- Read the poem bellow and answer the question that follows
My grandmother by Elizabeth Jennings(Solved)
Read the poem bellow and answer the question that follows
My grandmother
by Elizabeth Jennings
She kept an antique shop-or it kept her.
Among Apostle spoons and Bristol glasses,
The faded silks, the heavy furniture,
She watched her own reflection in the brass
Salvers and silver bowls, as if to prove
Polish was all, there was no need for love.
And I remember how I once refused
To go out with her, since I was afraid.
It was perhaps a wish not to be used
Like antique objects .Though she never said
That she was hurt, I still could feel the guilt
Of that refusal, guessing how she felt.
Later, too frail to keep a shop, she put
All her best things in one long, narrow room.
The place smelt old, of things too long kept shut,
The smell of absences where shadows come
That can’t be polished. There was nothing then
To give her own reflection back again.
And when she died I felt no grief at all,
Only the guilt of what I once refused.
I walked into her room among the tall
Sideboards and cupboards-things she never used
But needed: and no finger-marks were there,
Only the new dust falling through the air.
a) Identify the persona in the above poem.
b) In note form, summarize what each stanza is talking about
c) Identify and briefly explain the use of any two images in the poem
d) What does the persona feel towards the subject matter?
e) What do the following lines mean in the poem?
'too frail to keep a shop'
'Only the new dust falling through the air'
f) Describe the tone the persona uses in the poem above
g) Explain the paradox in the line:
-things she never used
But needed
h) Explain the persona’s sense of guilt?
Date posted: May 24, 2019.
- Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow(Solved)
Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
Terrorism is a real and urgent threat to nations and their interests a threat that could become perilous if terrorists
acquire nuclear or biological weapons. The policies pursued by the bush administration have too often been
counterproductive and self-defeating. In the name of an ‘offensive’ strategy, they have undermined the values and
principles that made the United States a model for the world, dismayed cooperative nations around the world and
jeopardize their cooperation with us, and provided ammunition for terrorist recruitment in the Middle East and
beyond. To achieve our long-term objective we must go beyond narrow counterterrorism policies to embed
counterterrorism in an overarching national security strategy designed to restore American leadership and respect
in the world. This leadership must be based on a strong commitment to our values and to building the structures of
international cooperation that are needed to only fight terrorists, but also to meet key challenges of our time:
proliferation; climate change and energy security; the danger of pandemic disease; and the need to sustain a
vibrant global economy that lifts the lives of people everywhere.
We have to demonstrate that the model of liberty and tolerance embodied by the United States, are the enemy of
these universal ambitions. We must pursue an integrated set of policies- on non-proliferation, energy and climate,
global public health and economic development- which reflect recognition that in an independent world, the
American people can be safe and prosperous only if others too share in these blessings. Our policies must
demonstrate a respect for differences of history, culture and tradition, while remaining true to the principles of
liberty embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This kind of enlightened self interest led others to
rally to American leadership in the Cold War and offers the best hope for sustaining our leadership in the future.
The world is filled with terrorist organizations. While the State Departments list of designated groups includes
almost four dozen, numerous well known ones are still omitted because of issues related to designation process.
Yet to many organizations, only one subset currently poses a serious and sustained threat to the United States and
its allies: the Sunni jihadist organization known by the shorthand ‘al Qaeda’
The group merits this special status because it is the only terrorist organization with the ambition and the
capability to inflict genuinely catastrophic damage, which can provisionally be defined as attacks that claim
causalities in the four digits or higher. The group is also unique in that it may eventually be able to carry out a
campaign of repeated attacks that would have a paralyzing effect on American life and its institutions. Its ability to
foil fundamental U.S. strategic goals-as it did in Iraq and as it threatens to do together with the Taliban in
Afghanistan-has been amply demonstrated. As the turmoil in Pakistan has demonstrated, its capacity for upsetting
the geopolitics of major regions of the world today is also unrivalled among non-state actors. The evidence
provided by September 11, 2001 is sufficient to demonstrate the groups’ capability and its determination. Unlike
most terrorist, it eschews incremental gains and seeks no part of a negotiation process; it seeks to achieve its
primary ends, including mobilization of a large number of Muslims, through violence
The Bush administration has fundamentally misunderstood the nature of the jihadist movement and its actions
have made the threat considerably worse. The administration has hyped the threat and subordinated foreign
security policy into the ‘Global War on Terror.’ It has relied on the wrong tools –principally the military- and
vastly overemphasized tactics at the expense of strategy. To the extent that it has a strategy for reducing the appeal
of jihad, it is the ‘freedom agenda’ which has backfired. Counter terrorism requires a shift away from a foreign
and security policy that makes counterterrorism the prism through which everything is evaluated and decided. It
requires a policy that must go beyond uncompromising efforts to do away with those who seek to harm us today.
International engagement is essential in meeting this threat since it will ensure that new terrorist recruits do not
come to take the place of those that have been defeated.
