SUBJECT: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH Marks: 100
TEST OF LITERATURE IN ENGLISH
SECTION A: PROSE AND POETRY
PROSE (20 mrks)
Choose the right answer:
- Literary tradition ( 2mark)
Which of the following best defines literary tradition? - A list of modern novels written in one country
B. A system of writing stories using technology
C. The body of literary works and practices passed down within a culture over time
D. The study of grammar in literature - Characteristics of a novel (2 marks)
Which pair correctly describes characteristics of a novel? - Short length and poetic form
B. Long prose narrative and developed characters
C. Use of rhyme and rhythm
D. Written only for children - Setting vs Theme in a short story (3 marks)
Which statement best compares setting and theme? - Setting is the message, while theme is the place
B. Setting is the time and place, while theme is the central idea or message
C. Setting and theme mean the same thing
D. Theme describes characters, while setting describes conflict - European vs African literature (3 marks)
Which of the following correctly differentiates European literature from African literature? - European literature is oral, while African literature is written only
B. African literature ignores culture, while European literature focuses on it
C. European literature is mainly written and individual-focused, while African literature has strong oral roots and emphasizes community and tradition
D. Both are exactly the same in style and themes - Characteristics of a limerick (2 marks)
Which pair best describes a limerick? - Serious tone and free verse structure
B. Five lines with an AABBA rhyme scheme and humorous content
C. Four lines with no rhyme
D. Written only about death - Elegy vs Epitaph (2 marks)
Which statement correctly distinguishes an elegy from an epitaph?
A. Elegy is written on a tombstone, epitaph is a long poem
B. Elegy is a mourning poem, while an epitaph is a short inscription on a grave
C. Both are identical in purpose and form
D. Elegy is humorous, epitaph is dramatic
- Flashback vs Foreshadowing (2 marks)
Which option correctly compares flashback and foreshadowing? - Flashback looks ahead, foreshadowing looks back
B. Flashback interrupts the present to show past events, while foreshadowing hints at future events
C. Both refer only to present action
D. Flashback and foreshadowing mean the same thing - Motif vs Suspense (2 marks)
Which statement best differentiates motif from suspense? - Motif is repeated elements in a story, while suspense is the tension or anticipation about what will happen next
B. Motif is the ending, suspense is the beginning
C. Both refer to characters only
D. Motif creates humor, suspense creates setting - Surprise Ending (2 marks)
What is meant by a “surprise ending”?
A. An ending that repeats the beginning exactly
B. An ending that is predictable and expected
C. An unexpected conclusion that shocks or surprises the reader
D. An ending that explains everything in detail
Read the following extract and answer the questions. (20 mrks)
He carried on up the street and turned down Eloff Street. This was the heart of the city and the crowd was thick. It was difficult to move among all these white people; one had to keep on stepping aside, and to watch out for the motorcars that shot past.
Xuma smiled bitterly. The only place where he was completely free, was underground in the mines. There, he was a master and knew his way. There, he did not even fear his white man, for this white man depended on him. He was the boss boy. He gave the orders to the mine boys. They would do for him what they would not do for this white man or any other white man. He knew that, he had found it out. And underground, his white man respected him and asked him for his opinion before they did anything.
It way so and he was at home and ease underground. His white man had even tried to make friends with him because the other mine boys respected him so much. But a white man and a black man cannot be friends. They work together. That’s all. He smiled. He did not want the things of the white man. He did not want to be friends with white man. Work for him, yes, but that’s all. And didn’t the others respect him more than they respected Johannes. It was because he did not say baas to the white man but knew how to deal with him.
