Read the passage carefully and answer all questions which follow.
The academic performance of students in the olden days was golden. Students knew the essence of education and made efforts to achieve excellence. Reading whatever material they came across not only helped in their mental development but also made them self-reliant and confident. Students burned the midnight oil in order to make good grades and come out of school as better people.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of students today. Whatever students achieved in the past is considered archaic. The emergence of improved technology has bedeviled society, Students prefer staying in touch with their friends and loved ones.
The use of social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Instagram, has taken over their entire being. Reading useful materials like dailies, storybooks, and others is now a thing of the past.
The negative influence of social media has deprived students of achieving excellence. Examination malpractice, mass failure in examination, and bad language have become the order of the day.
Modern technology has its own benefits. In addition to serving as a great tool for businesses, it enables students to access information easily. What is more, it enables easy interaction between friends and loved ones. As much as these are important, students should realise that, without good moral practices, education, and reading, the future remains blurred. Students can eradicate the negative effects modern technology has on them if only they remain focused on their academic work.
(a) State two benefits of reading mention in the passage
(b)For what two reasons did students study late into the night in the past?
(c)State two benefits of modern technology.
(d) How can students get rid of the harmful influence of social media?
(e) Explain in your own words, the following expressions as used in the passage.
(i) burn the midnight oil;
(ii) taken over their entire being;
(iii) the order of the day,
(f) For each of the following words, give another word or a phrase that means the same
(i) goldern;
(ii) excellence
(iii) archaic;
(iv) blurred;
(v) eradicate
Answers
(a) State two benefits of reading mention in the passage:
The answer to this question can be found in the first paragraph of the comprehension. When reading a passage always underline or bold the answers as you read long. So going to the first paragraph, you can see we’ve bolded the answers to this question.
Answer:
- helped in their mental development
- self-reliant and confident
(b) For what two reasons did students study late into the night in the past?
Going back to the passage, still under the first paragraph, you can clearly see the answer for this question also there. The answer can be located at the very end part of paragraph one.
Answer:
- To make good grades
- Come out of school as better people.
(c) State two benefits of modern technology.
The answer to this question can be found in paragraph five at the very beginning of the paragraph. This can easily be seen only If you went through the passage with much attention.
Answer:
- Serves as a great tool for businesses,
- It also enables students to access information easily
(d) How can students get rid of the harmful influence of social media?
Here, you can locate the answer from the last paragraph of the passage.
“Students can eradicate (get rid) the negative effects modern technology has on them if only they remain focused on their academic work.”
(e) Explain in your own words, the following expressions as used in the passage.
The explanation for these words is straightforward that if you read and understand the passage very well. So from the passage, below are some of the explanations of those words.
(i) burn the midnight oil; This means students are staying up very late in order to study.
(ii) Taken over their entire being; Has become part and parcel of them. or has taken control of them, involved or included in their lives and cannot be separated from it. e.t.c
(iii) the order of the day: Something that is very common at a particular time.
(f) For each of the following words, give another word or a phrase that means the same
(i) golden; Glorious, flourishing, Booming, Successful,
(ii) excellence: Outstanding, marvelous, magnificent, superb
(iii) archaic; Obsolete, out of date, very old, old-fashioned
(iv) blurred; Unfocussed
(v) eradicate: Get rid of, eliminate, do away with, remove
This is interesting.