English Paper 3 Questions and Answers - MECS Pre Mock Exams 2023

• Answer THREE questions only.
• Question one and two are compulsory.
• In question Three, choose one question from the book you have prepared on.
• Each of your essays must not exceed 450 words.
• Write legibly and neatly. 

QUESTIONS

1. Imaginative composition (Compulsory)  (20 marks)
   Either
   1. Write a story that ends with the following statement ... “that is when I realised that crime does not pay.
      OR
   2. Discuss ways of curbing examination cheating in Kenya today. 
2. COMPULSORY ESSAY.   Novel: Blossoms of the Savannah.  (20 marks)
   Irresponsible decisions can lead to serious consequences. Referring closely to H.R. Ole Kulet’s Blossoms of the Savannah, write an essay in support of this statement.
3. OPTIONAL SET TEXTS
   EITHER
   1. Short story: A Silent Song and Other Stories by Godwin Siundu (20 marks)
      People with admirable traits stand out. Basing your illustrations on Vrenika Pather's Ninema, write an essay to validate this assertion.
      Or
   2. Play: Inheritance by David Mulwa
      Lacuna’s poor governance results in the suffering of the people of Kutula.” Using Judah Zen Melo’s family, write an essay depicting the truth of the statement.
      Or
   3. Novel: The Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro.
      “The memory of the past can lead to a change of lifestyle. With illustrations from The Artist of the Floating World Validate 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 instructions on 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 it belongs: A, B, C or D.

D CLASS The candidate either does not communicate at all.
(01 – 05): Minimal communication 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 and Little meaning. 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 is 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 are 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.
Simple concepts and sentence forma are often strained. There may be an overuse of clichés and unsuitable idioms. Proverbs are misquoted or misinterpreted. The flow is still jerky. There are some errors in 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 overambitious. 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 a case with the language. There may be a tendency to under mark such essays. Give credit for the 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 ticks. 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 ticks for 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, indicating 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 shows 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 definite spark.

Questions: 1(a)
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 and deduct 2 mks AD
4. It is the linguistic competence that should carry most marks.

Question: 1(b)
Must be explanatory/discursive, if not deduct 2mks.
Must explain how examination cheating can be eliminated in the country. If not, deduct 2mks. (Irrelevance)
NB: Never penalize twice in a question

