---EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL OF ZAMBIA
Joint Examinations for the $chool Certificate
and General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level
-·
1121/1
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
PAPER 1
Tuesday
6 NOVEMBER 2001
1 hour 45 minutes
Additional materials:
Answer paper
TIME: 1 hour 45 minutes
INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES
Write your name, centre number and candidate number in the spaces provided on the answer
paper/answer booklet.
Answer both Sections.
Write your answers on the separate answer paper provided.
If you use more than one sheet of paper, fasten the sheets together.
INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES
All questions in this paper carry equal marks.
You should first read through the whole paper.
You are advised to spend an equal amount of time on each section.
©ECZ/2001/em
[Turn over
SECTION 1
You are advised not to spend more than 50 minutes on this section. Write on one of the
following topics. You should write between 250 and 350 words.
1.
Write a story with one of the following titles:
(a)
A frightening experience
OR
(b)
The day I will live to remember
2.
During the next few years mankind will face one great challenge of feeding a population
of over six billion. What, in your opinion, would be the solution (s) to this problem?
3.
Describe a person you dislike most. What is it that makes you dislike this person?
4.
As you were flipping through a recent "Times of Zambia" newspaper you spotted a
Zambia Telecommunications Corporation advertisement inviting applications from young
Zambian men and women for ten vacant posts of cashiers. Successful applicants are
expected to start work in January, the following year. Since you are interested in the job,
apply to the Director, Zambia Telecommunications Corporation, P. 0., Box 30066,
Lusaka.
5.
State what has been done in your part of the country to tackle the HIV/AIDS and
problems related to it. What more do you think needs to be done?
6.
Write a letter to a friend telling him/her what you like and dislike about your school.
1121/1 Z2001
SECTION 2
You are advised to spend about 50 minutes on this section .
You are a member of the Commission of Inquiry which has been set up to look into the
question of the education system in Zambia as viewed by the members of the public.
Here are some of the points you have gathered in your research . Write a report using some
or all those points that are not in favour of the system. You may add points of your own.
(a)
-
Too many basic schools- without qualified teachers.
Lack of books and other equipment
More schools - less street children
Too many untrained teachers especially at Primary level
Classes too big for efficient teaching
More people educated, better chance of selecting capable personnel for various
posts.
Boarding and Examination fees too high - only rich can afford
Poor people have become poorer and the rich richer
Introduction of Boards in schools help people to be responsible for school property.
Too many educated people - no employment
Gives chance to all to have basic education
Some subjects irrelevant for jobs available
You r report should be between 250 and 350 words in length.
1121/1 Z2001
Candidate
Centre Number
Number
Candidate Name _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __
EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL OF ZAMBIA
Joint Examinations for the School Certificate
and General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level
"
1121/2
ENGLISH bANGUAGE
PAPER 2
2 hours
6 NOVEMBER 2001
Tuesday
Candidates answer on the question paper
No additional materials are required
TIME:
2 hours
-
INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES
Write your name, centre number and candidate number in the spaces at the top of this page.
Answer all questions.
Write your answers on the spaces provided on the question paper.
FOR EXAMINER'S USE
1
2
3
TOTAL
© ECZ/2001 /em
Answer all three questions
Question 1 .
Read the following passage carefully and answer the question that follows.
1.
Lead is a common metal present in most of our household items but the grisly facts
scientists have recently revealed about its dangers to human life especially in children
are so horrifying that it seems impossible to reverse the "slow death" situation at hand.
2.
Lead poisoning causes high blood pressure, strokes, heart attacks and kidney diseases.
The most unfortunate target is the children whom it attacks silently and slowly without
bringing out any obvious symptoms until it is too late. Researchers have found that in
Africa, Asia and the Middle East, lead is sometimes used as a medicine to relieve
constipation and prevent infection of the umbilical cord and even as a teething
substance for babies. Children whose brains are heavily laden with lead find it difficult to
do analytical work or even to respond to simple routine procedures. Other symptoms
include irritability, insomnia, colic, anaemia, impaired growth, and a damaged nervous
system accompanied by chronic restlessness.
3.
