English Paper 2 Questions and Answers - Kakamega Evaluation Mock Exams 2022

QUESTIONS

1. COMPREHENSION:
   Read the following comprehension passage and then answer the questions that follow.
   Aristotle, the father of Western critical thought, Leonardo da Vinci, Oprah Winfrey, Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Fidel Castro, George Bush, Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, Napoleon Bonaparte, Bill Gates, Barack Obama and Uhuru Kenyatta all have one thing in common. Not that they are great men and a woman, but because all of them are left-handed!
   Is there something special about being left-handed? It is a question that has given rise to many myths about left-handed people.
   Interestingly, in a majority of cultures the world over, left-handed people are a stigmatized minority. Left is associated with femininity while right in linked to masculinity. In many of our cultures, when giving direction, we talk about the female side and male side of the road. Patriarchal structures have ways of twisting the truth to preserve masculine hegemony.
   In some cultures of Africa, people view left-handedness as a sign of evil, while in Japan it can be enough reason for divorce. Many myths in our cultures in Africa regard left-handedness as something unacceptable and evil. Languages have ways of carrying these beliefs about left-handedness. In Latin, the word left is synonymous with “sinister”, while in Spanish the word for left is linked with “malicious”. The French word for left is synonymous with “awkward”. In English, the word left comes from the Anglo-Saxon word ‘luft’, which means weak or broken.
   The holy books have not been left out in stigmatizing left-handedness.  The Bible, specifically the book of Judges, associate’s left-handedness with war-like tendencies.
   We also know of many sayings that are negative in reference to left handedness, for instance left wing and a left-handed compliment.
   It is, therefore, possible to argue that left-handed people are a minority that deserves attention. They suffer at the hands of right-handed people who do not recognize their special needs
   Some insensitive teachers are known to punish left-handed children and force them to write using their right hands. It is, however, notable that in Western cultures, the discrimination of left-handed people is almost over due to the enlightenment of the society.
   But what brings about left handedness? Experts remain unsure of how handedness emerges in children. However, a number of reasons have been advanced to explain why majority of people in all societies are right-handed. In terms percentage, less than 10 percent of the world population is left-handed and majority of them are males.
   Evolutionary theory attempts to explain this phenomenon by suggesting that during the early ages, primitive hunters needed to protect their most vital organ of the body — the heart — and their left hand was used to hold the shield. The right hand was used to hold the sword or knife and because of this it acquired greater agility, which was passed down through the generations.
   This theory, therefore, explains why more men would be right-handed than women. Other studies have also revealed that the left-handedness of children is an inherited trait. It is common if one parent is left-handed and more common if both parents are left-handed.
   An equally useful theory that tries to explain this phenomenon is the brain hemisphere theory. It postulates that the preference of using one side of the body more than the other in performing special tasks depends on which brain hemisphere is dominant. In most people, the left hemisphere controls speaking and handy work and that is why right-handedness is common. It further argues that left-handed people are controlled by the right hemisphere of the brain.
   Some researchers claim that left-handed people are more intelligent and eloquent than the right-handed people. It is argued that there are more left-handed people with IQs of over 140 than right-handed people. Captivatingly, other studies reveal that left-handed people are more unlikely to suffer from disorders of the immune system.
   In view of the fact that studies have found that this group of individuals comprise of intelligent and creative people, we need to revisit our curriculum in order for it to take care of their unique potentialities. We have to put in place structures that will create a learner-friendly environment for left-handed children. Desks should also be designed to cater for their unique needs. Special pens and writing materials should be provided specifically for this group of children. More importantly, we should re-train teachers to appreciate the fact that pupils are gifted in different ways, and it is their duty to help pupils to put to use these gifts.
   Adapted from Saturday Nation 28/02/2015 Pg. 39
   By Prof. Egara Kabaji and Dr Misigo Lushya.
   1. Why do the writers give a long list of people who were / are left-handed? (2 marks)
   2. How are the left-handed people discriminated against in the society they live in? (3marks)
   3. What makes left-handed people unique? (2marks)
   4. According to the passage, why do we have fewer females being left-handed than males? (2marks)
   5. Distinguish the functioning of the left-handed people from the right-handed ones? (3marks)
   6. Make notes on the various ways left-handed individuals can be accommodated by the learning institutions. (4marks)
   7. Rewrite the following sentence as instructed.
      Desks should also be designed to cater for their unique needs. (1mark)
      Begin: Their unique needs
   8. Explain the meaning of the following words as used in the passage. (3marks)
      1. Agility:
      2. Hemisphere:
      3. Postulates:……………………………………………………………………………………
2. Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow 25 marks
   Nasila River – cool, smooth and silent – swirled quietly about the boulders that were half submerged in it.  It was deep and wide.  She stood at its bank for a long time, staring down, into the water.  Could the answer to her woes be in that river?  Yes, it could be!  Just a swift, cold shock as she fell into the water and then there would be peace.  Yes, peace all over, from her father, from Oloisudori and from the fact that she had failed to get admission to Egerton University.  As the idea floated in her mind, she felt a tap on her shoulder.  Shocker, she turned around.  It was Olarinkoi.
