4) NAMIBIA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

FACULTY OF HUMAN SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND LANGUAGES

COURSE CODE: EPR511S COURSE NAME: ENGLISH IN PRACTICE

DATE: JUNE 2017 MODE: FM, PM & DI

DURATION: 3 Hours MARKS: 100

FIRST OPPORTUNITY EXAMINATION QUESTION PAPER

EXAMINERS: Ms C. Botes

Ms E. /Ucham

Ms M. Chimwamurombe

Ms J. Eiseb

Dr T. Frans

Ms E. Ithindi

Mr J. Lasso-Rey

Mr A. Tjijoro

MODERATOR; | Mr M. Mhene

INSTRUCTIONS ~

Answer ALL the questions.

Write clearly and neatly.

Number the answers clearly.

1.

2.

PERMISSIBLE MATERIALS

Examination paper

Examination script

THIS QUESTION PAPER CONSISTS OF 14 PAGES (INCLUDING THIS FRONT PAGE)

SECTION A: READING COMPREHENSION [25]

Read the passage below and then answer all the questions that follow.

Women in Ghana pay a heavy social price for not having children

Independent Online.

Body | 28 March 2017

The Conversation

1. The number of children a woman of reproductive age bears has been

declining globally. Yet childbearing expectations in some parts of Africa remain

high. In Ghana, for example, the total fertility rate — the average number of

children expected per woman over a lifetime — stands at 4.2. Women in Ghana

are under tremendous pressure to have children. Children provide emotional

fulfilment and social status, and can contribute to the household economy by

helping with domestic and subsistence activities. As parents age, children

become an important source of old age support.

Women in Ghana are under tremendous pressure to have children.

Picture: Thomas Mukoya

2. Asaresult of the high value of children, the social consequences of infertility can

be severe. For example, infertile women often face considerable stigma, mental

distress, and potential exposure to domestic violence. Gossip and social stigma

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can also arise. When members of the community see that a woman has not

become pregnant after an expected period of time, rumours of infertility may

begin.

3. About one in five couples in Ghana have difficulty conceiving or carrying a

pregnancy to term. Previous research has shown that women often report

feeling that their relationships are at risk due to their infertility. The considerable

pressure women are under to have children is cited as a key reason. To test this

suggested link between infertility and relationship breakdown, | analysed data

collected over a six-year period. The data were collected from 1,364 Ghanaian

women living in six communities in the Western, Central, and Greater Accra

regions. Women were asked a range of questions about factors including their

contraceptive use, pregnancy histories, and current relationship status.

Fertility and social pressure

4. The study looked at the relationship between infertility and the stability of

romantic partnerships.

| categorised infertility in two ways:

e biomedical infertility - women failing to become pregnant after two or more

years of unprotected intercourse, and

e self-reported infertility - women reporting that either it takes them a long

time to become pregnant or that it is not possible for them to become

pregnant at all.

5. | found that a woman’s ability to conceive has a powerful effect on whether the

relationship with her partner will survive. Women who had difficulties conceiving

faced a much greater risk of their relationships ending. Interestingly, this was

only the case when | looked at self-reported infertility. Biomedical infertility was

not linked to a greater risk of the relationship ending. In other words, only

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women who perceived themselves to have difficulties conceiving were at greater

risk of a breakup, regardless of their physiological ability to conceive. Where

relationship stability is concerned, perceptions matter. | also investigated

whether the risk of a breakup differed between married women compared with

those in non-marital sexual unions. This was particularly important because

previous work has tended to focus on married women.

If unmarried women’s relationships are also at risk of ending due to infertility,

this would not be detectable in studies which only consider married women. |

found that, indeed, women in non-marital unions were at greater risk of the

relationship ending compared to married women. This is consistent with the idea

that unmarried women have fewer legal protections, contributing to a less stable

relationship.

What can be done?

7.

8.

