ACADEMIC READING 2

SOCIOLOGY – PART 2

SLOTS 41 & 42

NOTICING ACTIVITY ______________________________

The following vocabulary items appear in the reading of noticing activity. Circle
the ones you know. Put a question mark next to the ones you do not know:

preeminent platform casting

sanguine oratorically nurture

TASK 1: Read the passage. Notice that some sentences are mostly fact, others
are mostly opinion, and others are a balance of the two.

PERCEPTIONS OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT

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The US civil rights movement is dreamily memorialized as a virtually sacred period of
moral advancement. 2A national holiday commemorates its preeminent leader, Martin
Luther King Jr., and school curricula teach children to celebrate the revolutionary
ideals of the time. 3However, during the period from 1954 to 1968 the heyday of the
civil rights movement public views of it were not nearly so sanguine. 4Many white
people throughout the United States, not just in the South, argued that
antidiscrimination measures were detrimental to American society. 5In some cases,
they joined terrorist white supremacy groups such as the Ku Klux Klan. 6Political
leaders such as Alabama governor George Wallace, who ran on an openly racist
platform, were reelected despite – or perhaps because of – their segregationist
messages.
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However, the civil rights movement drew in many supporters as well. 8National
leaders, pressured in part by the global embarrassment of America's racial
inequalities, increasingly supported black civil rights both legislatively and
oratorically. 9The civil rights period attracted more protesters and more white support
of black people than any other time since the 1850s and the Abolitionist Movement.
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In addition, mass media were often sympathetic, casting leaders of the civil rights
movements as heroes, which helped nurture white sympathy for black struggles.

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TASK 2: Look again at the passage. Some sentences are mostly fact, others are
mostly opinion, and others are a balance of the two. Complete the following
chart. Discuss your answers with a partner.

Types of Information Sentences

1. Mostly opinion

2. Mostly fact

3. Almost Equally Fact

and Opinion

TASK 3: Match the following terms with their corresponding definitions.

Terms Definitions

1. preeminent A. to cause to grow and develop

2. sanguine B. in speeches

3. platform C. a set of principles or goals

4. oratorically D. confident and hopeful

5. casting E. portraying; picturing

6. nurture F. most important

TASK 4: Complete each sentence using the correct vocabulary item from the
box. Use the correct form.

1. America identifies and ............................... talent more methodically than any

society I have heard about.
2. In 1956 King began an ............................... marathon that lasted over twelve
years, attacking segregation in approximately two thousand speeches and
sermons as he hopscotched the nation.
3. Behavior can usually be ............................... in positive or negative terms.
4. Before the 19th century, China’s ............................... in Asia was never
challenged.
5. The 1964 ............................... of the Republican Party did allow tax credits for
those burdened by the costs of higher education.
6. We stopped believing in the four humors, but we remain bilious, choleric,
............................... and phlegmatic.

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VOCABULARY REVIEW _____________________________
The following vocabulary items appear in the reading. Circle the ones you know. Put a
question mark next to the ones you do not know:

sweeping meticulous crackdown

traction unconscionable succumb

PRE-READING ___________________________________
TASK 5: Before you read the text, discuss the following questions with your
partners.

1. What do you know about Gandhi?

2. What did Gandhi teach the world?
3. Gandhi said: "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." Do you agree with
this?
4. Gandhi believed people should lead as simple a life as possible. Do you think
people can do this today?
5. Is Gandhi’s message and example of peaceful protest still important today?

TASK 6: You will read a passage called "Gandhi's Salt Strategy" Look at the
picture and skim the article. Write three things you predict will be discussed.
Then read the passage quickly. Were your predictions correct?

Prediction:
1. ..................................................................................................................................
2. ..................................................................................................................................
3. ..................................................................................................................................

TASK 7: Scan the passage called "Gandhi's Salt Strategy” quickly. Write down
your findings in the following chart:

Categories of Information found

Information
1. name of a person,
place, event, or
organization
2. Indian words

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3. year, date, amount,
proportion

TASK 8: Read each question. Choose the kind of information you need to scan
for to answer the question. Then answer the questions by scanning the passage
“What is a vaccine?” on the next page for the information you need.

