2011
BECE
Social Studies Past Questions – Paper One
1. The
purpose of naming ceremonies in traditional Ghanaian homes, is to
A. give the child an identity
B. offer gifts to the parents by friends and relatives
C. make parents popular
D. let the child taste alcohol for the first time
SHOW ANSWER
A. give
the child an identity
2. Which of the following officials are not elected
through general elections in Ghana?
A. Members of Parliament
B. President of Ghana
C. Assembly members
D. Ministers of state
SHOW ANSWER
D.
Ministers of state
3.
Festivals are important in Ghana because they enable the people to
A. remember important past events
B. show their wealth
C. appoint traditional priests for the shrines
D. determine the number of people in the community
SHOW ANSWER
A.
remember important past events
4. The
instrument used in measuring the rate of evaporation is
A. barometer
B. hygrometer
C. anemometer
D. hydrometer
SHOW ANSWER
B.
hygrometer
5. In
which vegetational belt is Ghana’s cocoa mostly grown?
A. Mangrove swamp
B. Sudan savanna
C. Semi-deciduous forest
D. Guinea savanna
SHOW ANSWER
C.
Semi-deciduous forest
6.
Equal hours of day and night are experienced in Ghana when the sun is overhead
on
A. Latitude 0°
B. Latitude 23 ½ ° North
C. Longitude 180°
D. Longitude 0°
SHOW ANSWER
A.
Latitude 0°
7. One
of the aims of the African Union (AU) is to
A. eliminate cultural differences in Africa
B. increase the size of foreign aid to Africa
C. increase the growth of Africa’s population
D. eliminate conflicts in Africa
SHOW ANSWER
D.
eliminate conflicts in Africa
8. The
eagles in Ghana’s Coat of Arms signify
A. the wealth of the nation
B. protection of the people
C. unity of the people
D. a continued link with the Commonwealth
SHOW ANSWER
B.
protection of the people
9. The
head of government of the second Republic of Ghana was the
A. Attorney General
B. Head of State
C. Prime Minister
D. Chief Justice
SHOW ANSWER
C.
Prime Minister
10.
Which of the following oceans lies between Africa and America?
A. Arctic
B. Atlantic
C. Pacific
D. Indian
SHOW ANSWER
B. Atlantic
11. Ghana can minimize the importation of goods mainly by
A. increasing subsidies on local products
B. increasing taxes on imports
C. controlling the rate of inflation
D. decreasing advertisement of local products
SHOW ANSWER
B.
increasing taxes on imports
12. An
important source of locally generated revenue for District Assemblies in Ghana
is
A. the common fund
B. court fines
C. market tolls
D. road tolls
SHOW ANSWER
C.
market tolls
13.
Indecent dressing among the youth should be discouraged because it
A. leads to increased social crime
B. increases peer pressure
C. makes them unpopular
D. makes them lose dignity
SHOW ANSWER
D.
makes them lose dignity
14. The
Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) in Ghana is responsible for
resolving problems relating too
A. work place disputes
B. family welfare
C. the chieftaincy institution
D. tribal conflicts
SHOW ANSWER
B.
family welfare
15.
Ghana’s high indebtedness to foreign countries can be reduced by
A. increasing tax revenue
B. using locally produced goods
C. investing more in education
D. ensuring good neighbourliness with other countries
SHOW ANSWER
B.
using locally produced goods
16. One major reason for the migration of
ethnic groups into modern Ghana was the search for
A. means of livelihood
B. religious protection
C. military weapons
D. good neighbours
SHOW ANSWER
A.
means of livelihood
17. Laws are mainly made to ensure
A. better education
B. instant justice
C. social conformity
D. family unity
SHOW ANSWER
C.
social conformity
18. Public corporations are set up by the government mainly to
provide
A. youth employment
B. emergency services
C. entrepreneurial skills
D. utility services
SHOW ANSWER
D. utility
services
19. The most important factor that can help
improve productivity in state enterprises is
A. working throughout the year
B. working for longer hours
C. by increasing public holidays
D. proper supervision
SHOW ANSWER
D.
