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Definition of the word strife (Article #1)

Definition of the word strife (Article #1)

angry or bitter disagreement over fundamental issues; conflict

The government does not admit to supporting the Janjaweed, but organizations disagree with this.(Article #1)

Although the Sudanese government denies that it supports the Janjaweed, human rights organizations dispute that claim. (paragraph 5 Article #1)

Sumaya has to carry her brother Baba for a long time as they flee their village. (Article #1)

"We ran…until I felt that I couldn’t go on any longer," she recalls. As Baba grew heavier and heavier in the girl's arms (paragraph 2 Article #1)

Sumaya wants to hide her brother in the grass so that her and her grandmother can find help and come back for him. (Article #1)

she thought about stashing him in the tall grass, but their grandmother insisted that they stay together. (paragraph 2 Article #1)

The author hooks the reader at the beginning of the story by telling an emotional story to make you care. (Article #1)

DARFUR. Sudan— Fifteen-year-old Sumaya will never forget the day two years ago when a horseman militia known as the Janjaweed terrorized her village in Darfur, a region of Sudan. "I was at school when they attacked us," she told a United Nations (U.N.) aid worker. "My sisters ran back to the village, and I ran with some friends. My cousin Mona was running ahead of me when she was shot. I stopped and held her hand. When she died, her hand slipped out of mine. Some boys told me that I had to run, so I did.'' (paragraph 1 Article #1)

Even though Sumaya faced and faces many challenges, she remains hopeful for her and her family’s future. (Article #1)

At Kalma Camp, Sumaya worries about her siblings. They are sick, bleary-eyed, and listless. Baba has constant stomach pains. Still, Sumaya says she likes to think about good things. She is thankful that her parents are alive and that she is able to attend school at the camp. She daydreams about her family's farm and about the day she will be able to return home. (paragraph 11 Article #1)

The Lost Boys face a grueling, dangerous journey to safety. (Article #2)

The "lost boys," as they came to be known, headed toward Ethiopia. The 1,000-mile trek was grueling. They would go for days without food or water, eating leaves and berries and sucking liquid from mud to stay alive. Exhausted, some boys gave up, dying of starvation or dehydration. (Paragraph 4 Article #2)

They have to jump into a river filled with crocodiles to escape soldiers. (Article #2)

The boys had no choice but to cross the crocodile-infested River Gilo to escape. Thousands of them drowned, were eaten by crocodiles, or were shot. (Paragraph 5 Article #2)

Even though 4,000 boys reach America for a new life, they still worry about the problems in Sudan and want peace for their people. (Article #2)

After eight years, the United States brought about 4,000 of the lost boys, including Daniel, to U.S. cities to start over.  Daniel, now 22, lives in Houston. He is still haunted by what he left behind. "Coming to America will not ease all my burdens.  Only peace in Sudan can do that for me and all Sudanese children," he said. (Paragraph 7 Article #2)

In Sudanese culture, the boys often migrate and travel from place to place, but the war made it happen way more. (Article #3)

 But during the war this process has escalated dramatically. Fearing they would be targeted as potential combatants, many boys left their villages and headed for cities such as Juba and Khartoum. Here they hoped to find work or schooling, though as these cities became saturated with migrants, the boys often had to resort to begging or petty crime. (Paragraph 3 Article #3)

Thousands of children needed to learn to survive on their own without relying on anyone since they were separated from their families and homes. (Article #3)

Others set out for refugee camps in Ethiopia. Some travelled with friends or relatives, others slipped away on their own at night. Few had any idea of what lay ahead of them. They believed the trek would last only a few days and discovered that they faced a harrowing journey of 6 to 10 weeks. Continually under threat, they would flee for their lives, losing their way in the wilderness. Often they lost everything en route—blankets, sheets, shoes, clothes and pots—to soldiers, swindlers or bandits. Many fell victim to killer diseases. Others were so weakened by hunger and lack of sleep that they could go no further and sat down by the roadside—prey for lions and other animals. (Article #3 Paragraph 4)

Even though many escaped, the memories of those who were not lucky stay with them. (Article #3)

 Since 1992, UNICEF has managed to reunite nearly 1,200 boys with their families. But approximately 17,000 remain in camps in the region. The harsh memories remain as well. As 14-year-old Simon Majok puts it: "We were suffering because of war. Some have been killed. Some have died because of hunger and disease. We children of the Sudan, we were not lucky." (Article #3 Paragraph 7)

Define the word saturated

holding as much water or moisture as can be absorbed; thoroughly soaked.

Define the word migrants.

a person who moves from one place to another, especially in order to find work or better living conditions.

