You are on page 1of 2

Source: BBC News Africa http://goo.

gl/pp9k7Y Prepared by Alidem Alvarez

Nelson Mandelas death: Barack Obama tribute


I. Fill in the blanks with the adequate form of the verbs given, use either past simple or present perfect. At his trial in 1964, Nelson Mandela __________ (to close) his statement from the dock saying, 'I __________ (to fight) against white domination, and I _________ (to fight) against black domination. I _________ (to cherish) the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.' And Nelson Mandela _________ (to live) for that ideal, and he ________ (to make) it real. He _________ (to achieve) more than could be expected of any man. Today, he ________ (to go) home. And we _________(to lose) one of the most influential, courageous and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this Earth. He no longer belongs to us - he belongs to the ages. Through his fierce dignity and unbending will to sacrifice his own freedom for the freedom of others, Madiba ___________ (to transform) South Africa and _________ (to move) all of us. His journey from a prisoner to a president ___________ (to embody) the promise that human beings - and countries - can change for the better. His commitment to transfer power and reconcile with those who _________ ( to jail) him set an example that all humanity should aspire to, whether in the lives of nations or our own personal lives. And the fact that he __________ (to do) it all with grace and good humor, and an ability to

www.talkbusinessonline.com

alidem@talkbusinessonline.com

https://twitter.com/TalkBizOnline

acknowledge his own imperfections, only makes the man that much more remarkable. As he once said, 'I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.' I am one of the countless millions who ________ (to draw) inspiration from Nelson Mandela's life. My very first political action, the first thing I ever ________ (to do) that involved an issue or a policy or politics, ________ (to be) a protest against apartheid. I would study his words and his writings. The day that he was released from prison ________ (to give) me a sense of what human beings can do when they're guided by their hopes and not by their fears. And like so many around the globe, I cannot fully imagine my own life without the example that Nelson Mandela _________ (to set). II. Match the words on the right to their definitions on the left.

a. dock (n) b. to cherish (v) c. fierce (adj.) d. unbending (adj.) e. will (n) f. to move (v) g. to embody (v) j. to draw (v)

( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

) to obtain ) very strong or intense ) desire, wish ) to hold ( an idea belief, etc.) in a deeply felt way. ) to represent in a clear and obvious way ) not willing to change an opinion, decision, etc. ) to stir the emotions, feelings, or passions of; ) the place in a criminal court where a prisoner

stands or sits during trial

III. Correct the wrong use of words in the sentences below. a. Draw any chance you get to learn from the best, and then learn from them. b. The irony is that there were embodied fights about whether to open the network to students from other colleges. c. With two equally cherished political parties pitted against each other, our government has become stagnant. d. But it is possible to discuss why particular groups generally fierce particular viewpoints. e. Then, if their credit was good, they could move a mortgage from a bank

www.talkbusinessonline.com

alidem@talkbusinessonline.com

https://twitter.com/TalkBizOnline

You might also like