g12 Topical English 2001 - 2016

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FASTLEARN EXAMINER
10 – 12
TOPICAL REVISION
ENGLISH
Past Exam Questions
David Mazimba
Mwiya Namakando
WW.FastLearnExaminer.COM
©2017 FASTLEARN PUBLISHERS

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55 Bwiinjimfumu Road,
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TOPICAL REVISION – English (Grade 10 – 12)
David Mazimba
Mwiya Namakando
Cover design by Nelson Nkhoma
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Past Exam Questions on each topic have been grouped together for easy topic by topic revision.
This material is also available on CD and WEBSITE for fast revision on iPADs (and other tablets) and
computers with internet access. WWW.FASTLEARNEXAMINER.COM
We sincerely believe and hope that this material will be of great help as you prepare for the examinations.
Inspirational Quotes
The secret of getting ahead is getting started. ~Mark Twain
The journey of a thousand miles starts with one step. ~Chinese proverb
The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps – we must step up the
stairs. ~Vance Havner
No horse gets anywhere until he is harnessed. No steam or gas ever drives anything until it is confined.
No Niagara is ever turned into light and power until it is tunneled. No life ever grows great until it is
focused, dedicated and disciplined. ~Emerson Fosdick
Don’t do tomorrow what you can do today. Procrastination is the thief of time. ~Benjamin Franklin
Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars. ~Les Brown
Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off the goal. ~ Henry Ford
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Table of Contents Questions Answers/Tips

1 Rewrites (Transformations) ………………………………………………... 6 64
2 Vocabulary (Lexis), Clozes & Prepositions ……………………………. 13 67
3 Comprehension ……..………………. ……………………………… 19 69
4 Tips on Composition Writing …...………………………………………….. 40 72
(1) Letter Writing ……………………………………………. 40 84

(a) Informal letter ……………………………….. 40 85
(b) Semi-formal letter ………………..………… 86
(c) Formal letter – Application letter ….. 40 87
(d) Recommendation Letter ………………… 88
(e) Letter to the Editor ………...……………….. 90
(2) Process/Instruction Composition …………………… 43 93

(3) Narrative Composition …………………………………… 43 95
(4) Descriptive Composition ………………………………… 45 100
(5) Argumentative Composition ………………………….. 46 105
(6) Report Writing …………..…………………………………… 47 110
(7) Article Writing ……………………………………..………… 51 113
(8) Biography Writing …………………………………………… 53 117
(9) Speech Writing ………………………………………………. 54 122
Vote of Thanks ……………………………………………….. 127
(10) Curriculum Vitae (CV) ……………………………………….. 132
(11) Areas of common weakness in composition writing 135
(12) Useful expressions ……………………………………………. 141
5 Summary Writing ……………………………...…………………………………….. 55 145
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WARNING AGAINST EXAMINATION MALPRACTICES
The council urges all registered candidates for the examinations to prove their skills, knowledge and attitudes
acquired during the course of instruction rather than involving themselves in examination malpractices. The council
further urges all the candidates to prepare adequately for examinations.
The council strongly warns parents, teachers, guardians, candidates and members of the public against involving
themselves in examination malpractices.
DURING THE EXAMINATION PERIOD
1. Candidates should NOT:

• smuggle any form of pre-written materials into the examination room.
• accept to be assisted by anyone.
• accept to write an examination for someone else (impersonation).
• copy from each other.
• substitute the written script in the examination room with an illegal script .
• display improper conduct or violent behaviour in and around the examination room.
• be cheated into buying or selling fake examination papers as all examination question papers are kept under
lock and key prior to the examination date.
2. Teachers, invigilators, and supervisors should:

• not assist the candidates in any way before, during and after
examinations .
• not allow anyone to write an examination on behalf of someone else.
• not allow candidates to copy from each other.
• not substitute candidates scripts.
• search the candidates thoroughly before entering the examination room.
3. Members of the community should be cautious and alert when photocopying or printing any examination
related materials at their premises.
4. Anyone attempting to photocopy any examination related materials should immediately be reported to the
ECZ.
PENALTY
Those found guilty of involvement in examination malpractice will:
• immediately be expelled from the entire examination.
• have the results cancelled in all subjects.
• be liable to prosecution.
For details refer to the "candidates beware!" posters that are in all schools and examination centres countrywide.
Be proactive and report any suspected examination irregularity to the Provincial Education Office (PEO), District
Education Board Secretary (DEBS), nearest Police Station or calling the following numbers:
211 252930 or 211 254896 or 211 250904 or 0977-749578 or 0955-749578.
Let's all work together to fight examination malpractices to protect and uphold the integrity of our education system.
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1 REWRITES (TRANSFORMATIONS)
1 2013 PAPER 2 QUESTION 3 Section 1 (Rewrites or transformations) (10 Marks)
In each of the following items, sentence A is complete, but sentence B is incomplete. Complete sentence B
each time making it as similar as possible in meaning to sentence A. Hake sentence B one sentence, never two.
Do not make any changes to the printed parts of sentence B.
Example: A He is very lazy. He cannot pass the examination.

B He is so ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Answer: He is so lazy that he cannot pass the examination.
1. A Pupils should not be allowed free access to the staffroom on any account.
B On ………………………………………………………………………………………… staffroom.
2. A He doesn’t understand and he dosn’t sympathise with anyone.

B He neither ……………………………………………………………………………………………...............................................
3. A It is unfortunate that man is naturally selfish and possessive.
B Man, ..................... ... ......................................................................................... ………………………………….
4. A The lamp was lit at 18:00 hours. It burnt until midnight.

B Lit ....................................................................................................................... …………………………………
5. A You must do it again.
B You have ............................................................................................................. ………………………………..
6. A Both Peter and John are intelligent.

B Neither ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
7. A Mr Chama said, “Son, wake up early tomorrow morning.”
B Mr Chama reminded ........................................................................................... …………………………………..
8. A The venue for the party has been arranged by the girls.
B The girls .................................................................................................. ………………………………………………..
9. A No one believes Francis because he always tells lies.
B Because .................................................................................................. ………………………………………………..
10. A You are coming with us.

B Add a question tag .................................................................................. ………………………………………………
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In each of the following items, sentence A is complete, but sentence B is incomplete. Complete sentence B each
time making it as similar as possible in meaning to sentence A. Make sentence B one sentence, never two. Do
not make any changes to the printed parts of sentence B.
Example: A He is very lazy. He cannot pass the examination.

B He is so …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Answer: He is so lazy that he cannot pass the examination.
1 A The snake was crossing the road when Peter killed it.
B Crossing ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….......
2 A We failed to visit you because the road was bad.

B But for ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3 A The President and ten other government officials are touring our village.
B Use ‘as well as’ instead of ‘and’. ...
4 A Angry and proud, Joseph resolved to fight back.

B With ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
5 A He borrowed the money from his friend last week.

B His …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
6 A I only realised how dangerous the man was after meeting him.
B Only ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
7 A She is so intelligent that she will be selected for Grade Ten.

B She is too …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….....
8 A He rarely goes to the village.

B Rarely ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
9 A Jane lived longer than her brother.

B ……………………………………. survived …………………………………………………………………………………………..
10 A They didn’t think he would pass so well.

B He passed ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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Example: A The boy is John. He broke the window last week.

B John ………………………………………………………………….
Answer: John is the boy who broke the window last week.
1. A All the cattle are in the Kraal.

B None ............................................................................................................................................
2. A Football and basketball are popular games in Zambia.

B Football, together with ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….....
3. A You will never solve this problem until somebody helps you.
B Not until ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
4. A Most people consider football the most interesting sport in the world.
B Football ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
5. A I prefer going to the cinema to watching television.

B I would rather ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
6. A As the horse galloped across the road, it narrowly missed the car.
B Galloping …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………........
7. A It is only after going for Voluntary Counselling and Testing that you can know your HIV status.
B Unless ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
8. A The teacher said that he wanted me to tell him the truth or he would slap me.
B The teacher said, “…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..”
9. A My mother was too bewildered to talk.

B So ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. ……
10. A My performance does not improve although I train very hard.

B No matter ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
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In each of the following items, sentence A is complete, but sentence B is incomplete. Complete sentence B, each
Example: A Mary Phiri is beautiful and charming.

B Not only is Mary Phiri beautiful, she is also charming.
1. A A physical distribution system will be effective if the transportation is well co-ordinated.

B Unless ........................................................................................................................................
2. A If students are only interested in sports, they will never pass the examinations.
B For …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
3. A The Minister was invited to the meeting when they saw that the issue was critical.
B Seeing ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
4. A He wept so loudly that he attracted people’s attention.

B So …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
5. A The girl was a very good footballer. Every club wanted to hire her.
B Such ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
6. A Children are suffering and their parents don’t care.

B Suffering ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
7. A We were embarrassed when the princess sympathised so much with the children in distress.
B The princess’ excessive …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
8. A I expected Jane to pass better than she did.

B Jane did …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
9. A The Head teacher arrived late but no one seemed to mind.

B However …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
10. A It must be very exciting to be a pilot.

B If I …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
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Example: A I did not meet him. He did not give me the money.
B Had I
Answer: Had I met him, he would have given me the money.
1 A I borrowed a shovel from Musa.
B Musa ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
2 A I could not weep in public even though I was unhappy.

B Unhappy …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
3 A It is not a habit of mine to drive while drunk.

B I am …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
4. A The police were given permission by the Minister to shoot armed criminals on sight.
B The Minister let ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
5 A It’s a pity our treasurer squandered the money.

B I wish ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
6 A No mountain in Africa is higher than Mount Kilimanjaro.

B The …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
7 A The patient wanted to have milk and not porridge.

B The patient preferred …………………………………………………………………………………………………
8 A They were as thorough in their investigations as anyone could be.

B No one ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
9 A He didn’t start to read until he was ten years old.
B Not until ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
10 A Let’s find a solution to our problems before it is too late.
B ………………………………………………………………………………………..………………….. the better.
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6 2002 PAPER 2 QUESTION 3 SECTION 1 (REWRITES OR TRANSFORMATIONS) (10 Marks)

time, making it as similar as possible in meaning to sentence A. Make sentence B one sentence, never two.
Do not make any changes to the printed parts of the B sentence.
Example:
A John checks the pumps and the meter readings before he begins his work.
B The pumps and the meter readings are checked before John begins his work.
1. A. As John went into the shop, a thief stole his wallet.

B Going into the shop ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
2. A. “I have broken my walking stick,” complained the old man.
B The old man complained that …………………………………………………………………………………………
3 A He did not go to school. He did not write the test.
B If he had …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. A The professor talked about the need to preserve the ozone layer.
B The professor discussed …………………………………………………………………………………………………..
5. A The guest of honour took vodka and not whisky.
B The guest of honour preferred …………………………………………………………………………………………
6. A The Headteacher emphasised the dangers of HIVIAIDS.
B The Headteacher put ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
7. A No school performed better than our school in the district.
B Our school performed ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
8. A Arnold is very sick, so he must see a doctor.

B Arnold is too ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
9. A The goalkeeper threw the ball ten metres towards the center. The ball hit the
referee.
B The ball …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
10. A Hardly had the lion roared when people took to their heels.
B No sooner ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
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7 2001 PAPER 2 QUESTION 3 SECTION 1 REWRITES (TRANSFORMATIONS)

In each of the following sentences, Sentence A is complete, but Sentence B is not. Complete Sentence B each
time, making it as similar as possible 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.
B I prefer …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
4. A Give me some of your bananas and I will show you the way.
B Unless …………………………………………………………………………………..:………………………………..
5. A We do not need your help.
B We can …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
6. A Josephat is dull but he managed to pass the examination.
B Dull ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
7. A The giraffe is a wonderful animal to watch.
B What ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
8. A Our late arrival angered our class teacher.
B We were ………………………………………………......................................................................
9. A I shall find someone to paint this house tomorrow.
B I shall have ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
10. A The team was dismayed to lose again.
B To …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
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2 VOCABULARY, CLOZES & PREPOSITIONS.

1 2013 PAPER 2 QUESTION 3 Section 2 (Cloze) (10 Marks)
In each of the following sentences, three words have been put in brackets. For each sentence, choose the best
word and write it on the question paper in the space provided. DO NOT UNDERLINE YOUR ANSWER. SPELL THE
WORD CORRECTLY.
Example: A I will …………………………… a poem by Shakespeare, (sight, cite, site)
B I will cite a poem by Shakespeare
1. The children ................................................... very excited, (where, were, wear)
2. The teacher discussed the matter ..................................................... (feather, farther, further)
3. All the doctor’s efforts to resuscitate her was in ........................................................ (vane, vein, vain)
4. This is the man .................................... son has drowned. (who's, whose, whom)
5. The girls were asking ……………………………………. it would rain or not. (wheather, whether, weather)
6. Kafula and Chansa ate ............................................................... food in the pack, (they, their, there)
7. The young teacher was .............................................. promoted to the post of Deputy Head teacher.
(later, latter, letter)
8. Mufulo’s .............................................. shop has empty shelves, (grossary, glossary, grocery)
9. Mwangala was............................................... wrong, (definitely, definately, defenitely)
10. The Benguela Railway was closed because of the ....................................................... warfare in Angola.
(gorila, gorrilla, guerrilla)
11. Teaching is a noble ..................................................... (proffesion, profession, proffession)
12. Children are right now playing behind that tractor which is ................................................................
(stationary, stationery, stationely)
13. She ...................................................... , ........ lemons to apples, (prefered, preffered, preferred)

14. Our mango tree has ...................................... plenty of fruit this year, (born, bore, borne)
15. After singing at the concert the whole night, Mwaba’s voice sounded a bit …………….. (hose, hoarse, horse)
16. Some Zambian singers are indeed ................................................... artists, (skillful, skilful, skilfull)
17. Cyprian ........................................... the baby on a reed mat. (lie, laid, lain)
18. He was accused of stealing, but he ................................................... this, (denied, refused, rejected)
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19. A minister in charge of the ................................................. of the vulnerable has been appointed.
(wellfare, welfare, warfare)
20. Building the University of Zambia ................. .......................... this country a lot of money.
(spent, costed, cost)

The underlined words in the following sentences are incorrectly used. Supply the correct word and write it in
the spaces provided for each sentence.
Example: We reached at the garage before dawn. Answer: Arrived
1 Mutale refused to tell me how the new school bus looks like. 1 _______________
2 The Victoria Falls is such a wonder. 2 _______________
3 The farmer’s definition of a herb is ‘a plant in a wrong place’. 3 _______________
4 Has somebody been here? 4 _______________
5 I have looked for this word in the dictionary but I still don't understand it. 5 _______________
6 Of the three, Zangose is the better intelligent. 6 _______________
7 When he arrived at home, he was received by smiles. 7 _______________
8 If I knew, I can come. 8 _______________
9 Zambia National team lost Luanda 1-0. 9 _______________
10 Nomiya received a bundle of flowers from her cousin yesterday. 10 ______________
11 The dog waved its tail when it saw its master. 11 ______________
12 I saw three sheeps at the park last week. 12 ______________
13 My head was paining yesterday. 13 ______________
14 I saw a crowd of ships at the harbour last week. 14 ______________
15 A bird of prey has four toes on each leg. 15 ______________
16 All invited guests were sitted by 10.00 hours. 16 ______________
17 The alterations rendered the document null and bad. 17 ______________
18 A good lawyer will always have many customers. 18 ______________
19 We travelled by boat from South Africa to Madagascar and I didn’t
enjoy the journey. 19 ______________
20 When my father died in a car accident, my family was in morning for
three months. 20 ______________
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In each of the following sentences, four words have been put in brackets. For each sentence, choose the best
word and write it on the question paper in the space provided.
Example: A She picked ………………. the cup. (below, with, up, above)
B She picked up the cup.
1. They took ……………………….. their heels when the lion roared. (up, on, to , over)
2. She was praised ……………….. telling the truth. (over, for, on, about)
3. Ducks wade …………….. dirty water. (through, in, along, into)
4. Thieves broke into the bank safe and made ……………….. with large sums of money. (away, up, off, on)
5. No one liked the song but it soon caught ……………….. . (off, up, on, in)
6. Humans are liable …………………….. error. (for, to, with, by)
7. Brothers and sisters should get ………………… very well. (in, by, with, along)
8. I couldn’t make …………………… who he was since it was dark. (in, out, on, up)
9. Mutinta didn’t really want to go to church, but her friends talked her ……………….. it.
(against, for, into, about)
10. The soldiers carried …………………….. with exercises despite the heavy rain. (ahead, forward, on, over)
11. My uncle died three years ago but it’s taking me a long time to get ………… it. (through, over, by, along)
12. Our enemies blew …………………… the bridge to delay our advance. (by, over, across, up).
13. The president will come here next week to drum ………………. support for his candidate. (for, at, up, on)
14. Jane backed ……………. of the debate when nobody agreed with her. (out, off, down, about)
15. When I was looking for my pen, I came ……………….. my lost stamp. (by, over, across, upon)
16. The Minister of Education wanted to visit our school next week, but his plans have fallen ………….. .
(out, forward, through, down)
17. Our church wants to cut ………………. the amount spent on the Pastor’s trips. (out, on, back, by)
18. She was literally screaming ………………….. rage. (in, by, with, under)
19. The board chairperson presided …………………….. the meeting in a biased manner. (in, on, over, with).
20. She could not make it to school for she was incapacitated ……………………….. illness. (with, from, by, in)

Complete the following passage by supplying the missing word. Only one word must be filled for each blank
space.
From our correspondent, Southampton, 11th August. Miss Nicolette Milnes-Walker, aged 28, arrived here today
in the liner “Queen Elizabeth II”. She came home by ship, after sailing across (1) …………………… Atlantic to
America single-handed. The trip took (2) …………………. 43 days in her 10-meter yacht. Miss Milnes-Walker, who
(3) …………………… a psychologist, said she had enjoyed the trip. She (4) …………………… being alone on the sea. She
said that she (5) ………………….. on the voyage in order to see how she (6) …………………. react. ‘I think it has taught
me the difference (7) …………………… important things and unimportant ones,’ she said.
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Miss Milnes-Walker talked to me about her (8) ………………. . At times, she (9) …………………………. been afraid, but
she now thinks her fears were (10) unnecessary. The worst moment had been when 2 large whales (11) …………..
round the little yacht. They were twice as long (12) ……………….. her boat! She had met a bad storm (13) …………..
500 miles from the United States coast and for two days, (14) ……………….. had used no sails. During the voyage,
she read (15) ……………………… number of books, including Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”. She also sang
(16) ……………………. and made notes on her voyage. She is writing a (17) …………………. on it and she hopes to finish
it in a (18) ……………………. weeks. Women have (19) ………………… sailed in the single-engine transatlantic Yacht
Race. Miss Milnes-Walker hopes that there (20) ……………………….. be some yachtswomen in the next year.

In the following extract there are twenty blank spaces. Choose one word from the list of three words given
against each number below that you think best suits the blank space.
Hair styling is a (1) ……………….. interesting and satisfying occupation for the girl (2) …………………… an artistic
temperament. To be a (3) …………………………… Hair Stylist it is essential to have an (4) ……………….. love of beauty
and a strong (5) …………………….. urge. A (6) …………………. to make things, to create, to beautify. A (7)…………….
liking for people, a happy friendly disposition and a (8) …………………………… countenance are helpful (9) ………….
for hair styling is a luxury trade. Hair always has been and always will be (10) …………………. the news. Since the
time of the (11) …………………….. Egyptians, dating back to 3000 B.C., hair has been (12) …………………………
Hair Styling once learned, is never forgotten and can always be taken up again after a (13) ……………….. of time.
A trainee Hair Stylist will pass through various (14) ……………………………… before she can be considered to have
mastered all the dos and don’ts of hair styling. One advantage about hair styling is that a Hair Stylist does not
pay a premium for the privilege (15) ……………………….. being taught but is, instead, paid a wage as soon as she
has joined the staff of an establishment. Most entrants to hairdressing (16) ……………………………. as
apprenticeships for a few months first to see (17) …………………………… they like hairdressing, and to see if the
trade likes them, before signing a (18) ……………………………….. Alternatively, you can attend a full-time course
and join the trade as a qualified Hairdresser. Entry requirements (19) ……………………… from college to college.
Some (20) …………………………. you to have ‘O’ levels, usually in English and Art.
1 much, more, most 11 last, ancient, old

2 has, with, for 12 dressing, undressed, dressed
3 succeeding, successive, successful 13 laps, leaps, lapse
4 inmate, innate, intimate 14 stages, stairs, ways
5 creative, constructive, conducive 15 for, of, on
6 decision, desire, decisiveness 16 service, serve, save
7 neutral, nurtunal, natural 17 how, if, where
8 pleasurable, pleasant, pleasing 18 contact, consent, contract
9 tributes, attributes, tribulations 19 very, vary, valley
10 on, in, of 20 ask, require, want
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6 2002 PAPER 2 QUESTION 3 SECTION 2 (10 Marks)

The underlined structures in the following sentences are incorrectly used. Supply the correct word and write it
in the space provided for each sentence.
EXAMPLE: A sun is shining. THE
1. The play was very good that I enjoyed it. 1. ________________

2. The message was clear, isn’t it? 2. ________________
3. Of the two, Mary is the most beautiful. 3. ________________
4. They entered in an agreement. 4._________________
5. Mary congratulated me for passing my examinations. 5._________________
6. The car costed my brother K10m. 6._________________
7. They worked hard with a view of passing. 7._________________
8. John made good friends to the manager. 8._________________
9. I like the crying of the birds in the morning. 9._________________
10. One must set his goals in life. 10.________________
11. The visitors were entertained by music. 11.________________
12. Human beings have five toys on each foot. 12.________________
13. A new modem filling station has been built along
Independence Avenue. 13.________________
14. We came across a big herd of lions in the Kafue Park. 14.________________
15. What is the bus fee to town? 15.________________
16. Is this how a computer looks like? 16.________________
17. This is my hair saloon. 17.________________
18. I have two books, neither of them I find interesting. 18.________________
19. The Victoria Falls has always been attractive. 19.________________
20. Even if you are provoked do not result to fighting. 20.________________
7 2001 PAPER 2 QUESTION 3 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 …………………………………… new ideas.
2. You seem to be obsessed …………………………………… a lot of problems.
3. The roof of an old house is often infested …………………………………… rats.
4. Certain types of food are deficient …………………………………… vitamins.
5. Because James works hard, he is eligible …………………………………… promotion.
6. These premises are not accessible …………………………………… visitors.
7. Pupils must comply …………………………………… the school rules.
8. People living in mosquito-infected areas are usually immune …………………………………… malaria.
9. Certain categories of people are exempt …………………………………… paying tax.
10. In poor countries, people subsist …………………………………… any food available.
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11. Please, clear …………………………………… and leave me alone!

12. Responsible citizens desist …………………………………… evading tax.
13. However difficult a situation is, Jane always comes …………………………………… with a suitable solution.
14. I did not understand what he said, so I asked him to go …………………………………… it once more.
15. The scandal involving the General Manager was quickly hushed ……………………………………
16. Patience and hard work often pay …………………………………… in the end.
17. The Senior Teacher was …………………………………… earshot when you insulted him.
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 always criticize your supervisor, you cannot expect to be in favour …………………………………… her.
18
3 COMPREHENSION
1 2013 PAPER 2 QUESTION 2 COMPREHENSION (20 Marks)
Read the following passage carefully and then answer the questions that follow.
Education System in Zambia
1 The education policy in Zambia has gone through a number of phases over the years, and the policy
governing school fees has mimicked the swing of a pendulum. In the early 1960s, education was based on
the premise of free education. In 1966, with the passing of the Education Act, fees were introduced in the
form of both user fees and Parent Teacher Association (PTA) fees. These fees were moderate and
considered affordable at all levels. In the mid 1990s, as Zambia entered a period of liberalisation, cost
sharing became the official education policy. Parents began paying the major share of spending in the
education sector and enrolment levels declined mainly as a result of the prohibitive fees. It was because
of pressure from the international community (primarily through the International Monetary Fund, IMF)
that Zambia gradually shifted the burden of payment for education from the government to Zambian
households. During the late 1990s, a number of community schools were born to absorb pupils unable to
access government schools, especially the vulnerable. In 1998, approximately 200 community schools
provided education to an estimated 25 000 children and this number had grown to over 3 000 schools by
2004, catering for an estimated 228 000 pupils in Grades 1 - 9.
2 Just recently the pendulum began to swing back again as the Zambian government introduced Free
Primary Education for Grades 1 - 7 beginning the 2002 school year. This dramatic change in policy resulted
from a combination of international and local pressure from organisations guided by a commitment to
human rights, such as the United Nations, the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection and Oxfam-Zambia.
Article 26 (1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: “Everyone has the right to education.
Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages.”
3 In the year 2000, Zambia signed the United Nations Millenium Development Goals, which call for the
realisation of universal primary education by the year 2015. According to the latest progress report from
the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), it is likely that Zambia will meet this target and
national support of the goal is good (UNDP, 2005). Zambia also participated in the World Education Forum
in 2000, agreeing to the realisation of universal primary education as part of the “Education for All” action
plan. The guidelines concerning the administration of Free Primary Education in Zambia, as prepared by
the Ministry of Education, prohibit any pupil from being turned away from a government school on
account of not being able to pay school fees or not having a school uniform (GRZ, 2004).
4 A recent background paper commissioned by the Education for All Global Monitoring Report lists Zambia
19
as 1 of 16 countries (out of 92 World Bank client countries) that administers no fees for primary education.
However, concern remains that this free education exists only on paper and in reality remains
unaffordable to poorer households.
(Extracted from how free is free education? The cost of education in Zambia by Chris Petrauskis and
Sheila Nkunika, 24th July 2006.)
In each of the questions 1-7, select the best of the four choices provided, by drawing a ring around it as in the
example below. If you change your mind, cross out the ring very neatly.
Example: This passage is about...
A the cost of living in Zambia
(B) the education system in Zambia
C the history of Zambian education.
D education policy.
B is the best answer, as you can see, it has been ringed.
1 According to Paragraph 1, the policy governing school fees ...
A changed due to the influence of the IMF.
B has been based on the concept of free education.
C has not been stable over the years.
D suggests that cost sharing became a burden to many households.
2 In Paragraph 1, the expression “prohibitive fees” is used to show ………………..

