KISA - ICSE STD.

X
Preparatory Examination 2024
Subject: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH (ENGLISH PAPER -2)
ANSWWER KEY
SECTION A
Question 1 [16]
(i) (a) He is reassuring Cassius.
(ii) (c) honourable
(iii (d) Cinna, a poet
(iv) (c) Ruthlessness
(v) (a) sightless
(vi) (b) Stoicism
(vii) (b) The storm clouds angrily gathered overhead.
(viii) (d) It flew off the page.
(ix) (c) The needs of a group are important, not an individual.
(x) (b) Great souls
(xi) (d) Healing follows grief.
(xii) (a) 4,2,1,3
(xiii) (c ) (1) is the cause for (2).
(xiv) (b) in a cliffhanger
(xv) (c) dark and foreboding
(xvi) (c) Language: a symbol of identity, Education

SECTION B
DRAMA (Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare)
Question 2
(i)Who is Antony addressing in this extract? Who are the butchers? Why is Antony
apologising? [3]
Antony is addressing the dead body of Caesar lying on the ground. [1]
The butchers are the conspirators who killed Caesar. [1]
Antony is apologising for being meek and gentle with the conspirators / for
reconciling with the conspirators. [1]

(ii) Earlier, what does Brutus allow Antony to do? How does Cassius feel about this?
What does this tell you about Cassius? [3]
Brutus allows Antony to speak to the people at Caesar’s funeral. [1]
Cassius tells Brutus that he does not what he is doing by letting Antony speak at
Caesar’s funeral / he advises Brutus not to let Antony speak at the funeral / He feels
that the people may be moved /stirred / incited by what Antony will say to them.
[Any 1 points – 1 mark]
Cassius is very shrewd / clever [1]

(iii) What conditions does Brutus lay before Antony to follow during his speech at
Caesar’s funeral? [3]
Brutus tells Antony to take Caesar’s body to the marketplace, / He should not blame
the conspirators in his speech / he should speak all the good he can devise of Caesar (
all good that he can think of about Caesar) / Antony should say that he is speaking
with the permission of the conspirators / Brutus warns Antony that he will have a role
in Caesar’s funeral if he does not follow these conditions / Brutus tells Antony that he
should speak in the same pulpit (platform) where he speaks after his speech ends.
[ Any 3 points – 3 marks]

(iv) Antony earlier says “Here wast thou bay’d?” What is the comparison implied in
the expression? To what custom of the hunters does it refer? Why is the comparison
made here? [3]
Caesar is compared to a brave stag. [1]
A stag is brought to bay when it has been hunted to a halt / and forced to face the
hounds, with no room for escape. [1]
Caesar had also been murdered by the conspirators in the same way. [1]

(v) What does prophesy ‘mean’? Discuss the prophesy made by Antony. [4]
‘Prophesy’ means predict. [1]

Antony prophesies that a curse shall fall upon the limbs of men. / Domestic fury and
fierce civil war shall rage and burden all the parts of Italy./ Bloodshed and
destruction shall be common. / Dreadful sights would be so familiar that mothers
shall merely smile when they see their infants cut to pieces with the weapons of
war. / All their pity shall be smothered by familiarity with cruel deeds. / Caesar’s
spirit roaming about for revenge, / with Ate, the Greek Goddess of mischief and
revenge, by its side, will rush from hell. / The Goddess will give a signal in these
regions for the merciless destruction with a monarch’s voice, “Havoc”. / This ghost
of Caesar will unleash the dogs of war, / so that the stench of this foul murder shall
rise from the corpses begging to be buried. [Any 3 complete points – 3 marks]

Question 3
(i)Where are Brutus and Cassius? What are Cassius’ reasons for not wanting to march
to Philippi immediately? [3]
- inside Brutus’ tent in Sardis. [1]
- Cassius feels that the enemy will waste his means [resources] / and weary
[exhaust/ tire] his soldiers / thus he will harm himself / while Brutus’ and Cassius
men will wait calmly in the same place / and will be full of rest, defence[gain
strength ] and nimbleness [ will be ready for action] [ Any 2 points – 2 marks]

(ii) Does Brutus think that the people between Philippi and Sardis will support them?
What does he say about them? [3]
No, Brutus does not think that the people between Philippi and Sardis will support
them. [1]
He thinks that they show affection for them out of compulsion [1]
They have unwillingly given supplies that they needed to Brutus’ army. [1]

(iii) To whom does Brutus say ‘Our legions are brim-full, our cause is ripe’? What
does Brutus mean by this? [3]
Brutus says this to Cassius. [1]
Brutus says that their armies are large enough / and are at maximum strength /
getting the support of all their friends / allies. / The time for fighting for their cause is
most appropriate. [ Any 2 points – 2 marks]

(iv) Describe the circumstances of Portia’s death. [3]

Portia was unable to bear Brutus’ absence / she was upset that young Octavius and
Mark Antony had become powerful against Brutus / she went out of her mind / when
her attendants were absent, she swallowed fire [ burning coals] / she committed
suicide. [ Any 3 points – 3 marks]

