Understanding the Danger of a Single Story

What did the speaker initially believe about the nature of books and their characters?

• Books naturally contained characters and settings she could not identify with

• Books should reflect a variety of cultures

• Books were only written by African authors

• Books should only contain realistic stories

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

How did the speaker's early writings reflect the influence of the single story?

• Her stories focused on African folklore

• Her characters were diverse and multicultural

• Her characters were white and blue-eyed, engaging in activities unfamiliar to her

• Her stories were set in Nigerian villages

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RI.11-12.9

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Who are the authors that changed the speaker's perception of literature?

• Chinua Achebe and Camara Laye

• John Lok and Rudyard Kipling

• Tyler and Updike

• Mariah Carey and Jay-Z

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

What was the speaker's reaction upon discovering African literature?

• She decided to move to the United States

• She stopped reading British and American books

• She realized that stories could also reflect her own experiences

• She was indifferent

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

What was the speaker's roommate's single story of Africa?

• A place with advanced technology

• A land of catastrophic events and poverty

• A country with excellent educational systems

• A continent rich in culture and languages

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RI.11-12.9

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

How did the speaker's American roommate perceive her before they met?

• As a fellow fan of Mariah Carey

• As an educated and well-traveled individual

• With pity and preconceived notions of Africa

• As someone who couldn't speak English

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

What example does the speaker use to illustrate the impact of a single story on her own perceptions?

• Her understanding of European history

• Her views on American culture

• Her knowledge of Asian languages

• Her assumptions about Mexicans

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RI.11-12.9

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

What Igbo word does the speaker think about when considering power structures?

• Mourid

• Achebe

• Farafina

• Nkali

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

What does the speaker propose as a solution to the problem of the single story?

• Limiting stories to factual accounts only

• Focusing only on positive stories

• Ignoring stories from other cultures

• Sharing a balance of stories from diverse perspectives

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

What does the speaker suggest is the consequence of the single story?

• It encourages diversity and inclusion

• It robs people of dignity and emphasizes differences

• It enriches our understanding of different cultures

• It leads to a comprehensive view of the world

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RI.11-12.9

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2