National Geographic: John Bul Dau
Click on the link above to listen to this 10 minute discussion by a Sudanese “Lost Boy.” He tells about how he and the others came to America and what his plans are. There has been a documentary film made about the plight of these young men. You can listen to an interview with the two filmmakers if you're interested in hearing more. Your reading this week tells you more about this situation.
Keep in mind that John's grammar is not always correct, but I feel like it’s important for you to hear other foreigners speaking English. See if you can catch any of the errors (this takes very keen listening skills) and enjoy hearing another different accent. Bear in mind that this young man learned English out of the necessity to flee for his life and settle down somewhere far from home.
1. When did John arrive in the US? 2. How many years ago did the civil war begin in Sudan?
3. Why were they called “The Lost Boys” and how old were they?
4. Why did Northern Sudanese law require killing the southern Sudanese boys?
5. The boys weren’t trying to make it to America when they left Sudan. True or False.
6. When offered the chance to go to America, they all unhesitatingly accepted. True of False.
7. The kindness of the Americans exceeded their expectations. True or False.
8. What act changed John’s idea of America?
9. List 4 places the Sudanese boys were taken by their sponsors?
10. John wants to go back to Southern Sudan to help his people. True or False.
11 & 12 Write two grammatically incorrect expressions or sentences you heard and correct them.
13, 14, &15 You get three points if you leave a comment below about what you thought of this listening and reading.
The Lost Boys Reading Quiz
Now read this article from the BBC about the harsh life and struggle that these boys, at least those who survived, endured, and answer the questions below. They follow the order of the article. I’ve also read an account written by one of the Lost Boys, John Deng Langbany, on the PBS website and was touched deeply by the tenacity and fight to survive that he demonstrated, overcoming the odds to make it to America where life still isn’t a bed of roses but he doesn’t have to constantly worry about being shot.
1. What expression was used to mean that the boys had no one to look after and provide for them?
2. What’s the main demographic difference between the north and south in Sudan?
3. In what way is Abraham more fortunate than the other boys?
4. What determined the fate of the boys upon coming to the States?
5. What word means “not requiring much skill and lacking prestige”?
6. How would you describe Santino?
a. a penny-pincher
b. down on his luck
c. just scraping by
d. a spendthrift
7. What expression tells you that Samuel has had quite a few low-paying jobs?
8. In what way does the article portray Samuel?
a. gifted
b. compliant
c. resigned
d. focused
9. At the time of publishing this article, in which year of university was Aboor?
10. What phrase does Laura use to express young people in the US’s failure to appreciate an opportunity that is so familiar to them.
11. What word does Craig use that means an arrival or entry of large numbers of people (or things)?
12. You give me a word or expression from the text and its meaning. Pick one that you liked and plan to try to use this week
8 comments:
I have been quite aware (and horrified) by the situation in Darfur for a long time. I truly believe the situation there can only be described as a (government-sponsored) genocide I even joined the campaign over at savedarfur.com, even though I don't believe Bush is concerned about the mail I and thousands of others sent him and Kofi Annan at the time...
Even though I think it will be terrible, a good choice in a month where a cease-fire is accorded...
The quiz will have to wait till Wednesday or Thursday, tough - I'm completely beat... and I still have a german class. :-(
ATTENTION:
In question eleven of the Reading part of the quiz the name is wrong!
Where it reads "Greg"... it should be "Craig"
No jokes today - it's a powerful theme.
M
Thanks, M, I changed it!
This in an email from M:
The case of the lost boys is just a small portion of the horrors inflicted to the population of Sudan by its government and "its" Janjaweed militias (the Sudanese government sponsors them). I think it was a very good choice of a quiz, as it not only, I believe, fits what you said about being in contact with foreign people and the way they speak the language, but also, by depicting a part of that reality, it could draw attention to the whole situation. Just one thing - beware of names and comments (the first could cause confusions, the second, as far as I know, can be taken out of the site, so some students might not be able to see them - I might be wrong, but you can never be too careful).
I think it was an interesting quiz, and your interest and effort in making this particular one made it very interesting. I reckon making a quiz out a news or a concrete situation make them more appealing, regardless of how funny "Wait...Wait Don't tell me!" is. I hope this kind of feedback is what you wanted
A comment from Cláudia:
I think it was a very educational quiz. It shows us parts of the world that, altough we know they exist we are not always aware of its reality. And even if John doesn't speak that well in english, he has a more rich vocabulary then what I thought he would, and for knowing his story it even seems we understand him better because he fought so hard to speak like that! It's a good way of learning English at the same time we learn about the world around us.
I really enjoyed doing this quiz. When I finished doing it I realised that I have not only improved my english but also took contact to a different reality. Good choice Abeth ;)
I found this week quiz very interesting! It's really a way of being in contact with English, without being studying - as Dubeth says :) - and also to become aware of some impressive life's stories.
This boys have an increadibly strengh to overcome all the bad moments and to fight for their goals. They could have given up, specially those who weren't given opportunities to study (I can't understand how their age was simply guessed!!), but some managed to study while they worked and they did enter prestigious universities.
I think this two sentences from Laura (one person who commented on the article) sum up everything: "It's people like this that need to be given as many opportunities as possible. It's people like this that will change things in the world."
Here are the answers:
Listening:
1. 2001
2. 1983… 24
3. ages 5-14; they were taking care of themselves with no parent
4. to get rid of the southerners (no one would be of fighting age and hence no rebellion)
5. False
6. False. They were unsure of where life would be best because they had heard wild stories about the US and yet they didn’t know what it would be like if they stayed where they were
7. True. They hadn’t expected them to meet them at the airport, for example
8. A woman who knew his name while waiting for him hugged him when they got there
9. church, the supermarket, the library, the bus
10. False. He wants to help his people, but from America
11. Own choice...You wrote:
*"taken care up ourself" - taken care of ourselves.
*"nothing important than that" - nothing more important than that.
*We were definitely taking care of ourself (wrong!). We were definitely taking care of ourselves (Correct!).
Reading:
1 Fend for themselves
2 North=Muslim, South=Christian
3 He’s had the chance to get an education
4 Their estimated age, dictating if they got education or not
5 menial
6 Just scraping by
7 has done the rounds of menial jobs
8 focused
9 3rd
10 Take for granted
11 Influx
12 own choice.
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