2015 Literature-In-English WAEC SSCE (School Candidates) May/June

This page is currently under construction. Please check back later for updates.
If you can help improve this page, please contribute!

Literature-In-English 1 - Objective

Section A

Answer all questions in this section

Part 1: General Knowledge of Literature

A speech in a play in which a character speaks his or her thoughts alone is
1. a monologue.
2. an aside.
3. a soliloquy.
4. an epilogue.
In Literature, repetition is used essentially for
1. rhyme.
2. suspense.
3. allusion.
4. emphasis.
The pattern or a poem without reference to its content is referred to as the
1. limerick.
2. metre.
3. free verse.
4. form.
The performers in a play constitute the
1. chorus.
2. characters.
3. audience.
4. cast.

Read the stanza and answer questions

5

to

7

Pan, O great Pan, to thee

Thus we sing!

Thou who keep’st chaste and free

As the young spring:

Ever be thy honour spake

From that place the morn is broke

To the place day doth unyoke.

The stanza is an example of
1. appellation.
2. apostrophe.
3. euphemism.
4. elegy.
Pan is used here as
1. an illusion.
2. symbol.
3. irony.
4. metonymy.
The rhyme scheme of the stanza is A.
1. abcabec.
2. ababcdd.
3. babacce.
4. bebccaa.
A metrical foot in which a stressed syllable is followed by an unstressed syllable is
1. iambic.
2. spondaic.
3. trochaic.
4. dactylic.
...... is the location of the action of the plot
1. Setting
2. Narrative technique
3. Point of view
4. Characterization
A ballad is essentially a ........... poem
1. descriptive
2. dramatic
3. pastoral
4. narrative
The first four lines of the Shakespearean sonnet rhyme
1. abcd.
2. abba.
3. abab.
4. cded.
A story in which characters or actions represent abstract ideas or moral qualities is
1. an epic.
2. a legend.
3. an allegory.
4. a satire.
The use of imagery in prose or verse
1. appeals to the senses.
2. develops the plot.
3. creates confusion.
4. obscures meaning.

Read the stanza and answer questions 14 to 15

Our leader will not compromise freedom

Nor will our heads give up liberty

The lines illustrate
1. soliloquy.
2. parallelism.
3. dialogue.
4. contrast.
Heads’ in the second line is an example of
1. synecdoche.
2. inversion.
3. epithet.
4. conceit.
A character that develops in the course of a novel or play is described as
1. flat.
2. antagonist.
3. round.
4. protagonist.
A dirge is a poem sung
1. to send a child to sleep.
2. to make workers happy.
3. at a birthday party.
4. at a funeral.
In drama, the ....... creates humour.
1. hero
2. clown
3. villain
4. chorus
‘Let me not love thee if I love thee not’ illustrates
1. metaphor.
2. proverb.
3. paradox.
4. meiosis.
........... is a literary’ device used to express something unpleasant in a more acceptable manner
1. Epilogue.
2. Epigram.
3. Euphemism.
4. Eulogy.

Part 2: Unseen Prose and Poetry

Read the passage below and answer questions 21 to 25

A modest two-room hut built of mud and roofed with straw graciously sheltered the Mensahs. One of the rooms advertised itself as a living room. The kind earthenware pot willingly kept company with four ever-smiling stools. The pot eternally contained cooled water for guests. The second room was a warm-hearted bedroom without a bed. The poor pair had to sleep on bare straw mats on the polished dirty floor. Some over washed rags deputised for blankets and sheets and pillows. Two strong dry logs, facing each other like bitter rivals burned themselves out at night, not merely to keep the couple warm but mainly to ward off hungry mosquitoes and other hostile pests. There was no door to ward off the cold night air. Some rude devices however, were contrived to keep the room quite safe from prying eyes and curious domestic animals. Would any thief be ever tempted to peep into such a rude room of such a poor pair?

The Writer's attitude to the couple is on of
1. resignation.
2. indifference.
3. patronage.
4. praise.
The dominant literary device used in the passage is
1. litotes.
2. personification.
3. simile.
4. paradox.
The rhetorical question that ends the passages stresses the
1. wickedness of thieves.
2. poverty of the couple.
3. security of the hut.
4. filthiness of the surroundings.
The expression ‘such a rude room of such a poor pair’ illustrates
1. onomatopoeia.
2. pun.
3. rhyme.
4. alliteration.
The setting is
1. dawn.
2. sunset.
3. midday.
4. night.

Read the poem and answer questions

26

to

30.

