NAME.:…………………………………………………………………… No.

: ______
NTCHISI DISTRICT EXAMINATIONS BOARD
2024 JUNIOR CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION

FORM 1 END OF YEAR EXAMINATIONS

ENGLISH
PROVISIONAL MARKING KEY

PAPER II
(100 marks)

Section A (20 marks)

1. READING COMPREHENSION

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Mrs. Talimba was disturbed by the voice of a crying child. Since she moved into this new neighbourhood,
the cries had been her constant music. They came from her immediate neighbour’s house. The child seemed
to cry all day long but his cries would become intense at midday and evening.

‘What could be happening? Is the young boy sick? What about his parents?’ These are some of the questions
which ran through Mrs. Talimba’s mind. On the third day she could not hold herself back anymore so she
decided to knock at her neighbour’s door. The boy’s cries heightened as she knocked again and again but
there was no one coming to open the door. This made Mrs. Talimba even more curious. She tried to push the
door in and to her surprise, the door was not locked.

What she saw almost blinded her eyes. A small lame boy of about five lay on the cemented floor. He right
leg was fastened on to a window with a sisal rope. Mrs. Talimba stood and stared at the boy for a long time
with large drops of tears rolling down her cheeks.

‘I need some food, I am very hungry,’ the boy pleaded helplessly. The woman, who was still in shock, knelt
before him and patted his back.

‘ I will help you my boy,’ she said gently. Then she went ahead to untie the sisal rope. She carried the boy
and headed to her house. When she had given him some food, he bathed him and dressed him with her last
born son’s clean clothes.

‘You are so kind; do you have children?’ The young boy Michael, asked Mrs. Talimba.
2024 Name.:…………………………….…………………………………………………No.: _____
Page 2 of 7
J052/II

‘Yes I have two children who are in school. My last born child is as old as you and he will be happy to play a
game with you,’ she answered.

No, he won’t play with me, no one likes me!’ the boy said sadly. Mrs. Talimba understood the boy’s
feelings. She neither tried to defend herself or correct the boy but went ahead to play a game with him. The
boy enjoyed himself so much that he forgot about his cruel mother and father. The reality only dawned on
him when his parents stormed into Mrs. Talimba’s house.

The boy screamed his lungs out upon seeing his parents. His screams brought neighbours rushing at Mrs.
Talimba’s door. With a bang the door let them into the house.

‘Stop it! Stop it!’ they shouted. Strong hands held the boy’s mother who had started lashing slaps at the child
while other people hit the father. Soon they were pushed out and all sorts of objects thrown at them.

‘Stop it!’ came a thunderous voice. It was the chief. ‘What is happening?’ The story was narrated by several
witnesses.

‘This child is mistreated by his stepmother just because he is lame. His mother passed away two years ago
and the boy has never had peace,’ a lady said. The chief made a ruling that the boy stay with Mrs. Talimba
until he got a special school and a children’s home for him. The boy gave a genuine smile of appreciation.
Mrs. Talimba new she had saved yet another child. Just like her other two children, she would officially
adopt Michael.

(Adapted from excel and succeed junior secondary English student’s book 1)

Questions

a. After how long did Mrs. Talimba notice that the child was in trouble?

Ans: three days/ She noticed after three days (1 mark)

b. How many children does Mrs. Talimba have before coming across Michael?

Ans : She has two children/ two children (1mark)

c. How did Mrs. Talimba get to know that the child was in trouble?
Ans: There was continuous crying from the neighbouring house (2marks)

d. Why did Mrs. Talimba fail to hold herself back? Give one reason.

Ans: She was troubled by the continuous crying of the child (2marks)

e. Why did Michael feel that the coming of [Link] was a ‘God-sent gift’?

Ans: because of the love and care given to him by Mrs. Talimba (2 marks)
©ntchisi district examinations board Continued/…
2024 Name.:…………………………….…………………………………………………No.: _____
Page 3 of 7
J052/II

f. Pick one statement from the story to show that Mrs. Talimba’s other two children were not
her biological children

Ans: i. Mrs. Talimba new she had saved yet another child.

ii. Just like her other two children, she would officially adopt Michael. (2 marks)

g. Give the meanings of the following words or phrases as used in the passage.
i. intense = powerful

ii. curious = interested

iii. thunderous voice = roaring speech

(3 marks)
h. How old was the boy when his mother passed away?
Ans: He was three years old/ three years old
i. Suggest a title for the passage.
Ans: Child abuse/The guardian angel/ Michael’s plight (1mark)

j. Summarize the first three paragraphs of the passage in your own words. Your summary
should be between 20 to 30 words

Michael’s continuous crying disturbed Mrs. Talimba for three days who could no longer hold
back but went to release the child who was tied with a rope on a window.
(5 marks)

Section B (10 marks)

2. Complete the blank spaces with one appropriate word. Each gap is worth 1mark

The earth is part of the solar system. This system is made up of the sun and the eight planets orbiting around
it. Our planet is the third from the sun. Each planet orbits/moves/revolves around the sun along a path
called an orbit. The orbits of the planets are of different sizes but they all have the sun at the centre. The
planets, Mercury, Venus, Mars and Pluto are similar to the earth in size. Some planets have smaller bodies
orbiting around them. The earth has one moon, Mars and Jupiter have more than one. Besides the eight
planets and their satelites, there are thousands of other small bodies that move around the sun.

