NAME: ADM NO:

DATE: CLASS SIGNATURE:

NEAM.COM FORECASTER EXAMINATIONS

END-TERM I, 2024

FORM 2 TERM I

ENGLISH
TIME: 2 HOURS

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Write your name and admission number in the spaces provided above.
2. Answer all questions in the spaces provided.
3. Confirm that the paper has all sections before beginning the exam.

4. This paper contains 7 printed pages.

This paper consist of 5 sections as follows;

SECTION A: WRITING 20 MKS

SECTION B COMPREHENSION 20 MKS

SECTION C: ORAL NARRATIVE 15 MKS

SECTION D: ORAL SKILLS 25 MKS

SECTION E: GRAMMAR 20 MKS

TOTAL 100 MKS

A. FUNCTIONAL WRITING (20mks)
Imagine that your cousin had invited you to attend their sister’s pre-wedding on Saturday the 2nd
March, 2024. Due to some reasons beyond your control, you will be unable to attend it. Write a
reply letter declining this invitation.

SECTION B: COMPREHENSION (20mks)

Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow
Decades ago, two geologists visited Migori County and left villagers with high hopes of
striking it reach. A valuable mineral had been discovered.
Now, 20 years later, nothing much has been done to tap the gold in Macalder. Instead,
hundreds of people have died in the process of digging the mines, while pregnant women
working in the area have been giving birth to children with deformities.
Residents attribute their misfortunes to lack of modern equipment to professionally
exploit the mineral. They have been mining gold using mercury mixed with water and powdered
stones which they stir to the consistency of porridge before washing off the mercury into their
farms.
One man is keen to prevent deaths among the residents depending on gold mining as a
source of income.
He has invented a gold mining machine- the ball mill machine.
Mr. Okello, 41says he got idea for the machine from a friend who went to Zimbabwe on
business and returned with a photograph of a gold mining machine.
“It took me two years to design my first machine and in 1999, I eventually came up with the
ball mill” . Mr.Okello says his villagers neither knew nor cared whether mercury was harmful to
their health.
Mr. Okello explains that his machine is a multipurpose appliance. It can mill numerous
kinds of rocks for building materials industry.
For gold mining, the machine uses small steel ball grinders which separate gold ore from dust,
after which it is further refined.
Among the places that have been mapped for gold deposits within the region are Rongo,
Kehancha in Kuria District; Masara and Kehara in Nyatike constituency, Lolgorian area in Trans
Mara and some parts of Siaya county.
Gold qualities make it one of the most coveted metals in the world. Not only can it be
beautifully shaped and sculpted, the yellow metal conducts electricity and does not tarnish.
 Gold has been used in dentistry for nearly 3,000 years. It is used for filling, crowns, bridges
and orthodontic appliances. Gold can be placed in contact with person’s body and not cause
harm.
QUESTIONS
a) What gave the villagers the hopes of striking it rich? (2mks)
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b) Outline the challenges experienced by the villagers in the mines. (2mks)

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c) What according to the residents contribute to their misfortunes? (2mks)

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d) Explain how the rate of deaths among the villagers has been prevented. (2mks)
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e) How did Mr. Okello get the idea of the machine? (2mks)

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f) “It took me two years to design my first machine and in 1999 I eventually came up with the
ball mill,”says Mr. Okello. (Rewrite in reported speech) (3mks)

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g) Make notes on uses of gold. (4mks)
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h) State the meaning of the following words as used in the passage. (3mks)

i. Invented –
ii. Mapped –
iii. Coveted-

C). ORAL NARRATIVE COMPREHENSION (15 MARKS)

Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow.

It is God who created men. And since God had pity, he said, I do not wish men to die altogether.
I wish that men, having died, should rise again. And so he created men and placed them in
another region. But he stayed at home.
And the God saw the chameleon and the weaver bird. After he had spent three days with the
chameleon and the weaver-bird, he recognized that the weaver-bird was a great maker of words
compounded of lies and truth. Now of lies there were many, but of the words of truth there were
few. Then he watched the chameleon and recognized that he had great intelligence. He did not
lie. His words were true. So he spoke to the chameleon. 'Chameleon, go into that region where I
have placed the men I created, and tell them that when they have died, even if they are altogether
dead, still they shall rise again-that each man shall rise again after he dies."

