- The Novel
WitiIhimaera, The Whale Rider.
Each and every activity carried out among the Whangara community is carried out in utter sacredness. Discuss
the validity of this statement...(Solved)
The Novel
WitiIhimaera, The Whale Rider.
Each and every activity carried out among the Whangara community is carried out in utter sacredness. Discuss
the validity of this statement drawing your illustrations from The Whale Ride
Date posted: May 23, 2019. Answers (1)
- Combine the following pairs of sentences using a participle(Solved)
Combine the following pairs of sentences using a participle
(i) The street Urchin was clobbered. He cried out for mercy
(ii) The police surrounded the gangsters’ house. He shot in the air to scare them away
(iii) Jeff was bored of my nagging. He moved out of the house
Date posted: May 23, 2019. Answers (1)
- Choose the correct pronoun from the brackets to complete the following sentences(Solved)
Choose the correct pronoun from the brackets to complete the following sentences
i. Mr. Kamau and _______________ visited us last year. (he/him/himself)
ii. John offered Njoroge and ________________some biscuits. (I/me)
iii. Do you think that he is wiser than _________________. (I/me
Date posted: May 23, 2019. Answers (1)
- Read the narrative below and answer the questions that follow.(Solved)
Read the narrative below and answer the questions that follow.
Long ago, there was famine in Gikuyu land. This famine had made the cows and goats to die. Only human
beings were left and even them, it could be seen that they were not going to live much longer. Now the people
asked themselves, “What shall we do?” It was decided that the most beautiful girl, one called Wanjiru should be
sacrificed to god so that the rain could fall. She was brought to a place where there was a big river. She started to
sing:
Rain fall and make this ridge green
Make this ridge green
My father said I should be lost. I should be lost
My mother said I should be lost. I should be lost
Rain fall and make this ridge green
Make this ridge green
She went down on her knee, she sang:
Rain fall and make this ridge green
Make this ridge green
My father said I should be lost, I should be lost
Rain fall and make this ridge green
Make this ridge green
The water reached the waist, she sang
Rain fall and make this ridge green
Make this ridge green
My father said I should be lost, I should be lost
My mother said I should be lost, I should be lost
Rain fall and make this ridge green
Make this ridge green
The water reached the neck, she sang
Rain fall and make this ridge green
Make this ridge green
My father said I should be lost, I should be lost
My mother said I should be lost, I should be lost
Rain fall and make this ridge green
Make this ridge green
The head went in
Very heavy rains fell on this land. The grass grew, a lot of food and the people began to feel better. Now where Wanjiru went
she found her people who had died before her. These people had a lot of cows and goats. Now they asked her what she would
like. She said she wanted cows and goats. She was given many goats and cows and then she was told to lie down in a place.
When she woke up she found that she had returned back to her people. She woke up at a place where there was a river and
she had her cows and goats. Now when the people saw her they rejoiced greatly.
The story ends there.
Adapted from: The Oral Literature of the Gikuyu by WanjikuKabira and KaregaMutahi.
(a) Why do you think this community makes the choice of a beautiful girl such as Wanjiru to sacrifice to god so as to receive
rain?
(b) Which functions does this song serve in this narrative?
(c) Describe one character trait of the villagers in this narrative.
(d) In point form, list how events follow each other in this story.
(e) Identify and explain two features of oral narration employed in this narrative.
(f) Identify two elements of fantasy in this story.
(g) Describe Wanjiru’stone in the song.
(h) Which social/cultural practices of the Agikuyu are brought out in this narrative.
(i) What does this phrase mean? 'My father said I should be lost.'
(j) Answer the following question according to the instructions given in brackets.
Very heavy rains fell on this land. (Write in the passive form).
Date posted: May 23, 2019. Answers (1)
- Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow(Solved)
Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow
Society has failed and parents have not played their role fully in raising their children. This is according to
Jeff Ngari, a counseling psychologist and a deacon with the Reformed Catholic Church. Jeff says the issue of
teenage mothers is so big that it should be considered a cry for help. He adds that today, children lack the
guidance they require when it comes to having independent social interactions.