A how expensive it became for parents to pay for their children.
B how high the fees became in the 1990s.
C that pupils who did not pay school fees were not allowed in school.
D the effects of fees on education.
3 Why is the change concerning school fees regarded as dramatic?

A It took international and local organisations to pressure government to change.
B It was a positive change.
C It was interesting to have free Primary Education from Grades 1 to 7.
D The change was rather sudden and surprising.
4 According to the passage, in the early 1960s ……………

A fees became high due to the passing of the Education Act.
B fees were relatively low and parents could afford to pay.
C fees were very low and many parents could afford to pay.
D no fees were paid towards education.
20
5 The main reason community schools were introduced was to ………………

A cater for vulnerable children who cannot access government schools.
B help increase pupils’ access to free education.
C help the vulnerable children access school in rural areas.
D serve communities where some pupils cannot go to government schools.
6 The United Nations’ Millenium Development Goals ...

A advocate achievement of universal primary education by 2015.
B aim at providing universal primary education by 2015.
C are goals countries like Zambia have set towards education development
D are goals guiding the provision of Universal Primary Education.
7 Which statement is true according to the passage?

A Zambia will meet the target of providing universal primary education by 2015.
B By law, no pupil should be turned away from primary school for not being able to pay school
fees or not having a school uniform.
C At the moment, Zambia is 1 of the 16 countries providing free education at all levels.
D According to the Education for all Global Monitoring Report, Zambia offers free primary
education.
8 From the passage, write the one sentence which indicates that in fact education in Zambia is not free.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
9 Find words from those underlined in the passage which are synonyms or have nearly the same
meaning as the following words or phrases: Spell the word correctly. (One word only)
A Providing ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
B To copy closely ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
C Basic………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
D Within reasonable limits …………………………………………………………………………………………………………
10 From the words underlined in the passage, find antonyms (opposite meaning) of the following words
or phrases: Spell the word correctly. (One word only).
A Not at risk or not helpless ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
B No admission …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
C Prohibitive ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
D Not remarkable or not spectacular ………………………………………………………………………………………….

1 Ben Franklin said the only sure things in life are death and taxes. He left something out, however:
disappointment. No one gets through life without experiencing any disappointment. They are
unwelcome but regular visitors to everyone's life. Strangely, though, most people seem unprepared for
21
disappointments and react to them in negative ways. They feel depressed or try to escape their
troubles instead of using them as an opportunity for growth as we can see in the characters of the
following three people:
2 Helen, a woman trying to win a promotion, works hard for over a year in her department. Helen is so
sure that she will get the promotion, in fact, she has already picked out the car she will buy when her
salary increase comes through. However, the boss names one of Helen's co-workers to the post. The
fact that all the other departmental employees tell Helen that she is the one who really deserved the
promotion does not help her to deal with the crushing disillusionment. Deeply depressed, Helen
decides that all her goals are doomed to defeat. She loses her enthusiasm for the job and can barely
force herself to show up every day. She decides that doing a good job isn’t worth the work.
3 Jamal fails to get into the college his brother is attending; the college that was the focus of his dreams
from childhood. He crossly decides not to worry about it. “Why worry about college at all?" he asks
himself. Instead he conceals his real state of mind by giving up on his school work and getting
completely involved with friends, parties and ‘good times’. Similarly, Carla doesn't make it to be part
of the university basketball team, something she wanted very badly. She refuses to take part in all
sports at all. She chooses to hang around with a set of new friends who ‘get high’ every day, then she
won't have to confront reality.
4 The best way to react to besetting experiences is by trying to use them as a chance for growth or by
trying to exploit other available options. This may not be easy, but it's the only useful way to deal with
an inevitable part of life. If your boss does not recognise your talents or hard work, you could perhaps
transfer to another department, or you may ask the boss how best you could improve your
performance to be eligible for future recognition. Not being promoted, or being turned down by one
school or college, isn't a final judgement on your abilities or potential. You could easily go to another
school or college. The first choice is not necessarily the best. If you cannot be promoted now, or if you
cannot be taken on and included in the sport you badly need now, you just need to be patient. You
may decide to continue improving your skills in that job or that sport for some time, or you may pick
up another career or sport.
5 In the face of trouble or frustration, man's natural reaction is not to ask the right questions, but to
complain, despair, give up and blame other people. This negative spirit drives away friends and other
people because nobody wants to hang around a person who has a self-pitying, pessimistic outlook on
life. The question to ask in the face of disappointments is not "Why me?" but "What next?" because
every one has their unique share of these in life. Problems and disappointments should lead to better
and not bitter resolutions. It is not easy, however, to ask "What next?" when the heart is breaking. But
it should be comforting to realise that everyone is struggling with their own private setbacks.
6 When strong hope and faith collide with unexpected negative realities, when prayers seem not to be
answered and when long cherished dreams are suddenly shattered, disappointment, followed by
frustration is often the result. This should not be so. One ought to step over the unwelcome visitor and
get on with life, because whether one likes it or not, and with or without unfulfilled desires, life
22
continues. Some people think that following Christ will give them special immunity against troubles,
that getting a higher degree will guarantee a good job or a promotion, that being beautiful promises a
good marriage and that being rich will bring lasting peace and satisfaction. While these expectations
are not evil, it is dangerous to think and expect things to work out like that. Such expectations are a
recipe for serious frustrations in the face of the unexpected turn of events. It is safer to view life as a
series of surmountable disappointments. Life can certainly appear that way because setbacks crop up
more often in the life of everyone, it seems, than satisfaction.
Slightly adapted from Langan, I. (2003) in College Writing skills Media Edition The McGraw Hill
Companies' inc. USA.
In each of the questions 1 - 9 , select the best of the four choices given. Show the letter of your choice by putting
a ring around it on the question paper, as in the example below. If you change your mind, cross the ring very
neatly. Answer question 10 according to instructions.
Example: This passage is about ………………………

A patience.
B troubles in life.
(C) disappointments.
D positive thinking.
C is the best answer and, as you can see, it has been ringed.
1 According to Paragraph 1, Ben Franklin says ........................................

A disappointments are bound to come in life.
B death and taxes are welcome in life.
C death, taxes and disappointments are bound to come in life.
D death and taxes are bound to come in life.
2 In paragraph 2 we are told that Helen was disappointed mainly because …………………………
A other workers in the department told her that she was the one who deserved to be promoted.
B everybody knew that she was a hard-working woman.
C she realised that everything else she might try to do in life would fail.
D she was so sure of being promoted soon that she even made plans for it.
3 'Helen decides that doing a good job isn’t just worth the work’. This sentence means doing a good job
is ……………………………….
A not equal to the work.
B not fairly rewarded.
C wasting time.
D painful.
4 According to Paragraph 3, 'good times' means Times ……………………….

A that help one to forget their troubles.
23
B for getting involved with friends and attending parties.

C of questionable goodness.
D for fun and merry making.
5 According to Paragraph 4, being denied a chance to do what you desire means giving you the
opportunity to ……………………………
A grow into an experienced and wise adult.
B try other things or to perfect your talents.
C examine your life properly and improve.
D perfect your talents and attitude.
6 It is wrong, according to the passage, to ask, “Why me?” when you are faced with situations that are
disappointing. This is because such questions lead to ………………………………………
A self-pity and surrender.
B blaming other people.
C friends and other people running away from you.
D more problems in life.
7 People keep away from a person with a negative outlook on life and who is always complaining
probably because ………………………..
A complaining is by its very nature painful to the hearers.
B they get tired of hearing the complaints every time they meet.
C one should either try to be positive about life or should be left alone.
D they don't know how to encourage such a person.
8 According to Paragraph 6, who is referred to as 'the unwelcome visitor’?

A Someone who likes complaining.
B Immunity against troubles.
C Dreams.
D Disappointment.
9 It may be good to consider life as a series of surmountable setbacks principally because ………………..
A disappointments and setbacks follow each other as a sort of series in life.
B such an attitude can assist one to accept disappointments as normal.
C everyone experiences disappointments.
D it can assist one to acquire maturity and growth.
10 Choose the underlined words in the passage that mean the same or nearly the same as the ones below.
Write the words against each word or phrase.
A can be overcome ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
B interest ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
C unavoidable ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
D promise…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
24

SCIENCE AND LITERATURE CONNECTION
1 There was a chief in a certain village. He had many slaves. Whatever he wanted to be done, he ordered
it. If it was a wise thing he wanted, his various counsellors said to him. “Yes, it is good," If it was not a
wise thing, they said, just the same, “Yes, it is good," because if they disagreed with him he grew angry,
saying, “What! Do you say the chief doesn’t know what he is doing?” But the lowest of his counsellors
never said yes or no. If the chief asked him about a certain thing he would think for a while and then
reply: “All things are linked."
2 It happened one time that the chief could not sleep at night because of the croaking of frogs in the
marshes. Night after night he could not sleep, and decided at last that the frogs would have to be
exterminated. He told his counsellors what he intended to do. One by one, as usual, they applauded
him, saying, “Yes, it is good.” Only the lowest of the counsellors did not speak. The chief said: “You,
counsellor, have you no tongue in your mouth?” The man thought for a while, then he said: “O chief,
all things are linked.” The chief thought: “This man knows nothing else to say.”
3. The chief sent his slaves out to exterminate the frogs in the marsh. They killed frogs until no more frogs
remained. They returned, saying, “Sir, the frogs are done with.” That night the chief slept well, and he
slept well for many nights thereafter. He was pleased with life.
4 But in the marshes, the mosquitoes began to rise in swarms because there were no frogs to eat their
larvae. They came into the village. They came into the chiefs house and bit him. They made his life a
misery. The people of the village suffered. So the chief ordered his slaves to go out and kill mosquitoes.
The slaves went out, they tried, but the mosquitoes were too numerous. They continued to plague the
village. The chief called his counsellors. He scolded them, saying, “When I asked you about killing the
frogs, you answered, ‘It is good.' Why did you not say, ‘If the frogs are killed the mosquitoes will multiply?
Only one of you said something for me to think about. He said, ‘All things are linked,’ but I did not
understand his words.”
5 The mosquito hordes made life unlivable. People left their houses and fields and went away. They went
to distant places, cleared new fields, and began living again. The old village became deserted except
for the chief and his family. Finally, the chief, too, took his family and went away.
6 Because of what happened, there came to be a saying: a ‘Yes, it is good' caused a village to become
deserted."
In each of the questions 1-9, select the best of the four choices given. Show the letter of your choice by putting
neatly. Answer question 10 according to instructions.
Example:
25
What is the main role of frogs in the Inter link?

A breading
B croaking at night
(C) eating up mosquitoes larvae
D Leaping up and down
C is the best answer and as you can see it has been ringed.
1 The story is about ……………..

A a bad chief.
B mosquitoes and frogs.
C ecological ignorance.
D wrong counselling.
2 What was the truth according to the chief?

A What the majority counsellors said.
B His opinions.
C What the lowest counsellor said.
D That all things are linked.
3 According to paragraph 1, what type of people did the chief not like?
A Slaves.
B Opposers.
C Proposers.
D Quiet.
4 In the same paragraph 1, the lowest counsellor always …………………

A agreed.
B said nothing.
C remained neutral.
D inter-linked things.
5 According to paragraph 2, the chief ……………………………

A was irritated by the lowest counsellor's answers.
B always consulted the counsellors for an answer.
C interrogated counsellors one by one.
D accepted any group advice given.
6 The frogs irritated the chief with their …………………..

A prolific breeding.
B incessant movement.
C nocturnal noise.
D indiscriminate feeding.
26
7 After the frogs were exterminated ……………………………

A mosquito bites increased.
B snakes became pests.
C the village stank.
D mosquitoes became noisy.
8 The main culprit of the disaster in the swamp • • •

A was the chief.
B were the slaves.
C was the lowest counsellor.
D were the other counsellors.
9 According to the Passage “All things are linked" implies • • •

A independence.
B interdependence.
C dependence.
D parasitic life.
10 Choose the underlined words in the passage that mean the same or nearly the same as the words
below. Write the word against each word or phrase.
A Left alone …………………………………………………………………………………………………
B Large numbers …………………………………………………………………………………………
C Connected ……………………………………………………………………………………………….
D Wiped out ……………………………………………………………………………………………….

NEW RACE FOR ANTARCTICA

1 As I stood at the South Pole that day, looking at the vast expanse of ice, I was seeing an Antarctica over
which a new age of uncertainty may be dawning. For 25 years now, the continent has been a nuclear-
free and totally disarmed zone of peace under the umbrella of the smooth-working Antarctic Treaty.
This dates back to 1957 when a dozen countries collaborated in geophysical research on the ice. So
successful was the international effort that the parties agreed by treaty in 1959 to devote the whole
continent to peace and Science. The 12 original treaty nations and those countries active in research
there – 18 altogether – currently form the Treaty consultative party” and have a say in the running of
the continent.
2 However, this remarkable treaty is now threatened by materialistic dreams. Some non-member
countries are foreseeing enormous pay-offs from fabulous resources that may be waiting to be
discovered under Antarctica’s frozen lid – giant oil fields equal to Iran’s, perhaps, or precious metal
deposits as rich as those in South Africa.
27
3 In fact, no exciting mineral discoveries have yet been made and the search for them has hardly started.
But pressure is mounting over the question of how potential resources under the ice will be exploited,
and who will have the chance to get rich. Some countries are jockeying for position in what might well
become a new race for Antarctica.
4 The time bomb of Antarctica is that the treaty side-stepped the question of who owns what. Now, the
18 supervisory countries are urgently trying to agree on a frame work for deciding whether and how
to develop any mineral wealth that might be discovered. At the same time many are beefing up their
own research programmes, building stations, ice-breaker ships and airfields.
5 Observing this surge of activity and sensing that Antarctica is going under the hammer, other countries
such as the Netherlands and Italy are getting research started and thus will be entitled to a voice in the
future of the continent.
6 Malaysia is pressing for the Antarctic Treaty system to be accountable to the United Nations, and is
seeking support from Non-Aligned Countries. Some of them fear that the spoils of the last untouched
continent will be carved up and shared among a privileged few nations. They want the continent
declared a "common heritage of mankind,” like the sea-bed. “The exclusiveness and secretiveness
cannot be tolerated," Dr. Mahathir Mohammad, Prime Minister of Malaysia, recently complained.
7 Collapse of the all-important treaty might well trigger uncontrolled drilling, mining and even tourism,
which would be disastrous for the continent’s delicate ecology. Worse, open conflict over minerals
could turn the world’s most successful experiment in peace into a battle ground.
8 Unhappily, no easy answers to the vital question of territorial rights are to be found in the continent's
history. It was first circumnavigated two centuries ago by Captain James Cook, who presumed it was a
land mass, but the official sighting of land in 1820 is disputed between British, Russian and American
Ships.
9 A Yankee sailor is thought to have been first to set foot on the ice; the French first to plant a flag;
Norwegians first to reach the South Pole and Americans first to fly there. The British were first to cross
it.
10 Against this background, the 18 consultative parties are trying to find a way of handling the tensions of
developing, exploiting and sharing any ice-locked mineral riches. All countries involved are keenly
aware that an even-handed agreement can be reached only as long as they are ignorant of the
continent’s true commercial value.
11 Meanwhile, a growing number of supply ships, ice-breakers and research vessels thrust into the drifting
pack-ice every summer to reach the isolated scientific stations. US and Soviet activities are roughly
comparable, and the super powers have so far remained largely aloof from the new push. But other
countries long active in Antarctica are digging in with bold new ventures.
28
12 To prevent an international free-for-all from ravaging this virgin territory, it is essential that the parties
stand firm against outside pressures and allow the treaty to evolve. The pristine continent’s ultimate
gift to mankind may not be oil or minerals but riches of a more important kind - a blue print for world
peace.
[Readers’ Digest, March 1986]
In each of the questions 1-9, select the best of the four choices given. Show the letter of your choice by putting
neatly.
Example:
The passage is about
A The South Pole exploration
(B) The Antarctic Treaty
C The Cold Continent
D The future of the Arctic Continent
B is the best answer as you can see, it has been ringed.
1 In Paragraph 2, non-member countries of the treaty are seeing enormous pay offs from ...
A fabulous resources that will be discovered under Antarctica.
B precious metals that lie under Antarctica.
C giant oil fields and precious metals that lie under Antarctica.
D oil fields and mineral deposits that may be discovered under Antarctica.
2 According to Paragraph 3:
A The hard search for minerals has just started.
B Almost no search for minerals has started.
C The search for minerals has been hard and difficult to start.
D Only the search for exciting minerals has started.
3 Paragraph 4, what is the time bomb of Antarctica?

A The question of who owns what.
B The treaty nations did not apportion the resources of Antarctica.
C Antarctica will explode when who owns what is known.
D The building of research programmes, stations, ice-breaker ships and airfields.
4 Paragraph 6, it can be inferred that Malaysia...

A is not a member of the 18 consultative party.
B is a member of the 18 consultative party.
C has the support of Non-Aligned Countries.
D will have no support of Non-Aligned Countries.
29
5 Why does the author describe Antarctica as ‘untouched’?

A It has not been inhabited by human beings.
B It has not yet been declared a ‘common heritage of mankind’.
C It has retained its natural unspoiled state.
D It has not been explored.
6 What does the author believe might bring disaster to Antarctica?

A The collapse of the treaty.
B The continent’s delicate ecology.
C Open conflict over minerals.
D Drilling, mining and tourism.
7 Paragraph 8: “...... no easy answers to the vital question of territorial rights are to be found
in the continent’s history.” Because.......
A James Cook presumed it was a land mass.
B official sighting of land is disputed between British, Russia and American ships.
C of the conflicting claims by various countries.
D of the conflicting claims by the French, Norwegians, Americans and British.
8 According to Paragraph 10, an even-handed agreement can only be reached if the countries involved....
A are not aware of the continent’s commercial value.
B are completely ignorant.
C show that they are ignorant of the continent’s true commercial value.
D ignore the continent’s true commercial value.
9 According to Paragraph 11, the US and Russia ....

A are comparable superpowers.
B have not joined the new scramble for Antarctica
C are waiting for other countries to dig in with new ventures.
D have so far shown no interest in Antarctica.
10 Find words from those underlined in the passage which mean the same or nearly the same as the
following words or phrases:
A Old and unspoiled ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
B Keeping or holding from …………………………………………………………………………………………………
C Increase ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
D Work in partnership ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
30

Read the following passage and then answer the questions that follow.
1 I am fascinated by the permeation of matemalism into almost every aspect of women’s lives - whether
they bear children or not. Why is it assumed that being female is equivalent to being a mother, to the
extent that traditionally, when a woman was unable to bear children, the sister or cousin would birth
a child for her, thereby making her a mother and a woman?
2 Without a child to validate her womanhood, a female remained marginalised and unrecognised in
many ways in Africa (and other societies generally), often to the detriment of her rights as a citizen of
that society. This did not happen to men. Although men needed to have children, they did so for
patriarchal reasons - for purposes of property, lineage and status, rather than as a means through
which rights and entitlements could be accessed. Most of the above still hold true in our modern
African societies. For example, a woman is still called by the names of her children, and this remains an
important element of the naming process, but a man is still called by his father’s name. Motherhood
has consequently become an assumed first nature to all women, to the extent that women express
their successes and failures in terms of birthing and nurturing the young.
3 Interestingly, the English Language uses expressions like “pregnant with promise”, "aborting a plan”,
“the birth of a nation" and “miscarriage of justice” - expressions which relate to politics and the exercise
of political power - an arena which hardly includes women. Why has the reproduction of human life, in
which women play the most central role, been used to describe male-centred concepts of power and
politics?
4 I think that the assumption that all women are potential or actual mothers through the birthing
experience also underpins the assumption of universal compulsory heterosexuality among Africans in
particular. Women who fail to birth babies who survive, are perceived as failures in an even harsher
sense than those women who cannot conceive whether it is their fault or not. Motherhood has become
essential in the validation of one's heterosexuality as well as in the accessing of a legitimate status in
the society as a woman.
5 Because women’s bodies, especially their reproductive parts, have been appropriated in several ways
by everyone else in our societies, establishing the right to decide what happens to one’s body in
connection with the issue of motherhood has become an enormous challenge to us as feminists and as
women who choose not to name ourselves as feminists.
6 By giving up one’s ownership of person through rituals which locate women into institutions like the
male-headed family, women give up the right to decide whether to be mothers or simply to live with
men as lovers and partners. Men then insist or persuade that women must make their reproductive
capacities available to them so that they can realise their manhood through women having children for
them.
7 Some women of course have chosen not to have children, and such women are rare and are still
considered peculiar, while other women adopt children in order to access motherhood and
31
consequently the status of being a mother; not a parent, which is a genderless status. The right to
choose whether or not to have children, and not to be harassed for having exercised that right, is still
unknown, let alone recognised as such in all African societies.
[Slightly adapted from Africa Monthly Volume 7 no.9]
In each of the questions 1 to 8, select the best of the four choices given. Show the letter of your choice by putting
a ring around it on the question paper, as in the example below. If you change your mind, cross out the ring very
neatly.
Example: The passage is about

A Childbearing and women.
B Womanhood.
(C) Womanhood and childbearing.
D Men’s attitude towards women.
C is the best answer and as you can see it has been ringed.
1 In the first paragraph we are told that the writer...

A is very happy with the way women are treated.
B is puzzled by the connection between women’s lives and parentage.
C approves society’s assertion that being female is equivalent to being a mother.
D thinks childless women should call on their relatives to birth children on their behalf.
2 According Paragraph 2 women remain marginalised and unrecognised ...

A when they have no children to show for it.
B only in Africa and underdeveloped countries.
C to the detriment of their rights.
D because men want them out of the way.
3 “Men need children for patriarchal reasons”. This means...

A they need children for wealth and heritage.
B they have children as a show piece to the society.
C men need them for their positions in society.
D men have a greed for bearing children.
4 A woman is still called by the names of her children because ...

A childbearing forms a basic part of the naming process.
B motherhood is expected of all women.
C a man can be called by his father’s name.
D she would like to be identified as a mother.
32
5 In paragraph 3 the English Language uses expressions which relate to politics although...
A these are against women.
B women are against these expressions.
C women are rarely involved in this sector.
D politics should have been exclusively for women.
6 “Women play the most central role in the reproduction of human life.” This implies...
A they alone can create human life.
B their role is irreplaceable.
C there are other players in the role other than women.
D men only dominate politics and power.
7 According to paragraph 6 one of the ways women give up their ownership is ...
A when they marry men.
B when they choose whether to live with lovers or partners.
C when they locate into institutions.
D when they insist on having children.
8 What is still unknown or unrecognised in all our African societies?