The chameleon said, "Yes, I will go there." But he went slowly, for it is his fashion to go
slowly. The weaver- bird had stayed behind with God.
The chameleon travelled on, and when he had arrived at his destination, he said, I was told, I was
told ... "But he did not say what he had been told.

The weaver-bird said to God, "I wish to step out for a moment." And God said to him "Go!"
But the weaver-bird, since he is a bird, flew swiftly, and arrived at the place where the
chameleon was speaking to the people and saying, "I was told ... " Everyone was gathered there
to listen. When the weaver bird arrived, he said, "What was told to us? Truly, were told that
men, when they are dead, shall perish like the roots of the aloe."

Then the chameleon exclaimed, but were told to be told, we were told, that when men are dead,
they shall rise again." Then the magpie interposed and said, "The first speech is the wise one."
And now all that people left and returned to their homes. This was the way it
happened. And so men became old and die; they do not rise again.

a) Classify the above genre with a reason. (2mk)

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b) Describe the two character traits of the Chameleon as brought out in the story. (4marks)
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c) Identify and illustrate any three features of oral narratives used in this story (6 marks)
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d) Identify two moral lessons we can learn from this story. (2 marks)

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e) What is the meaning of ‘perish’ as used in the story above? (1mark)

SECTION D: ORAL SKILLS (25 MARKS)

POETRY: Read the poem below and answer the questions that follow. (10mks)

INFANT SORROW
My mother groaned, my mother wept;
Into dangerous world I leapt;
Helpless, naked, piping loud,
Like a friend hid in a cloud.

Struggling in my father’s head

Struggling against my Swaddling-bands
Bound and weary I thought best
To suck upon my mother’s breast.

QUESTIONS:

(i) Describe the rhyme scheme of the above poem. (2 mks)

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(ii) Mention two non-verbal cues you would use to enhance a recitation of the poem. (4 mks)
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(iii) Which words would you stress in line five of the poem and why? (2 mks)
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(iv) List 2 pairs or rhyming words from the poem above. (2mks)

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(b) The principal of your school visits your class during a class meeting. As the class prefect,
You are seated at the front of the class. You note that some students are not listening.

State three observations that are evidence enough that they are not listening. (3 mks)
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(d) For each of the following words, write a word that is pronounced the same as: (6 mks)

(i) Queue – ……………………………………………

(ii) Male – ……………………………………………..

(iii) Him – ……………………………………………

(iv) Rain – ………………………………………………

(v) Know – ………………………………………………

(vi) Whale - ……………………………………………

(e) Describe the intonation in each of the following sentences. (6 mks)

i. Where are you going Anna my dear? _________________

ii. Do you really understand? ________________________

iii. Please give me some water. _______________________

iv. Have they had their lunch? _______________________

v. What a wonderful day that was! __________________

vi. My mother loves me very much. __________________

SECTION E: GRAMMAR (20 MARKS)

(a) Rewrite each of the following sentences with the appropriate form of the word in
brackets (6 mks)

(i) The ________________ between Mutheu and Mwongeli is admirable. (friend).

(ii) There has never been such an __________________ in our school (occur).

(iii) The chronic _____________________ led to her poor performance (absent).

(iv) Mr. Makori works in the vehicle _____________________ department (maintain).

(v) We use substitution to avoid unnecessary __________________. (repeat)

(vi) The president is the head of the _______________________. (govern)

(b) Fill in the blank spaces with the plural form of the nouns in the brackets. (6 marks)

(i) The three _______________ were arrested by the police. (passer-by)

(ii) How many ________________ does the computer have? (word-processor)

(iii) The __________________ met in the Gambia Republic. (head of state)

(iv) The __________________ are very powerful in the armed forces (commander-in-chief)

(v) We should respect our _______________________________. (mother-in-law)

(vi) The Kenyan and Ugandan ________________________have a meeting. (attorney-general)

(c) Rewrite the following sentences replacing the underlined nouns with pronouns. (6mks)

i. Keziah and Kevin have balls. _________________________________________

ii. Stephen gave Pascalia some pieces of advice. _____________________________

iii. The cow produces a lot of milk. _________________________________________

iv. Evelyne always keeps her work neat. ____________________________________

v. Mueni hurt Mueni’s hand while working. _________________________________

vi. Mwololo praised Mwololo for passing exams. ______________________________