“The idea is not to block them from forming their own relationships, but to make them understand what it
means to be in a relationship, especially with the opposite sex, and how far this relationship should go,” says Jeff.
And just like the rest of society, parents have not been spared by the wave of moral decay and thus, according to
Jeff, they have failed as role models for their children. Due to this, many teenagers are picking up social ills from
their parents- the very people they are supposed to look up to.
“For instance, a teenager who has seen his or her mother repeatedly sleep out or come home in the wee hours
of the morning will most likely be excited about staying out late out of curiosity,” he says , adding, “this is
happening to most of our homes today.” Jeff says many parents are engaging carelessly in extra-marital
relationships that leave very little to the imagination of their children, and this is likely to be seen as a normal
thing by children, especially teenagers. As a result, there are many avenues through which teenagers can explore
the issue of sex and the greatest worry is that girls need to be rescued.
“The boy invariably walks away scot-free as the school, society and church turn their full attention on the girl
and judge her,” he says adding that it is one of the issues that the Reformed Catholic Church is trying to address so
that children such as these can be recognized instead of being neglected. “This is not to say that teenage pregnancy
is right, but it is a social ill that must be fought from family level, within the school setting, in the church and the
wider society,” he says.
Most teenage mothers experience rejection and abuse by their families, friends and wider community,
including the church. “No wonder these girls abandon their babies either in toilets or litter bins. The effects of
rejection can be fatal- rejection by society is the worst thing anybody can suffer. It kills from within. That is why
teenage motherhood is a cry for help and family support is very important, as the result is children giving birth,
and trying to raise babies
Jeff notes that without any know-how, finances or proper structures, teenage mothers face a very big
challenge. Add to this the stigma that comes with being regarded as immoral. “Yet we know that not all teenage
pregnancy is consensual. There are cases of grown men preying on innocent girls.” Abortion or an attempt to
carry it out complicates an already complicated situation, especially if crude methods are used. Besides, there is a
post-abortion self-stigma that does not go away.
“In the course of my career, I have met mature women who tell me that they had abortions when they were
very young, and they still feel guilty decades later. Some even go to the extent of saying, ‘My firstborn would be
this or that age.’ It is very painful.”
In Kenya, four in every ten women who die from unsafe abortions are adolescents; 70% of adolescents engage
in high-risk unprotected sex. This is according to a research paper presented by Dr. Richard O. Muga of the
National Co-ordinating Agency for Population and Development, Nairobi- Kenya, 2006. The alarming figures are
the reason why Margaret Muyanga, a counseling psychologist says open communication between teenagers and
parents can be instrumental in curbing any post- pregnancy abortion or even worse, suicidal tendencies.
a) Explain how parents have contributed to the moral decay of their children.
b) Give the factors leading to teenage pregnancy.
c) What is the consequence of the rejection and abuse that teenage mothers experience?
d) In not more than 50 words, summarize the consequences of teenage pregnancy.
- Rough draft
- Final draft
e) What is the writer’s attitude towards parenting?
f) Explain the meaning of the following words as used in the passage;
Scot-free
Date posted: May 23, 2019. Answers (1)
- Complete the following conversation appropriately
(Solved)
Complete the following conversation appropriately
Delphine: (Telephone rings), Hello, …………………………………………………………
Trevor ...……………………………………………………………………………………
Delphine: I’m sorry. Ms Oketch is in a conference out of town. Could you kindly leave a message for her?
Trevor: ………………………..……………………………………………………………
Delphine: Sorry, I didn’t get the last two digits of the number.
Trevor: ……………………………………………………………………………………..
Delphine: ……………………………………………………………………………………..
Trevor: Correct.
Delphine ………………………………………………………………………..……………
Trevor: Yes, let him know I’ll be expecting his call.
Delphine: Okay, goodbye.
Trevor: ……………………….…………………………………………………………….
