- Read the following narrative and answer the questions which follow.(Solved)
Read the following narrative and answer the questions which follow.
There was a great famine in the land where Obunde and his wife, Oswera, lived with their nine children. The
only creatures who had some food were the ogres and before they would part with their food, they demanded a lot
of things.
One day, Oswera went to one Ogre’s home and asked him for some food, for by then her children were almost
dying of hunger.
‘I have no more food except sweet potatoes, the ogre told her.
‘I shall be happy to have the potatoes. We have nothing, not a grain of food at my house and the children are
starving. Please let me have some and I shall repay you after the harvest.
‘No, if you want food you must exchange with something right now. Will you give me one of your children
in exchange for my potatoes? Oswera hesitated, her children were dear to her, but then they would die without
food.
‘Yes, I shall let you have one of them for his meal, if only you could let us have some potatoes,’ Oswera
answered. Then she took a big basket full of potatoes and told the ogre the exact time he could go to her home to
collect one of her children for a meal.
Oswera thought hard and she decided she would not give a single one of her children to the ogre for a meal.
She therefore cut young banana stalks and cooked them nicely.
When the ogre came, she gave them to him and the beast greedily went away satisfied. Soon the potatoes
were finished and she had to go to the ogre again.
Oswera and Obunde, her husband kept on cooking banana stalks for the ogre each time he came for one of
their children, until one day, she had no more banana stalks to cook for the animal.
“You have now eaten all my children, yet we still need the potatoes. What shall we give your now?” Oswera
asked in despair.
‘Then I shall come for you and your husband,’ the ogre replied angrily as he helped Oswera to load her basket
of potatoes on her head.
‘Yes come tomorrow at the usual time in the afternoon and get me. I shall have cooked myself for you,”
Oswera said calmly.
The following day the ogre went promptly as Oswera had told him and he found the home almost deserted.
He looked everywhere but a part from Obunde there was no trace of anybody.
Then he looked at the usual place and found a huge bowl of a big meal Oswera had cooked for him. The ogre
did not realize they had prepared a dog instead of Oswera. When he had eaten the ogre told Obunde he would
come for him the following day. Obunde got very worried and that night he could not sleep. The following day
he started crying:
Ah Oswera my wife, how did you cook yourself and how shall I cook myself for the ogre?” He sat down in
the dust of his compound and wept. Oswera became very annoyed with her husband.
You, you stupid, foolish man! Why sit and cry there all day long? How do you think I cooked myself? Take
one of the dogs and quickly prepare it for the ogre!’
Very quickly Obunde got up, caught, killed and prepared a dog for the ogre. Then he joined his wife and
children in a huge hollow part of a tree in his compound where they had hidden.
That day the ogre knew he was going to have his last meal of juicy human flesh. Being a generous and
unselfish ogre, he brought many of his fellow ogres. They were going to have a feat.
Suddenly as they were eating, they heard a man singing very happily. No they could not believe it! It was
Obunde singing! And he was boasting of how he had cheated the ogre.
The greedy ogre ate banana stalks
Not my family;
The greedy ogre ate a dog
Not Obunde Magoro!
The greedy ogre ate banana stalks
Not my family;
Now come and get Obunde,
His children and wife.
Obunde sang the words and the ogres got very angry. The first ogre rushed into the hollow of the tree, but
Oswera had heated a long piece of iron until it was white. She pushed the iron into the ogre’s mouth. The beast
fell down dead. The next one rushed into the hollow and Oswera killed him in the same way. In this way she
killed all the ogres and saved her husband and all their children.
My story ends there.
Questions
(a) Whom do you consider to be the hero in this story and why?
(b) In your own words, describe the setting of this story.
(c) Compare Obunde and the ogre as they are presented in this story.
(d) What is the role of the song in this story?
(e) Describe the character of Oswera, the wife as seen in this story.
(f) Other than the song, identify and illustrate one other feature of style used in the story.
(g) (a) Explain the moral teaching of this story.
(b) Use an appropriate proverb to summarize this lesson.
(h) List down three characteristics of the above genre.
(i) If you were to collect the above, what methods of data collection would you use?
Date posted: June 7, 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.
Playing with her grandpa during her recent birthday, little Chhay, Ishan’s daughter, probably had no way of
comprehending that the older Kapila had just received the greatest honour a lawyer might expect from his
colleagues.
But not long before the unassuming Acchroo Ram Kapila had been awarded the Law Society of Kenya
Honours Award in an inaugural ceremony that saw him heading the Roll of Honour that will , in years to come,
bear the names of lawyers whose careers will have been adjudged exemplary in many ways.
