APRIL HOLIDAY ASSIGNMENT
FORM 2
ENGLISH
FUNCTIONAL WRITING ( 20MKS)
1. You are a member of a committee that has been assigned the duty of planning annual prize giving day at
your school. Write letters of invitation to the local Member of County Assembly (MCA).
COMPREHENSION PASSAGE (20 MARKS)
Read the comprehension below and answer the questions that follow
Quality milk production begins with feeding your diary animals good fodder to using clean milking
equipment. However, while many farmers adhere to the two factors for maximum profit, they forget about
offering proper care to the cow’s teats.
Teat management remains a key factor in maintaining the well-being of any dairy animal as it ensures the
teats are disease-free. As such, teats must be kept clean and healthy to reduce risks of infection and milk
contamination. Well managed teats are free of mud, dung and damaged tissues or sores. Teats can be
infected due to poor handling during milking, particularly when using hands, using faulty milking machines,
injuries, muddy and wet surroundings, over exposure to direct sunlight causing sunburn and viral and
bacterial attacks.
Proper cleaning involves washing every teat with water and drying using paper towels, mainly before and
after milking. Low pressure running or flowing water and use of disposable towels provide the most
efficient ways to effective clean the teats. The disposable towels minimize the risk of transferring infections
to other teats supposing one is infected. Dry, clean piece of cotton cloth / towel can also be used, but they’re
not encouraged due to hygiene reasons. If they are the only option, then strictly use one piece per animal,
wash and rinse with an effective disinfectant after every milking exercise.
Before milking, teats should be wiped completely dry to reduce chances of mastitis and milk contamination.
In machine milking, dry teats will hold better onto the teat cups resulting to efficient milking and less
damage. Where hand milking is done, the milkers nails should b short to reduce the chances of causing cuts
on the teats and hands should be thoroughly washed and disinfected. As part of exercise, massage the teat
and udder to stimulate milk let-down reflex resulting in faster flow of milk. After milking, apply milking
salve then dip each teat in dip-cup to help control bacterial infections like mastitis. Sometimes the teats can
be coated with mud or dung, in this case, use running water as you rub them gently until the dirt comes off.
Then dry with towel.
While machine milking is ‘digital’, efficient and time saving, it might not turn out positive in the end if not
properly employed. If any of your milking cows experience blueing or swelling of the teat ends, horizontal
rings along the teats, teat ends pulling out or teat orifice damage, check out your machine. These may be due
to defective machine pulsation, persistent excessive vacuum or incompatible liner and shell combinations.
Emerging blackspots on the teats may be due to over-milking or faulty pulsation that makes the teat’s orifice
ulcerated. Cracked teats call for application of milking salve that contains lanolin and some healing
ingredients.
A cow experiencing pain on teats during milking is a sign of a problem that should be monitored and the
issue resolved immediately. Open wounds or cracks along the teats can be treated using pain relieving
ointments. Iodine based sprays and ointments are the most effective. Simple bandaging may be required in
cases where the cuts are severe but with the help of a qualified veterinarian. During such treatments, always
wear gloves and adhere to the expiry dates of drugs. Expired drugs or ointments only worsen the conditions.
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If you are to minimize damage on teats, then provide adequate sleeping space with soft bedding material.
Beddings that are wet or soiled promote bacterial build up thus expose the animal to infections. Clipping or
removing by shaving the excess hair around the udder and close to the teats also helps to reduce the
harbouring of infectious agents and excess dirt on the teats. The animal’s tail switch should also be trimmed
regularly to reduce soiling the teats.
Ensure your milking machine is fully serviced more than once a year for effective functioning and removal
or hidden dirt. Prompt replacement of defective parts is also recommended as per the manufacturer’s
instructions. Also set right the correct working condition, like the vacuum level. Good drainage system in
the animal unit is necessary to reduce accumulation of mud. Visual assessment of teats frequently also helps
to quickly detect problems.
If teats are well managed, then you will not have a problem with the quality of your milk. This goes hand in
hand with thorough cleaning and disinfection of all the milking apparatus. There is also reduced chance of
mastitis and teats damage, translating to less issues related to poor animal health.
When teats have problems it means more time is spent on washing them and milking the cow. Buying
veterinary drugs or seeking the support of a veterinarian further add up on medical costs. There is also
increased chances of calf sickness by suckling from infected teats. High labour input and reduced animal
longevity due to teat diseases definitely eat into farmer’s profit.