   “What are you doing here at the river side”?  he asked with little interest.  
   “Nothing,” Resian said nonchalantly.  “I am just relaxing.”  
   “Don’t be foolish, little girl,” Olarinkoi said seriously.  “You may not want to tell me what is happening, but Iam not foolish and I can put one and one together.  Oloisudori’s men are now looking for you everywhere.  They have instructions to seize you and take you to Nakuru to be his wife.
   “Just leave me,” Resian said angrily, “Go tell them to come and find me here.”
   “Listen, you stupid girl,” Olarinkoi said in his caustic language. “If you do not want to marry Oloisudori, I can rescue you the way I rescued you from those vagabonds who had accosted you and your sister.  I know where Minik ene Enkoitoi the Emakererei lives and where she keeps girls rescued from the situation you are now in.  There is no need to despair in life.  There is always another chance.”
   That could be something to consider, Resian thought, new hope rising in her heart.  Yes, it would be wonderful to be received by Emakererei.  And who knows, there could still be a chance to enrol at the Egerton University, through Emakererei.
   “How could we ever get there?” asked Resian a flicker of hope lighting her heart.  “I hear it is very very far from here.”  
   “Yes it is far,” confirmed Olarinkoi.  “But where there is hope things always work out.  The Maa people say home is never far for one who is still alive.” 
   1. Place this excerpt in its immediate context. (4Marks)
   2. Describe the incident that Olarinkoi claims to have rescued Taiyo and her sister. (2Marks)
   3. Discuss a thematic concern found in the excerpt. (2marks)
   4. What does the author imply when he says, “could the answer to her woes be in that river?” (2marks)
   5. Explain the irony in the excerpt. (2marks)
   6. Apart from irony, comment on any other two aspects of style that the writer has used in the excerpt. (4marks) 
   7. From elsewhere in the novel, state the prophecy that Olarinkoi is trying to fulfill when he plans to rescue Resian. (3marks) 
   8. Comment on the character of Olarinkoi later in the novel. (2marks)
   9. What is the attitude of Resian towards Oloisudori’s proposal? (2marks)
   10. Give the meaning of the following words. (2 marks)
       1. Nonchalantly ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
       2. Put one and one together …………………………………………………………………………………..
3. Read the poem below and answer the questions that follow 20 marks
   NATURALLY 
   I fear the workers: they writhe in bristling grass
   And wormy mud: out with dawn, back with dusk
   Depart with seed and return with fat-bursting fruit
   And I eat the fruit
   And still they toil: at boiling point
   In head-splitting noise and threatening saws
   They suck their energy from slimy cassava
   And age-rusty taps: till they make a Benz
   And I ride in the Benz: festooned
   With striped rags and python copper coiling monsters
   While the workers clap their blistered hands
   And I overrun their kids
   They build their hives: often outk
   Of the broken bones of their mates:
   And I drone in them – ‘state-house’
   Them, ‘collegize’ them, ‘officialize’ them
   And I . . . I whore their daughters
   Raised in litter-rotting hovels
   And desiring a quickquick highhigh life
   To break the bond
   And I tell the workers to unite
   Knowing well they can’t see hear or understand:
   What with sweat and grime sealing their ears
   And eyes already blasted with wielding sparks
   And me speaking a colourless tongue
   But one day a rainstorm shall flood
   The litter-rotten hovels
   And wash the workers’ eyes clean
   Refresh the tattered muscles for a long-delayed
   Blow 
   (By Austin Bukenya in An Introduction to East African poetry)
