English O Level Greenbook

ZIMBABWE SCHOOL EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL
General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level
ENGLISH LANGUAGE 1122/2

PAPER 2
NOVEMBER 2017 SESSION 2 hours
Candidates answer on the question paper.
The comprehension passage is provided as an insert and that should not be posted to ZIMSEC.
Allow candidates 5 minutes to count pages before the start of the examination.
TIME 2 hours
INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES
Write your name, Centre Number and Candidate Number in the spaces at the top of this page
and your Centre Number and Candidate Number on the top right corner of every page of this
paper.
Check if the booklet has all the pages and ask the invigilator for a replacement if there are
duplicate or missing pages.
Do not remove pages from the booklet, punch holes on or staple the papers.
Read the provided passage very carefully before you attempt any question.
Answer all questions in the spaces provided using black or blue pens.
Shape all your letters very clearly.
INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES

The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question.
You are advised to spend 1 hour 30 minutes on Section A and 30 minutes on Section B.
Mistakes in spelling, punctuation and grammar may be penalised in any part of the paper.
_________________________________________________________________________
This question paper consists of 12 printed pages.

Copyright: Zimbabwe School Examinations Council, N2017.
ZIMSEC N2017 [Turn over]

2
Answer all the questions in the spaces provided.
From Paragraph 1
1 (a) What was the effect of Cyclone Eline on Mutoko Communal Lands?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________ [1]
From Paragraph 2
(b) Why did the various creatures start to appear?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________ [1]
From Paragraph 3
(c) (i) Give one example of what the eagle hoped to find as food
after the devastating storm.
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________ [1]
(ii) In your own words, explain the meaning of ‘sodden paddocks’

(line 9-10)
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________ [2]
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From Paragraph 4
1 (d) Which phrase of two words suggests that the eagle is an experienced
hunter?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________ [1]
From Paragraph 5
(e) The author successfully paints a gloomy picture of the period after
the storm by repeating a word already used in paragraphs 3 and 4.
Give this word.
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________ [1]
From Paragraph 7
(f) (i) Why was the eagle desperate and weak?
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________ [1]
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From Paragraph 7
1 (f) (ii) What could be the reason why the food only increased the
eagle’s appetite?
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________ [1]
From Paragraph 8
(g) Why does the author use the word ‘speck’ when referring to the
kitten moving on the ground?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________ [1]
[Total: 10]
From Paragraph 11
2 (a) Why did the kitten’s safety depend on the eagle whilst in space?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________ [1]
From Paragraph 12
(b) (i) Why did the eagle intend to drop its prey to the ground
from that height?
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________ [1]
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5
2 (b) (ii) What does the phrase ‘a whistle in space’ (line 64)
tell you about the height or distance of the eagle from the
ground?
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________ [1]
From paragraph 19
(c) What does the phrase ‘its passenger’ (line 102) refer to?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________ [1]
From Paragraph 20
(d) In your own words, explain the feeling of the eagle when it tried to
lift itself.
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________ [1]
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From the whole passage
2 (e) Choose five of the following words or phrases. For each of them,
give one word or a short phrase (of not more than seven words)
which has the same meaning that the word or phrase has in the
passage.
1.torrential (line 1)______________________________________________
2. searching (line 8)_____________________________________________
3. scrutinised (line 12)___________________________________________
4. rasped (line 17)______________________________________________
5. ravaged (line 21)_____________________________________________
6. perched (line 27)____________________________________________
7. swooped (line 30) ___________________________________________

8. fell away (line 50)____________________________________________ [5]
[Total:10]
3 The passage describes how an eagle attacked a kitten, but in the process
the eagle became the victim and the kitten the victor.
Write a summary of the kitten’s actions from the time it was attacked by the
eagle up to when the eagle set the kitten free.
Use only material from paragraph 9 up to the end of paragraph 22.
Your summary, which should be in continuous writing (not note form), must
not be longer than 160 words including the given ten (10) words. Each word
should be written in a separate box. If you make a mistake, cancel the word(s)
and write the correct word(s) in the same box(es) above or next to the
cancelled word(s). [20]
1122/2 N2017
7
3 Write your summary on this page putting one word in each of the cells for easy
counting. Hyphenated words are counted as one word. Begin your summary as
follows:
When the eagle swooped and then
picked up the kitten,
1122/2 N2017
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3
1122/2 N2017
9
SECTION B (10 MARKS)
Answer all the following questions.
You are advised to spend not more than 30 minutes on this section.
4 Described below are five situations. Read the description of each situation
carefully and then answer briefly the questions that follow.
(a) A teenager is being taught to drive a car by his elder brother. On one
day when the learner makes numerous errors, his brother says:
(i) “I always tell you to look in the rear view mirror first. Don’t
be stupid, you are an egghead!”
On another day when the learner makes an error but has

generally performed well, his brother says:
(ii) “It’s okay. Let’s give that exercise another try. Practice makes
perfect.”
In each case, what would be the effect of each statement on the

learner driver?
(i) __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
(ii) __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ [2]
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4 (b) Your twenty- year-old sister comes home from a party. It’s well after
midnight. Your mother who always insists that no-one should come home late,
opens the door for her, just looks at her and goes to bed quickly without saying
a word.
Give two different reasons for your mother’s reaction.
(i) __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
(ii) __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ [2]
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11
4 (c) A husband has a serious drinking problem. He spends nearly all his salary
on beer. The wife says:
(i) “My dear husband, the children are crying because there is no food in the
house. Their clothes are torn and they have been sent away from school.
Please do something about this.”
(ii) “You are a useless man. All you think of is beer. Look at how
responsible men look after their families. I don’t know why I married
you in the first place.”
How do you think the husband would feel in each case?
(i) ____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
(ii) ____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________ [2]
(d) Your ‘O’ level results are out and you got an ‘A’ in English.
Your father says: “Are these your results?”
Your mother says: “God is great!”
What feeling is being shown by the speaker in each case?
(i) Father: ___________________________________________

__________________________________________________
(ii) Mother:___________________________________________
__________________________________________________ [2]
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4 (e) It is during a marriage ceremony and the marriage officer asks Peter:
“Do you accept Mary as your wedded and lawful wife? ”
Peter says, “I do.”
The marriage officer asks Mary: “Do you accept Peter as your wedded
and lawful husband? ”
Mary does not answer. The marriage officer asks the same question
again. After a very long silence, Mary says, “Yes, I, I, I do.”
Give two possible reasons for Mary’s actions.

:
(i) ______________________________________________
______________________________________________
(ii) ______________________________________________
______________________________________________ [2]
1122/2 N2017
MARKING SCHEME
NOVEMBER 2015
ENGLISH 1122/2
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Marking schemes have been issued on the basis of ONE copy per examiner.
2
ZIMBABWE O LEVEL; MARKING OF SCRIPTS IN ZIMBABWE
CO-ORDINATION
Instructions will be issued to ALL examiners at the Co-ordination meeting concerning:-
1. Scripts to be used for co-ordination.
2. Instructions for completion of marking.
3. Grading and Assessment of ALL examiners based on deviations from agreed Marking Scheme.
4. D.P.M.Ss, and B.M.Ss will be given additional instructions at their Co-ordination Meeting
concerning e-marking.
3
SECTION A
Question 1: 3 + 1 + 2 + 1 + 2 = 9 marks
From Paragraph 1
1 (a) (i) … provision of water for game
ACCEPT: Most of the water sources dried up soon after the rains/Nearly all
the water courses dried up soon after the rains
Give 0 for: All the water sources dried up soon after the
rains. [1]
(ii) … material used to build dam.
ACCEPT: earth/mud/soil [1]
(iii) Not discouraged by bursting…
ACCEPT: ‘nothing daunted’.

Excess material or wrong spelling denies the mark. [1]
(b) … surprised to see a crocodile…
ACCEPT: The writer could not explain/work out where the crocodile had
come from as the nearest water source was over eight kilometres
away./ The writer was unaware that crocodiles could wander so
far from permanent water. [1]
(c) … hole made by crocodile…
ACCEPT: 1. The sides of the hole were smooth from the crocodile’s
movement./ The crocodile’s body had scraped along the
hole. [1]
AND
2. The crocodile’s spoor was clearly seen on the muddy bottom

of the hole. [1]
(d) … put another shot into the crocodile
ACCEPT: Shooting the crocodile would have made a hole in the boat
and that would have made the boat sink. [1]
NB: Both limbs needed for answer to score

4
1 (e) Two reasons for not using the bank of the dam nearest them.
ACCEPT: - The bank was steep.

- The water was deep right up to the shore line.
- It was heavily wooded.
Accept any two reasons.

[2]
[Total: 9]
QUESTION 2: 2 + 2 + 2 + 5 = 11 marks
2 (a) … crocodiles did during dry season… Own word question
ACCEPT: The focus of the answer should be on:
(i) aestivated
(ii) in some concealed spot
aestivated – spent part of a season in a state of inactivity/hibernated/was

inactive/was dormant/stopped being active [1]
concealed spot – in a hidden spot/place/buried/covered up spot/remained

underground [1]
OR He thought that the crocodiles spent part of a season in a state of

inactivity in a hidden spot. [2]
(b) … crocodile at Shumba
ACCEPT:
- Nobody could tell where it had come from. [1]
AND
- Nobody could tell where it had gone to. [1]
(c) … no crocodiles in drainage system…
ACCEPT:
- There was enough water

- There was enough food in the form of fish
Both elements necessary for crocodile existence. [2]
5
2 (d) From the whole passage
No. Word/Phrase Meaning Mark Zero
1 gave away (line 11) burst, collapsed, fell (apart), breached [1]
2 evidently (line 29) clearly, obviously, plainly, apparently, [1]

undoubtedly, manifestly
3 precarious (line 68) insecure, shaky, dangerous, likely to fall/ [1]

sink, unstable, unsteady, perilous, risky,
hazardous
4 indulging (line 72) taking pleasure in, enjoying [1]
5 foundered (line 75) (filled with water) and sank, gone down, [1] wrecked
gone under
6 consolidated made stronger/solid, strengthened, [1]

(line 84) reinforced, hardened, made resistant
7 excavated (line 89) dug, made a hole, bored, hollowed, [1]

burrowed
8 emphatic (line 100) definite, firm, sure, certain, clear, explicit, [1]
categorical
NOTES
1. Mark only the first FIVE words attempted.

