fictional capital city with neighboring regional settings in the play.
In *Harvest of Corruption*, 'there' in 'See me there by 4 p.m.' refers to
Distractor check: The courtroom or police station might seem like logical meeting spots given the heavy legal drama in the plot. Reasoning to the answer: The Akpara Hotel is where Chief meets Aloho for illicit activities away from public scrutiny. Common mistake: Assuming clandestine appointments take place in official institutional offices.
Chief Ade Amaka in *Harvest of Corruption* is involved in
Distractor check: Child trafficking or land grabbing might be selected by readers conflating various criminal subplots in the story. Reasoning to the answer: Chief is involved in smuggling, using Aloho to transport illicit drug packages across borders. Common mistake: Confusing drug smuggling operations with general financial corruption.
In Shakespeare’s *Othello*, 'pale as thy smock' is an example of
Distractor check: Metaphor is a common guess for literary figures involving vivid descriptions. Reasoning to the answer: The phrase uses 'as' to compare two different things, indicating a clear simile. Common mistake: Failing to spot comparative connective words like 'like' or 'as'.
In *Othello*, Othello kills Desdemona because he is
Distractor check: Convinced she is a witch might be chosen by readers confusing Othello's plot points with Brabantio's initial accusations of sorcery. Reasoning to the answer: Othello’s jealousy, fueled by Iago's persistent manipulation, leads directly to Desdemona’s tragic death. Common mistake: Blaming external societal prejudice instead of internal manipulated jealousy for the murder.
In *Othello*, Brabantio opposes Othello and Desdemona’s marriage because
Distractor check: Rodrigo is often remembered as a rejected suitor, leading students to think Brabantio favored him. Reasoning to the answer: Brabantio’s racial prejudice against Othello, a Moor, drives his intense opposition to the secret union. Common mistake: Assuming paternal objection stems from social class rather than racial bigotry.
In *Othello*, the speaker saying 'I have done the state some service' before dying is
Distractor check: Travelling or being sick might be guessed if the student misinterprets the tragic context of the final scene. Reasoning to the answer: Othello speaks these lines right before his suicide, reflecting on his past military contributions to Venice. Common mistake: Forgetting that the speech precedes his self-inflicted death.
In *Othello*, the speaker accusing Desdemona of 'treason of the blood' is
Distractor check: Othello might be selected if the student attributes the phrase's anger to the tragic hero himself. Reasoning to the answer: Brabantio speaks these lines, distrusting Desdemona’s elopement and viewing her choice as a betrayal of her heritage and upbringing. Common mistake: Attributing the father's outraged dialogue to the husband.
In Amma Darko’s *Faceless*, the character who acts both as a child and an adult is
Distractor check: Baby T or Obea might be selected by readers confusing the various children trying to survive on the streets in *Faceless*. Reasoning to the answer: Fofo navigates childhood innocence and adult survival skills, embodying the duality of street life in Amma Darko's novel. Common mistake: Confusing the protagonist's survival burden with secondary characters' roles.
In Bayo Adebowale’s *Lonely Days*, Kufi widows wear
Students might mistakenly pick options A, C, or D thinking colorful attires are used for mourning. However, Kufi widows wear black garments because black garments signify mourning for them. Common mistake: Confusing festive or neutral colors with traditional mourning attire.
In *Lonely Days*, Yaremi’s only son is
Students might mistakenly pick options B, C, or D by confusing other characters mentioned in the novel. Looking closely at family relations, Alani, Yaremi’s son, lives in the city. Common mistake: Mixing up the names of minor and major characters in the text.
In *Lonely Days*, Yaremi’s resilience is shown by her
Students might mistakenly select options B, C, or D by misinterpreting her coping mechanisms. Yaremi’s refusal to remarry highlights her independence. Common mistake: Assuming her endurance stems from dependence rather than personal autonomy.
In Richard Wright’s *Native Son*, Bigger burns Mary’s body in the
Students might mistakenly choose options A, C, or D assuming other household areas were used for concealment. Bigger uses the basement furnace to hide Mary’s body. Common mistake: Forgetting the specific room where the furnace is located.
In *Native Son*, 'Suppose Mary had not burned?' is a
Students might mistakenly select options A, B, or C thinking it is a figurative device of address or substitution. The phrase prompts reflection without expecting an answer, identifying it as a rhetorical question. Common mistake: Confusing rhetorical questions with apostrophes.
A theme in William Morris’s *The Proud King* is
Students might mistakenly pick options B, C, or D by focusing on wealth or learning rather than moral flaws. The poem critiques the king’s hubris and downfall, making arrogance the core theme. Common mistake: Overlooking hubris as a form of arrogance.
In Lenrie Peters’ *The Panic of Growing Older*, 'fluttering wings' is a
Students might mistakenly choose options A, C, or D thinking sound effects or direct human traits are applied. The phrase metaphorically compares time to a bird’s wings, which is a metaphor. Common mistake: Confusing metaphors with direct personification.
Gabriel Okara’s *Piano and Drums* symbolizes
Students might mistakenly pick options A, C, or D by misjudging the power dynamics between the cultures. The poem contrasts African and Western cultures, highlighting Africa’s cultural complexity. Common mistake: Reducing cultural comparisons to mere simplicity versus superiority.
In Alfred Tennyson’s *Crossing the Bar*, the rhyme scheme is
Students might mistakenly select options B, C, or D by guessing alternative rhyme patterns. The excerpt follows an abba rhyme scheme, seen in word pairs like asleep/deep and foam/home. Common mistake: Misidentifying stanza rhyme structures by confusing abba with abab.