A The right of a woman to be a parent.
B The right to adopt children in order to access motherhood.
C The right not to have children and not be harrassed for it.
D The right to exercise all their human rights.
9 In Paragraph 4 the author says society considers motherhood to be extremely important in the life of
any woman. In two complete sentences give two reasons given for this.
(a) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….....
(b) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
10 For each of the following words or phrases choose one word from those underlined in the text which
have similar meanings:
(a) taken possession of …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
(b) penetration …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….....
(c) bringing up …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
(d) abandoning ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
33

Read the following passage and then answer the questions which follow.
ROSEMARY
1. The story of a ghost that terrorises a community at any given time is a legend that keeps on resurfacing
from time to time. Among Zambians of Southern Province in the sixties, Rosemary the prostitute ghost
terrorised the men folk of that time. She was believed to be waylaying the promiscuous husbands at
their haunts. She would either wait by the path that the lover habitually used or by the doorway of his
mistress. Then on arrival, the “boyfriend” would fall into the arms of his lover and have a big hug and
a passionate kiss. The “girlfriend” would supposedly enter her house followed closely behind by her
lover. Once inside the house, however, the man would be confronted by the girlfriend’s consternation
at the sight of blood all over the front of his shirt and the exclamation, “who on earth did this to you?”
This confused the man so much that he would just stare at her. Close examination revealed bloody,
toothless gums! Other times, Rosemary would be found at hotels, rest houses and government lodges,
popular spots on major roads in the area or any other places patronised by a lot of prominent men in
the neighbourhood.
2. The destructive behaviour of Rosemary was so rampant that a renowned witch finder known as
muchape was hired to exorcise the affected villages and towns. Many pretty baby girls born during her
reign of terror were named after her. She disappeared from the scene and public memory, or did she?
3. Twenty years later she reappeared in Central Province and based herself in Kabwe town. How the
people still had the memory of her was a mystery. There she based her activities at a place later known
as the “accident black spot” just after the north-end corner of Lukanga compound for the motorist
travelling north, but normally southbound travellers met fatal accidents further north between
Chindwin and Kohima barracks.
4. One or two survivors of such an accident narrated their stories. One man named James told a friend
that he had driven from Livingstone on a business trip to the Copperbelt. He had spent a night at
Elephant’s Head Hotel in Kabwe town centre. He departed for Ndola at daybreak intending to be in
time for the meeting at ten hours. He gave a lift to a very beautiful fashionable girl in her early twenties.
Reaching the end of the long bend at the accident spot he tried to put his arm around her neck for a
kiss. She responded favourably, but his mind went blank. When he came to himself, he found himself
in Kabwe General Hospital with bandages all over the body and a gaping toothless mouth. The hospital
authorities and the police were hovering around him trying to get some statement out of him. All James
could remember was the girl and made signs to ask about her health. They explained that they had
found him with his left arm twisted around the column of the steering wheel. They were puzzled by
that and wanted to get the truth from him as to what really happened.
5. Towards the end of that decade, the beautiful young lady disappeared from the “accident black spots”
and the accidents never happened there again. In fact the place became known as the flour station for
dispatching flour to as far north as the Congo! Recently, the place has been nicknamed, Dallas, because
of brisk business going on there.
34
6. The last time Rosemary was heard of was in Ngungu market where she presented herself as a twelve-
year old girl selling tomatoes just outside the market. She was characterised by not giving change to
the tomato buyers, who were always male. If the customer insisted on getting the change, she would
ask him to wait until she brought back change from home, where she went for good. This habit
continued until she got a very large sum of money from a man who was going to buy the scarce mealie
meal but decided to buy tomato and relish on the way. The girl as usual went to collect change and
never came back. The impatient customer standing by the tomato basket started shouting and telling
the girl to bring his change from the house he was pointing at. One sympathetic marketer went to check
at the house indicated, but found no one and the door was locked. Later, the owner of the house denied
the girl's existence, but admitted that her daughter of similar description had died years before, in
another place. By that time the police had come because of the crowd that had blocked the traffic. A
nearby ng’anga was hired to make a divination. After chasing invisible creatures all over the yard and
into the innermost room, he emerged with a female figurine, which he publicly burnt. That tomato
seller was never heard of again. Unfortunately the market also virtually disappeared, leaving only one
or two traders. In many parts of Africa, various versions of the demonic “Rosemary” experiences have
been reported.
(Adopted from SHORT STORY WRITING COMPETITION for Commonwealth countries)
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. If you change your mind, cross out the
ring very neatly.
Example: This story is about

A ghosts.
B ancestral spirits.
C witch finders.
(D) particular kind of demonic activity.
D is the best answer and is ringed.
1. In paragraph 1 “in the sixties” refers to

A 1960 — 1969.
B 1860, and onwards.
C from independence to date.
D 0060 — 0069.
2. In the same paragraph Rosemary is labelled prostitute because

A she punished unfaithful husbands.
B her activities involved many men.
C she was beautiful
D all her lovers lost their teeth.
35
3. The “boyfriend” referred to in the story was

A a teenager.
B a single youth.
C a married man.
D his mistress.
4. The person who kissed the man just outside the door was in fact
A. the girlfriend.
B. Rosemary the ghost.
C. a jealous neighbour.
D his wife.
5. What confused the man most was that he

A. felt happy while kissing the lover and did not suspect anything.
B. didn’t feel any pain or unusual force used on him to cause harm.
C. noticed his girlfriend was unfaithful to him.
D. had not realised that he had an accident on the way.
6. In Kabwe, according to paragraphs 3 and 4 Rosemary’s area of operation must have been between
A. Chindwin barracks and Elephant’s Head Hotel.
B. Kabwe roundabout and Livingston.
C. Chindwin barracks and Lukanga compound.
D. Kohima and Chindwin barracks.
7. According to paragraph 4, James' hospitalisation was a result of

A. kissing Rosemary and the subsequent car accident.
B. knocking his face against the steering wheel.
C. overdrinking the previous night.
D. unclear circumstances.
8. Which information is NOT true according to paragraph 6?

A. The Ngungu tomato-seller and Rosemary the ghost were one and the same person.
B. The police had come to supervise the divination.
C. There was a shortage of mealie meal in the area.
D. The tomato-selling girl probably changed into the wooden figurine.
9. Complete the following statements by using information from the passage.

A. Rosemary seemed to have had a grudge against …………………………………………………………
B. She trapped men mainly by her …………………………………………………………………………………..
C. Through an encounter with Rosemary, men lost their …………………………………………………
D. Her destructive actions were usually stopped by …………………………………………………………
36
10. From the underlined words in the passage, find one word which is similar in meaning to what is given
below.
A. came out …………………………………………………………………………..
B. adulterous ………………………………………………………………………..
C. great surprise ……………………………………………………………………
D. ten-year period ………………………………………………………………..
7 2001 PAPER 2 QUESTION 2 COMPREHENSION
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
cooking 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.
37
5. 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!"
6. 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.
7. Ella had her baby when she was fourteen years old. Every time the baby cried unconsolablv. Ella too
would cry. She felt so helpless, so ignorant, so unprepared.
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.
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: This passage is about

A Initiation Ceremonies (B) The Plight of the Girl Child
C Ella and Uncle Larry D Early Marriages
(B) is the answer and is ringed.
1. "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.
2. 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’.
38
3. 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.
4. "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.
5. 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’.
6. 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. She was shocked because she was not ready for marriage.
7. 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. Detailed: D. Make possible:
39
4 COMPOSITION
(1) LETTER WRITING
(a) INFORMAL LETTER
1 You are a student who is about to graduate from university and you want your childhood
friend to attend this memorable occasion. Write a letter inviting him or her and telling him or
her how you are going to celebrate the day. [2010.Q5]
2 Write a letter to a friend telling him or her why he or she should be extra careful when
choosing a career. [2004.Q6]
3 Write a letter to your friend explaining why you were unable to visit him or her during the
holiday. [2003.Q3]
4 Write a letter to a friend telling him/her what you like and dislike about your school. [2001.Q6]
(b) FORMAL LETTER – APPLICATION LETTER
1 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. O., Box 30066, Lusaka. [2001.Q4]
2 Four English teachers comprising three women and one man of High Park School in England,
want to visit your school which was recently twined with their school. Being their first visit to
Zambia, especially to your school, they want advance information to help them prepare
adequately for the visit. Here are some points to help you provide the much needed
information.
- Climatic conditions
- Medical facilities
- Food – where and type
- Clothing and personal equipment
- Condition of roads
- Where to stay
- Bank and communication
- Transport
- Teaching
- Tourist attractions
40
- Petrol and vehicle repairs
Using the points provided above, in suitable order, and any other related points write a letter
to the Principal of High Park School in England. Your letter should be between 250 and 350
words long.
[2009 QUESTION]
3 You are advised to spend about 50 minutes on this section.
This year's Annual General Meeting of Sanyo Girls' Secondary School focused its attention on
the idea of turning the school co-educational.
Here is what was discussed:-
P.T.A Chairman: Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you all to this extra-ordinary Annual
General Meeting. As you are already aware, the purpose of the
meeting is to decide whether or not our school should be co-educational.
Let's treat this matter very seriously as the outcome of the discussion is
required by the Minister of Education as soon as possible.
Mr Petulo: Thank you, Mr Chairman. I don't think the idea is good. The pupils will start
thinking too much about the opposite sex instead of studying.
Mrs Nyau: I totally agree with the former speaker. When you mix boys and girls,
discipline is difficult to maintain.
Mr Bokoseni: I don't agree with either of you. Co-education is very good. Boys and girls
learn to treat each other as equals.
Mrs Haatyola: In fact they understand each other much more as they grow together.
Mrs Chichi: I am in full support of co-education. Girls and boys help one another in their
studies.
Mr Dalitso: That's not true. Boys end up writing homework for girls. And you know what
next ……….. !
Mr Chirwa: It's not all girls that have their homework written by boys. I feel mixing girls
and boys creates stiff competition among them. There is that feeling of
doing better than that girl or that boy.
41
Mrs Kalinso: Wait! Wait! Mixing girls and boys is not natural in our society. I can't just
trust a boy and a girl studying together.
Mrs Lembani: You are an old fashioned woman. In modern world, we should encourage
girls and boys to study together. Remember God created man and woman
to be companions, so it is against God's wish to separate girls from boys.
Mr Tambwali: Let's be careful with references to the Bible lest we confuse one another. I
am a practical person myself. Just imagine how much it would cost to put up
boys' toilets. The whole thing is too costly.
Mrs Zekezeke: Mine is a simple contribution. Girls are good at Art subjects whereas boys
are good at Sciences.
P.T.A. Chairman: Let's be serious. It seems Mrs Zekezeke is not following the debate.
Mr Kawale: I support those who want this school to be co-educational because it's easier
to act plays if you have both girls and boys.
Mr Mundia: Let's not forget that we parents here come from work places that are full of
both men and women; so co-education prepares our children for such
places.
Mrs Kasabo: I am afraid boys mature at a different rate from girls. Therefore, our boys
will be disturbed by mature girls.
P. T.A Chairman: I am enjoying this debate so much that 1 would love to let
it go on and on but time can't allow. From what has been discussed, we all
agree that there are more points in favour of the school being co-
educational.
You are the secretary at this meeting. Using the relevant points from the debate only, write a
letter to the Minister of Education telling him the reasons for wanting to make Sanyo Girls'
Secondary School co-educational.
The length of your letter should be between 250 and 350 words.
[2002 QUESTION]
42
(2) PROCESS/INSTRUCTION COMPOSITION
1 A lot happens before one marries. Citing any culture, write about a complete process
leading to a marriage. [2013.Q6]
(3) NARRATIVE COMPOSITION
1 Write a story with one of the following titles:

(a) It was not worth the trouble.
OR
(b) Everybody knew it all but me. [2013.Q1]
2 Write a story ending: ‘……………….. so ended the confusion’. [2013.Q2]

(a) “An Ungrateful Relative.”
OR
(b) “A Jealous Friend.” [2010.Q6]
4 Write a story with one of the following statements:
(a) “No one sympathized with her even when she lay in a pool of blood.”
OR
(b) “A stitch in time saves nine.” [2009.Q5]

(a) I was warned.
OR
(b) Some people never learn. [2004.Q4]
6 Write a story which ends:

"In the end we put our heads together and managed to find a solution to our problem.
Things were alright again." [2003.Q1]

(a) ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT GOLD
or
(b) PRIDE GOES BEFORE A FAL L [2003.Q2]
8 Weddings are usually very exciting and happy occasions. Narrate an incident or
incidents that spoiled your relative's wedding. [2002.Q1]
9 Write a story entitled "My Parents or Parent" [2002.Q5]
43
(a) A frightening experience

OR
(b) The day I will live to remember [2001.Q1]
44
(4) DESCRIPTIVE COMPOSITION
1 Describe a place of extreme importance in your life and why it is so. [2013.Q3]
2 Describe an occasion in your life when you felt that time stood still. [2010.Q1]
3 Write a story ending: “Little did I know she was that type of a person.”
[2010.Q3]
4 Describe a person you dislike most. What is it that makes you dislike this person?
[2001.Q3]
5 Love is sacrifice. Describe an incident when you had to sacrifice for the love of
someone or something. [2009.Q6]
6 Describe any tourist attraction you know or you have been to. What is it that makes
it the most attractive? [2004.Q3]
7 Describe what you like and what you dislike about either men's (boys) or women's
(girls) clothes at present. Suggest improvements you would like to see in them.
[2003.Q5]
8 Some people like living in the middle of a town, others on the outskirts. Some prefer
to live near a river or lake, others in a small village. Assuming money is not a problem,
discuss where you would like to live and what sort of house you would build.
[2003.Q6]
9 Describe an occasion when you felt cheated by somebody very close to you.
[2002.Q3]
(a) A frightening experience

OR
(b) The day I will live to remember [2001.Q1]

(a) “An Ungrateful Relative.”
OR
(b) “A Jealous Friend.” [2010.Q6]
45
(5) ARGUMENTATIVE COMPOSITION
1 Any violence against women should be condemned. Discuss. [2013.Q4]

2 Zambia's participation in international sporting activities is a waste of financial
resources. Argue for or against this statement. [2013.Q5]
3 Parents are to blame for juvenile delinquency. Argue for or against this assertion.
[2010.Q2]
4 We have seen many girls who were once pregnant return to school after giving birth.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of this? [2010.Q4]
5 Write an account of the goodness of belonging to a church organization.

[2009.Q1]
6 Write on the advantages or disadvantages of keeping a dog or dogs at home.
[2009.Q2]
7 School days are the best days of one’s life. Argue for or against this statement.
[2009.Q4]
8 What reasons, in your opinion, would you give to either support or oppose the idea
that it is men who can make a difference in the spread of HIV/AIDS? [2003.Q4]
9 Life would have been better without schools. Argue for or against this assertion.
[2002.Q4]
10 Marriage has become a source of income for some parents. Discuss. [2002.Q6]
11 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? [2001.Q5]
46
(6 ) REPORT WRITING

Read the following notes very carefully.
You are a Member of Parliament and are on a two-day tour of your constituency to
find out the problems your people are facing and also check on the progress made
on the developmental projects. Write a report of the tour to be submitted to the Vice
President. Use only the relevant notes which are taken from your diary.
You should write between 250 and 350 words.
Entries in diary:
Monday 7th February:
09.08 Refuelled and started off for Mupepi constituency.
10.03 First stop at chieftainess Mwila’s Palace
- Official reception and introductions
- Gift Presentation
- Apologised for arriving late
- No water and food
- Drought
- Number of H.I.V/AIDS cases very high
- Chieftainess member of Catholic Women’s League.
10.45 Visited Magumo Youth Resource Centre

- Activities impressing
11.30 Visited Mawele Bee-Keeping

- Doing well
12.0 Left for Chief Mbalule's Palace

- Annoyed entourage arrived late
- Almost refused gift
- Apologised for arriving late
- No high school and no health centre.
13.30 Visited Nyambe Breeders Farm

- For export market only
14.15 Left for chieftainess Manyoni’s Palace

- Gift Presentations
- Road to Palace very bad
47
- Bridges poorly constructed-washed away

- No water
- One health centre
- People walk long distances
- No food – people eat wild roots
- No transport
- Two basic schools – not enough teachers and desks
15.50 Visited bridge under construction

- Satisfied with work
16.15 Inspected Maambo Breeders Farm
- For local market only
16.45 Visited Munda Flower Growing Project

- For export market only
17.30 Went to Gwabe River

- Inspected construction of bridge to connect Chief Manyoni’s Palace to Chief
Mbaiuie's Palace
- Poor work
- Spent night at Palace
Tuesday 8th February:

04.00 Woke up
04.30 Breakfast
04.45 Left for Chief Nkololo’s Palace
06.30 Flat tyre
06.45 Continued journey
08.15 Met elephants; took pictures
09.30 Reached Palace
- Gift Presentation
- One basic school – not enough teachers and desks – poor enrolment and attendance
- No water and food
- Nearest clinic 60 kilometres away.
- Bridges washed away
10.00 Visited Namwila Poultry Farm

- Almost closing down
10.45 Visited Kasinsa Mine

- Little production-flooding
- Not profitable – closing down any time
48
11.30 Back at Palace

12.0 Lunch with Chief
13.0 End of tour
You should begin your report as follows:

On Monday 7th February a tour ……………………………………………………………..
[2010 QUESTION]
Your composition should be between 250 and 350 words.
Last Friday night whilst you were relaxing with your family at home, you suddenly heard a
police message on the radio about a stolen vehicle during the day in Lusaka. The stolen vehicle
was a Toyota Vanette with the registration number ADA 155 and blue in colour.
The following morning, while waiting for a bus to Kitwe, a Toyota Vanette pulls up and stops
to offer you a lift. As you are in a hurry, you jump in and find two other passengers there.
Suddenly, you remember last night’s police message over the radio. You notice that the colour
of the vanette is blue as previously reported. Furthermore, you notice that the driver does not
use a key to start the vehicle but connects wires; nor does he want to go through police road
blocks.
On your arrival in Kitwe, you decide to report the matter to the police. And the police welcome
your initiative but ask you to write a report on your observations.
Before you write the report, you write down some notes to guide you in writing the report.
The notes are not in logical order. Using the points listed below and some of your own, write
the report.
YOUR NOTES
- Driver dodged road blocks.
- Decided to observe more closely if my suspicions were justified.
- Registration number read ADA 155 with part of one chipped off.
- Decided to inform police for investigation.
- On leaving the vanette looked to see Registration (Number) No.
- Vanette was packed outside Chiwempala Bar.
- Driver had large scar on his head and wearing large black jacket.
- Remembered last night’s police message on radio.
- Driver’s front teeth rotten and mouth smelling.
- Offered a lift in a blue vanette on way to Kitwe.
- Fears justified because driver connected wires to start vehicle. [2004 QUESTION]
49
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
Your report should be between 250 and 350 words in length. [2001 QUESTION]
50
(7) ARTICLE WRITING
1 Write an account of the goodness of belonging to a church organization.

[2009.Q1]
2 How is your community organized to ensure that its members help one another when
they are in trouble? [2009.Q3]
3 Write a composition to bring out the truth about why you think women should have
equal rights and opportunities to men. [2004.Q1]
4 Discuss the dangers involved in drivers giving lifts to strangers and children accepting
lifts from people they do not know. [2004.Q2]
5 The gap between the rich and the poor is getting wider and wider in your country.
Suggest ways and means by which this gap could be narrowed. [2004.Q5]
6 Marriage has become a source of income for some parents. Discuss. [2002.Q6]
7 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? [2001.Q2]
8 Your school magazine is carrying out feature articles on Career Choices for the grade
twelves (12). For the next edition, you have been asked to write about the jobs of
Accounts Manager and Social Worker. To make your task easy, you have been given
the following notes to use to write the feature article:
ACCOUNTS MANAGER
- No job security Very well paying
- Travel local and abroad Opportunities make more money
- No weekends
- Very motivating
- Own accommodation
- Visit different financial institutions
- Rarely home with family
- Long working hours Minimum supervision
- Short leave, maximum 30 days per year
SOCIAL WORKER
- Job security
- Not well paying
- Same work environment
- Opportunities for further studies and promotion
51
- Weekends no work
- Self satisfying
- Free accommodation
- More of service to others i.e. vocation rather than job
- A lot of time with family
- Normal working hours
- Much supervision
- Long leave up to 120 days per year
Using the relevant notes write the article which has been started for you
below. The length of your article should be between 250 and 350 words.
Any words beyond the word limit will be cancelled.
The job of accounts Manager ………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………….. [2013]
52
(8) BIOGRAPHY WRITING
1 You are the secretary of the Christian Student Fellowship. You have invited
Bishop Poleni to come and give the word of God to share a profile to the
members just before Bishop comes. Here are some notes about the Bishop
which you have gathered
1984 - Healed many people through prayer
- Organiser- National Conference under the theme-Christ the Healer
1967 - Born, Nkonde
- Wrote three books

- Won a scholarship to Canada to study theology
1982 - Chairperson – Scripture Union
1988 - Ordained Pastor
1974 - Grade one – Mbala Primary School, Mbala
1994 - Ordained Bishop
1983 - Visited Germany Young Christian Union, Bayern
1990 - Established his own church and a Theological College
1984 - Elected National Chairman-Scripture Union
1981 - Grade Eight-Kenneth Kaunda Secondary School, Chinsali
Using the point above, write a profile on Bishop Poleni of between 250 and
350 words. [2008 QUESTION]
53
(9) (a) SPEECH WRITING
1 As the school's Headboy or Headgirl, prepare a speech to deliver to parents during

the Annual General Meeting (A.G.M) to convince parents as to why school fees need
to be raised. [2002.Q2]
2 Your school has realised that the rate at which crime is increasing in your country is
alarming. As chairperson of the Crime Prevention Club, you organise a meeting to
present your views on how to curb the scourge. These are the notes you prepared
for your speech to the members:
- no sale of guns to be entertained
- tighten immigration rules
- make jail sentences for convicted criminals stiffer
- create jobs for all people above 20
- foreigners mainly involved
- educative campaigns for all citizens be introduced
- train more policemen
- form effective Neighbourhood Watch Associations
- give Civil Servants good salaries and better conditions of service
- equip the Police Service with more guns and vehicles
- place informers at all work places and residential areas
- improve state of shanty townships
- demolish some crime-prone townships
- build reasonable and well-planned houses
- increase police patrols
- encourage the jobless back to the land
Using these points or any relevant points of your own, write a speech, in logical order
as you would present it to your members. Your speech should be between 250 and
350 words. [2003 QUESTION]
(b) VOTE OF THANKS
(10) CURRICULUM VITAE (CV)
54
5 SUMMARY
1 2013 PAPER 2 QUESTION 1 SUMMARY (20 Marks)
Read the following passage carefully and then answer the question that follows.
1 Corruption - defined as 'the abuse of public power for personal ends' has always existed. During recent
decades, however, it has grown both in terms of geographic extent and intensity. Needless to say,
corruption and its effects can be seen from a multitude of viewpoints. Corruption should be
approached from the point of view of the effects it has on development. It is intrinsically linked to
underdevelopment.
2 As long as a person's normal income does not provide him with a decent living, the door will always be
open to bribes. It is, therefore, through development that we should be attempting to eradicate
corruption. But we simply cannot wait for it to be stamped out through development. In any case,
development is hardly a miracle cure; Italy, for instance, was precisely at the height of the country's
development when corruption became the norm.
3 If we analyse some of the effects that corruption has on development, the first thing we notice is that
it increases the cost of goods and services. The national economy ultimately suffers the consequences
of an unjustified surcharge on the goods or services, with the difference being pocketed by some
government official or politician who has abused his power for his own personal gain. The corrupt
decision-maker may well be tempted to accept a sub-standard quality of service which will make his
personal profit all the greater. Thus, with a road building project for example, complicity between
government departments and contractors may result in corner-cutting with regard to agreed standards
of quality so that the savings made may be shared out between the two parties.
4 At their very worst, the disastrous effects of corruption mean that the conception of a project and
ultimately its very choice, are determined by corruption. A good example would be the purchase of
technology which is wholly unsuited to the particular needs of a country or the choice of a capital-
intensive project, more lucrative in terms of corruption, rather than a labour-intensive one which
would nevertheless be far more beneficial to that nation's development. The absolute peak of
perversion, however, is when the very choice of priorities - and therefore of projects - is determined
by corruption; the situations in which the real development priorities of a country are neglected in
favour of operations which generate the greatest personal gain for the decision-makers. Corruption is
both the cause and the consequence of underdevelopment.
5 In the final analysis, an economy undermined by corruption has the effect of discouraging potential
foreign investors and public donors. Entrepreneurs have been known to withdraw from certain African
countries which are nevertheless rich in resources because of the constraints imposed on them by
corruption. As for public donors, they are increasingly reluctant to offer financial aid to those countries
that manage their own resources poorly.
(Partly adapted from an article from The Courier ACP-EU)
55
(No. 158, July-August 1996: pages 68 - 70)

Question
In not more than 120 words outline the effects of corruption on a country. The summary has been started for
you.
The effects of corruption on a country are …………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Guavas, also known as a poor man's apple, grow as one of the most common fruits in Zambia. The fruit is cheap,
easy to grow and has many medicinal benefits.
National Food and Nutrition Commission nutritionists say that one can get the health and medicinal benefits of
the guava by either eating the fruit or drinking a solution made from boiling the leaves of the guava tree. The
guava is consumed not only by humans, but also by birds and animals. Through bird droppings and animal waste,
the guava has been spread to most parts of Zambia.
Guavas are eaten raw and with their seeds as well as their skin. The fruit is rich in both Vitamins A and C. Vitamin
A is good for eyesight and prevention of blindness while Vitamin C helps in one having a good skin. Vitamin A
also boosts the immune system of both sick and healthy people.
Since Zambia has a high prevalence of Vitamin A deficiency, guavas are recommended for daily consumption.
Vitamin C is an essential nutrient required for a number of metabolic reactions. A guava contains more of this
vitamin than a typical citrus fruit - the rind contains over five times more Vitamins C than an orange. Additionally,
Vitamin C results in healthier people because it acts as an antioxidant that prevents oxidative reactions that can
damage or kill cells.
Vitamin C prevents scurvy, a disease where the mucous membranes of the linings of various body cavities start
bleeding. Vitamin C is mainly in the skin than in the flesh of the guava fruit. It is highest when the fruit is nearly
ripe and less in the fully ripe and soft fruit. Thus the guava is best consumed before it is fully ripe.
The seeds of the guava are also consumed and these contain omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Supportive, but not conclusive research, has shown that omega-3 may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease
or blood circulatory problems. Studies have also shown possible anti-cancer effects especially on breasts, colon
and prostate cancer. Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids are converted in the body into forms that the body
can utilise. The forms they are converted to are found in every tissue of the body. Guava seeds, as hard as they
may be, contain high levels of dietary fibre. Dietary fibre is the non-digestible part of plant food that helps in
bowel movement. Dietary fibre is also known as roughage.
Guavas also contain dietary minerals. These are chemical components required by living organisms. Appreciable
amounts of potassium are found in guavas. This is important for the balance of pressure in the cells. Another
56
dietary mineral is magnesium. It too is essential for cells. It has a role in the functioning of more than 300
enzymes in the body. Guavas also contain carotenoids. These are pigments that are naturally occurring which
enhance the immune system. The polyphenols found in guavas may have antioxidant properties.
The reddish or orangish guavas have more potential of being the source of both the carotenoids and polyphenols
than the yellowish green.
QUESTION
According to the passage, what are the nutritional values of the guava fruit to the body? Use not more than 125
words.
The answer has been started for you.
The guava fruit has many nutritional values to the body. It ………………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Ten minutes passed, Towera kept standing hoping that Mwiza would open the door. He did not. She decided to
put up one more attempt. She walked to the bedroom window and knocked. Two, three times, there was no
response. The fourth knock yielded some noise from inside. Mwiza opened the window.
What do you want?" he roared.