2. If more than FIVE are offered, ignore the excess words/phrases.
3. For each word attempted, mark the first answer only when more than
one answer is offered. A comma , a stroke or the word ‘or’ indicates a
second attempt.
4. For two answers joined by ‘and’, allow one correct answer if the
other answer is not wholly wrong but neutral, e.g. ‘wildly and foolishly’
for ‘blindly’.
5. For a short phrase answer, mark the first seven words only and cross out
the rest (RUBRIC). Credit a correct element within this limit despite the excess.
6. Ignore mis-spelling if the word is phonetically recognisable.
7. Ignore errors of tense and grammatical form but only if the meaning
is correct.
6
QUESTION 3: 20 MARKS (15 + 5)
MARK TO A MAXIMUM OF 15 OUT OF 24 FOR POINTS. EACH POINT SCORES 1 MARK.
THE MECHANICAL ACCURACY MARK IS ALLOCATED TO A MAXIMUM OF 5(10 X 12 )
See Note 5 below, ‘Standard Deductions’.
NOTES
1. Points to be rewarded and their marks are indicated on the next page.
2. Introductory Words
No penalty for omission; no penalty for any errors made in them or for incompleteness, but
penalise with standard deductions any punctuation or grammatical error immediately following
them.
3. Length
Draw a double line where the introductory words end, or should end.
Count to 150, the number of words used by the candidate after the double line and write down
this number at the bottom left of the candidate’s answer.
DO NOT use the candidate’s word-total without checking it.
STOP at 150 and cross out excess words.
(N.B. This maximum takes into account the ten introductory words to tally with rubric of
question, i.e. 160 words.)
4. Marking Technique
3 3 3
(i) Indicate by numbered tick or 12 the point rewarded, e.g.  or  12 or 

(ii) Assign the mark-scheme number to points rewarded on all scripts.
5. Standard Deductions
Deduct 12 mark for each error listed.

Stop after ten, but for answers shorter than the 150 words apply the following maxima
for the Mechanical Accuracy mark:
0–25 (0); 26–50 (1); 51–75 (2); 76–100 (3); 101 – 125 (4); 126 – 150 (5).
6. If the candidate uses note-form throughout the answer, give 0 for the Mechanical Accuracy
mark, but allow the points where they are clearly made.
7. Sequence errors: in general, only withhold the mark for a point if it is wildly out of sequence
or totally unsupported. Do not penalise the point that then follows.
8. N.B. Penalise once only under Standard Deductions any shift from ‘he’ to ‘I’, or any
inconsistency in the use of the personal pronoun.
7
N.B. It will be helpful if examiners ring only the errors which are being penalised, i.e. no further
error after the first ten (or the appropriate maximum for short answer), and no error under
Section B on the Standard Deductions list.
SUMMARY POINTS
Candidates need to refer to the correct Agent. Use of wrong agent will lead to loss of marks.
1 I shot the crocodile in the head. [1]
2 We hauled the crocodile into the boat. [1]
3 We rowed up the dam. [1]
4 The crocodile started showing signs of life. [1]
5 The crocodile became quite lively. [1]
6 We took up a position at one end of the boat – prow/stern. [1]
7 We let our feet dangle over the sides of the boat. [1]
8 We paddled for the bank. [1]
9 Father and I paddled up to the gravelly beach. [1]
10 Lions growled. [1]

11 We shouted at the lions. [1]
12 The lions made off into a patch of grass. [1]
13 Father jabbed the crocodile on the head with a paddle. [1]

14 The crocodile started thrashing about and snarling – (Both limbs needed to score). [1]
15 Lions attracted by the sound made by the crocodile. [1]

16 Lions came back to within fifty metres. [1]
17 I fired a shot over their heads. [1]
18 Lions startled but they merely lay down. (Both limbs needed to score). [1]
19 Two lions began to roar. [1]
20 We paddled for the opposite bank. [1]
21 Crocodile lay still. [1]
22 Crocodile began crawling about. [1]
23 The lions continued to roar at intervals. [1]
24 We reached the bank and had to turn the boat stern (first). [1]
25 I walked tight-rope-wise along the side of the boat to safety. [1]

8
STANDARD DEDUCTIONS
A. Penalise every time – 1

2
i all spelling errors – but only once for each mis-spelt word
ii all apostrophe errors, except error in the same word.
iii use of small letter for capital (every time): use of capital for small letter (once only).
iv all omissions of a word or words, even slips = I saw big bull.
v wrong or superfluous prepositions = wrong prep = I live at Bulawayo. superfluous prep = He
could not cope up with the work.
vi use of wrong word for context (e.g. who for which) = The boys (which) were making
noise.
vii comma for full stop or semi-colon (or vice-versa) – She ran into the room, she saw a snake on
the table.
viii single comma at the beginning or end of a phrase or clause where there should be a pair =
These men Lester and Frank, deserve praise.
ix wrongly completed parenthesis, e.g. a dash at the beginning and a comma at the end or when a
second bracket is omitted = The men – Lester and Frank, deserve praise.
x omission of a comma after an initial adverb or adverb clause (e.g. However) = However I
believe the man is honest. Unfortunately for the boys they were seen by the teacher.
xi omission of comma(s) before participial phrase = My little brother being afraid of dogs
started howling (only where meaning is distorted).
xii omission of comma between adjectives = The evening fog had settled in heavy penetrating
enveloping.
xiii use of comma between subject and verb or between verb and object = The angry young man,
stood up to denounce society. He provoked, the bull.
xiv faulty sequence of tenses in the same sentence. He arrived home early but does not see his
wife. N.B. Do not penalise shift of tense between two separate sentences.
xv false concord everytime. = Mary (go) to see her mother every week.
xvi complete breakdown = The elephant was darted nimbly charged flee.
xvii absence of colon before list – Bring the following items pen, ruler and rubber.
xviii penalise word division e.g. inorder, alot, can not.
xix omission or wrong use of quotation marks in direct speech.
B DO NOT penalise:
i misuse of shall, will, should, could = I will explain later for I shall explain later.
ii use of ampersand
iii omission of hyphen = He is a hardworking boy.
iv omission of full stop (a) in abbreviations (b) at the end of a sentence if capital letter follows
(c) at the end of a paragraph, an answer, or part answer.
v omission of comma before ‘so’ = I had seen him so he was obliged to stop.
vi omission of comma after participial phrases if meaning is clear = Walking down the road I saw
a snake.
vii omission of comma separating a list of adjectives = I saw an old red brick wall.
If ambiguity arises, penalise as in xii above (A).
viii omission of two parenthetical commas, including those for non-defining clauses = James the
soccer star of the year got married yesterday. The Ozie satisfied that the harness was secure
urged the elephant on.
ix misrelated participles = Listening, closely, no sound was heard.
x faulty sequence of tense where conditionals and subjunctives are concerned = I wish Jane
were here. If it rains we will be cold.
9
QUESTION 4: 10 marks (5  2)
4 (a) (i) ACCEPT: appreciation, admiration, having a high opinion of [1]
(ii) ACCEPT: disbelief, incredulous, sceptical, cynical, thinks historians

are wrong [1]
(b) (i) ACCEPT: approves, agrees with plan, likes the plan, thinks it is a good
idea. [1]
(ii) ACCEPT: disapproves, disagrees with plan, dislikes the plan, disagrees
with the number. [1]
(c) (i) ACCEPT: disapproval, critical, disagrees. [1]
(ii) ACCEPT: approves, agrees, supportive. [1]
(d) (i) ACCEPT: humble, down to earth, modest, self effacing [1]
(ii) ACCEPT: boastful, vain, proud, pompous, arrogant, conceited [1]
(e) (i) ACCEPT: thinks increase was justified/fair [1]
(ii) ACCEPT: worried, anxious, disturbed [1]

[Total: 10]
MARKING SCHEME
NOVEMBER 2017
ENGLISH 1122/2
SECTION A
Question 1: 10 marks (1 + 1 + 1 + 2 + 1 + 1+ 1 + 1+ 1 )
1 (a) ‘effect of Cyclone Eline on Mutoko Communal Lands’
ACCEPT: flooding. [1]
(b) Why various creatures started to appear

2
ACCEPT: The rains had stopped/ They had been freed from the
devastating storm [1]
(c) (i) Example of what the eagle hoped to find as food after the devastating storm
ACCEPT: 1. dead sheep
2. dead rabbits [1]
Any one scores

Give 0 for ‘sheep’ or ‘rabbits’ alone
(ii) Own words for ‘sodden paddocks’
ACCEPT: sodden - very wet/ soaked/ saturated/ water

logged/ soaking wet/ flooded [1]
paddocks - small fields in which animals are

kept or allowed to graze [1]
OR
These are very wet/ water-logged small fields in which animals are kept
or allowed to graze [2]
(d) Phrase of two words for eagle is an experienced hunter
ACCEPT: ‘practised eyes’ [1]
N.B. Excess material or wrong spelling denies the mark. If the phrase is
in a sentence, this may be by position, underlining or highlighting using
quotation marks.
(e) Word repeated to show a gloomy picture
ACCEPT: ‘dead’ [1]
N.B. Excess material or wrong spelling or form of the word denies the mark.
If the answer is given in a sentence the word may be shown by position,
underlining or highlighting using quotation marks.
(f) (i) Why the eagle was desperate and weak.

3
ACCEPT: It was hungry/famished [1]
Give 0 for: The sun was a fire on its famished body.
(ii) Why the food increased the eagle’s appetite.
ACCEPT: The mouse was too small to satisfy the eagle/ The food was too
little to satisfy the eagle. [1]
(g) Why the author uses the word ‘speck’ to refer to the kitten on the ground.
ACCEPT: The eagle was high up in the sky and the kitten appeared to be
very small [1]
Question 2: 10 marks (1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 5)
(a) Why the kitten’s safety depended on the eagle.
ACCEPT: It was only the eagle which could prevent it from crashing to the
ground/ it was only the eagle which could take it back to the
ground. [1]
(b) (i) Why the eagle intended to drop its prey from that height.
ACCEPT To let it fall to death. / To kill it. [1]
(ii) In terms of height or distance: ‘a whistle in space’
ACCEPT: Very high up in the sky [1]
(c) Referent of ‘its passenger’
ACCEPT: the kitten/kitten
(d) Own words for feeling of the eagle

Focus is on paraphrasing ‘rage’
rage - violent/ extreme anger/ fury/agitation /

anger (alone) [1]
OR The eagle, in violent anger/fury/agitation/ tried to lift

itself [1]
(e)
4
Word Meaning Mark Zero

1. torrential (line 1) downpour, heavy, pouring 1
2. searching (line 8) combing, looking high and low, 1
looking closely, scouring
3. scrutinised (line 12) examined, explored, inspected, 1
scanned, studied, searched, looked
at closely/carefully
4. rasped (line 17) rubbed, scratched, scraped 1
5. ravaged (line 21) demolished, devastated, laid to 1
waste, left in ruins, shattered,
wreaked havoc on, wrecked,
destroyed
6. perched (line 27) alighted, landed, rested, settled, sat 1
on
7. swooped (line 31) dived, dropped, lunged, plunged, 1
quick and sudden movement
8. fell away (line 50) disappeared, vanished 1

5
NOTES
them.
3. Length
Highlight where the introductory words end, or should end.

Count to 150, the number of words used by the candidate after the tenth word and write down
this number in the comment entry box.
STOP at 150 and highlight where the marking should end.
6
Indicate by a tick the scoring points.

