Cry, the Beloved Country

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Cry, the Beloved Country - Activity worksheets of 2

Activity worksheets

LEVEL 6

PENGUIN READERS

Teacher Support Programme

While reading
Book 1
Chapters 1–5
1 Answerthesequestions.

a Why are there only mothers, children, and

old people left in Ndotsheni?

b Stephen’s wife tells Stephen, ‘You are hurting

yourself.’ What does she mean?

c During the train journey from Carisbrooke,

what does Stephen imagine Johannesburg will
be like?

d How does Stephen lose a pound?

e Where is Gertrude living?

2 Arethesesentencesright(3)orwrong(7)?

Correctthewrongsentences.

a The titihoya bird sings in the hills above

the Umzimkulu.

c

b Stephen Kumalo gives some money to

the little girl that brings him a letter.

c

c Absalom had gone to Johannesburg to

look for Stephen’s brother.

c

d Gertrude Kumalo was twenty-five years

younger than her brother, John.

c

e Europeans of the Carisbrooke district

usually travel by car.

c

f Mrs Lithebe is a woman priest.

c

g Msimangu is too busy to help Stephen

look for his family.

c

Chapters 6–11
3 Answerthesequestions.

a Which of Gertrude’s actions makes Stephen

forgive her?

b How does Stephen feel at the end of

Chapter 6? Give reasons.

c Who left someone for being unfaithful?

d What does John Kumalo mean when he says,

‘The church is like the chief.’

e Explain Msimangu’s ‘one great fear’.

f Put the places where Absalom lived in the

correct order:

Sophiatown Plimville Ndotsheni

Shanty Town Alexandra

4 Choosetherightwordinitalics.

a Gertrude went to prison for liquor-selling /

prostitution.

b Johannesburg is built with diamonds / gold

from the mines.

c Stephen and Msimangu took a bus / got a lift

to Alexandra.

d Stephen / Msimangu returned to question

Mrs Mkize.

e Absalom lived in a reformatory / prison in

Shanty Town.

f Arthur Jarvis was a priest / an engineer.

Chapters 12–17
5 Answerthesequestions.

a How does Stephen feel about his brother,

John, at the end of Chapter 14?

b Why does Stephen say, ‘My son is now a

stranger to me?’

c Who agrees to marry Absalom and his girl?

d Father Vincent says, ‘If Absalom’s defence

is accepted, he may not get the extreme
punishment.’ What do you think will happen?

e Why did Stephen turn his face away from the

lawyer at the end of Chapter 17?

6 Afterreadingthissection,completethe

sentenceswiththerightnamefromthebox.

Mrs Mkize Absalom John Kumalo

the police Msimangu Father Vincent

the young white man

a ……………… shot Arthur Jarvis.

b ‘You must have a lawyer,’ ……………… tells

Stephen.

c 79 Twenty-Third Avenue was the address of

……………… .

d Mrs Ndela visited ……………… .

e ……………… told Stephen he would do

‘anything’ to help him.

f ‘Who will believe your son?’ asks

……………… .

g ……………… are looking for Absalom.

Book 2
Chapters 1–6
7 Answerthequestions.

a What did James Jarvis disagree with his son

about?

b Why did Absalom carry a gun?

c Who was knocked unconscious?

d Why are people not paying much attention to

the trial of Absalom and his companions?

e What is the disagreement in Chapter 6?

Cry, the Beloved Country

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Cry, the Beloved Country - Activity worksheets 2 of 2

Activity worksheets

LEVEL 6

PENGUIN READERS

Teacher Support Programme

8 Fillinthemissingwords.

Mr and Mrs Jarvis went to stay with
(a) ……………, their dead son’s wife. Her
brother, (b) …………… was visiting her, too.
He didn’t agree with Arthur’s views on native
crime but (c) …………… said that Arthur
made her proud. (d) …………… began to read
Arthur’s essays.

Chapters 7–11
9 Answerthesequestions.

a After knocking on James Jarvis’s door, Stephen

sits on the lowest step. Why does he do this?

b Why is James upset at the ends of Chapter 7?

c What is John Kumalo afraid of ?

d Why does Msimangu have dinner at Mrs

Lithebe’s?

e What custom is broken in Chapter 10?

By whom?

10 Puttheseeventsintherightorder,numbered

1–6.

a c Another European is shot dead in the city.

b c John Kumalo gives a speech.

c c The judge sentences Absalom to death.

d c Stephen visits Mr Jarvis.

e c Mrs Lithebe hides a newspaper.

f c Mr Jarvis reads the last paragraph of

Arthur’s essay.

