Collège Louise Wegmann October 2019

Class: 5ème
Name: _________________________________

Reading Comprehension

The Welsh in Patagonia

In 1865 a ship called the Mimosa sailed from Wales in the

west of Britain to Patagonia in the south of Argentina, with 153
Welsh men, women and children on board. They wanted to find
somewhere far from Britain where they would be free to express
their language and culture, which were beginning to disappear.
They called the place where they landed “Port Madryn”.
In the years that followed, about 3,000 other Welsh
people joined them. They were given land by the Argentinean
government and the y were taught to hunt by the Tehuelche, the native people who were friendly and helpful to
them. The Welsh were called “the bread and butter people” because they exchanged simple food for furs and
skins.
They lives and the immigrants centered on the home, the school and the chapel. They were very
practical people. A new currency and legal system were introduced. The land was farmed and sheep were kept
on high land. Welsh was spoken everywhere. Welsh-language primary schools were set up.
In 1878 Spanish was introduced into schools, and by the turn of the century, Spanish had become the
language of the classroom. As the years passed the Welsh language fell into decline and was heard only among
the older generation. They knew that if the language wasn’t used by young people, nobody would understand it
in a few years ‘time.
In 1990 Gwilym Roberts, a teacher from Cardiff in Wales was watching a television program about
Patagonia. He discovered that the Welsh Argentine Society was looking for people t o teach Welsh in Patagonia
and volunteered to go.
“Patagonia, Welsh folk music and dancing are becoming popular.
“Folk dancing isn’t as skillful as the tango,” admits Sian Emlyn, the
secretary of the Welsh Argentine Society, “but it’s fun.”
July 28th, the date when the Welsh first arrived in Patagonia, is a
holiday. It is celebrated with tea and cakes – and, of course, bread and
butter.
A- Are the sentences True or False? Find a justification from the text.

1- A ship called Mimosa sailed from Patagonia to the west of Britain

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
2- By the end of the 17th century, Spanish replaced Welsh in schools.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
3- The Welsh were sophisticated and enjoyed traveling and adventure.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
4- Welsh was very popular amongst the young generation in Patagonia in the late 1800s.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
5- Gwilym Roberts was employed to teach folk dancing.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
6- July 28th is a holiday that celebrates the departure of the first Welsh from Wales.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

B- Match each of the definitions below with a word from the text.

1- Original people of a country:

2- Church:

3- Freely offer to do something:

4- Traditional art form:

C- Answer the following questions in full sentences.

1- How did the Tehuelche help the early settlers?

____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
2- Why were the settlers called “the bread and butter people”?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
3- Why wasn’t Welsh used in Patagonian schools in the early 1900s?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
4- Which does Sian Emlyn think is more difficult to learn – Welsh folk dancing or tango?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
5- What might you eat and drink if you were in Patagonia on July 28th?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________