CSEC English A Paper 1 May/June 2003 - Free CXC Past Paper with Answers

The prize-winning garden boasted a profusion of rare plants.

The new employee seems to be a very zealous worker.

We found it very hard to put up with his belligerent attitude.

He did everything possible to thwart the efforts of the relatives to have the will probated.

"I can assure you," the judge told the defendant, "that the law is not vindictive."

Items 6–10

Directions: Some of the following sentences are unacceptable because of inappropriate grammar, idiom or vocabulary. Some sentences are acceptable as they stand. No sentence contains more than one inappropriate element.

Select the ONE underlined part that you feel is inappropriate and choose the corresponding letter A, B, C. If the sentence is acceptable as it stands, choose D. Mark your choice on the answer sheet.

She was not feeling well at the beginning A of the journey, and sitting at the front of B the car made her feel worse. No error C D

"Mary, will you please full up the buckets A B before the water supply is cut off?" No error C D

Any disease of the bones and joints which are due to deficiencies in a single nutri- A B tional factor can be prevented. No error C D

No one in the island seemed to know where A the Prime Minister could be located at, B even though there was a nation-wide search C for him. No error D

No sooner had he entered Kathleen's liv- A ing room and begun preparations for the B feast when there was a sharp rap at the door. C No error D

Items 11–15

Directions: Each sentence in this section is followed by four sentences. Choose the one nearest in meaning to the original sentence. Be sure to read all four choices before you select your answer. Mark your choice on your answer sheet.

Since I went to the shop yesterday, I do not need to go there today.

Since I did not want to go there today, I went to the shop yesterday.

I went to the shop yesterday because I do not need to go there today.

Having gone to the shop yesterday, I do not need to go there today.

Yesterday I went to the shop and I do not need to go there again today.

Bad spelling may not matter to some but it is the mark of the second-rate writer and creates an unfavourable impression of his work.

To some, an unfavourable impression of both the writer and his work is conveyed by second-rate spelling.

Bad spelling does not matter much to some people as it is only a symptom of the second-rate writer and his work.

Although it may be of little consequence to some, bad spelling classifies a writer as second-rate and gives a poor impression of his work.

To the second-rate writer, it does not matter much that to some, bad spelling conveys a poor impression of his work.

According to the witness, he did not see the accused man near the scene of the crime.

The witness testified that he did not see the accused man commit the crime.

The witness testified that the accused was not the man seen near the scene of the crime.

The witness testified to seeing no evidence that the accused man had committed the crime.

The witness testified that the accused man was far from the location where the crime was committed.

The firemen rushed to the scene of the fire only to discover that they were unable to save the building.

When the fire was discovered, the firemen rushed to the scene but were too late to save the building.

As the firemen found out, discovering the scene of the fire was one thing, but saving the building was another.

The quick efforts of the firemen at the scene were in vain as the building went up in flames.

Despite their speedy arrival at the scene of the fire, the firemen found out that the building could not be saved.

The accident was due to the wetness of the road and not necessarily to careless driving.

Because the road was wet and the driver unnecessarily careless the accident occurred.

The accident was caused more by the wet road than by the driver's unnecessary carelessness.

Careless driving had nothing to do with the accident which occurred on the wet road.

The driver was involved in the accident not necessarily because he was careless but because the road was wet.

Directions: In the following sentences one of the underlined words may be misspelt. Choose from the three options, A, B, C, the word that is misspelt. If no word is misspelt, choose answer D. Mark your choice on your answer sheet.

The nurses were allotted seperate quarters because the main building could not accommodate them all.

The foreign ship was impounded for polluting our teritorial waters.

Even though the boy had demonstrated his innocence, disciplinery action was taken against him.

The doctor recommended that the patient spend a period of convalescence in the country in order to recuperate fully.

While the secretary was advising the young woman, her discourteous nephew mischeivously made faces at her.

Items 21-36 Directions: Read the following passage carefully. Select the correct option in EACH item on the basis of what is stated or implied.

I jumped in my car and for almost an hour I cruised down every major street and examined every passing bus. During this hour, at the peak of the morning traffic, I saw no more than eight Negro passengers riding the buses. By this time I was jubilant. Instead of the 60 per cent co-operation we had hoped for, it was becoming apparent that we had reached almost 100 per cent. A miracle had taken place. The once dormant and quiescent Negro community was now fully awake.

All day long it continued. At the afternoon peak the buses were still as empty of Negro passengers as they had been in the morning.

Students who usually kept the South Jackson bus crowded, were cheerfully walking or thumbing rides. Job holders had either found other means of transportation or made their way on foot. While some rode in cabs or private cars, others used less conventional means. Men were seen riding mules to work, and more than one horsedrawn buggy drove the streets that day.

