English Paper 3 Questions and Answers - MECS Cluster Joint Mock Examinations 2022

QUESTIONS

1. Imaginative composition (compulsory) (20 marks)
   Either 
   1. Write a composition ending with the words:.............it was then that I realized I had ruined my life by associating with the wrong friends.
      Or
   2. Write a composition explaining how modern technology has negatively affected the youth in Kenya.
2. DRAMA: (compulsory)
   A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen. (20 marks)
   “Things are not always as they seem” Write an essay basing your illustrations from A Doll’s house to confirm this assertion.
3. The Optional Set Texts 
   1. Short Stories: Memories we Lost and Other Stories: Chris Wanjala.(20mks)
      Write a composition on the challenges experienced by the sick girl and her family members citing illustrations from the short story Memories we lost by Lidudumalingani Mqombothi.
   2. Drama: Inheritance: David Mulwa
      “Fate has a way of punishing or rewarding its victims based on their actions”. Drawing illustrations from the play Inheritance by David Mulwa, Write an essay to justify this statement.
   3. The Novel:  The Pearl: John Steinbeck.
      ‘Most people in the society have lost their moral values’: using The Pearl by John Steinbeck for your illustrations show the truth of the above statement.

MARKING SCHEME 

Paper 101/3 is intended to test the candidate’s ability to communicate in writing. Communication is established at different levels of intelligibility correctness, accuracy, fluency pleasantness and originality. Within the constrains set by each question, it is the linguistic competence shown by the candidate that should carry most of the marks.
Examiners should not hesitate to use the full range of marks for each essay.
It is important to determine first how each essay communicates and in which category A, B, C or D it fits.
The marks indicated below are for question one

D CLASS The candidate either does not communicate at all or his language ability is so
(01 – 05) minimal that the examiner practically has to guess what the candidate wants to say. The candidate fails to fit the English words he knows into meaningful punctuation. All kinds of errors (Broken English)
D 01- 02 chaotic little meaning whatsoever. Question paper or some 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 or less clearly. 
(06 - 10) He is not confident with his language. The subject is often undeveloped.
There may be some digression. 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/her 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
C08 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, repeated at times.
C+ 09 -10 The candidate communicates clearly but in a flat and uncertain manner
Simple concepts sentences forma are often strained. There may be an overuse of clichés, unsuitable idioms. Proverbs are misquoted or misinterpreted. The flow is still jerky. There are some errors of agreement, tenses and spelling.

B – CLASS    This class is characterized by greater fluency and ease of expression. 
(11 – 15) The Candidate demonstrates that he/she can use English as a normal way of expressing himself/herself. Sentences are varied and usually well constructed. Some candidates become ambitious and even over ambitions. There may be items of merit of the one word or one expression type. Many essays in this category may be just clean and assuming but they still show that the candidate is at case with the language. There may be a tendency to under mark such essays. Give credit for tone
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 but this must not be over punished by the examiners
B13 The sentences are varied but rather simple and straight forward. 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 deep feelings, emotions, enthusiasms. He/she expresses himself freely 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 and expression
A 16 -17 The candidate show competence and fluency in using the language. He 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.
A18 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 deeply may express itself in a wide range of effective vocabulary original approach, vivid and 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 range of marks he deserves.  A very definite spark.

Questions: 1a
Points of Interpretation:

1. It must be a story
2. The ending statement must appear at the ending, if not, deduct 2 mks AD.
3. The story must be relevant, if not treat it as irrelevant, 
4. It is the linguistic competence that should carry most marks.

Question: 1b
Must be explanatory/discursive, if not deduct 2mks AD.
Must explain how young people have been negatively affected by modern technology, if not deduct 2mks AD. (Irrelevance)

