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English Paper Question Paper

English Paper

Course:Secondary Level

Exam Year:2010

A. COMPREHENSION
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. (20 marks)
All the interested parties in the education sector are impressed by the Kenya National Examinations Council's measures to ensure this year's national examinations are free of cheating.
It is for this reason that the 276,224 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Examination (KCSE) candidates have 4,834 examination centres manned by 4,886 supervisors who are assisted by 13,796 invigilators.All these are qualified teachers who have been recruited mainly for their integrity.
The centres are manned by 4,886 armed police officers who are ready for action should there be trouble.And as if this is not enough,there are 686 senior officers manning areas of stations where examination papers are kept.
Before they get into the examination rooms the candidates are thoroughly searched.Bags containing question papers are opened by the supervisor in the presence of all the candidates are thoroughly searched.
Any remaining question papers are sealed and kept in full view of the candidates during the particular paper's entire duration.
At the time of sitting for the paper,candidates are under hawk-eyed invigilators.And at the end of the paper answer booklets are sealed as all candidates,invigilators and the headteacher witness.All these measures are commendable.
The KNEC deserves a pat on the back also due to the fast reaction Kenyans receive from it whenever the media report leakages,which in any case,turn out to be hoaxes.In fact,all doubting Thomases are beginning to have faith in the KNEC.
However,all these money-guzzling measures would be unnecessary if Kenyan students had been brought up in a morally upright environment.
Examination cheating shows how morally deprived our society has become.It is a sign that parents and teachers have failed in their duty of moulding the youngsters.
Kenyans must stop and think why the current generation believes in shortcuts to its desire and does not wish to sweat for it.As Kenyans,we should find out if our education system is catering for the students' moral ethical needs.Whenever things go wrong in education,interested parties are quick to point accusing fingers.Teachers blame parents and the society and parents blame teachers.
It is about time this dangerous buck-passing game stopped to save the youth who are the foundation of the country's future.
The responsibility of instilling morals and ethics rests squarely on education institutions.Schools play a crucial role as far as the transmission of values is concerned as once children start going to school;they spend more time with teachers than with any other person.
This is why what teachers say in gospel to them,and not even parents can make them think otherwise.
A teacher can make a great contribution to the fostering of sound morals and religious values in children by taking interest in their behavior.
Questions
a) Make notes on the precautions put in place to ensure that the National Examination are free of cheating (8 Marks)
b) Give two reasons the writer attributes to the examination cheating (4 marks)
c) Why does the writer think that instilling morals and ethics soley rests on education institution? (3 Marks)
d) The KNEC deserves a pat for taking (string) measures to curb examination anomalies (Use the word in brackets appropriately)(1 mark)
e) Explain the contextual meaning of the following words (4 marks)
i) Manned
ii) Hoaxes
iii) Guzzling
iv) Buck-passing
B.CLOZE TEST
Read the following passage carefully and fill in the blank with a suitable word.Use only one word for each blank.
There1...many varieties of beans,peas and lentils2...have high nutritional value.Now that the quality of meat is deteriorating and its3....are rising,a good4...source of nutrition is the bean.
Beans are rich in protein5...top of that,they have the least fat content6...to other protein food.In addition its protein content is7...When combined with other food8...as cereals(rice,barely and wheat)and cashew nuts.
Beans are also rich9...of iron,phosphorous and the vitamins.While food such as milk,eggs,fish and meat contain no fibres,beans are full10...fibre.
C.ORAL SKILLS
Read the following poem and answer the question that follow(7mks)
Little Jack worker
Sat in a corner
Eating his plummies pie,
He put in a thumb,
And pulled out a plum
And said"what a good boy"
Am I
Questions
a) Identify 2 pairs of words that rhyme.(2 marks)
b) What is the mood of the poem (2 marks)
c) Identify one style used in the poem and explain its effect on the rythm of the poem (3 marks)
ii) Write another word that has the same pronunciation as the one given (5 marks)
1. Straight-
2. Bow-
3. Pear-
4. Sew-
5. Plane-
D. Complete the following proverbs (5 mks)
1. Faint heart........
2. Cut your coat.....
3. A small leak.......
4. A drowning man...
5. A bad workman....
E. Give two possible meanings of each of the following words(6 marks)
1. saw
2. race
3. wood
F. Correct the error in the idioms below (5 marks)
1. you should sit a breast of all current issues.
2. you can just give yourself a Canadian leave at this crucial time.
3. she is the orange of her father's eye.
4. if the worst comes to the best,we shall have to walk.
5. by saying that you added,salt to injury.
G. GRAMMAR
Rewrite each of the following sentences according to the instructions given,without changing the meaning(3 mks)
i) If you concentrate on studies you will make it the university.(Rewrite using unless.....)
ii) She is repairing her vehicle with the intention of selling it.(Rewrite using......with a view......)
iii) Fatuma shuddered to think of it.(Replace shuddered to,with shuddered at)
b) Replace the underlined words in the following sentences with appropriate phrasal verbs.(3 marks)
i) The school has...abolished...regulations restricting possession of civilian clothes.
ii) If you do not want to be punished,you will have to..invent..a good excuse for not attending the lesson.
iii) The restlessness at the factory seems to be..decreasing..now,most of the workers have resumed work fully.
c) Fill in the blank spaces in each sentence with the correct form of the word in brackets.(4 marks)
i) No sooner had the house girl....(lie)down than the baby....(begin)to cry.
ii) The carpenter had.....(lay)the tiles on the kirchen floor.
iii) After the cattle rustler had been.....(hang)policemen took his body away.
iv) Cain.....Abel(slay)
d) Rewrite each of the following sentences according to the instructions given(3 marks)
i) The Principal praises the students only when they have performed well in their exams.(Begin:Only.......)
ii) The police offered us a reward.(Rewrite in the passive)
iii) He has bad handwriting in the class(Rewrite using a superlative)
e) Join the following sentences into one,turning one of them into a participle phrase(2 marks)
1. They sensed danger.They rushed to the kitchen.
2. Wanja ordered him to stand up.She run to the door and opened it.
F. Rewrite the following sentences to the passive voice(4marks)
1. The teacher warned the naughtly boy against mimicking the visitor
2. Children should respect their parents in order to be blessed.
3. All good christians shoul obey God'scommandments.
4. Choose the correct word.
We cannot accomodate another person there is.......space left.(little,a little

English Paper Question Paper

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