Bgcse English Revision Notes (Final)
Bgcse English Revision Notes (Final)
Bgcse English Revision Notes (Final)
Acknowledgements
These Revision notes are a product of many people who have worked hard to see it
ready for the use of Botswana open University learners. Botswana open University
wishes to acknowledge contributions from the following:
Writers
Puna Hubona
Setshego Phuu
Content Editor
Lesego. R. Pelotona
Editor
Mmaserame David
DTP
Masole Otukile
Table of contents
Letters
Curriculum Vitae
Reports
Testimonials/Reference
Memorandum
Savingram
As you already know, BGCSE English Language is a 2 year course that is taken by
Senior Secondary students who are preparing to go to College, (form 4” s and form
5s). The course is very demanding and quite loaded. You need self-discipline,
dedication and commitment. At the end of the two years, you are expected to write 2
papers (Paper 1 and 2) which will make your final grade.
1. Remember that the main aim is to help you to use English competently and
confidently on daily basis for communication. You must have acquired 4 basic
skills which are: reading, speaking, listening and writing to communicate well
and to be able to function in a variety of situations including further studies.
The BGCSE English Language examination basically checks your ability to read
comprehend any piece of writing presented to him.
You should be able to write an essay on any given topic so skilfully and creatively.
Therefore, at the end of the course you will be assessed on two things;
Write a long essay of 350-500 words based on your own choice of question. In this
section, you choose either a narrative, a descriptive, informative, discursive or
argumentative topic. You must spend 1 hour in this section. The choice of questions
LESSON 1:
NARRATIVE COMPOSITION:
1.0 Introduction
The word “Narrative” is derived from the noun “narration” which means to tell a
” story”. So the learner must be able to tell a story, thereby appropriately giving
a detailed account of incidences/ events that had occurred in a particular
setting (time and place) in the chorological order. The story again gives full
descriptions of certain characters /people involved in the story, their
appearances , thoughts, and actions and behaviour as they interact with each
other or with the world around them.
In the story there is a dominant theme which relays a particular message and
the learner must be able to highlight that theme as he keeps on writing.
For example, in Things Fall Apart, an African novel by Chinua Achebe, the
story is about how the traditions of the indigenous people in West Africa were
diluted and destroyed by the western culture. Through the life of Okonkwo (the
main character) and others, some of the traditions were broken apart, and the
Ibo tribe was greatly affected by this. Okonkwo fought for their culture and tried
to influence others to join in the fight but to no avail.
Therefore, in the same way, the learner must create his own storyline based on
the topic he has chosen and follow the same pattern as it is done in the
example above.
a) Topic 1: The day I was unfairly treated has the key words as ‘’
unfairly’’ and “treated “. So the main incident is the treatment the
writer received and how unfair it was. You must clearly show the
understanding of these two key words.
In the sample essay below the writer was called at the office by the
School Head to account for exam that was not run at the expected
time. The events follow one another so well. The topic is addressed.
You will realise that the events are differentiated by time and place.
So in actual fact the learner must be able to write the narrative in
continuous prose, using time and place as your basis for
paragraphing. Each paragraph focuses on a particular incident at a
particular time and place.
Monty, Catherine and I were colleagues, all in the same department of English
in Lobone Secondary School. Besides we have been chosen to form the form
4 Panel, which was responsible for scheming for the whole term and setting
the tests and exams for all the form fours in the school every term. However,
Catherine had been a problem in the panel. She always missed work and was
not very cooperative. On this particular day Catherine decided not to show up
at the department, however the form 4 test was due for writing the next day, in
the morning at 0800 hrs. The three of us had to share the work equally.
Amongst the 650 students, each one was to have 216 papers to staple and
package in the envelopes. Monty was the smart one out. He took his lot and
packaged it. The other remainder was there lying on the table, waiting for the
two of us, me and Cathy to finish working on it. On the dooms day, the papers
were not prepared and Cathy was nowhere to be found. But the time had run
out. The students did not write the paper at that time. The Senior Teacher
was also not in that day and since I was responsible for the Panel and the
senior member in the department, I was brought before the School Head in his
office to answer for all this mishap.
“Ms Pheto, how could you be so irresponsible and neglect your work?’’ The
school Head said angrily. ‘’You could have made sure your panel had done all
the work the day before the exam.’’
“Madam, I did my part and Teacher Catherine did not show up to do her work”
I responded.
‘’It doesn’t matter; you could have made sure all the stapling and packaging
were done before you left the office yesterday. You are the most experienced
teacher and you are aspiring to be the Senior Teacher. Are you not? I am
going to write a warning letter for neglecting your duty’’. She said.
I could not help it but cried and left the office unceremoniously, so ashamed of
myself. I was apologetic for my actions. I felt the school head had personal
vendetta against me. The people who were to be questioned or blamed were
Catherine and the senior teacher. It is said that every dog has its day. I will
not leave this issue lying low I swear. One day someone else will be crying,
not me. I thought
QUESTION: Now write the story on one of the remaining topics above and
show the plot.
There are different approaches to the narrative writing. The following are among the
few approaches that you can use as a learner.
For example;
‘’On the 9th August 2018, I was felt so unfairly treated by the School Head. She
called me to answer for other peoples’ mistakes, in her office.’’
When the main incident is mentioned, then one can go back in time to state the
cause of all the problem, then go on to talk about the time during and after the
incident
You can use the exact words someone had said during the course of time to
start your story.” E.g.’ ‘’How can you be so irresponsible? “The School Head
said angrily.
“Every dog has its day.’’ This means there is day in which everyone
experiences some kind of bad luck in his life. I was that person. She was
supposed to the one in trouble that day but instead I was the one.
I said this in my conclusion, but also I can use it to introduce my story.
NB. Learner, you must know that every language has its own set of idioms. You
should not use the idioms from your mother tongue as if they for English. Learn the
English Idioms by yourself. Refer to other sources such as :
https://www.easypacelearning.com/ ,https://www.theidioms.com/ and others.
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One can use a very dramatic scene to introduce the topic. This means that he
starts with the incident that would appeal so much to the senses of the reader.
The reader can actually form a picture in his mind about it.
The school head’s office was adjacent to our department, she called me and
when I entered the door, there she was, looking like a real female black
hippopotamus on the day its calf was taken. She had her spectacles below the
eyes and could not show any smile on her face. I came in, so fidgety and
shaking terribly like the weakling I was. She stood up and began to push the
chair she was seated in and roared!
When you read the description about the School Head in the paragraph above, you
can imagine in your mind how she looked. It is said she looked like a hippo. This
means her looks were terrible and very intimidating. So you can tell why she looked
like that and why she was roaring like a lion.
You have seen how you can approach the narrative composition and make it more
interesting. Let us see if you have learnt something.
QUESTION
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Just like any other story, a narrative composition must have characters. Two types of
characters are; the main character and the minor character(s). The main character is
the most important role player in the story. He keeps the story moving and every
event is affecting him one way or the other or is about him directly. When the story
finishes the character’s role ends. He dies, wins or disappears in anyway. He must
be there till the end.
In the simple story above, “I” or the writer is the main character. He is the one
unfairly treated and goes through punishment. He is greatly affected here.
Others are minor characters. This Means they just came in to play their roles at a
particular time and go and they will not be there until the end of the story. People like
Monty, Catherine and the School head.
Your story must show this main character clearly. It could be you or the other person.
The person displays certain behaviours or a personality which leads some
incidences the story.
The Theme
The Main theme in this story is about unfair treatment at work. The Purpose of the
story is to show how life can sometimes be so unfair and that anyone can be
affected by it, one way or the other. The Lesson you have learn is that you should
expect this treatment sometimes and up to you to choose how you respond or react
to it
Paragraph Development
1. Verb tenses.
In most cases the story speaks about past events, therefore the learner must
use the past tenses i.e. the simple past, the past continuous and present/ past
perfect tenses in the bulk of the story.
(v) She had been kicking the ball – past perfect continuous
2. Pronouns
Depending on the question, you have to determine which pronouns you can
use to show the position of the narrator. You can be either part of the story or
not be involved in any way. In other words in the story, depending on who is
your main character and what he is doing, you may decide to use the 1st, 2nd or
3rd person pronouns accordingly.
The use of idioms and proverbs are common features in the story. They enrich
the story and make it most interesting. You must have a vast knowledge of the
English Idioms and their meanings in order to use them appropriately in your
story.
Example
“Mpho had a slight hitch in the school. He could not finish his assignment; little
did he know that he was going to face the music when he got to the school.
He was severely punished.’’
4. LITERARY TECHNIQUES
a) Flashback
Example:
b) Suspense
N: B
For Example:
“You are so irresponsible and you’re neglecting your own work. You
could have done the job earlier on; look at what you have done”.
The school Head uttered this angrily. ‘’ You are now in trouble Mr
Monyera. I swear.”