Date posted: May 23, 2019. Answers (1)
- For each of the following words, write two sentences to bring out two different meanings.
i) Polish
ii) Intimate(Solved)
For each of the following words, write two sentences to bring out two different meanings.
i) Polish
ii) Intimate
Date posted: May 23, 2019. Answers (1)
- For each of the following words write another that is pronounced the same.(Solved)
For each of the following words write another that is pronounced the same.
i. Quay ………….......................................................................……………………………………….
ii. Seed ………………...........................................................................………………………………
iii. Not ……………….........................................................................…………………………………..
Date posted: May 23, 2019. Answers (1)
- Read the following oral narrative and answer the questions that follow. (Solved)
Read the following oral narrative and answer the questions that follow.
One day, the chameleon and the donkey were arguing as to who could run faster than the other. The donkey
said, 'You chameleon, you are very old and tired. You can’t compete with a man like me in a race.”
The chameleon replied,” Don’t blow your own trumpet. I am not going to praise myself, but you know you
can’t defeat me in a race. We shall be equal.'
The race began and without donkey’s knowledge, the chameleon jumped on the donkey’s tail. They ran and
ran, until the donkey was so tired until he stopped to rest. As soon as the donkey stopped, the chameleon jumped
from the donkey’s tail and said, 'Now my friend, are you any faster than I?'
'No, now I know that you are a man,' answered the poor donkey.
i. What would you do in order to capture the attention of the audience before you begin to tell the story?
ii. How would you make the narration of the line indicated in bold effective?
iii. If you are part of the audience for this story, explain two things you would do to show that you are
participating in the performance.
Date posted: May 23, 2019. Answers (1)
- Fill in the blanks with the most suitable word(Solved)
Fill in the blanks with the most suitable word
The purchasing of a motor vehicle or (1) _________________ a driving licence is a satisfying achievement
for most Kenyans. Few, however, (2) _______________ that their achievement can, and (3)
__________________ does, amount to a passport to prison. A driver in prison? Yes, an individual can be (4)
__________________ to jail even when he is not driving.
To curb the increasing (5) ______________________ of accidents in the country, the courts are taking a very
(6) _________________view and as a result sentences are being (7) __________________ including
imprisonment.
Under the (8) _________________________ Act, any person who causes the death of another, be it a
passenger in the driver’s car or a( 9) _________________ crossing the road, or another motorist, by reckless
driving or speeding or even leaving any vehicle on a road in such a position as to be dangerous can be (10 )
______________________ for the offence of causing death.
Date posted: May 23, 2019. Answers (1)
- Complete the following sentence by writing the correct tense in brackets in each case. (Solved)
Complete the following sentence by writing the correct tense in brackets in each case.
1. The students ___________________ assistance from the police after the attack (seek)
2. The visitors ___________________ us goodbye and left immediately (Bid)
3. All the workers have been ______________ their dues. (pay)
Date posted: May 23, 2019. Answers (1)
- Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow;(Solved)
Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow;
Education is perhaps one of the greatest assets children can inherit from their parents. Indeed, parents are known
to incur huge debts to help their children get education. The drive to make these sacrifices and our population
growth, have created a huge demand for education.
This demand is reciprocated by mismatched supply that is not focused on developing “employable” skills and the
output is more jobless graduates into the already full market place. Ironically, whereas this is the scenario in
emerging economies the world over, it is in the same economies that skilled workers are in high demand,
according to a human capital study done by PWC. Indeed , emerging economies are no longer relying on cheap
labour to fuel exports- driven economies , but rather fouls on skilled labour because their economic models have
shifted to exporting value - added goods. The demand for workers capable of doing talent intensive jobs that
require quality qualifications is growing steadily. Studies have shown that no country in the world can achieve
major socio – economic transformation without the contribution of skilled manpower. Kenya seems to be
cognizant of this fact going by the massive budget allocation made in education each year.
