Homework, Monday, March 20th, 2017

Read the speech extract below and answer the questions that follow. This is due tomorrow (Tuesday, March 21st). 

The following is an extract from a speech by the human rights activist Malala Yousafzai delivered to the youth version of the United Nations on July 12^th, 2013.

…

I don't know where to begin my speech. I don't know what people would be expecting me to say. But first of all, thank you to God for whom we all are equal and thank you to every person who has prayed for my fast recovery and a new life. I cannot believe how much love people have shown me. I have received thousands of good wish cards and gifts from all over the world. Thank you to all of them. Thank you to the children whose innocent words encouraged me. Thank you to my elders whose prayers strengthened me.

…

There are hundreds of Human rights activists and social workers who are not only speaking for human rights, but who are struggling to achieve their goals of education, peace and equality. Thousands of people have been killed by the terrorists and millions have been injured. I am just one of them.

So here I stand: one girl among many. I speak, not for myself, but for all girls and boys. I raise up my voice, not so that I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard. Those who have fought for their rights: their right to live in peace, their right to be treated with dignity, their right to equality of opportunity, their right to be educated.

…

Dear sisters and brothers, we realise the importance of light when we see darkness. We realise the importance of our voice when we are silenced. In the same way, when we were in Swat, the north of Pakistan, we realised the importance of pens and books when we saw the guns.

The wise saying, “The pen is mightier than sword” was true. The extremists are afraid of books and pens. The power of education frightens them. They are afraid of women. The power of the voice of women frightens them. And that is why they killed 14 innocent medical students in the recent attack in Quetta. And that is why they killed many female teachers and polio workers in Khyber Pukhtoon Khwa and FATA. That is why they are blasting schools every day.  Because they were and they are afraid of change, afraid of the equality that we will bring into our society.

I remember that there was a boy in our school who was asked by a journalist, “Why are the Taliban against education?” He answered very simply. By pointing to his book he said, “A Talib doesn't know what is written inside this book.” They think that God is a tiny, little conservative being who would send girls to the hell just because of going to school. The terrorists are misusing the name of Islam and Pashtun society for their own personal benefits. Pakistan is peace-loving democratic country. Pashtuns want education for their daughters and sons. And Islam is a religion of peace, humanity and brotherhood. Islam says that it is not only each child's right to get education, rather it is their duty and responsibility.

1. Where does Malala think she should begin her speech?

2. Who does she thank first?

3. Complete the sentence: ‘I have __________________ thousands of good wish cards from all over the ____________.’

4. What word in the second paragraph means the same as ‘striving’ (you may have to look ‘striving’ up in the dictionary)?

5. Who, according to the third paragraph, does Malala speak for?

6. Complete the sentence: ‘I raise up my ____________, not so that I can shout, but so that those ________________ a voice can be heard.’

7. What four rights does she list in third paragraph?

8. Find the sentence in the fourth paragraph which contains the word ‘Swat’ and copy it out.

9. Based on how it is used in the sentence, what do you think ‘Swat’ means?

10. What saying does she mention in the fifth paragraph?

11. What word is used in the fifth paragraph which means ‘not guilty’?

12. How does she describe Pakistan in the final paragraph?

Extension questions:

13. Why do you think Malala refers to the people in the audience as ‘brothers and sisters’?

14. In the final paragraph, she mentions a boy from her school. Why do you think she does this?

15. How does Malala get across a sense that she does not consider herself to be special?