It takes strikingly little lead to cause lead poisoning. A child can become severely
poisoned by eating one milligram of lead-paint dust, equivalent to about three granules
of sugar each day during childhood. Because of their behaviour and activity, children
are more likely to pick up lead from their environment. Smooth painted surfaces may
not pose any danger but as paint ages, itlJegin_s to crack and peel. Since lead has a
sweet taste, children are likely to eat the paint chips from toys, floors and carpeting.
Moreover a child may become ill merely by touching the dust on the window sill and
sucking his thumb.
4.
Women who work in lead factories suffer high rates of sterility, mis-carriage, premature
birth and birth defects. If a pregnant woman ingests even a small amount of lead, it can
pass through her placenta to the foetus. Fathers too are affected with malformed and
sluggish sperm, causing deformity.in the foetus or preventing conception.
5.
Apart from paint, the other primary source of lead toxicity is water. Lead pipes
and even copper or steel pipes joined with lead solder can contaminate water. Health
officials advise allowing cold water from a tap to run for a minute or two before drawing,
especially if the tap had been turned off for more than six hours. This will help flush out
any contaminated water. Hot tap water from the geyser is likely to contain a lot of lead; it
should not be used for drinking or cooking.
6.
Lead crystalware that are used to store foods and beaverages for extended periods of
time, especially acidic foods such as tomato sauce, fruit juices, wine and vinegar, are
quite dangerous, and so are lead crystal baby bottles. Researchers have also detected
high levels of lead in the ink used to print plastic bread bags. If the consumer turns the
bag inside out, the lead ink can cause contamination when it leaks on to the foods.
(Adapted from Wendy Mwachilinga's article in the Sunday Times of Zambia
of January 17, 1993)
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You are interested in the causes or sources of lead poisoning; you are not interested in the symptomc
or in the precautions to be taken to avoid lead poisoning, or indeed in the
consequences of lead poisoning.
Write a connected summary of these causes. You may use your own words or those of the
passage to express some or all of you r points, but you should not exceed 145 words of your
own. The summary has been started for you.
Lead poisoning may be caused by a variety of factors .. .. ....................... .. ....... ........ .
1121 /2/ Z2001
Question 2
Read the following passage and then answer the questions which follow.
1.
Almost all girls in Zambia have initiation ceremonies, although these are more elaborate
and drawn out in matrilineal groups. Initiation takes place when a girl reaches puberty
and is a symbol of acceptance into 'womanhood'. The curriculum is seen as equipping the adolescent girl for adult life and may include running a household, social
conventions, pleasing and being subservient to one's husband, and sexual instruction.
In many ethnic groups, the value attached to initiation ceremonies is so great that
parents do all they can to organize them and will remove their girl from school in spite of
any school rulings about attendance.
2.
Marriage is seen by many families and by many girls as their greatest ambition, and
early marriage is not perceived as a problem. Initiation ceremonies potentiate this.
Families benefit materially from a girl's marriage, because they receive 'lobola' or
bridesworth payments from the groom's family. In many communities, this includes the
transfer of cattle or other items of high value such as money, agricultural implements
and clothing. Because virginity is valued in a bride, initiation ceremonies attach great
importance to this and daughters are tightly guarded in many traditional communities in
Zambia.
3.
To illustrate the above, here is a story of a girl child named Ella. From the age of eleven,
Ella was sent to live with a well married aunt who had two infant children aged one and
three years old. Her aunt was a good woman who looked after her well. In return, Ella
was expected to help her aunt with the co(}king and cleaning of the house and the
bathing of the children. Her aunt was a good tutor. By the time Ella was thirteen years
old, she was doing all the cleaning and cooking. She was polite and courteous to all
visitors and always cheerful and pleasant.
4.
Ella's uncle, the husband to her aunt, had a friend who visited every year and would stay
for a fortnight. He always brought gifts for Ella and the other children and became the
beloved Uncle Larry to the three of them. Something changed when Ella was thirteen
years old. Soon after being initiated into womanhood, she wrote her Grade Seven
Examinations, and was full of expectation. Uncle Larry, who had recently divorced his
wife, saw Ella in a different light. She had blossomed, she was a young woman. Uncle
Larry wanted this well trained girl as his wife. Ella's uncle and aunt were both happy.
Uncle Larry was well to do. He would look after Ella well and he would give Ella's family
a good bride price.
Ella's parents were informed. The whole family was happy. Their view was that if her
aunt was satisfied that Larry was a good man, she should go ahead and marry her off.