Choose the right answer
1. Where is Xuma at the beginning of the extract? (2 mrks)
A. In the mines
B. In the countryside
C. In a crowded city street
D. At home
2. Why does Xuma find it difficult to move in the street? (2 mrks)
A. Because it is dark
B. Because the road is narrow
C. Because of the crowd and passing motorcars
D. Because he is tired
3. How does Xuma feel about the city environment? (2 mrks)
A. Comfortable and confident
B. Proud and happy
C. Bitter and restricted
D. Excited and curious
4. Where does Xuma feel completely free? (2 mrks)
A. At home
B. In the city streets
C. Underground in the mines
D. In the countryside
5. Why does Xuma feel powerful in the mines? (2 mrks)
A. Because he owns the mine
B. Because he is a boss boy and gives orders
C. Because he avoids working
D. Because he is alone
6. What is the attitude of the white man toward Xuma underground? (2 mrks)
A. He ignores him
B. He fears him
C. He respects him and asks for his opinion
D. He insults him
7. Why do the other mine boys respect Xuma? (2 mrks)
B. Because he obeys the white man
C. Because he knows how to deal with the white man and does not say “baas”
D. Because he is rich
8. What does Xuma believe about friendship between a white man and a blackman?(2 mrks)
A. It is easy and common
B. It is possible only in the city
C. It is not possible; they can only work together
D. It depends on wealth
9. What contrast is emphasized in the extract? (2 mrks)
A. City life vs village life
B. Freedom underground vs restriction in the city
C. Wealth vs poverty
D. Youth vs old age
10. What does Xuma’s “bitter smile” suggest? (2 mrks)
A. He is amused
B. He is confused
C. He is happy
D. He feels irony and dissatisfaction
POEM: The Legend of Liyongo (20 mrks)
An extract from The Legend of Liyongo
Oh my child, be silent, do not cry;
Listen to the tale of the King of Bauri,
Listen to the tale of the exiled King
Who was cheated of election as the Ruler.
He left his renown, he left
In all silence King Mringwari.
Cease your sobbing, child, don’t cry,
Listen to my tale which is true:
The mercenaries were given money
To go and find the King of Bauri;
And Liyongo was dancing with the bush people
With his darling and industrious Mbwasho.
So they journeyed but never found the Lion;
He had taken hold of sword and dagger.
They returned home together with one accord
To tell the King Mringwari, ‘
Liyongo cannot be overcome, he is like fire!
He is not mortal, that one, he is fire!’
Servant girl Sada, I am sending you, you have not yet been properly employed:
Tell my mother she is slow, she is not yet showing cunning:
Let her bake me a loaf, and inside it she must conceal a file,
So I may file through the shackles on my feet and break them,
So I may slip out and escape like a falcon,
So I may spread my wings wide and fly upwards:
Let me enter the sky, in the clouds, before the sun rises,
Gliding over the fields of reeds, the sandy plains, the beaches:
The roofs of the city, as well as the thatch of the huts, will collapse:
Tell her to bake and put a file inside the bran.
My child, I am telling you
The tale of Liyongo, King of the Bush:
He is not chained, he lives in freedom,
And they make him King of the plains people.
He has no cooked rice to eat, no silk to wear;
He eats simple millet and game from the bush;
He cuts it with his ceremonial dagger
But he does not eat the left-overs of others.
It is shared after being cut: At night, they dance with the drum; He lives with the wild bush people, He teaches them to read a book.
Praise be to my bow with its haft of the wild-vine, Let it be dressed with fat so that it shines like mirror glass: The first time I set out to hunt, I pierced a snake through its throat, Then I hit also an elephant through the ear as it trumpeted; I also shot a piebald crow and a dwarf antelope running away; Yet they tell me, ‘Hands off, son of Mbwasho, lay down your weapons!‘
I bathe and wash my clothes here where I found water; I scoop it up, drinking some but leaving plenty – I never quench my thirst; Whoever begs a draught of me, I never refuse, my friends and brothers, I have no restrictions, I say. Drink! I did not finish it.
When I eat the fruits of the forest, I have no need of the dishes of the palace: I am a poor man, how shall I pay? I will shake the ripe fruit down from the topmost branch. The men of the bush were ordered, ‘Tie him up!’ He is no man, he is like a spirit! And they do not tie up, they love guests! You people, learn from the men of the bush: Which food could make me healthier? Pleasant words of gratitude, Whoever is given them, how will he forget? The people of the bush are friends in need; Their kind nature I will never forget!