The words used are too strong and threatening. Besides the speaker
showed too much anger and the respondent is either too afraid or angry
himself, thereby making the environment too tense for both of them. The
most important thing for the story teller is that he should be able to
punctuate the speech well and also to use it for effect in the story.
1. Points to note:
a) Place inverted commas round the words which are spoken.
b) Start a new paragraph every time the new speaker comes in.
c) Start the paragraph with the direct speech then explain or
comment on the speech later, to emphasis the point.
Exercise 1.
Write your own speech in one paragraph and insert the inverted commas
wherever necessary.
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Exercise 2
Write the narrative composition on any one of the topics below and use the direct
speech as the introduction.
(1) Write a story which ends with the words; ‘…… and that is how the thief was
eventually caught.’
(2) The strange thing that happened to me that changed my life for better or for
worse.
NARRATIVE TOPICS
Choose one topic from the following and write a story on it. Your story must be 350
– 500 words long.
1. Write an original story based on one of the following:
Write a composition on ONE of the following topics. At the head of your composition,
put the number of the topic you have chosen. You are advised to spend one hour on
this section and write 350 to 500 words. Remember to check your work when you
have finished. Ten minutes is for checking.
1. Jealousy
2. Describe the day you were unfairly treated either at home school or at your
work place.
3. Write a story based on one of the following:
Either a) “I did not mean to do it; I was coerced”. She said apologetically”.
OR
b) “I am sorry I can’t help you now, you could have come earlier.” Said the
manager, as he closed the door behind him.
5. The sale of alcohol and other toxic drugs must be abolished in a country
(discuss) Do you agree ?
Begin your answer on a fresh page. You are advised to spend about 30 minutes on
this section and write 200-250 words. 5 minutes is given for checking your work
after you have finished.
You went to the cattle post to check your father’s cattle and you found that several of
them were missing. On your way back you saw two men driving some cattle to the
village. You realised that two of those cattle belonged to your father and that the
men were actually stealing them. You called the police to come arrest help arrest the
culprits and investigate the case further. Write a clear report to the police using the
points below:
i) Your arrival at the cattle post. Description of the two men you met on your
return driving the cattle.
LESSON 2
DESCRIPTIVE COMPOSITION
2.0 Introduction
Descriptive essays deal with different kinds of descriptions such as description
of people, places and events. In this lesson you will discover that all these
descriptions discuss the nature, origin and behavioural pattern of one thing or
the other. The difference comes in what is being described and the appropriate
register used. In this unit you will learn about the language of descriptions
(adjective and adverbial words or phrases one can use in this own description.
Descriptions create a mental picture of what has been experienced or seen. It
must appeal to senses and convey strong clear impressions of what has been
described.
In the paragraph above the description shows how Derbie feared and fled
after seeing someone through the window staring at her. The look on the
face of that strange figure is so scary. One can vividly picture this face in
his mind, and Derbie fleeing.
Exercise 1
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The description of a place is one of skills required from you, in case there
is an examination question he has to answer regarding this. You have to
implore all the skills in creative writing so that you come out to be an all-
round person who is able to tackle any question in the exam. In the
description of a place, you should include the following:
For example:
D. Common features in Lobatse- It is known for its delicious meat from Botswana
Meat Commission, the Tannery or the Dairy farm industry.
E. Your opinions- Lobatse at the rush hour- very busy – too many cars,
congested road- few roads- Rush /peak hours; 06: 00 hrs to 0 800 hrs, 12:00
hrs to 14:00 hrs, 1630 – 1830 hrs. Shops and bus rank – all crowded, too much
noise from car hooters, and people shouting at and calling each other, busy
people in the market are buying and selling, advertising their products.
F. Contrast – at the rush hour- not as busy as the city but so prevalent crime in
the shops. Young boys steal /shoplift from the shops. Rough driving on the
road (drunken driving) The A1 road is always busy to Gaborone or Mafikeng.
Exercise 2
Using the notes above write the description of the town at the rush hour.
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For example – “The Wedding I attended”. In this topic you focus on describing
the following:
The learner must be able to describe in detail all incidents that occurred at the
wedding, and create an impression on the reader, whether it was a good
enjoyable event or a strange and bad one that left everyone amazed, shocked
or happy.
In other words, the plan is such that incident follow one another in a
chronological /sequential manner.
In every aspect of the wedding the learner must describe, the people, the
atmosphere and the mood in that wedding, to set the tone of the events. e.g.
How the couple looked like, what was the Marriage Officer saying and how he
was speaking. Rely on the use of appropriate and varied adjectives and
adverbs. Here are some of the adjectives you can look at.
In this sentence the words in italics, ‘’ small, black and leather’’ are adjectival
words of size, colour and material respectively. So we know the type of the
jacket found in the room.
Many other things can be described the same way or have other aspects
included in the description. Having said this, let’s look at the general and basic
aspects of our descriptions.
a) Colour- black
b) Size - small
c) Material- leather
d) Age - old
e) Shape or design - short- sleeved
f) Origin - Italian
g) Opinion – beautiful etc
All these aspects and many others distinguish things and the learner must be
able to use the appropriate words to describe one thing or the other in
sentences or in the whole composition. Two or three words can be used in one
sentence but one must be able to arrange them in their proper order to convey
the intended meaning. Here are examples of some of the adjectives you can
use.
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81vp1TD57YL._AC_SX466_.jpg
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81vp1TD57YL._AC_SX466_.jpg
EXERCISE 1
Fill in the blank spaces with the relevant adjective in each sentence below.
E.g.
10. I liked to wear _____________ shoes when going for special events.
2.7 Adverbials
An Adverb is a word that qualifies a verb e.g. He walks slowly
Examples
http://learningglobalenglish.blogspot.com.es/2014/03/adverbs-of-manner.html
Exercise 2
2.8 Conclusion
The Descriptions vary from time to time as one uses different words or phrases
to convey his knowledge of a particular thing or the other. So the words and
phrases used form an impression on the reader, either good or bad so it is very
important How you use such words to Convey an intended meaning.
LESSON: 3
AN INFORMATIVE COMPOSITION
3.0 Introduction
From the word “Informative” we get the noun “information” so the composition
is meant to give information or factual knowledge of how things work. For
example:
In this topic, you must be able to write about different modes of transport in his
own country. He knows the facts about them, from observation, experience, or
from research. However, the student must plan his composition in such a way
that all parts of the question are answered. For example
This is basically the plan of your composition. Each point can be discussed in
one paragraph so with this topic the candidate may end up having 5 or more
paragraphs.
LESSON 4
ARGUMENTATIVE COMPOSITION
An argument can start between two people, and the intention of each person is to
win the argument. Therefore the topic should always be controversial and allows
each person to defend their stand with valid and concrete reasons for or against the
topic in question.
For example:
Some people believe that capital punishment means rightfully granting justice to the
offended, therefore it should be done. Others believe that capital punishment is
cruelty and a sin to man and God. Legally killing another person is still against
humanity and God. Therefore, should not be carried out, under any circumstances.
So you as the learner must be able to take a stand in as such as topic and prove
your points convincingly.
Cruelty It is a deterrent
Conclusion 5. conclusion
human
rights
cruelty
Definition
violated
of
terms
CAPITAL
Capital
PUNISHMENT
M UST
BE
punishment
ABOLISHED
Must be abolished
Impact
on
family
Conclusion
CP
affects
population
After the student has made his plan, he would be able to use the points therein
to develop his composition. The key point is how you expand those points. You
should be able to organise your composition in paragraphs. Each paragraph
has one point to discuss. For the topic above, one can come up with 4 or 5
paragraphs depending on what he has in mind, and how much details he has.
4.2 Language
In an argumentative essay, language or the words to use for the argument
depend on the topic itself. More importantly the writer must be able to connect
his arguments very well between sentences and paragraphs. So the rightful
use of the connectives is very important.
4.3 Connectives
Look at the examples below:
Exercise 1: Copy and complete the sentences below in any sensible manner.
There are many possible alternatives.
Exercise 2
Write a composition on one of the topics below:
LESSON 5
SITUATIONAL COMPOSITIONS
1.0 Introduction
The situational composition describes a situation i.e. an incident that had
occurred. In this context the learner should be able to answer the questions
below;
Besides the description, you must also consider the style of writing and the
format that you should use, for example if you write a formal letter; you have to
know the format of a formal letter. In this section again you are given some
guidelines which form the basis of your writing and you must strictly adhere to
them and not add any extra details. So basically the you write the full
composition by expanding the points you are given.
b) Police report
c) Official report
6. Testimonials / References
Each of these types has a format and the guidelines to follow. Each year one of
them is used for the part B of the paper. But the learner has to prepare and know
about all of them. We shall discuss each aspect of them extensively in this booklet.
Section B of Paper 1 (Directed writing) you can be required to write any of the items
discussed in this lesson.
Letters
This is a letter to someone you know or you are related to him. The language
is so informal or casual because you are used to that person.
