1.A dirge – Death is a witch, my people what shall I do? I cry.
2.The persona is a parent who has lost a child/whose child has died.
It snatched my child.
3.Contemptuous/critical /condemnatory/hatred.
The singer blames death for taking away the child. “Death is a witch
I will remain alone”
4.Repetition – Today I will say
I will remain alone:
Direct translation – It snatched my child.
Direct address – my people.
5.Death is portrayed as being cruel.
Death is a witch.
6.Social dancer – I will dance alone.
7.i) The child has died/ taken by death in a cruel manner.
ii) The parent is left with no one to comfort him/her.
Kavungya answered the question on September 28, 2019 at 07:42
- THE RIVER AND THE SOURCE— MARGARET OGOLA
Read the excerpt below and answer the questions that follow
“Great Were, please spare my son. Protect him. Remember...(Solved)
THE RIVER AND THE SOURCE— MARGARET OGOLA
Read the excerpt below and answer the questions that follow
“Great Were, please spare my son. Protect him. Remember all the sacrifices I have offered you on
his behalf and be merciful.” She prayed fervently to herself fearing to raise her voice in case the very
air grabbed her words and made her fears a terrible reality.
The chief sat in his hut for a while in deep thought for he was not one to act rashly. Then he called
his herdsmen and briefly gave him some instructions.
The herdsman came running back within an hour.
“My chief! My chief! They are both gone. They left last night before the first cockcrow. And, and
...,“ here he stammered and then stopped.
“And what you fool! Tell me!” The chief, a man never known to raise his voice almost screamed at
the hapless herdsman.
“Yes my chief! Their families said that they heard them talking to a third man just before they left,
but they did not see him because it was very dark.”
Akoko fell down in a deep faint. Nyabera ran to her mother screaming and held her head. The chief
started barking orders to a group of people who had now gathered to find out the cause of the
commotion.
“Get the scouts, except those on watch. Tell them to prepare two search parties - one to take the route
of Gem and the other to follow the route of Asembo. Maybe we can intercept them before they reach
very far.”
Questions
1. Place this extract in its immediate context.
2. What is it the speaker fears might turn into a terrible reality?
3.“My chief! My chief! They are both gone. They left last night.
Who are said to have left in the night?
4.Give two character traits of the chief as portrayed in this extract.
5.Briefly describe any one theme evident in this extract
6.Briefly explain one other incident from any other part of the text in which there is commotion at the compound of the same chief
7. The herdsman came running back within an hour. (Rewrite beginning: Within…….. )
8.Identify and illustrate any three aspects of style used in this extract.
9.Explain the meaning of each of the following expressions as used in the extract
i. Hapless
ii. Barkinorders
iii. Those on watch
Date posted: September 28, 2019. Answers (1)
- THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE — BERTOLT BRECHT
Read the excerpt below and answer the questions that follow.
SIMON (shouting after her); I didn’t bring any friend...(Solved)
THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE — BERTOLT BRECHT
Read the excerpt below and answer the questions that follow.
SIMON (shouting after her); I didn’t bring any friend along!
As the SINGER resumes his tale, the SOLDIER steps into the doorway as though to listen to the service.
SINGER:
The city is still
But why are there armed men?
The governor’s palace is at peace
But why is it a fortress?
And the Governor returned to his palace
And the fortress was a trap
And the goose was plucked and roasted
But the goose was not eaten this time
And noon was no longer the hour to eat:
Noon was the hour to die.
From the doorway at the left the FAT PRINCE quick appears, stands still, looks around. Before the gateway at the right two IRONSHIRTS are squatting and playing dice. The FAT PRINCE sees them, walks slowly past, making a sign to them. They rise: one goes through the gateway, the other goes off at the right. Muffled voices are heard from various directions in the rear: ‘To your posts I’ The palace is surrounded. The FAT PRINCE quickly goes off Church bells in the distance. Enter, through the doorway, the governor’s family and procession, returning from church.
GOVERNOR’S WIFE (passing the ADJUTANT): It’s impossible to live in such a slum. But Georgi, of course, will only build for his little Michael. Never for me! Michael is all! All for Michael!
The procession turns into the gateway. Again the ADJUTANT lingers behind. He waits. Enter the wounded RIDER from the doorway. Two IRONSHIRTS of the Palace Guard have taken up positions by the gateway.
