Understanding Literary Discourse · CSEC English A

100 past-paper questions on Understanding Literary Discourse, part of Module 2: Literary Discourse, from every CSEC English A paper on Quelpr.

1. 2(a)1 mark· CSEC English A · 2013 (Specimen) · Paper 2What game were the children playing?
2. 2(b)2 marks· CSEC English A · 2013 (Specimen) · Paper 2Why did the boys remove their shirts while playing?
3. 2(c)2 marks· CSEC English A · 2013 (Specimen) · Paper 2What did the boys do (lines 8 - 16) to make Celia call them "scamps"?
4. 2(d)2 marks· CSEC English A · 2013 (Specimen) · Paper 2Identify TWO phrases, one in paragraph 1 and one in paragraph 3, which indicate that the children took the game seriously.
5. 2(e)2 marks· CSEC English A · 2013 (Specimen) · Paper 2Quote the evidence from paragraph 3 that suggests that Celia was uncomfortable with not being seen.
6. 2(f)2 marks· CSEC English A · 2013 (Specimen) · Paper 2Which phrase in paragraph 3 indicates that Celia felt relief?
7. 2(g)1 mark· CSEC English A · 2013 (Specimen) · Paper 2According to paragraph 4, what is the conflict between Mrs Wilson and the children?
8. 3(a)1 mark· CSEC English A · 2013 (Specimen) · Paper 2According to the writer, what is the first thing people enjoy about baked foods?
9. 3(b)2 marks· CSEC English A · 2013 (Specimen) · Paper 2What particular kinds of baked food are described in the passage?
10. 3(c)2 marks· CSEC English A · 2013 (Specimen) · Paper 2Identify the expression in paragraph 2 which suggests that most people cannot resist the smell of baked foods.
11. 3(d)2 marks· CSEC English A · 2013 (Specimen) · Paper 2Identify TWO phrases which suggest the pleasant effect from the smell of baked foods.
12. 3(e)2 marks· CSEC English A · 2013 (Specimen) · Paper 2To what senses does the writer appeal in paragraphs 2 and 4?
13. 3(g)2 marks· CSEC English A · 2013 (Specimen) · Paper 2What TWO sounds are compared in the final paragraph?
14. 635 marks· CSEC English A · 2013 (Specimen) · Paper 2The streets were filled with pedestrians in anticipation of their new leader. Describe the mood of the pedestrians and the atmosphere in the streets.
15. 2(a)2 marks· CSEC English A · January 2011 · Paper 2According to the first THREE sentences of the passage, what was the narrator's reaction to England?
16. 2(b)2 marks· CSEC English A · January 2011 · Paper 2Identify TWO conditions of the room that the narrator found depressing.
17. 2(c)2 marks· CSEC English A · January 2011 · Paper 2What did the narrator discover that was different from what she had been taught in school?
18. 2(d)2 marks· CSEC English A · January 2011 · Paper 2Give TWO details from paragraph 1 which show how cold the narrator found England.
19. 2(h)1 mark· CSEC English A · January 2011 · Paper 2Which event boosted the narrator's determination to make the best of England?
20. 2(a)1 mark· CSEC English A · January 2012 · Paper 2State the occupation of the narrator's father.
21. 2(b)(i)2 marks· CSEC English A · January 2012 · Paper 2Identify two views the father holds regarding 'partners' saving schemes.
22. 2(b)(ii)1 mark· CSEC English A · January 2012 · Paper 2State what attitude is suggested by the father's views on the 'partners' saving scheme.
23. 2(d)1 mark· CSEC English A · January 2012 · Paper 2Quote a phrase demonstrating that the father is uncomfortable about playing dominoes.
24. 2(g)2 marks· CSEC English A · January 2012 · Paper 2Explain what paragraph 1 suggests about the narrator's feelings towards her father.
25. 635 marks· CSEC English A · January 2012 · Paper 2Describe what the protagonist felt and saw when returning after five years to find that the landscape, atmosphere, and people had all changed.
26. 2(a)2 marks· CSEC English A · January 2013 · Paper 2Identify TWO features of the city landscape on which the moon shines.
27. 2(b)(i)1 mark· CSEC English A · January 2013 · Paper 2In stanza 3, what action does the poet suggest the moon should take?
28. 2(b)(ii)2 marks· CSEC English A · January 2013 · Paper 2What reason is given for this action?
29. 2(g)(i)1 mark· CSEC English A · January 2013 · Paper 2What does the moon offer in the final stanza that it does not offer before?
30. 2(g)(ii)1 mark· CSEC English A · January 2013 · Paper 2Quote the expression which suggests that this offer will be gladly received.
31. 2(a)1 mark· CSEC English A · January 2014 · Paper 2Explain the meaning of the expression 'funds dwindled to nothing' (line 3).
32. 2(d)(i)1 mark· CSEC English A · January 2014 · Paper 2According to paragraph 2, state what step the mother took which created hardship for the family.
33. 2(d)(ii)2 marks· CSEC English A · January 2014 · Paper 2List TWO ways in which the family was affected because of the mother's action.
