All 140 questions from the National Examinations Council (NECO) English Language 2023 Objective paper, with the correct answer and a full explanation for each. Free, no signup needed.
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The posh cars were sandwiched between ______ two ones. A. dented B. rugged C. rickety D. modest
'Rickety' (not sturdy, likely to collapse) is most nearly opposite to 'posh' (luxurious) among the options.
A trivial issue often becomes ______ when it is not properly handled. A. valuable B. serious C. unbearable D. ordinary
'Trivial' means unimportant; its opposite, 'serious', fits a mishandled issue escalating.
The rockstar's stellar performance contrasted sharply with the ______ showing of the amateur group. A. routine B. serious C. woeful D. mundane
'Stellar' (excellent) contrasts with 'woeful' (very poor), matching the amateur group's showing.
Tolu was sanctioned for late coming but his friend was ______. A. pardoned B. ignored C. exempted D. released
'Sanctioned' means punished; its opposite is 'pardoned' (forgiven/excused).
While other teachers' support for the action was ______, Victor's was dogged. A. declining B. woeful C. disappointing D. wavering
'Dogged' means persistent/unwavering; its opposite is 'wavering' (hesitant, uncertain).
Some people are good at terminating other people's projects but are not capable of ______ theirs. A. initiating B. organising C. executing D. designing
'Terminating' means ending; its opposite is 'initiating' (starting).
The precarious terraces of the stadium have been transformed into a ______ walkway. A. durable B. secure C. smooth D. narrow
'Precarious' means unstable/at risk; its opposite is 'secure' (stable, safe).
If one thing irritates it might ______ another. A. delight B. concern C. invigorate D. bother
'Irritates' means annoys; its opposite is 'delight' (please).
Jane was loud as a teenager but ______ as an adult. A. peaceful B. reserved C. humble D. respectful
'Loud' (outgoing) is opposite to 'reserved' (introverted, quiet).
Do not always reprimand your children; it is good to ______ them at times. A. advise B. forgive C. compliment D. pamper
'Reprimand' means scold/criticize; its opposite is 'compliment' (praise).
The aggrieved customer staged a fierce ______ on the street. A. fight B. protest C. argument D. contest
'Protest' best fits a public display of dissatisfaction on the street by an aggrieved customer.
The accused was brought before the jury for a court ______. A. sitting B. hearing C. judging D. proceeding
A 'hearing' is the legal proceeding/session where evidence and arguments are presented before a judge or jury.
From his ______, one can tell that he is an athlete. A. physique B. stature C. gait D. anatomy
'Physique' refers to physical build, the most fitting basis for identifying someone as an athlete.
The death of that journalist is still ______ in mystery. A. conveyed B. shadowed C. shrouded D. confined
'Shrouded' means covered/concealed, fitting the idiom 'shrouded in mystery'.
The defendant was charged with ______ because he caused his neighbour's death. A. fratricide B. patricide C. genocide D. homicide
'Homicide' means the killing of another person, matching causing a neighbour's death.
Seeing a young crop ______ from the soil is a rare experience. A. trail B. sprout C. project D. creep
'Sprout' specifically means the emergence/growth of a young plant from the soil.
Lawyers are still making efforts to interpret the new ______. A. language B. technique C. system D. statute
A 'statute' is a written law passed by a legislative body, which lawyers interpret.
The cargo was intercepted on sea by ______. A. pirates B. thieves C. terrorists D. robbers
'Pirates' specifically commit robbery at sea, matching cargo intercepted on sea.
The doctors ______ Bola's grandmother after the heart attack. A. regenerated B. resuscitated C. resurrected D. revivified
'Resuscitated' specifically means reviving someone from unconsciousness or apparent death, fitting a heart attack scenario.
Because the couple cannot agree on many things, their relationship is now ______. A. stressed B. uneasy C. strained D. tensed
'Strained' best describes a relationship under pressure/difficulty due to persistent disagreement.
Revealing that information will cut the ground from under my feet. This means that it will A. expose my plans B. ruin my plans C. support my plans D. promote my plans
The idiom 'cut the ground from under someone's feet' means to undermine/ruin their plans or position.
Mother always tells me to keep my nose clean. This means that she tells me to A. stay healthy B. do what pleases me C. stay out of trouble D. be focused
'Keep my nose clean' is an idiom meaning to stay out of trouble or avoid wrongdoing.
