Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom - Textual Comprehension

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Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom 

Reading Comprehension 1

Tenth May dawned bright and clear. For the past few days I had been pleasantly besieged by dignitaries and world leaders who were coming to pay their respects before the inauguration. The inauguration would be the largest gathering ever of international leaders on South African soil.

The ceremonies took place in the lovely sandstone amphitheatre formed by the Union Buildings in Pretoria. For decades this 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. 

1. What event is being described in the passage?

   a) A wedding ceremony

   b) A political inauguration

   c) A religious festival

   d) A sporting event

 2. Where did the ceremonies take place?

   a) In a stadium

   b) In a park

   c) In an amphitheater formed by the Union Buildings

   d) In a conference hall

 3. What was the significance of the Union Buildings in Pretoria?

   a) It was the headquarters of the African National Congress

   b) It was the site of the first democratic elections in South Africa

   c) It symbolized white supremacy

   d) It represented the unity of different nations

 4. What kind of government was being installed during the inauguration?

   a) A totalitarian government

   b) A democratic, non-racial government

   c) A military dictatorship

   d) A monarchy

5. Why were dignitaries and world leaders coming to South Africa?

   a) To attend a wedding

   b) To pay their respects before the inauguration

   c) To sign a peace treaty

   d) To participate in a cultural festival

 

  Reading Comprehension 2

On that lovely autumn day I was accompanied by my daughter Zenani. On the podium, Mr de Klerk was first sworn in as second deputy president. Then Thabo Mbeki was sworn in as first deputy president. When it was my turn, I pledged to obey and uphold the Constitution and to devote myself to the well- being of the Republic and its people. To the assembled guests and the watching world, I said:

Today, all of us do, by our presence here... confer glory and hope to newborn liberty. Out of the experience of an extraordinary human disaster that lasted too long, must be born a society of which all humanity will be proud. 

1. Who was accompanying Nelson Mandela on the lovely autumn day?

   a) His son

   b) His daughter Zenani

   c) His wife

   d) His colleague

2. Who was sworn in as the second deputy president before Nelson Mandela?

   a) Thabo Mbeki

   b) Nelson Mandela

   c) Mr. de Klerk

   d) A different individual

3. What did Nelson Mandela pledge to do during his turn?

   a) To disobey the Constitution

   b) To uphold the Constitution

   c) To devote himself to corruption

   d) To ignore the well-being of the Republic and its people

4. What did Nelson Mandela say to the assembled guests and the watching world?

   a) He promised to create chaos

   b) He expressed his desire for power

   c) He conferred glory and hope to newborn liberty

   d) He declared war

5. What kind of society did Nelson Mandela envision?

   a) A society of corruption

   b) A society of equality and pride

   c) A society of discrimination

   d) A society of poverty

Reading Comprehension 3

We, who were outlaws not so long ago, have today been given the rare privilege to be host to the nations of the world on our own soil. We thank all of our distinguished international guests for having come to take possession with the people of our country of what is, after all, a common victory for justice, for peace, for human dignity. 

We have, at last, achieved our political emancipation. We pledge ourselves to liberate all our people from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other discrimination. 

Never, never, and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another.

The sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement.

Let freedom reign. God bless Africa!

1. What rare privilege did Nelson Mandela mention in his speech?

   a) The privilege of being outlaws

   b) The privilege of hosting the nations of the world on their own soil

   c) The privilege of achieving political emancipation

   d) The privilege of experiencing poverty and suffering

2. What did Nelson Mandela pledge to do in his speech?

   a) To continue the oppression of his people

   b) To liberate all people from poverty and discrimination

   c) To create more suffering and deprivation

   d) To discriminate based on gender and race

3. According to Nelson Mandela, will South Africa ever experience oppression again?

   a) Yes

   b) No

4. State True or False: Nelson Mandela pledged to achieve political emancipation.

5. State True or False: Nelson Mandela hoped that the sun would never set on the achievement of freedom.

Reading Comprehension 4

A few moments later we all lifted our eyes in awe as a spectacular array of South African jets, helicopters and troop carriers roared in perfect formation over the Union Buildings. It 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. 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 but arrested me. Finally a chevron of Impala jets left a smoke trail of the black, red, green, blue and gold of the new South African flag.

The day was symbolised for me by the playing of our two national anthems, and the vision of whites singing ‘Nkosi Sikelel –iAfrika’ and blacks singing ‘Die Stem’, the old anthem of the Republic. Although that day neither group knew the lyrics of the anthem they once despised, they would soon know the words by heart.

1. State True or False: The military's display during the event was a demonstration of loyalty to the new democratically elected government.

2. State True or False: The highest generals of the South African defense force and police saluted Nelson Mandela, showing their loyalty.

