By Elimu Assistant Team Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
He tried to look impassive without much success. He had too expressive a face. The woman he loved sat next to him in the fast moving minibus and studied his face. In a rather uncomfortable way she reminded him of his mother, Elizabeth, who had all-seeing eyes. But it was not of his mother that he thought at this particular moment; rather it was Mark. The last battle of wills he and his father had had was a lifetime ago and he had been miserably worsted. Now he was twenty-seven and he intended to win; still he had the healthy fear one has of a tired and tested adversary.
He smiled at her and she smiled back, in calm understanding. The meeting with her family had gone so well. So well. They had welcomed him, made him feel at home, fed him; laughed with him and at him good humouredly. All had been there with their spouses and children. In spite of their hard start in life, or may be because of it, they had all done very well and the oldest brother in fact owned a company and was very wealthy a tycoon, though one would never have guessed it by looking at his lean, brown, but friendly face as a handsome as a male model.
Esther had done everything to make him feel at home and referred to him as a Muthoni brother –in-law. Kamau was the picture of dependable respectability – a man who knew money. Timothy, who was a little older than Aoro, was a typical good time boy (you can’t win them all – as Elizabeth would have said). He had a sleek looking sports car, and a stunning woman draped upon his arm, but his smile was open and friendly.
Questions
(a) The woman he loved sat next to him …………….”
(i) Who is ‘the woman’? (1mk)
(ii) Who is the ‘he’? (1mk)
(iii) Where are they going and to do what? (2mks)
(b) From your knowledge of the text, describe the “battle of wills he and his father had.” (4mks)
(c) “He had too expressive a face” Explain the meaning of this expression. (2mks)
(d) Identify and illustrate any two literary devices used in this excerpt. (4mks)
(e) They had welcomed him, made him feel at home and fed him. (change the sentence into the passive voice) (1mk)
(f) “In spite of their hard start in life ……….,” From your knowledge of the text, what does this statement imply about this family? (2mks)
(g) “They had welcomed him” Explain. (2mks)
(h) Explain the significance of this journey and how it impacts on the relationship between the two travellers. (3mks)
(i) Basing your answer on the passage, explain the meaning of:
(i) Tried and tested –
(ii) Tycoon –
(iii) Stunning –