2. Drama; DOLL’S HOUSE .
‘Things are not always as they seem’. Write an essay basing your illustrations from A Doll’s House to confirm this assertion. (20marks)
We live in a world of contradictions where what you see is not always what you get or what there is. Truly, all that glitters is not gold. 
Di) First Nora seems like a silly, childish woman that is extravagant, hardly self-reliant and only good for housekeeping. However, her actions prove that she is wise, mature and strong willed. Her husband refers to her as a little squirrel and little spendthrift. Torvald overworks himself and falls dreadfully ill. She borrows a loan of 250 pounds when her husband falls sick in order to facilitate a year belong vacation in Italy for him to get some rest as recommended by the doctors. She does needle work and crocheting to pay off the loan herself. She also saves the money she gets from her husband so she’s not a spendthrift after all. This is great sacrifice. When her husband rebukes her for borrowing the money, she leaves him. This shows her strong will and independence. It turns out that she was never happy after all. Indeed, things are not always as they seem.
Dii) Also, Torvald seems like a loving, strong, benevolent husband. Later on, we realize that he is egocentric and cowardly. He only cares about his reputation and what others think of him. This is illustrated by the reason he gives for wanting to dismiss Krogstad. When Torvald gets to know aboutKrogstad’s impending blackmail, he calls Nora a criminal and a miserable creature and forbids her from raising the children. This is due to his cynicism nature. He also fears being exposed.
Diii) At first, Krogstad seems to be a bitter, vengeful extortionist. Later, we realize that he is actually merciful and sympathetic. Nora borrows a loan of 250 pounds from him and forges her father’s signature in the process. Torvald plans to dismiss Krogstad forces Krogstad to blackmail Nora in order to keep his job and as well as safeguard his reputation. He writes a letter to Torvald with the details of his secret transactions with Nora. He does all this for his two sons. When he reunites with Mrs. Linde,he recalls the letter. This reveals his merciful side. 
Div) Doctor Rank is introduced as true friend to the Helmer’s. Nora says that he is Torvalds’s best friend. He visits them on a daily basis. Little did we know that he secretly admires his best friend’s wife.  He even confesses this to Nora. This depicts his motive for the daily visits. He intimately loves Nora.
Dv) Helmer’s marriage appears loving. Nora’s marriage to Torvald seems like happy marriage but it turns out to be a suffocating prison for Nora.
It is full of lies, pretense, play-acting and an unequal relationship. At first, Torvald appears as an affectionate and caring husband. He uses pet names to pamper Nora. He is also fond of giving his wife money.Nora appears happy. The difference appears when we come to know of the deception. Nora borrowed a loan without her husband’s knowledge. Nora thought that her husband will stand by her if the truth prevails. This is not what happened. Torvald seems to be a selfish man who does not love Nora but only cares about public reputation. Eventually, she is forced to leave Torvald. 
In conclusion, the playwright has successfully revealed that appearance can be deceptive. 

Optional texts:
3a)MEMORIES WE LOST
Write a composition on the challenges experienced by the sick girl and her family members, citing illustrations from the short story Memories we lost by lidudumalingani Mqombothi. (20marks)
Mental health problems bring along with them a myriad of challenges. The patients and the people around them cope with problems such as injuries, ignorance and misdiagnosis. This is illustrated in the short story Memories we Lost
Mi) Firstly, illness makes the patient to run away from home in the middle of the night. The mother and the entire village are abducted from their sleep. Mean and boys organized a disoriented search party in small uncoordinated groups. Children are frightened. The entire village searches for her in the darkness facing the risk of plunging down a cliff. They would search and search for the whole night.
Mii) Secondly, the illness makes the patient injure herself and even hurt her sister. She smashes her head on the wall until she bleeds. Her terrified sister grabs her and tries to protect her but all I vain since she becomes quite strong. She cracks the wall open with her hand. This affects the narrator psychologically for some time. The narrator began to smell the bloodstain in her dreams, clothes and everything else.
Miii) Thirdly, The sick girl throws hot porridge on the sister and scalded her chest. The protective sister protects her by saying she accidentally poured hot water on herself. She had to run for safety when her sister had unconsciously flung the pot with hot porridge across the room. She did not mean to hurt her sister. She did it unconsciously since when she gained consciousness she is shocked and devastated. Had she known what she had done, she would never have forgiven herself.
Miv) Fourthly, The sister swings a desk across the room and smashes a window. She had smashed a chair against a wall and was screaming incoherent words. Her eyes are red. She only comes to her senses when she spots her sister in the crowd. The incident affects the narrator and goes truant from school. She feigns illness to stay at home with her sister. She tells her “I want to be in the same class with you”. They stay together doing sketches and the patient convinces the sister to go back to school and even coaxes her in a wheedling way. Over the years the girls missed so much school that her younger sister caught up and went two grades higher than her.
Mv) Lastly, the sisters are forced to run away from home when the narrator eaves drops on the mother planning to have her sister taken to a traditional healer named Nkunzi. He lives in a remote village some miles away from their home. He is famous for ‘baking’ mentally ill people claiming to cure them. He would make a fire from cow dung and weeds and then tie the ‘demon possessed’ person on zinc roofing and place it on fire. This brutal method resulted in death since the narrator does not know anyone who survived Nkunzi’s ‘baking’. They flee home at sunset. They wander far away from their village to a village she thinks is known as Philani. She takes her sister to hospital.
In conclusion, the writer has portrayed how sick people and those around them undergo many challenges. 

