KNEC KCSE English Paper 2 – 2014 Cross Country Mock
2014 Cross Country Mock
English Paper 2
1.COMPREHENSION (20 Marks)
Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
1.
Most of us accumulate huge amounts of data – including e-mails, telephone calls and spikes of writing activity, as measured by daily keystrokes. Stephen Wolfram, a scientist and entrepreneur, wondered: Could all of that information be compiled into a personal database, then analysed to tell us something meaningful about our lives?
Maybe it could suggest when we tended to be the most creative or productive, along with circumstances that led up to those moments. Dr. Wolfram runs Wolfram Research, which is deeply steeped with data analysis, along with Wolfram Alpha; a computational search engine that provides many answers for Siri, the personal assistant for Apple’s iPhone 4S.
Computers are good at sporting patterns, and Dr. Wolfram thought an analysis of his own personal data might reveal patterns in his life – for example, when he is most likely to come up with new ideas,
“preferably good ones.” Dr. Wolfram, who lives in the Boston area, calls himself a “remote CEO” –
interacting with his company, which is based in Champaign III, almost exclusively by e-mail and phone.
He has accumulated data on the job for decades – whether for hundreds of thousands of his outgoing e- mails dating back to 1989, for 100 million or so of his keystrokes since 2002, or the time and duration of thousands of phone calls.
“Storing things is cheap,” he says of this monumental stockpile. “I’ve tended to take the attitude, ‘Don’t
throw electronic things away.’” Although he has long been accumulating this data, he never got around to analysing it until a few months ago.
To see the possibilities, he decided to try a new company product, Wolfram Alpha Pro. He used his own data collection for his initial foray into an area he calls “personal analytics.” “I thought I should use myself as a guinea pig, and see what could be done.” he said.
“Wolfram Alpha Pro does more than search through data,” he said. Ask it a question, and if the
information is in the right format and not too voluminous, the system can prepare a short report –
usually a summary and figures.
He wanted to use this analysis to discover, among other trends, patterns in his personal activity that
might be linked to bursts of creativity. Yes, he had memories of times when he had been creative, but
the details and circumstances were not always crystal clear. He hoped Wolfram Alpha Pro could act as an adjunct to his personal recollections.
He put the system to work, examining his e-mail and phone calls. As a marker for his new-idea rate, he
used the occurrence of new words or phrases he had begun using over time in his e-mail. These words were different from the 33, 000 or so that the system knew were in his standard lexicon.
The analysis showed that the practical aspects of his days were highly regular – a reliable dip in e-mail
about dinnertime, and don’t try getting him on the phone then, either.But he said the system also identified, as hoped, some of the times and circumstances of creative action. The algorithms that Dr. Wolfram and his group wrote “are prototypes for what we might be able to do for everyone,” he said. The system may some day end up serving as kind of personal historian, as well as potential coach for improving work habits and productivity. The data could also be a treasure trove for the people writing their autobiographies, or for biographers entrusted with information.
Dr. Wolfram has also scanned 230, 000 pages of paper documents and, when possible, fed them through an optical character reader. He has at the ready his medical test data, complete genome, GPS location tracks, room-by-room motion sensor data and much more –all possible fodder for future analysis.
People, sometimes known as self-quants, have been hard at work in the medical arena. One is Larry
Smarr, a computer science professor at the University of California, San Diego who also directs the
California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology in La Jolla.
Dr. Smarr wears one wireless sensor to monitor the calories he burns and another to see how well he
sleeps. He is keeping track of the bacteria in his body, about 100 different variables in his blood and
many other fine points in his biochemistry. After examining the data, he makes changes to improve his health. So far, he’s lost weight and gained hours of deep sleep, he says.
“There’s much information you can track,” Dr. Smarr says. “And the cost of measuring and analysing
data about ourselves just keeps on decreasing.” (From Monday ‘Standard’, April 9, 2012)
Questions
(a) Why does Dr. Smarr keep track of the bacteria in his body? (1 mk)
(b) What are the benefits of Dr. Smarrs’s use of sensors? (2 mks)
(c) Give the reason why Dr. Wolfram calls himself a remote CEO. (1 mk)
(d) Give the meanings of the following words/phrases as used in the passage. (4 mks)
(e) Describe how Wolfram Alpha Pro was used. (2 mks)
(f) What does the writer mean by ‘a reliable dip in e-mail about dinnertime, and don’t try getting him on
the phone then, either.’? (2 mks)
(g) In about 50 words, summarize the possible uses of Wolfram Alpha Pro Technology in the near future.
(4 mks)
Rough Draft
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
(h) Why does the cost of measuring and analysing data about ourselves keep decreasing? (1 mk)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
(i) In note form, identify any three sources from where Dr. Wolfram acquired his data for study.(3 mks)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow.
2.
