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Change the following sentences into passive voice.
(Solved)
Change the following sentences into passive voice.
(i) Wyclif wrote the best essay
(ii) The Maasai warriors built their huts in the valley
(iii) Joy baked the most delicious cake
Date posted:
June 10, 2019
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Answers (1)
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Read the poem below and answer the questions that follow.
(Solved)
Read the poem below and answer the questions that follow.
BUILDING THE NATION
Today I did my share
In building the nation
I drove a permanent Secretary
To an important urgent function
In fact a luncheon at the Vic.
The menu reflected its importance
Cold Bell beer with small talk,
Then friend chicken with niceties
Wine to fill the hollowness of the laughs
Ice-cream to cover the stereotype jokes
Coffee to keep the PS awake on return journey.
I drove the Permanent Sectretary back.
He yawned many times in the back of the car
Did you have any lunch friend?
I replied looking straight ahead
And secretly smiling at his belated concern
That I had not, but was smiling!
Upon which he said with a seriousness
That amused more than annoyed me,
Mwananchi, I too had none!
I attended to matters of state
Highly delicate diplomatic duties you know,
And friend, it goes against my grain,
Causes me stomach ulcers and wind.
Ah, he continued, yawning again,
The pains we suffer in buiding the nation!
So the PS had ulcers too!
My ulcers I think are equally painful
Only they are caused by hunger,
Not sumptuous lunches!
So two nation builders
Arrived home this evening
With terrible stomach pains
The result of building the nation -
- Different ways.
Henry Barlow
1. Identify two voices in the poem
2. Explain what the poem addresses
3. Identify and illustrate the use of any two poetic devices uses in the poem and explain their effectiveness
4. Describe the tone in the poem
5. How would you describe the attitude of the permanent secretary towards the persona?
6. Describe the rhyme scheme in stanza one
7. i) 'He yawned many times in the back of the car.' Add a question tag
ii) ' I drove the permanent secretary back.' Write in passive voice
Date posted:
June 10, 2019
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Answers (1)
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The following sentences has two possible meanings. Explain them.
(Solved)
The following sentences has two possible meanings. Explain them.
Akinyi loves dancing more than Otieno
Date posted:
June 7, 2019
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Answers (1)
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Fill in each blank space with the correct form of the word in brackets.
(Solved)
Fill in each blank space with the correct form of the word in brackets.
i) It is not possible to spell a word from her ……………………….. (pronounce)
ii) Do not wait for the bus, it comes to this town very ………………… (Regular)
iii) The hunt for the murderers has been …………………………. (intense)
Date posted:
June 7, 2019
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Answers (1)
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Fill in the blanks with suitable preposition.
(Solved)
Fill in the blanks with suitable preposition.
i) His breath smelt ………………………. alcohol.
ii) She was living ………………………… her means.
iii) She sang her heart …………………….
Date posted:
June 7, 2019
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Answers (1)
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Read the following narrative and answer the questions which follow.
(Solved)
Read the following narrative and answer the questions which follow.
There was a great famine in the land where Obunde and his wife, Oswera, lived with their nine children. The
only creatures who had some food were the ogres and before they would part with their food, they demanded a lot
of things.
One day, Oswera went to one Ogre’s home and asked him for some food, for by then her children were almost
dying of hunger.
‘I have no more food except sweet potatoes, the ogre told her.
‘I shall be happy to have the potatoes. We have nothing, not a grain of food at my house and the children are
starving. Please let me have some and I shall repay you after the harvest.
‘No, if you want food you must exchange with something right now. Will you give me one of your children
in exchange for my potatoes? Oswera hesitated, her children were dear to her, but then they would die without
food.
‘Yes, I shall let you have one of them for his meal, if only you could let us have some potatoes,’ Oswera
answered. Then she took a big basket full of potatoes and told the ogre the exact time he could go to her home to
collect one of her children for a meal.
Oswera thought hard and she decided she would not give a single one of her children to the ogre for a meal.
She therefore cut young banana stalks and cooked them nicely.
When the ogre came, she gave them to him and the beast greedily went away satisfied. Soon the potatoes
were finished and she had to go to the ogre again.
