Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Class 10 · English · 41 Questions
Where did the ceremonies take place? Can you name any public buildings in India that are made of sandstone?
Can you say how 10 May is an 'autumn day' in South Africa?
At the beginning of his speech, Mandela mentions "an extraordinary human disaster". What does he mean by this? What is the "glorious … human achievement" he speaks of at the end?
What does Mandela thank the international leaders for?
What ideals does he set out for the future of South Africa?
What do the military generals do? How has their attitude changed, and why?
Why were two national anthems sung?
How does Mandela describe the systems of government in his country (i) in the first decade, and (ii) in the final decade, of the twentieth century?
What does courage mean to Mandela?
Which does he think is natural, to love or to hate?
What "twin obligations" does Mandela mention?
What did being free mean to Mandela as a boy, and as a student? How does he contrast these "transitory freedoms" with "the basic and honourable freedoms"?
Does Mandela think the oppressor is free? Why/Why not?
Why did such a large number of international leaders attend the inauguration? What did it signify the triumph of?
What does Mandela mean when he says he is "simply the sum of all those African patriots" who had gone before him?
Would you agree that the "depths of oppression" create "heights of character"? How does Mandela illustrate this? Can you add your own examples to this argument?
How did Mandela's understanding of freedom change with age and experience?
How did Mandela's 'hunger for freedom' change his life?
Read the paragraph below. Fill in the blanks with the noun forms of the verbs in brackets. Martin Luther King's _____ (contribute) to our history as an outstanding leader began when he came to the _____ (assist) of Rosa Parks, a seamstress who refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. In those days American Blacks were confined to positions of second class citizenship by restrictive laws and customs. To break these laws would mean _____ (subjugate) and _____ (humiliate) by the police and the legal system. Beatings, _____ (imprison) and sometimes death awaited those who defied the System. Martin Luther King's tactics of protest involved non-violent _____ (resist) to racial injustice.
Used in this way with the and/or in the plural, a proper noun carries a special meaning. For example, what do the names above mean? Choose the right answer.