Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
1. Where did the ceremonies take place? Can you name any public buildings in India that are made of sandstone?
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2. Can you say how 10 May is an ‘autumn day’ in South Africa?
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3. 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?
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4. What does Mandela thank the international leaders for?
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5. What ideals does he set out for the future of South Africa?
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Oral Comprehension Check 1. What do the military generals do? How has their attitude changed, and why?
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2. Why were two national anthems sung?
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3. 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?
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4. What does courage mean to Mandela?
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5. Which does he think is natural, to love or to hate?
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Oral Comprehension Check
1. What “twin obligations” does Mandela mention?
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2. 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”?
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3. Does Mandela think the oppressor is free? Why/Why not.
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Thinking about the Text 1. Why did such a large number of international leaders attend the inauguration? What did it signify the triumph of?
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2. What does Mandela mean when he says he is “simply the sum of all those African patriots” who had gone before him?
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3. 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?
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4. How did Mandela’s understanding of freedom change with age and experience?
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5. How did Mandela’s ‘hunger for freedom’ change his life?
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