English (Literacy) Aptitude Test Questions.
A pencil is an interesting object to look at. One may wonder what this really is and how is
made. It has a number of characteristics and can be described in May way. It is cheap,
legible and light in weight. A pencil is easy to carry around and unlike the ball pen, it never
leaks.
A pencil is one of the most widely used writing instruments in the world. The pencil was
discovered 1,500 years ago in England. The writing material had a variety of names such as
lead, wad and plumbage meaning, that which acts like lead. No one knew exactly what this
thing really was until in 1979 when a Swedish chemist, Carl Scheele made the surprising
discovery that black lead was not lead at all but a soft form of pure carbon.
It is made of a solution of finely ground graphite, clay, and water. This is forced through a
narrow metal tube and comes out looking like a long string of spaghetti which is dried, cut
and fried in a kiln. The lead is then immersed in hot oil and wax. The ceder wood is used
because it is very easy to sharpen.
Today, we have a variety of pencil types such as ‘HB’ and ‘B’ which denotes softer lead.it is
usually numbered 2B or 6B show how soft the material is.
Answer the questions that follow….
1. Another advantage that a pencil has over a pen which is not stated in the passage is
that a pencil……
a) Breaks while writing
b) Can easily be rubbed in case of a mistake
c) Can be used by left-handed learners
d) Is more expensive than a ball pen
2. Ceder wood is used in the making of pencils because it is…..
a) Easy to carry
b) Easy to sharpen
c) Hard to sharpen
d) Not expensive
3. The writing material had a variety of names. The word Variety in the passage means?
a) Cheap materials
b) Different types
c) Similar objects
d) Very attractive
4. According to the passage, what makes pencil better than a ball pen? It….
a) Can be carried around
b) Is longer than a ball pen
c) Never leaks
d) Was discovered in 1500
5. According to the passage one can conclude that making a pencil is….
a) Long and involving
b) Simple but involving
c) Short and difficult
d) Short but tiresome
Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning.
1. A. Despite her beauty, she is still single.
B. However………………………………………
a) However beautiful she is, she is still single.
b) However her beauty, she is still single.
c) However despite her beauty she is single.
d) However she is still single.
2. A. Whatever you do for that girl, she will never respond to your love.
B. No matter……………………………………………………………………………………
a) No matter what you do for that girl, she will never respond to your love.
b) No matter what you do for her she will not respond to your love.
c) No matter your love for her, she will never love you.
d) No matter how much you love her she loves you
3. A. I went to church, yet I was not feeling well.
B. Even though……………………………………………..
a) Even though I went to church yesterday I was not feeling.
b) Even though I went to church, I was not feeling well.
c) Even though I was not, feeling well I went to church.
d) Even though its Sunday, am not feeling well.
4. A. I did not meet him. He did not give me the money
B. if only…………………………………………………………………….
a) If only I did not meet him, he would have given me the money.
b) If only we met, he would have given me the money.
c) If only I met him, he would have given me the money.
d) If only I had met him, he would have given me the money.
5. A. Since you have written your examinations, you can visit your aunt.
B. Now……………………………………………………………………
a) Now you can visit your aunt because of the examination.
b) Now that you have written your examinations, you can visit your aunt.
c) Now that the exams are over you can go to your aunt’s place.
d) Now that you have Wroten your examinations, you can visit your aunt.
6. A. you might as well help us since you are here.
B. seeing that…………………………………
a) Seeing that you are here come help us.
b) Seeing that you are here, you might as well help us.
c) Seeing you here, might help us.
d) See that you came here, you might as well help us.
7. A. Not that you are a grown up, find means of surviving.
B. Since……………………………………………………………………………….
a) So you have now grown you can survive.
b) Since you are all grown up find means of surviving’
c) Since you are a gown up find means of surviving.
d) Since you are a grown up, find means of surviving.
8. A. “Tonight go to be early,” my father told us.
B. My father told us…………………………………………………………
a) You should go to bed early, said my father
b) My father said go to bed early tonight
c) My father told us to go to bed early, that night.
d) My father told us to go early to bed tonight.
9. A. Cynthia said,” I love the dress you bought for me, dad.”
B. Cynthia told her dad……………………………………………………….
a) Cynthia told her dad to buy her the dress
b) Cynthia told her dad that she loved the dress he bought for her.
c) Cynthia told her dad, I love the dress.
d) Cynthia told her dad, “that she loved the dress he bought for her”.
10. A. Mary had just left the room when the baby started crying.
B. Scarcely………………………………………………………………………..
a) Scarcely had Mary left the room when the baby started crying.
b) Scarcely when Mary left the room when the baby started crying.
c) Scarcely did Mary leave the room than the baby started crying
d) None