Layout/ format
a) The address
The letter has one address. On the top – right hand corner of your page
eg.
Lesedi Thuto School
P/bag 13
LOBATSE
b) The Date
The date comes after the address, a full date after skipping the line e.g,
25th January 2019, not 25/01/2019
c) Salutation
Since you know the person you’re writing to, it’s best you address him/her
by the name, or depending on how close you are to him, you can use
some titles or informal nicknames eg. Dear mummy, Dear Margaret, Dear
Maggie, etc
d) The Ending
Yours
With Love
Tshepo
3.2 Content
Just like any guided composition. The learner is given points /guidelines to use
in his writing. But on the 1st paragraph, greetings are important. Also in the
conclusion the writer gives his heartfelt wishes, his desires, his plan for the
future and bids the recipient farewell.
A formal letter requires caution when writing. It’s a business letter, therefore
the writer does not have leverage to greet, or prolong issues in the letter. He
talks about business only. He writes to the company or the organisation,
through the officer - in -charge whom he may not know
b) Salutation
c) Title
The formal letter must have a little, with an “RE” at the beginning eg RE:
REQUEST FOR STATIONERY FOR MY DEPARTMENT.
The topic must reflect what the letter is all about.
d) Ending
“Yours sincerely “can be used if one is familiar with the recipient but if he
does not know him altogether he writes “Yours Faithfully”. You skip a line
then sign before the names. Then you write your name and Surname
under the signature. . The Position of the writer may be written under the
name and surname, if necessary. Eg.
Yours Faithfully
Signature
Segolame Phiri
(Teacher of English)
Exercise 1
Type and write your own Curriculum Vitae, and give it to your tutor at the study
centre to check it.
Exercise 2
Write the letter to your principal, requesting him to write a reference for you after you
have completed your BGSCE.
Exercise 3
You have seen on the newspaper an advertisement calling for applications for the
post of Accounts Clerk in the Ministry of Basic Education Accounts Department and
with your qualifications; you stand a better chance to be employed. Write the
application letter and your Curriculum Vitae to send them together there.
Exercise 4
You are the representative of the Botswana Open University students and you’re
responsible for interacting with the Botswana Open University Regional Office on
behalf of the students. The students came to you to complain about lack of
resources in the school.
Write the letter of complaint to be sent to the office outlining the students’ concerns.
Exercise 5
You have been doing well in Botswana Open University and you emerged the best
student amongst the whole group that you enrolled with. Therefore, you want to
appreciate Botswana Open University for helping you achieve your goals. Write the
acknowledgement letter to the school coordinator in your region and appreciate their
efforts, especially specific teachers that really deserved the credit.
Exercise 6
You were asked by Botswana open University School coordinator to go and find
books relevant to the subjects you are studying there. Then you discovered they are
found in a certain bookshop and you want to buy them. Write to the manager of the
bookshop and order those books.
Exercise 7
You borrowed a book from the students’ library to be able to do the assignment you
were given, and then it got stolen. When the library wanted it back, it was no- where
to be found. Write the letter of apology to apologise and explain what had happened
to the book and how you’re going to replace it.
The letters to the editor are found on the column section of a newspaper or a
magazine. These are basically individual opinions sent to the public through the
newspaper. The writer may disclose his name at the end of the letter, or choose
not to, for security reasons. The letter is formal however the most important things
needed in the format are the salutation, the writer’s name, and the topic.
seen most of its leaders remaining in this rather imperial character, conflict
power for the longest of times and it has been inevitable in Africa. Africans
seems the trend will continue into the currently in the middle of third term crisis.
future. ..
The letter above is written by Catch Solly Rakgomo. He is concerned about the way
African leaders have been rule their countries more to serve their interests than to
exercise democracy and follow the rule of law.
Exercise.
Read the article above and respond to it. Write the reply letter and show your
opinion for or against Solly’s arguments.
CURRICULUM VITAE
This is the document one has to attach to the letter of application, for a job or for
scholarship. The Learner does not have a chance to write everything in the letter, so
the CV is meant to provide all the details about himself. It is divided in to 7 sections.
It is not a letter per se, we are discussing it under letters because they are somehow
related.
1. Personal details
2. Education
3. Qualifications
4. Experience
5. Special skills/ Extra duties
6. Profile
7. Referees
c) Expansion of points.
There are 5 points in the question and the learner must add details
to each point and make a paragraph out of it. e.g. Point 1 – when
you first heard about the diarrhoea outbreak.
d) Details: On the 30th January 2019, there was a report that in Maun
Secondary School, 80% of the students were seen outside the
Mowana clinic. They had gone to seek for medical help because
they were all complaining of diarrhoea and abdominal pains and
cramps.
The 1st point has been expanded for you by adding some details to
it. At the end of the composition the learner would have written a
whole story about what had happened in the school. However, he
must also consider how he connects his sentences and paragraphs
together to make a whole.
e) EXERCISE
f) POLICE REPORT
(a) Format
Just like the formal letter, the format has the following:
(b) Content
Exercise
4. Testimonial/ Reference
Testimonial/references give details about one’s personality, behaviour and
abilities/skills which may qualify/disqualify him for the job he wants or the
scholarship. In most cases, the supervisor writes the reference for the people
under his care because he interacts with them on daily basis and knows a lot
about them.
(a) Format
Address: P/Bag 13
Lobatse
5 Feb 2019
Ending:
Yours faithfully
Signature
(Designation/position)
(B) Content
The testifier develops the points given but basically the testimonial
includes the following
(i) How you have known the person you are testifying about.
Eg Katlego Phiri has been my student since 2016 and was in class
5D, which I was teaching English.
(ii) How has Katlego been doing in class and his overall performance after the
exam.
V) Recommendations
Conclusion:
Exercise
1. Omphile Luke wants to work in the Bank and she must have done a business
related course or worked in a company that deals with finance. You have
known him as a cashier in the supermarket where you are working as a
manager. Write the testimonial /reference for her.
2. Kabelo Smarts wants to be in the army and basically be in the Rugby team
because he is good at it. As the Rugby Coach and the Sportsman at his former
school, write a very good reference for him, indicating all the details about his
skills of play , character and behaviour as a player and a student.
5. Memorandum / Savingram
Memorandum
For example; In a school there had been an outbreak of diarrhoea. Many students are
being infected and require medical attention. As the school head you called an
emergency meeting. Thereafter you write the memo to alert everybody else about the
situation. Write the memo indicating the following.
In the question above the students and staff had been alerted of the situation,
and what is happening on the ground. They will know what to do thereafter and
where to go.
The Savingram
The Savingram is just the extension of the memorandum, to the outside world. That
means it is usually from the umbrella body to mini organisations or departments in
the same sector. For example, from the Ministry of Basic Education head office to
Education Centre (regions) and to schools. The savingram also covers a number of
emerging issues within the education system or even in other departments.
Formats
i) memorandum
Speech
Speech writing is one of the aspects of language one has to do, in order to
acquire the skills involved when addressing people, or for the purposes of
answering the exam question, if it is asked. This is a long speech whereby an
individual speaks to a particular place and time. Like any other situational
topics, there is a format to follow in writing the speech.
(a) Format
The 5 points of the format can be found in the topic above. Let us identify
them.
So the student will get his 5 marks for the format if all these things are
included in the topic.
(b) Content:
Introduction
starts with the greetings and by observing the protocol starting with
higher- ranking person in the group and then introduces the topic. For
example: look at the introduction below.’
In this introduction, the speaker has formally and respectively greeted his
audience. Therefore, he is free to continue and elaborate on the topic.
There will be different points he will talk about as stated in the question.
He has to elaborate each point successfully and make his audience pay
attention. Addressing people is a skill, therefore it should be done with
much carefulness and caution, lest one causes riots or mumbling amongst
the people.
Conclusion- The end of the speech must be short and more emphatic. In this
case one can assure the students that the methods of study he has talked
about are effective indeed and can work for them, if used appropriately.
1. At School, there is the SRC campaign for the different positions in the
student’s leadership. You’re interested in the position of the president of
Academic Affairs. In a meeting with the students you’re addressing them
to sell yourself and tell them about your mandate. Write the speech and
convince the students why they should vote for you.
2. The services provided by the Council are poor and they are not serving
the interests of the Community as a whole, but of certain individuals.
You’re the leader of the Opposition Party and you have called a rally to
address the people on the matter, make them aware of what is going on
and what you will do to correct the situation if you’re voted in to power.
3. The Community you’re living in suffers due to lack of water. The taps are
dry and they do not have enough reservoirs in the village. You’re the
Official from Water Utilities Corporation having to talk to the villagers
about the situation and what you will do to help them. Write the speech.
Dialogue
Exercise 1
The teacher discusses the topic with one student in class because he seemed
to be struggling and has not been doing well lately. Write down their
conversation in 250 words.
