Section A
1. RAY BRADBURY: Fahrenheit 451
(a) Choose two moments in the book which you find tense and dramatic, and explain what makes them so for you.
Do not use the passage printed below to answer this question.
(b) Do you find any signs of hope in the novel? Support your ideas with details from the novel.
(c) Text-based questions:
(i) What impressions of her life does Clarisse give you in this passage?
(ii) What do you think makes Clarisse important to Guy Montag? Refer to other parts of the novel in your answer.
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2. ANITA DESAI: Games at Twilight and Other Stories
(a) What makes you feel sympathy for either Bina in The Farewell Party or Varma (the father) in A Devoted Son? Support your answer by close reference to the story you choose.
(b) Choose two moments that you find amusing from any of the stories in this anthology and explain, by close reference, why you have chosen them. (Your two moments may be taken from one story or two stories.)
Do not use the passage printed below to answer this question.
(c) Text-based questions:
(i) What are your feelings for Suno as you read this passage?
(ii) What happens to Suno later in the story and how does it significantly change his outlook on life? Support your answer by close reference.
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3. MARK HADDON: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
(a) What makes Christopher's experiences of policemen so significant in the novel? Refer closely to two incidents in support of your answer.
(b) At which two points in the novel do you feel most sympathy for Christopher's mother? Explain your choice by close reference.
(c) Textbased questions:
(i) What are your feelings for Christopher as you read this passage?
(ii) How does Christopher's discovery after this passage, when he is "being a detective", change his life dramatically? Support your answer by close reference to the rest of the novel.
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4. WITI IHIMAERA: The Whale Rider
(a) In what ways do you find Koro a memorable character in the novel? Support your answer with details from the novel.
(b) What makes the stranding of the whales such a powerful and moving episode in the novel?
(c) Textbased questions:
(i) What are your feelings about Kahu as you read this passage?
(ii) What in your view is the importance of the events at the end-of-the-year ceremony?
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5. HARPER LEE: To Kill a Mockingbird
(a) In what ways is Boo Radley such a mysterious character? Support your answer by close reference to the novel.
(b) What does the novel make you feel about Atticus's relationship with his children? Support your answer by close reference to his words and actions in the novel.
(c) Textbased questions:
(i) What are your feelings for Jem as you read this passage?
(ii) Choose one other incident in the novel when you feel strongly for Jem and, by close reference, explain why you have chosen it.
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6. A.POON and W.C. SIM, eds.: Island Voices: A Collection of Short Stories from Singapore
(a) Choose one story in the collection which has a surprise ending in your opinion. Explain why you think that the ending is surprising, and how your feelings are affected by the ending.
(b) Are you able to feel sympathy for Tay Soon in Paper, or do you think he is just a fool? Refer closely to the story as you asnwer.
(c) Textbased questions:
(i) What are Das's feelings in this passage?
(ii) What do the couple talk about in the next part of the story, and what would you say is the significance of their conversation to the story as a whole?
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7. DAREN SHIAU: Heartland
(a) Why do you think Wing seems a lonely character? Support your answer by close reference to the novel.
(b) What makes Joshua and Sham interesting characters to you? Support your answer by close reference to the novel.
(c) Textbased questions:
(i) Why is this meeting with Ruth significant for Wing? Support your answer by close reference to this passage.
(ii) What do you learn about Ruth in other parts of the novel and what does this make you feel about her? Support your answer by close reference.
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