Search
Free School Management System
Free School Management System for Kenya

Free School Management System

Learn More

KCSE CLUSTER TESTS 19

English Paper 2

1. PASSAGE (20 Marks)

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

So for, everything seems normal. But in the illustrations accompanying this description the ballerinas have been air-brushed out. Instead, an empty space, the floor and the blank wall meets the eye. Like so many other images of women in Iran the ballerinas have been censored


Dega's painting is emblematic of a basic paradox of life in Iran, 20 years after the Islamic revolution. On the one hand, the regime has succeeded in completely repressing Iranian women. At any Government Institutions, Universities and Airports there are separate entrances for women, where they are often checked for signs of violating the strict dress code. They are forbidden to go out unless they are covered by clothing that conceals everything but their hands and faces. At one of the universities where I used to teach, I'm told, a female professor was expelled because her wrist had shown from under her sleeve while she was writing on the blackboard.


Yet these measures, meant to render women invisible and powerless, are paradoxically making women visible and powerful. By attempting to control every aspect of women's lives and by staking its legitimacy on the Iranian people's supposed desire for this control the regime has unwittingly handed women a powerful weapon; every private act or gesture in defiance of official rule is now a strong political statement.

Meanwhile, because its extreme regulation of women's lives unnecessarily intrudes on the private lives of men, the, regime has also alienated many men who initially supported the revolution.
Women on the eve of the Islamic revolution were active in all areas of life in Iran, They were encouraged to participate in areas normally closed to them. Women were police officers, judges and pilots active in every field except the clergy. By 1978, 22 women were members of parliament and two sat in the senate.

The Ayatollah Khomeini accused them of betraying culture and tradition. Dr. Farrokhrou Parsa was one of these alleged traitors. She gave up her medical practice to become principal of the girls school I attended in Tehran. Then she became Iranians first female cabinet minister, in charge of education. When the Shah was ousted, Parsa was summarily tried and executed. She was charged with "corruption on earth, warring against God" and "Expansion of prostitution", allowed no defense nowhere and sentenced by hooded judges, she was put in a sack before being killed. Ayatollah Khomeini trial to expel women from the public sphere was not surprising. What was surprising was the leftist members of the revolutionary coalition who went
away. The leftist had traditionally appeared to support women's rights. However, their totalitarian mindset was ultimately more at ease with the rigid rule espoused by the reactionary clerics with the pluralistic approach favoured by the women’s movement.

Thus, when the Ayatollah began his crackdown, he had the full support of the leftists. Many Iranian women, on the other hand were not so pliant. On a cold day in March 1979, thousands of shouting women massed Tuto one of the Tehran’s wide avenues. They had gathered to express their resistance to the Ayatollah’s attempt to make them invisible. Some days earlier, the Ayatollah had annulled the family protection.

Questions

a) What reason did the Ayatollah give for wanting to make women invisible? (1mk)

......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

b) Do you think the writer of this passage is male or female? Support your answer. (2mks) ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

c) Cite one of the repressive laws against women (1mk)

......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

d) Why was the professor expelled? (1mk)

......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

e) What are the three accusations levelled against Dr. Farrokhrou Parsa in the passage. (3mks) ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

f) Describe the theme in this passage. (2mks)

......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

g) Explain the paradox the author refers in the third paragraph which begins, ‘’Yet these measures.................. (2mks) ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

h) Describe the writer’s opinion on the treatment of women in the passage. (2mks) ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

i) Suggest a possible title of the passage. (2mks)

......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

j) Explain the meaning of the following words and phrases as used in the passage. (4mks)

i) censored..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................

ii) emblematic.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................

iii) alleged..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................

iv) espoused..................................................................................................................................................................................................................

20 marks

2.EXCERPT (25 Marks)

Read the excerpt below and then answer the questions that follow.
2.

PETER STOCKMANN: I protest against the personal allusions.

DR. STOCKMANN (imperturbably): - and that, not because he is like myself, descended from some old rascal of a pirate from Pomerania ... because that is who we are descended from...

PETER STOCKMANN: An absurd legend. I deny it!

DR. STOCKMANN: ... but because he thinks what his superiors think, and holds the same opinions they hold, People who do that are, intellectually speaking, common people; and, that is why my magnificent brother Peter is in reality so very far from any distinction - and consequently also so far from being independent-minded.

PETER STOCKMANN; Mr. Chairman

HOVSTAD: So it is only the distinguished men that are liberal-minded in this country? That is a new one! (Laughter.)

DR. STOCKMANN: Yes, that is part of my new discovery too. And another part of it is that free-thinking is almost precisely the same thing as morality. That is why I maintain that it is absolutely irresponsible of the People's Messenger to proclaim, day in day out, the false doctrine that it is the masses, the crowd, the compact majority, that have the monopoly of liberal principles and morality - and that vice and corruption and every kind of intellectual depravity are the result of culture, just as all the filth that is draining into our Baths is the result of the tanneries up at Molledal! (Uproar and interruptions. DR. STOCKMANN is undisturbed, and goes on, carried away by his ardour, with a smile.) And yet this same People's Messenger can go on preaching that the living standards of the masses ought to be elevated! But, bless my soul, if the Messenger's teaching is to be depended upon, this very elevation of the masses would mean nothing more or less than setting them straightaway upon the paths of depravity! Happily, the theory that culture demoralises is only an old falsehood that our ancestors believed in and we have inherited. No, it is ignorance, poverty, ugly conditions of life, that do the devil's work! In a house which does not get aired and swept every day- my wife Katherine maintains that the floor ought to be scrubbed as well, but that is debatable-in such a house, let me tell you, people will lose within two or three years the power of thinking or acting in a moral manner. Lack of oxygen weakens the conscience. And there must be a plentiful lack of oxygen in very many houses in this town, judging from the fact that the whole ‘compact majority’ can be
irresponsible enough to wish to build the town’s prosperity on a quagmire of falsehood and deceit. ASLAKSEN: We cannot allow such a grave accusation to be flung at our community.

