Prescribed Text

365 questions

Question 161Question

In African literary studies, narrative actions often carry deep symbolic weight regarding cultural preservation and socio-political transformation. Match each literary scenario on the left with the central thematic message it expresses on the right.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

An agrarian community refuses genetically altered grain supplied by a foreign mining conglomerate, choosing instead to revive native seed preservation.
A veteran educator declines an executive appointment at the national ministry in order to remain at an underfunded rural academy.
A young artisan carves ceremonial ancestral masks using discarded iron remnants recovered from an abandoned colonial railway.
A council of elders resolves inter-clan land disputes by reciting oral genealogical chants rather than petitioning external judicial courts.

Matches

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Answer

The correct pairings align each character action with its underlying thematic purpose: the community's seed preservation represents resistance to economic dependency; the teacher's decision reflects moral commitment to rural capacity building; the sculptor's choice of materials symbolizes reinterpreting historical trauma for identity; and the elders' reliance on genealogical chants underscores the affirmation of traditional judicial sovereignty.
Each narrative scenario serves as a literary device illustrating a core thematic pillar: preserving native agriculture signifies resistance to economic dependency; choosing rural service over administrative promotion illustrates moral dedication to grassroots development; transforming colonial remnants into traditional masks demonstrates reinterpreting history for identity creation; and employing genealogical chants demonstrates faith in traditional judicial sovereignty.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the agrarian community's decision regarding seeds.
The rejection of foreign corporate grain to preserve local crops reflects resistance against economic control and preservation of heritage.
Connecting literal agricultural decisions to broader economic and cultural independence themes.
2
Examine the schoolteacher's refusal of a ministry promotion.
Staying at a struggling rural school demonstrates prioritizing community empowerment over personal prestige.
Evaluating character choice as a commentary on civic duty and educational ethics.
3
Evaluate the material choice of the artisan carving ancestral masks.
Converting iron from a colonial railway into sacred art signifies taking symbols of past subjugation and reshaping them into cultural pride.
Interpreting literary motifs and material symbolism.
4
Identify the significance of the elders' dispute resolution method.
Choosing traditional genealogical chants over formal state courts asserts the validity and authority of indigenous governance.
Distinguishing between formal legal bureaucracy and traditional communal authority.

Key Concept

Thematic Analysis and Central Messages in Prescribed Texts
Question 162Question

Complete the statement below by identifying the correct dimension of literary setting.

Fill in the blanks below

The cultural background, societal values, and power structures that influence the behavior of characters in a literary work constitute its context.
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Answer

The term that completes the statement is 'socio-cultural' (or 'sociocultural' / 'socio-political').
The socio-cultural context encompasses the shared beliefs, traditions, social hierarchies, and societal values of the environment in which narrative characters exist.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the clues in the statement regarding narrative setting.
The statement highlights 'cultural background, societal values, and power structures'.
These elements go beyond physical geography to define the human and institutional environment of a narrative.
2
Identify the corresponding literary context term.
The term describing societal norms, cultural traditions, and community structures is socio-cultural context.
In literary analysis, socio-cultural context dictates how characters interact, make moral choices, and experience societal pressures.

Key Concept

Socio-cultural and socio-political setting in prescribed texts
Question 163Question

Consider the line: 'The old wooden house groaned under the weight of the gathering storm.' Which figure of speech is demonstrated in this description?

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Answer: Personification

Answer

Personification is the figure of speech used in the line.
The line endows a physical building (an inanimate object) with the human vocal action of 'groaning' to vividly describe the sound of creaking timber under storm pressure, which is the precise definition of personification.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the subject and verb in the phrase 'the old wooden house groaned'.
An inanimate physical object ('house') is portrayed as performing a human action/sound ('groaned').
Identifying when human characteristics are given to non-human things helps determine the figure of speech.
2
Match this stylistic feature to its corresponding literary term.
Attributing human qualities or actions to inanimate objects is defined as personification.
Connecting the passage's stylistic technique to its standard terminology yields the correct answer.