Exercise 2
Musa’s parents were concerned about his poor performance in school and had
come to see the teacher to hear what could be the problem. Write the dialogue
between the teacher, Musa’s parents (father and Mother) and Musa himself.
NB: As you read the question, identify the focus of the question, interpret it and
follow instructions for each question. This will help you to arrive at the correct
answer.
LESSON 7
SUMMARY WRITING
WHAT IS SUMMARY?
Summary is a statement giving only important points. The main purpose of writing
summary is to provide a shortened or condensed form of an original passage or
piece of information. Summary is written one paragraph.
• Read and understand the question before you read the passage
• Underline the guiding words from the question
• DO KLINT
K- Key words in the question (reveals what the summary is all about)
L- Length (How long should your summary be)
I-Information (where to look for relevant points)
N-Narrative form (Is the question in the first or third person form)
T-Tense (Copy the tense exactly as it is given in the opening sentence)
• Write start where you are supposed to begin and stop where you are to stop in
the passage.
• As you read the passage, identify summary points line by line, as they follow
each other
• Time and again, go back to the keywords to check you are not missing
anything that addresses the keywords
• If you are to chop points, do it in a way that you will not leave out important
words
• Look out for talking or communicating words within the passage to guide you
INSTRUCTIONS
QUESTION PAPER 1
Passage A
1. In the case of most items that we buy, the brand name is important. This is
especially true of a product such as a bakkie canopy, where a difference in
quality may not always be obvious. A canopy is made of reinforced glass fibre
and this reinforcement, which is often invisible, determines the strength. This
means that an experienced manufacturer is likely to make a stronger canopy
than a beginner is. The canopies recommended by vehicle manufacturers are
usually of good quality, but inevitably are more expensive than those from
aftermarket canopy manufactures
2. The way the canopy is secured to the bakkie is important. If you intend
removing it often, ensure that the fasteners are easy to undo without being
flimsy. If you are likely to keep it in place more or less permanently, the
fasteners should be substantial. A canopy that is removed often should not be
too heavy, but bear in mind that a light canopy will not last as long as a heavy
canopy that becomes a fixture. A quality canopy is usually constructed of three
layers of fibre mat of different thickness, bonded with good quality resin
embedded with wood or steel reinforcing strips. Wood is often preferred as it is
less affected by moisture. Steel will rust in time
3. A cheaper canopy typically has one or two layers of fibre mat bonded with poor
quality resin and often inadequate reinforcing material. The fittings should be
rust proof, but many are of poor quality stainless steel which will eventually rust.
Should there be a gap between canopy and cabin? If you intend carrying
people, which is a bad idea, you may prefer to have no gap, as this will allow
for easy communication. The trouble though, is that in this case the front of the
canopy fits partially over the cab with a rubber seal, this tends to fail in time and
rainwater enters the canopy.
QUESTIONS
From paragraph 1
1. (a) Quote one word that shows that people always consider the name of a
product when buying.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………….…………………………………………………………………………….
[1
mark]
(d) In your own words describe what the author thinks about the canopies that
they recommend.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………..……………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………….. [2 marks]
From paragraph 2
(e) What advice is given to people who intend to remove their canopies more
often?
……………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………….………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………….…………………
………………………………………………………………………………. [2 marks]
(f) What is the advantage of using wood over steel when constructing a
canopy?
……………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………….……………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………..…………. [1 mark]
From paragraph 3
(g) Suggest a reason why it may be a bad idea to carry people in your canopy.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………….……………….. [1 mark]
Passage B
1. Tebogo wore long face that morning. You could easily tell that she was
stressed and hurting inside. Her hairstyle was not anything to write home
about. It was clear that it had been a while since she went to the saloon. I
asked her why she looked so morose. She looked at me, and slowly shook her
head and sadly narrated her story to me. She told me how she would never in
her lifetime forgive her ex-boyfriend because of what he did to her. “What he
has done to me is unforgivable, “she explained. What was surprising about
Tebogo’s case was that her ex-boyfriend was late. When I noticed the
bitterness that gripped my friend, I started pondering on the issue of
forgiveness.
4. Like Tebogo, some people are still mad at others who are long dead and gone.
They are still bitter at their parents or a former boss or an ex-spouse who is no
longer living. It is bad enough that someone hurt you once, do not let them
continue to hurt you by staying angry. When you forgive someone, you set a
prisoner free. That prisoner is not the person who hurt you, the prisoner is you.
Someone may have lied about you, betrayed you, or mistreated you, but what
they did was not enough to keep you from your destiny. You cannot let one
divorce, one betrayal or one bad childhood experience keep you from
awesome future God has in store for you.
Questions
From paragraph 1
2. (a) Quote a phrase of two words that shows that Tebogo was stressed.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………........………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………...…… [2 marks]
(b) What does the phrase “her hairstyle was not anything to write about” mean?
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………….…………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………. [1 mark]
(d) Suggest a reason why the author thought deeply about forgiveness.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………….…………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………..………. [1 mark]
From paragraph 3
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………… [1 mark]
From paragraph 4
(f) Explain fully why the author uses the expression “you set a prisoner free.”
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………..……………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………….. [1 mark]
For question (g) to (i), a word from the passage is followed by a list of possible
meanings. In each case choose the word from the list which is closest in
meaning to the word as it is used in the passage. Put a tick in the box
alongside the answer you choose
Tired
Unhappy
Tedious [1 mark]
Held
Engrossed
Seized [1 mark]
Respectful
Beautiful
Calm [1 mark]
[Total 10 marks]
Passage C
Read the passage C and answer the question that follow it.
1. Today as Kemoneetse Xhaiywa drives into the village in a green safari pick-up
truck, his face is that of one who is not happy. Yet as he pulls the truck over at
the boat station on the other side of the village, his face suddenly brightens up.
It turns out this is one of the rare days on which Xhaiywa will be picking up
quite a good number of tourists to his business. And when he explains that he
had expected fewer tourists, the mystery in his sudden change of mood is
solved.
3. Apparently irked by this trend, the local people and critics have labelled the
trend a feat of dominance which denies local people control over local
resources. In fact, it is quite common, according to some reports, for the local
people to frequently express the feeling that the delta has been taken away
from them. Tourism, which is an aspect of globalization, is viewed by many
people in the Okavango Delta and elsewhere as problematic and questions
about its benefits and setbacks have been raised. According to Xhaiywa, global
tourism has ushered in the era of exotic, big and fast engine powered boats,
which tourists seem to prefer to the much slower, narrower and unfashionable
mokoro used mostly by local people.
6. Another tourist from New Zealand remarks on the internet about her mokoro
experience; “Silently floating through the lush vegetation with your body barely
above water level, you are surrounded by the sounds, smells and vivid images
of the world’s largest inland delta. Using a pole to gently propel the mokoro
forward, your guide brings it breathtakingly close to large hippos or crocodiles.”
In many estimation, particularly international tourists, the traditional mokoro is
the most authentic way to experience the Okavango Delta. And clearly the
discernible demand for cultural tourism is undoubtedly behind the success of
the Okavango Polers Trust.
7. Without taking anything away from global companies, Xhaiywa says global
tourism lacks authenticity. “There is nothing authentic about the products and
services they offer, everything about them is unnatural and showy, “he taunts.
Speed boats may be faster and trendy, counters Xhaiywa, but mokoros have
admirable advantages. Their slight width enables them to traverse shallow and
narrow water ways and sections overgrown with aquatic vegetation. This gives
the traveller access to places unreachable by motor boats,” he argues.
8. The traditional mokoro is soundless, thus can get tourists closer to animals
without scarring them away as do motor boats, explains Xhaiywa. More
importantly, the traditional canoe does not adversely affect the environment but
motor boats affect water and vegetation through oil and petrol leaks. For this
reason, he says motor boats have been banned in some parts of the delta
because of their negative impact on the ecosystem. “And this is where we
sneak in with our small and unsophisticated mokoro,” scores the obviously
motivated tour service provider.
9. “He says this is how they have been able to stay afloat in the wide and deep
ocean that is globalisation. In a sense, they have cutthroat global tourism
market making the best use of the crumbs left by the big companies. Another
way to fight competition, says Xhaiywa, has been to temper a little bit with the
authenticity of the mokoro. “We now use modernised wooden mokoro to
comply with the expectations and demands of international tourists,” he says.
Made of fiberglass, the new look mokoro is basically an imitation of the
traditional wooden canoe, only it is better in terms of capacity, safety, durability,
comfort, leak proof and maintainability, explains Xhaiywa.
10. However, authenticity aside, for Xhaiywa, one thing is certain about the new
creations. With qualities from two heterogeneous sources, fiberglass canoes
are better than traditional mokoros, that is, according to feedback from both
local and international tourists, he says. By sticking to cultural tourism the trust
has not only promoted local cultures, but has turned out to be group’s
competitive advantage, “tourists like nature and strange thigs, and mokoros
provide just that,” says the seemingly content cultural tour operator.
