Reading comprehension /grammar/Video for English learners

As you may know Martin Luther King jr. was a baptist minister and a civil rights leader. He lived from 1929-1968, when he was assassinated on  the  balcony of his motel room.

In this pre-Easter period I feel like writing an article about one of the most important people worldwide of the last centura, who fought against social suppression and racism. In the 50s and 60s he was the leading  speaker of the American Civil Rights Movement and motivated the people, he stood for, to demonstrate against their condition in a nonviolent way. (For example the bus boycott which lasted 382 days.)

Due to the bus boycott he was arrested and abused and developed into a negro leader of the first rank. He took his ideals from Christianity and the operational techniques from Gandhi. Martin Luther King directed the peaceful march on Washington, D.C. where he delivered his very famous address: „ I have a Dream“.

About Martin Luther King and his and other peoples’ dreams.

A the age of 35 he received the Nobel Price for Peace and was the youngest person ever to get it.

Click on the following link and you can do an exercise concerning him which you can correct online.MLK

Here are some excerpts of his famous addresses:

ON MARCHING FOR CIVIL RIGHTS (Selma to Montgomery, 1965):

(Please fill the missing words into the gaps.)

until      to      housing      ballot      Like      marching      realization      off

“__________(1) an idea whose time has come, not even the __________(2) of mighty armies can halt us. We are moving __________(3) the land of freedom. Let us march to the __________(4) of the American dream. Let us march on segregated __________(5). Let us march on segregated schools. Let us march __________(6) poverty. Let us march on ballot boxes, march on __________(7) boxes until race baiters disappear from the political arena, __________(8) the Wallaces of our nation tremble away in silence.”

(Answers:1=Like/2=marching/3=to/4=realisation/5=housing/6=off/7=ballot/8=until

This picture is from the article: Martin Luther King on wikipedia.

ON PEACE (1964):
“Sooner or later all the people of the world will have to discover a way to live together in peace and thereby transform this pending cosmic

elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood. I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism

and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality. This is why right temporarily defeated is stronger

than evil triumphant.”

ON FREEDOM (1963):

Fill the following verbs into the gaps join  let  re  ring  ring  ring  ring  ring  ring  sing  speed

ON HIS OWN FUTURE (April 3, 1968):
“We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn’t matter with me now. Because I’ve been to the mountaintop. I won’t mind. Like

anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And he’s

allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over, and I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to

know tonight that we as a people will get to the Promised Land. So I’m happy tonight. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the

glory of the coming of the Lord. “

Here is a link to a very good exercise which you can correct online: http://pagesperso-orange.fr/michel.barbot/hotpot/mlk/comp.htm

and to a very interesting and touching audio presentation about Martin Luther King’s life. http://farr-integratingit.net/Holidays/MLK/King.htm

The American Indians may also have a dream!

These people may also have a dream!

In this sense I wish you a happy Easter holiday.