Oswera and Obunde, her husband kept on cooking banana stalks for the ogre each time he came for one of
their children, until one day, she had no more banana stalks to cook for the animal.
“You have now eaten all my children, yet we still need the potatoes. What shall we give your now?” Oswera
asked in despair.
‘Then I shall come for you and your husband,’ the ogre replied angrily as he helped Oswera to load her basket
of potatoes on her head.
‘Yes come tomorrow at the usual time in the afternoon and get me. I shall have cooked myself for you,”
Oswera said calmly.
The following day the ogre went promptly as Oswera had told him and he found the home almost deserted.
He looked everywhere but a part from Obunde there was no trace of anybody.
Then he looked at the usual place and found a huge bowl of a big meal Oswera had cooked for him. The ogre
did not realize they had prepared a dog instead of Oswera. When he had eaten the ogre told Obunde he would
come for him the following day. Obunde got very worried and that night he could not sleep. The following day
he started crying:
Ah Oswera my wife, how did you cook yourself and how shall I cook myself for the ogre?” He sat down in
the dust of his compound and wept. Oswera became very annoyed with her husband.
You, you stupid, foolish man! Why sit and cry there all day long? How do you think I cooked myself? Take
one of the dogs and quickly prepare it for the ogre!’
Very quickly Obunde got up, caught, killed and prepared a dog for the ogre. Then he joined his wife and
children in a huge hollow part of a tree in his compound where they had hidden.
That day the ogre knew he was going to have his last meal of juicy human flesh. Being a generous and
unselfish ogre, he brought many of his fellow ogres. They were going to have a feat.
Suddenly as they were eating, they heard a man singing very happily. No they could not believe it! It was
Obunde singing! And he was boasting of how he had cheated the ogre.
The greedy ogre ate banana stalks
Not my family;
The greedy ogre ate a dog
Not Obunde Magoro!
The greedy ogre ate banana stalks
Not my family;
Now come and get Obunde,
His children and wife.
Obunde sang the words and the ogres got very angry. The first ogre rushed into the hollow of the tree, but
Oswera had heated a long piece of iron until it was white. She pushed the iron into the ogre’s mouth. The beast
fell down dead. The next one rushed into the hollow and Oswera killed him in the same way. In this way she
killed all the ogres and saved her husband and all their children.
My story ends there.
Questions
(a) Whom do you consider to be the hero in this story and why?
(b) In your own words, describe the setting of this story.
(c) Compare Obunde and the ogre as they are presented in this story.
(d) What is the role of the song in this story?
(e) Describe the character of Oswera, the wife as seen in this story.
(f) Other than the song, identify and illustrate one other feature of style used in the story.
(g) (a) Explain the moral teaching of this story.
(b) Use an appropriate proverb to summarize this lesson.
(h) List down three characteristics of the above genre.
(i) If you were to collect the above, what methods of data collection would you use?
Date posted:
June 7, 2019
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Answers (1)
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Fill in the blank spaces, with the most appropriate word.
(Solved)
Fill in the blank spaces, with the most appropriate word.
Sister Stefani (1) _______________ sent to serve with other nuns at Gikondi Parish as a nurse. She (2)
______________herself to caring for the sick. It is said by (3) ___________ of her contemporaries that many
were the (4) _____________ that she spent entire days (5) ________________ eating so as to serve her many
patients. Because of this loving service (6) ____________ dedication, the people of that (7) _____________
nicknamed her as 'Nyaatha' which means 'a merciful person.'
According to the document that missionaries kept in Gikondi Parish, there was an (8) ______________ of
plague and Sister Stefani (9) ________________the disease as she was treating one of her patients. Other nuns
had requested her not to attend to the patient to avoid being (10) ______________.
Date posted:
June 7, 2019
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Answers (1)
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Using the words in brackets, complete the following sentences with the most appropriate phrasal verb.
(Solved)
Using the words in brackets, complete the following sentences with the most appropriate phrasal verb.
(i) I was _______by his childish behaviour during the academic parade. (take).
(ii) The new students could not ____________ their way to the dormitory. (make)
Date posted:
June 7, 2019
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Answers (1)
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A flea and a fly flew up in a flue.
