English Paper 3 Questions and Answers - Mokasa II Joint Mock Exams 2023

Instructions to students

• Answer all questions
• Candidates must answer all questions in English

Answer three questions only

1. Imaginative Composition (COMPULSORY)         (20 marks)
   Either
   1. Write a story beginning:
      I was extremely nervous as I stood before the crowd who had come to witness everything.
      Or
   2. Write a story entitled: 'Look before you leap'
2. The Compulsory Text       (20 marks)
   Henry Ole Kulet, Blossoms of the Savannah
   Resian's courage helps her overcome insurmountable odds. Defend this assertion basing your argument on Blossoms of the Savannah by Henry Ole Kulet.
3. The Optional Text     (20 marks)
   Godwin Siundu (ed.), A Silent Song and Other Short Stories
   Life in urban areas is challenging. Write an essay to justify this assertion drawing your illustration from Leonard Kibera's 'Incident in the Park'.

MARKING SCHEME

1. Imaginative Composition        (20 marks)
   1. Write a story beginning:
      I was extremely nervous as I stood before the crowd who had come to witness everything. -  if not 2AD
      Points of Interpretation
      This must be a story - if not - 4AD
      • The expected answer should show awareness of the structure of a good story.
      • It should bring out a situation where the protagonist is in a situation that can cause nervousness either through his/her own timid nature or guilt.
      • It should have a captivating resolution to the anxiety created initially with a clear moral value to the conflict in the story.
      • Introduces and develops characters.
      • Contain well developed and well-organized paragraphs.
      • Make use of cohesive devices e.g. transitional words and phrases, pronouns appropriate repetition.
      • Have appropriate choice of words and expressions.
      • Make use of Standard English grammar, spelling and punctuation.
   2. Write a story entitled: 'Look before you leap' if no title - 1 adt
      Points of Interpretation
      
      • The proverb tells us that we should not act or make a decision before considering the possible consequences and dangers. We should always be cautious before doing something big or important.
      • The student should bring out a story that captures the meaning of the proverb without defining or explaining the meaning.
      • It should be a story, if episodic deduct (2 marks AD for irrelevancy)
2. Blossoms of the Savannah (Compulsory)
   Question
   Resian's courage helps her overcome insurmountable odds. Defend this assertion basing your argument on Blossoms of the Savannah by Henry Ole Kulet.
   Points of interpretation
   In Blossoms of the Savannah by Henry Ole Kulet Resian's bravery enables her to rise above many challenges that she encounters on her way to her Nirvana. For example, when accosted by a man she gallantly defends her sister; when she is almost raped by Olarinkoi, she successfully fights back.
   
