Comprehension Answers

Bedouins at their camp

Herding their goats and sheep

A family at their tent

An example of a Bedouin tent

A Bedouin meal

Clementi Woods Secondary School MYE 2013
Comprehension Answers

1a) The word is “Trail”.   

1b) This is because the lifestyle of the Bedouins was always depicted as being filled with freedom and danger as they roamed the desert while dressed in long-flowing desert garb and they seemed to be living an existence that was quite extraordinary/the writer is fascinated by their lifestyle. 

2) Answer: The dominant reason was the absence of rain for long periods of time/years of drought. 

3) That it is very dry and arid/does not rain/there is no water in the desert. 

4) I understand this to mean that the number of sheep in the flock owned by Bedouin is an indication of how well-off/wealthy the Bedouin is. 

DO NOT REPEAT WORDS OR PART OF PHRASES USED IN THE PASSAGE: e.g. Size of herd; economic standing. 

5) “Both time and place lose all meaning” means that people who are in the area called the valley of the moon find the scenery so spectacular and beautiful that they are completely captivated and enchanted and they forget everything/all else. 

6) He was please as he hoped to break some cultural barriers and learn as much as possible about the Bedouin way of life/ learn first-hand about the how the Bedouins live

7) 
a) The word tells me that the fog is thick/visibility in the fog is poor.

b) The 2 reasons are that the pageant lasted more than nine days with the animals being paraded before a grandstand and over 24,000 camels took part in the contest.

8) It tells me that the search was non-stop/continuous.  

Wrong answer: Difficult

9) This is because the camel could survive long periods of between 5 days to many weeks without water.

10) Man and camels exulted as one because Man rode on camels to carry out raids on other tribes and helped one another emerge victorious from such raids. Furthermore, Man rode camels across the harsh terrain of the desert and survived together. 

The key is understanding why humans and the camel rejoiced as ONE or together. 

What does "exulted" mean? 
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/exulted
 

11) 

12)

13) Vocabulary

1.  Traditional = customary

2. Spontaneous = unplanned/spur-of-the-moment

3. Belies = camouflages/disguises the truth/fails to give a true impression of 

4. Embody = symbolize

5. Communal = share by everyone/public

14. Summarize the life of the Bedouins, their relationship with their animals and the usefulness of the animals

S/no		In your own words and trimmed The Bedouins’ nomadic lifestyle originated in the Saudi Arabian desert.
	life of the Bedouins,
1 17	Rough desert conditions and years of drought eventually led the Bedouins to move North	Rough conditions and drought led the Bedouins to move North
2	The Bedouin tribes settled along the Sinai peninsula, east of the Jordan river, and later in the fertile land of Israel.	and they settled along the Sinai peninsula and later in Israel.
3 16	…lived in complete isolation from all forms of organized rule, as they viewed themselves as free people not to be controlled, and they resisted any power that attempted to block the freedom and independent of the people under their control.	….living in complete isolation from organized rule, they viewed themselves as free people not to be controlled, and they resisted any power that attempted to block the freedom and independence.
4	They closely observe the same social and tribal behaviors practiced by their forefathers.	They closely observe the same social and tribal behaviors practiced by their forefathers.
5	Some tribes live in a splendor-filled environment	Some tribes live in a splendor-filled environment
6	The tent culture was one of the most important components of ancient Bedouin society	The tent culture is an important component of Bedouin society
7	Providing the needs of the residents, the tent serves as a type of social center where important family discussions can take place, adults educate their children and guests of the family stay.	Tents meet residential needs, serve as a social center for family discussions, education and where guests stay.
	their relationship with their animals
8	When one of the kids had trouble getting out of a dried upriver channel, Ali lifted it out with his hands and kissed it	Bedouin love their animals and care for them like family members
9	Sheep are kept in the middle of the tent as they are viewed as an inseparable part of the family	Sheep are kept in the tent as they are viewed as an inseparable part of the family
10	Sheep are also in need of protection from the biting chill of the desert nights.	as they need protection from the night chill.
11	The sheep raised are an existential element in their lives.	Sheep are an existential element in their lives.
	usefulness of the animals
12	The goats and sheep provide the primary source of income and food	The goats and sheep provide the primary source of income and food
13 14	Goat hair is used to prepare the tent, storage containers and closing and the sheep meat is enjoyed at family events.	Goat hair is used to make tents, storage containers and clothing and the sheep meat is eaten.
15	The size of the herd indicates the economic standing of the Bedouin	The size of the herd indicates the family’s wealth
16	The tent is made from the woven cloth produced from goat hair. Goat hair contains natural oils, which provide elasticity to the threads	The tent's woven cloth is made from goat hair that is naturally elastic.
17	Once they are dried in the summer heat, the threads shrink and spaces form between them, giving tents ventilation. In the wintertime, the fibers swell after rainfall and the spaces close again so that the tent is completely sealed.	The goat hairs naturally shrink and swell to ventilate the tents.

The Bedouins’ nomadic lifestyle originated in the Saudi Arabian desert…

and rough conditions and drought led forced them to move North and settle in the Sinai peninsula and later Israel. They lived in absolute isolation from organized rule and resisted any attempts to block their independence. They closely observed their forefather’s social and tribal behaviors and some tribes lived in beautiful desert environments. Tent culture is central to Bedouin society, meeting residential needs, serving as social centers for family discussions, children’s education and for guests to stay. Sheep are an existential element in Bedouin lives and the size of the herd indicates a family’s wealth. The Bedouin love their animals like family, and are inseparable from them. Sheep are protected from the night chill by sleeping them in tents. Goats and sheep are the key income and food sources for the Bedouin. Goat hair is used to make tents, storage containers and clothing and the sheep meat is often eaten. 150 words