NAME:________________________________________ EXAMINATION NO.

: __________

NGULUDI CLUSTER EXAMINATIONS BOARD

2021 MALAWI SCHOOL CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION MOCK EXAMINATION

ENGLISH
Subject Number: M052/II
Thursday, 5 August
Time Allowed: 2 hours
2:00 – 4:00 pm
PAPER III
(70 marks)
Instructions Question Tick if Do not write in
Number answered these columns
1. This paper contains 10 printed pages. 1.
Please check.

2. This paper has two sections. 2.

a. Section A contains two compulsory
contextual questions. You are 3.
required to answer both questions
in this section in the spaces provided.
4.
b. Section B comprises essay questions.
Answer one question on each book
on the lined answer sheets provided.

3. You should spend 10 minutes reading

all the questions and planning your
answers to the questions you choose.

4. Write your Name and Examination

Number on top of each page of the
question paper.

5. In the table provided, on this page, tick

against the question number you have
answered.

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NAME:________________________________________ EXAMINATION NO.: __________

Section A (30 marks)

Answer both questions.
1. POETRY
Dear ………………..
Mother I‟m pregnant
And I know you may be angry
But before you spoil a rod on me
Or start to judge me
Take a minute and listen to me

Mother, you never taught me about sex

Or how to deal with the advances of the opposite sex
Never said a word about French letters
I don‟t even know the meaning of contraception
Far less for conception

Mother, the boys in the dark corners made me feel good

Saying things that you and father never would
Spoke to me in the ways that I had never heard
Told me I was beautiful, told me I was indeed their NANAZI; nice
Mother, they complemented my sense of style

Why didn‟t you do it too?

Why oh why?
And now I am with child

This burden to Golgotha grows in my belly

The thought of teenage pregnancy overwhelms me
But I promise my baby to do better
I won‟t neglect her like you did me,
I hope you also pass my message to the second creator
(By Delroy Williams)
Questions
a. Who is the persona in the poem?
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(1 mark)
b. Identify an allusion in the poem.
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(1 mark)
c. Describe the attitude of the persona towards the addressee.
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d. What is the general tone of the poem?

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(1 mark)
e. What evidence is there in the poem that the persona writes the addressee?
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(1 mark)
f. Describe any one theme portrayed in the poem.
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(2 marks)
g. In what way is the persona negatively affected in the poem?
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(1 mark)
h. What figure of speech are the following expressions;
i) French letter
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(1 mark)
ii) Nanazi
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(1 mark)
i. What is the physical setting of the story?
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(2 marks)
j. What feature in the poem shows that it is full of ups and downs?
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(2 marks)
2. SHORT STORY
Read the following passage and answer questions that follow.
CONFLICT BETWEEN GENERATIONS
In Masuku village, there lived a woman with her only son, Chikumbutso. Her clan name was
Nambewe. One day, she went to fetch water from the Acheron River in the nearby forest.
She left her child fast asleep in her brush house. Suddenly, she heard people shouting at their
top voice:”Fire! Fire! Fire!”
Then a dense cloud of smoke covered the sky. Nambewe dashed home to find out what had
happened. Just like a night mare, she saw her house on fire. It was set ablaze by a glowing
splinter from the ragging bushfire. Greatly, concerned about the safety of her child,
Nambewe rushed into the house to rescue the child. Fortunately, she found the child alive.
She picked the child up, held him tightly to her belly and struggled out of the house that was