Essays Based On Set Texts
3

1. Novel: Blossoms of the savannah by H.R Ole Kulet.
   COMPULSORY. Novel: Blossoms of the savannah (20 marks)
   Irresponsible decisions can lead to serious consequences. Referring closely to HR. Ole Kulet’s Blossoms of the Savannah, write an essay in support of this statement.
   When people make decisions that are devoid of good judgment the results are usually adverse. This is well illustrated by Ole Kulet in his book Blossoms of savannah.
2.                    
   1. Ole Kaelo makes an irresponsible decision when he engages in business with Oloisudori. When Ole Kaelo is retrenched from Agribix Limited. He chooses to relocate to Nasila, his native home, with his family. Here, he opens a shop dealing in Agricultural products. His business is funded by Oloisudori. Oloisudori also helps him to secure some business contracts. He helps Ole Kaelo to secure a 4 years contract to supply all government institutions in Nasila with Agricultural inputs like fertilizer, seeds, herbicides and fungicides. His mentor Ole Supeyo warns him against his involvement with Oloisudori. He says that Oloisudori is corrupt. He equates him to a hyena and a randy he-goat and cautions Ole Kaelo to keep him away from his daughters. Ole Kaelo does no heed. This decision haunts him when Oloisudori asks for his daughter Resians’ hand in marriage. Resian has to be circumcised first. Her dream is to enroll at Egerton University. When she learns of her father’s plan, she confronts him at his shop and he slaps her, further straining their relationship. She runs to Nasila river where she contemplates suicide. Olarinkoi finds her and promises to take her to Ntare naaju to meet Minik ene Nkoitoi, who could help her pursue her education. Ole Kaelo’s rash decision makes him to lose his daughter. She leaves Nasila with Olarinkoi.
   2. Mama Milanoi makes an unwise decision when she keeps a low profile when her daughters are subjected to punitive cultural practices. When they relocate to Nasila after Ole Kaelo is retrenched, Taiyo and Resian suffer the stigma of being labeled “intoiye nemengalana”. Ole Kaelo plans to circumcise Resian and marry her off to Oloisudori. Mama Milanoi knows that her dream is to join Egerton University and pursue a degree in Veterinary medicine. She however fails to defend Resian against her will. She succumbs to the pressure of the Nasillian culture. She knows that FGM is a torturous and painful experience but she still fails to speak to Ole Kaelo against it. She is privy to the details of having Resian abducted and forcefully circumcised but she still remains silent. The painful outcome of her subservience is that Resian escapes from home with the help of Olarinkoi and she eventually manages to meet Minik ene Nkoitoi and to enroll at Egerton University. Mama Milanoi loses her daughter’s trust.
   3. Ole Kaelo suffers when he chooses to deny Resian and Taiyo a chance to pursue their education at Egerton University. Parsimei Ole Kaelo instead asks Joseph Parmuat, to teach them cultural aspects of Nasila in preparation for circumcision and marriage. Resians coaxes her sister Taiyo to speak to their father about the prospect of joining Egerton University on so many occasions because she burns with passion for education. When she tries to ask her father, he gets so angry at her. He warms up to the idea of marrying her to Oloisudori. Ole Kaelo receives gifts and money from him. He fails to protect her daughter from advances by the corrupt extortionist. Resian finally escapes from Nasila with the help of Olarinkoi and later managed to meet Minik ene Nkoitoi who helps her to finally leave for Nakuru to join Egerton University. Oloisudori loses her as a result.
   4. Oloisudori errs in his decision to follow Resian and Taiyo all the way to Ntare naaju ranch. When his first choice for a wife, Resian, runs away with Olarinkoi, the Kaelo’s offer Taiyo as a replacement. Minik’s men managed to rescue her from Esoit village but not before she is circumcised. When he loses both of them. Oloisudorii pursues them up to Minik ene Nkoitoi’s ranch. He knows that Minik is referred to as ‘entangoroi’ or wasp but still chooses to confront her. He demands for either Resian or Taiyo saying he has paid dowry enough for both. Minik says that she will not release them even to their own father. She asks Oloisudori to leave. He asks his men to grab Resian and pandemonium ensues. Minik’s 400 workers descend upon them and clobber them thoroughly before torching his expensive vehicles and reducing them to smoldering shells. Oloisudori loses his vehicles and still fails to get Resian as a wife even after spending a lot of money, time and effort.
   5. Olarinkoi makes two foolish decisions. First, he abducts Resian and then he tries to rape her. When Resian runs away from home and is contemplating her next course of action by the Nasila River, Olarinkoi arrives and tells her that Oloisudori’s men are looking for her all over. He offers to take her to Ntare naaju to meet Minik her icon. She complies owing to the fact that she trusts him since he has been a regular visitor at their home and he saves Taiyo and her when the vagabonds, Ntara Muyo and Lante, try to rape them. Olatinkoi does not keep his word. He instead takes her to Inkiito. He locks her up in a dingy hut. That night he comes back stone drunk insisting that Resian is his wife. He mocks her about her education and he forcefully grabs her tearing her clothes and pushing his thumb into her mouth and sinking her teeth into it until he bleeds. She almost severe the thumb. Olarinkoi suffers physically and also emotionally when he is admonished by his mother until he goes into hiding due to shame. Naburu, the nurse, who was contradicted by the mono-eyed woman to take care of Resian after circumcision helps to rescue her when she brings a lorry driver, who takes them to Ntare naaju. Apart from the physical and emotional pain, Olarinkoi fails to get Resian as a wife’s a result of his irresponsible decision.
   6. Mama Milanoi makes an irrepressible decision when she tricks Taiyo into circumcision. When Resian runs away with Olarinkoi to avoid marriage to Oloisudori, Taiyo is offered as a replacement. Mama Milanoi alows her to accompany the three women from Esoit. They lie to Taiyo that Resia bis on a hunger strike and has gone for three days without eating. They want her to accompany them to Esoit for Resian’s sake. She complies and accompanies them happily since her mother assures her that their father and power never to try to marry them by force to any man. At Esoit she is thrown into turmoil as no one attends to her or talks about Resian. She is instead left in a dingy hut. The next morning, she is dragged out of the hut by a group of excited women, 20 liters of cold water is emptied on her head before she is forcibly circumcised by ‘enkamuratani’. The ordeal is so painful that she passes out. She is later rescued by Minik’s men with the help of Joseph Parmuat, who tricks the guards guarding her, with alcohol. The guards attempt to chase after Minik’s men, pelting them with stones, but they fail. Parmuat is speared to death. Mama Milanoi loses Taoiyo when she is taken to Minik’s ranch.