By Jan Knappert, Four Centuries of Swahili Verse (1974)
1. Who is the speaker addressing at the beginning of the extract? (2 mrks)
A. The King
B. A servant girl
C. A child
D. The warriors
2. Why is Liyongo described as “exiled”? (2 mrks)
A. He chose to leave his home
B. He was cheated out of leadership
C. He feared war
D. He was sent away for punishment
3. How do the mercenaries describe Liyongo after failing to capture him? (2 mrks)
A. Weak and powerless
B. Like fire and impossible to defeat
C. A coward
D. A simple man
4. What is Liyongo’s plan to escape from captivity? (2 mrks)
A. To fight the guards
B. To dig a tunnel
C. To receive a hidden file in bread to cut his shackles
D. To bribe the guards
5. What does the comparison “escape like a falcon” suggest? (2 mrks)
A. Slowness
B. Strength and freedom
C. Fear
D. Confusion
6. How is Liyongo’s lifestyle in the bush described? (2 mrks)
A. Luxurious and wealthy
B. Simple and self-sufficient
C. Lonely and miserable
D. Controlled and restricted
7. What quality of Liyongo is shown when he shares water with others? (2 mrks)
A. Greed
B. Pride
C. Generosity
D. Weakness
8. Why do the bush people refuse to tie Liyongo? (2 mrks)
A. They fear him
B. They are ordered not to
C. They value hospitality and kindness
D. They do not know him
9. What role does repetition (e.g., “Listen to the tale…”) play in the poem? (1 mrks)
A. It creates confusion
B. It reflects oral storytelling tradition and emphasis
C. It shortens the poem
D. It shows anger
10. What is the central theme of the extract? (1 mrks)
A. Wealth and luxury
B. Betrayal and revenge only
C. Freedom, heroism, and resistance to oppression
D. Love and marriage
11. What does Liyongo’s hunting skill symbolize? (1 mrks)
A. His fear of animals
B. His weakness
C. His bravery and strength
D. His laziness
12. What lesson does the speaker suggest people learn from the bush community? (1 mrks)
A. To avoid strangers
B. To live in cities
C. To value kindness, sharing, and gratitude
D. To fight enemies
SECTION B: PLAYS ( 20 Marks)
Below, is an extract from Henrick Ibsen’s An Enemy of the people. Read it and answer the questions.
ACT V- SCENE ONE
(SCENE.—DR. STOCKMANN’S study. Bookcases and cabinets containing specimens, line the walls. At the back is a door leading to the hall; in the foreground on the left, a door leading to the sitting-room. In the righthand wall are two windows, of which all the panes are broken. The DOCTOR’S desk, littered with books and papers, stands in the middle of the room, which is in disorder. It is morning. DR. STOCKMANN in dressing-gown, slippers and a smoking-cap, is bending down and raking with an umbrella under one of the cabinets. After a little while he rakes out a stone.) Dr. Stockmann (calling through the open sitting-room door): Katherine, I have found another one. Mrs.Stockmann (from the sitting-room): Oh, you will find a lot more yet, I expect. Dr. Stockmann (adding the stone to a heap of others on the table): I shall treasure these stones as relics. Ejlif and Morten shall look at them every day, and when they are grown up they shall inherit them as heirlooms. (Rakes about under a bookcase.) Hasn’t—what the deuce is her name?—the girl, you know—hasn’t she been to fetch the glazier yet? Mrs.Stockmann (coming in): Yes, but he said he didn’t know if he would be able to come today. Dr.Stockmann: You will see he won’t dare to come. Mrs.Stockmann: Well, that is just what Randine thought—that he didn’t dare to, on account of the neighbours. (Calls into the sitting-room.)
What is it you want, Randine? Give it to me. (Goes in, and comes out again directly.) Here is a letter for you, Thomas.
Dr.Stockmann: Let me see it. (Opens and reads it.) Ah!—of course.
Mrs.Stockmann: Who is it from?
Dr.Stockmann: From the landlord. Notice to quit.
Mrs. Stockmann: Is it possible? Such a nice man
Dr.Stockmann (looking at the letter): Does not dare do otherwise, he says. Doesn’t like doing it, but dare not do otherwise—on account of his fellow-citizens—out of regard for public opinion. Is in a dependent position—dares not offend certain influential men.
Mrs.Stockmann: There, you see, Thomas!
Dr. Stockmann: Yes, yes, I see well enough; the whole lot of them in the town are cowards; not a man among them dares do anything for fear of the others. (Throws the letter on to the table.) But it doesn’t matter to us, Katherine. We are going to sail away to the New World, and—
Mrs.Stockmann: But, Thomas, are you sure we are well advised to take this step?
Dr.Stockmann: Are you suggesting that I should stay here, where they have pilloried me as an enemy of the people—branded me—broken my windows! And just look here, Katherine—they have torn a great rent in my black trousers too!
Mrs.Stockmann: Oh, dear! —and they are the best pair you have got!
Dr.Stockmann: You should never wear your best trousers when you go out to fight for freedom and truth. It is not that I care so much about the trousers, you know; you can always sew them up again for me. But that the common herd should dare to make this attack on me, as if they were my equals—that is what I cannot, for the life of me, swallow!