1. How is Mahatma Gandhi viewed today? ................................................................

A. a remark
B. a outline
C. a definition
D. a measure

2. Where did Gandhi first begin his social activism? ..............................................

A. an activity
B. a context
C. an exploration
D. a place

3. What was the reaction of Indian citizens during crackdowns? ...............................

A. a counterargument
B. a process
C. an action
D. a summary

TASK 9: Circle the word in each pair that has the more negative connotation.

1. oppressive / tyrannical 4. mutinously / defiantly

2. violate / disobey 5. introduce / impose
3. discard / dump 6. barbaric / inhumane

TASK 10: Read the passage. Then think about the answer to the following
questions:

1. What is the tone?

2. What are the attitudes of the author towards Mahatma Gandhi, Mahatma
Gandhi's campaigns and British colony?
3. How does the author set that tone? Point to specific elements of the passage
(e.g., word choice, selective use of examples and evidence, syntax, and
punctuation) that help you determine this.

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READING TEXT __________________________________

Gandhi's participating in a salt March 1930

GANDHI'S SALT STRATEGY

1. Mahatma Gandhi's most successful acts of civil disobedience against Britain's
oppressive rule aimed to involve people from all socioeconomic groups and bring
sweeping changes to the entire society. These acts specifically employed
methods of protest that were easily accessible to all. Regarded today as an
exemplar of protest activism, Gandhi's so-called "khadi campaign" encouraged
Indians to spin cotton into yarn, weave that yarn into cloth, and boycott British
manufactured textiles. In a similar vein, Gandhi encouraged Indians to disobey
British salt laws by producing their own salt. Spinning and weaving and salt-
making are among the most humble of tasks, but according to Gandhi, they
boosted self-respect among those viewed as the hoi polloi, they trained citizens to
mobilize for a collective movement, and they provided people with constructive
work that would eventually lead a nation to independence.

Khadi Campaign

2. Gandhi began his work as a civil rights leader not in India, but rather on the distant
shores of South Africa, where he campaigned for equal rights for much of his two
decades of residence there. Returning to his homeland of India in 1914 as a
recognized rabble-rouser, he soon discarded Western clothing and donned the
homespun cloth of India known as khadi as a way of symbolically casting off British
rule. Britain controlled the textile market in India, and Gandhi began encouraging
Indians to wear homespun cloth as a way of both defying the British monopoly of

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 the marketplace and increasing self-reliance. Traditional Indian clothing became
not only a commodity, as it could be worn, but also a visual uniform of nationalism.
The movement gained traction, and soon Gandhi's followers defiantly burned the
British clothing and wore traditional cloth.

Salt Campaign

3. The British imposed strict laws on the production and distribution of salt, which
forced Indians to buy expensive, heavily taxed British salt. With meticulous care,
Gandhi chose his method of protest against the British when he decided in 1930
to lead a 240-mile march to the sea to collect salt. His plan was met with disbelief
when presented to the Indian authorities, but Gandhi defended his reasons,
stating that salt was one of the most important necessities of life. He further called
the tax inhumane and unjust, declaring that it was unconscionable to tax a
commodity that millions of poor people required. Gandhi's idea, though initially met
with skepticism, turned out to be ingenious because it created ripples that reached
the farthest edges of the nation and spread word of the Indian independence
movement throughout the world.

4. As with the khadi campaign. hundreds of thousands joined in Gandhi's Salt March.
British-backed forces jailed more than 60.000 marchers and brutally beat many of
them, but most marchers continued to adhere to nonviolent resistance even
amidst the crackdown. The British eventually made concessions. and Gandhi's
campaign gained a following abroad where his work was lauded with Time
magazine declaring him Man of the Year in 1930. Other civil rights leaders began
to take notes for their own campaigns to come. India's victory came 17 years later
in 1947, when the British succumbed to pressure and recognized India as an
independent nation.

WHILE-READING _________________________________
TASK 11: Read the text carefully and answer the following questions in your
own language.

