Bece Past Questions &

Answers – 2017 (English)

1. John has given ……………..smoking

A. in
B. off
C. out
D. up

2. The crowd was ………………….large that the Director became frightened.

A. quite
B. so
C. too
D. very

3. When we got there, the buses ………………left.

A. are
B. had
C. have
D. were

4. The book was ……………to me.

A. gave
B. given
C. giving
D. to give

5. Auntie is the lady to ……………..I gave the list.

A. who
B. whom
C. which
D. whose

6. He’s your friend, ……………..?

A. doesn’t he
B. does he
C. isn’t he
D. isn’t it

7. Kay: You didn’t go to Accra did you?

Lee: ……………….
A. No, I did
B. No, I didn’t
C. Yes, did I
D. Yes, I didn’t

8. You had better ………………now.

A. left
B. leave
C. be leaving
D. to leave

9. Kwame asked his friend to ……………..him a pen.

A. borrow
B. excuse
C. lend
D. spare

10. She ended the letter, ………………….

A. ‘Yours sincerely’
B. ‘Your’s sincerely’
C. ‘Yours’ sincerely’
D. ‘Your sincerely’

11. The woman refused to sell me ……………….kerosene.

A. any
B. little
C. plenty
D. some

12. ‘Yes, ….…….a book,’ he said.

A. is
B. its
C. it’s
D. it

13. I know you are much ………………..than Esi.

A. tall
B. taller
C. tallest
D. the taller

14. Neither John nor his friend, …………….. a play to the end.
A. watch
B. watches
C. was watching
D. were watching
15. Araba and Osei are a devoted couple who love ………………
A. each other
B. one another
C. themselves
D. the other

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 welfare of students should be the concern of teachers.

A. growth
B. joy
C. wealth
D. well-being

17. He said the practice was alien to him.

A. boring
B. new
C. modern
D. unfamiliar

18. He said the story was fictitious.

A. artificial
B. false
C. interesting
D. real

19. The man placed an order for rice and stew at the restaurant.
A. a command
B. a demand
C. a request
D. a directive

20. There is nothing with which to compare the infinite knowledge and power of Providence.
A. endless
B. immeasurable
C. incomplete
D. inconstant

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

21. Nimo worked hard after his business collapsed and soon found his feet.
This means that he
A. bought a new fleet of cars.
B. could walk again.
C. revived the business.
D. sold the rest of the business.

22. Manna lay aside some money for Baaba’s party. This means that Manna
A. refused to host the party
B. saved money for the party
C. spent money on the party
D. took a loan to organise the party

23. Mary described the occasion as a red-letter day. This means that the occasion was very
A. bloody
B. enjoyable
C. memorable
D. rough

24. George has been relieved of his post. This means that George has been
A. dismissed
B. given another assignment
C. demoted
D. promoted

25. Foli and Adzovi hit if off quite well. This means they
A. fight often.
B. get on very well.
C. play as a team.
D. present good arguments

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. People in our village are polite to strangers.

A. cruel
B. mean
C. rude
D. unfair

27. Fishes are plentiful in the pond.

A. little
B. scarce
C. small
D. unusual
28. The price of petrol has fallen for no reason.
A. aggravated
B. doubled
C. risen
D. weakened

29. Cann worked hard to stock the shop.

A. decorated
B. empty
C. fill
D. reinforce

30. There was mayhem as the crowd scattered.

A. anger
B. fear
C. order
D. riot

END OF PAPER

ANSWERS
JUNE 2017
ENGLISH LANGUAGE 1
ANSWERS
OBJECTIVE TEST CLICK TO
VIEW ANSWERS
1. D. up
2. B. so
3. B. had
4. B. given
5. B. whom
6. C. isn’t he
7. B. No, I didn’t
8. B. leave
9. C. lend
10. A. ‘Yours sincerely’
11. A. any
12. C. it’s
13. B. taller
14. B. watches
15. A. each other
16. D. well-being
17. D. unfamiliar
18. B. false
19. C. a request
20. B. immeasurable
21. C. revived the business
22. B. saved money for the party
23. C. memorable
24. A. dismissed
25. B. get on very well
26. C. rude
27. B. scarce
28. C. risen
29. B. empty
30. C. order
JUNE 2017
ENGLISH LANGUAGE 2
1 hour
This paper consists of three parts: A, B and C. Answer three questions in all; one question from
Part A and all the questions in Part B and Part C.

PART A
ESSAY WRITING
[30 MARKS]

Answer one question only from this part

Your composition should be about 250 words long.
Credit will be given for clarity of expression and orderly presentation of material.