Mrs.Stockmann: There is no doubt they have behaved very ill toward you, Thomas; but is that sufficient reason for our leaving our native country for good and all?
Dr.Stockmann: If we went to another town, do you suppose we should not find the common people just as insolent as they are here? Depend upon it, there is not much to choose between them. Oh, well, let the curs snap—that is not the worst part of it. The worst is that, from one end of this country to the other, every man is the slave of his Party. Although, as far as that goes, I daresay it is not much better in the free West either; the compact majority, and liberal public opinion, and all that infernal old bag of tricks are probably rampant there too. But there things are done on a larger scale, you see. They may kill you, but they won’t put you to death by slow torture. They don’t squeeze a free man’s soul in a vice, as they do here. And, if need be, one can live in solitude. (Walks up and down.) If only I knew where there was a virgin forest or a small South Sea island for sale, cheap—
Mrs.Stockmann: But think of the boys, Thomas!
Dr.Stockmann (standing still): What a funny woman you are, Katherine! Would you prefer to have the boys grow up in a society like this? You saw for yourself last night that half the population are out of their minds; and if the other half have not lost their senses, it is because they are mere brutes, with no sense to lose.
Mrs.Stockmann: But, Thomas dear, the imprudent things you said had something to do with it, you know.
Dr.Stockmann: Well, isn’t what I said perfectly true? Don’t they turn every idea topsy-turvy? Don’t they make a regular hotchpotchof right and wrong? Don’t they say that the things I know are true, are lies? The craziest part of it all is the fact of these “liberals,” men of full age, going about in crowds imagining that they are the broad-minded party! Did you ever hear anything like it, Katherine!
Mrs.Stockmann: Yes, yes, it’s mad enough of them, certainly; but— (PETRA comes in from the silting-room). Back from school already?
Choose the right answer: (20 marks)
1. What is the condition of Dr. Stockmann’s study at the beginning? (2 mrks)
A. Clean and well-arranged
B. Empty and silent
C. In disorder with broken windows
D. newly decorated
2. What do the broken windows symbolize? (2 mrks)
A. Poverty in the family
B. Violence and public hostility toward Dr. Stockmann
C. Carelessness of the children
D. A natural disaster
3. Why does the glazier refuse to come? (2 mrks)
A. He is too busy
B. He is sick
C. He fears the reaction of the neighbours
D. He dislikes Dr. Stockmann
4. What is contained in the letter Dr. Stockmann receives? (2 mrks)
A. A job offer
B. An apology
C. A notice to quit the house
D. An invitation
5. Why is the landlord asking Dr. Stockmann to leave? (2 mrks)
A. He needs the house
B. He dislikes Dr. Stockmann
C. He fears public opinion and influential people
D. He wants to increase rent
6. How does Dr. Stockmann view the people of the town? (2 mrks)
A. Brave and honest
B. Intelligent and fair
C. Cowardly and controlled by public opinion
D. Friendly and supportive
7. What solution does Dr. Stockmann propose for his family? (2 mrks)
A. To stay and fight
B. To move to another house in the town
C. To leave for the New World
D. To apologize to the townspeople
8. What is Mrs. Stockmann’s main concern? (2 mrks)
A. Her reputation
B. The condition of the house
C. The future of their children
D. The landlord’s opinion
9. What does Dr. Stockmann mean when he says people are “slaves of their Party”? (1 mrks)
A. They are unemployed
B. They blindly follow political groups instead of truth
C. They work for the government
D. They are prisoners
10. What theme is strongly reflected in this extract? (1 mrks)
A. Love and marriage
B. Conflict between truth and society
C. Wealth and poverty
D. War and peace
11. Why does Dr. Stockmann feel insulted by the attack on him? (1 mrks)
A. Because he is poor
B. Because he believes the “common herd” should not challenge him
C. Because he lost his job
D. Because he fears them
12. What is revealed about Dr. Stockmann’s character? (1 mrks)
A. He is weak and fearful
B. He is proud, defiant, and committed to truth
C. He is silent and passive
D. He is dishonest
SECTION C: NOVELS
CHINUA ACHEBE: A Man of the People (20 marks)
Discuss any three themes from A Man of the People by Chinua Achebe you choose.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..………………………………………………………………………..
Nice work!!