UTME CBT FREE Practice Test – Literature-In-English (Set 1 – Questions with Answers and Explanations)

Questions 1 - 5 is based on The Lion and the Jewel By Wole Soyinka (Drama; African)

1. Wole Soyinka is from ______

A. Ghana    B. Kenya    C. Nigeria     D. Mali

2. The acts in The Lion and the Jewel By Wole Soyinka are named according to _______

A. Months       B. Yoruba deities       C. Astrological signs     D. Times of day

3. Who is the Jewel?

A. Sadiku    B. Sidi     C. The favorite    D. Baroka

4. Lakunle is all of the following except ______

A. Dismissive    B. Arrogant    C. Shortsighted    D. Shy

5. The stranger in The Lion and the Jewel By Wole Soyinka is a/an ______

A. Politician     B. Diplomat     C. Photographer      D. Journalist

Questions 6 - 8 is based on Look Back In Anger By John Osborn (Drama; Non-African)

6. Jimmy mocks the intelligence of his wife as a result of _____

A. the quality of food served to him
B. the quality of contents in the Sunday newspaper
C. her mode of dressing
D. none of the above

7. Jimmy describes Alison as pusillanimous.

Another word for pusillanimous is ______

A. dwaft      B. giant      C. coward      D. brave

8. Jimmy rains assault on Alison by mocking her 'primitive hand' because _____

A. of the noise coming from Alison's ironing
B. of the relationship between Alison and Cliff
C. of Jimmy's girl friend
D. none of the above

Questions 9 - 11 is based on Unexpected Joy at Dawn – Alex Agyei-Agyiri (Prose; African)


9. According to the the novel, Unexpected Joy at Dawn, the "Alien Compliance Order" was enacted by the government of _______

A. Ghana      B. Nigeria     C. Togo     D. Cameroon

10. The 'Alien Compliance Order', according to the the novel, Unexpected Joy at Dawn, ________

A. makes everybody living in Nigeria without required papers a stranger
B. makes everybody living in Ghana without required papers a stranger
C. makes everybody living in Togo without required papers a stranger
D. makes everybody living in Cameroon without required papers a stranger

11. Nil decided to go back to Nigeria to search for his origin because _____

A. he lost his job
B. he was overwhelmed with the thought of being identified as an alien
C. he loves Nigeria
D. he could not bury his wife.

Questions 12 - 14 is based on Second Class Citizen by Buchi Emecheta (Prose; African)


12. The central figure in the novel, second class citizen, is _____

A. Ibuza     B. Adah     C. Francis     D. Vicky

13. Adah was denied education because _____

A. she was born in the village
B. her parents are poor
C. she is a girl
D. there are no schools in her village

14. Adah's birth was welcomed with cold heart because ______

A. she was born in the midnight
B. the mid-wives are on strike
C. her parents were expecting a male child
D. her mother was sick during her birth

Questions 15 - 16 is based on Wuthering Heights By Emily Blonte (Prose; Non-African)


15. Wuthering means ______

A. quite environment       B. stormy environment     C. weeding     D. wandering

16. Wuthering Heights is the name of _______ residence.

A. Lockwood's     B. Grange's     C. Healthcliff's     D. none of the above

Questions 17 - 18 is based on Black Woman By Leopold Senghor (Poetry; African)

17. The "The Black Woman" as a poetic piece was written by ______

A. Niyi Osundare     B. Augustinho Neto     C. Leopold Sedar Senghor     D. Onu Chibuike

18. The Black Woman, a poem written by Leopold Sedar Senghor is a _______ poem?

A. quiet     B. peaceful     C. negritude     D. watered

Questions 19 - 20 is based on The Leader And The Led By Niyi Osundare (Poetry; African)

19. In "The Leader and the led", the poet treats a serious matter using the animal pack by giving them human quality. The literary device used is _______

A. simile      B. personification      C. metaphor      D. symbolism

20. The poem, "The Leader and the led" is made up of ______ stanzas

A. 10      B. 11      C. 12      D. 13

Questions 21 - 22 is based on The Grieved Land By Agostinho Neto (Poetry; African)

21. The poem “The Grieved lands” reveals _______

A. the beauty and glamour of Africa
B. the mountanious nature in Africa
C. Africa leaders
D. the reign of horror, racial discrimination and the worst form of man’s inhumanity of man.