0–25 (0); 26–50 (1); 51–75 (2); 76–100 (3); 101 – 125 (4); 126 – 150 (5).
N.B.It will be helpful if examiners ring only the errors which are being penalised, i.e. no further
SUMMARY POINTS
1. The kitten spat and twisted/the kitten struggled against the power that was lifting it [1]
N.B: Both limbs needed to score.
2. The kitten wailed in terror [1]
3. It squirmed frantically
[1]
4. It howled in infinite terror [1]
5. The kitten gave a sudden and desperate twist/ suddenly twisted [1]
6. It cried with a new note [1]
7. The kitten blinked at the pulsations of beaten air [1]
8. The kitten completed its twist

[1]
9. It slashed at the eagle’s legs

[1]
10. It buried its claws in the eagle’s flesh

[1]
7
11. The kitten consolidated its position/ secured its hold
[1]
12. The kitten was jabbing in every claw

[1]
13. It dug its claws into the breast of the eagle

[1]
N.B: Lift of: Then, the claws on that foot were dug into the breast of the eagle = 0.
14. The kitten blinked

[1]
15. It clung onto the eagle’s breast [1]
16. The kitten stared down at the winding earth

[1]
17. The kitten mewed in terror

[1]
18. The kitten miaowed in a frenzy of fear [1]
19. It secured a foothold again

[1]
20. The kitten cried at the silver glare of the roofs/expanding earth/ brush of the grass
[1]
21. It rolled with the eagle on the ground

[1] [20
marks]
STANDARD DEDUCTIONS

2
noise.
the table.
8
enveloping.
B DO NOT penalise:
ii use of ampersand
a snake.
4 (a) (i) ACCEPT: discouraged/insulted/disheartened/ demotivated/

dampened [1]
(ii) ACCEPT: encouraged/heartened/reassured/supported/motivated [1]
(b) (i) ACCEPT: resigned/giving up on my sister/ no longer cares about her [1]
(ii) ACCEPT: too angry to talk/ disgusted/very angry/angry (alone) [1]

9
N.B: Answers can come in any order.
(c) ACCEPT:
(i) conscience-stricken/ touched/ remorseful/ sorry/ unhappy about it/

self-reproaching/ self accusing/ feel guilty [1]
(ii) humiliated/ belittled / ashamed/ embarrassed/ diminished/ angry [1]
(d) ACCEPT:
(i) Father: ACCEPT: disbelief/ surprise / incredulity/scepticism/cynicism/

doubt /amazement/astonishment [1]
(ii) Mother: ACCEPT: excitement/appreciation/great happiness/great

pleasure/delight [1]
(e) (i) ACCEPT: too excited/ alarmed [1]
(ii) ACCEPT: in doubt/ confused/no longer interested/ no longer sure/

wants to opt out/ is regretting [1]
[Total:10]
MARKING SCHEME
NOVEMBER 2017
ENGLISH 1122/2
2
SECTION A
Question 1: 10 marks (1 + 1 + 1 + 2 + 1 + 1+ 1 + 1+ 1 )
1 (a) ‘effect of Cyclone Eline on Mutoko Communal Lands’
ACCEPT: flooding. [1]
(b) Why various creatures started to appear
ACCEPT: The rains had stopped/ They had been freed from the
devastating storm [1]
(c) (i) Example of what the eagle hoped to find as food after the devastating storm
ACCEPT: 1. dead sheep
2. dead rabbits [1]
Any one scores

Give 0 for ‘sheep’ or ‘rabbits’ alone
(ii) Own words for ‘sodden paddocks’

3
ACCEPT: sodden - very wet/ soaked/ saturated/ water

logged/ soaking wet/ flooded [1]
paddocks - small fields in which animals are

kept or allowed to graze [1]
OR
These are very wet/ water-logged small fields in which animals are kept
or allowed to graze [2]
(d) Phrase of two words for eagle is an experienced hunter
ACCEPT: ‘practised eyes’ [1]
N.B. Excess material or wrong spelling denies the mark. If the phrase is
in a sentence, this may be by position, underlining or highlighting using
quotation marks.
(e) Word repeated to show a gloomy picture
ACCEPT: ‘dead’ [1]
N.B. Excess material or wrong spelling or form of the word denies the mark.
If the answer is given in a sentence the word may be shown by position,
underlining or highlighting using quotation marks.
(f) (i) Why the eagle was desperate and weak.
ACCEPT: It was hungry/famished [1]
Give 0 for: The sun was a fire on its famished body.
(ii) Why the food increased the eagle’s appetite.
ACCEPT: The mouse was too small to satisfy the eagle/ The food was too
little to satisfy the eagle. [1]
(g) Why the author uses the word ‘speck’ to refer to the kitten on the ground.
ACCEPT: The eagle was high up in the sky and the kitten appeared to be
very small [1]
Question 2: 10 marks (1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 5)
4
(a) Why the kitten’s safety depended on the eagle.
ACCEPT: It was only the eagle which could prevent it from crashing to the
ground/ it was only the eagle which could take it back to the
ground. [1]
(b) (i) Why the eagle intended to drop its prey from that height.
ACCEPT To let it fall to death. / To kill it. [1]
(ii) In terms of height or distance: ‘a whistle in space’
ACCEPT: Very high up in the sky [1]
(c) Referent of ‘its passenger’
ACCEPT: the kitten/kitten
(d) Own words for feeling of the eagle

Focus is on paraphrasing ‘rage’
rage - violent/ extreme anger/ fury/agitation /

anger (alone) [1]
OR The eagle, in violent anger/fury/agitation/ tried to lift

itself [1]
(e)
Word Meaning Mark Zero

1. torrential (line 1) downpour, heavy, pouring 1
2. searching (line 8) combing, looking high and low, 1
looking closely, scouring
3. scrutinised (line 12) examined, explored, inspected, 1
scanned, studied, searched, looked
at closely/carefully
4. rasped (line 17) rubbed, scratched, scraped 1

5
5. ravaged (line 21) demolished, devastated, laid to 1
waste, left in ruins, shattered,
wreaked havoc on, wrecked,
destroyed
6. perched (line 27) alighted, landed, rested, settled, sat 1
on
7. swooped (line 31) dived, dropped, lunged, plunged, 1
quick and sudden movement
8. fell away (line 50) disappeared, vanished 1

6
NOTES
them.
3. Length
Highlight where the introductory words end, or should end.

Count to 150, the number of words used by the candidate after the tenth word and write down
this number in the comment entry box.
STOP at 150 and highlight where the marking should end.
Indicate by a tick the scoring points.
7

0–25 (0); 26–50 (1); 51–75 (2); 76–100 (3); 101 – 125 (4); 126 – 150 (5).
N.B.It will be helpful if examiners ring only the errors which are being penalised, i.e. no further
SUMMARY POINTS
1. The kitten spat and twisted/the kitten struggled against the power that was lifting it [1]
N.B: Both limbs needed to score.
2. The kitten wailed in terror [1]
3. It squirmed frantically [1]
4. It howled in infinite terror [1]
5. The kitten gave a sudden and desperate twist/ suddenly twisted [1]
6. It cried with a new note [1]
7. The kitten blinked at the pulsations of beaten air [1]
8. The kitten completed its twist [1]
9. It slashed at the eagle’s legs [1]
10. It buried its claws in the eagle’s flesh [1]
11. The kitten consolidated its position/ secured its hold [1]
12. The kitten was jabbing in every claw [1]
13. It dug its claws into the breast of the eagle [1]
N.B: Lift of: Then, the claws on that foot were dug into the breast of the eagle = 0.
14. The kitten blinked [1]

8
15. It clung onto the eagle’s breast [1]
16. The kitten stared down at the winding earth [1]
17. The kitten mewed in terror [1]
18. The kitten miaowed in a frenzy of fear [1]
19. It secured a foothold again [1]
20. The kitten cried at the silver glare of the roofs/expanding earth/ brush of the grass [1]
21. It rolled with the eagle on the ground [1]

[20 marks]
STANDARD DEDUCTIONS

2
noise.
the table.
enveloping.
9
B DO NOT penalise:
ii use of ampersand
a snake.
4 (a) (i) ACCEPT: discouraged/insulted/disheartened/ demotivated/

dampened [1]
(ii) ACCEPT: encouraged/heartened/reassured/supported/motivated [1]
(b) (i) ACCEPT: resigned/giving up on my sister/ no longer cares about her [1]
(ii) ACCEPT: too angry to talk/ disgusted/very angry/angry (alone) [1]

N.B: Answers can come in any order.
(c) ACCEPT:
(i) conscience-stricken/ touched/ remorseful/ sorry/ unhappy about it/

self-reproaching/ self accusing/ feel guilty [1]
(ii) humiliated/ belittled / ashamed/ embarrassed/ diminished/ angry [1]
(d) ACCEPT:
(i) Father: ACCEPT: disbelief/ surprise / incredulity/scepticism/cynicism/

doubt /amazement/astonishment [1]
10
(ii) Mother: ACCEPT: excitement/appreciation/great happiness/great
pleasure/delight [1]
(e) (i) ACCEPT: too excited/ alarmed [1]
(ii) ACCEPT: in doubt/ confused/no longer interested/ no longer sure/

wants to opt out/ is regretting [1]
[Total:10]
NOVEMBER 2015
MARKING SCHEME

2
SECTION A SECTION B
B CLASS (21 – 24) (15 – 16)
Ample material, fully relevant, interesting and sustained theme/approach; well-arranged and
paragraphed; very good linguistic ability; vocabulary and sentence structure varied and
appropriate but not necessarily outstanding; very few gross errors; some slips and minor errors.
Some essays may be long, well arranged, but without much originality; others will be original,
but not so well sustained/balanced as A Class scripts.
C CLASS SECTION A SECTION B
UPPER C (18 – 20) (13 – 14)
Ample, competent but somewhat uninspired subject matter; less originality than in B Class,
quite well arranged, properly paragraphed; good linguistic ability, varied vocabulary and
sentence structure; free from monotonous repetition; few major errors; some slips and errors.
LOWER C (15 – 17) (10 – 12)
Length without much originality but fairly correct; rambling, rather repetitive.
Simple clarity and correctness; shortish; flat content; well-arranged; few gross elementary
errors, some errors, more minor errors and slips than in Upper C Class. The meaning must not
be in doubt, though the vocabulary may be limited. Sentences may be short and stereotyped,
but there must be some complex sentences. Sentences should be correctly separated, except for
occasional slips.
D CLASS SECTION A SECTION B
UPPER D (12 – 14) (8 – 9)
Dull but sensible content not explored in depth, some repetition; ideas fragmentary or vague,
lack of sustained development, some attempt to arrange; clear evidence of relevance but
perhaps occasional short digressions; expression flat, limited, uncertain; some serious faults of
sentence construction, punctuation, vocabulary and tense; paragraphs short or run together;
sentence and paragraph linking inappropriate or haphazard.
3
These types will fall into this classification:
(a) scripts with enough competence for a limited range of simple points to be expressed
unambiguously, with fair clarity, but with little vocabulary and few, if any, complex
sentences.
(b) short, trite content: mainly correct language because no risks are taken.
(c) long, racy scripts with interesting content but so much carelessness and inaccuracy that
the writer cannot be employed even in simple clerical tasks: inability to punctuate
consistently, especially in the separation of sentences.
LOWER D (9 – 11) (6 – 7)
Clear limitations of content and arrangement; digressions; confused thought; flimsy

development, poor links, repetitive ideas and constructions; many errors of all kinds.
Despite the obvious failings, scripts here have something relevant to say and manage to
communicate without too much effort on the part of the reader.
E CLASS SECTION A SECTION B
(0 – 8) (0 – 5)
Throughout the class, we find the following:
Vague, confused ideas, with little sense of development.

