KCPE Past Papers 2017 English Language and Composition

Kenya Certificate of Primary Education

2017 English Language and Composition

English Section A:Composition

You have 40 minutes to write your composition.

The following is the beginning of a story. Complete the story, making it as interesting as you can.

When I got to school that morning, the head teacher had very good news for me …… …………………………..

English Section B: Languange

Read the passage below. It contains blank spaces numbered I to 15. For each blank space, choose the best alternative from the choices given.

Today, most people have mobile phones. It is actually not _1__ to imagine how we ever lived without them.

They have made communication _2__ much easier and faster. Amazingly, a life in danger can be saved by _3__ consulting a doctor on the phone. We can _4_ use our phones to send and receive money as well as _5__ certain banking operations.

However, there are restrictions _ _6__ the use of this very important _7_ . Students, for example, are _8__to use mobile phones in school. The __9__ for this are many. To begin with, phones could 10 those who do not have them to steal in order to be like _11__ else. Secondly, they can be used to cheat in examinations. _12__ this happens, the culprit faces very serious consequences. id it is true that mobile phones can easily distract one from concentrating on their studies. Who wants to hear 14 loud annoying ringtone when revising for a test? Again, how many can resist the _15__ to play phone games when one ought to be studying?

1. A. possible B.right C.easy D.Difficult

2. A. too B.so C.very D.quite

3. A. shortly B.easily C. briefly D.simmply

4. A. even B.still C.just D.likewise

5. A. carry on B.carry off C.carry out D.carry thought

6. A. on B.in C.for D.0f

7. A. item B.equipment C.thing D.gadget

8. A. banned B.forbidden C.refused D.denied

9. A. explanations B.arguments C.causes D.reasons

10. A. lead B.make C.tempt D.force

11. A. everybody B.anybody C.someone D.Anyone

12. A. As B.if C.while D.Because

13. A. Yet B.hence C.Morever D.Nevertheless

14. A. the B.such C.any D.someone

15. A. chance B.urge C.need D.wish

For questions 16 and I7, choose the alternative that best completes the sentence given.

16. My three-year-old brother loves to play with other children, ?

A. isn’t he

B. doesn’t he

C. does he

D. is he

17. Fatuma has never seen a chameleon,

A. has she

B. is it

C. hasn’t she

D. isn’t it

For questions 18 and 19, choose the alternative that best completes the sentence given.

18. Kamau was not only a prefect

A. yet also a good athlete.

B. and also a good athlete.

C. then also a good athlete.

D. but also a good athlete.

19. The children were so tired “

A. to be able to do their homework.

B. as they could not do their homework.

C. that they could not do their homework.

D. and were not able to do their homework.

For questions 20 to 22, choose the sentence that means the same as the underlined one.

20. My grandfather rarely visits us.

A. My grandfather hardly visits us.

B. My grandfather usually visits us.

C. My grandfather sometimes visits us.

D. My grandfather never visits us.

21. As soon as mother arrived, the baby stoppgd cgging.

A. Mother arrived just as the baby stopped crying.

B. Mother arrived soon after the baby stopped crying.

C. The baby stopped crying just before mother arrived.

D. The baby stopped crying immediately after mother arrived.

22. I would buy those books if I had money.

A. I cannot buy those books unless there is money.

B. I cannot buy those books because I don’t have money.

C. I will buy those books when I get enough money.

D. I will buy those books as soon as I have money.

Read the passage below and then answer questions 23 to 25.

Four pupils, Asha, Peter. Joyce and David, were asked by their teacher to mention the games they liked. Asha mentioned football, netball and swimming. Peter said he liked football and swimming. Joyce stated that she liked netball and swimming while David mentioned basketball and netball.

23. Which two games were equally popular?

A. football and basketball

B. netball and swimming

C. football and swimming

D. netball and basketball

24. Which game was not liked by the girls?

A. football

B. netball

C. swimming

D. basketball

25. Which of the following statements is true?

A. All the pupils liked football.

B. The two boys liked different games.

C. Asha was the most active pupil.

D. Swimming was the most popular game.

Read the passage below and then answer questions 26 to 38.

How quickly things change! Only ﬁve years ago, Kazungu had no decent place to call home. His father was unhappy with him because he had become a habitual drunkard after doing badly in school.

The father feared that Kazungu would inﬂuence the rest of the family with his wayward behaviour. His room was so dirty that it stank to high heavens and even his friends, myself included, stopped visiting him.

All this time, his parents kept urging him to reform and they were very supportive. Their unconditional love seemed to make an impact.

Kazungu was changing, slowly but steadily. The improvement was obvious and I even started visiting him regularly. He still kept smelly socks and unwashed clothes in his tiny room. Besides, the bathroom was not one of the places he visited often.