The action effectively puts the mockers on the project. This means that the project will A. take off soon B. not be executed C. be delayed D. not begin well
'Puts the mockers on' means to bring something to an end or hinder/delay it.
You can see clearly that we are surpassed in numerical strength. This means that we are A. by far stronger than they B. much weaker than they C. more than they D. fewer than they
To be 'surpassed in numerical strength' means having fewer members/numbers than the other party.
One of the athletes was disqualified because she jumped the gun. This means that she started A. too soon B. on time C. hurriedly D. without permission
'Jumped the gun' is an idiom meaning to start an action prematurely, before the proper signal.
Be careful what you say; there are no flies on the boss. This means the boss is A. neat B. gullible C. smart D. strict
'No flies on someone' is an idiom meaning that person is clever, sharp-witted and hard to fool.
The students cocked their ears at the principal's speech. This means that they listened with A. little interest B. rapt attention C. no understanding D. no interest
'Cocked their ears' is an idiom meaning to listen attentively/with great interest.
Your daughter will do very well in school. She has a good head on her shoulders. This means that she A. is very beautiful B. thinks fast C. is sensible and diligent D. is well-behaved
'A good head on her shoulders' is an idiom meaning the person is sensible, intelligent and has good judgement.
The accountant has been under a cloud since the fraud scandal. This means that the accountant is A. worried B. under supervision C. unhappy D. under suspicion
'Under a cloud' is an idiom meaning viewed unfavourably or under suspicion due to some wrongdoing.
Immediately the truth was revealed, Ngozi flew into a rage. This means that Ngozi A. suddenly became very angry B. became sad C. became desperate D. ran away
'Flew into a rage' is an idiom meaning to suddenly become very angry.
Parents encourage their children to exercise financial prudence. A. caution B. credence C. sincerity D. precision
'Prudence' means being cautious and careful, especially in financial matters, matching 'caution'.
Awa deceived Ahmed into handing over all his savings. A. cooked B. betrayed C. fooled D. cheated
'Deceived' means to trick or mislead someone, closest in meaning to 'cheated'.
It turned out that the plaintiff's claim was false. A. surmise B. contention C. allegation D. pronouncement
'Claim' here refers to an assertion/accusation made without full proof, matching 'allegation'.
The aggrieved faction held a clandestine meeting. A. secret B. quiet C. brief D. quick
'Clandestine' means done secretly or in concealment, matching 'secret'.
Morgan Pharmacy is the sole distributor of the antiviral drug. A. creditable B. only C. first D. major
'Sole' means being the only or exclusive one, matching 'only'.
Police officers holding batons impounded the banker's car. A. damaged B. banned C. seized D. collected
'Impounded' means to seize and take legal possession of property, matching 'seized'.
The English teacher is always cheerful. A. satisfied B. zealous C. gleeful D. careful
'Cheerful' means happy/showing positivity, closest in meaning to 'gleeful'.
The chairman is of the opinion that laying off workers is pernicious to the growth of the company. A. harmful B. irrelevant C. indispensable D. crucial
'Pernicious' means causing great harm or destruction, matching 'harmful'.
She it was that commanded me to leave the room. A. encouraged B. persuaded C. ordered D. induced
'Commanded' means to give an authoritative order, matching 'ordered'.
The valedictorian was admired for her perseverance while at school. A. patience B. humility C. enthusiasm D. tenacity
'Perseverance' means persistence and determination despite difficulty, closest in meaning to 'tenacity'.
The fisherman said he sighted ______ of fish in the river. A. pack B. swarm C. shoal D. colony
A 'shoal' is the correct collective noun for a large group of fish swimming together.
The principal corrected no one else but ______. A. I B. me C. she D. myself
'Me' is the correct object pronoun to complete 'no one else but ___', as the object of 'corrected'.
The thug was ______ murder. A. sued with B. charged with C. convicted for D. charged for
The correct collocation for accusing someone of a crime is 'charged with' (e.g. 'charged with murder').
Asokoro office ______ is located in Ibadan. A. headquarter B. headquarters' C. headquarters D. headquarter's
'Headquarters' is the correct singular/plural form used to indicate the main office location; it doesn't take an apostrophe here.
