journey to jo'burg comprehension questions

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Journey to Jo’burg

Section 1: Chapters 1-3

blunt : having a thick edge or point, not sharp; saying or expressing something in a very direct way that may upset some people
kilometer : a unit of length equal to 1,000 meters
reassure : to make someone feel less afraid, upset, or doubtful
retort : to answer an argument by a counter argument; to answer back sharply
tap : a plug for a hole; a device consisting or a spout and valve attached to the end of a pipe to control the flow of a fluid, a faucet
term : a word or phrase that has an exact meaning; the length of time during which a person has an official or political office

Vocabulary Sentences

While driving around Ireland, we saw a sign indicating that the historic church was 30 kilometers away.
The President of the United States decided to campaign for a second term in office.
The school teacher smiled and reassured the students that there would be no pop quiz this week.
Jan seemed to frequently have a retort when her mother asked her to wash the dishes.
The tap water left a bad taste in my mouth.

Comprehension Questions

Granny says the hospital is too far away and they don’t have money to pay a doctor. (pg. 1)
Naledi and Tiro walk to the village with empty buckets to buy water every day. (pg. 2)
The children try to avoid looking at the place of graves on their way to the village. (pg. 2)
Naledi plans to walk to Johannesburg to ask their mother for helpg. (pg. 2)
The walk to Johannesburg is 300 kilometers. (pg. 2)
Naledi and Tiro want to avoid the police because they didn’t have a pass. (pg. 8)
Naledi and Tiro could have been shot by the farmer if he had caught them taking the orange. (pg. 11)
A boy from the farm takes the children to a shed to sleep in and also gives them some food. (pg. 14)
Naledi and Tiro bury the orange peels in the dirt in order to hide the fact that they have eaten oranges. (pg. 14)
The boys give Naledi and Tiro a little pap to eat. (pg.14)
“Sala sentle” means stay well, and “Tsamaya settle” means go well. Both are expressions of farewell in the Tswana language. (pg. 77)

Section 2: Chapters 4-7

heave : to lift, pull, or throw something with effort; to breathe in and out in a slow or loud way
inconvenient : causing trouble or problems; not convenient
lorry : a large, heavy motor vehicle for transporting goods or troops; a truck
pavement : the hard surface of a road, driveway, etc.
steer : an ox less than four years old; to be moved or guided in a particular direction or along a particular course
windscreen : a screen that protects against the wind; British term for windshield
Marty heaved a sigh of relief after reading the acceptance letter from the university.
It was inconvenient for Amy to take her sister to school, since she was already late for her dental appointment.
Mia’s feet burned as she ran across the hot pavement .
The lorry broke down in the middle of the road and caused a huge traffic jam.
The dirty windscreen made it difficult to see the road clearly.
Naledi and Tiro have their first ride in a truck on the second day of their journey. (pg. 19)
As the children get closer to Joannesburg, the land is no longer flat but has mountains with steep rocks and crags. (pg. 19-20)
The children hope to find their Mma in Parktown. (pg. 20)
Mma works so far from home so that she can pay to send them to school. (pg. 20)
The children act oddly because their father worked in a mine, got a coughing sickness, and then died there. (pg. 22)
The truck driver gives them money and shows them where to catch the bus. (pg. 23)
The children make the mistake of trying to get on a bus that is only for white people. (pg. 25-26)
The children have not thought about their little sister all day because so much had happened all day. (pg. 28)
Mma can’t leave for home immediately because she needs to stay with Belinda so Madam and the Master can go to a dinner party. (pg. 30-32)
Naledi notices Mama uses tin plates and mugs for them to use, instead of the glistening plates and delicate glasses. (pg. 32-33)
The Madam says the children can’t spend the night in Parktown because the police won’t like it. (pg. 33)