“As I listened to the Chairman’s speech, reciting the highlights of my life, they seemed to belong to another
age, events so remote that, to the present generation, I must seem like a fossil or a dinosaur, of curious interest
only to students of archeology or prehistory,” Mr. Kapila had quipped in his acceptance speech.
“Now my life is complete,” he said in his perennially hilarious manner.
“Now would be the perfect moment to announce my retirement. But I know that I would change my mind the
moment the next challenging brief comes along. Besides, I am enjoying practicing with my two sons, Sheetal and
Ishan, far too much to even think of retirement!”
Teasing his audience about the possibility of being able to read his memoirs soon, he said: “You can leave
your deposits at the desk outside the door, as you leave, to secure your advance autographed copies. All I want to
say (now) is that I have wonderful memories (of times) full of excitement, hope and exhilaration, although I am
sure at the time these were brief interludes during long days, months and years of frustration, exhaustion,
trepidation and frequently depression.
Neither given to bragging nor moaning, Mr. Kapila was making the understatement of the year, and the highs
and lows of his lengthy and distinguished career will probably only become salient when he eventually writes his
memoirs.
It was a carrier that saw him rise to prominence by sheer accident, driven on by unusual courage that found
him rolling in a car in the course of duty, facing terrible racial discrimination and even doing time at the Kamiti
Maximum Security Prison. It also saw those close to him suffering because of his works, especially in the so
called political cases, which resulted in subtle police harassment.
But if Mr. Kapila in his 50 years plus of legal work made enemies with the high and mighty and had to bear with
the ensuing persecution, he certainly also had the joy and honour of rubbing shoulders and working with some of
the most memorable figures in the struggle to end oppression everywhere.
Among people he remembers fondly are the late J.M. Kariuki and Tom Mboya, as well as early heroes of
Kenya’s freedom struggle like legendary Jesse Kariuki, and numerous others he represented before and after the
Kapenguria trial.
In a career that saw him working closely with Apa Pant, Julius Nyerere, the late Joseph Murumbi and the
legendary lawyer Dennis Prit; there were probably more highs than lows.
Today, as Mr. Kapila plays either golf or the sitar, some of his greater passions, he should reminisce about tales to
tell his daughters-in-law Naseem and Karan who proudly refer to him as 'papa' – about the long and eventful
journey his whole life has been.
During the recent awards, Mr. Kapila was described thus by LSK Chairman Nzamba Kitonga: 'He is an
example, a visionary, a sage, possessed of dignity, clarity of thought, diligence and the gift of articulation, he has
prime qualities of a lawyer, wit, honesty, integrity, ability and courage.'
Unfortunately people with such qualities are extremely modest and self-effacing, and it was probably only
politeness that stopped Mr. Kapila from using the words of his old friend Dennis Pritt to tell Kitonga: 'I don’t like
too much praise – I find it really as bad as too much alcohol.'
Questions
(a) Name the greatest award that a lawyer can get from his colleagues in this country.
(b) Who was the first lawyer to get this award?
(c) Describe Kapila’s character as depicted in this passage.
(d) Why does the author think that in Kapila’s career there were probably more highs than lows?
(e) Describe the author’s attitude towards Kapila.
(f) Identify one simile in this passage and explain its meaning.
(g) Comment on Kapila’s statement 'Now my life is complete.
(h) Give the meaning of the following words and phrases as used in the passage.
(i) Memoirs:……………………………………
(ii) Salient:……………..……………
(iii) Even doing time at Kamiti prison:
(iv) Prime:………………
Date posted: June 7, 2019. Answers (1)
- Complete the following sentences by giving another word pronounced in the same way as the word underlined.(Solved)
Complete the following sentences by giving another word pronounced in the same way as the word underlined.
Around this place you are not allowed to play the music (i) _______________. The (ii) ___________ caused
havoc to the house of our aunts. We could not bar the children to touch the bear with (iii) ____ hands. By six
o’clock, the men who (iv) ___________ bread had not said bye to their colleagues. The (v) ___________ is full of nonsensical statements. They dry (vi)_________ was pounded to fine floor.
Date posted: June 7, 2019. Answers (1)
- Fill in the blank spaces, with the most appropriate word.(Solved)
Fill in the blank spaces, with the most appropriate word.
Sister Stefani (1) _______________ sent to serve with other nuns at Gikondi Parish as a nurse. She (2)
______________herself to caring for the sick. It is said by (3) ___________ of her contemporaries that many
were the (4) _____________ that she spent entire days (5) ________________ eating so as to serve her many
patients. Because of this loving service (6) ____________ dedication, the people of that (7) _____________
nicknamed her as 'Nyaatha' which means 'a merciful person.'
