Literature of English Speaking Countries

1. Which of the following best describes the contradictions of the Victorian Age?. Rapid industrialization and widespread social equality. Scientific advances and total political stability. Economic growth and imperial expansion alongside poverty and social unrest. Decline of the British Empire and stagnation in technology.

2. Queen Victoria became an emblematic figure because she was: A military strategist. Both a prominent family figure and a ruler of a vast empire. A celebrated poet of the industrial era. The founder of modern democracy in Britain.

3. During which years did Queen Victoria reign?. 1801-1850. 1837-1901. 1851-1910. 1820-1880.

4. Which event celebrated 50 years of Queen Victoria’s reign?. Diamond Jubilee. Golden Jubilee. Coronation as Empress of India. The Great Exhibition.

5. The Crimean War (1854–1856) was the only major war fought on European soil during Queen Victoria’s reign. True. False.

6. Which of the following best describes Britain’s global position during the 19th century?. A declining naval power. Dominant at sea and with extensive colonies. Economically weak but politically influential. Isolated from European and global affairs.

7. The Great Exhibition of 1851 primarily showcased: Britain’s military strength. Industrial and technological innovations. Literature and the arts of Europe. Religious tolerance in the colonies.

8. Queen Victoria was crowned Empress of India in which year?. 1851. 1876. 1887. 1897.

9. Which statement best describes the British Empire during the Victorian era?. It was primarily focused on European territories. It extended over two-thirds of the world, including Asia, Africa, and Oceania. It was shrinking due to internal unrest and colonial resistance. Its influence was limited to trade but not political control.

10. Which of the following was a major social challenge in Britain despite industrial and economic progress?. Complete political equality for all citizens. Total access to education and healthcare. Peaceful coexistence of all social classes. Poverty, urban overcrowding, and social unrest.

11. Victorian optimism in science and technology coexisted with growing philosophical and religious uncertainties. True. False.

12. What was the main reason Britain entered the Crimean War during the reign of Queen Victoria?. To support Russian expansion. To prevent Russia from gaining more influence and colonies. To invade France. To establish new trade routes in Asia.

13. Who was Florence Nightingale?. A British nurse who revolutionized military healthcare. A general in the Crimean War. A British queen’s advisor. An industrialist during the Victorian Age.

14. Why is Florence Nightingale often called “The Lady with the Lamp”?. She invented a new type of lamp for hospitals. She wrote a book called "The Lamp of Medicine". She was a symbol of industrial innovation. She personally carried a lamp while checking on patients at night.

15. What was the main principle of Jeremy Bentham’s utilitarianism?. The greatest happiness of the greatest number. The inherent superiority of the aristocracy. Government should prioritize economic growth over social welfare. Survival of the fittest in society.

16. Which theory is Charles Darwin best known for?. Social contract theory. Theory of evolution by natural selection. Classical economics. Utilitarianism.

17. Herbert Spencer is most closely associated with which concept?. The invisible hand in economics. The principles of justice and morality. Liberal democracy. Social Darwinism.

18. Thomas Malthus is known for his theory that: Population growth will always outpace food supply, leading to famine and poverty. Government intervention should maximize happiness. Species evolve by natural selection. All social problems can be solved by moral education.

19. Liberalism in the Victorian Age advocated for political freedom, limited government, and free-market economics. True. False.

20. Which of the following statements best describes Social Darwinism?. It applied the principles of natural selection to justify social hierarchies and competition. It was a religious doctrine opposing scientific theories. It promoted universal happiness as the main goal of society. It argued that industrialization harmed human evolution.

21. How did Darwin’s ideas challenge Victorian religious beliefs?. By proving that governments should rule through divine authority. By advocating for socialism. By suggesting that humans evolved naturally rather than being created in their present form. By denying the existence of any natural laws.

22. Which economic system was most typical of the Victorian Age?. Socialism. Mercantilism. Laissez-faire capitalism. Feudalism.

23. Victorian laissez-faire policies often led to poor working conditions in factories. True. False.

24. Which thinker’s ideas influenced Victorian economic liberalism and the laissez-faire approach?. Karl Marx. Thomas Malthus. Jeremy Bentham. Adam Smith.

25. Who is considered the founder of modern Utilitarianism that was particularly relevant during the Victorian Age?. John Stuart Mill. Jeremy Bentham. Thomas Malthus. Herbert Spencer.

26. Utilitarianism influenced Victorian laws and social reforms. True. False.

27. What was the main goal of the Oxford Movement in the 19th century?. To promote secular education in Britain. To revive traditional Catholic practices within the Church of England. To campaign for free-market economics. To support industrial unions.

28. Which of the following best describes the Evangelical Alliance (19th century)?. A political group advocating socialism. A movement to reform universities. An interdenominational Protestant organization promoting moral reform and evangelism. A group promoting laissez-faire economic policies.

29. What was the main mission of the Salvation Army, founded in 1865?. To campaign for industrial growth. To provide spiritual guidance and social services to the poor. To promote liberal economic policies. To support the Anglican Church.