ADJUTANT (To the RIDER): The Governor does not wish to receive military news before dinner — especially if it’s depressing, as I assume. In the afternoon His Excellency will confer with prominent architects. They are coming to dinner too. And here they are! (Enter three gentlemen through the doorway) Go to the kitchen and eat, my friend. (As the RIDER goes, the ADJUTANT greets the ARCHITECTS.) Gentlemen, his Excellency expects you at dinner. He will devote all his
time to you and our great new plans. Come!
ONE OF THE ARCHITECTS: We marvel that His Excellency intends to build. There are disquieting rumors that the war in Persia has taken a turn for the worse.
ADJUTANT: All the more reason to build! There’s nothing to those rumors anyway. Persia is a long way off, and the garrison here would let itself be hacked to bits for its Governor. (Noise from the palace. The shrill scream of a woman. Someone is shouting orders. Dumbfounded the ADJUTANT moves toward the gateway. An IRONSHIRT steps out, points his lance at him.) What’s this? Put down that lance, you dog.
Questions
1. What happens just before this extract?
2. What is the importance of the song used in this extract?
3.Identify and explain any two character traits of the Governor’s wife in this extract.
4. What ‘Military news’ do you think the rider is carrying? Illustrate your answer.
5. What is ironical about the Adjutant’s assertion? “The garrison here would let itself be hacked to bits for its Governor.”
6. What does the Governor intend to build?
7.Explain the meaning of the following:
i. Fortress
ii. Dumbfounded
8.Go to the kitchen and eat, my friend. (Add a question tag)
9. Highlight the effects of war as brought out in the prologue.
Date posted: September 28, 2019. Answers (1)
- Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
It has been noted that Kenya is experiencing ‘phenomenal’ growth in population and that this will...(Solved)
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
It has been noted that Kenya is experiencing ‘phenomenal’ growth in population and that this will
put a strain on the economy. The general feeling amongst those who see a large population as a
problem is that we should put family planning issues back on the national agenda. But does Kenya
really have a population problem? I do not think so. There is nothing as good as a large population of
people within a nation that values human resources and is ready to put them to productive use.
Countries that are now registering tremendous economic growth, such as China, India and Brazil, are
characterized by, among other things, large populations. A country’s economic growth is determined
much more by the choices it makes in the utilization of its resources rather than by the rate of its population growth.
We can roughly classify countries into three broad categories on the basis of their development and
the utilization of their human resources. The first category is that of countries that value, develop and
utilize their human resources for economic growth. These countries include China and the countries
we now refer to as the Asian Tigers, such as Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. These
countries have strategically utilized their immense human resources for exemplary economic growth.
Singapore, for example, is the second most densely populated country in the world after Monaco, yet
it has put all its people to work.
The second category is that of countries that suffer from lack of human resources because of a
dwindling population. These countries include Norway, Holland, Russia and Austria. They are
overburdened with an aging population and are unable to excite their people to multiply. Having
realized the negative impact of this low population on their economies, these countries are now
encouraging their people to get more children by giving lucrative incentives to couples. They have
also begun importing manpower.
The third category is that of countries that do not seem to have a progressive policy on the utilization
of their human resources. Instead, it appears as if they consider this particular resource an enemy.
They are afraid that a large population will impact negatively on their economies. They, therefore,
make programs to reduce population a priority. As a result, these countries operate on the fringes of
the world economy, unable to utilize the resources bequeathed to them by nature. Unfortunately,
many developing countries, including Kenya, fall into this category.
The land mass we call Kenya is capable of supporting well over 200 million people, compared to its
current population of about 40 million people. In size, it is 582,367 square kilometers, much bigger
many industrialized nations. It is, for example, far bigger than Israel, which is only 20,072 square
kilometers, yet it supports population of about 7 million people. By world standards, therefore,
Kenya is a sparsely populated country. We fight over land in an area hardly a third of the country,
where we practice subsistence agriculture and are always at the mercy of the vagaries of nature, yet our contribution to the world economy is marginal.