Section 3: Chapters 8-11

carriage : a large vehicle with four wheels that is pulled by a horse and also carries people; a separate section of a train
dustbin : a can for trash or garbage
freedom : the quality or state of being free; liberation from slavery or restraint from the power of another
hurl : to throw something with force; to say or should an insult in a loud and forceful way
rubbish : things that are no longer useful or wanted and have been thrown out; words or ideas that are foolish or untrue; something that is worthless, unimportant, or of poor quality
surge : to move very quickly and suddenly in a particular direction
Ivan loved to hurl snowballs at his big brother.
Jade was thrilled to find her lost earring after mistakenly sweeping it into the dustbin.
William thought his essay was rubbish since he did not get the top grade in the class.
The American flag is a beautiful symbol of freedom.
Lola felt a surge of excitement and fear as she waited in line for the giant roller coaster.
The children become separated from Grace when they are pushed out by a crowd of people getting off the train. (pg. 36)
There is a pass raid by the police and people begin running away from the police. (pg. 37)
The children go to the man’s house and his son runs to take the pass to him. (pg. 39-40)
The boy threatens to burn the pass one day. (pg. 40)
Jonas and Paul are curious about where Naledi and Tiro are from because they have never been anywhere except Johannesburg. (pg. 43)
Grace’s older brother Dumi was picked up by the police in 1976, when students were marching and the place was on fire. (pg. 44)
Grace called the student demonstration a “time of fire.” (pg. 45)
The police began shooting and killing whoever was in their way. (pg. 46)
Dumi was studying in another country and he was planning to come back in order to fight for freedom. (pg. 46-48)
Naledi and Tiro hope to see the orange farm where they had spent the night. (pg. 51)
Mma becomes quiet and is thinking about how to respond to Naledi’s question about the student demonstration in Soweto. (pg. 52)

Section 4: Chapters 12-15

anxious : causing or showing fear or nervousness
banknote : a promissory note issued by a bank payable to bearer on demand without interest and acceptable as money
cluster : a group of similar things or people positioned or occurring closely together; to be or come into a cluster or close group; congregate
corridor : a long passage in a building from which doors lead into rooms
queue : a line or sequence of people or vehicles awaiting their turn to be attended to or to proceed
vague : not clearly expressed; stated in indefinite terms
veranda : a roofed platform along the outside of a house, level with the ground floor; a porch
Omar began to feel anxious about the spelling test since he had not taken much time to study for it.
Ellie enjoyed sitting on the veranda with her grandmother, just chatting and sipping ice tea.
George gave his mother a vague response when she asked how his day at school went.
A cluster of homes had been severely damaged by the horrific storm.
Jill walked down the long hospital corridor before meeting her new baby sister.
Naledi assumes her mother has borrowed money when she sees the banknotes in her hand. (pg. 56)
When Mma and Naledi arrive at the hospital, they see people sitting and lying around the buildings, and a queue of patients lined up to see a woman at the desk. (pg. 58)
Naledi realizes that there are even more people waiting for help inside the hospital. (pg. 59)
Mma and the young mother think their babies need more milk. (pg. 60)
Mma and Naledi share their food with the young mother. (pg. 63)
Naledi witnesses the young mother sobbing because her baby had died. (pg. 63)
Naledi encourages her mother by linking arms with her, letting her know that at least they have each other. (pg. 64)
In normal circumstances, a visit from Mma was filled with hugs, presents, and Mma helping Nono and listening to the children’s stories. (pg. 66-67)
Mma has to return to the city as soon as Dineo is home from the hospital because she is losing pay. (pg. 70)
Naledi can’t imagine Grace crying, and also remembers that Grace has to look after her younger brothers and the house by herself most of the time. (pg. 71)
Naledi realizes that all her school lessons have been about how to be a good servant, but she wants to become a doctor. (pg. 72)

TEACHING RESOURCES

Journey to jo'burg by beverley naidoo 9-11.

Journey to Jo'burg gives the reader a glimpse into the life of a young black girl in South Africa under Apartheid. The book follows siblings, Naledi and her younger brother, Tiro on a journey to try and save their family. Their journey opens their eyes to the world around them.

VIPERS Discussion Guide

Journey To Jo’burg Questions & Answers

Hi Everyone!! This article will share Journey To Jo’burg Questions & Answers. In my previous posts, I have shared the questions & answers of While the Auto Waits , Raymond’s Run and Sonam Wangchuk so, you can check these posts as well.

Journey To Jo’burg Questions & Answers

Question 1: mark the sentences as true or false..

1. Tiro is the elder brother of Naledi – False 2. Grace was stuck inside the train and couldn’t make her way out – True 3. A policeman yelled at a sixteen-year-old boy – True 4. The police took Naledi and Tiro with them – False 5. Naledi and Tiro went to the arrested man’s house to get his pass – True 6. The children never met Grace again – False

Question 2: Who are the two main characters in the story? How are they related to each other?