(Adapted from ‘strategic Counterterrorism’ by Daniel Benjamin, Policy Paper Number 7, 2008)
Questions
1. In what ways were the policies pursued by the Bush administration counterproductive and self-defeating?
2. What according to the author is the essence of American counterterrorism leadership?
3. Make notes on what ought to be done to uphold American leadership?
4. In the following sentence, replace the underlined expression with one word
It requires a policy that must go beyond uncompromising efforts to do away with those who seek to harm us
today.
5. Why is Al-Qaida a unique group?
6. What is needed in the fight against terrorism?
7. In your opinion, what is the most dangerous aspect of terror a threat?
8. Explain the meaning of each of the following words as used in the passage
a) Embed
b) Designated
c) Foil
d) Prism
Date posted: May 24, 2019.
- Complete the telephone conversation below between a parent and a student acting as a receptionist at her school.(Solved)
Complete the telephone conversation below between a parent and a student acting as a receptionist at her school.
Mrs. Wanjau: ………………………………………………………………………………
Joan: Hallo. Yes, this is Makutano High School. How can I help you?
Mrs. Wanjau: ………………………………………………………………………………….……
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Joan: I am sorry the Principal is not in at the moment. Can you leave a message?
Mrs. Wanjau:………………………………………………………………………………
Joan: I am Joan, a form 4 student stepping in for the receptionist who has gone out shortly.
Mrs. Wanjau: ………………………………………………………………………………
Joan: Yes once in a while students of office practice and typing are allowed to step in for the receptionist as part of
their practice.
Mrs. Wanjau: ………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Joan: Thank you very much. I will let the Principal know that you will call tomorrow.
Date posted: May 24, 2019.
- Read the following poem and then answer the questions that follow.
The Bride.(Solved)
Read the following poem and then answer the questions that follow.
The Bride.
Why do you wear that dress so white?
Why do you wear that veil so light?
Why do your young eyes shine so bright?
Is it your wedding?
I wear dress and veil to show
That gladly to my love I go
My young eyes shine because I know
It is my wedding.
(i) Identify the rhyme scheme of this poem?
(ii) Using illustrations show how rhythm has been achieved in the poem.
(iii) Would you use the rising or the falling intonation in reading line 3 in stanza one in this poem? Give reason.
(iv) How would you say the last line of the second stanza?
Date posted: May 24, 2019.
- Fill in the following cloze test.(Solved)
Fill in the following cloze test.
CLOZE TEST 10 MARKS
There is this bizarre preoccupation with 1………………………… class among us such
2…………………………. what happened at Langa’ta was bound to happen. Our greed 3………………………
wealth and standing considers nothing sacred, nothing immoral, nothing offensive to everyone, which is why
some people were wondering why the children were protesting 4……………………… they were supposed to be
in class! Our preoccupation with private academies for our children is partly what made the “private developer”
target public school 5…………………….., only that for the “developer’”, the police who came to secure the
interests of one against many used tear gas on children.
If most of us decided to 6………………………. our children to public schools and worked collectively to make
them better, chances are this particular “private developer” and many 7……………………….. would avoid
school land for fear of reaction. But many of us have 8………………………. to this mess by avoiding public
facilities— schools, hospitals 9………………………. even parks — because using them does not speak
10……………………..of our social standing.
Date posted: May 24, 2019.
- Read the following narrative and then answer the questions that follow(Solved)
Read the following narrative and then answer the questions that follow.
Once upon a time there lived a man who was very old and as poor as a church mouse. The old man his living by
cutting trees and burning charcoal. He would then sell to the villagers for small amount of money. Business was
very low because they were very few, poor and as a result he could go home hungry. Despite this, the old man
never despaired but worked even One day the old man woke up very early in the morning and headed to the forest where he worked. Suddenly he
heard a voice, “who is that who wants to destroy our house?” The old man was so scared that the axe fell down
from his hand. He answered with a shaky voice. “It’s me a poor old man and I have not eaten since yesterday. I
have come to look for trees, burn them into charcoal and sell.” The voice said sympathetically, “Go to that cave
inside you will find a pot. Take it home and instruct it to cook food. He rushed to the cave and found the post as
he had been told. He hurriedly took it home. On reaching home he repeated what he had been told. “Pot cook
food” and Alas! There was plenty of food. He ate and ate until he could eat no more.
The man was very happy and forgot his old business. This continued for months. Then one day the pot did not
cook the food. He carefully checked the pot for cracks but he found none. After a thorough check he saw a tiny
hole at the bottom of the pot. He
“Oh dear vulture,” said the hen with confusion and great regret, “forgive me; I am so sorry for this my negligence.
I really intended to return you razor very soon, but I put it in my leather bag, and forgot it completely. Let me go
and take it; you will have it in half a minute.”
“Yes, I know you are forgetful creature, but look at the damage you have caused me. You have deprived me of
my sustenance for many days. Mind you, if you have lost it, you will pay for it very dearly,” said the vulture. The
hen rushed into the hut to fetch the razor. She plunged her hand into the leather bag, alas! It was empty; there was
no razor in it. She was very shocked at the unpleasant discovery. She started searching on the floor to see if by
chance it had dropped from the bag but there was not finding it. She looked under the children’s bed, near the
firestones, in the store; but there was no sign of it. Tired and defeated, she came out and imploring, said, “O dear
friend and master, I can’t find it. Have mercy on me! I will search better. I am ready to demolish my hut
altogether, and search diligently until I find and return it to you.”
