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P.O.Box 2146 Ikeja, Lagos. 6th September, 1997. The Commissioner Ministry of Agriculture Alausa. Dear Sir, THE LOW LEVEL OF FOOD PRODUCTION IN THE STATE I am writing you this letter as an indigene of Lagos State who has a deep sense of commitment and responsibility to my people. In the first place, I wish to thank you and your colleagues very sincerely for the good job you are doing in the state since you were appointed Commissioner for Agriculture. However, wish to tell you that the level of food production in the state is declining. There is food shortages in the market. People cannot see most food items to buy even in their season. When some of these food items are available, their prices are outrageous due to low production. For instance, a bag of rice which we used to buy at one thousand five hundred Naira now costs three thousand Naira and you will agree with me that this is the season for rice harvest. The same thing applies to other food items like yam, beans and onions. At times, one can even have the money but these food items are not available to buy. There are many factors which are responsible for the low level in food production in the state. Nowadays, many young men and women do not find agriculture or farming as an occupation to be involved. Many young school leavers who should have taken to farming are now rushing to our cities for white collar jobs. These youths find farming too labourious because crude methods of farming are still being used in the state. Secondly, there is no capital for the small number of farmers in the state who are still interested in farming to expand their farms. They do not have colaterals to secure loans from banks and finance houses. There is nothing like aid or grants from the government which can assist these farmers. As a result of this, the few farmers in the state cannot go into large scale farming, What they make do with is subsistence farming which can only provide food for their family alone. These farmers should be assisted to pool their resources together so that they can practise large scale farming. However, there are lots of measures which the government can take to ensure that there is sufficient food in the state. One of the measures is that government should give loans to farmers. This can be in form of money or inputs like equipment and pesticides. Once our government does this. I am sure that our farmers will put the loans into maximum use by expanding their farms. Secondly. your ministry should embark on mass campaign on the need to go back to the farm to produce plenty of food. The government should give agriculture a priority. A lot of money should be voted for the improvement of agriculture in the state. This will make it possible for your ministry to assist the farmers by giving out loans and agricultural inputs. Finally, the farmers should be encouraged to come together and practice co-operative farming. This will give them the opportunity to pool their resources together for large scale farming. I am sure that if you can look into these suggestions the production of food in the state will be increased and food will be within affordable prices for several families. Yours faithfully. (Signature) Farayola Dele.

THE MASQUERADE FESTIVAL I WITNESSED I had the opportunity to travel with my friend. Okon Udoh to lkot Abasi during the last long vacation. I spent three weeks with him and during my stay there. I was privileged to witness the masquerade festival of the Efik people. A masquerade is a physical or mock representation of the spirit of the dead as demonstrated by specially dressed and masked people during masquerade festivals and other traditional celebrations. The masquerade festival that I witnessed took place at the village square. Early in the morning. a lot of people had gathered at the square. The elderly men and women sat round the square while the young ensconced themselves behind the elders. Many other people sat down on the bare ground while others squatted. It was a large crowd waiting to watch the masquerades display. Soon after the huge crowd had settled down, the blowing of the local bugle signaled the arrival of the village leader who came in with his entourage and took his seat. In the midst of the rowdy and expectant crowd were eight elderly men. Six of them were beating drums. metal and wooden gongs. One of them tied palm-frond around his fore-head and was carrying a bag made of raffia. Another was blowing a wooden flute. The combined sounds of these instruments produced sweet traditional music which rent the air and enveloped the square. The music went on for sometime before the masquerades started coming out. The first masquerade to come out was called "Ebu-ebu". It was led by a man who tied palm-frond around his fore-head. The appearance of the masquerade frightened the people and they ran back. The masquerade danced and the people clapped their hands. The next masquerade to come out was "Mmanwu". It wore a pair of trousers and a shirt sewn in different colours, patterns and styles. It was a very colourful masquerade. When Mmanwu came into the square, the rhythm of the music changed to assume a fast tempo. It danced with all it body shaking. It was very exciting. The third masquerade was called "Oji-onu". Oji-onu was a frightful masquerade. Its head was covered with a carved wood stained with blood. Around the waist, ankle and knee joints of the masquerade were tied some locally made tiny bells. It had a fan, made of palm-fronds in one hand and a painted metal staff on the other. Also, around the staff were small bells. Once in a while the masquerade would perform a mock attack on the crowd and they would scatter frightfully. The last masquerade was called "Okonko". This masquerade did not pursue anybody and people watched it with Interest. As the dancing was going on, people continued throwing money at it. The man who held the masquerade's raffia bag collected the money. The crowd seemed to have enjoyed the masquerade's performance. After some hours of spectacular display, the dancing and display by the masquerades came to an end and people began to retire home in groups followed by the masquerades and their members. Taiwo Latrlo. SS 3B.

