Cry, the Beloved Country
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c Pearson Education Limited 2008
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
Photocopiable
c Pearson Education Limited 2008
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
Photocopiable
c Pearson Education Limited 2008
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.