“I told you to be very careful, and I repeat again, I want my razor back! But mind, I want the very one I gave, and
no substitute!”
The poor hen spent all the day searching, but nothing came to light. She demolished her hut, and started searching
in the roof grass among the rubble of the walls, between the poles, in the ashes and even in the rubbish pit, but
nothing was found.
The following day the vulture came to see the results of the searching. He found the hen still scratching the ground
among a heap of dry grass and ox dung; but no razor was yet discovered.
“I am very sorry, dear hen,” said the vulture, “but I can’t wait any longer without compensation for my razor. For
today you must give me a chicken. Tomorrow I will return and see what has happened in the mean time.
So the vulture flew away with a chicken gripped within its talons under its breast. The following day he returned
to the hen. She was still scratching the ground; but she could not see any razor. Another chicken went with the
vulture. And the same happened in the following days until today. That is the reason why the hen is always
scratching the ground, and the vulture snooping on chickens even in our days. The hen is still searching for the
razor, and the vulture compensating himself for its loss.
(i) With reasons for your answer, categorize the above narrative
(ii) Give and illustrate any character trait of ‘the hen’
(iii)Identify and illustrate two features of style characteristic or oral narratives present in this narrative
(iv) What preparations would you put in place if you intend to carry out a field study in this genre?
(v) Highlight the problems you are likely to encounter during the field study and propose suitable solutions to
them
(vi) What moral lesson do you learn from this oral narrative? Give a reason for your answer
Date posted: May 23, 2019.
- Read the passage below then answer the questions that follow.(Solved)
Read the passage below then answer the questions that follow.
Problem drinkers and alcoholics pay severe penalties for their drinking. It has been estimated that alcoholics are
likely to die ten to twelve years sooner than non-alcoholics half die before the age of fifty, which is one reason
there are so few elderly alcoholics. The mortality rate (that is, the number of persons per 100,000 who die each
year) among alcoholics is more than two and a half times higher than that of the general population.
Alcoholics often die violent circumstances; serious accidents, homicide, and suicide are not uncommon. This,
together with the physical deterioration accompanying alcoholism, helps explain the limits on life expectancy. No
one really knows how many deaths are directly attributed to drinking, and all such statistics are estimates. One
reason for our limited knowledge is that many physicians do not report alcoholism as the main cause of death out
of concern for the feelings of the family of the deceased.
Research on the physiological effects of alcoholism has increased in the last few years. Heavy drinking is known
to be associated with various types of cancer, particularly among persons who also use tobacco. Alcohol abuse
also increases the probability of hypertension, stroke and coronary heart disease. Alcoholics frequently suffer
illness and death from cirrhosis of the liver, a disease in which the liver becomes fatty, scarred, and incapable of
functioning normally. In large urban areas, cirrhosis is the fourth most common cause of death among men aged
twenty-five to forty-five.
Alcohol affects the brain, often permanently damaging the mental functioning of alcoholics. Drinking may reduce
the number of living cells in the brain. Since brain cells do not grow back, alcoholics may suffer from organic
psychosis (a mental illness traceable to brain damages), loss of memory, and poor physical and mental coordination. One out of four persons who are admitted to mental hospitals are diagnosed as alcoholics and 40
percent of all admissions are alcohol related. Many of the alcoholic inmates are unlikely to recover.
The unborn children of female alcoholics are subject to harm from drinking in what is called foetal alcohol
syndrome.
Because alcohol tends to be a substitute for a balanced diet, alcoholics are often malnourished. Consequently, the
infants of alcoholic women are likely to be less healthy and less well developed than other babies. Moreover,
when a pregnant woman drinks, so, in effect, does her foetus. The new born children of alcoholic women may die
shortly after birth unless they are medically treated from the shock to their systems for suddenly being cut off
from alcohol. Furthermore, the impact of alcohol on the woman and her foetus is a major cause of birth defects
and originally based mental deficiency among the newborn. The effects of foetal alcohol syndrome on the
children of female alcoholics are usually chronic and may be permanently disabling.
Clearly, it is not too much of an exaggeration to say that alcohol kills and mains people. When abused, alcohol is
a highly dangerous drug.
Questions
(i) What are the major causes of death among alcoholics?
(ii) Which reason does the writer give as to why physicians do not report alcoholic related deaths?
(iii) One out of four persons who are admitted to mental hospitals are diagnosed as alcoholics. (Rewrite using a
few………………)
(iv) Alcoholics often die under violent circumstances…. (add a question tag)
(v) What is the attitude of the writer towards people who abuse alcohol
(vi) Explain what the following sentence means. Alcohol tends to be a substrate for a balanced diet
(vii) Make notes on the effects of alcohol to expectant mothers and their children
(viii) Supply a suitable title for the passage
(ix) Explain the meanings of the following words and phrases as used in the passage
a) Attributable
b) Scarred
c) Statistics
Date posted: May 23, 2019.