   • Ci:  Defending her sister
     Resian fearlessly defends her sister against the tall heaviest young man who accosts them on their way back to uncle Simiren's homestead. The girls are accosted by a young man with a thief dark beard and moustache while walking back home from a walk. Although Resian almost faint when she sees the man approaching with a heavy knobkerrie in his hand, she later musters the courage when the man roughly grabs Taiyo's arm and demands to know what kind of stuff the intoiye nemengalana from Nakuru are made of. She hisses indignantly lifting her eyes and glaring into his as she orders the man to leave her sister alone. “Let go her arm at once." (p 18-19) Surely, standing up against such a menacing and intimidating man, especially in a new environment, takes some courage.
   • Cii. Asserting her opinion on lazy men
     Resian stands up and asserts her opinion on lazy men who take advantage of women against more conservative and acquiescent sister, mother and yeiyo-botorr who want to suppress her voice. This happens when Yeiyo-botorr praises the two sisters as a diligent pair of work for cooking and yeiyo quickly adds that they will not be blamed if in future the girls fail to good wives. However, this does not settle very well with Resian who courageously face them,  She informs them that she has no problem acquiring more knowledge and skills
     experience as long as it is not for the purpose of pleasing some lazy bunch of busybodies who do nothing but lounge about in the living room waiting for food. This daring act she does much,to the chagrin of the three. Her mother says that something has gone wrong with her. Resian boldly declares there is nothing wrong with her while yeiyo-botorr opines that she has
     Olkuenyi/kisirani which must be tamed through circumcision. It definitely takes Resian a lot of courage to stand up and defend her beliefs especially against such group of women who are conformist.(pg. 76-78)
   • Ciii. The vagabonds
     Resian and Taiyo bravery defend themselves against the two vagabonds who block their way back from their father's shop. The girls are accosted by Ntara Muyo and Lante son of Kanyira while they are going home from their father's shop. Their bravery nearly fizzle out when they see the bulging muscles and the knobkerries the men are brandishing. However, they courageously scream and scream as they scratch the men's faces with their sharp fingernails. (pg141) It is this spirit that delays the vagabond's advances so that they don't get to go far beforeOlarinkoi rescues them.
   • Civ. Facing Oloisudori
     Resian is gallant enough to face Oloisudori and resist his inappropriate advances on her after Oloisudori, Ole Kaelo and Mama Milanoi conspire to have her circumcised and forcefully married to him. Resian is a bit apprehensive while anticipating the impending visit by Oloisuc but upon seeing the cartons containing the gifts they were to return, her courage returns. "She had vowed to face the monster gallantly and it was foolish to develop cold feet...especially after promising her sister she would face him, come what may." (pg.200). Resian musters courage and valiantly faces him when he arrives. Interestingly, it eventually dawns on her that her father had already sold her. Oloisudori tells her that their fate is sealed and that she cant escape. Boldly, she screams at him calling him mad. She says Oloisuduri can only marry her over her dead body. "Yes, you and my father can kill me and carry my dead body to your palatial home."(pg. 204) Even Oloisudori himself is stunned by her audacity and winces had been struck. When Oloisudori just will not give up, she tells him that he is nothing but ushuushi then walks away. (pg 205) Even though Oloisudori, Ole Kaelo and Mama Milanoi conspire to have her circumcised and forcefully married to Oloisudori, her bravery helps her to escape the suffocating chains of patriarchy, avoid FGM and escape forced marriage.
   • Cv. Confrontation/Face-off with Ole Kaelo
     After the unpleasant encounter with Oloisudori, Resian's, yet again, bravery runs to her father's shop to face/confront her father, Ole Kaelo, hear what he has to say about Oloisudori and know the fate of the request to get enrolled to Egerton University. She has always wanted to go back to Nakuru and join Egerton University. Resian want to take a course in Veterinary Science and become a veterinary doctor. (p.4). She keeps urging her sister to talk to their father so that they can be enrolled at the university but apparently it has not been working. Her optimism to join university does not reduce even at her lowest moment when she realizes her father's intention to marry her by force to Oloisudori. After her father confirms her worst fears, she reacts like one hit by a bolt of lightning She shouts and "....screams so loudly one would have thought she was engulfed in a ball of fire. She hollered, shrieked and shrilled....." (pg. 208) Her father stares at her in horror but she just cannot stop. She screams like one possessed with demented spirits. It is at this point that her father slaps her. In a quick and daring rejoinder she tells her father she } would rather die than marry an ol-ushuushi like Olisudori. She also quickly adds that if she does not die and live to be eighty, she will still go to Egerton University. "...I hope you will be there to witness my graduation" (p.210). She fearlessly informs her father that she had told Oloisudori what she thinks of him: that he is a monster, a gangster, a bank robber and an
     extortionist per excellence. Eventually, after this daring face off and when she realizes things will not just work her way, she walks with an odd dignity down the road that leads to Nasila River. It takes courage to walk from things she cannot change even though this drives her to
     contemplating suicide.
   • Cvi. Fighting off Olarinkoi
     Resian heroically fights off Olarinkoi who is led to believe that their impending marriage is destiny as prophesied by his diviner mother thus escaping attempted rape FGM and yet another forced marriage. After blindly trusting Olarinkoi with sheer need to escape forced marriage to Oloisudori, Resian manages to fight off Olarinkoi who is led to believe that their impending marriage is destiny as prophesied by his diviner mother. She had prophesied that Olarinkoi would live with the Kaelos and later marry one of his daughters. He kidnaps her and hides her in a dungeon in the sleepy village of Inkiito after deceiving her. He even tries to rape her. Resian's courage is seen when she fights bravely and bites him badly while defending herself. Surely a weak girl would have given in, but not Resian. She endures harrowing life in Olarinkoi's hut that is crawling with rats, lizards and snakes. She remembers the Biblical story of Job and how he triumphed because of perseverance. Eventually she manages to escape with the help of Nabaru the enkabaani. Even in her dream while held captive by Olarinkoi at his hut, she has a dream that showcases her gallant and determined nature. "She was determined that the old enkamuratani would never circumcise another girl again. She was going to deal with her firmly and finally." (p.244). In that dream, she courageously and successfully fight both the enkamuratani and enkoiboni with a mallet. Inspired by her bravery and determination, Nabaru walks through the dangerous Inkiito terrain until she finds and convinces a lorry driver to make a detour in order to help Resian. Finally, she meets Minik ene Nkoitoi, who helps her to enroll at Egerton University. It is courage that enables her escapes both FGM and avoid yet another forced marriage to Olarinkoi and reach her Nirvana.
   • Cvii: FGM
   • Cviii: Push for Education Join Egerton University
     In conclusion, Resian's boldness pays off when she effectively breaks the shackles of unsupportive parents, archaic cultural practices of FGM, forced marriage and cruel patriarchal beliefs to achieve her dream of enrolling at Egerton University.
3. Godwin Shiundu (ED): A Silent Song and other stories
   Question
   Life in urban areas is challenging. Write an essay to justify this assertion drawing your illustration from Leonard Kibera's 'Incident in the Park'.
   Introduction
   Urban dwellers encounter and endure many challenges in their day to day lives. They endure unemployment, idleness, poverty, congestion, harassment, injustice, poor infrastructure and hygiene among others.
   