11. They did not stop there, says the tour operator. Another dimension regarding
transformation has been in the training of tour guides to gain more global
information and communication skills, to refine their guiding skills, water skills
such as diving, to gain scientific knowledge of plants and animals so as to
adopt a global perspective in their new role.
Questions
From paragraph 1
3. (a) In your own words, explain why Xhaiywa’s face suddenly lightens up when
they reached the other side of the village.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………...……………
……………………………………………………………………………… [2 marks]
From paragraph 2
……………………………………………………………………………………………
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……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………..…….. [1 mark]
From paragraph 3
(c) Quote one word which shows that local people are concerned about
emerging foreign owned companies.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………..…………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………….. [1 mark]
From paragraph 4
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………….………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………. [1 mark]
From paragraph 5
……………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………..………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………..…………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………….… [2 marks]
From paragraph 6
(f) Explain fully the New Zealand tourist feelings after using a mokoro.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………….…..[1 mark]
From paragraph 7
(g) Xhaiywa says global tourism lacks authenticity. What evidence does he
provide to support this statement?
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………….. [2 marks]
From paragraph 8
(h) Motor boats have been banned in some parts of the delta. Explain in your
own words how this benefited local tourism companies.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………..………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………..…………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………….… [2 marks]
From paragraph 10
(i) Quote a short phrase that indicate that the trust was successful.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………….…………………………………………………………
……………………………………….………………….……………………. [1 mark]
(j) Choose any three of the following words. 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 has in the passage.
(k) Summary
Using traditional mokoro has some advantages, but the mushrooming of well-
established tourism companies brought problems for the locals.
Your summary must be in continuous writing (not note form) must not be longer
than 150 words including the 10 words given below.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
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1. In a country that is hard hit by drought like Botswana, it is pivotal to rear highly
adaptive and drought resistant livestock like Damara sheep. Apart from its
docility, Damara is respected for its hardy nature. And for this reason, it is doing
well in the Ghanzi District, an area that tops the list when it comes to scarcity of
water and lack of good pasture. “Damara is doing exceptionally well in our
district because it is not susceptive to drought,” Sebako Koneno noted as he is
a farmer in the Ghanzi District.
2. When temperatures are at a peak and rain gauge reads zero millimetres in an
area, infant mortality rate tend to hike across animals and productivity
decreases drastically. However, Damara has in many occasions proved to be
queen of the desert, because countless times it gives birth to twins, something
that is rare during drought period. My sheep usually give birth to more than one
sheep per breeding season even though condition are very harsh here and
their young once survive as well.” Koneno said.
4. At times, its young one never makes it to the kraal as the predators would have
killed and ate it. Damara has in this case proven to be an exception. According
to Koneno, a baby Damara gains strength in a short space of time just after
sucking cholesterol, hence they survive predators even when they are born in a
jungle. “Damara always come home with their young ones, it is a strong sheep
that gives birth to strong young ones that record the lowest mortality rate
among the flock.”
Questions
From paragraph 1
(c) Quote a phrase of two words that suggest Damara sheep can withstand
drought.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………….……………………………………………………
……………………………………….………………………………………. [1 mark]
From paragraph 2
(d) Suggest a reason why Damara sheep are called queens of the desert.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………….………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………. [1 mark]
(e) Why do you think it’s rare for animals to give birth to twins during drought
period?
……………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………….………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………. [1 mark]
From paragraph 3
(f) What are some of the difficulties that animals go through when giving birth to
young ones?
……………………………………………………………………………………………
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g) What measures do farmers put in place to assist animals that are due?
……………………………………………………………………………………………
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From paragraph 4
……………………………………………………………………………………………
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[Total: 10 marks]
Passage B
1. The winter breeze was stinging at the crack of dawn. This never deterred
thousands of motorsport fanatics to travel to the mining town of Jwaneng and
experience the prestigious car event locally, the annual Toyota Desert Race
popularly known as Mantshwabisi. The Kutlwano reporter joined the festivities
that drew multitudes of curious spectators to spectator points that covered the
entire 250 kilometres tough terrain that was used for the two laps over the two
days marking a gruelling 1000km race.
3. Over the years Toyota has performed extremely well in Botswana. In early days
of cross country racing it was Land Cruiser bakkies that set the pace with a
number of consecutive victories since the race moved to Botswana in 1991. In
more recent years the former crowd favourite, Duncan Vos stamped his
authority with four wins while 2016 runner up Taylor boasts three wins so far.
Toyota were last beaten in the iconic race in 2011 when Chris Visser and co-
driver Japie Badenhorst won a dramatic race for Ford.
5. Plenty of expectation was on offer from the crew, despite tackling their first local
race in a four-wheel drive vehicle. But disaster struck when their four day old
Nissan Navara caught fire 6 kilometers from the first racing loop on Saturday.
The crew managed to stop the car and escape from the burning cockpit only to
watch their new car go up in flames together with their hopes and dreams of
winning the Road to Dakar for 2018. A victory for De Villers and Murphy at this
year’s race ensured that Toyota continued their dominance in this iconic event
with a seventh win while the duo also claimed their hat-trick of wins this season.
Another bonus was a position 1-2-3 for Toyota in the Production Vehicle
Category.
Questions
From paragraph 1
2. (a) Quote a phrase of four words that shows us that the weather was not
favourable?
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………… [1 mark]
(c) Suggest a reason why the author used the word ‘gruelling’ to describe the
race.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
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……………………………………………………………………………… [1 mark]
From paragraph 2
…………………………………………………………………………………………
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From paragraph 3
(e) In your own words, give evidence to show that Toyota had dominated the
race since it moved to Botswana.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
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………………………………………………………………………….. [2 marks]
From paragraph 4
(f) What made the spectators to expect a lot from Shameer Variawa and his
co-driver?
…………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………..…………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………….. [1 mark]
For question (g) to (i) a word from the passage is followed by a list of possible
meanings. In each case choose the word from the list which is closest in
meaning to the word as it is used in the passage. Put a tick in the box
alongside the answer you choose.
Reliable
Regarded [1 mark}
Impressed
Suppressed
Marked [1 mark}
Made
Qualified
Secured [1 mark}
[Total: 10 marks]
Passage C
1. It is said that each one of us is born to serve a purpose at one point the
revelation of what is it we are purported to do, becomes clear as day. Thabo
Keorapetse, a 24-year-old young man from Sebina full of determination driven
by hard work, passion and persistence is breathing and living his dream. His
purpose is to capture moments, lock in emotions and express the greater
meaning to all through a click, shutter and flush. The young man narrates that
from a young age, growing up in Francistown, he was intrigued by the
avalanche of people from all walks of life and was curious to know and tell their
stories. Being a well performing student throughout his lower and higher
school, by the time his BGCSE results came out, his parents had thought he
3. His persistence will and sacrifices would later yield as he got to purchase the
equipment that lead to the birth of “Creative Soul”. Having started as a random
scribble on a paper, Creative Soul productions would see the light of day and
operations would be in order. “While cleaning my room and sorting out papers,
I came across a page that changed everything, that page reminded me of my
dream, it motivated me and fuelled my hunger to chase after my dream. It was
a paper I had mapped a company and operations, I named that company
Creative Soul.”
4. Keorapetse further states that having a friend like Kabo Olesitse made the hard
entrepreneurship journey bearable. “Kabo believed in me and advised me on
what to do as entrepreneur. He would tell me when I am in the wrong and
briefed me on the hurdles to expect in business, for that I am forever grateful,
“he says. Through his journey as a photographer, Keorapetse would prove to
be an epitome of his company name. His photographs would grab the attention
of a lot of people and would trend on social media. His brilliance and flair for
black and white singled him out from a lot of photographers and later lead him
to winning Best Photography at the annual President’s Day competitions three
times in a row.
5. He states that his unique style is from the fact that he is fascinated with telling
stories of people with mental illnesses, the poor and the old and wise. He says
that people often overlook these people and he wanted to shed some light and
change people’s perspectives of the society we live in. “Being on stage and
receiving an award from the then president was a surreal moment for me but
seeing my parents smile and cheer was the best thing, it was then that I knew
that I was on the right path,” he states.
7. “I had made an online purchase worth P35 000 and the container came empty.
I had to deal with it and accept that my money was gone.” he says. Another
challenge, he was faced with, is unavailability of top of the range photography
and film equipment locally as he is forced to buy from abroad. He says it is
expensive to purchase equipment abroad as it requires physically going there.
Also, he says many Batswana have not warmed up to people who have chosen
careers in arts field. “Some people will pull you down. You will even have some
asking you why you choose photography for a job since according to them, it is
not a real job,” he says.
8. Having the same pool of clients, he says is another challenge as one does not
get to see if the company is growing or not. As for the future, he aims to be a
media mogul and become a leader and have his production company where he
will employ more people as now he only has two employees. The future does
look bright for this young man and surely his determination and drive will yield
the results he seeks.
