ACTIVITY PAGE
2
In Column A are some expressions you will
find in the text. Make a guess and match each expression with an appropriate
meaning from Column B.
|
A |
B |
|
(i)
A rainbow gathering of different colours and nations (ii) The seat of white supremacy (iii)
Be overwhelmed with a sense of history (iv)
The resilience that defies the imagination (v) A glimmer of humanity (vi)
A twilight existence |
– A great ability (almost unimaginable) to remain unchanged by suffering (not losing hope, goodness or courage) – A half-secret life, like a life lived in the fading light between sunset and darkness –
A sign of human feeling (goodness, kindness, pity, justice, etc.) – A beautiful coming together of various peoples, like the colours in a rainbow –
The centre of racial superiority –
Feel deeply emotional, remembering and understanding all the past events that
have led up to the moment |
Answer:
(i) A rainbow gathering of different
colours and nations – A beautiful coming
together of various peoples, like the colours in a rainbow
(ii) The seat of white supremacy – The centre of racial superiority
(iii) Be overwhelmed with a sense of
history – Feel deeply emotional,
remembering and understanding all the past events that have led up to the
moment
(iv) Resilience that defies the
imagination – A great ability (almost
unimaginable) to remain unchanged by suffering (not losing hope, goodness or
courage)
(v) A glimmer of humanity – A sign of human feeling (goodness,
kindness, pity, justice, etc.)
(vi)
A twilight existence – A half-secret life, like a life lived in
the fading light between sunset and darkness
ORAL COMPREHENSION
CHECK PAGE
3
1. Where did the ceremonies take place?
Can you name any public buildings in India that are made of sandstone?
Answer:
The
ceremonies took place in a lovely sandstone amphitheatre formed by the Union
Buildings in Pretoria, South Africa. Some of the public buildings in India that
are made of sandstone include Amer Fort in Rajasthan, Lakshmi Niwas Palace in
Bikaner, Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi, and Nilkantheshwar Shiva Temple in Odisha.
2. Can you say how 10 May is an ‘autumn
day’ in South Africa?
Answer:
South
Africa lies in the Southern Hemisphere. This means that the summer months are
November, December, January and February. Autumn, therefore, falls in the month
of May.
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?
Answer:
By
"an extraordinary human disaster", Nelson Mandela refers to the
practice of apartheid or racial discrimination that was prevalent in South
Africa for far too long. The political emancipation that the blacks of South
Africa had finally achieved is the glorious human achievement that he speaks of
at the end.
4. What does Mandela thank the
international leaders for?
Answer:
Nelson Mandela thanks the international leaders for having gathered to assume
ownership with the people of South Africa of what he called a common victory
for justice, peace, and human dignity.
5. What ideals does he set out for the
future of South Africa?
Answer:
Promising the people that he would liberate them from the continuing bondage of
poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender, and other forms of discrimination,
Nelson Mandela states that South Africa will never again come under any form of
oppressive rule. By saying so, he gives the people of South Africa hope and
confidence that the government would work for all people irrespective of their
colour, creed, class, race, or gender.
ORAL COMPREHENSION
CHECK PAGE
6
1. What do military generals do? How has
their attitude changed? And why?
Answer:
Military
generals hold a high position in a nation's army and are almost always
responsible for commanding the troops. They deal with the protection of
territorial boundaries and warfare. The attitude of military generals in South
Africa changed once Nelson Mandela became president. Adorned with ribbons, they
saluted Nelson Mandela besides pledging their loyalty on the day of his
swearing-in. However, only years before they would have arrested him instead of
saluting.
2. Why were two national anthems sung?
Answer:
The
singing of two national anthems signified unity in diversity and denoted the
end of white supremacy. While one of the national anthems was related to the
white peoples, the other one was related to the blacks. The singing was also a
way of depicting that equality would be given the topmost priority from then
on.
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?