proper supervision
20. Floods in our communities can best be
controlled through
A. harvesting rain water
B. planned layout
C. tarring of roads
D. construction of boreholes
SHOW ANSWER
B.
planned layout
21. The
interpretation of the constitution of Ghana is a function of the
A. legislature
B. executive
C. judiciary
D. cabinet
SHOW ANSWER
C.
judiciary
22. Free movement of people, goods and services is one of
the main aims of the
A. Non-Aligned Movement
B. United Nations Organisation
C. Economic Community of West African States
D. Commonwealth
SHOW ANSWER
C.
Economic Community of West African States
23.
Industries must be located outside residential areas to
A. avoid pollution
B. encourage competition among firms
C. reduce cost of production
D. reduce industrial accidents
SHOW ANSWER
A.
avoid pollution
24.
Which of the following vegetation types experiences high temperature and heavy
rainfall throughout the year?
A. Mangrove forest
B. Tropical vegetation forest
C. Semi deciduous forest
D. Woodland savanna
SHOW ANSWER
B.
Tropical vegetation forest
25. The
state can promote the growth of private enterprises by
A. taking over their control and management
B. increasing taxes on their earnings
C. increasing imports of similar products
D. organizing training sessions for their managers
SHOW ANSWER
D.
organizing training sessions for their managers
26.
When the scale of a map is expressed in the form of a ratio, it is known as
A. diagonal
B. statement
C. linear
D. representative fraction
SHOW ANSWER
D.
representative fraction
27. The main reason for encouraging farmers in
Ghana to produce more cocoa is to
A. generate more foreign exchange
B. help determine the best cocoa farmer
C. set up more cocoa factories
D. promote the manufacturing of more cocoa products
SHOW ANSWER
A.
generate more foreign exchange
28. Which of the following is not a product of
the forest zone in Ghana?
A. Palm nut
B. Shea nut
C. Cocoa
D. Coffee
SHOW ANSWER
B. Shea
nut
29. One
moral value that is stressed during an outdooring and naming ceremony of a
child is
A. truthfulness
B. love
C. hard work
D. respect
SHOW ANSWER
A. truthfulness
30. The
tertiary sector of the Ghanaian economy provides
A. services
B. raw materials
C. finished goods
D. industrial machinery
SHOW ANSWER
A.
services
31. The
Djebobo and Torogbani mountains are located in the
A. Gambaga escarpment
B. Atiwa-Atwredu ranges
C. Akwapim-Togo ranges
D. Kwahu plateau
SHOW ANSWER
C.
Akwapim-Togo ranges
32.
Productivity in the mining sector can be increased in Ghana through
A. improvement in the land tenure system
B. the employment of more labourers
C. the application of modern technology
D. the use of locally manufactured tools
SHOW ANSWER
C. the
application of modern technology
33. One main reason for the abolition of the
slave trade was
A. lack of finance for the traders
B. lack of market for slaves
C. the inhuman nature of the trade
D. lack of cultural support
SHOW ANSWER
C. the
inhuman nature of the trade
34. The first African country to allow herself
to be assessed under the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) was
A. Ghana
B. South Africa
C. Nigeria
D. Rwanda
SHOW ANSWER
A.
Ghana
35. The
African Union (AU) was officially launched on 9th July, 2002 in
A. South Africa
B. Libya
C. Nigeria
D. Ethiopia
SHOW ANSWER
A.
South Africa
36. One
problem hindering the effective functioning of District Assemblies in Ghana is
A. rapid population growth
B. mobilizing funds for development
C. interference by traditional rulers
D. maintaining law and order
SHOW ANSWER
B.
mobilizing funds for development
37. Which of the following economic activities does not cause
deforestation in Ghana?
A. Crop growing
B. Lumbering
C. Fishing
D. Charcoal burning
SHOW ANSWER
A. Crop
growing
38. A major effect of lateness to school and
work is that it
A. increases the cost of living
B. takes away leisure time
C. causes ill feeling among colleagues
D. reduces productivity
SHOW ANSWER
D.
reduces productivity
39.
