Kenya National Examinations Council KCPE Past Papers English 2011
K.C.P.E 201 1
Composition
Paper
You have I hour to write your composition.
Below is the beginning of a story. Write and complete the story. Make your story as interesting as you can.
We lined up on both sides of the road from the school gate ready to welcome our Member of Parliament (MP). It was our school prize-giving day
ENGLISH
SECTION A:
Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Read the instructions carefully
1. Youlnvebemgivcnthisqueszionbooklaandasepammmswershuet.Tluquenlonbookle:oomains$0quanions. 2. When you have chosen your answer. mark it an the ANSWER SHEET. not in this question booklet.
How to use the answer sheet
3. Use an ordinary pencil. 4. Make sure you have written on the answer sheet Your index number
Your name
Name of your school
5. By drawings a dark line inside the correct numbered boxes mark your full Index Number (i.e. School Code Number
in the grid near the top of the answer sheet
6. Do not make any marks outside the boxes.
7. Keep the sheet as clean as possible and do not fold it.
8. For each of the questions 1 – 50 four answers are given The answers are lettered A. B. C and D. In any case only One of the four answers is correct. Choose the correct answer.
9. On the answe sheet the correct answer is to be shown by drawing a dark line inside the box in which the letter you have chosen is written
Example
For questions 23 and 25. choose the alternative that best completes the sentence.
11. For each question ONLY ONE box is to be marked In each set of four boxes
Questions 1 to 15
Read the passage below. It contains blank spaces numbered 1-15. For each blank space, choose the best alternative from the choices given.
It is otten _1 that all living things, plants and animals, have a _2_for existence. Each living organism plays an important role _3_it exists. However, there is one creature whose importance is _6_to see. This is the mosquito. What most people know _5_ this tiny beast is that it is the major by which Malaria is spread. It is therefore not __7_ that some people have demanded the complete elimination of _8_species from the face of the earth. It is interesting to none that the insect does not _9 to spread disease. It just wants to feed itself and to reproduce. Researchers have discovered that the female mosquito needs to feed on blood in order to lay eggs. As it moves from one source to another in _10_of blood, it ends up picking up and spreading the organisms that cause tile disease. A common rule of nature is_11_at work here: the survival of one creature means the death of another. Some scientists have argued that the insect is not _12_ useless. it serves as food for some other creatures such as lizards, geckos and birds. The lives of these predators _13__be at risk if there were no mosquitoes, and this would _14_ affect the population of animals that in tum feed on the predators. All this would finally affect the food chain, causing an imbalance 15__nature.
1. A seen B. felt C. thought D. said
2. A. pan B. reason C. cause D. purpose
3. A whenever B. where C. whenever D. when
4. A. hard B. impossible C. easy D. clear
5. A. with B. on C. of D. about
6. A. way B. means C. style D. method
7. A. shocking B. surprising C. astonishing D. amazing
8. A. that B. those C. this D. these
9. A. set off B. set about C. set out D. set forth
10. A. search B. need C. hunt D. chase
ll. A. seen B. found C. noticed D. observed
12. A. actually B. fully C. extremely D. completely
13. A. would B. must C. will D. may
14. A. lastly B. eventually C. furthermore D. therefore
15. A. for B. on C. in D. against
For questions 16 and 17 select the alternative that best fills the blank space in the sentences below.
16. They had just finished reading the story
A. had they
B. did they
C. hadn’t they
0. didn’t they
17. She often sings in the choir,
A. isn’t it
B. doesn’t she
C. does she
D. is it
For questions 18 to 20 choose the alternative that can best replace the underlined phrase.
18. The little boy decided he would no longer put up with the bullying.
A. accept.
B. receive.
C. take.
D. tolerate.
19. Tomno had not where he would spend his holidays.
A. decided
B. planned
C. said
D. imagined.
20. She complained that most of her classmates
A. rejected
B. despised
C. abused
D. hated
In questions 21 and 22 choose the alternative that is correctly punctuated
21. A. “Juma, the teacher asked, where have you been since yesterday’?”.
B. “Junta?” the teacher asked, where have you been since yesterday.“
C. “Juma,” the teacher asked. “where have you been since yesterday?”
D. “Juma, the teacher asked where have you been since yesterday?”
22. A. The doctor said, “Keep medicine out of children’: reach.”
B. The doctor said, keep medicine out of children’s reach.”
C. The doctor said, “keep medicine out of children’s reach.”
D. The doctor said, “keep medicine out of children’s reach.”
questions 23 to 25. choose the alternative that means the opposite of the underlined word
23. When I asked him why he had arrived late, I found his answer .
A. sensible
B. reasonable
C. incorrect
D. unacceptable
24. It is risky to cross that bridge at night.
A safe
B. dangerous
C. harmful
D. secure
25. The headteacher forbade the pupils to bring cooked food into the school compound.
A. told
B. encouraged
C. allowed
D advised.
