The Dangers of a Single Story

What is the central idea of the text?

• Literature primarily shapes the understanding of children, while adults are less likely to construct their views of the world based on a single story

• By only exposing ourselves to a single story, we run the risk of constructing overly-simplistic understandings of other people and places.

• By only reading a single story, we cheat ourselves of experiencing different cultures from different perspectives

• Literature is reflective of the stories that are most popular and that people are most likely to identify with.

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What is the author’s purpose in the text?

• Adichie wants to show people how she has managed to avoid being influenced by a single story, so that they can do the same.

• Adichie wants to warn people who primarily consume stories of Western culture, that they have likely been influenced by a single story.

• Adichie wants to show how important it is to acknowledge more than a single story in order to fully understand what you are unfamiliar with.

• Adichie wants to prove how limited the United States’ understanding of other cultures is, as most of her experiences with single stories have been in the U.S.

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How do paragraphs 22-24 contribute to the development of ideas in the text?

• They illustrate the damage that single stories can cause to groups of people.

• They emphasize the vigilance of those in power to circulate single stories.

• They demonstrate that anyone can fall victim to believing single stories.

• They show the consequences of believing single stories.

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What theme is common to both "The Danger of a Single Story" TED Talk and "The Lesson"?

• The importance of family

• The impact of economic inequality

• The joy of childhood

• The dangers of a single narrative

• The process of aging

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Why does the author emphasize the danger of a single story?

• It can lead to cultural appropriation

• It creates stereotypes that are incomplete and often false

• It encourages people to read more books

• It simplifies the process of storytelling

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What is the effect of knowing the full story?

• You will stop viewing yourself and your culture as superior to others.

• You have a richer and more complete understanding of other people and places.

• You realize that different people and places aren’t so different.

• You will realize that what you once thought was true was a complete lie.

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What does Adichie criticize about the stories she was reading as a child?

• They were based on evidence

• They were too serious

• They were uninspiring

• They were too relatable

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What does Adichie's discovery of African writers do for her?

• Save her from a single story

• Expose stereotypes

• Highlight the harmfulness of stories

• Encourage unity with the audience

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African writers and book saved Adiche from the idea of...

• happiness

• confusion

• multiple stories

• a single story

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What did the author's discovery of African writers do for her?

• It made her dislike British and American books

• It saved her from having a single story of what books are

• It convinced her to stop writing

• It made her want to move to the United States

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