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LITERATURE
IN ENGLISH
Paper 1
June/July 2024
2 ½ hours

Uganda Certificate of Education

RESOURCE MOCK EXAMINATIONS 2024
LITERATURE IN ENGLISH
Paper 1
Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes
INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES:
This paper consists of three examination items.
It has two sections; A and B.
Section A has one compulsory item.
Section B has two examination items. Answer one of them.
Attempt 2 (two) items in all.
Any additional items answered will not be scored.
All answers must be written in the answer Booklet provided.

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 SECTION A
Read the passage below and answer the tasks that follow

When the hour to eat came the men flung their tools from them and stood
around with weariness on their faces and sweat dripping from their bodies. Xuma
called them together and told them about the new shifts. Without seeming to care
they hurried towards the cages.
A man near Xuma coughed. A trickle of red spittle flew out of his mouth
and fell at Xumas’s feet. Xuma stared at it. He had heard about the sickness of the
lungs and how it ate a man’s body away, but he had never seen a man who had it.
He looked at the man. The man’s eyes shone brightly and his nostrils quivered. He
was an old man.
‘Come here,’ Xuma said.
The man stepped forward. All the others waited and there was fear in their
eyes. Xuma felt fear shooting through his body. The man in front of him was still a
man. But the signs were there already. He was bony. He was a man who had been
big and muscular once and this showed in his boniness.
‘You can go, ‘ Xuma said to the others.
They went slowly, reluctantly. When they had gone Xuma spoke to the man.
'How long have you had this? ‘
‘Two months now,’ the man said.
‘Did you see the doctor?’
‘No,’ the man said and hung his head.
‘Why not?’
The man looked at the ground and fidgeted with his hands.
‘Listen, I have a wife and two children and I have worked it all out. We have
a Small farm and I owe a white man eight pounds. If I do not give it back to him he
will take the farm. And if he takes it, where will my wife and children go? I have
worked it out, Xuma, really I have. For four months I have been saving and if I
save for another three I will have the eight pounds and there will be a home for my
wife and children. Please let me stay. Don’t tell the white people. The others will
not. They know. I know I am going to die, but if there is a home for my wife and
children I will be happy.’
‘And that is why you did not tell of your sickness?’
‘That's why,’ Xuma felt fear hammering at his heart.
‘What is it, Zuma?’

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 It was Paddy. He stood a few yards away. Xuma remained silent so Paddy
came closer. Paddy looked at the man closely. There was blood at the side of the
man's mouth. The man began to cough painfully. Paddy nodded.
‘You must see a doctor.’
‘No,’ the man said.
‘Tell him,’ Xuma said to the man.
The man told Paddy about his wife and the two children and about the eight
pounds. When he had finished Paddy walked away to where they had been
working. After a little while he came back.
‘Did not the man who hired you tell you that if you got the sickness of the
chest money would be paid to you?’
‘No.’
‘Well, it is so,’ Paddy said.
The man looked at Xuma. His eagerness was painful.
‘Is that so Xuma?’
Xuma did not know. He looked at Paddy. He hesitated, then nodded.
‘Yes, it is so.’
‘That is very good,’ the man said, ‘now they will have a home. That is
good.’
‘Go to the doctor,’ Paddy said. ‘We will come and everything will be all
right.’
The man went. Xuma looked at Paddy.
‘Is it true that he will get money?, There was doubt in Xuma’s voice.
‘Yes, it is true. Come, you will see.’ They followed the man into the last
cage. The cage shot up. Up. Up.
The other shift was ready and waiting for them. Johannes returned Zuma’s
keys to him. He was quite sober. There were dark rings under his eyes and his
hands trembled.
Paddy stood talking to Chris for a minute, then he called Xuma and they
went to hospital. Xuma waited outside with the man while Paddy went in and
spoke to the doctor.
Then the doctor called them in and examined the man. The examination was
short. There was no doubt about it. The doctor wrote out a slip and gave it to
Paddy.
And again Xuma and the man followed Paddy as he went to the mine
manager's office. They waited outside. It seemed a long time. Then the manager
came out with Paddy. He grumbled about it being irregular but signed a piece of
paper and gave it to Paddy.
‘There you are!’ Paddy exclaimed. ‘Now we will go and get the money and
then you can go home.’
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TASKS
(a) Themes are main ideas that run through a literary text. These ideas are
brought out through the actions of characters and the setting. Explain the
themes brought out in the passage.
(b) Works of art usually affect the feelings of their readers in various ways. The
readers develop different feelings towards different characters and situations
in work of art. What feelings does this passage arouse in you?
(c) From what characters do and say, and from what others say about them, we
learn a lot about their behaviour. Describe the character of Paddy as
portrayed in this passage.
(d) Every literary text is loaded with serious moral lessons that it passes on to its
readers. Basing on what happens in the passage, explain the various lessons
you learn from it.

SECTION B
Choose one task from this Section. Illustrate your answer by referring to
any of following set books.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: The Merchant of Venice
FRANCIS IMBUGA: The Return of Mgofu
JOHN STEINBECK: The Pearl
LAWRENCEDARMANI: Grief Child
SYLIVESTER ONZIVUA: The Heart Soothers
OKIYA OMTSTAH OKOITI: Voice of the People
VICTOR BYAMAZIMA: Shadows of Time
CHINUA ACHEBE: Things Fall Apart
DANIEL MENGARA: Mema
DAVID RUBADIRI: Growing up With Poetry
A. D. AMATESHE: An Anthology of East Africa Poetry.
Either 2. Literary texts present both the good and the evil characters. Evil
characters engage in anti-social behaviour than causes pain to other characters.
From the text you have chosen, identify one evil character and explain what makes
him or her bad?

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Or 3. Literature deals with works of art that reflect what happens in our present
society. It is this ability to mirror society that makes literature relevant to life.
Referring to one of the above texts, show how relevant it is to your society.
END