1. What is the tone?

2. What are the attitudes of the author towards Mahatma Gandhi, Mahatma
Gandhi's campaigns and British colony?
3. How does the author set that tone? Point to specific elements of the passage
(e.g., word choice, selective use of examples and evidence, syntax, and
punctuation) that help you determine this.

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TASK 12: Read these excerpts from the passage, each of which contains biased
language. Explain what language makes each excerpt biased.

Sentences Biased language

found
1. Regarded today as an exemplar of protest activism,
Gandhi's so-called "khadi campaign" encouraged
Indians to spin cotton into yarn, weave that yarn into
cloth, and boycott British manufactured textiles.
2. Spinning and weaving and salt-making are among the
most humble of tasks, but according to Gandhi, they
boosted self-respect among those viewed as the hoi
polloi, they trained citizens to mobilize for a collective
movement, and they provided people with constructive
work that would eventually lead a nation to
independence.
3. Returning to his homeland of India in 1914 as a
recognized rabble-rouser, he soon discarded Western
clothing and donned the homespun cloth of India known
as khadi as a way of symbolically casting off British rule.
4. He further called the tax inhumane and unjust, declaring
that it was unconscionable to tax a commodity that
millions of poor people required.
5. Gandhi's idea, though initially met with skepticism,
turned out to be ingenious because it created ripples that
reached the farthest edges of the nation and spread word
of the Indian independence movement throughout the
world.
6. British-backed forces jailed more than 60,000 marchers
and brutally beat many of them, but most marchers
continued to adhere to nonviolent resistance even
amidst the crackdown.

TASK 13: Read the text again and write the main idea of each paragraph:

Paragraphs Main ideas

1. Paragraph 1
2. Paragraph 2
3. Paragraph 3
4. Paragraph 4

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TASK 14: Read the text carefully and answer the following questions in your own
language.

PARAGRAPH 1:

1. What are the target participants of Gandhi’s campaigns?

2. What point made the civil disobedience movements of Gandhi special?
3. What industry do the words such as “cotton”, “yarn”, “weave” & “cloth” refer to?
4. Find a suitable word/phrase which could substitute for the phrase “in a similar
vein”.
5. How many purposes of his campaign are mentioned in paragraph 1? What are
they?
6. List out 3 words with negative connotations and 3 words with positive connotations
in paragraph 1.
7. Why is the word hoi polloi is italicized?

PARAGRAPH 2:

1. What could possibly be his job when he was in South Africa, according to
paragraph 2?
2. How long at least did he stay there?
3. Was he infamous in India when he returned there? Why (not)?
4. Who considered him a rabble-rouser?
5. In terms of outfits, what did he do, besides discarding Western clothes and
wearing his traditional ones?
6. What would he like to express by doing so?

PARAGRAPH 3:

1. What was the reason why British colony required Indians to buy expensive, heavily
taxed their salt?
2. Was his proposal initially approved? What did he do after that?
3. Why does the author use the word “ripples” to describe what the Salt Campaign
created?
4. Find a word/place to replace the word “ripples” in paragraph 3.

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5. What was the global effect of that campaign?

PARAGRAPH 4:
1. What di British colony do to protesters? Why?
2. What did protesters do during such suppression?
3. Why was Gandhi granted Man of the Year in 1930 by Time magazine?
4. Which word in paragraph 1 reflects the sense of this sentence: “Other civil rights
leaders began to take notes for their own campaigns to come.”?
5. Why did India become independent in 1947?

TASK 15: Read the text again and fill in the following summary with suitable
word for each gap. You DO NOT NEED to use all the words provided.

GANDHI’S SALT STRATEGY

Introduction:
The success of Gandhi’s movements are due to his (1)…… of all Indian citizens
regardless of their social (2)…… The two (3)…… that he encouraged everyone to
protest include salt and India’s traditional (4)…… His (5)…… is that those products
could serve as a way to boost national (6)…… and could make people (7)…… for a
collective movement, no matter how trivial these things appeared.

