JUNIOR SECONDARY CERTIFICATE
ENGLISH SECOND LANGUAGE
1131/4
PAPER 4 Literature
1 hour 30 minutes
Marks 40
2013
Additional Materials: Answer Book
INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION TO CANDIDATES
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Write your answers in the separate answer book provided.
Write your Candidate Number and Name in the spaces on the answer book.
Write in dark blue or black pen.
Do not use correction fluid.
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Answer one question from Section A and one question from Section B.
Answer all the subsections of each question.
Do not write in the margin.
Write clearly and legibly.
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The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question.
This document consists of 9 printed pages.
Republic of Namibia
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
© MoE/DNEA
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SECTION A
Calabash, compiled by J.G. Goodacre and S. Makosana
Answer only one question from this section.
1
From Spit Nolan, by Bill Naughton
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
Chattering like monkeys, eating bread, carrots, fruit and bits of toffee, the entire
gang of us made our way along the silent Sunday-morning streets for the big
race at Cemetery Brew. We were split into two fairly equal sides.
Leslie, in his serge Sunday suit, walked ahead, with Ernie Haddock pulling The
British Queen, and a bunch of supporters around. They were optimistic, for
Leslie had easily outpaced every other trolley during the week, though as yet
he had not yet run against Spit.
Spit was in the middle of the group behind, and I was pulling Egdam and keeping
the pace easy, for I wanted Spit to keep fresh. He walked in and out among
us with a calm, confident air that, considering the occasion, seemed almost
godlike. It inspired fanatical confidence in us. It was such that Chick Dale, a
curly-headed kid with soft skin like a girl’s, and a nervous lisp, climbed up on
to the spiked railings of the cemetery, and, reaching out with his thin fingers,
snatched a yellow rose. He ran in front of Spit and thrust it into a small hole in
his jersey.
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10
15
“I pwesent you with the wose of the winner!” he exclaimed.
“And I’ve got a good mind to present you with a clout on the ear,” replied Spit,
“for pinching a flower from a cemetery. And what’s more, it’s bad luck.” Seeing
Chick’s face, he relented. “On second thoughts, Chick, I’ll wear it. Ee, wot a
‘eavenly smell!”
Happily we went along, and Spit turned to a couple of lads at the back, “Hey,
stop that whistling. Don’t forget what day it is – folk want to sleep.”
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3
(a) All the other boys in Cotton Packet know that Spit Nolan is suffering from a
serious disease, yet they still envy him. Why?
[1]
(b) Because of the reason in (a), Spit has developed a special talent. What is his
talent?[1]
(c) Why do the boys choose Cemetery Brew for their big race?
[1]
(d) Why is Leslie’s trolley called The British Queen?[1]
(e) What is the secret meaning of Egdam and why has Spit given his trolley that
name?[2]
(f) Who is the only person besides Spit who knows the secret meaning of Egdam?[1]
(g) When Spit sees The British Queen for the first time, he makes several comments
on it. Explain what Spit means when he tells Leslie, “You don’t own it.”
[2]
(h) In line 18, Spit tells Chick that “it’s bad luck” to steal a flower from a cemetery.
Based on the events in the story, is Spit correct?
First answer either yes or no, then motivate your answer by referring to an
incident in the story.
[2]
(i) Briefly describe the incident which forms the climax of this story.
[2]
(j) At the end of the race, what question does Spit ask his friends?
[1]
(k) What answer do Spit’s friends give him?
[1]
(l) Explain how Spit knows that they are lying to him.
[2]
(m)Briefly describe Bill’s reaction when he is asked the question,
“Where did he live?”
[2]
(n) Write down the correct answer.
This story is intended to make the reader …
A
feel amused.
B
feel angry.
C
feel sad.
D
feel scared.
[1]
[20]
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2
From The Star Beast, by Nicholas S. Gray
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
“How clever it is,” said a small girl, admiringly.
Her father smiled. “It’s the trainer who’s clever,” he said. “The animal knows
nothing of what it does. Only what it has been taught. By kindness, of course,”
he added quickly, as the child looked sad.
“Oh, good,” said she, brightening. “I wouldn’t like it hurt. It’s so sweet.”
