COMPREHENSION          (20MKS)

Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow;

Education is perhaps one of the greatest assets children can inherit from their parents. Indeed, parents are known to incur huge debts to help their children get education. The drive to make these sacrifices and our population growth, have created a huge demand for education. This demand is reciprocated by mismatched supply that is not focused on developing “employable” skills and the output is more jobless graduates into the already full market place. Ironically, wheras this is the scenario in emerging economies the wold over, it is in the same economies that skilled workers are in high demand, according to a human capital study done by PWC. Indeed, emerging economies are no longer relying on cheap labour to fuel exports-driven economies, but rather fouls on skilled labour because their economic models have shifted to exporting value- added goods. The demand for worklers capble of doing talent intensive jobs that require quality qualifications is growing steadily. Studies have shown that no country in the world can achieve major socio-economic transformation without the contribution of skilled manpower. Kenya seems to be cognizant of this fact going by the massive budget allocation made in education each year.

There is a strong case for standaardization and regulatory framework that will ensure delivery of high quality teaching and research whose end product are work ready students. This is therefore  a call to the government and their private sector to work hard in glove to address the prevailing challenges in higher education that impact the quality of graduates produced. Lack of edequate resources, poor training infrustrure and facilities as well as an emphasis on “cramming” – reproduction of class notes in the exam papers compromise the quality of education. The results has been a yawning gap between the quality of students released into the job market and the needs of the employers.

If we are able to turn our institutions of higher learning into factories of talent that is readily marketable locally and other  countries, human capital development, would become a key  economic driver in our county.The government needs to partner with all stakeholders and come up with “out of the box”, holistic policy interventions that make use of best practices in order to promote practical skills and make education more effective in the short and long term. This also calls for accrediting and streamlining the requirements of new and exisiting education should look beyong profits and prioritise equiping of studnets with knowledge, skills and competencies that enhance their emloyability both locally and internationally. While kenya boasts of high literecy levels, it should now prioritise the development and implementation of a long-term growth strategy that focuses  on quality, not quantity.

Questions

a) What has created a huge demand for education according to the passage                     (2mks)

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b) What do the emerging economies rely on and why?                                                  (3mks)

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c) Indeed, emerging economies are no longer relying on cheap labour. (Rewrite adding  a question tag).                                   (1mk)

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d) What advice is given to those investing in education.                                       (3mks)

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e) Why do we have emphasis on standardization in education.                            (2mks)

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f) In not more than 40 words, summarize the reason why the government and other sectors should partner in education.                                       (5mks)

      ROUGH COPY

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FAIR COPY

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g) Explain the meaning of the following words and expressions as used in the passage.  (4mks)

i) Employable skills

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ii) Cognizant           

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iii) Yawning

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iv) Out of the box

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Read the following excerpt and answer the questions that follow.          (25mks)

Dr. Afolabi heard someone call him from behind. He stopped walking then turned to look. There she was! She wore a scarlet blouse, a black skirt, and red high heels. Who was she? She was not anyone he could remember. Perhaps she had called someone else. He looked around. No one else had stopped. That made sense: she had called his name. well, who was , and why had she chosen him?

She called again. “Dr.  Afolabi! May I please have a word with you?” she asked. “With me?” he asked. “Are you sure?”

“I am sure all right, which means you will now follow me. This way please.” She led him to a corner with two chairs. So sit here” She indicated one of the two chairs. “One minute is all I’ll take. Well, maybe I’ll take more, but five at most” She sat on the other chair.

“One minute, five minutes-where is the difference?” he joked. Then he sat as well.

“My name is McKenzie, “she began. Fiona McKenzie. First, let me thank you for agreeing to sit for this interview. Wait. Can I tell you something else first before I continue? You see, whenever I say my name is McKenzie, people look at me quizzically, silently demanding an explanation.”

“And the explanation, Ms. McKenzie, is what? He asked.

Questions

a) Why do people look at McKenzie quizzically and demand an explanation?                    (4mks)

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b) From  your knowledge the text, explain why Fiona wants to have a conversation with Afolabi who does not seem to know her.                                                      (3mks)

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c) Identify and illustrate three stylistic devices used in this excerpt.                      (6mks)

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d) For each of the following character, identify and illustrate one character trait.          (4mks)

i) Fiona

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ii) Dr.Afolabi

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e) She indicated one of the two chairs.   (Rewrite and add a question tag)                      (1mk)

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f) From your knowledge of this set text, how important is Dr. Afolabi to Fiona in person?    (4mks)

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g) Explain the meaning of the following words and phrases as used in the excerpt.        (2mks)

i) Made sense

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ii) Quizzically

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Read the following poem and answer the question below it. (20mks)

WESTERN CIVILIZATION

Sheets of tin nailed to posts

driven in the ground

make up the house

Some rags complete

The intimate landscape

The sun slanting through the cracks

Welcomes the owner

After twelve hours of slave labour

Breaking rock

Shifting rock

Breaking rock

Shifting rock

Fair weather

Wet weather

Breaking rock

Shifting rock

Old age comes early

A mat on dark nights

Is enough when he dies

gratefully

of hunger

Questions

a) What is the poem about.                                                                              (4mks)

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b) Identify and illustrate two features of style used in the poem.                        (4mks)

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c) What does the fifth stanza suggest about the work done by “he”.                   (2mks)

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d) What basic requirements does the ‘he’ in the poem lack?                              (3mks)

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e) Why do you think the ‘he’ dies gratefully?.                                                       (1mk)

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f) Identify and illustrate two themes brought out in this poem.                               (4mks)

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g) Explain the meaning of “Old age comes early”                                                (1mk)

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h) Give another word that means the same as hunger as.               (1mk)

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GRAMMAR             (15mks)

(a) Rewrite the following sentences according to the instructions given.                          (4mks)

i) Tom did not go to church.

    Mary did not go to church.

  (Rewrite as one sentence beginning: Neither........)

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ii) “I am sick now,” Juma said.                   (Rewrite in reported speech)

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iii)You will not pass your examinations if you do not work hard             (Rewrite using (unless)

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iv)       You will accompany me on the trip if you behave well.     (Rewrite using “on condition that”)

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b) Use the correct preposition to complete the following sentences.                     (3mks)

i) Tonny was accused .................................. murder.

ii) Philip was acquitted .......................................................... treason.

iii) Omollo has been charged............................................ handling stolen property.

c) Rewrite the following sentences correctly.                                             (4mks)

i) Repeat again what you told me yesterday.

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ii) My friend hit the tree as he reversed back.

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iii) The meeting was held at 10.00 am in the morning.

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iv) In my opinion, I think there are too many  public holidays.

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d) Give two meanings of the following sentence.                                                 (2mks)

Visiting relatives can be boring.

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e) Replace the underlined words with one word that has same meaning.              (2mks)

i) Jane passed out during athletics

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ii) Hellen takes after her mother.

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