THE KENYA NATIONAL EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL English 2015

THE KENYA NATIONAL EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL English 2015

 

 

THE KENYA NATIONAL EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL English 2015

A ENGLISH 

SECTION A: LANGUAGE

 

Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES (Please read these instructions carefully)

You have been given this question booklet and a separate answer sheet. The question booklet contains 50 questions.

When you have chosen your answer, mark it on the ANSWER SHEET, not in this question booklet.

HOW T0 USE THE ANSWER SHEET

Use an ordinary pencil.

Make sure you have written on the answer sheet:

YOUR INDEX NUMBER

YOUR NAME

NAME OF YOUR SCHOOL

By drawing a dark line inside the correct numbered boxes mark your full Index Number (i.e. School Code Number and the three-figure Candidate’s Number) in the grid near the top of the answer sheet.

Do not make any marks outside the boxes.

Keep the sheet as clean as possible and do not fold it.

For each of the questions 1»50 four answers are given. The answers are lettered A, B, C and D. In each case only ONE of the four answers is correct. Choose the correct answer.

On the answer 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 to 25, choose the alternative that best completes the sentence.

23. She passed her exams very well, ?

A. is it

B. did she

C. didn’t she

The correct answer is C. Answer On the sheet:

In the set of boxes numbered 23, the box with the letter C printed in it is marked. Your dark line MUST be within the box.

For each question ONLY ONE box is to be marked in each set of four boxes.

This question paper consists of 7 printed pages and 1 blank page.

 

Questions 1 to 15

Read the passage below. It contains blank spaces numbered 1 to 15. For each blank space, choose the best alternative from the choices given.

Some people are able to ………1………………….. worry quite easily. Others, …………2…………………….. , are like sponges. They soak it up and ………………3…………. time, worrying becomes a habit that they find difficult to break. Of course we all tend to worry about ……………….4……………….. . It could be money safety appearance, performance, friends, family ………..5……………………. a thousand other things. But it is ……….6…………. to realise that won’y accomplishes nothing positive. It lets air out of all you do, draining fun and excitement ……………….7…………… everything.

Worry makes us miserable, impatient and forgetful. lt can keep you………8……………at night or make your stomach ache. It can make it hard to concentrate. Constant worry can lead to …………9………. stress, panic attacks or other…………10………… What most people do not realise is that it is ………..11………… a’waste of time and the . more you worry the …….12…………..you achieve. So, let go…………13……. your Worries. After all, many of …………………14………….. things that you worry about ……………15……………. never happen.

1. A. defeat B. overcome C. fight D.prevent

2. A. however B. furthermore C. nevertheless D. Moreover

3. A. in B. on C. by D.over

4. A. nothing B. anything C. something D.everything

5. A. and B. or C. also D.even

6. A. wise B. useful C. good D.important

7. A. from B. in C. of D.for

8. A. out B. up C. down D.off

9. A. severe B. serious C. excess D.extreme

10. A. problems B. disorders C. issues D.challenges

11. A. surely B. truly C. actually D.honestly

12. A. little B. less C. least D.Lesser

13. A. out B. of C. off D away.

14. A. the B. such C. these D.those

15. A. can B. will C. must D.may

For questions 16 and 17, choose the alternative

that best replaces the underlined word. 16. After the voting, the winner will be announced immediately.

A. decided .

B. declared

C. produced

D. revealed.

17. The English lesson was interrupted for a moment when a dog entered the classroom.

A. disrupted

B. disturbed

C. stopped

D. prevented

For questions 18 to 20, choose the alternative that best fills the blank space.

18. His sight was that he

could not read.

A. very bad .

B. such bad

C. so bad

D. too bad

19. “Did you get a new pen?”

“Yes, ………….

’ A. I got

B. I did

C. I got it

D. I did get

20. Juma didn’t like the porridge and

A. John did neither

B. neither did John

C. nor John did

D. nor did John

For questions 21 to 23 choose the sentence that means the same as the underlined one. 21. If Ali had run faster. he would have won the race.

A. Ali ran so fast that he won the race.

B. Ali ran too fast to Win the race.

C. Ali did not run fast enough to win the

race. C

D. Ali ran very fast but he did not win the

race.

22. “I went for a long walk yesterday.” said James.

A. James said that he went for a long walk the day before.

B. James said that he had gone for a long walk the day before.

C. James said that he had gone for a long walk yesterday.

D. James said that he had gone for a long Walk the other day.

23. There was hardly any water in the tank.

A. There was no Water in the tank.

B. There was some water in the tank.

C. There was very little water in the tank.

D. There was a lot of water in the tank.

In questions 24 and 25, choose the sentence which is correctly punctuated.

24. A. “Let the children play,” said Sila. “It is part of learning.”

B. “Let the children play, said Sila, it is

part of learning.” C. “Let the children play.” said Sila, It is part of learning.