DECLINE IN DISCIPLINE AND MORALITY IN NIGERIA There. is no doubt that there is a general decline in discipline and morality in our society. Everyday there are reported cases of indiscipline and immorality. In fact, it has reached a frightening proportion. The youths disrespect the elders and one often hears of students beating up their teachers. Cultism and all other forms of immoral acts are now common in our society. Policemen and women brazenly collect bribe while government officials embezzle public funds. The causes of indiscipline and immorality in our society are not far-fetched. The seed of indiscipline is sown at home when youths begin to disrespect their parents. From there, they grow to disobeying constituted authorities. The high point is when they begin to behave immorally at home and in public. In other words, indiscipline and immorality start from home. Nowadays, parents have no time for their children's upbringing. Parents go out early in the morning and come back late in the night. Some parents are drunkards and quarrelsome. They exhibit many other bad characters not worthy of emulation. Therefore, the home influence is a great factor. Similarly, societal influence is another strong factor causing a decline in the level of discipline. The society which is immoral and which encourages indiscipline cannot produce disciplined youths. Here and there. Nigerians acquire illegal wealth by crooked means. Public officials, more often than not, embezzle public funds and it is a common sight to see policemen and women collecting bribe publicly. They even aid and abet armed robbery and smuggling. Nevertheless, this ugly situation can be reversed. If we want to eradicate indiscipline and immorality in our society, all hands must be on deck. Since indiscipline and immorality begin from home, parents have a lot of work to do. They should consider it a priority to train their children. In addition to this, the religious bodies should be ready to do a lot too. They should educate the youths and the elderly alike on the vices of crimes and immorality. Our people must be told and encouraged to be disciplined and of good morals in their dealings. The leaders and the elders should live a life worthy of emulation and set good moral standards. The society can change for the better if our public officials in government can be disciplined and upright. If the changes start from the top, the level of discipline and morality will be raised.

P. 0 Box 26 Agege, Lagos. 6th September. 1997 Dear Yomi, I learnt through uncle Adeolu's letter that you are playing truant and keeping bad company. I was depressed and unhappy when I read in your bad conducts and behaviour. You really have disappointed me. I know that our parents will also be very disappointed n you. I don't expect somebody of your background and up-bringing to keep bad company. The implication of your unruly behaviour is very grievous. You just have to realise the fact that you are toying with your future. I want you to know that playing truant and keeping bad company will definitely affect your education in the sense that you won't be able to know what you are taught in the classroom. For instance. you cannot understand or know what is taught once you are not there. The Bible says: "bad company corrupts good manners" It is obvious that keeping bad company will influence you to smoke cigarette and take hard drugs. You may even be influenced to join secret cults. All these can lead to your destruction. In addition, Yomi, do you want to lose your life? Keeping bad company may lead you to end your life violently and tragically too. If you don't want to end your life that way. you have to change. You will not be able to finish your education if you are expelled from school as a result of being a truant. I am sure that our parents will not like you to be a drop-out. If you become one, how will you justify the years you have spent in school? All those years will be wasted and when your age mates accomplish many things academically, you will be a failure and disappointment to yourself and the family. However, I want you to turn a new leaf. You know that you're the only male child of the family. You can't afford to waste your time and the resources being spent on you Having said this. I plead with you to desist from playing truant and keeping bad company. You have to behave well so that the younger ones will be able to emulate you. Finally, I want you to do the right things at the right time as an adage says "make hay while the sun shines." So, you have to stop playing truant and keeping bad company. I want you to pay less attention to frivolous things such as watching uneducative films, going to disco parties and running away from school when you are supposed to be in the classroom. I want you to devote enough time to reading both at home and in school while making sure that you go to school everyday. Once you yield to this advice. your success is assured. Yours sincerely. Dele