1. You have been installed a chief in your hometown. Write a letter to your friend in another
school telling him, at least, two things you intend doing to develop the town.

2. Write an article for publication in one of the national newspapers on the topic:
The usefulness of the mobile phone.

3. Write a story that ends with the expression: So it pays to be kind to strangers.

PART B
COMPREHENSION
[30 marks]

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

My desire to win gold and also see the sea drove me to a small coastal village. Though I had
little food and drink, I covered a great distance. Towards dusk, I could sight the sea from a
distance. I was really excited. Its immense size stretched as far as the eyes could see.
As the stars appeared in the sky, I ascended the hill and saw the village of my quest. I was dead
with fatigue. To worsen my plight, there were blisters on my heel so I had to take a rest. But as I
descended the hill, I was welcomed by the quietness of the place.
The villagers were enjoying the cool evening air. From the lagoon came the croaking of frogs.
Children played and ran about excitedly. The village life was natural and simple. I sat on a bench
close by. How good it was to rest!

I resolved to rest on the bench. As I lay there, a sheet of mist rolled from the sea and settled upon
the village. In a few minutes, the village was filled with mist and everybody was running helter-
skelter. I was drenched to the skin. I had decided to move to the next village when a woman
suddenly walked up to me. For some time I had seen her gazing at me with pity. Now, as if she
read my thoughts, she said, “If you would accept my hospitality, you will be sheltered till the
morning. Just charity.” She was about thirty years of age, dressed in black with a pale face and
dark eyes.
Papaye hut held special appeal for me for its serene environment. For many days, I was well
catered for and this enabled me to replenish my energy. It was with a heavy heart, when the time
for departure arrived, that I bade farewell to my benefactress.

a) State why the writer went to the coast.

b) (i) How did the writer find life in the village?

(ii) Why did the writer decide to go to the next village?

c) (i) “… my plight.” What does this refer to?

(ii) “… everybody was running helter-skelter.” What do you think had happened?

d) (i) What two adjectives would you use to describe the character of the woman?
(ii) What does the appearance of the woman suggest?

e) Explain the following expressions in your own words:

(i) drenched to the skin;
(ii) she read my thoughts;
(iii) with a heavy heart.

f) For each of the following words, give another word or a phrase that means the same, and can
fit into the passage:
(i) immense;
(ii) ascended;
(iii) resolved;
(iv) serene;
(v) replenish.
PART C
LITERATURE
[10 MARKS]

Answer all the questions in this part

SACKEY J. A. and DARMANI L. (COMP.): The Cockcrow

5. Questions 5(a) to 5(c) are based on one of the prescribed short stories for your study. Provide
short answers to them.

MERRILL CORNEY: Debbie, Sandy and Pepe

(a) What is referred to as Poor little thing in the story?

(b) What is the setting of the story?
(c) The attitude of the girls to the baby bird is that of ………………………….

Read the following extract carefully and answer Questions 5(d) and 5(e)

KAAKYIRE AKOSOMO NYANTAKYI: Tell My Son to Hold On to His Gun

“Be courageous, be courageous, Kwame, be courageous!”

“I will be, Father, I will be,” I answered,
and entered the thick forest …
(Page 93)

(d) Be courageous, be courageous, Kwame, be courageous is an example of the use of a literary

device termed ………………….

(e) How did Kwame show that he was courageous at the end of the story?

Read the following extract carefully and answer Questions 5(f) and 5(g)

JEAN WATSON: The Old Man and His Children

Once there was an old man who had seven sons.

They should have been his pride and joy.
But they were not.
(Page 17)

(f) The above extract is a/an ……………………..to a story.

(g) The idea expressed in the second sentence is that of ……………….

Read the following extract carefully and answer Questions 5(h) and 5(j)
AMA ATA AIDOO: The Dilemma of a Ghost

Yes, my young woman, I shall remember you.

I shall remember you in the hours of the night –
In my sleep,
In my sleepless sleep.
(Page 62)

(h) “… young woman” refers to ………………..

(i) The ‘sleepless sleep’ of the speaker is caused by ………………………

(j) “… sleepless sleep” shows that the speaker is ……………………..

END OF ESSAY TEST

Answers
Question 1

ONTENT: 10 marks
The candidate is expected to highlight and explain the two things he/she would do to develop the
town.
Note: If a candidate writes on only one point, the Content is marked out of 5, instead of 10

ORGANISATION: 5 marks
This is a letter to a friend and the following features are mandatory:
(i) The writer’s address (without name)
(ii) Date
(iii) Salutation, e.g. Dear Kweku
(iv) Subscription, e.g. Yours ever, Yours sincerely, etc
(v) The writer’s first name
Good paragraphing. Ideas should be well organized to show unity and coherence.

