Questions and Answers and KCSE Prediction from Kapsabet Boys Mocks
1. Read the Comprehension passage below and answer the questions that follow 20 marks
Writing skills are an important part of communication. Good writing skills allow you to communicate your message with clarity and ease to a far larger audience than through face-to-face or telephone conversations.
You might be called upon to write a report, plan or strategy at work; write a grant application or press release within a volunteering role; or you may fancy communicating your ideas online via a blog. And, of course, a well written CV or resume with no spelling or grammatical mistakes is essential if you want a new job.
Today, when anyone can be their own publisher, we see more and more examples of poor writing skills both in print and on the web. Poor writing skills create poor first impressions and many readers will have an immediate negative reaction if they spot a spelling or grammatical mistake. As just one example, a spelling mistake on a commercial web page may cause potential customers to doubt the credibility of the website and the organization.
Correct grammar, punctuation and spelling are key in written communications. The reader will form an opinion of you, the author, based on both the content and presentation, and errors are likely to lead them to form a negative impression.
If you are unconvinced about the importance of accurate writing, think of the clues we use to identify spam emails, “phishing” websites, and counterfeit products: poor grammar and spelling.
Similarly, some employers state publicly that any CV or resume containing spelling or grammatical mistakes will be rejected immediately, whilst a BBC news article quotes research that calculates spelling mistakes cost online businesses “millions” in lost sales.
Checking for poor writing and spelling mistakes should be seen as a courtesy to your readers since it can take them much longer to understand the messages in your writing if they have to think and re-read text to decipher these.
All written communications should therefore be re-read before sending to print, or hitting the send button in the case of emails, as it is likely that there will be errors. Do not assume that spelling and grammar checkers will identify all mistakes as many incorrect words can indeed be spelt correctly (for example, when “their” is used instead of “there” or “principle” instead of “principal”) or entire words may be missing. If at all possible, take a break before re-reading and checking your writing, as you are more likely to notice problems when you read it fresh.
Even if you know spelling and grammar rules, you should still double-check your work or, even better, have it proof-read by somebody else. Our brains work faster than our fingers can type the accidental typographical errors (typos) inevitably creep in.
The good news is that writing is a skill which can be learned like any other. One trick for checking and improving your work is to read it aloud. Reading text forces you to slow down and you may pick up problems with the flow that your eye would otherwise skip over.
As well as grammar, spelling and punctuation, it’s important to remember your audience.
Always write with your audience in mind, and it can also help to bear in mind the medium in which you plan to publish. This knowledge will help you decide whether you need to write in a formal style or a more informal one, and will also help you to decide on a suitable structure.
1. Why are good writing skills important? (3 marks)
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2. What effect does poor writing skills have? (2 marks)
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3. In a paragraph of not more than 50 words, summarise the steps involved in good writing.
(5 marks)
Rough copy
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Final copy
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4. Explain the irony in paragraph three. (3 marks)
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5. ‘The good news is that writing is a skill which can be learned like any other.’
Rewrite beginning with a participle. (1 mark)
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6. Mention four things, apart from grammar, spelling and punctuation that the writer advocates we should remember when writing. (2 marks)
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7. Explain the meaning of the following expressions as they are used in the passage. (4 marks)
i) Counterfeit products ……………………………………………………………………
ii) Decipher ……………………….………………………………………………………
iii) Phishing ………………………………………………………………………………
iv) Typographical errors ..…………………………………………………………………
2. Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow 25 marks
Nasila River – cool, smooth and silent – swirled quietly about the boulders that were half submerged in it. It was deep and wide. She stood at its bank for a long time, staring down, into the water. Could the answer to her woes be in that river? Yes, it could be! Just a swift, cold shock as she fell into the water and then there would be peace. Yes, peace all over, from her father, from Oloisudori and from the fact that she had failed to get admission to Egerton University. As the idea floated in her mind, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Shocker, she turned around. It was Olarinkoi.
“What are you doing here at the river side”? he asked with little interest.
“Nothing,” Resian said nonchalantly. “I am just relaxing.”
“Don’t be foolish, little girl,” Olarinkoi said seriously. “You may not want to tell me what is happening, but Iam not foolish and I can put one and one together. Oloisudori’s men are now looking for you everywhere. They have instructions to seize you and take you to Nakuru to be his wife.
“Just leave me,” Resian said angrily, “Go tell them to come and find me here.”
“Listen, you stupid girl,” Olarinkoi said in his caustic language. “If you do not want to marry Oloisudori, I can rescue you the way I rescued you from those vagabonds who had accosted you and your sister. I know where Minik ene Enkoitoi the Emakererei lives and where she keeps girls rescued from the situation you are now in. There is no need to despair in life. There is always another chance.”
