1. “Come seeling night, / Scarf up the tender eye of pitiful Day”—Who is the speaker? Why does the speaker invite the night?
The speaker is Macbeth.
Macbeth is reluctant to divulge the secret before the deed is done. He fervently invites the night to come fast and close with its scarf of darkness the bright and compassionate eye of the day, so that it may not see and pity the evil deeds done by men on this earth.
2. “Two truths are told, / As happy prologue to the swelling act / Of the imperial theme.”—What are the ‘two truths’ referred here? What is meant by ‘the swelling act’?
The three Witches greeted Macbeth as the thane of Glamis, the thane of Cawdor and the king of Scotland. Of these three greetings the first two were true for Macbeth till then. These are the ‘two truths’ referred here.
‘The swelling act’ refers to the grand event of becoming the king of Scotland as foretold by the Witches.
3. “You have a low shop-keeping mind”—Who says this and about whom? Why does the speaker make this remark?
Raina says this about Captain Bluntschli.
Bluntschli said that he could not carry the old coat about with him all the time and so he pawned it. He redeemed it the day before yesterday. This provokes Raina to make such a remark about Bluntschli.
4. “How would the like of her get a good price for a pig?”—Who is the speaker and to whom is it spoken? Why does the speaker say so?
This is Maurya’s appeal to Bartley.
Maurya pleads Bartley to stay home. Cathleen, being a mere girl will not be able to get a good price for the pig. The broker will cheat her. But here Maurya’s real intention is to keep Bartley away from going to the sea.
5. “It’s that number is in it.”—Who is the speaker? What number is spoken of here? What does it signify?
Cathleen says this to Nora.
The number spoken of here is the number of stitches that Cathleen took to knit the stocking of Michael.
This speech of Cathleen signifies that this stocking belongs to Michael. Cathleen and Nora become sure that Michael’s dead body has been found in the far north.
6. “The disparity of education and fortune, the anger of a parent, and the contempt of my equals, begins to lose their weight;”—Explain.
It is the turning point in Marlow’s affection for the poor relation of the family whom he does not know to be Miss Hardcastle. Here Marlow seems to be head over ears in love. He is almost prepared to defy social convention, the authority of his father and the sneer of his friends and companions.
7. ‘And on her dulcimer she play’d / Singing on Mount Abora.’—Who was ‘she’? What is ‘dulcimer’? Where is ‘Mount Abora’?
‘She’ was a young unmarried Abyssinian woman as mentioned in Coleridge’s poem, Kubla Khan.
‘Dulcimer’ is a musical instrument with strings which are struck with hand-held hammers.
There is no such mountain as Mount Abora. It is the creation of the poet’s mind to give the poem a purely romantic touch.
8. ‘such stuff / Was courtesy, she thought, and cause enough / For calling up that spot of joy.’—Who is the speaker? Who is referred by ‘she’? What does the speaker mean by ‘such stuff’ and ‘spot of joy’?
The speaker here is the Duke of Ferrara in Browning’s poem, My Last Duchess.
‘She’ refers to the Duchess.
‘Such stuff’ means the remarks made by the painter, Fra Pandolf, and ‘spot of joy’ is the smile of the Duchess.
9. ‘Thou dirge of dying year’—What is ‘dirge’? What is here addressed as ‘dirge’ and why?
‘Dirge’ is a mournful song. It is especially indicative of a lamentation which often forms the part of a funeral song.
Here the west wind is addressed as ‘dirge’. Autumn proclaims the end of the year. The poem here imagines the noise of the raging west wind as a dirge that laments the death of the year.
10. When and how was the quietness of Richmond Street disturbed?
The calmness of Richmond Street was disturbed when the boys were set free from the Christian Brothers’ School. When the school was over, the boys played games on the street. The hue and cry of the boys broke the silence of the street.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
First Set of English (Pass)
A Set of Model Question & Answer
English (Pass)
1. ‘The Comic Muse, long sick, is now-a-dying!’—Who is the speaker? What does the speaker mean by this line?
The speaker is Mr. Woodward in Prologue to 'She Stoops to Conquer'.
By this line the speaker portrays the dying condition of the genuine comedy. The sentimental comedy was in vogue in that time and it marked the death of true comedy.
2. “I shall be struck up in caricature in all the printshops.”—Who says this? Why does the speaker say so?
Marlow says this in Act-IV of 'She Stoops to Conquer'.
