The Dangers of a Single Story

According to the speaker hearing or reading many negative stories about the continent of Africa

• encourages western donors to invest more in African children's education to save them from poverty

• flattens Africans' experiences and robs them dignity

• helps readers and spectators to have more understanding of African problems

• inspires change in Africans

What is the problem with a single story

• Single story creates stereotypes

• Stereotypes are not necessarily untrue, but they are always unfinished. They do not give a full picture of a people and their place.

• Telling one story over and over again about a people makes them feel vulnerable and powerless.

• All of the above

Adichie argues that to get a full story of a people, it holds vital to

• engage wholly with the people's distinct narratives and their places

• confirm with westerners who have lived in that place

• ask the experts and the professors who know much about the place and the people

• interview the ambassadors and journalists who live in such a country

Which of the following describes the common single story for Africa?

• The inhabitants of Africa live exciting and luxurious lives.

• The inhabitants of Africa want to come to the United States.

• The inhabitants of Africa live diverse and full lives.

• The inhabitants of Africa are all disadvantaged in the same way.

What role does power play in constructing a single story?

• The people in power have the ability to ignore stories that they don’t agree with.

• The people in power cannot be influenced by the effect of a single story.

• The people in power tell the story that best suits their interest, and control its content and distribution.

• The people in power have no need to construct or spread single stories about others.

What does Adichie believe a better version of storytelling looks like?

• She believes that it includes several stories that focus on the positives.

• She believes that it includes several different stories from different perspectives.

• She believes that stories need to be more widely available in order to improve.

• She doesn’t believe storytelling needs to change, but rather the way people respond to stories.

What is the effect of knowing the full story?

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

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

The single story creates stereotypes that can be harmful.

• True

• False

The speaker argues that it is important to share a variety of stories to create a more accurate picture of a people or place.

• True

• False

What is the main idea of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's TED Talk, "The Danger of a Single Story"?

• The importance of storytelling

• The impact of stereotypes and limited perspectives

• The history of African literature

• The role of personal anecdotes in communication

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