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Nyahururu District Mock- English Paper 2 Question Paper
Nyahururu District Mock- English Paper 2
Course:Secondary Level
Institution: Mock question papers
Exam Year:2010
Name……………………………………………………………. Index No……………………………..
School…………………………………………………………… Candidate’s sign…………………….
Date………………………………….
101/2
ENGLISH
PAPER 2
(Comprehension, Literary
Appreciation and Grammar)
JULY / AUGUST 2010
Time: 2 ½ Hours
NYAHURURU DISTRICT JOINT EVALUATION TEST – 2010
Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (K.C.S.E)
101/2
ENGLISH
PAPER 2
(Comprehension, Literary
Appreciation and Grammar)
JULY / AUGUST 2010
Time: 2 ½ Hours
INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES
1. Write your name and index number in the spaces provided above
2. Sign and write the date of examination in the spaces provided above
3. Answer ALL questions in this question paper
4. ALL your answers must be written in the spaces provided in this question paper
This paper consists of 8 printed pages.
Candidates should check the question paper to ensure that all pages are printed as indicated and no questions are missing
1. Read the passage below carefully and answer the questions that follow:
It is 19 years since the clamour for constitutional change gained widespread support.
Before 1990, the idea of changing the constitution was the preserve of dissidents in various churches, the law society of Kenya and the underground left.
But in 1990, the concept of the review became popularized. And in those 19 years, there
haven’t been many innovations. We have been squeezing and massaging the same ideas with the
same aims; reduce the power of the presidency, protect public resources, curb tribalism in public appointments and allocation of national wealth.
The first attempt to rewrite the constitution using a constitutional conference did not work;the process produced two different visions. The failure to reconcile those two visions culminated in an acrimonious referendum whose effects, along with a badly managed election, have gone quite a way to undermine Kenyan nationhood.
Now there is a team of experts having another go at it. Reports that there are differences in that team regarding the direction the process should take, join a growing list of bad news,including famine and an economy heading to the ICU.
Shall we ever have a new constitution? And would one even solve Kenya’s many
problems? I was once talking to a man who asked me a question that I found very illuminating:
He asked: Have you noticed that the Israel- Palestian talks never focus on substance but on the talks themselves? The two parties have spent decades discussing road maps and not the so called final status issues.
A road map will come with conditions to be met by both parties for the talks to progress to
the next level: denunciation of violence, acceptance of the right to exist for the state of Israel, a freeze on settlements, recognition of Palestinian statehood and so on as so forth. Invariably, the parties renege on their promises, the talks break down and the whole process of restoring them and getting back to the road map takes years of angry exchange, endless meetings and unending shuttle diplomacy.
On a bad day, it looks as though the peace process will continue till the end of time
without the parties ever sitting down to negotiate the status of Jerusalem or the return of refugees.
Nigeria has been under military rule for a good part of its history. A favorite pastime of
the various generals was to put in place lengthy and laborious mechanisms for a return to civilian rule that would consume Nigerians, keep them busy cutting political deals and fighting while the military had some peace and some room to plunder the oil wealth.
Societies do get consumed by processes wasting decades, opportunities and the creative
resources of the masses.
We have been told that constitution review would solve all Kenyan problems, from
poverty to potholes. The biggest fear is that we will discuss the constitution to the end of time and, second, if we do actually get one, it will not live up to its billing as a panacea for our collective troubles.
Will the new constitution respond to the new challenge of Kenyan statehood, or will it
attempt to respond to the problems of 19 years ago with the same old formula? How does a
constitution deal with the refusal of the authorities to enforce the Law?
Many questions, very few answers. One thing is clear though, without unanimity within
the committee of experts, the chances of a political consensus are severely diminished. If the experts can’t agree, there is little chance that the politicians will and even less, that Kenyans, in all their boisterous diversity will. And that sends us back 19 years, where it all started.
Sunday Nation of September 27, 2009
a) According to the passage who was concerned with the clamour for constitution before
1990? (2mks)
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b) What was the outcome of the first attempt to rewrite the constitution? (1mk)
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c) How escapist can the Israel- Palestinians’ talks be said to be? (2mks)
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d) How can a political consensus in constitution making be achieved? (2mks)
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e) Rewrite the sentence below in plural form “The failure to reconcile those two visions
culminated in an acrimonious referendum (1mk)
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f) Identify and illustrate an aspect of imagery used in the passage (2mks)
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g) What is the feeling of the author towards stakeholders with regard to constitution writing?
(2mks)
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h) In not more than 30 words show how Nigeria talks and Israel-palestian ones have delayed
realisaion of their objectives (5mks)
Rough copy
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Fair copy
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i) Give the meaning of the following words and phrases as used in the passage (3mks)
Panacea…………………………………………………………………………………….
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Road map ………………………………………………………………………………….
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Culminated ………………………………………………………………………………….
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Read the following excerpt carefully and then answer the questions that follow:
“Don’t run away, Teacher,” she said.