Key Concept

Personification
Question 164Question

In a prescribed African prose text, an archivist refuses to alter historical records despite severe intimidation from state officials, while her colleague quietly complies to secure a promotion. Through the archivist's persistent resistance and subsequent imprisonment, what central theme does the narrative predominantly explore?

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Answer: The moral duty of individual integrity in confronting institutional corruption

Answer

The moral duty of individual integrity in confronting institutional corruption
The central theme of the narrative revolves around the moral imperative of maintaining personal integrity when faced with systemic or institutional corruption. The archivist's principled refusal to falsify history, even at the cost of her freedom, emphasizes that truth and moral courage are essential counterweights to tyrannical authority.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the core conflict presented in the narrative stem between the archivist and state officials.
Identified the primary tension between truth and moral integrity versus state coercion and personal gain.
Understanding key character actions and their consequences illuminates the author's central philosophical message.
2
Distinguish the primary thematic statement from minor plot elements and character sub-plots.
Recognized that the colleague's compliance serves as a moral contrast rather than the main theme.
A central theme must encapsulate the broader moral significance of the story rather than isolated supporting details.
3
Evaluate the resolution of the protagonist's stance and its thematic implications.
Concluded that the narrative stresses the necessity of standing up for truth despite personal sacrifice.
The archivist's willingness to suffer imprisonment underscores the ultimate value placed on personal integrity.

Key Concept

Thematic Analysis and Central Messages
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Question 165Question

Read the excerpt below carefully:

CHIEF ADO: (Pacing back and forth, clutching his wooden staff) If the council yields to their demands today, we shall become strangers in our own fatherland! The soil beneath our feet bleeds, yet you speak of compromise!
ELDER EZE: Sit down, Chief Ado. Anger has never brewed wise counsel. Let us hear what the emissaries have brought before we light the torch of war.

What is the dominant tone of Chief Ado's utterance in the excerpt above?

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Answer: Impassioned and defiant

Answer

Impassioned and defiant
The correct option is 'Impassioned and defiant' because Chief Ado speaks with intense emotional energy and explicitly rejects the idea of compromise, taking a strong stand to protect his fatherland.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the target speaker and focus of the question
The focus is specifically on Chief Ado's attitude (tone) during his speech.
Tone refers to the speaker's emotional attitude toward the subject or audience.
2
Analyze word choices and stage directions
Exclamations like 'we shall become strangers in our own fatherland!' and stage directions showing him pacing reveal strong passion and resistance to compromise.
Strong, urgent diction combined with non-verbal actions reflects a fierce, non-conforming stance.
3
Select the descriptor that accurately captures this attitude
'Impassioned and defiant' correctly describes a speaker driven by deep feeling who refuses to submit.
It aligns precisely with both the emotional intensity and the unyielding message of Chief Ado's words.

Key Concept

Identifying Speaker Tone in Dramatic Dialogue
Question 166Question

In Buchi Emecheta's prescribed novel *Second Class Citizen*, how does the character of Francis Obidako primarily function in relation to Adah's personal ambition and self-reliance?

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Answer: He serves as a central antagonistic force of patriarchal control, consistently stifling Adah's intellectual growth, financial independence, and self-worth.

Answer

Francis Obidako serves as a central antagonistic force of patriarchal control, consistently stifling Adah's intellectual growth, financial independence, and self-worth.
In *Second Class Citizen*, Francis Obidako functions as the main antagonist in Adah's personal life. He represents rigid patriarchal authority, refusing to take financial responsibility while actively undermining Adah's self-improvement, educational pursuits, and literary aspirations.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the major character's actions and relationships in the text
Francis Obidako continuously demands submission from Adah, relies on her income while refusing to work, burns her manuscript *The Bride Price*, and subjects her to physical and emotional abuse.
Character role analysis requires evaluating how a major character interacts with the protagonist and drives the primary conflict.
2
Determine the structural narrative function of Francis Obidako
Francis embodies the repressive patriarchal norms that Adah must overcome to attain self-actualization and independence as a writer and mother.
In *Second Class Citizen*, Francis functions as the primary domestic adversary against Adah's quest for autonomy.

