KPSEA 2022 English Past Paper

November 2022 – 1 hour

QUESTIONS

Questions 1 to 5
Read the conversation below. It contains blank spaces numbered 1 to 5. For each blank space, select the best alternative from the choices given.

Hassan: Hello Nekesa. How are you today?
Nekesa: I am fine Hassan, what about you?
Hassan: I am fine too, because the holidays have started.
Nekesa: Yes, I am very happy about that.
Hassan:                  1                             
Nekesa: I am going to visit my grandmother.                       2                        
Hassan: I will be at home helping my parents. Will you spend the whole holiday with grandmother?
Nekesa: Yes, I will be taking care of her. She is unwell.
Hassan:                3                       . Nekesa, you are such a caring girl.
Nekesa:                  4                          . Let’s meet when schools open.
Hassan: Goodbye, Nekesa.
Nekesa:                                5                               

  1. Do you like holidays better than going to school?
  2. How are you planning to spend the holidays?
  3. How long will the holidays last?
  4. What did you do during your last holidays?

Read the passage below and then answer questions 6 to 9.
Food is a basic need for every human being. We need it in order to remain alive. The kinds of food people eat differ from community to community. This is determined by factors such as the natural environment and culture. For example, people living near water bodies such as lakes and oceans are likely to have fish as their main diet. Those living in rice growing areas may eat a lot of rice.
bed Interestingly, what is considered food by some people may not get anywhere near the plates of others. For instance, in some communities, rats are a favourite food, while to others, it is unheard of for someone to eat rats. Indeed, one man’s food is another man’s poison.

  1. Why is food called a basic need? Because
    1. food is less important than clothes 
    2. food brings people together 
    3. people like different kinds of food 
    4. people need food to live.
  2. The word “favourite” as used in the passage means the same as
    1. delicious
    2. common
    3. liked
    4. different.
  3. From the passage, “one man’s food is another man’s poison” means
    1. some people eat dangerous things
    2. people differ in what they like to eat
    3. people must try to eat healthy food
    4. some people only eat what they can find.
  4. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
    1. Food and community.
    2. Community life.
    3. Good health.
    4. Natural beauty. 

Read the passage below and then answer questions 10 to 12.
Hassan likes running errands for his parents. The other day, he was sent to the shop to buy a number of items. His father had written the prices of the items on a list. The total came to Ksh 425. His father had given him Ksh 500. Hassan was expecting Ksh 75 as balance after buying the items.
The Shopkeeper was very busy on that day. She was serving many customers. When Hassan got the balance, he stepped out of the shop to count the money. He could not believe it. The Shopkeeper had given him Ksh 575! Hassan thought this was his lucky day.
He sat down under a tree to plan how he would spend his new found cash. He started counting all the things he would buy. This time he would go to a different shop.
On his way to the shop, Hassan remembered what his father had once said, ‘Never take what does not belong to you’. He slowly walked towards the shop to return the money. The shopkeeper was surprised to see him back so soon. When Hassan handed her the money, she was very grateful and said, “You are an angel. I’m proud of you, young man”.
Hassan walked home shoulders high. He knew his father would be very pleased with him. This was a lucky day for both the shopkeeper and Hassan.

  1. Why did Hassan’s father write the list of items?
    1. He did not want Hassan to forget any item.
    2. He did not want Hassan to delay in the shop.
    3. He wanted Hassan to learn Mathematics.
    4. He wanted Hassan to do the totals of the cost of the items.
  2. The shopkeeper was surprised to see Hassan back because
    1. Hassan returned the money
    2. the shopkeeper was very busy that day
    3. Hassan had just left the shop
    4. the shopkeeper had given him the balance.
  3. This story teaches us that
    1. honesty is the best policy
    2. hurry hurry has no blessing
    3. once bitten twice shy
    4. a friend in need is a friend indeed.

Read the passage below and then answer questions 13 to 15.
There once lived a king who loved stories. He wished to have someone who would tell him stories all day. So, the King announced that he would reward the person who would tell the longest story. Many people tried, but their stories did not last more than a few hours.
One day, Mokowi arrived at the palace and said he too wanted to tell a story. Mokowi was the man who usually roamed the market without a shirt.
“What story can Mokowi tell?”, the King’s assistants asked. Why should we listen to Mokowi’s story? Surely, a crazy man like him has no business here in the King’s palace. The King, however, gave him a chance. Mokowi began his story.
“One day, a swarm of locusts wanted to eat some grains from a store. The locusts made a tiny hole in the wall of the store. Only one locust could go in at a time. The first one entered, ate and came out. The second one went in, ate and came out. Another one went in, ate and came out.”
On the third day, Mokowi was still telling the story. “Another one went in, ate and came out. Then, another one went in, ate and came out…”
The King looked at the story teller and said, the story will never end. “You win”. Mokowi was rewarded with new clothes.

  1. Which one of the following is true about the King? He
    1. believed every story people told him 
    2. wanted to find the most exciting story 
    3. was good at telling stories
    4. enjoyed listening to stories.
  2. Why did the King’s assistants wonder whether Mokowi could tell a story? They
    1. thought Mokowi would not be interested
    2. did not know Mokowi very well
    3. thought Mokowi would not behave well
    4. did not believe that Mokowi would tell a good story.
  3. The best title for the story would be
    1.  Mokowi’s new clothes
    2. Mokowi’s love for locusts
    3. Mokowi’s move to the palace
    4. Mokowi’s unending story.

Questions 16 to 20
Read the passage below. It contains blank spaces numbered 16 to 20. For each blank space, select the best alternative from the choices given.
My name is Jane Akinyi Kamau. I live             16                a small village in Kiambu County. My parents Mr and Mrs Kamau are good           17               caring doctors. They have built                  18                    clinic where they see their                19                . I work very hard at school. I do not want to be a doctor. When I grow up, I                      20                     like to be a teacher.

  1. in
  2. at
  3. on
  4. by

For questions 21 to 25, fill in the blank spaces with the correct alternative from the choices given.

  1. My friend, Kabuge, prefers skipping rope …………………………… playing netball.
    1. to
    2. than
    3. but
    4. also
  2. The thief jumped………………………….the river to escape from the police.
    1. into
    2. at
    3. to
    4. under
  3. The teacher talked to the parent …………………..phone.
    1. with
    2. on
    3. in
    4. through
  4. Our teachers know what is best for us so we …………………………. obey them.
    1. could
    2. may
    3. will
    4. should
  5. The scouts said to their leader, “Now that we have cut all the grass, ………………………….else can we do?”
    1. who 
    2. where
    3. which
    4. what

For question 26, choose the word that means the opposite of the underlined.

  1. Mokaya’s bag is old.
    1. new
    2. costly
    3. modern
    4. cheap 

For questions 27 and 28, choose the alternative that means the same as the underlined.

  1. The hungry pupils ate the raw mangoes.
    1. The raw mangoes had been eaten by the hungry pupils.
    2. The raw mangoes are eaten by the hungry pupils.
    3. The raw mangoes were eaten by the hungry pupils.
    4. The raw mangoes will be eaten by the hungry pupils.
  2. The guests were pleased with the person. who served them food at the hotel.
    1. cook
    2. host
    3. waiter
    4. cleaner

In questions 29 and 30, choose the word that means the same as the underlined word.

  1. We found the room tidy.
    1. neat
    2. bright
    3. warm
    4. fresh
  2. The choir sang cheerfully.
    1. loudly
    2. beautifully
    3. happily
    4. carefully