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KCSE CLUSTER TEST 14

English Paper 2

1. COMPREHESION (20 Marks)

Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow
1.

Communication plays an important role in human life. Over time, the means of communication has advanced creating efficiency and convenience. The world is moving very fast in technological advancement, with new inventions advancing our horizons in the technological world.

We started with the homing pigeons, messengers, pictograms and signals, and then we moved to the 1860's Pony Express, followed by the 19th Century telegraph, telephone and radio, and finally the 20th Century television and computer. With computer, the internet was born. This incorporates the World Wide Web (WWW) commonly known as the web, Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), electronic mail (email), and Smart phones all leading to networking. Online networking websites such as Facebook, Skype, Twitter, MySpace, and Linkedln are increasingly becoming the most popular means of instant communication. By using the internet, one can work from anywhere: in the office, at home, in a car, when travelling, out of the country and also one can do video conferences or teleconferences. Advertisement of goods and services has for a long time been done on radio, television and newspapers. Lately, all of these adverts and pieces of information are available on the net. You only need to search and get more than you need. Employers are advertising for job openings on their websites. As a job seeker, you only need to log on and search for all the jobs related to your qualifications and apply online - no paperwork or postage bills. There has been a role reversal when job seekers post their curriculum vitae online letting employers look at their qualifications, contact them via emails, interview them online and recruit them.


In education, classes are being conducted online, hence if one has a busy schedule, one does not need to be physically in class but attends the class, does the reading, and hands in assignments through the web. Lecturers will always have extra material for students; instead of photocopying all the class notes, students can access most of them online, lecturers' websites, through emails as attachments and make their own summaries. Instructors can also give assignments while away or when they are busy elsewhere. They can lecture in different universities and lecture halls at the same time through video conferencing.


The world of business has grown tremendously through the internet. Anyone can access information either on services or goods being offered without walking into the premises. One can also make sales or purchases in what is called electronic commerce with just one click on a cell phone screen. For the employers who travel frequently, the WiFi has made their jobs easy; they can stay in touch with their employees at their offices. Similarly, they are also capable of watching them on laptop screens and interact with them physically and verbally.


Banks and companies dealing with communication services have benefited a great deal out of the technological advancement. People are able to perform banking services online including withdrawing money, checking balances, paying bills, making money transfers to other accounts and carrying large amounts of money safely and conveniently through communication lines. In Kenya, services like Orange Money, Airtel Money, Yu Cash and M-pesa are available. Customers are able to withdraw money from their bank accounts and make deposits through their mobile phones. The inconveniences caused by delays with the post offices are now a story of the past. With e-mails, there has been an overhaul in the exchange of information. No paper wastage and loss of documents as it used to be earlier. This has been replaced by urgency and immediate access to information. E- mails too allow one to attach images and large documents, save information making it easy to record and retrieve it when needed.

The cellular phones' features are allowing people to multitask and do amazing tasks. With such phones, one can access the internet, keep track of appointments, communicate through the short message service (SMS) and leave voice mails which have of late become the quickest way of communication amongst friends, family members and clients.

Online networking websites, such as Facebook, Skype, Twitter, My Space ,and LinkedIn, are increasingly becoming the most popular means of instant and comprehensive communication. These sites allow registered users to communicate moment by moment through the chat service. Users can add images, update their status, publish their works and achievements, share successes, start a fan page for one's business, write notes, send personal messages, make friends, reunite with old friends, see them with the help of webcams and interact as if you were not miles apart.

The latest General Positioning System (GPS) can show an individual's position with pinpoint accuracy. An individual can ask for directions from the system and it will show you the closest route that you can get there. If the road to the destination is under construction or if you cannot go in that path, the GPS will choose a different route for you. If there are tolls and police checks it will also indicate that and be in a position to reroute you to the most convenient route.


However, the more the world benefits from the technological advancement; the demerits of the same emerge. People and in particular the youth, end up spending a lot of time chat ting on Facebook and other social networking sites over non- important topics leading to time wastage. Dangerous information and images which are not protected can ruin the youth as they get exposed to wrong and criminal behaviour. Cheating and lying on phone has become the order of the day. People have got a new way of earning money alleging to be kidnapped and ransom to the kidnappers can only be done electronically. Threats through phone calls and SMS can be ominous, stressful and traumatizing. People are being conned of their money withdrawn through corrupt deals using similar technology like M- pesa and other phone services. Listening to music on the cell phone while driving or while working can cause accidents as they distract one’s attention. It is very crucial to move with the technology advancements but always be careful

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a) How has internet changed the world? (2mks) ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................................................

b) How has the internet changed the way educational content is delivered? 2mks) ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................................................

c) What does the author mean by saying that one can multi task using a mobile phone? (3mks) ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................................................
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d) According to the passage, what is electronic commerce? (2mks)

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e) Make notes on how employers benefit from online services. (3mks) ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................................................

f) If your school had a computer lab, how would you benefit from it? (3mks) ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................................................

g) Rewrite this sentence as instructed (1mk)

The world of business has grown tremendously through the internet. (end with......tremendously) ................................................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................................................

h) What is the author’s attitude towards technology? (2mks)

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i) Explain the meaning of the following words as used in the passage (2mks)

i) Online

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ii) Multitask.

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20 marks

2. EXTRACT (25 Marks)

Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow.
2.

