Questions 1 to 15
Read the passage below. It contains blank spaces numbered 1 to 15. For each blank space, choose the best alternativefrom the choices given.
Songs have been and continue to be an important part of our tradition. For thousands of years, songs have been used for a variety of ————–. For example, songs have been used by commtmities to A feelings of joy during occasions such as weddings, birthdays —————graduation parties. In funerals, songs communicate the sadness and sorrow ofthe family and friends otthe the one A has died. Another important social use of songs is entertainment. Everybody —————–to listen to good music. We do not need encotuagement to start singing —————–or swaying our bodies in tune with the beats of a good song. Sometimes people are heard humming ————–ofpopular songs —————-When they are working, walking or relaxing. Music is medicine for the soul. It gladdens and comforts a —————–heart. In addition, songs are viewed as the most —————10 way of expressing love for a loved one. Romantic songs are so common that small children know and can sing them ——————–11 ease. Songs also play a part in our religious and political life. For instance, we sing praises to God as part of our worship.——————— 12 songs express our gratitude to God for the gift of life, good health and for meeting our ———————–needs. In political rallies songs are used to arouse people’s emotions and to persuade them to support a certain party or individual. They can ———————-be used to demand change. Which political gathering——————— 15 be complete without some singing and dancing?
1. A. things B.occasion C. ceremonies D. functions
2. A. prove B.express C.indicate D.illustrate
3. A. and B.plus C.also D.then
4. A. whom B.who C.which D.whose
5. A. needs B.wants C.loves D.lonely
6. A. out B.along C.with D.even
7. A. tunes B.music C.notes D.sounds
8. A. only B.also C.except D.away
9. A. restless B. weak C.heavy D.desires
10. A. efficient B.convenient C.effective D.perfect
11. A. With B.at C.to D.for
12. A. Several B.Few C.All D.Some
13. A. usual B.daily C.common D.normal
14. A. also B.therefore C.then D.thus
15. A. could B.can C.would D.Will
In questions 16 to 18, choose the alternative that means the opposite of the underlined word.
16. Mrs Jillo came back to find all the workers
A. lazy.
B. busy.
C. active.
D. free.
17. Everybody knows him as a very courteous person.
A. unkind
B. polite
C. gracious
D. rude
18. All the children in the bus were joy before the trip started.
A. cheerful
B. excited
C. gloomy
D. frightened
In questions I9 to 21, select the alternative that can best complete the sentence given.
19. The head teacher was happy because candidates failed the examination.
A. many
B. few
C. most
D. a few
20. You do the work now ifyou don’t feel like it.
A. musn’t
B. can’t
C. shouldn’t
D. needn’t
21. If it does not rain this evening, come to the party.
A. will
B. should
c. can
D.may
For each of questions 22 and 23, choose the sentence that means the same as the one given.
22. Even Kamau went to town.
A. Kamau Went to town and other places.
B. Kamau too went to town.
C. Kamau went to town afier doing other things.
D. Kamau joined other people in town.
23. Had it not been for you, l would have failed.
A. lt is for you that l passed.
B. Because ofyou, l would have failed.
C. lfit wasn’t for you, I would have passed.
D. I would have failed if it were not for you.
In questions 24 and 25, choose the best arrangement of the given sentences to make sensible paragraphs.
24. (i) All that matters in good music is the quality of sound and the rhythm.
(ii) Indeed, it is true that music is a universal language.
(iii) Good music can be enjoyed by anybody regardless of the language in which it is played.
(iv)For this reason, the popularity of many musicians goes beyond their communities and countries.
A. (iii) (iv) (ii) (i)
B. (iii) (i) (ii) (iv)
C. (iii) (i) (iv) (ii)
D. (iii) (ii) (iv) (i)
25. (i) Some ofthe material can be borrowed for a short period of time.
(ii) Large volumes of written and unwritten material are stored there.
(iii) There is usually some space for one to sit and read the material that cannot be borrowed.
26 (iv) A libraiy is one of the richest sources of information.
A. (iv) (iii) (ii) (i)
B. (iv) (ii) (i) (iii)
C. (iv) (i) (iii) (ii)
D. (iii) (i) (ii)
Read the passage below and then answer questions 26 T0 38.
When I was a small boy, my home was always full ofbabies and children of my relatives. In fact, I hardly recall any occasion as a child when I was alone. In my community, the sons and daughters of one’s aunts and uncles are considered brothers and sisters, not cousins. We have no half-brothers and hall‘-sisters. My mother’s sister is my mother, my uncIe’s son is my brother and my brother’s child is my son or my daughter.