He was struggling with the demons of dirt and disorderliness. I took it upon myself to keep nudging him to clean up and organise his life.

My efforts did not go to waste. Kazungu soon found something to do.

He started making kennels that were so attractive he could not satisfy the demand for them. He had begun to eam a decent living. Today, Kazungu lives in a magniﬁcent house and, believe me, that house is a house! It has all the modern gadgets and sofa set — the type you sit on and partly disappear.

The house is so comfortable that you feel uncomfortable if you are not used to such luxury. The funny thing is that Emma, Kazungu’s childhood friend, greatly contributed to his success.

It began like a joke. Emma was selling clothes at her stall as usual while listening to die radio.

Then the caught her attention. He was inviting the public to nominate young entrepreneurs who were doing something innovative.

The nominees should also have overcome challenges to be where they Were. All that listeners were required to do was send a text message to a number that the announcer gave.

They needed to give the name of the nominee, what he or she had done and what obstacles he or she had overcome. ()ut of goodness of heart, Emma decided to send Kazungu’s name.

As she was to tell us later, she wanted to repay him for his generosity. He had once given her ﬁfty shillings when she really needed it.

At the time, it was a real sacriﬁce on his part. She sent the name and soon forgot about it. A fortnight later, she received a call.

It was the radio presenter. He said that Emma’s story about Kazungu was one of the most inspiring. He asked for KaZungu’s contact.

Kazungu had been selected to undergo a six-month training on how to set up a business, market his products and make an impact in the community.

Kazungu embarked on the training with zeal. At the end of the course, he emerged the top student. That is how he ended up on television.

You should have heard the callers asking him questions that day. He spoke clearly, ﬂuently and conﬁdently. He became an instant hit.

The programme had transformed my friend. I was amazed. “Make one last comment,” the presenter told Kazungu.

“I was a victim of a system which equates failing an exam to failing in life,” he began calmly. “Education is important if individuals are to develop their full potential. However, young people also need to be encouraged to exploit their talents in sports, art, music or any other ﬁeld.

Nobody had ever told me that l could succeed in life after failing my exams. I had felt frustrated and hopeless. In time, I had sought to drown my disappointments in alcohol. Thankfully, I’m now free.”

26.What was Kazungu’s father afraid of?

A. His son behaving in such a shameﬁil way.

B. His son failing to recover from alcohol.

C. People blaming him for Kazungu’s actions.

D. Others in the family behaving like Kazungu.

27.We know that Kazungu’s parents really cared about him because they

A. gave him advice and supported him.

B. did not abandon him like his ﬁiends did.

C. were patient with him although he stank.

D. provided him with a room to live in.

28.Which of the following statements is not true about the Writer?

A. He stopped visiting Kazungu at one time just like others.

B. He did not approve of Kazungu’s drunkenness and lifestyle.

C. He and other ﬁiends looked down upon Kaztmgu.

D. He was quite patient and wanted his friend to change.

29.‘Besides, the bathroom was not one of the places he visited often’ means that Kazungu.

A. did not have a good bathroom.

B. did not take a bath frequently.

C. did not care much about hygiene.

D. did not see the need to bathe.

30.Which of the following words would best replace the word ‘nudging’?

A. encouraging

B. forcing

C. requesting

D. instructing

31.From his description of Kazungu’s new house. we can tell that the writer is

A. shocked.

B. delighted.

C. pleased.

D. fascinated.

32.Which of the following best describes Emma?

A. responsible and attractive

B. knowledgeable and generous

C. grateful and caring

D. curious and friendly

33.Why did Kazungu deserve the nomination?

A. He had helped Emma during a very difﬁcult time.

B. He had overcome drunkenness and proved innovative.

C. He was a young person and needed the training.

D. He had the potential to do very well in business.

34.What do we leam about Kazungu through Emma?

A. He was a kind young man.

B. He was a friendly young man.

C. He was a talented young man.

D. He was a brave young man.

35.How do we know that Kazungu made good use of the training he got?

A. He used the skills leamt to prosper in business.

B. He got a chance to appear on television.

C. He was the best student at the end of the course.

D. He answered questions clearly and ﬂuently.

36.Why do you think Kazungu became ‘an instant hit’?

A. Few people undergo such a transformation.

B. No ordinary person can impress so many people.

C. People love to listen to stories of success.

D. His story and his conﬁdence won him admiration.

37.Which of the following statements best explains what Kazungu says in the last paragraph?

A. Sports, art and music can make one famous.

B. Success in life can be achieved quite easily.

C. Failing your exams does not mean failing in life.

D. You should not tum to alcohol when disappointed.

38.Which of the following proverbs best summarises the lesson we learn from this passage?

