Ministry of Primary and

Secondary Education

English Language Module

Level II
Volume 2

Lifelong and
Continuing Education
2020
Introduction
This English Language module is designed for open distance learning or out of
school learners. Some learners drop out of school for various reasons and some
simply cannot afford or manage to attend formal schooling. In order to address
the learning needs of out of school children, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary
Education (MOPSE) through the Non Formal Education department has come
up with a Level 2 Module intended to help open distance learners to acquire the
English language skills.

It is assumed that most of the learners who use this book are out of school learners
who dropped from school or never attended school. The COVID-19 crisis has
made a great impact on the entire world and on our lives. Everyone is called on
to be cautious, creative and kind. The government, the Ministry of Primary and
Secondary Education, MoPSE has also ensured that learners continue to learn in
safe environments at home until the situation stabilizes, Thus this Module has also
become handy for all Form Four English learners. Disadvantaged learners who
have a passion for English and want to study English Language in order to improve
their educational qualifications or employment prospects can also use the module.
The module includes skills such as listening, observing, speaking, signing, reading,
brailing, and writing. To make this subject interesting, there are lots of activities
focused on the aforementioned skills such as listening, speaking, reading and
writing all prepared to help learners get adequate practice in English. The module
consists of 25 units and 5 are assessment units intended to prepare open distance
learners for public examinations.

Key competencies such as critical thinking, problem solving and enterprise skills
have also been included in the module. Cross cutting themes such as Heritage,
Gender, Unhu or Ubuntu or Vumunhu, Children’s rights, HIV and AIDS among
others have been incorporated in the module.
It is the Ministry’s hope that out of school learners are going to take advantage of
this module and benefit immensely in advancing their learning endeavours.

I
Acknowledgements
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE) wishes to acknowledge
the Non Formal Education (PSNE) department of the Ministry for coordinating
this programme and the Curriculum Development and Technical Services (CDTS)
department for reviewing and editing the module. Special mention goes to Pheobe
Musakana – Education Research Officer (CDTS) for compiling, editing and proof
reading this module.

The writing of this Non-Formal Level 2 English Language Module was made
possible by the contributions from the following Senior Teachers; Justice Khupe
– Thekwane High School, Anthony Muchavaka – Mafumise High School, Sehlile
Thebe – Pumula High School, Arkim Dhlodhlo – Madzivire Range High School and
J.P.S Moyo – Sanyati District Office Schools Inspector.

We also thank G. Hakuna for the poem “Colour of my skin”. Zimsec for allowing us
to use some past examination passages and papers.

Pastor Mbwanjwa for the poem “The Ragamuffin”.

Nokuthula Zitha for the lyrics of the song “The Rose”.

Nomagugu Dlodlo for her Curriculum Vitae.

Above all special consideration goes to UNICEF for providing funding for this
Module.

II
How to use this module
As you start this journey of acquiring a qualification in Ordinary Level English
Language through open distance learning, it is critical that you understand the
need to manage your study time and balance it with your day-to-day activities. This
module will provide you with the basic material to assist you towards your public
examinations in English Language.

This module has been subdivided into two volumes, that is, Volume 1 Volume 2.
You are advised to study Volume 1 first before going to Volume 2.

Wish you the best!

III
Table of Contents
Introduction I
Acknowledgements II
How to use this module III

Unit 14 The Environment 1

14.1 Announcements and messages 2
14.2 Impromptu and Prepared Speeches 4
14.2.1 Prepared speech 4
14.2.2 Impromptu speech 7
14.3 Reading- Types of questions 8
14.4 Informal letter 13
14.5 Direct and Indirect speech 15
Unit 15 Revision and Assessment test 20
15.1 Following directions and instructions 22
15.2 Children’s rights 22
15.3 Creative writing 23
15.4 Comprehension, Summary and Supporting Language Structures 25

Unit 16 Pains of Growing up 32

16.1 Conversations, dialogues and interviews 33
16.2 Registers 35
16.3 Comprehension work: Paraphrasing and summarising 38
16.4 Memo, Curriculum Vitae and Article 44
16.5 Forming Nouns by using Suffixes 51

Unit 17: Broken promises 60

17.1 Dictation 61
17.2 Conservation of natural resources 64
17.3 Broken promises 65
17.4 A report based on a pie chart. 70
17.5 Proper and common nouns 72

Unit 18: Ospreys 77

18.1 Purposeful listening- Dialogues 78
18.2 Invitations, complaints and complements 80
18.3 Summary skills 82
18.4 Narrative composition 87
18.5 Sentence construction: clauses and punctuation 89

Unit 19 The Victoria Falls 96

19.1 Listening comprehension 97
19.2 Pronunciation 98
19.3 Referencing 100
19.4 Speech writing 103
19.5 Types of sentences 105

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Unit 20: Assessment Test 4 109
20.1 Purposeful listening 113
20.2 Dialogue: Telephone conversation. 115
20.3 Composition writing 115
20.4 Comprehension reading: 116

Unit 21 Drought in Zimbabwe 126

21.1 Listening comprehension 127
21.2 Register- Appropriateness of expression 129
21.3 Reading-simple recall, inferential questions, word meanings and summary writing 131
21.4 Paragraph unity 137
21.5 Verbs- The active and the passive voice 139

Unit 22: Advertising 144

22.1 Describing a girl 145
22.2 Describing people, events and the environment. 147
22.3 Advertising 151
22.4 Report based on a graph. 158
22.5.Phrasal Verbs and Auxiliary verbs 161

Unit 23 Angels of mercy 169

23.1 Anxious Days 170
23.2 Describing events 171
23.3 Angels of Mercy 172
23.4 Discursive writing 179
23.5 Punctuation 180
23.5 Punctuation 186

Unit 24 The Ragamuffin 187

24.1 A radio interview 188
24:2 Degrees of formality 189
24:3 Poetry: The Ragamuffin 190
24.4 An article 194
24.5 The complex sentence 195

Unit 25: Summative Assessment: Examination Practice 201

25.1 General examination guidelines 202
25.1.1 Guidelines for Section A: Free Composition Writing 203
25.1.2 Guidelines for Section B: Guided Composition writing. 203
25.1.3 Important instructions you need to follow: 204
25.2 Paper 1 Examinations 204
25.3 Paper 2 Examination guidelines 208
25.5 Comments for the whole examination 215

References 219

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Unit 14 The Environment
Contents
14.1 Announcements and messages
14.2 Impromptu and prepared speeches
14.3 Reading
14.4 Informal letter writing
14.5 Direct and indirect speech

Introduction
In this unit you are going to listen to announcements and messages to sharpen your
listening skills. When you go through activities on listening skills, you will learn how
to listen for important points or information. Not only that, the same activities will
make you present announcements on gatherings or on various media. I hope you
will enjoy doing impromptu and unprepared speeches on speaking skills. These will
make you a powerful speaker when you address people on gatherings. The aspects
of impromptu and unprepared speeches will also go a long way in preparing you
to write speeches in examinations as you are going to see in the following Units.
Simple recall, inferential, contextual and summary questions on reading skills will be
dealt with in comprehension work. .On writing skills, you will be looking at informal
letters. You should be happy because this will help you to communicate you’re
your friends and relatives. Lastly, on language structures, you will look at direct and
indirect speech. These structures of language will enhance your linguistic ability in
both spoken and written English.

Objectives
After going through this unit, you should be able to:
• repeat announcements
• relay messages
• answer different types of comprehension questions
• deliver prepared and impromptu speeches
• write an informal letter
• use direct and indirect speech in sentences

Key words
Impromptu-with little or no preparation
Speech-communication by word of mouth

Time: You should study this unit in eight (8) hours.

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 Study skills
In this Unit, you are expected to know the following study skills:
• Listening attentively
• Speaking proficiently
• Note taking
• Writing coherently

14.1 Announcements and messages

In our everyday societies, you have heard people making announcements on
occasions such as funerals, church gatherings, wedding ceremonies and many
others. Can you try to recall any event where these announcements were made.
Don’t restrict yourself to real life experiences because sometimes you have heard
these announcements on various media such as the radio, television or even
in the newspapers. What do you think were some of the reasons for making
such announcements? I hope you have come up with responses such as that
announcements are made to inform or even persuade people but usually it
depends with the intention of the speaker.

What did you notice in terms manner in which the announcement was made? I
hope you are already coming up with answers such as speakers use very simple
language so that the message gets to the intended people. Besides that, you
noted that the speakers are polite and respectful. This means that language is very
critical on such events for effective communication. The fact that you still remember
at least an announcement that was made previously means that the announcement
was done following some of the features we have mentioned.

Remember when making announcements, you are addressing an audience or

people, so you must take into consideration their attention and even feelings. You
should take note of aspects such as greetings, frequent reference to the audience
and avoid being offensive at all costs. An announcement is conducted so as to
convey a message, so an announcement and a message are two sides of the same
coin.

Now pay attention to activities below.

Activity 14.1.1
In this activity, I want you to give to your friend or any person you think can assist
you to read to you an announcement below. The announcement is made by a
Police officer of your area who is informing people about the consequences of
destroying the environment.

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Here is the announcement:
Good afternoon the people of Makwaha area. I am very happy to have this
opportunity to speak to you as Officer-in-Charge of Chipinge rural police. The
purpose of speaking to you at this growth point is to warn you on the dangers of
destroying the environment.

To begin with ladies and gentlemen, you are not allowed to cut down trees in this
area unless you have a clearance letter from the police or other people in authority
such as the headman. It has been discovered that people are cutting down trees
for fire wood and construction poles. Besides that, you are not allowed to set any
veld on fire because this is destroying the natural habitat for wild animals leaving
the ground bare and leading to a high rate of soil erosion which ends up silting
dams and rivers. If all this happens, there is reduced evapotranspiration leading to
desertification in the area.

So, anyone who is going to be caught cutting down trees and setting the veld on
fire without permission, will be arrested. It is now a serious crime to do all these
things and if you are caught committing the crime, you will face imprisonment of
more than five years. Make sure you report cases of deforestation and veld fires so
that the culprits are arrested.

Ladies and gentlemen, with all this I thank you.

What is above is a good example of a short announcement to the public made in

the growth point. Now, to show that you have been listening to the announcement
and that you have understood the messages answer the questions below:

Here are the questions:

1. Where is the announcement being made?
2. Who is making the announcement?
3. Give two things which show that the person making the announcement is
warning people against?
4. From your understanding of the announcement, explain the effects of
destruction of the vegetation.
5. What are the consequences of deforestation and veld fires by people?

N.B The answers to these questions are found at the end of the Unit.

It is now clear that when listening to announcements, you should get the message
being conveyed. Also, you are now in a position to make an announcement if you
are presented with a situation.

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14.2 Impromptu and Prepared Speeches
In this section, you are going to look at a prepared and unprepared/ impromptu
speech but you will learn how to deliver prepared speeches first and then
impromptu/unprepared speeches as explained below, so pay great attention:

14.2.1 Prepared speech

It is my hope that at least you have once talked to a group of people. Can you
give an event which you can still remember where you addressed people. I hope
you have come up with events such as church gatherings, school gatherings and
many others. If you have not talked to people before don’t worry you must use your
knowledge of what you once saw people doing when addressing gatherings. When
you talk to a group of people, this is what we refer to as a speech. So, prepared
speech means that before you talk to people or an audience, you prepare what to
say to them. The reason for preparing is that your presentation should be relevant
so that you do not disappoint the people listening to you. Here are some important
points you need to take note of when you are preparing your speech:
The introduction should contain the following aspects:

Show that you know your audience by greeting, following protocol, that is line
of authority and status. Tell your audience your capacity or position in presenting
the speech. The people you are talking to also want to see that you are happy by
giving an expression such as,”I feel greatly honoured to have this opportunity… “
and lastly tell your audience the reason for speaking to them.

The body of the speech should have the following:

The information you are telling people should be clearly ordered. Make sure that
you frequently refer to the audience by saying, for example ladies and gentlemen,
boys and girls. Use very simple language so that people understand and always be
respectful to the people you are talking to. Use as many examples as possible to
clarify your points and rhetorical questions as well. All this will help in drawing the
attention of your listeners.

Conclusion of a speech should have the following:

End the speech with closing remarks persuading listeners to consider your opinions
and express your vote of thanks at the end of the speech.

Now that we have gone through some of the important points you have to take into
consideration when preparing a speech, here is an example a prepared speech:

4
 Activity 14.2.1
Question:
Your area is worried about many things at your local secondary school. There are
many things that are causing a poor pass rate and lack of development. Some of
the things affecting the school are indiscipline of both students and teachers, there
are no experienced and qualified teachers, teachers are transferring because of
poor accommodation and many cases of theft.

Your community meets at the school to discuss the problems affecting the school
and to suggest the way forward. Prepare the speech you would deliver.

The situation and question above wants you to prepare a speech that you would
present. Try to write your speech on your own.

From your understanding of the features of a prepared speech, I hope you have
come up with the speech like the one below. Read it very carefully so that you
capture how it is supposed to be done:

Ladies and gentlemen, I feel greatly honoured to have this opportunity to speak
to you at this meeting in my capacity as the head of the school. The purpose of the
gathering is to discuss problems affecting the school and also find the way forward.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is very true that the school is producing very poor results,
especially last year where we scored three per cent pass rate at O-Level. The
reason attributed to this poor performance is the critical shortage of qualified
and experienced teachers. Students go to examinations before they had been
equipped with the necessary skills.

The other serious problem is shortage of textbooks. During lessons an average

of thirty students share only one textbook and to make matters worse the library
is poorly stocked with very few and out dated books. Students rely only on
information they are given by their teachers. Hence, their performance is poor.

Ladies and gentlemen, are you aware that there is also a lot of theft that has
occurred in the school? The school clerk stole five thousand dollars and the school
was left crippled. May I quickly suggest that close supervision of workers in the
school should be strict and all noted errors should correct in time.

I also propose that we should look at ways of attracting qualified and experienced
teachers in order to improve the school pass rate. Teachers should be supervised all
the time and discipline of both teachers and students should be enforced. I believe
that if these measures are taken our results shall improve.

Ladies and gentlemen, the quality of houses for our teachers is deplorable. This is
perhaps why we cannot get qualified teachers. May I suggest that all parents pay a
fee which shall be used to build and renovate all the teachers’ houses?

5
 On theft, may I suggest that the school employs a guard who should look after
the school at night, during weekends and on holidays? The security system of the
school should be improved as well by making sure that all doors are locked and
windows are firmly closed. I believe that these measures will go a long-way towards
solving the problem.

Ladies and gentlemen, may I again express my thanks for the opportunity to speak
out my views at this meeting. I hope that you will consider these views for the good
of our school.

Thank you.

If you are given a question to prepare a speech, I think you are going to perform
wonders. But before you work on the question on a prepared speech let us look at
impromptu speech.

14.2.2 Impromptu speech

An Impromptu speech is a speech when a speaker is given a topic to present
in a short period of time. The speaker is given a minute or two to come up with
a meaningful presentation. In an Impromptu speech the presenter is not given
much time to prepare. This means that you have to think very fast and speak
appropriately without being given time to prepare or plan. You should display
maximum alertness and imagination.

Activity 14.2.2
In this activity cut small pieces papers of the same size, colour and quality. Make
sure that the papers are not different and after that write on the small pieces of
papers the following words:

Time/ Teacher/Money/Furniture
Leader/Animal/Bridge/Music

So, you must have eight pieces of papers each with a topic from the words in the
box. Then, fold each of them but they should be of the same size and put them in
a box. Shuffle the papers and pick one from the box. The one you have picked has
the title on which you must deliver your speech.

Let’s say the paper you have picked from the box has a topic Music, pause for a
few seconds to come up with a minute speech on the topic. From what we have
discussed on features of a prepared speech, you must have a short introduction and
then on the body, you have to come up with ideas on the importance of music. Your
ideas will include a) entertainment b) consolation especially during sad moments
3) source of income. You should always conclude by thanking the audience for
listening.

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You need to bear in mind that the features of a Prepared speech are the same as
those of an Impromptu speech. This is so because in both you will be addressing
a group of people, so you should draw their attention so that you make them
consider your views. The difference mainly lies on what has been said above.

Below are two exercises to be done by you. The first one is on Impromptu speech
and the second one is on Prepared speech

14.2.2 Impromptu speech

On this question, cut eight small pieces of papers of the same colour, size and
quality. Then, write a word on each piece of paper until you have finished all the
eight words. Fold the papers and put them in a box.
Here are the words:

Education/Flowers/Journey/Internet
Religion/Wildlife/Communication/Life

Take a phone to record your speech or you can ask someone to do the time
keeping and recording for you. Now, pick a topic from the box and give yourself
some seconds to think. Then, present a one minute speech. At the end of the
presentation send the audio recording to your tutor on WhatsApp or disc if
possible.

It is clear that from what you have learnt on a Prepared and an Impromptu speech
that you can address an audience at a gathering, present information logically,
think very fast when you are presented with a problem. These are some of the
life skills that are required because you are going to come across many different
situations in life.

Activity 14.2.3: Prepared speech

Choose one topic from the ones given below and prepare a speech you would
deliver. Write your speech in the space provided.

Tip: Your presentation should be in conversational style, that is to say, the way you
are going to speak is the same way you should write.
1. ‘Why my school is the best?’
2. ‘The qualities of a good leader.’
3. ‘The effects of drug abuse’

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 14.3 Reading- Types of questions
In this section, you are going to look at different types of comprehension questions
and they are as follows:

Simple recall questions

If you can still remember well, we said simple recall questions are questions with
answers which are directly stated in the passage. You are still aware that the
questions do not require much reasoning but they only need you to get what the
question is demanding.

You must also check the number of marks because they tell the number of facts
required for that particular question.

Evaluation Questions
These are the kind of questions we said require you to judge the information in the
passage. The answers to these questions are not directly stated. You go beyond
what is stated in the text what we refer to as reading between the lines.

Answering questions in your own words

Questions which require the answer in your own words wants you to show that you
have read and understood the passage. Take note of the following stages when
answering questions of this nature:
1. Get what the question requires.
2. The number of marks show the words or phrases to recast or paraphrase
3. Read the sentence where the word or phrase has been used and if it remains
difficult, read the sentences before and after the sentence in question.
4. The answer is found clearly stated in the passage.
5. After getting the words or phrases to be recast, replace the words or phrases
with your own words and check if the meaning remains the same.

Contextual meaning of words

When you are looking at the meaning of new words, infer from their context in the
passage. Also, take note of the following:
1. You must read the whole sentence which has the word or phrase until you get
to the end in order to have an idea on how the word is used.
2. Your focus must be on the words or phrases just before and after the word or
phrase.
3. You can also read some sentences or the whole paragraph so that you are in
a position to link the information.

Summary writing
For you to be able to come up with a standard summary, refer to the previous Units
where you covered summary steps in detail.

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 Activity 14.3.1
Now, read the passage below carefully before answering any question.

The Environment
Paragraph 1
Once a year the skies of Western Brazil grow dark by day as well as by night.
Farmers and cattle owners burn down vast areas of the great rain forests around
the river Amazon to clear land for crop-growing and cattle rearing. Smoke from
the fires blots out the sun. Scientists, now keenly aware of dangers to the earth’s
environment, see this great annual destruction as a major peril for Brazil, and also
for the rest of the world. Politicians have joined scientists to try to stop the foolish
waste of the precious resources of these forests.

Paragraph 2
For more than four hundred years settlers and farmers have been attacking Brazil’s
forests in one way or another .They tried to snatch land for themselves from
the seemingly indestructible jungle, but its powers of recovery defeated their
efforts. New trees continually filled in the small patches of land that they cleared
.Nowadays, modern machinery can cut down trees at an alarming speed, and the
controlled burning down of the forest has meant that areas larger some whole
countries have been permanently stripped bare. Dams have also been built to flood
some of the enormous open spaces that have been created.

Paragraph 3
The results of this destruction are becoming frighteningly obvious. The forests
contain an astonishing variety of animal and plant life which is slowly but surely
disappearing. One type of tree may maintain more than four hundred insect
species, each square kilometre of forest its own assortment of birds and mammals
.The forests vanish, and with them the rich variety of their animal life and great
treasure –house of plants. The scientific benefits the forests can bring are also being
lost to doctors and farmers as the destruction goes on .Many of the plants contain
chemicals that can help medical science and agriculture, providing new treatments
for diseases or controlling insects that do immense damage to crops .Such natural
chemicals are better than artificial ones, which can have dangerous effects on
animals and people.

Paragraph 4
Even more alarming is the threat to the world’s climate. These forests create huge
volumes of clouds as the water evaporates from the great expanse of the tree-tops
.These clouds distribute the sun’s heat around the world. The destruction of the
forests would mean that the clouds no longer form, and so the delicate balance of
the world’s weather systems would be very seriously upset .The actual burning of
the trees also accelerates the warming up of the earth’s upper atmosphere, which
scientists now say will bring dramatic changes to our climate .Moreover, the blazing
torches of the jungles will add to the harmful gases that cars and modern industries
are pouring into the air we breathe .

9
Paragraph 5
The Indians who live in these forests are already victims of this destruction. Violent
clashes with the new settlers and farmers have resulted in some tribes losing half
their number. Newly introduced diseases, against which the Indians have no natural
immunity, have also killed off many others. Again, Indians have been compelled
to live in other parts of the jungle and are suddenly deprived of a way of life
developed over many generations. They lose their will to live along with their
simple means of livelihood. Many just starve to death.

Paragraph 6
Yet the newcomers have often failed in their attempts to benefit from the
apparently rich lands of the forests. Many of them, after they have stripped the land
of trees, find the soil unsuitable for their crops. As the forests disappear, so do the
clouds they once formed and there is not enough rain to nourish the ground. Also,
plants that used to flourish beneath the trees now quickly dry up under the bare
skies. No longer do those plants slowly rot away to provide rich food for the soil
.Thus, crops grown by new settlers in such barren ground become steadily poorer
after three or four years. Therefore, many settlers have given up and left or have
been forced to move and deeper into the forest, only to be faced with yet more
disappointment .

Paragraph 7
The invaders have also been attacked by disease .The construction of new villages,
possessing schools and health clinics, has encouraged hundreds of poor city
dwellers to move out from their homes to become settlers in these farmlands.
But they find that their new homes offer no escape from the mosquitoes that
breed freely in forests round about, nor from the sickness that mosquitoes spread.
Dwindling crops and ever –present malaria have meant that the settlers have simply
exchanged one form of poverty for another.

Paragraph 8
Why then does the destruction of the forests continue at such an alarming speed, if
the rewards seem so small? In fact, it is encouraged by some rich people who know
the value of the lands that have been cleared but are then eventually abandoned.
They can invest very large amounts of their money into developing them and thus
make a quick profit. Also large-scale developments of dams for hydro-electric
power mean that men go on demolishing the trees, because such developments
always have a popular appeal. However, these dams produce little electric power
despite all the money they have cost in construction. What they do produce are
dwindling forests and yet more places for malaria-carrying mosquito to breed in.

10
Paragraph 9
Some hope remains, Brazil’s birth- rate is declining and with it the need to provide
fresh land for farming. Brazilians, too, are now listening to those scientists who say
that natural produce of the trees such as rubber and fruit could in time provide a
profitable income. Certainly it would be far more reliable than the uncertain rewards
that men are earning at present from the destruction of their forests. Brazilians
themselves are seeing how foolish it is to go on destroying their own heritage. They
have realised that once they set fire to their house, they threaten the homes of their
neighbours. Perhaps it is not too late to put out the fire.

Adapted from November 1991 English Language Paper 2 (past examination

question paper,Zimsec)

Answer all the questions

You are recommended to answer them in the order set.

1 (a) The farmers and cattle carry out a great “annual destruction’’ (line 6)
(i) What is meant by ‘annual’? [1]
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

(ii) What will the farmers and cattle owners do after carrying out the destruction? [1]
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

iii) What strange effect does the destruction have? [1]

________________________________________________________________________

b) What is the reason why these efforts have always failed? [1]
________________________________________________________________________

c) Give two reasons why recent efforts have been successful [2]
________________________________________________________________________

2a) Explain in your own words why so many Indians were killed off by these
diseases? [2]
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

b) Choose FIVE of the following words or phrases. For each of them give one word
or a short phrase (of not more than seven words) which has the same meaning as
the word used in the passage.
1. Obvious (paragraph 3) -------------------- 5. Forced (paragraph 6) ---------------
2. Seriously (paragraph 4) ------------------- 6. Offer (paragraph 7) ------------------

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3. Accelerates (paragraph 4) ------------------ 7. Fresh (paragraph 9) ------------------
4. Will (paragraph 5) ------------------------- 8. In time (paragraph 9) ----------------

Activity 14.3.2
3. The continuing destruction of the forests of Western Brazil is having harmful
results and producing no lasting benefits. Write a summary of the harmful
results caused by this destruction, and of the reasons why there are no lasting
benefits.

USE ONLY THE MATERIAL FROM PARAGRAPH 3 UP TO THE END OF THE

PASSAGE.
Your summary, which should be in continuous writing, must not be longer than 160
words including the 10 words given below. Hyphenated words are counted as one.
Begin your summary as follows:

The destruction of the forests has

meant the disappearance of

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N.B The answers of this exercise are found at the end of this Unit.

14.4 Informal letter

You have already been introduced to formal letter writing in the previous Units
and you now have an idea of what a letter is. In this Unit, you are going to look at
informal letter writing. It is now clear that there are many types of letters, so you
must not confuse them on their features.

The issue is still the same that you are dealing with guided composition. Bear in
mind that what usually changes on guided composition is the aspect on question
and what remains the same is that you are guided by the situation, question, notes,
diagrams, statistical information on charts, graphs, tables and many others. What
is very important is to get the situation very clear, understand the demands of the
question, develop the given information into meaningful paragraphs, add your
points besides the ones given and above all write with grammatical accuracy.

Now you are being introduced to informal letter writing and I suppose you have at
least written a letter to your friend or relative in the past. Try to reflect on how you
presented the letter. I hope you remembered some guidelines such as the ones
given below. So, you must pay close attention to each of these so that you come up
with a standard letter.

The first thing to talk about here is the language used. Can you think of some
words or phrases you used when you wrote your letter? List the words or phrases
down. If in your list you have words such as ‘cheers’, ‘hi’ and phrases such as ‘hey!
it was fantastic,’ “job well done.” This probably shows that you were writing to a
person of your own age be it your brother, sister or any other.

However, if you are writing to a person older than you, for example parents or
grandparents, the language is polite and respectful and you do not use slang. So,
the language of an informal letter depends on your relationship with the person to
whom you are writing to.

Here are some important features of an informal letter:

• Your address should be written in full without punctuation marks such as the
full stop.
• You skip a line after the address and write the date on which you are writing
the letter.
• A short paragraph introduces the letter and you must state the reason why
you are writing the letter.

13
• Amplification or development of each of the given points then follows and
usually each point is a paragraph on its own.
• Greetings and messages which are short make the conclusion of your letter.
• What comes at the end is your name which is written depending on your
relationship with the person you are writing to. You can end your letter by
saying, Your daughter or simply Yours.

Tip: Do not end your letter saying, Yours daughter.

Do not forget to skip a line after each of the following: the date, salutation,
introductory paragraph, after all subsequent paragraphs, the conclusion and the
ending before you write your name.

Having gone through all this, I want you to pay attention to the following:

Activity 14.4.1
The people in your area are destroying the area where you have been recently
resettled and you are worried that the area is turning into a desert. Write a letter
to your friend who is in another place different from yours informing him or her on
how people are destroying the environment and possibly highlighting what is being
done to stop the massive destruction. Use the information given below and you are
also allowed to add some of your own relevant information.
• deforestation
• poor methods of farming
• veld fires
• uncontrolled hunting

Now, write the letter and always remember that a guided composition is started on
a fresh page. Try to follow all the features and everything that we have discussed.

I hope you came up with a good informal letter.

Now you are going to write a letter and always remember that a guided
composition is started on a fresh page. Try to follow all the features and everything
we have discussed.

In the following activity, you are going to write an informal letter.

Activity 14.4.2
Your uncle has been out of the country for many years and there have been many
changes that have taken place in your community. Using the points given below,
write a letter to your uncle informing him of the developments that have taken
place. Use the points given below and you can add any relevant information of your
own.

14
• road construction
• establishment of new secondary schools
• health facilities
• employment opportunities
• agricultural production

By now I think you can see that informal letter writing is simple and this will help
you to communicate appropriately with your friends and relatives.

14.5 Direct and Indirect speech

In language structures, we are going to look at direct and indirect speech. This is
a very important aspect because it improves your command of English Language
both spoken and written.

Direct speech refers to repeating what someone has said using the exact words.
Examples of direct speech are:
• “The window is open” my brother complained
• “Be silent!” the teacher shouted
• “I hate flowers,” Pota said.

15
Indirect speech is also referred to as Reported speech and the speaker will
be reporting what was said without repeating the exact words of the speaker.
Examples of Reported speech are:
• My brother complained that the window was open.
• The teacher told them to be silent.
• Pota said that he hated flowers.

Changing from Direct to Indirect speech

You must know that there are many grammatical changes to take note of when
changing direct to reported speech. These include:
• The verb tense in present tense changes to past tense, for example the verb
is has changed to was in the first example above.
• There are cases in which Direct speech is already in the past tense, you need
to change the verb further back in time using the word had. For example,

Direct speech: “Tonny went to see my aunt yesterday,” said Ever.

Indirect speech: “Ever said that she had gone to see her aunt the day before.
• If the verb tense already has had in the direct speech, do not change it. For
example:

Direct speech: “I had given up collecting manure from the garden,” Sarah said.
Indirect speech: “Sarah said that she had given up collecting manure from the
garden.
• The words listed below change when changing from direct to Indirect speech

These are the words listed here:

Direct speech Indirect speech
last week the week before or the previous week
now then
tomorrow the next day/the following day
Here there
may might
shall should
yesterday the day before/the previous day
will would

• These words do not change when changing from direct to indirect speech:
must, could, would and might.
• You must change pronouns such as ‘I’ and “You” to “He” and “She” unless
the people are also involved in the discussion.

16
• “My” and “your” must also be converted to “his” or “her”
• When changing questions from direct to indirect, you must know that many
grammatical changes occur even if the same rules as in reporting statements
are applied.

Tip: Often, we report statements, instructions and questions and see how this is
done in the following examples:

Statements
1a) Sarah said, “Life at our home is boring.”- Direct speech
b) Sarah said that life at their school was boring- Indirect speech

Instructions
1a) “Don’t steal the oranges,” the guard said to the students.- Direct speech
2b) The guard told the students not to steal the oranges.-Indirect speech

Questions
1a) Sarah asked Tonny, “Do you know they’ve killed the thief.”-direct speech
b) Sarah asked Tonny if he knew that they had killed the thief.-indirect speech
2a) “Why are you laughing?” Sarah asked.-Direct speech
b) Sarah asked why she was laughing.-Indirect speech.

The above examples have helped you to see how grammatical changes and other
rules are applied when changing statements, instructions and questions from direct
to reported speech.

Now, having gone through all the aspects of direct and indirect speech, I want you
to attempt the exercise below:

Activity 14.5.1
Change the following sentences from direct to indirect speech.
1.) “Do you know the way to the township,” the vendor asked.
2.) The teacher instructed, “Bring all your exercise books tomorrow.”
3.) “We can work together to protect the girl from abuse,” said the mother.
4.) “Don’t take food to the toilets,” the teacher instructed.
5.) “Why are you crying,” the nurse asked.

N.B Answers to this exercise are found at the end of the unit.

I think you have noted that understanding of direct and indirect speech is important
because it makes communication very effective and intended meaning is conveyed.
So, make sure you keep on reading on this so that you consolidate your linguistic
ability.

17
Reflection
It is unbelievable that in this Unit you have acquired listening skills and you
can as well make announcements and relay messages appropriately in various
settings .In this Unit you have also managed to strengthen your speaking skills
through Prepared and Unprepared/Impromptu speeches. These speeches have
also exposed you to being able to address gatherings. On reading skills you
can appreciate different reading skills and show your understanding of texts by
answering different kinds of questions such as simple recall, evaluation, word
meanings and summary. Yes, it is true that you have enjoyed writing an informal
letter which enables you to communicate appropriately with your friends and
relatives in life. Your command of language has been highly enhanced by your
understanding of Direct and Indirect speech on language structures. Make sure that
you do not get tired reading on all these aspects you have learnt in this Unit so that
you become a competent user of English Language.

Summary
In this Unit, you covered announcements and messages on listening skills. Prepared
and Unprepared/Impromptu speech will enable you to address gatherings. You
also noted that there are many things that should be taken into consideration
when talking to people. On reading skills you learnt how to answer different kind of
questions such as simple recall, evaluation, word meanings and summary writing.
All these questions were testing your understanding of the comprehension passage
that you have read. You also should not forget that you acquired informal letter
writing skills which will enable you to communicate with your relatives and friends.
The learning of Direct and Indirect speech in English Language has also improved
both your spoken and written language.

Answers for Unit 14

Activity 14.1.1
1. Makwaha
2. Officer-in-Charge
3. Deforestation and veld fires
4. Leads to high rate of soil erosion which ends up silting dams and rivers
5. Culprits are arrested

Activity 14.3.1
1ai) once a year
ii) Will grow crops and rear cattle
iii) The burning blots out the sun so that it is as dark in the day as it is in night
b) Because new trees grew rapidly in the areas cleared
c) Firstly because modern machines can cut the trees faster than nature can
replace them and secondly because the dams built across the rivers flood the
open spaces

18
2a) the Indians had neither the immunity nor knew the remedies for the diseases,
hence many were killed
b) 1. Obvious- clear
2. Seriously- dangerously/badly
3. Accelerates- speeds up/quickens
4. Will- desire
5. Forced- compelled
6. Offer- present
7. Fresh- new
8. In time-in the future/one day

3. Summary points
1a). disappearance of plants b.) disappearance of animals
2a.) the chemicals contained in some of the plants are useful as medicines b.) and
are lost forever
3. by burning forests, clouds that are formed through evaporation of water
vapour from leaves and which distributes the sun’s heat are now absent
4. this adversely affects the weather system
5. the burning also releases a lot of harmful gases into the atmosphere
6.a) many Indians die due to being displaced from their environment b.) and food
sources
7. for the destroyers there is no lasting benefit
8. the soil is often unsuitable for farming
9. the soil is made poorer after a while
10. crops become less in quantity
11. crops become less in quality
12. the settlers die of mosquito-born diseases

Activity 14.5.1
1. The vendor asked if he/she knew the way to the township.
2. The teacher instructed them to bring all their exercise books the following
day.
3. The mother said that they could work together to protect the girl from abuse.
4. The teacher instructed them not to take food to the toilets.
5. The nurse asked why he/she was crying.

19
Unit 15 Revision and Assessment test
Contents
15.1 Following directions and instructions
15.2 Children’s rights
15.3 Creative writing
15.4 Comprehension, Summary and Supporting Language Structures
15.5 Sentence Construction

Introduction
In this unit you will have an assessment test to try and measure how far you have
mastered the four basic skills in learning English language. You have had two
assessments so far in Unit 5 and Unit 10. Although listening and speaking skills
are not assessed at the end of the course, you will be assessed in these skills
in this Unit just to help you develop these life skills in English Language. You
have covered different types of compositions from the first Unit up to Unit 14.
From the last assessment test to Unit 14, you wrote a discursive composition, a
speech, informal and formal letters including a CV. The activities were done after
detailed instructions which made it very easy to write the tasks given to you. You
read intensively for study purposes and extensively for pleasure and answered
varied questions, which incorporated language structures. Remember at the end
of your Level 2 you will sit for an “O” Level English Language Paper 1 and final
examination. An assessment test, which follows the Zimsec format, which has
these two full papers, has been set for you. I hope you will do very well in this
assessment test.

Objectives
After going through this Unit you should be able to:
• listen with concentration
• answer recall, interpretive and evaluative questions based on what they have
listened to.
• communicate ideas clearly, accurately, and fluently on a variety of topics
• write formal and informal letters, speeches, reports and articles based on
notes statistics, diagrams graphs and pictures
• write with grammatical accuracy, spell and punctuate correctly
• organize your work satisfactorily into paragraphs
• use discourse markers correctly to show a sense of cohesion and coherence
• summarise specific aspects of a text

In the new curriculum, Listening and Speaking skills are assessed continuously as
we go through the Unit. These two skills are not part of the Summative Assessment
in the meantime. You will be given Continuous Assessment tasks which are
life skills that will be exit skills at the end of your course. At the end of Level 2

20
final examinations, Registers are no longer part of section B but they have been
replaced by a component of Supporting Language Structures.

How will the Papers look like in terms of their structure?

Paper descriptions
Paper 1: The Paper will consist of two sections: A and B
Section A: 30 marks – Seven questions on different subjects, embracing cross-
cutting themes and emerging issues will be set. The topics set may be narrative,
descriptive, informative, argumentative or discursive. You will be expected to
attempt one question.
Section B: 20 marks – One guided compulsory question will be set. Information
that will be given may be in the form of notes, text, graphs, statistical data
or pictures. The question may be a letter, speech, report, an article or a
memorandum.

Paper 2: The paper will consist of two sections A and B.

Section A: 40 marks - A prose passage will be set from which candidates will be
expected to answer comprehension questions and a summary question.
Section B: 10 marks – Context-based questions on different Supporting Language
structures will be set. That is to say, the Supporting Language structures will not be
tested in isolation but in the context of the comprehension passage in Section A.

Key words
• Continuous assessment- Testing acquisition of knowledge as a learning
progresses.
• Summative assessment – Testing acquisition of knowledge at the end of a
course.
• infer- Deduce the meaning of a word or phrase from how it is used in the
passage.

Time 8 hours
Each section of the assessment test is divided into timed segments. You are
expected to follow the times set to complete the questions. This will give you
enough discipline to finish the exam in the scheduled time.

Study skills
• Attentive listening –Paying attention to every detail to facilitate
understanding.
• Scanning – Quickly reading through the text to identify key points.
• Silent reading – Reading the text quietly for concentration to understand the
passage.
• Writing coherently- Writing logically with closely knit and related ideas.

21
15.1 Following directions and instructions
You will agree with me that half of the time you have listened to jokes, stories and
speeches at various gatherings and from friends as you chat during your free time.
You have also listened to stories being read and you were tasked to either answer
oral questions or re-tell the story. The ability to listen therefore becomes a very
important thing in our day to day life. Apart from listening to the afore mentioned,
you have to listen to instructions and directions. Failure to get the instructions and
directions right can be disastrous.

Activity 15.1.1
Now find someone to read to you the directions from point A to point B. You want
to find your way from the bus terminus to the hospital. This is your first time to be
in the area and someone volunteers to give you directions. Take down some notes
as the directions are given.

“…. If you want to go to the hospital from this bus terminus, you go out through
the eastern gate. Just after the gate there is Simon Mazorodze street, go straight
up along that road and walk to the filling station. Pass the restaurant and turn right
at the robots along Third avenue. The grey buildings that you will see on your left
is the hospital. It is directly opposite the police.”

Activity 15.1.2
Now using the notes that you wrote as you listened, can you also give the
directions from the bus terminus to the hospital to your friend. I hope the skill you
practiced in note-taking helped you to write brief and meaningful notes. You can
ask your friend to give you directions to any place you do not know.

15.2 Children’s rights

One of the ten principles on the rights of the child declares that the child shall
be protected against all forms of neglect, cruelty and exploitation. As a result,
corporal punishment has become a violation of the child’s rights and if carried out
on the child it is punishable by law.
A headline appears in a local newspaper which reads, “Shock as Brutal Headmaster
Breaks a Female Learner’s Hand for Coming Late to School”

Activity 15.2.1
Imagine you are a representative of the Children’s rights organization. Having
read the news article, prepare a speech to be presented to a group of Heads at a
meeting. Your aim is to educate them on the evils of corporal punishment and the
consequences. In your speech, you may need to highlight the following:

22
• Distance travelled by late comers.
• Home background. (what kind of families the learners come from ?)
• What the regulations were on applying corporal punishment to girls?
• Alternative ways punishment.
• What can be done to improve punctuality in the school?

Try to recall what you learnt from previous units on preparing and presenting a
speech. You now know your audience this will make it easy for you to deliver your
speech. Your speech should be presented in five minutes. After you have prepared
your speech present it to your friends and have your friends give their comments.
You may start like this;
“Ladies and gentlemen, we have one of the most blatant violations of the Rights of
children in front of us today.”

I know you enjoyed preparing and presenting this speech because you also may
not like the idea of corporal punishment, do you?

15.3 Creative writing

From the first Unit, you were exposed to various types of compositions, free and
guided, you have practiced sentence construction, paragraphing and writing full
compositions. You realized that both free and guided compositions have various
types. You can easily make a choice on the type of composition you find easy to
write. However, you may not have that choice in Section B where you will have
just one question. The examiner is the one who chooses the type of composition
for you to write. You will use the varied skills you were taught on composition
writing from the Module. Choose the topic wisely and separate your paragraphs
meaningfully.

Activity 15.3.1

PAPER 1
This Paper has two sections as stated in the Paper description earlier on. There are
seven topics to choose from and each question carries equal marks. Section B is a
Guided composition which carries 20 marks. Questions vary but their requirements
are the same.

Section A (30 marks)

Write a composition on one of the following topics. Your answer should be
between 350 and 450 words in length, you are advised to spend 50 minutes on this
question.
1. Describe an incident which angered your parents and what you did to make
things right
2. Write a story based on one of the following
Either (a) if only I had been an adult
(b) all hope was lost

23
3. The wrong bag
4. Suggest ways in which street begging can be reduced
5. Money is the root of all evil. Do you agree or disagree with this statement?
6. A pleasant surprise
7. Life was easier a hundred years ago. What is your opinion?

