Inapakia....
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Bonyeza na Ushikilie kuvuta kuzunguka |
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Bonyeza Hapa Kufunga |
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Swali 1 Ripoti
You have learnt that your younger brother intends to involve i=himself in examination malpractice during his WASSCE. Write a letter to him warning him of the dangers of such an action and urging him to concentrate on his studies.
Format note: This is an informal letter to a younger brother, so it needs the writer's address and date, an informal salutation (Dear Chuka), a warm but firm and persuasive tone, clear warnings about the dangers of examination malpractice, encouragement to study, and an informal close (Your loving brother/sister).
15 College Road,
Owerri.
10 July, 2026.
Dear Chuka,
I hope this letter meets you well and preparing seriously for your forthcoming WASSCE. I am writing because a piece of disturbing news has reached me, that you are planning to take part in examination malpractice during the examination. I was deeply saddened to hear this, and as your elder brother who cares about your future, I cannot keep silent. I must warn you strongly against so dangerous a path.
My dear brother, examination malpractice is a grave offence with terrible consequences. If you are caught, your entire result will be cancelled, and you may be banned from sitting for the examination for two or more years. All the years you have spent in school would be wasted in a single moment of foolishness, and the shame would follow you and disgrace our family.
Beyond the immediate punishment, malpractice destroys the future. A certificate obtained by cheating is worthless, for it hides an empty head. Should you gain admission with it, you will struggle helplessly in higher institutions and in your career, exposed at last as one who knows nothing. Employers today test what a candidate truly knows, not merely the grades on paper.
Worse still, cheating is a sin and a crime that stains one's conscience and character. It teaches the heart to be dishonest, and dishonesty, once learnt, spreads into every area of life. Is a fleeting grade worth the loss of your integrity and self-respect? Surely not.
Instead, I urge you to put your trust in hard work and honest preparation. Draw up a study timetable, revise your notes daily, solve past questions, and ask your teachers whatever you do not understand. Believe me, there is no joy sweeter than passing an examination through your own genuine effort. You are intelligent, and I know that with diligence you can excel.
Please, Chuka, throw this dangerous idea out of your mind and face your books with courage. Remember that our parents and I believe in you. Write back and assure me that you have taken my advice to heart.
Your loving brother,
Emeka
Maelezo ya Majibu
Format note: This is an informal letter to a younger brother, so it needs the writer's address and date, an informal salutation (Dear Chuka), a warm but firm and persuasive tone, clear warnings about the dangers of examination malpractice, encouragement to study, and an informal close (Your loving brother/sister).
15 College Road,
Owerri.
10 July, 2026.
Dear Chuka,
I hope this letter meets you well and preparing seriously for your forthcoming WASSCE. I am writing because a piece of disturbing news has reached me, that you are planning to take part in examination malpractice during the examination. I was deeply saddened to hear this, and as your elder brother who cares about your future, I cannot keep silent. I must warn you strongly against so dangerous a path.
My dear brother, examination malpractice is a grave offence with terrible consequences. If you are caught, your entire result will be cancelled, and you may be banned from sitting for the examination for two or more years. All the years you have spent in school would be wasted in a single moment of foolishness, and the shame would follow you and disgrace our family.
Beyond the immediate punishment, malpractice destroys the future. A certificate obtained by cheating is worthless, for it hides an empty head. Should you gain admission with it, you will struggle helplessly in higher institutions and in your career, exposed at last as one who knows nothing. Employers today test what a candidate truly knows, not merely the grades on paper.
Worse still, cheating is a sin and a crime that stains one's conscience and character. It teaches the heart to be dishonest, and dishonesty, once learnt, spreads into every area of life. Is a fleeting grade worth the loss of your integrity and self-respect? Surely not.
Instead, I urge you to put your trust in hard work and honest preparation. Draw up a study timetable, revise your notes daily, solve past questions, and ask your teachers whatever you do not understand. Believe me, there is no joy sweeter than passing an examination through your own genuine effort. You are intelligent, and I know that with diligence you can excel.
Please, Chuka, throw this dangerous idea out of your mind and face your books with courage. Remember that our parents and I believe in you. Write back and assure me that you have taken my advice to heart.
Your loving brother,
Emeka
Swali 2 Ripoti
Write a letter to the Minister of Works in your country complaining about the deplorable condition of roads in your area and the effects this has on the lives of your people.