- Your former primary school has invited you to give a talk on how to improve performance. You decide to focus
your talk on the value of...(Solved)
Your former primary school has invited you to give a talk on how to improve performance. You decide to focus
your talk on the value of listening skills. Write down three points on how you would ensure the listening is
effective
Date posted: May 23, 2019.
- Identify the intonation that would be present in the following sentences (Solved)
Identify the intonation that would be present in the following sentences.
(i) What deal did the two agree on?
(ii) Did you see the summary?
Date posted: May 23, 2019.
- Read the passage below and fill in each blank space with an appropriate word(Solved)
Read the passage below and fill in each blank space with an appropriate word
Alcohol impacts people and societies in different (1)__________________ and is determined by the (2)
_________________ of alcohol consumed, the pattern of drinking, and, on rare occasions, the quality of alcohol
(3)_________________. Alcohol is a psychoactive substance and its harmful use is known (4)
_________________________ have dependence - producing properties and cause (5) ____________________
than 200 diseases among drinkers as well as devastating effects to innocent victims such as unborn children.
Drinking alcohol (6)_______________________ pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, preterm birth, still birth,
spontaneous abortion, and contribute to a range of disabilities known (7) ____________________ foetal alcohol
spectrum disorders (FASD). FASD is an umbrella term (8) _______________________ to an array of conditions
involving impairments of the growth and development of the central (9)______________________ system
caused by (10) ________________ intake during pregnancy.
(Adapted from DN2 - The Daily Nation 19th May 2015)
Date posted: May 23, 2019.
- The Novel
WitiIhimaera, The Whale Rider.
Each and every activity carried out among the Whangara community is carried out in utter sacredness. Discuss
the validity of this statement...(Solved)
The Novel
WitiIhimaera, The Whale Rider.
Each and every activity carried out among the Whangara community is carried out in utter sacredness. Discuss
the validity of this statement drawing your illustrations from The Whale Ride
Date posted: May 23, 2019.
- Combine the following pairs of sentences using a participle(Solved)
Combine the following pairs of sentences using a participle
(i) The street Urchin was clobbered. He cried out for mercy
(ii) The police surrounded the gangsters’ house. He shot in the air to scare them away
(iii) Jeff was bored of my nagging. He moved out of the house
Date posted: May 23, 2019.
- Choose the correct pronoun from the brackets to complete the following sentences(Solved)
Choose the correct pronoun from the brackets to complete the following sentences
i. Mr. Kamau and _______________ visited us last year. (he/him/himself)
ii. John offered Njoroge and ________________some biscuits. (I/me)
iii. Do you think that he is wiser than _________________. (I/me
Date posted: May 23, 2019.
- Read the narrative below and answer the questions that follow.(Solved)
Read the narrative below and answer the questions that follow.
Long ago, there was famine in Gikuyu land. This famine had made the cows and goats to die. Only human
beings were left and even them, it could be seen that they were not going to live much longer. Now the people
asked themselves, “What shall we do?” It was decided that the most beautiful girl, one called Wanjiru should be
sacrificed to god so that the rain could fall. She was brought to a place where there was a big river. She started to
sing:
Rain fall and make this ridge green
Make this ridge green
My father said I should be lost. I should be lost
My mother said I should be lost. I should be lost
Rain fall and make this ridge green
Make this ridge green
She went down on her knee, she sang:
Rain fall and make this ridge green
Make this ridge green
My father said I should be lost, I should be lost
Rain fall and make this ridge green
Make this ridge green
The water reached the waist, she sang
Rain fall and make this ridge green
Make this ridge green
My father said I should be lost, I should be lost
My mother said I should be lost, I should be lost
Rain fall and make this ridge green
Make this ridge green
The water reached the neck, she sang
Rain fall and make this ridge green
Make this ridge green
My father said I should be lost, I should be lost
My mother said I should be lost, I should be lost
Rain fall and make this ridge green
Make this ridge green
The head went in
Very heavy rains fell on this land. The grass grew, a lot of food and the people began to feel better. Now where Wanjiru went
she found her people who had died before her. These people had a lot of cows and goats. Now they asked her what she would
like. She said she wanted cows and goats. She was given many goats and cows and then she was told to lie down in a place.
When she woke up she found that she had returned back to her people. She woke up at a place where there was a river and
she had her cows and goats. Now when the people saw her they rejoiced greatly.
The story ends there.
Adapted from: The Oral Literature of the Gikuyu by WanjikuKabira and KaregaMutahi.
(a) Why do you think this community makes the choice of a beautiful girl such as Wanjiru to sacrifice to god so as to receive
rain?
(b) Which functions does this song serve in this narrative?
(c) Describe one character trait of the villagers in this narrative.
(d) In point form, list how events follow each other in this story.
(e) Identify and explain two features of oral narration employed in this narrative.
