101/1 · ENGLISH · Paper 1 (Functional Skills) · Nov. 2024 · 2 hours
Instructions: Answer all the questions. Question 1: 20 marks; question 2: 10 marks; question 3: 30 marks.
Some pages of the oral-skills section (question 3) are missing from the source copy. Parts 3(a)–(e) below are reconstructed from the marking scheme and marked [reconstructed]; the conversation used in 3(e) is not on file.
1. Functional writing (20 marks)
You are the secretary of your school's Environmental Club. The Club usually holds one meeting every term for all members to deliberate on the activities for each term. The Club Patron always attends the meeting. During the second term meeting, the Club deliberated on, among other issues, invitation of a guest speaker from the National Environment Management Authority to give a talk on the importance of planting trees. Two members of the Club had informed the Chairman that they would not be able to attend the meeting. As the secretary to the Club, write the minutes of the meeting. (20 marks)
2. Cloze test (10 marks)
Read the passage below and fill in each blank space with the most appropriate word.
Why use a thesaurus? A thesaurus is a valuable reference for improving your vocabulary. (a) ______ how can it be valuable to you? (b) ______ starters, it can help you (c) ______ overusing any particular word, (d) ______ making your writing more lively and interesting. As a (e) ______ in point, the word valuable has (f) ______ appeared twice in this passage. If it (g) ______ to be used again, it (h) ______ prove to be a little tiresome. For (i) ______ next use, a synonym such as "important" would (j) ______ be more appealing.
3. Oral skills (30 marks)
(a) Read the poem below and then answer the questions that follow.
The Theoretic Turtle
The theoretic turtle started out to see the road;
He came to a stop at a liberty-pole in the middle of the road.
"Now how, in the name of the spouting whale," the indignant turtle cried,
"Can I climb this perpendicular cliff, and get on the other side?
If I only could make a big balloon, I'd lightly over it fly;
Or a very long ladder might reach the top, though it does look fearfully high.
If a beaver were in my place, he'd gnaw a passage through with his teeth;
I can't do that, but I can dig a tunnel and pass beneath."
He was digging his tunnel, with might and main, when a dog looked down at the hole.
"The easiest way, my friend," said he, "is to walk around the pole."— Amos Russel Wells
[reconstructed] (i) Describe the rhyme scheme of the poem. (2 marks)
[reconstructed] (ii) Identify and illustrate one sound pattern used in the poem and state its effect. (3 marks)
[reconstructed] (iii) How would you recite the last two lines of the poem? (4 marks)
(b) [reconstructed] Give a word that is pronounced the same as each of the following: (i) whale; (ii) toad; (iii) flu. (3 marks)
(c) [reconstructed] A visitor asks you for directions to your home. State four things you would do to make your directions clear. (4 marks)
(d) [reconstructed] Underline the stressed syllable in each of the following words: (i) reject (verb); (ii) receipt; (iii) reasonable; (iv) exercise. (4 marks)
(e) [reconstructed] Questions on a conversation between Lulu and Matano about whether Form Four students should do chores. (10 marks)