Proud mothers of the coming age

‘Tis good to find you now engage

Your minds and time your lives to raise

Above the level of bygone days

‘Tis good to see you play your part

With spirit and undaunted heart,

It gives young Africa’s throbbing soul

A glimpse of a bright and glorious goal.

God bless you, mothers of our race,

God cause to shine on you His face;

To bring forth sons and daughters brave.

The ryhme scheme is
1. aabb ccdd eeff
2. abab abab aabb
3. abcaabbccabah
4. abba abca abab
The theme of the poem is
1. the love of mother
2. invoking the spirit of motherhood
3. admiration for women's handwork
4. the suffering of women
The literary device used in line 7
1. conceit
2. personification
3. hyperbole
4. pathos
The poet's tone is one of
1. sadness
2. joy
3. condemnation
4. sarcasm
"To bring forth sons and daughters brave" illustrates
1. paradox
2. zeugma
3. inversion
4. epigram

Section B

Answer all questions in this section

Read the extract and answer guestions 31 to 35.

Silence! One word more

Shall make me chide thee, If not hate thee, What!

An advocate for an impostor! Hush!

(Act 1, Scene Two, lines 478-480)

The speaker is
1. Gonzalo
2. Antonio
3. Prospero
4. Alonso
. The addressee is
1. Ariel.
2. Ferdinand.
3. Caliban.
4. Miranda
The imposter” is
1. Sebastian
2. Antonio
3. Ferdinand
4. Alonso
.The “advocate” and the imposter” are
1. conspirators.
2. enemies.
3. suspicious of each other.
4. attracted to each other.
The speaker’s utterance betrays his
1. anger.
2. pretence.
3. haired.
4. sorrow.

Read the extract and answer questions

35

to

40

.

You cram these words into mine ears against

The stomach of my sense. Would I had never

Married my daughter there! For, coming thence,

My son is lost, an in my rate, she too.

(Act 11, Scene One, lines 99-102)

The speaker is
1. Gonzalo.
2. Antonio.
3. Sebastian.
4. Alonso.
“these words” refer to
1. the shipwreck.
2. the son’s disappearance.
3. the daughter’s wedding.
4. Prospero’s magic.
Where did the wedding take place?
1. Algiers.
2. Milan.
3. Tunis.
4. Naples.
The setting is
1. outside Prospero’s cell.
2. on a ship.
3. in front of Prospero’s cell.
4. another part of the island.
"........................ in my rate" means
1. I’m very certain B.
2. so far as I can see C.
3. there is no doubt D.
4. as it appears

Read the extract and answer questions

41

to

45

.

Ariel: At hail, great master! Grave sir, hail! Come

To answer thy best pleasure; be't to fly,

To swim, to dive into the fire to ride.

On the curled clouds, to thy strong bidding ****

Ariel and all his quality.

(Act 1, Scene Two, lines 189-193)

Ariel has "come" because
1. he has been invited by Prospero.
2. he wants to make a request.
3. he desires a meeting.
4. flying is no problem for him.
Prospero has actually
1. raised a storm at sea.
2. punished Miranda.
3. dismissed Ferdinand.
4. commanded Ariel to disappear.
Before Ariels entry
1. Ferdinand has brought in some wood.
2. Prospero had put Miranda to sleep.
3. Caliban had been swearing at Prospero.
4. Trineulo had discovered Caliban's cloak.
'Ariel and all his quality’ mean Ariel and
1. all at his command.
2. the quality of a spirit.
3. this band of spirits.
4. an ability to cause mischief.
Soon after, Ariel
1. flies off to do his duty.
2. recounts the confusion on board the ship.
3. kneels down to worship Propsero.
4. calls Ceres and another spirit.

Read the extract and answer questions

46

to

50

.

X: We two, my lord,

Will guard your person while you take your rest

And watch your safety.

Y: Thank you. - Wondrous heavy.

(Act II, Scene One, lines 184-187)

X and Y are
1. Antonio and Alonso.
2. Sebastian and Alonso.
3. Antonio and Gonzalo.
4. Sebastian and Gonzalo.
“We two” are
1. Antonio and Adrian.
2. Sebastian and Adrian.
3. Sebastian and Francisco.
4. Antonio and Sebastian.
The situation it the extract is highly
1. satirical.
2. prophetic.
3. ironical.
4. comical.
What has happened to all the other characters in the scene?
1. They have been made deaf and dumb.
2. Ariel has put them all to sleep.
3. They have been sent away.
4. Prospero has put them to sleep.
The ‘two” later plot to
1. Kill all the other characters.
2. escape from the island.
3. kill Prospero and Miranda.
4. kill Alonso and Gonzalo.