She had come so far to seek a new way and something as insignificant as location could not deter her. Was she not the daughter of a chief? Was her mother not Akoko, daughter of the great chief Odero? Far be it from her that she should succumb to cowardice and fear. She would learn all she had to. She would get her baptism and become a member of the one, holy, apostolic and Catholic Church. One day, and may the day come quickly, she would partake of the body and blood of Kristo and become a branch, finally grafted to a tree. She had also decided that the first thing she would do after baptism was to go for her mother and daughter. She suspected that her mother would take to the new faith like ngege (fish) to water. It offered such consolation for one could identify oneself easily with the desolation of Mary (whose barrenness was removed by God), the warm love of weak Peter (Lord you know everything, you know that I love you!). And that after he had just denied him to a little slave girl! What ignominy!


One law she knew she would find very hard to keep was the church's law on marriage. The church taught the one man should marry one woman and there was no compromise in that matter. Now who would want to marry a widow such as herself as his first and only wife? No one. She knew her people well enough not to deceive herself. Her problem was that she wanted children so badly. Children were consolation, laughter and security. Children were everything. At least Chik had provided for that particular contingency by the institution of tero. It was only a kind of half marriage and not very fulfilling but at least children would be forthcoming.


Nyabera knew herself well enough to know that if she ever failed, it would be because of this. However, only a fool tries to peer into the future; enough unto the day were the problems thereof and the problem of that particular day was to give satisfaction in catechism and get baptized. Everything that has a beginning has an end.


a) What happens just before and after this extract? (2mks)

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b) Identify an aspect of allusion. What is its significance? (3mks)

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c) Illustrate any two features of style that are used in the extract apart from allusion. (4mks) ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................................................

d) Which character trait about Nyabera comes out clearly in the extract? (2mks) ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................................................

e) What is Nyabera’s one wish? With illustrations, explain if the wish was fulfilled or not. (3mks) ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................................................

f) Comment on the significance of traditional ceremony and ritual in the life of the people cited in the text. (3mks) ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................................................
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g) Explain two thematic concerns highlighted in the extract. (4mks)

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h) She knew her people well enough not to deceive herself. ( Rewrite using .......not only...) (1mk) ................................................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................................................

i) “One day and may the day come quickly, she would partake of the body and blood of Kristo and become a branch finally grafted to a tree.” (paraphrase this sentence). (2mks)

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25 marks

3. POEM (20 Marks)

Read the poem below and answer the questions
3.

Lie back, daughter, let your head.

Be lipped back in the cup of my hand,

Gently and I will hold you. Spread.

Your arms wide lie out on the streams

And look high at the gulls.

A dead- man’s float his face down.

You will dive and swim enough where this tide water ebbs to sea.

Daughter, believe me, when you lie on the long thrash to your Island,

Lie up and survive as you float now,

where I hold you and let go,

remember when fear cramps your heart what I told you:

Lie gently and wide to the light – year

Stars, lie back and the sea will hold you.


Questions

a) Explain what the poem is a bout. (2mks)

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b) Who is the persona in this poem? (2mks)

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c) Describe two character traits of the persona (4mks)

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d) Identify and explain three stylistic devices employed in the poem. (6mks) ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................................................

e) What is the tone of the poem? (3mks)

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f) Explain the meaning of the following words and phrases as used in the poem. (3mks)

i) ebbs

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ii) When fear cramps your heart.

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iii) The sea will hold you.

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20 marks

4. GRAMMAR (15 Marks)

4.

a) Rewrite the following sentences according to the instructions given. Do not change the meaning.

i) The teacher was so disappointed. She ordered the students to leave the scene. [ Rewrite into one sentence beginning with the word ‘So’.] .................................................................................................................................................. ................................................................................................................................................ ................................................................................................................................................

ii) Many people love Mary because she is humble. Replace the under lined word with ‘humility’. .................................................................................................................................................. ................................................................................................................................................ ................................................................................................................................................

iii) If you have nothing else to say, we will adjourn the meeting now. Begin with: Unless............. .................................................................................................................................................. ................................................................................................................................................ ................................................................................................................................................

iv) The man with a loud mouth shouted from the back of the room. Replace the underlined expression with a compound attribute adjective. .................................................................................................................................................. ................................................................................................................................................ ................................................................................................................................................

b) Replace the underlined words with an appropriate phrasal verbs. (3mks)

i) The doctor remarked that the little girl resembled her father.____________________

ii) The old man died quietly last night._______________________

iii) His performance did not meet the expected standard.______________


c) Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the word in the brackets. (4mks)

i) The government says that the town’s ______________________ will be relocated. (sewer)

ii) We have a really wonderful _____________________ performing tonight at the country headquarters (Lyric)

iii) The angry crowd’s____________________against the police was loudly registered. (repulse)

iv) The citizens of Kenya are asking for _____________ officers to be vetted. (procure)

d) Punctuate the following sentences. (2mks)

i) What are you saying that the prime minister has been involved in an accident? .................................................................................................................................................. ................................................................................................................................................

ii) Friends companions relatives all deserted him

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e) Answer the following questions as instructed

i) Let us go_______________________ lunch ( fill in the correct word)

ii) We are going to discuss about the issues affecting the club. (Write the sentence correctly) .................................................................................................................................................. ................................................................................................................................................

15 marks

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