Section B (20 marks)

Answer the following question. You are advised to spend 40 minutes In this
section, begin your answer on a fresh page.
8. Write a composition based on the situations shown in the following sequence
of pictures. Add details of your own such as names, time and place to make
your composition interesting.

A young school girl of about 16 or 17yrs A vicious dog emerges from the bush
riding a bicycle along the road in a and chases her barking angrily. She
bushy area. panics and loses control of the bicycle.

She falls off the bicycle and hits against She lies unconscious, two women pass
a big tree and falls down. by and see her lying on the ground. A
man arrives and the women ask him to
call the ambulance.

24
Ambulance arrives she is taken up in The girl is admitted in hospital with a
a stretcher by a nurse and ambulance fractured leg.
driver. A man and a woman who eg. Her parents come to visit her in
assisted stand looking on. hospital.

(20 marks)

15.4 Comprehension, Summary and Supporting Language

Structures
PAPER 2
It is recommended that you spend 2 hours in this section. You should spend 1 hour
30 minutes in Section A and 30 minutes in Section B.

Read the following passage carefully before you attempt to answer any questions.
Answer all the questions in the spaces provided. You are recommended to answer
them in the order set. Mistakes in spelling, punctuation and grammar may be
penalized in any part of the paper.

The Sunflower Classroom

1. Last Friday during classes a notice had come round to all students of the sev-
enth, eighth, and ninth years. The next Sunday - today – they must arrive at
school at 4.45 a.m. prepared to go and do productive work at the Zimbabwe
Machamba, about fifteen kilometres west of the city. This work would be in
solidarity with the People of Zimbabwe, the notice continued in their struggle
against fascism, colonialism, and exploitations. The notice was signed by
Pita, the President of the newly elected Directive Commission.

2. Dawn today produces over a hundred students and teachers waiting at the
school entrance. Students are jogging, exercising, and passing out hoes
to each other when two coaches pull up outside the school. We ride out
westwards, passing some huge granite peaks sticking out from the plain,
along narrow, untarred roads surrounded by thick bush, with peasant’s

25
 houses here and there and small plots of cassava and maize. At nearly 6
a.m. we arrive beneath a great phallic rock at the Zimbabwe Machamba.
The Machamba is worked co-operatively, and the produce from it is donated
to the people of Zimbabwe in refugee camps in the Manica Province of
Mozambique. Our task is to help the workers there to clear and weed
a large field of Sunflowers, to help the production of cooking oil for the
Zimbabweans.

3. We work for three hours, hoeing around the sunflower plants and pulling
out any obstructive weeds or shrubbery. The students are clearly conscious
of the reasons and significance of their work. They are creating production
– combining the pen with the hoe, and working alongside peasants and
cementing their alliance with them. But they are fully conscious too of the
internationalist extension of their work. They are actually and symbolically
engaged in food production for a struggling brother-people fighting an
enemy similar to the one they defeated themselves only two years before.
And finally, they are recalling that it is the land itself that is the treasure of
their country, and the people who work on it are the fundamental reason for
their education and for their Revolution.

4. The earth is rich and damp.The students work in groups according to their
turmas, and the teachers divide themselves between them. We make long
rows and move forward together, hoeing as we go. With such collective work
I find plenty of opportunity for conversation, and my students and I swap
and learn words from our respective languages as we see ants, snakes and
small birds scuttling, slithering, and flying around us. I couldn’t ask for a more
fertile teaching context, and the sunflower field became our classroom.

5. Our work completed, we tramp back to the two old concrete buildings at the
centre of the Machamba. We walk through orange and cashew groves with
the sun climbing higher and burning our skulls. Under the shade of huge
mango trees near the buildings we rest and wait for the coaches to return for
us. I ask about the rocks, why they have such rounded and blunted shapes.
Dionisio, a young Geography teacher, explains to me, drawing diagrams
in the sandy earth, while students lean forward on their hoes and share the
lesson.

6. We returned in the same coaches, struggling through the wet sandy roads
and churning up their surface. As we pass again between the upturned
rocks and through the deep green of the bush, the students sing. They
sing with enormous conviction ‘Kure Kure Kwatinobva’ – a song of solidarity
with Zimbabwe. Vincente, a ninth-year boy, leads the singing from half-
way down the gangway of the bus, conducting vigorously, waving his arms
in all directions, unbalancing himself as the coach rattles over the holes in
the road. Felicidade, a girl from the eighth class, underscores the singing
with her deep, pounding sound, singing below the level of all the others

26
 with a surging founding power. They sing through the west road lined with
factories, past the police post, on past the city centre and the cathedral
into the main street and down to the gates of the school – songs of love
for their country, for their revolution, for an end to exploitation of man by
man. I catch but blink back a glimpse of our youth in London – alienated,
dispossessed, following the cardboard and plastic culture of the money-
takers and mind destroyers.

7. At school again, and Pita convenes a short meeting, congratulating the

students on their work and solidarity with the struggle in Zimbabwe. Next
time, he says, we must have more students, those who didn’t come this time
must be persuaded and organized at the level of each turma. Production is
everybody’s task.

(Adapted from ‘O’ Level English Practice Book ‘We’re Building the New
School!’ by C. Searle: Published by Longman Zimbabwe)

Activity 15.4.1
Answer all questions
From paragraph 1

1a (i) How many days before had the notice come round? [1]
(ii) ‘This work would be in solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe (line 4) Explain
the meaning of, ‘solidarity’[1]

From paragraph 2

b (i) What evidence is there to show that the land the coaches went through was
not well cultivated? [2]
(ii) The students have five reasons for doing the work. Write down only 3
reasons. [3]
(iii) In your own words explain – ‘combining the pen and the hoe’ [1]
‘cementing their alliance’ [1]

From paragraph 3
2a (i) Why does the author find ‘in such collective work’……plenty of
opportunity for conversation? [2]
(ii) Explain the underlined words in 2a(i) above?
Collective [1]
Opportunity [1]

From paragraph 5
(iii) What word could be used to replace ‘tramp? [1]
b(i) What struggles through the wet sand roads? [1]

27
d. Choose five of the following words. For each of them give one word or short
phrase of not more than 7 words which has the same meaning as each has in
the passage.

a) jogging (para 2 ) [1]

b) obstructive (para 3) [1]
c) significance (para 3) [1]
d) swap (para 4 ) [1]
e) churning (para 6) [1]
f) conviction (para 6) [1]
g) alienated (para 6) [1] (20 marks)

Summary writing
3. The narrator in the passage gives a detailed report of what the students did
at Zimbabwe Machamba in solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe. Write a
summary of the activities that took place that Sunday.

Use material from the whole passage. Your summary, which must be in continuous
writing, should not be longer than 160 words including the 10 opening words.
Write your summary in the past tense. Use the following words to start your
summary.

Following a notice that came to students and teachers, they………

(20 marks)

Section B (10 Marks)

Supporting Language structures
1. Re-write the following sentence in direct speech.
I ask about the rocks, why they have such rounded and blunted shapes. [1]

2. Join the following sentences using (in spite of/ in support of)

(i) The coaches returned to school. The roads were wet and sandy. [1]
(ii) Students and teachers worked at Machamba, …………. the people in
refugee camp. [1}

3. Identify the improper/common nouns in the sentence below.

We returned in the same coaches, struggling through the wet sandy roads
and churning up their surface. [1]

4. Fill in the correct word in the blanks.

(i) The sunflower plants had ……………. weeds and shrubbery. (plenty, a
lot of, little) [1]
(ii) The students ……………… how the peasants cultivated crops on such
rocky ground.
(wandered/wondered) [1]

28
5. (i) Last Friday Pita ……………. a meeting to congratulate the students for
the good work. (convened/convene) [1]
(ii) Everyone ………… keen to do productive work. (are/is) [1]

6. Fill in using the correct word

The students (which/who/that) went for production work (were/wear) singing
with conviction. [2]
(10 marks)

Reflection
For the first time you had a feel of a full examination paper that you will sit for
at the end of the year. How did you find the paper? If it was challenging the
better, you have to revisit the section that gave you a difficult time because all the
sections were set on topics you covered in the fourteen Units. How about time
management? Did you complete each paper in the stipulated time? You might
have written the tests without strict supervision. It is always good to stick to the
time. Continue working hard and practice a great deal.

Summary
In this Assessment unit you wrote two full papers, Paper 1 and 2 as will be set
by Zimsec. There were no listening and speaking skills tested as these do not
come in the final exam, but this does not mean listening and speaking skills are
not important, no, actually, the compositions you write stem from the vocabulary
and sentence structures you practiced in listening and speaking lessons. In fact,
listening and speaking skills were included in other Assessment Units as part of
Continuous assessment but these are still not being examined as part of Zimsec
end of year summative assessment. Just practice these two skills as life skills
though. I believe you had adequate experience on compositions, you made a
choice on a composition to write in section A. I hope your choice made it easy for
you to write as much as you can. In the guided composition, you encountered a
composition you had never written before which was a series of pictures. I hope
you did not panic. You should have realised that what the question required you to
do was exactly the same as in the other questions with notes. You were expected to
just amplify the pegs. The comprehension passage and summary were easy. You
wrote language structures which were derived from what you had learnt. I hope
you did well in this the test. Find more past papers and practise.

29
Unit 15: Expected answers
Activity 15.4.1 Comprehension

1a (i) 2 days.

1a (ii) Oneness.
b (i) It had granite rocks and a thick bush.
b (ii) There are five reasons but the question requires only 3.
• Creating production.
• Combining pen and hoe.
• Cementing their alliance with peasants.
• Food production.
• Fighting for the land which is their treasure.

b (iii) - Putting theory into practice or Practically doing what they learn in
class.
- Strengthening their friendship.

2a (i) As they work together, they learn new words from different languages.
a (ii) collective – common/many people
opportunity – chance/priviledge
a (iii) Walk heavily.
b (i) The coaches.

Meanings of words (choose five words only}

a) Jogging – trotting/running at a slow pace
b) Obstructive – blocking/disturbing/
c) Significance – worthiness/importance
d) Swap – exchange/barter
e) Churning – mix/stir
f) Conviction – firm belief/strong belief
g) Alienated –isolated/estranged

Summary points
1. Waited at the entrance.
2. Students were jogging and exercising.
3. They passed hoes to each other.
4. They rode eastwards passing through granite rocks.
5. At 6 in the morning they arrived at Zimbabwe Machamba.
6. They worked for three hours hoeing sunflowers.
7. They pulled out obstructive weeds.
8. They worked in groups.
9. Teachers divided themselves amongst the children.
10. They made long rows and hoe as they went.
11. They swapped and learned words from respective languages.

30
12. They completed their work and trumped back to the two coaches.
13. They rested among the mango trees.
14. Dionisio draws diagrams to explain about the rock.
15. They return home in coaches.
16. They sing a song of solidarity.
17. Vincente leads the singing form half the gangway of the bus.
18. Felicidade underscores the singing with her deep pounding voice.
19. Pita convened a meeting to congratulate the student

Supporting Language Structures

Section B
1. “Why do rocks have such rounded and blunted shapes?” I asked.
2. (i) The coaches returned to school in spite of the wet and sandy roads.
(ii) Students and teachers worked at Machamba in support of the people
in refugee camps.
3. The coaches struggled through the wet sand roads churning their surface as
we returned.
4. (i) The sunflower plants had a lot of weeds and shrubbery.
(ii) The student wondered how the peasants cultivated crops on such
rocky ground.
1. (i) Last Sunday Pita convened a meeting to congratulate the
students for good work.
(ii) Everyone is keen to do productive work.
2. The students who went for production work were singing with
conviction.

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Unit 16 Pains of Growing up
Contents
16.1 Conversations, dialogues and interviews
16.2 Registers
16.3 Paraphrasing and summary
16.4 Memo, Curriculum Vitae, Article
16.5 Forming nouns by adding suffixes

Introduction
We have now covered a lot of ground in the aspects of listening, reading, speaking
and writing. You have befittingly engaged in all of the four language skills equally
well. In this Unit you will be exposed to some listening and speaking activities. You
should be able to define and describe register. You should be able to identify the
most suitable situations in which particular words are spoken and written as well as
giving plausible reasons for the identification.

You will read two comprehension passages and answer a wide range of
comprehension skill questions. You will produce a Curriculum Vitae of your own as
well as use inter and intra office communication tools. You are going to work on
your debate portfolio to build language to present a speech and to write an article.

Objectives
After going through this Unit, you should be able to:
• Make use of appropriate register per given situation
• Distinguish between paraphrase and summary
• Respond to simple recall skill questions
• Write an article based on a given situation
• Create new words by adding suffixes

Key words
Etiquette-rules of good manners and behaviour
Communication-exchange of meaning and understanding between two or more
people
Taboo- a social prohibition

Study skills
Problem solving- identifying a situation and attempting solution
Concentrtation: be attentive to detail.

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 Time
You are expected to spend about 8 hours in this Unit.

16.1 Conversations, dialogues and interviews

Can you imagine a world without music? Try to imagine such a world. How void
it would be? There would be no jiving and dancing. There would be no music
competitions like the Zimdance hall competitions and the common America has
Talent T.V Show. Radio stations would be dull and boring.

Or imagine a world with music that is only instrumental. No lyrics at all. Would it
still be boring? Maybe yes maybe no, but let us examine the value of lyrics. The
following are lyrics from a song by Nokuthula Zitha, an up and coming musician
based in the town of Chivhu, Zimbabwe.
I walk to the rendezvous
The meeting place of joy
Yes I see him there
The rose of my dream land
To the Mall I saunter
Dancing all the way to joy
To dine with the citizen there
My rock, my shed, my peace.
The pacifier of lost souls.

Lyrics are the words that are arranged into verses that are sung with or without the
accompaniment of musical instruments. Some people feel uplifted when they hear
certain songs. Others cry. They are reminded of nostalgic memories. Yet others are
reminded of so memorable occasions that they would like to have repeated in their
lives. What emotions have you gone through as you read Nokuthula’s lyrics? Could
they be emotions of love, bliss, ecstasy or sorrow?

Certain words definitely portray certain moods, certain tones and certain
circumstances. Listen attentively to the following passage as your friend reads it
aloud to you. It is hoped that it will trigger certain feelings in you. What are those
feelings? You are supposed to write down these emotions.

The second reading will assist you to place particular words against the emotions
aroused in you.

Passage: Tongombeya
The last days of his life were a disaster. That he had lived like a pauper was not a
surprise. Many people had seen him scavenging in the dumps of the supermarkets
around the ghost- like town of Manenji. As he miserably stooped low, he literally
foraged for morsels of food which the scavenging mongrels had left for inedible.
He, Tongombeya, found them to be an unequaled delicacy.

33
Tongombeya was paying for his crimes against humanity. They had a name for
this. It was “kutanda botso.” in his native Shona language He had wronged his
mother until she died with a wounded heart, so they alleged. Penitence was due.
Some contrived suffering of some sort was necessary so that the spell of torture
and misfortune would set him free. Tongo had to move around clothed in sackcloth
and all pattern of rags of multifarious colours, card board boxes of all shapes and
hats of all makes and dirt. At first it was a prescription that we all thought would
work. No one foresaw that the end would be so heartrending. For when I met him
whistling like a train, I certainly knew something had gone amiss. The other day he
was in his birthday suit bellowing like an injured bull. Then this day he is chattering
like a monkey, gibbering like a baboon, howling like a hungry dog and whimpering
like a burnt puppy. It was so pathetic.
“Tongo!” someone shouted.

Tongombeya gradually pulled his shape from the dustbin he was foraging, but
slowly- painstakingly slow that it took him ages to stand up right. Tongo suddenly
slumped down and a loud painful groan ensued from his dry and parched throat.
He sat there mouth agape and eyes gazing into emptiness. Two minutes. Three.
Ten. An hour. A day and Tongo was still slumped in that stupor without having
blinked an inch. Dead, maybe. Yes. Dead.

Activity 16.1.1
Write down what you felt as you listened to this passage being read.
Your friend will read the passage again but slowly this time. You wrote down the
feelings you experienced. Now you must write the words or phrases from the
passage that made you feel that particular way. You should have at least four words
or phrases.
E.g. feeling of pity –loud painful groan

Feeling Word / Phrase

1. pity loud painful groan
2.________________ ___________________________________________
3.________________ ___________________________________________
4.________________ ___________________________________________
5.________________ ___________________________________________

The following is a dialogue between two strangers who meet at the place where
Tongombeya is slumped and lying still.

Stranger 1: Terrible, is it?

Stranger 2: Yaa, bad indeed. Who is he?
Stranger 1: Not sure who, but heard it should be Tongo. Tongombeya. Really sorry.
Stranger 2: Sorry indeed. Oh Tongo the businessman who owns Tongombeya
Bazaars and Abattoirs? No, it can’t be.

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Stranger 1: So I heard. It could be him though. The last time I saw him around
these areas he was wearing clothes identical to the ones worn by that
man. Can’t we draw close and find out? Quite pathetic.
Stranger 2: They say he had a goblin. So it’s the one causing this. But his shops are
flourishing at the moment. Beware he may steal your soul and resurrect
himself.
Stranger 1: _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Stranger 2: _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Stranger 1: _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Stranger 2: _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Stranger 1: _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Stranger 2: _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

Activity 16.1.2
Continue the above dialogue with a friend. You are not writing anything this time
but you are taking turns to talk with your friend. Add as much talk until the stage
Tongo’s corpse is taken to a mortuary.

16.2 Registers
Have you ever wondered why it is always right to greet elders first? Would there
be anything wrong if the elder greets you first? Definitely it will not bring judgment
on you any sooner. However, every society has its own rules that govern what is
right or wrong, when it is right or wrong and how it is right or wrong. We call this
etiquette. The World Book Dictionary defines etiquette as the conventional rules for
conduct or behaviour in polite society.

There are a number of interesting observations in the definition. Can you identify
any? One such observation is that the way one conducts himself or herself is
governed by a set of rules. Also, these rules emanate from polite society. However,
they may not be written down like the ten commandments of the Holy Bible.
They are understood to exist and make people live peacefully. This means that
the manner how one dresses, how one eats and how one talks are governed by
politeness in any society. Politeness seeks to do no harm to anyone.

35
 Activity 16.2.1
Think of any rules that govern how people do things in your community. Some of
these rules may also be taboos. For example, in one society:
• no younger person should have access to a chair while there is an elder who
does not have a chair and is standing.
• Another example is that when you are family and are having a meal serving
from the same plate, it is always the older person who gets first access to the
meat.
• A younger person should not answer back an elder when being reprimanded
even if the younger person has done no such wrong.

Now write down the rules that govern how people live in your community
Of the examples you identified above, are there any rules that do with speaking.
We hope you identified some.

Truly then the way one speaks is equally governed by politeness. The way one
speaks is referred to as register. You have done registers in the preceding units.
In this Unit, we want to look at registers. Registers have to do with appropriate
language in communication. We want to establish why people communicate. By
and large, people communicate in order to establish and maintain social relations.
We say people have communicated when they have understood each other from an
exchange of words. This exchange of words is called a speech act.

There are five classes of register. These are intimate, casual, consultative, authority
and frozen. In order to remember these quickly, let’s create an acronym ICCAF.

Let us use a single situation to find examples of each of the classes of register.
Imagine that you should convey the message that the door should be closed.

1. Intimate register is the language used between and among people who are
so close to each other and share some affection. For example family relations
like father, mother, son, daughter and even lovers e.g. please close the door.
2. Casual register- this is language normally used by “insiders”- people within
a particular social group like friends, colleagues and acquaintances. It is also
associated with shortened forms and slangs e.g. Close the door. Or close
door
3. Consultative register – this is language associated with formal ways of
requesting e.g. will you close the doo? / Would you close the door?
4. Authority –this is language normally used by a person occupying a higher
office and addressing subordinates. It is associated with humility and from
the understanding that people in authority should not show out their power
but it should rather be felt e.g. Do you mind closing the door? eg If you
could close the door.
5. Frozen register -language that is normally used for notices, orders,
announcements
E.g. KEEP DOOR CLOSED (Note the omission of article “the” after keep.

36
The above categorization suggests that social class, degree of closeness and also
formality or informality determine the language used in communication within
those contexts.

What do you think are some of the factors that affect communication?

Now let us examine the following situations.

Situation 1:
You are in a stadium watching a soccer match between Zimbabwe and Nigeria. The
stadium is packed that places to seat are hard to come by. You see your friend and
realise that he is looking for a seat and you happen to have one reserved.
How would you call him to offer him a seat?
1. a) Hey buddy, over here, a seat for you, hurry up!
b) You better look to see who is here and come and grab a free seat

Comment on the appropriateness of the above statements.

Comment: there is nothing wrong with both statements because these
are friends speaking. They are casually related and they talk to each other
informally. So the statements are quite appropriate.

Situation 2
You see your headmaster standing, clearly showing that he has failed to secure a
seat.
2. a) Hey grey hair, a seat for you here to enjoy the match.
b) Excuse me sir, there is a free seat over here if you wouldn’t mind.
c) Grey hair will feel the pinch of standing for 90 minutes. Hope there
won’t be any extra time!

Comment: There is definitely something wrong with a) and c). Both are
derogatory, disrespectful and informal. The student must respect his head as
in b). So a) and c) are quite inappropriate while b) is appropriate.

On your own examine the following situations and answer questions in each
situation.

Activity 16.2 .2
1. Imagine you are a worker in one of the blooming industries. You fall sick and
want to request some bed rest from the manager.
Say which of the following utterances would be the best and why the others
would be inappropriate.
(i) Sick again sir. This thing will kill me one of these good days. Can I rest
a little bit?
(ii) Excuse me sir. I have just fallen sick. Could I be excused for a while?
(iii) Morning Sir. I have just fallen sick. I am kindly requesting for a day off
to recuperate. (6)

37
2. A friend falls down the staircase as she was rushing for some emergency. You
say:
(i) Serves you right. Always the busiest of us all!
(ii) Oh sorry. I hope you have not hurt yourself?
Which of the above utterances is formal and why? (2)

3. A relative of yours is hospitalized suffering from Depression. During a visiting

session you realise that he is in a bad shape. Two of your relative’s friends
pass some comments.
One says “Pull up yourself mate, you look so pale.”
The other says “You look stunningly fine. Soon you will be out for a cocktail.”
(a) How will your relative feel in each case?
(b) Comment on the appropriateness of the two utterances. (2)

16.3 Comprehension work: Paraphrasing and summarising

This section comprises of two passages, passage A and Passage B. Read through
the first passage and answer questions that follow.

Passage A: Growing up
1. Traumatic experiences in childhood appear to have a role in cancer,
cardiovascular disease, obesity and being overweight and early death. The
evidence strongly suggests that if excessive, stress weakens the immune
system in childhood and abuse damages the delicate mechanisms of the
mind, multiple physical, mental and emotional problems may surface later in
life

38
2. Unhealthy relationships at home actually cause changes in our brain. The
parts of the brain particularly affected are those that play important roles in
long-and short-term memory. Additionally, both children and adult victims
of family violence often experienced fear, shame, guilt and stigma. Such
negative emotions contribute to mental and emotional problems, including
depression, bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder in both men
and women.

3. Experiencing childhood maltreatment and poverty at an early age harms our

immune system. The bodies of those who have endured such a background
often show when they become adults, an abnormal control of inflammation
because of faulty immunity. They also have an increased risk of diabetes!
Such immune dysfunction appears not only in the case of child abuse but
also during adult conflict between spouses and companions, especially if it
continues for some time.

4. Research has linked abuse and violence in all its forms not only to increased
mortality but also to having a negative influence on the entire community.
Globally, violence and abuse have become major problems.

5. The following statistics bring the health effects of violence and abuse into
stark perspective: more than one in three female homicides worldwide occur
in the hands of an intimate partner- often a spouse or companion. Such
violence commonly represents the end result of a long history of abusive
relationships. Public health officials list violence among one of the eight
major priorities affecting the health of people globally.

6. Fortunately, even despite the many negative health outcomes among

survivors of domestic violence, there is still hope! Not everyone who
experiences abusive relationships will; develop such health problems.
Often described as resilience, many individuals manage to bounce back by
employing effective coping mechanisms.

7. The good news for anyone affected by domestic violence is that such
positive coping factors can help people to heal. They include cultivating
wholesome emotions; learning to be flexible; developing a selfless concern
for the well-being of others; having social support; and utilizing faith. In fact
studies suggest that gratitude, and forgiveness specifically, can powerfully
contribute to psychological resilience in the face of trauma and abuse.

39
8. Forgiveness or gratitude can be healing balms and protective factors that will
enable us to deal with the disease that may result from abusive relationships.
If someone has hurt you deeply and you fail to forgive them, you are allowing
them to injure you a second time. An unforgiving spirit destroys our health
and imprisons us in bitterness. It robs us of the joy of life. It’s healthy to
forgive those who have wounded us when they do not warrant it. Forgiving
another does not mean we condone their actions or justify what they did to
us. Rather, forgiveness is releasing another from our condemnation when
they do not deserve it.

Adapted from Health and wellness: Secrets that will change your life. Mark A
Finley and Peter N Landless eds 2014

Activity 16.3.1
Now you can answer the following questions.
From paragraph 1
1) a) What is the effect of excessive stress? (1)
b) State the effect of abuse on children? (1)
c) “emotional problems may surface in later life”. In your own words,
explain what this statement means. (2)

From paragraph 2
d) Identify any two causes of depression. (2)
e) “the bodies of those who have endured such a background”. To what
does the word such refer? (1)
f) “an abnormal control of inflammation.” Why do you think a control of
inflammation would be abnormal in this case?

From paragraph 4
g) Give an example of one coping mechanism. (1)
h) What does the use of the word “specifically” tell you of the writer’s
attitude towards gratitude and forgiveness? (2)

2. Infer the meanings of the following words as they are used in the passage.
a) multiple
b) stigma
c) dysfunction
d) cultivating
e) warrant (5)

Your next activity is to paraphrase the above passage. At this time, you must realise
that a paraphrase and a summary are the same thing with similar characteristics at
some point but different skill orientation.

40
3. In not more than 200 words, write a paraphrase of passage A. The first eight
words are already given for you. (20)

Now you can keep your paraphrase safely and file it in your portfolio. You will use
the information in article writing later in this Unit.

Passage B
Depression
In passage A, you learnt about depression in later life as one of the effects of child
abuse. This passage continues to discuss depression and how it can be managed.
Skim through the passage once and go over all the questions. Read through the
passage for detail and then answer the questions that follow.

1. Depression is a global problem that can affect anyone anywhere. Statistics

reveal that more than 350 million people of all ages suffer from it. The
leading cause of disability worldwide, it is a major part of the global burden
of disease. Those who study the patterns of disease predict that such figures
will openly increase in the future.

2. The World Health Organisation describes depression as “a common mental

disorder, characterized by sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of
guilt or low self –worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, feelings of tiredness
and poor concentration.” At its worst, depression can lead to suicide. An
estimated one million people die depression related deaths each year. This
is more disturbing when we realise that a number of positive principles
and effective treatments can make a major difference for people living with
depression.

3. Even a better standard of living does not ensure happiness. “ Based on

detailed interviews with over 89 000 people, study results show that 15
percent of the population from high income countries, compared to 11
percent for low/middle income countries, were likely to get depression over
their life time, with 5.5 percent having had depression already. As we see,
money is not a solution to disappointment, discouragement and despair.

4. The same research shows that women are twice as likely to suffer depression
as men and the loss of a partner, whether from death, divorce or separation
was a main contributing factor. The cause of depression is not the same
for everyone. For some, it is a genetic problem that affects the balance of
chemicals (neurotransmitters) in the brain. For others a stressful life event
such as the death of a loved one, losing a job, a divorce or some equally
distressing life event may trigger it. In many cases depression occurs as a
result of the combination of both the chemical imbalance and a triggering
event. Whatever the cause, whether it is a chemical upset in the brain or the
heartache of some major life event, depression can harm a person’s life and
needs effective solutions.

41
5. Depression can be very disabling. Millions of people live in the dark shadow
of sadness, gloom, and hopelessness and often struggle with feelings of
inadequacy and worthlessness. While there are degrees of depression-and
we all experience minor versions of it-almost 22 women out of every100 will
have an episode or more of major depression during their lifetime. This is
almost double the chance of such an event occurring to men. Approximately
13 out of every 100 men during their lifetime cope with some form of
depression. Children up to the age of 10 may also experience depression,
though the gender difference is not apparent until the reproductive years
during and after adolescence. Once they pass menopause, though, women
become less prone to depression.

6. Multiple factors make women more susceptible to stress induced depression

than men. They also are about four times more prone to seasonal-affective
depression than men. It is the form of depression that occurs in areas where
winter daylight hours are very short. People wake up and go to work in the
dark and return home in darkness and have little exposure to sunlight. Yet
another factor that may influence the onset of depression is the hormonal
fluctuations of the reproductive years. They may well affect neurotransmitters
in the brain, increasing vulnerability to depression.

7. Women in many cultures do not enjoy equal status with men, something
that could play a role in depression. The demands placed upon women
to produce children or to regulate family size mean that they often carry
disproportionate responsibilities and accountability for reproductive function.
Infertility or a miscarriage may get viewed as a failure to fulfill their role. Oral
contraceptives may carry a potential for depression in susceptible women.
Hormonal factors may play a cyclical (occurring monthly) role or during
postpartum state following childbirth. Whatever the causes, women with
depression need and deserve serious compassionate care.

8. The symptoms of depression vary from person to [person. Persistent

tiredness and loss of energy are common complaints among those suffering
from it. Depressed individuals may suffer from loss of concentration and
become indecisive. Feelings of guilt and low self worth often persist for
weeks on end. Some may experience difficulty in sleeping or, on the other
hand, sleep more than normal. Many find themselves waking up early.
Persons suffering from depression tend to lose interest in daily activities.
They may struggle with recurring thoughts of death and suicide. Changes
in eating patterns may cause either weight loss or weight gain (a change of
more than 5 percent of body weight in a month.) In severe cases, individuals
with depression lose interest in eating and no longer find pleasure in any of
life’s activities, including social relationships.

42
9. Society needs to recognize that the major depressive disorders are as much
a disease as the more physical ones such as diabetes or hepatitis. Ill advised
comments such as “pull yourself together” or “get a grip” reflect either a
lack of knowledge or even more sadly, the ignorance of the one making
them. Such statements may cause further pain, heartache and a worsening of
the depression.
Hope beyond Depression, Adapted from Health and wellness: secrets that will
change your life. Mark A Finley and Peter N Landless eds 2014

Activity 16.3.2
Question
Write an account of the causes, effects and symptoms of depression. Use material
from paragraph 4 to paragraph 8. Your account, which should be in continuous
writing, should not be longer than 150 words including the ten given words. Begin
your answer as follows:
Women are the most likely to suffer from depression as …

Tip
You have now produced a summary and a paraphrase. The following checklist will
help you tell the differences and similarities between a summary and a paraphrase.

-Largely use of own words to show

understanding of passage

-Written in past tense and reported

-Condensing passage speech
-Written in continuous writing
Paraphrase

VS

-Largely text lift in chronological and

logical order of occurrence of events
- Some recasting of statements possible to
show understanding of point(s)

-Identifying part of the whole passage -Written in past tense and reported speech
where the summary task must be done -Written in continuous writing
-Identifying key points as per question task -Omit examples, alternatives so as to achieve
word economy
Summary

Figure 16.1

43
Key problem The passages have revealed that depression can be a silent killer;
more dangerous than most of the physical conditions that can be seen by the eye.

Some experts on this subject recommend a lot of measures to fight depression.

Some of these include healthy food and changing eating habits. Now this is a
glorious opportunity for you to find out more information about depression and
how it can be managed and ultimately reduced.

What to do Come up with a list of interview questions that you will ask people on
this subject.
Who to interview Visit the social welfare department, your local clinic, religious
leaders, and other community leaders. Ask them about depression. Jot down all the
information you get. Organise it into paragraphs. Prepare to give a speech on the
topic “depression.”

This is another opportunity to refine your reference skills. Use any reference
materials at your disposal.
Using the collected data Now you can write your speech and deliver it.

Reflection!!
• Did you stand at the centre of a room?
• Did you refer to your notes?
• Did you use facial expressions and gestures?
• Did you pause for emphasis and repeat essential points?
• Did your feet wander away as if you were on horseback?

TIP! We hope you have realised that these questions are a recap of Unit 9 on Public
Speaking. You can refer to your Debate portfolio or to read the passage on Public
Speaking in order to revise and sharpen your speech presentation skills.

16.4 Memo, Curriculum Vitae and Article

This section of our Unit is going to deal with how to write a Memo, a Curriculum
Vitae (CV) and an Article.

The Memo
We will begin by looking at a memo. A memo is an inter-office and intra office
communication tool. It is a document used by administrators to quickly convey
important information within an organization.

44
Example
Pfm22/240619 08:30:03 am
Date: 24 June 2019
From: Executive Director
To: General Manager
Cc : Chief Accountant
Human Relations manager
Branch Managers
Brand Managers
Board chairperson

RE: Review of Prices to align with recent government announcement

banning the costing and charging of items in US dollars for local
transactions.

You are reminded to change all the prices of our merchandise to Zimbabwean
dollars. Kindly adjust your prices as per prevailing market rate per day of
transaction

Please forward any queries to the Chief Accountant.

Kindly oblige
Pardon Face Moyo

The above is an example of an office memo. Try to answer the following questions
which will help you in understanding a memo.

Activity 16.4.1
For your Self Evaluation
1. Who wrote this memo?
2. To whom is it directed?
3. To whom is it copied?
4. Why has the memo been written?
5. What do the numbers at top right hand corner represent?
6. What do the numbers at the top left hand corner represent?
7. How will the workers know about these important changes in pricing?

For yourself evaluation

We hope you have answered the above questions and it was easy for you to
identify the answers. Now imagine you have been asked to speak about memos
to a group of students. Use your answers to briefly describe to the students what
a memo is. You can also make use of your referencing skills you learnt in Unit 9 to
refer to some other sources of material so that you come up with an informative
presentation.

45
Write down your presentation in your work book.

Activity 16.4.2
Imagine you are the manager of Mpumelelo Holdings. Mpumelelo Holdings deals
with processing of dairy products. There has been an outbreak of foot and mouth
disease and this has greatly affected the quantity and quality of milk deliveries.
Write an urgent memo suggesting ways of dealing with this problem as well as
alternative ways of raising revenue.

The Curriculum Vitae (CV)

A curriculum vitae (CV) is a write up that shows one’s biographical data. It has
information on one’s academic, professional and career achievements. Some
people may like to include their social progress as well as social activities. A CV is
enclosed in application letters or can be emailed together with application letters
for jobs. Nowadays, it is no longer all that necessary to include copies of academic
and professional qualifications when applying for a job. All the information will be
contained in a CV. The original certificates may only be needed during the interview
or for some verification process.

Here is an example of a Curriculum vitae compiled by a student from the National

University of Science and Technology.

Personal details

Name Nomagugu Ellice Dlodlo

D. O. B 29/01/99
National I.D. No 18-142720 x 29
Gender Female
Languages spoken English, Ndebele and Shona
Marital status Single
Nationality Zimbabwean
Religion Christian
Residential address Madzivire secondary school
P O Box 225, Chivhu
Alternative addresses: 1315 Crowbrough
Harare

: 31432 Entumbane, Bulawayo

Contact details 0779 621 141; 0773 536 419; 0784 193 330;
0772911449
Email address [email protected]

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Background

An effective communicator with the ability of getting things done with and
through other people.
Driven by some underlying curiosity and desire to learn more
Ability to work under pressure, minimum supervision and meet dead lines
Computer literate

Career objective

To be part of a dynamic organisation where my competences, capabilities,

skills and strengths can be fully utilised and be able to learn more and
enhance my personal growth in my field.

Hobbies

Reading newspapers
Travelling
Reading books

Strengths

A fast learner capable to maintain good relations with colleagues at all

levels.
Good team player willing to learn new skills and tasks.
Can work well under pressure and with little supervision to meet set
targets and achieve company objectives.
A dedicated, hardworking and honest lady.

Academic qualifications
National University of Science and Technology

Bachelor of Commerce Honours Degree in Banking and Investment

Management (2017 to date)
Duration 4years

Level: 2.2
Course Course name
Class
code
Cac2206 Accounting IIb Pending
Cba2202 Banking and foreign exchange Pending
Cba2204 Banking information systems Pending
Cba2208 Treasury management II Pending

47
Cba2209 Introduction to econometrics Pending
Cfi2201 Corporate finance II Pending
Cin2203 Law relating to banking II Pending

Level: 2.1
Course Course name
Class
code
Cac1203 Introduction to information technology 1
Cac2106 Accounting 11a 2.1
Cba2108 Treasury management 1 2.2
Cba2109 Mathematical applications in banking 2.1
Cba2110 Banking and financial markets 2.2
Cfi2101 Corporate finance 1 2.2
Cin2103 Law relating to banking I 2.1

Level: 1.2
Course Course name
Class
code
Cac1208 Accounting 1b 2.1
Cba1206 Macroeconomics 2.1
Cin1204 Commercial law II 3
Cin1207 Quantitative analysis for business II 2.2
Cmk1209 Principles of marketing 1

Level: 1.1
Course Course name
Class
code
Cbu1108 Principles of management 1
Cbu1102 Business communication 2.1
Cac1107 Accounting Ia 2.1
Cba1105 Microeconomics 2.1
Cin1103 Commercial law I 2.1
Cin1106 Quantitative analysis for business I 2.1
Ctl1101 Conflict transformation and leadership 3

Advanced level: St Francis of Assisi (2015-2016)

Business studies A
Economics B
Accounting B

48
 Ordinary level: St Francis of Assisi (2011-2014)

Bible knowledge A
Economics A
Geography A
History A
Literature A
Shona A
Mathematics B
English B
Integrated science B
Accounting B
Food and nutrition B
Computer studies Distinction (Hexco)

References

Mr. T Mutambanadzo
Industrial Attachment Co-ordinater
National University of Science and Technology
P O Box AC939, Ascot, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
[email protected]
0772819069
0292-282 842

Mr. T Vhimisayi
National University of Science and Technology
P O Box AC 939
Ascot, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Chairperson
Department of Banking
[email protected]
0772 844 019

Activity 16.4.3
Now, from the example above,

1. Identify the key features of a Curriculum vitae for example personal details,
hobbies
2. Identify any important information that is not included in this Curriculum
vitae.
3. What do you think Pending means?

49
For your portfolio
Now you can produce your own curriculum vitae and file it in your portfolio.
Compare it with the given example.

An Article
There are various types of articles. There can be newspaper articles, magazine
articles, or general articles. You are going to write an article for a school magazine.

Activity 16.4.4
Imagine you are the Chairperson of your School Interact Club. As a group, you
arrange to make a follow up on learners who are no longer attending school.

As you interview the learners, they give you various reasons including the following:
• No food to eat at home and at school
• Always being harassed by parents and teachers alike
• Stressed at the loss of a parent
• Loss of interest in schooling
• Persistent tiredness and lethargy

Write an article for your school magazine explaining the reasons why the learners
are no longer attending school as well as giving possible solutions to their
problems. You may use some or all of the reasons they gave. You can also add
other reasons if you have any.

You should spend about 40 minutes in the actual writing and also 30 minutes in the
preparation.

NOTE: Before attempting this activity, go back to Activity 16.3.1. Get hold of your
portfolio folder. The paraphrase you wrote and filed in the folder has important
information that will help you write your article.

If, for one reason or another, you had not written the paraphrase, read through
passages A and B which are about challenges of growing up including child abuse,
stress and depression and how to cope with these.

After having done that, you can now write your article.

Tip: Remember you just write the title or heading then you start writing the article.
Your name should appear either soon after the title or at the end of the article.

Also each bullet (•) can be treated as a paragraph. You have learnt that these are
called pegs or simply points. They must be amplified or explained further.They
must be given further meaning by supporting facts and examples.

50
As you finish discussing one point and are shifting to another paragraph remember
to use connectives so that your work is coherent and linked together as a single
unit.

16.5 Forming Nouns by using Suffixes

In English language, we can build different words by adding prefixes and suffixes to
them. We will look at the addition of a suffix to form a new word.

A suffix is a word ending.

Example
Base Word suffix new word
Succeed + -ssion = succession
Omit + -ssion = omission
Advise + -able = advisable
Assist + -ance = assistance

We now have a new set of words. The new words formed in this way can be nouns
or adjectives Can you identify a noun and an adjective from the above example?

There are many rules in forming new words by adding suffixes. One such rule is
discussed below

If a word ends with a “y” and you add a suffix of your choice, the y in that word
automatically changes to an “i”. Let us have a look at these words.

Base Word suffix new word

Pity + -able = pitiable
Heavy + -ness = heaviness
Envy + -able = envious
Rely + -able = reliable
Deny + -able = deniable
Rectify + -able = rectifiable

Activity 16 .5.1
Now form new words by adding the correct suffix to the following words.

Base Word Suffix New word

Hefty
Mercy
Beauty
Really
Trustworthy

51
Another rule that can be followed when forming new words by adding suffixes is
discussed below.

If a word ends in a vowel and you add a suffix, you simply have to join the two parts
without dropping any letter or adding any letter.

Example
Base Word Suffix New word
abridge -ment abridgement
announce -ment announcement

Suffix meanings and meanings of formed words

The newly formed words have meanings based on the meanings of the suffixes.
Various suffixes have different meanings.

Example
Suffix Meaning of suffix New word Meaning of word
-able,- -That can be Edible That can be eaten
ible Transferable That can be
Teachable transferred
That can be taught
-ness -state of quality of being Heaviness State of being
laziness heavy
State of being lazy
-er,-or -Person or thing performing an act Footballer Person
-Having to do with performing /
Preacher playing football
Person preaching
-ous -Full of Hazardous Full of hazard
joyous Full of joy
-less -without Moneyless Without money
Speechless Without speech

52
 Activity 16. 5.2

Now fill in the blank spaces with the correct information. You can use a dictionary
or thesaurus. These are also available on your mobile phone.