Format note: This is a formal letter to a government official, so it needs the writer's address and date, the recipient's official address, a formal salutation (Dear Sir/Ma), a clear heading, developed body paragraphs describing the problem and its effects, and a formal close (Yours faithfully) with the writer's name.
10 Market Road,
Umuahia,
Abia State.
10 July, 2026.
The Honourable Minister of Works,
Federal Ministry of Works,
Abuja.
Dear Sir,
THE DEPLORABLE CONDITION OF ROADS IN UMUAHIA AND ITS EFFECTS ON OUR PEOPLE
I write, on behalf of the residents of Umuahia and its environs, to draw your urgent attention to the deplorable condition of the roads in our area and to appeal earnestly for your prompt intervention.
For several years now, the major roads linking our communities have fallen into a state of total decay. The tarred surfaces have worn away, leaving behind deep, gaping potholes and craters that swallow vehicles. During the rainy season, these craters fill with water and turn the roads into muddy rivers that are almost impassable, while in the dry season they raise choking clouds of dust. In some places, the roads have been washed away completely by erosion, cutting off entire villages.
The effects of this sad situation on the lives of our people are severe. First, the bad roads have caused countless accidents in which many precious lives have been lost and many others maimed. Vehicles overturn in the potholes, and travelling has become a daily gamble with death.
Secondly, the state of the roads has crippled economic activity. Farmers cannot easily transport their produce to the markets, so much of it rots and is wasted. Transport fares have risen sharply, and the prices of goods have soared, deepening the hardship of ordinary people. Many businesses have closed down or relocated, and investors avoid our area entirely.
Thirdly, the bad roads have brought untold suffering in emergencies. Pregnant women, the sick and accident victims often cannot reach hospitals in time, and some have died on the way for lack of quick passage.
In view of these hardships, I humbly and earnestly appeal to you, Sir, to include our roads in the next round of federal road construction, to award the contracts to competent firms, and to ensure that the work is properly supervised and completed without delay.
I am confident that your ministry will not turn a deaf ear to the cries of our suffering people. Thank you, Sir, for your understanding and prompt action.
Yours faithfully,
Uchenna Nwachukwu
Maelezo ya Majibu
Format note: This is a formal letter to a government official, so it needs the writer's address and date, the recipient's official address, a formal salutation (Dear Sir/Ma), a clear heading, developed body paragraphs describing the problem and its effects, and a formal close (Yours faithfully) with the writer's name.
10 Market Road,
Umuahia,
Abia State.
10 July, 2026.
The Honourable Minister of Works,
Federal Ministry of Works,
Abuja.
Dear Sir,
THE DEPLORABLE CONDITION OF ROADS IN UMUAHIA AND ITS EFFECTS ON OUR PEOPLE
I write, on behalf of the residents of Umuahia and its environs, to draw your urgent attention to the deplorable condition of the roads in our area and to appeal earnestly for your prompt intervention.
For several years now, the major roads linking our communities have fallen into a state of total decay. The tarred surfaces have worn away, leaving behind deep, gaping potholes and craters that swallow vehicles. During the rainy season, these craters fill with water and turn the roads into muddy rivers that are almost impassable, while in the dry season they raise choking clouds of dust. In some places, the roads have been washed away completely by erosion, cutting off entire villages.
The effects of this sad situation on the lives of our people are severe. First, the bad roads have caused countless accidents in which many precious lives have been lost and many others maimed. Vehicles overturn in the potholes, and travelling has become a daily gamble with death.
Secondly, the state of the roads has crippled economic activity. Farmers cannot easily transport their produce to the markets, so much of it rots and is wasted. Transport fares have risen sharply, and the prices of goods have soared, deepening the hardship of ordinary people. Many businesses have closed down or relocated, and investors avoid our area entirely.
Thirdly, the bad roads have brought untold suffering in emergencies. Pregnant women, the sick and accident victims often cannot reach hospitals in time, and some have died on the way for lack of quick passage.
In view of these hardships, I humbly and earnestly appeal to you, Sir, to include our roads in the next round of federal road construction, to award the contracts to competent firms, and to ensure that the work is properly supervised and completed without delay.
I am confident that your ministry will not turn a deaf ear to the cries of our suffering people. Thank you, Sir, for your understanding and prompt action.