Questions
From paragraph 1
3. (a) Quote a phrase of five words which shows that Thabo is content with his job
……………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………….……………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………. [1 mark]
(b) Suggest one word which means the same as “a click, shutter and flash.”
……………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………….……………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………..…………. [1 mark]
From paragraph 3
(c) In your own words, explain fully what made Thabo succeed in achieving his
goal.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………… [2 marks]
(d) What does the expression “see the light of day” mean?
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………..……………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………...…….……….. [1 mark]
From paragraph 4
From paragraph 5
From paragraph 7
(h) According to Keorapetse, how does Batswana react towards people who
choose careers in the arts field?
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………..……………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………….……….. [1 mark]
(i) Explain fully what the author meant by “took him under his wings and showed
him his ropes.”
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………….……[1 mark]
(j) Choose any three of the following words. 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 has in the passage.
……………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………….
(k) Instead of civil engineering, Thabo Keorapetse chose to study Film and
Television, but the journey to achieve what he has today was not an easy one.
Write a summary outlining the difficulties he faced and how he overcame these
challenges.
Your summary which must be in continuous writing (not note form) must not be
longer than 150 words including 10 words given below.
The journey to attaining what he has today was not [Total: 40 marks]
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QUESTION PAPER 3
Passage A
1. From the bright lights of London to the dusty rural village of Marobela, London
2012, 800m silver medalist, Nigel Amos, remains an unchanged man. Infact as
the interview drags on he occasionally interrupts the conversation to chat with
his friends back from his home village, a confirmation that since joining the elite
world of sport instant fame has not gone to his head. “Nothing has changed
about me, I still do the same things that I used to do before winning the silver
medal. I relax at home and chat with my friends” he says. Before he ascended
the world stage to receive his silver, Amos played social soccer for his home
club, Makula. However, he is now contemplating quitting to focus on the track.
“I have to avoid injuries and anything that may distract me from my endeavor to
stay relevant and continue winning and I have decided that I will no longer play
soccer, “he explains.
2. As he basks in the breezes of fortune that earned him over P700 000, Amos
already knows where to invest the money. His dreams are far from those of his
peers. His talk is not that of fancy cars or clothes. Instead, he is passionate
about investing in cattle farming. With close to P1 million in his pocket, Amos
has no intention of ditching his rural background to relocate to a more
urbanized area. Conversely, his intention is to stay at the cattle post looking
after his cattle. “I am going to buy cattle and drill a borehole at the cattle post
with the money that I have. Throughout my childhood, I have always stayed at
the cattle post and that’s where my heart is,” he quips.
the Southern African Junior champions where he hopes to bag another medal
as well.
Questions
From paragraph 1
1 (a) Quote a phrase of four words that tells us that being famous has not gone
into Nigel’s head.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………… [1 mark]
(b) What does the word “ascended” mean?
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………..……………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………….. [1 mark]
(c) Apart from athletics, which other sport does Nigel play?
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………..……………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………….. [1 mark]
From paragraph 2
(d) Explain fully what the phrase ‘As he basks in the breezes of fortune’ mean.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………… [1 mark]
(f) What inspires Nigel to buy cattle and stay at the cattle post?
……………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………….………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………. [1 mark]
From paragraph 3
(g) Suggest a reason why Nigel describes beating the Kenyan athlete Rudisha as
an uphill battle.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………...................................................... [1 mark]
(h) Why did Nigel celebrate the time he took not the medal?
……………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………..…………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………….. [1 mark]
(i) In your own words, explain what he means by ‘hopes to bag another medal.’
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………..…… [2 marks]
[Total:10 marks]
Passage B
1. Since the commencement of the Khawa Dune Challenge and Cultural Festival,
Motor Vehicle Accident Fund has been joining the multitudes flocking to the
small village of Khawa for this annual tourism event. One of its kind in
Botswana, the event feature a variety of fun activities such as motor bike
challenges, quad and motor bike fun rides, sky dive demonstrations, camel
races, camel rides, cultural performances and exhibitions from different entities
and individuals. As many are gathering in the quite village of Khawa to have
fun, the fund uses this as an opportunity to interact with its valuable customers
gracing the event.
2. During the Khawa Dune weekend, Khawa a small remote area known for its
hostile and bumpy gravel road becomes alive as the Fund unleash road safety
activities to attendees. At MVA Fund preventing road crashes is our top priority,
therefore it is for this reason that we find it necessary to traverse long distances
to this small village to sell our products and services and impart road safety
education to all the people attending this memorable event.
3. On yearly basis the fund prepares a road safety package specially formulated
to meet the needs of the people attending the forever exciting Khawa Dune
Challenge. The Fund deployed the Children’s Mobile Traffic School crew
members to interact with the kids and delight them with road safety education.
The magic school was there to catch them young as usual, to teach the
youngsters about decent road safety attitude and culture so that they can grow
as responsible adults in future. The school on wheels as it is fondly known by
many, provided a unique and fun way for children to learn about road rules by
getting into quad bikes on make believe roads with robots to give them the feel
of what happens on the roads. The crew guided the children along the roads
and share with them on what to do at what road signs.
Questions
From paragraph 1
2 (a) Quote a phrase of four word that shows Khawa Dune Challenge is a special
event in Botswana.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………… [1 mark]
(b) In your own words, explain how the Fund use the festival to their
advantage.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………….……………………………… [2 marks]
From paragraph 2
(c) How does the Khawa Dune weekend benefit the little village of Khawa?
……………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………..…………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………….………………….. [1 mark]
From paragraph 3
(d) Which phrase suggest that the event is never a dull moment?
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………….…………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………….…. [1 mark]
(e) Suggest two reasons that makes The School on Wheels unique and fun
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………….…… [2 marks]
For question (f) to (g), a word from the passage is followed by a list of possible
meanings. In each case choose the word from the list which is closest in
meaning to the word as it is used in the passage. Put a tick in the box
alongside the answer you choose.
Originate
Beginning
Initiative
[Total: 10 marks]
Passage C
1. Nothing in the world compares to this two-day air racing extravaganza in the
midst of the Makgadikgadi Pans, a Ramsar site which is a wetland designated
of international importance under the Ramsar Convention and a fragile
ecosystem famed for producing Soda Ash, salt and for pelicans and flamingos.
The Makgadikgadi Pans, a vast landscape which used to be part of the ancient
inland sea, Lake Makgadikgadi represents one of the largest salt pans in the
world covering an area of over 30 000km2.
3. Nothing in the whole world can compare to this in terms of location where a
mini airport is temporarily hosted in the middle of nowhere and a number of
participants who compete in the race is concerned. The format for the race was
not complicated, planes departed from the make-shift airport within 30 seconds
intervals on a Friday and returned to base in the afternoon. On the second day
on Saturday, the slowest aircraft departed first while those who recorded faster
times departed last. To make the race unique, pilots use manual navigation
throughout the race instead of the now common Global Positioning System
(GPS) which is a satellite-based radio navigation system that provides geo-
location and time information to a GPS receiver anywhere on or near earth.
4. This called for good map reading skills from crews and in the process some
veered off the routes resulting in some of them returning late to base. The race
combines two great things: aviation and conservation in that funds raised
during the air race go towards the conservation of rhinos which Botswana is
famed for. Rhinos are facing extinctions all over the world and Botswana has
committed to protecting both the black and white rhinos and to allow them to
live freely in the wild. The two-day air race draws multitudes of spectators from
Botswana and beyond who come to savour its aerial displays and have fun in
the dusty Sua Pan, a part of the world famous Lake Makgadikgadi. In addition
to racing aircraft, vintage planes are also a permanent feature of this event
which was traditionally hosted at Lekhubu Island, a national monument of
repute until flooding in that area forced organizers to change locations.
5. The event is not all about competing. It also includes in-air performances which
include aircraft acrobatics. While in the air small aircraft perform death-defying
stunts, on the ground spectators are treated to a scintillating spectacle of mid-
air artistic formations that leave them asking for more. The eye-catching
performances in the sky are punctuated by low flying aircraft which come up
close to the water that fills the massive pan. For the past four years, pilots took
to the same skies in Botswana’s newest tourism frontier, the Makgadikgadi
Pans on some of the pretty cool planes featuring both solo and team stunts
shows.
7. For BTO, the Race for Rhinos is a testament that tourism in Botswana is not
about the Big Five and the Okavango Delta. Indeed, it demonstrates their
efforts at diversification of the tourism products on offer in the country to include
event based tourism. For a long time, the country has focused on the low
volume-high cost model of tourism in the pristine biodiversity heartland of the
Okavango Delta. BTO has been charged with leading efforts at diversifying the
country’s tourism products to open up new frontiers to ease the pressure on
principal tourism sites and reduce demand on wildlife tourism as a way of
encouraging sustainable tourism activities.
