Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom Vocabulary Flashcards

This set of vocabulary flashcards is based on the extract 'Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom,' covering key political terms, descriptive expressions, and definitions provided in the text's glossary and activities.

Apartheid

A political system that separates people according to their race.

African National Congress (ANC)

The political party led by Nelson Mandela that won 252 of the 400 seats in the first democratic elections of South Africa's history.

Inauguration

The historic occasion on 10 May 1994 where Nelson Mandela was sworn in as South Africa's first Black President.

Amphitheatre

A building without a roof, with many rows of seats rising in steps (typical of ancient Greece and Rome).

Besieged by

To be surrounded closely by.

Rainbow gathering of different colours and nations

A beautiful coming together of various peoples, like the colours of a rainbow.

Seat of white supremacy

The centre of racial superiority.

Confer

A formal word meaning to give.

Emancipation

Freedom from restriction.

Deprivation

A state of not having one's rightful benefits.

Discrimination

Being treated differently or unfavourably.

Spectacular array

An impressive display (colourful and attractive).

Not unmindful of

Conscious of; aware of.

Chevron

A pattern in the shape of a V.

Despised

Had a very low opinion of.

Wrought

An old-fashioned, formal word meaning done or achieved.

Profound

Deep and strong.

Resilience

The ability to deal with any kind of hardship and recover from its effects.

Pushed to our limits

Pushed to the last point in our ability to bear pain.

Inclinations

Natural tendencies of behaviour.

Inevitably

Unavoidably.

Twilight existence

A half-secret life, like a life lived in the fading light between sunset and darkness.

Illusion

Something that appears to be real but is not.

Transitory

Not permanent.

Curtailed

Reduced.

Prejudice

A strong dislike without any good reason.

Glimmer of humanity

A sign of human feeling (goodness, kindness, pity, justice, etc.).

Be overwhelmed with a sense of history

Feel deeply emotional, remembering and understanding all the past events that led up to a moment.