Her parents wanted six head of cattle. It was all agreed. When the news was broken to
Ella, she was shocked. "Uncle Larry, but he is like my father, don't you think I am too
young? And what about my education? I want to become a doctor!"
Ella felt like she had died. The following week, Uncle Larry married Ella under a traditional
marriage ceremony and took her back home with him. Ella was in tears. No one seemed
to understand what she felt. She was not ready for what was being asked of her.
Ella had her baby when she was fourteen years old. Every time the baby cried
unconsolably, Ella too would cry. She felt so helpless, so ignorant, so unprepared.
5.
6.
7.
8.
When the child was two years old, Uncle Larry deserted Ella.
She was left destitute. She began to move from one relative to another, always being
looked upon as a burden, never really being welcomed anywhere. Not being qualified
for anything, she could not get a job.
1121/2/ Z2001
9.
Ellla died young, ostensibly from a bout of malaria. But what really
killed her was lack of a will to live.
(Adapted from Kankasa-Mabula T. and Chondoka Y.A., 1976: in the Best Interests of
the Girl Child: Effects of Cultural and Legal Environment on Education for Zambian
Girls, Ministry of Education, Zambia)
In questions 1 - 8, select the best of the four choices provided, by putting a ring around it, as in
the example below. For questions 9 and 10, answer as instructed.
Example:
A
@
C
D
This passage is about
Initiation Ceremonies
The Plight of the Girl Child
Ella and Uncle Larry
Early Marriages
I
_/
(B) is the answer and is ringed.
1.
2.
"Almost all girls in Zambia have initiation ceremonies" (paragraph 1) This statement means
that
A.
many girls in Zambia have passed through initiation ceremonies.
B.
most girls in Zambia have benefited from initiation ceremonies.
C.
many tribes in Zambia find initiation ceremonies very useful.
D.
most tribes in Zambia conduct initiation ceremonies.
It is true that many families and girls consider marriage as their greatest ambition because
A.
girls are married off as soon as they reach puberty.
B.
of the value they attach to initiation ceremonies.
C.
virginity in a bride is highly valued in many traditional communities.
D.
matrilineal families benefit a great deal from payment of 'lobola'.
\
3.
4.
Why was Ella sent to live with her aunt?
A.
She wanted to help her aunt with house work and look after the children.
B.
Her aunt wanted to live with her because she was hard-working, polite and cheerful.
C.
Her aunt was a good woman with a good marriage from which she would benefit.
D.
Her parents believed her aunt would train her into a good housewife.
"Something changed when Ella was thirteen years old" (paragraph 4,
sentence 3). This means that
A.
Ella matured into a young, attractive woman.
B.
Ella wrote her Grade Seven examinations and her ambition of becoming a doctor
increased.
C.
Uncle Larry fell in love with Ella.
D.
Uncle Larry divorced his wife so that he could marry Ella.
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5.
6.
When Ella's uncle, aunt, parents and family learnt about Uncle Larry's intention to marry
Ella, they were all happy. This was because
A.
they knew Ella as a well-trained girl who would not disappoint them.
B.
Uncle Larry was a good family friend.
C.
they hoped to benefit from Ella's early marriage.
D.
Uncle Larry was capable of giving them six head of cattle as 'lobola'.
How did Ella receive the news that she would soon marry Uncle Larry?
A.
She was so shocked that she fainted.
B.
She was disappointed because she would never become a doctor.
C. She was worried because she would never cope with the responsibilities of marriage.
D.
7.
She was shocked because she was not ready for marriage.
Each time Ella's baby cried unconsolably, Ella too cried
A.
in sympathy with her baby.
B.
because she was too young to become a mother.
C.
in order to show that she was not happy with her marriage.
D. because she did not know how to look_after the baby.
8.
The writer's opinion is that Ella died young because she
A.
had a serious infection of malaria.
B.
was neglected by both her husband and her relatives.
C. was a destitute.
D. could not cope with the problems of her marriage and divorce.
9.
It is apparent from the passage that the writer does not favour initiation ceremonies and
early marriages for girls. For each of these mention any one reason that the writer gives,
beginning with the words provided.
A.
Initiation ceremonies for girls are bad because _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
B.
Early marriages for girls should be discouraged because _ _ _ _ _ _ __
10. For each of the following words or short phrases, choose one word of similar meaning
from those underlined in the passage. Do not use any word more than once.
