English Paper 3 Questions and Answers - Meru Central Cluster Exam 2020

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ENGLISH
PAPER 3
CREATIVE COMPOSITION AND ESSAYS BASED ON SET TEXTS

TIME: 2½  HOURS

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Answer three questions only.
  • Questions one and two are compulsory.
  • In question three choose only one of the optional texts you have prepared on.
  • Where a candidate presents work on more than one optional text, only the first one to appear will be marked.
  • Each of your essays must not exceed 450 words.
  • Candidates must answer the questions in English.

 

  1. Imaginative composition (compulsory) (20marks)
    Either
    1. Write a composition ending with "…..If I was given another chance, I would do things differently.”
      or
    2. Write an essay on the role of the youth in curbing the covid-19 rising cases.

  2. The Compulsory Set Text (20 marks)
    Henrik Ibsen, A Doll’s House
    • “Desperate situations call for desperate measures.”
      Referring closely to A Doll’s House, write an essay in support of this statement.

  3. Optional Set Texts
    Either
    1. Short Story
      Moran (Ed) Memories we Lost and Other Stories
      Using illustrations from Benjamin Branoff’s, The Window Seat, write an essay on the chaos of urban life. (20mks)

      Or

    2. Drama
      David Mulwa, Inheritance
      “The citizens of Kutula have been betrayed by their leaders and have become disillusioned.” Basing your essay on David Mulwa’s play The Inheritance, write an essay to justify this statement.

      Or

    3. The Novel: The Pearl by John Steinbeck.
      “Greed brings out the worst in us.” Show the truth of this statement with reference to John Steinbeck’s ‘The Pearl’

MARKING SCHEME

  1.    
    1. (20mrk) point of interpretation
      • The sentence given must appear at the end of the composition. If not, deduct (2mrk)
      • The story must be relevant to the given sentences i.e a situation where one regrets having done something in the wrong way. Deduct up to 4mrk, AD for irrelevance.
      • The candidate must use the first person narration technique- if not treat as irrelevant any apply rule above.
      • Award a numerical mark based on the linguistic competence demonstrated by the candidate.
    2. You should take part in
      • Washing hand regularly
      • Wearing of PPES eg masks.
      • Maintaining social distance in public places.
      • Voluntary testing incase of symptoms.
      • Sensitizing the public on the ways of preventing infection.
      • Maintaining general hygiene
        NB: expound the points in paragraphs.
        NB; In question 1(a) and (b) examiners should be closely guided by the following guidelines so as not to under mark or over mark the candidates essays.

      • D CLASS
        The candidate does not communicate at all. His/ her language ability is so minimal that the examiner practically has to guess what the candidate wants to say. The candidate fails to fit English words he/ she know into meaningful sentences. The subject is glanced at or distorted. Practically no punctuation. All kinds of errors. Broken English is evident.
        • D- 01- 02 Chaotic. Little meaning whatsoever. Question paper or Words from it simply copied.
        • D 03 Flow of thought almost impossible to follow. The errors are continuous.
        • D+ 04-05 although the English is often broken and the essay is full of errors of all types, we can at least guess what the candidate wants to say.

      • C CLASS
        The candidate communicates understandably but only more or less clearly.
        He/ she is not confident with his language. The subject is often undeveloped. There may be some digressions. Unnecessary repetitions are frequent. The arrangement is weak and the flow jerky. There is no economy of language. Mother tongue influence is felt.
        • C-06 - 07 The candidate obviously finds it difficult to communicate, his ideas. He/she is seriously hampered by his/ her very limited knowledge of structure and vocabulary. This results in many gross errors of agreement, spelling, misuse of prepositions, tenses, verb agreement and sentence construction.
        • C+09-10 The candidate communicates but not with consistent clarity. His/ her linguistic abilities being very limited, he/she cannot avoid frequent errors in sentence structure. There is little variety or originality. Very bookish English. Links are weak, incorrect and repeated at times.
        • C + 09- 10 The candidate communicates clearly but in a flat and uncertain manner. Simply concepts sentence forms are often strained. There may be an overuse of cliches, unsuitable idioms. Proverbs are misquoted or misinterpreted. The flow is still jerky. There are some errors of agreement, tenses, spelling.