Communication impeded by heavy error incidence.
Errors in basic vocabulary and simple idiom.
Gross errors of all kinds.
UPPER E (6 – 8) (3 – 5)
Countless grammatical and syntactical errors, fair spelling, sense mostly decipherable but some
passages necessitating re-reading and the exercise of the reader’s deductive powers. Content
flimsy, ideas disconnected.
LOWER E (0 – 5) (0 – 2)
‘Multiple gross error’, i.e mistakes not easily definable or separable, whole passages not making
sense; chaotic word order; gross mis-spelling of basic words.
8. Appropriateness of responses is an important element in this type of question. The

examiner should take into account and reward the following:
4
- logical interpretation of the statistics
- variety of sentences constructed
- use of appropriate links
- amplification and inclusion of the candidate’s own material
NOVEMBER 2016
MARKING SCHEME
E. 8. THE SCALE OF MARKS TOTAL SECTION A . . . . (30)

TOTAL SECTION B . . . . (20) =TOTAL 50
Marks of 30 or 0 should be awarded, if appropriate. There are 5 CLASSES

(an internal categorisation, not ‘O’ Level grades)
A/B CLASS SECTION A SECTION B

2
21 – 30 (15 – 18)+2
Excellent to very good linguistic ability; adequate and relevant; few errors
or slips. High interest value, subject explored in depth, logical arrangement,
wide description, and cohesive narrative.
C CLASS 15 – 20 (10 – 14)+2
Good to fairly good language; some errors but few at top of class; satisfactory
treatment; reasonable arrangement;
D CLASS 9 – 14 (6 – 9)+2
Flat or uncertain language; subject undeveloped; a fair number of errors.

Some digression; weak/jerky arrangement.
E CLASS 0–8 (0 – 5)+2
Broken English; frequent errors; muddled/distorted content; development

erratic.
TABLE OF MARK CATEGORIES
Class Mark Mark Range
Category Section A Section B
A A 25 – 30 (17 – 18)+2
B B 21 – 24 (15 – 16)+2
3
C UPPER C 18 – 20 (13 – 14)+2

LOWER C 15 – 17 10 – 12+2
D UPPER D 12 – 14 (8 – 9)+2
LOWER D 9 – 11 (6 – 7)+2
E UPPER E 6–8 (3 – 5)+2

LOWER E 0–5 (0 – 2)+2
AMPLIFICATION OF ESSAY CLASS DEFINITIONS
SECTION A SECTION B
F. A CLASS (25 – 30) (17 – 18)+2
Ample material, fully relevant, high interest value/persuasiveness; originality; merit

of form and arrangement/paragraphing; unity of tone/approach; fluency; very good
to excellent linguistic ability.
LESS THAN SIX GROSS ERRORS; very few slips or minor errors; wide variety
of apt vocabulary, sentence structure and linking devices.
Descriptive essays have atmosphere, observation, and sensitivity.
Discussions present complex, cogent argument with force and economy.
Narratives, where appropriate, show merits of structure, characterisation,

description, suspense, and pace.
All work in this Class must show awareness of significant detail, wide information or
apt illustration.
SECTION A SECTION B
B CLASS (21 – 24) (15 – 16)+2
Ample material, fully relevant, interesting and sustained theme/approach; well-

arranged and paragraphed; very good linguistic ability; vocabulary and sentence
structure varied and appropriate but not necessarily outstanding; very few gross
errors; some slips and minor errors.
4
Some essays may be long, well arranged, but without much originality; others will be
original, but not so well sustained/balanced as A Class scripts.
UPPER C (18 – 20) (13 – 14)+2
Ample, competent but somewhat uninspired subject matter; less originality than in B
Class, quite well arranged, properly paragraphed; good linguistic ability, varied
vocabulary and sentence structure; free from monotonous repetition; few major errors;
some slips and errors.
LOWER C (15 – 17) (10 – 12)+2
Simple clarity and correctness or shortish; flat content; well-arranged; few gross
elementary errors, some errors, more minor errors and slips than in Upper C Class.
The meaning must not be in doubt, though the vocabulary may be limited. Sentences
may be short and stereotyped, but there must be some complex sentences. Sentences
should be correctly separated, except for occasional slips.
UPPER D (12 – 14) (8 – 9)+2
Dull but sensible content not explored in depth, some repetition; ideas fragmentary or
vague, lack of sustained development, some attempt to arrange; clear evidence of
relevance but perhaps occasional short digressions; expression flat, limited, uncertain;
some serious faults of sentence construction, punctuation, vocabulary and tense;
paragraphs short or run together; sentence and paragraph linking inappropriate or
haphazard.
(a) scripts with enough competence for a limited range of simple points to be
expressed unambiguously, with fair clarity, but with little vocabulary and few,
if any, complex sentences.
5
(c) long, racy scripts with interesting content but so much carelessness and
inaccuracy that the writer cannot be employed even in simple clerical tasks:
inability to punctuate consistently, especially in the separation of sentences.
LOWER D (9 – 11) (6 – 7)+2

Despite the obvious failings, scripts here have something relevant to say and manage
to communicate without too much effort on the part of the reader.
(0 – 8) (0 – 5)+2

UPPER E (6 – 8) (3 – 5)+2
Countless grammatical and syntactical errors, fair spelling, sense mostly decipherable
but some passages necessitating re-reading and the exercise of the reader’s deductive
powers. Content flimsy, ideas disconnected.
LOWER E (0 – 5) (0 – 2)+2
‘Multiple gross error’, i.e mistakes not easily definable or separable, whole passages
not making sense; chaotic word order; gross mis-spelling of basic words.
SECTION B
6
(a) Length often causes difficulties of assessment. Note that there is no penalty
for brevity in itself: there is no ‘SHORT’ category in Section B see para. 1(d)
on page 13. Conciseness may be a merit.
Examine whether the answer covers most of the important points, and whether
the brevity is deliberate.
(b) Consider the vocabulary. What is repeated from the question paper? What
has the candidate added that is suitable and properly used?
Examine the variety and aptness of the structures and links provided by the
candidates.
(c) If the whole of Section B is written in non-sentences, assess and give the script
to your B.M.S.
If non-sentences predominate to the extent that you are unsure of the general
quality, give it to your B.M.S.
(N.B Please record the candidate’s mark on the mark sheet before you submit
the script.)
(d) Adjust the linguistic assessment according to the skills of amplification,

logical arrangement, and re-statement displayed. A disjointed, haphazard list
is unlikely to merit more than a middle D Class, i.e 8 marks.
7
ADDITIONAL MARK-SCHEME NOTES FOR THE GUIDANCE OF EXAMINERS
SECTION A (30 MARKS)
1 A descriptive topic. Focus is on a possible break from routine. Some candidates may
clearly bring out the sense of discomfort experienced on such a day.
2 Reward the candidate who successfully incorporates the essential elements of a short
story such as characterisation, pace, atmosphere, suspense and a well controlled plot
structure.
In (a) focus is on the abrupt change in the atmosphere following a series of

events that came to an end.
In (b) focus is on a sense of deep grief resulting from an unexpected and shocking
discovery.
3 A discursive topic. Good candidates will examine both sides of the argument to
advantage. Accept a non-committal, middle-of-the-road approach. Give credit for
well-informed opinions.
4 A descriptive-narrative topic. Emphasis is on the surprise associated with the arrival

of the parcel. Good candidates will exploit to advantage the opportunity for short
8
story writing incorporating elements such as characterisation, pace, atmosphere,

suspense and a well-controlled plot structure. Accept varied interpretations of parcel.
5 A factual / expository question. Candidates are expected to demonstrate an awareness

of the problems and suggest plausible solutions.
6 Open-ended topic. Candidates will be rewarded for a detailed description or narration

of the circumstances surrounding a situation where one is taken ‘prisoner.’
7 A discursive topic where candidates should raise points for and against the assertion.
Accept a non-committal approach.
8 Appropriateness of response is an important element in this type of question. The

examiner should take into account and reward the following:
- accurate, sensible and relevant presentation of a report

- effective use of links
- amplification and inclusion of the candidate’s own material
NB: Candidates must present answers in a report format as follows:
To :
Title/ Topic:
Date:
From/Compiled by:
Award 2 marks for appropriate report format. Award 1 mark for a partial
report format.
Do not deduct any mark(s) for wrong or omission of report format.

NOVEMBER 2017
MARKING SCHEME

2
E. 8. THE SCALE OF MARKS TOTAL SECTION A . . . . (30)

TOTAL SECTION B . . . . (20) =TOTAL 50
Marks of 30 or 0 should be awarded, if appropriate. There are 5 CLASSES (an internal

categorisation, not ‘O’ Level grades)
A/B CLASS SECTION A SECTION B
21 – 30 (15 – 18) + 2
Excellent to very good linguistic ability; adequate and relevant; few errors or slips.
High interest value, subject explored in depth, logical arrangement, wide description and
cohesive narrative.
C CLASS 15 – 20 (10 – 14) + 2
Good to fairly good language; some errors but few at top of class; satisfactory treatment;
reasonable arrangement;
D CLASS 9 – 14 (6 – 9) + 2
Flat or uncertain language; subject undeveloped; a fair number of errors. Some

digression; weak/jerky arrangement.
E CLASS 0–8 (0 – 5) + 2
Broken English; frequent errors; muddled/distorted content; development erratic.