"Please …………….. “
Before she finished, Mwiza spat into her face. The spittle was light, but the impact it had on her heart was
stronger and heavier than a slap.
"You will never see me here again," she said and walked away. She collected her bags and walked towards the
road. Where she was going, she didn't know, but she knew she was running away from her spitting husband.
To start with, Towera thought her husband was playing the no nonsense game every new husband wants to
play. But spitting into her face was more than she could bear. She wondered where to go from here. So late in
the night. Hardly a month after the wedding in which the man had invested so much. Tears rolled down Towera’s
cheeks at the thought. She did not realise where she was when suddenly a car parked by her side. “Tax!" shouted
the driver. She entered and sat in the passenger’s seat. “Where to sissy?” he asked.
"I don’t know," she stated.
The driver paused and looked at her closely. He was struck by her beauty. He was used to women who asked
for lifts not knowing where they were going. He knew how to treat them. But this one looked different. She
seemed to have had a purpose in life which was disturbed in the course.
57
Towera could correctly read the driver’s mind. She had to quickly think of a name or a place to go. She didn't
have much money – not even enough for a taxi. She had to think of someone who could pay for her taxi. “Would
you know Benson.... Big Ben?" she asked the driver.
At the mention of Benson, the driver’s face brightened.
“Is there any driver who doesn’t' know big Ben in this part of town!" he remarked.
‘Who are you to him?" asked the driver.
“He is my cousin,” said Towera.
The driver looked at her with doubt. “Ben is a nice person. We wonder when he is getting married,” he said.
Towera kept quiet. They crossed this road and that one. Towera didn't know where they were. Suddenly the car
slowed down and hooted.
“Big Ben, I have brought your cousin,” announced the driver.

“Who’s there?” asked Ben, sounding sleepy.
‘I am Towera. It's a long story," she said, fearing he would reject her there and then. Breathless, Ben opened the
door and let them in. He paid the driver. The driver drove off. Then Ben helped Towera carry the luggage into
the house. Towera observed him work like an obedient servant. She was humbled.
Just one look aroud the house swept off Towera's mental feet. The type of seats, musical machine and the thick
carpet – so much wealth! She sat on the comfortable seat. Benson sat directly opposite her. “So what brings
you here?” he asked.
Not very sure of what she was going to say, she started, “I’m sorry that I have come here to bother you. Firstly,
let me thank you for opening the door for me.”
“I wish I could do more,” he said. “But now .... Mrs Mwiza, what is happening? I hope it is not a trap!” he said.
“Well, when we stood at the market, Mwiza saw us," she said.
“Yes, I thought so,” he agreed with her. “So what does he say?”
“He has chased me away from his home.”
“What! An end to marriage?" exclaimed Ben.
Towera looked down. When she looked up tears rolled down her cheeks. Benson got moved. He stood up and
knelt down by her side.
“Don’t cry. You’re here now. Leave everything in my hands." When Towera cooled down, Benson sat back into
his chair and relaxed. Then after a long time he said, “and you chose to come here? Suppose he finds you here?”
“It makes no difference,” said Towera. After what appeared a century Benson said, “So what shall I do?”
“I just want to spend the night here in your spare bedroom.”

“Then tomorrow I take you back?” asked Benson.
“He spat into my face,” Towera replied. “Surely Ben, do I deserve such treatment just because I stood with you?”
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Benson shook his head and said, “What I can’t understand is why some men throw good luck to the wind-just
like that.”
“Now Ben, are you going to throw me out too, and spit into my face?" pleaded Towera.
“That will be the last thing I would do,” said Ben. Then standing up, Ben led her around the room. “Here is the
kitchen and eat anything you want”.
Left alone, Towera opened the fridge. She could not believe it.
Question: Write a summary of the events leading to Big Ben’s marrying the girl of his dreams. Use not more
than 120 words. The summary has been started for you:
Over Big Ben, Mwiza quarrelled with his beautiful new wife, Towera and …………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The large number of problems that beset education today manifested themselves during the first decade of
independence, 1964 to 1974. While some were merely a continuation of problems already experienced during
the independence era, others added a new dimension. The recognition that for many years to come, primary
education would be terminal for most children brought into focus issues of the relevance of the education
received, and the allegations that it tended to alienate primary school leavers from their communities and rural
life. The rapid expansion of provision at all levels, but especially at secondary, led to the concern that
government was neglecting quality. Concern was also expressed about the whole nature of the education
system. Awareness was growing about the disparities within the education system between geographical areas,
between sexes and at an emergent level between social classes.
The government had assumed almost the entire responsibility for the financing of education, without any
contribution from the recipients. As a result, people expected the government to provide all the inputs namely
personnel, curricula, materials, maintenance and even boarding provisions. By giving the widest possible
meaning to the concept of free education, the government assumed an increasing burden in meeting many of
the students’ personal costs at all levels of education.
Accompanying all these problems of a practical nature was the fact that education had not yet been brought to
every eligible child, together with a growing uneasiness that, instead of promoting development, education
might be playing some role in obstructing it.
Intermingled with these various difficulties were the problems of administration: the managerial capacity
required by a greatly expanded system; the ability to sustain developments; the capacity to formulate and
execute policy; the ability to generate, collect, analyse and use information and involved channels of
communication. The administrative and managerial difficulties were exacerbated by the fairly rapid turn over
59
of staff. This turn over was due in part to the desire of education managers to move to other fields, and in part
to political decisions to move people around to expose them to administrative responsibilities in a number of
ministries.
You are interested in the problems that beset education in the first decade.
Write a connected summary of not more than 145 words, identifying these problems. The summary has been
started for you.
The problems that beset education today go back to the first decade ………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Our society worships youth. Advertisements convince us to buy Grecian Formula and Oil of Olay so we can hide
the grey in our hair and smooth the lines on our face. Television shows feature attractive young stars with firm
bodies, perfect complexions, and thick manes of hair. Middle-aged folks work out in gyms and jog down the
street, trying to delay the effects of age. Being young is often pleasant, but being older has distinct advantages.
When you are young, you are apt to be obsessed with your outward appearance. When my brother Dave and I
were teens, we worked feverishly to perfect the bodies we had. Dave lifted weights, took mega doses of vitamins
and drank a half-dozen milk shakes a day in order to turn his wiry adolescent frame into some muscular ideal.
And as a teenager, I dieted constantly. No matter what I weighed, though, I was never satisfied with the way I
looked. When Dave and I were young, we begged and pleaded for the “right” clothes. If our parents didn’t get
them for us, we felt our world would fall apart. How could we go to school wearing loose-fitting blazers when
everyone else would be wearing smartly tailored leather jackets? We would be considered freaks. I often
wonder how my parents, and parents in general, manage to tolerate their children during the adolescent years.
Now, however, Dave and I are beyond such adolescent agonies. My rounded figure seems fine, and I don’t deny
myself a slice of pecan pie if I feel in the mood. Dave still works out, but he has actually become fond of his tall
lanky frame. The two of us enjoy wearing fashionable clothes, but we are no longer slaves to style. And women,
I’m embarrassed to admit, even more than men, have always seemed to be at the mercy of fashion. Now my
clothes-and my brother’s - are attractive yet easy to wear. We no longer feel anxious about what others will
think.
As long as we feel good about how we look, we are happy.
Being older is preferable to being younger in another way. Obviously, I still have important choices to make
about my life, but I have already made many of the critical decisions that confront those just starting out. I chose
the man I wanted to marry. I decided to have children. I elected to return to college to complete my education.
But when you are young, major decisions await you at every turn. “What college should I attend? What career
should I pursue? Should I get married? Should I have children?" These are just a few of the issues facing young
60
people. It’s no wonder that, despite their carefree facade, they are often confused, uncertain, and troubled by
all the unknowns in their future.
But the greatest benefit of being forty is knowing who I am. The most unsettling aspect of youth is the
uncertainty you feel about your values, goals, and dreams. Being young means wondering what is worth working
for. Being young means feeling happy with yourself one day and wishing you were never born the next. It means
trying on new selves by taking up with different crowds. It means resenting your parents and their way of life
one minute and then feeling you will never be as good or as accomplished as they are. By way of contrast, forty
is sanity. I have a surer self-identity now. I don’t laugh at jokes I don’t think are funny, lean make a speech in
front of a town meeting or complain in a store because I am no longer terrified that people will laugh at me.
Being young means being anxious that everyone must like you. It means blaming your parents for your every
personality quirk or keeping a running score of everything they did wrong raising you. But life has taught me
that I, not they, am responsible for who I am. I know most people blindly accept the idea that newer is
automatically better. But a human life contradicts this premise. There is a great deal of happiness to be found
as we grow older.
(From The Macmillan Reader, New York, 1987)
In not more than 150 words, write a connected summary stating the virtues of growing older. The summary has
been started for you:
Being young is often pleasant, but being older has distinct advantages. When you are older you ………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Read the following passage carefully and answer the question that follows.
1. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) defines refugees as people who are outside
their county and cannot return owing to a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race,
ethnicity, religion, nationality, political opinion, war or membership of a particular social group.
2. The story of a refugee conjures up images of horror; it is a tale of adventure into the unknown. The
flight into the jungle, boat or plane marks the beginning of a series of refugees’ woes until they are
admitted to the country of asylum. Many of those running away from bullets are either maimed or
killed, but the will of those who survive is invincible. Many more die by the wayside, unable to complete
the escape bid. Many others are devoured by serpents or wild animals, or killed by strong currents of
deep rivers, or by pneumonia caused by numbing cold.
3. Zambia is a home to thousands of refugees and asylum seekers, who have left or lost most of their
material possessions and whose families have been shattered through the death or scattering of
individual family members. Most of these originate from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC),
Angola, Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia, Ethiopia and Sudan.
61
4. Most countries treat refugees with suspicion bordering on xenophobia. Consequently, they are
subjected to stringent security to prove their eligibility to refugee status and are strictly monitored to
ensure that they do not become mischievous. It is little wonder, therefore, that in Zambia the majority
of them are in established rural settlements, such as Maheba and Mayukwayukwa in North-western
and Western provinces respectively. Those allowed to live in towns must fulfil certain conditions: they
must show proof that they possess employment skills, or that they are students, or that they are
seeking specialised medical care.
5. The obligation of carrying some form of identity, such as passports or settlement passes, to which all
refugees are subjected, is as oppressive as the pass laws the former apartheid South African regime
imposed on the black community: it curtails refugee freedom of movement and erodes their dignity
and sense of pride. Zambia as a torch-bearer of hospitality and humanitarianism in Southern Africa, has
the obligation to open her doors even wider to refugees as part of her affirmative action to mitigate
against their plight.
(Adapted from an article in the Zambia Daily Mail of June 20th, 2001).
In not more than 135 words of your own, summarize the ‘woes’ or ‘images of horror’ (i.e. distressing
experiences) which refugees undergo. The summary has been started for you.
Refugees undergo many distressing experiences ………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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.
62
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, it begins 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)
You are interested in the causes or sources of lead poisoning; you are not interested in the symptoms 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 your 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 ………………………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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SUGGESTED ANSWERS
1 REWRITES (TRANSFORMATIONS)
1 2013 PAPER 2
1 B On no account should pupils be allowed free access to the staffroom.
2 B He neither understands nor sympathises with anyone.
3 B Man, unfortunately, is naturally selfish and possessive.
4 B Lit at 18:00 hours, the lamp burnt until midnight.
5 B You have to do it again.
6 B Neither Peter nor John is dull.
B Neither Peter nor John isn’t intelligent.
7 B Mr Chama reminded his son to wake up early the following morning.
8 B The girls have arranged the venue for the party.
9 B Because he always tells lies, no one believes Francis.
B Because he always tells lies, Francis is not believed by anyone.
10 B You are coming with us, aren’t you?

1 B Crossing the road, the snake was killed by Peter.
2 B But for the bad road, we could have visited you.
3 B The President, as well as ten other government officials, is touring our village.
B The President as well as ten other government officials are touring our village.
4 B With anger and pride, Joseph resolved to fight back.
5 B His friend lent him the money last week.
6 B Only after meeting him did I realise how dangerous the man was.
7 B She is too intelligent not to be selected for Grade Ten.
8 B Rarely does he go to the village.
9 B Jane survived her brother.
10 B He passed much better than they thought

1. B None of the cattle is not in the Kraal.
2. B Football, together with basketball, is a popular game in Zambia.
3. B Not until somebody helps you will you solve this problem.
4. B Football is considered the most interesting sport in the world by most people.
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5. B I would rather go to the cinema than watch television.

6. B Galloping across the road, the horse narrowly missed the car.
7. B Unless you go for Voluntary Counselling and Testing, you cannot know your HIV
status.
8. B The teacher said, “I want you to tell me the truth or I will slap you.”
9. B So bewildered was my mother that she couldn’t talk.
10. B No matter how hard I train my performance does not improve.

1. B Unless the transportation is well co-ordinated, a physical distribution system will not
be effective.
2. B For students to pass the examinations they should not only be interested in sports.
3. B Seeing that the issue was critical, they invited the minister to the meeting.
4. B So loudly did he weep that he attracted people's attention.
B So loudly had he wept that he attracted people's attention.
5. B Such a good footballer was the girl that every club wanted to hire her.
6. B Suffering as the children are their parent's don't care.
B Suffering though the children are their parent's don't care.
7. B The princess’ excessive sympathy with the children in distress embarrassed us.
8. B Jane did not pass better than I expected.
B Jane did not perform better than I expected.
9. B However late the Headteacher arrived no one seemed to mind.
10. B If were a pilot, I would be very excited.

1 B Musa lent me a shovel.
B Musa lent a shovel to me.
2 B Unhappy though I was, I could not weep in public.
B Unhappy as I was, I could not weep in public.
3 B I am not in the habit of driving while drunk.
4. B The Minister let the police shoot armed criminals on sight.
5 B I wish our treasurer had not squandered the money.
6 B The highest mountain in Africa is Mount Kilimanjaro.
7 B The patient preferred having milk to having porridge.
B The patient preferred having milk to porridge.
8 B No one could be more thorough in their investigations than they were.
9 B Not until he was ten years old did he start to read.
10 B The earlier we found a solution to our problem the better.
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6 2002 PAPER 2 QUESTION 3 SECTION 1 (REWRITES OR TRANSFORMATIONS) (10 Marks)

1. B. John was robbed of his wallet by a thief.
B John had his wallet stolen by a thief.
2. B The old man complained that he had broken his walking stick.
3 B If he had gone to school, he would have written the test.
4. B The professor discussed the need to preserve the ozone layer.
5. B The guest of honour preferred taking vodka to whisky.
6. B The Headteacher put emphasis on the dangers of HIV/AIDS.
7. B Our school performed better than any other school in the district.
B Our school performed the better than any other school in the district.
8. B Arnold is too sick not to see a doctor.
9. B The ball that the goalkeeper threw ten metres towards the centre hit the referee.
B The ball, which the goalkeeper threw ten metres towards the centre, hit the referee.
10. B No sooner did the lion roar than the people took to their heels.
B No sooner had the lion roared than the people took to their heels.
1. B The examiner believes that no one has tampered with the question paper.
2. B What man knows about the universe is still scanty.
3. B I prefer starving to eating worms.
4. B Unless you give me some of your bananas, I will not show you the way.
5. B We can do without your help.
6. B Dull as Josephat is, he managed to pass the examination.
B Dull though Josephat is, he managed to pass the examination.
7. B What a wonderful animal the giraffe is to watch!
B What a wonderful animal to watch a giraffe is!
8. B We were late to arrive and that angered our class teacher.
B We were late and that angered our class teacher.
9. B I shall have this house painted by someone tomorrow.
B I shall have someone paint this house tomorrow.
10. B To its dismay, the team lost again.
B To the team’s dismay, it lost again.
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2 VOCABULARY, CLOZES & PREPOSITIONS.

1 were 6 their 11 profession 16 skillful
2 further 7 later 12 stationary 17 laid
3 vain 8 grocery 13 preferred 18 denied
4 whose 9 definitely 14 bore 19 welfare
5 whether 10 guerrilla 15 hoarse 20 cost

1 what 6 most 11 wagged 16 seated
2 are 7 with 12 sheep 17 void
3 weed 8 would 13 aching 18 clients
4 anybody/anyone 9 beat 14 fleet 19 voyage
5 up 10 bouquet/bunch 15 talons/claws 20 mourning

1. to 11. over
2. for 12. up
3. in 13. up
4. away 14. out
5. up 15. across
6. to 16. out
7. along 17. back
8. out 18. with
9. into 19. over
10. on 20. by

1 the 6 would 11 came/moved 16 hyms/songs
2 her/about 7 between 12 as 17 book
3 is 8 voyage 13 about/almost/nearly 18 few
4 enjoyed 9 had 14 she 19 never
5 went 10 quite/very 15 a 20 will
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1 more 11 ancient
2 with 12 dressed
3 successful 13 lapse
4 innate 14 stages
5 creative 15 of
6 desire 16 serve
7 natural 17 if
8 pleasant 18 contract
9 attributes 19 vary
10 in 20 require
6 2002 PAPER 2 QUESTION 3 SECTION 2 (10 Marks)

1. so 6. cost 11. with 16. what
2. wasn’t 7. to 12. toes 17. saloon
3. more 8. with 13. on 18. which
4. into 9. singing 14. pride 19. have
5. on chirping 15. fare 20. resort
10. their/ one’s
1. of 6. to 11. off 16. off

2. with 7. with 12. from 17. within
3. with 8. to 13. up 18. at
4. in 9. from 14. over 19. to
5. for 10. on 15. up 20. with
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3 COMPREHENSION
1 C 5 A
2 B 6 A
3 D 7 D
4 D
8 However, concern remains that this free education exists only on paper and in reality remains
unaffordable to poorer households.
9 A Providing: catering
B To copy closely: mimicked
C Basic: fundamental
D Within reasonable limits: moderate
10 A Not at risk or not helpless: vulnerable

B No admission: access
C Prohibitive: affordable
D Not remarkable or not spectacular: dramatic

1 D 6 A
2 D 7 B
3 C 8 D
4 D 9 B
5 B
10 A can be overcome: surmountable

B interest: enthusiasm
C unavoidable: inevitable
D promise: guarantee

1 C 6 C
2 B 7 A
3 B 8 A
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4 D 9 B
5 A
10 A Left alone: deserted

B Large numbers: swarms
C Connected: linked
D Wiped out: exterminated

1 D 6 D
2 B 7 C
3 A 8 A
4 A 9 B
5 C
10 A Old and unspoiled: pristine

B Keeping or holding from: aloof
C Increase: surge
D Work in partnership: collaborated

1 B 5 C
2 A 6 B
3 A 7 A
4 D 8 C
9 (a) The assumption that all women are potential or actual mothers through the birthing
experience underpins the assumption of universal compulsory heterosexuality.
(b) Motherhood has become essential in the validation of one's heterosexuality as well as in
the accessing of a legitimate status in the society as a woman.
10 (a) taken possession of: appropriated

(b) penetration: permeation
(c) bringing up: nurturing
(d) abandoning: aborting

1 A 5 B
2 B 6 C
3 C 7 A
4 B 8 B
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9. A. Rosemary seemed to have had a grudge against the promiscuous husbands.

B. She trapped men mainly by her waylaying them at their haunts.
C. Through an encounter with Rosemary, men lost their teeth.
D. Her destructive actions were usually stopped by witch finders.
10. From the underlined words in the passage, find one word which is similar in meaning to what
is given below.
A. came out – emerged
B. adulterous – promiscuous
C. great surprise – consternation
D. ten-year period – decade

1 A 5 C
2 B 6 D
3 D 7 D
4 C 8 D
9 A. Initiation ceremonies for girls are bad because they potentiate early marriages.
B. Early marriages for girls should be discouraged because they disrupt the girls’
education.
10 A. Apparently: ostensibly
B. Generally accepted practices: conventions
C. Detailed: elaborate
D. Make possible: potentiate
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4 TIPS ON COMPOSITION WRITING
A composition is a piece of writing in form of a brief essay. There are two types of composition
questions that come at senior level. These are guided and unguided composition. Whether guided or
unguided, a composition will fall into one of the following categories: letter writing, report writing,
article writing, narrative writing, descriptive writing, speech writing, process analysis etc.
Understand the Question
- Understand and analyse the question.

- Read the question several times.
- Underline the words that tell you what approach to take (e.g. discuss, contrast, argue, etc)
- Highlight key words relating to the subject matter.
- Circle any other significant words that identify the scope of what you have to write about (e.g.
simply, fundamentally, only, merely, currently, respectively).
- Note any terms that you need to define.
- In your introduction say how you interpret the question (e.g. by rephrasing in your own
words)
- In your conclusion, refer back to the question; show the reader that you are still answering
the set question.
Meaning of Key Words in Composition Questions
Account for
Give reasons for; explain why something happens.
Analyse
Break up into parts; investigate.
Argue for or against
Consider the pros and cons, to give reasons for or against something
Comment on
Identify and write about the main issues; give your reactions based on what you have read/heard in
lectures. Avoid just personal opinion.
Compare
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Look for the similarities/differences between two things. Show the relevance or consequences of
these similarities. Perhaps conclude which is preferable.
Contrast
Bring out the differences between two items or arguments. Show whether the differences are
significant. Perhaps give reasons why one is preferable.
Critically evaluate
Weigh arguments for and against something, assessing the strength of the evidence on both sides.
Use criteria to guide your assessment of which opinions, theories, models or items are preferable.
Define
Give the exact meaning of. Where relevant, show you understand how the definition may be
problematic.
Describe
Give the main characteristics or features of something, or outline the main events.
Discuss
Investigate or examine by argument; sift and debate; give reasons for and against; examine the
implications.
Distinguish between
Bring out the differences between.
Evaluate
Assess and give your judgement about the merit, importance or usefulness of something. Back your
judgement with evidence.
Examine
Look closely into something.
Explain
Make clear why something happens, or is the way it is; interpret and account for; give reasons for.
Explore
Examine thoroughly; consider from a variety of viewpoints.
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Illustrate
Make something clear and explicit, giving examples of evidence.
Interpret
Show the meaning and relevance of data or other material presented
Justify
Give evidence which supports an argument or idea; show why a decision or conclusions were made;
answer the main objections which might be made.
Narrate
Outline what happened.
Outline
Give the main points/features/general principles; show the main structure and interrelations; omit
details and examples.
Relate
(a) Narrate
(b) Show similarities and connections between
State
Give the main features briefly and clearly.
Summarise
Draw out the main points only; omit details and examples.
To what extent
Consider how far something is true, or contributes to a final outcome. Consider also ways in which it
is not true.
Trace
Follow the development or history of an event or process.
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Plan your composition
- write down ideas as they come in form of outlines or a sketch

- connect related ideas
- organise related ideas into paragraphs.
- arrange the paragraphs in a logical, progressive way.
Do not exceed the specified number of words
You will be asked to write between 250 and 350 words. Any words written beyond the word limit will
be cancelled. To estimate the number of words you have written, count the number of words in the
first sentence and multiply by the number of lines of the whole composition.
Proof read for spelling and punctuation
Ensure that that words are correctly spelled and sentences are correctly punctuated to avoid losing
marks.
Be Time Conscious
As you plan and write your composition, remember that you do not have all the time in the world.
The question specifically advises you not to spend more than 50 minutes on one composition.
Use Appropriate Vocabulary
Avoid using ‘bombastic’ words. Use uncommon words sparingly to so as not to lose the reader.
Use Tenses Correctly
Certain compositions require use past tense while others require use of present or future tense.
Use a Variety of Sentence Constructions
Lack of variation can bore the reader to death. Use different phrases, styles, synonyms, phrasal verbs,
idioms, proverbs etc.
No sooner did the lion roar than the people took to their heels.
I prefer starving to eating worms.
If he had gone to school, he would have written the test.
Not until he was ten years old did he start to read.
However late the Headteacher arrived no one seemed to mind.
So loudly did he weep that he attracted people's attention.
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Galloping across the road, the horse narrowly missed the car.
I would rather go to the cinema than watch television.
He neither understands nor sympathises with anyone.
VARIETY IN COMPOSITION WRITING