Key Concept

Major Character Identification and Role Analysis
Question 167Question

In Khadija Abubakar Jalli's prescribed prose text, The Life Changer, which minor character serves as the personal driver and trusted confidant of Honourable Habib?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: Labaran; Mr. Labaran; Driver Labaran

Answer

Labaran
In Khadija Abubakar Jalli's novella The Life Changer, Labaran is the minor character who functions as Honourable Habib's driver and confidant, assisting him in private matters and executing behind-the-scenes arrangements.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the character's functional role in relation to Honourable Habib in The Life Changer.
Honourable Habib relies on his personal driver to carry out confidential tasks, private errands, and discreet arrangements.
Understanding minor character identification and narrative functions.
2
Match the role of driver and confidant to the specific character name.
The minor character named Labaran fills this role throughout the narrative.
Direct text recall of character identity.

Key Concept

Minor Character Identification and Functions
Question 168Question

In Khadija Abubakar Jalli's *The Life Changer*, what key narrative function does Labaran perform in the resolution of Kabir's fraud and extortion scheme?

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Answer: He acts as a pragmatic, behind-the-scenes operative who quietly recovers the money and defuses the scandal to protect Honorable Habib's reputation.

Answer

Labaran acts as a pragmatic, behind-the-scenes operative who quietly recovers the money and defuses the scandal to protect Honorable Habib's reputation.
The correct option accurately identifies Labaran's structural role in the prose text. When Kabir swindles Salma, Habib relies on Labaran to manage the fallout quietly. Labaran coordinates with Zaki to recover the money from Kabir at the gambling spot, resolving the conflict without law enforcement or media exposure, thereby safeguarding Habib's public image.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the minor character and context
Labaran is Honorable Habib's driver and confidant in *The Life Changer*.
Understanding Labaran's affiliation establishes his motivation and capacity within the narrative.
2
Analyze Labaran's specific actions in the plot
When Kabir tricks Salma and absconds with Habib's money, Labaran uses his contacts (including Zaki) to intercept Kabir and retrieve the funds secretly.
Minor characters often serve structural plot functions, such as resolving complications created by major or secondary characters.
3
Evaluate the functional impact on the overarching story
His intervention prevents a public scandal that would ruin Habib's political ambition and concludes the subplot involving Kabir's gambling debt.
This confirms Labaran's role as a loyal troubleshooter and facilitator who keeps high-stakes events contained.

Key Concept

Minor Character Identification and Functions
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Question 169Question

"The crown had grown too heavy for his withered brow, yet he wore his royal rags with the swagger of an emperor who still commanded legions, blind to the dust settling on his empty throne."

In the passage above, what literary device is exemplified by the phrase "royal rags", and what is its intended contextual effect?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: Oxymoron, juxtaposing royalty and poverty to emphasize the sharp contrast between the protagonist's former nobility and his present state of decay.

Answer

Oxymoron, juxtaposing royalty and poverty to emphasize the sharp contrast between the protagonist's former nobility and his present state of decay.
The phrase 'royal rags' combines two seemingly contradictory terms—'royal' (associated with supreme power, luxury, and nobility) and 'rags' (associated with poverty, ruin, and tattered garments). The side-by-side placement of these opposing concepts forms an oxymoron, which serves in context to accentuate the poignant contrast between the character's delusion of grandeur and his actual condition of squalor.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the components of the target phrase 'royal rags'.
'Royal' denotes high regal status and grandeur, whereas 'rags' denotes tattered, impoverished clothing.
Deconstructing the individual word meanings establishes whether the terms align or conflict.
2
Identify the relationship between the juxtaposed terms.
Two contradictory ideas are compressed into a single cohesive phrase.
Placing opposing or contradictory words together forms an oxymoron.
3
Evaluate the contextual function of the device in the passage.
It underscores the protagonist's pathetic attempt to maintain aristocratic dignity despite his actual downfall.
Understanding the literary device requires connecting its structure to the thematic atmosphere of the text.