Yours faithfully,
Uchenna Nwachukwu
Swali 3 Ripoti
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
Work can be an essential part of children's education and a means of transmitting vital skills from parent to off-spring. In some countries, children are often involved in workshops and small-scale services, and gradually become full-fledged workers later in life. In other countries, teenagers work a few hours a week to earn pocket money. Such work is beneficial as it enhances a child's physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development without interfering with his schooling, recreation and rest.
Child labour, on the other hand, is about children who work long hours for low wages. often under conditions harmful to their health. This type of work is destructive and exploitative. Child labour takes different forms. By and large, most child workers are in domestic service. Domestic service need not be hazardous, but it often is. Children in domestic service are poorly paid or not paid at all. Their masters set the terms and conditions of their work entirely to their whim. They are deprived of affection, schooling, play and social activity. They are also vulnerable to physical abuse.
Poverty is the most powerful force driving children into hazardous labour. For poor families, the small contribution of a child's income at home can make the difference between hunger and survival. The parents of child workers are often unemployed or underemployed. They are desperate for a secure income. In developing countries, for example, class-rooms do not have seats, half of the students have no textbooks, and half of the classrooms have no blackboards. It is not surprising that many children who attend such schools abandon schooling for work.
Child labour is aggravated by a modern society that is preoccupied with the demand for low-priced products. Few people seem to care that these may have been produced by millions of anonymous, exploited children. The effects of child labour on the psychological, emotional and intellectual growth of the victims are grave. Such children are deprived of affection. Beatings, insults and punishment by being deprived of food are very common. Ultimately, most child labourers are condemned to lifelong poverty, misery, sickness and illiteracy.
(a) Identify two types of work that are beneficial to children.
(b) According to the passage, what is child labour?
(c) Give two causes of child labour.
(d) In one word, describe the effect of child labour on the child
(e) According to the passage, why do children drop out of school?
(f) .... who work long hours for low wages? (I) What is the grammatical named given to this expression as it is used in the passage? (ii) What is its functions?
(g) .... most child labourers are condemned to lifelong poverty What is the meaning of this expression?
(h) For each of the following words, find another word or phrase which means the same and which can replace it as it is used in the passage: (i) transmitting, (ii) enhances; (iii) vulnerable; (iv) preoccupied; (v) anonymous; (vi) grave.
(a) Two types of work that are beneficial to children:
(b) According to the passage, what child labour is:
Child labour is the work of children who labour long hours for low wages, often under conditions harmful to their health; it is destructive and exploitative.
(c) Two causes of child labour:
(d) In one word, the effect of child labour on the child:
Destructive.
(e) Why children drop out of school, according to the passage:
Because the schools are so poorly equipped, classrooms have no seats, half of the students have no textbooks and half of the classrooms have no blackboards, that many children abandon schooling for work.
(f) "...who work long hours for low wages."
(g) Meaning of "most child labourers are condemned to lifelong poverty":
It means that most child labourers are doomed to remain poor for the rest of their lives; they can never escape poverty throughout their lifetime.
(h) Words that can replace the following as used in the passage:
Maelezo ya Majibu
(a) Two types of work that are beneficial to children:
(b) According to the passage, what child labour is:
Child labour is the work of children who labour long hours for low wages, often under conditions harmful to their health; it is destructive and exploitative.
(c) Two causes of child labour:
(d) In one word, the effect of child labour on the child:
Destructive.
(e) Why children drop out of school, according to the passage:
Because the schools are so poorly equipped, classrooms have no seats, half of the students have no textbooks and half of the classrooms have no blackboards, that many children abandon schooling for work.
(f) "...who work long hours for low wages."
(g) Meaning of "most child labourers are condemned to lifelong poverty":
It means that most child labourers are doomed to remain poor for the rest of their lives; they can never escape poverty throughout their lifetime.
(h) Words that can replace the following as used in the passage:
Swali 4 Ripoti
Write an article suitable for publication in one of your national dialies discussing the vandalistion of publuic facilites on your country and its effects.
Format note: This is a newspaper article, so it needs a title, the writer's name, an engaging introduction, well-organised body paragraphs discussing both the problem and its effects, and a firm conclusion, in a formal register.
THE MENACE OF VANDALISM OF PUBLIC FACILITIES
By Halima Sani
Across our country today, a shameful and destructive habit is on the rise. Street lights are ripped from their poles, manhole covers are stolen, railway tracks are dug up, transformers are stripped of their cables, and pipelines are broken open. This deliberate destruction of public property, known as vandalism, has become a national plague, and its effects on the lives of the people are grave.
