PODAR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Worksheet Answer Scheme

Name: Std: X Date:
Subject: English Topic: Nelson Mandela

Q. No. Question Marks

1. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that
follow.
(a) Only moments before, the highest generals of 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.
i. Who is referred to as ‘me’? Why were the generals saluting him? 1
Nelson Mandela is referred to as ‘me’.
The generals were saluting him because he had been sworn
in as thepresident of South Africa.
ii. What was the significance of the ceremony taking place? 1
The ceremony taking place was for the installation of South
Africa’s first democratic, non-racial government.
iii. Why were two national anthems sung at the ceremony? 2
On the day of the inauguration, two national anthems
were sung, one by the whites, and the other by the blacks.
This symbolised the equality of blacks and whites.
iv. Fill in the blank with the correct word. 1
The people of the country had achieved _______, ________ and
richness of culture
wisdom and good luck

(b) 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 freedom 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..."
i. In what ways was Mandela free? 1

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 Mandela was free to run in the fields, free to swim in the
stream, free to roast mealies and ride the backs of slow
moving bulls.
ii. What kind of freedom did Mandela yearn for as a man? 1
Mandela yearned for the basic and honourable freedom of
achieving his potential, of earning his life, of marrying and
having a family.
iii. Why did Nelson Mandela join the African National Congress? 2
Nelson Mandela realised that neither he nor his brothers and
sisters were free. Hence, he joined the African National
Congress when the hunger for his own freedom became the
greater hunger for thefreedom of my people.
iv. Fill in the blank with only one word. 1
The speaker says that freedom is _________.
transitory

2. Answer the following in 40-50 words. 3 m each

(a) What transferred Nelson Mandela from a frightened young
man to a boldman?
Nelson Mandela was changed into a bold man due to his
desire of freedom for his country and his countrymen. He
wanted them to live their life with dignity and self-respect as
he could not enjoy the limited freedom.
(b) How was Mandela overwhelmed with a sense of history?
In the first decade of the twentieth century and before
Mandela’s birth, the whites in South Africa had erected a
system of racial domination known as ‘apartheid’. In the last
decade of the twentieth century, when Mandela was in his
eighties, he saw that system crumbling. So, he was
overwhelmed with a sense of history.
(c) What did Nelson Mandela pledge to do for the future of South
Africa athis swearing- in ceremony?
Mandela pledged to liberate all the people from poverty,
deprivation, suffering, gender and other discriminations
during his swearing-in ceremony. Never again would the
beautiful land experience the oppression of one by
another. The sun would never set on their glorious human
achievement.
(d) What did Mandela think for oppressor and oppressed?
Mandela always thought that both oppressor and oppressed
are deprived of their humanity. The man who takes away

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 another man’s freedom is a prisoner of hatred. He is locked
behind bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness. He is not
truly free if he is taking away someone else’s freedom. Both
the Oppressor and the oppressed needto be liberated.

3. Answer the following in 100-120 words. 6 m each

(a) Describe the value of freedom for the human beings and how it is
important for the growth of civilisation and humanism as
described in the lesson ‘Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom’.
Everybody whether humans or other creatures want to live
free as freedom is natural to all living beings. The value of
freedom is better known to that human being who has not
tasted it till he gets it. A person who is chained with the limits
and not allowed to perform his duties freely, values freedom
more than anyone else. For instance, the value of freedom
was known better to Mandela who remained behind the bars
most of his life. Think about a bird or animal which is caged
as they have the habit of living with full freedom but in the
cage, they are not free and their conditions are very pitiable.
Similarly, life becomes hell if we are deprived of freedom.
There is no growth. Civilisation grows only when one has
freedom. Similarly, humanism grows in the atmosphere of
freedom.
(b) What were Mandela’s opinions about the first and last
decades of the twentieth century?
Why does he say on the day of the inauguration that he was
overwhelmed with a sense of history?
On the day of the inauguration, the speaker’s mind went back
to history. He remembered the first decade, when the whites
ruled over South Africa and they made a discrimination
against the blacks. They built a system of racial discrimination
against the blacks. Their behaviour was full of cruelty. They
meted out inhuman treatment to the blacks. But now in the
last decade of this century, this cruel system was overturned.
Now a new system replaced it. It was the first democratic
government of South Africa. Now there will be no
discrimination on the basis of colour. That is why, on the day
of the inauguration, he was overwhelmed with a sense of
history.

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 (c) India is a country of unity in diversity. Yet discrimination exists.
Give your views on this.
Student specific
(d) What does Mandela think about the patriots? Can they be
repaid?
Nelson Mandela thinks that the freedom and democratic
government have all come only due to the great sacrifices of
thousands of patriots. They were those men who did not care
about their lives and died for their people and country. They
can’t be repaid. He thinks himself the sumof all those who had
sacrificed their lives. Now he regrets that he was not able to
thank them. According to Mandela, the policy of apartheid
greatly wounded the people. It was hard to recover. It would
take much time. These great patriots were Oliver Tambo,
Walter Sisulu, Luthuli, Dadoo, Fischer, Sobukwe, etc.

4. Choose the correct option.

a) The inauguration ceremony was a celebration of South Africa’s 1 m each
first _____ government.
i. autocratic, racial
ii. democratic, non-racial
iii. democratic, racial
iv. monarchial, non-racial
b) Why did other countries break off diplomatic relations with South
Africa?
i. White rulers
ii. It was a communist country
iii. It was a poor country
iv. Apartheid policy
c) The structure they created formed the basis of one of the
harshest, most inhumane, societies the world has ever known.
What structure is Mandela talking about?
i. racial domination against the black skinned
ii. poverty and suffering
iii. discrimination against the poor
iv. domination and oppression of women
d) What realisation did Mandela have of his boyhood freedom?
i. It is just an illusion.
ii. He was born free.

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 iii. Freedom was meant for children.
iv. It had to be earned.
e) What began Mandela’s hunger for freedom?
i. the fact that it had already been taken away from him
ii. his obligation towards people
iii. his obligation towards family
iv. the fact that he was a soldier and it was his duty to fight
f) How does Nelson Mandela define the meaning of courage?
i. triumph over fear
ii. triumph over love
iii. triumph over compassion
iv. triumph over poverty
g) What change brought international leaders to South Africa?
i. end of Apartheid
ii. beginning of racism
iii. end of peace
iv. beginning of trade negotiations
h) According to Mandela, what is the greatest wealth of a nation?
i. minerals
ii. gems
iii. land
iv. people
i) Whom did Mandela wanted to thank but couldn’t?
i. his family
ii. white rulers
iii. African patriots
iv. military
j) We have achieved our political emancipation.
What is the meaning of emancipation?
i. freedom from work
ii. freedom from restriction
iii. bravery
iv. imprisonment

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