Answer:
According
to Nelson Mandela, the first decade of the twentieth century, that is a couple
of years after the Anglo-Boer War had ended, the whites came together, patching
up their differences. And they had not only come together but also created a
system of domination and discrimination against the dark-skinned people, who
belonged to their very land. Nelson Mandela terms this oppressive society one
of the harshest and the most inhumane to have ever existed in the world.
Towards the end of the twentieth century, however, this oppressive system was
overturned, and a new system that treated all men and women with dignity and
respect took its position.
4. What does courage mean to Mandela?
Answer:
To
Mandela, courage does not mean the absence of fear but triumph over it.
According to him, courage cannot be counted or repaid and a brave man is not
one who does not get scared or afraid but one who conquers his fear.
5. What does he think is natural, to love
or to hate?
Answer:
Mandela thinks that love comes more naturally than hate. He feels that people
must learn to hate; and if they can learn to hate, then they can be taught how
to love. He goes on to state that man’s goodness is a flame that can never be
extinguished although it can be hidden temporarily. He stresses that people do
not start hating others when they are born, meaning they are taught to hate as
they get older.
ORAL COMPREHENSION
CHECK PAGE
9
1. What “twin obligations” does Mandela
mention?
Answer:
Mandela strongly opines that every man has twin obligations: An obligation to
one’s family, which includes parents, wife and children, and an obligation to
one’s people, community and country at large. He emphasises that in a civil
society it is not very challenging to fulfil these important obligations; but
in South Africa, people were being punished and isolated for fulfilling these
very obligations for a long time.
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”?
Answer:
When
Mandela was a boy, he felt he was free - free to do whatever he wanted to do.
He was not born with a hunger. He was free to swim, free to run in the fields,
and free to roast mealies. Only much later did he realise that what he had been
thinking as freedom was nothing more than an illusion. The freedom of staying
out at night or reading a book that he pleased, he realised, was transitory,
and that the basic and honourable freedoms were achieving one’s potential,
earning one’s keep, marrying, and having a family. He felt that although he
appeared to have transitory freedom, he and those who looked like him were
denied the honourable freedoms including the freedom of living a life with dignity
and self-respect.
3. Does Mandela think the oppressor is
free? Why/Why not?
Answer:
According
to Mandela, the oppressor is not free. Because the oppressor snatches the
freedom of the oppressed, he becomes the prisoner of hatred. The bars of
prejudice and narrow-mindedness lock him up and he, just like the oppressed, is
robbed of his humanity.
THINKING
ABOUT THE TEXT PAGE
9
1. Why did such a large number of
international leaders attend the inauguration? What did it signify the triumph
of?
Answer:
A large number of international leaders attended the inauguration because it
was for the first time ever that a black had become president of South Africa
after winning 252 of the 400 seats in the first democratic elections held in
the nation's history. The Union Buildings in Pretoria until then had been the
seat of white supremacy. Nelson Mandela becoming president signified the
triumph of justice, peace, and human dignity.
2. What does Mandela mean when he says he
is “simply the sum of all those African patriots” who had gone before him?
Answer:
By saying he is “simply the sum of all those African patriots” who had gone
before him, Nelson Mandela is calling to mind the sacrifices made by several
black men of his country who had passed away fighting till their very last
breath. Not being able to thank them when they were alive pained him, but their
sacrifices had definitely borne fruit, meaning Mandela was someone who took
forward their noble ambition of seeing a South Africa where racial
discrimination did not exist.
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?
Answer:
I tend to agree that the "depths of oppression" are responsible for
creating "heights of character". Mandela illustrates this by giving
examples of Oliver Tambos, the Walter
Sisulus, the Chief Luthulis, the Yusuf Dadoos, the Bram Fischers, the Robert
Sobukwes of his time, all of whom opposed apartheid with perseverance. They were
highly oppressed individuals, and Mandela feels that it was perhaps the
oppression that gave them room to reflect and muster the courage to fight for
their basic rights as human beings. Many people who have risen to great heights
in their life have had extremely difficult childhoods. Abraham Lincoln was one
such person. Even in India, highly influential people like Narendra Modi faced
oppression. Had they not faced oppression, they might have not achieved what
they have.