Which of the following business units raises its capital through the sale of
shares?
A. Public Corporations
B. Joint-stock Companies
C. Partnership
D. Co-operative societies
SHOW ANSWER
B.
Joint-stock Companies
40. One
benefit that Ghana derives from co-operating with international bodies is
A. payment of dues to such bodies
B. contributing soldiers to peace keeping
C. accepting refugees
D. technology transfer
SHOW ANSWER
D.
technology transfer
2011
BECE
Social Studies Past Questions – Paper Two
1.
Study the vegetation map of Ghana below and use it to answer the questions that
follow:
(a) Identify the vegetation types numbered on the map as
follows: I, II, III, IV and V
(b) Highlight five benefits of water bodies in
Ghana.
SHOW ANSWER
1. (a) Vegetation types
I – Tropical Rain Forest
II – Semi-deciduous forest
III – Coastal scrub and grassland
IV – Guinea savanna
V – Sudan savanna
(b)
Benefits of water bodies in Ghana
(i) Means
of Transportation – Canoes, boats, ferries, etc are used to transport persons
and goods on certain rivers, lakes and the sea.
(ii)
Source of Water for Domestic Purposes – People fetch water from streams,
rivers, ponds, etc, for domestic uses, such as bathing, cooking, washing, and
drinking. The Ghana Water Company also gets water from our rivers and lakes for
treatment and supply as potable water
(iii)
Source of Water for Industrial Purposes – Certain industries rely on water from
water bodies for some of their industrial operations
(iv)
Source of Food (Fish / Protein) – Fishermen in Ghana obtain fish from our
streams, rivers, lakes, lagoons, ponds and the sea.
(v)
Source of Employment – Water bodies provide employment and therefore income
both directly and indirectly to people such as fishermen, tour guides, Volta
River Authority workers, farmers, etc.
(vi)
Generation of Hydroelectric Power – The Akosombo dam generates electricity for
the entire country using water from the Volta River. The Bui dam, also for
generation of hydroelectric power is still under construction.
(vii)
Tourist Attraction Sites – Certain rivers and lakes serve as tourist
attractions, which help to generate income and foreign exchange for the
country.
(viii)
Salt Production from Sea Water – Salt can be obtained from sea water through
evaporation
(ix)
Irrigation of Farmlands – In areas where there is little or no rainfall,
farmers rely on water bodies to grow their crops
(x)
Drainage System to Prevent Flooding – When rain falls, the water runs into
gutters / drains, which carry them into water bodies. This prevents flooding of
communities, which could have caused destruction of life and property.
(xi)
Habitat for Aquatic Organisms – Several organisms and micro organisms in the
ecosystem live in various water bodies
(xii)
Source of Minerals – Certain rivers have mineral deposits in them, eg, alluvial
gold in Rivers Birim, Pra and Offin, alluvial diamond in the Birim River .
Currently, crude oil is drilled from beneath the sea (off shore Western Region)
(xiii)
Helps in Rain Formation – Large amounts of water vapour in the atmosphere come
from water evaporation from the surface of water bodies. The water vapour rises
higher, becomes cooler, condenses and falls as rain.
2. (a) What is cultural change?
(b)
Explain four factors responsible for cultural change in Ghana.
SHOW ANSWER
2. (a) Cultural change
The gradual alteration or adaptations that occur in the way people live.
It includes changes in dressing, language, food, clothing, music, religion,
beliefs, values, festivities and other expressions of culture
(b)
Factors responsible for cultural change in Ghana
(i) Migration
Migration refers to movement of persons or groups of people from a place to
settle in another place, either temporarily or permanently. When this happens
it may affect the way they do things due to the difference in culture / natural
environment of the new place. Eg a person who moves from a warm climatic region
to a colder one may be compelled to change his/her dressing from light and
scanty clothes to heavier body covering ones.