A combination of scaled-up diagnosis and treatment options, targeted attempts

to reduce stigma, and a diversified picture of family life are needed. Wider

availability of diagnosis and assisted reproductive technologies may help some

couples meet their fertility desires. These technologies are costly, however, and

tend not to be widely available. This makes them the preserve of wealthier

couples living in urban areas. Scaling up biomedical interventions could

therefore potentially contribute to the stratification of reproduction. In turn, this

could actually increase stigma for those who continue to be unable to access

such services.

This solution also misses the point that perceived infertility seems to be what

matters most for relationship stability. A biomedical intervention is therefore

unlikely to be sufficient on its own. From a social perspective, stigmatisation of

infertile women must be reduced. One possible option would be to strengthen

social welfare and old age support systems. This would reduce the economic

pressure on couples who struggle to have children.

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9. More broadly, a concerted effort is needed to redefine the family to include

childless couples. This might, for example, take the form of public campaigns to

highlight the diversity of family life in Ghana. These interventions have the

potential to reduce the social stigma for childless women, and to contribute to

the stability of romantic relationships.

[Author Jasmine Fledderjohann is a Lecturer in Sociology and Social Work,

Lancaster University.]

1. According to the passage, what are the three reasons why Ghanian women

want children? (3)

2. Explain the meaning of “...children become an important source of old age

support” in paragraph 1. (2)

3. Mention at least three consequences of infertility according to the passage.

(3) 4. Read the following sentence:

“| categorised infertility in two ways” in paragraph 4.

(i) What are the two ways mentioned above? (2)

(ii) What is the end result for women who cannot conceive? (1)

5. Explain the meaning of “detectable” in paragraph 6. (1)

6. Explain the meaning of “social stigma” in paragraph 9. (1)

7. Why is assisted reproductive technology not the answer according to the

passage? (2)

8. Quote two phrases that illustrate the precarious situation of infertile women

according to paragraph 6. (2)

9. How will a redefinition of the family that will target childless couples

contribute to the wellbeing of Ghanian society? (2)

10. Vocabulary: (6)

For each of the terms below, choose the explanation that best describes the

meaning of the word as used in the passage from the list given below the words.

Write down only the letter of the meaning of your choice next to each word.

(i) globally

(ii) severe

(iii) consistent

(iv) diversified

(v) preserve

(vi) concerted

A Continue to happen or develop in the same way

B More variety

C Affecting or including the whole world or universe

D Only suitable or allowed for a particular group of people

E Very bad or serious

F Believing unreasonably that you cannot trust other people

G Lots of different things mixed in an untidy manner

H People working together in a carefully planned and very determined way

SECTION B: GRAMMAR [25]

Read the paragraph below and then answer the grammar questions based on the

paragraph.

Hiking in nature (i) (to be) my favourite outdoor activity. Spotting an animal in the

wild adds to the pleasure. In many years of hiking in the East, | (ii) (to stumble) upon

bears twice. Once, in Maine, | (iii) (to round) a corner on a trail, and there, three feet

away, as lost in thought as | (iv) (to be) before spotting her, sat a black bear. One

look at me and she (v) (to dive) for the bushes — total contact time, perhaps four

seconds. A few years later, while | (vi) (to walk) near my house with my wife, | (vii)

(to hear) a noise in atreetop. Suddenly, a black bear, roughly the size and shape of a

large sofa, dropped to the ground a few yards away. She glowered in our direction

and then decided to run in the opposite way. The time of engagement (viii) (to be)

seven seconds at the most. Those (ix) (to be) amazing encounters and they have

spiced every other day | have spent in the woods. Even though | (x) (to have) enough

close encounters to keep my hopes up, | have not spotted another bear since.

However, if | counted as dramatic only those days when | actually saw a big fierce

animal, | a) think the forest a boring place indeed and that b)

dampen my enthusiasm as a hiker.

[Source: Bill McKibben, “Reflections: Television,” The New Yorker]

1. Change the verbs in brackets, numbered (i) — (x) in the paragraph into the correct

verb tense. Write only the number and the correct answer in your answer book.

