On this particular Wednesday, noisy supplications to the Most High and ceaseless invocation of His name to free those supposedly held captive by alleged evil spirits had reached fever pitch. Suddenly, a middle-aged man broke loose from the crowd and ran as fast as his knobbly legs could permit. Some male workers from the prayer house gave him a hot chase.
At first, bemused by-standers rained curses on the fleeing man, wondering daylight rob a house of God. They obviously mistook the man for a robber fleeing from the scene of his crime. But he was not. Minutes later, he was caught and chained hands and feet, despite his struggle against his captors who intermittently lashed him with horse-whip. As he was being violently dragged along the street, the man ceaselessly mattered incomprehensible words that sounded like the muttering of a colony of baboons. Then, a dear picture of the situation dawned on the on-lookers. The man, after all, was not a thief and had stolen nothing; rather, his ability to think and reason properly had taken flight of him. Simply put, he was mentally deranged
The above incident is a common occurrence in many parts of the country. It aptly underscores the deviating mental health conditions plaguing a sizeable number of people in recent times. It also points to the unspeakable and inhuman treatment which people with such health disorders suffer at the hands of self-styled spiritualists. This is the usual lot of mental patients whose family members refuse to take advantage of orthodox treatment.
1. What brought the people to the prayer house?
2. State the functions of the superintendent of the prayer house.
3. What was wrong with the on-lookers’ assessment of the run-away man?
4. Mention two instances of inhuman treatment in the passage.
5. What is the writer’s attitude towards the treatment of lunatics at prayer house?
6. "…..like the muttering of a colony of baboons” what figure of speech is contained in this expressions?
7. "…… whose family members refuse to take advantage of orthodox treatment.”
SECTION THREE : SUMMARY
There were certain underlying conditions that enabled department stores grow up when they did. From the start, they all catered for middle-class customers and set out to convey to them an air of luxury and solid comfort. Of necessity, they all arose in central positions where large numbers of people could reach them easily by means of public transport. Physically, they grew up in an era of big technical developments in building so that they could afford multi-storey palaces and could have enormous plate-glass windows for display, lighting and novelties like lifts.
Above all, the department stores rose with the rise of Victorian white-collar workers, the small-scale businessmen and professionals whose womenfolk had money to spare for a few luxuries and were gradually switching the emphasis of their housekeeping expenditure from food to other items.
Most of these stores drew enough customers to fill their huge shops by offering two new things. One was the new manufactures, particularly clothing, goods and accessories, household furnishings and equipment of all kinds that were coming out of the factories in increasing quantity. The specialist shops stocked these too, of course, but the department stores always made it a point to be the first in the field if they could with novelty of any kind. And the other special thing they offered the middle-class shoppers, many of whom were newly rich and a little experienced in luxury shopping, was a lavish display and wide choice of these goods.
The department stores, however, introduced into a respectable class trade the vulgar practice of openly marking or ticketing goods with their prices – a practice that had not even yet penetrated shops that could claim that they were really exclusive. But the department stores as a rule made a virtue not only of displaying their wares as openly as they could but also of boldly pricing them for all to see. Their large-scale purchases enabled them to sell cheaply and they were not ashamed in the early days to make price one of their selling points. ‘Store price’ was a by-word for cheapness.
The lines they concentrated on were fashion goods, things that shoppers were prepared to travel long distances for and to take some time and trouble in choosing. The department stores were at least partly responsible for the way the middle classes gradually became fashion conscious, and helped to mould their tastes. They were the first preachers of the modern creed that goods ought to be replaced when they are outdated rather than when they are outworn.
(a) In four sentences, one for each, summarize why people were attracted to the department stores.
(b) In two sentences, one for each, state the effects department stores had on their customers.
In each of the following sentences there is one underlined word and one gap. From the list of words lettered A to D, choose the one that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the underlined word and that will, at the same time, correctly fill the gap in the sentence.
1. The handsome profitfor her fish business made Mrs. Uba stop complaining about her husband’s __________ salary. A. ugly B. meagre C. modest D. lowly.
2. Chief Osa prefers fame in the village to ________ in the city. A. neglect B. ignorance C. poverty D. obscurity.
3. The media houses should employ both the novice and the _____ journalist A. apprentice B. probationer C. newcomer D. veteran.
4. While there governor considers the matter insignificant his deputy sees it as _____ A. minute crucial C. compulsory D. marvellous
5. It pays to the firm rather than ________ in a case like this. A. flexible B. frank C. irresponsible D. careless
6. usallyJoseph is articulate in his speech, but today he sounds ________ A. clear B. turgid C. timid incoherent.
7. The man’s first wife is loyal while the second is _______ A. unfaithful B. unkind C. selfish hostileR
8. Rather than convict him, the impartial judge ______ him. A. blamed B. dismissed C. upheld acquitted
9 Instead of reconciling her parents, Roxance worked hard at _______ them. A. dividing B. destroying separating D. isolating
10. We thought that Uncle Sam’s health has improved but it has rather ________ A. persisted deteriorated C. deepened D decreased
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that best completes each of the following sentence.
11. On every important aspect of human relationship is _________ trust. A communal B. individual C. mutual D personal
12. Thetwotasks were performed ______and we were able to finish early. A. alternatively B. simultaneously C. consecutively separately
13. The committee is charged with finding a ______ solution to the crisis A. lengthy B. current C. lasting D. strong.
14. We are worried by the ______ that exists between the two factions of the party. A. distraction B. commotion confusion D. rivalry
15. Our teacher was not speaking ______ when the said that the bursar was under a cloud A. literally B. simply frankly D. directly
16. The signature on the document lacked ______, so it was rejected. A. clarity authenticity C. formality D. simplicity
17. Everyone could tell that Binta was happy from the ______ on her face A. picture B. appearance expression D. sight
18. His last novel was ______ by his visit to the prisons inspired B. generated C. conceived D. revealed
19. As a result of the power cut, production at the paint factory came to a __________ A. hold-up B. blockade stands D. suspense
20. Several______ were passed at the meeting A. memoranda B. decisions C. resolutions D. action.
Choose the interpretation that you consider most appropriate for each sentence in this section
21. James and Henry were at daggers drawn when knew them. This means that they A. were always angry with each other. B. always were dagger C. were good at drawing daggers D. were fighting everybody.
22. My book has become dog-eared through use. This means that A the book is designed like dog’s ears. C. my book is torn my book is indispensable
23. Musa does not believed that there is poverty in Africa; he is a dyed-in-the –wool capitalist. This means that Musa is: A a kind capitalist B. a thoughtful capitalist C. an old capitalist D. an unbending capitalist.
24. Whenever my cousin comes to realize that I ma telling the truth, she will eat humble pie. This means that my cousin will ______ A respect me hate herself C. all the time D. apologize D be ashamed
In this section, choose the word that has the some vowed and consonant sounds as the one represented by the letter(s) underlined.
25. Car plantain B. massive C. garment D. matter
26. Bond hound B. dove C. month D. stop
27. Cut song B. pull C. tongue D. lock
28. Beige A gauge B. barrage C. strange D. purge
29. Crunch A chief chemist C. champagne D chart
30. Throat writhe B. Thomas C. Smith D. thyme
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