KNEC KCSE English Paper 2 Question Paper / 2016 KASSU JET JOINT EXAMINATION

Society has failed and parents have not played their role fully in raising their children.
This is according to Jeff Ngari, a counseling psychologist and a deacon with the Reformed
Catholic Church. Jeff says the issue of teenage mothers is so big that it should be considered
a cry for help. He adds that today, children lack the guidance they require when it comes to
having independent social interactions.
“The idea is not to block them from forming their own relationships, but to make them
understand what it means to be in a relationship, especially with the opposite sex, and how
far this relationship should go,” says Jeff.
And just like the rest of society, parents have not been spared by the wave of moral
decay and thus, according to Jeff, they have failed as role models for their children. Due to
this, many teenagers are picking up social ills from their parents-the very people they are
supposed to look up to.
“For instance, a teenager who has seen his or her mother repeatedly sleep out or come
home in the wee hours of the morning will most likely be excited about staying out late out
of curiosity, “he says, adding, “this is happening to most of our homes today.”
Jeff says many parents are engaging carelessly in extra-marital relationships that leave
very little to the imagination of their children, and this is likely to be seen as a normal thing
by children, especially teenagers. As a result, there are many avenues through which
teenagers can explore the issue of sex and the greatest worry is that girls need to be rescued.
“The boy invariably walks away scot-free as the school, society and church turn their
full attention on the girl and judge her,” he says that adding that it is one of the issues that the
Reformed Catholic Church is trying to address so that children such as these can be
recognized instead of being neglected.
“This is not to say that teenage pregnancy is right, but it is a social ill that must be
fought from family level, within the school setting, in the church and the wider society,” he
says.
Most teenage mothers experience rejection and abuse by their families, friends and
wider community, including the church. “No wonder these girls abandon their babies either
in toilets or litter bins. The effects of rejection can be fatal. Rejection by society is the worst
thing anybody can suffer. It kills from within. That is why teenage motherhood is a cry for
help and family support is very important, as the result is children giving birth to, and trying
to raise babies.”
Jeff notes that without any know-how, finances or proper structures, teenage mothers
face a big challenge. Add to this the stigma that comes with being regarded as immoral. “Yet
we know that not all teenage sex is consensual. There are cases of grown men preying on
innocent girls.”
Abortion, or an attempt to carry it out, complicates an already complicated situation,
especially if crude methods are used. Besides, there is a post-abortion self-stigma that does
not go away.
“In the course of my career, I have met mature women who tell me they had abortions
when they were very young and they still feel guilty decades later. Some even go to the
extent of saying, ‘My first-born would be this or that age.’ It is very painful.”
In Kenya, four in every 10 women who die from unsafe abortion are adolescents; 70%
of adolescents engage in high-risk unprotected sex. This is according to a research paper presented by Dr. Richard O. Muga of the National Coordinating Agency for Population and
Development, Nairobi-Kenya, 2006.
The alarming figures are why Margaret Muyanga, a counseling psychologist, says open
communication between teenagers and parents can be very instrumental in curbing any post-
pregnancy abortion or even worse, suicidal tendencies.
(Adopted from Daily Nation Wednesday July .30”, 2008)
a) Explain how parents have contributed to the moral decay of their children. (2marks)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
.………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
b) Give the factors leading to teenage pregnancy, according to the passage. (3marks)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
c) What is the consequence of the rejection and abuse that teenage mothers experience?
(2marks)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
…….……………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
d) Jeff says the issue of teenage mothers is so big that it should be considered a cry for help.
Rewrite the sentence above in direct speech. (1mark)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

e) In not more than 50 words, summarize the consequences of teenage pregnancy.(4marks)
Rough Copy
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
.…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Fair Copy
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
.…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
.…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
f) What solution does the writer offer to curb teenage pregnancy? (2marks)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
g) Identify and explain an instance of irony in the passage. (3marks)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
.………………………………………………………………………………………………….
.………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………….

h) Explain the meaning of the following words as used in the passage. (3marks)
(i) Scot-free
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
(ii) Stigma
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
(iii) Consensual
……………………………………………………………………………………………………