3
AMPLIFICATION OF ESSAY CLASS DEFINITIONS
SECTION A SECTION B
F. A CLASS (25 – 30) (17 – 18) + 2
Ample material, fully relevant, high interest value/persuasiveness; originality; merit of form and
arrangement/paragraphing; unity of tone/approach; fluency; very good to excellent linguistic
ability.
VERY FEW GROSS ERRORS (less than six); very few slips or minor errors; wide variety
of apt vocabulary, sentence structure and linking devices.
Descriptive essays have atmosphere, observation, and sensitivity.
Discussions present complex, cogent argument with force and economy.
Narratives, where appropriate, show merits of structure, characterisation, description,

suspense, pace.
All work in this Class must show awareness of significant detail, wide information or apt
illustration.
SECTION A SECTION B
B CLASS (21 – 24) (15 – 16) + 2
Ample material, fully relevant, interesting and sustained theme/approach; well-arranged and
paragraphed; very good linguistic ability; vocabulary and sentence structure varied and
appropriate but not necessarily outstanding; few gross errors; some slips and minor errors.
Some essays may be long, well arranged, but without much originality; others will be original,
but not so well sustained/balanced as A Class scripts.
UPPER C (18 – 20) (13 – 14) + 2
Ample, competent but somewhat uninspired subject matter; less originality than in B Class,
quite well arranged, properly paragraphed; good linguistic ability, varied vocabulary and
sentence structure; free from monotonous repetition; more major errors than in B class; some
slips and errors.
4
SECTION B
LOWER C (15 – 17) (10 – 12) + 2
Simple clarity and correctness; shortish; flat content; well-arranged; few gross elementary
errors, some errors, more minor errors and slips than in Upper C Class. The meaning must not
be in doubt, though the vocabulary may be limited. Sentences may be short and stereotyped,
but there must be some complex sentences. Sentences should be correctly separated, except for
occasional slips.
UPPER D (12 – 14) (8 – 9) + 2
Dull but sensible content not explored in depth, some repetition; ideas fragmentary or vague,
lack of sustained development, some attempt to arrange; clear evidence of relevance but
perhaps occasional short digressions; expression flat, limited, uncertain; some serious faults of
sentence construction, punctuation, vocabulary and tense; paragraphs short or run together;
sentence and paragraph linking inappropriate or haphazard.
(a) scripts with enough competence for a limited range of simple points to be expressed
unambiguously, with fair clarity, but with little vocabulary and few, if any, complex
sentences.
(c) long, racy scripts with interesting content but so much carelessness and inaccuracy that
the writer cannot be employed even in simple clerical tasks: inability to punctuate
consistently, especially in the separation of sentences.
SECTION B
LOWER D (9 – 11) (6 – 7) + 2

Despite the obvious failings, scripts here have something relevant to say and manage to
communicate without too much effort on the part of the reader.
(0 – 8) (0 – 5) + 2

5
SECTION B
UPPER E (6 – 8) (3 – 5) + 2
Countless grammatical and syntactical errors, fair spelling, sense mostly decipherable but some
passages necessitating re-reading and the exercise of the reader’s deductive powers. Content
flimsy, ideas disconnected.
SECTION B
LOWER E (0 – 5) (0 – 2) + 2
‘Multiple gross error’, i.e mistakes not easily definable or separable, whole passages not making
sense; chaotic word order; gross mis-spelling of basic words.
SECTION B
6
(a) Length often causes difficulties of assessment. Note that there is no penalty for brevity
in itself: there is no ‘SHORT’ category in Section B see para. 1(d) on page 13.
Conciseness may be a merit.
Examine whether the answer covers most of the important points and whether the
brevity is deliberate.
(b) Consider the vocabulary. What is repeated from the question paper? What has the
candidate added that is suitable and properly used?
Examine the variety and aptness of the structures and links provided by the candidates.
(c) If the whole of Section B is written in non-sentences, assess and give the script to your
B.M.S.
If non-sentences predominate to the extent that you are unsure of the general quality,
give it to your B.M.S.
(N.B Please record the candidate’s mark on the mark sheet before you submit the
script.)
(d) Adjust the linguistic assessment according to the skills of amplification, logical
arrangement, and re-statement displayed. A disjointed, haphazard list is unlikely to
merit more than a middle D Class, i.e 8 marks.
ADDITIONAL MARK-SCHEME NOTES
1. A descriptive topic. Focus is on the appearance of the environment on the morning after
the storm.
2. A narrative topic. Reward candidates who successfully incorporate the essential

elements of a short story such as characterisation, pace, atmosphere, suspense and a
well-controlled plot structure. Look for and reward originality.
In (a) focus is on the similarities between the writer and the person in the photograph.
In (b) focus is on the excitement derived from meeting the famous person.
3. A discursive topic. Candidates are expected to explore both sides of the question and
come up with informed judgements.
4. An expository/factual topic. Candidates are expected to explore the activities or

measures that the community can do or put in place to preserve the environment.
5. An argumentative topic. Candidates should examine both sides of the topic and take a
convincing position.
7
6. An open-ended question. Accept varied interpretations of the ‘bridge.’
7. A descriptive/narrative topic. Focus is on the effects of the wrong decision made.
8. Appropriateness of responses is an important element in this type of question.

Candidates are expected to observe the rudiments of informal letter writing which are:
one address, salutation and ending.
Look for and reward the following:
- amplification
- logical interpretation of the pegs
- logical arrangement
- use of appropriate register
- inclusion of candidate’s own material

PAPER 1
NOVEMBER 2015 SESSION 1 hour 30 minutes
Additional materials:
Answer paper
TIME 1 hour 30 minutes
Write your name, Centre number and candidate number in the spaces provided on the answer
paper/answer booklet.
Read the paper carefully before answering the questions.
Answer two questions.
Answer one question from Section A and the one from Section B.
Write your answers on the separate answer paper provided.
If you use more than one sheet of paper, fasten the sheets together.
The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question.

You are advised to spend 50 minutes on Section A and 40 minutes on Section B.
________________________________________________________________________
This question paper consists of 3 printed pages and 1 blank page.
ZIMSEC N2015 [Turn over

2
Write a composition on one of the following topics. Your answer should be between
350 and 450 words in length. You are advised to spend 50 minutes on this section.
1 Describe the activities in your school hostel when pupils wake up in the morning. [30]
2 Write a story based on one of the following statements:
Either (a) If only she had been a bit more patient… [30]
Or (b) He suddenly realised that he could still trust other people. [30]
3 ‘Parents do not realise how difficult life for a teenager can be.’ Discuss. [30]
4 The night thunderstorm. [30]
5 What should be done to ensure that communities benefit from resources in

their areas? [30]
6 Miracles. [30]
7 ‘If men help more with domestic duties, they will understand the role of women
in the home better.’ What are your views? [30]
1122/1 N2015
3
Answer the following question. You are advised to spend 40 minutes on this section.
Begin your answer on a fresh page.
8 The pie chart below represents the Advanced Level students’ areas of study distribution
pattern in Zimbabwean schools. Write an article suggesting possible reasons for the
trend shown and ways of improving the situation so that there is an even distribution of
students in areas of study at Advanced Level.
[20]
1122/1 N2015
4
BLANK PAGE
1122/1 N2015

PAPER 1
Answer paper
Write your name, Centre Number and Candidate Number in the spaces provided on the answer

______________________________________________________________________________

2
Write a composition on one of the following topics. Your answer should be between
350 and 450 words in length. You are advised to spend 50 minutes on this section.
1 Describe a rainy school day. [30]
Either (a) All of a sudden, everything went quiet. [30]
Or (b) On realising the truth, he cried. [30]
3 ‘People should be more worried about their health rather than wealth.’ How far do
you agree? [30]
4 The unexpected parcel. [30]
5 What advice would you give the government on how to address the economic
problems currently being faced by your country? [30]
6 Captured. [30]
N.B: Candidates should not treat the topic as a character’s name.
7 ‘Whether one learns at a boarding school, private school or day school, that is
immaterial.’ Discuss. [30]
Answer the following question. You should spend not more than 40 minutes on this section.
8 Standards have gone down in your school. As a senior prefect, write a report to
be presented to the school Head outlining the concerns from the students and the
community. Use the following points and any other you may think of to write
the report.
- poor performance in school activities

- neglect of school property
- absenteeism
- high dropout rate
- indiscipline
- low staff motivation
[20]
1122/1 N2016

PAPER 1
Answer paper
Write your name, Centre number and candidate number in the spaces provided on the answer

________________________________________________________________________
This question paper consists of 3 printed pages and 1 blank page.

2
Write a composition on one of the following topics. You should not treat question 6 as a character’s
name. Your answer should be between 350 and 450 words in length. You are advised to spend 50
minutes on this section.
1 Describe the morning after a thunderstorm. [30]
Either (a) It was only when I looked at the photograph that I saw how
similar we were. [30]
Or (b) I had waited for so long for a chance to meet this very famous
person. [30]
3 Schools should send pupils home for non-payment of fees? Discuss. [30]
4 What can your community do to keep the environment clean and safe? [30]
5 ‘Examination results are a true reflection of a person’s abilities.’ Do you agree? [30]
6 The bridge. [30]
7 Describe an occasion when you made the wrong decision. [30]
1122/1 N2017
3
Answer the following question. You are advised to spend 40 minutes on this section.
8 You received the report below after the mid-year examinations. A very close friend writes
a letter asking you about your performance. Using the information on the report, write a
detailed and honest reply to your friend highlighting your best and worst subjects, what you
think about the comments you got from the teachers and your performance.
Form: 3E Term: 2 Year: 2015

No. in Form: 45 Position in Form: 26
Possible Examination Mark: 800 Actual Examination Mark: 441
Attendance: 59 Days out of: 63
Subject Exam Class Comments
Mark Average
English Language 61 52 Needs to read more widely. A.V
Shona/Ndebele 60 53 Could have done better C.N
Mathematics 44 48 Lazy and not serious at all M.M
Integrated Science 52 55 Exercise care when conducting experiments J.M
Geography 60 70 A fair performance. Needs to read more C.F
History 53 60 Worked well during the term. Needs to develop
examination techniques. S.K
Accounts 36 40 Disappointing work. Needs more practice. C.G
Agriculture 75 77 A diligent student, capable of doing well in the
finals T.N
Class Teacher’s Comment: A well behaved and responsible student. Must work hard in
Mathematics and Accounts. Very active in sports.
T. Nyoka
Headmaster’s Comment: There is room for further academic improvement.

C. Shato
[20]
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PAPER 2 INSERT
NOVEMBER 20.. SESSION
2 hours
Comprehension passage insert

The insert should not be posted to ZIMSEC with the answer booklet.
TIME 2 hours
Check if the insert has all the pages and ask the invigilator for a replacement if there are
Read the following passage very carefully before you attempt any questions.

_________________________________________________________________________
This insert consists of 5 printed pages and 3 blank pages.

