SECTION A
Answer all the questions
Each question is followed by four options lettered A to D. Find the correct option for each question and shade in pencil on your answer sheet, the answer space which bears the same letter as the option you have chosen.An example is given below
All the world's a stage is an example of
A. paradox.
B. metaphor.
C. allusion.
D. personification.
The correct answer is metaphor, which is lettered B, and therefore answer space B would be shaded.
Think carefully before you shade the answer space; erase completely any answer(s) you wish to change.
Do all rough work on this question paper.
Now answer all the following questions:
SECTION A
Answer all the questions in this section.
PART I
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE OF LITERATURE
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
D. Concrete
Topic: Poetic Forms
A concrete poem is written in a shape that looks like the thing the poem is talking about. The way the words are arranged on the page helps to show the meaning.
Here’s why the other answers are not correct:
Background: Concrete poems became more common in the 1900s. They are a mix of poetry and art, where how the poem looks is just as important as what it says.
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
B. Metonymy
Topic: Literary Devices
Metonymy is when a word is used to stand for something closely related to it. In the sentence, "on wheels" stands for a vehicle like a bus or van. So instead of saying "the choir is in a bus," the sentence uses "on wheels." This is a common way to use metonymy.
Here’s why the other answers are not correct:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
C. Suspense
Topic: Literature
Suspense keeps readers wanting to know what will happen next. It makes them curious and encourages them to keep reading. This helps hold their attention throughout the story.
Here’s why the other answers are not the best:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
A. Alliteration
Topic: Literary Devices
Alliteration is when the same sound is repeated at the beginning of words that are close together. In the line, the “s” sound in “sleep” and “innocent sleep” is repeated. This creates a musical effect and draws attention to the idea.
Here’s why the other answers are not correct:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
A. Ballad
Topic: Literature
A ballad is a story told in the form of a poem or song. It often talks about the brave actions of a hero or an important event. Ballads were traditionally passed down by word of mouth.
Here’s why the other answers are not correct:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
C. Antithesis
Topic: Literary Devices
Antithesis is when two opposite ideas are placed side by side to show contrast. In this case, "virtue" (goodness) and "vice" (bad behavior) are direct opposites. Putting them together in similar sentences helps to show the difference clearly.
Here’s why the other answers are not correct:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
C. Hubris
Topic: Literature
Hubris means too much pride or confidence. In stories, especially Greek tragedies, this pride causes the main character to fail or fall.
Here’s why the other answers are not correct:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
A. Irony
Topic: Literary Devices
Irony happens when what actually happens is different from what you expect. In this case, people you love and respect are mocking you, which is surprising and opposite to what you would expect.
Here’s why the other answers are not correct:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
C. Acts
Topic: Play Structure
A play is divided into big parts called acts. Each act is then divided into smaller parts called scenes.
Here’s why the other answers are not correct:
Read the lines below and answer Questions 10 and 11.
My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains
My sense, as though of hemlock I have drunk
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
A. Iambic
Topic: Metrical Patterns
Iambic meter has pairs of syllables where the first syllable is soft (unstressed) and the second is strong (stressed). This poem uses that pattern.
Here’s why the other options are not correct:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
D. Sadness
Topic: Mood
The words "my heart aches" show the poet feels pain and sadness. The mention of "hemlock," a poisonous plant, suggests suffering. The word "numbness" means the poet feels weak and sad.
Here’s why the other answers are not correct:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
D. An epistolary novel
Topic: Types of Stories
An epistolary novel is a story told using letters, diary entries, or messages written by the characters.
Here is why the other answers are not right:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
B. Zeugma
Topic: Literary Devices
Zeugma is when one word is used with two different things, even if they don’t normally go together. Here, the word “gave” connects “cash” and “tender attention.”
Other choices mean different things:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
C. Couplet
Topic: Poetic Forms
A Shakespearean sonnet ends with a couplet — two lines that rhyme together.
Other choices mean different parts of poems:
Read the lines below and answer Question 15.