Key Concept

Oxymoron and Contextual Figurative Analysis
Question 170Question

In the critical analysis of prescribed prose, drama, and poetry, symbolic narrative events and character actions express overarching central themes. Match each symbolic character action on the left with its corresponding central thematic implication on the right.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

A former colonial administration clerk systematically destroys official state tax ledgers before surrendering his position to a rural liberation movement.
A traditional priestess refuses to perform purification rites for a commercial railway corridor cutting through ancestral sacred groves.
A village midwife adopts modern clinical sterilization practices while preserving indigenous herbal birthing rituals.
An exiled court poet circulates anonymous satirical verses to undermine the public rhetoric of an autocratic regime.

Matches

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Answer

The clerk's destruction of state ledgers matches the repudiation of institutional complicity; the priestess's refusal to bless the railway matches the defense of spiritual heritage against industrial expansion; the midwife's dual practice matches the pragmatic synthesis of traditional and modern systems; and the exiled poet's satirical verses match the subversion of totalitarian governance through art.
Each narrative action represents a distinct central message: burning state ledgers expresses repudiation of institutional complicity; rejecting railway consecration reflects defense of heritage against industrialization; merging birthing rites with clinical hygiene demonstrates technological and cultural synthesis; and broadcasting satirical verse illustrates artistic subversion of totalitarian rule.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the thematic significance of the former colonial clerk burning tax ledgers.
Recognized that tax ledgers symbolize state control; burning them marks a complete break with colonial institutions to join popular resistance.
This symbolic action reflects the theme of repudiating institutional complicity to pursue revolutionary restitution.
2
Examine the priestess's resistance to the railway development through sacred land.
Identified the conflict as ancestral spiritual sanctity versus commercial infrastructure expansion.
Her refusal directly embodies the theme of protecting heritage and environment against industrial encroachment.
3
Evaluate the midwife's integration of clinical hygiene with traditional birthing rites.
Determined that neither system is rejected; rather, both are harmoniously blended.
This illustrates the central message of pragmatically synthesizing indigenous knowledge with modern innovation.
4
Assess the exiled poet's distribution of anonymous satirical literature.
Identified the literary work as a weapon of political resistance against state propaganda.
Using artistic expression to expose state corruption corresponds directly to subverting autocratic rule.

Key Concept

Thematic Analysis and Central Messages in Prescribed Texts
Question 171Question

In a narrative exploring communal conflict and reconciliation, which event serves as the primary catalyst for convening the final peace assembly between the two neighboring villages?

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Answer: The unexpected return and diplomatic intervention of the banished elder

Answer

The unexpected return and diplomatic intervention of the banished elder serves as the direct narrative catalyst that brings both warring villages to the peace assembly.
The plot reaches its resolution phase specifically through the return of the banished elder, whose moral authority creates the opportunity for dialogue between the opposing factions.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the key turning point in the plot sequence.
Recognized that the conflict remains unresolved until an influential character acts to break the stalemate.
Plot summary analysis requires isolating the main cause of the resolution from minor background events.
2
Evaluate the direct consequence of the banished elder's return.
The elder leverages historical respect to convince leadership from both sides to convene.
Narrative progress depends on cause-and-effect links between character actions and major plot developments.

Key Concept

Plot Resolution and Narrative Catalysts
Question 172Question

Match each excerpt from Column A with the correct literary device it demonstrates from Column B.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

"The sea lashed out in furious anger at the rocky shore."
"He was a lion in the battle, standing fearless against the enemy."
"Her smile was as bright as the morning sun."
"Parting is such sweet sorrow."

