Question

human experience
\have you written to your dad yet?\ asked nene one afternoon as she
sat with nnaemeka in her room at 16 kasanga street, lagos.

o. ive been thinking about it. i think its better to tell him when i get
home on leave.\
\but why? your leave is such a long way off yet—six whole weeks. he
should be let into our happiness now.\
nnaemeka was silent for a while, and then began very slowly as if he
groped for his words: \i wish i were sure it would be happiness to
him.\
\of course it must,\ replied nene, a little surprised. \why shouldnt it?\
\you have lived in lagos all your life, and you know very little about
people in remote parts of the country.\
\thats what you always say. but i dont believe anybody will be so
unlike other people that they will be unhappy when their sons are
engaged to marry.\
\yes. they are most unhappy if the engagement is not arranged by
them. in our case its worse—you are not even an ibo.\
this was said so seriously and so bluntly that nene could not find
speech immediately. in the cosmopolitan atmosphere of the city it had
always seemed to her something of a joke that a persons tribe could
determine whom he married.
at last she said, \you dont really mean that he will object to your

why didnt nnaemeka’s father accept his marriage to nene? indicate
whether or not each reason was given in the text.
select the correct answer in each row.
\t\treason\tnot a reason
nene lived in lagos.\t○\t○
nene was not chosen by his
father.\t○\t○
nene was not a christian.\t○\t○
nene was a teacher.\t○\t○
nene was not ibo.\t○\t○

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each reason against the text:

1. “Nene lived in Lagos.”

The text says “You have lived in Lagos all your life, and you know very little about people in remote parts of the country” (addressed to Nnaemeka, but implies Nene’s Lagos connection? Wait, no—Nnaemeka lived in Lagos. Wait, recheck: The text doesn’t directly say Nene lived in Lagos. Wait, maybe misread. Wait, the reason is about why the father rejected. Let's re-express:

• “Nene lived in Lagos.”: The text focuses on Nnaemeka’s Lagos life, not Nene’s. So this is Not a Reason.
• “Nene was not chosen by his father.”: Arranged marriages (father chooses) vs. Nnaemeka’s love marriage. The text says “if the engagement is not arranged by them” (parents) → so Nene not chosen by father is a reason. So Reason.
• “Nene was not a Christian.”: The text doesn’t mention religion. So Not a Reason.
• “Nene was a teacher.”: The text doesn’t mention Nene’s profession. So Not a Reason.
• “Nene was not Ibo.”: The text says “in our case it’s worse—you are not even an Ibo” → so this is a reason. So Reason.

Filling the Table:

Reason	Reason (○)	Not a Reason (○)
Nene was not chosen by his father.	○
Nene was not a Christian.		○
Nene was a teacher.		○
Nene was not Ibo.	○

(Note: Mark “○” in the correct column for each row.)

Answer:

To solve this, we analyze each reason against the text:

1. “Nene lived in Lagos.”

The text says “You have lived in Lagos all your life, and you know very little about people in remote parts of the country” (addressed to Nnaemeka, but implies Nene’s Lagos connection? Wait, no—Nnaemeka lived in Lagos. Wait, recheck: The text doesn’t directly say Nene lived in Lagos. Wait, maybe misread. Wait, the reason is about why the father rejected. Let's re-express:

• “Nene lived in Lagos.”: The text focuses on Nnaemeka’s Lagos life, not Nene’s. So this is Not a Reason.
• “Nene was not chosen by his father.”: Arranged marriages (father chooses) vs. Nnaemeka’s love marriage. The text says “if the engagement is not arranged by them” (parents) → so Nene not chosen by father is a reason. So Reason.
• “Nene was not a Christian.”: The text doesn’t mention religion. So Not a Reason.
• “Nene was a teacher.”: The text doesn’t mention Nene’s profession. So Not a Reason.
• “Nene was not Ibo.”: The text says “in our case it’s worse—you are not even an Ibo” → so this is a reason. So Reason.

Filling the Table:

Reason	Reason (○)	Not a Reason (○)
Nene was not chosen by his father.	○
Nene was not a Christian.		○
Nene was a teacher.		○
Nene was not Ibo.	○

(Note: Mark “○” in the correct column for each row.)