-ful -full of respectful

-ish
-ve supportive
-ist A person who A person who
plays a piano
-ship
-some quarrelsome
(12 marks)

Activity 16.5.3
Now let us look at the suffixed words in context.

The following is an extract from passage B. There are at least eleven words with
suffixes. Two of the words have been identified for you. They are the ones in italics.
1. Identify the words by encircling them.
2. Analyse the words into word + suffix = new word.
3. Use the words in your own sentences to show that you know their meanings.

The World Health Organisation describes depression as “a common mental

disorder, characterized by sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt
or low self –worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, feelings of tiredness and poor
concentration.” At its worst, depression can lead to suicide. An estimated one
million people die depression related deaths each year. This is more disturbing
when we realise that a number of positive principles and effective treatments can
make a major difference for people living with depression.
{25 marks}

Extension work
Activity 16.5.4
In Unit 9, you attempted an exercise on confusing words. We hope you scored well.
This is a bonus exercise just to test you on the subject of confusing words.
Write down the correct answers in your book.
1. Jane Mazivanhanga’s hair is quite/quiet curly, but it may straighten up as she
grows up.
2. Abigal Maseko apologised to the judge for giving falls/false information
3. “I except/expect all students to be seated/sitted in the hole/hall by fife/
five o’clock.

53
4. Betty’s dog attached/attacked Mr.Tofu’s goat.
5. “Thirteen students were upsent/absent today,” reported Gura, the class
monitor.
6. All the visitors were filled with aware/awe when they saw the drawings of
Mbuya Nehanda.
7. The truck is pulling a trailor/trailer full of river sand.

Reflection
Finally you have come to the end of unit 16. What do you remember about ways
you should behave in a certain situations? Did you learn anything new about
manners? Pause and think. You also have learnt how a CV should be written. Try to
help your friends compile a CV for an application. Will you be able to help? Don’t
forget that you must continue revising what you did.

Summary
In this unit you have learnt quite a number of things. You learnt that certain words
ignite certain feelings in listeners. You also learnt that there are different factors that
influence communication and register. You learnt about the depression condition
and how it can be managed. You also learnt about the different skills involved in
writing a paraphrase and a summary. You practised writing a memo and curriculum
vitae, including amplifying points in writing an article. You also discovered that
new words can be formed by adding suffixes to base words. You can continue with
personal practise exercises on confusing words.

Unit 16: Expected answers

Activity 16.1
Emotions aroused

Pity-lived like a pauper

• scavenging
• miserably stooped
• foraged for food

Pain-painful groan
• still slumped in that stupor
Commiserating

Activity 16.2
1. (i) inappropriate and informal
(ii) inappropriate and informal, almost instructing instead of requesting
(iii) appropriate and very formal, polite and requesting

2. (i) informal, insulting/taunting

(ii) formal, concerned

54
3. (a) Case 1: will feel more sick/ disturbed/perturbed/nerved
Case 2: feel cared for/ hopeful / will recover/ will gain some confidence

(b) Case 1: very inappropriate and very informal. The patient may even
get worse/deteriorate
Case 2: very appropriate and gives hope to an ailing person

Comprehension
Passage A

1. (a) stress weakens the immune system of a child (1)

(b) abuse changes the delicate mechanism of the mind (1)

(c) problems/ problems to do with feelings may show up/appear

sometime later/some years later (2)

(d) causes of depression-

(e) experiencing maltreatment and poverty (1)

(f) the persons feelings would be dead/ incumbent feels no pain/

sensation at all/whatsoever

(g) • cultivating wholesome emotions

• learning to be flexible
• developing a selfless concern for the wellbeing of others

(h) While gratitude can be a healing balm, forgiveness is more powerful/

effective.

2. multiple- many/numerous/compound
Stigma – shame/ disgrace/ self dishonor
Dysfunction –not well in order/ not functioning well/ not working properly
Cultivating –grooming/ nurturing/ growing/ developing
Warrant – deserve/ justify /merit/ call for

Activity 16.3.1
The paraphrase

Points to be clear and follow the following progression

• Trauma in childhood is linked to cancer, obesity, cardiovascular disease and
death
• Unhealthy home relationships cause fear,shame,guilt and stigma
• Childhood maltreatment causes high risk of diabetes and harms immune
system

55
• Many homicides are perpetrated by partners
• There are a number of coping mechanisms including gratitude, forgiving,
psycho-social
• support, cultivating wholesome emotions, being selfless, considering welfare
of others

Activity 16.3.2
Summary points – 1 mark for each point =15 marks. The other 5 marks are for
grammar and spelling where up to 10 mistakes are penalized at the rate of minus
half a mark for every error.

Causes, effects and symptoms of depression

1. Loss of a partner
2. genetic problem
3. stressful life event
4. Distressing life event
5. combination of both chemical imbalance and a triggering event
6. Shorter winter day light hours
7. Hormonal fluctuations
8. Failure to enjoy equal status with men
9. signs include persistent tiredness
10. loss of energy
11. loss of concentration
12. Indecision
13. difficulty in sleeping and sleeping longer than necessary
14. loss of interest in daily activities
15. changes in eating patterns
16. loss of interest in social relationships
17. Continual sadness
18. Can lead to suicide

Activity 16.4.2
Memo

The memo can be on a company letter head with company logo or plain paper.

56
 Mpumelelo Dairy Products

28 July 2019
0900hrs
From : The CEO
To: Quality Control Manager
Cc: Purchase and Marketing Manager
URGENT MEASURERS TO TAKE DUE TO UNPRECEDENTED OUTBREAK
OF FOOT AND MOUTH
The above matter refers.
Please be advised to make cite tests of milk before loading milk into
containerized trucks. The milk quality has greatly deteriorated thereby
affecting production of yourghurt, butter and cheese.
Also open up new client stations in areas to the east of the country where
disease is under control.
Thank you.

Activity 16.4.3
Key features of a CV
Personal details
Academic qualifications
Professional qualifications
Career projections
Hobbies
References

Features not included in the CV

Positions held
Other qualifications
Schools attended and year (s)

Activity 16.4.4
The expected answer should show:
• the topic/title/ heading of the article
• the writer of the article soon after the title or at the end of the article,
• the expansion/ amplification of the points
• the use of connectives
• addition of own ideas
for example

57
 Title of article
in bold or
underlined.

Reasons given by learners for not attending school

By Chikerema Nyasha writer of article (here or at the end of the article)

• persistent tiredness and lethargy peg/point to be amplified

The amplification
• so tired they cannot even wake up
• feel tired just after doing a few chores
• lose energy and concentration
• loss of zeal and interest

Discourse markers/connectives
To begin with, stating the first point in the explanatory paragraph

In addition to that,
Also, connecting paragraphs
Furthermore,

In conclusion, closing the article/summing up/finishing paragraph

Activity 16 .5.1
Forming new words by adding the correct suffix to the base word.
Base Word Suffix New word
Hefty -ier Heftier
Mercy -ful Mercioful
Beauty -beauty Beautiful
Really -istic Realistic
Trustworthy -ness trustworthiness

Activity 16. 5.2

-ful full of respectful Full of respect
-ish like/ tending toward childish Like a child
-ve of or having to do with supportive Having to do with support
-ist a person who pianist A person who plays a piano
-ship office, status or rank pastorship Office of pastor
-some Tending to quarrelsome Tending to quarrel

58
 Activity 16.5.3
The World Health Organisation describes depression as “a common mental
disorder, characterized by sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt
or low self –worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, feelings of tiredness and poor
concentration.” At its worst, depression can lead to suicide. An estimated one
million people die depression related deaths each year. This is more disturbing
when we realise that a number of positive principles and effective treatments can
make a major difference for people living with depression.

Analyzing the base words.

Base word Suffix New word
Organise -tion Organization
Character -ise Characterize
Sad -ness Sadness
Feel -ing Feeling
Disturb -ed Disturbed
Estimate -ed Estimated
Disturb -ing disturbing
Effect -ve Effective
Treat -ments Treatments
Differ -ence Difference

Activity 16.5.4
1. Jane Mazivanhanga’s hair is quite/quiet curly, but it may straighten up as she
grows up.
2. Abigal Maseko apologised to the judge for giving falls/false information
3. “I except/expect all students to be seated/sitted in the hole/hall by fife/
five o’clock.
4. Betty’s dog attached/attacked Mr.Tofu’s goat.
5. “Thirteen students were upsent/absent today,” reported Gura, the class
monitor.
6. All the visitors were filled with aware/awe when they saw the drawings of
Mbuya Nehanda.
7. The truck is pulling a trailor/trailer full of river sand.

59
Unit 17: Broken promises
Contents
17.1 Dictation
17.2 Conservation of natural resources
17.3 Broken promises
17.4 Report writing
17.5 Common and proper nouns

Introduction
What comes to your mind when you see the title broken promises? Probably you
have been disappointed by someone once because he/she did not live up to your
expectations. In this Unit you will read a story about the disappointments that
certain women experienced and continue to experience in different countries. You
will also learn about the destruction of the ozone layer which perhaps you have
encountered in Geography if you have studied that subject. If you have never then
the search tasks will help you learn a lot. The story you will listen to is inspirational
especially to those who may want to make a difference in their communities.
Remember icons such as Nelson Mandela and others who are well known for
making a difference in Africa and saving human kind started pursuing their dreams
at a young age. You have done report writing several times but here you shall
benefit more on how to use a pie chart for report writing. Lastly, you will learn about
proper and common nouns.

Tip: It is important that you patiently and carefully go through the whole Unit to be
able to achieve the objectives given below.

Objectives
After going through the unit, you should be able to:
• retell stories that you would have listened to.
• list main ideas from the short stories you would have listened to.
• work out contextual meanings of words and phrases
• compile a report based on a pie chart
• differentiate between a proper and a common noun
• define and identify proper and common nouns in sentences.

Key words
Proper noun: Name of specific thing, place or person for example, Bulawayo,
Justice
Common noun: This is a name used to refer to a group for example, animals, trees,
class

60
 Time: All the activities in this Unit must be completed in 8 hours

Study skills
In the following unit you are expected to use the following skills which will help you
to understand:

Skimming - quickly look at a text before the second reading.

Attentive listening – paying attention to specific information in the story

17.1 Dictation
In Unit six, you were introduced to dictation. Do you still remember what the word
dictation means? It is the act of saying words and sentences for someone else to
hear. We hope by now you are able to listen to different types of texts and hear
the message. Do you still have the same difficulties, in listening, that you had when
you started Unit one? If you still find yourself having the same problems then you
must give yourself more practise. Revisit the listening sections especially those with
Dictation such as Unit six and do a thorough practise once more. Remember you
were encouraged to bring your own new words to use for practise.

In this part you will listen to sentences, paragraphs and a short story. Since you
have done significant practise in listening, you must be able to listen to larger Units
of information now. So, as the stories are read out to you, you will be expected to
listen through the first reading for general information noting down any obvious
points you hear. Then make detailed notes in the second reading to help you do
the activity below.

Activity 17.1.1
Ask your friend or family member or anyone you can find to help you do this
activity. Ask him/her to read the story to you. Listen first and take down any clear
points you get but bear in mind that you have to be attentive throughout this
stage so that you get the storyline and meaning of the passage as a whole. You
will be given a pause after the first reading of about four minutes so that you
reflect on what was read and try to recall. Then during the second reading identify
the main points or ideas in the passage and write them down. Then when the
second reading is done, write a summary of the story using the points you have.
In this summary you are simply retelling the story. It is simply a narration of what
was read. Be as detailed as you can and try to capture all important details. You
are also encouraged to use your own words where you can. After writing refer to
information below this passage.

Young boy defines love.

1. Austin is not your typical superhero. Oh, sure, he looks at the part, with his
signature cape flapping against his blue shirt. He has an arch rival, as all
good heroes must. He even uses a popular name for his heroic personality:

61
 President Austin. But two things set this caped crusader apart: His adversary
is not confined to the pages of a comic book—President Austin’s foes,
hunger and homelessness, are very real. Also, he’s only four years old.

2. Our hero’s origin story started this past February in the family living room
in Harare. Austin and his father, TJ Woods, were watching a program on
television about a lioness leaving her cubs. “I told him that the cubs would
be homeless for a while,” TJ says. “Austin didn’t know what homelessness
meant, but he was sad and wanted to know more.”

3. Seeing this as a teachable moment, TJ took Austin to the Firehouse

Ministries, a local shelter that provides housing, food, and other services for
chronically homeless men. As they drove by the redbrick building, they saw
a group of twenty five homeless men standing on the street corner. “Dad,
they look sad,” Austin said. “Can we bring them some food and make them
smile?”

4. That day, Austin used his allowance to buy each man a loaf of bread and
handed the food out. Seeing what their presence meant to the men at the
ministry, Austin and TJ returned the next week. Austin again dipped into his
pocket to buy bread and sandwiches, which he handed out along with his
new catchphrase, “Don’t forget to show love!”

5. After that he returned every week for five weeks, word of Austin’s acts of
kindness spread through social media and national news outlets. Lobels
Company jumped aboard, agreeing to donate $1,000 a month for an entire
year toward the cause. Soon, churches and shelters across the country began
inviting Austin to come distribute food in other poverty-prone areas. He
will have visited at least fifteen locations by the end of this year, including
Chimanimani areas which were affected by a cyclone. Whereas before
Austin and TJ could feed twenty five to fifty people at a time, now, thanks
to corporate and community support, they can feed eight hundred to two
thousand people at once.

6. But Austin isn’t just filling bellies. He’s improving the lives of those he meets.
On that first trip to Firehouse Ministries, TJ and Austin talked to a man
named Ray, who was estranged from his family. The respect Austin bestowed
on 41-year-old Ray touched the man, and he shared with TJ just how grateful
he was to be treated so considerately by a four-year-old stranger. Ray and TJ
kept in touch. With help from TJ’s mother, Audrey, who worked at the Harare
Department of Transportation at the time, TJ helped Ray collect all the
credentials he needed to get a driver’s license. The license helped Ray get a
job. And with money in the bank, he was able to rent his own apartment. All
that was made possible because a little boy took the time to care.

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7. Austin’s passion has now become his family’s calling. After raising money
through a Go Fund Me page, Audrey established the Show Love Foundation,
a non-profit making organisation dedicated to fighting homelessness. She
now serves as president, and TJ left his job as a project manager for a
hospital chain to oversee public relations for the foundation full-time. He
is in talks with the city of Harare to secure the redbrick building where it all
started.Firehouse Ministries is offering medical and mental health care as
preventive steps against homelessness.

8. As for President Austin, he continues to give out food, smiles, and his
inspirational message of love. “It makes me feel like I’m saving the day.”

Adapted from The Readers digest, 20 October 2017.

How long is your summary? Do you think you captured all the important details
as you were instructed above? Now, read the passage closely and underline all
important ideas in the story. Compare the summary you have with what you have
underlined as the main ideas. Do you think your summary is detailed enough? If
you could read that summary to someone who does not know the original story
would she/he have a clear understanding of what Austin, TJ Woods and family
did? Did you include all the details you underlined? If you did then that is excellent
keep it up. If you omitted some points which you think are crucial then rewrite the
summary adding those points. Write your final draft in the space provided below to
keep it for future reference.

Activity 17.1.2
Did you find the story inspirational? If something is inspirational it motivates,
encourages and pushes you to do more. Before you go for this mega project, can
you write down lessons you learnt from this story. These lessons are mainly drawn
from what all the characters did in the story. List five lessons in your book as shown
in the table below. Each lesson must have specific evidence from the passage. Look
at the first example which helps to guide you;

LESSON EVIDENCE
Family support Austin succeeds in dream of helping the hungry and homeless
helps people because his father TJ and mother support him with resources to
to succeed in feed the less fortunate. They also accompany and encourage him.
their goals.

Activity 17.1.3
You must engage on a larger project now to inspire many people as well. Austin
only started with watching television and went all out to feeding hundreds
of people and changing life for people such as Ray. What can you do to help
change lives of people around you and in your community? Do you have any

63
disadvantaged people you know? These may include the homeless, poor,
orphaned, street kids and others. Think of an idea that you can pursue to help these
disadvantaged people. Consult anyone you think may assist in helping you begin
this project. Find a book where you will write down your plan and idea first then
when you consult people make sure you have a clear understanding of your project.
With the information you gather from research, begin your project. Bring in people
you trust that they will support and help you achieve your goal. Remember this
project must run for a lifetime. So, keep improving it every day.

17.2 Conservation of natural resources

Debate
You have been involved in a debate several times. In unit 6, you were also given a
lot of information on debating. Refresh your memory on all aspects of conducting
debates by revisiting the section on speaking in Unit 6.

In this Unit you will debate on environmental issues, particularly, ozone destruction.
Ozone destruction is one environmental issue that has been debated and discussed
in several forums the world over. What is the ozone layer? This is the protective
layer in the atmosphere that shields extremely hot rays of the sun from reaching the
earth. It is believed that human activity on earth such as industrialisation burning
of fossil fuels, deforestation, veld fires, and other activities have led to serious
destruction of the ozone hence exposing people and animals to the sun’s extreme
heat.

Activity 17.2.1
You also believe that human activities are the main cause of destruction of the
ozone layer. Compile points that you will use to support yourself. You may use all or
some of the points given above. After compiling your ideas, write a speech that you
will deliver to an audience of your choice supporting your belief. In your speech,
suggest logical solutions you think can help save the ozone layer. Your speech
must be between 250 to 300 words in length. Try to memorise it. You may simply
memorise some parts so that when you speak you will look at the audience instead
of being glued to your paper.

Activity 17.2.2
Use the speech that you wrote in activity 2 here: imagine you have been invited
to attend an annual global meeting in America with the theme “Help save the
Ozone”. You are to speak and create awareness in the world on what is destructive
to the ozone layer and how the world can help reduce these causes. Is your
speech detailed and informative? Have you mastered it? Now, if you are satisfied
and confident go to the podium and speak. You may record your speech so
that you use the record to assess yourself. You may also deliver your speech to
friends and family. Afterwards, ask them what they liked or did not like about the

64
speech. Consider their comments carefully because you may learn a lot from them
especially if you analyse them properly. They may give you general comments but
since you are knowledgeable on speaking you will understand what you need to
work on to improve your speaking skills.

17.3 Broken promises

Have you ever been disappointed by someone you trusted? Maybe the person had
promised you something you like but because of a reason unknown to you he/she
did not deliver the item to you. What was the reason for the disappointment?

Many women joined the fight for liberation in Africa but very few were recognised
for this effort after independence. Read the following passage. You will learn about
different women in Africa who played a key role in the liberation war struggles.

Paragraph 1
Women played a pivotal role in the liberation struggles in Africa. The African
National Congress (ANC) in South Africa, FRELIMO in Mozambique, ZANU and
ZAPU in Zimbabwe, SWAPO in Namibia and the PAIGC in Cape Verde are just six
of the nationalist movements in Africa under whose patriotic banner thousands of
women played their part in the independence war effort. They experienced the
same hardships and dangers as their male compatriots.

Paragraph 2
Women not only took on dangerous tasks as armed combatants, they also
performed important duties in the background. This included producing food
for the rebel soldiers and nursing them back to health when they were wounded
in action. Women also bore the brunt of the sexual violence unleashed by both
warring parties.

Paragraph 3
In Kenya, hundreds of mostly Kikuyu women were recruited into the Land Freedom
Army (LFA), popularly known as the Mau Mau, formed by patriotic militants,
including Dedan Kimathi after the arrest of Jomo Kenyatta and other nationalist
leaders. In Guinea Bissau, a young woman called Titina Silla was among the most
notable female freedom fighters in the protracted struggle for independence
against Portugal (1962-1974). In a gutsy attempt to stop the Portuguese from
trampling on the most basic human rights of fellow Guineans, Silla joined the
armed struggle initiated by the African party for the independence of Guinea and
Cape Verde (PAIGC). She was 30 years old when she was killed in an ambush while
travelling to the funeral of her most famous compatriot and co-founder of PAIGC,
Amilcar Cabral.

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Paragraph 4
In South Africa, a surprising march by 20,000 women to the union building in the
capital Pretoria on 9 August 1956 represented one of the high points of a series of
women-led campaigns against the apartheid regime. One of the participants was
Ellen Ngezi, a nurse living with her young family in Port Elizabeth. She joined the
Black Peoples Convention (BPC), and the Black Community Program (BCP), in which
the activist Steve Biko was involved. Her husband, Patrick, a key player in the anti-
apartheid movement, was imprisoned with Biko.

Paragraph 5
After Biko’s death, Ellen, who is currently a staff nurse in London, volunteered with
Black Sash a non-violent, predominantly white women’s resistance organisation,
on her days off. Founded in 1955 by Jean Sinclair, its members wore striking
black sashes as a mark of mourning and protest against the succession of unjust
apartheid laws. They demonstrated against Pass Laws and the arbitrary arrest and
harassment of non-whites, especially black men undergoing detention without trial.

Paragraph 6
“When the men were detained, women had to hold the fort and become bread
winners,” says Ellen Ngezi. “Even when our men were released, the regime made
sure they would never be employed again. When my husband Patrick was released
from prison after Steve Biko’s death, I had to support him and our young family.”

Paragraph 7
From Algeria to Zimbabwe, Ellen and millions of other African women assured
that independence would bring new and just societies, free from exploitations and
discriminations. A hit parade of infectious popular songs and powerful liberation
war recruitment posters attest to these promises. But although Africa now has an
elected female president in Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia, the promises of post-
independence gender equality have largely failed to materialise.

Paragraph 8
According to the report by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
(UNECA), many African governments are failing to protect the rights of women and
advance gender equality, especially in key social, economic and political sectors.
The African Women’s report: measuring gender inequality in Africa: experiences
and lessons from the African gender and development index say many African
governments will miss their Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to promote
gender equality by 2015.

Paragraph 9
Largely using data from national ministries in 12 African countries, including
Ethiopia and South Africa, the report says women are still facing an uphill struggle
when it comes to political participation, despite gains made by a number of African
countries such as Liberia and Rwanda.

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Paragraph 10
“Men haven’t allowed women to share the running of their countries. Parliaments,
the judiciary, civil service, and civil society organisations are largely controlled by
men. Even countries which have largely bridged the gender gap in education,
like Madagascar and Tunisia are not translating the gain into higher scores in
women’s economic and participation,” says Dr Saskia Wieringa, one of the reports
authorities.

Paragraph 11
Dr Wieringa is the director of the institute for Women’s History in Amsterdam. She
adds that, “women’s voices have been silenced and their concerns have hardly
been taken into account when constructing the state apparatus. This means issues
like maternal mortality, domestic violence, and harmful traditional practices have
received insufficient attention.”

Paragraph 12
The report shows that maternal mortality rates, which claim more lives than AIDS,
TB and Malaria combined, remain needlessly high. Even relatively rich South Africa
scores disappointingly high with a ratio of 400 per 100,000 live births. Critically,
thousands of overlooked women ex-freedom fighters are also fading away in abject
poverty. As in many revolutions, women were essentially fighting a war on two
fronts, for their countries’ independence and for the emancipation of their sex.

Paragraph 13
Ghennet Girma of the International Ethiopian Women’s Organisation (IEWO)
participated in the student protest movement against Empire Haile Selassie’s
government in the 1970s. She highlights the deep gulf between the call for
women’s equality and the commitment of independent African governments to
deliver on their promises. She believes that gender equality in African politics
countries continues to lag behind the West because women’s organisations on the
continent were not established independently but within a nationalised context.
She says equality and commitment to women’s rights can only be won from the
base up with the active involvement of women themselves.

Paragraph 14
“Women are at last getting the help they need in terms of political involvement.
This is largely thanks to the United Nations European Union, local and international
NGOs, and religious institutions,” she adds.

Paragraph 15
Encouragingly women have reason to celebrate in several countries where their
voices are beginning to be heard. “The struggle was well worth it,” says Ellen
Ngezi. “Our daughters are getting the education and jobs they deserve which we
fought for. Yes there is violence against women. But there is violence everywhere in
the world. Violence in South Africa is linked with poverty, which, if eradicated, will
remove a lot of aggression against women.

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Paragraph 16
“The future for women in South Africa is good. Winnie Mandela gives us the saying:
“wa thinta umfazi uthinta imbokodo,” which means “if you provoke a woman, you
provoke a stone.” Women in South Africa are not going to allow any setbacks in
their status,” she adds. Women are also making progress in Tunisia and Morocco.
Women’s emancipation in Tunisia, a major plus for the country, started right after
independence under President Habib Bourguiba and continued even under the
government of the recently overthrown President Ben Ali.

Paragraph 17
In Morocco, “the introduction of a quota system means women are making
significant gains in political arena,” says Fatima Sadiqi, President of the National
Union of Women’s organisations in Morocco. “There are currently 34 women
MPs and 3,406 in local government councils.” Overall, female parliamentary
representation is steadily growing in a number of African countries. However,
women’s participation in politics remains limited as the UN report shows.

The end. Adapted from the New African magazine, June 2011.

The passage was quite long but standard because by now you should be able to
read fast since you have been practising. Can you briefly summarise the passage?
What did it say about women? If you answer these questions then it means you
understood. But if you find it difficult to respond then re-read the passage again
before you attempt questions that follow.

Activity 17.3.2 Comprehension Exercise

Answer the following questions in the spaces provided after each question. Guiding
tips have been given where necessary.

From paragraph 1
1. Write one word from this paragraph which means the same as central. [1]
2. What similarity does the author draw between male and female fighters?

Tip: in your answer use Both/The two/Male and female/ to compare. [2]

From paragraph 2
3. Women were subjected to abuse during the war. What evidence can you give
to prove this? [1]

From paragraph 3
4. What happens to Titina Silla which creates an anti-climax in the story? [2]

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From paragraph 5
5. (i) Why did the Black Sashes women organisation wear “striking black
sashes”? [1]

ii) Suggest any other word that could be used in place of “striking” in this
paragraph [1]

From paragraph 6
6. “… When my husband Patrick was released from Prison after Steve Biko’s
death, I had to support him and our young family.” Give any two character
traits of females revealed by this statement. [2]

From paragraph 13
7. Explain in your own words why gender equality in African politics continues
to lag behind. [2]

From paragraph 18
8. Explain any two means by which women’s participation in politics in African
can be improved.[2]

9. Explain why you think the author entitled the passage “Broken promises” [2]

Activity 17.3.3 Word meanings

The passage has lot of vocabulary that you need to research know and use in
your own creative work. Below is a list of some of the words and phrases. First of
all explain the meaning of the word and then write a sentence using that word or
phrase to show that you understand it fully. Use the space provided below each
word. The first one has been done for you as an example.
1. Patriotic (from paragraph 1)
Meaning: loyal and devoted to one’s country [1]
Sentence: Rutendo was so patriotic to her country of origin that when she
was asked to choose between fighting for Zimbabwe and marrying Barry, she
went for the liberation struggle. [1]
2. Compatriot (from paragraph 1)
Meaning: [1]
Sentence: [1]
3. Unleashed (from paragraph 2)
Meaning: [1]
Sentence: [1]
4. Predominantly (from paragraph 5)
Meaning: [1]
Sentence: [1]
5. Attest (from paragraph 7)
Meaning: [1]
Sentence: [1]

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6. Uphill (from paragraph 9)
Meaning: [1]
Sentence: [1]
7. Deep gulf (from paragraph 13)
Meaning: [1]
Sentence: [1]
8. Eradicated (from paragraph 15)
Meaning: [1]
Sentence: [1]
9. Steadily (from paragraph 18)
Meaning: [1]
Sentence: [1]
10. Overlooked (from paragraph 12)
Meaning: [1]
Sentence: [1]

Research work
How many female liberation war heroines in Zimbabwe do you know? Carry out
a research on women who contributed to the liberation of Zimbabwe. In your
research, also look at women who are active in the development of the country
today. Clearly state what each of them has done in her enormous contribution to
Zimbabwe’s development. Record the information in a separate book for research.

17.4 A report based on a pie chart.

You will be a professional one day and you will be expected to produce reports on
what you would have done or what other employees would have done. Remember
we do not always report on bad events but we report even on good happenings.
By the way what is to report? To report is to give an account or to narrate. So, this
means that whenever you are faced with the task of report writing you should know
that you are expected give an account of something. Remember the aspects of
report writing you have learned especially the approach you were given in unit six
because the way you tackle a report based on a graph is the same way you use to
tackle the pie chart report we are introducing you to in this unit.

In this report you are supposed to study the pie chart closely to understand all the
detail it presents. You should be able to capture the correct details for example, the
percentages in each segment. You should also give valid reasons each time you are
to explain or justify something. Another important skill is to compare and contrast
the figures and details represented by the pie chart. Now, study the pie chart.

70
The pie chart has been used to represent the cases of indiscipline at Tokwana High
School. The cases have been represented as a percentage of all the cases in the
school. You are to write a report to the district education office explaining the cases
of indiscipline in your school.

Did you understand the pie chart? What do you think makes drug abuse so
common at Tokwana High? Find reasons that you may suggest explaining this
case of indiscipline. You should ask yourself such questions because they help you
interpret the question. Look at the example of a paragraph given below:

Research showed the highest number – that is forty-six per cent- of cases of
indiscipline at Tokwana high involved drug abuse. Many of the students who
smoke dagga and sniff glue are boys who are day scholars. When interrogated
by the police officers they revealed that they usually buy drugs from school
leavers who always attend functions organised by the school. Some mischievous
students also sneak into the school on opening day with their drugs.

Tip: This paragraph is simple and straight forward. The details presented through
the chart are clearly stated together that is, the percentage of the cases, with
reasons to explain the research findings. Despite being short, the paragraph is
detailed because it gives the main details which are clear to whoever will read it.
For example, it is revealed that boys, mainly day scholars smoke dagga and sniff
glue. The sources for these are also revealed. The writer went on to show the
causes and circumstances that perpetrate abuse of drugs by students. Therefore,
all this process of adding details to a point in guided compositions is called
amplification. Learn to keep your work limited to the important details as you
amplify.

Now write a complete report and keep it in your personal file. Remember to refer
to unit six for format and other aspects of report writing. Keep refreshing your mind
on paragraph development and amplification.
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 Activity 17.4.2
In this activity you will be expected to write a complete report based on a pie
chart. Remember to read the details to determine what the whole 100% stands
for. Determine what the percentages represent and relate them to the whole chart.
Relate the graph information to the text to determine the significance and possible
reasons for the percentages. You did all this in the activity above.

The pie chart shows the production of maize at Fig-tree farm over a period of four
years. Climate change, drought, inflation and political instability are some of the
factors that affected production at the farm. You are the manager of the farm and it
is the end of the year 2019. Write a report to clarify the trends in maize production
as shown in the pie chart. You may include the factors given in this situation as part
of your report. Add other details of your own. Below the pie chart space has been
provided for you to write the report but it is wise that you first draft your report on a
piece of paper before you write the final version here.

Write your answer in a separate answer book which you have been using.

17.5 Proper and common nouns

In this section you will continue looking at nouns. Remember you looked at other
types of nouns in the earlier units. Which types did you look at? Can you define
them quickly before you proceed?
What do you think is a proper and common noun? The definitions have been given
below.

A common noun is the name of a whole group of people, places, or things. It is a

name that is common to the whole group for example; animal, fish, apple, books
and so forth.

A proper noun is the specific name of an individual person, place or thing. Proper
nouns begin with a capital letter.

Look at the following examples:

Common nouns Proper nouns
person Justice
bridge Golden Gate Bridge
country Zimbabwe
language Shona
magazine The Trends magazine

Tip: one thing you must have noted from the examples above is that a proper noun
consists of more than one word. Most, not all, proper nouns are preceded by the
article the.

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 Activity 17.5.1
From the following sentences, identify all the proper and common nouns. Write
them down in the spaces provided after each sentence.
1. Jacob is the president of the drama club, and his brother is the secretary.
Common:
Proper: Dr. Ndlovu was in college with my father.
Common:
Proper:
2. The announcer said that the plane for Victoria Falls would leave in thirty
minutes.
Common:
Proper:
3. Jah Praizer is known for his unique music.
Common:
Proper:
4. Our neighbours are so quarrelsome such that every week we phone the
police.
Common:
Proper:
5. The boys drove through the desert at night.
Common:
Proper:
6. More than half of the people in Zimbabwe can read and write.
Common:
Proper:
7. Lovemore Madhuku is one of the greatest lawyers in southern Africa.
Common:
Proper:
8. The dairy business is going down in our country.
Common:
Proper:
9. The Kalanga language needs serious government effort to revive it.
Common:
Proper:

Activity 17.5.2
In this activity decide which ones are common nouns and which are proper nouns
from each given list. Write them down in the given spaces. Begin each proper noun
with a capital letter
1. chewa, science, english, hotel
2. lake, lake manyame, mountain, inyanga mountains
3. university, hillside teachers’ college, college, goromonzi high
4. paper, mathematics textbook, novel,
5. village, luveve township, saint paul, country,

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6. good friday, heroes, heroes day, labour
7. senator, president nelson mandela, mayor,
8. borrowable park, elephant, econet wireless, judge
9. Buddhism, charity, spanish, blankets, shop
10. mr chikanda, chipo, daughter, headmaster

Reflection
Congratulations! You have finally completed unit 17. Do you remember what you
covered under each skill? We want to help you to reflect on the unit. What was
unique about the story you listened to? We hope you enjoyed it.

Did the passage entitled broken promises move you? What do you think can be
done to help the disgruntled women in your community? You were assigned to do
a research on prominent women. How many have you found so far? If you were
asked to write an essay outlining their contributions would you be able to?

You also were exposed to a topical issue in the world debate today. Do you
remember the topic? Pause for a moment and recall your speech. It was about
Ozone destruction. What solutions did you suggest to help reduce ozone
destruction?

What did you learn about writing a report based on a pie chart? Did you finish
composition work? If not please do finish it before proceeding.

Which types of nouns did you study in unit 17? These were the last two types.
Continue revising them.

Summary
In this unit you listened to a story about a young visionary who changed his family
and many people. You then retold the story to check whether you had heard
mastered the details. We hope the story inspired you too. You also spoke in world
debate with the theme save the ozone layer. After this, you read about women
whose efforts were not recognised leading to their disappointment. The vocabulary
work you were assigned to do must have added to your word bank. Before looking
at the two types of nouns, proper and common nouns, you were introduced to
report writing based on a pie chart. Two different activities were given to you for
practice. We hope that these helped you master this type of report. If you carefully
and closely studied all these and did all the activities in this unit, then you are a star.
If ever there is any section that gave you difficulties you may revisit that part and
study it again. Also refer to other units with the same heading perhaps you will get
what you could have missed.

74
Unit 17: Expected answers
Answers for activity 17.3.2 Comprehension questions.
1. Pivotal
2. Both experienced the same hardships and dangers.
3. The author states that they had to bear the brunt of sexual violence
unleashed by both warring parties.
4. She was killed in an ambush while she was on her way to her most famous
compatriot and co-founder of PAIGC. (the two underlined parts must be part
of the answer for it to score)
5. (i) It was a mark for mourning and protest against the succession of unjust
apartheid laws.
(ii) outstanding/spectacular/conspicuous/remarkable/unusual.
6. Hard workers
Love/care/kind
Patient/long suffering
7. Your answer should be extracted from the following sentence: “Women’s
organisations not established independently but within a nationalised
context” A mere explanation of the underlined words should score a mark.
You may as well define the underlined words.
Established independently: meaning they were not separate/ detached from
the government or state control.
Nationalised: state-owned/ with no freedom/
8. Creation of a quota system to cater for women in parliament
Awareness campaigns to educate women on equal rights.

Answers to activity 17.3.3

1. Done as an example.
2. Compatriot - fellow woman/countrywoman/native friend/neighbour
3. Unleashed - they were subjected to/they suffered/
4. Predominantly – primarily/largely/mainly/mostly/
5. Attest – confirm/prove/show/testify/
6. Uphill – difficult/arduous/demanding/taxing/hard
7. Deep gulf – serious disagreement/conflict
8. Eradicated – eliminated/removed/done away with/
9. Steadily – gradually/slowly/bit by bit/progressively
10. Overlooked – ignored/disregarded/unnoticed

Tip: You were not given answers of sentences because each word can be used
to create many different sentences. So, ask a friend to check your sentences for
grammar and meaning. You may as well read them aloud twice to check if they are
grammatically correct. If ever you or your friend discovers error in any sentence,
that sentence does not score a mark. Please check for any error in punctuation
because it is part of grammar.

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Answers to activity 17.5.1.
1. Common: president, secretary, brother, club
Proper: Jacob,
2. Common: college, father
Proper: Dr. Ndlovu
3. Common: announcer, plane
Proper: Victoria Falls
4. Common: music
Proper: Jah Praizer
5. Common: neighbours, police
6. Common: boys, desert
7. Common: people
Proper: Zimbabwe
8. Common: lawyers
Proper: Lovemore Mafa, Africa
9. Common: dairy, business, country
10. Common: language, government
Proper: Kalanga.

Answers to activity 17.5.2

1. Common: hotel
Proper: Chewa/English/Science
2. Common: lake and mountain
Proper: Lake Manyame/Inyanga Mountain
3. Common: university/ college
Proper: Hillside Teachers’ College/ Goromonzi High
4. Common: paper/ novel
Proper: Mathematics textbook.
5. Common: village/ country
Proper: Luveve Township/Saint Paul
6. Common: heroes/labour
Proper: Good Friday/ Heroes day
7. Common: senator/mayor
Proper: President Nelson Mandela/
8. Common: elephants/ judge
Proper: Borowdale Park/Econet Wireless/
9. Common: blankets/ shop/
Proper: Charity/Spanish/Budhhism/
10. Common: daughter/headmaster
Proper: Mr. Chikanda/Chipo.

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Unit 18: Ospreys
Contents
18.1 Purposeful listening-Dialogues
18.2 Invitation, complaints and complements
18.3 Summary skills.
18.4 Narrative composition
18.5 Sentence construction: clauses and punctuation

Objectives
After going through this Unit, you should be able to:
• listen purposefully for information
• use appropriate register in given situations
• use skill of synthesis, analysis and paraphrasing effectively in summary writing
• use figurative language in narrative composition writing
• construct and punctuate sentences correctly

Key words
The following words are new to you in this Unit:
Purposeful listening- Specific or intended listening or reading.
Figurative- Use of language that paints a picture.

Study skills
You need to develop the following study skills:
Silent reading- Reading the text quietly for concentration so as to understand the
passage.
Problem solving- Finding solutions to problems.

Time
You must spend a total of eight (8) hours studying this Unit:

Introduction
Nature has always been interesting and a pleasure to watch. Have you ever gone
into the bush, birdwatching and seeing how birds behave? Did you realise that
each species is unique? In this unit, you shall learn about birds that had survived
the attack of men and how they had to secretly find a hiding place. You will realise
how important it is to learn about nature as it is part of us. You shall also continue
to learn about purposeful listening in dialogues. Can you still remember what you
learnt in unit 12 about purposeful and selective listening skills? Yes, you shall use
that knowledge in this unit. In speaking you shall learn about communication in
invitations, complements and complaints. Can you recall when you last expressed
a complaint about unsatisfactory service you received from your local supermarket?

77
Remember the way we express ourselves has an effect on us. You shall also learn
about the summary writing skills namely synthesis, analysis and paraphrasing. How
many skills have you covered so far in reading? It is important that you know them
and always try to use them in reading comprehension passages. In writing, you shall
look at how to use figurative language in narrative composition writing. Supporting
language structures has always been interesting as you learn something new in
each unit. In this unit, you shall learn about punctuation and meaning and clauses.
This shall be an interesting unit as you shall be engaged throughout the unit.

18.1 Purposeful listening- Dialogues

Can you still recall what purposeful listening requires? Yes, it is important to listen
purposefully. This skill requires you to listen attentively for detail and you must
be able to pick all the important details that are necessary for writing. Do you still
remember that you are encouraged to have a note book where you jot down all
important ideas that you would have grasped in the process of listening? By the
way, you do not choose what to listen to, but you have to be attentive always to the
speaker. Now that you can still remember what you covered in purposeful listening
in unit 12 or if you have forgotten some of the steps to purposeful listening, refresh
yourself by going back to unit 12 and revise on purposeful listening.

Now, today we are going to look at dialogue in purposeful listening. Have you
done dialogues before? Yes, you have done them in the previous units and I know
that you already have an idea of what a dialogue is. How many times have you
been engaged in a dialogue today? Of course it can be most of the time as you
do not live in isolation. We communicate with others in different ways for different
purposes.

Let us begin by defining what a dialogue is. A dialogue is a conversation between

two or more people discussing a matter or a subject of interest to them. When
people converse, they listen to each other so that they respond accordingly. Now
listen carefully as the following telephone conversation. Read twice and jot down
all important ideas that you will require to answer questions that follow.

Chelesa: Hello, hello……

Receptionist: Zimbabwe Hardware, good morning. Can l help you?
Sibongile: Yes, please can you put me through to the Sales Department?
Receptionist: Certainly. Hold the line please and l’ll put you through.
Salesman: Sales Department. Good morning. Can l help you?
Sibongile: Yes, please. I’d like to know if you have some things l need.
Salesman: What is your name please?
Sibongile: My name is Miss Sibongile Moyo. I’m building a fowl run and
need some wire netting, gum poles, and asbestos sheets.
Salesman: I think we have all these items in stock. What sort of wire do you
want?
Sibongile: What type have you got?

