Correct Answer: B. obvious

Explanation

obscure; not clearly expressed or easily understood.

Obvious; easily perceived or understood; clear, self-evident, or apparent.

Correct Answer: D. debtors

Explanation

Air force Secondary School,

P.M.B. 32162,

Ikeja,

Lagos.

16th May, 2002.

Dear Mother,

I am writing with a mixture of sadness and joy. I am happy because I received your letter after a long break in communication and sad because of your decision to disallow my sister, Meimuna to marry Nasiru, her choice simply because he belongs to a different ethnic group from ours.

The main aim of writing you this letter is to tell you to reconsider your decision about not allowing Meimuna to marry the man of her choice. Firstly, I would like to tell you that I have met Nasiru. Although it was Meimuna who introduced him to like me, he appeared calm reserved and composed. He was very jovial and he told us a lot of jokes. I would sincerely like to tell you, Mum, that I like him very much. Whenever we were at home, he was always taking us to one place or the other. I think he is a good man amiable in character, well-reserved and kind. He socialises with other people very well despite the fact that he comes from the Southern part of the country.

Secondly, apart from the fact that I like him, he is also a Muslim and he is very religious. You once told us that If we are to marry anybody, the most important criterion should be that such person must be a pious muslim. Nasiru is a very religious man who knows how to take care of a woman and I can tell you that Meimuna is a very lucky lady to have a man like Nasiru.

Thirdly, Nasiru is from a very good family. The problem here is that you simply don't want Meimuna to marry Nasiru because he is a Yoruba man. Mum, you are being tribalistic and your tribalism is not helping anybody at all. His parents are very nice, understanding, caring and well-to-do. The way they welcome Meimuna whenever she visits them is always very cordial. It is as if Meimuna is their long lost daughter.

Moreover, Meimuna is threatening to elope with Nasiru, if you refuse to give her your blessing. Don't you want to be there when your daughter is getting married? Do you want your daughter to get married without your blessing? Don't you also believe that Meimuna is old enough to know what she wants and how to get it? Mum, I implore that you should please reconsider your decision and allow Meimuna to get married to Nasiru, because at the end of the day, everybody will be miserable and sad if you refuse to oblige her request.

Finally, if you allow them to get married, you will be bringing two different tribes together, all for a better Nigeria. This is what we need in Nigeria today. We should even encourage more inter-ethnic marriages so as to achieve unity and harmony in the country. Mum, I think you should start on this path by allowing Meimuna, your daughter to marry Nasiru, a Yoruba man.

Send my regards to the whole family and also to my friends. I'm wishing them all the best.

Yours sincerely,

Hadiza

Explanation

OPEN BALLOT SYSTEM IS NOT BETTER THAN SECRET BALLOT SYSTEM

Good afternoon, chairman, moderator, panel of Judges, accurate time-keeper, co-debaters, ladies and gentlemen. I am standing before you to oppose the motion which states that the open ballot system is better than the secret ballot systern. The open ballot system option is a system of voting which requires that voters should vote openly by queuing behind their candidate while the secret ballot system, on the other hand, demands that a voter secretly exercises his or her voting right inside a polling booth.

As far as I am concerned, the best voting option for Nigeria is the secret ballot system. The politics of Nigeria is very volatile and every attempt to use the open secret ballot system has been accompanied by violence and political bickerings. In the past, there have been cases of violent attack on the voters who refused to line up behind certain candidates. The secret ballot system protects every voter from all forms of attack. It gives room for a voter to confidently and secretly exercise his or her right without any fear of molestation. Our political development has not got to the level of using the open ballot system.

Furthermore, it is easy for voters to use their discretion in voting for a candidate. in a secret ballot system, a voter votes objectively according to his or her assessment of the potentials of a prospective contestant.

In addition to this, it thwarts the attempt of politicians to buy voters over with money. Therefore, it discourages the use of money to hijack elections by money bags. As we all know. Nigerian politicians are fond of throwing money about when elections are approaching with the desire to influence the electorate unduly. The secret ballot system discourages this as many politicians have realised that the electorate can just collect their money without voting for them.

Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, I know my opponents want to claim that the open ballot system makes it convenient for easy counting and to reduce the rate of rigging, but what of the latent coercion and intimidation which make objective voting impossible? Even the secret ballot system makes it easy for a re-counting when there is a legal dispute about the election of a winner. It is very easy to re-count the ballot papers in a court of law.

Finally, the secret ballot system makes it possible for every citizen above the age of eighteen to come out to vote. Those who dislike queuing up definitely find it easy to vote secretly. Most of the electorates prefer the secret ballot system because it saves them from embarrassment and molestation.

Panel of Judges and my attentive audience, I strongly believe that I have been able to convince you that the secret ballot system is better for Nigeria than the open ballot system. Thank you.

Correct Answer: B. denitrifying bacteria

Correct Answer: A. Omar's achievement was difficult

Correct Answer: D. chilopoda

Correct Answer: D. parallelism

Correct Answer: D. Discount rate

Explanation

Discount rate is the minimum interest rate set by the central bank of a country. It is used in controlling inflation. We all know inflation is an economic situation where the value of money falls and causes a rise in the general price level. Inflation occurs when there is excess money in circulation. This means that, much money will be used to purchase few goods. The central bank uses discount rates to control inflation by taking out the excess money in circulation. They do this by increasing interest rates to encourage people to save or invest and discourage borrowings. By saving and investment, the excess money in the economy is taken out. For instance, if interest rates are set at 20%, people would prefer to save or invest their monies so as to get a high return on investment rather than borrowing from the banks and pay high interest rates.

Correct Answer: A. altitude