When Marlow comes to know that he is staying in the house of Mr. Hardcastle, the former feels morally ashamed for his insolent behavior with Mr. Hardcastle. So he thinks that he will be printed as a fool and his picture will be sold in every shop.
3. “If pity is akin to love, gratitude is akin to the other thing.”—Who says this? Why is gratitude akin to the other thing?
Captain Bluntschli says this in Act-III of 'Arms and the Man'.
According to Captain Bluntschli, gratitude is akin to the other thing, i.e. hatred. He hates gratitude, for gratitude springs out of a sense of inferiority and is kindred to hatred.
4. “She will never marry you.”—Who says this and to whom? Who is referred to by ‘she’? How is the speaker so confident in the assertion?
Louka says this to Sergius in 'Arms and the Man'.
Raina is referred to by ‘she’.
Louka is quite intelligent and has the instinct to know things correctly. So she thinks that Raina will not marry Sergius.
5. What punishment did the court of justice give to Falder and why?
Falder was sentenced to penal servitude for three years.
The court of justice—the judge and the jury—did not agree with the argument of Falder’s defence counsel, Hector Frome. Falder’s forgery by altering the cheque and his relation with a married woman, Ruth were immoral in its eyes. Hence Falder was unanimously found guilty.
6. What impression of Cokeson do you get from Galsworthy’s play, 'Justice'?
Cokeson is the managing clerk in a solicitor’s office. He is honest and devoted to his duty. He is a devout puritan, plain, disciplined and law-abiding by nature. But he is rather meek in his protests and not of an assertive type.
7. How is the bicycle related to the story, 'The Ox'?
The bicycle of Mrs. Thurlow became an integral part of her life. We cannot think of Mrs. Thurlow or the story itself without the presence of the bicycle. She used to move around a lot with the bicycle and would go up and down with it. It was, as if, the cart of ox-like Mrs. Thurlow.
8. What do you know about Mrs. Field of Lamb’s essay, 'Dream Children: A Reverie'?
Mrs. Field was a woman of pleasing personality. She was very much respected by others. She was a religious person and knew much of the Bible by heart. She was also very popular in her area.
9. Rectify the following sentences:--
i) She, who had been the apple of his eye, he now began to disregard.
ii) I have ordered for the newly published book.
i) Her, who had been the apple of his eye, he now began to disregard.
ii) I have ordered the newly published book.
10. Rewrite the following sentences using suitable prepositions in the blanks:--
i) She produced evidence to bear ____ the charge.
ii) The old car gives ____ smoke.
iii) He has run ____ debt.
iv) Over-work is telling ____ his health.
i) She produces evidence to bear out the charge.
ii) The old car gives off smoke.
iii) He has run into debt.
iv) Over-work is telling upon his health.
English (Pass)
1. ‘The Comic Muse, long sick, is now-a-dying!’—Who is the speaker? What does the speaker mean by this line?
The speaker is Mr. Woodward in Prologue to 'She Stoops to Conquer'.
By this line the speaker portrays the dying condition of the genuine comedy. The sentimental comedy was in vogue in that time and it marked the death of true comedy.
2. “I shall be struck up in caricature in all the printshops.”—Who says this? Why does the speaker say so?
Marlow says this in Act-IV of 'She Stoops to Conquer'.
When Marlow comes to know that he is staying in the house of Mr. Hardcastle, the former feels morally ashamed for his insolent behavior with Mr. Hardcastle. So he thinks that he will be printed as a fool and his picture will be sold in every shop.
3. “If pity is akin to love, gratitude is akin to the other thing.”—Who says this? Why is gratitude akin to the other thing?
Captain Bluntschli says this in Act-III of 'Arms and the Man'.
According to Captain Bluntschli, gratitude is akin to the other thing, i.e. hatred. He hates gratitude, for gratitude springs out of a sense of inferiority and is kindred to hatred.
4. “She will never marry you.”—Who says this and to whom? Who is referred to by ‘she’? How is the speaker so confident in the assertion?
Louka says this to Sergius in 'Arms and the Man'.
Raina is referred to by ‘she’.
Louka is quite intelligent and has the instinct to know things correctly. So she thinks that Raina will not marry Sergius.
5. What punishment did the court of justice give to Falder and why?
Falder was sentenced to penal servitude for three years.
The court of justice—the judge and the jury—did not agree with the argument of Falder’s defence counsel, Hector Frome. Falder’s forgery by altering the cheque and his relation with a married woman, Ruth were immoral in its eyes. Hence Falder was unanimously found guilty.