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Salesman: We have large, medium and small. If you intend to keep small
chicks. l suggest you buy the smaller type. It’s slightly more
expensive, but it’ll keep your chicks in.
Sibongile: How much is a roll of the smaller type?
Salesman: Fifty-seven dollars, including sales tax.
Sibongile: Hmmm. And the gum poles?
Salesman: Yes, we have all sizes of gum poles.
Sibongile: Are they all coated with tar?
Salesman: You mean “treated”? Yes, they’re all treated. What sizes would
you like?
Sibongile: I’d like eight poles, each 12 centimetres in diameter and 20
metres long.
Salesman: Yes, I’ve got those………..
Sibongile: And six thicker ones, for the corners, say, 16 centimetres in
diameter and two metres long.
Salesman: I’m afraid the thicker ones are not in stock, Miss Moyo.
Sibongile: Oh dear…….
Salesman: But l can get some from our wholesalers by tomorrow afternoon.
Would that be convenient to you?
Sibongile: Well, let’s see if you have asbestos sheets first.

Activity 18.1.1
Now that you have listened carefully to the telephone conversation, I want you to
look at your notes carefully and answer the following questions. I hope you listened
purposefully for information. Now, use your notes to attempt the questions on
listening. Do you still remember the television conversation that was read to you?

1. Why do the receptionist and the salesman begin by saying “Zimbabwe

Hardware” and “Sales Department”? ...............................................................
...........................................................................................................................

2. What items did Miss Sibongile Moyo want from the shop?
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
3. Why did she want those items? ……………………………………………………
……………………………………………………..........................................……
……………..............................................................................................………
4. What was the advantage and disadvantage of buying the smaller type of
wire? ..................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................

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5. What items did the salesman not have in stock and what solution did he
offer? ..................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................

Activity 18.1.2
Imagine you want to buy a school uniform (including shoes, socks, blazer, bag)
from a shop. You decide to telephone the shop first to find out if they have the
right sizes and how much they would cost. Write the full conversation between an
assistant or salesman in the shop. Remember that this is for purposeful listening
whereby specific information is required. Always remember that being attentive is
key to purposeful listening. You must not miss or misquote any information so that
you are able to respond accordingly.

18.2 Invitations, complaints and complements

Invitations- degree of formality and informality
When you read the above topics, what comes into your mind? Do you remember
the last time you were invited to an occasion? What occasion was it? What form
was the invitation? Was it a card or a phone call? Who was it that had invited you?
What relationship do you have with him/her? Now have you realised that we are
always interacting with other people at different levels for different purposes. Now
we are going to look at invitations, degrees of formality/business, informality/casual
and friendly like. Do you know that every invitation has different features from the
other? Formality is determined by the people you are dealing with and how related
you are. Remember formal language conveys respect and politeness. On the other
hand, informality conveys friendliness, openness and relationship. The degree of
formality and informality is determined by the choice of words, grammar, tone and
use of contracted words in informal messages.

For example, when your friend invites you to a birthday party, he/she will definitely
use informal language as you two have a friendship or relationship. The choice of
words is lighter and friendly. On the other hand, when there is a farewell party for
a long serving member at a company, the invitation would be formal as the voice
would be passive and must show respect and politeness.

Activity 18.2.1
Let us look at these invitations:

INVITATION 1
Hlengi: Hey pal.
Molly: hey my dear
Hlengi: Guess what? Tomorrow is my birthday girl.
Come let’s dance and chill.
Molly: Of course. I can’t wait for tomorrow. I’m happy for you dear.

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INVITATION 2
Mr Harry: Good morning everyone.
Staff: Good morning sir.
Mr Harry: You are all invited to Mr Lowsly’s farewell party
on Friday afternoon.
Staff: Thank you sir.

Now, read the two invitations and see the difference in the degree of formality.
Looking at the two invitations:
1. State which one is formal and which one is informal?
2. How did you arrive at your answers?
3. State how the language has been used, tone and relationship.

Activity 18.2.2

Read the following statements and decide whether or not they used the degree of
formality appropriately. Remember the degree of formality is determined by the
language which conveys respect and politeness. Now attempt the following activity.

1. Should you require additional material regarding the outing that will take
place next week, please do not hesitate to contact me? ………………………
…......................................................................................................................
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………......................................................................................................……
2. If you need to know more about the outing, please give me a call. …………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………......................................................................................………
3. I am not satisfied with the service that your company offered. …………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………...................................................................................................………
4. I’m not happy with the service of your company. …..........................................
..…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………...............................................................................……..
5. The meeting is in the morning. Don’t be late. ………........................................
.....………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………..............................................................................…………..
6. Thank you for your help. I really appreciate it. ……………………………………
………………………………………......................................................................
.....................................................…………………………………………………..
7. I’m looking forward to seeing you there tonight. …………………………………
…………………………………………..................................................................
.....................................................………………………………………………….

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8. Thanks for your hard work.
………………....................................................................................……………
………………………………………………………………………………………….

Complaints
How many times have you complained about something that you do not like?
Have you realised that we complain everyday about a lot of things? What comes
into your mind whenever you hear the word complaint? We will be grumbling
and wanting to address the problem immediately. We complain because we will
not be satisfied with how people treat, respond, address or handle our matters.
Complaints are healthy as they are a way of helping us to correct and build each
other up.

Activity 18.2.3
Now, imagine that you travelled by bus and had luggage. On arrival you discover
that your bag was missing. You searched everywhere for it and could not find it. You
are really worried that you have lost all your belongings. Now, I want you to write a
complaint to the manager of the bus company over your missing bag.

Clue:
• When did you travel?
• From where to where?
• The name of the bus in which you travelled.
• Description of the bag and the contents.
• When and how you discovered that the suitcase was missing.

18.3 Summary skills

Reading has always been interesting as you always have something new to read
and enjoy. Do you know that through reading you get to sharpen even other skills
as you are able to use them in attempting activities? Remember reading always
requires an application of a skill that will enable you to attempt given tasks and
activities. Now, today we shall learn about synthesis, analysis and paraphrasing
in summary writing. Do you still remember the skills you have covered so far? Of
course you do, these are skimming, scanning, intensive reading, extensive reading
and note making. Have you realised how closely related they are to each other?
Mostly you cannot use one without applying the other. This brings us to today’s
skills which are synthesis, analysis and paraphrasing. I know you have been using
these skills unknowingly, but today we want to see how they can be effectively used
in summary writing and even in composition writing.

Synthesis
Do you know the meaning of synthesis? I know that you have been using this
skill so many times, only that you might not have known what it is. Synthesis is a
combination of several texts into one and also a shortened version of the original.
It also requires that you choose important ideas and write them in your own words.

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Then you use paraphrasing and summary skills to write the information in your own
words. Remember, at the beginning of this section we said that these skills work
together. They are like hand in glove. Always remember to identify key points and
write them down or underline them. In synthesis you have to properly digest the
information and be in a position to present it in your own words. Now, have you
realised that no skill operates on its own, they are integrated.

Analysis
Can you think of a time when you had to analyse passages or texts or even
conversations? Yes, we all use this skill every day. When you analyse, you examine
a text and identify specific information. This information has a specific purpose and
detail that is important. Remember this skill only requires you to identify key points
and discard that information which is unnecessary.

Paraphrasing
This skill is used when you write another person’s ideas in your own words, but still
maintaining the meaning of the text. Do you know that in paraphrasing, you must
read the passage intensively so that you really understand its meaning? Then the
next step is for you to identify all important points or ideas and write them down
or underline them. Now you must find alternative or synonyms for points or ideas
identified. Then rewrite the points in your own words still maintaining the meaning
of the original text or passage. You can use this skill in long passages where the
ideas or points are too long and can be best understood when wording has been
changed. Remember that in paraphrasing, you make sure the meaning and length
of the passage must be the same. Remember also that the style of writing is your
own as you are writing in your words.

Summary
What can you still remember about summary writing? Yes, isn’t you have been
writing summaries in the previous units and have used many skills. A summary is
a shortened version of the original passage. It mainly consists of important points
or ideas. Remember you must always use the key words given to you and identify
the key points. Key words are a guideline for you to know what to look for in the
passage and summarise by picking only the important ideas. Join points together
to make a paragraph that contain main ideas only.

Now that we have looked at these skills, let us see how related they are to each
other. Have you realised that they all expect you to identify key words and that you
write in your words. Remember that no skill can fully function independently, skills
complement each other. Remember that in synthesis you select important ideas
and use paraphrasing and summary skills to shorten the long passage. In analysis
you examine the passage and select specific information and write it in your own
words.

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 Activity 18.4.1
Read the following comprehension passage on Ospreys. These are birds found in
Europe. Do you like nature? If you do, definitely you will enjoy this passage and
the application of the skills which you learnt today. Remember, reading must be
purposeful as only specific information is required.

Paragraph 1
Ospreys have nested in Britain since the passing of the Ice Age. Gradually, with
the growth of civilisation, the numbers of these large fish-eating birds dwindled.
Their territories shrank with the spread of man, until only the isolated mountainous
regions of Scotland, in the far north of Britain, provided a safe refuge for the birds.
By the end of the nineteenth century, even these high hills failed to offer sanctuary
from poison, trap and gun, so that the beginning of the First World War ospreys
were extinct as breeding birds in Britain. They had flown far to the north, to the
safer lands of Scandinavia.

Paragraph 2
Then, an absence of almost half a century, migrant ospreys began to fly south from
Scandinavia to reclaim their ancient territories in the Scottish highlands. By now the
attitude of man towards these birds had changed. Indeed, as news of the nesting
birds spread, bird watchers grabbed their cameras and binoculars and flocked to
the locality. Yet a new danger confronted the ospreys. Thieves tried to plunder their
nests, for there were egg-collectors prepared to pay considerable sums of money
to possess a batch of the rare osprey eggs, with their rich russet-red makings.

Paragraph 3
As a result, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds mounted a constant guard
over the nesting sites of the ospreys, and in particular over the first of them that
had been discovered. Here the Society actively encouraged visitors to appreciate
the birds and gave the nesting birds maximum publicity. Meanwhile, in remote
valleys elsewhere in the Scottish highlands, other ospreys raised their young, the
secret of their whereabouts closely guarded by the Society’s wardens and by the
local residents.

Paragraph 4
On one such secret nest, close to a lake, crouched a female osprey. Her eyes were
half-closed, her head drooping as she shielded her two eggs beneath her chest.
Meanwhile, from far away across the carpet of pine tree came a clear high-pitched
whistle and seconds later her mate swept into view, his wings outstretched, a fleshly
caught trout gripped in one scaly claw. He circled the nest and came to rest on
a nearby pine tree, one that was log dead, its white skeletal branches devoid of
any bark. Once settled, he began to feed, leisurely tearing the flesh from the front
half of the fish with his powerful hooked beak. He seemed oblivious of the female
and her increasingly irritable call. At length, appearing to notice her for the first
time, he picked up the remains of the trout in his claws and flew over to the nest.

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The female hissed a greeting, glaring at him with brilliant yellow eyes, and then,
abandoning her eggs, she seized his offering and flew off to the dead pine tree to
feed. Gingerly, the male took her place on the nest, easing himself down until the
eggs settled comfortably against his flanks.

Paragraph 5
The female tore at the fish with her great hook of a beak. Having fed, she began
to preen herself, running her feathers through her beak with meticulous care. Once
she had finished relieving herself the osprey launched herself from her perch, flew
across to the nest and landed on the rim. The male needed no persuasion to leave
the eggs. He soared into the sky to continue with his usual business of supporting
and protecting his family. As he flew low over the trees, he thought he heard a
rustling of leaves. Was it a buzzard? A bird of prey like that had to be driven off. He
flew even lower to check. Nothing moved, and dismissing his fears he resumed his
mission.

Paragraph 6
Unknown to him, a stranger had arrived on the scene. It was a young osprey, born
two years previously on a nesting site some 15 kilometres away. On the bird’s left
leg was a ring, with a code number and a name given to the osprey-lasgair. It
means fisherman. This osprey had successfully returned to his birth-place after his
first flight south. He was discovering that there were more ospreys in the area, and
as they colonised their own piece of territory it was becoming increasingly harder
for young males like him to lay claim to a suitable habitat. So he flew from place to
place, getting an intimate knowledge of his terrain and identifying those regions in
which he was unwelcome.

Paragraph 7
Lasgair knew that a nest-site was jealously guarded by the parent ospreys and
was best avoided. Yet, each time he located a nest, he left drawn by some
overwhelming compulsion to take a closer look, even though he knew from
experience that his reception would be hostile. Today was no exception. He circled
the area warily, his eyes scanning the dark brooding female at the centre of the
nest. Somewhere, he knew, there would be a watchful male perched on top of a
tree, but the only tree that appeared suitable as a look-out post was deserted

Paragraph 8
He dropped lower, until he could see the yellow eyes of the hen bird cocked
skywards, watching him as he made his descent. The hen sensed danger, her mate
was nowhere to be seen. In desperation she began to scream, the crest of feathers
on her head raised in outrage. In spite of the impending peril, she did not move
on her eggs. Lasgair glided over the nest, a mere metre above the siting bird who
hissed loudly in defiance. He was about to make another pass when the male bird
came out of the sun.

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Paragraph 9
Lasgair heard the thudding noise of the male bird’s wings, and the whistle of
air through the feathers. Before Lasgair could react, the male bird lashed out at
him with its razor-sharp talons. Lasgair dived away just in time to avoid being
decapitated. Nevertheless, he felt a violent blow on his rump and feathers
exploded around him, almost blinding him. Lasgair was bewildered, and his
inexperience in dealing with an older mature rival was evident.

Paragraph 10
While Lasgair was still confused, his attacker shot towards him again, but Lasgair
did not linger to dispute the issue; he knew when he was beaten. He folded his
wings, and like an arrow falling, plunged towards the surface of the lake. Then,
with his wings almost touching the water, he raced for the far shore. Honour now
satisfied, the male bird followed at a discreet distance, and when he saw that the
trespasser had no intention of returning, he broke off the pursuit, returning in
triumph to the nest.

Now that you have read the passage and understood it, we are going to apply the
skills of synthesis, analysis and paraphrasing in the activities that will follow. If you
have forgotten quickly go through them again and fresh yourself.

Activity 18.4.1
Synthesis
Part of the passage describes how the male bird looks for food and feeds the
female who would be in the nest. Write a paragraph of how he hunts and feeds
himself and the female bird. Use only material from Paragraph 4 to the end of
Paragraph 6. Remember that in synthesis, you only choose important ideas and
write them down in your words. You can either underline or write down the points.
Also keep in mind that it’s a combination of other skills as well of paraphrasing and
summary. ……………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................….

Activity 18.4.2
Analysis
Part of the passage describes Lasgair’s attempt to find a suitable habitat and his
encounter with a nesting pair of ospreys. Clearly describe how these birds jealously
guarded their nest. Use only material from Paragraph 4 to the end of Paragraph
6. Remember in analysis you only identify key points and discard information
which you do not want. I want you to write a paragraph on how this pair of ospreys
guarded the nest. You must keep in mind that you write key points only
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………...................................................

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......................................................…………………………………………………………
……………………..........................…………………………………………………………

Activity 18.4.3
Paraphrasing
Part of the passage explains how ospreys migrated from place to place trying to
run away from attacks. Now, using the paraphrasing skill, which requires you to
write the passage in your own words and use synonyms for commons words, write
a paragraph on how these birds survived attacks and were able to reproduce and
increase in number. Use only material from Paragraph 1 to the end of Paragraph 3.

Activity 18.4.4
Summary writing
Part of the passage describes Lasgair’s attempt to find a suitable habitat and his
encounter with a nesting pair of ospreys.

Write a summary of the encounter. You should concentrate on Lasgair’s actions and
how the other two ospreys reacted.
Use only material from Paragraph 6 to the end of Paragraph 10.
Your summary which must be in continuous writing (not note form) must not be
longer than 160 words, including the ten words given.

Evaluation
Now that you used different methods of summary writing, which skill did you use
in answering the summary question? Of course you used analysis as the question
required specific information. Always take note of the demands of the question
before you attempt any activity.

18.4 Narrative composition

Figurative language
Do you still remember the types of compositions you have covered so far? Quickly
list them down and see how many you still remember. Now, we are going to look
at narrative composition writing using figurative language. Can you recall the time
you wrote descriptive compositions? What language did you use? Today we are
going to look at figurative language in composition writing. This type of language
enriches your work and makes it impressive. Remember in creative writing, it is
important for you to use varied language to impress the reader.

What comprises figurative language? We use figures of speech to create images or

mind-pictures in order to express ourselves visually, imaginatively and powerfully.
In creative writing, language can be used either in a literally (general or factual
meaning) or figurative sense. Figurative language includes some of the following
comparisons, contradictions, personification, irony, sarcasm, exaggeration and
many others. Now, let us look at some of them in detail.

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Comparisons:
Comparisons are used to compare two or more objects in direct or indirect ways.
Now, let us look at the simile which is a direct comparison that always contains the
words as or like.

Examples:
(a) Comparisons:
1. Her personality is like a bubble in a bottle of champagne.
2. He is as poor as a church mouse.

(b) Metaphor:
It is a comparison without the use of as or like

Examples:
1. The teacher roared her commands to the class.
2. He is a Bill Gates. (This means that, they are both rich).

(c) Contradictions:
Contradictions are figures of speech that appear to contain conflicting
or opposing ideas. Have you ever said a statement that has an opposite
meaning to what you really meant? Yes, you have used such language even
when teasing your friends.

Examples:
1. Don’t underestimate him, he is a mouse in stature, a lion in strength.
2. You will kill him with your kindness.
3. The litter was a pretty ugly sight.

(d) Sarcasm:
Sarcasm is used with the purpose of hurting, insulting or humiliating
someone. Have you realised that we always use this figure of speech daily.

Example:
1. You have worked very hard to fail.
2. Are you always the heart and soul of the party?

Activity 18.4.1
Now that we have looked at a few figures of speech, construct sentences to show
clearly the following:
(a) Comparisons
(b) Contradictions
(c) Irony
(d) Exaggeration

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 Activity 18.4.2
Read the following figures of speech and their meanings and use them in sentence
construction. Remember these are meant to help you enrich your language and
make creative writing interesting and impressive.

Figure of speech Meaning

Bring the house down Cause rapturous applause
Bite the dust Be defeated/die
At the eleventh hour At the last minute
Clear the air Removed doubts
Cross the bridge when one comes to it Not to worry about the situation until
one is faced with it
In the same boat In the same misfortune or circumstances
On the cards Possible
Save it for a rainy day Save it for a time of need
Put your cards on the table Be honest/frank
Spill the beans Reveal the truth or a secret

Activity 18.4.3
Composition writing
Now that we have looked at some of the figures of speech that we can use in
writing, we hope that they are helpful to you. Can you think of other expressions
that are commonly used? I know you came up with quite a number of them. Always
practise using them in your daily interactive life so that you perfect your writing
skills. Now, study again this section and understand how figurative language is
used. We hope you are now able to use this language part to create vivid images in
the mind of reader.

Practice work:
Write compositions on the following topics:
1. The last day of term.
2. The destruction after the storm.
Describe an afternoon at the park.
3. The pleasant view from the mountain top.

18.5 Sentence construction: clauses and punctuation
You have had different lessons on supporting language structures throughout this
module, these were meant to sharpen your writing skills. Do you still remember
how to form adjectives, adverbs and many others? What can you still remember
on punctuation and meaning? How many types of sentences can you recall? It is

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important for you to always revise units covered so that you are always up to date
with information. Now, today we are going to look at clauses and punctuation.
Do you still remember what a sentence is? Yes, a sentence is a group of words
that have a full meaning. It consists of an independent and dependent clauses. A
sentence contains at least one main clause. Now, let us look at these clauses detail.

Clauses: independent and dependent

A clause is a group of words containing a subject that tells the reader what the
sentence is about and a verb that tells what the subject is doing. A clause comes in
four types, independent (main), dependent (subordinate), relative (adjective) and
noun. Now, let us look at these in detail so that you can see how different they are.
(a) Independent clause is the main clause that can express a complete
thought or idea and have a complete meaning. It is a stand alone. This
means that this part of a sentence can be understood fully without adding
any information to it. It contains information necessary to be a complete
sentence.
(b) Dependent clause is a subordinate clause that is usually a supporting part
of a sentence and cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. It makes a
sentence more detailed, but does not express a complete thought or idea.
Subordinate clauses act as a noun, adjective or adverb which are dependent
clauses.

Examples
Now that we have looked at the two clauses, independent and dependent, let us
identify them in a sentence.
1. Lisa went for a swim, after she played tennis.

Independent subordinate

Explanation:
Lisa went for a swim is a stand alone as it contains a complete idea. It is the main
clause and can be understood on its own.
She played tennis is a subordinate (dependent) clause as it explains the main clause
and cannot be understood on its own.
2. The van came to a halt after it had run out of fuel.

Independent subordinate

Now that you have studied the example and understood it, attempt the following
activity.

Activity 18.6.1
Study the following sentences and identify the main clause (independent) and the
subordinate clause (dependent). Remember that the main clause (independent)
contains a complete thought or idea that can be understood without adding more
detail to it. Dependent clauses are subordinate clauses and mainly add detail to the

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main clause and they cannot stand alone and do not contain a complete thought or
idea.
1. Even though his father is a wealthy man, Lihle stole a chocolate at the
supermarket.
2. My brother beat me at athletics, but was no match for me at soccer.
3. Children went bird watching, after they had finished their homework.
4. The police arrested the poachers, after they got a tip off by the residents.
5. Leslie has fully recovered, after a fatal motorbike accident.

We hope that you were able to identify the main and the subordinate clauses in
the activity given. Now let us mark the activity and see how you performed. If you
got all that answers correct well done, if not go back to the example and also look
at the answers given to correct the errors.

Relative and noun clauses

We continue with clauses and now let us look at the relative clauses (adjective) and
the noun clauses. Remember we said that a clause can act as a noun, adjective
or adverb. It is important to know different types of clauses so that you can easily
identify them in a sentence. Now, we are going to look at relative and noun clauses.
(a) A relative (adjective) clause always qualifies a word or words in the main
clause. An adjective clause describes or gives more information about the
noun. To determine the subject of a clause, ask who or what and then insert
a verb. For example: Whoever gave the baby candy is in trouble. Relative
clauses begin with the relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, what
or that. Relative adverbs are when, where or why and these are dependent
clauses.
(b) Noun clause performs the same function as nouns. They can be replaced by
it or that. It may be a subject or object of the sentence and answer to who or
what.

Examples:
1. What they learnt at school helped them in the work place.

Noun clause (answers to what they did)
2. The girl who had longest hair won the beauty competition.

Adjectival clause (answers to who won the competition)
(c) Subordinate clauses are introduced by subordinate conjunctions and relative
pronouns. Remember a conjunction is used to join two or more ideas
together. Can you recall the lesson on conjunctions and how they are used
in the sentence? Conjunctions play a pivotal role in sentence construction as
they help to join many related ideas together and harmony to sentences.

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Here is a list of conjunctions that you can use in sentence construction:
After, As, as long as, Because, Before, Even if, Even though, If, Now, Now that,
Once, Since, Though, Unless, Until, when, whenever, whereas, wherever, which,
whoever and many others.

Remember that in a sentence you must identify the subject, verb and the
subordinate conjunction or relative adverb.

For example:
1. Choose whichever book you like

pronoun subject verb

2. Whoever gave children sharp objects is in trouble.

pronoun verb subject

Activity 18.6.2
Now that we have looked at all these clauses, let us do some activities that will help
you to practise and understand them better. Remember that the main clause is a
stand alone and that it contains a complete thought or idea that is meaningful. A
subordinate clause is a dependent clause that adds detail to the main clause and
cannot stand alone. A relative clause also called an adjective clause describes the
main clause as it is related to the topic. A noun clause takes a place of a noun in a
sentence and can be replaced by “it” or “that”.

1. Use the following conjunctions to construct sentences that will clearly show
the subordinate clauses.
(a) Because
(b) Even though
(c) Unless
(d) Since
(e) Whoever
(f) Which
(g) Whoever
(h) Who
(i) Although
(j) As long as

Activity 18.6.3
2. Closely study the following sentences and identify the clauses used and state
their function in the sentence.
(a) While the engine was running, the man jumped out of the car.
(b) They ran to the shelter because it was raining heavily.

92
 (c) The race continued as planned, although the weather was threatening.
(d) The girl, whose name was Jane, was chosen to be the leader.
(e) As the sun went down, we listened to classic music.

Now that you have attempted the activity, how do you think you performed? Let
us quickly mark the activity and see how many clauses you were able to identify.
Remember that it is important for you to read the sentence repeatedly for you to
fully understand it.
(a) While the engine was running- explains when the man jumped out of the car.
(b) Because it was raining heavily- explains why they had to go to the shelter and
has the conjunction because.
(c) Although the weather was threatening- has the conjunction although.
(d) The girl who was chosen was Jane- whose is relative
(e) We listened to music explains when the music was played.

Activity 18.6.4
Now a quick evaluation revision exercise. Answer these questions without looking
at the notes and examples given above.
1. What is a sentence?
2. States the four types of clauses that you know?
3. For each clause give an example.

Reflection
Unit 18 ends here. We hope you learnt a lot in this unit. Reflect back on what we
covered. What do you recall on dialogues and how they are conducted? What
principle of listening should be considered?

During speaking session you launched complaints and made invitations. How
was your complaint handled? Are you now able to use the degree of formality on
different occasions?

Did you find the passage on birds interesting? How many animals can you
elaborately talk about? A project on any animal of interest would be a great
experience for you.

Can you still recall what you covered in sentence construction and clauses? We
hope you are now able to identify different parts of a sentence and their functions.

Summary
In this unit we covered listening through dialogues using purposeful listening. We
hope you are now able to listen attentively for information. In speaking, we covered
invitations and complaints. Now we hope that you are able to detect the degree of
formality and informality in your interaction with others.

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In reading, we covered synthesis, analysis, paraphrasing and summary. These are
skills that are used in summary writing. Remember that in summary writing we only
choose key points using the keys given. The summary is on a specific area only and
you discard unnecessary information. You are to keep on using this information to
practise summary writing.

Figurative language which is language that paints a picture was covered in narrative
composition writing and a few figures of speech used to enrich your language. You
are encouraged to keep on researching and perfecting your writing skills.

In supporting language structures we looked at sentence construction and clauses.

Do you remember what comprises a sentence? Can you define what a sentence
is? Yes, we looked at independent (main) clause which is a stand-alone clause and
has complete thought. We also looked at dependent clause which is a subordinate
clause that gives detail to the main clause. There is the adjective (relative) clause
and the noun clause. All these clauses are found in sentences and hope you are
now able to identify them in a sentence.

Expected answers to questions in activities in Unit 18

Activity 18.2.1
1. For the caller to know if they are calling the right place.
2. Wire netting, gum poles and asbestos sheets.
3. To build a fowl run
4. Advantage- it is small enough to keep the chicks in.
Disadvantage- it is expensive.
5. Items not in stock are thick gum poles.
Solution- he could get them from other wholesalers

Activity 18.3.1
1. Informal, language is relaxed and friendly
2. Formal- passive voice and calls for respect and politeness.

Activity 18.3.2
1. Formal
2. Informal
3. Formal
4. Informal
5. Informal
6. Formal
7. Informal
8. Formal

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 Activity 18.4.4
- he circled the area warily, scanning the dark brooding female at the centre of
the nest
- he dropped lower until he could see the yellow eyes of the cocked skywards
watching him as he descended.
- she began to scream, the crest of feathers on her head raised in outrage
- she did not move from her eggs
- Lasgair glided over the nest and was about to make another move when the
male bird came out of the sun
- Lasgair heard the thudding noise of the male bird’s wings
- before lasgair could react, male bird lashed out at him
- Lasgair dived away just in time to avoid being decapitated.
- he felt a violent blow on his rump and feathers explored around almost
blinding him
- Lasgair was bewildered
- his attacker shot at him again
- Lasgair folded his wings and plunged towards the lake
- he raced for the far shore
- male bird followed at a discreet distance and broke pursuit

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Unit 19 The Victoria Falls
Contents
19.1 Listening comprehension
19.2 Pronunciation
19.3 Referencing
19.4 Speech writing
19.5 Types of sentences

Introduction
In the previous units you learnt about listening and its importance in the learning
of English Language. In this unit, you are going to strengthen your listening skills
by listening to a story and this will help you to write good narrative compositions.
As you will be listening to a short passage being read, your pronunciation of words
is going to be enhanced. The nit is also going to take you further on referencing
which you once looked at in unit 9 but much emphasis will be on using a Dictionary
and a Thesaurus. Closely related to Prepared and Unprepared/ Impromptu
speeches you covered on speaking skills in the previous units is speech writing on
guided composition. You need not to worry much on this one because the lesson
will be building on what has already been covered in the previous units. In this case
you will be writing a speech. On language structures, your focus in this unit will be
on sentence construction where you will be looking at different types of sentences.
This will also improve your writing skills.

Objectives
After going through this unit you should be able to:
• take notes and retell a story
• write simple, compound and complex sentences.
• pronounce words correctly
• use a dictionary and a Thesaurus
• write a speech

Key words
Here is a list of new words you will encounter in this unit:
Dictionary-A reference work containing a list of words in alphabetical order, giving
their meaning, translation and other information.
Thesaurus- A book containing a classified list of synonyms.
Sentence- A string of words satisfying the grammatical rules of a language.
Pronunciation- The manner in which someone utters a word.
Speech- The act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience.

8 hours is for studying the whole unit..

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 Study skills
You need to develop the following skills as you go through this unit content:
Note taking: Write down notes to record what you have learnt in each learning or
reading activity
Listening attentively: Listening very carefully for a purpose
Referencing: The skill of consulting different sources of material for information and
knowledge
Writing accurately: Write clearly and precisely.

19.1 Listening comprehension

Do you still remember that you listened to passages dictated to you in the previous
Units? We hope you can as well remember that you listened to various audio
recordings where you listened attentively to get important information. Now, you
are still going to do the same but listening to an advertisement read to you. Before
you take down important points from an advertisement read to you, you need to
take note of the following:
• Listen carefully to what is read.
• Write down important information.
• Respond to instructions being given.

Activity 19.1.1
In this activity, find a friend or any other person who can read well an advertisement
entitled the Victoria Falls given below.

Tip: Tell the person to read in such a way that you are persuaded to visit the
Victoria Falls.
Here is the advertisement:

The Victoria Falls: One of the Seven Wonders of the World.

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Discover a wealth of a breath-taking place and have a richer experience in Victoria
Falls. When you visit our falls you can look at a beautiful mesmerising water
stretch and gaze in wonder at vibrant coral reefs. Relax in the unique serenity,
hospitality and beauty of our falls and, when it’s time for action, there’s plenty to
see. Stare in wonder at the breath-taking falls. Cliffside of the falls, home also
to an impressive chain of limestone caves. If space is too far, then the Victoria
Falls Hotel is sure to appeal. Standing guard on the northern tip of the falls, are
fabulous views of the whole place and if you are lucky, the occasional passing
whale.

The Victoria Falls: waiting for you to visit, discover and enjoy!

What information did you manage to take down from what has been read to you?
We hope you have managed to take down the following from the advertisement:

Breath-taking place/ Relax in the unique serenity.. / Stare in wonder.. / Step in

space… and many others.

These are some of the statements which show that you have been listening
attentively. The fact that you have picked on these shows that you have been
convinced by the advertisement to visit the place of interest. We think from this
activity, you are impressed that sometimes while you listen your way of seeing
things or thinking can be changed. Are you ready to visit The Victoria Falls? Now be
ready to work on the next activity.

Activity 19.1.2
This activity is closely related to what you have been doing above, so make sure
you are trying to recall what you have been doing. In this activity, you are going to
carry out a research on:
a.) Ways of advertisement
b.) Reasons or benefits of carrying out an advertisement.
c.) Challenges encountered in advertisement

When you are carrying out your research using the above questions, you are free to
consult your peers as you gather your data. Record all the information you get.
Well, having done well in the research above, design a flyer advertising any tourist
resort centre in Zimbabwe. Your flyer should be very persuasive and should change
the way of peoples `s thinking.

19.2 Pronunciation
This refers to the manner in which someone utters a word or the way a word or a
language is customarily spoken. For you to understand better what pronunciation
entails, you must know homophones, homonyms and homographs. Homophones
are words that sound the same but are spelt differently and have different
meanings, for example the words, ‘knew’ and ‘new’. Homonyms are words that

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sound the same, are spelt the same but have different meanings, for example the
word, ‘address.’ Homographs are words that are spelt the same as another but have
different meaning and sometimes different pronunciation, for example the word,
‘discharge.’

Activity 19.2.1
In this activity, you are going to pronounce each pair of words listed below. Can
you give the difference in sound between each pair of words? You need to practise
saying the words on your own. Now read out one of the words in each pair:
a.) Pan/pen
b.) Bad/bed
c.) Latter/letter
d.) Sad/said
e.) Gas/guess

Having gone through the exercise above, now read out these sentences, correctly
pronouncing the underlined words.
1.) “John will you lend me some money to buy the land?”
2.) “Can you guess the price of gas?” The teacher asked.
3.) “If you pack your bag I’ll pat you on the cheek and beg you to come back.”
4.) “I said test the water, not taste it!”
5.) “I need a sail for my boat. If there is no sale will you sell me one of yours?”
6.) “I sent him a cent to pay for the scent and he behaved like a saint.”
7.) “Go west if you want to waste money on your waist!”

Activity 19.2.2
In this activity, read the following pairs of sentences paying particular attention to
the stress patterns of the underlined pairs of words:
1 a.) The student’s conduct at college often gets him into trouble with
lecturers.
b.) The Geography and Science teachers always conduct lessons in their
local language.
2 a.) Puss was coming out from the wound.
b.) The teacher wound up the English lesson by asking some questions.
3 a.) The vegetable rejects were sold at a cheap price.
b.) The company always rejects application letters that are poorly written.

Activity 19.2.3
Listed below are homographs. Read the words on your own in different ways:
Increase discharge address import decrease

After you complete reading the above homographs, work on your own and
construct pairs of sentences using the words.

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From the activities that you carried out above, we hope you have been impressed
by the power of pronunciation and stress patterns of words. You noticed how the
two affect meaning in communication especially when speaking.

19.3 Referencing
In the previous Units, you looked at various referencing sources such as Directories,
Catalogues, Thesauruses, Journals, and Dictionaries. In this Unit, you are going to
consolidate your knowledge and skills in referencing but emphasis will be on using
a Dictionary and a Thesaurus.

Using a Dictionary

A Dictionary is one of the most important tools which can help you to broaden your
vocabulary. The Dictionary helps you to discover many things about words. Take,
for example, the word ‘hemisphere’:
Hemisphere (how to spell the word), hemmi-sphere (how to pronounce the word),
noun ( the part of speech of the word), a half of a sphere( the meaning of the
word)

Word family (directly related words): hemispherical (hemm-is-ferri-k’l),

hemispheric(adjective)

There are many things that you need to take into consideration when using a
dictionary:
1. A Dictionary is arranged in alphabetical order and this means that when you
have many words beginning with the same two, three or more letters, you
have to go further into each word to find its alphabetical order.

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2. To find a word, look at the words in bold at the top of the pages. Usually
the words are the first and last words on that page. These are called
guiding words. If the word you are looking for comes between these words
alphabetically, then you are on the correct page.
3. A Dictionary gives you the meaning of the word as well as all the words
directly linked to it and gives you what their meaning is in a sentence. These
words are called the word family. The words are not listed separately in the
Dictionary. For you to find them you must look up the root of the word. The
example below wants you to see the word family for the root word ‘ harm’:
Word family: harmful, adjective, causing or likely to cause harm; harmfully,
adverb; harmless, adjective, not having power or tendency to harm;
harmlessly, adverb; harmlessness, noun.

Activity 19.3.1
From the explanation above, you must be able to place groups of words in
alphabetical order. Now place the following groups of words in alphabetical order:
a) dread item brand plenty fire match right enter trust stern
b) excellent expensive extend expand exercise exclude exact exchange
extract

Activity 19.3.2
In this activity, look up the following words in your Dictionary and for each one
identify the:
• pronunciation
• part of speech
• meaning or meanings
• word family
a.) ostensible b.) literate c.)formidable d.) superfluous

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Using a Thesaurus

Are you aware that English Language is a subject very rich in synonyms? We hope
you know that. You may wonder what are synonyms? The definition is simple.
These are words which share a similar or related meaning. The lists of such words
are found in a book called a thesaurus. Take the example of the word, ‘angry’. The
following words are all synonyms of the word, ‘angry’:

Angry Infuriated/bad-tembered/vexed/mad/incensed/enraged/raving/
indignant/wild/
Cross/furious/irate/fuming/raging/fiery/livid/wrathful

The next activity is very exciting as learn synonyms. Be read to enjoy learning of
synonyms.

Activity 19.3.3
In this activity, write down as many words as you can which have a similar meaning
to the following words:
a.) Happy sad afraid determined
b.) Use a Thesaurus to add more words to your list.

Having gone through learning of synonyms which form the base of learning English
Language, have more practice in the next activity.

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 Activity 19.3.4
In each of the sentences below there is one underlined word. Select the option
which is nearest in the meaning to this word:
a. The weeds grow profusely in the field.
A wildly B plentifully C generously D moderately

b. The boy was unable to see the significance of his error.

A relevance B meaning C importance D correction

c. The office worker had a friendly disposition.

A voice B face C companion D manner

d. The pupils were reprimanded for their behaviour.

A rebuked B commended C controlled D demoted

e. The adder has a venomous sting.

A hurtful B vicious C poisonous D evil

There is no doubt that you can now use a dictionary and a thesaurus to improve
your vocabulary.

19.4 Speech writing

In your life, there may be times you will be asked or forced to make a speech. This
may be at birthday celebration, funeral or any important gathering. Before you start
presenting your speech, you must go through the important information below:

Different types of speeches

For you to be able to present a good speech, you must know the kind of speech
you are presenting and the reason for your audience to hear it. It is important for
you to know whether your speech is a personal narrative, informative, persuasive or
ceremonial.

Personal speech
This is when you tell a story about yourself. Usually the intention is to teach a
lesson, convey a moral, offer inspiration or simply to entertain.

Informative speech
In this kind of speech, you are supposed to explain processes on how something
is done, how something is made or how something works. In your speech you
must take your audience through the process step-by-step. The idea is that your
audience understands everything you are presenting.

Persuasive speech
When you are presenting this kind of speech, you must make sure that you
convince your audience to adopt a particular view, belief or way of thinking.

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Ceremonial speech
This kind of speech includes graduation, farewell, wedding speeches and many
others. Your speech is supposed to be very short and your focus should be on
entertaining, inspiring or increasing the audience’s appreciation for someone or
something.

Tip: Refer to previous units on prepared and impromptu speeches.

Having gone through the definition and different types of speeches, pay attention
to following general guidelines for writing a speech:

1. In what position or capacity are you giving the speech? For example you can
be the chairperson or any other member such as a leader.
2. Take note of the people you are addressing, that is are you talking to an
honourable official or the general people?
3. Respect your audience and begin by using titles of honour such as. Mr
Chairman, Secretary, Ladies and gentleman, comrades and friends.
4. Follow the protocol of the audience.
5. Show your audience that you are very happy to have the opportunity to
speak.
6. Begin with what your audience already know and proceed to give your own
opinions.
7. Give closing remarks at the end persuading them to consider your views.
8. Give a vote of thanks at the end the speech.

To show that you have understood how to write a speech, below is an exercise.

Activity 19.4.1
You are the Head boy or Head girl of Mafumise High School. Using the information
given below and adding any other relevant information of your own, write a speech
you would deliver to the incoming Form 1 learners enlightening them on school
rules and regulations.

Here are some brief notes for and some guidelines:

• discipline
• dressing
• punctuality
• reading culture
• sports

Well, we hope you are very happy that you can now address an audience given any
situation in life. Give a round of applause for yourself for such a wonderful job.

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19.5 Types of sentences
So far, you have discovered that composition writing involves a variety of skills.
Some of these are rules of grammar which make communication very effective.
Now on Language structures, we are going to look at a variety of sentence types
which make a piece of writing good. The type of sentences include simple,
compound and complex. Let us look at these types of sentences one by one.

Simple sentences
A simple sentence is the one that has a Subject, Verb and Object. Can you give
an example of any sentence? We hope you have come up with a sentence such as
Rutendo is walking. In this sentence, the subject is ‘Rutendo’ and it has been used
with the verb ‘walking’. In this particular sentence you need to know that there is no
object. Let us look at another example which is Rutendo stays in Paidamoyo Village.
In this sentence, you can see that the subject is ‘Rutendo’, the verb is ‘stays’ and in
‘Paidamoyo Village’ is our object.

Compound sentences
A compound sentence is the one which combines two or more simple sentences
using coordinate conjunctions such as ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘also’, ‘or’. Note how the
following simple sentences have been joined to form compound sentences.
The example is: Rutendo is walking. Her health is very poor. Can you try to join
the two sentences basing on what you have understood from the explanation
above? Well, you have a sentence such as this one: Rutendo is walking but her
health is very poor. The two simple sentences have been joined by the coordinating
conjunction ‘but’.
Tip: Never begin any sentence with a coordinating conjunction, except when
presenting a speech.

Complex sentences
A complex sentence comprises two or more sentences linked by subordinate
conjunctions such as ‘although’, ‘though’, and ‘because’. Here is an example:
Rutendo received a silver medal-this is a simple sentence or the main clause of the
sentence. Because of her outstanding performance in athletics-this is an incomplete
sentence or a subordinate clause. Note that the word ‘because’ in the second
sentence is a subordinate clause. When joined, the two sentences will read as
follows: Rutendo received a silver medal because of her outstanding performance
in athletics.

Here is another example for you to see how complex sentences are constructed:
Although Rutendo is a star athlete-this is an incomplete sentence or subordinate
clause. Her cheating embarrassed the school-this is a simple sentence or main
clause. When linked, the two sentences become: Although Rutendo is a star
athlete, her cheating embarrassed the school.

