1.

ORAL SKILLS
a) i) Provide homophones for the following words (3marks)
i) Coup ………………………………………………………...
ii) Brooch ………………………………………………………
iii) Muscle ………………………………………………………
b) Assign intonation to the following sentences. (3 marks)
i) I think we are completely lost …………………………………………
ii) We will be able to go, won’t we? ……………………………………..
iii) She bought a house ……………………………………………………
c) Write down a word with a silent letter as indicated. (3marks)
i) …………………………………………. p
ii) …………………………………………..s
iii) …………………………………………..n
b) Identify the odd one out based on the pronunciation of the underlined letter(s). 3 marks
i) Quay, quaint, quack, quality .................................................................................................
ii) Chain, Character, Flinch, Champion .....................................................................................
iii) Sachet, Packet, Ticket, Thicket .............................................................................................
c) Explain the different meanings of the sentence below when different words are stressed as
indicated: Wafula saw the thieves enter the house. 2 mks
d) i) Your class had invited a former student, now employed by a top company to give a talk on
‘succeeding in the corporate world’. However, during the talk, you realize that most of your
classmates are not concentrating. List four things on the part of the speaker that contributed to
this. (4marks)
ii) Suggest two non-verbal cues you would advise the speaker to employ to enhance the delivery
of the message (2marks) ...
e) Read the narrative below and answer the questions that follow.
WHY THE OWL IS NOT KING OF THE BIRDS: INDIANTALE
WHY is it that Crows torment the Owls as they sleep in the daytime? For the same reason that the
Owls try to kill the Crows while they sleep at night
Listen to a tale of long ago and then you will see why.
Once upon a time, the people who lived together when the world was young took a certain man
for their king. The four-footed animals also took one of their numbers for their king. The fish in
the ocean chose a king to rule over them. Then the birds gathered together on a great flat rock,
crying:
"Among men there is a king, and among the beasts, and the fish have one, too; but we bird have
none. We ought to have a king. Let us choose one now."
And so the birds talked the matter over and at last they all said, "Let us have the Owl for our king."
No, not all, for one old Crow rose up and said, "For my part, I don't want the Owl to be our king.
Look at him now while you are all crying that you want him for your king. See how sour he looks
right now. If that's the cross look he wears when he is happy, how will he look when he is angry?
I, for one, want no such sour-looking king!"
Then the Crow flew up into the air crying, "I don't like it! I don't like it!" The Owl rose and followed
him. From that time on the Crows and the Owls have been enemies. The birds chose a Turtle Dove
to be their king, and then flew to their homes.

i) You have been asked to narrate the above story to a group of young people. What four things
would you do to attract their attention? (2marks)
ii) If you were narrating the above story to young children, how do you ensure you sustain their
attention for the entire course of the narration? (2marks)
iii) How would you say the line “I don't like it! I don't like it!"? (2marks)
f) Read the following telephone conversation and answer the questions that follow.
Secretary: (Phone rings) Hello, Purpose Drive Secondary school, may I help you?
Caller: I want to speak to the principal.
Secretary: May I know who is calling please?
Caller: (Impatient and irritated) I have said I want to speak to the principal, period
Secretary: Excuse me I am sorry He is in a meeting with the board of management, could you
please call later, Sir?
Caller: (Shouting) are you stopping me from talking to your boss, do you know who I am? Had
you even heard of the supplier of your stationery?
Secretary: (Politely) Oh, Mr. Erickson? I am sorry you cannot talk to him now call after an hour
or may I take a message to him please?
Caller: (Bangs the receiver)
i) Identify two instances that show the caller lack of telephone etiquette.(2 marks)
ii) How can you tell that the secretary observes professional conversational skills in the above
telephone conversation? (2 marks)
NO.2 ORAL SKILLS

(a) Read the oral narrative below and answer the questions that follow. (10 marks)
The Stupid Monkey
Once upon a time, a tribe of monkeys made their home in their pleasure garden of the king. On a
certain holiday when the drum was beaten to call the people together, the King’s gardener, hearing
the drum, said to himself, “Even though it is a holiday, the garden must be watered. Accordingly
I will ask the Monkeys to water the garden for me, so that I can be off to enjoy myself and the
holiday with the rest.” So he called the Monkeys and asked them to water the garden. When the
monkeys had promised to water all the young trees faithfully, the gardener gave them the water
skins and the wooden pot with which to perform the task.

After the gardener had gone, the Monkeys took up the water skins and the watering pot and began
to water the young trees. But the leader of the monkeys stopped them. “Wait,” he said, we must
be careful not to waste water. Before you water them, you must first pull up each tree and look at
the size of the roots. Then you must give plenty of water to those which have long, deep roots, but
less to those with short roots. For when this water is finished, we shall have to work to get any
more.

“To be sure,” said the other monkey, “that is what we must do.” So they pulled up all the trees just
as their leader had told them to do and all the young trees died.
Question

i. What feature of oral narratives would you use to prepare your audience to listen to the
above story? (
2 marks)
ii. What two devices of performance would you use in narrating this story effectively? ( 4
marks)
iii. Which three things would indicate to you that the audience is following the narration? ( 3
marks)
(b)Underline the silent letters in the following words: (5 marks)
i) Rapport
ii) Rendezvous
iii) Poignant
c) Your friend attended an interview but was not successful. Mention four things that he/she may
have failed to do before and during the interview. (4 MARKS)
d) Give a homophone for each of the following words. (2marks)
i) Gate ………………………………………………………………..
ii) Forward …………………………………………………………………
iii) Medal …………………………………………………………………
iv) Sweet …………………………………………………………………
e) State the four points to consider when giving instructions to a person about how to get
from one point to the other. (4
marks)

f) Read the conversation below between a student and a teacher and then answer that
questions that follow.(8 marks)

Student: (knocking the door loudly and getting in) I am told you called me.
Teacher: (motioning him to seat) please have a seat Rono and don’t be anxious.
Student: (still standing). Don’t tell me you have sum…
Teacher: (interrupting). Please relax. It is not an indiscipline issue again. No cause
for alarm.
Student: So then, why do you want to see me?
Teacher: Calm down Rono. On the contrary, it is a positive note.
 Student: (looking a bit controlled and sliding into a seat). Sorry sir, May I know what it
is about.
Teacher: (Smiling broadly). That’s better. I called you to discuss your progress in
academics lately.
Student: (With a lightened up face and more reassured).Yes sir.
Teacher: Looking at your trend of performance especially in languages and mathematics,
I am very impressed. (Pointing at Maths and English columns) See, from D+ to
B in Maths and D to C+ in English is commendable!
Student: (Rubbing his hands and slightly smiling) Thanks sir. I am grateful for your kind
guidance.
Teacher: (In affirmative note) Yes. This is the result of change of attitude, obedience and
determination.
Student: (Sighs) Thank you once more for your concern. I will be able to face my dad
courageously now.
Teacher: Yes, that’s how it should be. Always work to impress your parents. Never look
back again. Forward ever.
Student: Thanks Sir. I promise never to let you and my parents down ever again.
Teacher: Good. You can now go back to class.
Student: (Stands up and shakes hands with the teacher). Thanks once more and good day
sir.

Questions

i) How does the teacher establish good rapport with the student? (2mrks)
ii) What good conversational skills are displayed by:
a) The teacher? (2 marks)
b) The student? (2 marks).
iii) Identify two shortcomings in the student’s speech. (2
marks)