Of my mother’s three huts, one was used for cooking, one for sleeping and one for storage. In the hut in which we slept, there was no furniture. We slept on mats and sat on the bare floor. I did not discover pillows until much later. My mother cooked food in a three-legged iron pot over an open fire at the centre of the hut or outside. We grew all the food we ate at home.
From an early age, I spent most of my free time in the Iield playing and fighting with the other boys ofthe village. A boy who remained at home tied to his mother’s apron strings was regarded as a weakling. At night, I shared my food and blanket with these same boys. I was no more than five when I became a herdsboy looking after sheep and calves in the fields. I discovered the almost mystical attachment that the Xhosa have for cattle, not only as a source of food and wealth, but as a blessing From God and a source ofhappiness. It was in the fields that Ileamt how to knock birds out of the sky with a slingshot, to gather wild honey and fruits and edible roots, to drink warm, sweet milk straight from the udder of a cow, to swim in the clear streams, and to catch fish with twine and sharpened bits of wire.
As boys, we were mostly left to our own devices. We played with toys we made ourselves.
We moulded animals and birds out of clay. Nature was our playground. I learnt to ride by sitting atop weaned calves — alter being thrown to the ground several times, one got the hang ofit. I still love open spaces, the simple beauties ofnature, the clear blue skies. I don’t think my parents intended to take me to school. No one in my family had ever attended school. But a fiiend ofmy father’s, George Mbekela, visited us one day and told my mother, “Your son is a clever young fellow. He should go to school.” My parents discussed it and decided to send me to school.
The school consisted ofa simple room. I was seven years old, and on the day before I was to begin, my father took me aside and told me that I must be dressed properly for school. Until that time, I, like all the other boys, had wom only a blanket, which was wrapped round one shoulder and pinned at the waist. My father took a pair ofhis trousers and cut them at the knee. He then told me to put them on, which I did, and they were roughly the correct length, although the waist was far too large. My father then took a piece of string and drew the trousers in at the Waist. I must have been a comical sight, but I have never owned a suitl was prouder to wear than my father’s cut-off trousers.
(Adapted from Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela)
26 What can we tell about the writer from the first two sentences?
A. His parents had very many babies.
B. He grew up in the midst of many people.
C. He was never lonely.
D. His relatives lived nearby.
27 We can tell from the first paragraph that the author’s community
A. had no cousins. uncles or aunts.
B. practised true love towards one another.
C. must have been a very good place to live in.
D. treated close relatives like members of the nuclear family.
28. Which of the following best describes the lifestyle in the author’s home?
A. simple.
B. poor.
C. backward.
D. needy.
29 How do we know that although the author fought with the boys, they were not enemies?
A. lt was one way of occupying themselves.
B. Even good friends fight sometimes.
C. That is what all boys usually do.
D. They still shared food and slept together.
30 A boy who remained at home was probably
A. obedient to his mother.
B. despised by the others.
C. not ready to be a herdsboy.
D. weak and fearful.
31. Which of the following alternatives best explains why the Xhosa people love cattle?
A. Cattle give people food and much joy.
B. Cattle are a source of wealth, food and gladness.
C. Cattle are a blessing and a source of food, wealth and joy.
D. Cattle provide food, riches and employment for boys.
32. From what he learnt in the fields, we can conclude that the author was
A. very adventurous.
B. quite active.
C. a fast learner.
D. very curious.
33.What is meant by “we were left to our own devices”?
A. We had to think ofwhat to do.
B. No one was allowed to interfere with us.
C.We were free to do what we wanted.
D.No one cared about us.
34 Learning to ride calves was not easy because
A. they were very difficult to control.
B. one could easily fall off and hurt himself.
C. calves are not really meant to be ridden.
D. if caught, one can be punished.
35. Which of the following statements is not true?
A. Mbekela thought the author was a clever boy.
B. The author’s parents accepted Mbekela’s advice.
C. The parents consulted before they made the decision.
D. The author was sure his parents didn’t value education.
36 What can we conclude about the school?
A. lt catered for young boys.
B. You had to be clever to go there.
It must have been very small.
You had to wear school uniform.
37 Why do you think the author says, “I must have been a comical sight”?
A. The trousers were far too big for him.
B. He was not used to such funny clothes.
C. Perhaps the other pupils laughed at him.
D. He used a string instead ofa belt.
38 Which of the following would be the best title for this story?
A. How I began school.
B. Life as a herdsboy.
C. My early years in the village.
D. The things l used to do.
Read the following passage and then answer questions 39 to 50.
