William Kamkwamba was born in August 1987 in Kasungu, Malawi, a small landlocked country in southeastern Africa. He grew up on a family farm where his parents grew maize. In 2001, when William was fourteen years old, a severe drought hit his country. Because of the bad harvest, his family could no longer afford the fee for his secondary school, so he was forced to drop out.
Despite leaving school, William refused to give up on his education. Instead of staying idle, he started visiting his local primary school library regularly. Although he knew only basic English at the time, he used dictionaries to read books about science and technology. One afternoon, he came across an American textbook titled Using Energy. The book explained how generators and windmills could produce electricity from wind.
Determined to light up his village, William decided to build his own windmill. Because he had no money to buy materials, he searched through local junkyards for scrap metal, old bicycle parts, tractor fans, and plastic pipes. Many people in his village laughed at him and thought he had gone crazy.
However, William kept working on his project step by step. After weeks of hard work, he successfully assembled a working 5-meter-tall windmill. When a strong gust of wind blew across the yard, the wooden blades rotated, and a small light bulb connected to the generator flickered on. The villagers, who had previously doubted him, gathered around in amazement. Soon, his invention was charging mobile phones and powering radio sets for his entire neighborhood.
Eventually, news of William’s achievement spread beyond his small village. In 2007, he was invited to speak at a prestigious TED conference, where his story inspired people from all around the world. William later earned a degree from Dartmouth College in the United States and wrote a best-selling memoir about his journey. Today, his story serves as a reminder that creativity and persistence can overcome even the hardest challenges.
Now, answer these questions correctly.
1. What is the main purpose of the text?
A. To persuade readers to build windmills in rural areas
B. To retell the significant life events of William Kamkwamba
C. To explain the scientific process of converting wind into electricity
D. To entertain readers with a fictional story about an African village
E. To describe the physical geographical conditions of Kasungu, Malawi
2. In which paragraph do we find the Orientation of the recount text, and what information does it provide?
A. Paragraph 1; it introduces the main character, setting, and background problem.
B. Paragraph 2; it highlights William's self-directed study habits in the local library.
C. Paragraph 3; it details the specific materials collected from local junkyards.
D. Paragraph 4; it describes the climax when the light bulb flickered on.
E. Paragraph 5; it provides a final evaluation of William’s global achievements
3. What is the main function of the Re-orientation in Paragraph 5?
A. To list the step-by-step materials needed to build a windmill
B. To present an argument against dropping out of school
C. To provide a concluding summary of William’s outcome and a final remark
D. To describe the reaction of the villagers when the light flickered on
E. To introduce new characters who helped William study at Dartmouth College
4. Consider the sentence below from Paragraph 1:
"In 2001, when William was fourteen years old, a severe drought hit his country."
Why did the writer use the Simple Past tense (hit) here?
A. To show an action that is still happening right now
B. To describe an action that completed at a specific point in the past
C. To describe a habit William had when he was young
D. To show an action that was interrupted by another event
E. To indicate an action occurring prior to another past event
5. Look at the past perfect tense used in Paragraph 4:
"The villagers, who had previously doubted him, gathered around in amazement."
Why is the Past Perfect tense (had doubted) used instead of the Simple Past (doubted)?
A. Because the doubting happened after the villagers gathered around
B. Because the doubting happened at the same time as the villagers gathered
C. Because the doubting happened before another past action (gathering around)
D. Because the villagers are still doubting William today
E. To emphasize an action that will continue into the future
6. Which word from Paragraph 1 is a synonym for a period of time with no rain that causes water shortages?
A. Harvest
B. Maize
C. Drought
D. Fee
E. Landlocked
7. In Paragraph 3, what does the word "scrap" in "scrap metal" mean?
A. Brand new and expensive
B. Discarded or unused leftover pieces
C. Soft and easy to bend
D. Imported from another country
E. Rare and highly valuable
8. Which of the following words functions as a chronological time connector used to show the transition to the final outcome in the story?
A. Although
B. Because
C. Eventually
D. Instead
E. Despite
9. Which sequence correctly orders the Series of Events in William’s story?
A. Built windmill --> Left school --> Read library books --> Spoke at TED conference
B. Left school --> Read library books --> Built windmill --> Spoke at TED conference
C. Read library books --> Left school --> Spoke at TED conference --> Built windmill
D. Left school --> Spoke at TED conference --> Built windmill --> Read library books
E. Built windmill --> Visited local library --> Left school --> Earned a college degree
10. What character value is most clearly demonstrated by William in the Series of Events?
A. Hospitality and politeness
B. Self-reliance and critical thinking
C. Environmental obedience and compliance
D. Competition and rivalry
E. Mutual cooperation






