Question

Read the following extract carefully and answer the questions that follow.

1. 10th May dawned bright and clear. For the past few days I had been

pleasantly besieged by dignitaries and world leaders who were coming to

pay their respects before the inauguration. The inauguration would be the

largest gathering ever of international leaders on South African soil. The

ceremonies took place in the lovely sandstone amphitheatre formed by the

Union Buildings in Pretoria. For decades this had been the seat of white

supremacy, and now it was the site of a rainbow gathering of different

colours and nations for the installation of South Africa’s first democratic,

non-racial government.

2. On that lovely autumn day I was accompanied by my daughter Zenani. On the podium, Mr de Klerk was

first sworn in as second Deputy President. Then Thabo Mbeki was sworn in as first Deputy President.

When it was my turn, I pledged to obey and uphold the Constitution and to devote myself to the well-being

of the republic and its people.

3. We, who were outlaws, not so long ago, have today been given the rare privilege to be host to the

nations of the world on our own soil. We thank all of our distinguished international guests for having come

to take possession with the people of our country of what is after all a common victory for justice, for peace,

for human dignity. We have, at last, achieved our political emancipation. We pledge ourselves to liberate all

our people from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other discrimination.

Never, never, and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one

by another. The sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement. Let freedom reign. God bless

Africa!

I. Answer the following questions:

(1) Who were coming before the inauguration?

(2) Where did the ceremony take place? Why?

(3) Who accompanied Nelson Mandela on the inauguration?

(4) What does ‘we’ refer in the first line of the passage?

(5) What did the people of South Africa achieve at last?

(6) Find the word from the passage which means- (options given in the brackets)

(a) An open space surround by sloping land ___________ (amphitheatre / rainbow) para 1

(b) Platform a person stands on when giving a speech ___________ (podium/constitution) para 2

(c) Slavery ___________(bondage/poverty) (d) freedom ______________ (emancipation/peace) Para 3

II. There are nouns in the text (formation, government) which are formed from the corresponding

verbs form, govern) by suffixing—(at) ion or ment. There may be a change in the spelling of some

verb-noun pairs: such as rebel, rebellion; constitute, constitution.

Make a list of such pairs of nouns and verbs in the text.


NOUN VERB


Rebellion Rebel

Constitution constitute

Answer 1

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