6. What impression of Cokeson do you get from Galsworthy’s play, 'Justice'?
Cokeson is the managing clerk in a solicitor’s office. He is honest and devoted to his duty. He is a devout puritan, plain, disciplined and law-abiding by nature. But he is rather meek in his protests and not of an assertive type.
7. How is the bicycle related to the story, 'The Ox'?
The bicycle of Mrs. Thurlow became an integral part of her life. We cannot think of Mrs. Thurlow or the story itself without the presence of the bicycle. She used to move around a lot with the bicycle and would go up and down with it. It was, as if, the cart of ox-like Mrs. Thurlow.
8. What do you know about Mrs. Field of Lamb’s essay, 'Dream Children: A Reverie'?
Mrs. Field was a woman of pleasing personality. She was very much respected by others. She was a religious person and knew much of the Bible by heart. She was also very popular in her area.
9. Rectify the following sentences:--
i) She, who had been the apple of his eye, he now began to disregard.
ii) I have ordered for the newly published book.
i) Her, who had been the apple of his eye, he now began to disregard.
ii) I have ordered the newly published book.
10. Rewrite the following sentences using suitable prepositions in the blanks:--
i) She produced evidence to bear ____ the charge.
ii) The old car gives ____ smoke.
iii) He has run ____ debt.
iv) Over-work is telling ____ his health.
i) She produces evidence to bear out the charge.
ii) The old car gives off smoke.
iii) He has run into debt.
iv) Over-work is telling upon his health.
Rules of SSC Exam and Syllabi for English (Pass) & (Hons./PG)
For detailed rules of West Bengal School Service Commission Examination the viewers are requested to visit http://www.westbengalssc.com/rules_selection.jsp
Now you have the syllabi for English (Pass) & (Hons./PG)
Syllabus for English (Pass)
Poetry
William Wordsworth : Lucy Poems; The world is too much with us
P.B. Shelley : Ode to the West Wind; To a Skylark
John Keats : Ode to a Nightingale; The Autumn
Alfred Tennyson : Ulysses
Robert Browning : The Last Ride Together
Thomas Hardy : The Darkling Thrush
W.B. Yeats : The Wild Swans at Coole
Wilfred Owen : Strange Meeting
Walter de la Mare : The Listeners
Drama
Goldsmith : She Stoops to Conquer
George Bernard Shaw : Arms and the Man
John. Galworthy : Justice
Short Story and Essay
A. Short Story
Joseph Conard : Lagoon
Somerest Maughan : The Lotos Eater
O. Henry : The Gift of the Magi
H. E. Bates : The Ox
B. Essay
Charles Lamb : Dream Children: A Reverie
L.A. Hill : Principles of Good Writing
Grammar and Usage
Common Errors
Number, Gender, Tense, Voice, Mood
Agreement of Verbs, Use of Articles and Prepositions
Sentence Forms
Simple, Compound, Complex, Relative Clauses
Joining and Splitting of Sentences
Narration
Direct Speech and Indirect Speech
Composition
A single paragraph of about 50-60 words to be written on a given topic
Syllabus for English (Hons./PG)
Poetry
Sidney : Loving in Truth
Spenser : One day I wrote her name
Shakespeare : Shall I compare thee….
