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ISC English Literature 2025 Competency Focused Questions (CFQ) with Answers

All 89 questions of the ISC English Literature 2025 Competency Focused Questions (CFQ), in printed order, in full. Tap "Show answer" under a question to see its answer.

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Q71 mark · MCQOpen: In Act IV Scene (i) of Macbeth, the Second Witch says, “By the pricking of my…
In Act IV Scene (i) of Macbeth, the Second Witch says, “By the pricking of my thumbs”, or “Something wicked this way comes”. What exactly does she imply? i. Macbeth has always been inherently more evil than the Witches. ii. Macbeth has acquired kinship with the witches. iii. Macbeth is now completely controlled by evil. iv. She recognises the evil in Macbeth. Which of the above pairs of reasons are correct?
  • (a)(i) and (ii)
  • (b)(ii) and (iv)
  • (c)(i) and (iv)
  • (d)(ii) and (iii)

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Q91 mark · MCQOpen: In Act IV Scene (i) of Macbeth, in the supernatural spectacle, some of the…
In Act IV Scene (i) of Macbeth, in the supernatural spectacle, some of the kings carry two balls and three sceptres each. What exactly does this sight symbolise?
  • (a)The next three generations of Banquo will rule over Scotland.
  • (b)Banquo’s sons/ descendants will rule over England, Scotland and Ireland.
  • (c)The next three generations of Macbeth will usurp the throne of Scotland.
  • (d)Banquo's descendants will rule over England, France and Wales.

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Q131 mark · MCQOpen: How does the imagery of sleep contribute to the thematic development in Act V?
How does the imagery of sleep contribute to the thematic development in Act V?
  • (a)It symbolises Lady Macbeth’s yearning for peace and quiet.
  • (b)It represents Macbeth’s inability to escape the consequences of his actions.
  • (c)It foreshadows Malcolm’s rise to power.
  • (d)It provides Macduff the opportunity to kill Macbeth.

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Q151 mark · MCQOpen: Now minutely revolts…Nothing in love. With reference to Act V Scene (ii) of the…
Now minutely revolts…Nothing in love. With reference to Act V Scene (ii) of the play, what do these lines convey about the attitude of Macbeth’s followers?
  • (a)They indicate the loss of loyalty and growing dissent.
  • (b)They suggest that their actions are selfless.
  • (c)They indicate that the followers are motivated solely by their love for Macbeth.
  • (d)They indicate their sacrifice at the battlefield.

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Q211 mark · MCQOpen: Read the two statements given below from the short story, The Medicine Bag…
Read the two statements given below from the short story, The Medicine Bag. Select the appropriate relation between the two. Statement A: Iron Shell gave the medicine bag to Martin and told him he need not wear it in time and place where no one will understand. Statement B: Martin could wear the medicine bag once he had replaced the sacred sage.
  • (a)Statement B is similar to Statement A.
  • (b)Statement B is a condition for Statement A.
  • (c)Statement B is the reason for Statement A.
  • (d)Statement B is the result of Statement A.

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Q221 mark · MCQOpen: Silenced transmission of Pressurized good breeding What does the word…
Silenced transmission of Pressurized good breeding What does the word pressurized from the poem Telephone Conversation, suggest?
  • (a)Conflict between the landlady’s phony good-breeding and her prejudice.
  • (b)Conflict between the speaker’s good breeding and the landlady’s prejudice.
  • (c)Conflict between the silence of the landlady and the speaker’s good breeding.
  • (d)Conflict between the silence of the speaker and the landlady’s phony good breeding.

