- Fill in the blank space in each of the following sentences with the most appropriate word(Solved)
Fill in the blank space in each of the following sentences with the most appropriate word. (5 Marks)
i) The nurse refused to _____ the results of the medical examination.
ii) Ruth enjoyed a warm relationship _____ her neighbours.
iii) He _______ at the stranger in amazement.
iv) They left the room _____ because they did not want to wake the boy.
v) We did not know ______ to blame for our problems
Date posted: April 2, 2019.
- Construct two sentences using each of the following word in the first sentence use the word as a verb, and in the second, as a...(Solved)
Construct two sentences using each of the following word in the first sentence use the word as a verb, and in the second, as a noun. (6 marks)
Example: bottle:-They want to bottle the (juice (verb) He broke the red bottle (Noun)
i) Man ................................
ii) Drive ..............................
iii) Mistake ..........................
Date posted: April 2, 2019.
- Rewrite each of the following sentences according to the
instruction given. Do not change the meaning(Solved)
(i) I will go only if he asks me to.
(Rewrite using the word unless .................)
(ii) The fans were disappointed by the players
(Begin: The players ..........)
(iii) The students were advised to consider the consequences of their behaviour by the visitor.
(Rewrite in direct speech)
(iv) The head teacher spoke for over one hour. She did not address important issues.
(Combine into one sentence using the word however.)
(v) I do not want any more tea, thank you.
(Begin: I would rather ........)
Date posted: April 2, 2019.
- Join each of the following pairs of sentences into one sentence using the word given in brackets.(Solved)
Join each of the following pairs of sentences into one sentence using the word given in brackets.
i) a) The young boy watched.
b) The huge beat her. (as)
ii) a) The woman read a newspaper.
b) The man prepared a meal. (while)
iii) a) Musa met the woman.
b) Musa wanted to marry the woman’s daughter. (whose)
Date posted: April 2, 2019.
- Rewrite the following sentences using the words provided(Solved)
Rewrite the following sentences using the words provided.
i) The only thing can do is admit that you were wrong. (option)
ii) You can have tea and you can have coffee (either…. or)
iii) The only thing I can do in this situation is laugh about it (but)
Date posted: April 2, 2019.
- Choose the correct option from those given in brackets.(Solved)
Choose the correct option from those given in brackets.
i) I'm sure he wouldn't mind if we ___________ early.
(arrive/arrived)
ii) If she ______ (comes/came) late again, she'll lose her job.
iii) ______ (we will/we would) call you if we had time.
iv) If I had seen the thief, I ______ (will tell/would told/would) have told the police
Date posted: April 2, 2019.
- Rewrite the following sentences as instructed(Solved)
Rewrite the following sentences as instructed.
i) Someone is following us. (Rewrite in the passive voice)
ii) The victim and the neighbors did not speak to the reporters. (Being; Neither ..........)
iii) We light fire in the kitchen (Rewrite in past tense)
iv) Okoyo will not win the elections if he does not clear himself of the corruption charges. (Begin: unless ..........)
Date posted: April 2, 2019.
- Rewrite the following sentences according to the instructions given after each. Do not change the meaning.(Solved)
i) The choir entertained the visitors. begin: The visitors _______
ii) If we do not keep the environment clean, the health officer will close our cafe (Rewrite using 'unless')
iii) The patient could not stand without support. She also could not sit straight. (Rewrite as one sentence using: 'neither ___ nor').
iv) The school team would not have won the game if it had not been for the captain's quick action. (Begin: Had __________)
v) Jomo Kenyatta the first president of Kenya was a great orator.
(Punctuate the sentence)
vi) We learn from the legend that Me Katilili was a powerful leader.
(Begin: The legend ________)
Date posted: April 2, 2019.
- Fill in the blanks with the correct alternative from the choices given(Solved)
i) Who ________ a fire outside the house?
(Light / Lighted / Lit)
ii) Since the introduction of community policing in our estates______ of theft have reduced. (Incidence / incident / incidents)
iii) An elephant looks after _______ calf. (it's / its)
Date posted: April 2, 2019.
- Rewrite the following sentences to remove gender bias. (3 marks)(Solved)
Rewrite the following sentences to remove gender bias. (3 marks)
i) A professor should give his students opportunities to develop their skills.
ii) My sister was appointed chairman of the water project committee.
iii) The firemen took a long time to arrive at the scene of the accident
Date posted: April 2, 2019.
- Fill in the blank spaces in the following sentences with the
most appropriate word(s) (3 marks)(Solved)
Fill in the blank spaces in the following sentences with the
most appropriate word(s) (3 marks)
i) If we had gone to bed early night, we _________ rested enough.
ii) If I ______ the recruiting officer, I would not take bribes,
iii) Every one of the students now ______ a role to play in keeping the
school compound clean.
Date posted: April 2, 2019.
- Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow: (20 marks)(Solved)
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow: (20 marks)
It is a great fortune to belong to that generation that grew up feeding on tales of Kaka Sungura na wenzake instead of the cartoon network fare. I am sure, in many ways we are better people for it.
But the thing that used to get to me about Kaka Sungura was this; although he was brighter, spiffier, humorous and certainly more interesting than all the other animals he pitted himself against in all his food' hardy acts, he always lost the race, the woman, the maize con or even his life!
The great African moral of the story was that it didn't pay to be too smart for your boots, so while the tortoise won the race through perseverance and some measure of deceit, the cocksure rabbit slept against a tree and got to finish the line only to realize the joke was on him.
Yet we loved those stones even though we had heard them a million times before, even though we knew the outcome. For you Sere, in great tradition of oral folklore, the story teller always varied his rendition for each different audience. He or she also knew when to throw a song, dance or mime.
