The Danger of a Single Story

Passage Excerpt:

"What this demonstrates, I think, is how impressionable and vulnerable we are in the face of a story, particularly as children."

1. What does Adichie suggest about the power of stories in this excerpt?

• A) Stories shape our understanding of reality, especially during childhood.

• B) Stories are important but have no lasting impact.

• C) Stories are more influential on adults than on children.

• D) Stories are powerful only when presented repeatedly.

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CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

2. Which of the following best describes the central argument of Adichie's speech?

• A) All stories are equally valid and should be treated as such.
  

• B) It is dangerous to rely on a single perspective to understand people and cultures.

• C) Stories from different cultures should be avoided due to their potential harm.

• D) The more stories we read, the less likely we are to misunderstand others.

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CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RI.11-12.9

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

3. Which rhetorical appeal does Adichie primarily use when recounting her childhood experience of reading only British books?

• Ethos, by establishing her credibility as a well-read individual

• Pathos, by appealing to the emotions of the audience through personal anecdotes

• Logos, by presenting statistical evidence about literacy

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CCSS.RI.11-12.5

CCSS.RI.9-10.5

4. Which of the following statements from Adichie's speech contains an example of ethos?

• A) “I am a storyteller. And I would like to tell you a few personal stories about what I like to call ‘the danger of the single story.’”

• B) “So, after I had spent some years in the U.S. as an African, I began to understand my roommate's response to me.”

• C) “She asked where I had learned to speak English so well, and was confused when I said that Nigeria happened to have English as its official language.”
  

• D) “All of these stories make me who I am. But to insist on only these negative stories is to flatten my experience and to overlook the many other stories that formed me.”

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CCSS.RI.11-12.5

CCSS.RI.9-10.5

5. In "The Danger of a Single Story," how does Adichie define the "single story"?

• A) It is the ability to tell multiple stories from a single cultural perspective.

• B) It is the limited and often inaccurate view that comes from relying on only one source of information.

• C) It is the first story that we hear about a particular group of people.

• D) It is the dominant narrative that is universally accepted as true.

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CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

6. Which rhetorical device is Adichie using when she lists the “beautiful landscapes, beautiful animals, and incomprehensible people, fighting senseless wars”?

• A) Parallelism

• B) Metaphor

• C) Hyperbole

• D) Allusion

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CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

7. How does Adichie’s use of personal stories support her argument in the speech?

• A) It provides evidence of her cultural background and knowledge.

• B) It emphasizes the emotional impact of experiencing the “single story.”

• C) It shows how her experience is universal to all Africans.
  

• D) It highlights her belief in the superiority of diverse stories.

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CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

8. Which statement best reflects Adichie’s overall message about storytelling?

• A) Stories have the power to change perceptions but are often biased.

• B) Stories are subjective and can never fully capture the truth.

• C) Telling diverse stories is essential to combating stereotypes and misconceptions.

• D) Most stories are unreliable and should be viewed with suspicion.

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CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RI.11-12.9

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

9.The second half of the speech, the speaker focuses on the concept of power. Which quote best supports her idea that whoever has the ability to present stories has the power to shape the audience's opinions?

• "The consequences of a single story, is that it robs people of their dignity."

• "With great power comes great responsibility."

• "So that is how to create a single story, show a people as one thing, as only one thing, over and over again, and that is what they become."

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CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3