In conclusion, through characters like Oloisudoiri and Olarinkoi, we learn that foolish decisions usually lead to adverse consequences.

Mark 3:3:3:3
Introduction: 2 mks (Any other relevant introduction)
Body: 12 mks (4 well elaborated points)
Language: up to 4 mks (Language pegged on marks from the body)
Conclusion: up to 2 marks (Any other relevant introduction) 

2

1. Short Story: A Silent song and other stories by Godwin Siundu(20mks)
   People with admirable traits stand out. Basing your illustrations on Vrenika Pather's Ninema, write an essay to validate this assertion.
   Exemplary attributes arouse respect and approval. Ninema is a young beautiful woman whose praiseworthy character makes her the embodiment of magnificence. She stands out from the pack at the marketplace.
   1.  Ninema is industrious. She rises early at 4:00 AM to reap her herbs from her garden. She has green fingers and her crops are healthy. She is also an enterprising businesswoman. To earn a living, she sells fresh produce at the Indian market. She learned the trade from her parents. Her business makes a good profit. At the end of a long working day, her hanky bulges with notes and coins. Her diligence makes her remarkably superior to others.
   2. Ninema is resilient. She is as tough as old boots. She is contented and accepts her situation but does not resign to it. She faces many challenges and wins. She is thus respected.
   3. Ninema is also focused. She does not pay heed to the trifles when people admire her for her physical beauty. She is indeed a beautiful woman with long black hair. Her beauty turns heads. As she walks balancing her baskets on her head, her hips sway from side to side. Her sari drapes around her perfect body kept in place by her high, firm breasts. Her long, toned arms and cinched waist cause men to stop and stare. She faces them with piercing black eyes. Women admire her high cheekbones. She does not pay heed to the attention. She has a laser-like focus on earning a living. She doesn’t waste time chatting with other women at the market because she has no time to waste. Indeed, Ninema is focused.
   4. Ninema is good-natured and she treats her customers well. She is wise enough to provide genial customer service. She takes extra care of her first and last customers. She says they bring luck. She learned her trade from her parents and thus she believes in the grace and power of generational knowledge. She is also good at accounting. She can count faster than you can utter the word “herb”. She treats all her loyal customers with respect and appreciation. She masterfully handles the stubborn Mrs. Singh and respectfully calls her auntie.
   5. Ninema is affable and the clients like her. Mr. Chimran is always the first to support her. The other women joke that he is in love with Ninema. He is a rich lawyer from the high Brahmin caste. Nonetheless, he is infatuated with Ninema a poor girl from the low caste. She makes his days. He buys too much from her until the mother complains. He cannot fathom the idea of an arranged marriage that will deny him the chance of visiting Ninema's stall. Mrs. Singh is rich but she also enjoys buying her herbs from Ninema. She haggles for lower prizes simply to spend more time with Ninema, away from the boredom of her big lonely house. She lingers on bargaining in order to interact with Ninema more. Ninema also takes a personal interest in the lives of her customers. She knows whose son is studying medicine in India, whose daughter just got married, and who moved into a new house and where they bought it.
   6. Ninema is self-assured and confident. She runs her business with an iron fist. She is her own person – acts independently with confidence. She does not give in to what other people expect of her. This thrills as much as it irks many people. It makes the ladies in the other stands fond of her. They often compromised themselves at work and at home. This makes them angry with themselves. They look up to Ninema. They admire her since she is different though she’s one of them. They want to learn her secret. Mrs. Singh relentlessly bargains for lower prices but Ninema does not budge.
   7. Ninema is organized and that is why her business flourishes. She has a steady flow of customers. She arranges her herbs appetizingly. The customers are attracted by the look and smell of her stall. There is high demand for Ninema’s herbs. She is always busy at lunchtime when the rich professionals patronize her during their lunch break.
   8. Ninema is also tough. When an amorous man blocks her way and tries to harass her, she stares directly at him. She defends herself by fighting him so ferociously that the shameless man is left astounded. This attracts cheers and jeers and hearty laughs of approval from the other women at the market.
   9. Ninema is prudent. She is a poor girl living a modest lifestyle but she has big plans. She saves part of her money with a view to buying a big house of her own. Currently, her house has neither hot running water nor a kitchen inside. She has to wash her face and feet using cold water from the outside tap. However, with the money she’s saving she plans to buy a house with running hot water and a kitchen inside. It will have a big garden where she can plant fruits.