That could be something to consider, Resian thought, new hope rising in her heart. Yes, it would be wonderful to be received by Emakererei. And who knows, there could still be a chance to enrol at the Egerton University, through Emakererei.
“How could we ever get there?” asked Resian a flicker of hope lighting her heart. “I hear it is very very far from here.”
“Yes it is far,” confirmed Olarinkoi. “But where there is hope things always work out. The Maa people say home is never far for one who is still alive.”
a) Place this excerpt in its immediate context. (4 Marks) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
b) Describe the incident that Olarinkoi claims to have rescued Taiyo and her sister. (2Marks) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
c) Discuss a thematic concern found in the excerpt. (2 marks) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
d) What does the author imply when he says, “could the answer to her woes be in that river?” (2 marks) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
e) Explain the irony in the excerpt. (2 marks) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
f) Apart from irony, comment on any other two aspects of style that the writer has used in the excerpt. (4 marks) …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
g) From elsewhere in the novel, state the prophecy that Olarinkoi is trying to fulfill when he plans to rescue Resian. (3 marks) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
h) Comment on the character of Olarinkoi later in the novel. (2 marks) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
i) What is the attitude of Resian towards Oloisudori’s proposal? (2 marks) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
j) Give the meaning of the following words. (2 marks)
i) Nonchalantly ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
ii) Put one and one together …………………………………………………………………………………..
3. Read the poem below and answer the questions that follow 20 marks
NATURALLY
I fear the workers: they writhe in bristling grass
And wormy mud: out with dawn, back with dusk
Depart with seed and return with fat-bursting fruit
And I eat the fruit
And still they toil: at boiling point
In head-splitting noise and threatening saws
They suck their energy from slimy cassava
And age-rusty taps: till they make a Benz
And I ride in the Benz: festooned
With striped rags and python copper coiling monsters
While the workers clap their blistered hands
And I overrun their kids
They build their hives: often out
Of the broken bones of their mates:
And I drone in them – ‘state-house’
Them, ‘collegize’ them, ‘officialize’ them
And I . . . I whore their daughters
Raised in litter-rotting hovels
And desiring a quickquick highhigh life
To break the bond
And I tell the workers to unite
Knowing well they can’t see hear or understand:
What with sweat and grime sealing their ears
And eyes already blasted with wielding sparks
And me speaking a colourless tongue
But one day a rainstorm shall flood
The litter-rotten hovels
And wash the workers’ eyes clean
Refresh the tattered muscles for a long-delayed
Blow
(By Austin Bukenya in An Introduction to East African poetry)
(a) Who is the persona in the above poem? (2 marks)
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(b) What is the poem about? (3 marks)
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(c) Identify and comment on any two stylistic devices used in this poem. (4 marks)
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(d) Describe the tone of the poem. (2 marks)
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(e) Identify one character trait of the persona as shown in the poem. (2 marks)
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(f) Explain the meaning of the following lines as used in the poem. (4 marks)
(i) Depart with seed and return with fat-bursting fruit
And I eat the fruit
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(ii) But one day a rainstorm shall flood
The litter-rotten hovel
And wash the workers’ eyes clean
Refresh the tattered muscles for a long-delayed
Blow
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(g) Identify two instances in the poem which describe the workers living in deplorable conditions. (2 marks)
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(h) Comment on the use of coordinating conjunction “And” in this poem. (1 mark)
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4. GRAMMAR
a) Rewrite the following sentences according to the instructions given without changing the meaning. (3 marks)
i) Maria said the young men had stolen her sweet potatoes. (Rewrite beginning with: Maria accused…)
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ii) It required a lot of planning and great courage to introduce free primary education in Kenya. (Begin: The…)
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iii) The judges declared that Cheptoo had won. (Finish: winner)
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b)
Rewrite the following sentences using participle phrases (3marks)
i) Some people who are afraid of technology believe that technology will take over their lives.
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ii) He knew nothing about the area so he decided to look for a house at a different place.
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iii) The teacher repeated his favourite joke as he was encouraged by the applause of the students.
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c) Use the correct form of the word in brackets in each of the sentences below (3 marks)
i) Your performance was………………………………….. (theatre)
ii) Maimuna is an …………………………………………… girl. (adventure)
iii) Do you think the seats will fit in the ……………………………… space? (avail)
d) Complete the following sentences with a phrasal verb that begins with the word in brackets. (2 marks)
i) The athlete …………………………………….. his competitors in the 800 metres race. (drop)
ii) Despite the court order, the governor ……………………………………organizing the county meeting. (go)
e) Correct the underlined idiomatic expressions. (2 marks)
i) After the thorough beating by the crowd, the thief was living a borrowed life.
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ii) The young man was asked to clean up his state by the counselor.
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f) Explain two different meanings of the following sentence. (2 marks)
i) The chicken is ready to eat.