ISC English Literature 2025 Practice Paper with Answers
All 89 questions of the ISC English Literature 2025 Practice Paper, in printed order. Open a question to read it in full and see its answer.
- Q1 In Act III Scene (i), Macbeth says of Banquo: “That every minute of his being thrusts/Against my near’st of life” Macbeth’s words… 1 mark · MCQ
- Q2 Macbeth’s reference to “fruitless crown” and “barren sceptre” in Act III Scene (i) symbolize: 1 mark · MCQ
- Q3 When Macbeth, Act III, Scene (ii), asserts of ‘Cancel and tear to pieces that great bond’, he means: 1 mark · MCQ
- Q4 In Act III Scene (i) of the play, Macbeth, Macbeth becomes insecure of Banquo because: i. he holds a kingly dignity. ii. he is a… 1 mark · MCQ
- Q5 In Act III Scene (v) of the play, Macbeth, which psychological aspect of the human mind does Hecate want to target to bring about… 1 mark · MCQ
- Q6 With reference to Act III Scene (vi) of the play Macbeth, what is the tone in which Lennox speaks about the princes having killed… 1 mark · MCQ
- Q7 In Act IV Scene (i) of Macbeth, the Second Witch says, “By the pricking of my thumbs”, or “Something wicked this way comes”. What… 1 mark · MCQ
- Q8 In Act IV Scene (ii), Macbeth is dramatically remarkable for which of the pair of reasons given below? i. Pathos and horror. ii… 1 mark · MCQ
- Q9 In Act IV Scene (i) of Macbeth, in the supernatural spectacle, some of the kings carry two balls and three sceptres each. What… 1 mark · MCQ
- Q10 Lady Macduff: Father’d he is, yet he’s fatherless. [Act IV Scene (ii)] Which figure of speech can be identified in the given line? 1 mark · MCQ
- Q11 Malcolm: Angels are bright still, though the brightest fell. [Act IV Scene (iii)] Whom does Malcolm allude to by ‘brightest’? 1 mark · MCQ
- Q12 Ross: That of an hour’s age doth hiss the speaker. Each minute teems a new one. [Act IV Scene (iii)] What does Ross mean by “hiss… 1 mark · MCQ
- Q13 How does the imagery of sleep contribute to the thematic development in Act V? 1 mark · MCQ
- Q14 Why does Shakespeare introduce Young Siward into the play in Act V scene (vii), only to have him swiftly killed? 1 mark · MCQ
- Q15 Now minutely revolts…Nothing in love. With reference to Act V Scene (ii) of the play, what do these lines convey about the… 1 mark · MCQ
- Q16 With reference to the short story, Atithi, Tarapada’s constant longing to discover the unexplored, highlights the theme of: 1 mark · MCQ
- Q17 “In the kitchen the breakfast stove gave a hissing sigh.” Which figure of speech has been employed in this expression taken from… 1 mark · MCQ
- Q18 What is the pervasive tone of storytelling that Ray Bradbury has employed in There Will Come Soft Rains? 1 mark · MCQ
- Q19 The interaction that Mrs. Drew establishes with Bubber in the story, The Cookie Lady, is fundamentally: 1 mark · MCQ
- Q20 In the story Indigo, which literary technique did the author employ to describe the multiple snags the narrator experienced… 1 mark · MCQ
- Q21 Read the two statements given below from the short story, The Medicine Bag. Select the appropriate relation between the two… 1 mark · MCQ
- Q22 Silenced transmission of Pressurized good breeding What does the word pressurized from the poem Telephone Conversation, suggest? 1 mark · MCQ
- Q23 Shamed By ill-mannered silence, surrender Pushed dumbfounded to beg simplification Which of the following statements is true with… 1 mark · MCQ
- Q24 What does the poet want to convey by comparing Beethoven’s father’s words to an anthem in the poem Beethoven? 1 mark · MCQ
- Q25 Shane Koyczan begins his poem Beethoven with the word ‘Listen’ to: 1 mark · MCQ
- Q26 Why has the poet assumed a stance of pity towards death in Death Be Not Proud? Which pair of reasons given below justify the… 1 mark · MCQ
- Q27 Which natural phenomenon is used as a metaphor for Tithonus's eternal aging? 1 mark · MCQ
- Q28 In the poem, Small Towns and the River by Mamang Dai, the flower tuberose symbolise: 1 mark · MCQ
- Q29 In Act III Scene (ii), Macbeth sounds envious of the dead Duncan because _________________________. 1 mark · Short answer
- Q30 In Act III Scene (iv), in contrast to the urgent horror of Macbeth's addresses to the gruesome apparition, there are moments of… 1 mark · Short answer
- Q31 Hecate comes across as a vindictive spirit, in Act III Scene (v), because _________________________. 1 mark · Short answer