      • B CLASS
        This class is characterized by greater fluency and ease of expression. The candidate demonstrates that he/ she can use English as a normal way of expressing himself/ herself. Sentence are varied and usually well constructed. Some candidates become ambitious and even over- ambitious. There may be items of merit of the one word or one expression type. Many essays in this category may be just clean and unassuming, but they still show that the candidate is at ease with the language.
        • B-11- 12 The candidate communicates fairly and with some fluency. There may be little variety in sentence structure. Gross errors are still found occasionally
        • B 13 The sentences are varied but rather simple. Straightforward. The candidate does not strain himself in an effort to impress. There is a fair range of vocabulary and idiom. Natural and effortless. Some items of merit. Economy of language.
        • B+ 14-15 The candidate communicates his ideas pleasantly and without strain. There are errors and slips. Tenses, spelling and punctuation are quite good. A number of items of merit of the "whole sentence" or the "whole expression" type.

      • A CLASS
        The candidate communicates not only fluently, but attractively, with originality and efficiency. He/she has the ability to make us share his/ her deep feelings, emotions, enthusiasms. He/ she expresses himself/ herself freely and without any visible constraint. The script gives evidence of maturity, good planning and often humour. Many items of merit which indicate that the candidate has complete command of the language. There is no strain, just pleasantness, clever arrangement, felicity of expression.
        • A - 16 - 17 The candidate shows competence and fluency in using the language. He / She may lack imagination or originality which usually provides the "spark" . in such essays. Vocabulary, idiom, sentence structure, links, variety are impressive. Gross errors are very rare.
        • A 18 Positive ability. A few errors that are felt to be slips. The story or argument has a definite impact. No grammar problem. Variety of structures. A definite spark Many margin ticks.
        • A+19-20 The candidate communicates not only information and meaning, but also and especially the candidate's whole self: his / her feelings, tastes, points of view, youth, culture . This ability to communicate his/ her deep self may express itself in many ways, wide range of effective-vocabulary, original approach, vivid sustained account in the case of a narrative, well developed and ordered argument in the case of a debate or discussion. Errors and slips should not deprive the candidate of the full marks he/she deserves very definite spark.

  2. The compulsory set text
    • “Desperate situations call for desperate measures.”
      Support this statement with a close reference to A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen.
      Consider
      1. Nora becomes desperate when she is informed by the doctors that her husband is very ill and needs to go to Italy for a year to recover yet they have no money. She takes a loan with Krogstad, an individual of questionable character who blackmails her later.
      2. Nora becomes desperate again when her husband fires Krogstad yet the latter threatens to expose both Nora and Helmer on the matter of Nora’s forgery. This leads Nora to plan for suicide to save her husband.
      3. Krogstad is desperate to regain his reputation which won’t happen if he is fired. He blackmails Nora to try and secure his position in the bank.
      4. Mrs. Linde forfeits her relationship with the person she loves because he is penniless. This is because her mother is very sick and there are two younger brothers to fend for. Mrs. Linde marries a rich man to take care of herself, her mother and her brothers.
      5. Nora has to work in secret to get money to repay the loan from Krogstad. Out of desperation, she has to sacrifice any money due to her for her personal needs to pay both instalments and interest.
    • Accept any other valid points.
      Mark any 4 points
      3:3:3:3 =12 marks
      Introduction: 2 marks
      Conclusion: 2 marks
      Language competence: 4 marks
  3.      
    1.  Short Story: Memories We Lost and Other Short Stories.   
      1. First, transport is uncomfortable. The narrator travels around town in an overcrowded van. It carries twenty-four passengers in a space meant for ten. He says that they are packed like sardines and that their backs are fused together.
      2. The roads are dusty and bumpy. Dust drifts into the vehicles and the sides of the road are overgrown with grass. Sometimes the dust is red other times grey.
      3. The environment is noisy at all times. There is shouting from the numerous conductors calling for passengers, music blaring from disc vendors. The conductor yells obscurities.
      4. People are burning foliage and garbage on the sides of the roads. The fire is left to burn large swathes of grass. Various smells are evident. Smoke from the bush fire, garbage, sweat and the smell of sea salt. There are piles of garbage left to rot by the roadside.
      5. The town streets are overcrowded. Then narrator talks of currents of human traffic that prevents him from chasing after Monique. He talks of a million feet shuffling out of the daladala.
      6. The policemen manning the city streets are corrupt. He stops the daladala in which the narrator is riding and on finding no fault with the vehicle, grabs ignition keys and only returns them when the crew gives him some money.
      7. The town as portrayed in the story is a theatre of disorder. The chaos in travel, the polluted environment, the not-so-smooth roads and the insecurity is worrying. The story ends with the narrator realizing that he has lost his wallet in the melee, probably to the kanga lady that he had earlier admired.

