JAMB 2018 English Language · Question 4

Grandma told the boys a story that cheered them up.

Question

Select the option that best explains the information conveyed in the sentence. Grandma told the boys a story that cheered them up.

A.The story made them cry.
B.The story made them scared.
C.The story made them delighted.
D.The story made them uninterested

Answer: C. The story made them delighted.

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Analyze the question: You are asked to choose the option that best restates the meaning of the sentence. The key phrase is "cheered them up."

Explain the concept: The phrasal verb cheer up means to make someone feel happier or more cheerful. When a sentence uses a phrasal verb like this, find the option whose meaning matches it, not one that only shares a general theme (for example, "story").

Step-by-step solution:

The sentence says: Grandma told the boys a story that cheered them up.
"Cheered them up" means the story made the boys feel happy.
Check each option: • A. Made them cry: Crying suggests sadness, which is the opposite of cheering up. ✗ • B. Made them scared: Fear is a negative emotion and does not match. ✗ • C. Made them delighted: Delighted means very pleased or happy, which matches "cheered up." ✓ • D. Made them uninterested: If they were uninterested, they would not have been cheered. ✗

Answer: The correct option is C.

Exam tip: In "best explains the information" questions, first replace the key phrase with a simple synonym. Here, "cheered up" becomes "made happy," and the matching option is easy to spot. Eliminate the options that carry the opposite emotion.

AI can make mistakes. Report anything that looks wrong.