The recently concluded multi-party elections which many had hoped would usher in a new era
had been characterized by confusion and cries of foul by the opposition and declarations of total
transparency by the winners-who if they were to be believed, had turned from goat to guardians
of the vegetable patch. Once again the people’s dogged perseverance in the face of lies and
bureaucratically engineered setbacks was something to behold: Kenyans – the common people,
had come out shining. The donors, not particularly impressed by the Capricorn turned guardian
angel transformation of the rulers where still withholding aid and the country was going to the
dogs, slowly but surely. These were the words in the mouth of all able bodied Kenyans these
days and there was a fair representation of them in that room-from bankers to teachers, doctors to
lawyers, engineers to architects: and each and every one of them had an opinion to be voiced,
preferably at the top of his or her lungs-with the assistance, of course, of some frothy brew or
stinging distillate.
Elizabeth came out of the bedroom unobserved, stood looking at the noisy gathering below.
These were her children and their friends and behind her-fast asleep-her children’s children; a
wonderful sight indeed. She turned and pattered away quietly, but on an impulse decided to
check on the little ones. She found them sprawled all over the place as only the very young can
be. One rascal – her son Opiyo’s son Mark actually had his leg placed squarely on another
child’s neck. Elizabeth bent to remove it and felt the attack of dizzy breathlessness come upon
her once again and with the sure knowledge of one who has lived long she knew that this
ominous suffocation was a sign of the beginning of the end. She rested a little, holding on the
door and then quietly went to join Mark in bed.
She stayed awake late into the night and as was wont to happen to her so much of late, memories
of seventy years duration flashed effortlessly through her mind. There she was as a very little
girl, clothed in nothing but the love of Were-the god of the eye of the rising sun; then she was
sitting in the shadow of grandfather Oloo’s largest bull missing her mother who had gone away
to seek the new way. Again there she was her cousin Owuor walking in single file between
Maria in front and grandmother Akoko in the back. They were on their way to the mission at Aluor, a haven for heartbroken widows and bereft orphans who wanted to learn the ways of Yesu
Kristu. And here she was studying in her cubicle at the teacher training college. A love letter
comes flying in through the open window; it was from a fellow student whose name was Cosmas
somebody or other and like so many others it declared his willingness to climb mountains, ford
rivers and swim oceans in order to reach her and win her love. The guy must have drowned by
now, thought Elizabeth her lips twitching. And, of course, there was a lifetime of memories with
Mark Anthony-in her opinion still the best looking man around. She also remembered clearly the
day Akoko had died and her conviction that it was all over. How mistaken she had been! For in
truth it had only just begun and now she saw evidence of that great woman in so many of her
grandchildren, but strangely enough most clearly in her daughter-in-law Wandia-the girl from
the ridge country of the Kikuyu, who was no blood relative but who clearly if instinctively
understood the true destiny of a woman-to live life to the full and to fight to the end.
In the small hours of the night, Elizabeth eventually slid into a fitful and disturbed sleep. Mark,
being a very heavy sleeper stirred stiffly but did not wake up. The following morning everyone
packed up and scattered to whatever direction they had come from – exhausted but happy.
a) Briefly explain what has led to the family gathering together? (4 marks)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
b) With illustrations, describe the setting of the excerpt. (3 marks)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

c) State three roles played by the mission at Aluor. (3 marks)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
d) Discuss any two themes found in the excerpt. (4 marks)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
e) Comment on the following styles as used in the excerpt. (4 marks)
( i) Foreshadowing
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
( ii) Flashback
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
f) From elsewhere in the novel, Akoko makes another epic journey. Describe the journey and give
two reasons why she makes the journey. (3 marks)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

g) Describe the character of Elizabeth as portrayed in this excerpt(2marks)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
h) “The guy must have drowned by now.” Who is the guy referred to here? (1mark)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
i) She also remembered clearly the day Akoko had died. (Add a question tag) (1 mark)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

DEATH OF MY FATHER
His sunken cheeks, his inward-looking eyes,
The sarcastic, scornful smile on his lips
The unkempt, matted, grey hair,
The hard, coarse sand-paper hands,
Spoke eloquently of the lifehe had lived.
But I did not mourn for him.
The hammer, the saw and the plane,
These were his tools and his damnation,
His sweat was his ointment and his perfume.
He fashioned dining tables, chairs, wardrobes,
And all the wooden loves of colonial life.
No, I did not mourn for him.
He built colonial mansions,
Huge,unwieldy,arrogant constructions;
But he squatted in a sickly mud-house,
With his children huddled stuntedly,
Under the bed-bug bed he shared with Mother.
I could not mourn for him.
I had already inherited
His premature old-age look,
I had imbibed his frustration;
But his dreams of freedom and happiness
Had become my song, my love.
So, I could not mourn for him.

No, I did not shed any tears;
My father’s dead life still lives in me,
He lives in my son, my father,
I am my father and my son.
I will awaken his sleepy hopes and yearnings,
But I will not mourn for him,
I will not mourn for me.
a) Identify the persona. (2 marks)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
b) What is the poem talking about? ( 3 marks)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
c) Comment on the alliteration that is used in the poem? ( 2 marks)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
d) Apart from alliteration, identify and explain any other two aspects of style that the poet has used.
(4 marks)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

e) What reason does the persona give for not mourning his father’s death? ( 3 marks)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
f) What is the father’s profession from the poem? ( 1 mark)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
g) Explain the meaning of the following lines as used in the poem: ( 3 marks)
i)The hard, coarse sand-paper hands,
Spoke eloquently of the life he had lived.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
ii) His premature old-age look,
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
iii) I will awaken his sleepy hopes and yearnings,
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
h) What is the attitude of the persona towards his father’s life? ( 2 marks)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Rewrite the following sentences according to the instructions after each
i) The young man wept uncontrollably when he learnt that his whole family had perished in
Gate Mall terrorist attack. (Begin: Having………)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

ii) Muchangi regrets not having campaigned much for the post of a school captain. He realized
he was not the students’ favourite after the polls. (Rewrite using the present participle)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Rewrite the following sentences using impersonal passives.
i) The motorist could not use the southern by-pass. People believed the lions had been let loose.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
ii) People say Chapakazi works 18 hours a day.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Using the verb in brackets form a phrasal verbto replace the underlined word.
i) It takes a lot of challenge to nurture a child into an adult. (bring)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
ii)The politicians’ dirty tricks did not succeed. (come)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
iii)It is not good to desert one’s family. (walk)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Fill in the blanks with an appropriate preposition
i) We wondered if there was need ………………………such equipment.
ii) Oundo, get ……………….the wet wall immediately!
iii)She was born ………………rich parents.

Rewrite the following sentences according to the instructions given.
i) The teacher was so disappointed. She ordered the students to leave the scene. (Rewrite into one
sentence beginning with ‘so’)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
ii) If you have nothing else to say, we will adjourn the meeting now.(Begin with: Unless…)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Fill in the gaps with the given adjectives in the correct order.
i) Wayne Rooney drives a ………………….car.(Italian, silver, small, flashy, sports)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
ii) The …………Member of Parliament was thrown out of the house by the sergeant-at-arms.
(Light-skinned, arrogant, tall, young)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………