There is a strong case for standardization and regulatory framework that will ensure delivery of high quality
teaching and research whose end product are work- ready students. This is therefore a call to the government and
the private sector to work hard in glove to address the prevailing challenges in higher education that impact the
quality of graduates produced.
Lack of adequate resources, poor training infrastructure and facilities as well as an emphasis on “cramming” –
reproduction of class notes in the exam papers compromise the quality of education. The result has been a
yawning gap between the quality of students released into the job market and the needs of the employers.
If we are able to turn our institutions of higher learning into factories of talent that is readily marketable locally
and to other countries, human capital development would become a key economic driver in our country. The
Government needs to partner with all stakeholders and come up with “out of the box”, holistic policy interventions
that make use of best practices in order to promote practical skills and make education more effective in the short
and long term. This also calls for accrediting and streamlining the requirements of new and existing education
should look beyond profits and priorities equipping of students with knowledge , skills and competencies that
enhance their employability both locally and internationally. While Kenya boasts of high literacy levels, it should
now priorities the development and implementation of a long – term growth strategy that focuses on quality, not
quantity.
QUESTIONS
a) What has created a huge demand for education according to the passage?
b) What do the emerging economics rely on, and why?
c) Indeed, emerging economies are no longer relying on cheap labour. (Add a question tag)
d) What advise is given to those investing in education
e) Why is there an emphasis on standardization in education? (2 marks)
f) In a paragraph of not more than 40 words, summarize the reason why the Government and other sectors should
partner in education.
g) Explain the meaning of the following words and expressions as used in the passage
i) Employable skills
ii) Cognisant
iii) Reciprocated
iv) Out of the box
Date posted: May 23, 2019. Answers (1)
- For each of the following words, construct two sentences to convey two different meaning as indicated(Solved)
For each of the following words, construct two sentences to convey two different meaning as indicated.
(i) early (as an adverb and as an adjective)
(ii) Surprise (as a noun and as a verb)
Date posted: May 23, 2019. Answers (1)
- Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow.(Solved)
Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow.
Ah, Are you digging on my grave?
'Ah, are you digging on my grave,
My loved one?- planting rue?'
'No ; yesterday ‘he went to wed ‘
One of the brightest wealth has bred.
‘It cannot hurt her now,' he said,
' That I should not be true.
'Then who is digging on my grave?
My nearest dearest kin?'
'Ah, no: they sit and think, ‘what us!
What good will planting flowers produce?
No tendance of her mound can loose
Her spirit from Deaths gin;'
Questions
(a) (i) Supposing you were to perform this poem to your class how would you prepare?
(ii) How would you say line two stanza 1 and why?
(iii) Identify an instance of alliteration in stanza 1
(iv) Describe the rhyme scheme of stanza 2
b) For each of the following words, provide another word with similar pronunciation
(i) gate
(ii) bread
(iii) you
(iv) rest
Date posted: May 23, 2019. Answers (1)
- Fill in the blank space with the most appropriate words.(Solved)
Fill in the blank space with the most appropriate words.
A new research title 'Underage Drinking in Kenya' has (1) _______________ that nearly one third of form four
students aged below 18 years take alcohol (2) _________________. As our society ponders this sad (3)
__________________, the urgent message to children who are taking alcohol
(4) ______________, do not drink another sip. Advice to those children is to strongly say 'no.'
(5) _________________ irresponsible behavior to alcoholism, there are many (6) _____________
effects of alcohol. It is wrong and illegal for children to drink alcohol.
The report also states that 46 percent of the children receive (7) ________________ first pint from friends and
(8) _________________ .Do you offer alcohol to child? As a parent or guardian, do you nurture (9)
_______________ ? How much time do you spend with them? Notably, (10) __________ of
guidance and supervision are stimuli to underage drinking
Date posted: May 23, 2019. Answers (1)
- You are listening to a speech about careers by a visitor to your school. A few
minutes into the speech, you look around and notice some...(Solved)
You are listening to a speech about careers by a visitor to your school. A few
minutes into the speech, you look around and notice some of your fellow students
are yawning, while others are showing signs of definite restlessness.