   1. Who is the persona in the above poem?
   2. What is the poem about? 
   3. Identify and comment on any two stylistic devices used in this poem.
   4. Describe the tone of the poem
   5. Identify one character trait of the persona as shown in the poem.
   6. Explain the meaning of the following lines as used in the poem. 
      1. Depart with seed and return with fat-bursting fruit
         And I eat the fruit 
      2. But one day a rainstorm shall flood
         The litter-rotten hovel
         And wash the workers’ eyes clean
         Refresh the tattered muscles for a long-delayed
         Blow
   7. Identify two instances in the poem which describe the workers living in deplorable conditions. (2 marks)
   8. Comment on the use of coordinating conjunction “And” in this poem.     (1 mark)
4. GRAMMAR
   1. Rewrite the following sentences according to the instructions given without changing the meaning.    (3 marks)
      1. Maria said the young men had stolen her sweet potatoes. (Rewrite beginning with: Maria accused…)
      2. It required a lot of planning and great courage to introduce free primary education in Kenya. (Begin: The…)
      3. The judges declared that Cheptoo had won. (Finish: winner)
   2. Use the correct form of the word in brackets in each of the sentences below (3 marks)
      1. Your performance was………………………………………………………………….. (theatre)
      2. Maimuna is an ………………………………………………..……………… girl. (adventure)
      3. Do you think the seats will fit in the…………………………..……………… space? (avail)
   3. Fill the blank spaces with the correct form of the word in bracket. (2mks)
      1. The baby had ___________________ in the cot for hours when the mother returned (lie)
      2. His punishment will be ____________________________________ to the others (deter)
   4. Use a preposition to complete the following sentences (2marks)
      1. The buffalo charged .........................Lilian
      2. The thief was oblivious....................... the trap
   5. Use a phrasal verb to replace the underlined words (3marks)
      1. The school programme has been altered.
      2. I cannot understand what he is saying.
      3. The meeting was cancelled at the last minute.
   6. Explain two different meanings of the following sentence. (2 marks)
      The chicken is ready to eat. 

MARKING SCHEME

1.      
   1.      
      • To show that even though the individuals were left-handed, they were able to achieve much in their lives. 
      • A disproportionate number of the left-handed persons are male.  
      • (In the list, only one is female.) (any of the two points – 2mks)
   2.        
      • Teachers tie the hands of left handed pupils forcing them to use their right hands.
      • Language disparages the left-handed persons e.g. left means evil, weak.
      • Religions also disparage the left-handed persons e.g. the Book of Judges.
      • Desks, pens and writing materials are not designed for left-handed persons.
      • Teachers are not trained to handle left handed persons.(any 3 points – 3mks)
   3.        
      • They make use of the right hemispheres of their brains thus giving them greater abilities in the use of the left side of their bodies 
      • Researchers claim that left handed people are more talented, eloquent and intelligent 
      • studies reveal that left handed people are more unlikely to suffer immune disorders. (Any one 1 x 2 = 2mks)
   4. The evolutionary theory explains that men used their left hand to protect their hearts as they were hunting.  They used the left hand to hold the shield.
      The predominant hunters were male – hence more males than females became left-handed over time
   5. The right handed persons make use of the left hemispheres which controls speaking and handy work while the left-handed persons make use of the right hemisphere thus they are more eloquent, intelligent and talented. (NB: Distinction should be very clear) (1 x 3 = 3mks)
   6.        
      • Retraining of teachers to handle left handed persons.
      • Designing desks to cater for them.
      • Special pens and writing materials to cater for the left handed.
      • Having a left-handed sensitive language.
        (any 4 points – 1 mark each) ( ½ mk AD if in summary form)
   7. Their unique needs should be catered for by designing desks.(1mk)
      (1mk deduction for wrong punctuation)
   8. Agility – Ability to manipulate the use of a limb.
      Hemisphere – one half of the brain.
      Postulates – suggests. (1mk each)
2.      
   1.      
      • Before –  at the shop-Resian is told by her father of Oloisudori’s intention to marry her 
      • She refuses, shouts cries and screams and accuses her father of betrayal
      • her father slaps her twice but still refuses
      • she insists that she will not marry Oloisudori and must go to university 
      • She turns and walks to the door and leaves the shop
      • walks towards Nasila River
        After – Olarinkoi promises to take her to a family in Nasila to spend the night
      • He organizes transport so that they leave early the following day
      • Early the following day, Resian is woken up by the kind-hearted old woman who accommodated her, with hot porridge
      • A pick-up hoots outside the old woman’s house
      • Olarinkoi tells Resian to climb onto the back of the pick-up and they leave
        (Expect two points for before and two for after)
   2. The two sisters were walking back home from the shop late in the afternoon (3 oclock). Two men appeared and blocked the road. One tried to Drag Taiyo into the bush while the other wrestled Resian. Suddenly a stranger appeared (Olarinkoi)  and fought the two men thereby becoming the hero of the day.