THE FATAL ACCIDENT On Saturday 16th July, 1997. as I was about to set out on the ill-fated journey, I didn't have a premonition that I would have an accident. On that day. I woke up as early as 5.30 am in the morning, took my bath and dressed up for the journey to Lagos from lbadan. I boarded the bus at the Lagos garage at 6:05 am and I had in mind that by 7:15 am, I would be in Lagos which would give me ample opportunity to get to the venue of the interview I was to attend on that day. Soon after I had taken my seat, the Toyota Hiace 30-seater bus was filled up and the motor pack touts collected transport fares from every passenger. What we noticed was that after the collection of the transport fares, the driver was not on hand to start the journey. This delayed the journey for a few minutes during which we all cried out as we all seemed to be in a hurry to get to Lagos. When the journey began, I noticed that the speed of the bus was too much. A more elderly man who sat with the driver in front of the bus cautioned him but he dismissed the man's caution in vulgar languages. Soon after passing through the toll gates, we covered about fifty kilometres within a few hours. By this time, many passengers, including the elderly man who had been cautioning the driver, had fallen asleep. About thirty minutes after taking off, we got to the middle toll gates where many passengers who had fallen asleep woke up. In minutes, we passed through the toll gates and started the second phase of the journey. This time around, the driver increased his speed and as before, many passengers slept off again. I could not sleep because 1 was scared by the maniacal speed of the reckless driver. While at speed, the bus was criss-crossing the lanes and within a twinkle of an eye, the bus swerved off the road into the bush. The driver had slept off and before he woke up we had found ourselves in the bush. The bus was eventually stopped by a big tree which it ran into in the bush. The bus was damaged, the windscreen smashed and the smithereens of the windscreen splashed on those of us who were sifting at the back seat thus leaving behind wounds on our faces. The driver and the two passengers sitting with him in the front seats died instantly. Ten others died while we were being taken to the hospital. The rest, including me, sustained severe injuries. In fact, a lady sustained spinal cord injuries. I thank God for sparing my life.

(a) The Geography master is fond of advancing the theory that Africans were suffering from a curse placed on them by God for their sins. (b)(i) African mosquitoes cause malaria while British mosquitoes do not bite (ii) There are deadly i snakes n Africa while snakes in Britain are not poisonous (iii) Sickle cell is only found in Africa (c) White men (British) prefer Africa's brilliant weather to their cold weather (d) He knew he had lost his argument or He had no answer to the boy's confrontation or argument (e) (i) Metaphor (ii) Caused trouble (f) (i) Relative clause (ii) It qualifies the noun "boy" (g)(i)Addicted to - used to, fond of, given to (ii) heinous - terrible, atrocious, grievous, (iii) inevitable - expected, familiar, unavoidable (iv) brilliant - bright, pleasant, warm (v) Stalked - stormed, walked stiffly

(a) Eye-witnesses usually rush to the scene of an accident and watch with surprise. (b)(i) Assist in rescuing the victims (ii) Render first aid treatment to the injured victims (iii) carry seriously injured victims to the nearest hospital. (c) (i) High speed of the vehicles (ii) Hard rigid nature of the motor-car body (iii) sudden deceleration of the car. (d) Motor-cycles do not have a solid motor-car body to protect the cyclists from the impact of an on-coming vehicle. (e) Every car driver should have a fire extinguisher so that lives can be saved in case an accident results in a fire outbreak (f) (i} Adverbial clause (ii) Modifies the verb (g)(i) universal - common, general, usual (ii) conveying taking, transporting, carrying (iii) velocity - speed (iv) potentials - possibilities, risks, chances (v) disastrous - dangerous, suicidal,

(a)(i) An infant recognises only comfort or discomfort (ii) An infant percieves his environment as a strange world. (b) He first learns that his parents are people who respond to his needs. (c)(i) The parents learn the developing traits of the child (ii) The parents learn what the child may become in future (d) A responsible parent sometimes has to take unpleasant action/subject the child to unpleasant experiences.

No expanded working has been attached for this question yet. The verified answer is Option C.

No expanded working has been attached for this question yet. The verified answer is Option C.

In the life cycle of a fern, there is an alternation of generations between a haploid gametophyte and a diploid sporophyte. Diploid Nature: The sporophyte is the familiar, leafy fern plant and is diploid (2n) because it develops from a zygote formed by the fusion of two haploid gametes. Independence: While the young sporophyte initially depends on the gametophyte for nutrition, it quickly develops its own roots and leaves, becoming photosynthetic and independent as the gametophyte eventually withers away. It is the dominant phase of the fern life cycle.

No expanded working has been attached for this question yet. The verified answer is Option C.

No expanded working has been attached for this question yet. The verified answer is Option C.

No expanded working has been attached for this question yet. The verified answer is Option A.

No expanded working has been attached for this question yet. The verified answer is Option A.