The closing of the day
Is the beginning of the day
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
B. Run on
Topic: Poetic Devices
This is called enjambment, which means the sentence continues without a pause into the next line.
Other choices mean different things:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
C. Diction
Topic: Writing Techniques
Diction means the words a writer chooses to use. The choice of words changes how the writing sounds and what it means.
Other choices are different things:
Read the line below and answer Questions 17 and 18.
The curl of my lips, the swing of my waist, the ride of my breast, the stride of my steps, the flash of my teeth and the palm of my hand
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
A. Parallelism
Topic: Literary Devices
Parallelism means using the same kind of sentence parts again and again. In this line, the repeated "the" and similar phrases make it easy to notice the rhythm and balance.
Other choices mean different things:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
C. Sight
Topic: Sensory Imagery
The line talks about parts of the body you can see, like "curl of my lips" and "flash of my teeth." So, it makes you imagine how things look.
Other choices mean:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
C. Chorus
Topic: Drama
In traditional plays, the chorus is a group of characters who comment on the story and share their thoughts with the audience. They help explain the events and provide background or opinions.
Other options:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
C. Denouement
Topic: Plot Structure
The denouement is the ending part of a story. It happens after all the problems are solved and everything is clear. It wraps up the story nicely before it ends.
Other options:
PART II
UNSEEN PROSE AND POETRY
Read the passage and answer Questions 21 to 25.
The message was unambiguous: her John was on his way back. For how long had he been gone? Jenny wondered. She wrung her hands in silent expectation. She stood, turned about, and sat, motionless. She was listening to the silence of the room and looking into the gloom of the unlit room.
She seemed to pull herself together as she rose to her full height, switched on the light and turned on the TV, to no station in particular, selecting no programme at all. She sat in front of the TV, not watching. Her heart was pounding. Slowly, she hoisted herself from the arm chair and moved towards the kitchen like one sleepwalking.
She must get some food ready for the sojourner. Her rapid heartbeat did not show in her slow motion actions. Her cooking done, Jenny was carrying the dish on a tray to the dining table when the doorbell rang Jenny dropped the tray.
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
C. The disappointments of love
Topic: Emotional Tone
The passage shows Jenny waiting nervously for someone she loves. Her slow, careful actions and silent hope show she feels worried and unsure. This fits with the theme of love sometimes causing sadness and disappointment.
Other options:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
C. Oxymoron
Topic: Figures of Speech
The phrase "listening to the silence" combines two opposite ideas. Listening means hearing a sound, but silence means no sound. This makes the phrase an oxymoron, which is when two conflicting words are put together.
Other options:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
D. Third person
Topic: Point of View
The passage is written in third person. The narrator talks about Jenny using words like “she” and “her” instead of “I” or “you.” This shows the narrator is outside the story, describing what happens.
Other options:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
C. Absent minded
Topic: Figurative Language
The comparison to sleepwalking shows that the person is moving in an automatic, almost unaware way. This suggests they are distracted or not fully focused on what they are doing, which is why the term "absent minded" fits best.
Here’s why the other options are incorrect:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
C. Anxiety
Topic: Mood
The passage shows that the person is nervous and worried. The quick heartbeat and hesitation suggest she is feeling anxious, not calm.
Here's why the other answers are wrong:
Read the poem and answer Questions 26 to 30
My heart was in fearful flight
Pursued by Cupid, arrow poised
Waiting for my flight's end
When I'd turn about
Or I'd fall supine
My fleeing heart to pierce
Enslave or enthrall and ravish hopeless
So I'm pining and pining away
For you high up there have perched
Out of reach of my now yearning
Which was why my heart'd been fleeing
From Cupid's poised arrow
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
C. Unrequited
Topic: Love Theme
The speaker in the poem expresses deep longing for someone who is out of reach, which suggests their love is unrequited — meaning the love is not returned by the person they desire.
Here’s why the other options are not correct:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
A. 9 and 10
Topic: Evidence for Unrequited Love
Lines 9 and 10 describe how the speaker's love is "out of reach," which shows that the love is unrequited, or not returned by the other person.