(i) What would be likely cause of the students' behavior?
(ii) What would you do to ensure you continue listening effectively?
Date posted: May 7, 2019. Answers (1)
- You accidentally broke the windscreen of a stranger's car at the market near your
home. Complete the following conversation between you and the stranger. Use
courteous language.
You:..................................
Stranger:...(Solved)
You accidentally broke the windscreen of a stranger's car at the market near your
home. Complete the following conversation between you and the stranger. Use
courteous language.
You:....................
Stranger: I can't believe it. This is a brand new car.
You:....................
Stranger: Your parents will have to meet the cost of replacing the windscreen.
You:....................
Stranger: I hope you will learn the lesson to be more careful in future.
You:....................
Date posted: May 7, 2019. Answers (1)
- Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow.(20 marks)
I hate to tell you this, but your kid is spoiled. Mine aren't much...(Solved)
Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow.(20 marks)
I hate to tell you this, but your kid is spoiled. Mine aren't much better. That, in
essence, is the finding of a recent media poll. Most of us think most of our kids are
overindulged, materialistic brats.
I bring this issue up to talk about a controversial study that deals with corporal
punishment-spanking - and it has outraged those who oppose the practice while
rearming those who support it.
Dr. Diana Baumrind studied 164 families from the time their children were in preschool
until they reached their 20s. She found that most families used some form
of corporal punishment. She further found that, contrary to what we have been
told for years, giving a child a mild spanking (defined as open-handed swats on the
backside, arm or legs) does not leave the child scared for life.
Baumrind makes a distinction between the minor punishments practiced by most
parents who spank and the harsher variants practiced by a tiny minority (shaking
and blows to the head or face, for example).
For my money, there was always something spurious about the orthodoxy that
assured us all corporal punishment, regardless of severity, was de facto abuse.
Nevertheless, we bought into it, with the result being that parents who admitted to
spanking were treated as primitive dolts and heaped with scorn. They were
encouraged to negotiate with misbehaving children in order to nurture their self
esteem.
But the orthodoxy was wrong on several fronts. In the first place, it is plainly
ridiculous to equate a child who has been swatted on the butt with one who has
been stomped, scalded or punched. In the second, the argument that reasonable
corporal punishment leads inevitably to mental instability always seemed
insupportable and has just been proved by Baumrind's study.
Don't get me wrong, contrary to what its proponents sometimes claim, corporal
punishment is not a panacea for misbehavior. Rearing a child requires not just
discipline, but also humour, love and some luck.
I have seen too many children behave with a sense of entitlement to believe it is.
Heard too many teachers tell horror stories of dealing with kids from households
where parents are not sovereign, adult authority not respected. So the pertinent
question is not: to spank or not to spank? Rather, it is who's in charge here?
Some folks think it's abuse when you swat a child's backside. But maybe,
sometimes, it's abuse when you don't.
(Adapted from The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing by John Ramage, John Bean and
June Johnson. Boston: Longman, 2012)
(a) What does the author mean when he says "most of us think most of our
kids are overindulged, materialistic brats".
(b) According to the author, what is the effect of mild punishment?
(c) What is the controversy in the passage?
(d) What are the two major findings of Dr. Diana Baumrind's study?
(e) What is the author's personal view about corporal punishment?
(f) Identify two other words that the author uses in the passage to mean
mild corporal punishment?
(g) Use two illustrations from the passage to explain the author's use of
informal language.
(h) Explain the meaning of each of the following words as used in the
passage.