(f) Identify two elements of fantasy in this story.
(g) Describe Wanjiru’stone in the song.
(h) Which social/cultural practices of the Agikuyu are brought out in this narrative.
(i) What does this phrase mean? 'My father said I should be lost.'
(j) Answer the following question according to the instructions given in brackets.
Very heavy rains fell on this land. (Write in the passive form).
Date posted: May 23, 2019.
- Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow(Solved)
Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow
Society has failed and parents have not played their role fully in raising their children. This is according to
Jeff Ngari, a counseling psychologist and a deacon with the Reformed Catholic Church. Jeff says the issue of
teenage mothers is so big that it should be considered a cry for help. He adds that today, children lack the
guidance they require when it comes to having independent social interactions.
“The idea is not to block them from forming their own relationships, but to make them understand what it
means to be in a relationship, especially with the opposite sex, and how far this relationship should go,” says Jeff.
And just like the rest of society, parents have not been spared by the wave of moral decay and thus, according to
Jeff, they have failed as role models for their children. Due to this, many teenagers are picking up social ills from
their parents- the very people they are supposed to look up to.
“For instance, a teenager who has seen his or her mother repeatedly sleep out or come home in the wee hours
of the morning will most likely be excited about staying out late out of curiosity,” he says , adding, “this is
happening to most of our homes today.” Jeff says many parents are engaging carelessly in extra-marital
relationships that leave very little to the imagination of their children, and this is likely to be seen as a normal
thing by children, especially teenagers. As a result, there are many avenues through which teenagers can explore
the issue of sex and the greatest worry is that girls need to be rescued.
“The boy invariably walks away scot-free as the school, society and church turn their full attention on the girl
and judge her,” he says adding that it is one of the issues that the Reformed Catholic Church is trying to address so
that children such as these can be recognized instead of being neglected. “This is not to say that teenage pregnancy
is right, but it is a social ill that must be fought from family level, within the school setting, in the church and the
wider society,” he says.
Most teenage mothers experience rejection and abuse by their families, friends and wider community,
including the church. “No wonder these girls abandon their babies either in toilets or litter bins. The effects of
rejection can be fatal- rejection by society is the worst thing anybody can suffer. It kills from within. That is why
teenage motherhood is a cry for help and family support is very important, as the result is children giving birth,
and trying to raise babies
Jeff notes that without any know-how, finances or proper structures, teenage mothers face a very big
challenge. Add to this the stigma that comes with being regarded as immoral. “Yet we know that not all teenage
pregnancy is consensual. There are cases of grown men preying on innocent girls.” Abortion or an attempt to
carry it out complicates an already complicated situation, especially if crude methods are used. Besides, there is a
post-abortion self-stigma that does not go away.
“In the course of my career, I have met mature women who tell me that they had abortions when they were
very young, and they still feel guilty decades later. Some even go to the extent of saying, ‘My firstborn would be
this or that age.’ It is very painful.”
In Kenya, four in every ten women who die from unsafe abortions are adolescents; 70% of adolescents engage
in high-risk unprotected sex. This is according to a research paper presented by Dr. Richard O. Muga of the
National Co-ordinating Agency for Population and Development, Nairobi- Kenya, 2006. The alarming figures are
the reason why Margaret Muyanga, a counseling psychologist says open communication between teenagers and
parents can be instrumental in curbing any post- pregnancy abortion or even worse, suicidal tendencies.
a) Explain how parents have contributed to the moral decay of their children.
b) Give the factors leading to teenage pregnancy.
c) What is the consequence of the rejection and abuse that teenage mothers experience?
d) In not more than 50 words, summarize the consequences of teenage pregnancy.
- Rough draft
- Final draft
e) What is the writer’s attitude towards parenting?
f) Explain the meaning of the following words as used in the passage;
Scot-free
Date posted: May 23, 2019.
- Complete the following conversation appropriately
(Solved)
Complete the following conversation appropriately
Delphine: (Telephone rings), Hello, …………………………………………………………
Trevor ...……………………………………………………………………………………
Delphine: I’m sorry. Ms Oketch is in a conference out of town. Could you kindly leave a message for her?
Trevor: ………………………..……………………………………………………………
Delphine: Sorry, I didn’t get the last two digits of the number.
Trevor: ……………………………………………………………………………………..
Delphine: ……………………………………………………………………………………..
Trevor: Correct.
Delphine ………………………………………………………………………..……………
Trevor: Yes, let him know I’ll be expecting his call.
Delphine: Okay, goodbye.
Trevor: ……………………….…………………………………………………………….
Date posted: May 23, 2019.
- For each of the following words, write two sentences to bring out two different meanings.
i) Polish
ii) Intimate(Solved)
For each of the following words, write two sentences to bring out two different meanings.
i) Polish
ii) Intimate
Date posted: May 23, 2019.
- For each of the following words write another that is pronounced the same.(Solved)
For each of the following words write another that is pronounced the same.
i. Quay ………….......................................................................……………………………………….
ii. Seed ………………...........................................................................………………………………
iii. Not ……………….........................................................................…………………………………..