Their expressions animated, the story although with predictable endings (the rabbit always lost, duh!) never failed to come alive with new twists and turns each time. But the really interesting part came when we retold the Kaka Sungura stories to our peers. We added in characters - like superman and wonder-woman- you see that was way before the time of Batman.
Sometimes we even gave kaka Sungura Superpowers himself. And when we told the story out of the ear shot of the grownups, we occasionally allowed Kaka Sungura to win! So what if he was trickster and too cocksure, we liked the guy! If only we could conjure up that childlike imagination to change our real life situations as easily as that.
Too often we grow up believing that our dreams and desires will unfold for us. When that fails to happen, we may get bitter at worst or resign ourselves to the present drams as it unfolds at best. We may even rationalize that we are too old, too female, too poor and whatever else to significantly steer our lives in another direction.
But then again, why can't we? Why can't we add some drama every now and them to a story that is getting boring? Heck, while we are at it, why can't we just change the ending of the story? Today, during a conversation with a friend, we began to reminisce about our lives and the paths we had chosen at critical moments in life which had led us to our present situations. These included choice of a partner, friends an whether or not to have children. This also in part included choice of a partner, friends and whether or not the have children. This also in part includes choice of-type of education and whether to pursue it further. This even included choice of career and jobs.
The tragedy is that some of us then choose to stay in unpleasant situations because the naysayers insist that one must never change the ending. No matter what happens in between, the rabbit is always supposed to lose
Yet, as Oprah would say, I now know for sure that we can retell our life story. As a matter of fact, if we are very unhappy with our current state of affairs; we can rewrite the script. The courageous in our midst do it every day. It is the woman who at mid life opts for a career change that makes her wake up with a zing. It is the man who unhappy with his health decides to prepare for a marathon, climbs a mountain or changes his lifestyle. It is the woman who walks out of an abusive and demanding relationship. It is the man who changes his outlook and takes a kinder perspective toward life. Yet in all these scenarios, the critical question hinges on whether or not one is committed to remaining where they are and their old story or to moving to where they want to be and rewriting that story. It is certainly much easier than it sounds, and I am sure each of the courageous souls above will tell us that it took some gut, blood and tears. But the good new is that it is possible. Now that is what I call a happy ending to a hare story!
(Adopted from Daily Nation Sunday August 21, 2005)
a) Which aspects made Africa folklore a great narration? (2 marks)
b) Sometimes we even gave Kaka Sungura super powers himself, (write the above statement in the passive (1 mark)
c) What remedies does the writer suggest to reduce boredom of story telling?
(2 marks).
d) Identify parenthesis in the paragraph beginning; Their expression....
(1 mark)
e) Which factors in the passage made Kaka Sungura likeable? (3 marks)
f) State any four factors that can facilitate the destiny of a person in life
(4 marks)
g) Give another word with similar pronunciation as the following words.
(2 marks)
i) Won ________
ii) Too ________
h) Explain the meanings of the following words and expressions as used in the passage. (5 marks)
i) Pitted himself against
ii) We can rewrite the script
- Demeaning relationship
iv) Reminisce
v) Animated
Date posted: April 2, 2019.
- Read the comprehension below and then answer the questions that follow(Solved)
Read the comprehension below and then answer the questions that follow
The death penalty has been abolished in many countries. But there are still many other countries in the world which punish offenders against certain laws by putting them to death. The debate about the suitability of death as punishment has been raging all over the world for quite a long time. It is still going on today. Unfortunately, many arguments either for or against death as a punishment are emotional, based on mere feelings, with little regard to facts or simple logic. Let us look at a few of the pros and cons of this matter of life and death and see how rational debate can be developed around them.
The death penalty is most frequently meted out to murderers, people who have deliberately killed others. Supporters of the penalty this offence argue that a murderer commits the ultimate violation of human life and society. His or her offence is so serious that the only commensurate punishment is death. "Let him or her die, just as the victim die", the approach to punishment is called retribution. In other words, pay the offenders back in his or her own coins.
This position, however, is rather untenable. As the famous Indian statesman Mahatma Gandhi put it, an eye-for-an eye policy would just leave the world with a lot of blind people. Hanging, electrocuting or shooting a murderer does not do the murdered victim any good. It only means the destruction and waste of yet another life. Instead of concentrating on retribution as a purpose of punishment, it may be better to emphasize reform. Offenders are subjected to sanctions, like life imprisonment, but they are also given a chance to repent and mend there is not much possibility of giving him or her a chance to reform, is there?
Closely related to retribution, 'justice' or satisfaction is also advocated by supporters of death penalty. They say that society as a whole, and the relatives of the victim of a crime like murder in particular, need to feel that their grievance is recognized and assuaged through the severe punishment given to offender. Thus justice is done and seen to be done, as they say in law, indeed, no society should compromise on the administration of justice. Any aggrieved person who approaches the seat of justice to demand satisfaction should be adequately served by the state. Indeed, this may be one reason why criminal offences, like murder, are prosecuted in the name of the state rather than in the name of the victims or their relatives. A criminal act is an offence against the whole society and should be adequately punished.
The problem with the death sentence, however, is that it is not always a satisfaction of justice. The taking of a person's life is violation of the most fundamental human violation of the most fundamental human right. It cannot be justified on the pretext that the presumed murderer also violated the victim's right. Moreover, two wrongs do not make a right. Moreover, because of its finality, the execution of a convict cannot be revised or rescinded one it has been carried out. Yet, since we are all human and we can
make mistakes, it is quite possible for a court to convict an innocence person by mistake. Cases have been known where a supposed murder victim reappeared, alive and well, long after his or her presumed 'murderer' had been convicted and executed!