A. A friend in need is a friend indeed.

B. A slip is not a fall.

C. Every cloud has a silver lining.

D. Two heads are better than one.

Read the following passage and then answer questions 39 to 50.

Everyone of us requires money from time to time. This is because we all have certain needs which can only be satisﬁed by goods or services paid for using money. It is not surprising, therefore, that we spend a lot of time and energy in activities that can earn us money.

While there is nothing wrong in striving to make money, it is not right to let the desire for more and more of it be the only thing that controls our lives. Indeed, there is some truth in the old saying that the love of money is the root of all evil. Many wicked deeds have been done because of an uncontrolled desire for riches. Many are the people in jail for money-related crimes.

One of the main reasons why people easily become blinded by the love of money is that society thinks highly of people with deep pockets. Unfortunately, success is often measured by the amount of money one has. For this reason, some people would stop at nothing to acquire more and more.

A common joke is that for such money-hungry people, money is not everything; it is the only thing.

It is regrettable that such people spend most of their time thinking of how to make money without caring whether or not they use fair, legal or honest means.

It is important to realise that in life, there are other things more satisfying than money. One of these is good health. When we are free from any form of illness, we feel a sense of satisfaction. Stories are told of people with lots of money but who are miserable because of ill health. No wonder, someone said health is wealth.

Another source of satisfaction is selﬂess service to other people. When we try to make the lives of others better, we are doing a lot of good to ourselves. This is especially true when we do this regardless of whether or not we expect to beneﬁt.

It is often said that the way to be happy is to make someone else happy. Happiness can also result from having good relationships with other people. Relating well with those who allow us to be oiirselvesilor who bring out the best in us can be truly rewarding. Freedom from guilt is yet another source of fulfillment.

Guilt is a negative feeling that can Weigh us down by making us lack peace of mind and robbing us of happiness. One way to make ourselves free from guilt is to seek forgiveness from those we may have wronged.

It is therefore clear that money or wealth is not necessarily the key to happiness.

One can have these in plenty and yet be miserable. The story of King Midas best illustrates this. According to this Greek tale, the king prayed earnestly for lots of gold.

His prayers were answered and everything he touchedtumed into gold. Unfortunately, King Midas died of starvation for even when he tried to eat, his food tumed into gold! For sure, money is one thing and happiness quite another.

39.Why do We oﬁen require money?

A. We require money to meet all our needs in life.

B. It is impossible to enjoy life without money

C. It helps us spend time doing useful things.

D. We use it to pay for most goods and services.

40.It is necessary to spend time and energy looking for money when we

A. want to satisfy our needs.

B. desire to become rich.

C. have no time for other things.

D. need to use our time wisely.

41.When we let the desire for more money control our lives,

A. we will commit criminal acts.

B. we might be jailed for nothing.

C. we are likely to do wrong things.

D. we could lose interest in other activities.

42.The expression ‘root of all evil’ means

A. outcome of all bad things.

B. origin of all bad things.

C. reason of all bad things.

D. purpose of all bad things.

43.Why do people easily become blinded by the love of money?

A. Society otten respects people with a lot of money.

B. People who have a lot of money are happier.

C. Society does not like people without much money.

D. People usually need a lot of money to live well.

44.The writer uses ‘deep pockets’ to refer to

A. enough wealth.

B. extra wealth.

C. stored wealth.

D. great wealth.

45.According to the passage, money-hungry people

A. care about nothing else all their lives.

B. know that money can buy all things.

C. believe that only money matters in life.

D. spend a lot of their time doing business.

46.What happens when we serve others selﬂessly?

A. We always make them better people.

B. We enjoy a sense of fulﬁlment.

C. We expect to get something in return.

D. We give them a reason to like us.

47.Which of the following statements is not true about guilt?

A. It can cause loss of weight and ill health.

B. It can make us lack peace of mind.

C. It can take away our happiness.

D. lt can be avoided by seeking forgiveness.

48.King Midas in the Greek story can best be described as

A. unwise.

B. religious.

C. unlucky.

D. greedy.

49.Which of the following is the most important lesson to be learnt from the Greek tale?

A. Food is more important than gold.

B. We must choose things very carefully.

C. We can have plenty yet be unhappy.

D. Our prayers are always answered.

50.Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?

A. King Midas’ troubles

B. Money and happiness

C. The desire for wealth

D. The value of riches

Questions and Answers

2017 English Section B: Languange

1 – 15 passage answers

1. c 2. B 3. D 4. A 5. C 6. A 7. D 8. B 9. D 10.C 11.A 12.B 13.C 14.D 15.B