The basic unit of any continuous piece of writing is the sentence. Sentences make up a
paragraph and paragraphs constitute any essay. The sentence of a composition, however, must
be varied. If you were to write sentences of the same type and length throughout an essay, you
will produce a dull composition which will not encourage your audience to read on. In the
examination, the Examiner will have to tolerate reading your composition instead of enjoying
it. The following are some of the salient (important) ways of writing varied sentences.
LENGTH
We are aware that some of you have been told that a good essay is one with short and simple
sentences only. Unfortunately, this is not correct. Examiners expect you to construct sentences
which are varied in length. What do you think about the following paragraph?
I went to town on Sunday morning. There were many people there. Most of them were
nurses from outside town. They had come to cash their salary cheques. The banks were
very busy that day.
The above paragraph has one major weakness: all the sentences are short. It is not an
interesting paragraph to read.
When you write a paragraph you should endeavour to construct sentences of different lengths:
some should be short, some long and others of medium length. A combination of sentences of
different lengths makes reading more interesting and the writing more mature. Can you
improve the paragraph above by varying the lengths of the sentences?
SENTENCE STRUCTURE
It is not sentence length only that should be considered in the construction of composition.
Sentence structure is also important. You should vary the structure of your sentences. How do
you do this? It is not as difficult as you may think. In a composition, you should have a
combination of:
(i) Simple sentences
(ii) Compound sentences
(iii) Complex sentences
(iv) Compound-complex sentences
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Simple sentences
A simple sentence is a sentence with one verb, e.g.
Brian went to town or They sing.
All the sentences in the specimen paragraph given above are simple sentences.
Compound sentence
A compound sentence is one with two or more simple sentences joined by ‘but’ ‘a’ ‘and or
‘or’ e.g.
(i) Mutale went to town but Taizya remained at home.
(ii) Mr. Chewe sold six heads of cattle and his children praised him for that.
Complex sentences
A complex sentence is one with at least one main clause and one subordinate clause.
A main clause is a statement which can stand on its own in a composition as a complete
sentence and you can put a full stop at the end of it: a subordinate clause cannot stand on its
own as a complete sentence in a composition. It has to be attached to a main clause.
Subordinate clauses normally begin with words called subordinators or subordinating
conjunctions such as:
When, as , if, because, since, for, who, whose, where, although, while, in spite of, so, etc.
The following statements are subordinate clauses, and are incomplete sentences.
(i) As he was walking towards the farm gate.
(ii) Because he did not know the answer to Question 5.
If we supply each of these subordinate clauses with a main clause, we get a complete
complex sentence in each case, e.g.
(iii) She saw a strange light as she was walking towards the farm gate.
(iv) He lost many marks because he did not know the answer to question 5.
In the ‘O’ Level examination, a composition without a single complex sentence cannot be
awarded marks above 10. A good composition at ‘O’ Level must have at least some complex
sentences.
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Compound -complex sentences

If you join a subordinate clause to a compound sentences, you get a compound-complex
sentences.,e.g.
As she was walking towards the farm gate, she saw a strange light and ran back to the
house.
If your essay contains all the four types of sentences we have discussed briefly above, it is
varied and likely to interest the reader. Unfortunately, in the compositions written by majority
of candidates who fail the examination, simple and compound sentences predominate.
VARIETY WITHIN EACH SENTENCE TYPE
You can achieve variety within each of the four sentence types we have discussed above. This can be
done through.
(i) Changing the word order, e.g.
Usual:
The little boy crept up the hill
Varied:
Up the anti-hill the boy crept.
(ii) Reducing part of a sentence
Usual: They chased the thief into the bush without stopping.
Varied: They chased the thief relentlessly into the bush.
(iii) Combining sentences by turning one of them into a parenthesis, e.g.
Usual:
Mr Gondwe toiled and moiled daily on the small plot in the oppressive October heat. He
was a peasant breadwinner of a large extended family.
Varied:
Mr Gondwe, a peasant breadwinner of a large extended family, toiled and moiled daily on the
small plot in the oppressive October heat.
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PARAGRAPHING
A composition should be divided into paragraphs. What is a paragraph? A paragraph is a unit. But
what is a unit? The word ‘unit’ comes from the Latin word ‘unus’ which means one. In a paragraph,
you should write about one and ONE point or ONE idea or ONE stage in the development of a broad
idea. Candidates who include several disparate ideas in one paragraph produce very weak essays with
little or no development of the ideas contained in the essays. Such compositions suffer from poor
coherence and lack of depth.
Useful linking words and phrases
To indicate a contrast:
however on the other hand in contrast
alternatively on the contrary conversely
in comparison rather in fact
another possibility better/worse still but
despite this notwithstanding in spite of
nevertheless for all that yet
all the same instead although
To provide an illustration:
for example as follows that is
that is to say for instance say
in other words namely such as
chiefly mainly most importantly
typical of this/such notably one such
including especially not least
a typical/particular/ key example in particular
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To extend a point:
similarly equally indeed in addition
in the same way in addition likewise
too besides also
;above all as well furthermore
To show cause and effect/conclusion:
so therefore accordingly
thus hence then
I;t follows that for this reason this implies
in this/that case consequently because of this/that
this suggests that in conclusion in short
to conclude In brief in all
it might be concluded from this accepting/assuming this
resulting from this in consequence of this
as a result/ consequence owing to/due to the fact that accepting/assuming this
To show the next step:
first(ly) second(ly) to begin/start with
lastly last but not least ultimately
first and foremost finally another
then after next
afterwards third(ly) first and most importantly
in the first/second place

- Reason: as, because, for, since, in case, as if, that is why, due to, owing to, the aim, the cause,
rationale, grounds etc.
- Time: after, as, before, ever since, since, immediately, once, since, till, until, when, whenever,
whereupon, while, as soon as, now that.
- Purpose: so, so that, in order that, in order to.
- Contrast: although, though, whereas, while, yet, even though, in spite of.
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- Comparison: as, like, than, though, as if, as though

- Condition: if, providing, unless, provided that, seeing that, as long as, so long as, even if.
- Choice: than, whether, rather than.
- Exception: except, but.
- Degree: as far as.
- Preference: rather than, sooner than.
- Consequence: so, that, so that, such that, in order that.
- Indirect question: whether, if.
Use correlative conjunctions:
- either …. or (One or more things that are available as another possibility)

- neither …. nor (Putting two negative ideas together)
- both …. and (Add something to another thing)
- not …. but (Replacing something with something else)
- not only …. (but) also (Adding something to another thing)
- If …. then (Showing a result that is dependent on something else)
- Whether …. or (Expressing a choice between alternatives)
- as .… so
- as …. as as quickly as possible
- the .… the The earlier we found a solution to our problem the better.
- although …. yet
- so .… that
Use phrasal verbs
Use idioms
Use proverbs and sayings
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A Model Composition Structure

(а) Title
Composition titles are usually given in the question. In a narrative or descriptive type of composition,
a title should have not more than six (6) words. However, this cannot be accommodating in other
compositions such as reports and speeches. A short title is eye catching in most cases. In letter writing,
the title is in the reference (subject or RE:) section just below the salutation.
(b) Introduction.
The introduction should arouse the reader’s interest, set the scene, be brief, should not hit the nail
on its head. Use this paragraph to explain how you interpret the question and define key terms if
necessary. Give a brief outline of which issues you will explore, and in which order.
(c) Main Body
This is the heart of your composition. It contains the points outlined in your introduction, divided into
paragraphs:
• Paragraph 1
Covers the first thing you said you would address. The first sentence (the topic sentence) introduces
the main idea of the paragraph. Other sentences develop the topic. Include relevant examples, details,
evidence etc.
• Paragraph 2 and other paragraphs
The first sentence links the paragraph to the previous paragraph then introduces the main idea of the
paragraph. At senior level, the main body should start from paragraph two (2) to four (4) or paragraph
two (2) to five (5). This is on account that the minimum number of paragraphs you should write five
(5) while maximum six (6).
Remember also that, your main body must have a paragraph which form the climax of the
composition. A climax paragraph should come just before the conclusion and it is this paragraph which
explains it all makes the reader satisfied about what he or she was reading.
(d) Conclusion.
State your general conclusions. A conclusion can either be a warning, suggestion, advice, quote, saying
etc. Choose any one of the above to end your conclusion. Make it clear why those conclusions are
important or significant. Do not introduce new material. There are some words which show the reader
that you are about to end. Use words like, Finally, In conclusion, In a nutshell, To sum it up, Lastly, etc.
In the last sentence, sum up your argument very briefly, linking it to the title.
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Types of Compositions.
(1) LETTER WRITING
- INFORMAL LETTER
- SEMI-FORMAL LETTER
- FORMAL LETTER – APPLICATION LETTER
- RECOMMENDATION/REFERENCE LETTER
- LETTER TO THE EDITOR
(6) REPORT WRITING
(7) ARTICLE WRITING
(9) SPEECH WRITING
VOTE OF THANKS
Now let us look each in a little bit more detail.
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(1) LETTER WRITING

One of the oldest ways of communication is letter writing. As an O Level student you will be
examined in this area, hence the need to look at the skills needed to come up with standard
letters. There are three types of letters and we should know how to write each type correctly.
1. Formal (or business) letters: These are written to people in their official capacities. They
also include replies from officials to people who have written to them. Very often, we do not
know these people well or we do not know them at all. These letters are very business-like.
We only write what is really necessary. Examples of such letters are application for
employment and recommendation letter.
2. Semi-formal letters : These are letters we write to people we know but are usually not our
own age. These include our parents, older relatives, priests, pastors and our teachers. We still
use the kind of English we would use in speech but we are very careful to be polite and
respectful.
3. Informal (or friendly) letters: These are letters we write to friends, relatives or people of
our age. In these letters we use the kind of English we use when we are speaking to our
friends. However, this English must be correct.
Difference between formal letter and informal letter
Formal letter Informal letter
No contractions are allowed. E.g cannot, Contractions are used e.g can’t, won’t
will not
Uses two addresses; the senders and Only one address; the senders address
receives address.
The salutation is Dear Sir/ Madam The salutation is not formal.e.g Hi, Hello
Language is formal. E.g The language is not formal. E.g
(i) I found my father waiting (i) I found dad waiting
(ii) Thank you very much for allowing me to (ii) Thanks a million for giving me such a
spend my holiday at your home. supper time
The ending is Yours faithfully or Yours The ending is, All the best, best wishes,
sincerely yours friend, yours fondest etc.
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No greeting First paragraph begins with greetings
(a) INFORMAL LETTER

C/O Mrs Lillian Mazimba,
P. O Box 320018,
Kitwe.
17th March, 2017.
Dear Nkuzanga,
Thanks for your letter which arrived yesterday. I hope you and your family are well.
I was glad to know that you’ve been topping your class again. Congrats! You must have studies
extremely hard to make it. I’m sure you’ll now work even harder at secondary school.
Remember ‘Auntie’ Marble? Well, she finally said goodbye to spinsterhood last Sunday when
she married Mr. Bwalya our handsome Mathematics teacher. The wedding was very colourful
and it’s still the talk of the town. You should have been here to share the joy and excitement
of the occasion with us. It was super.
Say hi to your Mum and Dad.
Yours ever,
Mapalo
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(b) SEMI-FORMAL LETTER

House No. 275,
Nkakula Road, Mayadi,
Chinsali.
12 January,2017.
Dear Mr. Chewe,
I have a serious problem on which I need your advice.
I am unable to raise enough money to buy a uniform or pay for my school fees. This is because
my father has left employment and has gone to settle in Luapula Province. I am being looked
after by a relative who does not work.
I am wondering if I should just stop school altogether. You have probably notices that the
standard of my work has become worse and that I have been absent from school several
times recently.
I would be most grateful for your advice on this matter.
Yours sincerely,
Clement Bwalya.
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(c) FORMAL LETTER – APPLICATION LETTER
Zambia Sugar Company
P. O Box 32930,
Mazabuka.
11th March, 2017.
The Human Resource Manager,
Mopany Copper Mines,
P. O Box 23457,
Kitwe.
Dear Sir/ Madam,
RE: APPLICATION FOR THE POSITION OF COMMUNICATION OFFICER
I am applying for the above mentioned post advertised in the Zambian Daily of Thursday
6th March, 2017.
I have successfully completed my degree course in communication at the University of

Zambia. During my study, I did a lot of communication related work that included two
separate internships at leading organisations.
Currently, I am working as a volunteer with Dave Christa Communications Agency where I

assist in the communication department, which is relevant to this job.
If given the chance, I will work to the attainment of your organisations mission and vision.
Your positive response would be highly appreciated.
Yours faithfully
J. Banda
BANDA JAMES
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(d) RECOMMENDATION/REFERENCE LETTER

A recommendation letter is also a reference letter. It is a document written about an
applicant’s character and abilities in relation to a particular job. It therefore, recommends the
person for the job, admission into a college or university or promotion.
There are two types of recommendation letters. The first one is an open letter. This is a
recommendation letter written to the receiver who is not known. It should carry the words,
‘To Whom it May Concern.’ This should be written in the middle of the paper and underlined.
The second one is where the receiver is known. In this case the title and the address of the
person you are writing to should be written on the left hand side of the paper
The recommendation letter should have a title. The title is always the name of the individual
the letter is talking about (or recommending). This is written in capital letters and underlined.
At the end of the letter, the writer must sign and state their designation (capacity in which he
or she is writing).
MODEL OF A RECOMMENDATION LETTER
Ndeke Secondary School,
P. O Box 82001,
Kitwe.
12th May, 2010
To whom it may concern
Dear Sir/ Madam,
REF: BWALYA BANDA
This letter serves to recommend Bwalya Banda for any possible help and consideration for a
job in your company.
Bwalya was one of the learners at Ndeke Secondary School. While at this school, he was very
intelligent and disciplined. Both teachers and fellow learners liked him for his friendly
character; hence, he was able to get along very well with others.
He was always punctual for school and was actively involved in co-curricular activities. Bwalya
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is a very responsible boy who does his tasks with aptness. I have, therefore, no doubt that if
given any job he can perform with diligence.
Any assistance would be highly appreciated.
Yours faithfully
J Mugala
Joseph Mugala
Head Teacher
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(e) LETTER TO THE EDITOR

C/o Mrs Bwalya Phiri
P. O Box 41327
Lusaka.
15th April, 2016.

The Editor,
Post Newspapers
P. O Box 37562,
Lusaka.
Dear Editor,
Re: Police Must Arrest Jay Jay
Allow me to register my heartfelt sympathy towards the Post correspondent who was
assaulted by UNIP cadres. It particularly broke my heart when I read about how
inhuman people can be towards fellow human beings all in the name of politics.
Urinating in someone’s mouth and wanting to burn him alive! I wonder why the police
now have failed to arrest Jay Jay Phiri who urinated in Bwalya Banda’s mouth when
they know where he is.
This young man lives in Lusaka and is seen every day roaming the streets. He is always
seen even harassing other people. Jay is even campaigning to contest the coming
elections on the UNIP ticket. Is the police not arresting him because he is part of the
system as said by Lusaka Province Commissioner Davy Tembo?
God hear us!
Yours sincerely,
Charles Homela (Mr)
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Notes
All formal letters have the same format.
(1) Applicant’s address – it is written on the top-right corner as shown below.
(2) Date – date of application is written one space below the applicant’s address (leave
one line space between the applicant’s address and the date).
(3) Addressee’s address – the address of the organisation being written to is written
below the date on the left side as shown.
(4) Salutation – this comes one space below the addressee’s address.
Dear Sir/Madam, – if you don’t know the addressee.
Dear Mr Jimmy Walker/ Mrs Edina Sinkala, – if you know the addressee.
Dear Editor, – letter to a newspaper or magazine.
(5) Subject (Title or Reference) – it written in the centre and below the salutation. It must
be underlined.
If it is an application for a job, clearly indicate the position (post) being applied for.
Dear Sir/Madam,
RE: APPLICATION FOR THE POSITION OF BANK TELLER.
If it is a reference (recommendation) letter, write the name of the person.
Dear Sir/Madam,
RE: BWEZANI SIMCARD SAKALA
If it is a letter to a newspaper or magazine, write the title of the article.

Dear Editor,
RE: SHORTAGE OF COMPUTERS IN SCHOOLS
(6) Introduction
(7) Main Body
(8) Conclusion
(9) Complimentary Close – It is below the conclusion at the bottom left with a comma.
Use Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely.

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If salutation is specific (Dear Editor,) or uses a personal name (Dear Mr John Masiala,) use
Yours sincerely,
If salutation is Dear Sir/Madam, use
Yours faithfully,
(10) Signature – sign below the complimentary close.
(11) Your Name and Title (Mr, Miss, Mrs, Dr) – Write your name below the signature, with
your title (Mr), (Miss), (Ms) or (Mrs).
Yours faithfully,
(Signature)
Dennis Mweemba (Mr).
(12) Position – if you have a position in an organisation you are writing from, write it below
your name.
Yours faithfully,
(Signature)
Dennis Mweemba (Mr).
Curriculum Development Director
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Process analysis composition is one in which a writer explains step by step how something is done or
how to do something.
Process analysis writing can take one of two forms: (1) it can provide information about how
something works (informative) or (2) it can explain how to do something (directive). An informative
process analysis is usually written in the third-person point of view; a directive process analysis is
usually written in the second person. In both forms, the steps are typically organized in chronological
order--that is, the order in which the steps are carried out. Use sequence indicators to show the
steps.
Sequence indicators to show the steps:
first(ly) second(ly) to begin/start with
lastly last but not least ultimately
first and foremost finally another
then after next
afterwards third(ly) first and most importantly
in the first/second place
Planning a good process analysis requires the writer to include all the essential steps.
- Be sure you have all the tools or ingredients needed.

- Be sure to include all steps and arrange them in chronological order.
- Make use of the imperative form of the verb, the present simple tense and the passive.
- Explain why each step is necessary, and include warnings where appropriate.
- Define any terms that your readers may not be familiar with.
- Offer clear descriptions of any tools or materials needed to carry out the process.
- Provide your readers with a way of determining whether or not the process has been
carried out successfully.
Example.
How to Catch River Crabs
by Mary Zeigler
As a lifelong crabber (that is, one who catches crabs, not a chronic complainer), I can tell you
that anyone who has patience and a great love for the river is qualified to join the ranks of
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crabbers. However, if you want your first crabbing experience to be a successful one, you
must come prepared.
First, you need a boat, but not just any boat. I recommend a 15-foot-long fiberglass boat
complete with a 25-horsepower motor, extra gas in a steel can, two 13-foot-long wooden
oars, two steel anchors, and enough cushions for the entire party. You will also need scoops,
crab lines, a sturdy crate, and bait. Each crab line, made from heavy-duty string, is attached
to a weight, and around each weight is tied the bait--a slimy, smelly, and utterly grotesque
chicken neck.
Now, once the tide is low, you are ready to begin crabbing. Drop your lines overboard, but not before
you have tied them securely to the boat rail. Because crabs are sensitive to sudden movements, the
lines must be slowly lifted until the chicken necks are visible just below the surface of the water. If
you spy a crab nibbling the bait, snatch him up with a quick sweep of your scoop. The crab will be
furious, snapping its claws and bubbling at the mouth. Drop the crab into the wooden crate before it
has a chance to get revenge. You should leave the crabs brooding in the crate as you make your way
home.
Back in your kitchen, you will boil the crabs in a large pot until they turn a healthy shade of orange.
Just remember to keep the crab pot covered. Finally, spread newspapers over the kitchen table,
deposit the boiled crabs on the newspaper, and enjoy the most delicious meal of your life.
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A narrative composition is one in which you tell a story. This could be real or imagined.
Narratives usually follow the order in which the events happened. One technique that could
be used in narrative composition is flash back. This implies that the writer begins with the
final scene, and then goes back to the beginning to explain how this dramatic end was arrived
at. The writer does not follow the chronological order of the events of the story. Consider the
following example:
I lay sick in the hospital suffering from diarrhoea and feeling very weak. However, it all
started when I went to a restaurant.....
The writer here used flash back technique. Normally this should be the concluding paragraph.
So, the narrator in this case will have a duty to tell the reader how he found himself in the
hospital. Consider the second example:
I had a moment of mixed joy and anguish when my mind took over. I felt that the moment
of a lifetime had come. The world seemed to stand still, it did not exist. The only reality was
- I had made it. I was the champion of the world.
The writer in this case will have a duty to tell the readers how he/she arrived at this
dramatic ending.
The introduction should be interesting and captivate the reader’s attention. Look at the
example below:
Just as I was about to go round the bend a short distance away from the growth point, I
heard a loud bang. I stopped at once and was transfixed on the spot. There was silence.
Then I heard a subdued moan behind a bush nearby about twenty metres away.
These introductory sentences capture the examiners attention and interest at once. His or
her curiosity is immediately aroused and he or she is keen to find out what happened next.
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So the examiner feels compelled to read on. All the candidate has to do is sustain the interest
he or she has aroused, right to the end of the story.
The ending or conclusion of a narrative composition is also extremely important. In fact, there
are many ways to end a composition.
(i) Using dramatic conclusion e.g
It was more terrifying than I thought anything could be. The smell of death rose around it.
There was a scream and I stepped back in horror. Right after this, my alarm clock sounded
and I woke up.
(ii) Using a quotation e.g.
“There are many things in heaven and on earth that man dreams of.” It has been said. How
true it is! That strange and awful shape that visited me that night! I will never forget.
(iii) Restating the topic e.g.
I will never forget the night I saw the ghost. Whether it was real or imagination, I will never
know, but I can still feel the icy finger running down my spine when I think of it.
(iv) Writing a summary of the main points. E.g.
So the night ended. I walked home after the party at Edward Nanda and had taken the short
cut through Chingwele Cemetery. Looking back, I saw a white shape moving towards me.
What followed after was unclear, but I remember standing inside my house shaking and
panting. I must have run very fast.
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SAMPLES OF NARRATIVE COMPOSITIONS
Never Judge a Book by its Cover
I remember everything as if it was only yesterday. Loud hysterical banging on our front door
woke me up with a start. I barely caught the time out of the corner of my eye as I rushed to
open the door. Fumbling with the lock in haste, I finally got the door open. Outside was as
clear as a crystal because of the reflecting powerful rays of the moon. It was also as silent as
an abandoned cemetery and only the chirruping of crickets and hooting of owls could be
heard.
There was a man at the door. He stood rooted to the ground but when I asked him what he
wanted he got into the house without uttering a word. I could not persist his way since I was
no match to a mature male. I now took a closer look at him. The man was dressed in a black
suit and had a muscular built body with unkempt hair. The man looked dignified from his
attire and from his look; you could think he could never even hurt a fly. He seemed to be in
his late twenties and any lady would kill to have him as a fiancé.
A string of questions lined up my mind wondering what he had come to do in our house at
that time. Since silence and courtesy are the best ship home, i waited for him to break the
silence. Seconds and minutes finally turned into an hour without him talking. At that point,
the courage i had before was overwhelmed with fear. Immediately the wall clock struck nine,
he got up and removed a rag which had been dipped in chloroform and handcuffed me. I do
not know what happened next because the medicine was taking control of me.
I gained my consciousness only to find myself surrounded by a group of men all dressed in
black suits. My heart skipped a mighty beat wondering what they all wanted to do to me. The
man whom I thought would never hurt a fly now looked fierce and was as angry as a wounded
buffalo. I now knew I was their captive and that thought made me scared to my wits. The
man who looked dignified now looked crazy. It was clear that he was on the height of insanity.
He was destroying everything inside the house. I thought they would take the loot they had
come for, but they were not after that, they were after me.
I was handcuffed. Bitter tears welled up my eyes and rolled down my rosy cheeks. I said my
last prayers ready for the worst. I closed my eyes waiting for the rascal to pull the trigger,
when suddenly the door flew open. “Everybody hands up,” said the police. They were all
taken to the police station. I learnt a lesson never to judge the book by its cover. A person
may be gentle and handsome but the behaviour quite irritable and disgusting.
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ALL IS WELL THAT ENDS WELL
The excitement we had immediately died when we realised that he was not our father. We
had been waiting for him for a long time and when we heard a knock on the door we went as
fast as deer to open it. A gigantic man entered the house regardless to the saying, hurry, hurry
has no blessings.
I narrowed my eyes in astonishment and suddenly my mouth went agape and I started
thinking with wonder and curiosity. My brother and sister were already in their hiding places
and I was alone in the room. “Lie down and tell me where your father is and where he keeps
money,” the man roared. I did not hear clearly what he said and as sudden as snapshot he
gave me a superdelic blow which sent me sprawling and kissing the innocent floor. Thoughts
assailed in my entangled mind wondering where my mother had gone.
The stranger lifted me up from where I was and made me stand and tell him where my father
had gone. My stomach contracted with a cold spasm and my intestines rumbled fourth rise
in my body temperature, I had nothing to tell him since my father could have been killed. My
mind raced like fire eating up dry grass.
By good luck I found a solution to it. I decided that I should cheat the man to enter the store
which was wide open and take the money, and after that I would close the door and call for
rescue. With my heart throbbing against my chest as strange sweat poured from my wrinkled
face, I told him the whole lie. He entered the store feeling as happy as a lark and started
searching for money. In spite of that, he also wanted to take some grains.
I moved as a speed which could make a snail a champion and closed the door without him
noticing, he was busy searching for money. My heart melted with joy because my plan had
succeeded. Hence the saying, “knowledge is power.” I went to where my brother and sister
were hiding and I took them so that we could seek rescue. We opened the door quietly and
got out.
I let out a stentorian scream which cut through the air like a knife in butter breaking the eerie
silence that had loomed the area. Many people heard and rushed towards our house like
cheetahs in a Spanish arena. Everybody was carrying a tool to defend that home from the
danger. They asked what was wrong and I told the whole story. That man was now struggling
with the door continuously like an antelope trying to break free from the jaws of a hungry
lion.
No sooner had I finished talking than they asked for the key to the store. They went and
opened the door. Suddenly they started beating him mercilessly. I was as happy as a sand
boy, as they carried the man to the police station. I thanked them and they left my brother,
sister, father and I.
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I realised that the Greeks were not insane to coin the adage, “Bullies are always
cowards, ”Alas!
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This is a composition in which you are asked to describe a person, a place or thing. A narrative tells a
story about an event, while description creates a picture of a person, place, thing or event for the
reader.
Description uses sensory detail (sights, sounds, tactile sensations, tastes and smells) to describe a
scene, person or feeling to a reader. As you describe, you create a three-dimensional picture so your
reader can experience the item, place, person or emotion along with the reading. Descriptive essay
topics include your favorite place, your bedroom, your best friend, the most unusual object you own,
an art exhibit, the best or worst teacher you ever had, your ideal job or dream home.
Like all the other types of composition, it should be properly organised. In order for you to produce a
well organised descriptive composition, you have to plan its structure. Writers of descriptive
compositions adopt different approaches which help them to give a logical structure to their writing.
(i) The bottom -up approach: This is popular with many writers. If, say, you are asked to describe the
physical appearance of a person, you can start with the feet and slowly move up to the head.
(ii) The top-down approach. You can, conversely, start with the head and move down to the feet after
you have given a general description of the person.
(iii) The far-to-near approach: this is very suitable in the description of scenery. You start by describing
what is farthest from you and move to those things which are immediately surrounding you.
(iv) The near-far approach. You start with your very immediate environment and move out to distant
objects. The far-to near approach can be very effective in the description of a single structure like a
house. You can start by describing the appearance of the house from a distance. Then, moving in
closer to the house, look at the details of its exterior before moving inside to look at its interior and
finally its furnishings.
In a descriptive composition you must paint a vivid picture of what you are describing using words.
Words are you drawing board, your colours, your paint, your brush; they are all you need to produce
a clear descriptive composition. (Mashekwa,2008). Therefore, you must choose the appropriate nous,
verbs, adjectives and adverbs. Consider the following examples:
The young woman entered the room. This could be changed to:
The young woman strode proudly into the tiny office which bore her name inscribed in gold lettering.
The crippled girl entered the room. This could be changed to:
The crippled girl dragged herself painfully into the room.
The haggard, trembling prisoner entered the room. This could be changed to:
The haggard, trembling prisoner stumbled awkwardly into the evil smelling rat-infested cell.
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It is also imperative to choose words which appeal to the five senses of your reader viz a viz senses of
touch, smell, taste, sight and hearing. Look at the following examples:
Hearing: The wind tore at the thatch and the timber of the roof moaned as if seeking release to go
elsewhere.
Smell: As we entered the hut, our noses curled at the bitter smell of paraffin but this was quickly
replaced with the sweet aroma of the freshly backed scones.
Sight: His eyes were clear and sharp but the wrinkles around them held warmth as though he laughed
a lot.
The writer in the illustrations above uses words that describe colour, shape, size, length and
appearance. Apart from this, you must learn to use figurative language such as similes, metaphors and
personification. These are illustrated below:
Simile: A simile is a direct comparison between two or more things which are a like in only one respect.
Similes are introduced by the word like or as, e.g.
(i) The eyes of the angry bull rolled in their sockets like two ripe plums in boiling oil.
(ii) It was as tasteless as the pulp of a squeezed orange.
Metaphors: A metaphor is an implied comparison between two or more things which are alike in
some respect, e.g
(i) He was a lion in battle.
(ii) He dwarfed everybody in the crowd.
(iii) He bulldozed his way through the crowd.
Personification: This is a metaphor in which human characteristics are attributed to something