- Q32 In Act III Scene (ii) of the play, ‘Macbeth’, Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth that he has scorpions in his mind because… 1 mark · Short answer
- Q33 In Act III Scene (iv) of the play, ‘Macbeth’, Lady Macbeth had to dismiss her guests because _________________________. 1 mark · Short answer
- Q34 In Act III Scene (vi), of the play, ‘Macbeth’, Lennox wishes for an angel to fly and seek help from the king of England because… 1 mark · Short answer
- Q35 In Act V Scene (ii) according to Angus, Macbeth has begun to feel that his secret murders are weighing heavily on his conscience… 1 mark · Short answer
- Q36 In Act V, Macbeth is not scared of the cry of women because _________________________. 1 mark · Short answer
- Q37 In Act V, Lady Macbeth, oblivious to who is around her says, 'Out damned spot', because _________________________. 1 mark · Short answer
- Q38 In Act IV Scene (i), Macbeth says “I’ll make assurance double sure /and take a bond of fate” because _________________________. 1 mark · Short answer
- Q39 In Act IV Scene (ii), Lady Macduff’s son says that the liars and swearers are fools because _________________________. 1 mark · Short answer
- Q40 In Act IV Scene (iii), Malcolm’s observation that Macbeth “hath not touched you (Macduff) yet” is ironic because… 1 mark · Short answer
- Q41 In Act IV Scene (iii) of Macbeth, Malcolm wilfully taints his own character because _________________________. 1 mark · Short answer
- Q42 In Act IV Scene (iii) of Macbeth, Malcolm says “Angels are bright still, though the brightest fell” because… 1 mark · Short answer
- Q43 In Act IV Scene (ii) of Macbeth, Lady Macduff describes her husband’s flight to England as madness because… 1 mark · Short answer
- Q44 The author describes Tarapada as wary of ties as a young fawn because _________________________. 1 mark · Short answer
- Q45 In the story, Indigo, the author states that it being April, the sun should still be up, but it seemed more like late evening… 1 mark · Short answer
- Q46 In the story Indigo, we can conclude that Aniruddha was afraid of ghosts from his reaction to the chowkidar’s words because… 1 mark · Short answer
- Q47 The Cookie Lady, begins with a description of a rundown house with an overgrown garden because _________________________. 1 mark · Short answer
- Q48 In the short story, The Medicine Bag, Martin’s mother checks her move of embracing her grandfather because… 1 mark · Short answer
- Q49 In the story, There Will Come Soft Rains, the dog, upon entering the house, started hysterically yelping to each door because… 1 mark · Short answer
- Q50 In the story, There Will Come Soft Rains, the silhouette on the west face of the house has been elaborately described because… 1 mark · Short answer
- Q51 Tithonus compared himself to a 'white haired shadow roaming like a dream' because _________________________. 1 mark · Short answer
- Q52 The landlady’s words in the poem, Telephone Conversation, are in uppercase because _________________________. 1 mark · Short answer
- Q53 In the poem, Small Towns and the River, the narrator feels that the river has a soul because _________________________. 1 mark · Short answer
- Q54 In Beethoven’s childhood, mercy from his father’s tyranny had to be earned because _________________________. 1 mark · Short answer
- Q55 A simile has been used to compare Beethoven’s fingers to gnarled roots because _________________________. 1 mark · Short answer
- Q56 What does Macbeth’s interaction with the murderers in Act III Scene (iii), reveal about his character and state of mind? Write… 5 marks · Short answer
- Q57 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… 5 marks · Short answer
- Q58 Attempt a comparison between Macbeth and Edward, the Confessor as kings by closely referring to Act IV Scene (iii). Write the… 5 marks · Short answer
- Q59 Towards the end of the play, Macbeth realises that he has been duped and beguiled by the witches. What made him feel so? Write… 5 marks · Short answer
- Q60 With reference to the short story Atithi, destiny takes Tarapada to Kathaliya and not Nandigram. Do you agree? Write the answer… 5 marks · Short answer
- Q61 The indigo planter had “light blue eyes from which shone a strange mixture of hardness and suffering.” Account for his strange… 5 marks · Short answer
