SPEAKING FLUENCY

#201

Back Of The Bus Here are the questions with answers. Pause the recording and speak out loud. You don’t have to be perfect. Just speak quickly and have fun. Remember, if you want to improve your speaking, you have to speak a lot.

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#201

Back Of The Bus

Imagine having to sit at the back of the bus, just because of your skin color. Less than 100 years ago, it was common in the United States to block African Americans from job opportunities, stores, and restaurants that were only for white people. When was it common in the United States to block African Americans from job opportunities, stores, and restaurants that were only for white people? Less than 100 years ago, it was common in the United States to block African Americans from job opportunities, stores, and restaurants that were only for white people. They were also banned from many public services and forced to use lower quality public toilets, hospitals, and even schools. Were they also banned from many public services and forced to use lower quality public toilets, hospitals, and even schools? Yes, they were also banned from many public services and forced to use lower quality public toilets, hospitals, and even schools. Sitting in the front of a public bus was just one form of legal discrimination that African Americans faced at that time.

What was just one form of legal discrimination that African Americans faced at that time? Sitting in the front of a public bus was just one form of legal discrimination that African Americans faced at that time. In 1865, slavery was made illegal, but black people’s lives didn’t get much easier. When was slavery made illegal? In 1865, slavery was made illegal. Did black people’s lives get much easier? No, black people’s lives didn’t get much easier. They were often accused of crimes they didn’t commit. What were they accused of? They were accused of crimes they didn’t commit. They were jailed and even killed for no reason in the early 1900s. In the early 1900s, were they jailed and killed for no reason? Yes, in the early 1900s they were jailed and killed for no reason. In the 1950s, blacks were still treated like second-class citizens, but their tolerance had grown thin.

© Deep English, 2011-2016 | www.deepenglish.com

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#201

Back Of The Bus

In the 1950s how were blacks treated? In the 1950s, blacks were still treated like second-class citizens. Had their tolerance grown thin? Yes, their tolerance had grown thin. Rosa Parks is a famous African American woman who is known as the mother of the Civil Rights movement. Who is a famous African American woman known as the mother of the Civil Rights movement? Rosa Parks is a famous African American woman who is known as the mother of the civil rights movement. She started this movement of non-violent resistance by refusing to give up her bus seat for a white person. How did she start this movement of non-violent resistance? She started this movement of non-violent resistance by refusing to give up her bus seat for a white person. She’s still celebrated today for her courage. What is she celebrated for today? She’s celebrated today for her courage. What many people don’t know is that Rosa Parks wasn’t the first African American woman to do this. What is something many people don’t know about Rosa Parks? What many people don’t know is that Rosa Parks wasn’t the first African American woman to do this.

© Deep English, 2011-2016 | www.deepenglish.com

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#201

Back Of The Bus

Just nine months earlier, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin had bravely done the exact same thing. Just nine months earlier, who had done the exact same thing? Just nine months earlier, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin had bravely done the exact same thing. In 1955, Claudette was asked to move from her bus seat so that a white person could sit there. In 1955, why was Claudette asked to move from her bus seat? In 1955, Claudette was asked to move from her bus seat so that a white person could sit there. Claudette refused. Did Claudette agree? No she didn’t. Claudette refused. The police were called, but still the brave girl stood her ground. Who was called? The police were called. What did Claudette do? Claudette stood her ground. The police stormed onto the bus, grabbed both of her wrists, and ripped her from her seat. What did the police do after they stormed the bus? They grabbed both of her wrists and ripped her from her seat. Her books went flying to the floor. What went flying to the floor? Her books went flying to the floor.

They kicked her and forced her from the bus and into a police car. Did they punch her? No, they didn’t. They kicked her. And did they force her from the bus and into a fire engine? No, they didn’t. They forced her from the bus and into a police car. They called her names and threw her in jail. Did they call her names? Yes, they did. They called her names. And did they throw her out of jail? No, they didn’t. They threw her in jail, not out of jail.

© Deep English, 2011-2016 | www.deepenglish.com

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#201

Back Of The Bus

So, why hasn’t history remembered Claudette? She should be just as famous as Rosa Parks, but she isn’t. Who should Claudette be just as famous as? Claudette should be just as famous as Rosa Parks. That’s because Civil Rights leaders thought that Rosa made a better face for the movement. What did Civil Rights leaders think? Civil Rights leaders thought that Rosa made a better face for the movement. Rosa was older than Claudette and more reserved. Who was older, Rosa or Claudette? Rosa was older than Claudette. But many say that Rosa’s lighter skin made her a more attractive woman to lead the movement. What made Rosa a more attractive woman to lead the movement? Rosa’s lighter skin made her a more attractive woman to lead the movement.

Claudette’s skin was darker, and people thought this made her seem poorer and less trustworthy. What did people think about Claudette’s darker skin? People thought her darker skin made her seem poorer and less trustworthy. It’s sad to think that skin color even played a role in the woman history chose as the face of the civil rights movement – a movement to end racial inequality. What was the civil rights movement a movement to end? The civil rights movement was a movement to end racial inequality. Do you think racial inequality still exists?

Photos / Credits:

Photo #1 (cover) – by Fe Ilya: https://www.flickr.com/photos/renneville/2908748583/ © Deep English, 2011-2016 | www.deepenglish.com

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