Below are questions from the NECO 2023 English questions. You will find the answers provided immediately after each section.
This is Paper II. Paper III is multiple choice questions while paper IV is the test of orals.
PAPER II
SECTION A
CONTINUOUS WRITING (50 marks)
You are advised to spend about 45 minutes on this section.
You are required to answer only one question from this section. Your answer should not be less than 450 words. All questions carry equal marks.
1. Your mother has written to you asking of the profession you would like to pursue after leaving secondary school. Reply her letter, stating your preferred profession and giving reasons for making the choice.
2. Write a story to illustrate the saying: Charity begins at home.
3. You are the chief speaker in a debate on the topic: The Establishment of Federal Government Colleges is a Blessing to the Nigerian Child. Write your argument for or against the proposition.
4. Write an article suitable for publication in your school magazine on the topic: Indiscipline among Secondary School Students and Ways of Curbing it.
SECTION B of NECO 2023 English Questions
COMPREHENSION (20 marks)
You are advised to spend about 30 minutes on this section.
Read the passage below carefully and answer the questions on it.
In this part of the world, one group that is yet to be appreciated by many is “The Teacher.” The teacher belongs to the noble profession. He is the moulder of the society who frames the minds of the young ones that will take charge of the economic sector of the country in future. He develops the intellectual capacity of the would-be leaders. He develops from the cradle the analytical mind of the future diplomats and nurtures to fruition the ideals of great political thinkers.
When religious leaders fall to impart the right knowledge, the teacher takes up the gauntlet for the re-orientation of the child who has been indoctrinated with the teaching of affluence and fanaticism. This re-orientation is done using moral instruction in schools.
He emphasizes the need for justice, love, honesty, sincerity, diligence, discipline, reward and punishment. The teacher re-discovers the positive values in the maladjusted children. The guidance counselor – a teacher – has been forced to perform the abandoned roles of the parents.
However, it is disappointing that all, these become slave labour as the teacher has been seriously denigrated. The efforts of the teacher are not appreciated by the parents who have neglected their duties, abandoning them to the teacher. The teacher, a builder of nations’ human resources, is unfortunately despised and neglected by the people he made and institutions he is serving. The ruling class does not care about him. His issues are not looked upon as important and are hardly remembered in parliament, His good work is remembered only during graduation ceremonies but forgotten as soon as the imparted knowledge places one in a position of authority.
The teacher who depends on the society which ought to protect him, incidentally, has been enveloped by so much insensitivity of the society such that he is now abandoned to his fate.
The teacher has been unjustly accused of imposition of all forms of illegal levies and given all manners of names. He is the target of every other group critical of the falling standard of education whereas the teacher has no power to improve on the infrastructure of the school and has no access to grants for improvement of libraries or laboratories. He is only to be seen and not to be heard. Consequently, the teacher cannot disabuse the mind of the misinformed public that has failed to recognize his role as the greatest contributor to national growth and development.
Under this circumstance that the teacher has found himself, he has to work harder in order to train and produce better informed leaders. If he relaxes, things would get worse.
If he works harder, there is hope that tomorrow would be better for the nation and for him.
Comprehension Questions and Answers
(a) State two attributes of the teacher as mentioned in the passage. (2 marks)
(i) The teacher develops the intellectual capacity of the would-be leaders
(ii) From the beginning the teacher develops the analytical mind of future diplomats
(b) Mention two instances in the passage that show that the public has been misinformed about the roles of the teacher. (2 marks)
(i) The teacher has been asked of imposition of illegal levies.
(ii) He is the target of every group critical of the the falling standards of education.
(e) What irony of life is highlighted in the passage? (2 marks)
The irony is that the teacher who is a moulder of society in underappreciated and denigrated by the same society.
(d) What wrong values do religious leaders impart on the child? (2 marks)
They teach them affluence and fanaticism
(e) How has the teacher corrected this teaching? (2 marks)
The teacher corrected the teaching through moral instruction.
(f) “ the teacher takes up the gauntlet “
What does the expression above mean? (1 mark)
(g) “…who have, neglected their duties.
(j) What grammatical name is given to this expression? (1 mark)
(ii) What is its function in the sentence? (2 marks)
(h) Find one word or phrase-which is nearest in meaning to, and can at the same. time replace each of the following words as used in the passage.
(i) noble – honourable
(ii) cradle – beginning, foundation
(in) impart – instill, transfer
(iv) affluence – wealth
(y) denigrated – disrespected
(vi) important – critical, vital
One mark for each correct answer i.e 1 mark X 6 marks
SECTION C of NECO 2023 English Questions
SUMMARY (30 marks)
You are advised to spend about 30 minutes on this section.
Read the passage below carefully and answer the question on it.
A nation that is democratic usually would have democratic institutions. One of such institutions is the electoral commission. Constitutionally, the commission is a body responsible for organizing and conducting elections in a political system. In other words, it is an independent and impartial body mandated to organise and conduct elections in a given country. It has a chairman as the head and other members. For instance, Nigeria has had several electoral commissions with different designations. Some of these are the Federal Electoral Commission (FEDECO), the National Electoral Commission (NEC), the National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (1NEC). The above-named commissions are merely a change of nomenclature but the functions remain the same.
The statutory functions of the Commission need not be over-emphasized as they are aimed at conducting free and fair elections. The Commission is saddled with the responsibility of dividing the country into constituencies or electoral districts. The advantage is that it gives the electorate the opportunity to express their franchise easily.
But the disadvantage is that it may lead to gerrymandering. That is, the leaders may construct the electoral districts in such a way as to give the majority party more representations in the parliament.
Political parties are registered according to laid down rules and regulations. In Nigeria, for example, before the conduct of the 2011 elections, INEC registered over 50 political parties that participated in the elections. In addition, the Commission also registered eligible voters. This is done manually or electronically. The expression of franchise by voters may take the form of restricted or universal adult suffrage. However, the latter is the most popular and universally acknowledged. It is constitutional and democratic because all qualified adults are allowed to vote and be voted for.
The Commission educates the electorate about the necessary issues involved in elections. It informs the people about their rights, the method of voting to be adopted (either secret or open balloting), identification of party symbols and the proper manner of voting.
The body also provides all necessary materials needed for an election (both sensitive and non-sensitive), such as ballot boxes, ballot papers, result sheets, etc. Moreso, aspirants for elections are properly screened and their eligibility duly ascertained before any election. This affirms the credibility of the candidate who is vying for any particular post.
Electoral officers like polling clerks, polling orderlies, presiding officers and returning officers are appointed and trained by the Commission. These enhances the smooth conduct of elections.
Finally, the Commission is responsible for the counting of votes and release of the results of each election conducted. This is to be done under strict supervision to avoid rigging of elections.
Summary Questions and Answers
In six sentences, one for each, state the functions of an electoral commission.
5 marks each i.e 5 marks x 6 marks
1. The electoral commission is responsible for organizing and conducting elections in a political system.
2. The electoral commission educates the electorate about the necessary issues involved in elections.
3. The commission provides all necessary materials needed for an election (both sensitive and non-sensitive)
4. The commission makes sure all aspirants for elections are properly screened and their eligibility duly ascertained before any election.
5. The Commission is responsible for the counting of votes.
6. The commission is in charge of releasing of the results of each election conducted.
Conclusion
We have come to the end of the NECO 2023 English past questions and answers.
Practice makes perfect, so continue practicing for the English examination by checking out other past SSCE English questions, including SSCE letter writing questions and answers, comprehension and summary, argumentative essays and article writing. Past Objective questions are also useful and worth your time.