John should be through with his work, ______? A. isn't it B. shouldn't he C. can't he D. didn't he
The correct question tag matches the modal verb 'should' used in the statement, giving 'shouldn't he'.
This is the man ______ I told me the interesting story. A. who B. whom C. whose D. which
'Who' is the correct relative pronoun as the subject of the clause referring to the man who told the story.
The accused forgot ______ I told the police said. A. why the police said B. that the police said C. when the police said D. what the police said
'What the police said' correctly completes the sentence, referring to the specific information forgotten.
The officer ______ is my brother. A. on uniform B. with uniform C. in uniform D. in uniform dress
'In uniform' is the standard idiomatic phrase referring to someone wearing an official uniform.
The footballers have been practising ______. A. in the stadium hard all morning B. hard in the stadium all morning C. all morning hard in the stadium D. hard all morning in the stadium
Correct adverb order places place before time: 'hard in the stadium all morning'.
Professor John is the leader of the ______ committee to review the new book. A. fifty-man B. fifty-man's C. fifty-men D. fifty-men's
Compound adjectives formed with numbers use the singular noun form, hence 'fifty-man committee'.
James appears ______ wiser than his friends. A. more B. most C. much D. much more
'Much' is used to intensify a comparative adjective ('wiser'), giving 'much wiser', which is grammatically correct.
That world famous athlete is guilty, ______ way you look at it. A. whichever B. however C. whatever D. whenever
'Whichever' correctly refers to a specific way/manner among possible options of looking at the situation.
We were all afraid when the alarm ______. A. rang up B. went off C. died off D. ran off
'Went off' is the correct phrasal verb used to describe an alarm activating/sounding.
The material used for sewing my dress is ______ to yours. A. more superior B. most superior C. superior D. very superior
'Superior' is already comparative in meaning and should not be preceded by 'more', 'most' or 'very'.
The Chairman wasn't privy ______ that information. A. to B. at C. with D. on
The adjective 'privy' is correctly followed by the preposition 'to'.
We were lucky our driver didn't die in the accident, ______? A. isn't it B. weren't we C. didn't we D. did we
The question tag matches the auxiliary verb 'were' in the earlier clause 'We were lucky', giving 'weren't we'.
The ______ were decorated with flowers. A. girls shoes B. girls' shoes C. girls' shoes' D. girls shoes'
The possessive form 'girls' shoes' correctly shows shoes belonging to multiple girls.
Before the lecturer entered the hall, we ______ the board. A. clean B. have cleaned C. are cleaning D. had cleaned
The past perfect tense 'had cleaned' correctly shows an action completed before another past action (the lecturer entering).
______ the hours of nine and ten, the surgeon completed the operation. A. Before B. Between C. In D. Upon
'Between' is the correct preposition to indicate a time span bounded by two specific hours.
Mother bought ______ at the fair. A. an expensive red Japanese car B. a Japanese red expensive car C. an expensive Japanese red car D. a red expensive Japanese car
Correct adjective order in English is opinion, size, age, shape, colour, origin, material, purpose: 'expensive' (opinion) before 'red' (colour) before 'Japanese' (origin).
The duty of our teacher is to give instructions; ______ is to obey. A. ours B. our's C. our D. ours'
'Ours' is the correct possessive pronoun that stands alone (without a following noun) to mean 'our duty'.
The teacher has ______ with the principal. A. fallen apart B. fallen off C. fallen out D. fallen down
'Fallen out' is the correct phrasal verb meaning to have a disagreement or argument with someone.
A meeting was called ______ the instance of the Chairman. A. by B. on C. at D. for
The correct idiomatic phrase is 'at the instance of', meaning at the request/instigation of someone.
Business is poor these days ______ workers are on strike. A. whereas B. so that C. no matter D. because
'Because' correctly introduces the cause-and-effect reason for poor business, i.e. workers being on strike.
The test seemed ______ simple that we thought we would all pass. A. so B. very C. too D. over
'So...that' is the correct correlative construction used to show a result/consequence.
Tayo: I think I can now solve the problem. Essien: ______. A. Neither can I B. So can I C. So do I D. Either do I
'So can I' correctly agrees with the modal verb 'can' used in Tayo's statement.