Said the flea, 'Let us fly!'
Said the fly, 'Let us flee.'
So they flew through a flaw...
(Solved)
A flea and a fly flew up in a flue.
Said the flea, 'Let us fly!'
Said the fly, 'Let us flee.'
So they flew through a flaw in the flue.
(i) Identify the genre above.
(ii) Identify and illustrate the dominant sound pattern in the genre above.
Date posted:
June 7, 2019
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Answers (1)
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Rewrite the following sentences according to the instructions given.
(Solved)
Rewrite the following sentences according to the instructions given.
(i) Is there life after death or not? This is a question which man has been asking himself for a very long
time.
(Rewrite beginning: The question of ……… Do not use the word question twice).
(ii) I don’t think you should go out this afternoon.
(Rewrite beginning: I’d rather…………..)
(iii) After a new principal was appointed, results began to improve.
(Rewrite beginning: Subsequent………….)
Date posted:
May 28, 2019
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Answers (1)
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Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:
(Solved)
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:
We are often advised to be confident; confidence comes when we feel passionately about what we perform, what
we have achieved, and what we can offer.
Lack of confidence can hinder a lot of things, ranging from how you get ahead in your career to the number of
skills you are able to acquire. It is a determining factor in the way you direct your career. Confidence is conveyed
from inner to the outer through the words you speak and the posture you assume. Building confidence is not a one
day affair. Neither does it take other people to build your confidence.
I remember an interview I once conducted for secretaries, and the memory of one woman is intact. She
stammered from the point she entered the office to the moment she left. Thinking that it was interview jitters, we
called her again, based on her technical qualifications rather than her presentation. She presented the same
problem. We settled on a different candidate because confidence was a key qualification for the job which
involved dealing with clients and colleagues.
Not many entry-level and first-time job seekers are coached or tutored on how to gain more self-confidence.
Instead, we tell them to “attend a few events, meet more people, and get the hang of it.” That is not the right
approach. Often, by the time you “get the hang of it,” you will have probably ruined a few chances, stepped on a
few toes, and generally spoilt a few opportunities. Confidence starts from within, which means working with
yourself to find an effective method on your capabilities.
Having had quite some experience interviewing and being interviewed, I have developed three sure-fire ways that
not only help me before an interview, but improve my general self-confidence. You must start with one as you
progress and eventually build your own self-confidence.
I have learnt that confidence begins with pushing yourself towards positive attitude. Before an interview, I tell
myself that I am capable of great things, great performance, and that the interview is only a little chat I must have
to get the job. Not only do I talk myself into entering the interview room, but I also talk myself into achieving
success, whether or not I need the job. About 90 percent of the time, I have been successful in interviews.
Doubting oneself only leads to criticizing oneself, which plants deep roots that can be almost impossible to weed
out. My mentor always used to say, “You are what you think you are.”
Secondly, beginning with one small step rather than giant leaps will ensure that you tackle interviews and first
jobs with a lot of self-confidence. There are two ways to go through this.
The first one has to do with something that you like doing, such as writing a song. However, this should not be
just any song but a new one created out of your love for music. My personal pre-interview confidence boost is to
cook something that I have never tried before. This boosts my self-confidence to new levels. After achieving that
particular goal, you must pat yourself on the back.
The third step to building confidence involves holding onto that little surge of confidence. Once you have tackled
what you have previously found to be difficult, then the next step would be to focus on building your self
confidence a lot further.
Ensure that this becomes not only a monthly confidence boost, but a daily one because, as we are all programmed,
we must build our self-confidence habitually to maintain it. Routines have been known to help anybody to
acquire and maintain confidence
(a) What is confidence according to the passage?
(b) How is confidence conveyed?
(c) What suggestions are given to first-time job seekers to help them in gaining more self-confidence?
(d) What does the writer identify as the major hindrance to confidence?
(e) According to the writer what two key qualifications were they looking for in the interview for secretaries.
(f) Identify the three ways the writer mentions that help before an interview and improve in self confidence.
(g) In not more than 50 words write what the writer has been doing to achieve success in interviews.