8. These include aviation and event based tourism such as sky diving, airshows
and cultural festivals. A recent addition to the list of new tourism frontiers is
dam tourism which was launched early this year at Shashe dam to promote
water sports as an alternative product in all the major dams around the country.
This strategy is part of the sustainable tourism efforts and an effort to spread
tourism to areas which are far from the most visited and crowded. This strategy
has also been touted by the tourism minister, Mr Tshekedi Khama as a way to
encourage and grow the domestic tourism products and allow Batswana to be
active participants in this area. The strategy is also targeting domestic tourists
as a potential market for growth.
10. As BTO marketing manager for products and events, Mr Thabang Segaetsho
maintained, the event is intended to impact local communities in a positive way
as most services are produced from local companies. The Race for Rhinos has
also grown in stature over the years and international media has taken note
and content from the race is shown on Super sport channels. This year was
also special in American media giant CNN also covered the event which would
give it an international boost which might lead to more tourists and more
funding for rhino conservation.
12. Race for Rhinos, he asserted, is part of the government broader strategy to
expand activities away from the main tourism route and incorporate bird
tourism to cater for bird lovers. The mine’s construction of a game park, he
noted, was their small contribution in the promotion of alternative tourism and
product diversification. The park received its first rhinos during the 2017 edition
of the Race for Rhinos and Mr Phatshwane believes this is evidence of their
attempts to promote tourism activities in the Makgadikgadi Pans and
surrounding communities.
13. Currently, he added that the area has the largest population of the wildebeest
than in 1984 and observed that there is little poaching in the area due to the
values they have instilled and the involvement of local communities.
Consequently, the acting managing director observed that Race for Rhinos
does not cause massive damage to the environment and the use of temporary
structures means that after the event, animals come back to their natural
habitat.
14. For spectators, the aviation race not only afforded them the opportunity to be
part of an exciting experience which included enjoying the aerial show but it
allowed them to sample food, learn about aviation, have fun and relationship
building. Race for Rhinos organizers, BTO and its stakeholders, also went out
of their way to designate exclusive viewing areas for attendees which offered
them the very best air race experience. Former President, Lt Gen.Seretse
Khama Ian Khama, an avid conservationists also attended the event and was
also involved in flagging the aircraft as the race started.
Questions
From paragraph 1
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………….………………………………………………………
………………..……………………………………………………………………. [1 mark]
From paragraph 2
(b) Why does the author describe the race as “unofficially” the biggest air race in
the world?
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………….……………………………… [1 mark]
From paragraph 4
(c) Suggest a reason why crew members needed to have good map reading skills.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………..……………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………….. [1 mark]
From paragraph 5
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………… [1 mark]
From paragraph 6
(e) In your own words, explain how the Race for Rhinos brings hope for the
Ministry for Environment and Tourism.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………… [2 marks]
From paragraph 7
(f) In your own words, explain why BTO was asked to lead in diversifying the
country’s tourism.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………… [2 marks]
From paragraph 9
(g) What effort did the government put in place to empower locals?
……………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………….………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………. [1 mark]
From paragraph 10
(h) What shows us that indeed the show has grown in stature?
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………..…………… [1 mark]
From paragraph 11
From paragraph 14
(j) Quote a phrase of five words to show that the organizers out did themselves in
preparing for the event.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………..…………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………….. [1 mark]
(k) Choose any three of the following words. 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 has in the passage.
……………………………………………………………………………………
(l) Summary
Your summary which must be in continuous writing (not note form) must not be
longer than 150 words including the 10 words given below.
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[Total: 40 marks]
MARK SCHEME
Question Paper 1
Passage A
1 (a) “brand”
(d) They are durable/last longer but cannot deny the fact that they are costly
(penal word- good quality, more expensive)
(e) must ensure the fasteners are easy to undo without being flimsy
(g) canopy does not have safety measures to protect people during accidents
Passage B
(e) Forgiveness takes away the power of those who want to hurt us
(g) unhappy
(h) seized
(i) beautiful
Passage C
3 (a) one of the few days he will be transporting a good number of tourists (panel
words- rare, picking up)
(c) “irked”
(e) – one can experience the pure landscape, animals and vegetation
(h) this is the time they come in with their low standard mokoro (penal words-
sneak, unsophisticated)
Summary Points
1. Huge competition
2. 81.5 per cent of tourists facilities in the Okavango Delta were foreign owned
3. Denies local people control over local resources
4. Locals feel that the delta has been taken away from them
5. Global tourism has ushered in the era of exotic, big and fast engine boats
6. Tourists seem to prefer the much slower, narrower and unfashionable mokoro
7. Locals established Mbirora Camp, where tourists who are not looking for luxury
trips offered by the rich operated tour companies can embark on a Mokoro
8. During such trips, tourists can experience the pure landscape, animals and
vegetation
9. While on the tour, one is surrounded by the sounds, smell and vivid images of
the world’s largest inland delta
10. The traditional mokoro is the most authentic way to experience the Okavango
Delta
11. Everything about global tourism is unnatural and showy
12. Mokoro enables one to traverse shallow and narrow water ways and sections
overgrown with aquatic vegetation
13. It gives the traveler access to places unreachable by motorboats
14. Traditional mokoro is soundless
15. Traditional canoe does not adversely affect the environment but motor boats
affect water and vegetation through oil and petrol leaks
16. Tourists like nature and strange things and mokoro provides just that.
Question Paper 2
Passage A
1 (a) because Botswana is hard hit by drought and Damara sheep is highly
adaptive and drought resistant
(d) because in many occasions it gave birth to twins, something which is not
common during winter
(f) – it drains the animals energy leaving it and its young helplessly weak
Passage B
(d) dream/unexpected
(e) with a number of continuous success since the race moved to Botswana
(penal words- consecutive, victories)
(g) prestigious-famous
Passage c
(b) camera
(c ) his constant will and surrender would later yield ( penal words- persistence,
sacrifices)
(f) – told stories of people with mental illness, the poor, the old and the wise
(g) because he chose to be a photographer against the advice from his parents
(h) They are not supportive people who chose photography/ they feel
photography is not a real job
Summary Points
1. From his allowance, he had to part with P1000, save it and use the remaining
P420 for toiletries
2. Had to work two-part time jobs in order to make extra money
3. There were days that he would have to eat plain rice because he had nothing
to eat
4. Later, he got to purchase the equipment that lead to the birth of Creative Soul
Question Paper 3
Passage A
(b) to go up/climb up
(e) he is passionate about investing in cattle as compared to his peers who are
into fancy cars or clothes
(f) throughout his childhood, he had always stayed at the cattle post
Passage B
(b) the fund uses this as a chance to meet with valuable customers attending
the event.(penal words- opportunity, gracing)
(c) The village becomes alive and are educated on the product and services
offered by MVM
(e) –children get in to quad bikes on make believe roads with robots
-‐ The crew guide children along and share with them on what to do at
what road signs
(f) beginning
(g) deliver
(h) acceptable
Passage C
3 (a) it’s an event not to be missed/you can never regret attending this event
(d) they performed dangerous activities that may cause death but were able to
stand up to them
(e) see their efforts at protecting endangered species coming together and
producing the much needed awareness (penal words-gathering, yielding)
(f) to come up with new avenues to ease the pressure on principal tourism site
and lower the need on wildlife tourism (penal phrases –open up new frontiers,
reduce demand)
Summary Points
1. Of location
2. A mini airport is temporarily hosted in the middle of nowhere
3. Number of participants who compete is concerned
4. Planes depart from make-shift airport with 30 seconds intervals on a Friday
returning to base in the afternoon
5. On Saturday, the slowest aircraft depart first
6. Those who recorded faster times depart last
7. Pilot use manual navigation throughout the race
8. Funds raised during the air race go towards conservation for rhinos
9. Vintage planes are also a permanent feature of this event
10. Event include aircraft acrobatics
11. While in the air, small aircraft perform death defying stunts
12. On the ground, spectators are treated to a scintillating spectacle of mid-air
artistic formation
13. Performances in the sky are punctuated by low flying aircraft which come close
to the water that fills the massive pan
14. Ministry for Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism see
their efforts at protecting endangered species gather pace and yield the much
needed awareness
15. Helps in diversification of the tourism products on offer
16. Allows Batswana to be active participants in the area
17. Target domestic tourists as a potential market for growth
18. Most services are procured from local companies
19. Shown in international media, this might lead to more tourists and more funding
for rhino conservation
20. It incorporates bird tourism to cater for bird lovers
21. There is little poaching in the area due to the values instilled and the
involvement of local communities
22. Spectators sample food, learn about aviation, have fun and relationship
building
23. Former President, Lt Gen Seretse Khama Ian Khama, attended the event and
was also involved in flagging the aircraft as the race start
SAMPLE QUESTION
The passage describes how the writer, Mark, achieves his ambition of buying
an elephant and setting out on a journey with her, along with his companions,
Aditya and Salim.