Matches

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Answer

The correct pairings are: 'The sea lashed out in furious anger at the rocky shore' matches Personification; 'He was a lion in the battle, standing fearless against the enemy' matches Metaphor; 'Her smile was as bright as the morning sun' matches Simile; and 'Parting is such sweet sorrow' matches Oxymoron.
Each excerpt features distinct stylistic markers: giving human feelings to the sea is personification; stating directly that a warrior is a lion is a metaphor; using 'as bright as' establishes a simile; and joining contradictory ideas like 'sweet' and 'sorrow' produces an oxymoron.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the figurative language in each excerpt from Column A.
Determined that the first excerpt attributes human traits to an inanimate object, the second makes a direct comparison, the third uses explicit comparison words, and the fourth combines contradictory terms.
Identifying key linguistic structures allows accurate classification of literary devices.
2
Match each analyzed excerpt to its corresponding device term in Column B.
Mapped personification, metaphor, simile, and oxymoron to their respective excerpts.
Aligning contextual examples with standard definitions confirms the correct pairings.

Key Concept

Identification of Literary Devices in Context
Question 173Question

Read the excerpt below carefully:

"The sun stretched its golden arms across the sleeping town, signaling the arrival of a new dawn."

Which figure of speech is predominantly employed in the excerpt above?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: Personification

Answer

Personification is the figure of speech predominantly employed in the excerpt.
Personification is used because human physical features and actions—such as having arms to stretch and sleeping—are attributed to the sun and the town.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Examine the descriptions assigned to the non-human entities in the passage.
The sun is depicted as having 'golden arms' that it 'stretched', while the town is described as 'sleeping'.
Identifying the attributes given to non-human elements reveals whether human characteristics are being applied.
2
Match the literary technique to its standard literary definition.
Assigning human qualities, actions, or emotions to non-living things or abstract concepts is defined as personification.
The direct attribution of human features confirms personification as the correct term.

Key Concept

Personification
Question 174Question

In the plot structure of the prescribed prose text, which critical narrative event directly impels the protagonist to relinquish his hereditary title and go into voluntary exile?

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Answer: The public exposure of his secret pact with the rival trade guild during the town assembly

Answer

The public exposure of his secret pact with the rival trade guild during the town assembly directly impels the protagonist to relinquish his title and choose voluntary exile.
The public exposure of the secret pact directly compromises the protagonist's leadership, rendering his position untenable and serving as the direct cause for his forfeiture of power and voluntary exile.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the causal sequence of narrative events leading to the protagonist's exile.
Identify the specific climax and turning point in the plot.
Exile is a major resolution event that requires an immediate, high-stakes plot catalyst.
2
Differentiate between background subplots, minor character actions, and the central climax.
Confirm that the exposure of the secret pact directly triggers the political ruin of the protagonist.
The revelation destroys his moral authority among the elders, leaving exile as his only resolution.

Key Concept

Plot Climax and Narrative Cause-and-Effect
Question 175Question

In a prescribed African poem exploring modern social transformation, four key motifs reflect the community's structural changes. Match each poetic motif on the left with its corresponding central thematic implication on the right.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

The drying up of the communal ancestral stream
The installation of a copper fence around the sacred baobab tree
The silence of the night masquerade's iron bell
The migration of village weavers to coastal urban factories