John Donne : The Good Marrow
George Herbert : Virtue
Alexander Pope : The Rape of the Lock (Cantos I & II)
Blake : The Tyger; The Lamb
William Wordsworth : Tintern Abbey
Samuel Taylor Coleridge : Christabel; Kubla Khan
P. B. Shelley : Ode to the West Wind; to a Skylark
John Keats : Ode to a Nightingale; To Autumn
Alfred Tennyson : Ulysses
Robert Browing : My last Duchess
W.B. Yeats : The Wild Swans at Coole
Wilfred Owen : Strange Meeting
T.S. Eliot : Hollow Men
Drama
Shakespeare : Macbeth
Goldsmith : She Stoops to Conquer
George Bernard Shaw : Arms and the Man
J. M. Synge : Riders To the sea
Novel
Jane Austen : Pride and Prejudice
Charles Dickens : David Copperfield
Short Story and Essay
A. Short Story
Joseph Conard : The Lagoon
James Joyce : Araby
Somerset Maugham : The Lotos Eater
Katherine Mansfield : The Fly
B. Essay
Charles Lamb : Dream Children: A Reverie;
The Superannuated Man
G.B. Shaw : Freedom
Francis Bacon : of Studies
Grammar and Usage
Common Errors
Subject Verb Agreement; Tenses; Active and Passive Voice, Articles, Prepositions,
Adverbs, Adjective
Sentence Forms
Simple Compound, Complex, Relative Clauses
Joining and Splitting of Sentences
Narration
Direct and Indirect
Composition
A single paragraph of about 50-60 words to be written on a given topic
Literary Devices:
Rhetoric and Prosody
Now you have the syllabi for English (Pass) & (Hons./PG)
Syllabus for English (Pass)
Poetry
William Wordsworth : Lucy Poems; The world is too much with us
P.B. Shelley : Ode to the West Wind; To a Skylark
John Keats : Ode to a Nightingale; The Autumn
Alfred Tennyson : Ulysses
Robert Browning : The Last Ride Together
Thomas Hardy : The Darkling Thrush
W.B. Yeats : The Wild Swans at Coole
Wilfred Owen : Strange Meeting
Walter de la Mare : The Listeners
Drama
Goldsmith : She Stoops to Conquer
George Bernard Shaw : Arms and the Man
John. Galworthy : Justice
Short Story and Essay
A. Short Story
Joseph Conard : Lagoon
Somerest Maughan : The Lotos Eater
O. Henry : The Gift of the Magi
H. E. Bates : The Ox
B. Essay
Charles Lamb : Dream Children: A Reverie
L.A. Hill : Principles of Good Writing
Grammar and Usage
Common Errors
Number, Gender, Tense, Voice, Mood
Agreement of Verbs, Use of Articles and Prepositions
Sentence Forms
Simple, Compound, Complex, Relative Clauses
Joining and Splitting of Sentences
Narration
Direct Speech and Indirect Speech
Composition
A single paragraph of about 50-60 words to be written on a given topic
Syllabus for English (Hons./PG)
Poetry
Sidney : Loving in Truth
Spenser : One day I wrote her name
Shakespeare : Shall I compare thee….
John Donne : The Good Marrow
George Herbert : Virtue
Alexander Pope : The Rape of the Lock (Cantos I & II)
Blake : The Tyger; The Lamb
William Wordsworth : Tintern Abbey
Samuel Taylor Coleridge : Christabel; Kubla Khan
P. B. Shelley : Ode to the West Wind; to a Skylark
John Keats : Ode to a Nightingale; To Autumn
Alfred Tennyson : Ulysses
Robert Browing : My last Duchess
W.B. Yeats : The Wild Swans at Coole
Wilfred Owen : Strange Meeting
T.S. Eliot : Hollow Men
Drama
Shakespeare : Macbeth
Goldsmith : She Stoops to Conquer
George Bernard Shaw : Arms and the Man
J. M. Synge : Riders To the sea
Novel
Jane Austen : Pride and Prejudice
Charles Dickens : David Copperfield
Short Story and Essay
A. Short Story
Joseph Conard : The Lagoon
James Joyce : Araby
Somerset Maugham : The Lotos Eater
Katherine Mansfield : The Fly
B. Essay
Charles Lamb : Dream Children: A Reverie;
The Superannuated Man
G.B. Shaw : Freedom
Francis Bacon : of Studies
Grammar and Usage
Common Errors
Subject Verb Agreement; Tenses; Active and Passive Voice, Articles, Prepositions,
Adverbs, Adjective
Sentence Forms
Simple Compound, Complex, Relative Clauses
Joining and Splitting of Sentences
Narration
Direct and Indirect
Composition
A single paragraph of about 50-60 words to be written on a given topic
Literary Devices:
Rhetoric and Prosody
Foreword
Dear Candidates,
Present time is really tough for the ordinary graduate or Master's degree holders to get a suitable job. But don't give up hope. School teaching jobs in West Bengal is still not out of reach. Here I host this blog to extend a helping hand to those who are planning to appear in forthcoming SSC Examination in English (H/PG) and English (P). I shall try to present model questions with answers, topic discussion, tips in my blog. It will be a great pleasure to me if you get a help from this effort of mine.
With best regards,
Present time is really tough for the ordinary graduate or Master's degree holders to get a suitable job. But don't give up hope. School teaching jobs in West Bengal is still not out of reach. Here I host this blog to extend a helping hand to those who are planning to appear in forthcoming SSC Examination in English (H/PG) and English (P). I shall try to present model questions with answers, topic discussion, tips in my blog. It will be a great pleasure to me if you get a help from this effort of mine.
With best regards,
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