gce model questions vol1 2017 literature_in_english | Essay

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Question 1 View Details
Read the following excerpt taken from a contemporary Nigerian short story: "The market was a river of colour, the chatter of vendors rising like a tide. Amaka stood at the edge, her heart beating against the rhythm of drums, wondering whether the promise of a new job in Lagos could ever wash away the memory of her father's empty chair. The scent of fried plantain mingled with the dust, and for a moment she felt both the weight of the past and the pull of a future she could not yet see." Answer the questions that follow.
Question Parts
(a)
Identify the literary genre of the excerpt and give two characteristic features that support your identification.
(b)
Discuss how the narrative perspective influences the reader’s understanding of Amaka’s internal conflict.
(c)
Compare the way theme is developed in this excerpt with the way it is typically developed in poetry.
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Question 2 View Details
Read the following passage from a modern Nigerian drama: "She walks into the room, the curtains drawn like the heavy lids of a sleeping beast. The silence that follows is not peace but a waiting breath, as if the walls themselves are listening for the truth she dares not speak. Each step she takes echoes a promise broken, a hope deferred, and the air grows thick with the unspoken words that have long haunted this house." Answer the questions that follow.
Question Parts
(a)
Identify three literary devices used in the passage and quote the exact line where each occurs.
(b)
For each device identified in (a), explain its effect on the tone and mood of the passage.
(c)
Evaluate how the combined use of these devices enhances the central theme of suppressed truth.
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Question 3 View Details
Read the following original poem and answer the questions that follow. *Silent Streets* When the market stalls close and the lanterns dim, The city’s pulse slows to a whispered hymn. Footsteps echo on the cobbled lane, Carrying stories of loss, hope, and pain. A lone child drifts, clutching a torn kite, Dreams fluttering against the waning night. In each breath of wind, a promise is sewn, Binding strangers together, though they walk alone.
Question Parts
(a)
Identify two poetic devices used in the poem and explain their effect on the reader.
(b)
Discuss how the poet’s use of imagery contributes to the overall theme of connection amidst isolation.
(c)
Evaluate the relevance of the poem’s message to contemporary Nigerian urban life.
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Question 4 View Details
Read the following original prose excerpt and answer the questions that follow. *Evening at the Market* Ada pushed her cart through the bustling Lagos market, the scent of spices mingling with the distant hum of diesel engines. She paused at a stall where a man sold bright, hand‑woven fabrics; the cloths fluttered like flags in a gentle breeze, each pattern telling a story of ancestors. As the sun dipped low, casting long shadows, a sudden shout erupted—children chasing a stray goat that had slipped through a fence. Laughter rose, and for a fleeting moment, the worries of rent and school fees seemed to dissolve into the rhythm of the crowd.
Question Parts
(a)
Summarise the passage in no more than 80 words.
(b)
Analyse how the author develops Ada’s character through language and narrative technique.
(c)
Discuss the significance of the setting in shaping the central conflict of the passage.
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Question 5 View Details
The following excerpt is taken from the original drama *The Market of Dreams*: "Ada stood at the bustling market, the scent of spices mingling with the cries of sellers. She clutched a torn photograph of her late mother, a reminder of promises unkept. As the crowd surged, a voice shouted, 'Justice is a market too, and we are its merchants!' Ada's eyes widened; the words echoed the emptiness she felt inside. She whispered, 'Will I ever trade my sorrow for hope?'" Using this excerpt, answer the questions that follow.
Question Parts
(a)
Identify two central themes presented in the excerpt and explain how they are conveyed through the language and setting.
(b)
Discuss how the playwright employs at least two dramatic techniques in the excerpt to develop one of the identified themes.
(c)
Evaluate the relevance of the drama’s themes to contemporary Nigerian society, giving specific examples.
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Question 6 View Details
The following passage describes the character Chinedu from the original novel *Echoes of the River*: "Chinedu entered the village square with shoulders hunched, his once‑bright eyes now clouded by the weight of unspoken secrets. The villagers whispered, 'He carries the river's grief within him.' Yet, when the children gathered around the old baobab, he knelt, his voice softening as he recounted the legend of the river spirit that healed wounds. In that moment, a flicker of the boy who once chased the river's currents returned, hinting at a man torn between past trauma and present hope." Answer the following questions based on this description.
Question Parts
(a)
Outline the methods of direct and indirect characterization used by the author to portray Chinedu.
(b)
Analyse how Chinedu’s development throughout the passage reflects the central conflict of the novel.
(c)
Critically assess the effectiveness of the author’s techniques in making Chinedu a relatable figure for the reader.