30. The Fabian Society, founded in 1884, advocated: Immediate revolutionary change to socialism. The abolition of all trade unions. Gradual, democratic reform towards socialism. A strict laissez-faire economic policy.

31. The Oxford Movement, the Evangelical Alliance, and the Salvation Army all focused primarily on industrial and political reform rather than spiritual concerns. True. False.

32. Which of the following best describes Britain’s control over India in the 19th century?. India was independent but traded with Britain freely. India was under direct British rule after the 1857 Rebellion. India was a loose federation of self-governing kingdoms. India was fully integrated as part of the United Kingdom.

33. Which problem was Ireland facing under British rule in the 19th century?. Complete political independence. Rapid industrialization. Widespread poverty, land issues, and the Great Famine. Religious inequality.

34. Which region of Africa was a major focus of British imperial expansion in the late 19th century?. Southern Africa and parts of West Africa. Northern Africa. Madagascar. The Sahara Desert.

35. Which statement best describes Britain’s control over India after the 1857 Rebellion?. India remained under the East India Company, with limited Crown oversight. The British Crown took direct control, establishing the Raj. India became a federation of semi-independent princely states. India gained full self-government under the British Parliament.

36. Which event is most directly associated with the Scramble for Africa?. The Berlin Conference of 1884–85. The Congress of Vienna of 1815. The Treaty of Versailles of 1919. The Boer War of 1775.

37. What motivated the Scramble for Africa?. A desire to spread Protestant Reformation ideals. Economic interests in raw materials and new markets. The search for allies against Napoleon Bonaparte. A response to the Great Depression of the 1930s.

38. Which novel by Charles Dickens begins with the famous line “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”?. David Copperfield. Oliver Twist. Great Expectations. A Tale of Two Cities.

39. Which Victorian author is known for creating the character Sherlock Holmes?. Charles Dickens. Wilkie Collins. Arthur Conan Doyle. Anthony Trollope.

40. Which Victorian poet wrote "The Charge of the Light Brigade"?. Robert Browning. Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Matthew Arnold. Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

41. Who wrote "The Woman in White", one of the first mystery novels?. Thomas Hardy. Wilkie Collins. George Eliot. Elizabeth Gaskell.

42. Which Thomas Hardy novel caused controversy for its critique of marriage and religion?. Far from the Madding Crowd. The Mayor of Casterbridge. Tess of the d’Urbervilles. Jude the Obscure.

43. Which of the following is a central theme in George Eliot’s "Middlemarch"?. Gothic horror. Industrial revolution. The Napoleonic Wars. The constraints of provincial life.

44. Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Sonnets from the Portuguese are primarily about: Religion. Social reform. Romantic love. National identity.

45. What genre did Anthony Trollope often write about in his novels?. Detective stories. Gothic horror. Social and political satire. Epic poetry.

46. Which Brontë sister wrote Wuthering Heights?. Charlotte. Emily. Anne. Maria.

47. What is the main setting of Jane Eyre?. Wuthering Heights. Thornfield Hall. Wildfell Hall. Lowood School.

48. Which Brontë sister is the author of "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall"?. Charlotte. Emily. Anne. Maria.

49. Why did the Brontë sisters publish under male pseudonyms at first?. To hide from family disapproval. Because women were not allowed to publish. To experiment with anonymity. To avoid criticism as women writers.

50. What role did Branwell Brontë have in his sisters' literary lives?. He co-wrote Jane Eyre. He painted their portraits. He worked as their publisher. He was their literary critic.

51. Which Brontë novel is considered the most overtly autobiographical?. Jane Eyre. Wuthering Heights. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Villette.

52. What was Anne Brontë’s first novel?. Agnes Grey. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Villette. Shirley.

53. What was the Brontë sisters’ childhood home, now a museum?. Haworth Parsonage. York Minster. Chatsworth House. Brontë Hall.

54. What year was Jane Eyre first published?. 1837. 1847. 1857. 1867.

55. What was Charlotte Brontë’s pseudonym when she first published?. Acton Bell. Ellis Bell. Currer Bell. Branwell Bell.

56. Who was Mr. Rochester’s first wife in Jane Eyre?. Helen Burns. Blanche Ingram. Bertha Mason. Lucy Snowe.

57. What profession did Charlotte Brontë and her sisters attempt before becoming successful writers?. Factory workers. Governesses. Shopkeepers. Nurses.

58. What was Charlotte Brontë’s last completed novel?. Jane Eyre. Villette. Shirley. The Professor.

59. Who was Arthur Bell Nicholls in Charlotte Brontë’s life?. Her publisher. Her cousin. Her husband. Her tutor.

60. Which Charlotte Brontë novel was published posthumously in 1857?. Villette. Jane Eyre. Shirley. The Professor.

61. What illness caused the deaths of Charlotte Brontë’s elder sisters Maria and Elizabeth, inspiring parts of Jane Eyre?. Tuberculosis. Cholera. Typhus. Smallpox.