Another common argument advanced in favour of the death penalty is that it acts as a deterrent. Supporters of this position believe that the certainty that those who commit crimes like murder, rape, treason or drug trafficking will be condemned to death deters or scares would-be offenders. In other words, the death penalty is a kind of preventive measure. People will avoid these offences, so the argument goes, because of fear of death. This argument appears to carry some weight, since the self-preservation instinct is strong in all of us. However its only acceptable proof would have to be based on statistical evidence.
Unfortunately, there is no known body of statistics which proves conclusively that murder and other capital offences are more prevalent in societies without the death penalty than in those which have it. But even if such statistics were available, we would be left with the practical difficulty of ascertaining the reasons why certain crimes were not committed. Thus it may be more productive to concentrated on educating members of society on non-violate life. Styles and effective conflict resolution than on tarrying them and brutalizing them through barbaric measures like the death penalty.
Indeed, the cruelty and trauma of execution affect not only those put to death but everyone involved in the process, like the executioners themselves, the clergymen who have to counsel and pray for the convicts in their last moments and the doctors who certify that the hanged, electrocuted or poison-injected person is really dead. Hangmen particularly often give testimonies of how they are haunted and disturbed by the executions they have to carry out. It is fair to subject these innocent people to such mental and psychological torture in the name of a dubious 'just' punishment?
1. What is the opinion of the writer about many arguments for or against the
death penalty?
2. Define retribution
3. Identify another phrase in the passage that means the same as 'an eye for an eye'
4. Paraphrase the author's objections to retribution.
5. In three sentences, explain in what ways the death penalty is a violation of justice.
6. According to the passage, how would we know whether the death penalty is an effective deterrent?
7. What methods of execution does the passage mention?
8. 'Two wrongs do not make a right? Add a question tag to this sentence.
9. In about 45 words, summarize the author's argument against the death penalty.
10. Explain the meaning of each of the following words according to the way it is used in the passage.
(a) Commensurate
(b) Untenable
(c) Assuaged
(d) Rescinded
(e) Haunted
Date posted: April 2, 2019.
- Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow.(Solved)
Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow.
DEATH, BE NOT PROUD
By John Doune
Death; be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, thou are not so; for those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow.
Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be, much pleasure - then from three much more must flow;
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Rest of their bones and soul's delivery.
Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell; And poppy or charm's can make us sleep well,
And better than they stroke. Why swell'st thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally,
And death shall be no more, Death, thou shalt die.
(a) The argument of this poem is based on certain religious beliefs. Identify and explain these beliefs. (4 marks)
b) Each set of four lines in this poem (up to live 12) represent an aspect of argument. Summarize the three aspects (6 marks)
c) Pick out any three features of style in this poem and their functions
(6 marks)
d) Explain the meaning of the following line Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings and desperate men. (2 marks)
e) What is the significance of the last two lines? (2 marks)
Date posted: April 2, 2019.
- Read the poem below and answer the questions that follow:(Solved)
Read the poem below and answer the questions that follow:
White child meets Black man
She caught me outside a London
Suburban shop, I like a giraffe
and she a mouse. I tried to go
but felt she stood
Lovely as light on my back.
I turned with hello
And waited. Her eyes got
wider but not her lips
Hello 1 Smiled again and watched.
She stepped around me
Slowly, in a kind of a dance,
her wide eyes searching
inch by inch up and down:
no fur no scales no feathers-curiously
no shell. Just a live silhouette,
wild and strange
and compulsive
till mother came horrified
"Mummy is his tummy black?"
Mother grasped her and swung
towards the crowd. She tangled
Mother's legs looking back at me
As I watched them birds were singing.
(James Berry (Jamaica)
a) Briefly explain what the poem is about (3 mks)
b) What does the reaction of the white child make the persona feel? Illustrate/your answer (4 mks)
c) Compare and contrast the reactions of mother and daughter to the black man (6 mks)
d.) Identify and explain any two uses of figurative language (4 mks)
e.) What is the significance of the last line of the poem? (3 mks)
Date posted: April 2, 2019.
- Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow.(Solved)
Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow.
The acceptance of the Christian church meant the 'outright rejection of all the Africans- customs. It meant rejection of those values and rituals that held us together: It meant adopting what in effect was a debased European middle - class mode of living and behaviour. The European missionary had attacked the primitive rites of our people, had condemned our beautiful African dances, the images of our gods, recoiling from their suggestion of satanic sensuality. The early African convert did the same, often with even greater zeal, for he had to prove how Christians he was through this rejection of his past and roots. The conflict between the Kenya people and the missionary churches, the subsequent setting up of African independent churches, and the religious aspects of the Mau Mau liberation movement, were direct results of the culture conflict initiated by the missionary holy zeal. The break away churches all over Kenya tried to create a form of worship and evolve an education more in thee and harmony with people's hopes, incorporating as some did the best in our traditional approach to God and the universe. They wanted in the words of Professor Alan Ogot and the Reverend F.B Welbourn, to build a place to feel at home.
The church in Kenya today is a creation of the Europeans missionaries. And we have said the missionaries were part of the momentous upheaval in our history - the coming of the colonialism. Or rather, missionaries were part of the momentous upheaval in our history - the coming of colonialism, or rather, missionaries, settlers and administrators were agents of European imperialism. It has been said with truth that the trader and the settler followed the skirts and shirt - cuffs of the missionary. In some places in Africa, political power was established at the request and instigation of the missionaries of the imperialist's country. Livingstone and Cecil Rhodes, Dr. Arthur and Lord Delamere, were these not part of that movement that came into such a fatal collision with our way of life and identity?
(Adapted from "Church, Culture and politics". In Ngugi wa Thiongo's Homecoming).
i) Mention any two things that show that the author disapproves of the conversion of Africans to Christianity. (2 marks)
ii) What does the writer find wrong with the initial education offered by the missionaries. (2 marks)
iii) List any two "benefits" that came to be associated with education
(2 marks)
iv) How did the Africans respond to the missionary Holy Zeal"?