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blazing. Barely thirty seconds later, the roof collapsed behind her. Nambewe sustained some
burns. Her good looking face was permanently disfigured.
Eighteen years later, Chiku as he was called as a short version, had grown up into a
handsome boy. By twenty- four years, he obtained his first degree in medicine. He
designated in Lilongwe and worked as a medical assistant. He married to a beautiful ,petite
woman by the name of Najere. The couple loved each other and was a talk of the city. They
promised to wed towards the end of that year.
One day, Chikumbutso asked her fiancé‟ to pay a visit to his mother at Masuku. Having
heard that, the mother was very happy, she started preparing for the couple by doing all she
can in order to welcome them.
When Chiku and Nambewe arrived in the village, Chiku‟s mother welcomed them warmly.
She ushered them into her brush house and told them to sit on a newly woven mat. After
greeting them. Nambewe rushed out to prepare something for them to eat.
“Who is she?” Najere asked.
“Oh! That‟s my mum,” replied Chiku.
Nambewe prepared nsima and chicken as a special dish for her prospective daughter-in-
law.She brought the food into the house.‟ After serving the food, she left the house in order
to let them eat freely.
“Come on Najere! Eat” said Chikumbutso.
“No, my dear, I have lost my appetite,” she replied.
“Why?” asked Chikumbutsso.
“Just a few minutes ago, you said you were hungry,” Chikumbutso lamented.
“Well,let me be frank with you. I‟m not going to eat anything because of your mother
outlook. She is not the right woman to be my prospective mother -in –law. She looks very
ugly.” Najere said.
Chiku felt very bad and sad.He nearly slipped and slapped her. He assumed that meant the
end of hios love with Najere. He told his mother that Najere refused to eat the food.
Nambewe was surprised to learn that her prospective daughter-in-law refused to eat. She
thought Najere was shy. “Or did you my son, say nasty words to her?” she asked.
Instead of responding to the questions directly, Chiku asked her;:Why do you look so
different from other women in this village? Najere could not stand your appearance and
that‟s why she refused to eat the food you prepared.” he explained.
Tears rolled down her cheeks when her son explained the reason that made Najere refuse to
eat the food. As she looked at her son, her mind went as back as twenty –five years ago when
her face became disfigured. She was reminded of what could happened to Chiku if she never
came to his rescue. With a broken and hoarse voice, she lamented:”My son, I tell you, I did
not choose to be like this. It‟s because of you! You would have lost your life when you were
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NAME:________________________________________ EXAMINATION NO.: __________

four, and you were fast asleep in our house which was in flames. I came to your rescue in the
flames. Eventually, my face got burnt and disfigured.” She narrated the story rather
emotionally, but in a nutshell.
When she finished narrating the story, Chiku wept bitterly upon hearing the tragic story from
her mother/.He realized how much his mother loved and cared for him. It was a great
sacrifice for him. He knelt near her and whispered,” My beloved mother, please forgive.”
(Adapted from: The teacher At Work: Conflict Between Generation: Oxford University
Press)
Questions
a. Name two characters involved in physical conflict.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)
b. How did Nambewe‟s house catch fire?
________________________________________________________________________
(1 mark)
c. From what point of view is the story told?
________________________________________________________________________
(1 mark)
d. Give one reason for Najere not taking the delicious food?
________________________________________________________________________
(1 mark)
e. In what way is Nambewe a responsible character?
________________________________________________________________________
(1 mark)
f. „…he nearly slipped and slapped her….What figure of speech is „slipped‟ and „slapped‟
________________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)
g. Of what mood was Nambewe when narrating a flashback story?
________________________________________________________________________
(1 mark)
h. Pick any two phrases from the story that prove that the story ends is „suspense.‟
________________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)
i. One theme explored in the story is „collective action‟. In what way is this justifiable?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)
j. Describe the physical location of Masuku village.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
( 2 marks)
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NAME:________________________________________ EXAMINATION NO.: __________

Section B (40 marks)

Answer both questions in this section on the spaces provided. Choose either question a or b in
each case and not both.

3. THE PEARL by John Steinbeck

EITHER
a. With four points each, describe how the following individual characters are admirable.
(i) Juana
(ii) Apolonia and Fishermen (20 marks)

OR
b. In Pearl, symbolism plays an important role as the story unfolds. With relevant
examples from the book, support this statement. (20 marks)

4. MACBETH by William Shakespeare

EITHER
a. In Shakespeare, the Supernatural plays an important role in predicting the future. With
relevant examples from the play Macbeth, discuss four supernatural predictions and
explain how those supernatural predictions are fulfilled in the play. (20 marks)

OR
b. With examples from the play “Macbeth,” describe how the following themes are
portrayed in the play.
(i) Blood imagery
(ii) False smiles ( 20 marks)

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END OF QUESTION PAPER
NB: This paper contains 10 printed pages.
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