Copyright: Zimbabwe School Examinations Council, N20..
ZIMSEC N20.. [Turn over]

2
Answer all the questions in the spaces provided on the question paper.
Mistakes in spelling, punctuation and grammar may be penalised in any part of the
paper.
THE EAGLE AND THE KITTEN
1 Cyclone Eline brought torrential rains which caused flooding in the whole of
Mutoko Communal Lands. The cyclone came down from the Mozambique
Channel and it rained for two days and a night.
2 In the darkness of the second night, softening away to dawn, there was silence.
There was only the gurgle and drip of the wet world, and the creatures that 5
lived on the earth began to appear, freed from the devastation of the storm.
3 The eagle, ruffled in misery brooding in ferocity, came forth in hunger and
hate. It struck off into the abyss of space scouring the earth for some booty
of the storm –the sheep lying dead like a heap of wet cotton, in the sodden
paddocks, or the rabbit driven from its flooded warren and squeezed dead 10
against a log.
4 With practised eyes, it scrutinised the floating islands of rubble and piles of
twigs lying all over on the banks, for a sign of a lizard or a snake, dead or
alive, but there was nothing. The eagle rested on a high and very steep rough
rock and surveyed the terrain with a fierce and hungry eye. Lice worried its 15
body. Savagely, it plucked with its body. Savagely, it plucked with its beak
under the fold of its wings, first on one side, then on the wings, first on one
side then on the other. It rasped its bill on the jagged stone. Then it took off.
It climbed in a gliding circle, widening its field of vision.
5 The earth was yellow and green, the sun was hot and the air heavy and humid. 20
Swinging south, the eagle dropped over a vast graveyard of dead timber. The
cyclone had ravaged the trees, splitting them, felling them and screwing the
ground with pieces of branches.
6 A rabbit sprang twenty metres away like a bobbing wheel, and the sight drew
the eagle’s attention, but the rabbit vanished into a hollow log, and stayed 25
there, and there was no other life to be seen.
7 Desperate and weak, the eagle perched on a tall tree and glared with desperation.
The sun was a fire on it famished body. Logs smoked with steam and the
brightness of water on the ground reflected like mirrors. The telescopic eye
inched over the ground and then stopped. Then, suddenly, the eagle swooped 30
1122/2 N20.. Insert

3
to the ground and tore at the body of a dead field mouse. Voraciously, it
ripped at the mouse, swallowing fast and finishing the meal in a few seconds.
The flood only served to make the eagle’s appetite more fierce.
8 It flew into a tree, scanning the countryside. It swerved into space and climbed
higher and higher in a circle, searching the vast expanse below. To the west, 35
something moved on the ground: a speck, and the eagle watched it. The eagle
did not strike at once. Obedient to instinct, it continued to circle, peering down
at the farmhouse and outbuildings. A hundred metres or more down on the
margin of the field, a kitten was playing, leaping, running and tumbling,
pawing, at a feather and rolling on its back, biting at the feather between its 40
paws. Frenzied with hunger, yet ever cautious, the eagle came down in a
spiral, set itself, and swooped. The kitten froze with its head cocked on one
side, unaware of the danger but started by this new and untried sport.
However, in the next moment, the eagle fastened its talons in the fur and the
fat belly of the kittens. 45
9 The kitten spat and twisted, struggling against the power that was lifting it.
Its great wings beating, paddling with the rhythm of oars, the eagle went up
a slope of space with it ‘cargo’. The kitten, airborne for the first time in its
life, the earth running under it in a blur, wailed in terror. It squirmed
frantically as the world fell away in the distance, but the eagle’s talons held it, 50
vice-like.
10 The air poured like water into the kitten’s eyes and broke against its rippling
furry sides. The kitten howled in infinite terror, and gave a sudden desperate
twist, so much that the eagle was jolted in its course and dropped to another
level, a few meters below the first. 55
11 Riding higher and higher on the wind, the eagle went west. The kitten cried
now with a new note. Its stomach was wambling. The air gushing into its
mouth and nostrils, set into a humming in its ears and an aching dizziness in
its head. As the eagle turned on its soundless orbit, the sun blazed like a flame
in the kitten’s eyes, blinding it. The kitten knew that it had no place there in 60
the heart of space. Moreover, its terrified instincts told it that its only contact
with the solid earth and safety rested with the thing that held it.
12 Suddenly, the eagle was ready to drop its prey. It was well-practised. Dawn
had gone the rabbit, a whistle in space, to crash to death on the ruthless earth,
and the eagle was about to repeat tat action, this time with the kitten. Now 65
there, at six hundred metres, the bird hovered. The kitten was alarmingly
aware of sudden change. It was no blinking at the pulsations of beaten air
as the wings flapped. The poor kitten could only hear that sound unexpectedly,
the eagle stopped and the wings were still outstretched but rigid, tilting slightly
with the poised body. Only the fanned tail lifting and lowering with the flow of 70
the currents.
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4
13 The kitten felt the talons relax slightly, and that was its warning. The talons
opened, but in the first flashing shock of the movement, the kitten completed
its twist and slashed the eagle’s legs and buried its claws in the flesh like fish
hooks. In the next fraction of a second, the kitten had consolidated its position, 75
securing its hold, jabbing in every claw except those one foot which thrust out
in space, pushing against unsupporting air. Then, the claws on this foot were
dug into the breast of the eagle.
14 With a cry of pain and alarm, the bird swooped crazily, losing fifty meters like
a dropping stone. Then, it righted itself, flying in a drunken sway that 80
diminished as it circled.
15 Blood from its breast beaded and trickled down the kitten’s paw and spilled into
one eye. The kitten blinked, but the blood came and congealed, warm and sticky.
The kitten could not turn its head. It was frightened to risk a change of position.
The blood slowly built over its eye, a blinding pellicle. 85
16 The eagle felt a spasm of weakness and out of that weakness, came an
accentuation of its hunger and a lust to kill at all cost, the victim it had claimed
and carried to this place of execution.
17 The eagle started to climb again, desperately trying to dislodge the kitten.
However, the weight was too much and it could not ascend. A great tiredness 90
came into its body, an ache all along the frames of its wings. The kitten clung
tenaciously onto the eagle’s breast, staring down at the winding earth below and
mewing in terror.
18 For ten minutes, the eagle gyrated, defeated and bewildered. All it wanted to do
then was to get rid of the burden fastened to its legs and body. It crawled for 95
respite, a rest on the tallest trees, but it only flew high over these trees, knowing
very well that it was unable to perch. Its beak gaped under the harsh ruptures of
its breath. It descended one hundred metres. The kitten with the wisdom of
instinct, never altered its position, but appeared to ride down like some fantastic
parachutist. 100
19 In one mighty burst, the eagle with a striking beak and a terrible flapping of its
wings, tried finally to cast off its passenger – and nearly succeeded. The kitten
meowed in a frenzy of fear at the violence of the sound and the agitation. Its
back legs dangled in space, and like that, it went around on the curves of the
flight for two minutes. Then it secured a foothold again, even firmer than the 105
first.
20 In a hysterical rage, the eagle tried once more to lift itself, and almost instantly
began to sweep down in great, slow gliding eddies that became narrower and
narrower.
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5
21 The kitten was the pilot now and the eagle no longer the assassin of the 110
void, the lord of the skies and the master of the wind. The ache coiled and
throbbed in its breast. It fought against the erratic disposition of its wings
and the terror of its waning strength. Its heart was bursting with the strain;
its eyes dilated wild and yellow and it came down, skimming the ground
under it. The kitten cried at the silver glare of the roofs not far off, and the 115
expanding earth, and the brush of the grass.
22 The eagle hit the ground and rolled over, and the kitten rolled with it. The
eagle lay flat with exhaustion, its eyes fiercely aware of the danger of its
forced and alien position.
23 The kitten staggered giddily not seriously hurt, towards the silver roofs, 120
wailing loudly.
Adapted from: Tankel Syvial (e.d): Short Story International No. 3, (1977)
International Cultural Exchange, New York.
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PAPER 2 INSERT

Allow candidates 5 minutes to count pages before the examination.
TIME 2 hours
Check if the booklet has all the pages and ask the invigilator for a replacement if there are duplicate or
missing pages.
Read the following passage very carefully before you attempt any question.
______________________________________________________________________________
This insert consists of 4 printed pages.

ZIMSEC N2015 [Turn over

2
Answer all the questions. You are advised to answer them in the order set.
1 To the north of the main watershed in the reserve, the country is hilly, composed of
sandstone, grass and many water-courses, nearly all of which dry up soon after the
rains. At three places, there were small springs which dried up only in the worst years.
Dams had been built at all those sites. The earth dam on the Deteema River was no
sooner completed than a good rain storm increased the volume of water in it, but when 5
the next storm came, before the dam had filled, it burst, leaving a great gap right at the
highest part of the wall. Nothing daunted, we repaired the breach, only to have it burst
again with the first flood of another rainy season.
2 There was a lapse of time, some years in fact, before any further repair work was done.
The breached dam wall was an eyesore to my staff and I. For the third time, the whole 10
wall was rebuilt and again it stood for only a short time after filling before it gave way.
3 The next time we dealt with that hoodoo dam of ours, we repaired it with the addition
of concrete, and after that it held and is today one of the best game spots in the area.
No sooner had that dam held back some water, even before it burst the first time, 15
than quite a big crocodile put in an appearance. That was strange as the nearest
water where crocodiles were known was the Deka River, not less than eight kilometres
away. I was not aware until then that crocodiles wandered so far from permanent water
and so early in the wet season, but more surprises were to come.
4 The next dam was built on the Mandavu River which was on Sinamatela Ranch, one of 20
the blocks of land bought and added to the reserve. That dam, also an earth dam, burst
before it was full, leaving a small pool instead of what should have been a good big
stretch of water. Much to my surprise, there was a crocodile in the pool. Where the
creature had come from, heaven only knows. The Mandavu River flowed into the
Lukosi River, which in turn flowed into the Gwaai River. Except for one small pool 25
about twenty-four kilometres below the dam, there was no water all the way to the
Gwaai River which was at least forty-eight kilometres away.
5 When repair work was begun on the breach, we found a hole in the wall which had
evidently been made by a crocodile. The sides were worn smooth where the creature’s
body had scraped along the hole, while its spoor was clearly seen on the muddy bottom 30
of the hole. There, then, was the answer to our dam failures: in every case, a crocodile
had obviously bored a hole into the soft earth bank below the water level, thus causing
a burst when the dam finally filled.
6 The Deteema Dam had burst three times and now it was full again. We were confident
that crocodiles had been responsible for the breaching of the wall. We, therefore, 35
decided to try and rid that dam of those creatures before they damaged the wall again.
1122/2 N2015
3
7 Accompanied by my two sons, Rodney aged twelve and Gerald ten, I camped at the
dam and after dark set out in a small home-made metal rowing boat, armed with a
shot-gun and a torch. We were all aware that there were at least two crocodiles.
We soon located one of them. Rod had no difficulty in putting a shot into its head 40
at quite close range. The body floated and we hauled it into the boat. We then rowed
slowly up the dam in search of the other crocodile, when suddenly, the one we had in
the boat showed obvious signs of life. We could not put another shot into it as that
would have put a hole in the bottom of the boat. The crocodile, two metres in size,
became rather too lively for our liking and I abandoned the rowing seat and we all 45
took up positions in the prow and stern of the boat, with our feet dangling over the
side.
8 In that position, we started to paddle for the bank, the side of which nearest us was
steep, with deep water right up to the shore line, which was heavily wooded. Gerrie
kept the torch shining on the crocodile while Rod and I paddled up to what we knew 50
was a bare gravelly beach. Just as the boat was about to ground, we were greeted by
a deep growl. Gerrie flicked up the torch and revealed four lions within about twenty
metres of us. For a moment, we did not know what to do; however, we decided to try
and drive the lions away, so we shouted at them and they made off into a patch of thick
long grass. They, however, did not go far as we could still see their eyes reflecting the 55
light of our torch.
9 I was out-voted when I suggested that we land and get rid of our crocodile, so I tried
to despatch it by jabbing it on the head with a paddle, but that served only to bring it to
instant life. It started thrashing about and uttering a low snarling sound. That seemed
to attract the lions which came back to the gravel verge, approaching to within fifty 60
metres of us. Shouting had no effect on them that time and Rod fired a shot over their
heads. The shot startled them but they did not make off; they merely lay down.
10 Faced with a crocodile if we took to the water and the lions if we took to the shore, we
were uncertain of what to do when the matter was decided for us by two of the lions
starting up a full-throated roar. We began paddling madly for the opposite bank. 65
Our crocodile lay still for a time and we made good progress but then the beast started
crawling about the bottom of the boat which upset our balance as at one time all its
weight was on one side and then on the other. In our precarious position, we were
unable to shift our weight to counterbalance the crocodile’s change in position and it
looked, at times, as if our boat would capsize. If the crocodile had tried to climb out 70
over the side, I am sure we would have capsized.
11 All that time, the lions were indulging in full-throated roars at intervals of about five
minutes, but they were at least getting a little farther away each time. At last, we
reached the bank and had to turn the boat stern first. With both Gerrie and I on the
stern with our legs over the side and the crocodile at our end, we would have foundered 75
if Rod had been the first out, leaving all the weight at the back of the boat. We
managed to make it to the shore while Rod walked tight-rope-wise along the side of
the boat to safety.
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4
12 After a breather, we pitched the boat over, landing our crocodile on the bank. Rod
then gave it another shot which put paid to it. That ended our crocodile hunting for 80
the night and we rowed back to camp. The next day we managed to bag the other
crocodile and hoped we had cleared the dam. It was some time before another –
much smaller one – put up an appearance, but by then we hoped the dam wall had
consolidated sufficiently to stand up to the crocodile’s digging activities.
13 I am doubtful now if the crocodiles did, in fact, come from downstream. In each case, 85
there was a small spring near the site of those dams with plenty of water during the
rains. Although it has never been proved, we are now inclined to believe that those
creatures lived in those areas and aestivated in some concealed spot during the dry
season. Possibly they had excavated a hole in the deep damp soil near the spring.
The entrance to such a hole would soon be trampled in by elephants and become 90
quite invisible.
14 One year, a crocodile about two metres long found its way into the pan at Shumba.
Where it came from, no one knows, and where it went to is equally mysterious, for it
just disappeared during the wet season, and never appeared at any of the other pans
on those parts. That was all the more remarkable because there was usually no water 95
at Shumba during the dry season, until a borehole was sunk there.
15 Although crocodiles were far more widespread in that dry country than one would
expect, it was a strange fact that there were none in the Nata or Makarakari drainage
system. There was enough water and fish for them to live happily in that river system,
but I never saw a sign of them there and the local people were emphatic that they did 100
not exist in that area.
Adapted from Wankie: The Story of a Great Game Reserve, by Ted Davison, Published by
Regal Publishers 1973.
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PAPER 2 INSERT
NOVEMBER 2016 SESSION
2 hours