Rough copy
Fair copy
(h) Explain the meaning of the following words as used in the passage.
(a) Surge:
(b) Interview jitter.
(c) Habitually
Date posted:
May 28, 2019
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Answers (1)
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Read the following telephone conversation between Pato and the secretary, and then answer the questions that
come after it.
(Solved)
Read the following telephone conversation between Pato and the secretary, and then answer the questions that
come after it.
PATO: I am and want to speak with the manager.
SECRETARY: Why? What do you want with him?
PATO: That is none of your business. I want to speak with the manager now.
SECRETARY: He is not in. Say what you wanted and I will tell him.
PATO: Why are you wasting my time? Tell him to call me.
SECRETARY: How will he reach you? What is your telephone……..
(phone is disconnected).
Questions:
(i) Identify any four instances of lack of telephone conversation etiquette.
(ii) Observing proper telephone etiquette. Rewrite the telephone conversation between Pato and the secretary.
Date posted:
May 28, 2019
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Answers (1)
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Fill in each of the blank spaces in the passage below with the most appropriate word.
(Solved)
Fill in each of the blank spaces in the passage below with the most appropriate word.
We all have certain goals in life. Goals vary among people. For someone, a goal would be to get
(1)______________ of debt, while for another person it would be to (2) ________________ a house, while for
someone else; it could be a (3) ______________ in an exotic location.(4) ______________, a bad goal can sap
your energy and distract you (5) _________________ making progress. A good goal, on the other hand, can
provide the clarity and motivation you need to (6) _____________ your dreams.(7) ______________, people
confuse a goal (8) _______________ a wish. A goal is (9) ______________ from a wish. For example, you may
want to be a rich person; this is a wish and not a goal. A goal has to be realistic, measurable and has to be (10)
________________ within a specific time frame.
Date posted:
May 28, 2019
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Answers (1)
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Give two possible meanings of the following sentence.
a. John rode a bicycle by the bank.
(Solved)
Give two possible meanings of the following sentence.
a. John rode a bicycle by the bank.
Date posted:
May 28, 2019
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Answers (1)
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Join the following sentences into one using the participle.
(Solved)
Join the following sentences into one using the participle.
a. The President cheered the team. He was excited.
b. The soldiers left the war-torn region. Peace had been restored
Date posted:
May 28, 2019
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Answers (1)
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Rewrite and provide a question tag for the following sentences.
(Solved)
Rewrite and provide a question tag for the following sentences.
a. The school bus has left.
b. Mary did not attend the lesson.
c. Come in
Date posted:
May 28, 2019
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Answers (1)
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Read the following narrative then answer the questions that follow.
(Solved)
Read the following narrative then answer the questions that follow.
Once upon a time Hare and Hyena were very good friends. They visited each other every day and herded their cows
together.
There came a time when the cows started dying one after the other. The two friends wanted to find out why the cows
were dying. Hare said, ‘Let us go and kill our mothers and take out their livers. We shall then cook and taste these
livers. The bitter liver will show whose mother was making the cows die.
At once Hyena went and killed his mother. He took out the liver and cooked it. Hare went and hid his mother in the
garden in bushy banana plants. He then went and killed an antelope, took out its liver and cooked it.
The two friends met to eat their livers. “My liver is very bitter”, said the Hyena. “Mine is very sweet,” said Hare, “So
it was your mother who was making the cows die.” Hyena kept quiet and went home feeling sad. He moved from the
old house to a smaller one because now he had no mother. Hare did the same.
After a short time, there was great famine in the land. The two friends decided that each of them was to look for food
on alternate days sharing on an equal basis what was available. When it was Hyena’s turn, he went and found only
honeycombs without any honey. When Hyena brought these, Hare refused this because he had secretly gone to his
mother who had given him some bananas. This went on for many days, and Hyena grew thinner and thinner. Then he
started wondering “How does my friend remain fat and he doesn’t eat anything. I will find out.”
One day he followed Hare. Hare went to his mother as usual. ‘Mother, mother, I have come’ and the mother dropped
some bananas which Hare ate quickly. He then looked for some honeycombs and took them to the friend. “This is all I
could find my friend.” The Hyena kept quiet. The next day he went to the banana plant and called. His voice however
was very deep and no bananas were dropped for him.