22. Neto’s poems can be classified as ______ poetry.

A. protest
B. tragicomedy
C. comedy
D. fiction

Questions 23 - 24 is based on The Song Of The Women Of My Land By Kumar Farouk Sesay (Poetry; African)

23. In stanza one of the poem "The Song Of The Women Of My Land", the poet compares woman to a/an _______

A. man     B. animal     C. sculpture     D. heroine

24. The poem "The Song Of The Women Of My Land" celebrates the role of _______ in nation-building.

A. African leaders     B. women     C. men     D. poets

Questions 25 - 26 is based on Raiders of the Treasure Trove By Lade Worsonu (Poetry; African)

25. Figures of speech used in Raider of the Treasure trove includes the following EXCEPT ______

A. periphrasis
B. alliteration
C. personification
D. simile

26. The poem “Raider of the Treasure Trove” by Lade Wosornu contains _____ stanza(s)?

A. 1
B. 3
C. 5
D. 7

Questions 27 - 28 is based on A Government Driver on His Retirement By Chibuike Onu (Poetry; African)

27. The poet, Chibuike Onu hails from _______ State.

A. Lagos     B. Abia     C. Anambra     D. Imo

28. The poem, A Government Driver on his Retirement, contains _______ stanzas

A. 7     B. 5     C. 4     D. 3

Questions 29 - 30 is based on Caged Bird By Maya Angelou (Poetry; Non-African)

29. In the poem ‘Caged Bird’ by Maya Angelou, the poet describes the experience of _______ birds.

A. one     B. two     C. three     D. four

30. In the poem ‘Caged Bird’ by Maya Angelou, the poet describes the experience of two different birds, one free, and the other ______

A. more free     B. in exile     C. caged     D. killed

Questions 31 - 35 is based on General Literary Principles

31. The most important concepts in poetry are _____ and ______

A. story and action   
B. plot and rhythm   
C. rhythm and imagery   
D. plot and character

32. The literary device which anticipates that an event will take place is best described as _____

A. foreshadowing    
B. rising action   
C. flashback    
D. parody

33. The flat character in a literary work ______

A. is the same as the round character
B. cannot be found in an allegory
C. is capable of growing
D. always embodies a quality

34. The overwhelming pride that destroys the tragic hero is called _____

A. tragedy    
B. nemesis   
C. catharsis    
D. hubris

35. A farce refers to a drama that has elements of the ______

A. serious    
B. satiric   
C. comic   
D. tragic

Questions 36 - 40 is based on Literary Appreciation

'Careened,
These oily tears
Dripping down the tears on your depressed
face,
Will one day be staunched, I swear!'

- Ibiwari Ikiriko, Oily Tears.

36. The tone of the poet is ______

A. optimistic    B. supplicatory   C. sympathetic    D. piteous

'Lift not the painted veil which those who
live call life: though unreal shapes be pictured there,
And it but mimic all we would believe'
With colours idly spread, - behind, lurk fear,'

- P. B. Shelly, Sonnet

37. The stanza above is an example of a _____

A. quatrain    B. couplet    C. free verse    D. limerick

When he gave me the bottle, and I opened
it, I was shocked by the odour that hit my
nose:
I immediately corked it again, and spat on
the floor.'.

- Isidore Okpewho, The Last Duty.

38. The reaction in the passage above is that of _____

A. rejection    B. anger    C. protest    D. nausea

'For seven days it rained that June;
A storm half out to sea kept turning around
like a dog trying to settle himself on a rug;
We were the fleas that complained in his
hair.'
- John Updike, Wash

39. The image set in the lines above are of _____

A. the days of Noah
B. rain and flood in June
C. discomfort and likely destruction
D. an animal insects and fun.

'We have been asleep, Mr. Speaker, my
fellow citizens; asleep in our dream of
security! Asleep in our well-meaning,
sportsmanlike way of wishing the other
fellow well. Asleep in the false security of
accepting all men of goodwill who would be
free as men of honor.'

- Ralph Ellison, Juneteenth

40. The force of the speech above is sustained on _____

A. delivery    B. musically   C. repetition    D. oratory