D. “Let the children play,” said Sila, it is part of learning.”

25. A. Kamau is a good student. Isn’t he?

B. Kamau is a good student, Isn’t he?

C. Kamau is a good student. isn’t he?

D. Kamau is a good student, isn’t he?

 

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

When Kalulu was young, he lived with his family next to a national park. There was an‘ electric fence separating the park from people’s homes. Kalulu and the other children knew some animals could be dangerous but they were not afraid. The fence and the game wardens stopped the animals from attacking them.

Kalulu loved watching the animals as they grazed near the fence. He even composed a poem about some of the animals that he saw day after day:

I love you Giraffe because
You are so tall and graceful.
You eat the freshest of leaves
And you don,’t,h.0ther” anyone.

You don’t look like any other creature.
Oh, Giraffe, will I grow tall like you?
I_pity you little Dik_Dik because
you are so tiny and helpless.
You keep your distance and‘ are so fearful,

But l’m so happy. when you pass “by.
If I could hold you in my arms,
Would you allow me to stroke you, gently?
I don’t know what to think of you, Warthog; I
You are small and not so good-looking.

But you don’t make me feel frightened.
You run around and I don’t know why and
You speak a language I don’t understand.
Oh, Warthog, why don’t you ever look at me?

When he was not in school, Kalulu would stand near the fence and admire the animals as they or passed by. He kept a safe distance because he had been warned never to go too near the fence. It was dangerous.

One day, he saw a man walking towards him. Kalulu thought the man was too near the fence. When he got closer, he realized it was Juma, a neighbour he liked very much. Whenever he found children in a group, ‘Juma would tell them stories and sing for them.

Juma was now very close ;_ Kalulu noticed that he was not walking straight. “Perhaps he has come from the local bar,” Kalulu said to himself. He watched him keenly, wondering why he was walking so close to the fence. Kalulu wanted to warn him but before he could do so, Juma staggered. What happened next made Kalulu tremble with fear. He saw Juma fly in the air before he fell to the ground with a thud. He groaned once then went still. Kalulu began crying and shouting for help at the same time. Juma must have touched the wires.

Kalulu could not move from where he stood. It was as if he had been planted on the spot. People heard the shouting and came running. No one dared touch Juma. They merely stood there and stared. Then his daughter who was about ten years old pushed her way through the crowd and fell on her father, sobbing and calling him. Her voice worked like magic. He stirred a little, then opened his eyes. “He’s alive!” someone shouted excitedly.

“That fence is dangerous”, another added.

The crowd that had been so silent grew noisy. Everybody was mumbling something. “Dad, let’s go home,” said the little girl. “Leave these people alone. None of them was willing to help you.”

With his daughter’s help, Juma tried to stand up. The crowd crowed . ‘They say a cat has nine lives,” someone commented.

(Adapted from Kalulu and the Animals by C.MI Gecaga, 2013)

26 Why was there an electric fence around the park?

A. To make the children feel safe.

B. T0 warn the dangerous animals.

C. To keep animals away from people’s homes.

D. To make the wardens’ work much easier.

27 Why do you think the giraffe eats the freshest leaves?

A. The other animals cannot reach them.

B. It does not eat anything stale.

C. Other leaves do not taste good.

D. No other animal likes them.

28 What can we tell about Kalulu from the first stanza of the poem?

A. He was very observant.

B. He did not want to be bothered.

C. He liked composing poems.

D._/He desired to be like a giraffe.

29 “You keep your distance” means that Dik Dik

A. avoids getting into trouble,

B. stays away from others.

C. cannot be noticed easily.

D. cannot be reached by anyone.

30 Which of the following best describes the Warthog?

A. fearful, ugly and confused.

B. small, ugly and shy.

C. active, unfriendly and quiet.

D. busy, lonely and shy.

31 From the children’s relationship with Juma, we can tell that they

A. considered him a good neighbour.

B. liked his behaviour.

C. loved stories and song

D. cared about his safety.

32 Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. Juma was careless.

B. Juma was probably drunk.

C. Kalulu did not warn Juma.

D. Kalulu called out Juma’s daughter.

33. Why did Kalulu tremble with fear?’

A. He thought Juma had died.

B. He realised how dangerous the fence was.

C. There was no one else around.

D. What had happened can scare anyone.

34. Why do you think the people did not want to touch Juma‘?

A. They did not know what to do with such a person.

B. They felt he deserved what had happened to him.

C. They were afraid of being accused of killing him.

D. They feared the effect of the live wires he had touched.

35 Which of the following best describes Juma’s daughter?

A. kind and determined

B. harsh and fearless

C. loving and courageous

D. emotional and brave

36 How do we know that the people cared about Juma? .

A. They were happy when they realised he was alive.

B. They came running when Kalulu shouted.

C. They stayed there until he was able to stand up.

D. They did not blame him for what had happened.

37 “… a cat has nine lives” means

A. it can live several times.

B. it does not die easily.

C. it is different from other animals.

D. it is full of surprises.

38 Which of the following statements BEST summarizes the story?

A. You should not drink and walk near an electric fence.

B. Your family should take responsibility for what you do.

C. Sometimes people do not know how to help others.

D. Sometimes our behaviour can cause us a lot of trouble.

 

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

Many people in the world are lonely today. Since people are getting busier and busier, they have little time to build relationships with one another. In the past, most people lived close to their families and relatives. This made interaction easy because everyone knew everyone else in the neighbourhood. In addition, there were many communal activities. It is not like that any longer, especially in the urban areas. Some people do not know those who live next to them. Each minds his or her own business.

