Home/Quiz/Use of English Use of English Welcome to your Use of English Select the option that best explains the information conveyed in the sentence. The team’s poor performance at the tournament plumb the depths of horror. The team’s performance took them to the next round. The team’s performance was enjoyed by all. The team’s performance was full of disappointment. The team’s performance was rewardedSelect the option that best explains the information conveyed in the sentence. Zinana’s examination result was not unfavourable. She failed her examination. Her examination did not meet her expectation. She was successful in the examination. Her result could not earn her admission.Choose the option opposite in meaning to the word or phrase in italic Chibuzor gave a curt nod and walked away. gentle rude polite ShockingChoose the option opposite in meaning to the word or phrase in italics. The girl took a cursory glance at the letter and hid it. sententious concise brief lasting.Choose the option opposite in meaning to the word or phrase in italics. The man’s mordant wit is apparent to the entire village. kind scathing caustic witheringThe word in capital letters has the emphatic stress. Choose the option to which the given sentence relates. Adamu is leaving a CAR behind. Is Adamu driving the car in front? Who is leaving a car behind? Where is Adamu leaving a car? What is Adamu leaving behind?The word in capital letters has the emphatic stress. Choose the option to which the given sentence relates. The bed is IN the room. A. Was the bed in the room? What is in the room? Where is the bed? Is the bed in the parlour?Choose the option that best complete the gap(s). Do you mind…another hour or two? to have waited wait waiting to waitChoose the option that best complete the gap(s). The students had a…on Independence Day match pass march pass match past march pastChoose the option nearest in meaning to the word or phrase in italics. Ayodeji is an ardent supporter of education for the girl child. an optimistic a cogent a passionate an ignorant.Choose the option that has the same consonant sound as the one represented by the letter(s) in italics. lose nurse noise horse mouseIn each of questions 12 to 20, choose the option opposite in meaning to the word(s) or phrase in italics. The witness averred that she had seen Dosun at the scene of the crime. argued confirmed denied affirmedThe high cost of living these days calls for a lot of frugality. extravagance economy recklessness prudenceTunde’s reaction underscores the point I was making. justifies emphasizes summarizes contradictsEveryone admired the manager’s adroit handling of the crises in the company. clever tactless skilful clumsyThe principal took exception to the ignoble role the teacher played in the matter. embarrassing honourable extraordinary dishonourableHe is notorious for his drunkenness. popular known well known renownedThe chairman’s conduct redounds to the image of the company. assists in reflects on contributes detracts fromHer phlegmatic temperament endears her to her friends. stoic irritable lively coldThe workers suddenly became restive. fidgety disorderly submissive calmRead the passage below carefully and answer the questions(21 - 25) that follow. If our thought is to be clear and we are to succeed in communicating it to other people, we must have some method of fixing the meaning of the words we use. When we use a word whose meaning is not certain, we may well be asked to define it. There is a useful traditional device for doing this by indicating the class to which whatever is indicated by the term belongs, and also the particular property which distinguishes it from all other members of the same class. Thus, we may define a whale as a ‘marine animal that spouts’. ‘Marine animal’ in this definition indicates the general class to which the whale belongs, and ‘spouts’ indicates the particular property that distinguishes whales from other such marine animals as fishes, seals, jellyfish and lobsters. In the same way, we can define an even number as a finite integer divisible by two, or a democracy as a system of government in which the people themselves rule. There are other ways, of course, of indicating the meanings of words. We may, for example, find it hard to make a suitable definition of the word ‘animal’, so we say that an animal is such a thing as a rabbit, dog, fish or goat. Similarly, we may say that religion is such a system as Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Buddhism. This way of indicating the meaning of a term by enumerating examples of what it includes is obviously of limited usefulness. If we indicated our use of the word ‘animal’ as above, our hearers might, for example, be doubtful whether a sea-anemone or a slug was to be included in the class of animals. It is however, a useful way of supplementing a definition if the definition itself is definite without being easily understandable. Failure of an attempt at definition to serve its purpose may result from giving as distinguishing mark one which either does not belong to all the things the definition is intended to include, or does belong to some members of the same general class which the definition is intended to exclude. [Adapted from Straight and Crooked Thinking by R. H. Thonless] The writer uses the expression fixing the meaning of the words we use to mean using definitions to help people communicate their thoughts and argue logically. getting even with the people who always ask for definitions. repairing the damage done by inadequate definition during communication. using definitions to help people build up their vocabulary.One of these summarizes the approaches to definition discussed in the passage. Mentioning the class of a word or object with its specific property. Indicating the class of a word and mentioning its general property with examples. Specifying clearly what distinguishes a particular word or object from its traditional groups. Giving general and specific features followed by examples of what the object or word includes.The expression we may well be asked as used in the passage means we cannot escape being asked. the listener is always justified to ask questions it is inconceivable that we will be asked. it is quite likely that we will be askedWhich of the following statements can be deduced from the passage? Definitions aid communication when enumeration is accurately handled. Accurate definition is invaluable to communication but difficult to achieve. Every speaker or writer has a method of defining words. There are both traditional and modern methods of defining words.From the passage, which of these is a disadvantage of defining by enumerating? Enumeration always leaves doubts in the mind of the speaker. The words or objects listed may not all share similar characteristics. The property and examples enumerated may not be all-inclusive. Many important members of the group may be left out of the enumeration.Please fill in the comment box below. Name Email Time is Up!
