This question is based on "The Life Changer" novel. Who called the attention of the district head when it was…

Analyzing the question

This is a literature-in-English question on the JAMB recommended text The Life Changer by Khadija Abubakar Jalli. It asks who drew the district head's attention to the fact that Talle was buying more from the supermarket than he could possibly consume.

Concept

In the novel, Talle is a wealthy, corrupt public figure whose sudden affluence and unexplained spending raise suspicion. Questions like this test your recall of how the plot developed and who acted as the "informers" in the story.

Working through it

• Talle's friends (A) would typically benefit from his generosity and would not report him.
• His neighbors (C) are not usually in a position to know the volume of his supermarket purchases.
• His colleagues (D) might envy him, but they would not see what he buys at the supermarket.
• The grocers (B) are the ones who actually see and handle his purchases. They would notice that he regularly bought far more than one household could consume, so they were the people best placed to raise the alarm with the district head.

I should be honest that I cannot quote the exact passage from memory.

Answer: B. the grocers

Exam tip: In novel-based questions, ask yourself who had direct access to the information? The person who witnesses the event is usually the one who reports it. Also, reread your recommended texts' summaries and key characters before the exam, since JAMB often asks about small plot details.