BECE 2020 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. Seth has bought and .... a loaf of bread.
A. ate
B. eats
C. eaten
D. eating

2. My mum and .... visited Joseph.
A. I
B. myself
C. me
D. ourselves

3. The tiger .... in wait for its prey.
A. lie
B. lain
C. laid
D. lay

4. It’s about time we .... studying hard.
A. start
B. should start
C. started
D. are starting

5. Ben now wishes he .... his studies early.
A. began
B. begun
C. begins
D. has begun

6. This is exactly .... our mum tried to make you understand.
A. all what
B. all that
C. something that
D. something which

7. Would you rather we .... tomorrow?
A. should leave
B. are leaving
C. leave
D. left

8. She is my .... sister.
A. senior
B. elder
C. older
D. matured

9. We cannot make tea because we have .... sugar left.
A. a little
B. very little
C. a few
D. very few

10. You should not tell .... about our plans.
A. no other
B. nobody
C. any other
D. anyone else

11. The leader .... suffer alone.
A. needs not
B. need not
C. needs not to
D. need not to

12. This flower pot is made .... clay
A. with
B. by
C. of
D. in

13. Let’s go out and play, ....?
A. will you
B. shall we
C. can you
D. would we

14. Sarah would have passed her examination .... she studied hard.
A. should
B. had
C. has
D. could

15. The four brothers haven’t seen .... since June last year
A. theirself
B. each another
C. themselves
D. each other

SECTION B

16 - 20
Choose from the alternatives lettered A to D the one which is nearest in meaning to the underlined word in each sentence.

16. Celia shook with fright.
A. excitement
B. cheerfulness
C. hope
D. fear

17. The radio is a potent medium of communication.
A. fast
B. necessary
C. powerful
D. sound

18. Trading is a lucrative economic activity.
A. profitable
B. legitimate
C. desirable
D. cherished

19. The scarcity of doctors is a matter of public concern.
A. weakness
B. shortage
C. suffering
D. indiscipline

20. My twin brother is very inguisitive.
A. curious
B. brilliant
C. friendly
D. talkative

SECTION C

21 - 25
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. I’m going to make you eat your words. This means that you will
A. become shocked
B. be punished
C. admit you are wrong
D. face the consequences of your actions.

22. Those children were born with a silver spoon in their mouth. This means that the children were born
A. with their mouth full of silver.
B. in good health
C. in happy homes
D. in wealth and luxury.

23. The driver 12 passed out soon after the accident occurred. This means that the driver
A. ran away
B. died
C. fainted
D. vomited

24. Susan was on edge after that incident. This means that she was
A. confused
B. surprised
C. nervous
D. unhappy

25. We were taken to the police station like a lamb to the slaughter. This means that we were taken there
A. with our clothes removed.
B. without resistance.
C. with difficulty.
D. in a violent manner.

SECTION D

26 - 30
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. These simple rules were infringed.
A. observed
B. violated
C. changed
D. formulated

27. His expressions are rather colloguial
A. informal
B. archaic
C. formal
D. modern

28. The visitor’s timidity surprised us.
A. hostility
B. sincerity
C. boldness
D. carelessness

29. opaque ballot boxes are no longer used in elections.
A. covered
B. transparent
C. painted
D. dark

30. Dave walked briskly to the meeting.
A. slowly
B. carefully
C. reluctantly
D. clumsily