Everything you are searching for with regard to the 2011 WAEC Comprehension questions and answers is right here in this post. Find all the WAEC English comprehension questions and answers on vocabulary, grammatical name and function as well as figures of speech.
The WAEC/WASSCE 2011 comprehension passage begins with ‘Once at a pub, I observed with trepidation a lad …
It is here that you will finally know the meaning of ‘There is no smoke without fire’. Also, get ready to discover the literary device used in the expression, ‘from the jaws of death’.
And to cap it all, this is the day you will know the grammatical name and function of ‘a measure of pleasure’.
I strongly believe that these tips on how to answer comprehension questions will give you a good grounding for your high school English Language test. So make sure to check them out.
Pro Tip. Looking for more ways to learn English online? Alison is offering multiple English learning online courses. The amazing thing about the Alison online courses is that they are completely FREE.
Are you ready to get all the 2011 WAEC Comprehension questions and answers? Then come along with me.
2011 Comprehension Passage
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
Once, at a pub, I observed with trepidation a lad swallowing six different kinds of tablets after a meal. I asked him what ailment he suffered from and he explained that the tablets were vitamins. On another occasion, when a sister of mine regained consciousness at a clinic after paramedics had worked around the clock to snatch her from the jaws of death, she made the startling confession that she had taken an overdose of aspirin. A drug can cure illness and alleviate pains. It exercises beneficial effects on the body and makes it strong and free from disease-causing germs.
There are two types of drugs – hard and soft. A hard drug, for instance, cocaine, is illegal because it is not prescribed for medical use. Such a drug can make the user an addict. Soft drug, for instance, alcohol, is not very harmful to the body. Soft drugs are sometimes referred to as gateway drugs because most people who end up using hard drugs start by using the soft ones. If you avoid these substances your chances of taking hard drugs are very slim. There is no smoke without fire. The best way is to abstain from all drugs not prescribed by medical experts.
The repeated use of some drugs can produce a measure of pleasure, provide an escape from daily cares and even make one feel on top of the world or ‘go high.’ People should desist from taking hard drugs as the health hazards they cause are devastating when compared with the seemingly ‘high’ feeling experienced during and after taking them.
It is worrying to note that some people take an overdose of drugs as simple as pain killers simply because they believe that the pain they are going through is unbearable. But is that good medical practice? That act in itself is drug abuse. The best way is to consult a doctor who only has the know-how to diagnose the health problem and recommend what to use and the correct dose. It is good to heed the advice of doctors and not to be one’s own doctor.
People should be aware that not only are illicit drugs dangerous to health but even prescribed drugs in common use can be abused when under-used or over-used. When a drug is under-used, it cannot be strong enough to give the intended cure. If a drug is over-used, it will be detrimental to health.
2011 WAEC Comprehension Past Questions
Here now come the questions based on the WAEC/WASSCE 2011 comprehension passage. You will find the recommended answers to all the questions right after these.
a) What is the difference between hard drug and soft drug?
b) Mention two ways in which hard drugs can be dangerous.
c) Why is it not advisable to use an under-dose of drugs?
d) What advice does the writer give to people with health problems?
e) “…There is no smoke without fire.”
What is the meaning of this expression?
f) “…from the jaws of death.”
What is the literary device used in the expression above?
g) “…a measure of pleasure.”
(i) What is the grammatical name given to the expression above?
(ii) What is its function?
h) For each of the following words underlined in the passage, give another word or phrase which means the same and can replace it in the passage:
(i) trepidation
(ii) startling
(iii) alleviate
(iv) heed
(v) prescribed
(vi) detrimental
Recommended Answers to 2011 WAEC Comprehension Questions
a. A hard drug is more harmful to the body than a soft drug.
b. i. Hard drugs are addictive. ii. They can cause serious health problems.
c. It cannot be strong enough to give the intended cure.
d. They must consult a doctor.
e. For every situation, there is a cause.
f. Personification
g. i. Noun Phrase ii. It is the object of the verb, ‘produce’.
h. i. alarm/horror ii. shocking iii. reduce iv. follow v. recommended vi. harmful
Final Thoughts
For the other passage in the WAEC 2011 English Comprehension past question paper, please go to passage 22 here.
You may visit this page for more senior high school English tutorials. Besides past questions and answers on WAEC comprehension, there is so much to take away when it comes to English composition and summary writing.
Did you find this information helpful? Then share it on your favourite social media platform for the benefit of others you care about. Thank you!
