JAMB - English Language (1985 - No. 73)

Read each passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Obi: Let’s go to the Sport Club Cafeteria. One naira
per meal is a privilege in this country.
And God knows that I am too broke to afford
anything More

Olu: Got a membership identity card? Don’t forget
the place is for bona fide members
only.

Obi: Forget it. There are other types of
identity cards, remember. Just flash
something before the eyes of those men at the
gate, provided it looks like an identity card.

Olu: Ee…eh, I see. That is why the place is
always congested. I don’t think it
is even worth the trouble. I can’t stand a
queue.
Obi: That shouldn’t bother you. You don’t have to
join the queue. Just walk
straight to the serving point without fear
and be sure you shout your
order.
Olu: But only V.I.Ps have the right to break
queues.
Obi: Sure, but V.I Ps don’t wear badges on their
faces. Post man, pose. After
all this is Nigeria
olu: You mean there are many impostors here?
Obi: Certainly, and many people with privileges
too. If you want to get
along, you must pose, and to get along
means getting what you want
If you choose to term it ‘privileges, it
suits me. It is all a question of
semantics.

Which of the following is NOT implied in the expression: 'One naira per meal is a privilege in this country?

Nowhere in this country is food sold for one naira

The price per meal at the Sport Club Cafeteria is one naira

It is rare for anybody to feed satisfactorily with one naira in any hotel in the country

Obi cannot afford more than one naira for one meal

Ordinarily one naira cannot buy much in the country

Explanation

Let’s consider the expression from the passage:

"One naira per meal is a privilege in this country."

This implies that:

Meals at one naira are unusually cheap (i.e., a privilege).
Obi is too broke to afford more.
It’s rare to find meals at that price.
Ordinarily, one naira cannot buy much.

Let’s assess each option:

A. Nowhere in this country is food sold for one naira — This is not implied. In fact, food is sold for one naira at the Sports Club Cafeteria. So this statement is false and NOT implied.
B. The price per meal at the Sport Club Cafeteria is one naira — Implied in the very first sentence.
C. It is rare for anybody to feed satisfactorily with one naira in any hotel in the country — This is a logical inference from calling it a “privilege”.
D. Obi cannot afford more than one naira for one meal — Directly stated: “I am too broke to afford anything more.”
E. Ordinarily one naira cannot buy much in the country — Implied by the fact that Obi sees it as a “privilege”.

This makes A. Nowhere in this country is food sold for one naira the correct answer as it is not implied in the passage.

JAMB - English Language (1985 - No. 73)

Explanation

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