We have to confront the real problems we face as a country and not find a scapegoat in population
growth. Our inability to plan for our people and put resources to proper use in order to industrialize
is our biggest undoing. Much of Israel, for example, is actually a reclaimed desert. Kenya, with some
little creativity, can reclaim all the arid and semi-arid lands, and support a larger population. In short,
we need to rethink our strategies. Other resources that Kenya needs to harness are water and the
long hours of sunshine. Flood waters kill our people during rainy seasons as we helplessly watch,
instead of using technology to harvest the water and use it to irrigate the arid lands. The sun shines
on our heads every day, yet we cannot tap its rays to light up our homes at night or power our
vehicles.
The argument that that population growth is cancelling out economic growth is flawed. There is little
evidence to support the view that small families are the richest. Simply put, we cannot convince the
poor that the only way of getting out of poverty is through getting fewer babies. We should direct
our energies more at creating wealth rather than pushing the futile agenda of population control to the national limelight.
Questions
1.Give two examples of countries with large populations which are registering huge economic growth.
2. Make notes on the classification of countries based on their development and use of human resources.
3. What is the writer’s attitude towards his or her country? Explain your answer.
4. List resources Kenya should use properly in order to industrialize
5. Why do you think the writer compares Kenya to Israel?
6. Identify a figurative expression used in the second paragraph of the passage.
7.What is the tone of the writer with regard to the Asian Tigers?
8. What can cause a country to be overburdened by an ageing population?
9.Rewrite the following sentence, starting with ‘Instead of...’
We should direct our energies more at creating wealth rather than pushing the futile agenda of population control to the national limelight.
10.Explain the meaning of the following words as used in the passage.
i. Dwindling
ii. Bequeathed
iii. Harness
iv. Flawed
Date posted: September 28, 2019. Answers (1)
- In the sentences below, identify the words that begin with the same consonant sound.
i) The chief chef has shaped cakes beautifully.
ii) They chose to do...(Solved)
In the sentences below, identify the words that begin with the same consonant sound.
i) The chief chef has shaped cakes beautifully.
ii) They chose to do the household chores with great care.
iii) The honourable minister has no sense of humour.
iv) It took an hour for his heir to sport the girl with curly hair.
v) The polite pharmacist said he was psychologically disturbed by the fan in his study room.
vi) The jet transporting gem stones and garments has arrived.
Date posted: September 28, 2019. Answers (1)
- Read the passage below and fill in the blank spaces given.
Everyone who participates in a discussion must also be an active listener. This means...(Solved)
Read the passage below and fill in the blank spaces given.
Everyone who participates in a discussion must also be an active listener. This means (1)....................
if you don’t have to be (2).................................You need to examine ideas as (3)...............................
are presented and figure out whether you (4)..................................................them. Then, when it’s
your turn to (5)........................................... you can make a meaningful comment.
As you listen to what other say, try to be (6) .....................................Free yourself from preconceived
ideas. Don’t be like the person who says “My mind is made (7)............................................. don’t
confuse me with facts.” This sort of a person comes to a discussion too (8)......................................
To accept any (9).......................................Different from their own. If left unchallenged, such a
person an (10).......................................................... the whole discussion.
Date posted: September 28, 2019. Answers (1)
- You have just witnessed an accident. A matatu rammed into a stationary tractor. Many passengers have been seriously injured. The driver has requested you to...(Solved)
You have just witnessed an accident. A matatu rammed into a stationary tractor. Many passengers have been seriously injured. The driver has requested you to call Kona Mbaya Police station and inform them about the accident.
Complete the following telephone conversation between you and the police officer on duty.
You:
Police officer: Yes. This is Kona Mbaya Police Station. Constable Kiraka speaking. Can I help you?
You: Yes, please. There has been a terrible accident.
Police officer: May I know who is calling please?
You:
Police officer: Where has the accident taken place?
You: Along Kona Mbaya- Majengo road.
Police officer: What happened?
You:
Police officer: Really! Are there any casualties?
You:
Police officer: Don’t worry; we will be there as soon as possible. Meanwhile call the ambulance and alert Kona Mbaya hospital to be ready for casualties. Thank you very much Mr. Tumbo Mali for calling.
Date posted: September 24, 2019. Answers (1)
- You recently attended an interview at Upendo Supermarket for the position of an accounts clerk. Unfortunately, you were not successful. What would have led to...(Solved)
You recently attended an interview at Upendo Supermarket for the position of an accounts clerk. Unfortunately, you were not successful. What would have led to your failure?