The River Between, By Ngugi wa Thiong’o
“I shall take my father, for example, if you like. He is the head of the family. Suppose another man,
Karanja or Njuguna for example, comes in and we offer him hospitality. Suppose after a time he
deposes my father and makes himself the head of the family with a right to control our property. Do
you think he has any moral right to it? Do you, Waiyaki? And do you think I am bound by any
consideration to obey him? And if conditions become intolerable, it lies with me to rebel, not only
against him but also against all that is harsh, unfair and unjust. Take Siriana Mission for example,
the men of God came peacefully. They were given a place. Now see what has happened. They have
invited their brothers to come and take all the land. Our country is invaded. This Government Post
behind Makuyu, is a plague in our midst. And this hut-tax…”
Questions
1. Who is speaking in the excerpt? (1 mk) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. Describe the character traits of the speaker as evident in this extract. (2 mks) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. Cite any two themes evident in this excerpt. (4 mks) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. Identify and illustrate three stylistic devices employed in the extract. (6 mks) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
5. List the accusations labelled against ‘their brothers’ in the context. (3 mks) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
6. Explain what happens after this excerpt. (2 mks) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
7. In reference to the rest of the text, discuss the importance of Siriana Mission to the people of the
ridges. (4 mks) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
8. Identify the general atmosphere projected in this extract. (2 mks)
9. Do you think he has any moral right to it? (Negate the sentence) (1 mk) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
25 marks
3.POETRY (20 Marks)
Read the poem below and answer the questions that follow.
3.
Point Lookout, Angola (Kay Thornton-Fitts)
White bone settles into red clay and river silt
from past floodings
arrange themselves in final comfort under blunt white crosses
planted solidly in the field
their shadows touch shoulders with shadows
across the open flat land under a brilliant sky
pillowed by white clouds
a crow sounds a raucous cry into the stillness
Those not in the shadows of those crosses
seldom look or sense
these tired calcified remains
instead they turn red soil,
pick onions, scythe cane, pick cotton
think freedom, think freedom
not of tired bones
Across the way, a ‘d.j’ plays a gospel tune.
A new born reverend sings out
his call and response
to men who answer, out of despair and hope,
out of joy for something familiar.
Call of a preacher to sermon,
rhythm of childhood memories
hide and seek of lost years
time with Grandma on Sunday
squirming on church pews
aching to be out in the streets.
Like old rivers, these men are fractured lives
thousands of fragments scattered and collected
like Christmas lights on barbed wire tunnels, echo
sounds of chains dragged on Sunday pews
across laps of Grandmothers.
These men held by chains that
drug through dust of African villages
drag through dust of Angola.
These chains draw them into
song of call and response,
an answer to their vigilant despair
Those men of the old boned on Point Look out,
hold out brittle arms,
remember and welcome them.
(a) Explain the events that take place in this poem? (2 marks) ………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
(b) Who is the persona in the poem? (2 marks) …zone
(c) The second stanza describes two groups of people. Identify them and give one
character trait for each. (4 marks) ………………………………………………………………………………………………
…..…………………………………………………………………………………………
………..……………………………………………………………………………………
……………..………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
(d) Identify and explain any two figures of speech used in the poem. (4 marks) ………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………..……………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
(e) What is the major theme of this poem? (2 marks) ………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
(f) With the aid of relevant illustrations, describe the general atmosphere of the poem.
(2 marks) ………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… (g) Explain the meaning and effect of the following lines as used in the poem. (2 marks)
(i) ‘…like Christmas lights on barbed wire tunnels, echo sounds of chains dragged on
Sunday pews across laps of Grandmothers’ ………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
(ii) ‘a new born reverend sings out his call
and response to men who answer, out of hope and despair’ ………………………………………………………………………………………………
…..…………………………………………………………………………………………
………..……………………………………………………………………………………
(h) What is the poet’s attitude towards his subject? (2 marks) ………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
…….………………………………………………………………………………………….
20 marks
4.GRAMMAR (15 Marks)
Answer the following questions.
4.
Rewrite the following sentences according to instructions and do not change the meaning.
(i) The watchman saw the thief when he came out of the house. (Rewrite to remove ambiguity) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………
(ii) I had asked her to see me but she did not see me. (Rewrite to avoid repetition) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………
(iii) The jet streaked across the azure sky. (Rewrite using inversion) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………
(iv) The graffiti were on the walls of the stadia. (Change the sentence into singular.) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4 marks
5.
Rewrite the following sentences correctly.
(i) Everybody need some shelter. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………
(ii) Either the teacher or the students is wrong. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………
(iii) Irene, with Jane and her friend Valentine, are going to the Carnivore. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
(iv) The Prime Minister recieved a bouquet of flowers. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
2 marks
6.
Use the appropriate complex preposition to fill in the blanks.
(i) ………….………. high levels of poverty, many children cannot complete primary school.
(ii) Mr. Kamaliza ploughed on with his speech …………………………….. the hostile crowd.
(iii) Margaret’s children were given sponsorship ………………..….………… her long service.
(iv) Martinez went there ………………..….………… buying a brand Toyota Rav 4.
2 marks
7.
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the words in brackets.
(i) The ……………………….. (assail) was arrested as he tried to cross the border.
(ii) Selena is ………………………..(approach) and most of her fellow students shy away from her.
(iii) The Principal was awarded a ………………………………….. (doctor) in Geophysics.
3 marks
8.
(e) Replace the following expressions with one word with the same meaning.
(i) I don’t know what to do sir, I am all at sea. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
(ii) The school has gained ground since the launch of the first strategic plan. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
(iii) Out of the blue, Shikuku decided to dig his own grave. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
(iv) Rooney is a pain in the neck. His fellow teammates do not like him. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