(v) Brutus and Messala say that they have both received letters. What have they
learnt from them? [4]
Brutus has learnt that Octavius Caesar and Mark Antony are about to attack them
with a powerful army / and they are moving towards Philippi / seventy senators have
been condemned to death by Octavius, Lepidus and Antony / by proscription /
seventy senators have been sentenced to exile / by bills of outlawry / Cicero was one
of senators who were killed. [ Any 2 points – 2 marks]
Messala’s letters tell him that Antony, Octavius are about to attack them with a
powerful army [ he has heard the same thing about being attacked by Antony’s
army ] / but he has heard that Octavius, Lepidus and Antony have condemned to
death or exiled a hundred senators. [2]

Question 4
(i)Where did the photographer come out of? What did he roll into the middle of that
place? What did the narrator want him to do with it? [3]
The photographer came out of his studio. [1]
He rolled a machine into the middle of the room. [1]
He wanted to click the narrator’s photograph with it. [1]

(ii) Why did the photographer look very grave? When he says that the narrator’s face
is quite wrong, what is the narrator’s reaction? What does it tell us about the narrator?
[3]
The photographer looked very grave as he had probably realized that the photograph
of the narrator did not turn out as expected. [1]
The narrator replies quietly that he has always known that his face is wrong. [1]
This reply tells us that the narrator is self-aware about his face and its shortcomings /
He is quite satisfied with his looks/ he was a calm, composed man [Any one point –
1 mark]

(iii) Does the photographer give the narrator exactly what he wants? Justify your
answer. [3]
No, the photographer does not give the narrator exactly what he wants. [1]
The narrator wishes to have a photograph that accurately depicts his face as it truly is,
capturing his likeness as "Heaven gave it" to him, however humble it might be. / He
wants a genuine representation of himself, despite any perceived flaws in his
appearance. [Any one point – 1 mark]
However, he feels disappointed and frustrated, that the photographer has failed to
create an image that resembles him. [1]

(iv) Name the processes the photographer uses in his line of work and explain them.
[3]
The photographer uses the Delphide and the Sulphide processes. [ ½ + ½ ]
The Delphide process is used for putting in new eyebrows. [1]
The Sulphide process is used for removing the ears entirely. [1]

(v) Discuss the conflict in the story ‘With the Photographer’ with reference to the
photographer’s and the narrator’s perception of beauty. [4]
The photographer does not accept the reality of the narrator’s face / he has his own
fixed standards of beauty / He alters almost all of the narrator’s facial features / to
make his photograph come up to his own fixed standards of how a face should look.
[Any 2 points – 2 marks]
The narrator has accepted the reality of his face and looks. / he is happy with what
Heaven has given him / he treats it like a gift from God and does not want to alter the
reality, [Any 2 points – 2 marks]

Question 5
(i)Who does ‘he’ refer to? Where was he headed that particular evening and in what
direction? What was the weather like that evening? [3]
‘He’ refers to Mr. Leonard Mead. [1]
He was headed toward the hidden sea [ ½ ] in a westerly direction. [ ½ ]
There was a good crystal frost in the air/ it cut the nose and made the lungs blaze like
a Christmas tree inside. [Any 1 point – 1 mark]

(ii)What does the extract tell you about the activities of the people in the houses on
that street? Give specific details. [3]
Mead asks the people what they were watching on channel 4 on television / channel
7 / channel 9/ he asks where the cowboys were rushing / and if the United States
Cavalry were going over the next hill to the rescue on television./ He also asks if it
was time to watch a dozen assorted murders on television as it was 8.30 pm / or if
they were watching a quiz / a revue / a comedian falling off the stage. [ Any 3 – 3
marks] Note : They have to mention television.

(iii) Describe his experience with the lone police car. [3]
Mead was walking toward his home when he encountered a lone car flashing a fierce
white cone of light upon him / he stood entranced by it / like a moth / stunned by the
illumination / and was then drawn to it. [ any 3 points – 3 marks]

(iv) ‘He’ in the story ‘The Pedestrian’ is a non-conformist. Justify. [3]

- Leonard Mead enjoys his solitary walks quite in contrast to the other citizens in the
story who do not walk for pleasure.
-When the police car asks Mead his business or profession, he replies that he is a
writer, which is taken by the car as ‘no profession’.
- Instead of watching television like all other citizens, Mead actively pursues his
hobbies like walking, writing.
- Mead is unmarried, and this seems to annoy the police car.

