FamousAfricanAmericans

MayaAngelou

USEYOURRUNNERSSTRATEGY

MayaAngelouwasbornonApril4,1928,inSt.Louis,Missouri.In1931,
herparentsgotdivorced.Angelouandherbrother,Bailey,weresenttolivewith
theirgrandmotherinArkansas.FouryearslatersheandBaileywenttolivewith
theirmotheragain.

Angelouhadadifficultchildhood.Sheenduredsometerribleexperiences.
Herreactiontotheseexperienceswastobecomemute.Shedidnotspeakfor
almostfiveyears.AngelouwasAfricanAmerican,andshegrewupatatimewhen
AfricanAmericanswerediscriminatedagainstbecauseofthecoloroftheirskin.
Asateen,Angeloubegantotalkagain.Afterhighschool,sheworked
manydifferentjobs.Eventually,shebecameasinger,dancer,andactor.Later,
shebegantowrite.Shewrotepoemsandstories.In1969,shepublishedherfirst
autobiography,IKnowWhytheCagedBirdSings.Itwasahugesuccess.The
bookisstillverypopulartoday.

InJanuary1993,Angeloureceivedagreathonor.Shewasaskedby
PresidentelectBillClintontoreciteapoemathisinauguration1.Shewasonly
thesecondpoetinU.S.historytohavehadthathonor.
MayaAngeloudiedin2014.Shewasacelebratedpoet,writer,and
educator.Shewrotemorethanadozenbestsellingbooks.Angelouwasalsoan
actress,playwright,historian,producer,anddirector.Inaddition,shewasknown
asapersonwhofoughtforequalityandcivilrights.

Questions
Name:Date:_______________________
1.MayaAngelouwasknownasapersonwhofoughtforwhat?
Aequalityandcivilrights
Bcreativefreedomforpoets
CspeakingatClintonsinauguration
Dbettersupportforsinglemothers

2.Thissentencedescribesacause:Sheenduredsometerribleexperiences.Whatis
aneffectofthatcause?
AAngelouwasborn.
BAngeloubecamemute.
CAngelouwenttolivewithhergrandmother.
DAngeloupublishedabook.

3.Asayoungadult,MayaAngeloubegantoovercometheproblemsofherchildhood.
Whatevidencefromthepassagesupportsthisconclusion?

ASheworkedmanyjobs.
BSheenduredterribleexperiences.
CShewrotepoemsandstories.
DShebegantotalkagain.

4.HowcouldMayaAngeloubestbedescribed?
Ashyandhesitant
Bhonestandloud
Cstrongandcreative
Drebelliousandrude

5.Whatisthemainideaofthispassage?
APeoplewhoaremuteaschildrenhaveahardtimebecomingactorsand
singers.
BMayaAngelouandherbrotherdidmanyjobstogetherasteens.
CMayaAngelouhadasuccessfulcareer,despitethehardshipsshehadfaced.
DPresidentClintonenjoyedthepoetryofMayaAngelou.

6.Readthefollowingsentences:Sheenduredsometerribleexperiences.Herreaction
totheseexperienceswastobecomemute.Shedidnotspeakforalmostfiveyears.
Asusedinthissentence,whatdoesmutemean?
Anotwillingorabletotalk
Bnotabletohearproperly
Cunabletowalkwithouthelp

Dnotabletoseeproperly

7.Choosetheanswerthatbestcompletesthesentencebelow.
MayaAngelouhadsometerribleexperiencesinherchildhood,_______sherefusedto
speakforalmostfiveyears.
Athough
Bbecause
Cso
Deventhough

ShortResponse:23COMPETESentences

8.WhatspecificbookbyMayaAngelouisdescribedinthepassage,andwhatkindof
bookisit?
Itwasiknowwhythecagedbirdsings.Itwasanautobiography.

9.WhathonordidMayaAngeloureceivein1993,andwhywasthissignificant?
Shewasaskedbythepresidenttoreciteapoem.Itwasabigdealbecauseshewasonlythe
secondpoetinhistorytohavethathonor.

10.ExplainwhyMayaAngelouslifewouldbeinterestingtoreadaboutinabook.

Itwouldbeinterestingbecauseshefacesalotofchallengesinlifeandhowsheovercomes
themwouldbeinterestingtoread.