Unseen Passages

Read the four lines from an unseen poem below carefully and match each numbered line with the primary figure of speech it exemplifies:

Line 1: "His words were sharp daggers to her fragile pride."
Line 2: "The autumn leaves danced gracefully in the wind."
Line 3: "There was a peaceful chaos during the sudden celebration."
Line 4: "He has told that story a million times before."

Read the following unseen prose extract:

"I walked down the narrow lane, my heart pounding against my ribs like a trapped bird. Every shadow seemed to stretch towards me, whispering secrets of the dark night. I knew I had to reach the old gate before midnight, or all would be lost."

True or False: The passage above is narrated using a third-person limited point of view.

Read the following unseen poetic passage carefully:

1 Upon the crest where ancient cedars grow,
2 I stood to watch the dying of the day;
3 The crimson fading to a shadowy grey,
4 While valleys slumbered in the dusk below.
5 And as the mountain breezes ceased to blow,
6 A sudden stillness swept the paths away;
7 No lingering traveller remained to stray,
8 Nor bird to sing where silent waters flow.
9 Yet in this hush a sudden spirit wakes!
10 The dark surrenders to a silver light,
11 As moonbeams shatter all the forest shades,
12 And hope renewed across the summit breaks.

Match each structural element or line section from the poem on the left with its correct poetic form or structural designation on the right.

Read the unseen poem extract below carefully:

"The furnace breathed its scorching, heavy breath,
And wrapped the shivering town in golden warmth;
Yet in that blazing room, an icy heat
Turned every eager worker's heart to stone."

Which figure of speech is exemplified by the expression "icy heat" in line 3?

Read the dramatic extract below carefully:

BOMA: Look at the ledger again, Uncle! The figures for the palm oil shipments do not match the receipts from the port inspector.
DAPO: (Closing the book slowly) Some numbers, my boy, are like shadows—they lengthen or shrink depending on where the sun stands.
BOMA: But the auditor arrives tomorrow from Lagos!
DAPO: Then we shall ensure the sun is at noon when he looks at them. Now, light the lantern and call no one.

What can be inferred about Dapo's intention regarding the upcoming audit?

Read the four lines from an unseen poem below. Match each numbered line to the primary figure of speech it exemplifies:

Line 1: "A painful joy enveloped every heart,"
Line 2: "The proud wind sang a mournful lullaby,"
Line 3: "His courage was a shield against the dark,"
Line 4: "The silver stars were shining in the sky,"

Read the following unseen prose extract:

"The dust on the highway settled slowly as the lorry rattled away into the distance. Mama Ngozi adjusted her headscarf, her eyes fixed on the horizon where the sun was beginning to dip. She thought of her daughter in the city, hoping the girl had found shelter before nightfall, completely unaware that at that very moment, Nneka was stepping off a train hundreds of miles away."

Statement: The narrative point of view in the extract above is third-person omniscient because the narrator reveals simultaneous events and internal states outside the awareness of the character present.

Read the unseen literary lines below carefully. Match each excerpt on the left with the dominant tone, mood, or characterization trait it conveys on the right.

Read the unseen passage below carefully:

As the final bell echoed through the empty corridors, Mr. Okon stood by his desk, neatly stacking the uncollected report cards. He lingered at Nduka's file, tracing the sharp decline in grades over the last term, right beside the note detailing the boy's recent night shifts at the timber market. Shaking his head softly, Mr. Okon placed a fresh notebook inside Nduka's locker before locking the classroom door.

From the passage above, what can be deduced about Mr. Okon's attitude toward Nduka?

Read the unseen passage below carefully and answer the question that follows:

"The Mayor stepped onto the pristine balcony, smoothing his silk waistcoat over an expansive belly nourished by public funds. Below, the dust-choked crowd gasped as he tossed a single, polished copper coin into the squalor, declaring with a magnanimous beam, 'Behold, my beloved citizens, the fruits of our shared prosperity!' He turned to his aide with a subtle wink, satisfied that the day's benevolence had been thoroughly documented."

What is the narrator's dominant tone toward the Mayor in this passage?

Read the following passage excerpt carefully:

"The old merchant sat quietly in his dilapidated sanctuary, counting the meager proceeds of his waning trade. His former patrons had all succumbed to the allure of the bustling central market, leaving his small enterprise marooned in forgotten shadows."

Match each word from the passage on the left with its appropriate contextual meaning on the right.

Read the following excerpt from a dramatic monologue carefully:

"Listen to me, noble chiefs of the council! You call my counsel rash because I refuse to bow before the storm. But I tell you, this timid peace you embrace is merely a phantom. It wears the mask of harmony today, yet tomorrow it will devour the very soil your ancestors bled to preserve."

As used in the passage above, what is the contextual meaning of the word "phantom"?

Read the prose excerpt below and complete the statement with the word or phrase that best captures the contextual meaning of the underlined term.

Read the following lines of poetry:

The golden sun sinks slowly in the west,
And shadows lengthen on the quiet hill;
The weary traveler pauses for his rest,
While all the world grows motionless and still.
The night approaches with a gentle grace,
And stars begin to flicker in the sky;
A serene calm envelops every place,
As evening's silent whispers murmur by.

What is the rhyme scheme of this poetic excerpt?

Read the following unseen poem carefully:

The distant bells begin to chime at dawn,
The misty meadows wake in silver light,
While gentle breezes blow across the lawn,
And chase away the shadows of the night.

The river flows with silent grace,
A mirror to the open sky,
Where floating clouds pass swiftly by.

In every heart a secret hope remains,
To break the heavy weight of silent chains.

Match each specified line group or rhyme element from the poem on the left with its correct structural term or rhyme pattern on the right.

Read the extract below carefully:

'The hearth has grown cold in the chief's grand hall,
Where once laughter echoed from wall to wall.
The young warriors gather, their whispers low,
Watching the horizon where shadows grow.
No drums sound the call for the harvest feast,
While crows circle slowly above the east.'

What can be deduced about the current state of the community from the extract?

Read the unseen prose extract below carefully:

'The village elder stood silently beside the cracked, dusty bed where the river once flowed. For three consecutive seasons, dark clouds had gathered at the horizon only to scatter without dropping a single bead of rain. He stared at the hollow silos near the compound, then turned toward the distant ridges where columns of white smoke rose from neighboring altars.'

Based on the extract above, evaluate whether the following statement is TRUE or FALSE:

The community is experiencing a severe drought that has resulted in a critical food shortage.

Read the following unseen dramatic extract and match each character's speech (Left Column) with the corresponding dramatic element or device it illustrates (Right Column).

KALE: (Whispering to the audience while Chief Ojo speaks) He believes I am his loyal servant, yet his downfall is already signed in my pocket. (Line 1)
CHIEF OJO: My wealth is infinite! No mortal hand can ever strip me of this crown! (Line 2)
KALE: The crown glitters, Chief, but remember the head that wears it is made of clay. (Line 3)
KALE: I leave, my Lord—yet the storm you mock is already at your front gate. (Line 4)

Match each speech line with its dramatic element:

Read the unseen prose extract below:

"The old steam engine groaned into the deserted station like a dying beast, belching thick black smoke into the crisp morning air. I watched from behind the wooden crates, holding my breath as two armed guards stepped onto the platform, their eyes scanning the shadows."

Which narrative point of view and dominant literary device used to describe the train are employed in the passage?

Match each of the following unseen prose excerpts with the central theme or main idea it predominantly conveys.