Asia Euro University Literature Studies

Mid-term: Comprehension Test

Cry Freedom
John Briley

1 Choose the correct answer to these questions. There is only one correct answer.
1 Who was the first person to suggest that Donald Woods should meet Stephen Biko?
a Wendy Woods, Donald’s wife.
b Dr Mamphela Ramphele.
c Tenjy Mtintso.
2 Kruger talked to Woods about the Afrikaners. When did he say the first Afrikaners arrived in South
Africa?
a In the seventeenth century.
b In the eighteenth century.
c In the nineteenth century.
3 When Tenjy appeared in court, she had bruises on her neck. How did she get these?
a She tried to hang herself.
b The police tried to kill her.
c The police hurt her when they questioned her.
4 When Kruger appeared on television, how did he say that Biko had died?
a Biko fell over.
b The police murdered him.
c He starved himself to death.
5 How did Woods know that his house was bugged? The police heard him ...
a ... saying goodbye to his wife.
b ... using a typewriter.
c ... listening to the radio.

5 marks
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2 Who said these things? Choose from the following names. You will not need all of them. Stephen Biko,
Kruger, Mapetla Mohapi, Tenjy Mtintso, Mamphela Ramphele, Ken Robertson, De Wet, Donald Woods,
Wendy Woods.
a ‘I’m not ashamed of being a liberal.’ ...............
b ‘I was one of two to be given a place at Natal Medical School.’ ...............
c ‘Black society has lost hope in itself, it feels defeated.’ ...............
d ‘I promise you, we have reason to ban Steve Biko.’ ...............
e ‘Who do you think you are? God?’ ...............

5 marks

3 Are these statements about Stephen Biko’s life true (T) or false (F)?
a He was mostly brought up among rich white people.
b His mother died when he was seventeen.
c He was taught for two years by Swiss and German priests.
d is wife’s name was Ntsiki.
e is movement was called Black Power.
f He believed in violence and terrorism against white South Africans.
g He sometimes played football.
h He made very powerful speeches.
i He died in police custody in 1977.
j He was an old man when he died.

5 marks

4 What do you think Stephen Biko’s greatest qualities were?

....................................................………………….
...............................................................................
...............................................................................
...............................................................................
...............................................................................

5 marks
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5 Match a word from A with a definition from B.

A.
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1. Afrikaner
2. Authority
3. Custody
4. Justice
5. racism

B
a Believing people of one colour are better than those of another
b The quality or ideal of being right and fair
c A South African who is descended from the Dutch
d In prison, waiting for trial
e The power to give orders to people and make them obey

20 marks

Total marks
Asia Euro University
Literature Studies
Multiple-choice Test

Cry Freedom
John Briley

Setting

Choose the best answer.

1 Donald Woods, editor of the Daily Dispatch, made the _____ the main story.
a [ ] possible release of Nelson Mandela
b [ ] invasion of a township in Cape Town
c [ ] Japanese factory
d [ ] pardon of Nixon
2 The police invaded the townships to _____.
a [ ] find children avoiding school b [ ] stop illegal businesses
c [ ] move illegal workers out of the city d [ ] find Steve Biko and his family
3 Newspapers couldn’t print photos of _____.
a [ ] police beating black people b [ ] Steve Biko
c [ ] illegal workers d [ ] Mandela
4 Woods didn’t accept that _____.
a [ ] blacks and whites should live in separate areas b [ ] blacks should vote
c [ ] blacks should be politicians d [ ] police should be violent towards blacks
5 Mamphela Ramphele thought that Woods had _____ Steve Biko.
a [ ] turned people against b [ ] made fun of
c [ ] misunderstood d [ ] a fair opinion of
6 Woods was surprised to meet Biko in a _____.
a [ ] township b [ ] church c [ ] churchyard d [ ] white town
7 Steve Biko’s wife gave Woods a _____.
a [ ] cold reception b [ ] hot cup of coffee
c [ ] child’s toy d [ ] warm welcome
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8 The Blacks white authority called the _____.
a [ ] ‘Security’ b [ ] ‘System’ c [ ] ‘Force’ d [ ] ‘Others’
9 Woods told Biko that _____.
a [ ] he should be banned b [ ] his family were good people
c [ ] his ideas were dangerous d [ ] the church should be painted
10 Biko’s Black Consciousness Group wanted _____.
a [ ] black people to create their own organizations
b [ ] to attract liberal white South Africans
c [ ] to defeat the white government
d [ ] to beat white organizations