But even she had to laugh when it came to the hoop-jumping. For the creature
hated doing it. And, although the long whip of the trainer never actually touched
its grey fur, yet it cowered at the cracking sound. Surprising, if anyone had
wondered why. And it ran, upright on its fine furred feet, and graceful in spite of
the red and yellow clothes it was wearing, and it jumped through the hoops. And
then more hoops were brought. And these were surrounded by inflammable
material and set on fire. The audience was enthralled. For the beast was
terrified of fire, for some reason. It would shrink back and clutch at its shoulder,
its arm, its thigh. It would stare up wildly into the roof of the great circus canopy
– as if it could see through it and out to the sky beyond – as though it sought
desperately for help that would not come. And it shook and trembled. And
the whip cracked. And it cried aloud as it came to each flaming hoop. But it
jumped.
And it stopped talking to the people. Sometimes it would almost speak, but
then it would give a hunted glance towards the ring-master, and lapse into
silence. Yet always it walked and ran and jumped as a man would do these
things – upright. Not on all fours, like a proper beast.
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10
15
20
5
(a) Where does the beast come from originally?
[1]
(b) Who are the first people to meet the beast?
[1]
(c) Besides water, what is the only kind of food or drink that the beast will accept?
[1]
(d) When the beast is taken away from them, to which place is it taken?
[1]
(e) How does the beast show that it knows more than all the learned men who
come to test it? Mention two examples.
[2]
(f) How do the learned men treat the beast when it shows that it is cleverer than
they are?
[2]
(g) The little girl thinks that the beast is clever, but her father tells her that it is the
trainer who is clever (lines 1 ‒ 3).
Who is correct, the little girl or her father?
[1]
(h) Why is the beast terrified of fire (line 13)?[2]
(i) Why does the beast look up into the roof of the circus canopy as though it is
desperately seeking for help that will not come (lines 15 ‒ 18)?[2]
(j) Why does the beast jump through the hoops anyway, even though it is so scared
that it is shaking and trembling and crying aloud (lines 18 ‒ 20)?[2]
(k) What happens to the beast at the end of the story?
[2]
(l) Write down the correct answer.
In line 9 of the reading passage, the phrase “on its fine furred feet” is an
example of what figure of speech? A
alliteration
B
onomatopoeia
C
personification
D
simile[1]
(m)Write down the correct answer.
In the reading passage, there are two words describing the sound made by a
whip: “cracking” (line 8) and “cracked” (line 17). These words are examples of
what figure of speech? A
simile
B
alliteration
C
onomatopoeia
D
personification.
[1]
(n) Write down the correct answer.
This story belongs to the literary genre of ...:
A
detective story.
B
ghost story.
C
love story.
D
science fiction.
[1]
[20]
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SECTION B
3
The Other Presence, by Dr Francis Sifiso Nyathi
Answer only one question from this section.
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
One notable absentee yet again for a second consecutive night was elder
Sinvula. He had not even made it for the dawn’s meal. At this time, nobody
was really bothered by his absence. They were only bothered by the unfolding
of the previous night. Kachana and the Reverend’s sermon were ordeals never
to be repeated.
Kachana had drunk the whole night. When day broke, her throat was dry again.
Many people called that state, babalazi. Others called it a hangover. She
needed some more. Since she was done with the bottles, anything opaque
within her vicinity could do. She then ensured that she spent a good time of the
day emptying the buckets of that opaque substance. Her drinking during the
previous night had in itself resulted in a few theatrical moments.
The circus had been caused by the fact that Kachana had started boozing way
before one of the mourning choirs had been given a chance to sing. Since the
mourners comprised of different people from different religious congregations,
those who drove the prayer the previous night had a unique way of singing.
Their singing was characterised by a leader reading aloud the lines of the
stanzas first and then the rest of the singers sang through the song aloud. The
reading and singing had all started well. Kachana, who in her normal state liked
singing, had found joy in helping the choir. Whenever the leader of the choir
had finished reading the song, Kachana was the first to pick it up, singing it just
a little ahead of the rest of the group.