3. State True or False: Both white and black individuals sang their respective national anthems during the event.

4. What did the Impala jets leave behind as they flew over?

   a) Flowers

   b) Smoke trail of the South African flag colors

   c) Ribbons and medals

   d) Leaflets

5. What were the two national anthems played during the event?

   a) "God Save the Queen" and "The Star-Spangled Banner"

   b) "Nkosi Sikelel'iAfrika" and "Die Stem"

   c) "La Marseillaise" and "O Canada"

   d) "Advance Australia Fair" and "Rule Britannia"

Reading Comprehension 5

 On the day of the inauguration, I was overwhelmed with a sense of history. In the first decade of the twentieth century, a few years after the bitter Anglo-Boer war and before my own birth, the white-skinned peoples of South Africa patched up their differences and erected a system of racial domination against the dark-skinned peoples of their own land. The structure they created formed the basis of one of the harshest, most inhumane, societies the world has ever known. Now, in the last decade of the twentieth century, and my own eighth decade as a man, that system had been overturned forever and replaced by one that recognised the rights and freedoms of all peoples, regardless of the colour of their skin.

That day had come about through the unimaginable sacrifices of thousands of my people, people whose suffering and courage can never be counted or repaid. I felt that day, as I have on so many other days, that I was simply the sum of all those African patriots who had gone before me. That long and noble line ended and now began again with me. I was pained that I was not able to thank them and that they were not able to see what their sacrifices had wrought.

1. What historical event was Nelson Mandela reflecting on during the inauguration?

   a) The First World War

   b) The Anglo-Boer War

   c) The French Revolution

   d) The American Civil War

2. According to Mandela, what system did the white-skinned people of South Africa create in the early twentieth century?

   a) A system of racial equality

   b) A system of racial domination

   c) A system of democracy

   d) A system of religious tolerance

3. What replaced the system of racial domination in South Africa, according to Mandela?

   a) A system of economic inequality

   b) A system of apartheid

   c) A system of democracy

   d) A system of dictatorship

 4. What does "inauguration" mean in the context of the text?

   a) A farewell ceremony

   b) A celebration of victory

   c) The beginning of a new government's term

   d) An annual holiday

5. What is the meaning of "patriots" as used in the passage?

   a) People who love their country and support its interests

   b) People who dislike their country and wish to leave it

   c) People who fight against their country

   d) People who are indifferent to their country's affairs

Reading Comprehension 6

The policy of apartheid created a deep and lasting wound in my country and my people. All of us will spend many years, if not generations, recovering from that profound hurt. But the decades of oppression and brutality had another, unintended, effect, and that was that it produced the Oliver Tambos, the Walter Sisulus, the Chief Luthulis, the Yusuf Dadoos, the Bram Fischers, the Robert Sobukwes of our time— men of such extraordinary courage, wisdom and generosity that their like may never be known again. Perhaps it requires such depths of oppression to create such heights of character. 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.

It is from these comrades in the struggle that I learned the meaning of courage. Time and again, I have seen men and women risk and give their lives for an idea. I have seen men stand up to attacks and torture without breaking, showing a strength and resilience that defies the imagination. I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.

1. What is the main theme of the passage?

   a) The economic wealth of South Africa

   b) The impact of apartheid on South African society

   c) The political landscape of South Africa

   d) The natural resources of South Africa

2. According to the passage, what did the decades of oppression unintentionally produce?

   a) Wealth and prosperity

   b) Leaders of extraordinary courage and wisdom

   c) Social inequality and injustice

   d) Economic instability

3. What is a synonym for "resilience" as used in the passage?

   a) Fragility

   b) Flexibility

   c) Perseverance

   d) Vulnerability

4. State True or False: The passage suggests that the author believes oppression can lead to the development of strong character.

5. State True or False: According to the passage, courage is defined as the absence of fear.

Reading Comprehension 7

 No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite. Even in the grimmest times in prison, when my comrades and I were pushed to our limits, I would see a glimmer of humanity in one of the guards, perhaps just for a second, but it was enough to reassure me and keep me going. Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished.

In life, every man has twin obligations — obligations to his family, to his parents, to his wife and children; and he has an obligation to his people, his community, his country. In a civil and humane society, each man is able to fulfil those obligations according to his own inclinations and abilities. But in a country like South Africa, it was almost impossible for a man of my birth and colour to fulfil both of those obligations. In South Africa, a man of colour who attempted to live as a human being was punished and isolated. In South Africa, a man who tried to fulfil his duty to his people was inevitably ripped from his family and his home and was forced to live a life apart, a twilight existence of secrecy and rebellion. I did not in the beginning choose to place my people above my family, but in attempting to serve my people, I found that I was prevented from fulfilling my obligations as a son, a brother, a father and a husband.