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Q231 mark · MCQOpen: Shamed By ill-mannered silence, surrender Pushed dumbfounded to beg…
Shamed By ill-mannered silence, surrender Pushed dumbfounded to beg simplification Which of the following statements is true with respect to the above extract taken from Telephone Conversation? i. The silence of the landlady was ill-mannered. ii. The speaker broke his silence for explanation. iii. The silence of the speaker was ill-mannered. iv. The landlady broke her silence for explanation.
  • (a)(i) and (iii)
  • (b)(ii) and (iii)
  • (c)(i) and (iv)
  • (d)(i) and (ii)

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Q241 mark · MCQOpen: What does the poet want to convey by comparing Beethoven’s father’s words to an…
What does the poet want to convey by comparing Beethoven’s father’s words to an anthem in the poem Beethoven?
  • (a)Beethoven’s father’s words sounded as sweet as an anthem.
  • (b)It highlighted Beethoven’s ability to play well.
  • (c)It emphasised Beethoven’s skill as a musician.
  • (d)The words are an ironic comment on the father’s harsh words.

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Q251 mark · MCQOpen: Shane Koyczan begins his poem Beethoven with the word ‘Listen’ to:
Shane Koyczan begins his poem Beethoven with the word ‘Listen’ to:
  • (a)state that the audience must listen to Beethoven’s music.
  • (b)imply that the audience must listen to appreciate Beethoven’s music.
  • (c)insist that readers must listen to what the poet was saying.
  • (d)draw our attention to the suffering behind Beethoven’s talent.

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Q261 mark · MCQOpen: Why has the poet assumed a stance of pity towards death in Death Be Not Proud?…
Why has the poet assumed a stance of pity towards death in Death Be Not Proud? Which pair of reasons given below justify the poet’s stance? i. Death is just one short sleep. ii. Death is an instrument for the soul’s delivery. iii. Death itself dies. iv. Death is a slave.
  • (a)(iii) and (iv)
  • (b)(i) and (ii)
  • (c)(ii) and (iii)
  • (d)(i) and (iv)

No answer yet.

Q565 marks · Short answerOpen: What does Macbeth’s interaction with the murderers in Act III Scene (iii)…
What does Macbeth’s interaction with the murderers in Act III Scene (iii), reveal about his character and state of mind? Write your answer in about 150 words incorporating the following details. • The manner in which Macbeth instigates and manipulates the murderers against Banquo. • The way the gradual decline of his character is delineated.

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Q575 marks · Short answerOpen: By the end of Act III Scene (ii), Macbeth has embraced evil and sunk to the…
By the end of Act III Scene (ii), Macbeth has embraced evil and sunk to the depths of depravity. How is this indicated in the acts that were studied. Write your answer in about 150 words incorporating the following details. • Examples of his evil deeds. • The manner in which he loses the sympathy of the audience.

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Q595 marks · Short answerOpen: Towards the end of the play, Macbeth realises that he has been duped and…
Towards the end of the play, Macbeth realises that he has been duped and beguiled by the witches. What made him feel so? Write the answer in about 150 words incorporating the following details. • Macbeth’s false sense of security. • His realisation that the security is false and misleading.

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Q615 marks · Short answerOpen: The indigo planter had “light blue eyes from which shone a strange mixture of…
The indigo planter had “light blue eyes from which shone a strange mixture of hardness and suffering.” Account for his strange mixture of hardness and suffering. Take this with close reference to the story, ‘Indigo’. Write your answer in about 150 words incorporating the following details. • The guilt that the planter carried with him of suppressing the natives. • The fear of the consequence of his actions.

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Q625 marks · Short answerOpen: With reference to Ray Bradbury's There Will Come Soft Rains, shows how the “one…
With reference to Ray Bradbury's There Will Come Soft Rains, shows how the “one house left standing” in the city is reduced to “one wall stood alone” at the end of the story. Write your answer in about 150 words incorporating the following details. • Elements of dystopia in the picture of the house which is mentioned. • Details of the trace of life and the final image.

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Q635 marks · Short answerOpen: With reference to the short story, The Medicine Bag, why do you think Martin…
With reference to the short story, The Medicine Bag, why do you think Martin feels embarrassed of his great grandfather when he is found looking for their home? What does it convey about the boy? Write your answer in about 100-150 words incorporating the following details. • Analysis of the reasons for Martin to feel embarrassed of his great grandfather. • Martin’s character trait in that particular episode.