(v) How are the houses ‘he’ passes described as against his house? [4]
Mead’s house had all of his electric lights brightly lit / every window was a loud
yellow illumination / every window was square and warm in the cool darkness [ Any
2 points – 2 marks]
All the houses in the entire city were dark / tomb-like / ill-lit by television light / the
windows were dark / [ Any 2 points – 2 marks]

Question 6
(i)Who has regained his place? Where is he? Name two other people who were with
him. [3]
Count de Lorge has regained his place. [1]
He is in an arena. [1]
King Francis / nobles / lords/ ladies / the Count’s lady love [ any 2 – ½ + ½ ]

(ii) Describe what they were all watching. [3]

King Francis, Count de Lorge and other courtiers and ladies were watching two
lions fighting in an arena./ The lions were engaged in a vicious battle with one
another. /They were walking on the ramp and rolling on one another and roaring
with their horrible looking jaws. / Their blows are powerful like beams/ and the
wind appears to be moving in step with them. / They were fighting and tearing into
one another. / Despite sitting at a safe distance from the arena where the lions were
fighting, the King could still feel the ‘bloody froth’ that was ‘whisking through the
air’. [ Any 3 points – 3 marks]
(iii) What do the lines tell you about the people/ animals they are talking about? [3]
(a) And the ladies in their pride.
(b) They bit, they glared, gave blows like beams, a wind went with their paws.
(c ) Then threw the glove, but not with love.
a.The ladies were as savage / vicious as the lions fighting in the arena. [1]
b.The lions were ferocious/ savage/ vicious/ powerful / very quick in their
movement / their speed / they were brutal [1]
c.Count de Lorge was offended / threw the glove at his lady in an insulting manner /
he was angry with his lady love.[1]

(iv) Why did the lady throw her glove? [3]

De Lorge’s beloved thought that he was as brave as brave could be. / He would
surely do wondrous things to show his love for her. / She thought that the occasion
was divine and she decided to drop her glove into the arena. / She wanted to prove
how much de Lorge loved her / great glory would be hers, as a result. [ Any 3 points
– 3 marks]

(v) How does King Francis justify the theme of the poem ‘True Love and Vanity’?
[4]
King Francis appreciates the Count’s act of throwing the glove at his lady love’s
face. / He justifies that such a dangerous but useless task was set out of vanity and
out of true love. / He feels that the lady just wanted to grab the attention / and win
the admiration of the King and his nobles for her beauty/ and for having a bold and
brave man as her beloved. / In her vanity, she did not realise that she risked the life
of her beloved. [Any 4 points – 4 marks]
Question 7
(i)Where are the harmless phantoms seen in the haunted house? [3]
The poet sees the spirits at the door, on the stairs and along the passages when they
come and go. They throng at dining tables and the illuminated [brightly-lit] hall
appears crowded with uninvited, silent and harmless ghosts.

(ii) Explain the line : ‘There are more guests at table than the hosts invited;’
How do these guests behave? [3]
There are more guests at the dining table because some seats are occupied by the
spirits of previous owners of the house who had died long ago. These phantoms join
the guests at the dining table even though they are not invited.
These uninvited guests are quiet and inoffensive / harmless ghosts, who remain as
silent as the paintings on the walls.
The poet states that at parties the number of guests is more than what the
“host” invites. That is because the uninvited guests happen to be the “inoffensive
ghosts” who are so quiet that one does not notice their presence at all. They enter the
house without any invitation and join the guests at the table.

(iii) What does ‘mortmain’ mean? How do the ghosts in the poem do this? [3]
‘ Mortmain’ means permanent ownership of land or properties. [1]
The narrator says that the ghosts, who were the owners and occupants of earlier
dates, are now buried in the graves / and have been forgotten by their descendants.
/From these graves, they stretch out their soiled hands which are full of dust where
they lie. / Their dusty hands still want to claim the inalienable/permanent ownership
of their properties / and visit their homes./
The ghosts or spirits, the previous owners of the houses, are still the owners / as they
hold mortmain on their properties or estates. [Any 2 points – 2 marks]

(iv) The narrator refers to ‘little lives’. Whose lives are referred to? In comparison to
whom are they ‘little’ and why? [3]
The phrase "Our little lives" refers to the lives of ordinary individuals or human
beings. [1]
These lives are considered "little" in comparison to the lives of the spirits or ghosts.
[1]
The reason human lives are described as "little" is because they have a short life span
compared to the spirits. / The spirits continue to live long after they had died and
visit the houses previously owned by them. / They claim their permanent
[inalienable ] rights over the houses in which they have lived when they were alive.
[Any one point – 1 mark]

(v)How do the spirits in this poem have a reassuring presence as compared to the
usual ghosts? [4]
The harmless phantoms are the spirits or ghosts of humans who once lived and died
in them [who were the earlier occupants]. / These phantoms are very different from
the usual image of phantoms as they are not malevolent or harmful to the present
occupants of the houses. / These are domesticated ghosts, / busy with errands, /
moving purposefully and silently around the house as they did in life. / They move
with feet that make no sound upon the floors, / indicating their harmless nature. /
They are not mischievous / and do not make loud noises / and do not throw objects
in a house / [ like poltergeists, the spirits or supernatural beings responsible for
making loud noises and throwing objects in a house]. They are not like ghouls [ evil
spirits regarded as malevolent /harmful towards human beings]. [ Any 4 points – 4
marks]