(10/2 =5)

2. Complete the gaps, labelled a) and b), in the last sentence of the paragraph with

appropriate modal verbs. (2)

3.1 Identify whether each of the statements below is in the active or passive voice.

i) A bear nearly attacked Bill and his wife. (1)

ii) Bill was being watched by a bear. (1)

iii) The bear has broken some tree branches. (1)

3.2 Change each of the sentence above (at 3.1) to the opposite voice. (3)

4. Rewrite the following sentence in the reported speech.

Bill McKibben said: “I am glad that | saw a huge black bear in the wild last year.”

(4) 5. Complete the following conditional sentences with any suitable conditional or

result clause.

i) If the bear had attacked Bill, ... (1)

ii) | would run away if... (1)

iii) If Bill spots a wild animal, ... (1)

6.1 Identify two gerunds and two infinitives from the paragraph. Clearly indicate

which are the gerunds and which are the infinitives. (4)

6.2 Rewrite the following sentence, using the infinitive form instead of the gerund.

Watching wild animals is a rewarding experience. (1)

SECTION C: CRITICAL READING [20]

Read the short story below and then answer the questions that follow.

Dearest sender of the bulldozers, by Christopher Mlalazi

They are walking past. Some glance at me in disgust, some in apprehension. | know

they can never understand how an old woman and an infant can live on a street

pavement. Yes, how come? And who can blame them too? Of course the memory of

my husband stands over us, protecting us both from their stares and the brutal

elements.

Dearest comrade, | got this paper and pen from the Chief of the dump outside the

city, close to the cave where my husband fell ill.

The first day we stumbled on that cave, let me tell you as you dream of your foreign

investments; it was a clear morning; the sun shining so brightly, as though for us, and

the birds singing sweetly in the trees. My husband and | stood at its mouth, him

thanking his ancestral spirits, and | the almighty, for being so generous to us.

Finished with the praise of our divine benefactors, we had stood for a while in front

of the cave mouth, just looking at it, relishing the moment, because, finally, we had

found a home. Actually, it was my husband who discovered the cave mouth - he had

stopped to relieve himself, and behind the bush was the open door of our new

home!

As we had stood watching the cave mouth, a furry animal had shot out of it towards

us - | had screamed, and it had darted between our legs and disappeared into the

forest. My husband, he was strong then, had said to me after we had regained our

composure — these are his exact words — ‘If an animal can find sanctuary in there, so

can we,’ and, brave man, he had disappeared into it. | had stood waiting for him

outside, terrified to follow him in - what if there were more wild animals inside

there? | waited and waited, but he did not come out. Finally, scared of the open, |

had followed him in, my baby strapped to my back.

It was semi dark inside, and the smell of animal dung, and something rotting, filled

the interior. A body lay in the middle of the cave. In shock, | had discovered that it

was my husband! My heart in my mouth, | had rushed to him, and he was gripping

his right toe, his face twisted in pain, his mouth pursed. In panic, | had asked him

what it was, and he had pointed at a scorpion that lay beside him, its body crushed.

Dear God - it had bitten him, and he had stamped it to death with his bare foot. We

both walked barefoot, we had thrown our shoes way, or what remained of them,

when we could no longer tie them around our feet with wet bark during our weeks

of flight.

Ever since that scorpion bite, he became ill. First, it was the toe. It swelled and

swelled, and at night he would sweat buckets of water whilst raving

incomprehensible things, cursing at the world, at life, and you also. Then, when the

swelling got better, he had developed a running stomach. When the stomach got

better, then it was general body weakness. The Chief sometimes came to visit,

bringing herbs, but | think his interest lay more not on my husband’s health, but on

my body, and what he would do with it once my husband was no longer there.

| was telling you the cave was nice comrade. Oh yes it was! You should have come to

see the bats that hung on the low roof at night, often shitting down on us; and woe

on you if you slept with your mouth open! You should have seen the beautiful rough

stone walls with their water streaks that sometimes assumed the shape of Bushmen

paintings straight off the school history text book! The floor was also bare rock, but |

had carpeted it with dry grass, making sitting or sleeping on it much more

comfortable. In the middle of the cave | had made a stone hearth, but a fire was only

lit there whenever the Chief visited with his matches, otherwise we had to do with

the cold hearth all the time, and the damp darkness.