(ii) Education
Both formal and informal education is aimed at changing one’s way of doing
things as a result of acquired knowledge, skills and attitudes. As people
learn, they acquire new knowledge, which tends to change the way they think /
perceive things, which usually leads to a change in the way they live and
therefore a change in culture. Eg, change in one’s diet due to knowledge of
importance of taking balanced diet.
(iii) Religion
One’s religion usually defines what is acceptable or unacceptable. Different
religions have different belief systems which impact on the way the followers
live. For instance, people who change their religions may be compelled to also
change the way they dress, the songs they can sing or listen to, the way they
pray, sometimes the food they can eat or even the language they speak.
(iv) Urbanisation
People who move from rural areas to urban areas experience drastic changes in
the way things are done. As time goes on, they forget about their old belief
systems, values and traditional ethics. They now adopt the city lifestyle,
which could mean changes in how they dress, how they dance, the songs they
sing, the food they eat and even the good manners and polite behaviour they
used to have.
(v) New technology and innovation
Swift changes in current technologies and innovative ideas have brought about
rapid changes in culture. These changes happen because most of these modern
technologies are more interesting, less tiresome, much faster and more
user-friendly. Eg, these days, spending days and weeks to clear / plough a
piece of land with a hoe / cutlass can now be done in a much better way by a
tractor within a few minutes or hours. Children would rather surf the internet,
play computer or video games rather than enjoying storytelling. Letter writing
has now been replaced by emails, phone calls, text messaging, chatting on
social internet networks.
(vi) Inter-marriages
When people marry they usually change some of the way they do things, out of
compulsion, mutual understanding or the love they have for their spouses. Eg,
they learn how to prepare and eat different kinds of food. There may also be
changes in the way they talk, dress, work, worship God, relate with others, etc.
(vii) The Media
Both the print and electronic media play very significant roles in changing
cultures of people. The more people see and hear a particular thing /
behaviour, the more accustomed they get to that thing / behaviour. With time,
these viewers and listeners gradually change from their old cultural ways of
doing things to what they have been seeing / hearing. Many times, such changes
are actually unconscious – ie, they don’t intentionally decide to change,
however they suddenly find themselves doing it. Eg, using a swear word (profane
language) or unconsciously humming a song one heard on radio / TV.
3. (a) Highlight any four contributions of
Ghana to the United Nations Organization
(b) In
what four ways has Ghana benefited from the United Nations Organization?
SHOW ANSWER
3. (a) Contribution of Ghana to the United Nations Organization
(i) Peace-keeping operations in war-torn countries
(ii) Payment of dues – financial contribution
(iii) Human resource contribution – eminent Ghanaians serving at the UNO in
various capacities
(iv) Sheltering refugees fleeing from their countries
(v) Participating in deliberations programmes at the UNO general assembly and
other organs
(vi) Assisting and facilitating the operations and campaigns of UN specialised
agencies such as FAO, WHO, UNICEF, UNDP, UNHCR, etc
[any four]
(b) Ways in which Ghana has benefited from the United Nations
Organization
(i) Loans and grants from the IMF and the World Bank to support development
projects
(ii) Health delivery services provided by the WHO
(iii) International recognition as a result of our membership of the UNO
(iv) Rural developmental projects by the UNDP
(v) Food and Agricultural developmental programmes by the FAO
(vi) Employment of Ghanaians at the UNO and its specialised agencies.
(vii) Support for Ghana’s democracy by supply of international observers during
general elections
[any four]
4. (a)
What is separation of powers?
(b)
Outline four advantages of separation of powers.
SHOW ANSWER
4. (a) Separation of powers
The practice where each of the three arms of government work independently of
the others
(The three arms are the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary)
(b) Advantages of separation of powers
(i) It prevents dictatorial tendencies of any arm of government, since absolute
power is not given to any one governmental organ
(ii) It ensures the rule of law in the governance of the country
(iii) It protects the rights and freedoms of the people
(iv) It supports specialization of duties, which promotes efficiency
(v) It gives room for checks and balances of one arm from the other arms and
therefore enhances effectiveness of governance.