Book 3
Chapters 1–4
11 Answerthesequestions.

a What kind of a person is Mrs Jarvis? What do

you think?

b Why does Stephen want to leave Ndotsheni?

c Where will Jarvis’s dam get its water from?

d How can the people of Ndotsheni improve

the way they farm?

e When will Mrs Jarvis stop supplying milk to

Stephen’s people?

12 Whosays?

a ‘I understand you.’

b ‘This is our new daughter.’

c ‘We cry for rain.’

d ‘I have heard it, my friend.’

e ‘I would like a drink of milk.’

f ‘When it comes to the fifteenth day, I shall

remember.’

Chapters 5–7
13 Answerthesequestions.

a What was one of Mrs Jarvis’s ‘last wishes?’

b Who were most unhappy about the new

farming methods?

c Why can’t Stephen’s wife go with him to the

mountain?

d Who is James Jarvis going to live with, and

where?

e How does Stephen feel at the end of

Chapter 7? Give reasons.

After reading
14 Writeaparagraphonhowsomeofthe

charactershavechangedandwhy.The
following characters in the book each have a
different understanding of themselves and their
country by the end of the story.

Support your answers with examples from the
book.

Stephen Kumalo James Jarvis Msimangu

15 Designa‘before’and‘after’postertoshow

whatNdotsheni’slandlookslikenowand
howitwilllookafterthedamhasbeenbuilt
andfarmingmethodshaveimproved.

Think about:

the number and position of trees

where the water will go

the kind of plants that are grown

any other man-made changes to the landscape
which might help things to grow

16 Imaginethatyouareoneofthecharactersin

thebook.WritealettertotheHeadofthe
UnitedNations.Explain your situation and
the situation in your country. What can the
international community do to help? Give your
opinion and ask for suggestions.

Cry, the Beloved Country

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Cry, the Beloved Country - Progress test of

Progress test

LEVEL 6

PENGUIN READERS

Teacher Support Programme

1 Arethesesentencestrueorfalse?

a Gertrude is physically sick. …..
b John Kumalo believes in the church. …..
c Absalom did well at the reformatory. …..
d Stephen takes Gertrude’s child back to Ndotsheni.

…..

e Msimangu marries Absalom and his girl. …..
f There are holes in the roof of Stephen’s church. …..
g James Jarvis goes to live in Pretoria. …..
h At the time of his son’s execution, Stephen prays.

…..

2 Matchtheword(s)ontheleftwithwordsonthe

right.
Example: Post office book – ten pounds

a African Boy’s Club

ten shillings

b coffee tin

thirty pounds

c strike

one pound

d thief

twelve pounds, five shillings,
and seven pence

e Msimangu’s gift

twenty shillings

f shares

one thousand pounds

3 Circlethecorrectanswers.

a Which person doesn’t die? …..
1) Absalom
2) Gertrude
3) Mrs Jarvis
b Which of these actions are mistakes? …..
1) Absalom marries his girlfriend.
2) Stephen goes to see James Jarvis.
3) John Kumalo hires a lawyer.
4) Stephen gives a young man money to buy him

a bus ticket.

c Who lived in Plimville? …..
1) John Kumalo
2) Gertrude
3) Mrs Lithebe
4) Absalom’s girl
d Who says ‘This is a bitter journey.’? …..
1) Stephen Kumalo
2) Father Vincent
3) Msimangu
e Who says ‘Out of my shop.’? …..
1) Gertrude
2) John Kumalo
3) Mrs Lithebe

f Who says ‘Sorrow is better than fear.’? …..
1) Father Vincent
2) Mrs Jarvis
3) James Jarvis
g Who says ‘It makes me proud.’? …..
1) Absalom
2) Msimangu
3) Mrs Jarvis
h Who says ‘Throughout this night, stay well.’? …..
1) Stephen Kumalo
2) James Jarvis
3) Absalom’s girl

4 Readthedescriptions.Thenchoosethecorrect

namesfromthebox.

Mrs Jarvis Absalom Father Vincent

John Kumalo Arthur Jarvis Mrs Lithebe

a ………………… is a kind English priest who

offers to help Stephen Kumalo.

b ………………… is a carpenter and a political

speaker.

c ………………… is a close friend of Msimangu’s

who provides accommodation for his friends.

d ………………… can’t explain why he turned to a

life of crime.

e ………………… is someone with an illness which

they know they will soon die from.

f ………………… wanted to help the blacks and

wrote about the cause of their problems.

5 Puttheseeventsinthecorrectorder,numbered

1–8.
a c Msimangu gives Stephen his savings.
b c Stephen writes a letter of sympathy to Mr

Jarvis.

c c Stephen’s wife reads him Msimangu’s letter.
d c The police tell Mr Jarvis of his son’s death.
e c There is a party at Mrs Lithebe’s house.
f c Stephen prays at the top of a mountain.
g c Gertrude leaves Claremont.
h c Absalom gets married.