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 Activity 19.5.1
In this activity you must study the given sentences. After studying them, indicate in
the provided boxes which ones are simple, compound or complex sentences. The
first sentence has been done for you.

1. Tobias was arrested for theft and his sentence in prison was very long.
Compound

2. Ruth was a woman.

3. Wash your hands and eat your lunch.

4. She decided to go, although she knew that it was dangerous.

5. Sophia is a good singer, an excellent dancer but she did not win a prize.

6. I wanted to come earlier but I woke up very late.

7. It started to rain but the children were playing in the garden while their
parents were busy in the fields.

Now that you know you have understood what simple, compound and complex
sentences are, now work on your own in the next activity.

Activity 19.5.2
You must construct five sentences on simple, compound and complex sentences.

Simple sentences

Compound sentences

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Complex sentences

It is now crystal clear to you that sentence construction is one of the basics in
English Language. Congratulate yourself for the sentence construction skills that
you acquired so far in this unit.

Reflection
From what we have covered so far in this unit, we hope you still remember
the aspects of speech writing. You have also discovered that you can address
an audience given any situation in life. Do you still remember homonyms,
homophones and homographs that you learnt on pronunciation? When you
were going through this, you noted that stress patterns in pronunciation are very
important in order to convey the intended meaning. Well, did you have problems
with sentence construction? If you have problems with simple, compound and
complex sentences, go back to the activities in this unit and work on this. You have
noticed that different types of sentences are very critical in composition writing.

Summary
This unit exposed you to a number of things. You can now pick important
information by listening to advertisements. Perfection of listening skills also helped
you to make advertisements where you changed the way people think or persuade
them by listening to the advertisements that you made when you designed
flyers. You have learnt a lot on speaking where focus was on how stress patterns
in pronunciation affect meaning when communicating. The unit has also covered
speech writing which is a very important aspect in English Language. Speech
presentation is very critical in life because in one way or the other we address
gatherings. The learning of different types of sentences such as simple, compound
and complex sentences would greatly improve your composition writing skills.

Answers to: Unit 19 The Victoria Falls

Activity 19.3.1
a.) Brand dread enter fire item match plenty right stern trust
b.) Exact excellent exchange exclude exercise expand expensive extend
extract

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 Activity 19.3.4
a.) Plentifully
b.) Meaning
c.) Manner
d.) Rebuked
e.) Poisonous

Activity 19.5.1
1.) Compound
2.) Simple
3.) Compound
4.) Compound
5.) Complex
6.) Compound
7.) Complex

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Unit 20: Assessment Test 4
Contents
20.1 Purposeful listening
20.2 Public speaking
20.3 Paper 1 compositions
20.4 Paper 2 comprehension reading
20.5 Spellings, confusing words, punctuation

Objectives
By the end of this unit you should be able to:
• Listen attentively for information.
• Deliver prepared speeches
• Write different types of compositions
• Deduce answers to given questions
• Demonstrate knowledge in use of different language aspects.

Study skills
In this unit, you are expected to use the following study skills:
Silent reading – this will help you to be focused and absorb all the information you
will be reading.
Writing skills-this is essential in noting down everything you are reading on.
Skimming skill- is needed in looking for specific information as you go through the
unit
Intensive reading-is necessary for you to fully understand what you will be reading
about.

Key words
Below is a list of some words you may be unfamiliar with. Read and understand the
definitions.

Assessment- is a testing tool or examination

Session- is a specific lesson

Time
You must spend a total of eight 8 hours studying this unit.

Introduction
Welcome to Unit 20! This is an assessment unit where you will be tested on the
content you have covered so far in this module. In this unit, it is essential that
you master learning about listening for specific information to fill in gaps. Do
you still remember the activities you covered on filling in gaps with appropriate

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information? You shall also have a speaking session where your skill in speaking
shall be tested too. Do you still think about the time you addressed an audience on
a particular issue? Yes, this is going to be part of the assessment as well in this unit.

Reading is always an area which you have enjoyed and excelled at. In this unit,
you shall use the reading skills you have acquired so far to read the material given
to you. Can you still remember the skill of skimming, scanning, intensive and many
others? Of course you do, because you have been using these skills in the previous
units.

You shall also engage in creative writing where you shall apply the skills you have
acquired on how to use descriptive and narrative skills. It is always important for you
to apply these skills in composition writing as they help you to produce impressive
work. In language structures, you shall be tested on spellings, conjunctions and
confusing words. I hope that you shall excel in the activities you shall be examined
on.

Examinations are a testing tool on how you have progressed throughout the
learning period. Do you know that when you are assessed, you only tape from
the information you have acquired? Therefore you are encouraged to revise
adequately and be ready for examinations. Now, how have you been preparing for
examinations? Let us have a few reminders on guidelines for examinations that you
refresh yourself and see how much you can still remember.

1. Listening/observing and speaking/signing

How much can you recall about these skills? Yes there is so much that you
can still remember. These skills are life skills that work concurrently with other
skills. However, they are not tested on at the end of the course. They are
meant to equip you with the ability to interact effectively with others. Are
you aware that a life skill that is polished is a resource which you will use in all
spheres of life? Hence the listening/observing and speaking/signing sections
were included in all the units in the module. Do you know that when you are
able to express yourself freely, you have a skill that you will enjoy your entire
life? The ability to listen attentively and deduce information that is being
conveyed to you is a well of wealth. We hope that you were able to sharpen
your listening skills because you interacted with many people at different
intervals through dialogues, discussions and telephone conversations. Of
course, speaking has always been part of your life and you have learnt a lot
on how interesting it can be when you were doing debates, public speaking
and many others.

Therefore, the examining tools used in this unit are the same as those which
you have covered in the previous units. Now, we hope you are geared for
examinations which are coming shortly.

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2. Guidelines for the writing process
Do you know that the writing process is a vital aspect of the English
curriculum and a test of your English ability? What can you still remember
about writing skills? We know that you listed down so many things because
you have been practising writing throughout the module. In this unit, you will
be tested on your ability and capability to writing creatively. Now, let us look
at the steps you must follow in writing a composition and the paper outline.

Paper 1 1 hour 30 minutes

It comprises of two sections, Section A, which is free choice compositions and
Section B, which is guided composition. Do you still recall different types of
compositions you wrote in the previous units? Yes, you wrote so many compositions
of which some you enjoyed and found to be less challenging and others were
challenging, but you put all your effort and excelled.

SECTION A [30 marks]

In this section you will be given between 7 and 8 topics from which you just choose
one topic which you feel you can tackle to the best of your ability. This section has
descriptive, narrative, discursive, factual and argumentative topics. Now, from the
practice sessions on creative writing, you were able to identify your area of strength
and now you are encouraged to choose a topic that tallies with your ability.

Tip: Always choose a topic that you understand well and can attack from any
direction. A topic that is of interest to you will be the best. Remember your ability
to use language appropriately and variedly is essential.

Hints to enhance your writing:

• Read through the topics carefully.
• Dismiss any topic you do not understand, do not like or which you cannot
relate.
• Be careful that you do not write off topic- you will be penalised for this.
• Avoid the topic if you are unsure of the structure.
• Choose a text type and a topic that suits your personality and ability.
• Be original, but avoid far-fetched unrealistic situations.
• Write in full sentences and vary them.
• Vary paragraph and sentence length.

SECTION B [20 marks]

Do you still remember when you wrote reports, letters, articles and speeches? You
are correct if you said guided compositions. A guided composition is whereby ideas
or points are given to you. The given points are a stimuli that triggers your thoughts
to spread out and gather more points or facts on the topics you are writing on?
Remember that ideas can come in form of mere points, diagrams or even pictures.
This is meant to help think broadly and be in a position to add your own ideas
that will help enrich your work. Do you know that adding your own relevant ideas is
recommended as it shows how much you have understood the topic?

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Tips: Even in this section, you are expected to plan your work and sequence your
ideas orderly. If your work is properly sequenced, it brings harmony and coercion to
your composition. The process of writing is the same in both sections as you have
to paragraph your work, write full sentences and punctuate properly.

Guideline for reading for examinations

Paper 2 2 hours
Welcome to Paper 2 of the English language examination. What can you recall
about this paper? I know that you have written several examinations so far and you
encountered this paper. How do you find reading? Is it interesting or challenging?
Of course it is interesting because you read different passages all the time.

Now, in this section you have four questions that you must tackle and they total 50
marks. Do you know that Paper 2 has two sections? Yes, they are two. Section A has
2 questions with part questions and total to 20 marks. These questions are based
on different paragraphs and are guided either by paragraphs or by line numbers
from which the answer can be deduced from.

3. Summary
This is question 3 of the paper. What can you say about the summary? What are
the steps of summary writing? Of course you can still remember them. Isn’t almost
all the units had a summary question? Let us quickly remind each on the steps to
follow when writing a summary. Always keep in mind this is an examination and you
must be precise and accurate in your writing. Do you still remember these steps?

Steps for the summary

• Mark the summary passage. For example from paragraph 5 to end of
paragraph 11.
• Identify the keys words that is what is it that you are required to write about.
For example, feelings, thoughts, actions, problems and solutions and so forth
as directed in the question.
• Identify all the key points and underline them on the passage
• Write a summary of keys points by inserting a word on the answer grid
provided.
• Remember to identify the agent or the main character of the summary. This
means who is relating the story of the summary.
• Take note of the tense used, which can be derived from the ten words given
to you on the summary grid.
• Remember, your summary must be 160 words in length including the ten
words given to you.

Now, you have refreshed your mind on the summary. Note that you do not write
it in your own words you merely sequence the points together as they appear on
the passage. I hope you enjoy writing the summary in the examination that you will
write in this unit.

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4. Supporting language structures:
Welcome to a broad topic of language structures that covers many topics. In this
section, you will apply the knowledge acquired from all the units you have covered.
Are you aware that all units in the module have a section on supporting language
structures? The concepts covered in this section cut across the board as they also
enhance other skills of writing and reading. Do you know that the skill of sentence
construction is used even in composition writing? In this unit you will be tested on
your knowledge of different language aspects. I know that you will find it interesting
and quite challenging for you to put more effort to pass well.

Now that we have reminded each other on some of the important areas of the
examination, let us go straight into the first skills to be examined on. Good luck. Put
all your effort and definitely you will excel.

Examination session

20.1 Purposeful listening

Do you still remember the types of listening skills which we covered so far? Yes, we
did selective and purposeful listening. Now in this section you shall be tested on
the application of these skills in the activities designed to test your knowledge on
listening. Remember that you must always revise units covered for you to be ready
for assessment.

Activity 20.1.1
Now listen carefully as the passage is read to you twice and jot down all important
points or ideas that you think would be useful to you. Remember to use the
listening skills learnt so that you become an effective listener. What you listen to can
be used even in writing as well.

Football, violence and social identity

There was a time when it was always supporters of the losing team who started
disturbances. Later this situation changed. Incidents no longer only occurred during
the second half or after the match. On the contrary, spectator disorder broke out
more and more regularly before the match even started. Apart from scarves, caps,
jerseys and flags, supporters began to arm themselves for war with knives, belts,
bike chains, hammers, screwdrivers and knuckledusters, segregating supporters
to either side of the pitch was not the answer either. Unable to get at each other,
they turned to the opposing players, particularly the goalkeepers, pelting them
with stones, beer bottles, darts and fire crackers. Today, that violence has grown
and is no longer confined to the football stadium. Shops are looted, passers-by are
robbed, hotels and all forms of public transport are wrecked.

Does the answer to supporter-hooliganism lie in greater use of cameras,

microphones, monitoring screens, undercover police and stiffer penalties for
offenders? Sadly, it seems so.

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Now, that you have listened to the passage being read to you and noted down all
key points that you might need. I want you to attempt the following activities.

Activity 20.1.1
1. What is this passage about? Note down key points only. ................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
In the past which supporters were responsible for disturbances? .......................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
2. When does supporter-violence occur now? ....................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
3. What arms of war do supporters carry? …………………………………………
……………….........................................................................……………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………..
4. What caused the players to become victims? ...................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................

Now that you have attempted the following questions, we want you to read the
passage again on your own and mark your own work with the person who read
the passage to you. How many questions did you get correct? We know that you
performed fairly well and can even do better in the coming assessments.

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 Activity 20.1.2
Now, we want you to draw a poster on anti-violence at stadiums as an awareness
to the public that violence is not allowed. Remember to educate the public,
supporters and players on the importance of peace and harmony. Make your poster
to be as educative, informative and colourful as possible so that the readers can be
attracted to read it.

20.2 Dialogue: Telephone conversation.

Speaking has always been interesting as it enables you to interact with others and
to freely express yourself. Do you still remember the time you had public speaking
and debate? Yes, you had to address the audience on controversial topics? Today
you are going to use the same skills acquired to prepare speeches and record
them or speak to the audience who will be either family or friends. Remember that
speaking is a skill that requires constant practice and perfecting.
Imagine that you are a spokesperson for youth in your community and have been
tasked to present a speech on how youth can be empowered with entrepreneurship
skills. Now here are a few ideas which you can use in your presentation:
• availability of a community vocation training centre
• skills to be acquired
• availability of resources

Remember your speech must be captivating and informative. Your audience must
be persuaded to listen to you and be motivated to train and be empowered. Note
that this is an assessment of what you have covered in the units prior to this one.

20.3 Composition writing

Writing is a skill which we use all the time as we interact with different materials.
Can you still remember how many types of compositions have you learnt? We
know that you still remember most of them because you have been revising
in preparation for this assessment. Just a reminder of a few types, narrative,
descriptive, letters and reports. Now, you will be tested on creative writing in
preparation for the public examinations. Your commitment to performing well is
an important drive for you to put all your effort in doing the tasks and activities
designed to help you pass.

Can you still remember the reading skills which you learnt in the previous units?
Reading is a very important skill that requires constant practice for you to perfect
it. The reading skills of skimming, scanning, intensive reading are some of the skills
which you have covered. These skills complement each other. Therefore, in this
section you have to apply them for you to perform well.

Now note that this part of the assessment unit has two papers. Paper 1 which is
the compositions and Paper 2 which is comprehension and supporting language
structures. All these papers are compulsory and questions must be attempted as
instructed.

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ENGLISH LANGUAGE
PAPER 1

Instructions:
Answer one question from Section A and one question from Section B.

Section Time: I hour 30 minutes

A [30 marks]
Write a composition on one of the following topics. Your answer should be between
350 and 450 words in length. [30 marks]
1. Describe a busy shopping centre you once visited.
2. Write a story which includes the following words:
Either (a) I was alone when it happened.
Or (b) She thought she had no choice, but to commit the crime.
3. What young people can do to develop the country? Discuss.
4. The machine.
5. The day I fell into trouble.
6. Children often misunderstand their parents. Do you agree?

Section B [20 marks]

Answer this question following the instructions given you.
7. You are a resident of Shongwe community where delivery of services
has been deteriorating drastically. Using the notes given and adding any
relevant points of your own, write a letter to the local authority, drawing their
attention to the seriousness of the prevailing conditions.
• inadequate medication at the local clinics and hospital
• poor roads
• unreliable water supplies
• illegal activities in the community
• erratic power supplies

20.4 Comprehension reading:

Reading has always been interesting as it exposes you to different materials and
also sharpens your reading skills. How many comprehension passages have you
read so far? Have you realised how varied and unique they are? Now, today you will
be assessed on how well you have practised using those reading skills. Remember,
reading is effective when you employ proper and appropriate skills.

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PAPER 2
TIME 2 HOURS
SECTION A

Read the following passage carefully before attempting any questions.

Mistakes in spelling, punctuation and grammar may be penalised in any part of the
paper.
(In this story the author describes a journey deep into the Amazon jungle where,
to the surprise of the explorers, they came across creatures which they believed no
longer existed.)

Paragraph 1
We passed very slowly through the woods, partly because Lord John acted as scout
before he would let us advance, and partly because at every second step either one
or the other of the two professors would stop, with a cry of wonder, before some
flower or insect which presents him with a new type. We may have travelled four or
five kilometres, keeping to the right of the line of a stream, when we came upon a
considerable opening in the trees. A strip of brush wood led to a tangle of rocks- in
fact the whole plateau was strewn with boulders. We were walking slowly towards
these rocks, among bushes which reached our waists, when we became aware of
a low babbling and whistling sound, which filled the air with constant clamour and
appeared to come from some spot immediately before us. Lord John held up his
hand as a signal for us to stop, and he made his way swiftly, stooping and running,
to the line of rocks. We saw him peep over them and give a gesture of amazement.
Then he stood stock still as if forgetting us, so utterly hypnotised was he by what he
saw. Finally he waved to us to come on, holding up his hand as a signal for caution.
His whole manner made me feel that something wonderful, but dangerous lay
before us.

Paragraph 2
Creeping to his side, we looked over the rocks. The place into which we gazed
was a pit, and may, in the early days, have been one of the smaller volcanic blow-
holes of the plateau. It was bowl-shaped, and at the bottom, some hundreds of
metres from where we lay, were pools of green-scummed stagnant water fringed
with reeds. It was weird sight itself, but its occupants made it look like obscene
from hell. The pit was the habitat and nesting ground for pterodactyls. There were
hundreds of them congregated within our view. All the bottom area around the
water’s edge was alive with young ones. Their hideous mothers brooded upon
leathery yellowish eggs which were still to hatch. The birds looked more reptiles
than birds. The babbling and obscene reptilian life. Now it was combined with
horrible odour which made feel sick. But above, perched sentinel-like, each upon its
own stone, tall, grey and withered sat the males. They were absolutely motionless
save for the vigilant movement of their eyes or occasional snap of the rat-trap beaks

117
as dragon-flies went past them. Their huge membranous wings were closed by
folding their forearms, so that they sat like gigantic old women wrapped in crinkly
grey shawls, their ferocious heads protruding above them. Large and small, not less
than a thousand of these filthy creatures lay in the hollow below us. Like penguins,
they lived in colonies.

Paragraph 3
Our professors would gladly have stayed there all day, so taken up were they by
the rare chance to study the life of a prehistoric age. They pointed out the bones of
fish and birds pecked clean and lying about among the rocks as proving the nature
of the diet of these creatures. I heard them congratulating each other on having
cleared up the point why the fossilised remains of this flying dragon are, even
today, found in such great numbers in certain coastal areas.

Paragraph 4
Finally however, Professor Challenger, intent on proving some point which his
colleagues Summer-lee had contested, thrust his head over the rock and nearly
brought destruction upon us all. In an instant, the nearest male gave a shrill
whistling cry, and flapped its five-metre span of leathery wings as it soared into
the air. The females and young ones huddled together beside the water, while the
whole circle of sentinels rose one after the other and sailed off into the sky. It was a
wonderful sight to see at least a hundred creatures of such enormous size and ugly
appearance swooping like swallows with such swift, shearing wing strokes above
us; but we soon realised that it was not a sight over which we could afford to linger
or daydream. At first the great brutes flew round in a large ring as if to make sure
what the extent of the danger might be, in just the same way as a great white shark
would circle its would-be victims before mauling them. Then the flight grew lower
and more threatening, like modern jets zeroing in a target. The circle narrowed,
until the birds were buzzing round and round us, the rustling flap of their wings
filling the air with a sound that made me think an aerodrome back home on the
day of an air show. “Make for the woods and keep together!” cried Lord John. We
needed no further encouragement.

Paragraph 5
The moment we attempted to retreat, the circle closed in upon us, until the tips
of the wings of those nearest to us nearly touched our faces. We beat them with
the stocks of our guns, but there was nothing solid or vulnerable to strike. Then
suddenly, out of the whizzing slate-coloured circle. A long serpentine neck shot out
and a fierce beak made a thrust at us. Another and another followed. Summer-lee
gave a cry and put his hand to his face, from which blood was streaming. I felt a
prod at the back of my neck, and turned dizzy with shock. Challenger fell and as
l stooped to pick him up, l was struck again from behind and l dropped on top of
him. At the same instant l heard the thunderous crash of Lord John’s elephant gun,
and looking up, saw one of the creatures with a broken wing struggling upon the
ground, spitting and gurgling defiantly at us with wide open beak and bloodshot

118
eyes. At such close quarters the creature looked like a horrible winged devil whose
picture l had seen in an old book in the University Memorial Library. Its hideous
comrades had flown higher at the sudden sound, and were circling above our
heads, ready for another aerial attack.

Paragraph 6
“Now,” cried Lord John, “run for our lives!” we staggered through the bushes, and
just before we reached the trees the birds broke their circle as if on cue and bore
down upon us. The boldest of them nose-dived and knocked Summer-lee down,
but we wrenched him up and made a stumbling rush for the tree trunks. Once there
we were safe, for those huge wigs had no room to sweep beneath the branches.

Paragraph 7
As we limped camp-wards, sadly mauled and discomforted, we saw them for a
long time flying above our heads, soaring round and round, no bigger than wood
pigeons, with their eyes no doubt following our progress. At last, however, as we
reached the thicker woods they gave up the chase and we saw them no more. Our
zeal for scientific exploration disappeared with the flying birds.
(Adapted from, The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) (Cambridge June 1993)

Answer all the questions.

You are recommended to answer them in the order set.

From paragraph 1:
1. (a) (i) State two reasons which prevented the team from moving faster than they
were doing. …………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………….] 2 marks]

(ii) How many explorers were on this expedition? …………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………. [1 mark]

(iii) “A strip of brushwood” What does this tell you about the shape of the
brushwood? …………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………... [1 mark]

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(b) (i) from this paragraph, write out the phrase containing three consecutive words
that means the same as “there were large rocks scattered about” ……………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………[1 mark]

(ii) Lord John made his way, ‘stooping and running’ to the rocks. Explain why he
moved like this. ………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………… [1mark]

(iii) ‘Finally he waved to us to come on’. Explain in your own words the reason
why Lord John did not beckon them on immediately. …………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………… [1 mark]

From paragraph 2
(c) (i) The explorers were gazing into a pit. What, according to the author, could
have accounted for the existence of this pit and others like it?
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................. [1 mark]

(ii) What do we learn from the passage about the size of the pit?..........................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................. [1 mark]

From paragraph 2
2.(a) (i) list two similarities between pterodactyls and ordinary bids……………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………. [2 marks]

120
(ii) The male pterodactyl were keeping watch. From the evidence in the
paragraph, explain in your own words two ways in which they did this. ………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………. [2 marks]

From paragraph 3
(b) What particular discovery about pterodactyls’ diet ‘cleared up the point’
about their fossilised remains? ……………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………. [1 mark]
From paragraph 7
( c ) Why did the pterodactyls now look ‘no bigger than wood pigeons’? …………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………… [1 marks]

From paragraph 1-7

(d) Choose five of the following words. For each of them give one word or short
phrase (of not more than seven words) which has the same meaning as it has
in the passage.

1. constant (paragraph 11) ……………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………
2. stagnant (paragraph 24) ……………………………………………………
…………………………………………......................................................
3. fringed (paragraph24) ………………………………………………………
…………………………………………...............…….................................
4. hideous (paragraph 28) ………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………..
5. save for (paragraph 35) ………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………...
6. taken up (paragraph 42) ……………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………..
7. retreat (paragraph 69) ………………………………………………………
………………………………………………........................................
8. zeal (paragraph 96) …………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………….

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Summary writing
3. Imagine that you were the male pterodactyl who spotted Professor
Challenger first and then alerted the rest of the pterodactyls.

Write a description of the battle between yourself and the explorers. You must write
only about what you and the other pterodactyls did, both in attacking the explorers
and defending yourselves.

Use only the material from paragraph 4 to the end of paragraph 6.

Your account, which should be in continuous writing must not be longer than 160
words, including the 10 words given below

Remember to insert one word in box and that you must not leave any box empty.
Something moved at the edge of
the pit, and I

[20 marks]

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Supporting language structures [10 marks]

4 (a) Identify misspelt words and write them out correctly

(i) Our Proffessors would have gladly stayed there the whole day.
( ii) The vigilant movement of their eyes or an occassional snap of their rat-trap
beaks.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………..[2 marks]
(b) Our zeal for scientific exploration disappeared with the flying birds.
(i) Identify an adjective and state its noun from the above sentence.
(ii) Identify a noun and state its verb.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………[2 marks].
(c ) Give the opposites of the underlined words.
(i) The circle narrowed until the birds were buzzing round and round
…………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………….
(ii) Then the flight grew lower
…………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………….[2 marks]
(d) Punctuate the following statement correctly.
attempt to retreat the circle is closing in upon us cried lord john ……………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………..[2 marks]
(e) Now combined with a horrible odour which made us feel sick.
Find another word to replace the underlined word and phrase.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………….[2 marks]

Reflection:
Finally the examination has ended. Congratulations for having finished the
examinations well. How was the writing process? Which sections did you find
challenging and you struggled to pull through? I hope with your determination and
preparedness, you performed quite well. Remember that it is important to keep
yourself abreast with the information related to examinations. Go back to the units
covered and refresh yourself on those areas which are a challenge to you. Now that
the final public examinations are close by, keep on revising and be well-prepared
for the examinations.

123
Summary:
This is mainly an examination preparation unit which is meant to assist you prepare
for the final examinations. Let us quickly check what is contained in this unit. You
had listening and speaking sessions of which l believe you performed quite well.
Do you remember the sessions you had prior to this unit? Yes, these skills might
not be examined on, however they are an important life skill. They complete your
life and are integrated with other skills to make you wholesome. If there are areas
of difficult, you are encouraged to go back to those units where the aspect was
discussed in detail. Now that the examinations are very close, it is prudent that you
go back to unit 1 and revise intensively so that those aspects that are a challenge
are ironed out. Do you know that it is important to revise everything even those
aspects which might seem too easy as they can be a twist in the examination that
can confuse you? Preparedness is encouraged because it makes writing pleasurable
and enjoyable when information flows without much of a struggle. Remember that
each paper has its own demands. Paper 1 is the composition paper and has varied
topics from which you have to choose just one topic which you can tackle with ease.
In Section B of Paper1, you just amplify the points given to you and add other ideas
of your own. Paper 2 comprises the comprehension passage which includes the
summary and supporting language structures which are derived from the passage.
Reading is an important aspect which makes writing, speaking and listening
harmonised. All the best in the coming public examinations.

Unit 20: Expected answers

1 (a) (i) Lord John acted as a scout before he would let them advance
- Either one of the professors would stop to marvel at something
(ii) four
(iii) a straight line
(b) (i) strewn with boulders
(ii) He did not want to be either seen or disturb what lay behind the rocks
(iii) He was absorbed by what he saw there
(c) (i) volcanic eruption
(ii) small
2 (a) (i) had beaks, had wings, lay eggs and brooding over eggs
(ii) were perched on a high point
Stood motionless with watchful eyes scanning the place
(b) scavengers- fed on meat
(c) They were flying high up in the sky
(d) 1. constant- continuous/consistent/persistent
2. stagnant- stale/still
3. fringed- bordered/closed in
4. hideous- ugly/frightful/horrid
5. save for- except
6. taken up- absorbed
7. retreat- pull back/recede
8. zeal- enthusiasm/determination

124
Summary points
• gave shrill whistling cry and soared into the air
• sentinels rose one after the other and sailed off into the sky
• the greater brutes flew round in a large circle
• flight grew lower and more threatening
• circle narrowed until we were buzzing round and round them
• the moment they attempted to retreat, our circled closed in on them until the
tips of our wings nearly touched their faces
• they beat us with stocks of their guns
• one of us shot out and a fierce beak made a thrust at them
• another and another followed. Challenger gave a cry and put his hand on his
face
• he fell and someone stooped to pick him up
• we stuck him from behind and he dropped on Challenger
• then we heard a gun shot
• one of us was shot and spitting and gurgling defiantly at them
• we had flown higher at the sudden sound
• were circling above their heads, ready for another aerial attack
• before they reached the bushes, we broke the circle
• the boldest one nosedived and knocked Summerlee down
• our huge wings had no room to sweep beneath the branches
• with our eyes no doubt following their progress and gave up chase

Section B
(a) Professors
(b) (i) disappeared
(ii) explore
(c ) (i) widened
(ii) higher
(d) (i) “Attempt to retreat, the circle is closing in upon us”, cried Lord John.
(e) smell, vomit

125
Unit 21 Drought in Zimbabwe
Contents
21.1 Listening
21.2 Register – Appropriateness of expression
21.3 Reading-simple recall, inferential questions, word meanings and summary writing
21.4 Paragraph unity
21.5 Verbs- The active and the passive voice

Introduction
In this Unit you are going to listen to a passage attentively to recall and select
relevant facts from the passage. We hope you will enjoy using appropriate
register while discussing topical and cross-cutting issues. You will also discover
that appropriateness of language depends on situations such as the relationship or
closeness of speakers, the environment or place where the speakers are, the level
of respect present in a situation and the manner of articulation or how a particular
message is communicated. Simple recall, inferential, contextual and summary
questions on reading skills will be dealt with on comprehension work. . You will
also gain composition writing skills where emphasis will be on paragraph unity. You
should happy that your knowledge of verbs is going to be enhanced in this unit but
emphasis will be on the active and the passive voice. These structures of language
will enhance your linguistic ability in both spoken and written English.

Objectives
After going through this unit, you should be able to:
• list main ideas from the story read.
• use registers appropriate in different situations.
• answer different types of comprehension questions.
• write coherent paragraphs.
• use the active and the passive voice in sentences.

Key words
Below is a list of some words you may be unfamiliar with. Read and understand the
definitions.

Paragraph- Is a unity or piece of continuous writing which consists of a topic

sentence, other sentences that develop the main idea and a sentence that
concludes the paragraph.
Paragraph unity- Is the coherence or flow or connection and cohesion or holding
together of sentences in a paragraph.

126
 Time
You must spend a total of eight (8) hours studying this unit.

Study skills
In this Unit, you are expected to use the following skills:
Listening attentively-Listen carefully for purposes of recalling the most important
information
Skimming -When quickly looking at the questions before the second reading
Scanning - Quickly going through a reading passage identifying the main points
Note taking-Write down notes through each activity to record what you have
learnt.
Writing coherently-Write accurately and clearly

21.1 Listening comprehension

In the previous Units you enjoyed listening to audio recordings, dictations and
passages read to you. Do you still remember some of the reasons for listening?
I hope so. One of the skills you mastered is listening attentively. This skill helped
you to listen so that you get important details from whatever you were listening
to. In the activity below you are going to listen attentively to a passage for detail,
opinions and facts and make notes.

Activity 21.1.1
Pollution has become an issue of serious concern worldwide. The damage caused
to the environment is enormous. Someone who is either your friend or relative is
going to read to you or sign a passage on environmental damage caused by plastic
bags.

Tip: Questions will be asked orally and you will respond in writing.

Now you need to take note of the following guidelines before you start listening to
the passage:
1. Someone who is either your friend or relative will read out the passage and
questions for the first time.
2. Listen attentively as the passage is read or signed for the second and final
time.
3. Take down notes as the person reads or signs the passage, taking into
consideration the main points, facts and opinions.
4. The person will read out or sign the questions to you one by one and you will
be expected to answer them in writing.

Here are some important tips for the activity:

1. You have to concentrate when the passage is being read or signed.
2. Make notes as the text is being read or signed.
3. Take note of unfamiliar words or phrases.

127
The environmental damage caused by plastic bags is enormous. Plastic makes up
80% of the volume of litter on roads, parks, and beaches and makes up 90% of
floating litter in the ocean. In every square mile of an ocean there are over 46,000
pieces of plastic. This puts an enormous strain on the environment. The little pieces
of plastic act as a sort of sponge for deadly chemicals. Marine or aquatic life then
eats these pieces and dies. It is estimated that over 10,000 different birds, seals and
whales die every year this way. After the animal dies its carcass decomposes and
the plastic is free to roam the ocean and kill again.

When plastic bags find their way into the lake they kill endangered turtles. Plastic
bags are ingested by turtles that confuse them for jellyfish, their primary food
source. The turtles then suffocate. Plastic bags wrap themselves around living coral
and quickly kill them. They trap seals and sea lions, prevent whales from digesting
and kill birds by the thousands.
www.plasticbageconomics.com

Listen to these questions again:

1. What statistics demonstrate that plastic litter is found on land and at sea? [2
marks]
2. Give one word which means the same as marine. [ 1 mark]
3. List any two examples of animals that die every year after eating pieces of
plastic in the ocean. [2 marks]
4. What causes an estimated 10,000 different birds, seals and whales to die
every year? [1 mark]
5. What happens when an animal dies in water after eating pieces of plastic? [2
marks]
6. Give two examples of how plastic bags directly damage the environment. [2
marks]

NB. The answers to these questions are found at the end of this Unit.

128
Now you must carry out a research on water pollution. Use the notes that you wrote
during the reading or signing of the passage to carry out a research on:
a.) Causes of water pollution [5 marks]
b.) Forms of water pollution [5 marks]
c.) Impact of water pollution [5 marks]
d.) Ways of reducing water pollution [5marks]

When you are carrying out your research, you are free to consult your peers or any
other knowledgeable people as you gather your data.

Here is another important task for you. Now design a flyer campaigning against
water pollution. [10 marks]

Tip: Research on what a flyer is. You may get assistance from other people on how
a flyer is designed.

Well, if you managed to get everything correct on the questions, well done. This
shows that you have good listening skills which will even help you in your everyday
life. If you got some of the answers wrong, don’t worry because slowly you will
catch up with all listening skills.

21.2 Register- Appropriateness of expression

Do you sometimes feel that there is something very unfair being done to you or
any other child in your area. What do you think are your rights or the rights of the
children being abused? Try to think of any situations either at your home or village
where children are being abused. How would you approach the victims and in what
way would you talk to them when trying to give them advice? What considerations
would you make before you approach or talk to them?

129
All this forms the basis of understanding appropriate register. From the questions
above, you can see that there are many things that are taken into consideration
before you give advice to people. So, the language we use every day is determined
by:
a.) The age of people we are talking to.
b.) The place where the conversation is taking place
c.) The manner in which we communicate with the people.
d.) The situation in which one is.

Now, identify children’s rights you think are being violated in your home or village.
I hope you came up with responses such as:
a.) Child labour where children are over worked or given tasks meant to be done
by adult people.
b.) Poor clothing where children wear tattered clothes and walk bare foot.
c.) Children who drop out of school or are disadvantaged in attending school
because of shortage of school fees.
d.) Children who are corporally punished in homes and schools and sometimes
for minor mistakes.
e.) Children who are inadequately fed in homes.

Now suggest some advice you would give to children whose rights are violated or
abused.

I hope some of your responses are as follows:

a.) Do you mind telling your parents that I give you these second hand clothes
which I cannot fit in?
b.) What about approaching your head of school and request if he or she can
find a scholarship or donor funding for your academic studies so that you
don’t drop out of school?
c.) May you kindly ask for permission from your parents to do some menial jobs
at a nearby farm so that you get money to buy food for break and lunch at
school?
d.) Do you think it is wise to report to the police the physical abuse you faced at
school?

On the above responses, the underlined parts show the polite expressions that can
be used when giving advice to a child whose rights are being violated. This means
that when giving advice you need to use appropriate register.

From what we have discussed so far you can approach a child you know or think
has the rights being violated either at your home or in your village to give advice
so that the problems end. So, go through the activity paying attention to what you
must do.

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 Activity 21.2.1
While you are digesting what we have covered so far, try to reflect on children
whom you know are being abused or have their rights being violated at home or
in the village. Identify one whom you know you are closely related to or is very
friendly. Try to engage the following before you carry out the task:
1. Where is the abuse taking place?
2. Who are the people abusing the child?
3. Does the child have parents or other relatives where he or she stays?
4. What kind of abuse is the child going through?
5. How are you going to give the advice to the child?

Tip: Be very careful not to cause conflict as you carry out your activity.

As you will be asking the child, record in your answer book. It is obvious that you
are going to have a conversation. So, record all the details.

Now, have you realised that you can help children whose rights are being violated
in various settings. We hope you have also noted that appropriate language plays a
pivotal role for one to accept your advice. The skills that you have acquired will help
you to fit in the society very well.

21.3 Reading-simple recall, inferential questions, word mean-

ings and summary writing
On this section, you are going to look at different types of comprehension
questions. These questions include:
• Simple recall questions
• Evaluation Questions
• Answering questions in your own words
• Contextual meaning of words
• Summary writing

If you have forgotten how these questions should be answered go back to the
previous Units where enough explanation has been given. We hope you still
remember well all the necessary steps when answering these types of questions.
Mind you the number of marks determines the amount of information required for
each question.

Tip: Read the passage at least two times before answering the questions.

Pay close attention to the next activity on intensive reading.

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 Activity 21.3.1
Now, read the passage below carefully before answering any question.
Drought in Zimbabwe

1. Zimbabwe has always been hit by severe droughts. One of the first recorded
droughts to affect Zimbabwe occurred between 1820 and 1830. There were
also five consecutive drought years in Zimbabwe between 1844 and 1849. In
the 20th century, severe droughts struck between 1921 – 1930, 1946 – 1947,
1967 – 1973, 1982 – 1983 and 1986 – 1987. One of the worst drought in
living memory occurred between 1991–1992.

2. Drought, is the severe shortage of rainfall over a prolonged period, usually

two years or longer, has a negative impact on water supplies of a country or
region. The amount of water available and its quality are reduced during a
drought.

3. Explanations for the causes of drought range from the traditional to the
religious and scientific. Traditionally, people think that drought is caused by
the ancestors who are angry with people’s bad deeds such as baby dumping,
disrespect for traditional customs, wars, corruption, homosexuality, to
mention but just a few. From a scientific perspective, meteorologists, people
who study the weather, have different views about what causes drought in
Southern Africa. For rain to fall in Southern Africa, a band of rain-bearing
clouds known as the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone – the ITCZ, must move
southwards across the equator.

4. To add more platters on the scientific cause of drought, numerous plausible

explanations have been propounded. Two interlinked phenomena mainly put
forward by meteorologists and climatologists connected to the occurrences
of drought are volcanic eruptions and El Nino. Some meteorologists think

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 that the drought in Southern Africa is caused by the movement of an ocean
current known as El Nino, which is found somewhere near Southern America.
El Nino is characterized by the appearance of unusually warm, nutrient-poor
water conditions leading to the occurrence of drought. Moreover, volcanic
eruptions have been considered as another culprit for drought occurrence.
Large volcanic eruptions eject sulphur dioxide into the stratosphere, the
atmospheric layer, where it mixes with water to create sulphuric acid. This
acid can prevent heat from escaping the earth’s atmosphere, resulting in
higher temperatures that contribute to the greenhouse effect. These volcanic
activities release carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere.
These greenhouse gases trap heat inside the earth’s atmosphere, heating it
up, leading to a process called global warming.

5. Furthermore, meteorologists and climatologists have also attributed the

removal of trees and vegetation, known as desertification, as another
notorious gradual cause of persistent drought.

6. On the other side of the coin, religious believers have a different notion
on the cause of drought. They often claim that droughts and floods are a
punishment from God for sins such as alcohol and drug abuse, divorce, and
terrible crimes like baby dumping, rape, homosexuality and murder. All these
crimes go against the commands of Allah, the creator, the Lord of the worlds.

7. Whatever its causes, drought can be very bad indeed due to its devastating
effect on both the fauna and flora. From the droughts that hit Zimbabwe so
far, many people were left suffering due to the shortage of water since many
rivers and dams dried up and even the largest reservoirs shrank to alarmingly
low levels. In simpler terminology, drought posed serious effects on people’s
domestic lives, recreation, health, agriculture and industry.

8. Water quality is also affected during a drought and this can contribute to the
outbreak of diseases like cholera. For example, during the 1991/92 drought,
nearly 8000 people contracted the disease. In the year 2016, the country’s
health authorities issued a cholera and typhoid outbreak alert in the capital
Harare due to severe water shortages.

9. Children and the elderly are always the worst affected people in such crises.
Fortunately, in the drought of 1991-1992, the Supplementary Feeding
Scheme was introduced by the government and other organizations. This
meant providing food – rations of maize, beans and fish – to affected
families. Also, a brand of yellow maize known as “Kenya” (so named
because of where it came from), flooded the country. Other grains were also
imported. In addition, to raise money for the purchase of all this food, the
government had to raise the taxes paid by the workers and the companies
until the drought was over.

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10. The economy of the country also suffered. Farmers were forced to lay off
thousands of farm workers and factories put their forces on reduced hours or
dismissed them. Many of the communal people who normally received their
income from the sale of crops and livestock had no money to spend on food,
clothes and school fees. In some areas, children stopped going to school
because of hunger. On the other side of the coin, wild animals also perished,
their carcasses (skeletons) trapped on dry, cracked river beds.

11. The drought taught us many lessons and in respond to the crisis, the
government embarked on a massive project of drilling boreholes or
deepening the existing ones. Many rural people had to walk long distances
to find water. In the cities, water rationing was introduced in order to make
reserves last until the next season. In Bulawayo, one of the worst hit cities,
households were restricted to a few hundred litres of water per day. The
supply of electricity was also threatened when the water level at Kariba
Dam fell too low for the generators. The combined shortage of water
and electricity severely affected industries. Many factories and companies
considered shutting down or moving to cities which had better water
supplies.

12. In a bid to lessen the burden of drought, the government took many drastic
measures. Apart from borehole drilling and dam construction, plans to tap
the waters of the Zambezi River to supply Bulawayo and the western areas
of the country were speeded up. Equally important, everyone must learn to
conserve water, whatever its source. Above all, the country has to ensure that
every year, adequate reserves of maize and other essential grains are kept in
store in case of another future drought.

13. From a climatologist stance, we must all be united from all walks of life to
fight against the emission of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere which
definitely cause global warming which further triggers climate change. To
prevent this climate change which contributes to droughts, we must look
after our natural resources (especially trees) and find ways to emit fewer
greenhouse gases (e.g. exhaust fumes from vehicles and smoke from
factories and fires) into the atmosphere.