inanimate, e.g.
(i) The cold breeze whispered a few truths about nature in my ears.
(ii) Zambia is very rich. She has many resources which are yet to be fully exploited.
MODELS OF DESCRIPTIVE COMPOSITION
Darkness Always Terrifies Me

Lightening streaked the sky a brilliant yellow, briefly illuminating the velvet blackness that bathed the
earth. Thunder boomed: drum rolling of angry blasts burst the oppressed air. The explosion rattled
the window panes and I lay cowering in my bed, terrified by the splendour of nature’s might. Swaying
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trees screamed, throwing their protest to the lashing wind that howled through their branches. I
listened to this great voice and shivered.
Rain began to scream-down heavy drops that splattered onto the parched ground, bursting open its
eager mouth. Thirsty plants lapped up this God-given moisture. Another burst of thunder! I shook
violently when a cascade of rain-drops exploded above me; the whole family was inexorably drawn
into the vortex of trepidation while the storm raged on with diabolical gusto and unmitigated sadism;
soon there was pandemonium in the big round hut. Even my father, whose reputation for intrepidity
had won him great respect from all the villagers in the new resettlement community, was petrified.
Another burst of lightning! The rain fell harder in short torrents that mercilessly slapped the plants. A
muddy river began its zigzag course. An earthly humid smell to command of the air; yet still, the drum-
roll in the heavens continued and rose in crescendo like a hundred drums being played at once.
Another streak of blinding light hit the hut, followed by a deafening growl. The air was heavy with
water and oozing with light and noise. I listened to the pitiful moaning of the wind. Another burst of
light and then darkness.
Silence. Silence, save for the faint splatter of raindrops dripping from the exhausted trees. I gazed out
of my window, astounded by the contrast of this fresh day with the raging night. The sky was washed
a pale blue and playful clouds scurried across it, buffeted by a gentle breeze. The sun smiled weakly
at the drenched earth, criss-crossed by a muddy stream. Plants sprawled about, having been squashed
by the pounding rain. A tree lay crippled, uprooted by the powerful wind. Its trunk was charred, burnt
by the white-hot lightening. As I stared at it, I listened to that beautiful silence that follows a raging
storm.
MODEL 2
The hills and the ridges now lay behind. This was a plain, the only such level stretch of land in this
country. If you strained your eyes and peered into the misty distance, you could see the land of Ukabi.
It was all peaceful on this plain, which was said to have been a field of battle, once long ago. A few
cattle pulled and mauled the grass while others lay down looking vacantly into space, chewing.
Suddenly, two boys emerged from the bush. They began to fight. One was tall and his unusually long
neck and limbs made him appear older than he really was. He was Kamau, son of Kabonyi from
Makuyu. The other, Kinuthia, was shorter with surprisingly strong muscles. His slow wide eyes well
matched his smooth forehead. He lived with his uncle at a village beyond the two ridges away from
Makuyu. His father had died early.
At first the boys fought with the sticks they had gone to fetch from the bush. The green sticks caught
each other in mid-air several times and were soon in pieces. The boys threw them away and one piece
touched a cow, which stood up quickly, frightened. It moved a few paces from the struggling pair,
waking two others on the way. Then it looked in the opposite direction, unconcerned with the fight.
Kamau and Kinuthia were now wrestling. Their arms were interlocked and the two boys went round
and round without either getting the better of the other, Kinuthia tried to lift Kamau off the ground
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and then trap him with his eight leg. The attempt always failed. Kamau had his struggles too. Though
not usually voluble, today he was eloquent with threats. “You will know who I am,” he warned, at the
same time using his right knee to hit Kinuthia’s stomach. (Adapted from: The River Between by Ngugi
Wa Thiong’o)
MODEL 3
My Home of Yesteryear
by Mary White
Situated on the bend of a horseshoe-shaped dirt road that intersects a back country highway is the
place I called home as a child. Here my elderly father raised his two girls without the help or
companionship of a wife.
The house is set back about 200 feet from the road, and as we saunter up the narrow dirt pathway,
lined with neat rows of flamboyant orange gladiolas on each side, the tidy appearance of the small,
unpainted frame house entices us to enter. Up the steps and onto the porch, we can't help but notice
a high-backed rocker on one side and a bench worn smooth by age on the other. Both remind us of
the many vesper hours spent here in the absence of modern-day entertainment.
Turning the door knob and entering the parlor is like taking a step back in time. There is no lock on
the door and no curtains on the windows, only shades yellowed with age, to be pulled down at night-
-as if you needed privacy out here in the boondocks. Dad's big over-stuffed armchair is set beside the
well-stocked bookcase where he enjoys passing a hot afternoon with a good book. His bed, an old
army cot, serves as a couch when company comes. One lone plaque with the words "Home, Sweet
Home" adorns the wall over the mantelpiece.
Just to the left is a doorway, minus a door, beckoning us to investigate the aroma drifting our way. As
we step into the kitchen we are overtaken by the rich smell of freshly baked bread. Dad is removing
the loaves from the belly of Old Bessie, our coal-burning cookstove. He leaves them to cool in neat
rows on our homemade plank table.
Turning toward the back door, we see an honest-to-goodness ice box, and yes, there's a genuine silver
quarter for the ice man to take in exchange for 50 pounds of dripping ice. I can picture him now as he
snatches the tongs tightly into the frozen block, causing tiny slivers of sparkling ice to fly everywhere.
Swinging it down off the back of his chug-a-lug of a truck and instantly throwing his other arm up to
keep his balance, he staggers with his load toward the back door. Hoisting the block of ice into place,
he gives a long, loud sigh of relief and drops the shiny quarter into his pocket.
Stepping outside the back door, we suddenly realize there is no running water in the kitchen, for here
stands the only water pipe around. The galvanized tubs, set upside down by the steps, indicate that
here is where most of the bathing occurs. A little footpath leads us to a hand pump, somewhat rusty
but still providing a cool refreshing drink--if we can prime the pump. As Dad douses its rusty throat
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with water, it gurgles for a minute or two, then belches back a flood of sparkling clear spring water,
free from the chemicals the law requires of modern water systems. But the pathway doesn't stop
here. It winds on out behind a dilapidated shack. No imagination is needed to know where it ends.
As dusk approaches we must slip around to the front porch and relax as we enjoy a country sunset.
The sky is absolutely breathtaking with its soft ribbons of orange and violet. The sun, ablaze with
beauty, casts our long shadows across the porch and onto the wall behind us. Everywhere nature is
praising its Maker and singing its night songs. Off in the distance the whip-poor-wills are just starting
their nightly lamentations. The crickets and frogs join in while bats dart overhead in search of a juicy
tidbit for breakfast. Bats, you see, begin their day at sunset. The house itself joins in the chorus with
its creaks and cracks of contraction as the coolness of the evening settles around us.
Indeed, a visit to the old homeplace brings back many fond memories, almost making us wish we
could turn back the clock to enjoy a few moments of peace and innocence.
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An argumentative composition requires you to argue for or against a certain question. Just
from the beginning it is important to decide the side you are going to be whether for or
against. However, if the question tells you which side you should be, you have no choice.
You could begin your composition as follows:
Of the assertion that ‘Juvenile Delinquency is due to lack of parental care.’ I wish to disagree
with this statement.
Though many people hold the view that schools and not parents are responsible for the moral
decay of the youth, I wish to argue on the contrary.
I want to believe that girls should have same cut off point at Grade Nine as boys unlike what
the case has been.
Many people feel that expelling pregnant girls from school is a solution to curb misbehaving
when such a thing does not really solve the problem.
I agree with the statement that the re-entry policy has encouraged girl child education.
I totally disagree that poverty is the cause of early marriages.
Even if the statement in the question may not be true, your goal is to bring out a convincing
and balanced argument that could make the reader agree with you. You must use persuasive
language as this could persuade people to think along your lines.
As you argue you need to have knowledge of facts on both sides of the argument so that you
are not seen to be arguing from without. Therefore, you must be honest and avoid misleading
statements, but be factual, concise and clearly distinguish facts from opinions. Points that
support your argument and those that are against should be vividly shown.
CONNECTING WORDS USED IN ARGUMENTATIVE COMPOSITION
Furthermore
Not withstanding
On the other hand
As if not enough
In such respect
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In addition to this
CONCLUSION OF AN ARGUMENTATIVE COMPOSITON
The following could be ways of concluding:
With the above illustrated points, I strongly believe................
Summarily, I feel with the above points it is understood why I have supported the view
that............
MODELS OF ARGUMANTATIVE COMPOSITIONS
Question: Is having children important or not? Argue for or against.
AGAINST 1
Most people want to get married and have children. Perhaps they want to leave a trace or
offspring after them, so that they become somehow “immortal”. And it is commonly said that
children are the ultimate bliss in our lives. Although many people agree with this statement,
I wish to ague on the contrary.
Firstly, it is always claimed that having children brings happiness and meaning to one’s life.
To raise them well becomes an ideal for parents. However, I think that although this may be
true, children are also a financial and psychological burden for parents. To have children is to
have responsibility. Parents spend all their time and money on their children, for their
education, clothing and other needs, and do not have much time or money left for themselves.
Secondly, many people assert that it is in human nature to procreate and to see a part of
them continue to live. However, I do not believe that it is necessarily instinctive. There are a
lot of people who do not have any children and they do not have a tendency to see a part of
them continue to live. I think having children for this reason is very old-fashioned. We can
have other accomplishments in life for our name or fame to continue.
Finally, it is commonly stated that children are our insurance for our old age and that when
we get older they will take care of us. Although there are many people who think so, I believe
that they are no guarantee against loneliness in old age. Usually children, whether they are
married or not, leave their homes. Besides, it is very selfish to have children for insurance. If
you have a child, you have to accept the fact that he/she is also an individual and has his/her
own needs, and will eventually have his/her own life separate from yours.
To sum up, for most people it might be their greatest happiness to have children. However, I
firmly believe that to have children is not everything in life. People can also live full and
accomplished lives without children.
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AGIANST 2
“It is the highest and the holiest emotion to experience motherhood or fatherhood.
Everybody has a child in his own image.” All of these are vain words and pink dreams. Having
children is not as easy as those cliché words or beliefs. Therefore, people should not have
children.
First of all, people cannot predict their own future or know what will happen tomorrow. The
world is full of disasters such as wars, pollution, famine, drought, starvation, natural disasters
and diseases. For example, count to three. One, two, and three: now almost two children are
born, but three children died because of starvation in Africa. Of course, nobody wants to have
children in these conditions. We have to live in this dirty world but why do we make our
children live in there too? So it is just a big mistake to have children.
Furthermore, it is a very heavy psychological and physical burden to have children. A mother
carries her baby in her womb for nine months and ten days and then the baby torments her
during and after birth. There is no peace, no silence or no sleep at home. On the other hand,
the father has to work hard and earn more money because the baby comes with its expenses.
Also, the baby limits its parents’ achievements; they cannot go everywhere they want to or
do the things they wish to. A baby requires more responsibility because parents should give
him a good life. If they don't, they have to account for every problem he has.
It is claimed that people should have children so that they will not be lonely when they are
old. Their children will take care of them and they will feel safe. A child is the only person
whom you can trust and with whom share every secret. These are big lies too. People believe
in these lies and deceive themselves. They console themselves because they want to diminish
the pains, regrets and torments that children give them. It is much better not to have any
children than try to deceive oneself and avoid seeing the truth of having children who cause
one a lot of pain and suffering.
To sum up, having children is a decision that has no going back. We know the difficulties the
world has in store for us and we also know that children present a psychological and physical
burden to their parents. Knowing these, it is very selfish to have children.
ARGUMENTS FOR 1
The population of the world is getting bigger and bigger due to the need of people to have
babies. Most people want to have babies, they even worry about whether they will be able
to have any children, but it is interesting that some of them do not like to have children.
Although a minority of people see children as a burden financially and psychologically, and
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do not want to bring children to a world full of uncertainty, danger and chaos, having children
brings happiness and meaning to one’s life and it is in human nature to procreate.
To begin with, we cannot deny that children bring happiness and meaning to our lives. Maybe
we cannot know this before we have children, but all the same, we hear about that happiness
from our parents. I think having a baby is similar to having an aim in our lives. Most of us have
targets in life such as graduating from university, doing a master’s or doing academic career
because reaching these targets will satisfy ourselves and living will be more meaningful.
Raising a child can be an aim like these, because bringing up a human being from our own
blood and flesh, and sacrificing our own will and desires for his good will be more satisfactory
than anything. Thus, it is impossible to see our child as a financial and psychological burden
since we do not think he is different from us. On the contrary, we would have fun giving him
everything he needs.
Secondly, it is instinctive to procreate, forming a new living being from our own genes. It is in
human nature and we cannot prevent the urge to have a baby because it is in our hormonal
system and nature. Some people assert that it is selfish to bring children to a world full of
uncertainty, danger and chaos but this world is created for humans to live and we have to
procreate, continue our daily lives. The real selfishness is getting afraid of losing our comfort
for having a baby.
Taking everything into account, having a baby must be enjoyable and must bring happiness
to our lives although we have to sacrifice from ourselves. They will be a part of our bodies
and we will not regret bringing them to this world.
ARGUMENTS FOR 2
There are many ways for people to be happy. Some people are happy maintaining successful
business affairs, some of them are happy having big amounts of money and many of them
are happy bringing up their children. In my opinion, children are the ultimate bliss in our lives
and if I reach the suitable age for marriage; I really want to have at least two children. Not
only me, but also many people plan to have children of their own as they add beauty to our
lives.
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To begin with, children bring happiness and meaning to your life. Your child belongs to you,
and you belong to him. You know he is a piece of you. If you are a mother, you can easily
consider how important it is to see a part of you alive, especially after carrying him for nine
months inside you. Watching them, we naturally become happy and begin to laugh with
them with a great love. They are the most beautiful, the best and the most meaningful part
of life for us.
Then, we can say that they are our insurance for our old age. It is commonplace to see many
old people without children living lonely or unhappy lives in poverty. Those people are the
people who have not chosen to have children or those who have always wanted but not had
the chance to have them. There are many famous people like that such as Emel Sayin.We
notice that they are very lonely and unhappy now without any children. When we have
children, we do not get anxious about our lives to continue and our belongings to get wasted.
We know that our generation will continue too, by means of our children.
To sum up, many people are happy to have children and many of them are going to be happy
to have them as children not only bring happiness and meaning to our lives and are our
insurance but they also help our generation to continue. They mean so much for us as well
since they are worth everything in life.
(Adapted from, Aysen Alp, INT Spring 2006 (edited)
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(6 ) REPORT WRITING
A report is written statement of the facts of a situation for a particular purpose and audience. An
effective report is empathetic, accurate, complete, concise, and clear.
According to the principle of the Five W’s, a report can only be considered complete if it answers
these questions starting with an interrogative word:
- What happened?
- Who is involved?
- Where did it take place?
- When did it take place?
- Why did that happen?
Some authors add a sixth question, “how”, to the list, though "how" can also be covered by
"what", "when", or "where".
- How did it happen?
FORMAT OF A REPORT
To: [The full name or professional title of the recipient]
From: [Your full name or title]
Date: [Date on which the report was written]
Title/Subject: [A brief and descriptive title for the report]
The paragraphs may contain some or all of the following elements:

- A narration of a sequence of events or a situation
- Use the points given in the question and expand them using your knowledge and diligently
present them in chronological or some other logical order
- Some interpretation of the significance of these events or situation
- An evaluation of the facts or the results
The last paragraph should contain the following elements:

- Conclusions
- Recommendations as to a course of action to be taken
[Signature at the end] Reports should always be signed.
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A MODEL OF A REPORT 1
TO: The Officer-In-Charge
FROM: David Chisala
DATE: 14th October, 2016.
SUBJECT: REPORT ON THE ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENT ON INDEPENDENCE AVENUE
As an eye witness to the road traffic accident that occurred this morning, I was requested to submit a
witness report to your office by Sergeant Wilson Kazabu.
Cycling along Independence Avenue near the Nationalist Road traffic lights, I saw a black Toyota
Altezza car travelling at lightning speed. The car was coming from Woodlands direction. The driver of
this car disregarded the red traffic lights and rammed into a gray Land Rover Defender 110 that was
joining Independence Avenue from the University Teaching Hospital direction. This happened around
10 hours.
No sooner did the Toyota Altezza crash into the Land Rover passenger door behind the driver than
the airbag of the Altezza deployed. The airbag and fastened seatbelts saved the driver’s life. Seven
other vehicles behind the Land Rover also crashed into each other. The Altezza’s windscreen was
shattered to pieces, the headlights were smashed. There was plenty of glass on the road. The driver
of the Honda CRV that rammed into the rear of the Land Rover was a woman and wasn’t wearing a
seatbelt. As a result, she sustained minor injuries on her forehead after hitting her head into the
steering wheel. I joined the pedestrians and newspaper and airtime vendors to have a closer look at
the accident scene and to offer help.
When the Road Traffic and Safety Agency and police officers arrived at the accident scene, there was
chaos, screaming and shouting. The driver of the Land Rover came out of his vehicle and attempted
to open the driver’s door of the Altezza so that he could teach him a lesson, but the door could not
open. He was trapped inside his mangled car. After an hour of struggling, the rescue crew succeeded
in getting him out. The breathalyser test proved that he was very drunk. He was charged with
dangerous driving and driving under the influence of alcohol. Pictures were taken for insurance claim.
The injured were rushed to the nearby University Teaching Hospital. The cars were towed to the side
of the road first before being towed to Kabwata police station.
In my opinion, the driver of the Toyota Altezza was responsible for the accident by his drunk driving,
over speeding and blatant disregard for traffic lights. I urge the Road Traffic and Safety Agency to
intensify road safety campaigns on radio, television, newspapers and social media. Road users must
be encouraged to wear seatbelts, observe speed limits, obey traffic lights and avoid drunk driving.
Penalties for offenders should be stiffened.
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A MODEL OF A REPORT 2
TO: The Head Teacher
FROM: Samson Mphande
DATE: 11th March, 2017.
SUBJECT: REPORT OF AN ACCIDENT ON MACHINE 2 IN ROOM 4 DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY ON
24/03/2017
At 12:25 hours today, Bwalya Ngandu, a pupil at Kalwala Day Secondary School suffered the loss of
the skin of his arm when the loose shirt he was wearing became entangled in the machine on which
he was working.
Witnesses, Clement Banda and John Phiri confirmed that Bwalya had been operating his machine
without following proper safety precautions. Mr. Ngosa the Design and Technology teacher, had
checked the machine at 12:00 hours and the guard had been in position at that time.
Bwalya was given first aid at Kalwala Clinic before he was accompanied home because he was in some
pain and suffering from slight shock.
There is no doubt that the accident was caused by the unauthorized removal of the safety guard on
the machine, though if Bwalya’s shirt had not been loose, the accident could still have been avoided.
There was no negligence on the part of anyone or of the school.
To prevent a recurrence of this kind of accident, pupils should be continually reminded of safety
requirements by their teachers. Learners with loose clothing should never be allowed to operate on
similar machines.
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(7) ARTICLE WRITING

An article is an informative piece of nonfiction writing in a publication such as a newspaper, magazine,
reference book or on a website. It is based on a specific topic or subject.
However, there is a difference between an article in the real world and an article in an examination
room. You have to write supporting the topic and providing probably fictional information to expand
and develop the points given in the question. The information you add to the given points does not
have to be true, but must be reasonable, plausible and in support of the given topic.
An article is in a less formal style than a report. It can describe an experience, event, person or place;
present an opinion or balanced argument; compare and contrast; provide information or offer
suggestions or advice.
TYPES OF ARTICLES
Editorial Article: This is an article based on the editor’s opinion. It is often written on controversial
topics.
News Article: These are usually found in newspapers. The subject can be anything that the
newspaper considers worthy. News articles are factual and not based on opinion. They are objective
and not emotional. They use a third person subject (he, she, it or they) to report news.
Letters to the editor. These are letters from readers of the newspaper who may want to comment
on a previous article or any issues that are affecting the community. The writing style follows the
style used by the newspaper or magazine. This is a formal letter hence; it should have two
addresses; your address and the editor’s address. Furthermore, the letter should be addressed to
the editor or the situation that prompted you to write the article.
Feature Articles: These are often written for a specific audience, such as teenagers. It has a specific
point of view and it is usually human interest story.
Sports Article: These are articles written on sports issues.
Format of an article
1. Title – If the title is not given in the question, use the question itself as a guide to
come up with a tile that is eye-catching, attracts the readers’ attention and suggests
the theme of the article. Articles can also have subheadings before each paragraph.
2. Author: Michelle Namakando or By Misha Namakando
3. Introduction – It must clearly define the topic to be covered and keep the reader’s
attention.
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4. Main body – Two to four paragraphs in which the topic is further developed in detail.
Expand on the given points and fabricate sensible evidence to support them. Avoid
giving contradictory evidence. Take care to arrange them in logical or chronological
order.
5. Conclusion – It is a summary of the topic or a final opinion, recommendation or

comment. No signature is required.
MODEL OF A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE
Pupils Sent Home as Teachers Protest
Levy Banda
All teachers at Chinsali Day Secondary School yesterday abandoned classes to protest
against poor security. Nearly 700 students were sent home as the teachers demanded
better protection in view of the constant raids.
The protest was prompted by a burglary at midnight in which bandits wielding iron
bars, and machetes and other weapons broke into a house belonging to two single
teachers in the school grounds. The school is guarded by two security guards armed
with truncheons. The bandits smashed windows, broke doors, ransacked the house
and threatened to kill the two teachers.
School authorities also said that school property had been stolen in similar raids. The
last burglary was last week. Thieves stole bags, mealie meal, beans and kapenta. “This
place is a mess,” one of the officials said.
It is hoped that the impasse will be resolved soon, so that leaning could resume.
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MODEL 2 (Letter to the Editor)
C/o Mrs Bwalya Phiri

