Question Library

Seri, his wife, was already working as a nurse in the UK. This can be found on page 11 of the novel.

These words can be found on page 5 of the novel where they were used to describe Bepo's emotional state at the beginning of the text. Tears are personified as if they are racing or competing with each other.

This is used to describe how Mr Bepo tried to shield his teary face from the view of the students and staff. It compares his posture to that of someone begging or praying using “like”. This is the use of simile. The words can be found on page 5 of the novel.

The Yoruba proverb Oja Oyingbo ko mo' p'enikan o wa' ("The Oyingbo market never finds out a certain person did not even turn up") means that the market is "ever bustling" or always busy. The proverb can be found on page 60 of the novel. When Mr Bepo was said to have gone there to purchase some food items that his wife instructed him to bring along with him.

Bepo says this whenever he is invigilating an examination. Whenever he is present, according to him, no act of cheating will go uncaught. This can be found on page 19 of the novel.

The friendly, conversational tone of the narrator in The Lekki Headmaster mirrors everyday Nigerian speech. This makes the story feel authentic, relatable and accessible to the reader. The reader can thus understand that the tale is a tale of everyday Nigerian life and that the subject matter applies to all of us.

Mr Meko references the story of a hawker who plucked vegetables from a filthy dumpsite, and when a buyer calls to her, having no intention to probe the source of the product, immediately begins to assure the value of feigned quality. The hawker then retorts: "These vegetables are not from any dumpsite". With this proverb, Mr Meko is trying to hint at how people who feel guilty often defend what wasn't questioned.

This expression can be found on page 6 of the novel, where Bepo is in a state of emotional turmoil and has been taken to the VP's office. While they are trying to inquire what the reason for his emotional outburst is, he stared at the ceiling instead. His detachment from reality is compared to the detachment one gets when they have just returned from a dreamy wonderland.

This expression can be found on page 6 of the novel where Mr Audu was described to be "a bunch of biting humour". He complained about how the MD was "a witch and wizard rolled into one" because of the way she was able to find a way to offset the cost from the Boarding House discount by increasing the Excursion fees. This is one of the examples that illustrate how Mr Audu is sarcastic and full of sharp, critical wit.

"Foot-dragging" means delay or unwillingness to take timely action on an issue. This expression can be found on page 10 of the novel. Where the reason for Bepo's emotional outburst is eventually revealed. The character's procrastination or hesitation had a detrimental effect on his marriage and he has no other option than to succumb to their demands of relocating to the UK.

This expression can be found on page 56 of the novel where the MD was saying her farewell speech to Bepo, who was leaving stardom. She was trying to express her appreciation for the overwhelming and incomparable contribution that he has made to the growth of the school. The phrase "unrivalled quota" highlights that Bepo’s efforts were unmatched and outstanding, setting them apart from others. The word "unrivalled" emphasizes the uniqueness and superiority of Bepo's contribution, while "quota" refers to the portion or effort provided by Bepo to Stardom's growth.

In J.P. Clark's "Ibadan": Ibadan, running splash of rust and gold-flung and scattered among seven hills like broken china in the sun. The poem makes use of metaphor in the first line where the rustiness of the roofs is compared to a "running splash". Simile is used with the comparison of the rusted roofs to broken china in the sun. Imagery is also used because we can picture the descriptions given in our minds. However, onomatopoeia, the use of words that imitate or resemble the sound they describe, is not used in the poem.

The novel addresses several socio-economic realities, including the Japa trend, which describes the mass emigration of Nigerians seeking better opportunities abroad. It highlights the challenges faced by bureaucracies, particularly when obtaining essential travel documents. Additionally, it portrays the struggles of middle-class professionals, such as teachers who are often undervalued and underpaid, as well as doctors and other health workers who choose to leave the country for "greener pastures" due to a lack of opportunities at home. However, while the declining state of Nigerian universities is a significant socio-economic issue, it is not one of the themes explored in this novel.

The passage explicitly states, "One of the first things that a child notices is how noisy many kinds of birds are".

The passage explains that "many birds make characteristic calls, and with practice you can tell which species are in a wood just from these calls without seeing the birds at all".