- Q62 With reference to Ray Bradbury's There Will Come Soft Rains, shows how the “one house left standing” in the city is reduced to… 5 marks · Short answer
- Q63 With reference to the short story, The Medicine Bag, why do you think Martin feels embarrassed of his great grandfather when he… 5 marks · Short answer
- Q64 The short story, The Medicine Bag, mirrors the position of women in a Native American Society. Justify this statement with at… 5 marks · Short answer
- Q65 Identify and explain any two messages that predominantly stand out as lessons for all, particularly the grown-ups, in the story… 5 marks · Short answer
- Q66 Show how Tennyson employs the use of vivid imagery and descriptive language to describe the plight of Tithonus for defying… 5 marks · Short answer
- Q67 How does Tennyson effectively use dramatic monologue, a literary device in his poem, Tithonus to bring out the speaker’s state of… 5 marks · Short answer
- Q68 How has the speaker used dark humour in the poem Telephone Conversation, to get the better of the landlady? Write the answer in… 5 marks · Short answer
- Q69 How has the poet used imagery to convey his emotional turmoil in the poem Telephone Conversation? Write the answer in about 150… 5 marks · Short answer
- Q70 In reference to the poem Death Be not Proud, why should Death not be proud? What is Donne’s point about Death? Write your answer… 5 marks · Short answer
- Q71 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… 5 marks · Short answer
- Q72 How does Shane Koyczan capture the essence of Beethoven’s music and the profound impact it had upon his audiences? Write your… 5 marks · Short answer
- Q73 Referring to the poem, Small Towns and the River, how has the poet Mamang Dai brought out a contrast between the transient nature… 5 marks · Short answer
- Q74 In Act III Scene (iv) of the play, Macbeth, how does Lady Macbeth take charge of the disruption caused at the banquet due to… 10 marks · Long answer
- Q75 Show with reference to Act IV Scene (iii) of Macbeth, how Malcolm proves himself to be a steadfast judge of human character… 10 marks · Long answer
- Q76 How is the Banquet Scene Act III Scene (iv) in Shakespeare's Macbeth significant particularly in terms of exploration of… 10 marks · Long answer
- Q77 With reference to the events in Act III of the play, Macbeth, analyse how Macbeth’s ambition to retain his kingship destroys his… 10 marks · Long answer
- Q78 What does the ruthless slaughter of Macduff’s wife and children reveal about Macbeth’s mental state at this point in the play?… 10 marks · Long answer
- Q79 With reference to Act IV Scene (i) of Macbeth, show how the witches successfully work on the relentless ambition of Macbeth and… 10 marks · Long answer
- Q80 How does Act V bring about the resolution in the play? Do you sympathise with Macbeth? What are your impressions about him at… 10 marks · Long answer
- Q81 With reference to the short story, Athithi, show how Tarapada remains an intriguing yet charming depiction of a boy who cannot be… 10 marks · Long answer
- Q82 Satyajit Ray’s skill as a storyteller lies in the deployment of life in the story, Indigo, like details to create a haunting tale… 10 marks · Long answer
- Q83 “The dog ran upstairs, hysterically yelping to each door, at last realising, as the house realised that only silence was here.”… 10 marks · Long answer
- Q84 With close reference to the story, The Medicine Bag, analyse Martin's transition from an awkward teenager to someone who takes… 10 marks · Long answer
- Q85 How does Philip P. Dick turn the story, The Cookie Lady, from a narrative of an innocent boy visiting a kindly old neighbor into… 10 marks · Long answer
- Q86 With apt references from the text, show how the boon of immortality transformed Tithonus into a mere shadow. What does Tennyson… 10 marks · Long answer
- Q87 In the Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka, show how the speaker uses wit and verbal superiority to expose the ignorance of… 10 marks · Long answer
- Q88 How does Donne’s final statement, ‘And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die’ serve as a powerful conclusion to convey… 10 marks · Long answer
- Q89 How does the poem Beethoven underscore the message that despite personal challenges, man can aspire to great heights? Write your… 10 marks · Long answer