In conclusion, Ninema is the pinnacle/embodiment of magnificence. Because of her praiseworthy traits, she seems remarkably superior to her peers. Indeed, exemplary attributes attract respect and make us stand out.

NB: Consider any other relevant point.

Mark 3:3:3:3
Introduction: 2 mks (Any other relevant introduction)
Body: 12 mks (4 well elaborated points)
Language: up to 4 mks (Language pegged on marks from the body)
Conclusion: up to 2 marks (Any other relevant conclusion)

INHERITANCE by DAVID MULWA.
“Lacuna’s poor governance results to the suffering of the people of Kutula.” Using Judah Zen Melo’s family, write an essay depicting the truth of the statement.
In David Mulwa’s “Inheritance”, Lacuna Kasoo’s brutal and harsh leadership causes a lot of harm to his subjects. Case in point is the family of Judah who end up undergoing psychological and physical torture for going against the regime. My essay illustrates this further.

1. Romanus Bengo, Judah’s brother is detained unlawfully for being against the leadership of Lacuna Kasoo. When Lacuna was conducting his campaigns, Bengo stood to compete him. Bengo says that he was headed for a landslide win against the incumbent and this must have threatened Kasoo’s leadership. First Lacuna asks Judah to kill him as a proof of his loyalty to the king to which he refuses as Bengo is his brother and he cannot get himself to commit the atrocity. The king opts to jail Bengo so as to silence him and kill his fight for liberation. Romanus ends up being separated from his close family as a consequence of being against the regime.
2. Judah ends up losing his job in the government for going against the wishes of Lacuna. While Judah was still working in the palace at the right hand of Lacuna, his brother was leading a strong revolution against Lacuna’s leadership. This angers Lacuna and he asks Judah to prove his loyalty by killing Romanus Bengo. Despite Lacuna’s promises of wellness to his family, Judah refuses to betray his brother and mother by committing this act. For his act of refusing to help King Kasoo, Judah says that he has been unable to find work as no one in Kutula wanted to be associated with someone who had refused to help the king. Lacuna had closed all paths for him. After a long while, he ends up getting a watchman’s job at the mines far from home where he resorts to being an alcoholic so as to get a promotion. Judah loses his job and becomes an alcoholic as a result of going against Kasoo’s leadership.
3. Judah is beaten up and eventually killed by Kasoo’s government. After refusing to prove his loyalty by killing his own brother, Bengo, Judah was beaten up and left for dead. Tamina says that even though Judah had tried to make up for his mistake of going against Kasoo’s wishes, the king still struck and he was beaten up badly and left for dead at their doorstep. It took the intervention of Dr. Jonathan to save his life as he was left in a bad state. He spends a long time recuperating in the hospital before getting back to his feet. While working in the mine, he suffers an accident while operating the machines and dies as explained by Lacuna. Robert later says that they have done their investigation and found out that it was murder and not an accident. Lacuna’s anger at the statement shows that he had a hand in the murder. Judah is not only beaten up but also loses his life because of Kasoo’s poor leadership.
4. Lulu, Judah’s daughter is held at the palace on Lacuna’s orders but against her wish. After conducting the commemoration ceremony for his late father, King Kutula XV, Lacuna insists that Lulu must stay behind without offering an explanation. Lacuna intends to satisfy the ancestors wish by laying with the girl and marrying her without her consent. Lulu insists that she wants to go home because she is not of age and Lacuna is old enough to be her father but Lacuna refuses. She is worried that the she is being labelled as a gold digger by others and fears that her mother is worried about her. She also says that she respects Melissa who is Lacuna’s wife and she does not want to be in her bad books. Lacuna spends a lot of money ensuring she is spoilt lavishly to convince her but Lulu is uncowed. When she gets news of her father’s death, she tells Lacuna that she wants to go home to pay her last respect to which Lacuna refuses. He even goes ahead to slap her thus inflicting further pain on Lulu. Lulu’s forced stay at the palace causes pain to her and she suffers from Lacuna’s dictatorship.
5. Lastly, Tamina Zen Melo undergoes a lot of frustrations from Lacuna’s government. Her husband is beaten up and left for dead at her doorstep. When Judah loses his job, all the luxuries that she was accustomed to are take away. She mentions that her cars and government house are taken away and her coffee farm is bought by Chipande, Lacuna’s advisor, for peanuts as he has monopolized coffee growing. As a result, she has become poor and she has to fend for her family especially Lulu who still needs school fees that her mother cannot raise. She also suffers psychologically when Lulu is kept at the palace against her will and she thinks that her daughter is after the riches and she disowns her. Later her husband is murdered at the mines and this tortures her mentally, her frustration clear from how she reacts at the news almost losing reason and wanting to fight Sangoi as she goes to avenge her husband’s death. Tamina, Judah’s wife, undergoes a lot of mental torture and frustrations under Kasoo’s leadership.
   In conclusion, poor leadership results to the torture of innocent individuals especially those who are against a regime as is evident in Judah Zen Melo’s family.

