Hint. If $X$ is irreducible, it has a generic point, that is a point $\xi$ contained in every non empty open set. Then, recall that a constant sheaf is a sheaf whose sections (viewed as functions) are locally constant.
For (a), your resolution is not right, because $(\prod_{p\in S^1}i_p(\mathbb{Q}))/\mathbb{Z}$ is not $\prod_{p\in S^1}i_p(\mathbb{Q}/\mathbb{Z})$. Or in other words, the kernel of $\prod_{p\in S^1}i_p(\mathbb{Q})\rightarrow \prod_{p\in S^1}i_p(\mathbb{Q}/\mathbb{Z})$ is not $\mathbb{Z}$ (this is $\prod_{p\in S^1}i_p(\mathbb{Z})$).
For (b), you cannot mimick example 4.0.4 to compute the Cech cohomology. In fact, the higher Cech cohomology of this sheaf vanishes. Let $U,V$ your cover (which is good), and consider the Cech complex
$$ R(U)\times R(V)\rightarrow R(U\cap V)$$
given by $(f,g)\mapsto f_{|U\cap V}-g_{|U\cap V}$.
The kernel of this map are couple of functions $(f,g)$ that agree on the intersection, and hence patch together to form a unique function on $S^1$. So $\overset{\vee}{H^0}(\{U,V\},R)=R(S^1)$ as expected.
But I claim that the map is onto, so that $\overset{\vee}{H^1}(\{U,V\},R)=0$. Indeed, let $f\in R(U\cap V)$, also let $u,v$ be two functions on $S^1$ such that $u$ has (compact) support in $U$, $v$ has (compact) support in $V$ and $u+v=1$. In particular the function $u$ is zero in a neighborhood of $S^1\setminus V$ and $v$ is zero in a neighborhood of $S^1\setminus U$. The function $uf$ can then be extended to $U$ because it is zero in a neighborhood of $U\setminus U\cap V$. Similarily, the function $vf$ can be extended to $V$. And $(uf,-vf)\mapsto uf+vf=f$ so that the map is onto.
Here $u,v$ are called a partition of unity. A sheaf like $R$ with partitions of unity is called a fine sheaf. This argument (of a similar one with more than two open sets in the cover) shows that the higher Cech cohomology groups of a fine sheaf over a paracompact space vanish. On a paracompact space, Cech and derived functor cohomology agree so the cohomology of a fine sheaf is trivial.
The difference with the example 4.0.4 is that there is no partition of unity in a constant sheaf.
Best Answer
$S^1$ is given its usual topology in that exercise, which means it's not irreducible. For instance, $S^1\cap ([-1,0]\times[-1,1])$ and $S^1\cap ([0,1]\times[-1,1])$ are two proper closed subsets whose union is all of $S^1$.