14. To drive the point back home, it is of paramount importance to be prepared

always. Prevention is better than cure. You never know when El Nino, the
spirits of the land or whoever causes drought will strike again.

Zimsec paper 2 November 1995

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Answer all questions.
From paragraph 1
1a.)Give one word from this paragraph which has the same meaning as serious [1].
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

From paragraph 2
b.) What is the effect of drought which is given in this paragraph? [1].
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

From paragraph 3
c.) Give two explanations for the causes of drought? [2]
_________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

From paragraph 4
d) How do volcanic eruptions cause drought? [1]
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
From paragraph 5
e.)In your own words explain the effect of the removal of trees and vegetation [2]
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
From paragraph 7
2a.)Explain the devastating effect of drought on flora and fauna. [1]
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
From paragraph 9
b.)In what way were the children and elderly who were affected by drought helped
by the government and other organisations [1]
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
From paragraph 10
c.) Give a reason why children stopped going to school during drought. [1]
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

d.) Choose FIVE of the following words or phrases. For each of them give one
word or a short phrase (of not more than seven words) which has the same meaning
as the word used in the passage.
1. prolonged (paragraph 2)_______________________________________________
2. plausible (paragraph 4) __________________________________________________
3. persistent (paragraph 5) _________________________________________________

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4. notion (paragraph 6) _____________________________________________________
5. alarmingly (paragraph 7)__________________________________________________
6. contracted (paragraph 8___________________________________________________
7. embarked (paragraph 11)_________________________________________________
8. triggers (paragraph 13)___________________________________________________

3.) Part of the passage describes the causes and impact of drought in Zimbabwe.
Write a summary on the effects of drought and measures being taken to reduce the
effect of drought in Zimbabwe.

USE ONLY THE MATERIAL FROM PARAGRAPH 8 UP TO THE END OF THE

PASSAGE.
Your summary, which should be in continuous writing, must not be longer than 160
words including the 10 words given below. Hyphenated words are counted as one.
Begin your summary as follows:

Water quality is also affected during

a drought and this

N.B The answers to this exercise are found at the end of this Unit.

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21.4 Paragraph unity
This is not a new topic to you. So, what is a paragraph? It’s obvious that you
have defined it as a unit or a piece of continuous writing. We said that the three
aspects of a paragraph are a topic sentence, developers or supporting sentences, a
terminator or a concluding sentence and a transitional sentence. We are not going
to define these aspects of a paragraph again, but you can go back to Unit 1 and
read about these aspects of a paragraph. What is crucial is to note that a paragraph
comprises of a set of related sentences that develop a single idea. If sentences that
are not related are put together, then it means that it is not a paragraph.

It then also follows that a paragraph unity is the smooth flowing or connecting
and holding together of sentences in a paragraph. This implies that when you are
writing, you must organise these sentences properly by selecting appropriate words
that show the desired relationship between sentences.

The next activity requires you to show that you have fully grasped the aspects of a
paragraph. So, make sure you go back to Unit 1 and familiarise yourself with these
aspects before you start working on the next activities.

Activity 21.4.1
Read the paragraph below carefully bearing in mind the aspects of a paragraph.
From your understanding of a paragraph, what is the topic or main idea? Write
down the suitable heading for the paragraph.

Here is the paragraph:

Zimbabwe has always been hit by severe droughts. One of the first recorded
droughts to affect Zimbabwe occurred between 1820 and 1830. There were also
five consecutive drought years in Zimbabwe between 1844 and 1849. In the 20th
century, severe droughts struck between 1921 – 1930, 1946 – 1947, 1967 – 1973,
1982 – 1983 and 1986 – 1987. One of the worst drought in living memory occurred
between 1991–1992.

I hope you have identified the main idea as, ‘The history of drought in Zimbabwe.’
In this way, the suitable heading for the same paragraph becomes, ‘History of
drought in Zimbabwe.’

I think you can also note that the rest of the sentences are being specific on the
history of drought in terms of the actual years. All these sentences are giving
you more information on the main idea; hence, they are called developers or
supporting sentences.

Having gone through the first paragraph, can you do the same on the paragraph
below?

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 Activity 21.4.2
Here is the paragraph:

Explanations for the causes of drought range from the traditional to the religious
and scientific. Traditionally, people think that drought is caused by the ancestors
who are angry with people’s bad deeds such as baby dumping, disrespect for
traditional customs, wars, corruption, homosexuality, to mention but just a few.
From a scientific perspective, meteorologists, people who study the weather, have
different views about what causes drought in the Southern Africa. For rain to fall
in the Southern Africa, a band of rain-bearing clouds known as the Inter Tropical
Convergence Zone – the ITCZ, must move southwards across the equator.

What is the main idea or topic for the paragraph? Write down a suitable heading
for the paragraph.

NB. The answers are provided at the end of the Unit.

In the next activity, you are now construct various paragraphs on your own.

Activity 21.4.3
Construct two paragraphs on the topic that is provided in the table below making
sure that you incorporate the aspects of a paragraph we have discussed.

How can Zimbabwe improve food production?

Activity 21.4.4
From the two activities above, you can now construct good paragraphs. Choose
a topic from the ones given below and write an essay with an estimate of 350 and
450 words. Your focus should be on paragraph unity.

Here are the questions:

1. In what ways can the government of Zimbabwe encourage farmers to do
agriculture?
2. What can be done to reduce famine in Zimbabwe?
3. How can wildlife be preserved in Zimbabwe?

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I think from what we have covered so far on paragraph unity, you can see that it is
very easy to write a composition following good paragraphing system.

21.5 Verbs- The active and the passive voice

In the previous units, you have been introduced to verbs and we hope you enjoyed
learning about verbs and how they form the basis for the learning of English
Language. Do you still remember the definition of a verb? Well, you defined it as
doing word. This implies that there is the performer of the action and the actual
action that is carried out. Your understanding of the active and the passive voice is
centred on verbs. So, let us look at these two forms of verbs.

The active voice

If a sentence is written in the active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the
action, which means that the performer of the action comes first, for example: The
dog chased the hare for thirty minutes. In this example, the dog is the subject or
performer of the action and therefore comes first. The following activity will help
you to clarify this.

Activity 21.5.1
Each of the sentences below is in the active voice. In these sentences identify the
subject or the performer of the action:
a.) The cows destroyed all the crops in the field.
b.) The teacher dismissed the children early because of bad weather.
c.) The cyclone killed many people and destroyed many homes.
d.) The government donated money and farm inputs to the farmers.
e.) The soldiers warned the people to stay away from volcano prone areas.

The passive voice

If the sufferer of the action is the subject of the sentence, the sentence is in the
passive voice, for example: The hare was chased by the dog for thirty minutes. In
this example, the hare is the sufferer of the action. Pay attention to the following
activity again:

Activity 21.5.2
Each of the sentences below has been changed to the passive voice by beginning
with the sufferer. Identify the sufferer in these sentences:
a.) All the crops in the field were destroyed by the cows.
b.) The children were dismissed early by the teacher because of bad weather.
c.) Many people were killed and many homes were destroyed by the cyclone.
d.) Money and farm inputs were donated to the farmers by the government.
e.) The people were warned to stay away from volcano prone areas by the
soldiers.

Now that you have a better understanding of the difference between the active
voice and the passive voice, you must go through the activity below.

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 Activity 21.5.3
Change the following sentences from the passive voice to the active voice.
a.) Chipinge was hit by cholera outbreak in 2019.
b.) Two villages which include Paidamoyo and Makwaha were affected by
cholera outbreak.
c.) The villages that were affected by cholera outbreak were assisted by a donor.
d.) The rate of the spread of cholera was assessed by the Ministry of Health and
Child Welfare.
e.) About two hundred people were killed by cholera.

Here is another activity:

Activity 21.5.4
Change the following sentences from the active voice to the passive voice.
a.) My father sold the television at a very low price.
b.) The Headmaster received a donation of textbooks and money from business
people.
c.) The teacher taught the children to respect people.
d.) The birds flew into bushes after the explosion.
e.) The farmer harvested ten tonnes of maize.

If you can still remember the important points we discussed on summary writing, a
summary is written in the active voice. This implies that you need to know how to
change sentences that are expressed in the passive voice to the active voice.

Reflection
From what we have covered so far in this unit, I hope you still remember something
on listening skills. You listened to a comprehension passage to get important
details such as opinions and facts. You have also discovered that attentive listening
makes you able to take notes. Do you still remember the importance of appropriate
register in communication? You discovered that appropriate register is critical
during communication. When you were going through this unit, you noted that
paragraph unity is important in composition writing. Well, did you have problems
with paragraphing a composition? If you had problems with paragraphing a
composition, go back to the activities in this unit. If I am not mistaken, you have
noticed that verbs especially the active voice and the passive voice are key in the
learning of English Language.

Summary
In this unit, you listened to a comprehension passage which strengthened your
attentive listening and note taking skills. This means that you listened to get
important information. In this unit you have also mastered how to use appropriate
register when giving advice to people who have problems. Learning of appropriate
register has also exposed you to life skills so that you relate well with other people
in the society. On reading skills, you appreciated different reading skills and

140
showed your understanding of texts by answering different kinds of questions such
as simple recall, evaluation, word meanings and summary. Yes, it is true that you
have enjoyed writing a composition using good paragraphs. This is so because of
what we have discussed on paragraph unity. Your command of language has been
highly enhanced by your understanding of verbs where focus was on the active
voice and the passive voice. Make sure that you do not get tired reading all these
aspects you have learnt in this unit so that you become a competent user of English
Language.

Unit 21: Expected Answers

Activity 21.1.1
1. 80% land and 90% sea
2. Aquatic
3. Birds, seals and whales
4. Eating pieces of plastic
5. Carcass decomposes and the plastic is free to roam the ocean and kill again
6. Wrap themselves around living coral and quickly kill them

Activity 21.3.1
1 a.) severe
b.) amount of water available and its quality are reduced
c.) - the ancestors who are angry with people’s bad deeds such as baby
dumping.
- failure of a band of rain-bearing clouds to move southwards across
the equator.
d.) by producing sulphur dioxide which forms an acid when mixed with
water, this acid can prevent heat from escaping the earth’s atmosphere.
e.) stubborn slow cause of continuous drought
2 a) plants dried and animals die because of drought.
b.) the government and other organisations provided rations of maize,
beans and fish to affected families.
c.) their parents did not have money to pay for fees because most of
them received their income from the sale of crops and livestock.
d.) 1. Prolonged-elongated/extended/lengthened
2. plausible-arguable/believable/credible
3. persistent - continuous/relentless/unrelenting
4. notion - views/opinion/idea/sentiment/thought
6. contracted - got infected/got/ took
7. embarked - started/entered/began
8 triggers - activated/actuated/set off/sparked off/touched off

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3.) Summary points
1. contributed to the outbreak of diseases.
2. the government and other organisations provided supplementary food to
affected families.
3. other grains were imported
4. the government raised taxes paid by workers and companies to raise funds
to buy the food.
5. the country’s economy suffered.
6. farmers were forced to lay off thousands of farm workers
7. factories put their forces on reduced hours or dismissed them
8. many communal people had no money to spend on food, clothes and school
fees
9. in some areas children stopped going to school because of hunger
10. wild animals perished
11. the government embarked on a massive project drilling or deepening the
existing ones
12. many rural people had to walk long distances to find water
13. in the cities, water rationing was introduced in order to make reserves last
until the next season
14. households were restricted to a few hundred litres of water per day
15. the supply of electricity was also threatened
16. the combined shortage of water and electricity severely affected industries
17. many factories and companies considered shutting down or moving to cities
which had better water supplies
18. plans to tap the waters of the Zambezi River to supply Bulawayo and the
western areas of the country were speeded up

Activity 21.5.1
a.) The cows
b.) The teacher
c.) The cyclone
d.) The government
e.) The soldiers

Activity 21.5.2
a.) All the cows
b.) The children
c.) Many people
d.) Money and farm inputs
e.) The people

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 Activity 21.5.3
a.) Cholera outbreak hit Chipinge in 2019.
b.) Cholera outbreak affected two villages which include Paiamoyo and
Makwaha.
c.) A donor assisted the villages that were affected by cholera.
d.) The Ministry of Health and Child Welfare assessed the rate of the spread of
cholera.
e.) Cholera killed about two hundred people.

Activity 21.5.4
a.) The television was sold at a very low price by my father.
b.) Business people gave a donation of textbooks and money to the
Headmaster.
c.) The children were taught to respect by the teacher.
d.) After the explosion the birds flew into the field.

Ten tonnes of maize were harvested by the farmer.

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Unit 22: Advertising
Contents
22.1 Description of a girl
22.2 Describing people, scenes and events
22.3 Advertising
22.4 A report based on a graph
22.5 Modal verbs and phrasal verbs

Introduction
We have now covered a lot of ground on the four language skills which are
listening, reading, speaking and writing. You have engaged in all of the four
language skills equally well.

In this unit you will be exposed to some more listening and speaking activities. You
should be able to describe a person, a place and an occasion. You should be able
to identify the suitable words which particularly describe trends and show what they
represent.

You will skim and scan through a comprehension passage before actually reading it.
You will then read through the passage and answer a wide range of comprehension
skill questions. You are going to write a report based on statistical information. At
the end of the unit, you will be exposed to phrasal verbs, auxiliary verbs as well as
modal verbs.

Objectives
After going through this unit, you should be able to:
• make use of appropriate adjectives and figures of speech
• respond to comprehension questions that test reasoning, inference, analysis,
evaluation and synthesis
• answer a summary question
• write an article based on a bar graph
• correctly form phrasal verbs by joining verbs and prepositions
• make correct use of auxiliary verbs and verb modals

Key words
Skimming - is looking quickly over a passage to determine the subject of the
passage and find out how the passage is organized.
Scanning- is looking quickly through a passage to find key information.
Trend – a pattern or style of development

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TIP: Before you continue with this unit, make sure you know the above words.
Consult your dictionary, phone or laptop thesaurus to find further descriptions of
meanings of the words.

Study skills
In this unit, you are expected to use the following study skills:

Peer evaluation-working with your friend to check the progress of your work
Note making- jotting down key information as you listen or read

Time
You must spend a total of eight( 8) hours studying this Unit.

22.1 Describing a girl

You have heard of descriptions of people, places and things. We hope you enjoyed
the descriptions and also understood them. You are going to listen to a description
of a girl. Ask your friend to read through the following passage. Listen attentively
and make notes from the reading.

Listening passage: Tongombeya.

Nomusa was an angel. She was as beautiful as the setting sun. Her beauty was
unequaled. It was actually unmatched. When she smiled, suitors just stood akimbo,
mesmerized. Nomusa walked gracefully as if she was stepping on eggs and only
too cautious to break them.

Her neck was slender but sleek. It perfectly fitted her pint sized body and holly
countenance. Those who knew her said she was as cunning as a jackal but as
harmless as a dove. Wronging another being was far from her being. She wished to
live in peace, harmony and tranquility with everyone.

One day a certain business man by the name Tongombeya tried to make friends
with her. All went well until Tongombeya tried to get hold of Nomusa’s arm. All hell
broke loose. Instantly, she became as angry as a lion. Like lightning, she jumped
from where she was sitting and perched on Tongombeya - soul, body and spirit.
She mauled him with claw like finger nails which were as sharp as an eagle’s. She
pounded him. At first Tongombeya behaved like a gentleman -no fighting back,
no screaming. However, as the battering continued and blows rained like thunder
all over his body, he did not linger to think twice. He retrieved his body from the
entanglement and showed a clean pair of heels.

Now, ask your friend to read the passage again. After the second reading, reflect
on the following.
1. Who is being described?
2. How does the person look like?
3. What are the words that tell us what the person did?

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The following table will assist you.

Activity 22.1.1
Complete column 4 by identifying your own words from the passage that respond
to the guide questions.
Guide Question Response Examples of words from the
passage that show the response
Who is being Nomusa -a girl
described?
What does the person very beautiful -an angel
look like?
What does the person -seriously beat -battered
do? Tongombeya -blows rained like fire
-

What qualities does the -anger, -as angry as a lion,

person have? -peacefulness -tranquillity

Table 22.1.

You have observed that there are particular words that are used to describe people.
These words are called adjectives. You have come across them in this module.
Other words and phrases that have been used are called figures of speech. Let us
attempt to identify them together. An example has been worked out for you.

Activity 22.1.2
Complete this table with the suitable figure of speech.
Statement Figure of speech
1 As cunning as a jackal Simile
2 As beautiful as the setting sun
3 As harmless as a dove
4 Blows rained like fire
5 Like lightning, she jumped from the sofa
6 She was an angel
7 As sharp as an eagles’
8 To show a clean pair of heels
9 Claw like fingernails
Table 22.2

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You have observed the following about describing:
• Adjectives should be used e.g. tall, stout, sleek, slender neck
• Similes should be used e.g. as angry as a lion, as quick as quicksilver, as old
as age
• Metaphors should also be used e.g. she is a lion
• Idioms should be used e.g. to show a clean pair of heels, to throw the towel,
• Diction (appropriate words) should also be used befittingly e.g. instead
of using overused words like sad, one could use synonyms like sorrowful,
forlorn, dejected. Instead of using the word beating, battering would be
more preferable.

It is essential that you keep practicing these language items to enrich your
language.

Bonus words: This listening passage has introduced you to some new words. The
meanings are given below. Try using them in your own sentences to show that you
understand them.
1. Countenance- face/ expression
2. Cunning- crafty/shrewd/too clever
3. Entanglement-embarrassing situation
4. Suitor- a man looking for someone to marry
5. Mesmerized- fascinated/ attracted
6. Tranquility –calmness
7. Linger- delay leaving

22.2 Describing people, events and the environment.

In this section you are going to learn more about describing people, scenes and
the environment. Let us look at describing people.

In descriptive speaking, the speaker has to bring out details about a person he or
she is describing. You are going to be the speaker.

First of all you must create a topic sentence. This is a sentence which has the central
idea of your description.
E.g. My grandfather is Mr. Mpangazitha by name.

This means all the other statements that follow should be centered on this
grandfather who is called Mr. Mpangazitha. All these statements are called
developers. I hope you remember this.

Now we must add detail. One good way of adding detail is to use sense words.
These are words that appeal to our five senses. Which are our five senses?

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Aspect Description
Topic sentence My grandfather is Mr.Mpangazitha by name.
Developing the He is dark in complexion. His head is oval shaped and
topic sentence balances loosely above his thin neck. His shoulder blades
using sense words are an opposite of his thin neck, for they are huge, muscular
and combat like. Mpangazitha, for he likes to be called this
way, is actually war like. He carries with him a small assegai
and a sharp axe. These two are his companions. Even if he
is relaxing at home, the two are by his side. They tell me his
name means one who is looking for enemies to conquer. His
favourite food is rice cooked in peanut butter with meaty
relish. He is a bounty hunter. Every day he has to be bringing
home a squirrel, a hare or any of these rodents as his relish.
He now smells of meat. A nauseating stenchy odour of rotten
blood surrounds him persistently.
End by drawing a Mpangazitha is unlike other nonagenarians who hobble on
comparison three legs. He never uses a walking stick despite being in his
late nineties. He walks as erect as tower light.

The words in bold make listeners to imagine what they hear. They begin to see
pictures of what is happening. So these words ignite their imagination. Look at the
following example and complete the senses appealed to by the other words.

Activity 22.2.1
Word(s) Sense appealed to
Hobble sight- you actually see the movement
Oval sight- you see the rounded head
Damp odour __________________________________
Nauseating __________________________________
Rotten __________________________________

From the above example of Grandfather Mpangazitha, the word hobble represents
walking. It tells us how grandfather was walking. In humans, we do not walk in the
same way. An injured person cannot walk just like a guard on duty. A guard would
pace while an injured person would hobble. A child would toddle while a drunken
man would stagger. By using these words, we create the correct imagination of the
action being done.

Now let us look further at this concept of describing in detail.

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Planning a description

Fig 22:2.1

The arms of the star diagram above represent a sense and all the five human senses
are represented. The centre is the topic sentence from which all the senses will be
developed. In this way we create imagery. These are images which come into our
mind to imagine what is heard, seen, touched, smelt and tasted. These are our
five senses. We hope you had got these correct when you were asked about them
above. Appropriate words are used to create these imaginations. Some of these
words are adjectives. Do you remember what adjectives are?

Developing the diagram

Example
When I arrived at Mbare Musika, I saw a very noisy scene as people moved in all
directions mingling into each other. I saw shriveled vegetables and rich yellow
bananas being sold. Tired looking passengers gazed through windows of buses
that were almost full to the brim. Some of the passengers yawned in exasperation
while others munched succulent apples. An acrid smell of rotten mangoes and a
pungent odour of decaying uncollected waste filled the air. Because I was now
tired, I decided to rest on rough cement seats which were uncomfortable. As I
gazed into emptiness, I was instantly disrupted by the noisy honking of a heavy
vehicle as the vendors rushed to it screaming at the top most of their voices as they
sold their different wares to the truck driver.

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Tip: You will observe that the paragraph has been developed from the star
diagram. The first sentence is the topic sentence as represented in the diagram.
The second sentence is developing the sense of sight. The development then goes
to the other senses in an anticlockwise direction until all the senses are developed.
It is expected that you can use this method to practice planning different
descriptions of people, places and events.

Activity 22.2.2
Now imagine you attended a birthday party recently. A friend of yours who was
supposed to spend the day with you failed to attend the party because he had
fallen sick. Describe the party to him. Remember you are the speaker.

Fig 22.2

Now plan what you will say to him.

Topic Sentence: It was really a pleasurable and exciting moment to attend my
brother’s birthday party.

Sense Sense words

Sight I saw/gazed/stared
Elegant cars, spick and span people, well decorated cake,
Hearing I heard
Melodious music,
Smell
Taste I ate/munched/gobbled
Scrumptious food, delicious dessert, mouth-watering ice
cream
Touch

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Now you can present your description to your friend. We hope you have realised
that speaking and writing are integral skills. We write what we speak and we speak
what we write. This preparation you have done will help you as you plan your
descriptive compositions.

Project work
Take a walk into a city centre, town or a grazing area. What do you see? What do
you hear?

Following the way you completed Activity 22.2.2, do the same with this project
task. Write down everything that appeals to your senses and the way it appeals
to you. After this planning stage, prepare descriptive speech that you will tell to
anybody you choose to share the experience with. File this information in your
portfolio.

Refresh your memory with the reflection in 22.1 above. Other than what is
suggested in the reflection, we need to take care of the following when describing:
Imagery should be used through appealing to the senses:
(a) of sight- e.g lightning cut the sky into two equal halves
(b) of hearing-e.g. angry howls of thunder echoed noisily in the distance
(c) of smell-e.g. oven fresh buns sent an inviting aroma into the lounge
(d) of touch-
(e) of taste-
Complete (d) and (e) above by giving an example of each.

22.3 Advertising
Skimming and scanning are very important study skills that can help you in
comprehension work. When you read factual material, you read to identify the facts
from a long passage or book. You will first skim the passage and then scan it.

We want to go through the stages of skimming and scanning. When you are
skimming and scanning a passage you have to do the following:

1. Look at the title of the passage (if any). Some passages may have no titles.
Once you see a title you begin to visualise what the passage might be about.
Your inference can either be confirmed or refuted after reading the passage.
2. Check whether there are any photographs, illustrations or graphics. Are there
any captions? What do they suggest?
3. Is there any preface or introductory statement to the passage? An
introductory statement is important as it tells you what the passage is
about. By now your inference is gradually being confirmed or denied. Your
comprehension of the passage is beginning.
4. Read the whole first paragraph.
5. Read the first sentence of every paragraph.
6. Read the whole last paragraph.
7. Are there any highlighted words or phrases?

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Refresh your memory on what you were doing. Why do you need to go through
steps 4, 5 and 6? As you did composition work in this module, you learnt about the
functions of an introduction and conclusion. You also learnt about topic sentences.
Can you apply this knowledge to answer the question? I hope so.

An introduction is the first paragraph and contains the main idea in a story or
writing. So when we read through the introduction, we are trying to get to know
what the passage is about.

When we read the first sentences of every paragraph, we are trying to get to know
the idea discussed in that paragraph since a paragraph discusses one idea and that
idea is contained in the topic sentence.

We also read the whole last paragraph because the last paragraph is a conclusion
that sums up what would have been discussed in the passage. It is a terminating
paragraph.

Now, together, let us skim and scan the reading passage entitled Advertising.
The following is the preface to the passage. What information is it telling you? Can
you identify the theme?

(The following passage evaluates the social, ethical and economic aspects of
advertising and promotion. Ethical Perspective 222 is a research platform and here
gives its findings on the issue of advertising.)

The following is the heading/title of the passage. What information does it tell
you?

The following is the introduction of the passage. What information does it tell you?

Some critics charge that the media’s dependence on advertisers’ support makes
them susceptible to various forms of influence, including exerting control over
the editorial content of magazines and newspapers; biasing editorial opinions to
favour the position of an advertiser; limiting coverage of a controversial story that
might reflect negatively on a company; and influencing the programme content
of television. Ethical Perspective 222 considers whether the editorial content of
magazines is influenced by advertisers.

Now the following paragraph is made up of all the first sentences of all the
paragraphs in the passage.

Newspapers and magazines receive nearly 70% of their revenue from advertising;
commercial TV and radio derive virtually all their income from advertisers. While
larger, more financially stable media should be less susceptible to an advertisers’
influence, they may still be reluctant to carry stories detrimental to companies
that purchase large amount of advertising time and space .Individual TV stations
and even the major networks also can be influenced by advertisers. Programming
152
decisions are made largely on the basis of what shows will attract the most viewers
and thus be most desirable to advertisers. Advertisers have also been accused of
pressuring the networks to change their programming. It has been speculated that
the new rating system developed by the networks may result in advertisers avoiding
programmes with adult content labels. The commercial media’s dependence on
advertising means advertisers can exert influence on their character, content,
and coverage of certain issues. First, they point out that it is in the best interest
of the media not be influenced too much by advertisers. Media executives also
note advertiser need the media more then they need any I individual advertiser,
particularly when the medium has a large audience or does a good job of reaching
a specific market segment.

This is the last paragraph.

The media in United States are basically supported by advertising, which means
we can enjoy them for free or for a fraction of what they would cost without
advertising. The alternative to an advertiser-supported media system is support
by users through higher subscriptions costs for the print media and a fee or pay-
per view system with TV. Another alternative is government supported media like
those in many other countries, but this runs counter to most people’s desire for
freedom of the press. Although not perfect, our system of advertising supported
media provides the best option for receiving information and entertainment.

What are the observations that you have made through this exercise? Read through
the above work highlighted in italics and then read through the actual passage and
write down your observations. Have you made any striking observations?

After skimming and scanning, it is necessary that you read through the questions
and then go back to the passage and read it through slowly for finer detail. As you
read the passage, the questions you would have gone through will prompt your
seeking for key information as some questions will begin to be answered as you
read.

TIP: Remember skimming and scanning are done very quickly. It is recommended
that you spend about five to ten minutes only during an examination. With practice,
you will take less time.

Now these are the key observations.

1. The first paragraph carries the main idea in a passage. This will also be true
for all compositions you are going to write.
2. Joining the first sentences of all the paragraphs is like writing a paraphrase
of the passage. The topic sentences blend into each other naturally and they
make a logical unit which makes sense. They are actually what the passage is
about.

Now read through the passage silently and attempt all the questions. You are
recommended to answer them in the order set.

153
 (The following passage evaluates the social, ethical and economic aspects of
advertising and promotion. Ethical Perspective 222 is a research platform and here
gives its findings)

Advertising

Figure 22.4

1. Some critics charge that the media’s dependence on advertisers’ support

makes them susceptible to various forms of influence, including exerting
control over the editorial content of magazines and newspapers; biasing
editorial opinions to favour the position of an advertiser; limiting coverage
of a controversial story that might reflect negatively on a company; and
influencing the programme content of television. Ethical Perspective 222
considers whether the editorial content of magazines is influenced by
advertisers.

2. Newspapers and magazines receive nearly 70% of their revenue from

advertising; commercial TV and radio derive virtually all their income
from advertisers. Small and financially insecure newspapers, magazines or
broadcast stations are the most susceptible to pressure from advertisers,
particularly companies that account for a large amount of the media
outlet’s advertising revenue. A local newspaper may be reluctant to print
an unfavorable story about a car dealer or supermarket chain on whose
advertising it depends. For example, a few years ago more than 40 car
dealers cancelled their ads in the San Jose Mercury News when the paper
printed an article titled “A Car Buyers Guide to Sanity”. The dealers objected
to the tone of the article, which they felt implied consumers should consider
car dealers unethical adversaries in the negotiation process. A recent survey
of 147daily newspapers found than more than90% of editors have been
pressured by advertisers and more than one third of them said advertisers
had succeeded in influencing news at their papers.

154
3. While larger, more financially stable media should be less susceptible to an
advertisers’ influence, they may still be reluctant to carry stories detrimental
to companies that purchase large amount of advertising time and space. For
example, since cigarette commercials were taken off radio and TV in 1970,
tobacco companies have allocated most of their budgets to print media. The
tobacco industry outspends all other national advertisers in newspapers, and
cigarettes constitute the second largest category of magazine advertising
(behind transportation). This has led to charges that newspapers and
magazines avoid articles on the hazards of smoking to protect the important
source of advertising revenue. A study by Joanne Lipman found that
magazines relying on cigarette advertising are far less likely than others to
publish stories about the health hazards associated with smoking.

4. Individual TV stations and even the major networks also can be influenced
by advertisers. Programming decisions are made largely on the basis of what
shows will attract the most viewers and thus be most desirable to advertisers.
Critics say this often results in lower-quality television as educational, culture
and informative programming is usually sacrificed for shows that get high
ratings and appeal to the mass markets.

5. Advertisers have also been accused of pressuring the networks to change

their programming. Many advertisers have begun withdrawing commercials
from programmes that contain too much sex or violence, often in response
to threatened boycotts of their products by consumers if they advertise on
these shows. For example, groups such as the American Family Association
have been fighting sex and violence in TV programmes by calling for
boycotts. Recently a number of companies, including Procter and Gamble,
Mars Inc., and Kraft Foods, pulled their advertising from certain talk shows,
like those of Jenny Jones and Richi Lake, because of some of their incendiary
topics.

6. It has been speculated that the new rating system developed by the
networks may result in advertisers avoiding programmes with adult content
labels .This could result in a drop in advertising rates for these programmes
and greater demand for shows rated as suitable for family viewing.

7. The commercial media’s dependence on advertising means advertisers can

exert influence on their character, content, and coverage of certain issues.
However, media executives offer several reasons why advertisers do not exert
undue influence over the media.

155
8. First, they point out that it is in the best interest of the media not be
influenced too much by advertisers. To retain public confidence, they must
report the news fairly and accurately without showing bias or attempting to
avoid controversial issues. Media executives point to the vast array of topics
they cover and the investigative reporting they often do as evidence of their
objectivity. They want to build a large audience for their publications or
stations so they can charge more for advertising space and time.

9. Media executives also note that an advertiser needs the media more than
they need any one individual advertiser, particularly when the medium has
a large audience or does a good job of reaching a specific market segment.
Many publications and stations have a very broad base of advertising
support and can afford to lose an advertiser that attempts to exert too much
influence. This is particularly true for the larger, more established, financially
secure media. For example, a consumer products company would find
it difficult to reach its target audience without network TV and could not
afford to boycott a network if it disagreed with a station’s editorial policy or
programme content .Even the local advertiser in a small community may be
dependent on the local newspaper, since it may be the most cost-effective
media option available.

10. The media in the United States are basically supported by advertising, which
means viewers and listeners can enjoy them for free or for a fraction of
what they would cost without advertising. The alternative to an advertiser-
supported media system is support by users through higher subscription
costs for the print media and a fee or pay-per view system with TV. Another
alternative is government supported media like those in many other
countries, but this runs counter to most people’s desire for freedom of the
press. Although not perfect, our system of advertising supported media
provides the best option for receiving information and entertainment.
Adapted from Advertising and Promotion by George. E. Belch and Michael A
Belch, 1988, McGraw Hill, U.S.A

Activity 22.3.1
Answer all questions.
You are recommended to answer them in the order set.

From Paragraph one

1(a)(i) What do some people say about the media’s dependence on advertisers? (1)
(ii) “...exerting control over the editorial content…” (line 2).What does this
phrase mean? (1)
(iii) Choose six consecutive words in this paragraph that mean reducing the
amount of detail of news articles. (1)

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From Paragraph two
(b)(i) Why might a local newspaper be reluctant to print unfavourable story about
a car dealer or supermarket chain on whose advertising it depends.
(ii) the dealers objected to the tone of the article (line 15). In your own words
explain why the dealers had to object. (2)

From paragraph 3
(iii) Give one reason why large and more financially stable media houses would
be less susceptible to an advertisers influence. (1)
(iv) What constitutes the first largest category of magazine advertising? (1)

From paragraph 5
2.(a) “Advertisers have also been accused of pressuring the networks to change
their programming.”(line 36-37)
(i) Show how the advertisers have done this.
(ii) Show why they have done this.

Number your answers respectively (i) and (ii) (2)

From paragraph six

(b) Explain why there would be a greater demand for shows rated as suitable for
family viewing but a less demand for advertisements. Number your answers
(1) and (2) (2)

From paragraph ten

(c)(i) From this paragraph, find one word that can have the same meaning as
alternative. (1)
(ii) Identify (1) one disadvantage of government supported media and (2) one
advantage of advertising supported media. (2)

(d) Choose five of the following words and phrases .For each of them, give one
word or short phrases (of not more than seven words) which has the same
meaning as the word used in the passage.
1. criticism (line 1) 5.influence (line 50)
2. reluctant (line 2) 6.policy (line 64)
3. constitute (line 25) 7.pay –per view system (line 70)
4. suitable (line 47 ) 8.counter (line 72)

Activity 22.3.2 Summary

The authors discuss the advantages and disadvantages of advertisement supported
media. Write an account of the disadvantages of advertisement supported media
as well as how the media houses defend themselves from undue pressure from
advertisers’.

157
Use only material from line 20 to 66.

Your account, which should be in continuous writing, must not be longer than 160
words including the first ten given words. The grid is to aid you in counting the
number of words. Write one word in each box as shown in the first ten words.

Begin your account as follows

More stable media are less susceptible
to advertiser influence but

[Total: 20 marks]

22.4 Report based on a graph.

You have written articles and reports before. This section will look at a guided
report based on a graph. Refresh your memory by browsing through the units
before attempting this work.

158
Tip: Remember that statistical information can be represented in different forms.
It can be a pie chart, line graph, histogram, table or even a bar graph. The
interpretation skills are the same.

The graph below shows percentages of road traffic accidents in your local area over
a period of four years. The accidents are caused by speeding, drunken driving and
unlicensed driving. As a senior citizen, you have been asked by your community to
write a detailed report to the Member of Parliament describing the trends shown
and suggesting possible measures that can be taken to reduce the problem of road
traffic accidents. You may use some or all of the following ideas. You may add your
own ideas if you wish.

• Drivers to have hands off cell phone kits

• Police to use breathalyses to test for alcohol
• Road speed traps of different types to be mounted on all type of roads
• Heavy penalties for unlicensed driving
• Confiscate cars from offenders

Causes of road traffic accidents

Fig 22.4

Remember!
The skills being tested here are:
• Ability to interpret the situation
• Ability to interpret the trends
• Ability to explain the points
• Ability to amplify the points
• Ability to organise/reorganise the points
• Ability to add your own ideas

159
1. Your first task is to come up with a report format. Do you still remember the
format you used before? Flip back and check the format.
2. The second step is to come up with a title. It is advisable to come up with a
topic or title from the wording of the question. Identify the task and from that
task formulate your title.
3. The introduction should set out what you are writing about.
4. Each point can be a paragraph . Otherwise related points can be discussed in
the same paragraph.
5. End by a statement appreciating the assistance from the addressee.(person
to whom report was directed to)

Interpreting the trends.

A trend is a pattern. Graphs and other statistical representations give a quick visual
impact of a situation. It is this situation that must be put in words. There is what
we call trend specific vocabulary. These are adjectives that are used to describe
the patterns. It is important to identify the increases and fluctuations in a particular
trend, but it is equally important to describe those trends.

The following table will assist you in identifying words that describe trends.

Lead Definite Adjective Noun / Preposition

phrase Observation trend
minimal/nominal/
neglible
insignificant rise
slight surge
It can be slow increase
seen / there is/was a (an) gradual fluctuation of/in/from
observed (very) steady decrease
that marked decline
large reduction
In the year remarkable fall
2019 dramatic drop
steep
sharp
rapid
sudden
astronomical

(Table 22.5 Adapted from Academic Writing Course page 65)

160
Example
In 2017, speeding caused10 % of the road traffic accidents in Chivhu. There was an
astronomical rise from 10 % to 75 % in 2018. This therefore necessitates the setting
up of speed traps along major roads. The system can be upgraded to include
cameras to curb runaway drivers. Records of offenders must be kept so that second
offenders may be banned from driving for a considerable number of years, if not for
life.
Activity 22 .4.1
Now you can write the report. Use the information on fig 22.4 Causes of road traffic
accidents. Remember to write neatly and legibly.

22.5.Phrasal Verbs and Auxiliary verbs

Phrasal verbs are verbs that are combined with either an adverb or a preposition.
The meanings of the new phrase formed form such combinations are different from
the meaning of the verb or preposition alone.
Let us look at the verb look. The verb means gaze, stare, glance, glimpse,
and peep. However the meaning changes when the verb is combined with a
preposition.

Example
Look +down = look down.
Statement: The headmaster looks down upon new teachers.
Meaning: The headmaster despises new teachers. He thinks that new teachers
might not be as good as old teachers.
Look +out=look out
Statement 1: look out for Chipo in the laboratory.
Meaning: try to find Chipo in the laboratory
Statement 2: Watch out for Chipo in the laboratory.
Meaning: Be wary/Beware of Chipo in the laboratory. / Be mindful of Chipo.

Activity 22.5.1
The meanings of the phrasal verbs on the left below are given in a jumbled manner
on the right. By using an arrow, match the phrasal verb with its correct meaning. An
example has been done for you.
1. Look for (a) expect
2. Look in (b) take care of somebody or something
3. Look after (c) try to find
4. Look forward to (d) search/ find
5. Look back (e) simply stand at watch
6. Look up (f) continue to search
7. Look further (g) study
8. Look at (h) take care of
9. Look on (i) continue looking for
10. Look by (j) reminisce

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 Activity 22.5.2
Look up the meanings of the following phrasal verbs in a dictionary. Now use them
in sentences to show that you understand them.
1. agree with
2. break loose
3. even out
4. lighten up
5. live up
6. hang up
7. stand in
8. zip up
9. turn up
10. show off

Activity 22.5.3
For your further practice.
Rewrite the following sentences replacing the phrasal verb with a suitable word.

Eg number 1:The rally was cancelled as a lot of hooligans had planned to disrupt it.
1. The rally was called off as a lot of hooligans had planned to disrupt it.
2. When we arrived at the hospital to see Nonsinkelelo, she had lightened up a
little giving us an indication that she was on the road to recovery.
3. The model had splunged a lot of make up on her face.
4. When the two adversaries were counselled, they made up and buried the
hatchet.
5. Ropafadzo Muvunzi turned down the offer to study Literature at Botswana
University.
6. “Have all the students turned up for music practice?” asked the choir master.
7. The goalkeeper was struck by the ball on his head and he passed out.
8. The gentleman who had been attacked by robbers finally passed away
yesterday.
9. Amai Ngutshe improved in her performance because she had pulled up her
socks.
10. Natasha Mashoko tore off at great speed when she saw her mother
disembarking from the Johannesburg bus.

Auxiliary Verbs
An auxiliary is a word which helps a verb.

Let us look at the following passage.

Machimbidzofa Rumbi should have heard the bell ringing because she was close
by. However, she continued munching her apple with abandon.
“I can see you have no ears. I will lend you mine for a fee!” shouted the teacher on
duty, Miss Mutanho.

162
“Oh my mother!” shrieked Machimbidzofa as she made for the classroom. She
could have been heard above the roar of a lion. “ I had not heard the bell madam.
I would have never ignored it!”

The bold and italicized words are called auxiliaries. They help main verbs in a
sentence.

Can you identify the main verbs that are being helped by the italicized auxiliaries?
Such auxiliaries that can be used with the simple form of the verb are called
modals.

Examples are: can, could/ may, might/shall, should/will, would/do, does, did/must/
dare/ need/had

In use: I can/could/may/might/shall/should/will/do/did/dare/need/had run.

Pronoun Modals main verb

There are some auxiliaries which work with the present participle.

Examples are: am, is, are, was, were, get, gets, got
In use: I am running to the classroom because I had not heard the bell.

Activity 22.5.3
1. Use the pronouns “it, she, they, and we” to replace “I” in the above
sentence. You should come up with four sentences.
2. Write 6 different sentences using each of the following modals: may, could,
should, would, dare and did.

Summary
In this Unit you learnt how to prepare and present a speech. You also learnt the
importance of skimming and scanning a passage. The result of a scan gives us
a working summary of the passage. It reveals the key points in the passage.
Auxiliaries and modals were also covered to show how these help in sentence
formation as far as the supporting of verbs is concerned. Phrasal verbs were
also covered. They are reliably used to express intended meaning and they are
idiomatic. A combination of a verb with a preposition will transform the meaning of
both the verb and the proposition to mean something new. This unit also looked
at interpretation of a bar graph. It is important to note that trend specific language
is used to explain identified patterns. Describing phenomena was also covered.
Highlighted were sense words and how they help in describing particular things as
they appeal to our sensory system. The image building system which we termed
imagery is an important process in describing.