Public facilities are provided at enormous cost for the benefit of all. Yet vandals, driven by greed or sheer wickedness, destroy them to sell the parts as scrap or to steal what they contain. Water pipes are broken, electric cables and transformers are carted away, public telephones and traffic lights are smashed, and even hospital and school equipment is not spared.
The effects of this menace are far-reaching. In the first place, vandalism causes great economic loss. Enormous sums of public money that could have built schools, hospitals and roads are diverted every year to repair or replace what vandals have destroyed. A nation that must constantly rebuild the same facilities can never make real progress.
Secondly, vandalism endangers lives. When vandals break open petroleum pipelines, the leaking fuel often catches fire, and hundreds of innocent people are burnt to death in the resulting explosions. Stolen manhole covers leave gaping death traps on the roads, and the theft of railway parts has led to deadly train derailments.
Thirdly, vandalism disrupts essential services and inflicts hardship on citizens. The destruction of transformers and cables plunges whole communities into darkness. The vandalising of water pipes deprives families of clean water and breeds disease. Damaged roads, bridges and communication lines paralyse business and daily life.
Finally, vandalism scares away investors and dents the image of the nation, for no one wishes to invest where property is not safe.
To end this menace, government must provide stiff punishment for offenders, protect facilities with security and technology, and create jobs to reduce the poverty that tempts many into crime. Above all, citizens must see public property as their own and report vandals promptly. Only then can we protect the facilities on which our comfort and progress depend.
Maelezo ya Majibu
Format note: This is a newspaper article, so it needs a title, the writer's name, an engaging introduction, well-organised body paragraphs discussing both the problem and its effects, and a firm conclusion, in a formal register.
THE MENACE OF VANDALISM OF PUBLIC FACILITIES
By Halima Sani
Across our country today, a shameful and destructive habit is on the rise. Street lights are ripped from their poles, manhole covers are stolen, railway tracks are dug up, transformers are stripped of their cables, and pipelines are broken open. This deliberate destruction of public property, known as vandalism, has become a national plague, and its effects on the lives of the people are grave.
Public facilities are provided at enormous cost for the benefit of all. Yet vandals, driven by greed or sheer wickedness, destroy them to sell the parts as scrap or to steal what they contain. Water pipes are broken, electric cables and transformers are carted away, public telephones and traffic lights are smashed, and even hospital and school equipment is not spared.
The effects of this menace are far-reaching. In the first place, vandalism causes great economic loss. Enormous sums of public money that could have built schools, hospitals and roads are diverted every year to repair or replace what vandals have destroyed. A nation that must constantly rebuild the same facilities can never make real progress.
Secondly, vandalism endangers lives. When vandals break open petroleum pipelines, the leaking fuel often catches fire, and hundreds of innocent people are burnt to death in the resulting explosions. Stolen manhole covers leave gaping death traps on the roads, and the theft of railway parts has led to deadly train derailments.
Thirdly, vandalism disrupts essential services and inflicts hardship on citizens. The destruction of transformers and cables plunges whole communities into darkness. The vandalising of water pipes deprives families of clean water and breeds disease. Damaged roads, bridges and communication lines paralyse business and daily life.
Finally, vandalism scares away investors and dents the image of the nation, for no one wishes to invest where property is not safe.
To end this menace, government must provide stiff punishment for offenders, protect facilities with security and technology, and create jobs to reduce the poverty that tempts many into crime. Above all, citizens must see public property as their own and report vandals promptly. Only then can we protect the facilities on which our comfort and progress depend.
Swali 5 Ripoti
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
I have great sympathy for the common fear that is suffered by young people when examinations are looming ahead. Sometimes it is the actual examination they fear but equally likely to excite fear are the expectations of the parents who are keen on their offspring results in failures which could be avoided. achieving good results. Pressure in these circumstances only leads to more fear and often results in failure which could be avoided.
My very last examination was an oral and I knew that everything depended on the kind of impression I made on the government representative who I expected, had difficult questions for me. This, though, was not the only reason for my apprehension. As a youth, I was often teased because I was small in stature. I was obsessed with it. I was very self-conscious, therefore, about meeting this important man. Fortunately, the previous day 1 had learned another lesson from nature, one which was to help me in my face-to-face encounter with the examiner.