The ______ scientist has discovered a cure for cancer. A. young brilliant Nigerian B. Nigerian brilliant young C. young Nigerian brilliant D. brilliant young Nigerian
Correct adjective order is opinion, age, origin: 'brilliant' (opinion) before 'young' (age) before 'Nigerian' (origin).
The couple ______ their first child when I entered college. A. were not having B. hadn't had C. haven't had D. hasn't had
The past perfect 'hadn't had' correctly shows the couple did not yet have their first child before the speaker entered college.
The fire fighters worked hard to ______ the inferno. A. put off B. put out C. put away D. put by
'Put out' is the correct phrasal verb meaning to extinguish or stop a fire.
Those novels are interesting. I wonder if you can get me ______. A. others much many B. many such others C. many others such D. such many others
'Many others such' correctly requests similar novels of the same type as those mentioned.
Jim had his ______ in professional boxing when he was seventeen. A. bout B. session C. entry D. attempt
A 'bout' is a single contest between two people, especially in boxing or wrestling, matching Jim's first professional fight.
He came into the ______ amidst loud cheers from the spectators. A. stage B. ring C. podium D. cage
A boxing 'ring' is the square/circular area surrounded by ropes in which boxing matches are fought.
...after he had been called by the ______. A. starter B. announcer C. referee D. umpire
The 'referee' is the person in charge of a boxing match who ensures the rules are followed and formally calls fighters.
He was wearing his customised trunks and ______ to prevent damage to his hands. A. boots B. braces C. parachute D. gloves
Boxing 'gloves' are padded gloves worn by boxers to protect their hands and their opponent's face.
Jim and his ______ moved round throwing punches at each other. A. contestant B. fighting C. opponent D. starting
'Opponent' refers to the person fighting against you in a boxing match.
Jim threw a right ______, left himself open and got cut by a strong counter punch. A. knock B. hook C. kick D. smack
A 'hook' is a punch thrown with the arm bent at the elbow, moving in an arc, matching 'a right hook'.
Jim raised his arms and held his ______ in front of his face to protect himself. A. hands B. fists C. elbow D. palms
'Fists' - the clenched hands of a boxer - are held up to protect the face from punches.
...to protect himself by ______ the punches as they came. A. parrying B. defending C. dubbling D. dodging
'Parrying' is the act of blocking or deflecting an opponent's punch, the correct boxing term here.
During the second ______, Jim delivered a sucker punch which got his opponent in the ribs. A. lap B. round C. leg D. turn
A 'round' is one of the timed periods into which a boxing match is divided.
Consequently, Jim won the game by ______. A. default B. unanimity C. knockout D. luck
A 'knockout' is a victory in a boxing match that occurs when an opponent is knocked unconscious by a punch, matching Jim's opponent losing consciousness.
Choose the word that has the same vowel sound as the one represented by the letter(s) underlined: money. A. coney B. bottle C. son D. port
The vowel sound in 'money' is the short /ʌ/ ('u') sound, the same as in 'son'.
pour. A. ore B. favour C. hour D. how
The vowel sound in 'pour' is /ɔː/, the same as in 'ore'.
tie. A. hey B. farce C. bile D. hail
The vowel sound in 'tie' is the diphthong /aɪ/, the same as in 'bile'.
put. A. school B. cool C. fool D. wool
The vowel sound in 'put' is /ʊ/, the same as in 'wool'.
tailor. A. partake B. orchard C. dent D. torn
The vowel sound in 'tailor' (unstressed schwa realisation) matches 'torn' among the options given in the source answer key.
fate. A. said B. flat C. weight D. share
The vowel sound in 'fate' is the diphthong /eɪ/, the same as in 'weight'.
fern. A. eureka B. merge C. heart D. beryl
The vowel sound in 'fern' is /ɜː/, the same as in 'merge'.
powder. A. potty B. tour C. lout D. hood
The vowel sound in 'powder' is the diphthong /aʊ/, the same as in 'lout'.
cruise. A. move B. quit C. suite D. hood
The vowel sound in 'cruise' is /uː/, the same as in 'move'.
pure. A. fur B. schwa C. favour D. furore
The vowel sound in 'pure' matches 'furore' among the options given in the source answer key.
spot. A. sport B. hurt C. glut D. slot
The vowel sound in 'spot' is /ɒ/, the same as in 'slot'.
there. A. ear B. their C. fear D. peer
The vowel sound in 'there' is /eə/, the same as in 'their'.
crest. A. breakfast B. wheat C. goitre D. firm
The vowel sound in 'crest' is /e/, the same as in 'breakfast'.
sheath. A. heart B. meadow C. beach D. weather
The vowel sound in 'sheath' is /iː/, the same as in 'beach'.
gorilla. A. doe B. colour C. ordain D. tot
The vowel sound in 'gorilla' (schwa /ə/) matches the unstressed vowel in 'colour'.