Khadi Campaign:
Gandhi’s first started his (8)…… movements in South Africa. As a leader, he (9)……
the abortion of (10)…… policies. In 1914, he came back to India, where he was
(11)…… as a (12)…… With a view to (13) …… British rule and (14)…… the
exclusive control of Britain of the marketplace, he opted for khadi. His idea of an
(15)…… India went (16)……, and soon almost everyone quickly adopted khadi as
a (17)…… for British clothing.

Salt Campaign:
Understanding how important salt was to Indian people and how expensive salt was
(18)……, he soon (19)…… an idea of organizing a march to the sea to collect salt.

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 First, his idea was criticized for its (20)……; however, after the presentation of his
(21)……, it turned out to be ingenious. This movement has also (22)…… other
independence movements worldwide.

Conclusion:
His two campaigns (23)…… thousands of people and soon encountered (24)……
crackdowns from British colony. Nevertheless, protesters still stuck to non-violence
(25)…… of Gandhi. Eventually, in 1947, India gained its (26)…… and Gandhi was
(27)…… as Man of the Year by Time magazine.

commodities independent fabric substitute

called for justice discriminatory pride
discarding excuses indignation condemned
honored viral purchased backgrounds
rationales significance attracted demanded
philosophy violent independence prepared
came up with resisting involvement trouble-maker
influenced approach discouraged racism

POST-READING __________________________________

TASK 16: Review the vocabulary items in the Vocabulary Preview. Write their
definitions and add examples. Use a dictionary if necessary.

Lexical items Pronunciations Meanings Examples

sweeping (a.) /ˈswiː.pɪŋ/

traction (n.) /ˈtræk.ʃən/

meticulous (a.) /məˈtɪk.jə.ləs/

unconscionable /ʌnˈkɑːn.ʃən.ə.bəl/
(a.)
crackdown (n.) /ˈkræk.daʊn/
succumb (v.) /səˈkʌm/

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TASK 17: Complete each sentence using the correct vocabulary item from the box.
Use the correct form.

sweeping meticulous crackdown

traction unconscionable succumb

1. Sooner or later, I fear, they will ...............................to pressure from other, more
powerful business interests.
2. The objectives are specific and measurable, covering a ...............................range
of prevention strategies.
3. We began to interview witnesses, and we were struck by the ...............................of
their recall.
4. Internet protocol (IP) based storage has gained significant
...............................over the course of the past year.
5. A(n) ...............................on illegal parking has been launched after a tip-off from a
concerned resident.
6. I think it's important that Government has the correct laws in place, and say where
...............................conduct does occur, that action can be taken.
7.
TASK 18: Read the article. Match the following lexical terms with their corresponding
definitions:

Para. Lexical items Definitions

1. having or intended to have a useful or beneficial purpose

2. pride and confidence in oneself

3. spun thread used for knitting, weaving, or sewing

4. the policy or action of using vigorous campaigning to bring

about political or social change
1
5. the masses; the common people

6. a person or thing serving as a typical example or

appropriate model
7. done by people acting as a group

8. refuse to buy or handle (goods) as a punishment or protest

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 9. reliance on one's own powers and resources rather than
those of others
10. discarding something unwanted or undesirable (2 words)

11. worked in an organized and active way towards a particular

goal, typically a political or social one
12. a useful or valuable thing

13. the exclusive possession or control of the supply of or trade

in a commodity or service
14. openly resisting or refuse to obey
2
15. simple and unsophisticated

16. got rid of (someone or something) as no longer useful or

desirable
17. In a manner that shows open resistance or bold
disobedience
18. the fact of living in a particular place

19. a person who speaks with the intention of inflaming the

emotions of a crowd of people, typically for political reasons
20. put on (an item of clothing)

21. clever, original, and inventive

22. lack of faith

23. indispensable things

3
24. particular feelings or effects that spread through someone
or something
25. put (a restriction) in place

26. actions of conceding or granting something

27. in a savagely violent way

4
28. believe in and follow the practices of

29. people taking part in a protest march

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TASK 19: Complete the chart with the correct word forms in the corresponding
columns. Use a dictionary if necessary. NOTE: There could be more than one word in
a column.

Nouns Verbs Adjectives Adverbs

brutal
construct
activism
exemplar
defy
residence
believe
ingenious
necessity

impose
adhere

meticulous

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