RIVERTON ACADEMY INTERNAL EXAMINATION

ENGLISH LANGUAGE
DATE: March 2020
FORM 1 END OF TERM VARIANT 2

SYLLABUS CODE: 0500/Checkpoint

TIME: 1 HOUR 45 MINUTES

Candidates answer on additional papers provided.

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES

1. This question paper consists of two sections: section (A) Comprehension (25 marks) and
Section (B) Supporting language structures (25marks).
2. Answer all questions in both sections.
3. Mistakes in punctuation, spelling and grammar will be penalised in any part of the paper.
4. Pupils are reminded of the need to write in neat, clear handwriting.
5. The marks for each question are indicated in brackets at the end of each question.

70boys
60girls

This paper consists of 4 printed pages

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COMPREHENSION: 25 Marks.

Read the following passage and answer the questions after it.

The ugly side of firecrackers.

A firecracker is an explosive device which, when lit, produces a loud bang. Firecrackers have been
around for many years. They consist of gunpowder which is put in a tight paper tube with a fuse to light
the powder. When lit, the paper tube explodes producing loud bangs. Firecrackers are believed to have
originated from China hundreds of years ago and are commonly used during celebration of holidays and
festivals. Although firecrackers are a form of entertainment, they have also in the past proved to be a
source of agony.

People’s celebrations have been spoilt when children are left with deformed faces. In some cases,
children have lost their eyes while others have lost a finger or two. Besides, do we ever thing of the
noise pollution that engulfs the peaceful night when we explode firecrackers? Do we care about the
poisonous gases that are released into the air which affect our natural environment? Firecrackers
release smoke which affects the ozone layer, according to research .In the past, hundreds of people
have been killed in firework factory explosions in China, India and Turkey among other countries. Most
of the victims have been children because of the cheap labour that they provide.

Firework explosions are a menace to those who use them and innocent members of the public. Some
criminals abuse fireworks and use them in their activities. In addition, fireworks cause deafness and
those suffering from epilepsy can experience seizures. Of all the firecrackers, the bottle rocket is the
greatest cause of injuries resulting in high medical bill being incurred. As the name suggests, the rocket
firecracker takes off at a rocket speed and as this happens, sparks can affect the launcher whose clothes
and hair may catch fire. This may greatly expose someone to great injuries.

However, despite the dangers, firecrackers have been a source of income for millions people. In China,
the fireworks industry employs hundreds of thousands of people in small factories or home industries
who do manufacturing by hand. Although firecrackers are a source of thrill and entertainment, there is
need for responsible authorities to devise measures that seek to avoid the loss of lives and negative
impact on the natural environment.

Adapted from The Sunday Mail: January 6-12, 2013.

Questions

Paragraph 1.

1. What one word in line one indicates the sound made by a firecracker? [1]
2. Name three materials used to make a firecracker. (Number your answer 1,2,3.) [3]
3. From which country are firecrackers believed to have originated? [1]
4. State two occasions on which firecrackers are used? (Number your answers 1 and 2) [2]
5. What is the contradiction of firecrackers presented at the end of the paragraph? [1]

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Paragraph 2

6. Why are children employed in firecracker industries? [1]

Paragraph 3

7. Bottle rockets are the greatest cause of eye injuries. What else comes with these
injuries? [1]

From the whole passage

Contextual meanings of words: vocabulary.

8. Give the meanings of the following words as they are used in the passage. Give one
word or a short phrase of not more than seven words.

(a) Agony (paragraph 1)

(b) Deformed (paragraph 2)
(c) Menace (paragraph 3)
(d) Thrill (paragraph 4)
(e) Devise (paragraph 4) [5]

Summary

9. In point form, list 10 aspects of firecrackers that the writer regards as bad. [10]

TOTAL: 25marks.

SECTION B: SUPPORTING LANGUAGE STRUCTURES: 25 MARKS.

Answer all questions in this section.

1. SPELLINGS
Write down the correctly spelt word of those given.
(a) Accomodation/ accommodation
(b) Passengers/ passangers
(c) Writing/ writting
(d) Convinient/ convenient
(e) Privilege/previledge [5]

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2. CONFUSED WORDS

Underline the correct word in each of the following sentences. Write the whole sentence.

(a) The fighting countries signed a piece/peace agreement.

(b) The courageous boy lead/led his team to victory.
(c) Stationary/Stationery is issued on Wednesdays only.
(d) The prefect told the class to keep quiet/quite.
(e) It is advisable to wear loose/lose clothes in summer. [5]

3.VERB TENSES

Re-write the following sentences using the correct verb tense of the word in brackets.
(a) The thief (hide) under the kitchen table.
(b) A team of heart surgeons (arrive) in the country yesterday.
(c) The raven (fly) over our house.
(d) John (decide) not to go to school yesterday.
(e) The accused man(hang) himself. [5]

4.PREPOSITIONS

Complete the following sentences using the given prepositions. Use each preposition once.

Prepositions: on; in; of; by; to.

(a) Mary is afraid … the darkness.

(b) I am not interested…music.
(c) Place the book…my table.
(d) I prefer butter…jam.
(e) We must always abide…school rules and regulations. [5]

5.PUNCTUATION

Punctuate the following sentences using the appropriate punctuation marks.

(a) Which country do you come from

(b) Thief shouted the old woman whose handbag had been snatched.
(c) Oranges peaches apricots and lemons are citrus fruits.
(d) The capital city of zimbabwe is harare.
(e) there is no juicy steak for a hungry man. [5]

Grand total: 50marks.

End of question paper.

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