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10
15
20
“Let us close our hymn books and bow our heads for a prayer,” instructed the
choir leader after the song. The impatient Kachana was quick to pick up the
line and hymn it loudly, just as the choir had done with all other lines. This made
the entire gathering of mourners burst into laughter.
25
“Please stop your nonsense and close that book,” protested the choir leader to
Kachana. Kachana, whose mind was engrossed in the song, was quick again
to pick up the line and convert it into that melodious hymn. This time, she
sang it very loud, stressing the words “nonsense” and “book” accurately and
convincingly within the ambit of the rhythm and melody of the song.
30
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7
(a) In whose compound does this scene take place?
[1]
(b) Name the person who has died and say what caused his death.
[2]
(c) Elder Sinvula is still absent (lines 1 ‒ 3). Where has he gone and what information
is he looking for?
[2]
(d) Briefly explain why this information is so very important to elder Sinvula. [2]
(e) Why do many village women dislike Kachana? Mention two reasons besides
her drinking.
[2]
(f) Name the person who takes Kachana away from the scene.
[1]
(g) What sad thing is said to have happened to this person because of poor
knowledge of the English language?
[1]
(h) Kachana already caused trouble with the mourners when she first arrived at the
village for the funeral. Briefly explain what happened when she saw the dog.
[2]
(i) Who is Kachana’s father?
[1]
(j) Give the surname of the Reverend mentioned in line 4 and say from which part
of Namibia he comes.
[2]
(k) What was the problem with the Reverend’s sermon?
[2]
(l) What is the most important theme (main idea) of this novel?
[2]
[20]
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4
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
Elder Situmbeko then seized the podium again to continue with his work.
Just before he could cast dust and ash into their place, part of the gathering
dominated by young women sprang to their feet. Ma Simanga, who was seated
just in front of them, screamed along with them. Their eyes were fixed at a bird
that had strangely fallen from the skies onto the casket. It was a dead vulture.
It looked like something that had died a long time ago. A few moments after its
fall, an owl landed on a huge tree whose branch hung just above the casket. It
hooted and ran its eyes energetically around the gathering. Embraced with fear,
a stampede almost ensued from the ordeal as everyone braced themselves
for the fear that something very tragic would immediately happen. It was the
courage of elder Neo that tempered their nerves. He walked towards the casket
and looked straight into the eyes of the supposed “man” inside the vulture.
5
10
“I charge your vile intentions and execrable desire to find place elsewhere
away from the sculls of darkness where you belong. Leave at once, I say!”
commanded Neo angrily.
15
The vulture that looked dead at first now blinked its eyes and lifted itself onto
its limbs. It pranced a little on the casket and flapped its wings loudly before
taking off. It lifted itself into the air and flew towards the forest. The owl that
had all along been looking from the branch hooted again and took off as well
and followed the vulture.
20
At this point, the bewildered gathering had their hands on their mouths. Their
eyes were widened in awe at what they were witnessing. They were speechless.
Elder Neo was the only one running the show.
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(a) What is elder Situmbeko’s work at this gathering (line 1) and why have the
villagers chosen him to perform this task?
[2]
(b) Name the person whose body lies in the casket (coffin) and say what caused
his death. [2]
(c) This is not the first time that vultures and owls have appeared in the story.
(i) Who saw an owl near the great Zambezi River?
(ii) Who saw a strange bird, perhaps a vulture, on the roof of the hut?
(d) Briefly explain the villagers’ traditional beliefs about creatures such as vultures
and owls.
[2]
[2]
(e) Elder Neo commands the vulture to leave (line 15). On two earlier occasions
elder Neo commanded non-living forces of nature to leave.
(i) What were these forces?
[1]
(ii) When and where did the first incident take place?
[2]
(iii) When and where did the second incident take place?
[2]
(iv) Did the forces leave? Answer either yes or no.
[1]
(v) Who made fun of Neo the first time, but encouraged him the second time?
[1]
(f) Whom does elder Neo blame for this strange incident of the vulture and the owl
and why?
[2]
(g) After elder Neo’s angry outburst, he walks off into the forest instead of joining
the burial procession. Who tries to stop him from leaving?
[1]
(h) What is the most important theme (main idea) of this novel?
[2]
[20]
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