A CITIZEN: I move that the Chairman rule the speaker out of order.

VOICES (angrily): Hear, hear! Quite right! Make him sit down!

DR. STOCKMANN (losing his self –control): Then I will go and shout the truth at every street corner I will write it in other town’s newspapers! The whole country shall know what is going on here!

HOVSTAD: It almost seems as if Dr. Stockmann’s intention were to ruin the town.

DR. STOCKMANN: Yes, my native town is so dear to me that I would rather ruin it than see it prosper upon as lie.

ASLAKSEN: This is really serious. (uproar and whistles,

MRS. STOCKMANN coughs in vain; her husband does not listen to her any longer.)

HOVSTAD (shouting above the din): A man must be a public enemy who wishes to ruin a whole community!

DR. STOCKMANN (with growing fervour): What does the destruction of a community matter, if it lives on lies? It ought to be razed to the ground. I tell you- All who live by lies ought to be wiped out like vermin! You will end up infecting the whole country; you will bring about such a state of things that the whole country will deserve to be destroyed. And if it ever comes to that, I shall say from the bottom of my heart; Let the whole country be destroyed let these people be wiped out!

a) Place this extract in its immediate context. (3mks)

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

b) Explain the personal allusions Peter Stockmann refers to. (2mks)

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

c) Why do you think Hovstad supports Peter Stockmann’s sentiments expressed earlier on in the play that Dr. Stockmann is an enemy of the public. (2mks)

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

d) Show what is ironical about what happens after this extract. (2mks)

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

e) Using Dr.Stockmann’s long speech that begins: ‘’Yes, that is part of........discovery.......,’’, highlight why the compact majority can be described as being irresponsible. (5mks)

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

f)

i) So it is only the distinguished men that are liberal- minded in this country. (in which part of speech does the underlined fall) (1mk) ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

ii) I move the chairman rule the speaker out of order.
(paraphrase removing gender bias) (2mks)

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

g) Referring to elsewhere in the play, list down reasons advanced by different characters to show why Dr. Stockmann wishes the destruction of the whole country, and al its people be wiped out.(4 marks)

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

h) Explain the meaning of the following words or phrases according to context: (4mks)

i) absurd legend. .....................................................................................................................................................................................................

ii) quagmire of falsehood and deceit ................................................................................................................................................................

iii) vermin ............................................................................................................................................................................................................

iv) grave accusation. ...........................................................................................................................................................................................

25 marks

3.POEM (20 Marks)

Read the poem below and answer the questions that follow.
3.

a) Categorise the poem. (2mks) .

.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

b) What is the poem about? (3mks)

.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

c) Who is the persona? (2mks)

.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

d) Identify two stylistic devices used in the poem and give their effect. (6mks) .

.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

e) What is the attitude of the persona towards the addressee? (2mks)

.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

f) Describe the tone of the poem. (2mks)

.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

g) Which lines in the poem show the persona is desperately in love? (2mks)

.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

h) Give this poem a title. (1mk)

.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

20 marks

5. GRAMMAR (15 Marks)

4.

a) Rewrite the following sentences according to instructions given after each. Do not change the meaning. (3mks)

i) ‘’Should I take this job now or stay at school for another year?’’ Chumo said. (Write in reported speech.)
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

ii) I am sorry I am not a preacher. (Begin: I wish........)

...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

iii) I am pleased that we shall meet again soon.

(Rewrite using..........................................................................................looking forward....)

b) Fill in the following blank spaces using the correct form of the word in brackets. (3mks)

(i).The debate held that day on the issue was considered by many as .................................................................. ( nonsense)

ii). The.......................................................speech was applauded by all those who were present. (flaw)

iii). Our.............................................................language made our teacher of English irritated since he started teaching us (book).

c) Complete the following sentences using the correct phrasal verb from the words given in brackets. (3mks)

i) He scanned through the programme but could not........................................................................what it entailed. (make).

ii) We need to.....................................................................this problem. (chew)

iii) We can always fall back on the ideas we ...............................................................yesterday. (come)

d) Fill in the following blank spaces using the appropriate word. (4mks) i) Most newspaper opinions are given in its.......................................

ii) The chaos..................................................................been quelled by the security officers to avoid further damage of property.
iii) She has a dislike..................................................................people who are not definite in whatever they do or say.

iv) This painting is an imitation; the................................................................is much better.

e) Punctuate the following sentences correctly. (2mks)

i) We intend to buy
three things pen paper and pencil.

...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

ii) Wendo said this is Agnes shawl.

...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

15 marks

Back Top