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Answers to activities in Unit 22

Activity 22.1.1
Guide Question Response Examples of words from the passage
that show the response
Who is being Nomusa A girl, she, her
described?
What does the Very beautiful An angel
person look like? -short -pint sized
-thin neck -slender
-smooth neck -sleek
-innocent -holly countenance
What does the -Seriously beat Battered
person do? Tongombeya Blows rained like thunder
-mauled
-pounded
-she walks -walks gracefully
-she jumped -perched
- lands on
Tongombeya
What qualities does -anger, -as angry as a lion,
the person have? -peacefulness -tranquillity
-friendly -harmony
-harmless -as harmless as a dove
-clever -cunning

Activity 22.1.2
Statement Figure of speech
1 As cunning as a jackal Simile
2 As beautiful as the setting sun simile
3 As harmless as a dove simile
4 Blows rained like fire metaphor
5 Like lightning, she jumped from the sofa metaphor
6 She was an angel metaphor
7 As sharp as an eagles’ simile
8 To show a clean pair of heels idiom
9 Claw like fingernails metaphor

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 Activity 22.2.1
Word(s) Sense appealed to
Hobble sight- you actually see the movement
Oval sight- you see the rounded head
Damp odour _smell_____________________________
Nauseating _smell_____________________________
Rotten _smell_____________________________

Sense Sense words

Sight I saw/gazed/stared/glimpsed
Elegant cars, spick and span people, well decorated cake,

Hearing I heard melodious music, pompous shouts of joy, wild

ululations
Smell Aromatic smell of food,
Taste I ate/munched/gobbled
Scrumptious food, delicious dessert, mouth-watering ice
cream
Touch Fresh cake, ice cold beverages,

Activity 22.3.1 Comprehension

From paragraph one
1. (a) (i) it makes the media to be susceptible to various forms of influence
(ii) dictating/pressurizing/ influencing what must be viewed and read as
news
(iii) limiting coverage of a controversial story (1)

Form paragraph two

(b) (i) because the story may make them lose revenue/client base
and tarnish the image of the company/be negative to the car dealer or
supermarket chain (2)
(ii) the article was against the dealer/ was unfavorable to the dealer/
negated the dealer/ did not promote the dealer/ tarnished the image
of the dealer

From paragraph three

(iii) they are financially self-sufficient / can do without the money from
the advertisers/ can do profitable business without any outside funding
(1)
(iv) transportation (1)

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From paragraph five
2. (a) (i) by withdrawing commercials from programmes that contain too
much sex or violence (1)
(ii) the content would be multi viewer unfriendly/ family unfriendly/
indecent and/or provocative topics/themes/subjects being discussed
(1)
From paragraph six
(b) because a lot of people would be watching as families and there will
be less need for advertising since the audience would be cross cutting
(2)
From paragraph ten
(d) (i) option
(ii) (a) it inhibits/limits freedom of press
(b) people can afford programmes for free/ for a fraction of the cost
(e) 1. analysts/reviewers/appraisers
2. reluctant-unwilling/unenthused/disinclined
3. constitute- make up/ make part of
4. suitable-appropriate/okay/
5. influence-control/pressure/impact/power/effect
6. policy- agreed way of doing things/ system
7. pay-per view system- viewing in tandem with what is paid/ viewing
as and when paid
8. counter- opposite/ against

Activity 22.3.2
Summary:Disadvantages of advertisement supported media
1. Are reluctant to carry stories that may be detrimental to companies that
purchase large amount of advertising space and time
2 Charges exist that newspapers and magazines avoid articles on the health
hazards of smoking to protect the important source of advertisement revenue
3. Individual stations and major networks can also be affected by advertisers
4. Programming decisions are made largely on the basis of what shows attract
the most viewers and therefore be most desirable to advertisers
5. Lower quality television results
6. Educational, cultural and informative programming are sacrificed
7. Advertisers pressure the networks to change their programming
8. Many advertisers have begun withdrawing commercials from programmes
that contain too much sex and violence
9. Advertisers can exert influence on the character
10. Content and
11. coverage of certain issues

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Media houses/executives’ response
12. to retain public confidence, media houses/executives must report the news
fairly and accurately
13. without showing bias or avoiding controversial topics
14. cover a wide variety of topics
15. are involved in investigative reporting as evidence of objectivity
16. they want to build a large audience for their publications or stations so they
charge more for advertising space and time
17. an advertiser needs the media more than the media needs an individual
advertiser
18. many publications and stations have a very broad base of advertising support
and can afford to lose an advertiser that attempts to exert much influence.

Activity 22.5.1
The meanings of the phrasal verbs on the left below are given in a jumbled manner
on the right. By using an arrow, match the phrasal verb with its correct meaning. An
example has been done for you.
11. Look for (a) expect
12. Look in (b) take care of somebody or something
13. Look after (c) try to find
14. Look forward to (d) search/ find
15. Look back (e) simply stand at watch
16. Look up (f) continue to search
17. Look further (g) study
18. Look at (h) take care of
19. Look on (i) continue looking for
20. Look by (j) reminisce

Activity 22.5.2
Look up the meanings of the following phrasal verbs in a dictionary. Now use them
in sentences to show that you understand them.
11. agree with -concur
12. break loose -free oneself
13. even out -revenge
14. lighten up -recover mood
15. live up -as expected
16. hang up -cut/cease a phone conversation
17. stand in -represent
18. zip up -keep quiet
19. turn up -arrive/ be present for
20. show off -pride

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 Activity 22.5 .3
Replacing phrasal verbs with suitable words.
1. called off – cancelled
2. lightened up- cheered / on her road-on her way
3. make up –beauty lotions
4. made up- reconciled
5. turned down- rejected
6. turned up –come/ attended
7. passed out – fainted
8. passed away- died
9. pulled up- worked hard
10. tore off –sped off quickly/abruptly

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Unit 23 Angels of mercy
Contents
1.6 Bleak future
1.7 Appropriate Register
1.8 Reading – Act of kindness
1.9 Creative writing
1.10 Noun formation

Introduction
You have had a variety of listening activities in the past units. You listened to
passages read to you or on audios to answer questions, summarise, take oral
instructions and take notes. In this unit you will write a paragraph through dictation
for purposeful listening. You will also practice speaking through describing
events in such a way that your audience should visualize the event. Zimbabwe
experienced a very traumatizing incident that was caused by a natural disaster in
2019. The floods claimed a lot of lives and property. In this unit, you will read
about a similar disaster which happened in one of our neighbouring countries
and how the rescue teams assisted. You will be given tips on note making
and summary writing. You will also write a discursive composition and work on
punctuation to perfect your writing skill. Work hard on your activities and enjoy the
work.

Objectives
By the end of the Unit you will be able to:
• take dictation accurately
• describe processes and events
• answer a variety of questions
• make notes on read texts
• summarise a text
• write different types of compositions
• demonstrate creative writing skills

Key words
• Dictation – a process of writing down what someone has said for exact
reproduction.
• Discursive - a type of composition where one takes aboard both points of
view unlike in a debate where one takes a point of view.
• Punctuation – symbols used in language to help give meaning to texts.

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 Time 8 hours
You are expected to spend 8 hours to complete the activities in this unit.

Study skills
Scanning –this is essential when identifying key points from a passage or any
material that requires the use of the skill.
Note-taking –will help you keep a record of all key points that you will need as you
listen to a speech and it will also help you select relevant information.
Note making – as you read passages and texts, this skill will help you pick relevant
information even for study purposes.
Purposeful listening – will help you select relevant information as specified by the
task you will be carrying out.

23.1 Anxious Days

You have been exposed to a variety of listening skills from Unit 1 to 22. Now
you should be aware that listening is an active process, a process of making
meaning from what is heard. As a result, it is a very important function in all
learning processes. Is there any difference between hearing and listening? Crazy
question isn’t it? Do they mean the same? Anyway, let me try to separate the
two words. Hearing is simply an act of being conscious that a sound has gone
through the ear while listening is something you deliberately choose to do. It
requires concentration so that your brain processes the meaning from the words
or sentences heard. With this explanation you will agree with me that at times
when someone talks to you, you don’t listen but hear. Is this true? You are having
your studies in a very unique way where you have no or less interaction with a
teacher. It is quite possible that you can also read on your own but fail to process
or understand the meaning of the words you are reading.

In Unit 6,9 and 13 you had activities on purposeful listening. Do you still remember
some hints you were given in Unit 13 on effective listening? If you have forgotten
you can refer to this Unit on sub-heading 13.1 under Listening Comprehension.
In this Unit, we will continue to focus on selective listening in order to guide your
listening skills. You will carry out dictation exercises to effectively practice on this
skill. Selective listening is what happens when you only see and hear what we want.
Your mind has to focus on your intention, this calls for discipline. The activities you
will carry out will be through dictation.

What do you understand by the word “dictation”? You have met it on several
occasions isn’t it?

Dictation is saying or recording words with the intention of writing them down later.
Simply, put, one writes down what someone has said. One person dictates, the
other taking dictation writes down the words as they are spoken.

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In Unit 17 you did a dictation exercise where you had to summarise a very long
passage that was dictated to you. In this Unit, you will listen to a short passage and
write it out as it is through dictation. Find someone who is fluent in reading and
who has correct pronunciation to read the following passage for you.

Activity 23.1.1
• Listen to the passage “Anxious Days” as it is read for the first time.
• Pick key and unfamiliar words and ensure you spell them correctly.
• Listen for different pauses as well as punctuation.
• Listen to pairs of words that need to be hyphened in order to separate the.
• Listen to the passage read for the second time and carefully write down
every word.
• You will need speed and accuracy.

Listening passage
Under the dark clouds, Thoko felt a cold halo around her head. She dashed to
the bus stop, her numb-gloved fingers clutching a black umbrella. Her satchel of
books in one hand and her umbrella in the other, she peered through the thick
rain-filled fog. Two flickering headlights advanced slowly towards the bus shelter
where Thoko waited. Pulling up, the bus screeched like an old wooden door,
splashing mud and water everywhere. Thoko jumped onto the bus and it took off
immediately. She held the metal door with one hand and the umbrella and satchel
with the other.
(Adapted from: Focus on English 2: Students Book by Jenny Yon: Published by
College Press)

You have finished writing the exercise by now. Now let the one dictating to you
read for the last time while you make any changes and corrections you may think
are necessary. Did you manage to spell and punctuate correctly, if not, have more
practice to minimize errors.

23.2 Describing events

When we go out to visit relatives, tourist resorts, weddings and other places of
interest, rarely do we go with all people around us. When we return from these
places, we have a strong feeling of sharing what we saw or encountered with our
relatives and friends. There is need to give detail to our reports so that the people
who did not attend the function or did not witness the incident have a vivid picture
of what we also have. How can that be achieved? Try to use the five senses, that is
the sense of touch, smell, taste, hearing and sight. This will make your description
appeal to the senses of your audience by seeing what was happening, smelling,
tasting the food that was prepared and so on.

You will have to use the descriptive language you have learnt and applied in your
writing skills.

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 Activity 23.2.1
Think of one of your childhood experiences that fascinated you and write a
description of the event.

Read your description over again loudly in preparation for a presentation to your
friends. I hope you made the presentation so fascinating that your friends will be
excited as you were.

Activity 23.2.2
Visit a place of interest in your neighborhood, it could be a shopping centre, a
bar, church gathering or any place that is likely to create an event. Make your
observation and take down notes. Describe the event to a friend and then give a
title to the description and write it out in your work book. While it is a speaking
exercise, it will also develop your composition writing skills.

We hope you managed to describe the event, giving all the necessary details to an
extent that your audience felt they witnessed the event.

23.3 Angels of Mercy

You have read a great deal in this module. Each unit had something for you to
read which was either extensive reading or intensive reading. Are you now able to
tell the difference between the two? In Unit 8 and 13 you read different texts that
are not part of your comprehension passages from textbooks, these were prose
and drama. You still have to read poems and plays written by various authors to
appreciate the language of literature. Your reading becomes extensive because
you read widely from different sources. However, in intensive reading you read a
given text and answer a variety of questions to show that you have understood the
passage. In this Unit you will read a passage and show understanding by taking
down notes and writing a summary. Of course you will get some questions to show
that you have understood the passage.

Activity 23.3.1
Read the following passage silently so that you can answer the questions that will
follow.

1. Shortly after dusk on February 26, 2000 Sofia Carolina and her family were eating dinner
in their humble clay and thatch home in rural southern Mozambique. Her husband
was away working in the capital, Maputo. Sofia, 24, was heavily pregnant with her
third child. They were discussing her impending journey to hospital when, seemingly
from nowhere, the rolling brown waters of the flooding Limpopo River 5
reached their tiny village.

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2. The eight adults carrying three children waded panic-stricken in the dark towards two
large trees, scrambling up them just in time to escape a roaring wall of water that
instantly swamped their land. The torrent swept away their home, livestock, crops
and what few other possessions they had. 10

3. That night, and the next two days and nights passed in terror. Sofia and her family
were trapped in trees by raging waters that spread as far as the eye could see. They
watched horrified as the bodies of people and animals floated by.

4. Starving, blistering under the sun as the storm clouds cleared, and unable to sleep
for fear of slipping into the water, they passed the time keeping each other awake, 15
comforting the children with songs and praying for help. On the second day, exhaustion
overcame the 70-year-old Niasse Mabuiango, Sofia’s husband’s grandmother. She
succumbed to the rising flood.

5. Sofia kept her baby Benete,2, strapped to her back with a blanket but the hungry
toddler cried constantly and weakened steadily. Her daughter, Celina, 5, was in the 20
other tree and Sofia worried that she might tire and fall.

6. Hopes for salvation soared when men from a nearby village came by boat. But they
refused to help because this family had no money. At dawn on the third day, they
heard the sound of rotor blades and saw a helicopter flying across the water.
They cheered and waved, but it sped by. 25

7. At that moment, Sofia cried out. Her contractions had begun. She urgently needed
help but she only had her tiny son Benete and a teenager Sonja with her. Her brother-
in-law Carlito,30, bravely dived from the other tree into the water and swam towards
Sofia’s group. After coaxing them down, he helped the two young women and a
baby across the 10 metres of turbulent water to the second tree. 30

8. Settled precariously on a branch, and tended by relatives, Sofia bore labour in a

blur of pain. Her pain was so severe it overshadowed even her terror of being perched
above the raging flood waters. “I cannot go on like this!” she cried.
Suddenly helicopters were roaring overhead. Out of heavens had come help.
Sofia’s group was hidden by leaves. People yelled and scrambled up branches to 35
wave at the aircraft, trying to attract attention. “Please God, let them see us,” Sofia
whispered. Her prayers were answered as the choppers turned towards them.

9. Captain Chris Berlyn, 23, and his crew, were flying a BK 117 helicopter, slightly
smaller than an Oryx. They had rescued a man minutes before who had alerted
them of Sofia’s group, but they did not know how best to reach them or that they 40
were dealing with a woman about to give birth. “This is going to be difficult. Those
people are deep in the tree,” said Berlyn, a calm, quiet young man and a talented pilot
who had advanced rapidly to the status of a commander.

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10. He descended slowly, his crew watching out for obstacles and directing him towards
the top branches. Too low and the blades would slice into the wood sending the 45
craft hurtling into the tree. Crew member Sergeant Stuart Buck, 23, slipped on a rescue
belt and was lowered. Pushing aside leaves, he saw nearly a dozen people below and
around him. They included a woman, lying on her side on branches and a wooden
plank, writhing in agony.

11. He grabbed the two children, winched them up and told Berlyn, “I think there is a 50
woman in labour down there.” At that moment, Sofia realized her child had been born.
The pain eased and a crying newborn was placed in her arms. With massive relief, she
knew that – for the moment at least her baby was safe.

12. Buck could not believe his eyes when he went back down to see the woman crying but
happy, with a new born baby. He was a fearless young man. Viewers around 55
the world saw him, during a later rescue, hanging from a 30 metre cable to reach
trapped people. But now he felt a momentary sense of panic. Nothing in his years
of training had taught him how to handle newborns. But after the initial shock, he
quickly regained his composure.

13. Judging that Sofia and her baby were not in immediate danger, the chopper crew 60
decided to leave them for a moment, and bring back medical help as quickly as
possible. After taking a few more people from the tree on board, the South Africans
raced off to Chibuto, 25 kilometres away. There they dropped the rescued at a
camp and picked up a medic, Corporal Godfrey Nengovela. He was lowered into
the tree, where he pronounced mother and child healthy and cut the umbilical cord. 6 5

14. With the baby wrapped in a blanket, Nengovela and Buck spent a few minutes
deciding how to get mother and child on board. Buck took Sofia first, leaving
Nengovela to attend to the baby. Then they took the little girl carefully to the top of
the tree, with Buck holding one hand over the soft spot on her head, making sure she
did not bump into anything. Nengovela held her as they were winched up to the 70
helicopter, into the arms of a relieved Sofia.

15. “She is one brave lady,” Buck told the crew, as she gave him a huge grin. At Chibuto
hospital, the tiny girl weighed 2.3 kilograms. Comfortable at last Sofia said to her
family, “Isn’t she beautiful? I will call her Rosita after her grandmother.” 74

(Adapted from ‘English Today Students’ Book 4: A Comprehensive English Lan-

guage Course’ by E.C. Machingaidze. ZPH Publishers)

The passage is very short isn’t it? However, we hope you enjoyed reading the
rescue operation by the team. Are you now able to answer a few questions on
the passage? That’s right. In this Unit you will be expected to make notes from
the passage. You can only make notes of what you have understood. Answering
questions will help you understand the passage more as you re-read to locate the
answers.

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 Activity 23.3.2.
Read the passage for the second time and answer the following questions
1. What made the water fill up the village? [1]

2. What two actions are mentioned in paragraph 2 that saved Sofia’s family? [2]

3. What losses did Sofia’s family and others suffer? [2]

4. From paragraph 3, what two things terrified them whilst they were up the
trees? [2]

5. From paragraph 4, give a phrase of 5 consecutive words that mean

“drowned” [1]

6. From paragraph 6, what evidence is there that shows that Sofia’s family was
poor? [1]

7. From paragraph 7, what two things make Carlito a brave person? [2]

8. Information given earlier on in the passage makes Sofia name her daughter
Rosita. What are the reasons for naming her Rosita? [2]

9. “….out of the heavens had come help.” Using your own words explain what
that means. [2]

10. Choose five of the following words or phrases. For each of them, give one
word or short phrase (of not more than 7 words) which has the same meaning
as used in the passage.

1. Impending (line 4)
2. Waded (line 7)
3. Strapped (line 19)
4. Soared (line 22)
5. Cheered (line 25)
6. Coaxing (line 29)
7. Precarious (line 31)
8. Overshadowed (line 32)
[20 marks]

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You managed to answer all the questions, isn’t it? Did you have any problems
answering some of the questions or finding contextual meanings of words?
Now that you searched for answers by reading and re-reading the passage, you
must have mastered the passage. Let us move on to another activity which is of
importance in everyday life.

Note Making
In Unit 7 and 19 you discussed and practiced note taking during your listening
skills activities. Do you still remember what was said about note taking? If you
remember quite well, note taking was addressed as a life skill. If something is a life
skill it is an exit package like a pensionable income that will look after you for the
rest of your life. Do you take notes in all your learning areas? Some learners take
notes which they never use for anything. If you do not understand this life skill you
can waste a lot of valuable time writing loads and loads of notes that are unusable.
Notes are either meaningless when you need them for revision or they are lost
because you wrote them on a piece of paper.

In the Units mentioned earlier on, you listened to your friends, audios and news and
you were asked to take notes. In this Unit you will focus on note making. Is there
any difference between the two? Give me the difference. There is a thin line that
separates the two:

Note taking – This is done as someone else is speaking for example a teacher
in class, a lecturer or an employer. You have to be fast and brief
to cope with the speaker’s speed.
Note making – This is an active process where you do not wait for someone to
talk but you take an initiative of writing down important points
from what you have learnt, usually after reading.

As you have heard that note making is a life skill, you will need notes for further
studies, during important meetings, for making presentations and writing
summaries of things you can easily follow and understand when you revisit the
notes. You will use this skill for all your learning areas and even after school.

Points to consider when making notes

• Read or listen carefully to the information so as to understand it fully before
you try to summarise or note it.
• In the same way you do in note taking, decide on the way you choose to
write your notes. i.e. if you choose to abbreviate, it should be the same so
that you are not confused later.
• Making notes from books, you work out the main points and do not copy the
whole paragraph with unimportant points.
• Write headings and sub-headings.

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• Work out the main points in a paragraph.
• Identify the topic sentence of a paragraph and summarise it.
• Use own words as far as possible except for key words.
• Use abbreviations and symbols to save time.
• Do not use articles like a, an, the and avoid adjectives as well.
• Use notes that are clear, brief, easy to read and understand.

Activity 23.3.3
Read this small passage on Vitamins and try note making using the hints you have
read in this section.

Ways through which foods lose vitamin B and C

Vitamin B and C are easily lost through different methods. Vitamin B and C dissolve
in water, therefore if green leafy vegetables are soaked in water, vitamin C will
dissolve in water. Vitamin C also dissolves in water during cooking, therefore, small
amounts of cooking water will minimize loss of the vitamin.

Vitamin B and C are easily destroyed by heat. High temperature during cooking
destroys vitamin. Bicarbonate of soda also destroys vitamin B and C, therefore, if
vegetables such as pumpkin leaves are cooked in bicarbonate of soda Vitamin B
and C are lost although the colour still remains attractive

Vitamin B and C are also destroyed by exposure to light. If vegetable and fruits
are cut up, for example salads, if left exposed to the air, they lose vitamin C. Long
storage of fruits and vegetables also results in loss of Vitamin C. Therefore. Fruits
and vegetables should be eaten fresh and it is best to pick vegetables from the
garden just before cooking.
(Adapted from: Dynamics of Food, Nutrition & Food Service: Zimbabwe Ju-
nior Certificate Course by I. Gweme: Published by College Press)

Now find a suitable heading for your notes and try to write the notes.

How did you find the exercise? Are your notes meaningful and brief? I hope you
did something close to this:
Heading: How foods lose vitamin B and C
• Vit B &C dissolve in water.
• Soaked vegetables lose vit C.
• Use less water in cooking to save vit C.
• Low heat for cooking to save vit B & C.
• Bicarbonate of soda destroys both vit B&C, avoid it.
• Light destroys vit B & C protect fruit & vegetables from light.
• Storage of fruit & veg = loss of Vit. B & C, eat them fresh.

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This is something more like note making, it may not be best but the idea
is to understand the information and write brief notes by paraphrasing and
using abbreviations you understand. These are your notes, write what you will
understand. Take note of examples of shortened words like Vit. for vitamin, i.e. for
that is, three pyramid dots for therefore, e.g. for example.

Activity 23.3.4
Go back to the comprehension passage, ‘Angels of Mercy’ that you read. Read
from paragraph 1 – 8 and write notes. Follow the procedure you learnt in note
taking as well. Re-visit your notes in Units 7,12, and 19. Remember note making
is another way of writing summaries. Your notes should pick key points in each
paragraph so that when you read them you will not miss anything.

I hope you really put all effort in the exercise. Note making will be useful in all your
learning areas.

Activity 23.3.5: Summary writing

The passage describes how captain Chris Berlyn rescued Sofia and her group and
his crew. Write a summary of what the crew did and how they managed to rescue
the group. Use material from paragraph 9 to the end of the passage.

Your summary, which should be in continuous writing, should not be longer than
160 words including the ten words given. Use the grid provided below for easy
counting of words. Begin your summary as follows: “Sofia’s prayers were answered
as the choppers turned towards them….”

(20 Marks)
Section B
Supporting language Structures
Activity 23.3.6
1. Fill in the correct word
Sofia is the woman ………………… baby was saved by the rescue team.
(whom/whose)
2. The men ………………… had a boat could not save lives because of greed
(that/who) [1]

Combine the following sentences using (If/although/because)

3. Granny Rosita was very old. She climbed up the tree. [1]
4. The woman was in agony. She was having labour pain. [1]

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Correct the following sentences
5. The rescue team could not cope up with the work they were assigned to do.
[1]
6. Calirto and his group started discussing about how they would be rescued. [1

Change the verbs in brackets to suitable nouns

7. I will buy a dozen loaves of bread from the …………… (bake). [1]
8. There was great …………… surrounding the visit of the president of China.
(curious). [1]
Write the correct verb tense
9. Our church bell (ring) at nine o’clock every Saturday. [1]
10. The starving chickens (lay) a few eggs until they were given adequate feeds.
[1]
[10 marks]

You successfully completed the language exercise. All questions were a revision
of the Supporting Language structures that you covered in the previous Units.
Go through the language exercises frequently as they help you improve your
composition writing.

23.4 Discursive writing

You have written different types of compositions so far from the previous units, the
narrative, descriptive, argumentative and discursive compositions. You did fairly
well with the guidance that you received in each unit. You should have written
more than one type of each composition and this means you have had adequate
practice in preparation for the pending examinations. In this unit you will have yet
another discursive composition which you wrote in Unit 12.

Do you still remember what a discursive composition is? Yes, remember it is

an informative composition where information has to be accurate so that your
audience or reader remains quite informed. Questions seem to take the form
of debate questions where two opinions are expressed, however, in a discursive
composition, there is no fight but you have to formulate a method of arguing where
different opinions are balanced. You are free to adopt a point of view but making
sure you provide a balanced exploration of the topic.

Tips:
Here are some of the tips on writing a discursive composition:
- Select your audience well, for example, are you addressing your friends,
government, parents or law courts in your discussion?

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There are words and expressions that can be used to help you have a convincing
and logical argument these are:
- one can safely say…
- some argue that….
- research has it that……
- we have looked at points for, now let us look at points against
- in a nutshell

Also consider the various discourse markers you did in Unit 13. Revisit the
Sentence construction section 13.5 and see how best you can use them.

Activity 23.4.1
Choose a topic from the list of discursive compositions below and write a
composition of 350 to 450 words.

1. The advantages of being an only child outweigh the disadvantages. Discuss.

2. Eighteen year olds should not be allowed to vote in national elections. Do
you agree?
3. Girls and boys should be given equal opportunities in education. Do you
agree?
4. Job satisfaction is more important than financial rewards. Discuss.
5. Every learning area should help prepare us directly to do a job in adult life.
How far do you agree with this opinion?

Remember to make a research for the topic you have chosen. Make a list of your
points for alongside with your points against and try to balance the points before
you write. This will make it very easy for you when you start writing. Remember to
give both opinions in one paragraph and use the appropriate discourse markers.

23.5 Punctuation
Punctuation is not a new word in your vocabulary; you have read the word before,
maybe from Primary school to date. You have also done punctuation in various
language exercises and in composition writing. Are you aware that even when you
talk and listen to a conversation, punctuation has something to do with how you
talk and understand the utterances?

What is the role of punctuation in written texts? Can you reflect and write
down the answer since you have punctuated before? We hope you wrote that
it gives meaning to written texts. It also tells us how the sentence should read.
Punctuation marks also divide words into phrases, clauses and sentences giving
meaning to the written text. If not punctuated correctly, a very good composition
may lose marks and result in a failure. In this unit you will go over three types
of punctuation marks which are, the question mark, the exclamation mark and
commands.

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Question Mark
You know what a question mark is, isn’t it? Naturally you know that a sentence
ends with a full stop also known as a period. The question mark is used at the end
of a question. There are a number of words which denote to questions such as:
• Who
• Which
• Why
• What
• How
• Where

A statement that starts with the words above becomes a question but without the
question mark it remains incomplete. Question marks can also be used together
with other punctuation marks as in direct quotations. In this case, the question
mark is placed inside the quotation marks. However, you do not use a question
mark if the question is in indirect speech. Almost always question marks will come
with direct speech.

Example:
Simple question – How old was the boy who was involved in an accident?
Direct - He asked me, “What time did you arrive at the station?”
Indirect - He asked me what time I had arrived for work.

We also have what we call question tags. What are they? These turn a statement
into a question. They are used for checking information that we think we know it is
true
Example:
They do not sell cakes here, do they?
All of them have gone home, haven’t they?

Activity 23.5.1
Can you now punctuate the following sentences using question marks where
necessary? It is unavoidable to meet other punctuation marks. Please correct the
other punctuation marks where possible.

1. Are you free Susan I wonder if you can help me

2. When is the meeting James asked ben
3. Nelson said when is the match due to start it is already half past four
4. She asked them whether they would like to have tea or coffee for breakfast
5. Can you tell me whether this is the road to the zoo the stranger asked
6. I asked him how he was he replied I am fine how is your business
7. We do not want to spend the whole day here do we
8. He wondered whether there were enough textbooks

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Exclamation
The sign “!” is an exclamation. Have you come across it before? The exclamation
mark is used in interjections. These interjections stand for emotions such as
happiness, surprise, shock, pity, fear.

Examples:
“Wow! You look wonderful in that dress.” - surprise
“Stop! Please help! There is a thief in here” - Fear
Note that a capital letter always follows an exclamation mark.
In using exclamation marks, reporting words like
Remarked
Exclaimed
Shouted angrily
Retorted

Activity 23.5.2
Now punctuate the following sentences by putting the exclamation mark where
necessary
1. what a wonderful view she marveled
2. how exciting please go on she exclaimed.
3. oh no take it away at once she screamed
4. what a superb plan he remarked
5. she shouted angrily stop it
6. oh yes I remember very well he exclaimed
7. what a pity the little girl has lost her mother the nurse said
8. congratulations you are a star aren’t you mother exclaimed

How many did you get right? The exercise was a revision of other punctuation
marks as well. Make your compositions live by correctly using some of the direct
speech.

Commands
Commands are not part of punctuation marks as it is with the exclamation, question
marks and many others. Commands are a type of sentence which use the existing
punctuation marks. Commands, as the word implies are also known as imperatives.
Something that is imperative uses force. Commands force you into action without
negotiation as is done in the military. The punctuation marks that are used with
commands are full stops and exclamation marks. The structure of a command starts
with a verb and ends with an object.

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Here are some examples of commands or imperative sentences. Look at the
structure.
- Pass the salt.
- Move out of my way!
- Be there at five.

Activity 23.5.3
Now punctuate the following commands using the various punctuation marks you
have learnt.

1. don’t move raise your hands and face the wall he ordered
2. Search every corner of the house the policeman commanded them
3. put away your books now the teacher ordered
4. don’t talk to me I will have nothing to do with you she shouted
5. write your name and address in block letters he instructed
6. the captain commanded them attention roundabout turn
7. close the door don’t bang it his father retorted
8. take him away and lock him up the judge ordered

Now that you have completed the last exercise of the language exercises, do you
think there is anything you gained in the language structures you learnt in this unit?
Are you comfortable meeting some of these questions in the exam? Continue
revising the structures to also improve in your compositions.

Reflection
You have done all the skills in Unit 23. Most of the activities were revision of
concepts learnt from Unit 1. Are there any important points that you did not grasp
in the listening and speaking skills? Do you now realise the relevance of these
skills in day to day life? Many learners dread discursive compositions, are you
one of them? Did the background information help you to confidently write this
composition? We are very confident that you have had adequate practice in all
areas.

Summary
You learnt about selective listening skills in this Unit for the purpose of dictation. I
hope the activities prepared you adequately for this. In your speaking skills you
should be able to describe events giving all details that appeal to all the senses.
We believe you are now confident to write any type of composition. You read
different types of passages. You should be able to answer accurately all questions
and write error free summaries that have relevant points. It was a fruitful study
period which you did by yourself.

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Expected answers
Activity 23.3.2 Comprehension
1. - It was the flooding of the Limpopo river.
2. - Eight adults had carried three children.
- They scrambled up the trees.
3. - Their homes were swept away.
- Livestock and possessions were swept away.
4. - They were trapped in trees by many waters.
- They watched bodies of people and animals floating.
5. - “succumbed to the rising flood”
6 - They failed to raise money for the rescue.
7. - He dived into the water.
- He helped the women across the water to another tree.
8. - Her daughter’s great grandmother had drowned.
- She named her baby Rosita in remembrance of their grandmother.
9. - Help had come unexpectedly.

Vocabulary
1. Impending coming, imminent
2. Strapped tied at the back, fastened at the back
3. Soared went up, flew high
4. Cheered comfort, gladden, urge
5. Coaxing persuade, gently force
6. Precarious dangerous,
7. Overshadowed overtaken, surpassed
8. Scramble clambering, climb, compete

Activity 23.3.4 Note making

The following are sample notes from the reading passage paragraph 1 to 8
• 20/02/00 Sofia had dinner with family in rural Mozambique.
• At 24 she had 2 children and advanced in pregnancy.
• The next day she was going to hospital on foot while husband was at work in
town.
• Floods start that evening 8 adults carry 3 children for safety in trees.
• Home and livestock swept away, they spend 2 days and 2 nights in trees.
• Human bodies and livestock float as they watch.
• They starve, keep each other awake by singing and praying.
• 2nd day grandmother exhausted falls into the water and drowns.
• Sofia strapped Benete (2) to her back while Celina (5) clung to the tree.
• Villagers come by boat to rescue but they abandon because Sofia has no
money.
• 3rd day a helicopter passes but fails to see them, Sofia starts labour pains.

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• Calito persuades all to move to a bigger tree.
• Labour intensifies, helicopters come, people yell for attention and Sofia
prays.
• Helicopters turn towards them.

Activity 23.3.5
Summary points
1. He descended slowly.
2. The crew watched out for obstacles.
3. They directed him towards the top of the branches.
4. Buck slipped on a rescue belt.
5. He was lowered knocking into the branches.
6. He pushed aside leaves.
7. He saw nearly a dozen people below and around him.
8. Including a woman lying on her side.
9. He grabbed two children.
10. Winched them up.
11. Buck went back down to see the woman.
12. He felt a panic as he did not know how to deal with newborn babies.
13. He gained his composure.
14. They decided to leave Sofia and the baby to bring medical help.
15. They took more people on board.
16. South Africans raced off to Chibuto and dropped off the rescued.
17. They picked a medic.
18. He was lowered into the tree and cut the umbilical cord,
19. Buck took Sofia first.
20. Then they took the little baby up covering the soft spot

Activity 23.3.6
1. Whose
2. Who
3. Although Granny Rosita was very old, she climbed up the tree.
4. The woman was in agony because she was having labour pains.
5. Up
6. About
7. Bakery
8. Curiosity
9. Rang
10. Laid

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23.5 Punctuation
Activity 23.5.1
1. “Are you free Susan? I wonder if you can help me,” asked Mary.
2. “When is the meeting?” James asked Ben.
3. Nelson said, “When is the match due to start? It is already half past four.”
4. She asked them whether they would like to have tea or coffee for breakfast.
5. “Can you tell me whether this is the road to the zoo?” the stranger asked
6. I asked him how he was, he replied, “I am fine. How is your business?”
7. We do not want to spend the whole day here, do we?
8. He wondered whether there were enough textbooks.

Activity 23.5.2
1. “What a wonderful view!” she marveled.
2. “How exciting! Please go on.” she exclaimed.
3. “Oh no! Take it away at once.” she screamed.
4. “What a superb plan!” he remarked.
5. She shouted angrily, “Stop it!”
6. “Oh yes! I remember very well.” he explained.
7. “What a pity! The little girl has lost her mother.” the nurse said.
8. “Congratulations! You are a star, aren’t you?” mother exclaimed.

Activity 23.5.3
1. “Don’t move! Raise your hands and face to the wall,” he said.
2. “Search every corner of the house,” the policeman commanded.
3. “Put away your books now.” the teacher ordered.
4. “Don’t talk to me. I will have nothing to do with you!” she shouted.
5. “Write your name and address in block letters,” he instructed.
6. The captain commanded them, “Attention! Roundabout turn!”
7. “Close the door don’t bang it!” his father retorted.
8. “Take him away and lock him up.” the judge ordered.

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Unit 24 The Ragamuffin
Contents
24.1 A radio interview
24.2 Degrees of formality and informality
24.3 Poetry analysis.
24.4 An article
24.5 Complex sentences

Introduction
We have now covered a lot of ground in the aspects of listening, reading, speaking
and writing. You have befittingly engaged in all of the four language skills equally
well.

In this Unit you will be exposed to some more listening and speaking activities. You
should be able to distinguish between formal and non-formal register.

You will read two poems and answer a wide range of comprehension skill questions
based on the poems. You will also get an opportunity to write your own poem. It is
expected that you will continue to write poems of your own and file them in your
project portfolio. You are going to work on your debate portfolio to build language,
present a speech and write an article based on some given notes.

Objectives
After going through this Unit, you should be able to:
• listen for particular detail
• make use of appropriate register per given situation
• respond to back reference, analysis and evaluation skill questions
• write an article based on a given situation
• create complex sentences by using subordinate clauses and independent
clauses

Key words
Civil – Conforming positively to social expectations/ well brought up.
Diction- The choice of words used in a speech or piece of writing.
Persona- A narrator in a poem or a person narrating the poem.
Inaugural- Something that is happening for the first time but will always be
happening thereafter.

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 Study skills
Self-evaluation –Ability to judge your performance.
Reading aloud – To vocalize poems or read aloud .
Project method-Hands on experience on working on a thematic and ongoing task.
Problem solving- The ability to solve a problem by analyzing it and working
towards its solution.

Time
You are expected to spend about 8 hours to complete this Unit.

24.1 A radio interview

You have listened to interviews before. You may even have had the opportunity
to be interviewed. However, in this section you will get an opportunity to listen
to a radio interview and set out your own interview scenario. A radio or television
interview normally has two people, that is, the interviewer and the interviewee. The
interviewer can be a programme presenter and the interviewee can be a person
who is knowledgeable on some topical issue, an important figure in the society or a
celebrity.

Find two friends who will read out the following short interview as you listen. One
of your friends will be RP and the other KZ. RP represents the radio presenter. KZ
represents a well-known dancer known as Kwaito Zimunhu.
RP: Good morning Kwaito and welcome to our meet the people slot. You can
greet all Zimbabweans
KZ: Morning to you. Morning amaZimbabwe amahle!(Good and pleasant day
Zimbabweans.) Ngiyalithanda lonke! (I love you all)
RP: Tell us more about yourself
KZ: Well I was born KZ in 1990, did my primary and secondary education in
KoBulawayo. I am single but not searching. That’s all.
RP: Anything particular you would like Zimbabwe to know about your career and
profession.
KZ: Of cause yes! I am a dancer by profession. I am the director of Amaboys
Dance Group. We perform at weddings, funerals, parties you name it and we
perform as per event.
RP: If people want your services where can they find you?
KZ: 0987654321
RP: It seems you are so brief and you actually mean business. OK. Your last word
to the listeners.
KZ: Talking is not my business but dancing is. One love, one peace. Meet you on
the dance floor.
The end.

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As you listened to the interview, what have you learnt? You should have discovered
the following:
(a) Speakers are brief and to the point.
(b) There is use of ellipsis i.e. the omission of certain words e.g. In the statement
“seems you are brief…” the word “It” has been omitted at the beginning of
the sentence.
(c) There is mixing of languages.

This is how people would normally speak. At times they interrupt each other before
one speaker has finished asking a question or answering one. Now do the following
activity.

Activity 24.1.1
Imagine you are a radio and television presenter for a local radio and television
station. You have been asked to interview the Minister of Health on the success rate
of a national programme on HIV/AIDS mitigation. Write your interview schedule,
i.e. the questions you would ask your guest. Your friend will be the Minister while
you ask the questions.

For your portfolio

Think about different interview situations that you may likely come across in life.
It could be an interview for a job or to join an established choral group, just
for example. Identify two interview scenarios and imagine yourself to be the
interviewer. Prepare interview schedules that will cover some of the following
aspects:
• Interviewee’s educational background
• Career progression
• Hobbies
• Life achievements

After finishing this work, show your friend before you file in the portfolio file.

24:2 Degrees of formality

There are many circumstances where you will need to be formal in your speaking.
There are a few words that will help in achieving formality.
The words are: please, ‘may I, would you, kindly’
Let us look at the following examples.

Example 1
1. May I leave the classroom Sir?
2. I am kindly asking to be allowed to leave the classroom.
3. Would I be allowed to leave the classroom?
4. Please Sir may I leave the classroom?
5. Would you kindly allow me to use your dictionary?

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The above statement and questions and are very formal ways of requesting. You
have to note however that at times the use of the above words may not necessarily
mean that the speaker is formal. Take a look at the following examples.

Example 2
1. Kindly give me your dictionary.
2. Allow me to leave the classroom please.
3. I have to go to the dinner dance please because everyone else is going so
give me the money.

The above statements show that the speaker is arrogant, rude and disrespectful.

Therefore, for a speech to be formal, a speaker must show due respect to the
person spoken to. A respectful attitude must be evident. Politeness must also be
evident. If this is the case, then the speaker can be said to be civil and very formal.

Now do the following activity to show your understanding of formality and

informality.

Activity 24.2.1
Change the following statements to show that the speaker is civil and very formal.
1. I want to go to see my friend right now. I need bus fare.
2. These days denims are cheap mom so why can’t you buy one for a good
son?
3. Sir you have left the door unclosed.
4. It’s unfair to have one’s corrections unmarked Sir. Look!
5. Tomorrow I won’t make it to school Sir.

24:3 Poetry: The Ragamuffin

In this section you will be exposed to poems. A poem is a composition in verse
form. Just as authors write books, so do poets write poems. A collection of poems
is called poetry. After reading the poems, you will be expected to analyse them.
Some questions will be used to test your comprehension of the poems at the same
time helping you to analyse them.

The following are some of the key features of a poem.

1. Form: This is the general structure of a poem. Usually a poem is written
in lines which are equivalent to sentences in compositions. The lines
are normally grouped into stanzas, which are similar to paragraphs in
compositions. It is important to note that a poem may not necessarily have
to be divided into some stanzas as a poem can have only one stanza.
2. Subject/Theme: Every poem has a theme or themes. Poets write to convey
different messages, which become the themes. It is important to be able to
identify the intentions of the poet in the poem. The intentions can be direct
or indirect.