THE ARTIST OF THE FLOATING WORLD.
“The memory of the past can lead to change of a life style. With illustrations from “The Artist of the Floating World” Validate the above statement.
Introduction
The diversive narrative in The Artist of the Floating World has enhanced the notion that memory serves as a medium to assimilate past into the future.

1. Ono feels guilt for his past misdeeds. His use of an unspecified second person ‘you as though he is addressing someone who is listening suggests that he does not want to acknowledge the doubt he feels about his own past. By addressing himself to another person, he acts as though he is explaining events that he understands well and avoids admitting that he feels a great deal of ambivalence about the past.
   The most important omissions in the novel are those that relate to Ono’s relationship with his pupil Kuroda. Through a series of hints, readers learn that Ono had a break with the student, likely because Kuroda had decided to employ on autistic technique that Ono did not approve. After parting ways, Ono gave Kuroda’s name to the committee of unpatriotic Activities which led to Kuroda’s being jailed and tortured. But instead of revealing how this come to pass, Ono focus his deception and analysis on his relationship with his teacher Morisan with whom he had a similar break. Ono hopes to alleviate his guilt by suggesting that his treatment of Kuroda is similar to Mon-Sari’s treatment of himself. But, of course, this entirely fails to address the very different consequences the two teachers’ treatment of their pupils had for those pupils. Ono avoids recounting the actual harm he has done others, which reveals the lie on his frequent pronouncements about his willingness to own up to his war time mistakes. Instead, he seems only to be feigning honesty, which actually hiding from the most difficult truths. Ono avoids describing certain pivotal events in his life which he cannot force himself to face. By refusing to describe those incidents, he cannot force himself to face. By refusing to describe those incidents, he gives away that these are the moments in his life about which he feels most guilty.One often casts doubt on the accuracy of his account, reporting that others do not see events the way he does. This final strategy opens up the possibility that one is not only hiding from feeling of guilt but is either mistaken or lying about his life.
2. Ono’s life is full of grief and anger. He therefore avoids describing the decisions to leave his parent’s home to become a painter presumably having cut off all contact with family afterwards. He also avoids discussing the deaths of his wife and son, monitoring their deaths only in passing, or while recounting what someone else said to him in confrontation.
3. Regret is yet another aspect in the novel. Ono is haunted by ghost of days gone by – of his own and his peer’s actions which steadily but surely contributed to Japan’s to march militaries. He feels much remorseful for his role in the war, as well as for how he mistreated his family. For example, Ono reflects on his previous actions and mistakes.
4. Ono is about to be redeemed from his past mistakes. Laced with could haves and should haves, the novel moves onwards to the realm of “should have”and touch upon the redemption for his past actions as well as some way to reconcile with his past. He rekindles his relationship with his daughter, Noriko, and his former apprentice, Ichiro and finds solace in his memories. For example Ono finds redemption after reflecting on his past mistakes and actions.

Conclusion
Ono’s memories are used to investigate how our own memories can be selective and change over time. His reflection on his past, as well as his regret and zeal for redemption are central to the Novel.