P. O Box 41327
Lusaka.
15th April, 2016.

The Editor,
Post Newspapers
P. O Box 37562,
Lusaka.
Dear Editor,
Re: Police Must Arrest Jay Jay
Allow me to register my heartfelt sympathy towards the Post correspondent who was
assaulted by UNIP cadres. It particularly broke my heart when I read about how
inhuman people can be towards fellow human beings all in the name of politics.
Urinating in someone’s mouth and wanting to burn him alive! I wonder why the police
now have failed to arrest Jay Jay Phiri who urinated in Bwalya Banda’s mouth when
they know where he is.
This young man lives in Lusaka and is seen every day roaming the streets. He is always
seen even harassing other people. Jay is even campaigning to contest the coming
elections on the UNIP ticket. Is the police not arresting him because he is part of the
system as said by Lusaka Province Commissioner Davy Tembo?
God hear us!
Yours sincerely,
Charles Homela (Mr)
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MODEL 3
INCREASE OF FUEL PRICES
By Musa Songolo
Fuel (oil), being one of the most important commodity in the country, plays an important role in the
smooth running of the business society. If fuel prices keep increasing, people will be unable to afford
it and the transport industry would be killed, hence the public would not afford bus fares.
Many factories in Zambia use machinery operated with the use of fuel (oil). With the increase in prices
some factories may close and workers laid off. However, those consequences might reduce
employment levels. Zambia is the most expensive country as far as selling this commodity to its
citizens is concerned. This makes life difficult because the majority of people do not even get enough
money in this part of the region.
To add on, many homes use paraffin to create sources of energy, that is lighting up of lamps, charcoal
and many other uses. Furthermore, due to the fact that fuel price has been hiked, it has also
contributed to the rise in inflation. The government should to look for its own reserves to avoid
unnecessary price increments.
In conclusion, it is of general knowledge that if commodities such as oil have price increments then
Zambia’s small and large scale operations in agriculture would come to a halt. Hence, farming and all
essential commodities may be greatly affected. With all due respect I hope this matter is looked into.
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A biography is a written history or an account of someone's life. The name of the person is
the title of the biography. Auto Biography is an account of a person’s life written by him or
herself.
It should include facts like:

- Date and place of birth (and death, if applicable)
- Family background
- Education
- Work (career) facts
- Major achievements
- An overview of what makes the person significant
Normally, the examiner will provide you the years and events. Carefully, check if the events
are arranged in a chronological order. If they are not, you must order them. Furthermore,
some events may not be relevant, so you should leave them out. Also add variety to the
profile by using linking and sequencing devices discussed in chapter one such as afterwards,
later, that year, a few months or the following year and many more. This helps to avoid the
profile being littered by years.
A profile should have a heading written in capital letters and neatly underlined. E.g AN
ACCOUNT OF MR. BOBO MWALE’S LIFE.
After the heading, give a brief introduction. E.g Mr. Bobo Mwale, the current Head teacher
of Libala Secondary School, has had a long and interesting career.
The main body of the profile should contain points given, suitably arranged in paragraphs.
Each paragraph should talk about one idea.
Conclude the profile in a more colourful way. E.g In view of what has been written about
Mr. Bobo Mwale’s life, it is right to conclude that he is a man of sound experience in life,
hard worker and a man worth emulating.
MODEL EXAMINATION QUESTION (2008 PAPER 1)
QUESTION
You are the secretary of the Christian Student Fellowship. You have invited Bishop Poleni to
come and give the word of God to share a profile to the members just before Bishop comes.
Here are some notes about the Bishop which you have gathered
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1984 - Healed many people through prayer
- Organiser- National Conference under the theme-Christ the Healer
1967 - Born, Nkonde
- Wrote three books
- Won a scholarship to Canada to study theology
1982 - Chairperson – Scripture Union
1988 - Ordained Pastor
1974 - Grade one – Mbala Primary School, Mbala
1994 - Ordained Bishop
1983 - Visited Germany Young Christian Union, Bayern
1990 - Established his own church and a Theological College
1984 - Elected National Chairman-Scripture Union
1981 - Grade Eight-Kenneth Kaunda Secondary School, Chinsali
Using the point above, write a profile on Bishop Poleni of between 250 and 350 words.
MODEL ANSWER
AN ACCOUNT OF BISHOP POLENI’S LIFE
Bishop Poleni, the fourth child of Mr. Jacob Mwale, a peasant farmer of Mutenguleni Village
in Lundazi District, has led a very inspiring life.
He was born on 3rd March, 1967 at a remote village in Nakonde. It is this date of birth
(Chrismas Day) that has greatly influenced his Christian life. To his family, as old as he is, they
still call him “Christmas Child.”
In 1974, at the age of six, Bishop Poleni was enrolled in Grade One at Mbala Primary School
in Northern Province. He remained at this school until 1980 when he sat for his Grade Seven
Examination. The following year, he left Mbala Primary School for Kenneth Kaunda Secondary
School where he did both his Junior and Secondary Education. Because Bishop Poleni was a
religious boy with strong Christian character, he quickly joined the school Scripture Union.
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When he was in Grade Nine, he became more focused and disciplined both spiritually and
chairperson of the school Scripture Union. A year later, he was among the group that visited
Germany Young Christian, group of students in the capital, Bayern.
In 1984, while in Grade Eleven, Bishop Poleni was elected to the post of National Chairman
for Scripture Union. In the same year, taking advantage of his new position, he organised a
National Conference under the theme ‘Christ the Healer’ where he healed so many people
through prayer.
Having successfully completed his Grade Twelve the following year, Bishop Poleni won a
scholarship to study theology in Canada and a few years later he was ordained Pastor. After
working with other Pastors for two years the Bishop decided to establish his own church and
Theological College. In 1994 he was ordained Bishop. Today, he is still the overseer of both
the church and the college.
In the light of what has been written about Bishop Poleni’s life, it is right to conclude that the
Bishop is a man of sound experience in all areas of life, a born again Christian, full of wisdom
and a selfless man worth emulating.
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MODEL BIOGRAPHY 2
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz was born on August 13, 1926, near Birán, in Cuba's eastern Oriente
Province. He was the third of six children, including his two brothers, Raúl and Ramón; and three
sisters, Angela, Emma and Agustina. His father, Ángel, was a wealthy sugar plantation owner originally
from Spain.
He attended Roman Catholic boarding schools Colegio Dolores in Santiago de Cuba and then El Colegio
de Belén in Havana. After his graduation in late 1945, however, Castro entered law school at the
University of Havana. Meanwhile, Castro had married Mirta Díaz Balart, who was from a wealthy
political family in Cuba. They had one child, named Fidel, in 1949. He became intent on running for a
seat in the Cuban congress.
But in March 1952 a coup led by General Fulgencio Batista successfully overthrew the government
and the upcoming election was cancelled. On July 26, 1953, Castro and approximately 150 supporters
attempted to overthrow Batista. However, the attack failed and Castro was captured, tried, convicted
and sentenced to 15 years in prison. During his trial, he ended his defense with the famous line,
“History will absolve me.” Under an amnesty deal with the Batista government, Castrol and his
compatriots were ultimately released in 1955 and he traveled with Raúl to Mexico, where they met
with the Argentinian rebel Ernesto "Che" Guevara. Castro, Raúl, Guevara and a handful of others
waged a guerrilla war against Batista who was finally ousted in January 1959.
Castro implemented far-reaching reforms by nationalizing factories and plantations. On April 14,
1961, Castro formally declared Cuba a socialist state. Cuban exiles invaded Cuba at the remote Bay of
Pigs in an attempt to overthrow the Castro regime. The incursion ended in disaster. Castro, in turn,
announced an end to democratic elections in Cuba, declared himself a Marxist-Leninist and
announced the Cuban government was adopting communist economic and political policies. On
February 7, 1962, the United States imposed a full economic embargo on Cuba. In October 1962, his
increasing reliance on Soviet support brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. Hoping to deter
another U.S. invasion of Cuba, Castro and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev conceived the idea of
placing nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles off the coast of Florida. After negotiations, the Soviets
agreed to remove the missiles in exchange for the United States' public agreement not to invade Cuba.
The Kennedy administration also agreed to secretly remove the Jupiter missiles from Turkey. Castro
supported armed struggle against imperialism in Latin American and African countries and to promote
communism on three continents.
In 2008, 81-year-old Fidel Castro permanently gave up the Cuban presidency due to his deteriorating
physical condition. Fidel Castro died on November 25, 2016 at the age of 90. On December 4th, 2016,
his ashes were buried in Santiago, near the burial site of Cuban poet and independence leader José
Martí.
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Castro's regime has been credited with opening 10,000 new schools and increasing literacy to 98
percent. Cubans enjoy a universal health-care system, which has decreased infant mortality to 11
deaths in 1,000 (1.1 percent). But at the same time, civil liberties were whittled away, as labor unions
lost the right to strike and independent newspapers were shut down. Over the years, Castro was the
target of numerous Central Intelligence Agency assassination attempts (an estimated 638 in all,
according to Cuban intelligence). Castro was quoted as saying that if avoiding assassination attempts
was an Olympic sport, he would have won gold medals.
Adapted from www.biography.com
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(9) SPEECH WRITING

Speech is the communication or expression of thoughts in spoken words, usually in form of
public discourse or address. Speeches are usually written before they are delivered.
The spoken word wields great power. It can stir people to action. Kaitholil (2014) puts it this
way;
The word is powerful. It can create: it can also destroy. Therefore, it has to be used with
great care and skill. Such use of the word through the living voice is called speech.
Therefore, the key to the success of many political leaders, industries, salesmen, managers
etc. lies in their capability of making an effective speech.
TYPES OF SPEECH
(a) The speech of introduction: It is a speech to introduce an important person. The
person’s background is given before he/she is introduced. It should be short (90
seconds).
(b) Impromptu speech (unprepared speech): This is speech given when asked to speak without
being told in advance. Don’t apologize for being unprepared.
(c) Vote of thanks (Speech of thanks to a speaker): This is a speech given after the main
speech has been given. You appreciate the speaker mentioning what you liked about the
speech. It should be between 60-90 seconds. Finish by thanking him/her formally, turn to him and
lead the applause.
(d) Speech of welcome or farewell: This is a speech given to appreciate someone who is
leaving or joining the company/organization. It should be short (60-90 seconds).
(e) Speech of presentation of acceptance: This is a speech given before an award or

receiving an award.
When giving the award, be sincere, be honest, be short, say why the award is
presented and hand over the award.
For acceptance, thank the people who helped you in your success, and formally thank the
organization and the audience.
(f) The Formal or prepared speech (Key note speech): This is a speech given by the main speaker.
This is the main speech of an event. It is given at an occasion and addresses specific issues.
SPEECH FORMAT
1. The heading: This should consist of the person who will give the speech, the topic and
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the occasion and it should be written in capital letters.
2. Salutation: This should follow the order of seniority (from the highest ranking person in
the meeting who is usually the guest of honour to the lowest).
3. Appreciation: here you thank the chairperson or organiser for the opportunity to
address the gathering.
4. Main body: this is the main speech. This is where you discuss your views.
5. Conclusion: End with a statement that restates the purpose and or demand for action
follow the order of the salutation. Thank the audience.
MODEL SPEECH
SPEECH DELIVERED BY THE HEAD BOY ON THE IMPORTANCE OF A TUCK SHOP AT THE PTA GENERAL
MEETING HELD ON 9TH JANUARY 2016.
The Guest of honour-District Education Boards Secretary (DEBS), The head teacher, The deputy head
teacher, The PTA chairman, members of staff, distinguished guests, fellow pupils, ladies and
gentlemen. May I simply say, all protocol observed.
Ladies and gentlemen, I’m very grateful and deeply humbled for being accorded this opportunity to
address you all.
Mr. Chairman Sir, the need for and importance of the tuck-shop at this school cannot be over-
emphasized. For a long time, and indeed from the time the school was established, pupils have had
to walk long distances to buy such school necessities as pens, books, pencil and graph papers. Apart
from being inconvenienced, pupils face the danger of being run-over by over-speeding vehicles which
characterize this road of ours. Last term, a Grade Eight pupil nearly lost his led when he was hit by a
cyclist. This happened when he was on his way to Chifundo market to buy graph papers needed for a
science lesson.
Sir, we the pupils of this school have had no choice but to buy that are sold outside the school yard
due to lack of a school tuck-shop. These foodstuffs that are, in most cases, unhygienic packed and
handled expose us to such contagious illnesses as the common diarrhoea, dysentery and even the
deadly cholera. A year ago, three pupils contracted cholera and the school had to be closed
temporarily. It was suspected that they had suffered after eating contaminated fritters which they
had bought from vendors outside.
Ladies and gentlemen, as responsible pupils who urgently need a tuck shop, we have not been sitting
idle. So far, through such fund-raising ventures as sponsored walks, car washing and variety shows we
have been able to raise three million kwacha. We have other ventures lined up for this term.
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Mr. Chairman, the tuck shop will not only help us the pupils of this school, but also members of staff
at large and more especially those who reside within the school compass. It will also help the school
to raise funds for other activities.
I, therefore, urge all the people present today to help the school in any way possible so that this noble
venture-the school tuck shop project - can succeed.
I thank you.
MODEL 2
SPEECH OF APPRECIATION GIVEN BY THE HEAD GIRL OF KALWALA SECONDARY SCHOOL.
Our esteemed Guests, Mr and Mrs Van-Kurtan, founder of ‘The Joy of a Toy Organization,’ The Head
teacher Sir, Deputy Head teacher, Heads of Departments, All the members of staff, My fellow pupils.
May I simply say all protocol observed.
It is indeed gratifying to have you our beloved visitors this precious morning at our school. Your
presence here today and your attending this school assembly and talk to us pupils is very encouraging.
May I take this rare opportunity and convey to you our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation for all the
outstanding work you have been doing for this school. Indeed on behalf of the school and us learners,
we are on our knees thanking you for the great work that you have done.
Our beloved Guests, our words may not be good enough to satisfy the needed praises you deserve.
As a school, we just pray that the Almighty God who inspired you to give so much to us, richly bless
you.
Through your constant help to this school, our dear guests, we have scored great successes such as
the completion of building the, Administration Block, Dinning or Recreation Hall and the current Girls
Dormitory which has just finished. Therefore, we dearly appreciate all your efforts for helping an
African, especially a Zambian child to access needed education on our door steps.
Your understanding and correct interpretation that education is a key which we can use to unlock all
the hidden treasures in our lives is highly appreciated.
At this point in time, may I take this chance to bring to your attention the successes as regard academic
attainment in this school. As a school, we have been improving steadily in both Grade Nine (9) and
Twelve (12) certificate examinations. We had sixty-eight percent (68%) pass rate in the Grade Twelve
certificate examination of 2014 and seventy percent (70%) in 2015. For Grade Nine (9), we had forty-
eight percent (48%) in 2014 and seventy-one percent (71%) in 2015.
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Furthermore, our respected Guests, our school this year, had participated in a number of academic
programmes such as Quiz and Jets Fare. A number of our pupils obtained certificates in Jets Fare, both
at District and Provincial.
Allow me, to give you a brief history of our school. Mr. and Mrs Van-Kurtan, currently the school has
a total number of thirty-five teachers of which six are female and twenty-seven male. The total
number of pupils is three hundred forty-six where by two hundred and three are boys and hundred
and forty-three girls. Due to its hardworking teachers and pupils, the school is receiving new pupils
almost every day and thus our population is increasing day by day.
On the contrary, our esteemed guests, may I take this privilege to inform you of the numerous
challenges that this school is still facing. The following are needed urgently:
Building more classroom blocks to cater for the growing population. Build VIP toilets. Build a library,
for pupils to do studying and researching. Provide books for the library. Building a Home Management
Classroom (HE) block. A school minibus for the transportation of pupils who come from far places.
Furthermore, we could highly appreciate if at all, you will continue building dormitories for both girls
and boys so that those coming from far places can be given accommodation within the school. We
hope that you have a vision of turning this school into a day- boarding secondary school.
I would not like to bore you with a long speech but just end here.
Thank you very much.
MODEL SPEECH 3
SPEECH DELIVERED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS
TECHNOLOGIES (ICT) CLUB ON THE USE OF INTERNET IN SCHOOLS AT THE MEETING HELD ON 29TH
JANUARY, 2017.
Mr Chairman, members of staff and fellow pupils, I am greatly honoured to have the privilege of
talking to you about the use of internet in schools.
As a member of the Information and communications technologies (ICT) club from grade ten till this
final year at Kamwala Secondary School, I have learnt a lot about the internet and from it. The internet
connects hundreds of millions of computers, tablets and phones in the world. As a result, anyone with
the right gadget can have access to information on a computer which is located on the other side of
the planet. With the click of a mouse or the tap of a finger, pupils and teachers can discover treasures
of learning materials and information such as textbooks, atlases, dictionaries, encyclopedias, essays
and many more.
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Publishers of renowned dictionaries have ceased publishing hard copies. They now publish them in
electronic format, that is, compact discs (CD’s) and digital versatile discs (DVD’s) and online on the
internet. By using search engines such as google, pupils can type what they are looking for and the
search engine will bring links to pages that contain the information. You can ask any question on any
topic or subject. For instance, using the internet, you can watch tutorial videos on how to solve
simultaneous equations or find the year Shaka Zulu died.
Regrettably, I would like to warn you that there is a cesspool of garbage on the internet that pupils
must be kept away from. Vices like pornography can not only corrupt the moral fibre of our society,
but can also divert the attention of pupils from their studies. The good news is that there are
programmes that can be installed on school and home computers to prevent children from accessing
or tumbling on filthy content.
Mr Chairman, members of staff and fellow pupils, for our schools to enjoy the benefits of internet in
learning and teaching, the government must construct computer laboratories and computer libraries.
Furthermore, these schools will have to be connected to internet service providers (ISP) like Zamtel,
Vodafone, Airtel and others. All teachers have to undergo training in information and communications
technologies (ICT’s). Even though this undertaking is going to cost us a fortune as a nation, the benefits
in the long run will be immense. I also call upon the corporate world to donate their second hand
computers to primary and secondary schools. I am pleading with our dear parents and guardians to
buy desktop or laptop computers for their children for homework and practice.
As I conclude, Mr Chairman, I would like to urge all stake holders in this daunting task of equipping all
our primary and secondary schools with adequate computers and internet connectivity to remember
that Rome was not built in one day and that a journey of thousand miles starts with one step. Let us
take that first step buying or donating the first computer and build the first computer library or
laboratory.
I thank you all for your attentive listening.
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VOTE OF THANKS
Speech of thanks to a speaker/ Vote of thanks is a speech given after the main speech or key-
note speech has been given. You appreciate the speaker mentioning what you liked about
the speech. Add a few personal points. Finish by thanking him/her formally, turn to him and
lead the applause. It should be between 60 to 90 seconds.
The Format of Vote of Thanks
Introduction: Begin with salutation. This should follow the order of seniority (from the
highest ranking offer to the lowest). Thank the Guest of Honour for his/her educative
massage.
Main Body: Summarise the main points of the main speech delivered by the Guest of Honour
(the main speaker). Show that the main speech has widened the audience’s scope of
knowledge on the topic discussed.
Conclusion: Express desire to put the main speaker’s suggestions into practice to improve
performance. Make any personal request to the guest speaker and again thank him or her
whole heartedly for creating time off his or her busy schedule to come and address the
audience. If he or she came from another town wish him or her a safe trip back home.
MODELS OF VOTE OF THANKS
MODEL 1
The Guest of honour, Minister of General Education, the Head Teacher, Deputy head teacher,
heads of department, distinguished guest, fellow pupils,
We are happy to have been able to listen to a great scholar today. He has made it very clear
that education is the key that unlocks many doors for the young people.
Guest of Honour sir, we are indeed very thankful to you for enlightening us on the importance
of education in shaping our future. Your wise words will go alone way in inspiring us to greater
heights in education.
On behalf of my fellow pupils and on my own behalf, I extend my sincere thanks to you.
MODEL 2
His honour the Vice president of the Republic of Zambia, The Speaker of the National
Assembly, Cabinet Ministers present, my fellow honourable Members of Parliament, Ladies
and Gentlemen.
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We are happy to have listened to you Sir, on the ‘challenges facing the Ministry of Education.’
Mr Minister Sir, you have eloquently highlighted these heart-breaking problems. It is very
clear, Sir, that your passionate appeal to these challenges calls for concerted effort from all
well-meaning Zambians lest we risk the future of our children.
You have also reminded us that it is only through increased funding to your Ministry and
competitive conditions of service for the teachers, as part of the response to these challenges
that we can make a head way in education provision.
Honourable minister, Sir, we are indeed very thankful to you for coming up with these
suggestions as part of solutions to solving these problems.
On behalf of everyone here and indeed on my own behalf we extend our thanks to you.
Thank you.
NOTES
- Speeches differ slightly with the other guided compositions that you will be asked to write.
- Speeches are made to inform, share, support or persuade your audience on the topic set out in
the examination question.
- You should write in a conversational style, that is, you should write the same way you speak. Imagine
yourself in front of the given audience.
- In the first paragraph, you should have salutations. Here you mention the people you are addressing
e.g. the Chairman of a certain club, Master of Ceremonies, Invited Guests, fellow pupils,
Ladies and Gentlemen. (Remember to observe protocol).
- Usually the question itself sets out the audience you are supposed to be facing for example a
graduation speech would have you facing your fellow graduating students in perhaps the
school hall/during assembly imagine what you would say to them.
- Mention why you are addressing these people. It may be necessary to give a historical background.
- Start and end with opening quotes either double quotations " ” or single ' ‘quotations can be
used at the beginning and last paragraph of the speech. It is always good practice to use these
alternatively if they are nested. For example let us say you chose the double quotes to open your
speech and somewhere in the speech you decide to include a relevant quotation by some
famous author, it is good practice to use the single quotes to set out the exact words of that
author in the speech instead of using the double quotes again. The converse would be true if you
had begun by using single quotes.
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- Depending on the situation the greeting may be followed by a self introduction even if you have
already been introduced and the audience knows you. This maybe in the form of an allusion to
your standing on the matter at hand for example “As your head girl..."
- You might want to remind your student of the occasion. This can be done subtly for example," I
cannot believe this is our graduation day, it only seems only like yesterday when we started
out as little tiny form ones."
- You should always state the purpose of your speech. The purpose of the speech is usually given out
in the question itself and even when it is not given you can always surmise from the points given
in the speech. You could say for example," As we march out into the wide and cruel world, I stand
here as your sage, to impart words of parting wisdom"
- Speeches are written in the way that they are spoken which means a lot of the verbs are in the "-
ing" format for example "speaking". Sentences may not follow the traditional structure.
- In informal speeches you can make use of speech fillers like “Eerr..." and "Ummm…”, although
this should be done very sparingly.
- It is considered bad form however to make use of fillers like "you know" or "so”.
- Good speeches make use of rhetorical questions to force the audience to think more deeply on the
subject at hand.
- Elaborate the points given in the essay question adding relevant material of your own based on your
experience.
- End your speech by thanking the audience for their patience and attentiveness.
- Another popular way to end a speech is to use a quote or a call to action. For example you could
say," Julius Ceaser said,'I came, I saw, I conquered.' I hope you too came to this school, saw
enlightenment and will now go into the world and conquer it." or you could say “Go out into the world
and prosper!" The ending is important. However short, it should have its own paragraph.
- Repeat ideas and thoughts for emphasis.
- Think of the paragraphs as more of stanzas instead.
- From time to time mention the protocol e.g. Mr speaker, Mr chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen
(depending on the nature of the speech).
- Make use of discourse markers. A discourse marker is a word or phrase that plays a role in managing
the flow and structure of a speech or discourse. It shows the connection between what is being said
and the wider context. The main roles played by discourse markers are:
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(1) Numbering and ordering points – first, second, firstly, secondly, first of all, in the first
place, then, next, afterwards, finally, last, lastly, last of all, last but not the least, et
cetera.
(2) Adding something – We use these discourse markers to indicate that we are adding
more information:
Also moreover furthermore Further
in addition additionally also Too what is more
Besides alternatively instead on top of this/that
(3) Linking similar things together – We use ‘similarly’ and ‘likewise’ to show that
something is similar to something else that has already been mentioned.
(4) Introducing contrasting information – We use discourse markers to introduce

information or points of view which contrast with what we have already said or what
we would normally expect. We use them to draw attention to (apparent)
inconsistency.
However in fact on the other hand in contrast “actually”