As you sip your coffee, or you are sitting cross legged with some visiting dignitary -

Thabo perhaps - my heart is bursting with laughter. What if | mentally wish it, and

that tea burns your tongue and you scream — just as we screamed when the

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bulldozers that you sent that day flattened our houses, destroying all our

possessions that we couldn’t remove from them in time?

We escaped from that open truck ferrying us to the transit camp when its engine

stalled and the driver and the guards asked everybody aboard to disembark so that it

could be pushed. It was at night, a very cold night, and we were in a game reserve.

Maybe that was what gave our escort confidence, that we would stay put, but, warn

them, never trust human nature as long as life is at stake, just as your position is now

because of this opposition party that has emerged.

We fled into the dark forest. We ran, terror in our hearts, for there had been

rumours in the truck that maybe... you had no need for us, for, after all, the history

text books talk about Hitler and those wagonloads headed for Auschwitz — don’t see

me dirty like this, sleeping in the open and think me uneducated.

We lost sight of the others in the bush - | remember my husband’s hand tightly on

mine, heh... and my baby bucking on my back and crying as we ran. He is four years

old, and he has been through so much suffering already that | wonder what kind of a

man he is going to grow up into. And, ever since this all began, he has been so quiet-

it must be these bad winds...

We left everything in that truck, the truck driver and the guards must have become

very rich from all that lice and cockroaches that were part and parcel of our backyard

lives.

When dawn came, we were still fleeing, but by this time, even if snails had been sent

after us, they would have had an easy job catching us - we were so exhausted, so

hungry, so thirsty, that we barely crawled along! We did not even know where we

were, or where we were going, but just that sense that we were passing things

assured us that we were still getting away from that truck that had forcibly taken us

from the church where we found sanctuary from the demolitions.

Our hearts were bent on getting back to the city, for we had no other homes. My

husband was born here in this city, his parents, both now deceased, originally came

from neighbouring Malawi during the Federation. He was a full citizen of this country

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through registration. As for me, | was born in the city too, but at fifty-five years of

age, | cannot tell you where, because what | remember of my early life is growing up

in an orphanage. | am the child of an orphanage, and at school-going age, that was

where | always returned after lessons. But then, | got lucky when | was fifteen and |

was adopted by my retiring orphanage matron. She died a few years later, after my

marriage.

We walked for many days through the forest, and we were lucky that it was summer,

and the rivers had a little water, and there were edible fruits around. Sometimes we

saw wild animals from a distance, bucks, antelopes, giraffes - but, thank God, we did

not meet lions or buffalos. Still, we spent nights perched like birds on the branches

of tall trees, not daring to sleep lest we fell off. | remember how | envied the birds

safe in their nests on those same trees, often wishing we were them, for all our

troubles from our country’s political mess would be gone. In the mornings we would

climb down from the trees and take turns sleeping in their shades, whilst the other

kept watch. Then in the afternoon, having rested, we would start walking again.

That day when my husband was bitten by the scorpion, | fell into a deep terror.

Straightaway he looked like a dying man. What was | to do? | did not know of any

herbs that could assist him, and he kept asking for water that we did not have.

Finally, towards sunset, | had left the cave. | had toiled up the mountain, and from its

peak, discovered the rubbish dump. | had walked to it. There, | came upon people

crawling all over the dump, picking what they could. They were a fierce looking lot,

but | guess | also looked like them, having lived in the forest for so long too, and not

knowing water or clean clothes on my body either.

| had asked a woman where | could get water, and she had shown me a man who

lived in a car shell, whom she called the Chief. | was to register with him before |

could get any assistance. The Chief had asked me where | came from; | had told him,

and he had warmly welcomed me to the dump, saying that city people are all mad,

and in the dump | would meet with true and sane friends. He had offered me a place

near his car where he had said | could build a shack, but | had told him that we had

found a cave on the other side of the mountain where my ill husband was waiting.

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We had gone back to the cave together, and | had shown him my sleeping husband.