1. What is the main message conveyed in the passage?

   a) The importance of family obligations over societal duties

   b) The innate goodness within humanity and the power of love over hate

   c) The challenges faced by individuals in fulfilling their obligations in society

   d) The struggle for survival in a civil and humane society

2. According to the passage, what reassured the author during his time in prison?

   a) Acts of kindness from fellow inmates

   b) Brief glimpses of humanity from prison guards

   c) Messages of support from his family

   d) Opportunities to serve his community

3. What does the author suggest about man's goodness?

   a) It is easily extinguished in times of hardship

   b) It is innate and cannot be learned

   c) It can be hidden but never completely eliminated

   d) It is only evident in individuals with certain inclinations and abilities

4. In what context does the author discuss the difficulty of fulfilling obligations in South Africa?

   a) Family and societal duties conflicting with each other

   b) The struggle to maintain secrecy and rebellion

   c) The punishment and isolation faced by individuals of color

   d) The inability to serve one's people while maintaining familial ties

5. What conclusion does the author reach about placing his people above his family?

   a) It was a deliberate choice made from the beginning

   b) It was an unintended consequence of attempting to serve his people

   c) It led to isolation and a life apart from his family

   d) It was necessary for fulfilling his obligations as a son, brother, father, and husband

 Reading Comprehension 8

I was not born with a hunger to be free. I was born free — free in every way that I could know. Free to run in the fields near my mother’s hut, free to swim in the clear stream that ran through my village, free to roast mealies under the stars and ride the broad backs of slow-moving bulls. As long as I obeyed my father and abided by the customs of my tribe, I was not troubled by the laws of man or God.

It was only when I began to learn that my boyhood freedom was an illusion, when I discovered as a young man that my freedom had already been taken from me, that I began to hunger for it. At first, as a student, I wanted freedom only for myself, the transitory freedoms of being able to stay out at night, read what I pleased and go where I chose. Later, as a young man in Johannesburg, I yearned for the basic and honourable freedoms of achieving my potential, of earning my keep, of marrying and having a family — the freedom not to be obstructed in a lawful life.

1. Which of the following best describes the author's initial perception of freedom?

   a) Freedom is an innate human right

   b) Freedom is earned through obedience and adherence to customs

   c) Freedom is a transient experience only enjoyed by the young

   d) Freedom is conditional upon societal expectations and laws

2. What is the author's primary motivation for desiring freedom as a student?

   a) The desire to challenge societal norms and customs

   b) The pursuit of personal fulfillment and self-expression

   c) The opportunity to rebel against authority figures

   d) The need to assert individual autonomy and independence

3. According to the passage, what does the author's hunger for freedom evolve into as a young man in Johannesburg?

   a) A desire for transient and superficial freedoms

   b) A longing for societal acceptance and recognition

   c) An aspiration for fundamental and honorable freedoms

   d) A craving for revolutionary change and political liberty

4. How does the author's perception of freedom change over time?

   a) From a societal construct to a personal pursuit

   b) From a superficial desire to a fundamental necessity

   c) From an illusion to a tangible reality

   d) From an individual privilege to a collective right

 5. State True or False:  The author was born with a hunger to be free.

 Reading Comprehension 9

But then I slowly saw that not only was I not free, but my brothers and sisters were not free. I saw that it was not just my freedom that was curtailed, but the freedom of everyone who looked like I did. That is when I joined the African National Congress, and that is when the hunger for my own freedom became the greater hunger for the freedom of my people. 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, that forced a life-loving man to live like a monk. I am no more virtuous or self-sacrificing than the next man, but I found that I could not even enjoy the poor and limited freedoms I was allowed when I knew my people were not free. Freedom is indivisible; the chains on anyone of my people were the chains on all of them, the chains on all of my people were the chains on me.

I knew that the oppressor must be liberated just as surely as the oppressed. A man who takes away another man’s freedom is a prisoner of hatred; he is locked behind the bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness. I am not truly free if I am taking away someone else’s freedom, just as surely as I am not free when my freedom is taken from me. The oppressed and the oppressor alike are robbed of their humanity.

1. According to the passage, what transformed the author from a frightened young man into a bold one?

   a) Joining the African National Congress

   b) Marrying and having a family

   c) Living a life of luxury

   d) Pursuing a career as an attorney

 2. What does the author mean by "Freedom is indivisible"?

   a) Freedom should be divided equally among all people.

   b) The oppressor's freedom is dependent on the oppressed.

   c) If one person lacks freedom, everyone is affected.

   d) Freedom cannot be attained without sacrifice.

3. Which word is a synonym for "transformed" as used in the passage?

   a) Retained

   b) Modified

   c) Maintained

   d) Sustained

  

4. True or False: According to the author, the oppressor is also deprived of their humanity.

   - Correct Answer: True