Inside the Battle of Algiers: Memoir of a Woman Freedom Fighter

Zohra Drif, the legendary freedom fighter, was born in Tiaret. She was 19 when the Algerian revolution
broke out. She was studying law at Algiers University when she joined FLN and placed a bomb in a French
café. One year later, she was arrested and sent to prison .She released upon independence. Here is an extract
from her book.

I was the only Arab girl at the French primary school. I completed my primary studies as an excellent girl.
I ranked the first in my class with my best French friend Roselyn Garcia. We had the sixth grade entrance
exam. I ranked among the first students in the region whereas Roselyn had failed.
While we were going back home, she was crying. I tried to calm her down. She told me:″You don't
understand. My mother will never understand that Zohra the Arab succeeded and I failed″. Soon my tiers
dried up. I looked at her in the eyes and replied angrily: ″ Tell your mother that the Arabs invented
Mathematics.″
I lost my best friend and my innocence. I realized that all my best marks, my efforts to learn French
language and culture and my friendship to Roselyn would never make me the equal of her.
She put me in my place as the Arab.
Adapted from: ″Inside the Battle of Algiers; Memoir of a Woman Freedom Fighter″ by Zohra Drif
Just World Books, USA, 2017

ِActivity1: Complete the bibliographical notes.

Title: …………………………………………..
Author: ………………………………………..
Source: …………………………………………..
Date of publication: ………………………….
Type of the document:
a- excerpt from a play
b- excerpt from a novel
c- excerpt from a memoir

Activity 2: Match each paragraph with the statement that summarizes it.

a- Zohra realizes that the French can never accept an Arab as their equal. Paragraph 1
b- Introducing Mrs. Zohra Drif. Paragraph 2
c- Roselyn's reaction after her failure in the 6th grade entrance exam. Paragraph 3
d- Zohra passes her 6th grade entrance exam. Paragraph 4

Activity3: Read the text then answer the following question .

1. Is the first paragraph part of the text? Was it written by Zohra Drif? ...........................................................................................
2. How old was Zohra when the Algerian revolution broke out? .........................................................................................................
3. Did she participate in the Algerian revolution? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
4. Was Zohra a hardworking student? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. Who is Roselyn Garcia? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
6. How did Roselyn read when she failed in the 6th grade entrance exam? …………………………………………………………………………………
7. What was the lesson that Zohra learnt from that experience with Roselyn?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

8. Who or what do the words in bold refer to in the text?

she→ ……………….. her→ ........................ we→ ………………………….. she→ ………………………

her→ …………………. you→ ……………………… me→ ………………………
Activity4: choose the correct word from the brackets .
1- legendary =………………………..(beautiful / intelligent / active / heroic )
2- broke out=……………………….. (finished / changed / started / stopped )
3- arrested=…………………………. (fought / imprisoned / released / killed )
4- dried up =…………………………(disappeared / fell down/ appeared / started )

:Activity5: Find in the text words that are closest /opposites in meaning to
finished =…………………………….. graded = ……………………………
imprisoned ≠ ……………………… succeeded ≠ …………………………. Worst ≠ …………………………

Activity 6: Use the following information to write a short paragraph about the freedom fighter Zohra
Drif.
Name: Zohra Drif
Nationality: Algerian
Job: a retired lawyer – freedom fighter – a heroine in the Algerian war of independence against the French
colonialization
Date and place of birth: 28 December 1934 – Tiaret
Works: -to join FLN -1954 with Hassiba Ben Bouali and Djamila Bouhired
- to set a bomb in a French café - 1956

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