Kenya Certificate of Primary Education(KCPE 2020)
2020 English Language
Read the passage below. 1t contains blank spaces numbered 1 to 15.
For each blank space, choose the best alternative from the choices given.
Whenever you are walking …. 1…. a swampy place, remember to watch….2…. for leeches. Leeches look like earthworms but they are ….3….a nuisance. They cling onto the body of a human being or an animal and….4…. blood from it. Although it sounds 5 . it does not really hurt to be……6…..by a leech. The leech usually drops ….. 7…… by itself after it has had its ……. 8 ………
You …… 9 …… not try to pluck off the leech from your body before it has finished feeding. This is because the leech produces a lir}uid from its mouth which …. 10 ….. your blood from clotting while it is in the ….. 11 …… of sucking the blood. This …. 12 …… that you will probably bleed for a while …… 13 …… you interrupt a leech at its meal. …..14…… , if you happen to have a packet of salt with you, rub ….. 15 …… on the leech. It will let go at once when it smells the salt.
1. A. at B. through C. by D. beside
2. A. over B. on C. out D. around
3. A. quite B. still C. even D. rather
4. A. drink B. pull C. take D. suck
5. A. funny B. horrible C. hard D. strange
6. A. pinched B. injured C. bitten D. attacked
7. A. off B. out C. away D. over
8. A. all B. amount C. share D. fill
9. A. shall B. should C. will D. would
10. A. hides B. covers C. prevents D. holds
11. A. process B. activity C. work D. procedure
12. A. guides B. shows C. teaches D. means
13. A. as B. if C. then D. until
14. A. Moreover B. Indeed C. However D. Therefore
15. A. some B. little C. any D. much
For questions 16 to l8, choose the option which means the same as the underlined word.
16. I do not think he is of all that praise.
A. capable
B. deserving
C. certain
D. proud
17. She always does her work in a very oderly manner.
A. clean
B. smooth
C. direct
D. organised
18. The distinguished guest was shown a lot of respect.
A. glory
B. love
C. honour
D. kindness
For questions 19 curd 20, choose the most appropriate word to fill in the blank space
19. The shameless thief protested loudly his arrest.
A. against
B. for
C. of
D. over
20. The farmers are thankful _____________ the good harvest this year.
A. of
B. for
C. over
D. on
For questions 21 and 22 choose the alternatives that best completes the sentences given
21. It may not happen, but we will prepare ourselves in case it
A. will
B. may
C. coiild
D. does
22. She will not do it again,?
A. does she
B. doesn’t she
C. will she
D. won’t she
Use the information below to answer the questions 23 to 25.
Four pupils — Hassan, Flora, Amos and Miriam— play various games. Hassan plays hockey football and tennis. Amos plays football and tennis while Miriam plays volleyball and football. Flora plays hockey and tennis.
23. Which game is the least popular?
A. Football
B. Volleyball
C. Hockey
D. Tennis
24. Which two players do not share any game?
A. Hassan and Amos
B. Flora and Amos
C. Hassan and Miriam
D. Flora anal Miriam
25. Which of the following statements is true?
A. Everybody plays at least two games.
B. Hockey is as popular as tennis.
C. Hassan plays as many games as Flora.
D. Only two of the piipils play tennis.
Read the Passage below and then answer questions 26 to 38.
Mutuku sat on the front steps of the house crying. His dog Duke lay at his feet. Duke gazed
mournfully at his master, not understanding his tears.
Looking at Duke, Mutuku recalled the conversation that he had had with his father earlier that
day.
“Mutuku, I have something to say to you,” Mr Kunje had told his son. “All our neighbours are
complaining about Duke. He has been taking things away from their houses. They say that if we don’t do something about him, they’ll report him to the police. We have to send Duke away.”
“But Dad, Duke is not a thief,” He had protested. “He is just curious about things. He never takes anything valuable. And I always return all the articles to the owners.”
Mr Kunje had refused to listen to his son’s pleading. Mutuku was filled with sadness at the thought of parting with his beloved dog.
Mrs Kunje came out of the house and saw her son in tears. “Don’t feel so bad, Mutuku,” she said, sitting beside him. “I’ve been thinking. Maybe we can do something to teach Duke not to steal. We can send Duke to school.”
