L-2 Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

“We, who were outlaws not so long ago, have today been given the rare

privilege to be host to the nations if 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.”

The guests at the spectacular ceremony are being called distinguished

because they

• they have been invited as guests to attend it.

• they are eminent world leaders witnessing it.

• they are visiting the country for this purpose.

• they have resumed diplomatic relations with the country.

“We, who were outlaws not so long ago, have today been given the rare

privilege to be host to the nations if 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.”

It is a victory for ‘human dignity’. Pick the option that lists the correct

answer for what ‘human dignity’ would include.

• i) equality ii) liberty iii) indecency

• i) liberty ii) indecency iii) self-respect

• i) immorality ii) self-respect iii) equality

• i) equality ii) liberty iii) self-respect

“We, who were outlaws not so long ago, have today been given the rare

privilege to be host to the nations if 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.”

Why does the speaker say that it is a ‘rare privilege’?

He says this as they have

• been deprived of this honour.

• seldom been given this honour.

• experienced it for the first time.

• been chosen over other countries, for this honour.

“We, who were outlaws not so long ago, have today been given the rare

privilege to be host to the nations if 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.”

How do you think the speaker feels? Choose the option that best fits his

state of mind.

• i) emotional ii) elated iii) unmindful

• i) elated ii) unmindful iii) overwhelmed

• i) overwhelmed ii) elated iii) honoured

• i) elated ii) honoured iii) unmindful

“We, who were outlaws not so long ago, have today been given the rare

privilege to be host to the nations if 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.”
Pick the option that showcases the usage of ‘host’ as in the extract.

• He was praised for his hospitality as the host of the party.

• She was able to host the event without any hindrance.

• She was able to host the event without any hindrance.

• He is the best host that one can ever come across.

“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...”

The title that best suits this extract is

• Freedom for everything

• Knowledge about Freedom

• Significance of Freedom

• Realisation of Freedom

“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...”

Why do you think the speaker mentions some freedoms as ‘transitory’?

• The freedoms are momentary and keep changing with time.

• The definition of freedom is constant but perspectives differ.

• Freedom means different things to different people.

• Freedom is not that important after a certain age.

“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...”

Choose the option that best fits the usage of the word ‘illusion’ as used in

the extract.

• He was never able to get past the illusion.

• The illusion I experienced was quite intriguing.

• A large mirror in the room creates an illusion.

• I was living under the illusion that this is possible.

“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...”

The speaker says, ‘at first as a student I wanted freedom only for myself.’

Why do you think he only thought about himself?

• He didn’t want to think about the freedom denied to others.

• He was being selfish and was only bothered about himself.

• He didn’t think that freedom denied to him was important for others.

• He was too young to realise that freedom was denied to others as well.

“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...”

A part of the extract has been paraphrased. Choose the option that includes

the most appropriate solution to the blanks in the given paraphrase of the

extract.

The speaker’s belief about freedom, since childhood proved false. It was

not until the speaker grew up to be a young man when it i)

__________________ on him that he was ii) ________________ of

freedom. Then he began iii) __________________ it.

• i) desired ii) dawned iii) depriving

• i) dawned ii) deprived iii) desiring

• i) dawned ii) arrived iii) desiring

• i) arrived ii) deprived iii) dawned