(vi) It reduces corruption and abuse of power.
5. In
what five ways can Ghana reduce her dependency on foreign financial support?
SHOW ANSWER
5. Ways by which Ghana can reduce her dependency on foreign
support
(i) Supporting local industries to produce more local (‘made-in-Ghana’) goods
(ii) Encouraging industries to add value to primary goods for both local
consumption and export
(iii) Encouraging Ghanaians to patronise ‘made-in-Ghana’ goods
(iv) Increasing locally generated income by widening the tax net
(v) Fighting corruption in order to conserve locally generated funds
(vi) Increasing the production of export goods in order to earn more foreign
exchange
(vii) Investing more in the education of Ghanaians in order to provide higher
skilled labour / expertise
(viii) Giving indigenous experts and companies that chance to work on
specialised projects, which would have been given to expatriates
(ix) Granting scholarships to Ghanaians to train in highly specialised fields
(x) Providing attractive incentives for local experts to stay and work in Ghana
6. (a) Describe four ways through which human
resource can be developed in Ghana
(b) State
two reasons why labour is not fully used in Ghana.
SHOW ANSWER
6. (a) Ways through which human resource can be developed in
Ghana
(i) Training and retraining
– Staff of institutions and other bodies must be given in-service training on a
continuous basis in order to update their knowledge, sharpen their skills and
positively improved their work attitudes. This would promote efficiency and
higher productivity.
(ii) High quality and specialized education
– Students must be educated in specialized areas that are relevant to the
current economic environment, rather than being given mere classical and
theoretical lessons/lectures, which may not be beneficial enough to them nor to
the nation.
(iii) Improved working condition
– The conditions under which employees work should be significantly improved in
order to bring out the best in them. These conditions include the physical,
social and political (work policies) environments
(iv) Opportunities for further studies
Organization must create opportunities, scholarship schemes and sponsorships
for further studies for their staff based on specified criteria. These would
greatly motivate workers to work harder in order to meet the criteria for
sponsorship or scholarship awards.
(v) Availability of job opportunities
There is the need for the government and other bodies to create more job
opportunities for school leavers. This will enable them to practice what they
have learnt, in order to gain experience and perfect their skills.
(vi) Effective monitoring and supervision
Managements of institutions must ensure effective and regular supervision,
monitoring, assessment and evaluation. This would keep workers on their toes
and motivate them to work more diligently.
(vii) Equitable wages and salaries
It is vital for workers to be paid fair wages and salaries. In this regard,
managements should consider paying workers based on performance, rather than on
a general basis. If done, this will surely encourage hardworking staff to work
even harder and the lazy ones to sit up and work more efficiently.
(viii) Security and welfare services
Every worker desires a certain level of both job and financial security. It is
important therefore that worker be given security and welfare services, such as
social security scheme, life / fire / motor insurance, staff welfare packages,
etc. This helps to put workers’ minds at ease, and therefore the peace of mind
to focus on their work.
(ix) Award Schemes
As social beings, we all want to be given the recognition where it is due.
Institutions in order to further motivate their staff, should consider setting
up various award and reward schemes. The selection of winners must be done in
the most transparent and objective manner possible, in order to maintain the
credibility of the scheme. This should help to inspire workers to put in more
for higher productivity.
(x) Use of efficient working tools
In recent times, there has been an emphasis that for greater productivity,
there is the need to work smarter, rather than working harder. This simply
stresses the need for using efficient modern tools / technology to produce more
in less time. Workers using efficient working tools would do more work, as they
would enjoy putting in relatively less effort and having greater output.
[any four]
(b)
Reasons why labour is not fully used in Ghana
Ø Insufficient job opportunities
Ø Inadequate training
Ø Lack of effective supervision
Ø Low quality of education
Ø Poor working conditions
Ø Lack of opportunities for further studies
Ø Unfair wages and salaries
Ø Lack of award schemes
Ø Lack of efficient working tools
Ø Inadequate security and welfare schemes
Post a Comment