Date posted: September 24, 2019. Answers (1)
- Complete the list below by providing another word pronounced in the same way as the ones below.(Solved)
Complete the list below by providing another word pronounced in the same way as the ones below.
prays praise ......... ................
bight byte ............ .................
sees seas ............ .................
Date posted: September 24, 2019. Answers (1)
- State whether the following sentences would be said in a falling or raising intonation?(Solved)
State whether the following sentences would be said in a falling or raising intonation?
i).Will you take tea or coffee today?..............
ii). He who laughs last laughs the longest................
iii).You don’t have to leave immediately, do you?
Date posted: September 24, 2019. Answers (1)
- Your school is participating in a debate on the motion, 'Technology has brought more harm than good.' How would your listeners lead to your failure...(Solved)
Your school is participating in a debate on the motion, 'Technology has brought more harm than good.' How would your listeners lead to your failure in presentation?
Date posted: September 24, 2019. Answers (1)
- Fill in the blanks spaces in the passage below with an appropriate word.(Solved)
Fill in the blanks spaces in the passage below with an appropriate word.
Probably no type of test question (i)................ students so much as an essay question. Usually they fear being (ii) ................ with questions that demand somewhat lengthy answers (iii)......... intelligible prose. Essay questions (iv) ........... are necessary because they test for the type (v) .............. information that objective questions tend to ignore. (vi)........... essay questions enables the tester to determine a student’s ability to put facts into perspective and to draw subjective conclusions. You should (vii) ................ an essay with the same care as you would any formal written (viii) ............... A careful reading of the question is indispensable. You must determine (ix) ................ what it is the question seeks to discover. It is also good practice to sketch out an (x) .....................before you begin
Date posted: September 24, 2019. Answers (1)
- Rewrite the following sentences as instructed.
Jack removed his coat and rushed to the river. (Use a present participle)(Solved)
Rewrite the following sentences as instructed.
i) Jack removed his coat and rushed to the river. (Use a present participle)
ii) Lynn knew the importance of the exercise. He had been a gymnast. (Use a participle to join into one sentence)
Date posted: September 24, 2019. Answers (1)
- Use a suitable phrasal quantifier to fill the blank spaces below.(Solved)
Use a suitable phrasal quantifier to fill the blank spaces below.
i) There is .................. of fish in the pond.
ii) He bought .............. of toothpaste at the canteen.
iii) Students were told to buy ...............printing papers
Date posted: September 24, 2019. Answers (1)
- Use the correct preposition to fill the blanks in the sentences below.(Solved)
Use the correct preposition to fill the blanks in the sentences below.
i) His composition was amazing .............any standards
ii) The Principal conferred ............... the teachers before making a decision.
iii) She fainted............ hearing the shocking news
Date posted: September 24, 2019. Answers (1)
- Use the words given in brackets correctly to complete the sentences below.(Solved)
Use the words given in brackets correctly to complete the sentences below.
i) The choir sang the school anthem so .................(melody)
ii) The money was meant for our ..........at school. (sustain)
iii) The project failed because of serious ............. (manage)
Date posted: September 24, 2019. Answers (1)
- Rewrite the following sentences as instructed.(Solved)
Rewrite the following sentences as instructed.
i) When they entered the field, it started raining. (Begin Hardly...) ....................
ii) She is too fearful to go out at night (Begin So...that) ........................
Date posted: September 24, 2019. Answers (1)
- Use the correct phrasal verb formed from the word given in brackets to complete the sentences below.(Solved)
Use the correct phrasal verb formed from the word given in brackets to complete the sentences below.
i) The students were told to .................... with suggestions on how to improve the performance. (come)
ii) His friends ................. during the race. (urge)
Date posted: September 24, 2019. Answers (1)
- Read the narrative below and answer the questions that follow.(Solved)
Read the narrative below and answer the questions that follow.
HOW CIRCUMCISION CAME TO BUKUSULAND
At Mwiala wa Mango, there was a great man-eating snake. The snake usually crawled out of his dwelling place among the hills and roamed about the countryside in search of human beings. The local people did not know what to do to get rid of this menace that claimed more and more victims as days went by. Then, in their greatest hour of need, a savior in the person of Mango came.