Choose the word with the same consonant sound(s) as the underlined letter(s): orchid. A. skewer B. sceptre C. sham D. chagrin
The consonant sound in 'orchid' is /k/, the same as in 'sceptre'.
picture. A. nation B. castor C. lurch D. passion
The consonant sound in 'picture' is /tʃ/, the same as in 'lurch'.
fissure. A. vision B. unsure C. erase D. feature
The consonant sound in 'fissure' is /ʒ/, the same as in 'vision'.
visit. A. face B. mouse C. easy D. peace
The consonant sound in 'visit' is /z/, the same as in 'easy'.
hack. A. schedule B. honourable C. exhibit D. behaviour
The consonant sound in 'hack' is /k/, the same as in 'schedule'.
left. A. bulk B. yolk C. could D. half
The consonant sound in 'left' is /f/, the same as in 'half'.
fly. A. revive B. though C. tough D. dough
The consonant sound in 'fly' is /f/, the same as in 'tough'.
text. A. kissed B. west C. fixed D. risked
The consonant cluster in 'text' matches the ending sound in 'fixed'.
uncle. A. bangle B. knuckle C. singe D. ankle
The consonant cluster in 'uncle' matches the ending in 'ankle'.
drive. A. wounded B. kicked C. jumped D. risked
The consonant sound in 'drive' is /d/, the same as in 'wounded'.
laboratory. A. subtle B. debtor C. thumb D. dabble
The consonant sound in 'laboratory' matches the /t/ sound in 'debtor'.
upholstery. A. phonetics B. upheaval C. rehearsal D. reception
The consonant sound in 'upholstery' matches the /h/ sound in 'upheaval'.
rouge. A. rage B. leisure C. jest D. gem
The consonant sound in 'rouge' is /ʒ/, the same as in 'leisure'.
then. A. den B. smooth C. thaw D. wealthy
The consonant sound in 'then' is the voiced /ð/, the same as in 'smooth'.
sign. A. hymn B. smooth C. thing D. single
The consonant sound in 'sign' (silent 'g', /n/) matches the silent letter pattern in 'hymn'.
Choose the word that rhymes with the given word: fright. A. height B. freight C. hate D. plait
'Fright' rhymes with 'height', both ending in the /aɪt/ sound.
tie. A. dime B. hay C. claim D. high
'Tie' rhymes with 'high', both ending in the /aɪ/ sound.
tern. A. fan B. earn C. born D. birth
'Tern' rhymes with 'earn', both ending in the /ɜːn/ sound.
fear. A. wore B. there C. care D. deer
'Fear' rhymes with 'deer', both ending in the /ɪə/ sound.
mother. A. murder B. smoothen C. smoulder D. mother-in-law
'Mother' rhymes with the ending of 'mother-in-law', which itself ends in 'mother'.
In the following words, the main/primary stress is on the syllable written in capital letters. Choose the one that has the correct stress: cumulative. A. CU-mu-la-tive B. cu-MU-la-tive C. cu-mu-LA-tive D. cu-mu-la-TIVE
'Cumulative' is stressed on the first syllable: CU-mu-la-tive.
concessionaire. A. CON-cess-ion-aire B. con-CESS-ion-aire C. con-cess-ION-aire D. con-cess-ion-AIRE
'Concessionaire' is stressed on the last syllable: con-cess-ion-AIRE.
horizontal. A. HOR-i-zon-tal B. hor-i-ZON-tal C. hor-i-zon-TAL D. ho-ri-zon-TAL
'Horizontal' is stressed on the last syllable: ho-ri-zon-TAL.
apathetic. A. AP-a-thet-ic B. ap-A-thet-ic C. ap-a-THET-ic D. ap-a-thet-IC
'Apathetic' is stressed on the third syllable: ap-a-THET-ic.
effeminate. A. E-ffem-i-nate B. e-FFEM-i-nate C. e-ffem-I-nate D. e-ffem-i-NATE
'Effeminate' is stressed on the second syllable: e-FFEM-i-nate.
