Get more notes and past papers at www.easyelimu.com.

(WhatsApp only
+254703165909 for more)

English Paper 2 Questions and Answers - Momaliche

Joint Mock Exams 2021/2022
INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES

Write your name and index number in the spaces provided

above. Sign and write date of examination in the spaces
provided above. Answer ALL questions in this question
paper..
All your answer must be written in the spaces provided on the question paper

COMPREHENSION (20 MARKS)

1. Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow.(20 MARKS)
Happiness arises largely from the mental qualities of contentment, confidence, serenity
and active good-will. It includes the pain of losing as well as the pleasure of finding. It
thrives best in a crowded life. The men and women who are recorded in history and
biography as the most happy somewhat add more to do than they could possibly do.
Every waking hour of their lives was occupied with ambitious projects, literature, love,
politics, science, friendship, commerce, professions, trades, their religious faith, and a
thousand other matters. The secret of happiness may be found by making each of these
interests count to its utmost as part of the fabric of life.
We need to avoid the extremes of sluggish placidity and feverish activity. We are not
going to be satisfied with felicity which resembles that of a stone, unfeeling and unmoving,
but will look back from future years with sorrow and regret if we run to and fro, giving in to
what Socrates called ‘the itch’.
Happiness obviously includes two sorts of behavior: active and passive. We may say
that the active part consists in searching and sharing, while the passive part is made up
of security and possession. Neither part is complete in itself, nor yields full satisfaction if
it is over- emphasized. Philosophers from the ancient Greeks to the present day have
been extolling a balanced life as the happiest life, and many unhappy people can, when
they face the issue, trace their discontent to imbalance.
The recipe for happiness cannot be given in any single word because its many virtues
have to be combined in their proper quantities, at the proper times for proper purposes.
It is legitimate to seek happiness. We cannot help observing that while followers of
some schools of thought are telling us to avoid seeking happiness, they intimate that if
we do so, we shall be happy.
The search requires a plan. We need to know what sort of happiness we seek, what the
ingredients are, what are our strongest wants, and what we have to start with. We should
train ourselves to keep the programme simple, and free from complications and side
trips, to pay attention to little things, to deflate quickly after being praised and to bounce
back quickly from disappointment, to seize to create opportunities to put our special
abilities to work, to seek excellence in everything we do, to remain modest, and to
review and revise periodically.
Most of us do not really have to seek far and wide. Happiness grows at our own fireside, if
we cultivate it.
Questions
a. According to the writer, what is the source of happiness? (2mks)
b. What two sorts of behaviour does happiness include? (2mks)
c. In a paragraph of about 30 words, summarize the things we must know as
we search for happiness. (4mks)
d. Explain the irony in the passage. (2marks)
e. Explain the writer’s point in the last paragraph of the passage. (2mks)
f. The recipe for happiness cannot be given in any single word. (Rewrite the sentence
 Get more notes and past papers at www.easyelimu.com. (WhatsApp only
+254703165909 for more)

beginning: Nosingleword…) (1mk)

g. Identify and comment one figure of speech used in the passage. (2mks)
h. Describe the tone of this passage. (2mks)
i. Explain the meaning of the following words as used in the passage: (3mks)
i. Extolling
ii. Intimate
iii. Felicity
iv. Legitimate
2. EXCERPT (25 MARKS)
Read the excerpt below and answer the questions after it. Mrs Linde: Do you mean
never to tell him about it?
Nora: (meditatively,andwithhalfsmile)Yes – someday, perhaps, after many years, when I
am no longer as nice-looking as I am now. Don’t laugh at me! I mean, of course, when
Tovald is no longer as devoted as he is now; when my dancing and dressing-up and
reciting have palled on him; then it may be a good thing to have something in reserve –
(breakingoff) What nonsense! That time will never come. Now, what do you think of my
great secret, Christine? Do you still think I am of no use? I can tell you, too, that this
affair has caused me a lot of worry. It has by no means easy for me to meet my
engagements punctually. I may tell you that there is something called, in business,
quarterly interest, and another thing called payment in installments, and it is always so
dreadfully difficult to manage them. I have had to save a little here and there, where I
could, you understand. I have not been able to put aside much from my housekeeping
money, for Tovald must have a good table. I couldn’t let my children be shabbily
dressed; I have felt obliged to use up all he gave me for them, the sweet little darlings!
Mrs. Linde: So it has all had come out of your own necessaries of life, poor Nora?
Nora: Of course. Besides, I was the one responsible for it. Whenever Tovald has given
me money for new dresses and such things, I have never spent more than half of it; I
have always bought the simplest and the cheapest things. Thank Heaven, any clothes
look well on me, and so Tovald has never noticed it. But it was often very hard for me,
Christine – because it is delightful to be well dresses, isn’t it?
Mrs. Linde: Quite so.
Nora: Well, then I have found other ways of earning money. Last winter I was lucky
enough to do a lot of copying to do; so I locked myself up and sat writing every evening
until quite late at night.
Many times I was desperately tired; but all the same it was a tremendous pleasure to sit
there working and earning money. It was like being a man.
Mrs. Linde: How much have you been able to pay off in that way?
Nora: I can’t tell you exactly. You see it is very difficult to keep an account of a business
mater of that kind. I only know that I have paid every penny that I could scrape together.
Many a time I was wits’ end (smiles)Then I used to sit there and imagine that a rich old
gentleman had fallen in love with me-
Mrs. Linde: What! Who was it!
Nora: Be quiet! – that he died; and that when his will was opened, it contained, written in
big letters, the instruction: “The lovely Mrs. Nora Helmer is to have all I poses paid over
to her at once in cash.”
Questions
a. Where and when does this encounter take place? (2mks)
b. What is this secret that Nora wants to guard so jealously? Explain with
evidence from elsewhere in the play. (3 marks)
c. Describe Nora’s Mood as she tells Mrs. Linde her story. (3 marks)
d. Why is it necessary that Nora tells Mrs. Linde her story. (2 marks)
e. Comment on any two themes that are highlighted in this extract. (4 marks)
 Get more notes and past papers at www.easyelimu.com. (WhatsApp only
+254703165909 for more)

