Skip to main content
O-LevelLiterature in EnglishDramaOct/Nov 2011Paper 1 Q425 Marks

Read the following extract, and then answer the question that follows it: Oldham, September 1987. The backyard of Doris's terrace cottage. Distant sound of children. Two deck chairs. Piano stool from Act One, on it the Solitaire board from Act Two. A tub of geraniums. A green kite. Rosie is sunbathing in shorts and painted T-shirt, both of which she has tie-dyed herself, and she is wearing Walkman headphones, oblivious of all other noise. She hums Simply Red's ‘Holding Back The Years', as she concentrates on the Solitaire game. Doris: [appears upstage, holding up kite tail. Calls] Is this right? Rosie: [hums] ... Holding back the years Doris: [comes nearer] Rosie? CAN YOU HEAR ME DEAR? [Taps Rosie on the shoulder.] Rosie: SORRY! [Removes headphones.] Doris: You're shouting again, dear. Neighbours will think I'm deaf. [Holds up kite tail.] Is this right? Rosie: Looks great! Thanks. [Picks up the kite.] Here, just tie it on the bottom. Doris: [ties the kite tail to the kite] Needs a stitch in it ... Rosie: [holds the kite aloft] What d’you think? Doris: [pause] I preferred the blue ones. Rosie: Well they've ordered fifty, so I'm not complaining. [Puts the kite down.] Did ten this morning. Doris: I gathered that, from the state of the box room. Bits of string ... Rosie: It's not for you to clear up. Sit down Doris, enjoy the sun. Doris: [sits] I fancy one of those garden tables white one, with an umbrella. But they do cost, don't they? Rosie: [firmly] When I've sold the next batch, maybe. We mustn't spend before we've paid off the overheads. Doris: You shouldn't be bothering your head with work on your birthday. [Pause.] Just like your mother. Rosie: Did you see her present! Doris: Mrs W saw me take it in. Postman couldn't get it through the letterbox. Rosie: It's one of her paintings. Doris: I propped it on the mantelpiece. Rosie: What d'you think? Doris: [pause] I liked the gold frame. Looks expensive. Rosie: Gran! She did it specially for me. Rosie returns to Solitaire. Doris: Is Jackie still seeing that man with the hairdo? Rosie: Dreadlocks. You mean Andy, yeah. Think he's OK. Doris: D'you think she'll marry?

✓ Correct Answer

The correct answer is . This question tests the candidate's understanding of drama within the Literature in Englishsyllabus. The examiner's mark scheme requires...

📋 Examiner Report & Trap Analysis

Common mistake: 62% of candidates selected the distractor because they confused... The examiner specifically designed this question to test whether students can differentiate between... To secure full marks, candidates must demonstrate...

🔒

Unlock the Examiner's Answer

Sign up for free to reveal the correct answer, the official mark scheme breakdown, and the examiner trap analysis for this question.

Sign Up Free to Unlock →

Join thousands of Cambridge students already using Oracle Prep

About This O-Level Literature in English Question

This structured question appeared in the Cambridge O-Level Literature in English (2010) Oct/Nov 2011 examination, Paper 1 Variant 1. It tests the topic of Drama and is worth 25 marks.

Oracle Prep provides AI-powered practice for all Cambridge O-Level and A-Level subjects. Our platform includes topic predictions with 87.7% accuracy, AI essay grading, and a comprehensive question bank spanning 25 years of past papers.

© 2026 Oracle Prep — The AI-Powered Cambridge Exam Engine