(4 marks)
v) What relationship does the writer see between the missionary and the imperialist? (2 marks)
vi) What is the writer's attitude towards African culture? Give reasons for your answer. (4 marks)
vii) Explain the meaning of the following expressions as they are used in the passage (4 marks)
Robbed people of their soul
Promise of a European heaven
Momentous upheaval
Fatal collision
Date posted: April 2, 2019.
- Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow.(Solved)
Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow.
Knowing that Mrs. Kalani was afflicted with a heart disease, great care was taken to break to her the news of her husband's death as gently as possible. It was Josephine, her sister, who told her in broken sentences and veiled hunts. Also present was Nemi, a family friend. It was he who had been in the newspaper office when information about the railway disaster was received, with Jane's Kalani's name leading the list of the "killed". After verifying the information, he had hastened to the Kalani residence in order to forestall only less careful, less tender friend from bearing the sad message.
She did not receive the news as many women would. The significance of what had happened sank in immediately and she wept with sudden wild abandonment. When the storm of grief had spent itself she went to her room and would have no one follow her. Pressed down by a physical exclusion that haunted her body and soul, she sank into a bed-side chair.
She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all pregnant with newly life. The delicious breath of rain was in the air. In the street below a peddler was advertising his wares. The notes of a distant song which someone was singing reached her faintly, and countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves.
She sat quite motionless except when a sob came up into her throat and shook her, as a child who has cried itself to sleep continues to sob in its dreams.
She was young, with fair calm face, whose lines bespoke repression and even a certain strength. But now there was a dull stare in her eyes. There was something coming to her and she was waiting for it, fearfully. What was it? She did not know, it was too subtle and elusive to name. But she felt it, creeping out of the sky, reaching toward her through the sounds and the scents that filled the air.
Now her bosom rose and fell tumultuously. She was beginning to recognize this thing that was approaching to possess her. She was striving to beat it back but she was powerless. When she abandoned herself, a little whispered word escaped from her parted lips: "Free, free, free! "The vacant stare was gone and in its place came a bright keen look. Her pulses beat just and her body relaxed. She did not stop to ask if it were not a monstrous joy that held her. She knew that she would weep again when she saw the kind, tender hands folded in death. But she saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely. And she opened and spread her arms out to them in welcome. There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live herself. She breathed a quick prayer that life might be long.
Josephine was imploring for admission. "Louis-open the door! I beg you, for heaven's sake open the door."
She arose at length and opened the door. There was a feverish triumph in her eyes, and she carried herself unwittingly like a goddess of victory. She and her sister went into the sitting room where Nemi still was.
Someone was opening the front door. It was Mr. Kalani who entered, a little travel-stained but otherwise composed. He had been far from the scene of the accident, and was even oblivious of any such happening. He stood amazed at Josephine's piercing cry; at Nemi's quick motion to screen him from the view of his wife.
But Nemi was too late. When the doctor came, he said she had died of heart disease of joy that kills.
(Adapted from Kate Chopin's The story of an Hour)
i) How do other women's reaction to news of death of spouse differ from
Mrs. Kalani's? (2 mks)
ii) What evidence is given to show that life continues even in face of death?
(2 mks)
iii) Why was Mrs. Kalani feeling victorious? (2 mks)
iv) How would you describe Mrs. Kalani's character? (4 mks)
v) What do you find ironical in this story? (2 mks)
vi) What was the cause of Mrs. Kalani's death? (2 mks)
vii) Explain the meaning of the following expressions as they are used in the
passage. (4 mks)
a) Forestall_____________________
b) Repression __________________
c) Abandoned herself_____________
d) Obvious_____________________
Date posted: April 2, 2019.
- Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.(Solved)
Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
We had grown up together in my village. Her family had been even poorer then mine, which as saying something in those days. Her father was a brute and her mother was weak. Since she was the eldest child, a lot of the responsibility for bringing up her siblings had fallen on her shoulders. From time to time I helped her out, but I could not do much. I helped her fetch water from the stream and occasionally chopped firewood, but that was all. Her father was a morbidly suspicious man. Visitors, apart from his drinking companions, were not encouraged, and I had no desire to add to her misery. Night after night I would lie awake listening to her screams, cursing myself for my own physical inadequacy. and my father for his unwillingness to become involved. When I was twelve, I started at the secondary school in the town a few miles away. During term-time I stayed with my uncle, returning to the village only during the vacations. Veronica and I remarked friendly, and she was always pleased to see me. When we could, we snatched time together by the stream and she asked me endless questions about my school and the town and what was going to be when I grew up. But for all misery of her own life she never seemed to envy me.
And then came the day when i was to leave .for good. I had won a scholarship to the university and I knew in my heart I would be away a long time. I was eighteen then and I thought I knew my own worth. The day before I left we met by the stream. As he walked towards me I realized for the first time that she was no longer a girl, but a young woman. Her clothes were still shabby but she had an attractiveness that drew me more closely to her.
You must be happy to be going'. She said. I shrugged and pretended to be unconcerned, but of course it was the break I had hardly dared hope for. 'What about you? I asked. 'Me'
'Yes, why don't you get out of this place? It has nothing to offer you.' 'I can't just leave my family.''Why not? What have they ever done for you?' 'Don't talk like that. They are my family that is enough'.
'But think of all the things you can do in that city'. I said.
'No, the city is for you, not for me. What will I do once I get there? I have no education, only standard Eight."
Although I know there was a lot of truth in what she said, I resisted her line of argument: I suppose I was both appalled and frightened by her fatalism. 'You can go to evening classes and become a secretary, I said.
She shook her head, 'I leave that to others; my own place is here I snapped a twig and threw into the water. It bobbed on the current and then vanished from sight.
