Critical Reading

8 Grade 10 English questions on Critical Reading, with worked marking schemes. 8 questions are available on this topic in full.

1. Question 1

   4 marks

   Read the statement below and then answer the question that follows. 'Girls in our school do well in languages while the boys naturally take the sciences. That is simply how the two minds are built.' Explain four things that are wrong with this reasoning.

   (4 marks)

   Marking scheme for this question

   Create a free account to see it

2. Question 2

   1 mark

   Mwikali is writing a class presentation on how to prevent malaria in her home county. Which of these sources should she treat as the most reliable?

   A. A message about malaria forwarded to her phone by a relative

   B. A report on malaria control published by the Ministry of Health

   C. An advertisement placed by a company that sells mosquito coils

   D. A comment posted below a video on malaria by a viewer

   (1 mark)

   Marking scheme for this question

   Create a free account to see it

3. Question 3

   4 marks

   A radio advertisement claims: 'Nine out of ten farmers in Kenya now use Zawadi fertiliser. Do not be the odd one out.' State four questions a critical listener should ask before accepting this claim, and give a reason for asking each one.

   (4 marks)

   Marking scheme

   1 mark for each question with its reason, up to 4. (1) Who carried out the survey? If the company itself did, it has an interest in the result. (2) How many farmers were asked, and from which parts of the country? A small or local sample cannot speak for all Kenyan farmers. (3) Where are the findings published so that they can be checked? A claim that cannot be verified should not be accepted. (4) When was the information collected? Old figures may no longer be true. (5) Does the claim say anything about the quality of the fertiliser? Popularity is not proof that it works. Accept also: the words 'do not be the odd one out' pressure the listener through fear of being different rather than through evidence.

4. Question 4

   1 mark

   Read the argument below. 'Two learners from our county won the national debate contest this year. Clearly, learners from this county are the best debaters in Kenya.' What is the main weakness of this argument?

   A. It quotes an authority who has no expertise in debating

   B. It repeats the same idea twice in slightly different words

   C. It draws a sweeping conclusion about a whole county from only two cases

   D. It appeals to the reader's emotions instead of giving any reasons

   (1 mark)

   Marking scheme for this question

   Create a free account to see it

5. Question 5

   3 marks

   Read the statement below and then answer the question that follows. 'Only a fool would oppose the new levy on imported sugar; every right-thinking Kenyan supports it.' Explain three weaknesses in this reasoning.

   (3 marks)

   Marking scheme for this question

   Create a free account to see it

6. Question 6

   4 marks

   A newspaper report on the closure of a factory in Thika quotes the factory owner and the county trade officer, but does not quote a single worker who lost a job. Explain four ways in which this affects the report.

   (4 marks)

   Marking scheme

   1 mark for each point, up to 4. (1) The report is one-sided: only those in positions of authority are heard, so it is biased by omission even if nothing in it is false. (2) The workers' side, that is the loss of income and its effect on their families, is left out, so the reader cannot judge the full impact of the closure. (3) The two people quoted have reputations to protect, so their explanation of the closure may be self-serving. (4) The reader is left with an incomplete picture and should look for other sources before forming an opinion. (5) A fair report would balance the official account with the voices of those most affected.

7. Question 7

   1 mark

   A newspaper article about a proposed dam contains the line: 'A handful of stubborn villagers are still blocking progress.' What does this choice of words reveal?

   A. The writer is biased against the villagers

   B. The writer sympathises with the villagers' position

   C. The writer is reporting the situation neutrally

   D. The writer is unsure of the facts of the case

   (1 mark)

   Marking scheme for this question

   Create a free account to see it

8. Question 8

   1 mark

   Which one of the following statements is a statement of FACT rather than of opinion?

   A. Farmers in this area are careless about the way they use pesticides

   B. Every household in the county ought to plant indigenous trees

   C. Most of Kenya's coffee is harvested between October and December

   D. Nyeri is the most beautiful town in Kenya

   (1 mark)

   Marking scheme for this question

   Create a free account to see it

9. 6 more marking schemes are on this page. A free account opens all of them, and lets you build your own paper on the topics you have actually taught, laid out in KNEC format with its full marking scheme.

   Create a free account

More Grade 10 English topics