©ntchisi district examinations board Continued/…

2024 Name.:…………………………….…………………………………………………No.: _____
Page 4 of 7
J052/II

SECTION C (20 marks)

Read the following poem and answer questions that follow

3. This Beast

The callous beast is here in the village

It’s invisible like air

But harsh like strong wind

It claims our lives

No wonder orphans are all over the village

This is a cruel beast

It takes away loving mother

Before baby is breast fed

It snatches us bread winner

So that we eat stones

This is an unfriendly beast

It kills regardless of age

It eats infants, youths and adults

It must be rich in human blood

But human race never gives up on it

We will stand and fight

Until it oozes blood

It’s a cold-hearted beast

And it’s called AIDS

©ntchisi district examinations board Continued/…

2024 Name.:…………………………….…………………………………………………No.: _____
Page 5 of 7
J052/II

From The Familiar Stranger; English Literature Anthology for Junior Secondary School
in Malawi by Hudson Dazimata Chamasowa.

Questions

a. Why is the beast dangerous?

Ans: It takes away life without mercy (1 mark)
b. Identify the meaning of the expression ‘the callous beast’
Ans: the beast is cruel/heartless/unsympathetic/merciless (1 mark)
c. Pick out one example of each of the following poetic devices in the poem
i. Simile
Ans: i. invisible like air
ii. harsh like strong wind
ii. Metaphor
Ans: the beast (HIV/AIDS is compared to a beast)
iii. Personification
Ans: the beast rich as it is a human being (3marks)

d. (i) What is the mood of the poem

Ans: Fearful mood/ sad mood (1 mark)
(ii) Justify your answer in (d.i)
Ans: it invokes fear /sadness in the reader (1mark)

e. Identify the setting of the poem

Ans: rural setting (it is killing people in the village) (1 mark)
f. Describe any one theme in the poem
Ans: i. Death: portrayed by the beast killing people without mercy
[Link]: portrayed by people who are determined to deal with the beast
[Link] : portrayed by the beast which does not have remorse in killing people
(2marks)

. 4. Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow.

Lima was an orphan. All her parents died while she was still very young. It was like a relief when her uncle
adopted her. She spent the following years staying with the uncle.

©ntchisi district examinations board Continued/…

2024 Name.:…………………………….…………………………………………………No.: _____
Page 6 of 7
J052/II

Although she lived with him, Lima was not happy because he was a difficult man. He used to beat her every
day and gave her more work than the rest of the children in the family. She was given food once a day while
the other family members took three meals.

One day Lima went to the river to draw some water. While there, she met an old woman from the
neighbouring village who brought a pot to draw some water.

She was very weak and this could easily be seen from the way she walked even with the empty pot. She
looked like someone in pain.

When asked, she told Lima that she was sick but had nobody to help her. This was why she came alone to
draw the water.

Lima felt sorry and asked Nasoko if she could carry the pot to her house. Nasoko was very thankful to Lima
for the kind gesture which is rare among today’s girls.

This was to be the beginning of a strong friendship between the two.

One day Nasoko, the old woman, got very sick and Lima went to her house to look after her because she had
nobody to take care of her.’ Sit down my daughter,’ Nasoko said. ‘I am about to die but I want to give you
something before I die. Take that box at the corner. Don’t open it until you reach your home.’

Lima cooked porridge for the old woman and fed her because she was too weak to eat on her own. Once
again Nasoko was very appreciative because none of the people in the village could even talk to her because
they said she was a witch.

Due to this stereotyping, the villagers laughed at Lima, saying she would learn witchcraft from the old
woman because of associating with her.

Lima felt sad to see people branding any old person a witch. Through her association with Nasoko, she found
out that the old woman was not a witch; in fact she was very friendly and kind.

After the day’s chat with Nasoko, Lima went back home with the box. Later she decided to open it and there
was a surprise for her. The box contained money, a lot of money. It was a reward for all the good work she
did for the old woman.

When the village learnt about it, Lima was the envy of everybody. The other girls in the village wished they
had helped the old woman.

Even Lima’s uncle changed his stand and tried all his best to be kind to her. Lima knew all this was
happening because of the money but she never used it for vengeance.

Adapted from the Weekend Nation of 31st May 2003

a. (i)Identify the setting of the story.

Ans: rural setting (1 mark)

©ntchisi district examinations board Continued/…
2024 Name.:…………………………….…………………………………………………No.: _____
Page 7 of 7
J052/II

(ii) Justify one reason for your answer in (a.i.)

Ans: the events take place in a village where people draw water from a river (2 marks)

b. State the mood of the story

Ans: sympathetic/sad (1 mark)

c. Describe the character of the each of the following:

(i) Lima

Ans : she is caring; she takes care of the old woman who is neglected by the whole

community

She is sympathetic; she feels pity with the old woman up to the extent of helping

her out (2 marks)

(ii) Lima’s Uncle

Ans: Cruel; he ill-treats his niece (2marks)

Abusive; abused his niece

d. Explain one main theme portrayed in the story.

Ans: Child abuse; this is portrayed by Lima’s uncle who gives loads of work to her and

gives her just a meal a day

Cruelty; portrayed by Lima’s uncle who ill-treats his niece, Lima (2 marks)

END OF QUESTION PAPER

©ntchisi district examinations board Continued/…