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Reading
1 Read the text quickly. Then underline the correct words and phrases to complete the
____ / 0.6 point
sentences.
The text is part of a. a blog / an encyclopedia article. It presents information about African b. books /
literature and discusses some aspects of c. oral / written literature.
Britannica Student Encyclopedia
[ 1 ] Black Africa south of the Sahara has two distinct kinds of literature. Traditional poetry and
folklore, which were transmitted orally, date back to early days of various tribal cultures.
Written literature emerged much later and at different times among the diverse groups living in
the region—in the 17th century in the Swahili language, for example, in the 19th century in
Xhosa, and in the 20th century in Yoruba. Most of the written literature of sub-Saharan Africa
has been produced since the 19th century.
[ 2 ] African literature has been influenced by two great colonizing movements—that of Islamic
Arabs in the 7th century and that of Christian Europeans in the 19th. Although the number of
books written in African languages is growing, many African writers find a larger audience for
works written in Portuguese, French, or English.
[ 3 ] Some of the most important themes in African literature chart the effects of European
colonization. The earlier published works by converted Christians express religious zeal and
acceptance of Western values. Acceptance gives way to disillusionment and a sense of loss in
the European-educated writers who followed. Cut off from their traditions, yet not accepted in
the Western world, they write about their experiences of culture conflict. Many also reinstate
the African oral traditions in their work.
Oral Tradition
[ 4 ] The oldest African myths, stories, and poems have been told for hundreds of years. Sometimes a
storyteller or singer memorizes a tribe’s poems and songs for recitation during festivals. African
children grow up hearing stories that they later tell to their own children. All these tales are part
of an oral tradition that is ritually passed on. Since the 1930s, oral performances have been
preserved in books.
BRITANNICA Online for Kids. African Literature. Available at:
<kids.britannica.com/comptons/print?articleId=272747&fullArticle=true&tocId=9272747>.
2 Read the text again. Then match each paragraph with its objective.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Present the colonizing movements that influenced African literature.
Present the different types of literature from sub-Saharan Africa.
Present themes in African literature.
Inform on the oral tradition of African literature.
[
[
[
[
]
]
]
]
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3 Read the text once more. Then answer the questions.
____ / 1.2 points
a. How were traditional poetry and folklore transmitted in Africa?
_________________________________________________________________________
b. When did African people start to write literature in Swahili?
_________________________________________________________________________
c. Which European languages do African writers use in their works?
_________________________________________________________________________
d. What are some of the most important themes in African literature?
_________________________________________________________________________
e. What were the early works written by converted Christians about?
_________________________________________________________________________
f. What does a storyteller do with his tribe’s songs and poems?
_________________________________________________________________________
Vocabulary
4 Complete the crossword puzzle with five English words of African origin.
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Across
Down
3. A type of music of African origin developed in the U.S. 1. An African primate with black or brown fur.
5. A nut from the kola tree.
2. A musical instrument similar to a guitar.
4. A root vegetable that looks like a long potato.
5 Complete the sentences with the words from Act. 4.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Does your grandpa know how to play the _______________________?
I love to listen to _______________________! My favorite singers are Nina Simone and Aretha Franklin.
My father makes a delicious soup with _______________________.
The _______________________ has a lot of caffeine. It is used in ceremonies in African tribes.
The _______________________ is a very intelligent animal.
6 Unscramble the letters to complete the sentences.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
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____ / 0.5 point
African ______________ (ULUCTER) is extremely varied, made of a mixture of unique tribes.
Chinua Achebe is one of the most important authors in African ______________ (RILRUEETTA).
Drums are the basic instrument for most of the ______________ (SICMU) made in Africa.
Swahili is a ______________ (ELGGAANU) spoken in different African countries.
The Barbier-Mueller Museum in Switzerland has an extensive collection of African ___________
(SKAMS).
7 Complete the sentences with the words from the box.
____ / 1 point
ancestry • diaspora • heritage • origin • slavery
a. “African ______________” is a term used to refer to the communities and populations of African
descendants outside the continent.
b. In Brazil, ______________ was abolished in 1888, by a law known as Lei Áurea.
c. Many words in Portuguese, such as babá, caçamba and dengoso, have African ______________.
d. My aunt traced our family ______________ to tribes in Nigeria, back in the 1800s.
e. My grandparents are very proud of their African ______________. They preserve it with their food,
religion and oral tradition.
Grammar
8 Match the columns to create phrasal verbs.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
get
look
go
speak
fall
(
(
(
(
(
) through
) apart
) out
) forward to
) up
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9 Check () the option that is closest in meaning to the phrasal verb underlined.
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point
a. It’s hard to bring up a kid in poor countries.
( ) take care until he/she becomes an adult
( ) be excited about the future
b. It’s so hot in here! Let me take off my jacket.
( ) remove
( ) break into pieces
c. Please don’t throw away these bottles. I’ll use them.
( ) put in the trash
( ) leave
d. When I was a kid, I loved to make up stories with my cousins.
( ) invent
( ) experience
10 Replace each phrase in boldface with a phrasal verb that matches its meaning. Pay attention
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to verb forms.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
African immigrants experience a difficult time when they arrive in Europe. __________________
If you have a better idea, please express it. __________________
Mike was so angry with Joanne that he asked her to leave. __________________
My family and I are feeling happy and excited about our Christmas trip.
__________________
My sister’s cardboard house disintegrated after the rain. __________________
Listening
11 Listen to some information about Africa. Then match the sentence halves.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
There are more than fifty countries
European countries controlled most of the continent
Spain and Portugal are two European countries
After their independence, many African countries
African countries have relations
world.
Africa has mines of many
The rivers in Africa represent
There were great kingdoms in Africa
African merchants traded in
War II.
The African culture has influenced
Jazz is an example of a musical rhythm
____ / 1.1 points
(
(
(
(
(
) before the colonial period.
) that has its origin in African music.
) struggled with social problems.
) several products with distant countries.
) art, language and music in the Western
(
(
(
(
) with countries all over the world.
) essential minerals, such as gold and copper.
) major potential for hydroelectric power.
) from the 19th century until after World
( ) in Africa and on the islands off its coasts.
( ) that had colonies in Africa.
Writing
12 Write about a black person you admire.
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