Here’s why the other options are incorrect:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
B. Lyric
Topic: Poetic Form
The poem expresses the speaker's personal thoughts and feelings, which is typical of lyric poetry. Lyric poems are focused on emotions and inner thoughts, not telling a story or following a set structure.
Here’s why the other options are incorrect:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
B. Running
Topic: Dominant Image
The poem talks about the speaker fleeing from Cupid’s arrow, which creates a strong image of running away from something, showing the speaker trying to escape love.
Here’s why the other answers are not correct:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
C. An allusion
Topic: Symbolism
Cupid in the poem refers to the mythological god of love, which is an allusion. An allusion is when a writer makes a reference to something famous, in this case, the idea of love and desire.
Here’s why the other options are wrong:
SECTION B
Answer all the questions in this section.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE; A Midsummer Night 's Dream
Read the extract below and answer Questions 31 to 35.
Where I have come, great clerks have purposed
To greet me with premeditated welcomes;
Where I have seen them shiver and look pale,
Make periods in the midst of sentences,
Throttle their practised accent in their fears,
And in conclusion, dumbly have broken off,
Not paying me a welcome...
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
B. Theseus
Topic: William Shakespeare; A Midsummer Night's Dream
In this passage, the speaker is Theseus, the Duke of Athens. He talks about how others behave nervously and uncomfortably when trying to greet him, which fits his character as a powerful leader in the play.
Here’s why the other answers are incorrect:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
C. Hippolyta
Topic: William Shakespeare; A Midsummer Night's Dream
Theseus is addressing Hippolyta, his future wife, as they talk about the events that are happening around them in the play.
Here’s why the other answers are incorrect:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
B. The arrival of the players
Topic: William Shakespeare; A Midsummer Night's Dream
Theseus is commenting on the arrival of the actors (the players) and how they seem nervous and awkward in his presence. This is why he reacts the way he does in the speech.
Here’s why the other answers are incorrect:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
B. Even the eloquent can falter in their speech
Topic: William Shakespeare; A Midsummer Night's Dream
In this passage, Theseus reflects on how even skilled or confident speakers ("great clerks") can become nervous and struggle to speak clearly when they are in a difficult or intimidating situation.
Here’s why the other answers are incorrect:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
A. Philostrate announces the prologue
Topic: William Shakespeare; A Midsummer Night's Dream
After Theseus finishes his speech, Philostrate steps forward to announce the start of the play-within-the-play. This marks the beginning of the actors' performance.
Here’s why the other answers are incorrect:
Read the extract below and answer Questions 36 to 40
So should the murdered look; and so should I,
Pierced through the heart with your stern cruelty:
Yet you, the murderer, look as bright, as clear
As yonder Venus in her glimmering sphere.
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
D. Lysander and Helena
Topic: William Shakespeare; A Midsummer Night's Dream
The speaker is Lysander, and the addressee is Helena. Lysander expresses his anger and frustration at Helena's treatment of him. He compares her to a murderer, as she appears calm and unaffected, while he suffers from the cruelty she has shown him.
Here’s why the other answers are incorrect:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
C. Infidelity
Topic: William Shakespeare; A Midsummer Night's Dream
Helena has accused Lysander of infidelity because, even though he once loved her, he is now in love with Hermia. This betrayal leads Helena to feel hurt and angry towards Lysander.
Here’s why the other answers are incorrect:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
B. Cruelty
Topic: William Shakespeare; A Midsummer Night's Dream
Lysander calls Helena cruel because he feels she has been unfair to him. He thinks she’s treating him badly, especially since he used to love her but now loves Hermia.
Here’s why the other answers are wrong:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
D. Coward
Topic: William Shakespeare; A Midsummer Night's Dream
The lines describe Helena as being bright and clear like Venus, while the speaker is suffering. This makes Helena seem unaware or indifferent to the pain she’s causing, which makes her seem like a "coward" for not recognizing his hurt.