During the rush hours the side-walks were crowded with laborers and domestic workers, many of them well past middle age, trudging patiently to their jobs and home again, sometimes as much as twelve miles. They knew why they walked, and the knowledge was evident in the way they carried themselves. And as I watched them I knew that there is nothing more majestic than the determined courage of individuals willing to suffer and sacrifice for their freedom and dignity.

Many spectators had gathered at the bus stops to watch what was happening. At first they stood quietly, but as the day progressed they began to cheer the empty buses and laugh and make jokes. Noisy youngsters could be heard singing out, "No riders today". Trailing each bus through the Negro section were two policemen on motorcycles, who claimed that Negro "goon-squads" had been organized to keep other Negroes from riding the buses. In the course of the day the police succeeded in making one arrest. A college student who was helping an elderly woman across the street was charged with "assaulting passengers". But the "goon squads" existed only in the commissioner's imagination. No one was threatened or intimidated for riding buses; the only harassment anyone faced was that of his own conscience.

The writer was examining "every passing bus" (line 3) because he

wanted to find out if the members of the Negro community were using the buses

intended to stop Negro passengers getting on the buses

was looking to see whether the policemen were involved in the boycott

was looking for a bus that was not full so that he could get to work

Which of the following statements is evidence that the boycott of the buses was successful?

"I saw no more than eight Negro passengers riding the buses." (lines 5-6)

"By this time I was jubilant." (lines 6-7)

"Many spectators had gathered at the bus stops" (lines 39-40)

The once dormant and quiescent Negro community was now fully awake." (lines 11-12)

The phrase "less conventional" as used in line 23 of the extract suggests that the means of transportation used was

unimaginative and unreliable

cheap compared with private cars

unsuitable for the occasion

unlike that in everyday use

In line 34, the use of the phrase "the way they carried themselves" suggests that the demonstrators were

tired and hungry from demonstrating

contemptuous of the white population

proud to fight for what they believed in

angry at those who did not join in the demonstration

What is the reason for the change in behaviour of the spectators at the bus stops "as the day progressed" (lines 41-42)?

They were amused when they saw men riding mules to work.

They got bored because they were standing at the bus stop too long.

They wanted to show the policemen that they were not frightened of them.

They felt very happy when they saw how successful the boycott was.

The real reason that the college student was charged (line 53) was because

he was helping an elderly woman across the street

he was a member of a "goon squad"

the police were protecting passengers from assault

the police were anxious to have evidence that passengers were being threatened

The phrase "assaulting passengers" (lines 53-54) is put in quotation marks to

show that they were the actual words spoken by the policeman

imply that the charge against the student was false

point out that it was the only charge made by the police

inform the reader that it was the legal name for such offences

In the last sentence of the extract (lines 56-59) it is implied that

the passengers were terrorised and made to feel afraid

some of the passengers may have felt guilty

it was the demonstrators and not the passengers who were hurt

the passengers were carefully watched by the "goon squads"

According to the extract, which of the following apply to the demonstrators? I. Anxious to shout and laugh at the passengers II. Fully aware of the purpose of their actions III. Immune to the threats of the police IV. Prepared to suffer for the cause

Which of the following is NOT a fact expressed in the extract?

More than three-quarters of the Negro population actively participated in the demonstration.

Passengers were persistently troubled by organised "goon squads".

Policemen on motorcycles followed the buses through the Negro section of the town.

As many Negro passengers refused to ride the buses in the afternoon as in the morning.

Which of the following phrases BEST describes the mood of the writer?

Nervous and uncertain

Which of the following types of writing does the writer employ in this extract?

A possible title for the extract is

"Conventional Means of Travel"

"Goon Squads Harass Marchers"

The writer of the passage is MOST likely

a supporter of the boycott

a member of the goon squad

an impartial observer

According to the writer, in paragraph three (lines 17-26) the courage of the protesters could be seen in

their crowding of the sidewalks

the fact that they were well past middle age

their willingness to walk to and from work

the fact that they were labourers and domestic workers

The fact that the police succeeded in making only one arrest indicates that

the goon squads protected the spectators

the commissioner's prediction regarding goon squads was wrong

a passenger was assaulted by a college student

there were few negroes riding the buses

Man has always been involved in agriculture in order to

According to the passage, which of the following has man used throughout his life to improve his agricultural production?

The word "adorn" as used in line 13 is closest in meaning to

According to the passage, tinkers, tailors, candlestick makers and weavers were all important in the olden days because they

established themselves as people in authority

set the trends in fashion

provided employment for the society

were considered the providers in the society

In medieval times spinning and weaving were considered

The writer makes it clear that many villagers were

threatened by the growth of industry

underemployed during the winter

disenchanted with life in the city

involved in both manufacturing and farming

The writer suggests that the overall result of manufacturing has been to

increase food production

mechanize production of goods

increase spread of information

raise living standards

From the passage it is evident that

there was much industrial activity in medieval times

manufacturing industries were not popular

many workers were poor agricultural labourers

there were many large factories for manufacturing goods

The writer refers to "man" and "men" throughout because

he is writing from a male point of view

man is traditionally regarded as the breadwinner

this is a conventional way of including both sexes

agriculture and manufacturing employed only men at that time

Which of the following would be the MOST suitable title for the passage?