There was an old hyena who was staying at the end of the forest and used to give advice to people. So Hare’s friend
went to her and told her his problem. “Go and put your tongue on the path of black ants,” He was told, “Let them bite
your tongue until it hurts. That’s how your voice will be soft.”
Hyena went and did as he was told. When he went to Hare’s mother his voice was as soft as Hare’s. “Mother, mother I
have come.” And Hare’s mother dropped bananas for his him. Then he told her to come and greet him. When she
came down and saw it was Hyena she screamed but there was nobody near to help. Hyena killed her immediately.
Hyena went and met Hare as usual saying nothing about Hare’s mother. The following day it was Hare’s turn. He
went to his usual place. “Mother” he called again. He climbed up. There was nobody. Having seen some blood on the
ground, Hare knew what had happened to his mother.
When Hare got back to Hyena’s house, he said nothing. At night, Hare took all cows including Hyena’s and went
away to live in another part of the country. That ended the Hare and Hyena’s friendship. And that is the end of my
story to you.
1. Classify the above narrative.
2. Identify three features in this story that are characteristics of oral narratives.
3. Briefly explain the character traits of the following.
a. Hare ………………………………………………………………………………………………....
b. Hyena………………………………………………………………………………………………..
4. What moral lesson do you learn from this story?
5. Identify two socioeconomic activities from the community in which the narrative is taken from.
6. You have been selected for a field work research to collect the above item.
a. Briefly explain two ways in which you will collect the information on the item.
b. Identify two problems and their solutions that you might encounter during the field work.
7. Then he started wondering 'How does my friend remain fat and he doesn’t eat anything. I will find out.'
(Rewrite into indirect speech.)
8. Describe the irony in the fifth paragraph
Date posted:
May 28, 2019
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Answers (1)
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Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
(Solved)
Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
When Google hosted a boot camp in California this month for its Android operating system, there were some
new faces in the room: auto manufacturers. They made the trip to learn about Android Auto, a new dashboard
system meant to let a smartphone power a car’s center screen. Tasks as varied as navigation, communication and
music apps, all constantly talking to the cloud. And to the driver. A similar scene is playing out just a few miles
down the road at Apple, where a rival system, CarPlay, has been developed for iPhone users.
After years of being treated as an interesting side business, autos have become the latest obsession for Silicon
Valley, with Apple assigning about 200 engineers to work on electric vehicle technology and Google saying it
envisions the public using driverless cars within five years. But nowhere is that obsession playing out more
immediately than in the battle to develop the next generation of cars’ dashboard systems.
In the coming weeks and months, dealerships around the country will begin selling vehicles capable of
running Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, or both. The systems go far beyond currently available Bluetooth pairing
for playing music or making a hands-free call, and allow for Google’s or Apple’s operating system to essentially
take over the center screen and certain buttons within the car. “Consumers have spoken,” said John Maddox,
assistant director of the University of Michigan’s Mobility Transformation Center.
“They expect to have coordination between their phone and their vehicle.” Here at Google’s headquarters,
Android Auto is about to make its debut in Americans’ cars after two years in development. Plug in a smartphone
with a USB cord and the system powers up on a car’s screen. The phone’s screen, meanwhile, goes dark, not to be
touched while driving. Apple’s CarPlay works similarly, with bubbly icons for phone calls, music, maps,
messaging and other apps appearing on the car’s center screen. (Apple declined to comment for this article.)
While the idea of constantly connected drivers zipping along roads raises concerns about distracted driving,
both companies say their systems are designed with the opposite goal: to make cellphone-toting drivers safer.“We
looked at what people do with their phones in the car, and it was scary,” said Andrew Brenner, who heads
Google’s Android Auto team. “You want to say to them, ‘Yikes, no, don’t do that.’”
Brenner said his team tried to figure out how to minimize distraction during tasks people frequently do while
driving, while also deciding what should be prevented in the car altogether. Google even built its own driverdistraction lab, to test different variations Android Auto, for example, has no “back” button like the smartphone version. No “recents” button either. Google
Maps has been adjusted to make fonts bigger and streets less detailed, for easier reading while driving. No action
should take more than two seconds — consistent with the Transportation Department’s voluntary guidelines.