TIME 2 hours

_________________________________________________________________________
This insert consists of 4 printed pages.


2
Man-Eater
1 Stalking a leopard or a tiger on its kill is one of the most intriguing forms of sport
I know, but it can only be indulged in with any hope of success when the
conditions are favourable. The conditions were not favourable for the bush
was too dense to permit a noiseless approach. Returning to the village, I had
breakfast and then called the villagers together, as I wanted to consult them about 5
the surrounding country. It was necessary to visit the kill to see if the leopard had
left something for me to sit over, and while doing so I would not be able to avoid
disturbing the leopard. What I wanted to learn was whether there was any other
heavy cover within a reasonable distance to which the leopard could retire on being
disturbed. I was told that there was no such cover nearer than two kilometres and 10
that, to get to it, the leopard would have to cross a wide stretch of cultivated land.
2 At midday, I returned to the patch of the bush and, a hundred metres from where
the leopard had killed the goat, I found all that the leopard had left of the goat –
its hooves and horns. As there was no fear of the leopard leaving the cover at
that time of day for the jungle two kilometres away, I tried for several hours to 15
stalk it, helped by various birds – bulbuls, drongos, thrushes and babblers – which
give warning signals to the jungle folk upon seeing a member of the cat family.
They kept me informed of the leopard’s every movement. I did not collect men
from the village to drive the leopard out onto the open ground because that could
not have been attempted without grave danger to the beaters. As soon as he found 20
he was being driven towards the open, the leopard would have broken back and
attacked anyone in his way.
3 On my return to the village after my unsuccessful attempt to get a shot at the

leopard, I went down with a bad attack of malaria and for the next twenty-four
hours I lay in a stupor. By evening of the following day, the fever had left me 25
and I was able to continue the hunt. On their own initiative, the previous night,
the men had tied out the second goat where the first had been killed but the
leopard had not touched it. That was all to the good, for the leopard would now
be hungry, and I set out on that third evening full of hope.
4 On the near side of the patch of the thicket, there was an old oak tree. That tree 30
was growing out of a two-metre bank between two terraced fields and was leaning
away from the hill at an angle that made it possible for me to walk up the trunk in
my rubber-soled shoes. On the underside of the trunk and about five metres from
the ground, there was a branch jutting out over the lower field. That branch, which
was about half a metre thick, was hollow and rotten. However, as it was the only 35
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3
branch on the tree, and as there were no other trees within a radius of several
hundred metres, I decided to risk sitting on it.
5 As I had every reason to believe that the leopard I was dealing with was the Panar
man-eater, I made the men cut a number of long black thorn shoots. After I had
taken my seat with my back to the tree and my legs stretched out along the branch, 40
I made the men tie the shoots into bundles, lay them on the trunk of the tree and
lash them to it securely with a rope. To the efficient execution of those small
details, I am convinced I owe my life.
6 Several of the black-thorn shoots, which were from ten to twenty metres long,
projected on either side of the tree. As I had nothing to hold onto to maintain my 45
balance, I gathered the shoots on either side of me and held them firmly between
my arms and my body. By five o’clock, my preparations were complete and I
was firmly seated on the branch. The goat was tied to a stake in the field, thirty
metres in front of me, and the men were sitting out in the field smoking and
talking loudly. 50
7 Up to that point, all had been quiet in the patch of brush. Then, a babbler gave
its piercing alarm call, followed a minute or two later by the chattering of
several white-throated laughing thrushes. Those two species of birds are the
most reliable informants in the hills, and on hearing them I signalled to the men
to return to the village. That they appeared to be very glad to do, and as they 55
walked away, still talking loudly, the goat started bleating. Nothing happened
for the next half hour and then, as the sun was fading off the hill, above the
village, two drongos that had been sitting on the tree above me flew and started
to bait some animal on the open ground between me and the thicket. The goat,
while calling, had been facing in the direction of the village, and it now turned 60
round, facing me and stopped calling. By watching the goat, I could follow the
movements of the animal that he was interested in and that animal could only be
the leopard.
8 Again, nothing happened for many minutes and then I felt a gentle pull on the
black-thorn shoots I was holding onto and blessed my forethought in having 65
had the shoots tied to the leaning tree for I could not turn round to defend myself.
There was no question then that I was dealing with a man-eater and a very
determined man-eater at that. Finding that he could not climb over the thorns,
the leopard, after his initial pull, had then got the butt ends of the shoots between
his teeth and was jerking them violently pulling me hard against the trunk of the 70
tree. I remained calm and expectant.
9 The last of the daylight had faded out of the sky and the leopard who did all his
human killing in the dark, was in his element and I was out of mine. In the dark,
a human being is the most helpless of all animals – and speaking for myself – his
courage is at its lowest ebb. Having killed four human beings at night in the 75
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past, the leopard was quite unafraid of me. That was evident from the fact that
while tugging at the shoots, he was growling loud enough to be heard by the men
anxiously listening in the village. While that growling terrified the men, as they
later told me, it had the opposite effect on me, for it let me know where the
leopard was and what he was doing. It was when he was silent that I was most 80
terrified, for I did not know what his next move would be. Several times, he
had nearly unseated me by pulling on the shoots vigorously and then suddenly
letting them go, and I felt sure that if he sprang up he would need only to touch
me to send me crashing to the ground.
10 After one of those nerve-wracking periods of silence, the leopard jumped down 85
off the high bank and dashed towards the goat. In the hope that the man-eater
would come while there was still sufficient light to shoot by, I had tied the goat
thirty metres from the tree to give me time to kill the leopard before it got to the
goat. However, since it was now dark, I could not save the goat which, despite
being white, I could only just see as an indistinct blur. I therefore waited until 90
it had stopped struggling and then aimed where I thought the leopard would be
and pressed the trigger. My shot was greeted with an angry grunt, and I saw a
flash of white as the leopard went over backwards and disappeared down another
high bank into the field beyond.
11 For ten or fifteen minutes, I listened anxiously for further sounds from the 95
leopard and then the men called out and asked if they could come to me. It was
quite safe for them to do so, provided they kept to the high ground. I therefore
told them to light pine torches and come.
12 After a lot of shouting and running about, some twenty men, each carrying a
torch, left the village. Following my instruction, they circled round above the 100
terraced fields and approached my tree from behind. The knots in the ropes
securing the black-thorn shoots to the tree had been pulled so tightly by the
leopard that they had to be cut. After the thorns had been removed, the men
climbed up the tree and helped me down.
Adapted From: ‘Men Eater’ by Jim Corbet (1947) in The Man-Eating

Leopard of Rudraprayag, Oxford University Press, London
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PAPER 2 INSERT
2 hours
TIME 2 hours

_________________________________________________________________________


2
paper.
2 In the darkness of the second night softening away to dawn, there was silence.
3 The eagle, ruffled in misery and brooding in ferocity, came forth in hunger and
hate. It struck off into the void of space, searching the earth for some spoils
of the storm – the sheep lying dead like a heap of wet cotton in the sodden
against a log.
twigs lying all over on the banks for a sign of a lizard or a snake, dead or
body. Savagely, it plucked with its beak under the fold of its wings, first on
one side, then on the other. It rasped its bill on the jagged stone. Then it took
off. It climbed in a gliding circle, widening its field of vision.
5 The earth was yellow and green, the sun was hot and the air heavy and humid.
Swinging south, the eagle dropped over a vast graveyard of dead timber. The 20
cyclone had ravaged the trees, splitting and felling them as well as strewing the
the eagle’s attention, but the rabbit vanished into a hollow log. It stayed there, 25
and there was no other life to be seen.
7 Desperate and weak, the eagle perched on a tall tree and glared around. The sun
was a fire on its famished body. Logs smoked with steam and the brightness of
water on the ground reflected like mirrors. The telescopic eye of the eagle inched
over the ground and then stopped. Then, suddenly, the eagle swooped to the 30
ground and tore at the body of a dead field mouse. Voraciously, it ripped at
the mouse, swallowing fast and finishing the meal in a few seconds.
1122/2 N2017 Insert

