Closely read the passage below and answer the questions that follow it.
Education, they say, is the key to success. This is because it unlocks the doors of knowledge to people and prepares them to seize existing opportunities or create new ones in order to secure a living. Globally, schools are known to be centres of knowledge, and one of the facilities for accessing the knowledge held by schools is libraries (Owusu, 2021). A library, Abbey (2020) defines it, is an establishment, usually found in educational institutions, that is stocked with books and other information sources on various subjects and provide spaces for reading or lend reading materials to people. This underscores the utility of libraries. It is, therefore, important for every school to have a library because it facilitates research, provides a conducive environment for personal studies, and serves as an avenue for recreation.
First among the reasons why every school should have a library is its usefulness as a facility for research. When students get assignments, the library becomes an invaluable place for them to find answers. They can borrow books that are relevant to their assignment and read them in the comfort of their home or read them right there in the library to gather relevant information that will provide them with answers to whichever questions they may have. There are also librarians in the library to assist them to search for the materials that contain the very knowledge they need in order to do a great job on their assignment. A library is, therefore, a priceless go-to for research.
Another reason why every school should have a library is that it provides the most conducive environment for personal studies in a school setting. As Ndor (2019) rightly observes, it is usually noisy in the classroom and other spaces on campuses, especially during recess or non-academic functions. Notwithstanding this, the presence of other students in the classroom can serve as a distraction to those who would like to have some personal studies; they can easily be interrupted by peers, and this does not enable them to concentrate. The library, however, provides that serene environment where one can study without any distraction. Students can, for instance, study their notes or even revise their lessons in the library. Providing every school with a library will, therefore, promote fruitful personal studies in the school environment because of its conducive space.
Last but certainly not the least reason, a library is not only useful for research and personal studies; it also serves as a source of recreation. Recreation is an activity that relaxes a person, especially during leisure (Mireku, 2017). In their free time, students can go to the library to read interesting storybooks that will relax and revitalise them to study more effectively. In some libraries, there are games and sofas for relaxing students when they are tired. All these de-stress them, perking them up for greater performance. A library can, therefore, provide some form of entertainment to spice up the life of students in the walls of a school.
As it has been evidenced above it is imperative that every school should have a library because it facilitates research encourages personal studies and provides entertainment a library have books on all subjects and, as such, provides answers to students who have being given assignments. A library has a conducive environment where students can study without distraction, and it also has storybooks and other resources that can pleasurably occupy the leisure of students. Governments and other stakeholders of education should, therefore, make concerted efforts to ensure that every school is provided with a state-of-the-arts library.
1) Describe the structure of the first paragraph as the introduction to an academic essay.
2) Describe the structure of the second paragraph.
3) With reference to paragraph three (3), state two (2) ways that the controlling idea in the paragraph has been developed and provide evidence from the paragraph to support each strategy.
4) Identify the topic closure of paragraph three (3) and state its type (the form it takes).
5) With copious evidence from the text (the essay above), discuss four (4) ways that coherence has been achieved by the writer.
6) What is the central argument (thesis) of the writer in this essay.
7) Explain how unity and completeness have been achieved in paragraph four (4).
8) The essay above is a good example of academic writing because it evidences its distinctive features. Discuss this statement, supporting your answer with enough evidence from the text.
9) Mention two reporting verbs that have been used in the passage.
10) Proofread and edit the last paragraph of the essay above; write out your edited version.