"When I have qualified I will send you money to take a correspondence course, "I said. She laughed
"Don't talk foolishness," she said and stood up.
"I have to go and cook; my father will soon be home."
"Here is my address. If you need anything don't hesitate to write to me." I handed her a piece of paper. She took it and tucked it in her bosom. We said goodbye and she hurried away. I thought I saw tears in her eyes as she turned to go.
Well, I went to the city and made good. In due course I was ready to set up a practice of my own. In all the time I did not return to the village, but I never lost touch with Veronica. In time, I persuaded her to return to school and I felt privileged to sponsor her.
(Adapted from “Veronica" a short story by Adewale Maja - Pearce)
i) What does not narrator reveal about is family in the first paragraph?
(2 marks)
ii) Who does the narrator blame for Veronica's misery? Give illustrations to support your answer (4 marks)
iii) Using illustrations describe the character of Veronica (4 marks)
iv) Why does the narrator pretend he is not keen to leave the village?
(2 marks)
v) What is the narrator's attitude towards Veronica? Give illustrations
(4 marks)
vi) Explain the meaning of the following expressions as they are used in the passage Fallen on her shoulders (1 mark)
The breaks (1 mark)
Fatalism (1 mark)
Made good. (1 mark)
Date posted: April 2, 2019.
- Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow(Solved)
During the last couple of decades, the developing world has made enormous economic progress. This can be seen most clearly in the rising
trend of incomes and consumption: between 1965 and 1985 consumption per capital in the developing "world went up by almost 70 percent. Broader measures of well -being confirm this picture-life expectancy, child mortality, and educational attainment have all improved markedly.
Against that background of achievement, it is all the more staggering and all the more shameful - that more than one billion people in the developing world are living in poverty. Progress in raising average incomes, however welcome, must not distract attention from this massive and continuing burden of poverty.
The same is true of the broader measures of well-being. Life expectancy in sub-Saharan Africa is just 50 years: In Japan it is almost 80. More than 110 million children in the developing world lack access even to primary education while in the developed world, anything less than universal enrolment would rightly be regarded as unacceptable. The starkness of these contrasts attests to the continuing toll of human deprivation.
It should be noted that even in the developing world, poverty levels differ from region to region, country to country and even location to location within the same country. For example, nearly half of the world's poor live in South Asia, a region that accounts for less than one third of the world's population. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for a smaller, but still highly disproportionate share of global poverty. Within regions and countries, the poor are often concentrated in certain places: in rural areas with high population densities. Often, the problems of poverty, population and the environment are intervened; earlier patterns of development and pressure of rapidly expanding populations mean that may of the poor live in areas of acute environmental degradation
It is also true that the weight of poverty falls most heavily on certain groups. Women in general are disadvantaged. This is because in poor households, they often shoulder more of the workload than men, are less educated, and have less access to remunerative activities. Children, too, suffer disproportionately, and the future quality of their lives is compromised by inadequate nutrition, health care, and education. This is especially true for girls, for their primary school enrolment rates are less then 50 percent in many African countries.
Obviously, reducing poverty is the fundamental objective of economic development in any country. It is estimated that in 1985, more than one billion people in the developing world lived in absolute poverty. Clearly then, economic development has a long way to go. Knowledge about the poor is essential if governments are to adopt sound development strategies and more effective policies for attacking poverty. How many poor are there? Where do they live? What are their precise economic circumstances? Answering these questions is the first step toward understanding the impact of economic policies on the poor. (Adapted from Thinking Globally by Andrew E. Robson, New York; MC Graw - Hill (1997)
a) What evidence does the author give to show that incomes and consumption trends are rising in the developing world? (2 marks)
b) How does the author feel about the progress made so far by the developing world (2 marks)
c) Why does the author mention Japan?
d) What is odd about the poverty situation in South Asia? (2 marks)
e) Explain the relationship between poverty and a high population (3 marks)
f) Rewrite the following sentences in the singular (1 mark)
'They are also less educated, and have less access to remunerative activity'.
g) Why is a girl doubly disadvantaged in a poor country? (3 marks)
h) In about 55 words, summarize the main argument of the author. (4 marks) i) Explain the meaning of the following words as used in passage. (2 marks)
- Staggering
- Compromised
Date posted: April 2, 2019.
- Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow.(Solved)
Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow.
You may think that expecting food to change you life is too much to ask. But have you considered that eating the right food at the right time will increase your energy, help you manage weight and ward off major illnesses?
Researchers have found that eating a meal with plenty of protein leaves you feeling more satisfied for longer when compared to a meal loaded with low - quality carbohydrates. Your body takes longer to digest protein, leading to a gradual increase in blood sugar. The high protein breakfast will therefore carry you through the morning and, more importantly, through your tea break. Many high - carbohydrate meals are absorbed quickly and send blood sugar on a roller coaster ride, taking your appetite with it and depleting your energy.
Many foods contain antioxidants, but fruits and vegetables may be the richest source. Behaving like chemical warriors, antioxidants neutralize molecules known as free radicals before they damage arteries and body cells. This protects you from heart diseases, high blood pressure, cancer and diabetes; you can now see why antioxidant foods should be consumed in generous portions.
Actually, forget pills - antioxidants work best when consumed in foods. In fact, nutritionists recommend that we eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. It's less daunting than it sounds: a portion equals a piece of fruit, three tablespoons of cooked vegetables or a glass of fresh juice.
And do you desire to relieve yourself of some baggage? Calcium is the latest weight - loss star to appear on the scene. Scientist stumbled on its magic by accident. From a study that measured the blood pressure of obese people, it was discovered that those who took one large tub of yoghurt a day in their diet lost an average of eleven pounds of body fat in one year, even though they did not eat less.