Read the passage below and then answer questions 26 to 38.
“I wonder what Aoko is doing at home,” Njeri said, looking at her friend Cherono. “ Why don’t we go and find out?”
The three were close friends, in fact inseparable. They spent most of the day together, especially during the school holidays like now. Nine o’clock always found the girls together, and they would not part till evening. Strangely today, Aoko was nowhere to be seen yet it was already 10 o’clock. The two girls walked to Aoko’s home. As they neared the house, Njeri called out, “Aoko, you have visitors!” There was no response. Obviously, their friend was not in.
Outside the house was seated an old lady the two girls had never seen before. They went up to her and Cherono greeted her in Aoko’s mother tongue. Cherono spoke the language fluently, one could not tell she was from a different community. The old lady responded and milled broadly, exposing toothless gums Njeri guessed the old lady was probably a hundred years old. Cherono then asked her where Aoko was.
I sent her to the shops to buy something, just get in and wait. l’m sure she’s on her way back,” said the lady. Njeri did not understand a word. She just followed her friend into the house. Half an hour later, the girls were still waiting. impatience got the better of Njeri. She suggested that they go away and return later. Cherono on the other hand had a different idea She was curious about the old lady seated outside.
“Why don‘: we go out and chat with the lady, you know these old people usually have fascinating stories to tell,” she said. . “But I won’t understand a thing. For you, the language is not a problem, so you’ll probably enjoy the stories,” grumbled Mari. Afier a little persuasion, Njeri gave in on condition that Cherono would translate everything into English or Kiswahili. They went out and found the lady humming a tune.
She was in a world of her own, her face a picture of happiness. She did not seem to notice the two girls, who also did not want to break in on her bliss. “Oh” she exclaimed when she realized she was being watched. “l really love singing. It is good for the soul. Do you also sing?” She asked.
Njeri looked at Cherono expecting her to translate what the lady had just said. And she did. “l see your friend does not understand our language. The lady commented in English. The two girls were taken aback. “l just wanted to find out whether you two also love to sing,” she said. looking at Njeri. “Yes,” replied Njeri, “but I did not know you spoke English.”
The lady let out a hearty laugh, once again expound her toothless gums. She then went on to explain that she was a retired teacher of English, having taught for forty years. “1 was taught the language by its owners,“ she boasted.
“Just as I learnt your language from its owners,” Cherono remarked proudly. It was the lady’s mm to be astonished. “You mean you do not come from our community yet you speak our language so well?” Aoko arrived to find the three deep in conversation.
She was holding a newspaper. She explained that she had had to walk all the way to the shopping centre for it. “My great grandma loves reading and as soon as she arrived here this morning she asked for a newspaper.” Soon afterwards the three girls skipped away leaving the old lady buried in the paper.
26. Njeri wondered what Aoko was doing at home because
A. it was already 10 o’clock.
B. she Wanted to play with her.
C. they were close friends.
D. it was unusual for Aoko to be late.
27. During the school holidays, the girls
A. always met at nine o’clock
B. loved listening to stories
C. became close friends
D. spent the better part of the day together.
28. Why did Njeri suggest that they “go away and come back later”?
A. She was bored.
B. She was nervous.
C. She was impatient.
D. She was worried.
29. Which of the following statements best explains why Cherono greeted the old lady in Aoko’s mother tongue?
A. She knew the old lady did not know English.
B. She assumed the old lady was from Aoko’s community.
C. She knew the old lady could understand the Ian e.
D. She wants to surprise the old lady by speaking her language.
30. When Njeri did not understand what the old lady was saying she must have felt
A. embarrassed
B. annoyed
C. frustrated
D. rejected.
31. Whidt of the following is not a Possible explanation why Cherono was curious about the old lady?
A. old lady was about a hundred years
B. She had never seen the old lady before.
C. The old lady had toothless gums.
D. She had learnt the old lady’s language.
32. Njai was reluctant to ‘go out and chat’ with the old lady because
A. only Cherono could understand the old lady’s language.
B. she did not enjoy stories in another language.
C. She thought the stories would not be in English.
D. the old lady was not from her community. .
33. The phrase “buried in the paper” as used in the passage mans
A. coveted with the paper.
B. reading the paper keenly.
C. looking at the paper.
D. the old lady was dead.
34. The expression “taken aback” as used in the passage means
A. shocked.
B. surprised.
C. frightened.
D. excited.
35. Why do you think the old lady “let out a hearty laugh”?
A. She was amused by the girls’ ignorance.
B. She wanted to surprise the girls.
C. She wanted to show off that she knew English.
D. She was proud about her community.
36. The old lady was ‘astonished’ because Cherono
A. was not from her community
B. had been taught her language
C. was a good interpreter
D. could speak her language fluently.
37. Which of the following statement is not true about Aoko?
A. She was shocked to find her friends with her great grandmother.
B. She had been away for over thirty minutes.
C. She was an obedient girl.
D. She loved being with her friends.
38. Which of the following sayings can best apply to this passage?
A. A stitch in time saves nine.
B. Do not judge a book by its cover.
C. Experience is the best teacher.
D. Better late than never.
Read the passage below and then answer questions 39 to 50.