In George Herbert’s *The Pulley*, the lines personifying strength and beauty are an example of
Students might mistakenly pick options B, C, or D by mislabeling stylistic devices. Strength and beauty are given human attributes, indicating personification. Common mistake: Confusing abstract qualities possessing human traits with paradox.
William Blake’s *The School Boy* is a
Students might mistakenly choose options A, B, or D by seeing the work as merely narrative or instructional. The poem satirizes the oppressive nature of formal education, making it a satiric poem. Common mistake: Assuming educational poems are strictly expository.
In David Diop’s *Vanity*, the language used is
Students might mistakenly pick options A, B, or D by misreading the poetic mood. The questioning tone seeks attention, making it imploring. Common mistake: Confusing an inquiring tone with diplomatic or submissive stances.
An art that is both literary and theatrical is
Students might mistakenly select options A, C, or D by focusing solely on written or performance aspects. Drama is literary as a script and theatrical when performed. Common mistake: Confusing prose fiction with performance art.
A character’s speech to themselves on stage is a
Students might mistakenly choose options A, B, or C by confusing stage directions and structural elements. A soliloquy reveals a character’s inner thoughts to the audience. Common mistake: Confusing an aside with a soliloquy.
A round character is associated with
Students might mistakenly pick options B, C, or D by attributing static or minor traits to complex figures. Round characters are complex and evolve in the story. Common mistake: Confusing round characters with flat characters.
In a narrative poem, the poet aims to
Students might mistakenly select options A, B, or D by confusing poetry goals with didactic or descriptive writing. Narrative poems focus on storytelling through verse. Common mistake: Confusing narrative poetry with descriptive poetry.
The continuation of meaning from one line to the next is
Students might mistakenly pick options B, C, or D by confusing syntactical flow with word sounds or figures of speech. Enjambment carries a sentence across lines without pause. Common mistake: Confusing enjambment with alliteration.
The plot of a story refers to the
Students might mistakenly choose options A, B, or C by limiting the definition to a specific part of a narrative. Plot is the organized sequence of story events. Common mistake: Confusing plot with the mere beginning or end of a story.
A didactic piece aims to
Students might mistakenly pick options B, C, or D by misinterpreting the root meaning of the term. Didactic works teach moral or ethical lessons. Common mistake: Confusing didactic instruction with dictatorial commands.
Literature is distinguished by its
Students might mistakenly select options A, C, or D by focusing on general communication rather than artistry. Creative imagination defines literature’s artistic nature. Common mistake: Confusing non-fiction communication with imaginative literature.
A character’s fitting reward or punishment is
Students might mistakenly choose options A, C, or D by picking unrelated critical phrases. Poetic justice ensures characters receive deserved outcomes. Common mistake: Confusing poetic justice with poetic license.
A writer’s vocabulary is referred to as
Students might mistakenly pick options A, C, or D by choosing broader linguistic terms. Diction is the writer’s choice of words. Common mistake: Confusing diction with rhythm.
In Robert Browning’s *My Last Duchess*, the speaker’s tone is
Students might mistakenly select options A, C, or D by misreading the emotional undercurrent of the lines. The speaker’s hopeful tone reflects optimism. Common mistake: Confusing complex dramatic monologues with pessimistic outlooks.
In Okot p’Bitek’s *The Rug*, the tone describing the Minister’s car is
Students might mistakenly pick options A, C, or D by misjudging the author's satirical approach. Exaggerated phrases create a humorous, satirical tone. Common mistake: Taking satirical exaggeration as genuine seriousness.
In Tennyson’s *Ulysses*, the persona does not intend to
Students might mistakenly select options A, C, or D by misunderstanding the character’s final goals. Ulysses desires to continue exploring, not stop. Common mistake: Believing the persona wishes to cease traveling.
In David Diop’s *Loser of Everything*, the imagery highlights
Students might mistakenly lean toward options like economic prosperity or peaceful coexistence, viewing them as standard themes of national development, but the text focuses elsewhere. By analyzing the poetry, the phrase 'iron and blood' acts as a clear indicator of colonial cultural displacement. Common mistake: confusing thematic critique with optimistic descriptions of growth.
In Wole Soyinka’s *The Lion and the Jewel*, Baroka’s admission of lost manhood indicates
A student could easily guess options like love for women or tiredness of marriage, assuming the context is purely domestic romance or fatigue. However, looking at the dramatic context, when Baroka states his 'manhood ended', this specific expression directly suggests impotence. Common mistake: misinterpreting literal physical decline as a mere emotional preference.
In John Donne’s *Death Be Not Proud*, the poet uses what device to diminish death’s power?
One might wrongly select metaphor or hyperbole since poetry frequently uses exaggerated comparisons and figures of speech. Yet, the poet achieves his goal by directly addressing mortality as if it were a person, utilizing personification to challenge its authority. Common mistake: mixing up personification with general metaphorical language.
In J.P. Clark’s *Agbor Dancer*, the dancer represents
A test-taker might consider modern corruption or Western influence, assuming the poem critiques contemporary societal changes. Instead, the focus remains on the performer herself, who embodies untainted African cultural heritage. Common mistake: assuming the poem's subject adopts foreign rather than traditional traits.
Now practice in exam mode
You've studied the answers — now test yourself under real exam conditions with the timer running.
Start JAMB Literature In English 2016 Quiz