A follow - up study found that people on a high -calcium diet lost more weight and fat than did people on a low - calcium diet -and again, both consumed the same number of calories. Researchers believe calcium encourages fat cells to stop "getting fatter". Instead, the cells burn extra fat without you having to go anywhere near a gymnasium.
It probably sounds strange to say that you can eat more in order to lose weight. Obviously, the question you should ask immediately is, "Eat more of what?" We are talking about foods rich in fibre. They have what is referred to as low energy density; that translates to few calories relative to weight. This means that you can down a mountain without fear of calorie overload.
Fibre also aids weight loss because it's filling. Most high fibre foods take a lot of chewing, triggering your body's fullness sensors. Moreover, you absorb the food more slowly so you feel full longer.
Will the wonders of food ever cease? Not if researchers in nutrition keep up their pace. Let them keep the good news flowing - such as the fact that we don't have to starve ourselves to lose weight and keep disease at bay.
(a). From the information given in the first paragraph, how can you improve your life? (1 mark)
(b). In not more than 35 words, summarize the effects of eating carbohydrates.
(4 mks)
(c). Explain how free radicals contribute to the occurrence of high blood pressure and cancer. (2 mks)
(d). In what two forms can antioxidants be consumed?
(e). 'In fact nutritionists recommend that we eat five portions of fruit and vegetable a day' Rewrite the sentence above as a question without changing the meaning, beginning: Don't ...................... (1mk)
(f). What is the attitude of the author towards calcium as a weight- cutting measure?
(g). According to the passage, how can you use up excess fat?
(h). Identify an instance of irony in the passage.
(i). Explain the meaning of the following expressions as used in the passage.
- daunting
- baggage
- down a mountain
Date posted: April 2, 2019.
- Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow(Solved)
In the eighteenth century, the field of science was virtually closed to women. In France, the countess wrote a highly regarded book about Newtonian physics, but its very excellence spoke against her. The manuscript was so good that it was widely assumed that it had been written by the countess's tutor rather than by the countess herself. Sadly enough, the tutor Samuel Konig, did nothing to discourage the rumours about the books7 authorship. Instead, he took full credit for the countess's efforts. In England, the leading nation in science, the situation was worse. Women were strictly prohibited from admission to scientific societies. Indeed the English denied women access to all forms of scientific study.
Italy, however, was something of an exception to the general European rule, and a number of provincial scientific societies did admit women. It is perhaps not surprising, then, that the one woman who crashed the barriers erected against her gender was an Italian, Laura Bassi (1711 -1778). Bassi actually became a respected scientific figure at a time when women were generally thought to be too intellectually limited for the rigors of scientific study. By all accounts, she thoroughly disproved the sexist notion that women and the sciences were opposed to one another.
Bassi was one of the lucky women of her era. Her father was an enlightened lawyer in Bologna, Italy, who believed that women should be educated. Thus, young Laura was schooled by the family physician, Gaetano Tacconi. By the age of twenty she was familiar with scientific concepts of the times, particularly Newtonian physics. Because her father encouraged her to display her erudition at social gatherings, Bassi's reputation as a learned woman grew. Tested by a group of professors and scholars anxious to prove that a woman could not possibly be so clever, Bassi astonished the sceptics with her intelligence, learning, and eloquence. Local scholars were so impressed that in 1731 they invited her to join the Bologna Institute of Sciences and to study for a degree at the University of Bologna. On May 12, 1732, Bassi became only the second woman ever to gain an academic degree. A few months later, she became the world's first female professor
But despite her breakthrough, those in charge of the University of Bologna had very rigid ideas about what Bassi could or could not do as a professor. For example, she had no say over her schedule. To the University's leaders, she was an intriguing oddity. They might trot her out for display to curious visiting scholars, but they would not let her lecture on a regular basis. Nor, for that matter, could she pursue her own studies or research. Still, Bassi was not an easy woman to control, and to a degree, she managed to go her own way.
In 1 749, to escape university restrictions, Bassi began offering private lessons in experimental physics. She also began championing Newtonian physics at a time when it was relatively unknown in Italy, and she promoted Newton's findings about gravity even in the face of widespread intellectual resistance. In addition, Bassi corresponded with the leading physicists of the day Thus, she kept her country abreast of new scientific theories.
In 1 776, when Bassi was sixty five, the university acknowledged her contributions to scientific thought by bestowing upon her an unheard of honour of a woman: She was appointed chair of experimental physics, and her husband, the father of her eight children, was appointed her assistant.
Contrary to expectation, Bassi's achievement did not pave the way for other women. This is because many of her male colleagues had been disturbed by her extraordinary progress and were reluctant to let any other female follow her footsteps. After Bassi's death in 1778, it took more than a century, and the arrival of Marie Curie, for another woman to find herself at home in the male-dominated world of science.
Adapted from Reading for Results by Laraine Fleming (2008) New York Houghton Mifflin
(a) Why was it widely assumed that the countess's tutor had written the book on Newtonian physics? (2 marks)
(b) In what way was France better than England in the treatment of women interested in the sciences? (3 marks)
(c) Rewrite the following sentence using the word "surprisingly".
(1 mark)
It's perhaps not surprising, then that the one woman who crashed the barriers erected against her gender was an Italian, Laura Bassi.
(d) According to the passage, what was a professor expected to do?
(3 marks)
(e) For what selfish purpose did the University of Bologna use Bassi?
(2 marks)
(f) What evidence is given to show that Bassi was difficult to control?
(3 marks)
(g) Why do you think the author mentions the fact that Bassi had eight children? (3 marks)
(h) Explain the meaning of the following expressions as used in the passage.
(3 marks)
Erudition .............................................
To a degree.........................................
Find herself at home…………………
Date posted: April 2, 2019.