A pleasant shock went through Waiyaki and made his body hot with desire. She had
actually called him “Teacher”, a name no follower of Joshua would call him. Was there a
mocking laughter in the voice? He could not tell. He waited for her patiently.
“Where are you going?” she asked him when she had crossed the river. Waiyaki felt
confused. The question wrung the truth out of him. He had wanted to go round and sit in a
place where he could watch the meeting at a distance in the hope of seeing her.
“I was just walking. I like the river, the bush and the trees.”
“I am going to the meeting.”
“I thought you would already be there. It was a surprise to see you.”
“I — I just wanted to pass through here.” A pause. Then she laughed, a little nervously.
“‘You see, I also like the river, the bush and the trees. That is my favourite spot.”
“Do you often come here?”
“Sometimes I do. Not very often.” Waiyaki was quiet. Another silence fell between them.
His whole body was on fire. “My sister was initiated there,” she said abruptly. She made
him feel guilty.
“You still remember her —”
“How can I forget her? I loved her’
“Were you only two in your family?”
“Yes; now I am alone.”
“I am also alone in my family. All my sisters are married. The youngest, whom I loved
most, died a long time ago. I was then young —”
Nyambura felt pleased because of this exchange of confidence. Waiyaki did not know
what else to say.
“You will be late for the meeting.”
She did not move. Then quietly, as if speaking to herself, she said, “She was brave, very
brave. Do you remember her?”
“I do, always.”
“Her last words.”
“Yes ...“
2. a) “I am going to the meeting”. To what meeting is Nyambura going? (1mk)
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b) “She was brave, very brave.” From without the extract make notes on the ways through
which Muthoni showed she was brave (4mks)
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c) i) Contrast the character of Waiyaki and Nyambura from the extract (4mks)
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ii) What fate befalls these two characters at the end of the novel? (2mks)
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d) i) Identify the dorminant stylistic device in the extract and state its effect. (2mks)
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ii) Illustrate and state the effect of:
Hyberbole (2mks)
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Paradox (2mks)
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e) What were Muthoni’s last words? (1mk)
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f) “You see, I also like the river, the bush and the trees. That is my favourite spot.” Rewrite in reported speech. (1mk)
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g) Give the meaning of the following phrases as they are used in the passage
i) Wrung the truth
ii) Exchange of confidence (2mks)
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h) Comment on the expression “She made him feel guilty.” (2mks)
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i) Comment on any one thematic concern that comes out in this extract (2mks)
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3. Read the poem below and then answer the questions that follow.
When with prophetic eye I peer into the future
I see that I shall perish upon this road
Driving men that I do not know
This metallic monster that I now dictate,
This docile elaborate horse,
That in silence seems to simmer and strain,
Shall surely revolt some tempting day.
Thus I shall die; not that I care
For any man’s journey,
Nor for proprietor’s gain
Nor yet for love of my own
Nor for these do I attempt the forbidden limits
For these defy the traffic-man and the cold cell
Risking everything for the little little more.
They shall say, I know who pick up my bones,
(Poor chap another victim to the ruthless machine-
Concealing my blood under the metal
Thimothy Wangusa
a) Briefly explain what the poem is about (3mks)
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b) What is the persona’s attitude towards his subject matter? (3mks)
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c) Explain the dorminant theme in the poem (2mks)
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d) Identify and illustrate two poetic styles used in the poem (4mks)
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e) Explain the meaning of the following words and phrases as used in the poem
i) Prophetic eye
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ii) Metallic monster
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iii) Nor for these do I attempt the forbidden limits (3mks)
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f) What is the mood in the poem? (3mks)
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g) What attributes of the persona does the poem reveal. (2mks)
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4. a) Rewrite the following sentences according to the instructions given after each. Do not change the meaning. (5mks)
1 The bird flew up with its wings wide open (Begin: Up…)
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2 They received two thousand shillings as a present. (Begin: Two thousand………
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3 If you had paid him, he (help) you. (Rewrite putting the word in brackets in its correct
tense)
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4 We are leaving at five this afternoon. (Place the correct question tag)
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5 Gregory is looking for a job. He began looking for one six months ago. (Rewrite as one
sentence ending with …six months)
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b) Fill in the blanks with the appropriate prepositions. (3mks)
1 This boy is unable to distinguish a verb ––––––– a noun
2 He complained ––––––– pains in his stomach
3 Janet has cultivated a taste ––––––– good music.
c) Fill the blank spaces using a few, few, a little, or little as appropriate. (3mks)
1 Our area has ––––––––– wild animals so you do not need to worry.
2 There is –––––––––– water in the taps. The pump has broken down.
3 I have –––––––––– milk in the house. I can give you some
d) Use the correct form of the word in brackets to fill the blank spaces. (2mks)
i) The audience was offended by the –––––––––––– of the main speaker. (sense)
ii) The –––––––––––– of the captain made the school team win the match. (decide)
e) Replace the underlined words with an appropriate phrasal verb (2mks)
i) The doctor was disappointed that the press people had refused to honor their agreement
ii) The lecture was so dull that I couldn’t help dozing.
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