f. “Be quiet!” ( Rewrite this in reported speech.) (1 mark)

g. Give an example of “wishful thinking” found in this extract. (1 mark)
h. Referring to Nora’s first speech in the extract, identify and comment on any two
traits of hers. (4 marks)
i. “It was like being a man” Basing your observation on this statement, briefly
comment on the society’s attitude towards women. (2 marks)
j. Explain the meaning of the following expressions as used in the extract: (3marks)
i. palled:
ii. save a little here and there.
iii. house keeping money.
3. Read the poem below and answer the questions that follow (20mks)
HE PROMISED ME HEAVEN
He promised me heaven
As side by side walked we down the aisle
As the chime of the wedding bell brightened
the day As sweet – sounding songs soothed
our souls
As he held my hand and inserted this ring into my
finger I knew that my heaven had come
For then he promised me heaven.
As we sat close and cherished our moon of
honey As he whispered cream icing into my
ears Dramatically conjuring metaphor after
metaphor Humming lullaby after lullaby
How elated I felt for being so much
elevated For here he was, my guardian
angel
To take me to heaven
For he promised me heaven
As one year later he slapped me again
and again I quickly forgave and forgot
For he was my idol Who had promised me
heaven Even as the floodgate of blow after
blow
Kick after kick
O pened from its cage of disaster
Defacing and eroding the beauty he so much
praised Converting me into a shell of torture
How patiently I clung to him
Anticipating the heaven he had
promised me Now as I lie in the hospital
bed
Unable to rise from his violent battery
Waiting for the Angel of Death
I realize he kept his
promise For I am soon
going to heaven
Because he promised me heaven,
Questions
a. Identify the persona? (2 marks)
b. Explain the main theme of the poem
c. Using the plot of the poem, explain the major changes in the subject matter.
(4marks)
d. What is speakers mood in the last six lines of the poem?. (2marks)
Get more notes and past papers at www.easyelimu.com. (WhatsApp only
+254703165909 for more)

e. Give one character trait of the persona (2 marks)

f. Explain the irony in the poem (2marks)
 Get more notes and past papers at www.easyelimu.com. (WhatsApp only
+254703165909 for more)

g. Apart from irony, identify and illustrate one style used in the poem. (2marks)
h. What is the tone in stanzas 1 and 2 of this poem (2marks)
i. Explain the meaning of the following line: (2marks)
i. As he whispered cream icing into my ears.
ii. For he was my idol
4. GRAMMAR (15MARKS)
a. Without changing the meaning,rewrite the following sentences
according to the instructions after each. (4 marks)
i. Passing examination is a goal. Every candidate should aim at it. (Write
as one sentence using ‘to’)
ii. I thought that you would like to hear what
happened.(Rewriteusing‘occurred’inplaceof
‘thought’.)
iii. I shall be saved a lot of trouble by that. (Begin: That)
iv. The president was impressed by her good performance. He
sponsored her education. (Combineusingapastparticiple)
b. Rewrite the following sentences replacing the underlined words with gender
neutral word. (3 marks)
i. The fireman fought a losing battle against the raging fire.
ii. Our maid stole money from my mother’s purse.
iii. Mankind thrives on cooperation.
c. Explain the difference between this pair of sentences. (2marks)
i. The thief ran so fast that I could not catch up with him.
ii. The thief ran fast so that I could not catch up with him.
d. Determine whether the verbs in the sentences below have been used
transitively or intransitively. (3 marks)
i. Manchester city won the premium league.
ii. The bereaved wept bitterly.
iii. Obed bought a car.
e. Replace the underlined idiomatic expressions using a single word. (1 mark)
i. The student complained that his father was close-fisted.
f. Choose the correct alternative from the pronouns given to complete the
sentences. (2marks)
i. The shooting at night startled Mike and (I /me)
ii. The principal and (she/her) left the compound.