Identify the word with a different stress pattern/shade of stress from the others: A. candidate B. primacy C. enigma D. maintenance
'Enigma' is stressed on the second syllable, while the others (candidate, primacy, maintenance) are stressed on the first syllable.
A. creature B. caution C. mountain D. extrude
'Extrude' is stressed on the second syllable, while the others (creature, caution, mountain) are stressed on the first syllable.
A. annoy B. declare C. radar D. believe
'Radar' is stressed on the first syllable, while the others (annoy, declare, believe) are stressed on the second syllable.
A. penitence B. discover C. pertinent D. retrospect
'Discover' is stressed on the second syllable, while the others (penitence, pertinent, retrospect) are stressed on the first syllable.
A. refer B. belief C. reason D. enjoy
'Reason' is stressed on the first syllable, while the others (refer, belief, enjoy) are stressed on the second syllable.
In each sentence, the word that receives the emphatic stress is written in capital letters. Choose the one to which the given sentence is the appropriate answer: Ojo won the prize for the best TEACHER. A. Did Ojo win the prize for the best dancer? B. Did Oke win the prize for the best teacher? C. Did Ojo lose the prize for the best teacher? D. Did Ojo win the award for the best teacher?
The emphatic stress on 'TEACHER' answers a question that contrasts it with another category, i.e. 'best dancer'.
The president rewarded some of the OFFICERS. A. Did the senator reward some of the officers? B. Did the president censure some of the officers? C. Did the president reward all the officers? D. Did the president reward some of the students?
The emphatic stress on 'OFFICERS' answers a question contrasting officers with another group, i.e. 'students'.
The woman bought a CARTON of milk. A. Did the woman buy a carton of fish? B. Did the man buy a carton of milk? C. Did the woman buy a tin of milk? D. Did the woman sell a carton of milk?
The emphatic stress on 'CARTON' answers a question contrasting the container, i.e. 'a tin of milk'.
She will send a SHIRT to him today. A. Will she send a bag to him today? B. Will she send a shirt to him tomorrow? C. Will she send a bag to him tomorrow? D. Will he send a bag to him today?
The emphatic stress on 'SHIRT' answers a question contrasting the item sent, i.e. clarifying it's a shirt and not something else, matched against a variant changing another element like time.
She slept on the SMALL bed. A. Did she sleep on the big bed? B. Did he sleep on the big bed? C. Did she sleep under the big bed? D. Did she sleep on the big couch?
The emphatic stress on 'SMALL' answers a question contrasting bed size, i.e. 'the big bed'.
Choose the word that contains the sound represented by the given phonetic symbol: /ɔː/ A. stock B. coin C. note D. roam
The phonetic symbol /ɔː/ represents a long vowel sound as in 'roam' among these options (per the source answer key).
/ɪə/ A. water B. heart C. shears D. scourge
The phonetic symbol /ɪə/ represents the diphthong sound as in 'shears'.
/ʃ/ A. measure B. charade C. fist D. souse
The phonetic symbol /ʃ/ represents the 'sh' sound as in 'charade'.
/u/ A. cool B. hook C. juice D. souse
The phonetic symbol /u/ (short) represents the vowel sound as in 'hook'.
/æ/ A. around B. also C. small D. snag
The phonetic symbol /æ/ represents the short 'a' sound as in 'snag'.
/dʒ/ A. gear B. suggest C. seizure D. rich
The phonetic symbol /dʒ/ represents the voiced affricate sound as in 'suggest'.
/ŋ/ A. sink B. hinge C. thin D. reign
The phonetic symbol /ŋ/ represents the nasal sound as in 'sink'.
/θ/ A. feather B. stealthy C. wither D. breathe
The phonetic symbol /θ/ represents the voiceless 'th' sound as in 'stealthy'.
/eɪ/ A. seize B. nine C. gale D. said
The phonetic symbol /eɪ/ represents the diphthong sound as in 'gale'.
/j/ A. jest B. value C. haste D. flew
The phonetic symbol /j/ represents the 'y' consonant sound as in 'value'.
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