Answer: Naledi and Tiro are the two main characters in the story. They are siblings. Naledi is the elder sister of Tiro.

Question 3: Why was the train so crowded?

Answer: The train was crowded because it was a rush hour when many people travelled to or from work.

Question 4: How did the children get separated from Grace?

Answer: The train was very crowded, as it was a rush hour. At each station, the crowd heaved towards the carriage door, people urgently pushing their way through. But in a sudden surge at one of the stations, they found themselves being carried forwards, hurling out onto the platform. They desperately tried to reach back to the open door, but passengers were still coming out, although the train was already beginning to move on. Grace was also unable to get out of the train.

Question 5: Why did the police come to the railway station?

Answer: The police came to the railway station to check the passes of all passengers.

Question 6: How did Naledi and Tiro try to help the unfortunate man without a pass?

Answer: Naledi and Tiro went to the house of the unfortunate man. They informed his son that his father had been arrested because he was not carrying his pass.

Question 7: Why did the boy throw a stone at the police car?

Answer: The boy wanted to stop the police van that was carrying his father. He shouted at the policemen to stop the van but when they did not stop, he threw a stone because he was angry that his father had been arrested.

Question 8: What did the boy mean when he said, ‘How can our parents put up with this?’

Answer: The boy was angry that his parents were suffering due to the policy of apartheid followed by the South African Government.

Question 9: Why do you think the black people needed a pass? What does that tell us about apartheid?

Answer: The black people needed a pass to stay in the urban areas so that they could seek employment. The pass contained details about the person, his/her photograph the name of the employer, how long the person had been employed, and other information. Any African who violated pass laws lost the urban citizenship and was deported to rural homeland. This tells us that apartheid was a very discriminatory system. Black people had to face many hardships in South Africa.

Question 10: According to you, what problems did the children in the story face because of apartheid?

Answer: The children faced many hardships due to apartheid. They had to live apart from their mother. They had to travel in compartments meant only for blacks and these were usually very crowded. Due to the crowd, they even got separated from their aunt on their way to visit their mother. The children feared the police because they knew that the police ill-treated with black children. So, these were Journey to Jo’burg Questions & Answers.

Journey to Jo'burg Chapters 1-3

6th - 8th grade, english, history.

20 questions

Introducing new Paper mode

No student devices needed. Know more

Who are the main characters in the novel?

Naledi and Poleng

Nono and Mangwane

Naledi and Tiro

Tiro and Dineo

what is the major problem with which the children are faced?

Their baby sister is dead

They have no money

They do not like living with their granny

Their baby sister is sick and cannot get treatment

How far is Johannesburg from their village?

who gave the children food for their journey?

why were the children worried as they entered a strange town?

They were afraid of the police.

They were afraid they might get lost.

They were afraid they might be robbed.

They were afraid they might be kidnapped.

What did the children eat as they rested by the side of the road?

Baked potatoes and water

Sweet potatoes and water

Roasted potatoes and lemonade

Bread and milk

How did the children pass the time as they walked?

They played tag

They skipped along the dirt road

They marched on

Who made up a song about policemen?

The older children at school

What is the second line of the song about policemen?

Beware that policeman

He'll want to see your pass

He'll say it's not in order

That day may be your last!

Based on the passage, what do you think a "pass" is?

A form of identification

A newspaper

Why did Naledi and Tiro 'not dare stop' in the strange town?

They had no money to buy anything

They might be chased away by store owners

The police might stop them to ask for a pass

They were scared of the people

What kind of farm did Naledi an Tiro see on the way?

What kind of barrier was around the fence?

Barbed wire

What language did the farm boy speak?

South African

Why was it dangerous for the children to take oranges from the farm?

They might get food poisoning

They might be shot by the farmer

They might get arrested

Their Nono might punish them

Where on the farm did the children spend the night?

Under a tree

In the big house

What does the word restless mean?

Unable to rest or relax

to be angry

To be curious

What does the word bewildered mean?

perplexed and confused; very puzzled

To be determined

To be wild and free

What does the word reassure mean?

To remove doubt or fear

To make sure

To read carefully

What does the word scramble mean?

To skip happily

To walk slowly and with difficulty

To move quickly and awkwardly over rough ground

To dance gracefully

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