Then the Chief had gone back to the dump, and returned later carrying a bottle filled

with a vile looking herbal concoction. He had forced some of it down my husband's

throat; then had taken his leave, promising to visit again.

The following morning the swelling on my husband’s toe had gone down, but he had

developed these other diseases from which he ailed, until, weeks afterwards when

he died. Before he died, | always got up early to go to the dumpsite to join the others

in waiting for the refuse trucks to come with their loads from the city. If one was

lucky, you could manage to pick up scraps of food from the refuse — who knows dear

comrade, maybe some of that food was thrown away from your table too.

The dumpsite people helped me bury my husband in a grave in the forest.

Afterwards, the Chief had asked me to come and stay with him, but | had declined

the offer, and asked for directions to the city. He had told me to follow the road that

brought the lorries to the dumpsite - but only after telling me that | was a fool. Well,

that was his opinion, but | did not see myself spending the rest of my life in his

Chiefdom bearing him children.

| had walked back to the city following that road, my baby on my back, a bag on my

head, and the spirit of my husband floating over us. When | got there, | had

wandered around the streets first, until | came upon this pavement, with your house

in full view in front of me — yes | know where you stay - where | am finishing this

letter.

After finishing it, | am going to wait for a strong wind, and when it is blowing, | will

throw the letter into it, and hope it will sail above the guards that guard your house

and into its grounds, where, hopefully, you will pick it from those well-manicured

lawns and read it, to see what you have done to a life, so that your conscience will

work on you whenever you see a dirty woman carrying a baby on her back, picking

food from the city’s refuse bins as your cavalcade speeds past.

Yours,

A Victim

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1. What narration style is used in this story? Motivate your answer. (2)

2. Who is the narrator? (1)

3. “My heart in my mouth, | had rushed to him, and he was gripping his right toe, his

face twisted in pain, his mouth pursed.”

Choose the correct answer. The expression my heart in my mouth in the

sentence above means:

Thinking deeply about him

Putting the blame on him

Being extremely nervous

G0O

FPP

None of the answers above (1)

4. As you sip your coffee, or you are sitting cross legged with some visiting dignitary

-Thabo perhaps - my heart is bursting with laughter.

a. To whom does “you” in the sentence above refer? (1)

Explain why her heart was “bursting with laughter”. (3)

c. Identify the figure of speech used in the sentence above and specify what

figure of speech it is. (2)

5. Identify the figure of speech used in the sentences below and specify what type it

is.

Quote only the part or phrase that represents a figure of speech.

“Still, we spent nights perched like birds on the branches of tall trees, not daring

to sleep lest we fell off.” (2)

6. Are there flashbacks in this story? Motivate your response and give a suitable

example. (3)

7. Briefly describe the dramatic irony in this story. (3)

8. What is the moral of this story? (2)

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SECTION D: ESSAY WRITING [30]

Write an essay based on ONE of the following topics. You should write between 300

and 350 words (about one and a half pages). Indicate the number of words used.

1. Some people believe that you should marry someone from the same religion

while others think that religion is not an important factor. What is your opinion of

the role that religion plays in a marriage?

2. Inthe light of recent uproars on university campuses some people have asked for

the use of armed soldiers to patrol university campuses to maintain safety and

security. What might be the advantages and the disadvantages of having armed

soldiers patrolling your university campus?

3. Quite a number of African soccer players have contracts with European soccer

clubs. Do you think these African players are more loyal to their home based

games or to the European club’s demands? Discuss your view.

4. What do you think are the pros and cons of running a state lottery to alleviate

poverty in Namibia? Discuss both sides of the coin.

5. Have you ever wished you looked different? Have you ever felt rejected because

of who you are? Discuss the importance of a good self-esteem and the role that it

plays in achieving success in life.

6. According to Phillip Longman, taking care of elderly retired people will become

economically more difficult in the future. Certain countries have therefore

considered increasing the retirement age from 60 to 70 years old. In light of

Namibia’s economic situation, do you think that Namibia should also increase

retirement age to 70 years of age?

END OF QUESTION PAPER

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