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Q645 marks · Short answerOpen: The short story, The Medicine Bag, mirrors the position of women in a Native…
The short story, The Medicine Bag, mirrors the position of women in a Native American Society. Justify this statement with at least four instances from the text. Write your answer in about 100-150 words incorporating the following details. • Your answer must highlight the instances where Grandpa follows stereotypical traditions where he prefers the male to a female. • Four instances from the text.

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Q655 marks · Short answerOpen: Identify and explain any two messages that predominantly stand out as lessons…
Identify and explain any two messages that predominantly stand out as lessons for all, particularly the grown-ups, in the story, The Cookie Lady. Write the answer in about 150 words incorporating the following details. • Parents’ responsibility in preparing the children to deal with evil. • Unscrupulous and evil-minded people prey upon the innocent.

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Q665 marks · Short answerOpen: Show how Tennyson employs the use of vivid imagery and descriptive language to…
Show how Tennyson employs the use of vivid imagery and descriptive language to describe the plight of Tithonus for defying nature’s cycle. Write your answer in about 150 words incorporating the following details. • Identify imagery from nature that describes decay. • Tithonus’ longing for death, Aurora’s silence.

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Q675 marks · Short answerOpen: How does Tennyson effectively use dramatic monologue, a literary device in his…
How does Tennyson effectively use dramatic monologue, a literary device in his poem, Tithonus to bring out the speaker’s state of mind? Write your answer in about 150 words incorporating the following details. • Tithonus asks Aurora for a boon. • His lament thereafter- his suffering and longing for release.

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Q685 marks · Short answerOpen: How has the speaker used dark humour in the poem Telephone Conversation, to get…
How has the speaker used dark humour in the poem Telephone Conversation, to get the better of the landlady? Write the answer in around about 150 words incorporating the following details. • The landlady’s racist queries. • The clever play of words used by the speaker to bring out the absurdity of racial discrimination.

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Q695 marks · Short answerOpen: How has the poet used imagery to convey his emotional turmoil in the poem…
How has the poet used imagery to convey his emotional turmoil in the poem Telephone Conversation? Write the answer in about 150 words incorporating the following details. • Identify the imagery used in the poem- mainly visual, auditory and olfactory. • Explain what each of the imagery conveys.

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Q715 marks · Short answerOpen: With reference to John Donne's Death Be Not Proud, shows how death has been…
With reference to John Donne's Death Be Not Proud, shows how death has been portrayed as just a slave to earthly elements and not an omnipotent entity. Write your answer in about 150 words incorporating the following details. • Explain why death is powerless against the forces of fate and eternity. • Explain how death is passive and subservient.

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Q725 marks · Short answerOpen: How does Shane Koyczan capture the essence of Beethoven’s music and the…
How does Shane Koyczan capture the essence of Beethoven’s music and the profound impact it had upon his audiences? Write your answer in about 150 words incorporating the following details. • Comment on the transformative power of Beethoven’s music. • Pick out evidence from the poem that employs figurative devices to describe the enormous effect his music had on listeners.

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Q735 marks · Short answerOpen: Referring to the poem, Small Towns and the River, how has the poet Mamang Dai…
Referring to the poem, Small Towns and the River, how has the poet Mamang Dai brought out a contrast between the transient nature of human life and the enduring permanence of nature? Write your answer in about 150 words incorporating the following details. • Comment on what small towns remind the poet of. • Examine the river that flows steadily on, unaffected by the passage of time.

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Q8310 marks · Long answerOpen: “The dog ran upstairs, hysterically yelping to each door, at last realising, as…
“The dog ran upstairs, hysterically yelping to each door, at last realising, as the house realised that only silence was here.” Comment on how this excerpt from There Will Come Soft Rains, shows that although the automated house has been attributed with distinct human and animalistic qualities, it is sadly devoid of any human touch. Write your answer in about 250 words.

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