1. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Baird did not claim to have invented the idea of television but he was undeniably the first man in the world to have taken it out of the laboratory stage and put it into practice. He conceived the desire to dedicate his life to television at Hastings in 1924, and it was whilst walking alone over the cliffs to Fairlight Glen that he filled his death in 1945, at the age of 58.
Exhilarated by the freshness of the sea air in his lungs, and the conception of an idea laden with intriguing possibilities. Baird started operations at once. He began with a purchase of a tea chest, an old hat box, some darning needles, a bull's eye lens from a local cycle shop and a plentiful supply of sealing wax and glue. The contraption grew and eventually filled Baird's bedroom. Electric batteries were added to it; wireless valves and transformers appeared, and at last, he was able to show the shadow of a small cross transmitted over a few feet. Baird was elated, but there began a problem which haunted him from time to time - money; advertisements for assistance sometimes produced just enough to be able to scrape by, and then, sad to say, Baird was dismissed from his quarters in Hastings.
In rigging up his apparatus one day, he was connecting the supply to some of the wiring when he allowed his attention to wander momentarily- but just long enough to receive the full force of two thousand volts through to receive the full force of two thousand volts through his hands. It was more than enough to have killed him. For a few seconds the inventor was twisted into a knot of helpless agony, but then fell backwards, breaking the circuit and saving his life. The noise of his fall and the vivid flash of light attracted the attention of passengers-by; one of them a newspaper-man and the story received immediate publicity. In due course Baird received instructions from the landlord's solicitors to vacate the premises forthwith- that was the end of Hastings. Baird received instructions from the landlord's solicitors to vacate the premises forthwith- that was the end of Hastings. Baird found a little attic at 23, Firth Street, London and he his contraptions moved there locks, stock and barrel.
Hastings, however, had become immortalized by Baird. The small Maltese cross which he had televised inspired the Hastings Council to erect a plaque at the shop over which Baird had worked, bearing the followed inscription:
"Television first demonstrated by John Logie Baird from experiments started here in 1924."
(Adapted from: "Television Jubilee" by Gordon Ross)
Questions:
In about 125 words, summarise Baird's contribution to the development of television, showing the problems he encountered.
2. Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Smile please! Say cheese! Anyone who has ever had a picture taken by a professional photographer swears he will scream if he ever hears those loathsome words again.
When you first entered the photographer's office, the girl at the desk seizes you firmly by the arm, ushers you into the studio and plunks you down or rather up on a high hard stool. The photographer examines you critically through narrowed eyes and tells you to look pleasant. This is just what you thought you were doing. You sit there for what seems like hours, displaying your best Pepsodent or Colgate smile and lighting up the studio with the glow of your dazzling white teeth while he proceeds to fiddle with the camera, twisting this, turning that, and all but scratching your nose or putting out an eye when suddenly thrusts light and distance meters into your face. Is it worth it, you wonder? You are almost overcome by an impulse to bolt and let posterity struggle through its disappointed centuries with no portrait of you.
Finally, everything is in order and the endless instructions begin. Instructors calculated to add to your already painful self- consciousness. "Head up, chin down, head right, shoulders to left! Remove the look of agony from your face. Smile please, pul-eeze! No, you look as if you are snarling at me. No, no, not that either; that makes you look like a half -wit. Say cheese. Now, again. That's it! Hold it!"
The photographer, however, doesn't seem to realize that his military order to hold it is easier said than done. Several days seem to pass between his command and the actual taking of the picture. Once again he goes through the mysterious ritual with the smile freezes upon your face and you fell as if you were cast in bronze. Finally, the blinding flash, the dancing blue spots before the eyes, and there is the photographer smiling genially, grasping you by the hand to pull you from the stool, from which position you end up on your knees. If so, seize the opportunity before you rise to say a prayer of thankfulness that it is all over.
You find yourself at the door being told that the picture will be best ever. You contort your face into various expressions- to the wondering gaze of the passers- by to see if the skin is still moveable. Then, with an airy feeling of release, as if a dentist had said, "That's all, I'll send the bill to your father," you walk away hating the word 'cheese' and especially 'smile!'
(Adapted from "Learning to write" by E.H. Winter Reed Smith)
Questions:
1) Give two expressions that the show that the writer does not like the actions of the girl at the desk?
2) Why does the writer say that you have to say a prayer of thankfulness when the photographing session is over?
3) In your own words, say what the story teller thinks of the photographer.
4) Briefly explain what the following expressions means as they are uses in the passage:
i) "through narrow eyes"
ii) "displaying your Pepsodent or colgate smile"
iii) "snarling at me"
iv) "his military order"
v) the mysterious ritual"
5) Why does the writer hate the words "cheese" and "smile" so much?
3. Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow
They made their way easily between stunted trees, rock pile and thin clumps of bush. At one point they saw small herd of elands moving along the summit of a group of little hills. Longolle explained to Hamisi, in a whisper, that those elands were feeding and enjoying the shade up there, and had chosen the place deliberately, because they were wary creatures. The elands always felt safe and comfortable if they could look out across an open space or over a high view.