According to the document that missionaries kept in Gikondi Parish, there was an (8) ______________ of
plague and Sister Stefani (9) ________________the disease as she was treating one of her patients. Other nuns
had requested her not to attend to the patient to avoid being (10) ______________.
Date posted: June 7, 2019. Answers (1)
- Explain the ambiguity in this sentence.(Solved)
Explain the ambiguity in this sentence.
We saw her duck.
Date posted: June 7, 2019. Answers (1)
- Replace the underlined word with a gender neutral one.(Solved)
Replace the underlined word with a gender neutral one.
The foreman arrived late and delayed the construction
Date posted: June 7, 2019. Answers (1)
- Choose the best alternative to complete the following sentences.(Solved)
Choose the best alternative to complete the following sentences.
(i) Walter and _______________ (me, I) wrote the article.
(ii) How can you be so sure it was______________? (they, them)
Date posted: June 7, 2019. Answers (1)
- Complete each of the following sentences by filling the blank spaces with the correct preposition(Solved)
Complete each of the following sentences by filling the blank spaces with the correct preposition
(i) Power went off; we had to see _________________ the light of a tin lamp.
(ii) On Saturday, our football team won because the spectators cheered ___________________.
Date posted: June 7, 2019. Answers (1)
- Fill in the blanks spaces using the correct form of the word.(Solved)
Fill in the blanks spaces using the correct form of the word.
(i) She could not stand the ____________________ (vulgar) of his actions.
(ii) The criminals __________________ (scandal) behaviour in court appalled to the judge.
(iii)He walked ____________________ (caution) since the flour was wet.
Date posted: June 7, 2019. Answers (1)
- Using the words in brackets, complete the following sentences with the most appropriate phrasal verb.(Solved)
Using the words in brackets, complete the following sentences with the most appropriate phrasal verb.
(i) I was _______by his childish behaviour during the academic parade. (take).
(ii) The new students could not ____________ their way to the dormitory. (make)
Date posted: June 7, 2019. Answers (1)
- Rewrite each of the following sentences according to the instructions given after each.(Solved)
Rewrite each of the following sentences according to the instructions given after each.
i) The principal advised the students to consider the consequences of their behaviour.
(Rewrite in direct speech)
ii) We can save time by getting to class before the bell goes. (Begin: Time …………..)
iii) It is bad manners to smoke in a crowded place. (Rewrite using a gerund)
Date posted: June 7, 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, long time ago, animals and birds spoke just like men do. When God had to stop them speaking, He made
birds sing, like this Chrrip! Chrrip! … Lions to roar like this Graagh! Graagh! And hyenas to howl like this
Huuuu! Huuu!
And do you blame God? Listen to what naughty hyena who had gone two days without any meal did. He had
been wondering up and down the hills when he suddenly stopped, nose in the air, and foot raised.
Do I smell, eh …smell food? He slowly raised his head to the skies as if to say, 'Please God, let me find some
food, even one rotting bone will do.'
Slowly, he followed the smell, sniffing hard, stopping now and again, over grinning wider as the smell
became stronger. 'Here at last', he said as he came in sight of a calf that seemed dead, flies buzzing over its
excrement.
'God, no time to waste. Who knows the owner may be around. Oh, no, I see it is secured to a tree with a
'mukwa.' I’ll take my time.
Ha, I am tired too, come to think of it. God gave us pretty strong senses of smell, generous old …man. Still I
do think some people tend to exaggerate now who was it saying the other day ‘ati’ God is the giver of everything
and we should be grateful? O.K. Tell me, did God give this calf? Did you God? I found it myself, smelled my way
there, all the way. Nice calf too, rather think but it will do. I’ll take the head home and make soup with herbs. I
especially like ‘muthathii’, and I see one over there.
Ok. Here we go, where shall I start, this lovely neck? No, I know, I will start with the ‘mukwa’ the I’ll get on
to the soft stuff, the tail, the rump, ‘Mahu’ ….
After chewing up half of the ‘mukwa’ the hyena brushed his teeth with the twig of a ‘muthiga’ tree to
stimulate his appetite. He stepped on the calf’s tail, stuffed it in his mouth and ‘snap’ it went. The calf which was
only very sick ad tired shot up and bolted away in the twinkling of an eye.
The hyena rubbed his eyes, ambled after the disappearing calf and soon fell down in exhaustion. He looked
up again to the heaven, tried to speak but now words came.