Date posted: May 23, 2019.
- Read the following oral narrative and answer the questions that follow. (Solved)
Read the following oral narrative and answer the questions that follow.
One day, the chameleon and the donkey were arguing as to who could run faster than the other. The donkey
said, 'You chameleon, you are very old and tired. You can’t compete with a man like me in a race.”
The chameleon replied,” Don’t blow your own trumpet. I am not going to praise myself, but you know you
can’t defeat me in a race. We shall be equal.'
The race began and without donkey’s knowledge, the chameleon jumped on the donkey’s tail. They ran and
ran, until the donkey was so tired until he stopped to rest. As soon as the donkey stopped, the chameleon jumped
from the donkey’s tail and said, 'Now my friend, are you any faster than I?'
'No, now I know that you are a man,' answered the poor donkey.
i. What would you do in order to capture the attention of the audience before you begin to tell the story?
ii. How would you make the narration of the line indicated in bold effective?
iii. If you are part of the audience for this story, explain two things you would do to show that you are
participating in the performance.
Date posted: May 23, 2019.
- Fill in the blanks with the most suitable word(Solved)
Fill in the blanks with the most suitable word
The purchasing of a motor vehicle or (1) _________________ a driving licence is a satisfying achievement
for most Kenyans. Few, however, (2) _______________ that their achievement can, and (3)
__________________ does, amount to a passport to prison. A driver in prison? Yes, an individual can be (4)
__________________ to jail even when he is not driving.
To curb the increasing (5) ______________________ of accidents in the country, the courts are taking a very
(6) _________________view and as a result sentences are being (7) __________________ including
imprisonment.
Under the (8) _________________________ Act, any person who causes the death of another, be it a
passenger in the driver’s car or a( 9) _________________ crossing the road, or another motorist, by reckless
driving or speeding or even leaving any vehicle on a road in such a position as to be dangerous can be (10 )
______________________ for the offence of causing death.
Date posted: May 23, 2019.
- Complete the following sentence by writing the correct tense in brackets in each case. (Solved)
Complete the following sentence by writing the correct tense in brackets in each case.
1. The students ___________________ assistance from the police after the attack (seek)
2. The visitors ___________________ us goodbye and left immediately (Bid)
3. All the workers have been ______________ their dues. (pay)
Date posted: May 23, 2019.
- Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow;(Solved)
Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow;
Education is perhaps one of the greatest assets children can inherit from their parents. Indeed, parents are known
to incur huge debts to help their children get education. The drive to make these sacrifices and our population
growth, have created a huge demand for education.
This demand is reciprocated by mismatched supply that is not focused on developing “employable” skills and the
output is more jobless graduates into the already full market place. Ironically, whereas this is the scenario in
emerging economies the world over, it is in the same economies that skilled workers are in high demand,
according to a human capital study done by PWC. Indeed , emerging economies are no longer relying on cheap
labour to fuel exports- driven economies , but rather fouls on skilled labour because their economic models have
shifted to exporting value - added goods. The demand for workers capable of doing talent intensive jobs that
require quality qualifications is growing steadily. Studies have shown that no country in the world can achieve
major socio – economic transformation without the contribution of skilled manpower. Kenya seems to be
cognizant of this fact going by the massive budget allocation made in education each year.
There is a strong case for standardization and regulatory framework that will ensure delivery of high quality
teaching and research whose end product are work- ready students. This is therefore a call to the government and
the private sector to work hard in glove to address the prevailing challenges in higher education that impact the
quality of graduates produced.
Lack of adequate resources, poor training infrastructure and facilities as well as an emphasis on “cramming” –
reproduction of class notes in the exam papers compromise the quality of education. The result has been a
yawning gap between the quality of students released into the job market and the needs of the employers.
If we are able to turn our institutions of higher learning into factories of talent that is readily marketable locally
and to other countries, human capital development would become a key economic driver in our country. The
Government needs to partner with all stakeholders and come up with “out of the box”, holistic policy interventions
that make use of best practices in order to promote practical skills and make education more effective in the short
and long term. This also calls for accrediting and streamlining the requirements of new and existing education
should look beyond profits and priorities equipping of students with knowledge , skills and competencies that
enhance their employability both locally and internationally. While Kenya boasts of high literacy levels, it should
now priorities the development and implementation of a long – term growth strategy that focuses on quality, not
quantity.
QUESTIONS
a) What has created a huge demand for education according to the passage?
b) What do the emerging economics rely on, and why?
c) Indeed, emerging economies are no longer relying on cheap labour. (Add a question tag)
d) What advise is given to those investing in education
e) Why is there an emphasis on standardization in education? (2 marks)
f) In a paragraph of not more than 40 words, summarize the reason why the Government and other sectors should
partner in education.
g) Explain the meaning of the following words and expressions as used in the passage
i) Employable skills
ii) Cognisant
iii) Reciprocated
iv) Out of the box
Date posted: May 23, 2019.