Mango of Mwiala had by his first marriage two sons whom he greatly loved. Early one morning the boys set out to graze their father’s cattle at the riverside. While the cattle were pushing and fighting over the salt lick, the boys settled down to molding calf bulls. They had barely finished making their first two bulls when they heard a tremendous stampede from the salt lick. Cows, bulls, oxen and calves with raised tails came galloping out of the salt lick holes. The boys hastily picked up their chindare sticks and made for the nearest anthill in order to see the cause of this pandemonium. And there, below them, was the monster casually looking around. It stared at them hard and its many tongues shot out. With a cry and a leap, the boys ran for their lives but it was too late. Mango lost his loved ones to the murderous monster.
He sharpened and resharpened his embalu as tears of bitter sorrow rolled down his cheeks. “I must follow the way my beloved ones took to the ancestors.” Day came and Mango started for the hills. The sun was in the centre of the sky when he came to the lonely and forbidding hills. He looked around the cave and newly overturned pebbles showed that the beast was out seeking human flesh. Armed only with embalu and a tree stump, he crawled into the cave. At the mouth of the cave, he put the tree stump and started his long unnerving watch.
In the meantime, news of what Mango was set on doing had spread through the neighbourhood. People from far and wide had come to his home and were anxiously waiting for him. The sun slowly crept towards the west. Its gentle rays fell upon his glittering embalu and he mumbled, ‘It is the light of ghosts already.’ Suddenly, he heard the sound of stones and pebbles knocking against each other. His hand muscles stood out like twisted cords as he tightened his grip on the embalu. He spat on his palm and adjusted his grip. Raising his embalu above his head, he spat upon his chest asking for his ancestors’ protection. The cave became dark as the monsters head rested upon the tree stump. The raised hand came down swiftly and to the mark. A spout of blood told the rest of the story. At his feet lay the headless beast.
His embalu dripping with blood, he rushed to the nearest rock and gave a piercing cry into the gathering darkness. It was a cry of triumph and those who heard it jumped up for joy. He was carried shoulder high amid singing and dancing.
His heroism was acknowledged by the neighbouring Barua tribe, who offered him a beautiful bride. But he had to be circumcised first before he could take his bride. This was the custom of the Barua. Thus, Mango became the father of circumcision in Bukusuland.
a) Classify the above narrative.
b) Describe the character of the following.
i) Mango
ii) The Barua
c) How did Mango become the savior of the people?
d) Identify the socio-economic activities of the community from which the narrative taken.
e) Comment on the following.
i) The sun slowly crept towards the west.
ii) It is the light of ghosts already.
f) Explain how suspense is created in this narrative.
g) Identify FOUR features that show this is an oral narrative.
h) What do we learn from this narrative?
Date posted: September 24, 2019. Answers (1)
- Read the excerpt below and answer the questions that follow.(Solved)
Read the excerpt below and answer the questions that follow.
HELMER: Naturally you are thinking of your father.
NORA: Yes – yes, of course. Just recall to your mind what these malicious creatures wrote in the papers about papa, and how horribly they slandered him. I believe they would have procured his dismissal if the department had not sent you over to inquire into it, and if you had not been so kindly disposed and helpful to him.
HELMER: My little Nora, there is an important difference between your father and me. Your father’s reputation as a public officer was not above suspicion. Mine is, and I hope it will continue to be so, as long as I hold my office.
NORA: You never can tell what mischief these men may contrive. We ought to be so well off, so snug and happy here in our peaceful home, and have no cares – you and I and the children, Torvald! That is what I beg you so earnestly –
HELMER: And if it did?
HELMER: Of course! – if only this obstinate little person can get her way! Do you suppose I am going to make myself ridiculous before my whole staff, to let people think that I am a man to be swayed by all sorts of outside influence? I should very soon feel the consequences of it, I can tell you! And besides, there is one thing that makes it quite impossible for me to have Krogstad in the Bank as long as I am a manager.
NORA: Whatever is that?
HELMER: His moral failings I might have perhaps overlooked, if necessary
NORA: yes, you could – couldn’t you?