“Things that we don’t show are just as important as what we do show,” Brenner said. Music is most definitely in.
Streaming video? Most definitely not.
Most social media will also be blocked, and texts can be sent only with voice commands. Apps on the screen
are optimized for speed: glance, touch and eyes back to the road. “It’s these little glances at the screen that people
do in a car,” he said.
“We want something that’s very glanceable, that can be seen and done quickly.” When the Android Auto
project began, it included a core group of automakers like General Motors, Audi, Honda and Hyundai. Now, as it
prepares for its debut, roughly two dozen car brands have signed on to offer it soon. Apple has teamed up with
roughly the same number of brands, many of which will offer both systems. Most automakers are staying mum on
their exact start dates, but Hyundai is expected to act shortly, and Volkswagen has indicated availability for its
next Golf. GM has said the same about its Spark subcompact. One of the most widespread adopters will be Ford,
which this year will begin offering both Android Auto and CarPlay in conjunction with the revamping of the
automaker’s much-criticized Sync system.
By the end of 2016, they will be available on all Fords sold in the United States. “We don’t want people to
have to make a vehicle choice based on which mobile phone they have,” said Don Butler, Ford’s executive
director for connected vehicles and services. “We want to accommodate all customers and their devices.”
Fiat-Chrysler, considered to have one of the better infotainment platforms on the market, has signed on to
support Google’s and Apple’s systems. But a bit of lament is evident. “We’re confident that our systems deliver a
good experience for our customers,” said Eric Mayne, a spokesman at Chrysler. “But we’re not standing still
either.'
Adapted from DAILY NATION Wednesday March 25, 2015
1. Why did Auto manufacturing companies make the trip to California?
2. What according to the passage shows the seriousness that companies have autos have attached to autos?
3. What does the expression 'Consumers have spoken,' imply?
4. Briefly explain how the system works?
5. Why in your opinion do social media have to be blocked?
6. In point form, summarize how developers have tried to minimize distractions that may arise out of the new
developments.
7. Rewrite the following in reported speech. 'We’re confident that our systems deliver a good experience for our customers,” said Eric Mayne, a spokesman at Chrysler..
8. What do the following words mean as used in the passage?
i) Debut ……………………………………………………………………………………….....
ii) Mum ……………………………………………………………………………………….....
iii) Infotainment
Date posted:
May 28, 2019
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Answers (1)
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Rewrite the following sentences as instructed
(Solved)
Rewrite the following sentences as instructed.
(i) (a) The photographs will be taken at the venue of the wedding. The photographs will
be taken in a reputable studio. (Combine into once sentence using ‘either …..or,,,,’)
(b) Neither the children nor the peasant ………allowed to go to the hall yesterday.
(Rewrite filling the blank with an appropriate auxiliary verb).
(ii) (a) The principal noticed serious laxity among the students. He warned them against such
behaviour. (Combine the sentence using present participle. )
(b) The farmer’s cow gives twenty-five kilos of milk everyday. He feeds and waters it very well. (Combine using
the present participle).
(iii) Underline the gerund in the following sentence.
Kibet is studying but swimming is his hobby.
(iv) Replace the underlined word with a phrasal verb.
(a) It is not good to despise other people.
(b) I am currently living with my brother in Karen
(c) The principal was annoyed with the three boys.
Date posted:
May 24, 2019
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Answers (1)
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Read the following passage and then answer the questions that follow.
(Solved)
Read the following passage and then answer the questions that follow.
Unscrupulous as he was, Kwame Asante had a qualm as he looked at the woman sitting on the
African stool near the bed. He had called her and yet when she came he did not quite know how to begin the
conversation.
“Akosua, how would you like fifty pounds to start a small business of your own – selling cloths or
perfume and powder?” The woman smiled nervously. Ten years of married life had made her wary of her
husband’s fits of generosity.