One of the most amazing things about the discovery of a 2,000 year old cemetery in the Bahariyah Oasis in Egypt was that no one was looking for it No one even knew it existed. It had been completely buried by sand. In 1996, a donkey belonging to a guard at the nearby temple stumbled into a hole in the sand a mile from the temple. When the guard peered into the hole, he saw something shining brightly. He reported the discovery to Egyptian archaeologists right away.
However, the archaeologists did not begin serious digging immediately. They did not have the workers or the money. So they made a quick survey of the site, and then covered everything up again. They wanted to hide it from thieves and protect it from exposure to the sun and weather: Finally, in 1999, they had enough money to begin exploring the site. ‘ On their very first day of work, after digging only several feet into the sand, they found a lot of mummies. Mummies are dead bodies that have been preserved for along time. They are mostly found in Egypt. One of them had an especially beautiful mask. It was not at pharao lfs mummy. though. It turned out that none of the tombs in this cemetery belonged to royalty. Most of the people buried here came from families that grew rich by trading in wine.
The most spectacular of these mummies have masks made of plaster covered with a thin Iayer of gold. Marry are in wonderful condition. And because grave robbers never found these tombs, everything that was buried with them is still there. Most of the mummies have been left where they were found, but a few of the best preserved ones are on display in the Bahariyah Museum, where the public can take a look at them.
Two mummies were found lying side by side and were probably a husband and a wife. His mask and chest plate were decorated with religious figures. Her head was turned in his direction, indicating that the husband had died first. Two other mummies are of children. Archaeologists think they were brother and sister because they were found together. The boy was probably about five years old. His mask with its painted eyes and features are so real – he almost seems alive! y Did archaeologists find treasures in these tombs? It depends on what you mean by “treasures.”
They have not found any solid gold, but they have discovered all sorts of objects. The people buried in the cemetery may have thought some of these items would be useful in the after life. Or some may have been intended as gifts to the gods. For example, archaeologists have unearthed small statues of various gods. They have found many pieces of jewelry – necklaces, bracelets and anklets – made of copper, glass, ivory and semi-precious stones.
They have also discovered many pottery pieces used for storing, cooking or serving food. There were some bronze Greek and Roman coins too. And in the children’s tombs, they found toys – carved animals for the children to play with in the after life.
Archaeologists will be able to learn more about these people and their way of life by further studying their mummies and the things buried with them. And so many mummies were buried in the Valley of the Golden Mummies that excavation and learning will continue at the site for years to come. (Adapted from Servers of the Past by World Book, lnc. 2002}
39. The discovery of the 2,000 year-old
cemetery in Behariyah
A. very sudden
B. really surprising
C. quite accidental
D. extremely important.
40. Who actually discovered the cemetery?
A. The guard.
B. The donkey.
C. The archaeologists.
D. The Egyptians. together.
41. What can we tell about the archaeologists from the information in the third paragraph
A. They did not do things in a hurry.
B. They had a lot of digging to do.
C.They received reports from guards.
D. They did not have much money
42. Which of the following statements is not
true according to the passage?
A Robbers can interfere with the mummies.
B. Thieves had also discovered the cemetery.
C. Exposure to the weather can affect the
mummies
D. There was enough sand to cover the cemetery
43. the first day of digging can be described as
A. Very stressful
B. quite amazing
C. Very successful
D. quite interesting.
44. “None of the tombs in this cemetery belonged
to royalty means that
. recovered.
A. the royal family did not own that cemetery
B. members of the royal family were not buried there
C. it was not good enough for kings and queens
D. you do not bury such important people anywhere
45. What evidence is there that the people buried there were rich‘?
A. they traded in wine
B. they were well preserved
C. their bodies were beautifully decorated
D. their masks are covered with a layer of gold
46. What can we assume about the culture of the people buried in this cemetery
A. members of the same family were buried together
B. the people were buried side by side
C. the woman was supposed to face her husband
D. they used masks in their religious ceremonies
47. According to the passage the word “treasures”
A. means different things to different people
B. is an important word in the passage
C. refers to all sorts of objects
D. refers to items found in the tomb
48. It is obvious that the people in the community believed
A. they would meet some god later
B. the gods expected some gifts
C. there was life after death
D. they needed some items after dying
49. The word unearthed means
A. removed
B. discovered
C. exposed
D. recovered
50. Which of the following would be the best title of the passage
A. the unusual discovery
B. the mummies of Bahariyah
C. the wonders of ancient Egypt
D. the works of archaeologists
Free KNEC KCPE Past Papers English 2011 Marking Scheme
