The noble gases owe their inactivity to

• A. Octet configuration
• B. Cyclic shape
• C. Hexagonal shape
• D. Obtuse configuration

But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. This text alludes to the incident where

• A. the Babylonians arrested Zedekiah
• B. the Babylonians made Zedekiah king
• C. Nebuchadnezzar's army arrested Jehoiachin
• D. Nebuchadnezzar's army chased Jehoiachin.

Terms of trade is the

• A. rate at which the central bank discounts first class bills
• B. rate at which a country's exports exchange for its imports C. expected rate of returns on an investment
• C. expected rate of returns on an investment
• D. rate of payment for goods and services purchased

May in Ayemenem is a hot, brooding month. The days are long and humid. The river shrinks and black crows gorge on bright mangoes in still, dust green trees. Red bananas ripen. Jackfruits burst. Dissolute blue bottles hum vacuously in the fruity air. Then they stun themselves against clear windowpanes and die, fatly baffled in the sun. The nights are clear but suffused with sloth and sullen expectations.

But by early June the southwest monsoon breaks and there are three months of wind and water with short spells of sharp, glittering sunshine that thrilled children snatch to play with. The countryside turns an immodest green. Boundaries blur as tapioca fences take root and bloom. Brick walls turn mossgreen. Pepper vines snake up electric poles. Wild creepers burst through laterite banks and spilt across the flooded roads. Boats ply in the bazaars. And small fish appear in the puddles that fill the PWD potholes on the highways. It was raining when Rahel came back to Ayemenem.

Slanting silver ropes slammed into loose earth, ploughing it up like gunfire. The old house on the hill wore its steep, gabled roof pulled over its ears like a low hat. The walls, streaked with moss, had grown soft and bulged a little with dampness that seeped up from the ground. The wild, overgrown garden was full of the whisper and scurry of small lives.In the undergrowth, a rat snake rubbed itself against a glistening stone. Hopeful yellow bullfrogs cruised the scummy pond for mates. A drenched mongoose flashed across the leaf-strewn driveway. The house itself looked empty. The doors and windows were locked. The front verandah bare. Unfurnished.

But the sky blue Plymouth with chrome tail fins was still parked outside, and inside, Baby Kochamma was still alive. She was Rahel's baby grand aunt, her grandfather's younger sister. Her name was really Navomi, Navomi Ipe, but everybody called her Baby. She became Baby Kochamma when she was old enough to be an aunt. Rahel hadn't come to see her, though. Neither niece nor baby grandaunt laboured under any illusions on that account. Rahel had come to see her brother, Estha. They were two-egg twins. Dizygotic' doctors called them. Born from separate but simultaneously fertilized eggs. Estha Esthappen-was the older by 18 minutes.

Early in which month did the southwest moonsoon break?

• A. August
• B. May
• C. July
• D. June

Which of the following contains a reducing sugar?

• A. Milk
• B. Cassava
• C. Grapefruit
• D. Beans

This question is based on General Literary Principles.

The narrator in a prose work who is also a character is

• A. subjective narrator
• B. objective narrator
• C. omniscient narrator
• D. participatory narrator

The most important factor that determines the rate of agricultural development is

• A. adoption of viable agricultural research findings
• B. quantity of herbicides used
• C. number of machinery available
• D. number of people involved in agriculture

Election as a political process is significant because it

• A. is associated with campaigns for public office
• B. facilitates the recall process
• C. facilitates constitutional change of government
• D. enables citizens to vote

(a) (i) Define a base according to Arrhenius concept.

(ii) Give one example of an Arrhenius base.

(iii) Identify each of the following substances in aqueous solutions as strong electrolyte, non-electrolyte or weak electrolyte.

I. C\(_{12}\)H\(_{22}\)O\(_{11}\) II. NH\(_3\) Ill. NaOH

(iv) Write a balanced equation to represent the reaction between CH\(_3\)COOH and KOH.

(b) Calculate the volume of 0.500 mol dm\(^{-3}\) HCI required to neutralize 20.00 cm\(^3\) of 0.300 mol dm\(^{-3}\) NaOH.

(c) Give the IUPAC name of each of the following salts: (ii) NaOCI; (iii) Mg(HCO\(_3\))\(_2\).

(d)(i) Define the term standard solution.

(ii) Consider the following compounds: NaOH and Na\(_2\)CO\(_3\). Which of the compounds is suitable for the preparation of a standard alkaline solution? Give reason for your answer

(iii) Fe completely reacted with dilute HCI.

I. Write an equation for the reaction

II. If 3.08g of Fe completely reacted with 50.0 cm\(^3\) of 2.20 mol dm\(^{-3}\) HCI, calculate the relative atomic mass of the metal.

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the underlined. The Governor told the chief that he was only on aroutine tour

• A. normal and regular visit
• B. unplanned encounter
• C. surprise and impromptu check
• D. working, visit and homage