After pausing for a moment, they were ready to move again, when Kebo gave an abrupt urgent hiss. Hamisi noticed how Michael and Longolle just glanced to check their rifles before they all crouched down, hidden by some rocks and a blackened, Flat- topped tree.
Kebo's fantastic eyesight and bush sense had spotted something up ahead. The others seemed to find it at once, now they were alerted, but Hamisi could see nothing unusual at all. Then Kebo pt his mouth next to the boy's ear and in the faintest of whispers told him where to look. Thrilled but a little scared, Hamisi peered through a cleft straight in front of him. He nearly gasped a loud.
A huge male leopard was lying flat on a high rock screened from the eland both by height and by an overhanging branch. The leopard watched unblinkingly as a big antelope approached him, drew closer, and halted underneath the same rock. In those conditions the eland would get no help at all from the fickle pulls of breeze.
The leopard began to gather himself with movements as slow as the hands of a watch. Then suddenly he launched himself from the rock, straight at the herd and on the bull's massive neck.
This eland was a very large and heavy, steel-grey animal, in prime condition. As an immediate reaction to attack, the bull eland leapt into the air and then spurred on by terror, and the pain of this clawing, biting cat-hurled himself down the hill side.
No longer caring about making any noise, Michael and Hamisi and the rest of the party rushed to the edge to see.
Together, the leopard and the eland bounced and slithered down, two maddened beasts, crashing through the bush, bruised and gashed by rocks and trees.
Each time the leopard, who was mad with rage and lust to kill, evaded the eland's full weight. Gradually, the huge cat changed his killing grip and finally reached the throat. This was the end. From a screen of bush at the bottom of the hillside came faint sounds of struggle, then silence. The eland was dead.
(Adapted from: "Hamisi's Second Safari" by Anthony Cullen, East African Publishing House 1974)
Select the best of the four choices given in each question.
1) According to the passage, why had the elands chosen the summit of a group of little hills?
A. They wanted to be comfortable and safe from the predators.
B. So as to be on top of the world.
C. Elands wanted to see other elands.
D. It had always been their sleeping ground.
2) Why do you think 'Kebo could only whisper' to Hamisi?
A. Hamisi has a problem with his ears.
B. Kebo did not want to frighten the elands which were about to be attacked.
C. Hamisi told Kebo not to shout.
D. Hamisi was still a young boy.
3) What reason is given in the passage for the leopard's choice of position to hunt?
A. A rock is strong enough for the leopard to stay on.
B. The leopard would be screened from the eland by the height and an overhanging tree branch.
C. It had always hunted from the same spot.
D. No reason is given.
4) Which of the following alternatives can best replace the phrase 'in prime condition'?
A. In a working condition.
B. In a high condition.
C. In a good and youthful condition.
D. In a primary condition.
5) How did the leopard manage to overpower the eland?
A. By changing the grip from front to back.
B. By going for the eland's neck.
C. By holding the eland's muscles firmly
D. By jumping above the eland
4. Rewrite as instructed and do not change the meaning.
1) Juma was very happy at scoring the goal. He could not stop running.
(Join the two sentences ending:.....running.)
2) Is he very difficult to get on with?
(Rewrite to start: "Do you............?)
3) We were not surprised by Juma's playing so well.
(Begin: Juma's................)
4) Pamela has always strongly supported the school's basketball team.
(Rewrite the following sentence using the word 'staunch')
5) My husband helped me a lot or I could not have written this book.
(Begin: Without.....)
6) Because I did not wish to seem mean, I donated the same amount as everyone else.
(Begin: Not.....)
7) His keys were inside. He shut the door. He walked away.
(Join into one sentence beginning: "Forgetting......")
8) The guest of honour regretted that the party had come to an end.
(Rewrite: "............," said the guest of honour.)
9) That girl is very naughty. She can easily make a goat break its tether.
(Rewrite as one sentence using: ........such............)
10) It was spoken quietly. It was almost inaudible.
(Combine in one sentence using: ............so........that.......)
5. Choose the best alternatives
1) ...................me to the beach with you?
A. Do you take
B. Are you take
C. Will you take
D. You take
2) The news that we received was very disheartening. This means that the news was.............
A. sad
B. fair
C. flat.
D. amusing.
3) There was a................of meningitis in Uganda a few years ago.
A. break out
B. get out
C. break up
D. run up
4) It is supposed...............in England next time.
A. to have made
B. be made
C. to have been made
D. to make
5) What is....................at the Video hall today?
A. in
B. off
C. on
D. up
6) The teacher furiously demanded..............
A. us to leave
B. that we should leave
C. us that we should leave
D. o us that we should leave
7) Juma.................to buy a house.
A. had no enough money
B. had no enough money
C. didn't have enough money
D. hadn't some money
8) There was a group of.......................monkeys on the roof of the lodge.
A. velvet
B. vervet
C. vevelt
D. velt.
9) The club decided to make a ...................to the salvation army.
A. present
B. settlement
C. subsidy
D. donation
10) The manager was accused..................stealing the company's money.
A. for
B. of
C. about
D. onto
a) The defence sectary at the LC I.
b) A teacher on duty during the week.
c) The health prefect in your school
d) The Director of Studies in your school.