MARKING SCHEME
1. Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow. (20 marks)
a. Happiness is a result of satisfaction with one’s situation, confidence, active
goodwil1 and peace of mind. (Expect at least 2 points @ 1mk = 2mks)
b. Happiness includes actively searching and sharing, (1 mk) as well as, feeling
secure and possessing. (1mk) 1+1= 2mks
c. The writer says we need to know what kind of happiness we are looking for,
what this happiness consists of, what our burning desires are, and what our
priority is. (30 words) (Expect 4 points 1mk =4mks)
d. By ‘balanced life’ the writer means that one should complement searching …
and sharing with adequate security and possession.
- it is ironical for the writer to tell us to avoid searching for life yet on the other hand
is praising it. (2 marks)
e. The writer’s point is that we need not search outside ourselves to discover and
enjoy
 Get more notes and past papers at www.easyelimu.com. (WhatsApp only
+254703165909 for more)

happiness. (2mks)
f. No single word can describe the recipe for happiness. (1mk) (Penalise ½ mark if a
full stop is missing, or if a small ‘n’.is used at the beginning of the sentence.)
g. Personification (½mk) — Happiness is seen as a child that would grow well
in a healthy environment. (½mk = 1mk
h. Metaphor (½mk) — Happiness in life is also seen as part of what makes a
piece of cloth hold together. (½mk) = 1mk
i. The tone of the passage is conversational / thoughtful / persuasive
(1mk) j.
i. extolling -praising (1mk)
ii. intimate -make what you think or want clear without stating it directly (1mk)
iii. felicity -happiness / contentment /satisfaction (1mk)
iv. legitimate - lawful / reasonable / acceptable (1mk)
2. Read the passage below and answer the questions after it. (25 marks)
a. Where and when does this encounter take place?
(2 marks) Helmer’s residence
Mrs. Linde has just visited Nora and in their conversation Nora reveals
that she had gotten some money from her father without the knowledge
of her husband so that the family could travel to Italy as advised by the
doctor in regard to Helmer’s health.
b. What is this secret that Nora wants to guard so jealously? Explain with
evidence from elsewhere in the play. (3 marks)
The secret is Norah forging the signature and discrepancies loan taken
from Krogstad so as to facilitate the family’s travel to Italy to conform with
the doctor’s advice regarding Helmer’s health. Helmer had overworked
himself and his health was badly affected, so the doctor advised that he
takes tie off to reciprocate in a warmer environment. The husband had
stubbornly refused to take a loan in spite of their financial situation and the
urgency for Helmer’s treatment. Nora had to devise “a way out of the
difficulty” by borrowing.
c. Describe Nora’s mood as she tells Mrs. Linde her story. (3 marks)
Nora is in a jolly, proud conspiratorial mood. She is speaking to Mrs. Linde
meditatively and with half a smile. She is proud of what she has done for
her husband and her family but does not want to let her husband know
about it.
d. Why is it necessary that Nora tells Mrs. Linde her story? (2 marks)
It is necessary that Nora tells Christine her story to reassure herself that
she is also capable of making independent and responsible decisions. Nora
had earlier been described as a child who knew “so little of the burdens
and troubles of life.” She asks Mrs. Linde if she still thinks that she is of no
use.
e. Comment on any two themes that are highlighted in this extract. (4 marks)
There is the theme of family responsibility. The running of the family rests
squarely on the man. “Whenever Torvald has given me money for new
dresses and such things” Nora has to depend on her husband for virtually
everything; so she saves from her housekeeping money to repay the loan
she has procured from Krogstad.
The place of women in the society. A woman is basically meant to please
and entertain the husband and manage the home without making any
serious decisions. Nora says she would let know the truth “when Torvald
is no longer as devoted to me as he is now; when my dancing and
dressing-up and reciting have palled on him”
mistrust: In the Helmer’s family, there seems to be lack of trust because
Nora refuses to tell the husband the truth as she is sure the husband will
Get more notes and past papers at www.easyelimu.com. (WhatsApp only
+254703165909 for more)

humiliate her.
 Get more notes and past papers at www.easyelimu.com. (WhatsApp only
+254703165909 for more)

f. “Be quiet!” (Rewrite this in reported speech.) (1 mark)