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3. Tone: This refers to the particular mood created by a poet. The diction
helps achieve this. Some poems may portray a jocular, humorous, friendly or
sorrowful mood.
4. Diction: This refers to the choice of words used by the poet. It is essential to
observe what type of mood is created by different words.
5. Imagery: This is the creation of a mental picture by using words, which have
effects on people’s imagination. Refer to Unit 22 for some more information
on imagery.

Poem A
The following poem was written by Pastor A. Mbanjwa (Pseudonym) in 2015. He is
a teacher in one of the secondary schools in Zimbabwe. Mbwanja likes to reach out
to readers as he delivers his poetry of social consciousness.

The street Ragamuffin

It woke up
One step to the left
Defecated there
5 And just stood and went
No cleansing
Two steps to the right
A tiny morsel of bread in the bin
As tiny as an ant
10 Is transferred into the mouth
Electrically gobbled and guzzled
Down the drain of a dry mouth
Whose teeth are mere metal sheet grinders
For they cannot be teeth
15 Rust has invaded them
And a foul stench ensues from the mouth
Like the uncleansed mouth
A car stops at an intersection
It arrives
20 Electrically bombards the door
A thin emaciated hand protrudes
From a heap of cloths bundled on the hand
And asks for alms
Gets a bottle of water
25 Quickly imbibes
And asks for more of any kind
Any pattern
And gets all and sundry
Which the stomach accepts stoically
Breakfast, lunch, supper
Are all the same
That’s the pattern for the whole week
5 The whole month

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 Perennially
Age takes its toll
But that is its life
The road urchin
10 The street ragamuffin.

Activity 24.3.1
Now attempt the following questions.

1. a) What does the word “it” in line1 refers to? (1)

b) What does the word “it” in line 17 refers to? (1)
2 “Electrically bombards the door” line 16. In your words say what “it” was
doing. (1)
3 What effect is created by the use of the word electricity in
a. Electrically gobbled and guzzled (line 9)
b. Electrically bombards the door (line16)
Number your answers (a) and (b) (2)
4. Give your own views why you think the poet wrote this poem. Support your
answer (5)
5. From the poem, identify;
a. simile
b. visual imagery
c. personification
d. adverb
e. adjective (5)
6. From the poem find a word that would mean throughout the year. (1)
7. In your own words, explain the statement “rust invaded them”. (2)
8. a) What can you say is the tone of the poem? Is it jocular, sad, pathetic or
sympathetic? (1)
b) Why would you say so? (1)
9. Write a paraphrase of the poem paying particular attention to the concerns
raised by the poet. (5)

TIP: Concerns are issues. These can be themes or lessons which you think the poem
teaches.

Now you can read poem B.

Poem B

Tinotenda G. Hakuna wrote this poem in 2015. He was then a student and School
Captain of Mutiweshiri Anderson Adventist Secondary School in Wedza District of
Mashonaland East in Zimbabwe.

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 The Colour of my brain
Judge me not by the
colour of my skin
But by the shade of my brain
Though I’m skinny,
It doesn’t mean
5 I have water in my
Veins

Know I I’m Star
Not a Star
Judge not me
10 by the things I can’t do
For it is in not doing those
That I am.

April 18
Was just but the beginning
15 Of a new era
Terror
is what we have
Beating our own
With a sjambok
20 What an error.

Why do we celebrate it
The error, the terror, the era?
You only but see
Where we err,
25 Where we take a wrong path
When we take the correct
Down your chest YOU WASH IT!

Trouble us thee
30 In purple perplexity
In indigo cumbersomeness
The scarlet of wrath unfounded
Doomed in the eavesdropped sphere
Of a spherical square,
35 Which thou tryest to round
But why?
Star G Hakuna

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Vocabulary
sjambok: (pronounced ‘shambok’) A stout whip, especially made of rhinoceros hide
used here as a symbol of oppression.
perplexity: Puzzlement.
cumbersomeness: Hard, difficult, demanding to handle or get around with or
awkward
eavesdrop: To hear a conversation one is not intended to hear; to listen in.

Activity 24.3.2
From stanza 1
1. Find an adjective that describes the persona. (1)
2. When writers change the order of words in a sentence, it is called inversion or
poetic license. Find a statement whose order has been changed. (1)

Stanza 2
3. “For it is in not doing those that I am”. Say what the persona means. (2)

Stanza 3
4. Identify any three words that rhyme. (3)

Stanza 4
5. Why do you think the words “you wash it” are written in capital letters?(2)

Stanza 5
6. List three words that denote colour. (3)

Activity 24.3.3
For your portfolio
Write your own poem to inspire Form four candidate who will be sitting for an
English Language Examination.

Tip: Some of the following words and expressions can be used in your poem:
endure, explore, prove, wish, work hard, extraordinary, scholarly, studious, book
worm, guarantee, success, make hay while the sun shines, procrastination is the
thief of time.

24.4 An article
In this section we are going to look at a school magazine article. You have done
articles in other units. Reflect back and see if you can remember what an article is.

Activity 24.4.1
Imagine you are the captain of your senior school soccer team. Your team was
invited to compete in an inaugural regional 12 nations soccer tournament and won
the competition resoundingly.

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Write an article for your school magazine giving details of your journey to and from
the venue and how you finally won. Use some or all of the following points. You can
add your own ideas.

• Left country by road and arrived at mid night

• Teams were in four groups
• Our team was in a group of death
• Qualified for the quarter finals and the semi finals
• Final match graced by the President of Botswana
• Prizes and awards

Tip: You will identify that the above notes do not give information about the
following: the dates of the tournament, where it was held, (although it can be
deduced from the notes) food and other provisions, the teams you played against,
etc. It is therefore important that you provide the information as your own ideas.

Remember to create a heading as well as the initial paragraph (introduction) from

the wording of the question. Study the following example.

Example 24.4.1
Senior soccer team shines in inaugural 12 Nations Tournament
By Acne Damasane

Our school senior soccer team was invited to Botswana for the Inaugural 12 Nations
Tournament. Here are the details of our travel, our stay in Botswana and our
exploits in the soccer field.
You can now write your own article.

24.5 The complex sentence

When sentences are classified by purpose, they fall into four types. Do you still
remember these? What type of sentence is the preceding sentence? Of cause it is a
question. We also have a statement, an exclamation, and a command.

Sentences are also grouped into three other categories by their structure. These
categories are the simple sentence, the compound sentence and the complex
sentence.

Simple sentence: Mafavuke passed the driving test.

Compound sentence: Mafavuke passed the driving test and was congratulated by
the instructor.
Complex Sentence: Mafavuke passed the driving test after he had sat for it for
many times.

A Complex sentence is developed from a Simple sentence. It has one Independent

clause and one or more Dependant clauses which supply additional information.
In the above case, the Simple sentence is: Mafavuke passed the driving test.

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The Dependant clause is: after he had sat for it for many times.
The other name for the Independent clause is Main clause and the other name for
Dependent clause is Subordinating clause.

Activity 24.5.1
Now that you have been exposed to different types of sentences, I want you to
join the following pairs of sentences into complex sentences.

1. The Chinese built the bridge. The heavy rains had swept it away.
2. The President visited China. The Chinese pledged support.
3. Josephat Dinki received an accolade. He had passed with outstanding
colours.
4. Sibongumusa is a very pretty girl. Sibongumusa lost the beauty contest.
5. The town clerk was arrested. His case of embezzlement is still pending.

Tip: It is also important for you to remember that an Independent clause contains
a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought. This clause can stand on
its own and does not need any help. A Dependent clause needs help and as such
cannot stand on its own. On its own, it has no meaning.

Example
1. Most students, who pass with distinctions, study for long periods of time.
The Main clause is: Most students study for long periods of time.
The Dependent clause is: who pass with distinctions.
Imagine somebody comes up to you and says “who pass with distinctions?”. Will
you be able to understand him or what he will be saying? Truly not. This clause
needs help and cannot stand on its own as a sentence. Therefore it is a Defendant
clause.

Example
1. Because bread is now expensive, many families have resorted to having rice
for their breakfast.
2. Because the English Language Module is user friendly, most non-formal
learners will use it without the assistance of a teacher.
3. Even though the cold spell has ended, Sihle still suffers from flu.

Activity 24.5.2
Now in the following sentences, identify the independent and the dependent
clauses by underlining the dependent clause and writing the independent clause in
capital letters.

1. Although it is sometimes the least expensive, one cannot enjoy a meal

without salt.
2. Since independence, the government has been building schools.

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3. Despite the xenophobia prevailing there, South Africa is a prosperous
country.
4. Other than the shop, as well as the bar, Betty owns a fleet of taxis.
5. Mr. Khumalo is a giant whom you cannot push.
6. Tell Nqobile to e-mail me tonight if you see him.
7. The head teacher was present when lightning struck his office.
8. The eagle flew above the tree when it had spotted a chick.
9. Before the timetable was finished, teachers just attended lessons without any
order.
10. When the bell rang, students rushed out of the classroom at once.

Extension work
In the definition of a complex sentence, you learnt that it has one or more
subordinating clauses. The two types of subordinate clauses are adjectival clauses
and Adverbial clauses.

Adjectival clauses
These normally begin with relative pronouns such as which, who, whose, whom and
that.

Example
1. The caretaker, whose house was burnt to ashes, has been offered
accommodation by the Priest.
2. Justice Khupe is the teacher whom you saw preaching.

Adverbial clauses
Adverb clauses begin with subordinating conjunctions such as when, so that, as,
after, if, because and since.

Example 24:5.4
1. If you succeed, you must come for the first practice session.
2. When river beds dry, children can cross easily.

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 Activity 24.5.3
Now go back to activity 24.5.2 and identify the Adjectival clauses and the
Adverbial clauses used in the sentences. You can then complete the following table
appropriately.

Sentence no. Adverbial clause Adjectival clause

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Reflection
This unit has to an end, did you enjoy the radio story? Call you try to recall what
you heard and share with your friend using the appropriate register. For the
first time in this module, you also encountered poetry. Was it engaging? What
difficulties did you experience in understanding the poem? Now that you learnt on
complex sentences, continue to construct more of these using both subordinate
and independent clauses. Remember to record these in your notebook.

Summary
In this Unit you learnt about interviews and how to conduct one. You also learnt
about formal ways of politely requesting for something from someone. A demand
is different from a polite request. You also learnt about poetry. Different poets write
their poems for many reasons. Some write to educate others and some may write to
make the society to be aware of good or bad situations existing in the community.
You also wrote a poem of your own. It is expected that you shall continue writing
poems on different subjects. This Unit also presented an opportunity for you to
write an article based on some given notes. It is important to amplify the given
notes and credit is given for adding your own points. You also learnt about
sentences, in particular the complex sentence. Good writers vary their sentence
types and sentence length in their compositions.

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Answers to activities in Unit 24:The Ragamuffin

Activity 24.2.1
1. Excuse me. May you kindly give me bus fare to go and see my friend? Could
I have bus fare to go and see my friend?
2. Mother, may you buy me a jacket?
3. Sir, may you kindly close the door?
4. Excuse me Sir, my corrections are unmarked./ Excuse me sir, is it possible that
you mark my corrections?
5. May I be allowed to be absent tomorrow?/ Excuse me Sir, I am asking for
permission to be absent tomorrow.

Activity 24.3.1
1. To the Ragamuffin
2. To the Ragamuffin N.B to the car would be an incorrect answer
3. Knocking at the car door
4. (a) quickly ate/ the speed of the eating
(b) quickly and noisily knocking at the door
5. own views allowed as long as they are supported from evidence from the
poem
6. (a) simile- as tiny as an ant
(b) visual imagery-thin emaciated hand
(c) personification-stomach accepts stoically
(d) adverb-quickly, stoically, perennially
(e) adjective-road urchin, foul stench, tiny morsel, street ragamuffin
7. perennially
8. had suddenly become all rusty
9. tone is sad, pathetic, sympathetic. Shows a person who has turned into a
scavenger,
Is very dirty, thin, emaciated, in tatters, begging for alms
10. paraphrase to portray an old street urchin, kitchen and toilet the same,
scavenging for food
lacks privacy/sense of privacy is non-existent, smelling mouth, rusty teeth,
approaches motorists begging for food, has no defined meals and meal
times

Activity 24.3.2
1. Skinny
2. Judge me not
3. His personality has been shaped by avoiding certain things
4. Era, error, terror
5. For emphasizing that there is no appreciation at all
6. Purple, indigo and scarlet

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 Activity 24.4.1
Sample article

Our school senior soccer team was invited to Botswana for a 12 nations soccer
tournament.
Hereunder are the details of our travel, our stay in Botswana and our exploits in the
soccer field.

Activity 24.5.2
1. Although it is sometimes the least expensive, one cannot enjoy a meal
without salt.
2. Since independence, the government has built many schools.
3. Despite the xenophobia prevailing there, South Africa is a prosperous
country.
4. Other than the shop, as well as the bar, Betty owns a fleet of taxis.
5. Mr. Khumalo is a giant whom you cannot push.
6. Tell Nqobile to e-mail me tonight if you see him.
7. The head teacher was present when lightning struck his office.
8. The eagle flew above the tree when it had spotted a chick.
9. Before the time table was finished, teachers just attended lessons without
any order.
10. When the bell rang, students rushed out of the classroom at once.

Activity 24.5.3

Sentence no. Adverb clause Adjective clause

1 although
2 since
3 despite
4 other than
5 whom
6 if
7 when
8 when
9 before
10 When
8
9
10

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Unit 25: Summative Assessment: Examination
Practice
Contents
25.1 General examination guidelines
25.2 Paper 1 Mock Examination
25.3 Paper 2 Examination guidelines
25.4 Paper 2 Examination
25.5 Comments for the whole examination

Introduction
Congratulations! You have finally made it to the final Unit of the Module. Take a
moment and reflect on your journey from Unit 1. What can you say about your
experience in composition writing, comprehension, and language structures? Are
there any specific areas which you found very challenging such that you had to
spend much time to grasp them? We sincerely hope that you got enough help
and learned a lot such that by now you are ready for the assessment work in this
Unit. If there are any grey areas which you think are still a problem to you, you may
give yourself extra time to revisit those parts and do thorough revisions before
you embark on the examinations. In this Unit you will be exposed to a typical
examination situation. Remember at the end of the learning period you will be
expected to write an examination which will be part of your summative assessment
in this curriculum. Therefore, this Unit serves the purpose of introducing you to
the components and structures of the two papers that you will sit for at the end of
the year. You will be given tips to use in attempting the questions. You will also be
given instructions to follow when writing. These will be explained clearly to you.
Two examination practice papers were set in Paper 1 so that you have a complete
experience of the different types of questions you may be expected to write on
in this paper. In Paper 2 only 1 sample question was given because the structure
and content is similar to all the practice questions you have in this Module.
Therefore utilise the five hours strictly for writing then the remaining three hours
are for assessment, checking and writing corrections. The most important thing
is to understand the final tips you are given here as you get ready for your final
examination. If you fail to understand any instruction or tip, we encourage you to
read slowly and repeatedly try to apply it until you are clear on what it means. Read
the objectives below and internalise them as you go through the Unit to check
whether you are achieving these objectives.

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 Objectives
After going through the Unit, you should be able to:
• construct correct English sentences
• read a variety of texts for knowledge and recreation
• evaluate information given
• read and understand texts or any form of communication in English
• use grammatical conventions appropriately
• write meaningfully on a variety of topics
• use skills acquired for creative writing

Key terms
Free composition writing: These are types of compositions where the writer writes
continuously using the discovery strategy to encourage the development of ideas.
The writer is free to use his own style that she/he deems appropriate or fitting.
Guided composition writing: These are the types of compositions where learners
are supplied with some content to use in writing a specific composition. For
example, you may be given points to use in writing a speech. It is called guided
because the composition you are writing is based on given information not
anything you may want to write.

Time: You must do work in this unit in 8 hours

Study skills
Attentiveness: ability to listen especially to instructions and follow them
Being time conscious that is, doing lesson activities in the stipulated time.

25.1 General examination guidelines

You have learned a lot in English Language and according to the English Language
syllabus for Ordinary Level, you are well equipped with listening, speaking,
reading and writing skills to sit for the final examinations. You are also ready to
use a combination of these skills to produce texts in English Language. Now, with
all this knowledge, it is the requirement of the syllabus that an examination be
administered on you to ascertain whether you acquired these skills and you can use
them in life. Therefore, this section has been included to cover composition writing
as per the final examination at Ordinary level.

You will be given typical examination questions on the two sections of Paper
1,namely free and guided compositions. Refresh your memory on the types of
compositions you did throughout this Module from Unit 1. Do you still remember
how to narrate a story? Can you describe vividly? Do you recall the reports, articles
and all the other types of compositions you learnt? It is compulsory that before you
get to the examination questions, you must have a clear understanding of all the
types of composition to be set in Paper 1. So, revisit the writing sections and read
about compositions.

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25.1.1 Guidelines for Section A: Free Composition Writing
First of all we want to help you with guidelines for section A of this Paper. This
is the free compositions section. Normally, seven topics are set and you will be
expected to choose one and then write a composition of about 350 and 450 words
in length on that topic. The topics usually include narrative, narrative-descriptive,
discursive, open ended and expository essay topics. You did all these in the Module
remember. What are the examiner’s expectations for you in this section? Below
you have been given a clearly explained list of the expectations:

You are to use correct grammar in your essay. Remember grammar is quite a broad
term. For example, all punctuation, spelling, sentence construction and all parts of
speech are aspects of grammar. You should be cautious about these when you are
writing so that you use them correctly. Many people who failed English Language
did not fail because of the lack of knowledge but because of carelessness which
leads to too many errors in written work hence loss of marks.

You are expected to stick to the word length because anything below the limit
invites a penalty. This means your essay should have at least 350 words. In addition
to this, you must choose a topic and type of essay that you are familiar with and
you find easy to handle. You must make sure that you have knowledge about the
subject you are going to write about.

These compositions are marked out of thirty (30). Follow instructions which are
the parts highlighted in bold as they are very important. ‘Either’ ‘or’ means you are
supposed to answer one question not both.

25.1.2 Guidelines for Section B: Guided Composition writing.

It is sometimes referred to as a situational composition. Throughout the Module
you were given intensive practice on several types of compositions you may
encounter in section B. Do you still remember them? Can you list them on a piece
of paper? These include reports, articles, memos, formal and informal letters,
speech and accounts. In this section of the Paper you will be given a situation which
you will be expected to read and understand before you write because it guides
you on what you are supposed to do.

Pay attention to the opening sentence in the situation since it always introduces
the whole situation in summary. It informs you about the whole situation. In the
situation you must also identify the type of composition that you are supposed
to write. You should know before you go to the pegs because each type of
composition in this section has its own unique approach and format. For example,
you did report writing and speech writing; are their formats and style similar?
Definitely no! A report is usually based on past events and therefore you will always
use the Past tense when writing a report yet in a speech you may use any tense that
is relevant and fitting.

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In addition to the above, remember a situational composition may be based on
points, a picture or a series of pictures, graphs, tables, charts and any other source.
You must analyse and interpret these correctly. Do you recall how to tackle any
composition that is not based on notes? Refer to the units for revision. The most
important thing you must do is to study all he given information and relate it to the
situation. This is the process of interpretation that involves comparing details given
to identify how they relate to each other. When you have analysed and you are
satisfied that you understand the situation and the pegs in relation to the question,
you may start writing your composition.

All compositions in this section have formats that are unique. So, as you write make
sure you use the correct format.

25.1.3 Important instructions you need to follow:

• You are supposed to answer two questions. One from section A and the one
from section B.
• You are advised to spend 50 minutes on section A and 40 minutes on section
B.
• Read all instructions carefully because if you assume that you know them you
might miss a very important instruction that perhaps is new.

Now that you are well equipped with examination requirements, you have to
attempt the following model examination questions under the conditions of a real
examination. Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed during the course
of the examination. Also find an exercise book which you will use as an examination
writing pad. All your examinations must be in the same book for safe keeping and
revision towards year end when you will be preparing for your final examinations.
The maximum number of examinations that you should write in a day is two. So,
this means you must take one paper per component per session. This gives you a
total of two papers a day.

Do not overload yourself because this will compromise your performance in some
examinations. Refresh and be ready before you start any paper. Make sure you get
a good night’s sleep and rest so that your body and brain does not fail you maybe
as a result of fatigue. You are your own invigilator so set your time and begin!

25.2 Paper 1 Examinations

25.2.1 Examination 1: English Language Paper 1

Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Instructions to candidates
Answer two questions
Answer one question from section A and the one from section B
You are advised to spend 50 minutes on section A and 40 minutes on section B

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SECTION A (30 MARKS)
Write a composition on one of the following topics. Your answer should be between
350 and 450 words in length. You are advised to spend 50 minutes on this section.

1. Describe a school celebration you attended [30]

2. Write an original story based on one of the following statements:

Either (a) I had never thought that he would deceive me [30]

Or (b) The day I almost died was the day I learnt how to live [30]

3. Early Childhood Development (ECD) is abuse to the little children. Do you

agree? (30)

4. The dreadful day. [30]

5. Write a story in which failure to fulfill a promise led to suicide. [30]

6. ‘Access to the internet is the cause of moral rot in the youth.” Discuss [30]

7. Reconciliation. [30]

SECTION B (20 MARKS)

Answer the following question. You are advised to spend 40 minutes on this
section. Begin your answer on a fresh page.

8. There are several cases of theft that have been happening in your school.
As the head/boy of Plumtree high school, you were tasked to carry out a
research on these cases in your school. Write a report to the police outlining
the cases of theft. Where possible suggest solutions. Use some or all of the
following points.

• Burglary in the tuck shop

• Generator missing
• Students threatened
• Shortage of security guards
• Fencing around hostels [20]

General comments
When you have finished the examination, read the following comment to help you
assess your work:

This is the end of the first examination in Paper 1. Did you finish this examination
within the given time? Finishing a composition means you wrote, proofread and
edited the two essays. Is this what you did? If you did then that is very good of
you because editing removes mistakes and errors hence increasing your chances

205
of passing. If you failed to finish then you need to improve because invigilators
in the final examination will not give you additional time for writing. You must
establish the reason why you failed to finish and try to work out a solution before
you proceed to the next examination. Which section gave you problems? How can
you overcome the problem? One way is referring back to the unit which can help
you. If it is a matter of writing speed then you need more practice in composition
writing. To help yourself, you may find another topic here or in the units you studied
and write a timed practice test. This test must be a single essay typical of either
section A or B. The idea here is to finish writing a composition in the stipulated
time. For example, in section A you must write and finish in approximately 30 to
35 minutes then reserve 15 to 20 minutes for proof reading and editing. In section
B, 10 minutes is enough for proofreading and editing. When you are done you can
proceed to the next examination.

25.2.2 Examination 2 : English Language Paper 1

Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Instructions to candidates
Answer two questions
Answer one question from section A and the one from section B
You are advised to spend 50 minutes on section A and 40 minutes on section B

SECTION A (30 MARKS)
Write a composition on one of the following topics. Your answer should be between
350 and 450 words in length. You are advised to spend 50 minutes on this section.
1. The house I want to live in. [30]

2. Write a story based on one of the following statements:

Either (a) If only he had admitted early enough … [30]

Or (b) She looked at him and said, “I don’t know what to do now.”[30]

3. Boarding schools prepare boys better than girls for life after school. Do you
agree? [30]

4. Write about an incident when your team was cheated during school sports
competitions. [30]

5. What can the government do to get rid of street kids? [30]

6. Loneliness. [30]

7. Equality between men and women is not achievable in Africa. What are your
views? [30]

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Section B (20 MARKS)
Answer the following question. You are advised to spend 40 minutes on this
section. Begin your answer on a fresh page.

8. You are a journalist working for a Writers Media Company. You have been
presented with records for Bulilima District pass rates for Grade 7 pupils.
The graph below is a summary of what you have come up with pertaining to
how the primary schools, at Grade 7, performed in the past four years in this
district. Study the graph carefully.

Write an article to be published in a national newspaper describing

the performance of Grade 7 pupils in this district. Give reasons for the
performance in your article and also suggest possible solutions. [20]

Comments on this Paper

When you are done with this examination, read the following comments again to
help guide you as you assess your work:

How was your second Paper 1 examination? This time we hope you managed
to finish because of the practice you got after your first paper. Did you write an
informative article in section B? If we could give your article to someone who has
not seen the graph or does not know anything about Bulilima, do you think after
reading your article he/she will be well informed about the performance of Grade 7
pupils in this district? Read your article again. You may as well ask a different person
to read it to you then you ask him/her questions such as “What did you learn about

207
Bulilima from the article.” The detailed or shallow responses will show you whether
the article was very informative or not respectively. If it seems as if your article did
not communicate, consider rewriting it after a second analysis of the question. After
refreshing and resting, you may move on to the next examination.

25.3 Paper 2 Examination guidelines

The first examinations you wrote gave you a feel of what an English Language
examination is like. In as much as Paper 1 basically tests English Language as a
skill, Paper 2 also focuses on the same aspect and skills. In Paper 2, the main focus
is on comprehension so take time to understand every bit of detail you read in
this paper. You have been reading comprehension passages in this Module and
perhaps you had time to also read widely, the same approaches you have learnt
and practised using must be implemented in this examination. That is, you must
skim quickly through the passage to get the idea of what it is about. Once you are
content with the meaning of the passage, read the questions in their chronological
order beginning with those from the first paragraph. Try to store them in your mind
then re-read the paragraph from where they were set. If you get an idea you think
best answers the question in your mind, read the question again and then write
down the answer. You must be sure that the answer you have written best answers
the question. So, help yourself by reading the question and the answer quickly
again before you move to the next one. Comprehension answers must be precise
and concise – precise here meaning exact and specific to the demands of the
question; concise meaning brief and short. Despite being short, they are detailed.

Pay attention to every word or phrase that is written in bold. The reason why it is in
bold is to emphasise its importance. If you ignore it your answer may not score. For
example, there are questions where you are required to answer ‘in your own words’.
If you simply copy a statement from the passage as your answer it does not score.
These are the steps you should follow to answer a question where you have to use
your own words:
• First read and understand the question. If possible try to rewrite the
question in your own words. You will remain with a straight forward
question.
• Find the answer to this straight forward question . The answer is always
in the passage and make sure you do not leave out any important part
of the answer.
• Refer to the question for the number of marks it is worth: if it is worth
one mark it means you must recast the one key phrase or word. If it
is worth two marks it means there are two key words in the statement
that carry meaning which you must explain in your own words.
Therefore, the number of marks gives you a clue on the parts or words
that should be explained in your own words.

1. Read around the sentence with the answer to understand what was
happening so that you explain the words contextually. Write your answer
substituting the key word or words in the sentence.

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Tip: In some cases you will be given the statements which you are expected to put
in your own words. If the statement is given and you are asked to explain it in your
own words, do you think you still have to start with step number 1? Certainly no!
You start from number 3 where you identify the number of marks the question is
worth and the key words in the statement and continue to number four.

In several Units you did word meanings based on comprehension. Refresh your
memory on what you learnt. These word meanings require contextual meanings of
words – you must define them in the way they are used in the passage. Remember
you may as well substitute the difficult word with another word that you find fitting
in that particular sentence.

You were conscientised on the need for correct grammar, spelling and punctuation
in Paper 1. So, in this paper as well you must be cautious enough because any
error in grammar may lead to loss of marks. Do you want to lose marks because of
carelessness? Definitely no! Your words must also be legible and clear.

You have also been writing summaries and we believe you are ready for this coming
paper. What important aspects should you consider when writing a summary?
Reflect on this before you proceed. Remember you were given guidelines and tips
on summary writing so refer to those Units to run through what you learnt. The
most important thing is to understand the question and underline all the key parts
so that your answer is fully relevant.

Section B of this paper is Supporting Language structures. Which Parts of speech

do you recall studying in this Module? List them down starting from nouns. Any
of these will be set as part of the paper in section B. Questions in this section are
usually set in context. This means that the comprehension passage is used as a
source. So, you must read and understand each instruction before you attempt
questions in this section.

You are armed for Paper 2 now. Do not forget what you studied and learnt during
the year in your Module. This examination needs knowledge of the whole syllabus.
Remember to read and follow instructions. The number of marks will always guide
you on the answer you must give. The one instruction that is repeated in this
paper emphasises the importance of correct grammar. Therefore, be sure that your
spelling, punctuation and grammar are perfect in every answer that you wrote.
Proofreading each answer immediately after writing it is important. Proceed to your
first examination now.

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25.4 Paper 2 Examination

Time 2 hours
Instructions
Answer all questions in the spaces provided in the question and answer book-
let using black or blue pens.
Shape all your letters very clearly
The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part
question.

SECTION A [40MARKS]

Read the following passage very carefully before you attempt any questions.
Answer all the questions. You are advised to spend not more than 1 hour 30
minutes on this section.
Mistakes in spelling, punctuation and grammar may be penalised in any part of
the paper.

(In the passage an old school photograph helps Don Makatile mourn for his once
active school friend, whose life is now slowly wasting away from AIDS.)
1 The picture in the album makes me cry in a way I have never wanted to cry
about anything before. It shows three schoolboys, as happy and carefree
as life in the 1980 form 2 class could allow. The faces are clean and healthy,
untouched even by the teenage scourge of acne.

2 The school uniform in the picture shows the elegant dress of the time: grey
trousers worn together with sky-blue long-sleeved shirts. The shoes were
the fashionable Pathfinder, black, that revealed a modest glimpse of the
famed nylon socks. The scholar in the middle, wearing a navy blue blazer, is
someone I have known almost all my life-and right now he is slowly wasting
away-succumbing to the ravages of AIDS.

3 He lies in bed waiting for the proverbial call from Heaven. We have all been
waiting with him, for eight long painful months. Once or twice I have thought
about the wisdom of the Dutch government in legalising euthanasia or mercy
killing. There is no denying that my dear friend would be better off dead.
Just the other day I witnessed his sister, another good friend of mine, trying
to feed him a bowl of soft porridge. It was a futile exercise. His mouth made
movements that had nothing to do with eating. The white stuff dribbled out
of his mouth and some of it came back a nauseating yellow colour.

4 This is the same companion who used to feast on greasy potato chips-junk
food. I remember he particularly liked avocados squashed inside a half loaf of
bread. He was the type who spoke with food in his mouth. This picture of him
I particularly find difficult to erase from my memory.

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5 Now, because of the ruthless affliction, he cannot chew a meagre bowl of
maize-meal soft porridge. I tried to bath him the other day. It was a scary
experience. Each time I put the damp cloth anywhere on his frail body, an
animal like sound escaped his body. Do I call it a mouth? There is no word to
describe it, for his mouth has become a place for the gathering of every type
of blister. It is pitiful.

6 This is the friend we went to the golf course with to make a few extra cents.
He is the athlete we swam with in the stream formed by the murky water
flowing after a heavy rainfall. We almost incurred the wrath of our parents.
He is the fellow who, with the rest of us, forked out ten cents to bribe an
unscrupulous cheap thug who would not admit us through an opening in
the perimeter fence made of corrugated iron, at Orlando Stadium. I recall
once we went to Parkie with him for the first time in our young lives and were
taken aback by the magnificence of the roofing. Other railway stations had
no such luxury.

7 I walked the length and breadth of downtown Johannesburg with him,

especially Market Street, in search of cheaper stores. I went to Fordsburg
with him to the movies. We played amateur soccer together long before the
advent of international soccer in South Africa. We were always top of the
noise makers list at school.

8 He is the same person, Lord. How do we reminisce when all he does is grunt?
How do I tell him I love him, so he can take that with him where ever he is
headed? Like the rest of the careless city boys, he had a multiple of casual
relationships, especially in the so-called safe days, when the worst that could
happen to anybody was venereal disease. Yes, there is nothing for me to
hide anymore. His were more of freelance relationships. An educated man,
he later heard about HIV/AIDS and the folly of casual relationships. I vividly
remember the time we had Education for Living lessons. Every aspect of life
was genuinely treated in these lessons – HIV/AIDS included. Now AIDS is
killing my friend. Could there be some strange and obscure way he could
have contracted this deadly disease? All I want now, and desperately, is that
he should die. I do not think that makes me a bad person. He should depart
so the merciless gossip can go with him. He should die so the picture I am
left with should be the one in my treasured photo album, and leave me
memories of how good a soccer player he once was.

9 Every day of my life something within me dies when I visit him. I see how
cruel Aids can be. My heart bleeds for the youngsters who still think parties
and casual relationships are the best things to have happened in this century,
when the reality is that people are dying alone in back rooms, in terrible pain
and humiliation. I have slept in his bedroom a few times before and it did not
always smell this foul. I have seen him naked a few times and though he was
naturally slender he has not always been this skeletal.

211
10 I have devoured almost every newspaper article I have found on HIV/AIDS
and I am tired. I long to read something as light as a love story, preferably
one before the days of AIDS. Nothing heavy. Is it a sin to want a funeral this
badly? I hope God understands.

11 I keep the photo of my friend in a special album. Even my wedding album,

bought just after the big day in April 1998, already has a few dog-eared
pages – not this one! Someone told me that one day when a museum is
built in Kagiso, the growing township on the West Rand where I come from
this album should be among the items on display. He observed that it was
full of dead people. I do not keep it for this reason, though it is true that the
bulk of the faces that smile at me as I page through are dead. I keep it to
immortalise the cherished years of my youth. Sometimes I use it to remind
my troublesome nephew I have not always been thirty-six. I was streetwise
once and, like him, I deluded myself into thinking I had answers to most of
the world’s problems. I think it is good for him to know I did not have the
answers, just as today’s young folk do not have the answers either. No one
has any easy answers to the challenge of HIV/AIDS.

12 But what the young folk need to know is that while the road to AIDS starts
at the wild funky parties and leads to all too easily to quick senseless, casual
relationships, it ends where my friend is now; in darkness, pain and ugliness.
The photo is now wet with my tears. It fascinated my son to see his macho
dad also has a weak side. Has he already intimidated to his friends his newly
discovered interesting story, I wonder? No matter – with one thousand six
hundred new HIV infections every day, mine are far from being the last tears
that will be shed on the subject.
Adapted from: “Please die, old friend”; an article by Don Makatile in Drum, 11
January 2001.( Zimsec Past ExamPaper )

Answer all questions.

Write your answers in the spaces provided.

From paragraph 1
1. (a) How does the picture affect the author? [1]

From paragraph 2
(b) (i) “the scholar in the middle…..” (Line 8) To what does the word
‘middle’ refer? [1]

(ii) Explain in your own words the meaning of ‘succumbing to the

ravages of AIDS.’ (lines 9-10) [2]

212
From paragraph 3
(c) (i) ‘…waiting for the proverbial call from Heaven.’ (Line 11) What is he
waiting for? [1]

(ii) What does the expression ‘futile exercise’ (line 16) tell you about the
attempt to feed the author’s friend? [1]

From paragraph 4
(d) Why does the author find it difficult to erase from his memory, the
picture of his friend speaking and eating at the same time?[1]
Total [7]

From paragraph 10
2. (a) ‘Is it a sin to want a funeral this badly?’ (Line 65) Give the two reasons
that the author advances earlier on in the passage for wishing his
friend dead. [2]

1]
From paragraph 11
(b) (i) Explain in your own words the major reason given by the author for
keeping the photo album.[2]

(ii) Find the other reason why the author keeps the album.[1]

(c) What similarity does the author draw between himself in his youth and
his nephew? [1]

From paragraph 12
(d) The passage ends on a despairing note. Give two reasons for the despair.
[2]

From the whole passage

(e) Choose five of the following words or phrases. For each of them give
one word or a short phrase (of not more than seven words) which has
the same meaning that the word or phrase has in the passage.
1. Scourge (line 4
2. elegant (line 5
3. particularly (line 20
4. scary (line 24)
5. taken aback (lines 34-35)
6. advent (line 39)
7. Bulk (line 72
8. intimated (line 83) [5]
Total [13MARKS]

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3. The passage describes the writer’s anguish over his friend, whom he has
known for almost all his life, now dying from AIDS.
Write a summary to clearly bring out the contrasting situations between the
present sad condition in which his friend is, and the good times they had
together.
Use only material from paragraph 5 up to the end of paragraph 9.
Your summary, which should be in continuous writing (not note form), must
not be longer than 160 words including the 10 words given below.

Begin your answer as follows:

My friend’s present ruthless affliction does

not allow him To

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SECTION B (10 MARKS)
Answer all the questions.
You are advised to spend not more than 30 minutes on this section.

4.
(a) The italicised phrase is misplaced in the following sentences. Rewrite the
sentences correctly placing the phrase.
(i) The man fell over a rock running across the bridge.[1]
(ii) We heard the telephone ring while watching television.[1]

(b) Choose the correct verb to complete each sentence

(i) In which side of the bed (do, does) my friend lie.[1]
(ii) Everybody (knows/know) that HIV/AIDS has no cure.[1]
(iii) The boys (sat/set) a beautiful picture on a stand in the room.[1]

(c) Punctuate the following sentence correctly.

(i) Adolescence is a stage of experimenting but it but if one fails to
manage himself the results may be very bad.[1]

(d) Identify misspelt words from the following sentences and spell them
correctly.
(i) We desperately clung on my friend’s bed reminiscing about our
past. [1]
(iii) Most of the city boys who continuously involve themselves in
freelance relationships are at risk of contracting the virus.[1]

(e) Choose the correct pronoun from the ones in brackets to complete the
sentences.
(i) (Who’s/Whose) magazine is this? [1]
(ii) (Who/Whom) were you discussing? [1]

25.5 Comments for the whole examination

When you have finished writing this examination, read the following comments.
They will help guide you as you assess your work.

Did you finish this paper in two hours? If you managed then that is good. You
must continue doing so in the next examinations. Be careful not to write hurriedly
without much concern on the correctness of your answers and neatness of your
presentation. If you did not finish then you must be able to identify your problem.
What is it that made you fail to finish? Is it because you read very slowly? Where do
you think you used more than the stipulated time? When you have identified your
area of concern then find units which can help you improve it. If for example you
read slowly, then it means you need more practise in reading. Refer to parts of the
Module that can help you.

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Reflection
Can you reflect on the Assessment Unit you just studied? Were the free
compositions challenging or they were fairly easy? What about the guided
compositions? Think about what you learnt in this unit concerning paper one and
two. Do you think you have mastered the tips to use in the two areas? If not then
revisit the Unit and keep yourself abreast with these guidelines.

Summary
This was your last Unit in the Module but its importance need not be over
emphasised. Be careful not to underrate it since it mainly consists of examination
practice questions. Did you apply what you learnt throughout the Units you went
through? If you did then you are assured that you have grasped something. If you
did not then you need to ask yourself why. You were introduced to Paper 1 which
focuses on free and guided composition writing. We hope you wrote your best
composition ever? You were also given guidelines on how to attempt paper two
questions which basically have comprehension, summary and supporting language
structures. You wrote an examination with these aspects. Continue revising your
work in this Module especially if there are areas which you do not understand.
Remember practice makes perfect.

Answers to section A(comprehension) Unit 25: Summative Assessment:

Examination Practice

1. (a) It makes him cry.

(b) (i) The sick friend.

(ii) Succumbing- wasting away/Giving in/surrendering/ Yielding to
Ravages means damages/severe effects / bad results
Example of a complete answer: Giving in to the severe effects of AIDS.

(c) (i) Death

(ii) It was useless/ the friend did not eat/ His mouth made movements
that had nothing to do with eating.

(d) It reminds him of his friend’s sharp appetite/ It reminds him of his
friend’s love for food.

2. (a) i) So that the picture he is left with is the one in the photo album.
ii) So that the merciless gossip can go with him.

b) Major reason according to the passage is: “He keeps it to immortalise

the cherished years of his youth.” So, the underlined words are the
ones that should be explained in your own words.

Immortalise means keep alive eternally/ preserve for a long time/ eternalise
Cherished means dearly loved/ adored/beloved/memorable

Example of answer: To keep alive eternally the dearly loved days of his youth.

ii) To remind his troublesome nephew that he has not always been
thirty-six.

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 (c) Both deluded themselves into thinking that they had answers to most
of the world’s problems.

(d) (i) Great emotional effect as many are yet to die from the epidemic.
(ii) Increase in new infections everyday meaning trouble continues.

1. Scourge means affliction/

2. elegant means beautiful/fashionable/smart
3. particularly means especially/mainly/mostly/chiefly
4. Scary means frightening/
5. Taken aback means surprised/shocked/amazed.
6. Advent means dawn/start/beginning/introduction
7. Bulk means many/most/majority/greater part
8. Intimated means told/shared/

Summary points
1. Chew a meagre bowl of maize-meal soft porridge.
2. His body is frail.
3. His mouth has become a place for the gathering of every type of blisters.
4. We went to the golf course together to make a few extra cents.
5. We swam in the stream formed by the murky water together.
6. With the rest of us, he forked out ten cents to bribe an unscrupulous
thug who would not through an opening in the perimeter fence made of
corrugated iron at Orlando stadium.
7. We went to Parkie with him for the first time in our young lives and were
taken aback by the magnificence of the roofing.
8. I walked the length and breadth of downtown Johannesburg with him.
9. I went to Fordsburg with him to the movies.
10. We played amateur soccer together long before the advent of international
soccer in South Africa.
11. We were always top of the noise-makers list at school.
12. All he does is grunt.
13. He had multiple casual relationships.
14. We had education for living lessons together.
15. Now, AIDS is killing my friend.
16. His room now smells foul
17. He is now skeletal.

Answers to section B
(a) (i) The man running across the bridge fell over a rock.
(ii) While watching television, we heard the telephone ring.
(b) (i) Does
(ii) Knows
(iii Set
(c) (i) Adolescence is a stage of experimenting, but if one fails to manage himself
the results may be very bad.
(d) (i) Desperately
(ii) Continuously
(e) (i) Whose
(ii) Whom

217
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