Recently, a man called Bonuke died in his house but his neighbours only began to suspect that something had gone wrong when his decomposing body began to smell. That was two weeks alter he had passed on. One wonders: didn’t anyone miss him? Didn’t he have relatives or friends or workmates?
Loneliness is real and it makes people feel unwanted and miserable. Yet we continue to build walls instead of bridges between us. Nowadays, some of us use newspapers or radio to look for friends. Notices like the one below are common:
A young, beautiful, honest and financially stable lady is lonely, so lonely.

If you are a single gentleman, rich and handsome and not more than thirty-five years old, please contact me.

I promise to make you happy.

Together we will build a little heaven here on” earth.

A message like this shows that people are so desperate for friendship that they will even try to connect with strangers. But one must be very careful. Wicked people can and do take advantage of innocent people. Friendship should develop naturally as we relate with others in school, in the neighbourhood or at the place of work. We all need friends and it is not a weakness to admit it. Life is much more exciting when We are surrounded by people who care about us and accept us just the way we are.

If we want to get along with others, there are things we need to do. First of all, we must recognise that every person is important. We should treat everyone with respect. Respect means that we value others and listen to them without judging them. We also demonstrate respect for others by the way we talk about them when they are not around. Nothing destroys relationships faster than gossip. Instead of listening to and spreading rumours, we should protect the reputation of others. Let’s treat others the way we would want to be treated.

Secondly, we should be gentle and patient with one another. No one is perfect. So, when our friends or relatives make mistakes and disappoint us, we should remember that we, too; have weaknesses and often let others down. Whenever we are wronged, we should be willing to forgive.

Lastly, we ought to support one another at all times. We should celebrate the achievements of others and also share in their sorrows. People who are mean and selfish are rarely happy. True happiness is experienced when people help one another. Getting along well with others is the solution to loneliness.

39. Why are many people lonely? 45. Which of the following words means the

A. They are becoming busier and busier.

B. They have very little time available.

C. They have not developed relationships with others,

D. They are living far away from their families and relatives.

40. We can tell that in the past

A. most people lived in the rural areas.

B. most people were much more friendly.

C. people were not experiencing loneliness.

D. people did everything together.

41 . According to the passage, which of the following best describes how people live in urban areas?

A. People are busy working in their businesses.

B. People do not love their neighbours.

C. People do not show much interest in others.

D. People do not get along with one another.

42. The story of Bonuke teaches us that we need to

A. know what is happening to our neighbours.

B. look for people who are missing.

C. inform our relatives about our problems.

D. stop living in dangerous

neighbourhoods.

43. “Yet we continue to build walls instead of bridges between us.” This means that We are not

A. aware of the problems we are creating.

B. building bridges but walls all around us.

C. doing anything to help us relate better.

D. concerned about the miserable people.

‘ 44. Which of the following best describes the woman who advertised for a friend?

A. She is lonely, beautiful and wants a handsome, rich man.

B. She is young, rich and Wants an equally rich man.

C. She is young, lovely and wants a wealthy man.

D. She is young and well-to-do and wants a gentleman.

same as ‘wicked’?

A. dangerous

B. bad

C. sinful

D. evil

46 Why do you think we should avoid starting relationships with people we do not know well?

A. It makes us appear desperate.

B. Strangers could have bad motives.

C. Such relationships never really work.

D. lt is better to relate with those you know.

47. The writer suggests that the best friends are those who

A. relate with us in school or at home.

B. make our lives exciting wherever we are.

C. relate with us as we do different things.

D. care about us and accept us as we are.

48. Which of the following is not a sign of respect?

A. Treating others the way we would like to be treated.

B. Showing others that you think they are important.

C. Listening to gossip and rumours about others.

D. Protecting others by saying good things about them.

49 According to the passage, why should We be patient with other people?

A. We are all human beings.

B. God expects us to forgive other people

C. Every person should make mistakes.

D. We also have weaknesses and can hurt others.

50.Which of the following best summarizes the passage?

A. People in urban areas are lonelier than others.

B. Loneliness can be solved through healthy relationships.

C. We should always respect and help one another.

D. We should not develop friendships with strangers.