(a) What are the two factors many farmers adhere to for maximum production? (2 mks)
(b) In note form, state how teats can be infected. (4 mks)
(c) Why do you think that the teats must be well dried before milking? (2 mks)
(d) According to the passage, what may cause injury to teats? (2 mks)
(e) Mention three things the farmer should do to minimize damage on teats. (3 mks)
(f) State the disadvantages associate with teat problems. (4 mks)
(g) “Before milking, teats should be wiped completely dry to reduce chances of mastitis and milk
contamination.” Rewrite adding a question tag. (1 mk)
(h) Explain the meaning of the following words as used in the passage. (2 mks)
(i) Orifice (ii) disinfected
ORAL LITERATURE 20 MKS
Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow:
THE WICKED CHIEF
There lived once a wicked chief. Nobody liked him, because of his wickedness. He was wicked to old men
and women. By pretending to be kind he tried to be popular to young men who lived in that country. When
the chief won over young men, they all liked him. One day, the chief called all the young men and told them,
“My friends, don’t you see?” They asked, “What?” you should kill all of them. Everybody should kill his
father.” Ah: (that they should kill their fathers). As a result, everybody whose father was old brought him to
be killed. This one went and brought him to be killed. This one went and brought him to be killed, the other
went brought his father to be killed. They killed all the old men, leaving one only. He was a father of a man
who said no. “Why should the chief kill all old men and why would I send my father to be killed?” He got
down and went to dig a large hole and concealed it nicely. He sent his father there, where he had dug. He
fetched wood and put it across and coved it with soil, making a small hole for air to pass through. At that
time, they had finished to kill all the old men.
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When the chief finished executing them, he then called all the young men. “My friends we have now
finished killing all our old men. This is a cow I am giving to you. I am so happy we have got rid of these old
men, so go and kill the cow. When you have killed the cow, cut the best part of its meat and bring it to me. If
you don’t bring it, you yourself are not safe.”(That is all right) eh; The young men rushed out and
slaughtered the cow, which is the best part of the meat of a cow? They were worried They went and cut the
liver and sent it to him. He asked whether or not that was the best part of the meat. They answered yes. They
added part of the bile. He said that wasn’t the best part of the meat and they should go and find it quickly.
The people became more worried. Every night the young man secretly took food to his father. One day he
took food to his father, who asked about the news of the town. He said, “My father, now we are suffering.
When we killed all the old men, the chief gave us a cow to go and kill. When we killed the cow, he said we
must both find the sweetest and the best part of the meat and bring to him, that if we do not bring them, we
are not safe ourselves.
This is what is worrying us.” The old man laughed, but asked him if he knew the sweetest part of the meat.
He said no. He again asked if he did not know the bitterest part. He said no. “Then the sweetest and the
bitterest is the tongue. When you go, cut the tongue and sent it to him and say that is the sweetest part of the
meat and the bitterest.” The man rushed home while all the people sat down, undecided about what to do. If
something had not happened they might have thrown the whole meat away and run away. When the boy
arrived he said, “My friends take the tongue of the cow in.” they cut the tongue for him, and he took it to the
chief’s palace. He went and threw it down and said, “Chief, see the sweetest part of the meat and the
bitterest part also.” The chief sat down quietly and finally said, “You did not kill your father. Speak the truth.
You have not killed your father.” He said, “It is the truth, I didn’t kill him. When all the other men were
killing their own fathers I went and hid mine.” He said, “You are the son of a wise old man. The sweetest
and the bitterest part of a meat is the tongue. As for that all these young men are fools. Why should
somebody send his father to be killed? But if you want the sweetest part of the meat, find the tongue, were it
not for your tongue, you would not have an enemy: it is also because of your tongue that you will not have a
friend.”
1. Classify the above narrative
2. State any two characteristics of oral narratives present in the narrative above
3. Identify and discuss any two characteristics traits of the chief and any one
character of the young man (who didn’t kill the father)
4. Explain any moral lesson that can be learned from this narrative
5. Give one economic activity practices by the community from which this narrative
was taken
6. Identify any two styles in the oral narrative
7. Why do you think the chief wanted all the old men to be killed?
2. Complete each of the following sentences by using the correct form of the word in brackets.
(6 mks)
(i) Saving the baby from the burning bus was a …………… act (hero)
(ii) The Minister expressed doubts about the ……………………. of showing the film on children’s
television. (suit)
(iii) The students usually write their ……………………………….in the afternoons. (compose)
(iv) That must be your ……………………………(brother-in-law) house.
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3. Complete sentence using the correct comparative form of the adjectives given in the brackets.
There is _____________ milk in the kettle. (much)
This is ____________________ book I have ever read (good)
This sum is _______________________ than I had anticipated. (difficult)
4. Complete the sentences below using the correct form of the verb given in brackets
I had already ____________ to mop the floor when the man arrived. (begin)
The books were ____________ to the library yesterday. (take)
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