   3.          
      • Determination – Resian is determined not to be married to Oloisudori, hence decides to run away. 
      • Hope – “asked Resian a flicker of hope lighting her heart.”
      • Education - “ who knows there could still be a chance to join Egerton university.”
        (Any other  relevant answer with illustration)
   4. Means that Resian is thinking of ending her life by drowning in river Nasila.
   5. Olarinkoi claiming to take Resian to safety while in the real sense he is forcefully taking her to be his wife.
   6.        
      • Dialogue- between Resian and Olerankoi- indicates the urgency of Resian’s problem and possible solution/breaks monotony of narration
      • Description- river Nasila is described…cool, smooth, silent swirled quietly – to symbolize the peace that can be found by the river side
      • Historical allusion – Egerton university- makes the story real/believable
      • Local words/dialect- Emakererei, maa- shows origin of the story/setting
      • Proverb – home is never far from one who is still alive. – brings to view the rich heritage in language/ points to Resian’s start of a new home.
   7. Olarinkoi’s mother had prophesied that Ole Kaelo would relocate to Nasila, and bring along with him his intoiyie nemengalana, her son Olarinkoi would move to that home, live with the Kaelo’s for some time and eventually bring one of his daughters to be circumcised and be given to him as his wife.
   8. Unreliable/traitorous/untrustworthy/pretentious/inhumane/insensitive/brutal/inconsiderate etc
   9. Contemptuous/hateful
   10.        
       1. Nonchalantly – casually, relaxedly, calmly, in a calm manner, half-heartedly, disinterestedly 
       2. Put one and one together - Guess the truth about the situation from what you have seen or heard/ understand something by using situation you have
3.        
   1. The persona is a trade union leader, a government official or an employer who exploits his or subjects but benefit from their sweat. “Depart with seed and return with fat-bursting fruit/And I eat the fruit.”
   2. The poem is about the exploitation of workers by their employers or their leaders. The leader does not work with the labourers but benefit from their sweat. He or she does not care about them as he overruns their children and whores their daughters. Finally, he does not make effort to communicate at their level of understanding.
   3. There is use of metaphor, “seed” has been used metaphorically for the input, work or the efforts of the labourers while “fruit” meaning product or the result of the workers efforts. This depicts the hard working nature of the workers and how they are subjected to exploitation by their leaders.
      There is use of Irony. It is ironical for the leader to benefit from the fruit of the workers’ labour yet he was not involved in the process. “They suck their energy from slimy cassava/ And age-rusty taps: till they make a Benz/And I ride in the Benz”
   4. The tone is hypocritical. If the persona truly “feared” the workers, he wouldn’t engage in such forms of exploitation. He also asks the workers to unite yet he does not communicate to them at their level of understanding. “And I tell the workers to unite/ Knowing well they can’t see, hear or understand.”
   5.        
      • Exploitative – “…collegize them officialize them” “And I…I whore their daughters”
      • Opportunistic - “And I eat the fruits” “And I ride in the Benz”
      • Hypocritical – “And I tell the workers to unite
      • Inhuman/Cruel/Insensitive – “I overrun their kids” (Any one well illustrated trait)
   6.        
      1. Depart with seed and return with fat-bursting fruit
         And I eat the fruit
         It explains the efforts of the labourers and the result of their hard work which later benefits the leaders who did not take part in the process of realizing the result. This emphasizes the extent of exploitation meted at the workers.
      2. But one day a rainstorm shall flood
         The litter-rotten hovels
         And wash the workers’ eyes clean
         Refresh the tattered muscles for a long-delayed
         Blow
         It speaks of hope; the workers will rise up and change their condition
   7.        
      • They work in scorching sun “And still they toil: at boiling point”, 
      • There is noise pollution “In head-splitting noise” 
      • Death “threatening saws” 
      • they do not feed well “They suck their energy from slimy cassava”
      • They drink dirty water “And age-rusty taps” (Any two)
   8. It gives additional details of the suffering/ exploitation of the workers.
4.      
   1.        
      1. Maria accused the young men of stealing her sweet potatoes.
      2. The introduction of free primary education in Kenya required a lot of planning and great courage.
      3. The judges declared Cheptoo the winner.
   2.      
      1. theatrical
      2. adventurous
      3. available
   3.      
      1. lain
      2. deterent
   4.    
      1. at
      2. of
   5.      
      1. tampered with
      2. make out
      3. called off
   6.      
      1. The chicken is cooked and can be eaten
      2. The chicken can be fed.