34. 2(f)2 marks· CSEC English A · January 2014 · Paper 2Explain what the phrase 'always bought the story' (line 18) indicates about the narrator's mother.
35. 2(g)1 mark· CSEC English A · January 2014 · Paper 2Identify the narrator's attitude toward the situation described in the passage.
36. 2(a)(i)2 marks· CSEC English A · January 2015 · Paper 2According to lines 3–5, what does Nebu think about wives or women?
37. 2(a)(ii)2 marks· CSEC English A · January 2015 · Paper 2Quote a phrase from lines 4 to 5 which supports your answer to 2(a)(i).
38. 2(c)(i)1 mark· CSEC English A · January 2015 · Paper 2According to paragraph 2, what is the impact of the storm on the environment?
39. 2(c)(ii)2 marks· CSEC English A · January 2015 · Paper 2Write TWO words or phrases which convey the impact of the storm on the environment.
40. 2(d)2 marks· CSEC English A · January 2015 · Paper 2What is the difference in mood between paragraphs 1 and 3?
41. 2(e)2 marks· CSEC English A · January 2015 · Paper 2Quote TWO pieces of evidence from the passage that suggest different times of day.
42. 2(a)2 marks· CSEC English A · January 2016 · Paper 2Identify TWO senses to which the poet appeals in stanza 1.
43. 2(b)2 marks· CSEC English A · January 2016 · Paper 2For EACH sense you identified in (a), quote an appropriate example from stanza 1.
44. 2(d)2 marks· CSEC English A · January 2016 · Paper 2According to stanza 2, what caused the character's mood?
45. 2(e)2 marks· CSEC English A · January 2016 · Paper 2What is the difference in atmosphere between stanza 1 and stanza 2?
46. 2(f)2 marks· CSEC English A · January 2016 · Paper 2What expression does the poet use to prepare the reader for the change in stanza 2?
47. 2(g)2 marks· CSEC English A · January 2016 · Paper 2What was the "miracle" (line 9) that happened at dawn?
48. 2(a)(ii)2 marks· CSEC English A · January 2017 · Paper 2Explain what concern the speaker is expressing in the phrase "Like a sack left on the shelf".
49. 2(b)2 marks· CSEC English A · January 2017 · Paper 2Explain why the writer uses exclamation marks in stanza 1 (lines 5–8).
50. 2(d)2 marks· CSEC English A · January 2017 · Paper 2Quote the line where the speaker acknowledges the pain associated with aging.
51. 2(g)2 marks· CSEC English A · January 2017 · Paper 2According to stanza 3, state TWO effects of aging on the body.
52. 2(a)2 marks· CSEC English A · January 2018 · Paper 2Quote the expression in paragraph 1 which indicates that the passage includes flashback.
53. 2(b)2 marks· CSEC English A · January 2018 · Paper 2Give TWO quotations from paragraph 1 which suggest customary actions.
54. 2(c)1 mark· CSEC English A · January 2018 · Paper 2Identify ONE expression in paragraph 1 which highlights the men's sense of ownership of the place.
55. 2(e)2 marks· CSEC English A · January 2018 · Paper 2Where is the lady in the passage staying?
56. 2(a)1 mark· CSEC English A · May/June 2012 · Paper 2State what caused Imamu to stop running.
57. 2(b)2 marks· CSEC English A · May/June 2012 · Paper 2Explain the effect achieved by the writer's use of short sentences in paragraph 1.
58. 2(c)2 marks· CSEC English A · May/June 2012 · Paper 2Identify the sentence in paragraph 1 indicating a contrast between Imamu's physical feelings and the peaceful atmosphere of his natural environment.
59. 2(e)(i)1 mark· CSEC English A · May/June 2012 · Paper 2Identify ONE emotion experienced by Imamu in paragraph 2.
60. 2(e)(ii)1 mark· CSEC English A · May/June 2012 · Paper 2Quote an appropriate expression from paragraph 2 to support the identified emotion.
61. 2(g)2 marks· CSEC English A · May/June 2012 · Paper 2Quote the sentence indicating that Imamu feels he understands Perk.
62. 2(h)2 marks· CSEC English A · May/June 2012 · Paper 2Explain why Imamu was running away.
63. 635 marks· CSEC English A · May/June 2012 · Paper 2Describe what the narrator saw and felt, based on the prompt describing coming upon a district that was more than unusual, real or science fiction.
64. 2(a)1 mark· CSEC English A · May/June 2013 · Paper 2State to whom or what the pronoun 'them' in line 1 refers.
65. 2(b)2 marks· CSEC English A · May/June 2013 · Paper 2Identify TWO words or phrases in the first stanza that the poet uses to create an image of the birds.
66. 2(c)2 marks· CSEC English A · May/June 2013 · Paper 2Identify TWO words in lines 4 and 5 that the poet uses to give human qualities to the crows.
67. 2(h)1 mark· CSEC English A · May/June 2013 · Paper 2Quote ONE example of alliteration from the poem.