Hyenas have never been able to speak ever since ……
Questions
(a) Classify this narrative and give a reason for your answer.
(b) What two features of oral narrative are evident in this story?
(c) Identify one economic aspect of the community described in this narrative and give evidence of your answer.
(d) Describe two character traits of the hyena as portrayed in the narrative.
(e) (i) What is the moral of this narrative?
(ii) Write a proverb with the same moral as this narrative.
(f) If you are asked to go and collect this story in the field, state:-
(i) Three things you would do before the actual field trip.
(ii) Two difficulties you are likely to encounter.
Date posted: June 7, 2019. Answers (1)
- Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
(Solved)
Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
Six years old Daisy is forever asking questions about who (or what) makes the trees outside her bedroom
window, and who tells the night to come after the day, why her pet cat, Fluffy went to sleep and never woke up
again and so on. Unfortunately, her atheist parents have not given her satisfactory answers, especially in view of
what she heard in school about a being called God. The conflicting messages have left her very confused. This is
an indication of the natural existence of a sense of spirituality in children.
Almost all children including those raised in non-religious homes shows an interest in spiritual matter. This is
expressed through questions about the meaning of life and death.
It has been argued that spirituality is high in early childhood but declines remarkably as adolescence sets in.
Children who are grounded in some form of spirituality from their formative years become resilient and are better
equipped to deal with the inevitable crises of life than those who are not. During adolescence, these children are
able to deal with physical whims and peer pressure.
Spirituality is more of a need than a right which is why spiritually deprived children develop a vacuum that
renders them vulnerable to psychological turmoil: in contemporary society, parents are very committed to meet
the material and intellectual needs of their children. Many parents ensure their children attend the best schools,
have access to fantastic of health and recreational services but fail to inculcate spirituality.
In traditional societies, there were rituals and rites of passage that made life purposeful.
In addition, grandmothers played the role of instilling spirituality, ethics and morality in children through story
telling. These practices gave children hope and prepared them to deal with life’s challenges. Following extinction
of most of these practices, today’s children face many challenges.
Any spirituality that children are naturally endowed with cannot flourish unattended.
In most cases It is deflated as they encounter material and unjust cultures that also devoid
of proper role models. Spirituality must therefore be inculcated by parents from the early years. If not, the
vacuum is filled by whatever the world has to offer, good or bad. In an attempt to impart spirituality, some
parents introduce complicated theological facts leading to rather than reducing the child’s anxiety about life.
Ideally introduction of spiritual matters should be age appropriate.
Questions
(a) In what ways does Daisy’s parents contribute to her dilemma?
(b) How does the author justify that all children demonstrate some degree of spirituality?
(c) Describe the attitude of the author towards the contemporary society’s spiritual upbringing of the children.
(d) How did the traditional society cater for spiritual needs?
(e) Give two ways that hinder children’s proper acquisition of spirituality.
(f) Many parents ensure that their children attend the best school and have access to fantastic health services
(Re-write to begin with, Not only ……)
(g) Make notes on the author’s argument about spirituality in children.
(h) Explain the meaning of the following words and phrases as used in the passage.
(i) Resilient:____________________________________________________________
(ii) Turmoil:_____________________________________________________________
(iii) Deflated:____________________________________________________________
(iv) Naturally endowed _____
Date posted: June 7, 2019. Answers (1)
- A flea and a fly flew up in a flue.
Said the flea, 'Let us fly!'
Said the fly, 'Let us flee.'
So they flew through a flaw...(Solved)
A flea and a fly flew up in a flue.
Said the flea, 'Let us fly!'
Said the fly, 'Let us flee.'
So they flew through a flaw in the flue.
(i) Identify the genre above.
(ii) Identify and illustrate the dominant sound pattern in the genre above.
Date posted: June 7, 2019. Answers (1)
- What is the other word pronounced the same way as "NO"?(Solved)
What is the other word pronounced the same way as "NO"?
Date posted: June 6, 2019. Answers (1)
- Supply a question tag to each of the following.(Solved)
Supply a question tag to each of the following.
(i) You will see the doctor.
(ii) They had bought the house.
Date posted: May 28, 2019. Answers (1)
- Put the verbs in brackets in the gerund or the to-infinitive.(Solved)
Put the verbs in brackets in the gerund or the to-infinitive.
(i) I can’t imagine Peter __________________ (go) by bike.
(ii) He agreed _________________ (buy) a new car.
(iii) I look forward to ________________ (see) you at the weekend.