- For each of the following words, construct two sentences to convey two different meaning as indicated(Solved)
For each of the following words, construct two sentences to convey two different meaning as indicated.
(i) early (as an adverb and as an adjective)
(ii) Surprise (as a noun and as a verb)
Date posted: May 23, 2019.
- Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow.(Solved)
Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow.
Ah, Are you digging on my grave?
'Ah, are you digging on my grave,
My loved one?- planting rue?'
'No ; yesterday ‘he went to wed ‘
One of the brightest wealth has bred.
‘It cannot hurt her now,' he said,
' That I should not be true.
'Then who is digging on my grave?
My nearest dearest kin?'
'Ah, no: they sit and think, ‘what us!
What good will planting flowers produce?
No tendance of her mound can loose
Her spirit from Deaths gin;'
Questions
(a) (i) Supposing you were to perform this poem to your class how would you prepare?
(ii) How would you say line two stanza 1 and why?
(iii) Identify an instance of alliteration in stanza 1
(iv) Describe the rhyme scheme of stanza 2
b) For each of the following words, provide another word with similar pronunciation
(i) gate
(ii) bread
(iii) you
(iv) rest
Date posted: May 23, 2019.
- Fill in the blank space with the most appropriate words.(Solved)
Fill in the blank space with the most appropriate words.
A new research title 'Underage Drinking in Kenya' has (1) _______________ that nearly one third of form four
students aged below 18 years take alcohol (2) _________________. As our society ponders this sad (3)
__________________, the urgent message to children who are taking alcohol
(4) ______________, do not drink another sip. Advice to those children is to strongly say 'no.'
(5) _________________ irresponsible behavior to alcoholism, there are many (6) _____________
effects of alcohol. It is wrong and illegal for children to drink alcohol.
The report also states that 46 percent of the children receive (7) ________________ first pint from friends and
(8) _________________ .Do you offer alcohol to child? As a parent or guardian, do you nurture (9)
_______________ ? How much time do you spend with them? Notably, (10) __________ of
guidance and supervision are stimuli to underage drinking
Date posted: May 23, 2019.
- You are listening to a speech about careers by a visitor to your school. A few
minutes into the speech, you look around and notice some...(Solved)
You are listening to a speech about careers by a visitor to your school. A few
minutes into the speech, you look around and notice some of your fellow students
are yawning, while others are showing signs of definite restlessness.
(i) What would be likely cause of the students' behavior?
(ii) What would you do to ensure you continue listening effectively?
Date posted: May 7, 2019.
- You accidentally broke the windscreen of a stranger's car at the market near your
home. Complete the following conversation between you and the stranger. Use
courteous language.
You:..................................
Stranger:...(Solved)
You accidentally broke the windscreen of a stranger's car at the market near your
home. Complete the following conversation between you and the stranger. Use
courteous language.
You:....................
Stranger: I can't believe it. This is a brand new car.
You:....................
Stranger: Your parents will have to meet the cost of replacing the windscreen.
You:....................
Stranger: I hope you will learn the lesson to be more careful in future.
You:....................
Date posted: May 7, 2019.
- Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow.(20 marks)
I hate to tell you this, but your kid is spoiled. Mine aren't much...(Solved)
Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow.(20 marks)
I hate to tell you this, but your kid is spoiled. Mine aren't much better. That, in
essence, is the finding of a recent media poll. Most of us think most of our kids are
overindulged, materialistic brats.
I bring this issue up to talk about a controversial study that deals with corporal
punishment-spanking - and it has outraged those who oppose the practice while
rearming those who support it.
Dr. Diana Baumrind studied 164 families from the time their children were in preschool
until they reached their 20s. She found that most families used some form
of corporal punishment. She further found that, contrary to what we have been
told for years, giving a child a mild spanking (defined as open-handed swats on the
backside, arm or legs) does not leave the child scared for life.
Baumrind makes a distinction between the minor punishments practiced by most
parents who spank and the harsher variants practiced by a tiny minority (shaking
and blows to the head or face, for example).
For my money, there was always something spurious about the orthodoxy that
assured us all corporal punishment, regardless of severity, was de facto abuse.
Nevertheless, we bought into it, with the result being that parents who admitted to
spanking were treated as primitive dolts and heaped with scorn. They were
encouraged to negotiate with misbehaving children in order to nurture their self
esteem.
But the orthodoxy was wrong on several fronts. In the first place, it is plainly
ridiculous to equate a child who has been swatted on the butt with one who has
been stomped, scalded or punched. In the second, the argument that reasonable
corporal punishment leads inevitably to mental instability always seemed
insupportable and has just been proved by Baumrind's study.
Don't get me wrong, contrary to what its proponents sometimes claim, corporal
punishment is not a panacea for misbehavior. Rearing a child requires not just
discipline, but also humour, love and some luck.
I have seen too many children behave with a sense of entitlement to believe it is.
Heard too many teachers tell horror stories of dealing with kids from households
where parents are not sovereign, adult authority not respected. So the pertinent
question is not: to spank or not to spank? Rather, it is who's in charge here?