4. How did Mandela’s understanding of
freedom change with age and experience?
In his childhood, Mandela thought that he was free -
free to move about the way he wanted, free to run in the fields, free to swim,
and free to roast mealies. He did not understand the deeper aspects of freedom.
Eventually, however, Mandela came to realise that he and those who looked like
him were denied honourable freedoms of achieving their potential, earning their
keep, marrying and having a family. This, Mandela felt, were freedoms that
should not be obstructed in a lawful life. He also realised that the freedom of
blacks was curtailed so much that they could not claim entitlement to a life
with dignity and self-respect. Contrary to what he thought in his childhood,
Mandela later understood that freedom could not be divided and that restricting
the freedom of any of his community members was equal to restricting the
freedom of all the members of the community and also himself.
5. How did Mandela’s ‘hunger for freedom’
change his life?
Answer:
Mandela’s hunger for freedom made him join the African National Congress and
became the hunger for freedom for his community at large. It was not confined
to him alone. Not only did it animate his life, but this hunger also
transformed him from a frightened young law-abiding attorney to a bold
criminal.
THINKING
ABOUT LANGUAGE PAGE
9
I. There are nouns in the text (formation, government) which
are formed from the corresponding verbs
(form, govern) by suffixing - (at)ion or ment. There may be a change
in the spelling of some verb-noun pairs: such as rebel, rebellion; constitute, constitution.
1. Make a list of such pairs of nouns and verbs
in the text.
|
Noun |
Verb |
|
rebellion |
rebel |
|
constitution |
constitute |
Answer:
|
Noun |
Verb |
|
rebellion |
rebel |
|
constitution |
constitute |
|
inauguration |
inaugurate |
|
imagination |
imagine |
|
existence |
exist |
|
obligation |
oblige |
2. 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.
Answer:
Martin Luther King’s contribution (contribute)
to our history as an outstanding leader began when he came to the assistance
(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 subjugation (subjugate) and humiliation (humiliate)
by the police and the legal system. Beatings, imprisonment (imprison)
and sometimes death awaited those who defied the System. Martin Luther King’s
tactics of protest involved non-violent resistance (resist) to racial
injustice.
II. To
be done by the student.
III. Idiomatic
Expressions
Match the italicised phrases in Column A
with the phrase nearest in meaning in Column B. (Hint: First look for the sentence in the text in which the phrase
in Column A occurs.)
|
A |
B |
|
1.
I was not unmindful of the fact |
(i)
had not forgotten; was aware of the fact (ii)
was not careful about the fact (iii)
forgot or was not aware of the fact |
|
2.
when my comrades and I were pushed to our limits |
(i)
pushed by the guards to the well (ii)
took more than our share of beatings (iii)
felt that we could not endure the suffering any longer |
|
3.
to reassure me and keep me going |
(i)
make me go on walking (ii)
help me continue to live in hope in this very difficult situation (iii)
make me remain without complaining |
|
4.
the basic and honourable freedoms of…earning my keep,… |
(i)
earning enough money to live on (ii)
keeping what I earned (iii)
getting a good salary |
Answer:
|
A |
B |
|
1. I was not unmindful of the fact |
(i) had not forgotten; was aware of the fact |
|
2. when my comrades and I were pushed to our limits |
(iii) felt that we could not endure the suffering any longer |
|
3. to reassure me and keep me going |
(ii) help me continue to live in hope in this very difficult
situation |
|
4. the basic and honourable freedoms of…earning my keep,… |
(i) earning enough money to live on |
WRITING PAGE
11
I. Looking at the contrasts
Nelson
Mandela’s writing is marked by balance: many sentences have two parts in
balance.
Use the following phrases to complete the
sentences given below.
(i) they can be
taught to love. (ii) I was
born free.
(iii) but the
triumph over it. (iv) but
he who conquers that fear.
(v) to create
such heights of character.
1. It requires
such depths of oppression ________________________________
2. Courage was
not the absence of fear ________________________________
3. The brave
man is not he who does not feel afraid ______________________
4. If people
can learn to hate ________________________________________
5. I was not
born with a hunger to be free. ______________________________
Answer:
1. It requires such depths of oppression to
create such heights of character.