Nevertheless still on the contrary “though” “as a matter of fact”
“all the same” yet nonetheless “anyway” “at the same time”
The words within this table are synonymous. They are all saying, ‘Here comes a
contrast!”
(5) Giving causes and results – We can use the following discourse markers to show that
something is caused by, or results from, something else:
So then therefore hence thus

consequently “in that case” “as a result”
(6) Generalising – We use the following discourse markers to make it clear that something
is generally true and to point out that we are not being specific.
on the whole in general Generally “by and large”
(7) Giving Examples – We can use the following discourse markers to introduce examples.
Notably for example for instance example given “say” such as
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(8) Re-stating/saying again – We sometimes re-state, or re-write things to make them

clearer. We use the following discourse markers to show that the information is not new. These
phrases mean ‘I’m going to give the same information again in a different way to help you
understand what I mean’.
in other words that is I repeat in a sense I mean
(9) Preparing for Bad News – We can use these discourse markers to alert people that we
are going to say something that they may not like.
“I’m afraid” “I’m sorry but” “sorry” “I’m sorry to say/tell you”
unfortunately regrettably
Find time to attend inter-class or inter-schools debates to get more ideas on speech writing.
As with all English topics you will need to practice more extensively in order to become
proficient.
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Curriculum Vitae is a summary of one’s educational background and working experience that
one attaches to an application for a job. The purpose of curriculum vitae is to give a potential
employer a brief overview of one’s suitability for the job. Curriculum vitae include:
(a) Personal details
(i) Name
(ii) Date of birth
(iii) Address
(iv) Telephone number
(v) Nationality
(vi) Gender
(vii) Marital status
(viii) Address
(b) Education background
(i) Tertiary/professional
(ii) Secondary and primary
(b) Work experience
(i) Dates one has worked
(ii) Employers name
(iii) Title of position held.
(iv) Primary responsibility
(c) Activities
(i) In school
(ii) In the community
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(iii) Awards and certificates of merit that one has earned.
(iv) Interests and hobbies
(d) Referees
(i) Names
(i) Contact numbers
(ii) Institution
MODEL OF CURRICULUM VITAE
Personal details
Surname: Daka
Other names: Peter
Gender: Male
Date of birth: 23/06/1992
Marital Status: Single
Nationality: Zambian
Religion: Christian
Postal Address: P.O Box 32930 Progressive School
Telephone Number: 0977 679970
Email: pdaka@yahoo.com
Tertiary/professional education
2010-2014 University of Zambia, degree in Economics
2009-2010 Lusaka Computer Polytechnic, certificate in computer Programing
Academic background
2007- 2009 Libala Secondary School, Full Grade Twelve certificate
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2005- 2006 Nelson Mandela Secondary School, Grade Nine certificate
1997- 2004 Progressive Primary School, Grade Seven certificate.
Activities
Member of Debate Club
Won the JETS Fair in 2008
Hobbies
Listening to music and reading novels
Referees
Mr. Chewe D Mr. Chirwa
Head teacher Lecturer
Libala Secondary School School of Business Studies
Cell: 0969321942 Cell: 0955 621956
Mr. Mazima C
Director,
Progressive Primary School
Cell: 0977679978
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AREAS OF COMMON WEAKNESS IN COMPOSITION WRITING
Very often pupils ask where the main areas of weakness are. What follows is a selection of
the common errors which appear regularly in School Certificate scripts (Tyo,1990). It is
important for pupils to consider these errors as the reason for committing an error can help
to eliminate it.
Vernacular
It is not surprising that many errors fall under the heading of vernacular. To translate from
one language to another requires a special skill. The idiom of both languages must be
known. What is expressed in one language often appears ridiculous when translated word
for word into another language.
The English phrase, ‘he has got cold feet’ meaning, ‘he is afraid’ does not have the same
meaning if I say in Icibemba, Alikwata amakasa ayatalala. However, there are other idioms
which cause incorrect usage in English even though they may be correct in vernacular
languages. Here are some illustrated below;
Ine ndekuma. Me I’ll beat you (instead of Ill beat you)
Isula amenshi. Open the water (instead of Turn on the tap)
Wilanjikata pakanwa. Do not tough my mouth. (instead of Don’t stop me from speaking)
Nalibelela. I’m used. (instead of I’m used to….)
If …. (condition)
If David goes to New York, he will study well. It is not correct to say, ‘If David will go to New
York, he will study well.’ Notice that it is in the future that the study will take place but the
condition is always in the present tense. He will study well depends on the condition. Never
use a future tense for the condition. In addition, it is also important to know the sequence
of tenses to use in these ‘if’ sentences;
If David went to New York, he would study well. This condition is improbable or unlikely to
happen.
If David had gone to New York, he would have studied well. The condition has never
happened and David never went to New York.
You should also note that ‘If not’ is equal to ‘Unless’ so that ‘If I do not see you, I will go
alone’ translates into, ‘Unless I see you, I will go alone.
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Transferred prepositions
There are four examples of transferring a preposition from one word to another with
similar meaning, as a result, causing an error.
To emphasise (to lay stress on )
He emphasised on the point in order to convince the judge. Wrong
He emphasised the point in order to convince the judge. Correct
He laid stress on the point in order to convince the judge. Correct
To discuss (talk about)
They discussed about the matter secretly. Wrong
They discussed the matter secretly. Correct
They talked about the matter secretly. Correct
Arrive at (reach)
He reached at the station after the train had gone. Wrong
He reached the station after the train had gone. Correct
He arrived at the station after the train had gone. Correct
Have to /try
‘Have to’ implies some obligation. E.g. I have to go because the bus is leaving soon. I have to
finish my work by thirteen hours.
In many cases in composition writing, candidates write ‘I had to go’ instead of using simply,
‘I went.’
‘To try’ means to make an attempt to achieve something. E.g. I tried to jump over the wall
fence but it was too high. She tried her best. Unfortunately she failed.
Often an examiner meeting, ‘I tried to ask my friend,’ in a script, reads further to see what
prevented the writer from doing so. Alas, no obstacle appears and what the candidate
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should have written was, ‘I asked my friend.’
Too/so/very
How often these three are confused!
She was too tired to walk any further.
She was so tired that she could not walk any further.
She was very tired. She could not walk any further.
Note the following
Too goes with to (too + to):
So goes with that (so + that)
Very by it self
Question tags
A question tag is an addition to a statement which turns the whole item into a question.
The statement may be in positive. E.g. She likes reading books.
The statement may be negative. E.g. She does not like reading books.
To make these statements into questions, a tag is added. To the positive statement a
negative tag is added. She likes reading books, doesn’t she?
To the negative statement, an affirmative (or positive) tag is added: She does not like
reading books, does she?
‘Isn’t it,’ as a question tag is widely misused. The reason can be found in the vernacular
languages where the form of the question tag remains unchanged, as it does in many other
languages.
Statement: Nalwala (he is sick)
Naulwala (you are sick)
The tag ‘tefyo’ never changes its form and it means ‘isn’t this so.’
Nalwala, tefyo. (He is sick, isn’t that so?)
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Naulwala, tefyo (You are sick, isn’t that so?)
In English, however, the question tag takes up the pronoun of the statement.
She is a lovely girl, isn’t she?
We weren’t late, were we?
It is a beautiful day, isn’t it?
Can/ be able
These two words mean the same thing so to join the together in a sentence does not make
any sense:
‘He can sing’ is the same as, ‘He is able to sing.’
To say, He can be able to sing,’ is like saying ‘He can can sing, or ‘He is able able to sing.’
Wrong Idioms
Most candidates make errors in using idiomatic language. Here are some examples of
idiomatic errors:
They discussed about is. Wrong
They discussed it. Correct
Mr. Banda went for hunting. Wrong
Mr. Banda went hunting. Correct
I cannot cope up with this load of work: Wrong
I cannot cope with this load of work. Correct
She came to school putting on a white dress. Wrong
She came to school wearing a white dress (or in a white dress). Correct
I slept late last night because I had to wait for my brother who had gone to the cinema with
the key to my bedroom: This is the wrong use of ‘sleep late’ because in English, to sleep late
is to wake up later than usual. If you normally wake up at half-past five in the morning and
then one day you wake up at half-past seven, you have slept late. Therefore the sentences
should read:
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I went to bed late last night because I had to wait for my brother who had gone to the
cinema with the key to my bedroom.
It looks like he is not feeling well. Looks like here is wrong idiom. The sentence should read:
it looks as if (or as though) he is not feeling well.
Daliso tried by all means to catch the thief but he failed. By all means is the wrong idiom
here. This idiom is incorrectly used by a very large number of O level candidates and many
other people who use English as a second language. In English ‘by all means’ should be used
to mean ‘yes, of course’ or ‘certainly,’ e.g
Bwalya: Dad, can I use your dictionary?
Mr. Phiri: By all means.
Mr. Phiri has used by all means correctly to mean ‘certainly’ or ‘yes, of course.’
Therefore sentence should read: Daliso tried everything he could to catch the thief but he
failed.
False agreement
Here is a typical example of false agreement.
If one works hard, he or she should find the examination easy: Wrong.
If one works hard, one should find the examination easy: Correct.
Example 2
The bell rang. We all lined up under the big fig tree. Everyone was keen to hear their
examination results: Wrong.
The bell rang. We all lined up under the big fig tree. Everyone was keen to hear his or her
examination results. Correct.
Misrelated particle
Some candidates place a particle intended to qualify one noun beside another noun in the
same sentence. This causes confusion or nonsense, e.g.
Being only six years old, the teacher did not punish the boy.
As this sentence stands, it is the teacher who is only six years old. This is ridiculous. Of
course we know that it is the boy who is six years old. The candidate has placed ‘being only
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six years old’ beside the wrong noun, ‘the teacher.’ He should place it correctly beside ‘the
boy,’ e.g
Being only six years old, the boy was not punished by his teacher.
Awkward and ridiculous expressions
Some candidates include very awkward or ridiculous expressions in their compositions. For
example:
1. ‘When the car saw us, it stopped!’
Was it the car or the driver that saw us?
2. ‘My sister applied for a job and wrote the interview which she passed.’
People write aptitude or entrance tests, not interviews. If somebody or a panel of

people talk to you or ask you oral questions to find out if you are suitable for a
particular post then that is an interview.
3. I and James rushed to help, instead of ‘James and I rushed to help.’
4. She was nearly to die, instead of’ She nearly died,’ or ‘She almost died.’
Always watch out for errors like the ones above and avoid them.
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USEFUL EXPRESSIONS TO USE IN YOUR COMPOSITION
1. To express sadness, confusion or tarrying moments
 Guilt and concern swirled around me…………
 I was met with a sad stare……………………
 I lifted my tear-streaked face………………..
 A cry of horror escaped me at the sight of ………..
 I stood perplexed, mesmerised, shocked or rooted on the ground….
 Disturbed beyond bearing…………….
 That was the time hell broke loose……..
 I guess something earth-shuddering had happened/ was about to happen..
 My body was tensed with anger, fear, worry…
 He looked at me chillingly…………….
 His eyes were deeply horrifying, (can refer to human being/creatures)…..
 I almost jerked, jumped out of my skin…………….
 Anger blocked my throat…..
 I drew an audible shuddery breath………………..
 Walked stealthily to the door…………..
 Scared half to death……………
 Scared stiff or was stiff scared…………….
 Upper front teeth came tumbling out of my mouth…………………
 Pangs of sadness surged through me………………….
 Blood curdled in my veins…………………………………..
 Shocked beyond words…………………………………
 Sudden silence filled the room………………

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 I felt as though a nuclear bomb had just been dropped at the centre of my
existence……………..
 Torrents of sweat / tears rolled down my cheeks and neck……….
 Blood came out in jets……………….
 Fight tooth and nail……………………
2. To express joy
 Tears of joy rolled down my cheeks…………
 The joy I had knew no bounds…………………
 Build castles in the air……….
 Overcome with electrical excitement………………
 Tingles of excitement ran up and down my spine………….
 I jumped in ecstasy………………..
 The vibrant smile on the face expressed incredulous joy…………
 Her eyes shone with great delight………………
 I walked tall…………….
 Women ululated and men danced vigorously………..
3. Accident
 Heard the screaming brakes………………….
 The vehicle was reduced to nothing but a mangled wreck………
 The injured writhed and groaned in pain and agony..
 A sombre mood engulfed the onlookers………
 The driver coughed up the engine, we took off at terrific speed leaving a
cloud of dust behind.
 Some flying debris got lodged in my arm.

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4. Fire
 Frantic effort by the fire brigade to put out fire proved futile.
 Thick clouds of smoke formed up in the sky
 Property of unknown value went up in flames
 The fierce fire spread rapidly
 Thousands of sparks rose making the sky look like a huge glistering city.
 Tongues of fire roared like an angry monster.
5. Wedding
 The bride and the bridegroom smiled appreciatively
 Church was packed to capacity
 The maids and flower girls were beautifully dressed and they looked spick
and span.
 The bride swayed her lips left to right, her beautiful dress sweeping the floor.
 Everyone was dressed to kill and looked gorgeous.
 The vibrant smiles on their faces expressed incredulous joy.
6. Robbery
 The door flung open and a blast of cold air filled the room
 Three gigantic men suddenly emerged..
 They were armed to the teeth like soldiers in a battle field..
 The robbers were viciously and brutally beaten up
 The man had a protuberant stomach, thick moustache and eyes as red as
berries
7. Shortest time possible
 In a spur of the moment..
 In a twinkle/ twinkling of an eye….

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 In fraction of a second….
 No minute to spare…
 In a split second…
 In a blink of an eye….
 Without dilly dallying….
8. Inanimate sounds
 Crack of a whip
 Bang of a door
 Roaring/ rumbling/ rolling of thunder
 The howling of wind
 Whistling of trees
 Jingling of coins
 Slam of the door
 blaring of the siren
 whack of a cane
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4 SUMMARY WRITING SKILLS
A summary is a short account of something. It gives only main points.
Types of Summary
(i) Note summary: It is written in point form. The points extracted from the passage
are listed. All unnecessary or less important words and phrases are omitted.
(ii) Prose summary: It is written using the points from the note summary to write a
paragraph.
Steps to Summary Writing
(i) Note summary:

Step 1: Read the question and instructions given.
Step 2: Scan the passage
Step 3: Read the question again and then the whole passage, this time paying attention to
detail and extracting brief points that are relevant to the question.
Step 4: Arrange the points in order (if necessary). Make sure your notes make sense and can
be easily understood by the examiner.
(ii) Prose summary

Follow all the steps of note summary writing and then move on to step 5 of
summary writing.
Step 5: Using the points you extracted, write a prose summary using link words such as: and,
but, therefore, however, unless, after, before, when, etc. Here, the importance of accuracy
in the presentation of points need not be overemphasized. And while you may refer to the
passage from time to time as you write you’re precise, try as much as you can to use your
own words. However, always remember not to add to or distort the information in the
original passage. No views or opinions should be included. All the information must be
derived from the passage.
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Step 6: Count the number of words you have used in the rough draft. Make alterations if
necessary and rephrase some of the sentences omitting unnecessary words. This can be done
as shown below.
Here is the rough draft in which there are a lot of repetitions and unnecessary words. This
draft is 105 words long. Assuming that you have been asked to write the summary in not
more 85 words, let us try and make changes to the draft.
The Draft
When I was writing, a funny thing happened to me yesterday. When I heard a noise I looked
out of the window and then I saw the source of the noise. It was a large, fat woman. I did not
know the large fat woman. She was shouting at the top of her voice. When I opened the door,
she did not stop shouting. I could see that she was very angry. When I saw my cook I asked
him to tell me if he knew the woman but my cook laughed and tapped his head. When the
woman saw this, she was even angry. (105 words)
Here now we will put in brackets the words and phrases that can be omitted without affecting
the original passage. We will also underline parts of sentences that have been rephrased.
(When I was writing,) a funny thing happened to me yesterday. When) I heard a noise and (I)
looked out of the window. (And then I saw) The source of the noise (It) was a large, fat woman.
I did not know the (large fat) woman. She was shouting at the top of her voice. When I opened
the door, she did not stop shouting. I could see that she was very angry. (When I saw my
cook) I asked (him) my cook (to tell me if he knew) who the woman was but (my cook) he
laughed and tapped his head. When (the woman) she saw this, she was even (more)
angr(y)ier.
As you see, the words and phrases in brackets and the underlined parts can be omitted
without affecting the original passage.
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Step 7: After you have made necessary alterations and counted the number of words, write
your fair copy. Remember to write your summary in a single paragraph, unless otherwise
stated. The final copy of the above passage will read:
A funny thing happened to me yesterday. I heard a noise and looked out of the window. The
source of the noise was a large, fat woman. I did not know the woman. She was shouting at
the top of her voice. When I opened the door, she did not stop shouting. I could see she was
very angry. I asked my cook who the woman was, but he laughed and tapped his head. When
she saw this, she was angrier. (82 words)
CONJUNCTIONS IN SUMMARY WRITING
Conjunctions are words used to join together items in a sentence or parts of speech that are
similar. Conjunctions play a very important role in our speech and summary writing. Studied
carefully, they will help you write summary concisely and accurately. Conjunctions help join
short sentences together to make big sentences, thereby reducing the number of words used
by eliminating unnecessary ones. They also add colour and flavour to your writing. Below are
examples of link words:
(i) Words which usually indicate that you are adding another point that is as
important as the one you have just made:
and moreover another besides
in addition equally important further
furthermore also
apart from
(ii) Words which usually indicate that you are adding points in order of their
importance are:
first firstly next
third thirdly secondly
finally second last
147
(iii) Words which usually indicate that you are establishing a cause and effect
relationship are:
so therefore since
as a result hence because
accordingly thus consequently
(iv) Words which usually indicate that you are establishing a contrasting relationship
are:
but though on the other hand
yet although on the contrary
however even though nevertheless
(v) Words which usually indicate that you are summarizing are:
in conclusion consequently in summary
finally on the whole thus
therefore in short as a result
briefly in a word
(vi) Words which usually indicate that you are going to provide an example are:
for example in other words as an illustration
for instance in particular
(vii) Words which usually indicate that you are developing an idea according to a time
sequence are:
then later after
finally subsequently when
meanwhile once now
Further illustrations;
1. He had no qualification but he got the job.

2. He had no qualifications; however, he got the job.
3. He had no qualifications, nevertheless, he got the job.
4. I can’t go now; I’m too busy. Besides, my passport is out of date.
5. I can’t go now; I’m too busy. Moreover, my passport is out of date.
6. You cannot beat him unless you train harder.
7. Despite the severe weather conditions all the cars completed the course.
148
8. In spite of the severe weather conditions all the cars completed the course.
9. Although it was raining he went to the market.
10. Though sick he went to school.
11. James reported to school late. As a result, he was punished.
Example 1
Use link words to produce intelligible sentences.
Bwalya failed the Grade Nine final examination dismally- ever body concluded that he would
give up school- he privately resolved to take drastic measures to improve in class- he
suspended two of his favourite co-curricular activities soccer and volleyball.- he drew up a
personal time table. He adhered to this programme tenaciously like a hungry baby sucking
its mother’s milk- although he would have nothing to eat at lunch time, he decided to use
most of his. -, he enlisted the services of three private teachers who accordingly gave him
expert, intensive tuition pocket money to purchase revision guides in several subjects,
including English Language.
Answer:
Bwalya failed the Grade Nine final examination dismally. As a result, everybody concluded
that he would give up school. On the contrary, he privately resolved to take drastic measures
to improve in class. He suspended two of his favourite co-curricular activities, soccer and
volleyball. Next, he drew up a personal time table. He adhered to this programme tenaciously
like a hungry baby sucking its mother’s milk. Further, although he would have nothing to eat
at lunch time, he decided to use most of his pocket money to purchase revision guides in
several subjects, including English Language. In addition to that, he enlisted the services of
three private teachers who accordingly gave him expert, intensive tuition.
149
EXAMPLE 2
Read the passage below and in not more than 75 words, describe what happens to the
man and what he does from the time the gun falls from his hands.
Then he turned his gaze and slowly took in the circle of the world that had remained to him
that Bob was gone.
Near the horizon the sun was smoldering dimly, almost obscured by formless mists and
vapour, which gave an impression of mass and density without outline or tangibility. The man
pulled out his watch, the while resting his weight on one leg. Its was four o’ clock and as the
season was near the last of July or first of August-he did not know the precise date within a
week or two. He knew that somewhere beyond those bleak hills lay the Great Bear Lake; also
he knew that in that direction the Arctic Circle cuts its forbidding way across the Canadian
Barrens.
Again his gaze completed the circle of the world about him. It was not a heartening spectacle.
Everywhere was soft skyline. The hills were low-lying. There were no trees, no shrubs, no
grasses-naught but a tremendous and terrible desolation that sent fear swiftly into his eyes.
“Bill” he whispered, once and twice;”Bill!” He discovered in the midst of the milky water, as
though the vastness were pressing in upon him with overwhelming force, brutally crushing
him with its complacent awfulness. He began to shake as with an ague-fit, till the gun fell
from his hand with a splash. This served to rouse him. He fought with his fear and pulled
himself together, groping in the water and recovering the weapon. He hitched his pack
further over his left shoulder so as to take a portion of its weight from off the injured ankle.
Then he proceeded, slowly and carefully wincing with pain to the bank.
He did not stop. With desperation that was madness, unmindful of the pain, he hurried up
the slope to the crest of the hill over which his comrade had disappeared-more grotesque
and comical by far that that limping, jerking comrade. But at the crest he saw a shallow valley,
empty of life. He fought with his fear again, overcome it, hitched the pack still further over
on his left shoulder, and lurched on down the slope.
Brief Notes
 Becomes aware of himself/surrounding

 Fight fear
150
 Recovers the weapon

 Repositions the pack
 Proceeds slowly, limping uphill to the crest
 Sees nobody but continues
Prose summary
Soon after, the gun falls from his hand, the man becomes aware of himself and the world
around him. He recovers the gun, fights with fear, adjusts the pack on his shoulder and
proceeds painfully up the hill to the crest where he happens to see his friend below.
Unfortunate for him, at the crest, as he looks below, he does not see any human being. Though
gripped with fear, he continues down the slope. (75 words)
151
152

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FastLearn Examiner – available on CD for fast computer aided revision 55 Bwiinjimfumu Road

Online revision @ WWW.FASTLEARNEXAMINER.COM Call 0968-747007, 0955-747000 or 0977-747000 Rhodespark, Lusaka

©2017 FASTLEARN PUBLISHERS

TOPICAL REVISION – English (Grade 10 – 12)

Cover design by Nelson Nkhoma

Table of Contents Questions Answers/Tips

2 Vocabulary (Lexis), Clozes & Prepositions ……………………………. 13 67

3 Comprehension ……..………………. ……………………………… 19 69

4 Tips on Composition Writing …...………………………………………….. 40 72

(1) Letter Writing ……………………………………………. 40 84

(2) Process/Instruction Composition …………………… 43 93

5 Summary Writing ……………………………...…………………………………….. 55 145

WARNING AGAINST EXAMINATION MALPRACTICES

DURING THE EXAMINATION PERIOD

1. Candidates should NOT:

2. Teachers, invigilators, and supervisors should:

Do not make any changes to the printed parts of sentence B.

Example: A He is very lazy. He cannot pass the examination.

2. A He doesn’t understand and he dosn’t sympathise with anyone.

4. A The lamp was lit at 18:00 hours. It burnt until midnight.

6. A Both Peter and John are intelligent.

10. A You are coming with us.

2 2010 PAPER 2 QUESTION 3 Section 1 (Rewrites or transformations) (10 Marks)

Example: A He is very lazy. He cannot pass the examination.

2 A We failed to visit you because the road was bad.

4 A Angry and proud, Joseph resolved to fight back.

5 A He borrowed the money from his friend last week.

7 A She is so intelligent that she will be selected for Grade Ten.

8 A He rarely goes to the village.

9 A Jane lived longer than her brother.

10 A They didn’t think he would pass so well.

3 2009 PAPER 2 QUESTION 3 Section 1 (Rewrites or transformations) (10 Marks)

Example: A The boy is John. He broke the window last week.

1. A All the cattle are in the Kraal.

2. A Football and basketball are popular games in Zambia.

5. A I prefer going to the cinema to watching television.

9. A My mother was too bewildered to talk.

10. A My performance does not improve although I train very hard.

4 2004 PAPER 2 QUESTION 3 Section 1 (Rewrites or transformations) (10 Marks)

Example: A Mary Phiri is beautiful and charming.

1. A A physical distribution system will be effective if the transportation is well co-ordinated.

4. A He wept so loudly that he attracted people’s attention.

6. A Children are suffering and their parents don’t care.

8. A I expected Jane to pass better than she did.

9. A The Head teacher arrived late but no one seemed to mind.

10. A It must be very exciting to be a pilot.

5 2003 PAPER 2 QUESTION 3 Section 1 (Rewrites or transformations) (10 Marks)

2 A I could not weep in public even though I was unhappy.

3 A It is not a habit of mine to drive while drunk.

5 A It’s a pity our treasurer squandered the money.

6 A No mountain in Africa is higher than Mount Kilimanjaro.

7 A The patient wanted to have milk and not porridge.

8 A They were as thorough in their investigations as anyone could be.

6 2002 PAPER 2 QUESTION 3 SECTION 1 (REWRITES OR TRANSFORMATIONS) (10 Marks)

Do not make any changes to the printed parts of the B sentence.

1. A. As John went into the shop, a thief stole his wallet.

8. A Arnold is very sick, so he must see a doctor.

7 2001 PAPER 2 QUESTION 3 SECTION 1 REWRITES (TRANSFORMATIONS)

Do not make any changes to the printed parts of the B sentence.

2 VOCABULARY, CLOZES & PREPOSITIONS.