20 marks

Characters

Choose the best answer.

11 Donald Woods originally trained as a _____.
a [ ] doctor b [ ] vet c [ ] priest d [ ] lawyer
12 Steve Biko was only allowed to _____.
a [ ] be with one person at a time b [ ] see his family at the church
c [ ] talk to white security guards d [ ] speak to his family
13 Tenjy Mtintso was a _____ when Woods met her.
a [ ] nurse b [ ] doctor c [ ] journalist d [ ] photographer
14 Captain de Wet _____.
a [ ] let detectives beat Biko b [ ] stopped Biko’s beating
c [ ] beat Biko d [ ] admired Biko
15 _____ witnessed the police smash up the community centre.
a [ ] Dilima b [ ] Woods c [ ] Biko d [ ] Mamphela
16 The police said that Mapetla _____.
a [ ] had died by accident b [ ] had been killed by another prisoner
c [ ] had hanged himself in his cell d [ ] had been beaten to death
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17 Woods was shocked when he saw Biko’s _____ at the mortuary.
a [ ] hanged body b [ ] bruised and beaten face c [ ] bruised legs d [ ] wife
18 He escaped from South Africa by disguising himself as _____.
a [ ] Father Curran b [ ] Bruce McCullough c [ ] Father Kani d [ ] a guard
19 Wendy accused her husband of trying to ruin their lives _____.
a [ ] for money b [ ] for a good story
c [ ] to see his name in print d [ ] for fun
20 Chief Jonathan helped Woods and his family by _____.
a [ ] hiding them b [ ] arranging UN passports for them c [ ] selling them a
plane d [ ] arranging British passports for them

20 marks

Dialogue

Who said or wrote this?

21 ‘If the police pick me up, your name will be the first on my lips!’
a [ ] Ken Robertson b [ ] Steve Biko c [ ] Mapetla d [ ] Tenjy
22 ‘I know you’re not a fool, Mr Woods . . .’
a [ ] Biko b [ ] Mamphela Ramphele c [ ] Kruger d [ ] Father Kani
23 ‘The history we read was made by white men, written by white men.’
a [ ] Woods b [ ] Mamphela c [ ] Biko d [ ] Wendy
24 ‘You want to give us a slightly better education, so we can get slightly better jobs.’
a [ ] Tenjy b [ ] Biko c [ ] Mapetla d [ ] Mamphela
25 ‘That’s the man who made the speech.’
a [ ] an informer b [ ] a police officer c [ ] Captain de Wet d [ ] Woods
26 ‘I always like to help you editors if I can.’
a [ ] Mapetla b [ ] Biko c [ ] Vorster d [ ] Kruger
27 ‘Mrs Biko has the right to see her husband’s body.’
a [ ] Wendy b [ ] Kruger c [ ] a lawyer d [ ] Woods
28 ‘I like what you’ve written, but you’re playing with fire.’
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a [ ] a journalist b [ ] Father Kani c [ ] Wendy d [ ] Moses
29 ‘You don’t even bother to ask me what I want to do.’
a [ ] Evalina b [ ] Mary c [ ] Woods d [ ] Wendy
30 ‘Don’t forget to go and collect the film.’
a [ ] Jane b [ ] Wendy c [ ] Woods d [ ] Duncan

20 marks

Vocabulary

Choose the best answer.