Here's why the other answers don't fit:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
A. The wood
Topic: William Shakespeare; A Midsummer Night's Dream
The extract takes place in the woods, where many of the key events of the play occur. The characters are lost and dealing with magic, which is a big part of the forest setting in this play.
Here’s why the other answers don’t work:
Read the extract below and answer Questions 41 to 45
The wildest hath not such a heart as you.
Run when you will, the story shall be change
Apollo flies, and Daphne holds the chase;
The dove pursues the griffin, the mild hind
Makes speed to catch the tiger; bootless speed,
When cowardice pursues, and valour flies.
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
B. Lysander
Topic: William Shakespeare; A Midsummer Night's Dream
This is what Lysander says to Helena in Act 2, Scene 2. He is expressing his feelings for her after being magically enchanted. He says that he will chase her, even though the situation seems impossible.
Why the other answers are wrong:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
C. Demetrius
Topic: William Shakespeare; A Midsummer Night's Dream
In this scene, Lysander is speaking to Demetrius. This happens after Lysander has been enchanted and is suddenly in love with Helena. He’s trying to tell Demetrius to stop pursuing Helena, which adds to the confusion caused by the magic.
Why the other answers are wrong:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
B. the least cruel man
Topic: William Shakespeare; A Midsummer Night's Dream
In this line, "the wildest" refers to the least cruel man. Lysander is saying that even the most impulsive or untamed person would not behave as cruelly as Demetrius has toward Helena.
Why the other answers are wrong:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
D. Provoke
Topic: William Shakespeare; A Midsummer Night's Dream
The speech in question is meant to provoke Demetrius. Lysander challenges Demetrius's behavior and questions the validity of his pursuit of Helena. He confronts Demetrius with the idea that his actions are futile, especially considering the magical influences at play. This speech reflects Lysander's feelings for Helena and serves to provoke a reaction from Demetrius.
Here's why the other answers are wrong:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
C. Lysander
Topic: William Shakespeare; A Midsummer Night's Dream
Lysander is the character present in this scene, interacting with Demetrius. He tries to convince Demetrius to stop pursuing Helena while expressing his own feelings for her. This moment is crucial to the magical confusion that Puck's enchantments have caused among the lovers in the play.
Here's why the other answers are wrong:
Read the extract and answer Questions 46 to 50.
And in the wood, where often you and I
Upon faint primrose -beds were wont to lie,
Emptying our bosoms of their counsel sweet,
There, my Lysander and myself shall meet,
And thence from Athens turn away our eyes
To seek new friends and stranger companies.
Farewell, sweet playfellow; ...
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
B. Demetrius and Helena
Topic: William Shakespeare; A Midsummer Night's Dream
The phrase "you and I" refers to Demetrius and Helena, as Helena is addressing Demetrius in this passage. They are about to leave Athens together, marking a significant moment in the play's development.
Here's why the other answers are wrong:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
A. they are running away from the Athenian law
Topic: William Shakespeare; A Midsummer Night's Dream
Helena and Lysander are fleeing from the Athenian law, which forces Hermia to marry Demetrius. They go into the woods to escape the legal pressures and to be free from Athens' restrictions.
Here's why the other answers are wrong:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
C. Reckless
Topic: William Shakespeare; A Midsummer Night's Dream
The word “faint” here means weak or unsure, which shows that their actions are reckless or careless. Helena and Lysander are running away without thinking about the risks.
Here’s why the other answers are wrong:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
B. Hermia
Topic: William Shakespeare; A Midsummer Night's Dream
“Farewell, sweet playfellow” refers to Hermia. Helena is saying goodbye to Hermia, her close friend. They’ve spent a lot of time together, and now they’re going in different directions.
Here’s why the other answers are wrong:
Explanation:
The correct answer is:
C. go to the nunnery
Topic: William Shakespeare; A Midsummer Night's Dream
Helena, feeling sad and hopeless about Demetrius, decides she might go to a nunnery. A nunnery is a place where nuns live, away from the world, and it represents a place of peace and escape from her problems and feelings of love for Demetrius.
Here’s why the other answers are wrong:
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