1. “Am I right in assuming that you want to buy an elephant?” A voice from India
shouted down the telephone to me in Hong Kong. It was Aditya. Even through
the hiss and crackle of the telephone, I could detect the disbelief in his voice
about my strange wish. “Yes, that’s right, “I replied. “You must be mad, “he
said.” But I’ll see what I can do. Within a few days I was in India at Aditya’s
house. There, waiting for me, was an acquaintance of his, Salim, who had a
deep knowledge of wildlife and more importantly, was an expert on elephants.
“Orissa, the old kingdom of Kalinga,” Salim said, studying the map, “is where
you should go to buy an elephant, and to begin your journey. For centuries the
rulers there reckoned part of their wealth in elephants.”
2. So next morning we set off. By coincidence the director of the zoo in Orissa
was on our flight. But he gave us depressing news. He knew of no elephants
for sale in Orissa. When we touched down, my gloomy mood deepened. It was
the monsoon time and an oppressive heat hung in the air. We checked into our
hotel and followed the porter to our rooms. Before we could get inside, the
porter suddenly asked if we wanted to buy an elephant. I did not ask him how
on earth he knew that. Aditya whispered to me ‘Don’t forget the zoo director is
staying here too. News travels fast in hotels.” Sure enough, the porter informed
us there was a village nearby where elephants for sale could be found. We
made our way there as quickly as possible.
3. There, in the fading light, were three elephants. One caught my eye
immediately, a female, looking so good-natured that I was sure she was the
one for me. The other two elephants were males and, Salim warned, looked
dangerous. Take the female one, he advised me, it would be impossible to find
better. After some bargaining, I proudly possessed my very own elephant, to
me the queen of elephants. And that would be her name: Queen. My dream of
travelling to India on an elephant was about to come true. We then planned our
route,our destination was a town some sixty day journey away-and assembled
the equipment we would need, not forgetting the ‘bombs’. These are objects
the size of golf balls which, when thrown on the ground, explode like some
powerful firework and are used to scare off threatening animals. With the
equipment slung over Queen’s back, we began our travels.
4. As we were reaching the outskirts of the village, I saw a bus approaching us.
Queen swerved abruptly, causing the collapse of a tea stall. We came to a halt
amongst a cascading river of cups and teapots. Glaring at us, his face a
mottled purple, was the enraged owner. ‘Er… I’m frightfully sorry, sir, I gasped.
You…’‘You! You!’ the man shouted furiously. ‘Everything is gone, I’m ruined,
and I’ll take you to court.’
5. ‘Now, sir, ‘Aditya said. ‘There’s no need for that. I am sure we can come to
some financial agreement. ‘After the man had cooled down, we assessed the
damage and compensation was paid. We could not get out of that village
quickly enough; the drain on my nerves and on my pocket had been
considerable. Besides, Queen unashamedly kept helping herself to the cakes
which were laid out on some market stalls. Understandably her greed annoyed
the owners and Salim would smack her trunk, whereupon she would squeeze
her small brown eyes shut like a naughty little girl.
6. Eventually, we emerged into open countryside and to our relief followed a track
free of the din of traffic and the possibility of Queen’s thieving. After a while we
noticed that Queen was limping, a bad sign for our future progress, let alone
Queen’s comfort. Salim discovered the cause, a metal leg chain with small
spikes had obviously been used on her by her previous owners. One of the
spikes had caused an ulcer, but, Salim told me, hot-water and salt dressings
applied nightly would cure it. Although his knowledge of elephant ailments
reassured me, it took some time to make and apply these dressings
7. Days passed and our journey continued. Queen plodded along, her trunk
plucking at branches from overhead trees, munching with contentment.
Nevertheless, it was evident that her leg was still troubling her. Soon we came
to another little town. The animal doctor there explained that Queen had
serious infection, and that she would need injections of antibiotics. Moreover,
this difficult task was to be mine and I was distinctly uneasy about it. After
mentally marking a spot in Queen’s enormous side, I shut my eyes and
nervously plunged in the needle. I realised my attempt had failed when, with a
squeal of rage, Queen trundled away with a broken needle wobbling
precariously out of her side. “That was incorrect, “the vet remarked needlessly.
“Place the needle in straight. Now, we will try again
8. When Queen was brought back, she gave me a look of pure venom. I repeated
the process, this time successfully. So off we went again, adding to our
equipment a heavy box of needles and antibiotics. After some time, we entered
a forest which promised a welcome change of scenery. Queen suddenly
stopped, extending her trunk upwards, scanning and smelling the air “Wild
elephants, “Salim whispered, “and very close.”
9. Aditya reached for his camera bag. With a sharp downward gesture of his hand
Salim indicated to him to keep still. He knew that wild elephants can be very
dangerous. Then from the corner of my eye I caught a slight movement. A soft
sound, almost inaudible, was the only indication that the foliage was being
gently brushed aside. Like ghosts, three female elephants appeared and stood
motionless on the road in front of us. They let out a deep rumble and extended
their trunks towards Queen. If they sensed our fear, would they attack us?
Then, as quickly and quietly as they had appeared, they disappeared. I was
about to let a sigh of relief when Salim gave another of his urgent hand signals.
We heard a movement, as if the grass were being crushed by some huge,
unidentified force. Suddenly a large male elephant with tusks a meter long
confronted us. Queen was trembling violently and Salim was having trouble
holding her steady. We were so close I could see the flies clustering around the
elephant’s eyes. Without warning he rapped his trunk on the ground, emitting a
terrifying bellow.
10. “Quick,” Salim hissed. “He’s angry. Throw the bombs.” Aditya hurled one to the
ground. Nothing happened. It failed to explode. The elephant stepped forward,
throwing his trunk contemptuously into the air, emitting a terrible shrill
trumpeting sound, as if warning us to keep our distance. It was so loud and
enveloping that my senses reeled.
11. “Throw another, now!” I whispered, desperate that this one would work. But
Salim moved first. He wrenched it from Aditya’s hand, placed it on the ground
and hit it hard with the end of his stick. There was a blinding flash, a puff of
smoke and when the smoke had cleared the track was empty. We could hear
the elephants crashing through the trees. In that moment of silence, the
primitive energy of that enormous male elephant vibrated in the emptiness
around us. The silence of the forest was no longer tranquil. It had become
threatening. We moved slowly forward until we could find a way out into safer
open country beyond. I had learnt an important lesson, elephants are wild
animals and deserve an appropriate respect.
Questions
From paragraph 1
From paragraph 2
From paragraph 3
4. Quote a phrase that shows Queen was the elephant that the writer chose.
Ans: “I proudly possessed “.. (1)
From paragraph 5
5. In your own words, explain what the writer mean by ‘the drain on my nerves
and on my pocket.’
Ans: The experience made him frustrated and he had to spent a lot of
[money (1)
From paragraph 6
6. Suggest two reasons for the ‘relief’ the group felt when they reached the open
country side.
Ans: There was less noise from traffic
They were free from Queen’s stealing/taking what was not hers (2)
From paragraph 9
7. Explain how the writer makes it clear that Aditya did not know that wild
elephants can be dangerous.
Ans: Aditya reached for his camera/he wanted to take a photograph (1)
8. Suggest a reason why the writer describes the wild females as being ‘like
ghosts’.
Ans: They suddenly appeared/ hardly made any noise (1)
From paragraph 11
9. The writer contrasts the silence of the forest before the arrival of the wild
elephants with its silence after their departure. In your own words, explain
what this contrast is.
(Penal words – tranquil, threatening)
Ans: Before the arrival of the elephants, the forest was peaceful while
after departure of elephants the forest was scary [2 marks]
Choose three of the following words. 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 has in the passage.
Summary
The writer and his companion encountered some difficulties and dangers on their
journey with Queen.
Write a summary of the difficulties and dangers the writer and his companion
encountered and how they overcame them.
Your summary which must be in continuous writing (not note form) must not be
longer than 150 words including the 10 words given below.
When Queen saw the bus approaching her, she swerved and…….
Information- Line 34 to 98
When Queen saw the bus approaching her, she swerved and caused the
collapse of a tea stall. The owner of the stall was enraged. He shouted
furiously, threatening to take them to court. After he cooled down, they
assessed the damage and compensation was paid. This drained the writer’s
nerves and his pocket. Furthermore, Queen kept helping herself with the cakes
and this annoyed the owners. Later on, they realized Queen was limping. One
of the spikes had caused an ulcer. It took them time to apply the dressing in
order to cure Queen. Nevertheless, Queen’s leg was still troubling her, she had
a serious infection. She would need injections of antibiotics. Moreover, this
was to be done by the writer, but his first attempt failed. He repeated the
process and was finally successful. In addition, a heavy box of needles and
antibiotics was added to their equipment.
[ Total: 40 marks ]