Use Of English 2021 Jamb Examination

The word 'preliminary' refers to an action or event that precedes or prepares for something fuller or more important. In a competition, the preliminary stage is the initial or starting phase where early rounds are held. 'Advance' and 'crucial' refer to later or more significant stages, while 'initial' perfectly matches the meaning of being at the beginning of a process.

'Pilfering' is the act of stealing things of little value or in small quantities, especially over a period of time. It is a specific type of theft often associated with petty items in a workplace or household. While 'incompetence' or 'mismanagement' are also grounds for dismissal, they refer to lack of skill or poor administration, whereas pilfering specifically denotes a criminal act of dishonesty.

'Meekness' is a quality of being quiet, gentle, and submissive. While people often confuse it with 'weakness', meekness is actually a virtue of being patient and long-suffering without being spiritless. In the context of the sentence, her calm and non-confrontational nature (gentleness) made her vulnerable to being exploited by more aggressive colleagues. 'Steadfastness' refers to being firm and unwavering, which is quite different from being meek.

'Patrimony' refers specifically to property or assets inherited from one's father or male ancestor. Therefore, inheritance is the most accurate synonym. While an inheritance can consist of 'property' or 'valuables', patrimony carries the specific connotation of ancestral lineage and the legal passing of wealth from a father to a child. 'Reputation' is intangible and does not fit the context of having 'nothing left' in a material sense.

A 'patriotic' person is someone who expresses vigorous support for and devotion to their country. In this context, a patriotic Nigerian is essentially a lover of Nigeria who is willing to serve and defend the nation's interests. Being 'obedient' is a trait of following rules, but patriotism involves a deeper emotional and active commitment to the fatherland. 'Calculative' and 'careless' do not relate to the concept of national devotion.

If an action is 'unbecoming', it means it is not befitting or not appropriate for a person in a particular position or of a certain character. For a leader, certain behaviours are expected to maintain dignity and authority; anything that falls below that standard is unbecoming. 'Forthcoming' means about to happen or being communicative, which is unrelated, while 'unwanted' or 'not necessary' do not capture the sense of social impropriety conveyed by unbecoming.

To be 'incoherent' means to express oneself in a way that is unclear, rambling, or uncoordinated, making it difficult for listeners to follow the logic or meaning. An incoherent speech lacks cohesion and clarity. While an incoherent person might seem 'confused', the word specifically describes the disjointed nature of the communication itself. 'Eloquent' is the direct antonym, referring to someone who speaks fluently and persuasively.

To 'tackle' means to make a determined effort to deal with a problem or a difficult task directly. The opposite of facing and dealing with something head-on is avoiding it, which means staying away from or shunning the challenge altogether. 'Attacking' and 'handling' are synonyms or near-synonyms, while 'suspending' means to delay, but 'avoiding' represents the clearest conceptual opposite to active engagement.

In this context, 'reasonable' means fair, sensible, or moderate. When describing a speed limit that is considered excessive, extreme, or shocking, the word outrageous is the most appropriate opposite. While 'unbelievable' might seem close, 'outrageous' specifically denotes a violation of what is sensible or right, making it the perfect antonym for something that is reasonable.

A 'dignitary' is a person considered to be important because of their high rank or office. The direct opposite of an important person is a nonentity, which refers to a person with no special or interesting qualities, or someone who is regarded as unimportant. 'Spectators' are merely observers, and 'celebrities' or 'chieftains' are types of important people, making 'nonentities' the correct antonym.