62. How does Jane Eyre begin?. With Jane’s arrival at Thornfield. With Jane as a child living with the Reeds. With Jane as a governess teaching Adele. With Jane narrating from old age.

63. What is the significance of the “red-room” in Jane Eyre?. It represents Jane’s punishment and social exclusion. It symbolizes Jane’s future love with Rochester. It is where Jane learns to read. It is Bertha Mason’s prison.

64. Who is Helen Burns in Jane Eyre?. Jane’s cousin. Jane’s childhood friend at Lowood. Rochester’s ward. A servant at Thornfield.

65. Why does Jane flee from Thornfield Hall?. She discovers Rochester is married to Bertha Mason. She is dismissed by Mrs. Fairfax. She wishes to find her family. She is in danger from Bertha Mason.

66. How does Jane Eyre end?. Jane marries St. John Rivers. Jane returns to Gateshead. Jane reunites with and marries Rochester. Jane becomes headmistress of Lowood.

67. Which is the main setting of Villette?. Yorkshire, England. London, England. Brussels, Belgium. Paris, France.

68. How is the ending of Villette different from that of Jane Eyre?. It concludes with marriage and happiness. It leaves the fate of the heroine unresolved. It reveals Lucy’s death. It reunites Lucy with her family.

69. What is one of the recurring Gothic elements in Villette?. The haunted attic. A ghostly nun. The red-room. A crumbling castle.

70. In which year was Wuthering Heights first published?. 1847. 1855. 1837. 1860.

71. Who narrates most of Wuthering Heights?. Heathcliff. Catherine Earnshaw. Mr. Lockwood and Nelly Dean. Joseph the servant.

72. Where is Wuthering Heights set?. In the Lake District. In the Yorkshire moors. In Cornwall. In London suburbs.

73. What is the relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw in Wuthering Heights?. They are cousins. They are adopted siblings and lovers. They are childhood friends with no romance. They are married in secret.

74. In Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, why does Catherine marry Edgar Linton instead of Heathcliff?. She is forced by her brother. She loves Edgar more. She seeks social status and comfort. Heathcliff betrays her.

75. In Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, what is Heathcliff’s main motivation after Catherine’s death?. To marry Isabella Linton. To achieve wealth and social rise. To move away from the moors. To avenge himself on the Earnshaws and Lintons.

76. Which Gothic element appears repeatedly in Wuthering Heights?. Ghosts and supernatural encounters. Secret manuscripts. Ancient castles in ruins. A madwoman locked in the attic.

77. How did early Victorian critics react to Wuthering Heights?. They praised it as a masterpiece. They considered it immoral and too violent. They dismissed it as a children’s tale. They found it too similar to Jane Eyre.

78. In Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, how does Heathcliff die?. He commits suicide. He is killed in a fight. He starves himself. He drowns in the moors.

79. What role does Thornfield Hall play in Jane Eyre?. It is purely a residence. It symbolizes both passion and danger. It represents industrial progress. It is Jane’s childhood home.

80. What narrative perspective is used in Jane Eyre?. Third-person omniscient. First-person from Jane’s perspective. A non-omniscient third narrator. Multiple first-person narrators.

81. What role does nature play in Wuthering Heights?. Contrasts characters’ emotions and passions. Mirrors characters’ emotions and passions. Symbolizes political events.

82. Jane Eyre is primarily narrated in the first person by Jane herself. True. False.

83. In Jane Eyre, Jane leaves Rochester because she wants to inherit her family’s fortune. True. False.

84. Heathcliff’s character demonstrates the destructive power of obsessive love. True. False.

85. In Wuthering Heights, Nelly Dean is an unreliable narrator whose perspective shapes readers’ understanding of events. True. False.

86. Which character seeks revenge throughout Wuthering Heights?. Edgar Linton. Joseph. Hindley Earnshaw. Heathcliff.

87. What literary genre best describes Wuthering Heights?. Science fiction. Romantic comedy. Historical fiction. Gothic fiction.

88. What was Joseph Conrad’s native language, which he learned before writing in English?. French. Russian. Polish. German.

89. In Heart of Darkness, what is the name of the company that employs Marlow to travel to the Congo?. The Eldorado Exploring Expedition. The Belgian Trading Company. The Company. The Thames Trading Syndicate.

90. Who is the character in Heart of Darkness described as Kurtz’s “Intended,” to whom Marlow lies about Kurtz’s final words?. The Russian trader. The manager. Kurtz's fiancée. The African woman.

91. What literary movement or style is Heart of Darkness often associated with due to its exploration of ambiguity and psychological depth?. Romanticism. Realism. Modernism. Naturalism.

92. In Heart of Darkness, what does the Congo River symbolize in the context of Marlow’s journey?. A path to wealth and prosperity. A barrier between civilization and savagery. A route for missionary work. A journey into the unknown and the human psyche.