From Agriculture to Industry

The Industrial Revolution

How Primitive Man Survived

In the passage, the phrase "newly renovated" (line 1) suggests that the

surroundings look more attractive

patrons will be more welcome

quality of the food has improved

service will be quicker than before

In the passage, "in the twinkling of an eye" (line 13) means the same as

According to the passage, which ONE of the following does 'SNACK-TIME RESTAURANT' claim to offer?

Quick service and reasonable prices

Nutritious snacks and take-away service

Prompt service and enjoyable snacks

Reasonable prices and pleasant surroundings

This advertisement is designed to appeal to all of the following EXCEPT the

diet conscious eater

fast-foods enthusiast

In the passage, the author uses all of the following devices EXCEPT

Items 52-60 Directions: Read the following passage carefully. Select the correct option in EACH item on the basis of what is stated or implied.

Land and air and water are filled with living things, but apart from mankind, they scarcely ever change, or, if they do, it is over vast periods of time. Ferns grow and fish swim just as they did long before man walked upon the earth. The industrious ants continue their routine of self-preservation and self-perpetuation as they did when the dinosaurs ruled. But man, in his comparatively brief history, has transformed both the world and himself. His specific quality is purposeful change through thought: he is man the thinker.

The human brain works like the heart, ceaselessly pulsing, day and night, from childhood to old age. That man thinks all the time is a familiar notion; but it is a less familiar concept that all human history might be best understood as a process of learning. It was by learning that we ceased to be animals and made ourselves into men. Far back in the warm jungles, somehow, cell by cell and reflex by reflex, the wonderful human brain was formed, and with it our two other miraculous human powers: our fantastically intricate speech and our ingenious, adaptable hands.

The earliest tools were scarcely more than lumps of stone, with a few corners chipped off to fit the hands roughly; but gradually, century by century, better stones are selected, and they are chipped and smoothed and rounded and sharpened until they are not only efficient but almost handsome. It is impossible to look at those stone tools, and to imagine their makers, without feeling pity, admiration and affection for our clever, industrious ancestors, and without renewing our reverence for the growth of the human mind.

After the stone tools came the control of fire, the skilful, almost magical, transformation of lumps of earth into hard pottery and durable metal, the creation of the wheel. Equally wonderful, perhaps more wonderful, was the invention or development of plants. Almost everything we consume, except animal food, is part of a plant, carefully bred from selected stock: wheat, sugar, fruits, tobacco, hemp, cotton. Some intelligent man or woman found each plant growing wild in the jungle, tasted or tested it, and by patient experiment discovered how to rear and improve it.

This was one of the real beginnings of civilization. In that slow, patient process, men improved the plants, and the plants improved men. Men ceased to live at random; they settled down, and grew together. Cultivated fields made men invent rules and observe seasons; therefore laws were devised, the calendar was established, and astronomy became a science. By such and other growth, we moved from primitive animalism, through primitive human savagery, to civilization.

The purpose of paragraph one (lines 1-13) is to

give examples of the living things found on land, in the air and in water

trace the history of civilization from earliest times to the beginning of man

show how man has transformed the world and himself

compare the development of man with that of other living things

The writer's use of the phrase "as they did when the dinosaurs ruled" (lines 8-9) is intended to

remind the reader of the process of evolution

express concern over the ants' behaviour

compare the ants with the dinosaurs

indicate the length of time which has passed

In lines 14-15 the writer's comparison between the human brain and the heart

draws attention to the fact that the brain never stops working

indicates that both organs are crucial to the working of the human body

points out that because these organs are familiar their importance is forgotten

stresses the fact that it is the brain which separates animals from man

Which of the following is NOT mentioned by the writer as a source of man's remarkable powers?

Man's capacity for speech

The dexterity of the human hands

According to the writer, in paragraph three (lines 28-40) one quality of our toolmaking ancestors was that they were

The writer's intention in lines 28-40 ("The earliest tools were .... of the human mind.") is to

trace the development of tools

acknowledge the ingenuity of man

underscore the slow process of change

show the relationship between efficiency and beauty

In paragraphs four and five (lines 41-67), the author links the actual beginnings of civilization with the

observation of seasonal change

cultivation of plants

establishment of the calendar

discovery of the stars

According to the passage, in what order did the following accomplishments take place? I. Refining of stone tools II. Creation of the wheel III. Transformation of earth into pottery IV. Command of the element of fire V. Perfection of plant life

Which of the following is NOT suggested by the writer as a feature of civilization?

The measurement of time

Rational methods of farming

The domestication of animals

CSEC English A Paper 1 May/June 2003 - Free CXC Past Paper with Answers

CSEC English A Paper 1 May/June 2003 Questions