   1. Li Unemployment/ Idleness
      Many people in urban areas lack employment opportunities. Some lie in the park the whole day, reminding park loungers just how many hours they have wasted lying idle, (pg7). Misplaced persons rose from with a start, squinted, slant defeated, crossed into the city maze. Others shook their heads and went back to sleep. They certainly did not want to go there. The loafers at the
      pond. (Pg8)
      The peached park was almost dead with a few idlers.
      Park people were there to stay (pg7)
   2. Lii Poor infrastructure/Hygiene/Negligence if the Park.
      • The facilities in the city have been neglected. The park is untidy and in a poor state. "the city is in a desperate effort to keep itself beautiful, over the dirty brown park (pg6)
      • Hunched over the shoulder of the lake, the dirty muddy water.
      • The park was almost dead...dry fallen leaves scampering to hide from the hot breeze.The dirty grey water... fish pond overgrown with weeds. (pg8)
      • The pond covered with a riot of unclassified intruders with bastard flowers.
      • Mish mash of pond weeds. (pg8)
   3. Liii Congestion
      • The city and park is congested.
      • Workers gushed out- they came in armies. (Pg7)
      • They swarm survived round him. (pg7)
      • They swarmed down the hill into the park
      • The park was a stir. The tide was returning. (pg10)
      • Lunch hour
   4. Liv Injustice/Harassment
      • Bribery
      • The fruit seller and ice cream vendor suffer injustice
      • Fear for the Judge
      • The fruit seller is taken to court for not paying bribes. (pg10,11,12)
      • The fruit seller is killed by mob justice. (pg12)
      • The fruit seller is harassed by police constables. (pg10,11)
   5. Lv Struggle to survive
      • The ice cream and fruit vendors struggle to sell their goods in vain. They hardly make
        any sales. (pg7,8)
   6. Lvi: Harassment
      • Nice constables
      • Mob justice
   7. Lvii: Pollution
      • Noise - train
      • Pond pollution
        Conclusion
        In conclusion, for one to survive the life in urban areas, he/she has to endure the day- day tribulations.