EXPRESSION: 10 marks
This is a letter to a friend. The language should be chatty and reflect the warm relationship
between the candidate and his/her friend.
Contracted forms are acceptable and there should be a variety of sentence patterns.

MECHANICAL ACCURACY: 5 marks

Note: The candidate is penalised (half a mark deducted) for each of the following:
(i) each grammatical error
(ii) wrong spelling
(iii) faulty construction
(iv) punctuation error and the wrong use of the capital or small letter.

Question 2

CONTENT: 10 marks
The candidate is expected to state at least two useful things the mobile phone does and discuss
them well.
Note: If a candidate writes on only one point, the Content is marked out of 5, instead of 10

ORGANISATION: 5 marks
This is an article. It should have a heading and the name of the writer after the heading or at the
bottom. Paragraphs should be well developed and the material should be logically presented.
Note: If the candidate writes a letter, the organization is marked out of 3.

EXPRESSION: 10 marks
The language should be formal. Slang, colloquialism and contracted forms are out of place here.
The candidate is expected to use appropriate vocabulary and a blend of sentence patterns.

MECHANICAL ACCURACY: 5 marks

As in question one (1) above

Question 3

CONTENT: 10 marks
The story may be real or imaginary. Stories with animal characters are not acceptable.
Note: If a candidate writes a story that does not illustrate the expression but merely tags the
expression at the end, no mark is awarded for content.

ORGANISATION: 5 marks
A well-organised story has a beginning, a climax and a conclusion. Paragraphs should be well
developed and ideas properly linked. If dialogue is used properly, it is duly rewarded.

EXPRESSION: 10 marks
The candidate is expected to use vocabulary that is appropriate to the narrative. There should be
a variety of sentence types. Paragraphs should be well linked.

MECHANICAL ACCURACY: 5 marks

As in question one (1) above.

Question 4

a) To win / To extract / To search for / To find gold and to see the sea
b) (i) The village life was natural and simple /
OR
He found it natural and simple.

(ii)
S(he) had been left alone / S(he) felt deserted / S(he) felt abandoned
OR
To look for a place of rest / accomodation

c) (i) His/her tiredness / fatigue / exhaustion

(ii) The village had been filled with mist.

Note: “It was raining” is not accepted

d) (i) Kind, generous, considerate, kind-hearted, hospitable, benevolent, caring, loving,

sympathetic, compassionate, charitable

(ii) She was bereaved / mourning

OR
She has lost a dear one
OR
She is sorrowful

Note: “She is a widow” is not accepted

e) Explain the following expressions in your own words:

(i) drenched to the skin – very / completely / really wet. OR very / completely / really soaked.

Note: “wet” is not accepted

(ii) she read my thoughts – she knew my mind

OR
she knew what was in/on my mind
OR
she knew what I was thinking about
OR
she could tell what was in/on my mind
OR
she could tell what I was thinking about
OR
she knew/could tell what I was about to say
OR
we thought alike

(iii) with a heavy heart –

a feeling of sadness/sorrow
OR
a feeling of much/great unhappiness/regret
OR
He was sad/ very unhappy/with sadness

f) For each of the following words, give another word or a phrase that means the same, and can
fit into the passage:
(i) immense – expansive, vast, very large, very big, enormous, very wide
(ii) ascended – climbed, climbed up, went up, moved up
(iii) resolved – decided, made up my mind
(iv) serene – quiet, calm, cool, undisturbed, peaceful, tranquil
(v) replenish – regain, renew, restore

Question 5 a

Pepe / the baby bird / the little bird / the bird with the yellow beak / “the bird with the bright eyes” /
the baby bird that fell from its nest.

Question 5 b

The immediate environment of Debbie and Sandy’s house

OR
Countryside, Rural community, a village / the girls’ mother’s garden/ compound

Question 5c

Admiration / Compassion / Care / Pity / Sympathy

Question 5d

Repetition

Question 5e

He killed the killer beast

OR
By killing the killer beast
OR
He killed the monster

Note: “By killing a beast” is not accepted.

Question 5f

Prologue / beginning of / introduction

Question 5 g

Contrast
h. Eulalie / Eulalie Yawson / Eulalie Rush / Ato’s wife

i. Her barrenness / Childlessness

j. Restless / worried / disturbed / cannot find peace