    2. Drama: Inheritance
      • Introduction
        As a result of bad leadership, the people of Kutula are disappointed by their leaders who have impoverished those broken families and gotten them into debt. They suffer injustice in the hands at the hands of their own leaders.
        1. Lacuna grabs the people’s wealth.
          • He kills his father, the people’s leader, and takes the crown.
          • He keeps money in foreign accounts that he has embezzled from Kutula.
          • Buys a plane with the people’s money.
          • He runs down the economy.
          • The people feel hopeless. Tamina changes her name from Anna to Tamina because she feels she cannot associate with the same God as Lacuna.
        2. The people suffer because of corruption.
          • Judah invests in bribing Mithambo (his boss) with drinks to get the job of machine operator.
          • His family suffers when he does not send money home.
          • Lulu his daughter is sent home from school. For her, God does not exist; for He cannot allow such suffering on them if he did. She is disillusioned.
        3. Lacuna thrives on nepotism.
          • He rewards sycophants and his clansmen.
          • Qualified citizens are left unemployed.
          • Those employed are poorly paid and overtaxed.
          • Judahn Zen Melo loses hope in God, and the desire to pray.
        4. Many people are killed, while others disappear.
          • On the night of Lacuna’s inauguration, many people disappear.
          • Judah is killed for refusal to allow Lacuna to marry Lulu.
          • Judah’s death and locking up of Lulu make Tamina to go insane.
      • Conclusion
        All in all, it is true that the people are betrayed by their leaders and their government. They are disappointed and feel hopeless with no one to turn to.
      • Accept any other valid points.
        Mark any 4 points 3:3:3:3 = 12 marks
        Introduction: 2 marks
        Conclusion: 2 marks
        Language competence: 4 marks

    3. The Novel: The Pearl 
      “Greed brings out the worst in us”
      • Introduction
        Greed is a vice that can portray us in a very negative way. Quite undesirable traits in people stem from greed. This is what happens in The Pearl where some characters are unable to restrain their greedy nature as discussed below.
      • Body
        1. Greed makes the doctor completely inhuman and detestable. When Coyotito is brought to him for treatment, he turns them down because he knew they didn’t have money. His greed for money comes before the life of humanity. He later wants to cheat Kino out of his Pearl. This is after he learns that Kino has the Pearl of the world and claims Coyotito is his patient.
        2. The pearl buyers greed turns them into cheats. They cheat the Pearl sellers so as to make good sales. They term Kino’s Pearl a monstericity so as to hoodwink him to sell them the Pearl at a throw away price. The collude with other Pearl buyers so that they act as many yet, it was one. They have even agreed amongst themselves the prices to offer Kino.
        3. The priest’s greed makes him manipulative. He psychologically manipulates Kino telling him that he is a namesake to a great man in the church. He wants Kino and Jauna married in church. He also wants Coyotito baptized and the church repaired. All these demands are meant to armtwist Kino to share the proceeds of the Pearl with the “church.” This brings the priests character as a religious hypocrite as we know he has never been to the brush houses.
        4. The trackers greed turn them to man hunters. They follow Kino to the bitter end up to the mountains just to get the Pearl from him. Eventually, this leads to the shooting of Coyotito.
      • Conclusion
        It is during such times when one desires something so much that their true colours are evident. The doctor, the priest, the trackers and the Pearl buyers’ characters come to the fore during their moments of desire, hence making greed a vice.
      • Accept other well illustrated and valid points.
        4 points 4 x 3=12- body
        Introduction – 2mks
        Conclusion – 2mks
        Language – 4mks – tied the marks on the content
        NB: All essays must be in continuous prose. If not mark out 50% 
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