Question (3b Drama: Inheritance David Mulwa.
INTRODUCTION:
When one does good things/acts humane towards others will eventually be rewarded, on  other those who do evil and are cruel to others will equally get their dues accordingly.
Content
Ii) The old king kutula treated his people well. He was at the forefront in kutula’s fight for their self rule/independence. He did not want his people to live in debt and he did not work with the foreigners to take loans. He envisioned a self sustainable kutula.In turn,kutula people were all behind him and they eventually attained independence from the colonialists. The people loved and respected him.
Iii)Princes sangoi does good things to the people of kutula.He offers emotional and financial support to the people.For instance,she offers to pay lulu’s school fees and protect her from the preying arms of lacuna kasoo during the commemoration festival.She is seen to be supportive to the oppressed people of kutula and the exact opposite of his cruel step-brother.,lacuna kazoo.Due to her good deeds,she is eventually paid with leadership and love by the people.
Iiii) Lacuna is an oppressive and cruel leader.He forces the people to acknowledge his leadership.He takes loans and makes people pay very high taxes.He only employs people who are loyal to him and his clansmen in various powerfull positions in the government regardless of their competence and qualifications.In the end, the people turned against him and is removed from the throne and he is detained.He pays for his bad deeds.
Iiii) Robert  and Goldstein exploit Lacunas incompetence as a leader.They lure him into taking loans thus rendering Kutula financially dependent on them.They give Lacuna loans totaling to one hundred and twenty billion.The people are forced to pay high taxes to repay the loans.Following Lacunas dethronement,Robert  and Goldstein are first detained and then deported from Kutula.They also lost money that they had given Lacuna as loans since the new regime under Sangoi vowed not to pay for lacunas incompetence.

CONCLUSION
It is evident that one reaps what he/she sows. Our actions in the past will eventually catch up with us.
NB: Accept other valid points.

Question (3c): The Pearl by John Steinbeck.
INTRODUCTION:
Ideally a society is supposed to be bound and governed by values and norms which should dictate the relationship between and among people. However, not everyone is virtuous enough and many are morally deficient.
Pi)- The doctor declines to treat Kino’s child, coyotito, of the scorpion sting because he has no money(has only small worthless seed pearls).The doctor is hypocritical. when juana and kino take coyotito for treatment at his house, he send the servant informing them he is not in because they have no money. when he learns about the pearl,he visits kino and offers to treat coyotito and wait for the money. He also administered the wrong medicine. – The doctor comes to take advantage of kino’s ignorance by making coyotito sick and pretending that his illness is the result of the scorpion sting. He pretends as if he does not know of kino’s pearl, yet the only reason comes to treat Coyotito was to try and seek out where kino might be hiding it.
Pii) – The pearl buyers are out to take advantage of kino and his pearl. Their goal is to cheat him and ruin his plans of happiness and peace for his family.The pearl buyers exploit  the pearl divers by buying their pearls at a lower price than the actual. They also conspire to cheat kino off his pearl.
Piii)-Violence.Kino attacks juana who want to throw back the pearl to the sea. At the beginning of the story, they are very close but the pearl divides them. Kino slaps his wife when she wants to throw it into the sea.
Piv).The priest thinks about the church repairs.He also wonders how much the pearl is worth .He tells Kino to give thanks to one who has given the treasure.All this translates to him getting part of the money when the pearl is sold.The priest preoccupation should be matters of spirituality.
Pv)- Kino is attacked several times as attackers want to rob him of the pearl of the world.
Pvi)– Kino is forced to kill a man to defend him and the pearl.
Pvii) – His hut is burned after someone searching for the pearl has ransacked it.
Pviii) – Trackers follow Kino and  his family and they have to hide in the mountain. Finally, Kino’s child is shot. 

CONCLUSION
Most people in the society have lost their morality and they are driven by greed,hypocrisy,violence and exploitation .