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Question 7 View Details
Read the following excerpt from an original short story: 1. The rain hammered the tin roofs of the cramped Lagos alley, turning the narrow passage into a river of mud. 2. Amara hurried home, clutching the frayed strap of her schoolbag, her mind racing with the day's lessons. 3. As she turned the corner, a glint caught her eye—a weather‑worn diary half‑buried beneath a broken bottle. 4. Curiosity overrode caution; she knelt, brushed away the grime, and opened to a page inked with a date from ten years ago. 5. The entry spoke of a secret meeting at the old market, a promise to reveal a hidden treasure that could change lives. 6. A sudden shout echoed, and a shadowy figure emerged, demanding the diary back. 7. Amara's heart pounded; she realized the diary held the key to her family's future. 8. She fled, the rain masking her footsteps, but the figure pursued, relentless. 9. In the narrow lane, she slipped, the diary slipping from her grasp, landing on the puddle‑slick stones. 10. The rain washed the ink away, leaving only a faint outline of the promised treasure. 11. Breathless, Amara stared at the empty page, the weight of hope and loss heavy upon her shoulders. 12. As the storm cleared, the first light of dawn revealed the alley, now quiet, as if the night’s secrets had dissolved. Using this excerpt, answer the following:
Question Parts
(a)
Identify the five conventional parts of the plot (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution) as they appear in the excerpt. Cite the line numbers that correspond to each part.
(b)
Explain how the turning point in the climax (the appearance of the shadowy figure) changes Amara's goal and influences the subsequent action.
(c)
Evaluate the effectiveness of the resolution in reinforcing the story’s central theme of hope versus loss.
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Question 8 View Details
Read the following excerpt from an original narrative set in a Nigerian village: 1. The sun rose over the golden fields of Umuofia, casting long shadows across the thatched roofs of the village. 2. Women gathered at the communal well, their laughter mingling with the soft clatter of clay pots. 3. Children chased fireflies along the dusty paths, their silhouettes flickering like living lanterns. 4. In the centre of the village stood the ancient iroko tree, its massive branches a silent witness to generations of festivals. 5. Today, the annual New Yam Festival was in full swing; drums beat, and the scent of roasted yam wafted through the air. 6. Yet beneath the celebration, tension simmered as the chief's eldest son, Obinna, prepared to announce his intention to marry outside the clan. 7. The elders whispered, their faces creased with worry, recalling the old laws that bound marriage to lineage. 8. As night fell, the firelight illuminated the faces of the villagers, each reflecting hope, fear, and resolve. 9. Obinna stepped forward, his voice steady, yet his eyes betrayed a flicker of doubt. 10. The chief raised his hand, silencing the crowd, and spoke of tradition versus progress. 11. The villagers listened, their hearts torn between honoring ancestors and embracing change. 12. When the first star appeared, a quiet agreement settled, promising a future where old customs would be reshaped. Answer the following questions:
Question Parts
(a)
Describe the physical, social and temporal setting of the excerpt, citing at least three specific textual references.
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Question 9 View Details
Read the following excerpt from the short story *The River’s Whisper*: "Ada stood at the edge of the river, the water glimmering like a ribbon of silver under the early dawn. The elders had warned her that the river was a boundary between the world of the ancestors and the world of the living. Yet, the city beyond the hills promised school, a future she had never imagined. As the first light painted the sky, Ada felt the pull of two worlds – the familiar rhythm of the village and the distant hum of progress." (a) Identify the central theme of the excerpt. (b) Analyse how the writer develops this theme through the use of characterisation, setting and symbolic elements. In your answer, consider how the theme reflects broader social issues in contemporary Nigerian society.
Question Parts
(a)
Identify the central theme of the excerpt.
(b)
Analyse how the writer develops this theme through the use of characterisation, setting and symbolic elements. In your answer, consider how the theme reflects broader social issues in contemporary Nigerian society.
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Question 10 View Details
Read the following passage from the novel *Shadows of the Market*: "The market was a living tapestry, each stall a thread of colour and sound. When I was a child, I watched my mother bargain with the fishmonger, her voice a soft chant that rose above the clamor. Now, as an adult, I return not as a buyer but as a narrator, stitching together memories that flicker like lanterns in the night. The story jumps back to that summer when the mangoes fell from the sky, a moment I recall not in chronological order but as a sudden flash that interrupts the present. The author employs a non‑linear narrative, weaving flashbacks with present‑time observations, and uses free‑indirect discourse to blur the line between the narrator’s thoughts and the third‑person description." (a) Identify two narrative techniques used in the passage. (b) Evaluate the effect of each technique on the reader’s understanding of the narrator’s relationship with the market and with his past.
Question Parts
(a)
Identify two narrative techniques used in the passage.
(b)
Evaluate the effect of each technique on the reader’s understanding of the narrator’s relationship with the market and with his past.
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