I had been staying with my aunt and uncle in order to do some last-minute preparations. I went through my books that afternoon, sitting outside in the sunshine until about three o'clock, when the weather took a turn for the worse. The sky looked menacing and, as the clouds gathered in the distance, I heard the rumble of thunder. The lovely sunny afternoon was changing to a dark and dismal evening. Several times I broke my concentration to look at a very beautiful water lily in the pond. As I quickly gathered up my books, I remembered the lily and went over to see it for the last time that day. I was just in time to see the flower close its petals as the rumble of the distant thunder grew louder. I didn't mind getting wet as I realized that the rain could do nothing to damage the delicate, inner beauty of the lily.
This simple act of nature restored my confidence and I realized that I too could muster courage to face the examiner. I could, in fact, protect the inner me from the outside world. My new-found philosophy worked! Of the eight people who sat for the examination that day, only two succeeded and the government representative congratulated me on being the youngest candidate ever to have passed.
I was lucky for I had learnt to control my obsession with my stature.
(a) According to the writer, what two things excite fear in young people going for examinations?
(b) Give two reasons for the writer's apprehension before the examination.
(c) Why was the writer almost obsessed with his small stature?
(d) How did the observation of the lily affect the writer?
(e) What proof is there in the passage that the writer actually passed the exam?
(f) The sky looked menacing ..... What figure of speech is contained in this expression?
(g) .... because I was small in stature.
(i) What grammatical name is given to this expression as it is used in the passage?
(ii) what is its function?
(h) For each of the following words, find another word or phrase which means the same and which can replace it as it is used in the passage: (i) excite; (ii) offspring; (iii) apprehension; (iv) dismal; (v) delicate; (vi) muster.
(a) Two things that excite fear in young people going for examinations:
(b) Two reasons for the writer's apprehension before the examination:
(c) Why the writer was almost obsessed with his small stature:
Because, as a youth, he was often teased on account of being small in stature, and this constant teasing made him very self-conscious about his size.
(d) How the observation of the lily affected the writer:
Seeing the water lily close its petals to shield its delicate inner beauty from the coming rain restored the writer's confidence. He realised that, like the lily, he too could summon courage to face the examiner and protect the inner self from the pressures of the outside world.
(e) Proof in the passage that the writer actually passed the examination:
The government representative congratulated him on being the youngest candidate ever to have passed; he was also one of only two out of the eight candidates who succeeded that day.
(f) Figure of speech in "The sky looked menacing":
Personification.
(g) "...because I was small in stature."
(h) Words that can replace the following as used in the passage:
Maelezo ya Majibu
(a) Two things that excite fear in young people going for examinations:
(b) Two reasons for the writer's apprehension before the examination:
(c) Why the writer was almost obsessed with his small stature:
Because, as a youth, he was often teased on account of being small in stature, and this constant teasing made him very self-conscious about his size.
(d) How the observation of the lily affected the writer:
Seeing the water lily close its petals to shield its delicate inner beauty from the coming rain restored the writer's confidence. He realised that, like the lily, he too could summon courage to face the examiner and protect the inner self from the pressures of the outside world.
(e) Proof in the passage that the writer actually passed the examination:
The government representative congratulated him on being the youngest candidate ever to have passed; he was also one of only two out of the eight candidates who succeeded that day.
(f) Figure of speech in "The sky looked menacing":
Personification.
(g) "...because I was small in stature."
(h) Words that can replace the following as used in the passage:
Swali 6 Ripoti
You are a chief speaker in a debate on the topic: The Television has done more harm than good. Write your speech for or against the topic.
Debate Speech: The Television has done more harm than good (Speaking AGAINST the motion)
The Chairman, accurate timekeeper, panel of judges, my co-debaters, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. I stand before you today to oppose the motion which states that the television has done more harm than good. It is my firm belief, and one I shall prove beyond reasonable doubt, that the television remains one of the most valuable inventions ever placed in the service of mankind.
Definition: The television is an electronic device that receives and displays moving pictures and sound. To say it has done more harm than good is to claim that its damage to society outweighs its benefits. I shall demonstrate that the opposite is true.
My first and strongest point is education. Through documentaries, educational channels and school broadcasts, the television has become a teacher in millions of homes. A child in a remote village who may never visit a laboratory can watch a science programme and learn. Distance-learning and examination revision programmes have lifted the standard of learning across our nation.
My second point is information. The television keeps citizens abreast of current affairs. News broadcasts, weather forecasts and health campaigns warn people of dangers, from approaching storms to disease outbreaks such as cholera and Lassa fever. A well-informed people is a well-protected people.