2. Courage was not the absence of fear but
the triumph over it.
3. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid but
he who conquers that fear.
4. If people can learn to hate they can be taught to love.
5. I was not born with a hunger to be free. I was born free.
II. This text repeatedly contrasts the past with the present
or the future. We can use coordinated clauses to contrast two views, for
emphasis or effect.
Given below are
sentences carrying one part of the contrast. Find in the text the second part
of the contrast, and complete each item. Identify the words which signal the
contrast. This has been done for you in the first item.
1. For decades the Union Buildings had
been the seat of white supremacy, and now…
2. Only moments before, the highest
generals of the South African defence force and police … saluted me and pledged
their loyalty. … not so many years before they would not have saluted
_____________
3. Although that day neither group knew
the lyrics of the anthem … they would soon _____________
4. My country is rich in the minerals and
gems that lie beneath its soil, ______________
5. The Air Show was not only a display of
pinpoint precision and military force, but _________________
6. It was this desire for the freedom of
my people … that transformed _______________ into a bold one, that drove _____________
to become a criminal, that turned ________________ into a man without a home.
Answer:
1.
For decades the Union Buildings had been the seat of white supremacy, and now it was the site of a rainbow
gathering of different colours and nations for the installation of South
Africa’s first democratic, non-racial government.
2. Only moments before, the highest generals of the
South African defence force and police, their chests bedecked with ribbons and
medals from days gone by, saluted me and
pledged their loyalty. I was not unmindful of the fact that not so many years
before they would not have saluted
3.
Although that day neither group knew the lyrics of the anthem they once
despised, they would soon know the words by heart.
4.
My country is rich in the minerals and gems that lie beneath its soil, but I have always known that its greatest
wealth is its people, finer and truer than the purest diamonds.
5.
The Air Show was not only a display of pinpoint precision and military force,
but a demonstration of the military’s loyalty to democracy, to a new government
that had been freely and fairly elected.
6.
It was this desire for the freedom of my people to live their lives with
dignity and self-respect that animated my life, that transformed a frightened
young man into a bold one, that drove a law-abiding attorney to become a criminal,
that turned a family-loving husband into a man without a home.
III. Expressing Your Opinion
Note: The remaining activities are to be done by the student.
Poem:
A Tiger in the Zoo by Leslie Norris
THINKING
ABOUT THE POEM PAGE
15
1. Read the poem again, and work in pairs
or groups to do the following tasks.
(i) Find the words that describe the
movements and actions of the tiger in the cage and in the wild. Arrange them in
two columns.
Answer:
|
Movements |
Actions |
|
stalking |
snarling |
|
lurking |
baring |
|
sliding |
terrorising |
|
ignoring |
|
|
hears |
|
|
stares |
(ii) Find the words that describe the two
places, and arrange them in two columns. Now try to share ideas about how the
poet uses words and images to contrast the two situations.
Answer:
|
Words used to describe
the zoo |
Words used to describe
the forest |
|
Cage |
Shadow |
|
Concrete cell |
Long grass |
|
Patrolling cars |
Where the deer pass |
Note:
The sharing of ideas is to be done by the students in groups
2. Notice the use of a word repeated in lines such as these:
(i) On pads of velvet quiet, In his quiet
rage.
(ii) And stares with his brilliant eyes
At the brilliant stars. What do you think is the effect of this repetition?
What do you think is the effect of this
repetition?
Answer:
The poet has used the poetic device of ‘repetition’ to bring about a certain poetic
intensity. Although repetition is considered to be a rhetorical device, it is
largely used by poets to emphasise certain aspects. The usage of the word
‘quiet’, for instance, strongly suggests a contrast as despite being in rage,
the tiger is forced to remain quiet. While repetition of the same word is
referred to as polyptoton, the repetition of consonant sounds is called
consonance.
NOTE: The remaining activity is to be done by the student.
|
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