Famous People

Nelson
Mandela
Pre-Reading
A. Warm-Up Questions

1. Who is the person in the picture?

2. What country is this person from?

3. Why is this person famous?

B. Vocabulary Preview

Match the words on the left with the correct meanings on the right.

1. right (noun) a) freedom to do something

e 2. segregation (noun) b) to choose a leader

3. force (verb) c) the leader of a country

4. illegal (adjective) d) not allowed due to a law

5. marriage (noun) e) enforced separation of races

6. vote (verb) f) a public show of disapproval

7. protest (noun) g) a place where a criminal lives, jail

8. prison (noun) h) to make someone do something

i 9. release (noun) i) the freeing or letting go of a person or animal

10. president (noun) j) the legal union of two people who are in a romantic relationship

Copyright 2019, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( LO W I N T / V E R S I O N 1. 2) 1
 Nelson Mandela
Famous People

Reading
ABOUT NELSON MANDELA

1. Nelson Mandela was born in South Africa on July 18, 1918.

He spent most of his life fighting for people’s rights.

2. From 1948–1994, the all-white South African government forced

blacks to live separate lives from whites. Blacks had to eat at separate
restaurants and go to separate schools. Marriage between blacks and
whites was illegal. This system of segregation was called apartheid.

3. Nelson Mandela wanted apartheid to end. He wanted black people

to have the right to vote and the right to have good jobs. Mandela
organized several government protests. In 1963, the government
sent him to prison for life.

4. Mandela spent 27 years in jail. After his release in 1990,

Mandela helped end apartheid. In the next few years, he won
the Nobel Peace Prize and became president of South Africa.

5. Nelson Mandela died in 2013. People celebrate

his life every year on Mandela Day.

Writing
ABOUT MANDELA

Finish the About Mandela sentences. Try to write in

your own words. Many different answers are possible.

1. Nelson Mandela was born 3. During apartheid, black people

    

2. Mandela spent most of his life 4. After living in prison for 27 years,

    

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 Nelson Mandela
Famous People

Comprehension
A. True or False?

Read the statements below.

If the statement is true, write T beside the sentence.
If it is false, write F and correct the information.

1. Nelson Mandela was born in South America.

2. Apartheid refers to the segregation of genders.

3. Marriage between blacks and whites was illegal during apartheid.

4. Nelson Mandela spent almost 30 years in prison.

5. Mandela Day takes place on Nelson Mandela’s birthday.

B. Forming Questions

Work with a partner. Here are the answers. What are the questions?

1. 3.

  Nelson Mandela was born in 1918.   Mandela went to jail because he organized
protests against the government.

2. 4.

  The all-white government   Mandela spent 27 years in prison.

was in power from 1948–1994.

Copyright 2019, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( LO W I N T / V E R S I O N 1. 2) 3
 Nelson Mandela
Famous People

Vocabulary Review
Circle the word that has the same meaning
as the underlined word from the reading.

1. rights 3. illegal 5. protest

a) freedoms a) against the law a) organize

b) correction b) noticeable b) promote
c) laws c) allowed c) demonstration

2. segregation 4. prison 6. president

a) two a) crime a) lawyer

b) separation b) punish b) leader
c) join c) jail c) prisoner

Pair Work
“Education is the most powerful weapon
which you can use to change the world.”
—Nelson Mandela

Think of three other nouns that you could use to replace

the word Education. Rewrite the sentences three times.

1.

2.

3.

Discuss your sentences with a partner.

Which sentence do you like best:
Mandela’s, one of your partner’s, or one of yours?

Copyright 2019, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( LO W I N T / V E R S I O N 1. 2) 4
 Nelson Mandela
Famous People

Listening
A. Gap Fill

Listen to a recording of this reading.

Fill in the gaps. Listen again and check your answers.

 http://blog.esllibrary.com/2015/09/16/podcast-nelson-mandela-beginner/

1. Nelson Mandela was born in South Africa on July 18, 1918.

He spent most of his life fighting for people’s             .

2. From 1948–1994, the all-white South African government

forced blacks to live separate lives from whites. Blacks had to eat
at                 restaurants and go to separate schools.
Marriage between blacks and whites was               .
This system of segregation was called apartheid.

3. Nelson Mandela wanted apartheid to end. He wanted black people

to have the right to         and the right to have good jobs.
Mandela organized several government                 .
In 1963, the government sent him to prison for life.

4. Mandela spent 27 years in jail. After his release in 1990,

Mandela helped end apartheid. In the next few years, he won
the Nobel Peace Prize and became president of South Africa.

5. Nelson Mandela died in 2013. People celebrate

his life every year on Mandela Day (July 18).

B. Extra Practice

Do you want more listening practice?

After you fill in the gaps in Part A, listen to the recording a few more times.
Circle all of the words that have three syllables.

Syllables
A syllable is a single vowel sound.
For example, Mandela has three syllables:

Man | de | la

Copyright 2019, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( LO W I N T / V E R S I O N 1. 2) 5