Their journey to safety was challenging, with many obstacles in their way and little resources. (Article #3)

The survivors who reached the camps in Ethiopia started to lead a relatively peaceful life. But it was not to last. Following the change of government in Ethiopia in May 1991 they had to flee again, back to camps in the Sudan. This time the journey was during heavy rains, and many perished crossing the swollen rivers or were hit by aerial bombardment. The luckier ones made it to a camp where they received help from the International Committee of the Red Cross. (Article #3 Paragraph 5)

The writer of this article shows sympathy for the challenges the Lost Boys went through. (Article #3)

Says words like: Harsh Memories, Says the lost boys had to go through difficult times and obstacles etc. (Article #3)

The absence of cattle changes the entire marriage process for the Dinka culture.  (Article #4)

Hundreds of Dinka tribesmen and women have gathered at the Duk-Fuel family compound for a traditional dowry celebration. But the occasion is marred by what is missing: There will be no cattle given to the Duk-Fuel family today, historically the central transaction at this ritual. (Article #4 Paragraph 2)

Instead of giving cows, they are promising each other cows, but the Dinka are hesitant to accept these promises. (Article #4)

The Duk-Fuels must settle instead for cautious promises. The family whose boy wants to marry a Duk-Fuel girl vows to give plenty of cattle when the four-decade-old war in this, Africa's largest country, someday ends. "We will honor our agreement," the boy's uncle says. (Article #4 Paragraph 2)

Cattle are considered a form of wealth and honor in the Dinka culture, so cows are very important to them. (Article #4)

The cow has always been the focus of their culture. Cattle stood at the heart of virtually every important tradition and ceremony in Dinka life. Myths rose up around the animal. The Dinka wrote songs about it. They created dances to honor it. (Article #4 Paragraph 10)

And

Dinka see the animal as the highest form of wealth. Today some Dinka retain their cattle, but many have lost their herds, which were killed in fighting or abandoned during the rush to camps for the displaced. (Article #4 Paragraph 11)

 The war is the cause of the Dinka Culture losing their cattle, and it is a constant reminder when marriage celebrations occur. (Article #4)

Holding the ceremony without cattle, Mabil says, reminds Dinkas that they have no property. "You cannot regain your land," he says through an interpreter. "That is the great loss...We hope our leaders are working hard to get us back our land." (Article #4 Paragraph 8)

The Dinka and Nuer tribes have been enemies for hundreds of years, and this makes the conflict in South Sudan continue. (Article #5)

The conflict began in December 2013 when soldiers loyal to President Salva Kiir, a Dinka, and those loyal to former Vice President Riek Machar, a Nuer, fought in the capital following months of growing political tensions. In December 2015, President Kiir dissolved South Sudan’s 10 regional states and created 28 new states, fueling conflict in many areas. (Article #5 Paragraph 2)

Even those who are not involved in the war are facing many effects and consequences of the war since they live in South Sudan. (Article #5)

The continued violence and destruction by the government and those rebelling have devastated many villages in the area and civilians are desperately searching for safety.  An additional 200,000 people were forced to flee their homes, bringing the total displaced to 2.4 million. Those left behind, including people with disabilities, have faced serious abuses. (Article #5 Paragraph 3)

Children have been recruited as soldiers and forced to fight in this war, which shows that the government lacks care for the safety of the children of Sudan. (Article #5)

 Both government and opposition forces have used child soldiers since the beginning of the conflict. In April, the UN secretary-general’s report on children and armed conflict noted more than 2,500 children were recruited or used in the armies, mostly by government forces. Forces aligned with the opposition also continued to recruit and use children.  Additionally, Soldiers or armed rebels often use schools as homes, preventing children from accessing the premises and attending classes. (Article #4 Paragraph 7)

Define the word ascertain.

find (something) out for certain; make sure of.

 There is still no peace in South Sudan today, which means the people of Sudan continue to suffer and live in an unsafe environment. (Article #5)

 More than 200,000 civilians forced to flee their homes because of the fighting are living in refugee camps or temporary shelters.  However, even the people trying to help the victims of the war are being targeted as well and that hinders the attempts to aid those in need.  As of yet, there is still no peace and no sense of safety for those who live the simple life in South Sudan and sadly even in creating their own country, the number of refugees and victims of war continues to rise in this region. (Article #5 Paragraph 11)

Explicit:

Directly Stated in the text

Implicit:

Goes beyond what the text says, indirect, an inference

Summary:

A summary is a retelling of the most important details within a text.

Inference:

An inference is a new idea based on what is read and what is already stated in the text. An inference is what an author is suggesting. It is important for the reader to look for clues within the text to understand what is being suggested.

Connotative:

Underlying meaning of a word/phrase. 

Perspective:

his/her feelings or attitude about a specific event or topic.