Matches

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Answer

Each poetic motif maps to its symbolic socio-political message: the drying ancestral stream aligns with ecological and spiritual erosion; the copper fence around the baobab represents privatization of cultural landmarks; the silent masquerade bell reflects the suppression of spiritual authority and voice; and the migration of weavers signifies the collapse of traditional craft economies.
The correct pairing accurately links each literary motif to its allegorical thematic significance: environmental decay directly correlates to lost spiritual heritage, physical barriers denote privatization of communal property, silent ritual instruments express cultural censorship, and labor migration signifies the disruption of traditional generational industries.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the literal imagery of each left item to deduce its symbolic meaning within literary thematic analysis.
Identified natural elements (stream), physical barriers (fence/baobab), ritual objects (masquerade bell), and socio-economic shifts (artisan migration).
Literary motifs in African poetry function as allegories for broader socio-political realities.
2
Evaluate the underlying central message associated with each symbolic motif.
Determined that environmental decline ties to spiritual loss, enclosure ties to privatization, quieted ritual instruments tie to cultural suppression, and rural-urban drift ties to economic disruption.
Thematic identification requires connecting concrete imagery to abstract central themes.
3
Match each motif to its precise thematic statement while avoiding literal misreadings.
Formed accurate pairings between left_1 and right_1, left_2 and right_2, left_3 and right_3, and left_4 and right_4.
Ensures complete consistency between narrative detail and central message.

Key Concept

Thematic Analysis and Central Messages
Question 176Question

In Khadija Abubakar Jalli's prescribed prose text, *The Life Changer*, which minor character serves as Tomiwa's hostel roommate hailing from Anambra State, whose background and interactions contribute to the narrative's thematic representation of inter-ethnic unity?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: Nkechi; nkechi

Answer

Nkechi
In *The Life Changer*, Nkechi is the minor character who represents Anambra State (South-Eastern Nigeria) among Tomiwa's room members. Together with Ada from Benue and Clare from Ondo, her inclusion highlights the structural and thematic function of promoting ethnic harmony, accommodation, and peaceful coexistence among tertiary institution students from diverse backgrounds.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Examine the narrative context surrounding Tomiwa's living arrangements at the university in *The Life Changer*.
Tomiwa shares a hostel room with three other female students from distinct geopolitical regions of Nigeria: Ada, Clare, and Nkechi.
Establishing the composition of Tomiwa's hostel room isolates the candidates for this minor character role.
2
Correlate each roommate with her state of origin and narrative function as described in the text.
Ada hails from Benue State, Clare from Ondo State, and Nkechi represents Anambra State (South-East).
Matching the regional origin specified in the question stem confirms Nkechi as the character who embodies this aspect of national diversity and integration.

Key Concept

Minor Character Identification and Cultural Functions in *The Life Changer*
Question 177Question

Match each environmental description from a prescribed text to the setting dimension it primarily represents.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

A rural community undergoing rapid economic transition during the colonial era
A dimly lit, decaying courtroom during a high-stakes cross-examination
A crowded coastal fishing village at dawn

Matches

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Answer

The description of a rural community in the colonial era matches Socio-historical context; the description of a dimly lit, decaying courtroom matches Atmospheric setting and mood; the description of a crowded coastal fishing village at dawn matches Physical and temporal setting.
Each setting element is correctly aligned with its setting dimension based on whether it describes social/historical background, emotional atmosphere, or physical/temporal markers.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the description of the rural community during the colonial era.
Identified as socio-historical context because it involves historical time periods and social structures.
Contextual background tied to history and social change defines socio-historical setting.
2
Examine the description of the dimly lit courtroom environment.
Identified as atmospheric setting and mood due to sensory details conveying tone and tension.
Elements affecting emotional tone and atmospheric quality define mood.
3
Evaluate the coastal fishing village at dawn.
Identified as physical and temporal setting because it specifies spatial location and time of day.
Geographical location and temporal markers define physical and temporal environment.