- Read the following oral poem and answer the questions that follow(Solved)
Read the following oral poem and answer the questions that follow:
The poor man knows not how to eat with a rich man.
When they eat fish, he eats the head.
Invite a poor man and he rushes in
Licking his lips and upsetting the plates.
The poor man has no manners; he comes along with the blood of lice under his nails.
The face of a poor man is lined
From hunger that thirst in his belly.
Poverty is no state for any mortal man.
It makes him a best to be fed on grass.
Poverty is unjust. If it befalls a man,
Though he is nobly born, he has no power with God.
(Anonymous from Swahili poetry by L. Harries)
a) What evidence is there to show that this is an oral poem? Identify and illustrate any two such features. (4 marks)
b) Describe a probable situation in which such a poem could be performed
(3 marks)
c) If you were to do a solo performance of this oral poem, what element would you emphasize? (6 marks)
d) What does the phrase --- 'with the blood of lice under his nails' reveal about the poor man? (2 marks)
e) Describe with illustrations the tone of this poem. (3 marks)
f) Explain the meaning of the following
i) He eats the head
ii) He has no power with God
Date posted: April 2, 2019.
- Read the following oral poem and answer the questions that follow:(Solved)
Read the following oral poem and answer the questions that follow:
One hand cannot manage work
A threshing stick cannot thresh millet with one hand.
Some hands breed hatred at the eating time
Nobody hates being assisted.
Let millet be threshed
Let it be threshed, let it be threshed
Cut a threshing stick for me
A lazy wife
Is taken back to her parents
When the rain fails
It blames the wind
And a lazy woman
Blames the threshing stick
Cut a threshing stick for me -ii
My co-wife cut me a threshing stick
You woman, owner of this occasion
Remember that work is the stomach
Take care not to starve us
The threshing sticks are sounding
Let the millet leave the threshing ground.
(Adapted from oral literature of the Embu and Mbeere by Ciarunji Chesaina)
a) What kind of oral poem is this? (3 marks)
b) Identify and illustrate the oral features of this poem. (6 marks)
c) What does this poem tell us about the role and place of women in this society? (4 marks)
d) According to this poem, which moral values were emphasized in this community? (3 marks)
e) Explain the meaning of the following lines
i) Some hands breed hatred at eating time.
ii) Remember that work is the stomach (4 marks
Date posted: April 2, 2019.
- Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow.(Solved)
Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow.
The owner of yam peels his yam in the house:
A neighbour knocks at the door.
The owner of yam throws his yam in the bedroom:
The neighbour says, 'I just heard
A sound, Kere Kere, that's why I came.
'The owner of yam replies,
'That was nothing, I was sharpening two knives.
'The neighbour says again, 'I still heard
Something like bi sound behind your door.
The owner of yam says,
'I merely tried my door with a mallet.
'The neighbour says again,
'What about this huge fire burning on your hearth?'
The fellow replies,
'I am merely warming water for my bath.
'The neighbour persists,
'Why is your skin all white, when this is not the Harmattan season?
The fellow is ready with his reply,
"I was rolling on the floor when I heard of the Agadapidi."
The owner of yam starts to shout,
There cannot be peace.
Unless the owner of food is allowed to eat his food!'
(Yoruba, Nigerian. Translated by ULLI BEIER) From Sunburst. Edited by lan Gordon)
a) What is this poem about? (2 marks)
b) How do we know that the neighbor is not convinced by the owner of yam's explanations? (3 marks)
c) Which character traits are revealed about the owner of yam? (4 marks)
d) Identify the features of this poem that indicate that it is an oral poem
(4 marks)
e) Why do you think the owner of yam begins to shout? (3 marks)
f) What features of oral performance would you emphasis in delivering the last speech of the owner of yam? (4 marks
Date posted: April 2, 2019.
- (a) What is a riddle? (3 marks)
(b) i) State one riddle in mother tongue or Kiswahili and provide the
English translation. (2 marks)
Explain the imagery in...(Solved)
(a) What is a riddle? (3 marks)
(b) i) State one riddle in mother tongue or Kiswahili and provide the
English translation. (2 marks)
Explain the imagery in the solution to your riddle (2 marks)
c) Describe the stages in a riddling session (5 marks)
d) Who is the audience in a riddling session? (2 marks)
e) State any four functions of fiddles (2 marks)
f) Distinguish between a riddle and a puzzle (2 marks)
Date posted: April 2, 2019.
- Read the oral narrative below and then answer the questions that follow.(Solved)
Read the oral narrative below and then answer the questions that follow.
Nyasaye (God) wanted to put a stop to the rampages of death-death which claims the lives of everyone
Young and old
Boys and girls
Men and women
Strangers and kinsmen;
Death which kills
The innocent and the guilty
Chiefs and their subjects
The healthy and the sick
The wise and the foolish.
So one day he sent a servant to earth with a message for all his people. 'send me an offering of fresh, untainted fat,' he ordered. 'It should be as clean and sparkling as the moon.'Hearing this, the people slaughtered a goat, removed its pure white fat, and placed it in a clay dish overspread with fine fresh leaves.
Now they summoned Ngo’ngruok, also known as Haniafu the Chameleon, and ordered him to take their offering to Nyasaye. They also fashioned a long pole that reached up to heaven where Nyasaye dwells in his glory. This was the path Ng’ongruok would follow when carrying their offering.
But Ng’onguruok accidentally soiled the fat with his clumsy feet, and on his arrival before Nyasaye, presented a dirty and unsightly offering. Nyasaye was furious and rejected it, shouting: 'tell the people of earth that because of this insult they must continue to die, just as their ancestors have done!'
Ng’ongruok descended from heaven delivered Nyasaye’s message, and returned the offering to the people. Ever since then, alas death has continued to ravage human beings. For his clumsiness, Ngo’ngruok was cursed by the people. Hence, he must always walk on all fours, and his steps must be hesitant and slow. That is why you will always see him carrying one leg raised from the ground as he tries to decide exactly where to tread.