Patriotism has been a very common word since independence. Recently, the slogan “l am proud to be a Kenyan” was introduced to us in an effort to make us appreciate being Kenyans. However, many of us have never seriously thought about what it means to be proud as Kenyans. A lot ofour mannerisms, interests and values, some of which we are ready to defend with our own lives, have nothing to do with Kenya. In fact, it is as if we hate ourselves; and if we do, who will love us? Some of us have an obsession for things from other countries, especially Western countries.
We proudly wear attire and shoes, even underwear, from foreign countries. We love showing them off. This also applies to utensils and electronics since we look at the label ‘MADE IN …………… ..’ even before we know the price. The slogan ‘Buy Kenya, Build Kenya’ has been disregarded. This has led to our supermarkets, main shops and markets being stocked with products and goods from foreign countries. In fact, it is not surprising to find items that are easily available locally having been imported and well displayed in the shops or markets. Such products include toys, spices, fruits, vegetables and even eggs.
We have made our country a dumping ground for things, some of which are no longer useful in their countries of origin. This has denied our local industries a market for their products. As a result, they have been forced to cut down on the number of their employees in order to remain in operation. This has worsened the problem of unemployment.
Consider the ridiculous preference seen in sports, especially soccer. It is very surprising that some soccer fans do not know the name of the coach of our national team yet they know all the players in a foreign team. During the last World Cup competition, some people found it hard to support the African teams. One wonders what drives us to support foreign teams when their own countries are solidly behind them. When these teams lose, their countries are disappointed but they do not transfer their loyalty to teams from other countries.
For some of us, the attachment to foreign teams is so much that when the teams lose, we cry, break our television sets, fight and, in extreme cases, commit suicide. Patriotism demands that we see the failure of our teams as our country’s failure. Likewise, success is celebrated by all. We have to love our own and value ourselves in order to be attractive, respectable and valuable to the outside world. We therefore need not use other people’s items to feel fashionable, stylish and desirable.
39. Why was the slogan “l am proud to be a Kenyan” introduced?
A. To make us know we are Kenyans.
B. To help us appreciate who we are.
C. To stop us from buying foreign goods.
D. To be used instead of the word ‘patriotism’.
40. Some people prefer products from other countries because
A. they think these products last longer.
B. they think these products make them fashionable.
C. these products are much cheaper than our local ones.
D. these products are available everywhere.
41. The word ‘obsession’ as used in the passage means
A. a need to possess something.
B. to Want something very much.
C. a real desire for something.
D. uncontrollable longing for something.
42. How does our preference for foreign goods affect our industries? It
A. makes them produce more goods.
B. helps them to reduce their expenditure.
C. helps them remain in operation.
D. makes them sell less products.
43. According to the passage which of the following lists contains items imported into our market though easily available locally?
A. plates, oranges, juices and clothes.
B. eggs, spices, toys and oranges.
C. shoes, electronics, clothes and grains.
D. electronics, spoons, spices and juices.
44. The most serious effect of dumping foreign goods into our country is that
A. people buy cheap goods.
B. our industries sell less goods.
C. unemployment increases.
D. people lose their respect.
45. The intention of ‘showing them off’ is to make others
A. proud of What We have.
B. desire what We have.
C. jealous ofus for what we have.
D. remember what we have.
46 What does the expression ‘cut down on’ mean?
A. demote
B. dismiss
C. reduce
D. suspend
47 How do We know that people from other countries are more patriotic than we are? They
A. find it easy to support their teams.
B. support their teams even when they lose.
C. only send useless products to other countries.
D. have no ridiculous preferences for goods.
48 Which ofthe following is not true about some fans of foreign teams? They
A. find it difficult to support our local teams.
B. do not know the coach of our national team.
C. fight and cry when their teams lose.
D. stop supporting these teams When they lose.
49 From the last paragraph we learn that we have to
A. appreciate ourselves for others to appreciate us.
B. love others as much as we love ourselves.
C. love others in order to love ourselves.
D. make ourselves attractive to others.
50 Which ofthe following best summarizes the passage?
A. We have made our country a dumping ground for useless things.
B. Our preference for foreign goods is ridiculous.
C. We should appreciate who we are and what we have.
D. We should buy locally made products to build our country.
2014 KCPE English Past Paper- Marking Scheme
1.D 2.B 3. A 4.B 5.C 6.B 7.A 8.D 9.C 10.C 11.A 12.D 13.B 14.A 15.C 16.B 17.D 18.C 19.B 20.D 21.A 22.B 23.D 24.C 25.B 26.B 27.D 28.A 28.D 30.B 31.C 32,A 33.A 34.A 35.D 36.C 37.A 38.C 39.B 40.B 41.D 42.D 43.B 44.C 45.B 46.C 47.B 48.D 49.A 50.C