(i) Materialistic
(ii) Panacea
Date posted: May 7, 2019. Answers (1)
- Read the excerpt below and then answer the questions that follow. (25 marks)
"Brothers, people of Sakwa, we are pleased to welcome you to Yimbo. It...(Solved)
Read the excerpt below and then answer the questions that follow. (25 marks)
"Brothers, people of Sakwa, we are pleased to welcome you to Yimbo. It is
customary, because of the good dak between us, for you to marry our daughters
and we yours. We are therefore more than neighbours, we have great wat between
us because of the intermingling of blood though this has not occurred between our
two lines so there is no danger of brother marrying sister - a great taboo. Since
you are our brothers, we will not make things difficult for you." Here he stopped to
take a sip of kong'o and you could have heard the ants talk, so great was the
silence. However, nobody was fooled by his sweet words.
He continued, enjoying immensely the tension he was creating. "Our daughter,
Adoyo Obanda is a great beauty whose assets have been praised and sung by
many a nyatiti singer from here to ChumbuKombit, from Sakwa to Loka Nam. She
is as fleet as a gazelle and her flying feet have been incorporated into the sayings
of our village so that mothers sending their daughters on errands tell them to run
like Adoyo of the flying feet. She has been carefully brought up and has been
taught all the requirements of Chik. She is very apt pupil, and will therefore not
bring shame and ruin to her husband by improper conduct.
Her antecedents are peerless for she can trace her bloodline clear to Ramogi our
great father and her blood is pure for we have always taken care to marry
correctly. She is also the eldest daughter of our great chief, a man whose fame is
known throughout this land. After careful consultation, we have therefore decided
that thirty head of cattle should be the proper bride price." Was that an inaudible
gasp from someone at the back? Chief Owuor Kembo signaled to his uncle and the
old man spoke.
"Brothers, people of Yimbo, we have listened with great care to what you have to
say. Since the contract of marriage is a matter of great import, we wish to beg
leave to consult with each other outside before we return our verdict."
"Feel free to do so," Aloo said magnanimously. They moved some distance away
and Akoko watching from her mother's kitchen thought amusedly to herself, "I
should ask father to give me a piece of land to settle on because at this rate I shall
never leave his house."
(Adapted from The River and the Source by Margaret A. Ogola. Nairobi: Focus
Publishers, 2012)
(a)What reasons had the old man given that had prompted the need for
Chief Owour Kembo to urgently seek a wife?
(b) "It is customary, because of the good dak between us for you to marry
our daughters and we yours." Identify two other customary practices on
marriage in this community that are revealed in this excerpt.
(c) Explain the character traits of Chief Owuor Kembo and Aloo that emerge
in this excerpt.
(d) What was the response of Chief Owuor Kembo's party on the bride price
requested for by Aloo?
(e) In what circumstances was the thirty head of cattle referred to
unfavourably later in the story when Akoko was married to Chief Owuor
Kembo?
(f)"I should ask father to give me a piece of land to settle on because at this
rate I shall never leave his house."
(i) Why did Akoko say these words?
(ii)What do Akoko's words reveal about Chief Odero's character?
(g) "Since the contract of marriage is a matter of great import, we wish to
beg leave to consult with each other outside before we return our verdict."
(i) What is your view on the success of Akoko and Chief Kembo's marriage?
(ii) Identify and comment on one marriage you consider successful in The
River and the Source.
(h)"Feel free to do so," Aloo said magnanimously. Rewrite in indirect speech.
(i) Explain the meaning of the following words as used in the excerpt.
(i) errands
(ii) apt
(iii) import
Date posted: May 7, 2019. Answers (1)
- Read the poem below and then answer the questions that follow.
The Road Not Taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel...(Solved)
Read the poem below and then answer the questions that follow.
The Road Not Taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.
By Robert Frost
(Adapted from Understanding Poetry by Jim Reeves London: Heinemann, 1965)
(a) Explain the meaning of the poem.
(b) Explain the meaning of the line 'Yet knowing how way leads on to way.'
(c) Identify and explain the use of symbolism in the poem.
(d) What does the poet means when he says that 'I took the one less
travelled by'?
(e) What does the poem reveal about the character of the persona?
(f) What is the tone of the poem?
(g) Explain the meaning of the following words as used in the poem.
(i) diverged
(ii) sigh
Date posted: May 7, 2019. Answers (1)