My third point is wholesome entertainment and unity. After a hard day's labour, families gather to relax before the screen. National sporting events and cultural programmes bind citizens of different tongues into one proud people cheering the same team.
My opponents will argue that television promotes violence and idleness. But I put it to this house that the fault lies not with the instrument but with its misuse. A knife may kill, yet no one blames the knife; we blame the careless hand. Proper parental control and sensible viewing solve these problems entirely.
Ladies and gentlemen, an invention that educates the ignorant, informs the citizen, entertains the weary and unites the nation cannot be said to have done more harm than good. On these grounds, I urge this honourable house to reject the motion in its entirety.
Thank you, and long live our great school.
Maelezo ya Majibu
Debate Speech: The Television has done more harm than good (Speaking AGAINST the motion)
The Chairman, accurate timekeeper, panel of judges, my co-debaters, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. I stand before you today to oppose the motion which states that the television has done more harm than good. It is my firm belief, and one I shall prove beyond reasonable doubt, that the television remains one of the most valuable inventions ever placed in the service of mankind.
Definition: The television is an electronic device that receives and displays moving pictures and sound. To say it has done more harm than good is to claim that its damage to society outweighs its benefits. I shall demonstrate that the opposite is true.
My first and strongest point is education. Through documentaries, educational channels and school broadcasts, the television has become a teacher in millions of homes. A child in a remote village who may never visit a laboratory can watch a science programme and learn. Distance-learning and examination revision programmes have lifted the standard of learning across our nation.
My second point is information. The television keeps citizens abreast of current affairs. News broadcasts, weather forecasts and health campaigns warn people of dangers, from approaching storms to disease outbreaks such as cholera and Lassa fever. A well-informed people is a well-protected people.
My third point is wholesome entertainment and unity. After a hard day's labour, families gather to relax before the screen. National sporting events and cultural programmes bind citizens of different tongues into one proud people cheering the same team.
My opponents will argue that television promotes violence and idleness. But I put it to this house that the fault lies not with the instrument but with its misuse. A knife may kill, yet no one blames the knife; we blame the careless hand. Proper parental control and sensible viewing solve these problems entirely.
Ladies and gentlemen, an invention that educates the ignorant, informs the citizen, entertains the weary and unites the nation cannot be said to have done more harm than good. On these grounds, I urge this honourable house to reject the motion in its entirety.
Thank you, and long live our great school.
Swali 7 Ripoti
Write a story to illustrate the saying: The ealry birds catches the worm.
Story: The early bird catches the worm
Emeka and I were both offered the chance to sit for the national scholarship examination. Only one candidate from our school could win the single award, and the two of us were the strongest students in the science class. From the day the notice was pinned on the board, I decided that I would not wait for anyone to push me.
That very evening I drew up a timetable. While the rest of the town still slept, I was already awake, my lantern glowing against the darkness, my books spread before me on the small table. Cockcrow met me at my desk. My mother often woke to find me murmuring formulae before the first light had touched the sky. Emeka, on the other hand, laughed at my haste. "There is plenty of time," he said, stretching lazily. "The examination is three months away. Why kill yourself so early?"
Three months are not as long as the idle imagine. I finished the whole syllabus twice over and began to solve past questions while Emeka was only just dusting his notes. When the registration forms were released, I was the first pupil at the office. I collected my form, filled it neatly and submitted it before the queue had even formed. Emeka arrived two days later, only to be told that the quota for our school had been filled and that latecomers would be placed on a waiting list.
On the day of the examination I walked into the hall calm and rested, for I had prepared long and slept well. The questions seemed almost familiar, like old friends I had met in my morning studies. Emeka sat two rows behind me, biting his pen, his forehead damp with panic.
Two weeks later the results were pasted on the board. My name stood at the very top of the list, crowned with the single scholarship. Emeka's name was nowhere to be found. As we walked home together, he placed his hand on my shoulder and sighed. "You warned me," he said quietly, "and I would not listen."
I smiled and remembered the old saying my grandfather loved so well: the early bird catches the worm. That day I learned, and Emeka learned too, that opportunity favours those who rise before the rest of the world is awake.
Maelezo ya Majibu
Story: The early bird catches the worm
Emeka and I were both offered the chance to sit for the national scholarship examination. Only one candidate from our school could win the single award, and the two of us were the strongest students in the science class. From the day the notice was pinned on the board, I decided that I would not wait for anyone to push me.
