A Taste of Honey (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE English Literature): Exam Questions

[HELEN enters, loaded with baggage as in Act One, Scene One.]

HELEN: Anybody at home? Well, I’m back. You see, I couldn’t stay away, could I? There’s some flowers for you, Jo. The barrows are smothered in them. Oh! How I carried that lot from the bus stop I’ll never know. The old place looks a bit more cheerful, doesn’t it? I say, there’s a nice homely smell. Have you been doing a bit of baking? I'll tell you one thing, it’s a lovely day for flitting.

JO: Would you like a cup of tea, Helen?

HELEN: Have you got anything stronger? Oh no, course you haven’t! Go on, I’ll have a cup with you. Let’s have a look at you, love. I arrived just in time, by the look of things, didn’t I? How are you, love? Everything straightforward?

Been having your regular check-up and doing all them exercises and all the things they go in for nowadays? That’s a good girl. Have you got everything packed?

JO: Packed?

HELEN: Yes.

JO: But I’m not going into hospital.

HELEN: You're not having it here, are you?

GEOF: Yes, she didn’t want to go away.

HELEN: Oh my God, is he still here? I thought he would be.

GEOF: Do you want a piece of cake, Jo?

JO: Yes, please.

HELEN: You can’t have a baby in this dump. Why don’t you use a bit of sense for once and go into hospital? They’ve got everything to hand there. I mean, sometimes the first one  can be a bit tricky.

GEOF: There’s going to be nothing tricky about it; it’s going to be perfectly all right, isn’t it, Jo?

HELEN: Who do you think you are, the Flying Doctor?

[from Act 2, Scene 2]

JO: Will you stay here for Christmas?

BOY: If that’s what you want.

JO: It’s what you want.

BOY: That’s right.

JO: Then stay.

BOY: You naughty girl!

JO: I may as well be naughty while I’ve got the chance. I’ll probably never see you again. I know it.

BOY: What makes you say that?

JO: I just know it. That’s all. But I don’t care. Stay with me now, it’s enough, it’s all I want, and if you do come back l’ll still be here.

BOY: You think I’m only after one thing, don’t you?

JO: I know you're only after one thing.

BOY: You're so right. [He kisses her.] But I will come back, I love you.

JO: How can you say that?

BOY: Why or how I say these things I don’t know, but whatever it means it’s true.

JO: Anyway, after this you might not want to come back. After all, I’m not very experienced in these little matters.

[from Act 1, Scene 2]