She was as black as ebony, with the fine features peculiar to the girls of the Akwapim hills; graceful
in her brown and red design cloth and the lovely silk head-tie wrapped round her head. Her feet were shod in
‘spitfire’ sandals and on her tiny ears she had the popular golden ear-rings named ‘Abongo’.
The slender woman on the stool was the mother of three children though she still looked a girl.
Married under the native customary law, she had served her lord and master with zeal and zest. It is a law
which as some other law in the Gold Coast, needs disinfecting for though it aids the man to gain his desire
when it is at its fiercest, it in no way safeguards the position of the woman when the man’s passion abates.
“Would you like fifty pounds?” asked Kwame again. “Could make it a hundred. You have been a
very good wife to me, Akosua.” Did the truth begin to dawn on the woman’s consciousness? No. She thrust
the thought away from her. ‘He could not do it’.
Kwame cleared his throat – after all he might as well get it off his chest: hadn’t she noticed that the
whole relationship had become impossible? A cloth woman was all right when one was young and struggling.
She could be so useful – a general servant, and yet a wife. Akosua was so gentle, and even quite refined, but a
man needs a change. He had just completed his two-storied building and he had been made a committee
member of an important club. The other day his academy had conferred on him an associateship and his
university had given him a coveted degree. He had at last achieved his ambition and had become an important
man in the community. He was thinking seriously of entering the town council.
Fancy being addressed councilor Kwame Asante, O.B.A…. A.S.S. He smiled inanely to himself.
Akosua looked at him in wonder.
“Er….. er…. Akosua…., I want to tell you I am going to marry a lady; you will be paid off with a hundred
pounds. A…. frock….. lady….um…..er …. of course you can read and write Ga and Twi but my friends will
call you an illiterate woman.”
“Did you consult your friends before you married me ten years ago?” The voice was cold and calm,
yet the words cut like a whip.
“If you are going to be impertinent, I shall not discuss the matter further.” He got up and walked up
and down the room. “How many men in the Gold Coast will pay a woman off with one hundred pounds? You
are only entitled to twenty-five pounds and here I am out of kindness offering you a hundred. Show some
gratitude, Akosua.” Akosua looked at him. Stark misery was in her eyes.
“I shall send the children to Achimota College.” There was a whining note in his voice. “I am only
doing this because of my position in society. You see I may be called to Government House and other
important places……. say something Akosua.
“I say you can keep your twenty five pounds, fifty pounds or a hundred pounds. I will have nothing to
do with it. I will not be paid off.
“What! What! Come! Come! Don’t do anything rush!”
“If you dare touch me I shall strike your face.”
“Strike your master, your husband! Are you mad?”
“I shall leave this house.”
“If you dare to disgrace me by leaving the house before I am ready for you to go, there will be trouble.
I do not intend to put up with a willful woman. What is my sin after all? I only want to become a decent and
respectable member of society. If you leave this house without my knowledge and permission, I shall claim
every penny I have spent on you since I married and lived with you these ten years; and not only that but I
shall claim all the presents I have given to your parents and other relatives. You know our native customary
law.”
“Yes, I know your native customary law. It is a grave to bury women alive whilst you men dance to
the tom-tom on top of the mound of earth.'
Questions
i) Why does Akosua smile nervously when Kwame offers her fifty pounds to start a small business of her own?
ii) Explain the effect of Akosua’s silence on Kwame?
iii) In not more than 60 words, summarize the reasons for Kwame’s intention to marry another wife.
v) Identify a statement from the passage which proves that Kwame was ashamed of the action he was about to
take.
vi) What is Kwame Asante’s burning ambition?
vii) Rewrite the following sentence in reported speech
‘Did you consult your friends before you married me ten years ago?’ Akosua asked Kwame.
viii) Give an instance of irony in the passage.
ix) ‘It is a grave to bury women alive whilst you men dance to the tom-tom on top of the grave.’
Explain the meaning of this statement.
x) What is Kwame’s attitude towards women?
xi) Explain the meaning of the following words and phrases as used in the passage.
a) Disinfecting …………………………………………………………………………………..
b) The words cut like a whip ………………………………………………................................
c) Impertinent ………………………………………………………………………………….
Date posted:
May 24, 2019
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Answers (1)