Kenya Certificate Of Secondary Education (KCSE 2008) English Paper 1

1. Write the notice of this meeting which you would send to the members of the drama club. 
2. Write the agenda that you would attach to the notice.
   
   

 If people do not like you, they may help you fall. On the other hand, you can get 6___________ with serious mistakes if you are socially intelligent. How are you when it comes to working with people? Are you genuine and authentic, or do you do __7___________ put up a front? Do you listen to 8 _______________, or do you do most of the talking? Do you expect everyone else to conform to your wishes, your schedule, and your agenda, or do you look for ways to meet people on their 9 _______________? If you haven’t learnt to get along with people, you will always be fighting a battle to succeed. 10 _______________ making people-skills and strength will take you farther than any other skill you develop.

1.  Provide a word which sounds the same as the following: (5 marks)
   
   
   1.  Male ………………………………………………..
   2. Queue ………………………………………………
   3. Hire …………………………………………………
   4. Blue …………………………………………………
   5. Are …………………………………………………..
      
      
2. Read the poem below and answer the questions that follow.

    “The Debt” by Paul Laurence Dunbar.

   This is the debt I pay
    Just for one riotous day,
    Years of regret and grief,
   Sorrow without relief.

   Put it will to the end - 
   Until the grave my friend,
   Gives me a true release –
   Gives me the clasp of peace.

   Slight was the thing I bought,
   Small was the debt I thought,
   Poor was the loan at best –
   God! but the interest!

    (From American Negro Poetry, Edited by Arna Bontemps)

   1. List all the pairs of rhyming words. (3 marks)
   2. Describe the tone of the voice that would be  appropriate in the reading of this poem, (3 marks)
   3. How does the punctuation in the second stanza influence you reading of the poem? (3 marks)
   4.  How would you say the last line of this poem? (2 marks)
      
      
3. Consider the situation below and then answer the questions that follow.
   You are a part of an audience that is listening to a speech. You look around and notice that some people are looking at their watches; a few are yawning, and one or two are shifting their seats.
   
   
   1. What would be the likely cause of that behavior? (3 marks)
   2. What would you do to ensure you continue listening effectively? (3 marks)
      
      
4.  Consider the following conversation between a seller and a buyer of chickens and answer the questions that follow.

   BUYER:   How are you this morning?

   SELLER:  I’ m okay.

   BUYER:   I’ m looking for good chickens but yours don’t look good.
                  I’ m going to have visitors, and this being the Christmas season; I really must give them a feast.

   SELLER:  These are the right kind of chickens to your visitors. They’re healthy and well fed.

   BUYER:   On the contrary, they look underfed. Anyway, what is your price?

   SELLER:  It depends. I charge more for cocks; they have more meat you know. (Pointing at a red cock) This one for instance, goes for 400.00. As for the hens, I charge Sh. 250.00.

   BUYER:   You’re not serious! Much of the weight is a bundle of bones.  I’ m giving you Sh. 150 for each hen and Sh. 300 for each cock. I’m buying three of each – three hens for Sh.                          450.00 and three cocks for Sh. 900.00. This will give us a total of sh. 1, 350.00. 
    
   SELLER:  You know, I buy and sell. I don’t get them from my shamba.
                  Your figure doesn’t give me any profit at all.

   BUYER:  But you also know money is hard to come by, and especially during this Christmas season. Give me reasonable price unless you prefer I go to another seller.

   SELLER:  Let me make it Sh. 225.00 for a hen and Sh. 375.00 for a cock.

   BUYER:   It looks like you’re not interested in selling your chickens.

   SELLER:  No, I’m. Why would I be here? My children fees come from this business.

   BUYER:   Okay, take Sh. 175.00 for each hen and Sh. 325.00 for a cock.

   SELLER:  No, there will be no profit for me. You can do better than that. You can surely promote my small business. Just give me Sh.350.00 per cock and Sh.225.00 per hen. This would be                Sh.675 for  the three hens and Sh.1,050.00 for the cocks.

   BUYER:  (Doing his mental arithmetic) That’s a total cost of Sh.1,725.00. Okay, at least I’ll be able to feed my visitors. (Handing over the money) Here you are.

   SELLER: Thank you. (As the seller ties them all together). You’re a good customer. Please come again. My name is Musimbi.

   BUYER:  And I’m Karani. See you then.

   SELLER: See you.

   1. What is the purpose of the greetings in this situation? (1 mark)
   2.  Identify and explain the negotiation skills of the buyer. (3 marks)
   3. What does the business transaction reveal about the nature of the negotiations? (4 marks)