68. 2(i)1 mark· CSEC English A · May/June 2013 · Paper 2Quote ONE example of metaphor from the poem.
69. 2(a)1 mark· CSEC English A · May/June 2014 · Paper 2State ONE action from paragraph 1 which shows that "Hard Life was an ill-mannered visitor" (line 1).
70. 2(d)3 marks· CSEC English A · May/June 2014 · Paper 2From paragraph 2, identify THREE effects of the arrival of the food basket.
71. 2(h)1 mark· CSEC English A · May/June 2014 · Paper 2What evidence in paragraph 3 indicates that the people of Harvey River felt that life in the city was difficult for the narrator's family?
72. 2(i)1 mark· CSEC English A · May/June 2014 · Paper 2Quote ONE phrase which the writer uses to suggest the negative effects of hard life on individuals.
73. 2(a)1 mark· CSEC English A · May/June 2015 · Paper 2State what problem Paul had been experiencing based on the words “When he had resolved the threatening conflict in his stomach” (line 1).
74. 2(b)1 mark· CSEC English A · May/June 2015 · Paper 2Explain what the word “gingerly” (line 3) suggests about Paul’s actions.
75. 2(c)2 marks· CSEC English A · May/June 2015 · Paper 2Explain, in your own words, the contrast described in lines 6–8.
76. 2(d)1 mark· CSEC English A · May/June 2015 · Paper 2Quote the specific expression from paragraph 2 which suggests that Paul’s earlier problem was not resolved.
77. 2(e)1 mark· CSEC English A · May/June 2015 · Paper 2Provide a word or phrase to replace “receded” in line 9.
78. 2(f)(ii)2 marks· CSEC English A · May/June 2015 · Paper 2Explain how Paul brought his problem under control.
79. 2(g)2 marks· CSEC English A · May/June 2015 · Paper 2Describe the attitude of the dancers towards Paul.
80. 2(h)(i)1 mark· CSEC English A · May/June 2015 · Paper 2State a word to describe Paul’s feeling as he saw the dancers’ smiles.
81. 2(h)(ii)2 marks· CSEC English A · May/June 2015 · Paper 2Quote TWO expressions which show that Paul understood that he would not be invited to the dance.
82. 2(a)2 marks· CSEC English A · May/June 2016 · Paper 2What is the reason for the activities described in lines 1 to 4 of the poem?
83. 2(b)2 marks· CSEC English A · May/June 2016 · Paper 2Quote TWO examples from lines 4 to 7 where the poet appeals to the sense of hearing.
84. 2(c)2 marks· CSEC English A · May/June 2016 · Paper 2Quote the expression which shows that the character in the poem was not touched by the beauty of the surroundings.
85. 2(f)1 mark· CSEC English A · May/June 2016 · Paper 2Who according to the poet are the castaways of life?
86. 2(h)1 mark· CSEC English A · May/June 2016 · Paper 2What "misery" does the character turn away from?
87. 2(i)2 marks· CSEC English A · May/June 2016 · Paper 2Describe the mood that the poet creates in the last two lines of the poem.
88. 3(a)1 mark· CSEC English A · May/June 2016 · Paper 2What word could be used to replace the word "dissimilar" in line 2 of the extract?
89. 3(b)2 marks· CSEC English A · May/June 2016 · Paper 2What technique does the writer use in the first paragraph to create the characters of the brothers?
90. 3(c)2 marks· CSEC English A · May/June 2016 · Paper 2According to paragraph 1, what are TWO characteristics which the people expected a "real businessman" to have?
91. 3(d)2 marks· CSEC English A · May/June 2016 · Paper 2Quote TWO pieces of evidence that show that Romesh did not respect his brother as a businessman.
92. 3(e)2 marks· CSEC English A · May/June 2016 · Paper 2What information in paragraph 3 suggests that the men were successful in managing the business?
93. 3(f)2 marks· CSEC English A · May/June 2016 · Paper 2What action shows that the patrons (villagers) were uncomfortable around Romesh?
94. 3(g)2 marks· CSEC English A · May/June 2016 · Paper 2Identify the behaviour in paragraph 4 which shows the contrast in the character of the two brothers.
95. 2(a)(i)2 marks· CSEC English A · May/June 2017 · Paper 2What does the speaker mean by the word "narrowing" in line 1?
96. 2(a)(ii)2 marks· CSEC English A · May/June 2017 · Paper 2Why is the island described as "narrowing"?
97. 2(c)2 marks· CSEC English A · May/June 2017 · Paper 2What is the location from which the speaker describes the experience?
98. 2(d)2 marks· CSEC English A · May/June 2017 · Paper 2What is the last feature of the island the speaker notices?
99. 2(e)2 marks· CSEC English A · May/June 2017 · Paper 2What is meant by "until all that I love / Was lost in cloud" (lines 7–8)?
100. 2(f)3 marks· CSEC English A · May/June 2017 · Paper 2The speaker's journey is described in three parts. Identify these parts by giving the appropriate line numbers for Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.