That very evening I drew up a timetable. While the rest of the town still slept, I was already awake, my lantern glowing against the darkness, my books spread before me on the small table. Cockcrow met me at my desk. My mother often woke to find me murmuring formulae before the first light had touched the sky. Emeka, on the other hand, laughed at my haste. "There is plenty of time," he said, stretching lazily. "The examination is three months away. Why kill yourself so early?"
Three months are not as long as the idle imagine. I finished the whole syllabus twice over and began to solve past questions while Emeka was only just dusting his notes. When the registration forms were released, I was the first pupil at the office. I collected my form, filled it neatly and submitted it before the queue had even formed. Emeka arrived two days later, only to be told that the quota for our school had been filled and that latecomers would be placed on a waiting list.
On the day of the examination I walked into the hall calm and rested, for I had prepared long and slept well. The questions seemed almost familiar, like old friends I had met in my morning studies. Emeka sat two rows behind me, biting his pen, his forehead damp with panic.
Two weeks later the results were pasted on the board. My name stood at the very top of the list, crowned with the single scholarship. Emeka's name was nowhere to be found. As we walked home together, he placed his hand on my shoulder and sighed. "You warned me," he said quietly, "and I would not listen."
I smiled and remembered the old saying my grandfather loved so well: the early bird catches the worm. That day I learned, and Emeka learned too, that opportunity favours those who rise before the rest of the world is awake.
Swali 8 Ripoti
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
Many cities in the world have now become overcrowded because everyday people migrate to them from the country-side in search of work and better living conditions. This problem is far worse in Third World countries, where the harsh living conditions and the lack of gainful employment opportunities in rural areas usually compel a ceaseless and massive rural-urban drift.
This desperate state of affairs is not without its direct consequences for the cities. Facilities like accommodation, schools, hospitals, water supply and public transport cannot cope with the demands on them from increased numbers of people, and so they are under severe strain. House rents soar astronomically, and so too many tenants crowd into inadequate spaces. Markets, streets and motorways are congested with people and vehicles. And as the garbage disposal is inefficient, the garbage piles up everywhere, contributing to environmental pollution.
Many of the migrants come to the big cities in the hope of finding employment. However, because a majority of them are unskilled workers or fresh school-leavers not equipped in any way for gainful self-employment, they simply end up swelling the ranks of the desperate unemployed in the city.
The devil, they say, makes work for idle hands. With no means of livelihood in the relatively more expensive cities, many of these disillusioned young people resort to prostitution, fraud and crime in order to survive. No wonder the crime rate in the cities is for ever rising, and there are daily reports of victims who lose their money, possessions or even their lives to dare-devil robbers.
How can this deplorable state of affairs in the cities be reversed? Since the search for jobs accounts for much of the rural-urban drift, one way is to encourage the creation of jobs outside the cities. For example, certain businesses such as banks and manufacturing industries could be encouraged to set up branches in rural areas. If rural dweller have ready access to the same jobs they go to look for in the city, the need for migrating will be reduced.
It should be admitted that in this modern age, life without the basic amenities of pipe-borne water, electricity, good roads, schools and hospitals is just not good enough. Many rural dwellers are lured to the cities because of the lack of amenities, so providing them in these rural communities will not only contribute to stemming the tide of migration but also create a favourable environment for investment.
It has also been argued that rural farming is gradually being abandoned to the aged. The primitive, labour-intensive methods and the relatively low yields have made it unattractive to the youth, who would rather seek their fortune in the cities. If farming is made attractive, for example, through mechanization, it will become another source of employment for rural dwellers and thus reduce the necessity to migrate to the city.
Rural-urban migration causes a serious population imbalance, and has all sorts of attendant problems that can get worse if not tackled effectively. So, the sooner a solution is sought the better.
(a) In three sentences, one for each, summarize the three negative consequences of rural-urban migration discussed in the passage.
(b) In three sentences, one for each, summarize the writer's suggestions for tackling the problem.
(a) Three negative consequences of rural-urban migration (one sentence each):
(b) Three of the writer's suggestions for tackling the problem (one sentence each):
Maelezo ya Majibu
(a) Three negative consequences of rural-urban migration (one sentence each):
(b) Three of the writer's suggestions for tackling the problem (one sentence each):
Je, ungependa kuendelea na hatua hii?