31 to forbid someone by law from doing something
a [ ] charge b [ ] rescue c [ ] ban d [ ] confront
32 a sudden attack made by the police or army
a [ ] raid b [ ] rand c [ ] reflex d [ ] block
33 a document which allows the police to arrest someone or search a house
a [ ] witness b [ ] warrant c [ ] certificate d [ ] form
34 a person employed to watch someone
a [ ] carer b [ ] prosecutor c [ ] editor d [ ] minder
35 a cover, like a bag, for the head
a [ ] van b [ ] custody c [ ] hood d [ ] glove
36 a box for a dead person to be buried in
a [ ] cupboard b [ ] coffin c [ ] case d [ ] trunk
37 a small towel around a baby’s bottom
a [ ] tissue b [ ] napkin c [ ] serviette d [ ] nappy
38 to travel by getting free rides in other people’s cars
a [ ] hitch-hike b [ ] surf c [ ] coast d [ ] ramble
39 to hide a device in a house in order to listen secretly to conversations
a [ ] dye b [ ] spy c [ ] bug d [ ] bless
40 to refuse to give in
a [ ] stand up for b [ ] stand down c [ ] stand up d [ ] stand up to
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20 marks

Plot

Choose the best answer.

41 Biko showed Woods a clinic funded by _____.
a [ ] the government b [ ] white African donations
c [ ] South African companies d [ ] wealthy black South Africans
42 _____ became the Daily Dispatch’s first black reporters.
a [ ] Mapetla and Mamphela b [ ] Mapetla and Tenjy
c [ ] Biko and Mamphela d [ ] Tenjy and Mamphela
43 At Biko’s trial, the Prosecutor insisted that _____.
a [ ] all blacks were violent b [ ] Biko was demanding violence
c [ ] Biko was evil d [ ] the government was demanding violence
44 When Woods refused to give the name of a witness, _____.
a [ ] his paper was banned b [ ] his family were threatened
c [ ] Mapetla and Tenjy were arrested d [ ] Biko was banned for five more years
45 The police took the badly injured Biko to _____.
a [ ] a police hospital over 1,000 kms away b [ ] the nearest hospital
c [ ] a hospital in Cape Town d [ ] his home
46 Kruger said that Biko _____.
a [ ] was beaten to death b [ ] was shot
c [ ] was stabbed d [ ] starved himself to death
47 The crowd’s mood at Biko’s funeral was _____.
a [ ] angry and sorrowful b [ ] calm and sad
c [ ] aggressive d [ ] calm and proud
48 Woods became a banned person after _____.
a [ ] arguing with security police b [ ] printing the pictures of Biko’s body
c [ ] writing a book about Biko d [ ] fighting
49 He entered Lesotho by _____.
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a [ ] walking b [ ] rowing c [ ] crossing Telle Bridge d [ ] swimming
50 Wendy and the children escaped after pretending to _____.
a [ ] visit Wendy’s parents b [ ] go to the beach
c [ ] fly to Lesotho d [ ] go shopping

20 marks

Total marks
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Cry Freedom
1 1 b
2 a
3 c
4 c
5 b

2 a Donald Woods
b Mamphela Ramphele
c Stephen Biko
d Kruger
e Wendy Woods

3 a F f F
b F g T
c T h T
d T i T
e F j F

4 Students’ individual answers.

5 1 c
2 e
3 d
4 b
5 a
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Cry Freedom
Setting

1 b
2 c
3 a
4 d
5 c
6 d
7 d
8 b
9 c
10 a

Characters

11 d
12 a
13 a
14 b
15 a
16 c
17 b
18 a
19 c
20 b

Dialogue

21 a
22 b
23 c
24 a
25 a
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26 d
27 d
28 b
29 d
30 c

Vocabulary

31 c
32 a
33 b
34 d
35 c
36 b
37 d
38 a
39 c
40 d

Plot

41 c
42 a
43 b
44 c
45 a
46 d
47 a
48 b
49 c
50 b