A.
Apparently: ___________________________
B.
Generally accepted practices: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
C. D e t a i l e d : - - - - - - - - ' - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - D. Make possible: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
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Question 3
Answer both Section 1 and Section 2
Section 1
In each of the following sent ences, Sentence A is complete, but Sentence B is not. Complete
Sentence B each time, making it as similar as pos$ible in meaning to Sentence A. Make B one
sentence, never two.
Do not make any changes to the printed parts of the B sentence.
Example:
A I am surprised . I have no more words to say
B I am so surprised that I have no more words to say.
1.
A The examiner believes that the question paper has not
been tampered with.
B ..................................................... ... ... ...... ... ..... ........ the question paper.
2.
A Man's knowledge of the universe is still scanty.
B What ..................... .... ....................... ...... ... .................................... .
3.
A I'd rather starve than eat worms. ......
e.~.....0.1.~~-~... .. ~: .. ... .S.~x./(lfj. ... ~ .......................
B 1prefer ... .
4.
A Give me some of your bananas and I will show you the way.
B Unless ..
5.
j-~... j '
Q~ll ·.... . :~ -;~ .. ·..~ ... ..5.0.g_-~- - ..~ . }o.J: ............. ~.'~~n ., r. ...~.. ..
A The giraffe is a wonderful animal to watch .
B What ..
8.
d.Q.... ~~ --~~---~
·-······················· · ····················· · ···········
'
A Josephat is .dull but he managed to pass the examination.
e
7.
"t.Ja~
A We do not need your help.
B We can ....
6.
..... . ... ~~ ... ..... .~.t~ .~o/.l.~~..... ,: . ~.. I.:~J.dJ. ... ~r.P.!~ . JtZA [:
.. !#.~ .. .. ..a:Mr!~ .. -~~ ... ~.t . J. . / .........()1./.... .. ~.~ ... ~ ..
A Our late arrival angered our class teacher.
B We were ..... ................................ ............ .... ... ................................ .
9.
A I shall find someone to paint this house tomorrow.
~
B 1shall have .. ..
#.:J . . ~~-1:' .. .. .~ .... ...·.-: ... · .~ ...... ....l:{.'.. .... .:.. .
f..: .. . "XJ .. .. .... .. ry.mthJ
10. A The team was dismayed to lose again.
B To ... ............... .. ..... ·....... ......... ..... : .................... .... ..... ................ ....... .
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·
Section 2
Complete each of the following sentences by supplying the missing preposition.
Only one word must be written in each blank space.
1.
It is important to keep abreast . . . . . . . .c?......... . new ideas.
2.
You seem to be obsessed .......... V .. ~ ...... a lot of problems.
' /fl
'
I
3.
The roof of an old house is often infested .......:.".'.:. !.·.!... rats.
4.
Certain types of food are deficient ...........
5.
r
Because James works hard, he is eligible..... .. .. .. .... promotion.
6.
These premises are not accessible .... .. ~ ...._..... ....... visitors.
7.
Pupils must comely ........ WWi .... .. ... the school ru les.
8.
People living in mosquito-infected areas are usually immune ...... .. ... malaria.
9.
Certain categories of people are exempt .... .....
10.
In poor countries, people subsist ..... ....-... .'..... any food available.
fAr
P. .... .... vitamins.
1
.1. . • • . . •
paying tax.
11.
12.
. t ............
0(1 .. ..... evad'1ng t ax.
Respons1'bl e c1't'1zens d es1s
13.
However difficult a situation is, Jane always comes ...0: .a~
solution.
.. with a suitable
15.
~( ... .4..it once more.
The scandal involving the General Manager was quickly hushed ...... ~-~ 7. ~. f. .......
16.
Patience and hard work often pay .... ~U 1.r.?... in the end.
17.
The Senior Teacher was .. .............. .. . earshot when you insulted him.
14.
I did not understand what he said, so I asked him to go ...
I
18.
We must always live ...... (\. .. .. . peace with our neighbours.
19.
She bought the council house with a view .....-:- ... ...... selling it at a profit.
20.
If you al'f{ ys criticize your supervisor, you cannot expect to be in favour
.. .. .. W( .... ....... her.
""
11 21 /2/ Z2001
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