“School? What kind of school teaches dogs?” Mutuku asked.
“A dog-training school,” Mrs Kunje said. “Many people send their dogs there to learn how to obey orders.”
“How are they trained?” Mutuku asked. <P>
“It’s very interesting,” Mrs Kunje replied. “The trainer gives the dog an order. Every time he obeys the order, he is given a reward. Sometimes the dog may not obey the order. In that case, the trainer repeats the order many times until the dog obeys. Then the trainer gives the dog his reward. In this way, the dog is taught to obey because he wants to get a reward. If we send Duke there, he may be trained not to steal.”
That evening, Mutuku told his father about the dog-training school and urged him to send Duke there. Mr Kunje looked at his son’s anxious face. “Alright, Mutuku. I’ll give Duke another chance,” he said, with a simple smile. “This means that you cannot go anywhere during the coming school holidays. Since you want Duke to learn to obey orders, you will have to go to school with him. However, if Duke continues to steal after that, I’ll have to send him away.”
Mutuku enrolled Duke in the dog- aining school when the school holidays began. Everyday the boy and his dog went to school.
As days went by, the neighbours where pleased to find that Duke did not steal from them any more.
They even began to like Duke.
On the day the lessons ended, the trainer said to Mutuku, “You and Duke have done a very good
job. I’ve never seen a boy who loves his dog so much. Congratulations! You are now taking home a very well-behaved dog.”
With a shout ofjoy, Mutuku ran to Duke and hugged him. “Duke, you don’t have to go away,” lie said happily. “You’re a very lucky dog.”
Duke barked and wagged his tail in delight.
26. Why was Mutuku crying?
A. Because Duke had taken things from other people.
B. Because Duke would be sent away from home.
C. Because the neighbours were complaining about Duke.
D. Because the neighbours wanted to report Duke to the police.
27. The word ‘mournfully’ is used in the passage to mean
A. sorrowfully.
B. carefully.
C. fearfully.
D. mercifully.
28. The neighbours threatened to report Duke to the police because
A. he had been disturbing them at night.
B. Miituku had not returned some items.
C. he had been stealing from them.
D. Mutuku’s father had not sent Duke away.
29. The word ‘valuable’ as used in the passage could be replaced by
A. costly.
B. new.
C. rare.
D. useful.
30. Mrs Kunje suggested to Mutuku that
A. she could teach Duke to be obedient.
B. Duke could be sent to school for training.
C. she could advise him on what to tell his father.
D. Duke could be trained at Mutuku’s school.
31. Mutiiku ‘enrolled’ Duke in the dog-training school. This means he
A. went with Duke to learn.
B. wrote down Duke’s name.
C. registered Duke for a course.
D. helped Duke to know new things.
32. If a dog does not obey an order by the trainer,
A. the trainer gives the order many times until the dog follows it.
B. the dog misses the reward for that day.
C. the trainer makes the order simpler for the dog to understand.
D. the dog is given a reward to make it obey.
33.Why did Mutuku have to accompany Diike to the dog-training school?
A. because he was free during the school holidays.
B. because the dog could not go to school with anyone else.
C. because he was the one who wanted the dog to change.
D. because the dog had to be supervised by someone.
34. How ofien did Mutuku take Duke to the dog-training school?
A. Weekly.
B. Daily.
C. Occasionally.
D. Frequently.
35. What made Mutuku’s neighbours come to like Duke after the training?
A. They had seen Mutuku’s love for Duke.
B. They had come to know Duke very well.
C. Duke had already stopped his bad habit.
D. Duke had now completed his lessons.
36. Mr Kunje had promised not to send Duke away if
A. Mutuku taught the dog everything.
B. the dog could stay at home.
C. Mutuku returned all the items stolen.
D. the dog learnt not to steal.
37. Duke ‘wagged his tail in delight’ because
A. he had finished his course well.
B. Mutuku had hugged him excitedly.
C. Mutuku was taking him home.
D. he would be loved by neighbours.
38. Which of the following would be the most suitable title for this passage?
A. Mutuku’s anxious moment
B. Mutuku’s day ofjoy
C. Duke gets a second chance
D. Duke excels in school
Read the following passage and then answer questions 39 to 50.