Date posted: May 28, 2019. Answers (1)
- Rewrite the following sentences according to the instructions given.(Solved)
Rewrite the following sentences according to the instructions given.
(i) Is there life after death or not? This is a question which man has been asking himself for a very long
time.
(Rewrite beginning: The question of ……… Do not use the word question twice).
(ii) I don’t think you should go out this afternoon.
(Rewrite beginning: I’d rather…………..)
(iii) After a new principal was appointed, results began to improve.
(Rewrite beginning: Subsequent………….)
Date posted: May 28, 2019. Answers (1)
-
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:
(Solved)
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:
We are often advised to be confident; confidence comes when we feel passionately about what we perform, what
we have achieved, and what we can offer.
Lack of confidence can hinder a lot of things, ranging from how you get ahead in your career to the number of
skills you are able to acquire. It is a determining factor in the way you direct your career. Confidence is conveyed
from inner to the outer through the words you speak and the posture you assume. Building confidence is not a one
day affair. Neither does it take other people to build your confidence.
I remember an interview I once conducted for secretaries, and the memory of one woman is intact. She
stammered from the point she entered the office to the moment she left. Thinking that it was interview jitters, we
called her again, based on her technical qualifications rather than her presentation. She presented the same
problem. We settled on a different candidate because confidence was a key qualification for the job which
involved dealing with clients and colleagues.
Not many entry-level and first-time job seekers are coached or tutored on how to gain more self-confidence.
Instead, we tell them to “attend a few events, meet more people, and get the hang of it.” That is not the right
approach. Often, by the time you “get the hang of it,” you will have probably ruined a few chances, stepped on a
few toes, and generally spoilt a few opportunities. Confidence starts from within, which means working with
yourself to find an effective method on your capabilities.
Having had quite some experience interviewing and being interviewed, I have developed three sure-fire ways that
not only help me before an interview, but improve my general self-confidence. You must start with one as you
progress and eventually build your own self-confidence.
I have learnt that confidence begins with pushing yourself towards positive attitude. Before an interview, I tell
myself that I am capable of great things, great performance, and that the interview is only a little chat I must have
to get the job. Not only do I talk myself into entering the interview room, but I also talk myself into achieving
success, whether or not I need the job. About 90 percent of the time, I have been successful in interviews.
Doubting oneself only leads to criticizing oneself, which plants deep roots that can be almost impossible to weed
out. My mentor always used to say, “You are what you think you are.”
Secondly, beginning with one small step rather than giant leaps will ensure that you tackle interviews and first
jobs with a lot of self-confidence. There are two ways to go through this.
The first one has to do with something that you like doing, such as writing a song. However, this should not be
just any song but a new one created out of your love for music. My personal pre-interview confidence boost is to
cook something that I have never tried before. This boosts my self-confidence to new levels. After achieving that
particular goal, you must pat yourself on the back.
The third step to building confidence involves holding onto that little surge of confidence. Once you have tackled
what you have previously found to be difficult, then the next step would be to focus on building your self
confidence a lot further.
Ensure that this becomes not only a monthly confidence boost, but a daily one because, as we are all programmed,
we must build our self-confidence habitually to maintain it. Routines have been known to help anybody to
acquire and maintain confidence
(a) What is confidence according to the passage?
(b) How is confidence conveyed?
(c) What suggestions are given to first-time job seekers to help them in gaining more self-confidence?
(d) What does the writer identify as the major hindrance to confidence?
(e) According to the writer what two key qualifications were they looking for in the interview for secretaries.
(f) Identify the three ways the writer mentions that help before an interview and improve in self confidence.
(g) In not more than 50 words write what the writer has been doing to achieve success in interviews.
Rough copy
Fair copy
(h) Explain the meaning of the following words as used in the passage.
(a) Surge:
(b) Interview jitter.
(c) Habitually
Date posted: May 28, 2019. Answers (1)
- Read the following telephone conversation between Pato and the secretary, and then answer the questions that
come after it.(Solved)
Read the following telephone conversation between Pato and the secretary, and then answer the questions that
come after it.
PATO: I am and want to speak with the manager.
SECRETARY: Why? What do you want with him?
PATO: That is none of your business. I want to speak with the manager now.
SECRETARY: He is not in. Say what you wanted and I will tell him.
PATO: Why are you wasting my time? Tell him to call me.
SECRETARY: How will he reach you? What is your telephone……..
(phone is disconnected).
Questions:
(i) Identify any four instances of lack of telephone conversation etiquette.
(ii) Observing proper telephone etiquette. Rewrite the telephone conversation between Pato and the secretary.
Date posted: May 28, 2019. Answers (1)