In the novel, the casual but deliberately planned drive around the city between Aliya and her father was because ____________

Analyze the question

This is a literature-in-English question about a set text. The novel appears to be The Last Days at Forcados High School by Abubakar Adam Ibrahim? Actually, the character Aliya and her father driving around the city matches Fine Boys? No. The one I'm most confident about is the JAMB-recommended novel The Virgin or Aliya-based text, but I can't reliably verify the plot from memory, so I'll reason from the question itself.

Concept

Questions like this test whether you remember the key event that triggers a scene. A "casual but deliberately planned drive" suggests a father preparing for a sensitive, private talk with his daughter. Fathers in this kind of coming-of-age context usually have such talks about puberty or growing up, often after the mother has informed him of a development.

Working through the options

• A. The mother tells the father Aliya has had her first menstrual period. This fits a sensitive, carefully planned talk (guidance on womanhood, care and responsibility).
• C. A boyfriend would more likely lead to a stern confrontation than a gentle, casual drive.
• D. A teacher reporting moodiness would more likely involve a school meeting or a direct conversation.
• B. "None of the above" is only right if the others fail, but A fits well.

One caution: I can't confirm this against the exact passage of the novel, so check your text if you have it. Note also that option A has grammar slips ("inform", "has seen") that are typical of this question bank and not something to worry about.

Answer: A

Exam tip

For set-text questions, ask yourself what the scene's tone is. A "casual but deliberately planned" setting signals a gentle, sensitive conversation, so rule out options that suggest anger or punishment. Also, always revise the key turning points of each recommended text, since JAMB often asks "why did this event happen?"