The oldest stone buildings in the world are the pyramids. They have stood for nearly five thousand years and are likely to continue standing for thousands of years to come. There are over eighty of them scattered along the banks of the Nile.
Some of the pyramids still look the same way they must have looked when they were built thousands of years ago. Most of the damage suffered by the others has been at the hands of men looking for treasure or stone to use in modern buildings. The dry climate of Egypt has helped to preserve the pyramids, and their shape has made them less likely to fall into ruin.
These are good reasons why they can still be seen today, but perhaps the most important one is that they were planned to last forever.
It is obvious that plans were made for the building of the pyramids. This is because the plans of other large works done at the same period have been preserved.
However, there are no writings or pictures to show us how the Egyptians planned or built the pyramids. We are only able to guess at the methods used. Nevertheless, by examining the actual pyramids and various tools which have been found, archeologists have formed a fairly clear picture of the plans.
One thing is certain: there rniist have been months of careful planning before they could begin to build. The first thing they had to do was to choose a suitable place.
You all think this was easy with miles and miles of empty desert around, but a pyramid could not just be built anywhere. Specific rules had to be followed, and certain problems had to be overcome.
The pyramid had to be on the west side of the Nile; the side on which the sun set. This was for religious reasons. The pyramid also had to stand well above the level of the river to protect it against regular floods.
The pyramid could not be too far from the Nile as the stones to build it needed to be carried in boats down the river to the nearest point. Water transport was, of course, much easier than land transport.
The builders also had to find a rock base which was not likely to crack under the great weight of the pyramid. Finally, the pyramid had to be near the capital or, better still, the king’s palace so that he could visit it easily and personally check the progress being made on the final resting place of his body.
(Adapted from F/fe Pyramids by Jolin Weeks)
39. The fact that pyramids have stood for thousands of years shows that they are
A. stiff.
B. rigid.
C. durable.
D. tough.
40. The word ‘scattered’ as used in the passage can be replaced by
A. located.
B. spread.
C. extended.
D. dispersed.
41. Which of the following is a reason why some of the pyramids have not suffered much destruction?
A. Because very hard stones were used to build them.
B. Because they have never been broken into.
C. Because a lot has been done to protect them.
D. Because it does not rain much in Egypt.
42. Damage to the pyramids has mainly been caused by
A. people looking for valuables and biiilding materials.
B. lack of care by the people in authority.
C. floods front the Nile especially during heavy rains.
D. visitors who come to interfere with the pyramids.
43. The word ‘nevertheless’ used in the third paragi‘aph could best be replaced by
A. similarly.
B. indeed.
C. however.
D. therefore.
44. Why do people believe that there must have been plans in the building of the pyramids?
A. No building can be constructed without a plan.
B. Some evidence has been produced to
prove it.
C. The Egyptians were known to be very intelligent.
D. Other great buildings at the time also had
plans.
45. The statement ‘one thing is certain’ means that
A. it is debatable.
B. there is no doubt.
C. it is possible.
D. there is no proof.
46.Archeologists have a fairly good idea of how the pyramids were built because they have
A. examined them accurately and carefully.
B. found the plans of other large works.
C. discovered pictures of most of them.
D. studied the methods used to build them.
47. The word ‘overcome’ as used in the passage means to
A. explain.
B. discuss.
C. solve.
D. consider.
48.Why were there no pyramids built on the east side of the Nile?
A. Because the sun always rose on the east side.
B. Because that is the side which is usually flooded.
C. Because this side was not preferred by the builders.
D. Because certain religious considerations had to be made.
49.Why were pyramids not built too far from the Nile?
A. Because the builders used a lot of water.
B. So as to ease transportation of building materials.
C. Because that was the only place with a firm rock base.
D. So that the king could reach them more easily.
50.What was the reason for building the pyramids?
A. To store treasures for the kings of Egypt.
B. To practise the ’eat skills of construction.
C. To make Egypt a famous country.
D. To bury the badies of the kings of Egypt.
