Name

3 EXTRA EXAM PRACTICE

Read the text and answer the questions that follow.
The Greatest Black Briton
I Who was voted the greatest black British person in a recent poll? Was it singer Sade, or boxer Frank Bruno?
Actually, it was a nineteenth-century nurse who until recently had been largely forgotten. But why did Mary
Seacole’s achievements go unnoticed, while those of Florence Nightingale, another famous British nurse, form the
basis of modern nursing?
II Seacole was born in 1805 in the then British colony of Jamaica, to a black woman known as a “doctress” because
of the traditional healing methods she used. After practising on her pets and helping her mother nurse people,
Seacole began nursing patients herself. Like Nightingale, she greatly emphasised cleanliness and nutrition. When
the Crimean War broke out in 1853, between Russia on one side and Britain, France and the Ottoman Empire on
the other, Seacole volunteered as a nurse. Despite her vast experience – including work at the British Army hospital
in Jamaica – she was rejected by the official authorities.
III Determined to help, Seacole financed her own journey, taking supplies out to the Crimea. On arrival, she set up a
“hotel”. Here, Mother Seacole, as she was known, sold sandwiches and supplies such as tinned salmon and tooth
powder. She also provided soldiers with meals, often including fresh meat from parrots and from the cows and
chickens which she guarded with a gun. At times, she even rode out onto the battlefield to nurse wounded soldiers.
Many doctors appreciated her work, and after the war, she was awarded a medal.
IV So why was she almost forgotten for over 100 years? Was it because she lived very quietly until her death in 1881?
Or was it because she was black, at a time when coloured people were less respected? No one knows, but since her
story was rediscovered by a nurse in 1973, Seacole has become an inspiration, especially for feminist and anti-
racism campaigners. Prizes and buildings bear her name and there is even a British stamp commemorating her life
and achievements.

1 Choose the correct answer.

1. The greatest black Briton was ...... . 4 Rewrite the sentences without changing the original
meaning.
a. chosen by modern black celebrities
1. Despite her vast experience, she was rejected.
b. always a singer or sportsman until recently
c. a woman who was not generally well-known Although ............................................................. .
to the public 2. On arriving in the Crimea, Seacole set up a hotel.
2. Which statement is NOT true about Seacole after When .................................................................. .
her arrival in the Crimea?
3. Many doctors appreciated her work.
a. She acquired a nickname based on her
maternal behaviour. Her work ............................................................. .
b. She required the soldiers to pay for her
nursing services.
5 Find words in the text that mean the following:

c. She sometimes risked her life to help 1. mostly (paragraph I) .................................

wounded soldiers. 2. hygiene (paragraph II) .................................

2 Decide if the sentences are T (true) or F (false). Find 3. established (paragraph III) .................................
evidence in the text to justify your answers. 4. given (paragraph III) .................................
...... 1. Seacole learned to nurse partly by working 5. activists (paragraph IV) .................................
with animals.
...................................................................... 6 Write a composition of 100-150 words. Choose ONE
...... 2. Seacole has motivated women’s rights option.
activists in recent times. 1. What famous person, past or present, has
...................................................................... inspired you? Explain why.

3 Answer the question. 2. What is the best way to commemorate the

achievements of important people? Explain your
What did local people call Seacole’s mother? ideas
....................................................................................