BECE 2013 English Language Past Questions

PART I

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

1. The lion .... under the tree waiting for its prey.
A. lie
B. lay
C. lain
D. laid

2. I wish Ato .... come to see us tomorrow.
A. will
B. is to
C. would
D. may

3. It’s high time we .... the items out.
A. move
B. are moving
C. moved
D. were moving

4. This amount is all .... I have on me.
A. what
B. that
C. which
D. this

5. The harder you study .... your chance of success.
A. the great
B. greatest
C. greater
D. the greater

6. Please, I would rather you .... not disturb me.
A. did
B. will
C. may
D. do

7. That pair of trousers is worn ....
A. in
B. out
C. into
D. on

8. Atsu is looking forward to .... his friend at the party.
A. see
B. be seeing
C. seeing
D. have seen

9. The minister is my .... brother.
A. senior
B. older
C. elder
D. junior

10. We have .... sugar, so we cannot have breakfast.
A. a few
B. little
C. few
D. a little

11. I wouldn’t say this to .... ..
A. no other
B. any other
C. nobody
D. anyone else

12. This vase is made .... glass.
A. on
B. of
C. with
D. by

13. Mrs. Akwei is blind .... the faults of her children.
A. on
B. over
C. to
D. by

14. Shika was absent yesterday, .... ?
A. isn’t she
B. has she
C. didn’t she
D. wasn’t she

15. Come and see me tomorrow, .... you?
A. shall
B. will
C. may
D. don’t

16. If Kofi had studied hard, he .... his examination.
A. would pass
B. would be passing
C. will be passing
D. would have passed

17. The boy likes his .... dog.
A. little pretty brown
B. pretty brown little
C. pretty little brown
D. brown little pretty

SECTION B

Choose from the alternatives lettered A to D the one which is nearest in meaning to the underlined word in each sentence.

18. The radio is a very potent means of communication.
A. necessary
B. powerful
C. widespread
D. sound

19. Benjamin deserves the prize because he is industrious.
A. polite
B. hardworking
C. intelligent
D. funny

20. Farming is lucrative.
A. easy
B. profitable
C. necessary
D. good

21. The recklessness of the driver caused the woman’s death.
A. drunkenness
B. arrogance
C. carelessness
D. ignorance

22. The doctors have been discussing the shortage of nurses.
A. indiscipline
B. love
C. scarcity
D. efficiency

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.

23. Adzo takes after her mother. This means that Adzo
A. likes her.
B. resembles her.
C. is unlike her.
D. always follows her.

24. Board members are paid five Ghana Cedis a day across the board. This means that
A. every member receives five Ghana Cedis.
B. some members receive five Ghana Cedis.
C. members are given five Ghana Cedis for food.
D. only deserving members are given five Ghana Cedis.

25. Advise Peter not to poke his nose into my affair.
A. interfere
B. enter
C. speak
D. believe

26. During the lecture, Sarfo was miles away. This means that Sarfo
A. was self-conscious.
B. had travelled.
C. had slept.
D. was absent-minded.

27. Ato was at his wits’ end. This means that Ato
A. was collecting his ideas together.
B. had come to the end of his talk.
C. did not know what to do next.
D. did not have much to do.

28. 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.

28. We are surprised at her hostility to us.
A. faithfulness
B. attitude
C. manner
D. friendliness

29. She timidly faced her accusers.
A. boldly
B. calmly
C. angrily
D. smilingly

30. The minister is sincere in his promise.
A. unrealistic
B. uncertain
C. dissatisfied
D. dishonest

31. The flag was hoisted during the golden jubilee celebration.
A. sunk
B. dipped
C. lowered
D. dropped

32. The minister is sincere in his promise.
A. unrealistic
B. uncertain
C. dissatisfied
D. dishonest

PART II

LITERATURE
From the list of words lettered A to D choose the one that is correctly answers each question or completes the sentence.

33. The sequence of events in a play is the
A. theme
B. plot
C. conflict
D. resolution

34. An address directed at oneself is known as
A. monologue
B. dialogue
C. apostrophe
D. soliloquy

Read the following extract carefully and answer questions 35 to 37
‘O incomprehensible God!
Shall my pilot be
My inborn stars to that
Final call to thee’?

35. The poem is a kind of
A. sermon
B. apostrophe
C. dirge
D. sonnet

‘O incomprehensible God!
Shall my pilot be
My inborn stars to that
Final call to thee’?

36. The theme of the above extract is
A. life
B. neglect
C. war
D. death

‘O incomprehensible God!
Shall my pilot be
My inborn stars to that
Final call to thee’?

37. Which of the following expressions from the extract suggests the theme above?
A. ‘incomprehensible God’
B. ‘inborn stars’
C. ‘Final call’
D. ‘my pilot’

38. The main character in a play or a novel is called
A. hero
B. villain
C. dramatist
D. antagonist

39. The conversation between two characters is known as
A. a dialogue
B. a monologue
C. aside
D. a soliloquy

40. Miming refers to
A. the use of song in drama
B. acting without the use of words
C. imitation of a character
D. the use of dialogue in acting