The food only served to make the eagle’s appetite more fierce.
3
8 It flew into a tree, scanning the countryside. It then swerved into space and
climbed higher and higher in a circle, searching the vast expanse below. To the 35
west, something moved on the ground: a speck, and the eagle watched it. The
eagle did not strike at once. Obedient to instinct, it continued to circle, peering
down at the farmhouse and outbuildings. A hundred metres or more down on
the margin of the field, a kitten was playing, leaping, running and tumbling,
pawing at a feather and rolling on its back, biting at the feather between its 40
side, unaware of the danger but startled by this new and untried sport.
fat belly of the kitten. 45
a slope of space with its ‘cargo’. The kitten, airborne for the first time in its
frantically as the world fell away in the distance, but the eagle’s talons held it 50
vice-like.
level, a few metres below the first. 55
11 Riding higher and higher on the wind, the eagle went west. The kitten then
cried with a new note. Its stomach was wambling. The air gushing into its
mouth and nostrils, set up a humming in its ears and an aching dizziness in
12 Suddenly, the eagle was ready to drop its prey from that height. It was
well-practised. Down had gone the rabbit, a whistle in space, to crash to death
on the ruthless earth, and the eagle was about to repeat that action, this time with 65
the kitten. Now there, at six hundred metres, the bird hovered. The kitten was
alarmingly aware of the sudden change. It was now blinking at the pulsations of
beaten air as the wings flapped. The poor kitten could only hear that sound.
Unexpectedly, the eagle stopped and the wings were still outstretched but rigid,
tilting slightly with the poised body. Only the fanned tail was lifting and lowering 70
with the flow of the currents.
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4
its twist, slashed the eagle’s legs and buried its claws in the flesh like fish hooks.
In the next fraction of a second, the kitten had consolidated its position, 75
securing its hold, jabbing in every claw except those on one foot which thrust
out in space, pushing against unsupporting air. Then, the claws on that foot were
14 With a cry of pain and alarm, the bird swooped crazily, losing fifty metres like
The blood slowly built a blinding pellicle over the eagle’s eye. 85
16 The eagle felt a spasm of weakness and out of that weakness came the
intensification of its hunger and a lust to kill, at all costs, the victim it had
claimed and carried to this place of execution.
mewing in terror.
18 For ten minutes, the eagle spinned, feeling defeated and bewildered. All it wanted
to do then was to get rid of the burden fastened to its legs and body. It craved for 95
respite, a rest on the tallest trees, but it only flew high over those trees, knowing
its breath. It descended one hundred metres. The kitten, with the wisdom of
parachutist. 100
19 In one mighty burst, the eagle, with a striking beak and a terrible flapping of its
miaowed in a frenzy of fear at the violence of the sound and the agitation. Its
first.
20 In rage, the eagle tried once more to lift itself, and almost instantly began to
sweep down in great, slow gliding circles that became narrower and narrower.
1122/2 N2017 Insert
21 The kitten was the pilot then and the eagle no longer the assassin of the
5
void, the lord of the skies and the master of the wind. The ache coiled and 110
throbbed in its breast. The eagle fought against the erratic disposition of its
wings and the terror of its waning strength. Its heart was bursting with the strain;
under it. The kitten cried at the silver glare of the roofs not far off, the
expanding earth and the green grass. 115
22 The eagle hit the ground, rolled over and the kitten rolled with it. The
23 The kitten staggered giddily not seriously hurt, towards the silver roofs,
wailing loudly. 120
Adapted from: Tankel Syvial (e.d): Short Story International No. 3, (1977),
1122/2 N2017 Insert

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PAPER 2 INSERT
2 hours
TIME 2 hours

_________________________________________________________________________


2
paper.
against a log.
1122/2 N2017 Insert

3
vice-like.
1122/2 N2017 Insert

[Turn over
4
mewing in terror.
parachutist. 100
first.
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5
wailing loudly. 120
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6
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7
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8
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PAPER 2 INSERT
2 hours
TIME 2 hours

_________________________________________________________________________


2
paper.
against a log.
1122/2 N2017 Insert

3
vice-like.
1122/2 N2017 Insert

[Turn over
4
mewing in terror.
parachutist. 100
first.
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5
wailing loudly. 120
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6
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7
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PAPER 2
Candidates answer on the question paper. No additional answer sheets should be posted to ZIMSEC.
The comprehension passage is provided as an insert and that should not be posted to ZIMSEC.
Do not punch holes on this booklet.
TIME 2 hours
Write your name, Centre number and Candidate number in the spaces at the top of this page
and your Centre number and Candidate number on the top right corner of every page of this
paper.
Check if the booklet has all the pages and ask the invigilator for a replacement if there are
Do not remove pages from the answer booklet, punch holes on or staple the papers.
Read the provided passage very carefully before you attempt any question.
______________________________________________________________________
ZIMSEC N2015 [Turn over

2
SECTION A: (40 MARKS)
Answer all questions.
From Paragraph 1
1 (a) (i) What problem did the writer face in the reserve regarding the
provision of water for the game?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________ [1]
(ii) State the main material used to build the dam on the Deteema
River.
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________ [1]
(iii) Give a phrase of two words from this paragraph that proves that
the writer and his workers were not discouraged by the bursting
of the dam.
___________________________________________________ [1]
From Paragraph 3
(b) Why was the writer surprised to see a crocodile in the repaired dam?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________ [1]
1122/2 N2015
3
From Paragraph 5
1 (c) Give two pieces of evidence which prove that the hole discovered in
the dam wall had been made by a crocodile.
1. __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ [2]
From Paragraph 7
(d) Explain fully why it was unwise to ‘put another shot into the crocodile
which was in the boat when it showed obvious signs of life’ (line 43).
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________ [1]
From Paragraph 8
(e) Give two reasons why the writer and his sons could not use the
nearest bank of the dam.
1. __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ [2]
1122/2 N2015
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4
From Paragraph 13
2 (a) In your own words, explain what the writer thought the crocodiles did
during the dry season.
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________ [2]
From Paragraph 14
(b) What was remarkable about the crocodile at Shumba?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________ [2]
From Paragraph 15
(c) Why was it strange that there were no crocodiles in the Nata and
Makarakari drainage system?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________ [2]
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5
From the whole passage
2 (d) Choose five of the following words or phrases. For each of them,
give one word or short phrase (of not more than seven words)
which has the same meaning that the word or phrase has in the
passage.
1 gave way (line 11) _________________________________
2 evidently (line 29) _________________________________
3 precarious (line 68) _________________________________
4 indulging (line 72) _________________________________
5 foundered (line 75) _________________________________
6 consolidated (line 84) _________________________________
7 excavated (line 89) _________________________________
8 emphatic (line 100) _________________________________

[5]
3 Imagine you are Rodney. Summarise your experiences on the night you went to hunt
the crocodiles with your father and brother. In your account, concentrate only on what
you and your father did and how the crocodile and lions behaved during the incident.
Use only material from paragraphs 7 up to the end of paragraph 11.
Your summary, which should be in continuous writing, (not note form), must not be
longer than 160 words, including the given ten (10) words. Each word should be
written in a separate box. If you make a mistake, cancel the word(s) and write the
correct word(s) in the same box(es) above or next to the cancelled word(s).
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6
3 Write your summary on this page putting one word in each of the cells for easy
counting. Hyphenated words are counted as one word. Begin your summary as
follows:
When we noticed the crocodile move

in the water, 1
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7
3
[20]
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8
SECTION B: (10 MARKS)
Answer all the following questions. You should not spend more than 30 minutes on this
section.
4 Described below are five situations. Read the description of each situation carefully
and then answer briefly the questions which follow.
(a) Two local tourists visit the Zimbabwe Ruins. On seeing the conical tower,
they say:
(i) “Wow! These people must have been geniuses. Creating all this,
without mortar!”
(ii) “There must be a secret which people haven’t discovered yet. You just
wait. Someone will come up with the truth.”
What does each statement tell you about the feelings of the tourists
towards the construction of the conical tower?
(i) _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
(ii) _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________ [2]
(b) A young man who is about to get married says he wants only one hundred
guests at his wedding ceremony and reception. His mother comments:
“One hundred guests only! That’s interesting.”
Give two different reasons why she says so.
(i) ___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
(ii) ___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________ [2]
1122/2 N2015
9
4 (c) Two fans of a famous musician discuss an article on the musician’s private life
published in a local newspaper. They say:
(i) “This paper has gone too far. What right have they to publish such
details?”
(ii) “This is true. It’s not the first time for me to hear this. Sometimes
celebrities are a disgrace.”
What does each statement tell us about the speaker’s attitude towards
the publication of the musician’s private life?
(i) _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
(ii) _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________ [2]
(d) A person who has achieved a lot in life, but is known by very few people,
is introduced at a gathering. He responds in the following ways:
(i) He bows to the people then takes a seat.
(ii) He says, “Thank you. I challenge you all to try and do what I have
done. Very few can.”
What does each response show about the person’s character?
(i) _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
(ii) _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________ [2]
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10
4 (e) Igwe High School has just increased its fees by a hundred per cent. The
following comments are made by some of the affected students:
(i) “This was long overdue. The inflation in this country demands such
steps.”
(ii) “Some of us might be forced out of school now. We have been

struggling and this only makes it worse.”
What does each of the statements show about the way each student
views the increase?
(i) _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
(ii) _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________ [2]
1122/2 N2015

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ZIMBABWE SCHOOL EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL

General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level

ENGLISH LANGUAGE 1122/2

INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES

This question paper consists of 12 printed pages.

ZIMSEC N2017 [Turn over]

Answer all the questions in the spaces provided.

(b) Why did the various creatures start to appear?

(ii) In your own words, explain the meaning of ‘sodden paddocks’

(f) (i) Why was the eagle desperate and weak?

From the whole passage

1.torrential (line 1)______________________________________________

2. searching (line 8)_____________________________________________

3. scrutinised (line 12)___________________________________________

4. rasped (line 17)______________________________________________

5. ravaged (line 21)_____________________________________________

6. perched (line 27)____________________________________________

7. swooped (line 30) ___________________________________________

Use only material from paragraph 9 up to the end of paragraph 22.

SECTION B (10 MARKS)

Answer all the following questions.

On another day when the learner makes an error but has

In each case, what would be the effect of each statement on the

Give two different reasons for your mother’s reaction.

How do you think the husband would feel in each case?

Your father says: “Are these your results?”

Your mother says: “God is great!”

What feeling is being shown by the speaker in each case?

(i) Father: ___________________________________________

“Do you accept Mary as your wedded and lawful wife? ”

Peter says, “I do.”

Give two possible reasons for Mary’s actions.

1. Scripts to be used for co-ordination.

2. Instructions for completion of marking.

1 (a) (i) … provision of water for game

(ii) … material used to build dam.

ACCEPT: earth/mud/soil [1]

(iii) Not discouraged by bursting…

ACCEPT: ‘nothing daunted’.

(b) … surprised to see a crocodile…

(c) … hole made by crocodile…

2. The crocodile’s spoor was clearly seen on the muddy bottom

(d) … put another shot into the crocodile

NB: Both limbs needed for answer to score

ACCEPT: - The bank was steep.

Accept any two reasons.

2 (a) … crocodiles did during dry season… Own word question

ACCEPT: The focus of the answer should be on:

(ii) in some concealed spot

aestivated – spent part of a season in a state of inactivity/hibernated/was

concealed spot – in a hidden spot/place/buried/covered up spot/remained

OR He thought that the crocodiles spent part of a season in a state of

(b) … crocodile at Shumba

- Nobody could tell where it had come from. [1]

- Nobody could tell where it had gone to. [1]

(c) … no crocodiles in drainage system…

- There was enough water

2 (d) From the whole passage