Only two ministers survived the recent cabinet reshuffle.

Analyze the question: The sentence is "Only two ministers survived the recent cabinet reshuffle." We need the option that best restates its meaning.

Explain the concept: In a political context, "survived a reshuffle" means keeping your post when the cabinet was rearranged. It does not mean staying physically alive. "Only two" means that just two ministers kept their positions, and everyone else lost theirs.

Step-by-step solution:

1. Meaning of the sentence: two ministers kept their jobs, and all the others were removed or replaced.

2. Option A: "all but two ministers retained their posts." This says everyone except two kept their jobs, which is the opposite of the original. Wrong.

3. Option B: "all but two ministers remained alive." This takes "survived" literally, which is wrong because a reshuffle is not a life-threatening event. Wrong.

4. Option C: "all but two ministers were sacked." This says everyone except two lost their posts, so only two remained. It matches the original meaning. Correct.

5. Option D: "only two ministers were sacked." This reverses the idea, since it says only two lost their jobs. Wrong.

Answer: C. "All but two" means "everyone except two", so "all but two ministers were sacked" means only two survived.

Tip: In JAMB "best explains the information" questions, watch for words like "survived" used figuratively. Check who is left and who is removed, and beware of options that flip the meaning (A and D) or take a word literally (B). Also remember that "all but" means "everyone except".