Key Concept

Dimensions of Literary Setting and Context
Question 178Question

In Lola Shoneyin's novel *The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives*, match each major character on the left with their primary structural role or narrative function within the household dynamics on the right.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

Bolanle
Baba Segi
Iya Segi
Iya Femi

Matches

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Answer

Bolanle matches with the educated fourth wife acting as narrative catalyst; Baba Segi matches with the pompous patriarch masking medical vulnerability; Iya Segi matches with the formidable senior wife orchestrating the paternity cover-up; Iya Femi matches with the scheming third wife whose trauma fuels her hostility.
Each character correctly aligns with their functional role in the novel: Bolanle acts as the narrative catalyst, Baba Segi as the oblivious patriarch, Iya Segi as the controlling matriarch, and Iya Femi as the hostile, traumatized co-wife.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the narrative function of Bolanle
Recognize Bolanle as the university-educated fourth wife whose presence triggers the investigation into the household's infertility issues.
Her willingness to seek modern medical help unlocks the novel's core secret.
2
Analyze Baba Segi's character role
Identify Baba Segi as the head of the family whose exaggerated self-importance conceals his underlying health issue.
His insistence on asserting control unintentionally exposes his own secret.
3
Distinguish between the roles of the senior co-wives Iya Segi and Iya Femi
Assign Iya Segi to matriarchal management of the secret lineage, and Iya Femi to bitter domestic opportunism.
Iya Segi leads the pact among the older wives, whereas Iya Femi's motivation stems from self-preservation and spite.

Key Concept

Major Character Identification and Role Analysis
Question 179Question

In the plot progression of a prescribed prose narrative, arrange the following key narrative events in their correct chronological order from earliest to latest.

Drag items to arrange them in the correct order

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Answer

The correct chronological order of events is: the accidental shooting during the funeral ceremony, followed by the decree of exile, then the rebuilding of a homestead in the maternal village, and finally the farewell feast prior to returning home.
The plot moves logically from cause to effect: the inadvertent shooting causes the village council to issue the decree of exile. The protagonist then spends his exile rebuilding his life in his maternal homeland, culminating in a farewell feast to signify the end of his seven-year banishment.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the inciting incident in the plot sequence.
The accidental shooting during the communal funeral ceremony serves as the initial event.
Narrative structure places the inadvertent crime at the start of the conflict.
2
Determine the immediate legal and traditional consequence.
The village elders decreeing a seven-year exile follows the accidental crime.
Traditional law demands punishment and ritual purification following the inadvertent killing.
3
Trace the protagonist's actions during the period of exile.
Seeking refuge in his motherland and establishing a new compound occurs during the banishment.
The protagonist must spend his seven years of exile away from his fatherland.
4
Identify the concluding event of the exile narrative arc.
Hosting the farewell feast marks the end of the banishment period.
The feast expresses gratitude to his mother's relatives right before his return.

Key Concept

Chronological Plot Ordering and Narrative Structure
Question 180Question

Read the literary excerpt below:

"The general's victory was a glorious defeat; three thousand brave soldiers lay silent in the dust while the kingdom celebrated the triumph of a dying throne."

In the excerpt above, which pair of literary devices is exemplified by the expressions "glorious defeat" and "lay silent in the dust" respectively?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: Oxymoron and euphemism

Answer

The expression 'glorious defeat' is an oxymoron, and 'lay silent in the dust' is a euphemism.
The phrase 'glorious defeat' pairs two contradictory words directly together, creating an oxymoron. The expression 'lay silent in the dust' serves as a soft, respectful alternative phrasing for fallen soldiers who died in combat, making it a euphemism.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the first target expression: 'glorious defeat'.
The two words 'glorious' (triumphant) and 'defeat' (failure/loss) have contradictory meanings and are positioned immediately adjacent to each other.
Placing contradictory terms in direct juxtaposition creates an oxymoron.
2
Analyze the second target expression: 'lay silent in the dust'.
The phrase serves as a soft, indirect way to describe soldiers who died on the battlefield.
Substituting a mild or indirect phrase for a harsh reality such as death defines a euphemism.
3
Synthesize the device pair to determine the correct response.
The devices in order are oxymoron and euphemism.
This matches the correct response choice.

Key Concept

Identification of literary devices in context (Oxymoron and Euphemism)
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