Some folks think it's abuse when you swat a child's backside. But maybe,
sometimes, it's abuse when you don't.
(Adapted from The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing by John Ramage, John Bean and
June Johnson. Boston: Longman, 2012)
(a) What does the author mean when he says "most of us think most of our
kids are overindulged, materialistic brats".
(b) According to the author, what is the effect of mild punishment?
(c) What is the controversy in the passage?
(d) What are the two major findings of Dr. Diana Baumrind's study?
(e) What is the author's personal view about corporal punishment?
(f) Identify two other words that the author uses in the passage to mean
mild corporal punishment?
(g) Use two illustrations from the passage to explain the author's use of
informal language.
(h) Explain the meaning of each of the following words as used in the
passage.
(i) Materialistic
(ii) Panacea
Date posted: May 7, 2019.
- Read the excerpt below and then answer the questions that follow. (25 marks)
"Brothers, people of Sakwa, we are pleased to welcome you to Yimbo. It...(Solved)
Read the excerpt below and then answer the questions that follow. (25 marks)
"Brothers, people of Sakwa, we are pleased to welcome you to Yimbo. It is
customary, because of the good dak between us, for you to marry our daughters
and we yours. We are therefore more than neighbours, we have great wat between
us because of the intermingling of blood though this has not occurred between our
two lines so there is no danger of brother marrying sister - a great taboo. Since
you are our brothers, we will not make things difficult for you." Here he stopped to
take a sip of kong'o and you could have heard the ants talk, so great was the
silence. However, nobody was fooled by his sweet words.
He continued, enjoying immensely the tension he was creating. "Our daughter,
Adoyo Obanda is a great beauty whose assets have been praised and sung by
many a nyatiti singer from here to ChumbuKombit, from Sakwa to Loka Nam. She
is as fleet as a gazelle and her flying feet have been incorporated into the sayings
of our village so that mothers sending their daughters on errands tell them to run
like Adoyo of the flying feet. She has been carefully brought up and has been
taught all the requirements of Chik. She is very apt pupil, and will therefore not
bring shame and ruin to her husband by improper conduct.
Her antecedents are peerless for she can trace her bloodline clear to Ramogi our
great father and her blood is pure for we have always taken care to marry
correctly. She is also the eldest daughter of our great chief, a man whose fame is
known throughout this land. After careful consultation, we have therefore decided
that thirty head of cattle should be the proper bride price." Was that an inaudible
gasp from someone at the back? Chief Owuor Kembo signaled to his uncle and the
old man spoke.
"Brothers, people of Yimbo, we have listened with great care to what you have to
say. Since the contract of marriage is a matter of great import, we wish to beg
leave to consult with each other outside before we return our verdict."
"Feel free to do so," Aloo said magnanimously. They moved some distance away
and Akoko watching from her mother's kitchen thought amusedly to herself, "I
should ask father to give me a piece of land to settle on because at this rate I shall
never leave his house."
(Adapted from The River and the Source by Margaret A. Ogola. Nairobi: Focus
Publishers, 2012)
(a)What reasons had the old man given that had prompted the need for
Chief Owour Kembo to urgently seek a wife?
(b) "It is customary, because of the good dak between us for you to marry
our daughters and we yours." Identify two other customary practices on
marriage in this community that are revealed in this excerpt.
(c) Explain the character traits of Chief Owuor Kembo and Aloo that emerge
in this excerpt.
(d) What was the response of Chief Owuor Kembo's party on the bride price
requested for by Aloo?
(e) In what circumstances was the thirty head of cattle referred to
unfavourably later in the story when Akoko was married to Chief Owuor
Kembo?
(f)"I should ask father to give me a piece of land to settle on because at this
rate I shall never leave his house."
(i) Why did Akoko say these words?
(ii)What do Akoko's words reveal about Chief Odero's character?
(g) "Since the contract of marriage is a matter of great import, we wish to
beg leave to consult with each other outside before we return our verdict."
(i) What is your view on the success of Akoko and Chief Kembo's marriage?
(ii) Identify and comment on one marriage you consider successful in The
River and the Source.
(h)"Feel free to do so," Aloo said magnanimously. Rewrite in indirect speech.
(i) Explain the meaning of the following words as used in the excerpt.
(i) errands
(ii) apt
(iii) import
Date posted: May 7, 2019.
- Read the poem below and then answer the questions that follow.
The Road Not Taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel...(Solved)
Read the poem below and then answer the questions that follow.
The Road Not Taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.
By Robert Frost
(Adapted from Understanding Poetry by Jim Reeves London: Heinemann, 1965)
(a) Explain the meaning of the poem.
(b) Explain the meaning of the line 'Yet knowing how way leads on to way.'
(c) Identify and explain the use of symbolism in the poem.
(d) What does the poet means when he says that 'I took the one less
travelled by'?
(e) What does the poem reveal about the character of the persona?
(f) What is the tone of the poem?
(g) Explain the meaning of the following words as used in the poem.
(i) diverged
(ii) sigh
Date posted: May 7, 2019.