Nora Told/ ordered Mrs Linde to keep /be quiet
g. Give an example of “wishful thinking” found in this extract. (1 mark)
An example of wishful thinking is where Nora smilingly tells Mrs. Linde
that she used to conjure up pictures of a rich old man falling in love with
her and bequeath her lots of money through his will. “The lovely Mrs. Nora
is to have it all in process paid
h. Referring to Nora’s first speech in the extract, identify and comment on any two
traits of hers. (4 marks)
Nora is romantic. She is love with Torvald and imagines all this air of
love and the two (husband and wife) being together. She also fantasises
about a rich old man falling in love with her.
She is responsible. She ensures the family is well taken care of “Torvald
must have a good table and the children must dress well.
Prudent. She had to save money here and there to buy cheap dresses.
She is secretive. She ensures her husband does not know about what
she has done (borrowing money)
i. “It was like being a man” Basing your observation on this statement, briefly
comment on the society’s attitude towards women. (2 marks)
Derogatory, demeaning - The women are looked down upon by women
and they are not supposed to own money as it is man’s world.
j. Explain the meaning of the following expressions as used in the extract: (3marks)
i. palled: faded/ reduced in intensity/ dwindled/ become less attractive/ dull
ii. save a little here and there. put aside some little money from whatever
available source.
iii. housekeeping money - finance/ money meant for maintaining the family
household.
3. Read the poem below and answer the questions that followquestions that follow (20
marks)

a. A woman who was promised heaven when she got married. She didn’t get it
instead she was thoroughly beaten
b. Domestic violence against women the woman is beaten until she is
hospitalized./ wife battery / wife battery
c. At the beginning there is a lot of love experienced by the couple as they
exchange rings. Their honeymoon is exciting. One year later, the beatings begin
and continue until the woman is hospitalized.
d. Resigned/Dissapointed she was promised “Heaven” but at the end batters her to
a death bed
e. Patient /hopeful/optimistic “Patiently clung..............”
Pessimistic - She only sees death awaiting.
f. The persona was promised heaven “Which she doesn’t get. Instead she is
beaten to the point of dying
g.
i. Hyperboleyperbole –– my guardian angelmy guardian angel,
ii. Metaphor - Floodgate of blows
iii. Contrast - The bright life at the beginning is contrasted with the hopeless life
iv. Repetition – “ He promised me heaven”
h. Happy / blissful/excited/ecstatic–illust - “ As sweet sounding songs soothed out
souls”. “As he whispered cream icing into my ears”.
i.
i. “As he whispered “…........he was telling her sweet nothings as he loved
her.
 Get more notes and past papers at www.easyelimu.com. (WhatsApp only
+254703165909 for more)

ii. “For he was my idol” - she worshipped him as he meant everything to her
4.
a. Without changing the meaning, rewrite the following sentences
according to the instructions after each. (4 marks)
i. Passing examination is a goal. Every candidate should aim at it. (Write
as one sentence using ‘to’)
Every candidate’s goal is to pass examination.
ii. I thought that you would like to hear what happened. (Rewrite using
‘occurred’ in place of ‘thought’.)
It occurred to me that you would like to hear what happened
iii. I shall be saved a lot of trouble by that. (Begin:
That) That will save me a lot of trouble.
iv. The president was impressed by her good performance. He
sponsored her education. (Combine using a past participle)
Impressed by her good performance, the president sponsored her
education.
b. Rewrite the following sentences to remove gender bias. (3 marks)
i. The fireman fought a losing battle against the raging fire
The firefighter fought a losing battle against the raging fire
ii. Our maid stole money from my mother’s purse
Our housecleaner stole money from my mother’s purse
iii. Mankind thrives on cooperation
Human being/human kind thrives on cooperation
c. Explain the difference between this pair of sentences. (2marks)
i. The thief ran so fast that I could not catch up with him.
I am a slow runner
ii. The thief ran fast so that I could not catch up with
him. The thief did not want me to catch up
with him.
d. Determine whether the verbs in the sentences below have been used
transitively or intransitively. (3 marks)
Manchester city won the premium league. -
Intransitive The deceased wept bitterly. -
Intransitive
Obed bought a car. – Transitive
e. Replace the underlined idiomatic expressions using a single word. (1 mark)
i. The student complained that his father was close-
fisted. mean or stingy/ miser
f. Choose the correct alternative from the pronouns given to complete the
sentences. (2marks)
i. The shooting at night startled Mike and me.
ii. The principal and she left the compound.