HELMER: And I hear he is a good worker, too. But I knew him when we were boys. It was one of those rash friendships that so often prove an incubus in afterlife. I may as well tell you plainly, we were once on very intimate terms with one another. But this tactless fellow lays no restraint on himself when other people are present. On the contrary, he thinks it gives him the right to adopt a familiar tone with me, and every minute it is “I say, Helmer, old fellow!” and that sort of thing. I assure you it is extremely painful for me. He would make my position in the Bank intolerable.
NORA: Torvald, I don’t believe you mean that.
HELMER: Don’t you? Why not?
NORA: Because it is such a narrow-minded way of looking at things.
HELMER: What are you saying? Narrow-minded? Do you think I am narrow-minded?
NORA: No just the opposite, dear – and it is exactly for that reason.
HELMER: It’s the same thing. You say my point of view is narrow-minded, so I must be so too. Narrow-minded! Very well – I must put an end to this. (Goes to the hall door and calls) Helen!
a) Briefly explain Nora’s fear as revealed in the extract
b) According to the excerpt, why is Helmer reluctant to retain Krogstad as a worker in the Bank?
c) Helmer is disingenuous in his dismissal of Nora’s suggestion that Krogstad should be retained in his job. Explain this statement with clear illustrations from the excerpt.
d) Contrast the character of Krogstad as revealed in the excerpt.
e) Comment on Nora’s character as brought out in in the excerpt.
f) Torvald refers to Nora as an ‘obstinate little person.’ What does this reveal about Torvald’s attitude towards Nora as his wife? Cite one example from this excerpt and another one from elsewhere in the play to illustrate your answer.
g) Describe the mood created at the end of the excerpt.
h) Torvald says, 'His moral failings I might have perhaps overlooked, if necessary –.' By whom and how else in the play is Krogstad referred to in a disgraceful manner in the play?
i) ‘...an incubus in afterlife.’ What does this phrase mean as used in the excerpt?
j) What happens immediately after this excerpt and how does it finally affect their marriage?
Date posted: September 24, 2019. Answers (1)
- Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.(Solved)
Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
A team of ninety experts has been dispatched this morning to audit the teaching and understanding of the new curriculum in public schools across the country. The Government officials, largely drawn from the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, (KICD) will conduct impromptu visits to schools in eighteen counties as they seek to enforce implementation of the Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC).
A detailed document on the monitoring exercise seen by The Standard reveals that during the visits, the experts will sit in classrooms during lessons, hold feedback meetings with teachers and file daily reports on progress of the implementation of the CBC. For the next ten days, the experts – also known as curriculum developers – will demonstrate to the teachers how CBC lessons should be taught in the classroom. The exercise will end on May 3.
KICD Chief Executive Officer Jwan Julius said the process will provide the teachers with real, first-hand experiences on curriculum implementation. Dr. Jwan said the process will also identify opportunities to improve the curriculum designs and how to transfer lessons from field experiences to subsequent designs.
“What is envisioned in the curriculum designs and what is being taught in class should come out clearly. Where there are gaps in lesson delivery, the experts will take the teachers through the process,” said Jwan. The Standard established that the curriculum developers had already completed three days orientation on a new monitoring methodology dubbed Do It Yourself.
The experts will now spend the next seven days in the field and later meet for debriefing where feedback will be shared to identify areas for correction and improvement. The development comes as the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) threatened to rally teachers to revert to the old teaching methods under the 8-4-4 system. Knut Secretary General Wilson Sossion described the curriculum implementation process as illegal.
'We shall not teach the CBC way as they are pushing us to do until they address all the gaps.'
i) Why have the experts been dispatched?
ii) What is the main intention of the government officials?
iii) In point form, summarize how the experts will carry out the exercise during the visits.
iv) What according to the KICD Chief Executive Officer will the process achieve?
v) Why is the Kenya National Union of Teachers opposed to the new program?
vi) Paraphrase the following, 'What is envisioned in class and what is being taught in class should come out clearly. Where there are gaps in lesson delivery, the experts will take teachers through the process.'
vii) In view of the KNUT Secretary’s remarks, comment on the use of irony.
viii) Give the meaning of the following words and expressions as used in the passage.
i) impromptu
ii) first-hand experience
iii) revert
Date posted: September 24, 2019. Answers (1)