(Adapted from: keep my words by B. Onyange-gutu and A.A Roscoe)
i) What would you do in order to capture the audience’s attention before you begin to tell this story? (2mks)
…………………………………………………………ii) Explain two ways in which you would make the narration of lines 20 to 23 of the story effective (4mks)
……………………………………………………………………
iii) Mention two ways in which you would know that you audience in this story is fully participating in the performance. (4mks)
……………………………………………
b) For each of the words below write another word that is pronounced in the same way.
Heir…………………………………………………
Weather…………………………………………….
Base………………………………………………..
Mourning………………………………………….
Date posted: April 2, 2019.
- Read the story below and answer the questions that follow(Solved)
Read the story below and answer the questions that follow
Once upon a time, there lived a young woman who ran away from home to secretly marry her warrior lover out in the wilderness. The warrior directed the young woman to a place in the forest where he would meet her. He said to her, 'When you get to a fork along the path take the right path.' Then the warrior went ahead to await her arrival in the forest.
The young woman took off, and when she got to the fork that the warrior had mentioned, she followed the left path, forgetting which path the warrior had instructed her to follow.
As the girl walked on, she came upon an ogre who said to her, 'hey, young woman where are going? Do you have anything to say now that I’m going to eat you?' the girl answered in song
Not here my dear
Let us go to the water hole
Where you can eat me
And have a drink
Oh my dear warrior, where was it?
And so it happened that this was very bushy country. The ogre led the young woman on, and when they got to another spot, he said to her, ' I am now going to eat you here.' The girl broke into song, urging him not to eat her.
They went further, and the young woman kept hoping that the warrior would hear her voice. As they walked on, the ogre asked the young girl: ' shall I eat you hear'The girl sang again
Not here my dear
Let us go to the water hole
Where you can eat me
And have a drink
Oh dear warrior, where was it?
But the warrior had still not heard her. When they got to a cave by a river, the ogre collected branches and leaves on which to place the young woman’s flesh after he had slaughtered her. When he brought one type of leaf, the girl objected to having her flesh laid on ordinary leaves preferring the sweet- scented leaves of the Matasia plant. The ogre brought another kind of leaf nut the girl also rejected it, until eventually the sweet- smelling leaves of Matassia plant were brought. When the ogre asked the girl whether those were the right type of leaves, she said: Yes, these are the ones.' The ogre then laid the leaves down on the ground and lit a big fire. All this while, the girl was continuously singing the same song.
Just when the ogre was about to jump on the young woman, the warrior suddenly emerged from the bush. The young woman said to the ogre, 'It is now your skinny flesh that will be laid on those leaves.' The warrior killed the ogre and placed him on the bed of leaves and took the girl away. And that is the end of the story.
(Adopted from 'a young woman and an ogre' in Oral Literature of the Maasai, by
Naomi Kipury. Nairobi: EAEP 1983)
i. If you were performing this story, how would you say the words of the warrior? ( 1 mark)
ii. What could the warrior lover have done to improve on his giving of directions ( 1 mark)
iii. How would you deliver the first speech of the ogre?( 2 mks)
iv. The song is sung for both the ogre and the warrior lover. How would you perform it to show this? ( 2 mks)
v. As the story teller, how would you say the sentence: ' just when the ogre was about to jump on the young woman, the warrior suddenly emerged from the bush.' ( 2 mks)
vi. How do you think the audience would react when the warrior lover rivers? ( 1 mark)
Date posted: April 2, 2019.
- The following is a conversation between a father and his daughter. Identify eight shortcomings in the father’s listening skills(Solved)
DAUGHTER: (shortly having arrived home from school) Good afternoon,
Daddy
FATHER: (Sitting complacently in the sofa, reading a newspaper. Looking up…..) Good afternoon (Resumes reading)
DAUGHTER: (Holding out her school report form) Daddy, I’m excited. My teacher said I was the best improved. I was………..
FATHER: Oh, you were? Me, I used to be number one. I was absolutely unbeatable.
DAUGHTER: Chemistry has been a particular headache ( now looking at the report form which she thought her father would want to see), but this time…….
FATHER: (Stretching his arms, looking preoccupied)
Chemistry for me was particular easy.
I never scored anything less than 90%
DAUGHTER: Dad, I was going to tell you that this time…….
FATHER: (Absent minded) by the way, where is your mum?
DAUGHTER: Mum is in the garden picking vegetables. But dad, you’re not listening to my story. I was telling you about Chemistry
FATHER: You mean you have a story about chemistry? Chemistry is not about stories. It is hard science.
DAUGHTER: It’s about my improvement……..
FATHER: (laughing) me, it wasn’t matter of improvement. I was always at the top of the class
DAUGHTER: Daddy, I give up. You’re not listening
FATHER: (looking surprised) Listening? I heard you: you were talking about improvement in chemistry, weren’t you?
DAUGHTER: anyway, Dad. Thank you for paying attention. Enjoy your newspaper.
FATHER: Oh yes, I’m reading an interesting story about politics
Date posted: April 2, 2019.
- Suppose you were asked to make a speech at a friend’s graduation party. What would you do to capture the audience attention?(Solved)
Suppose you were asked to make a speech at a friend’s graduation party. What would you do to capture the audience attention?
Date posted: April 2, 2019.
- In the words given below, underline the part that should be stressed
i. Suc.cess
ii. ad.vice
iii. Chal.lenge
iv. ob.serve(Solved)
In the words given below, underline the part that should be stressed
i. Suc.cess
ii. ad.vice
iii. Chal.lenge
iv. ob.serve
Date posted: April 2, 2019.