IA: Matam

IEF: Matam
School: LYCEE SINTHIOU DIAMDIOR Year: 2021-22
nd
Level: 1re 2 Semester Exam Mr. Diallo
_________________________________________________________________________________
ENGLISH EVALATION

Lat Dior Ngone Latyr Diop was born on 1842 in the ancient Cayor region (centre of
Senegal) in a village called Keur Amadou Yalla, which means ‘At Amadou yalla’s’. He
was a ‘ceddo’, that is a fighter who neither was a Christian nor a Muslim. He
belonged to the noble Diop family. His mother was a Linguere Queen named Ngone
Latyr Fall.
Lat Dior is well known by the oral tradition who sang and praised his heroic deeds.
In Senegal the oral tradition is kept lively by the Griots who are called the ‘Bags of
words’ because they keep our tradition alive in their vast memories. The function of a
griot is transmitted from father to son, orally. These griots are still singing the courage
, the pride and the patriotism and attachment of Lat Dior to his motherland and his
sense of honor (Diom in Wolof, the national language) and his being gifted in war
strategies. He knew how to maneuver his troops, lay get apens and then use the field
to his advantage. He was very good at guerrilla warfare.

When his half-brother Damel (king) Birima Ngone Latyr died in 1860, Lat Dior, still
young, suffered from the realities of the French invasion led by Faidherbe. From that
moment on his destiny was sealed. He was going to fight to drive away the invaders
from his motherland. At first Lat Dior dominated the French troops setting get apens
where they got trapped and beaten, because of their ignorance of the land and the
battlefield. In 1861 Lat Dior was victorious over the French in Koki. A second victory
was going to take place in Ngolngol in December 30, 1863.
From that moment on he became the number one enemy of the French authorities.
After Lat Dior’s defeat in Loro in 1864 Cayor, his native land was annexed by the
French invaders. Lat Dior found refuge in Saloum, where he made an alliance with
the local kings, Maba Diakhou Ba and Amadou Cheikhou, the son of Elhadji Oumar.
With these allies he succeeded to defeat the French army again in Mekhe. This
victory earned him respect from his enemies who recognised him as the king of Cayor
from 1871 to 1882. But a bone of contention was soon going to drive them apart
again as
Lat Dior did not want the railway line to cross his native land. He used to say that
‘Malaw, his horse, will never see the railway line’, because he sincerely believed that
the land the railway line went over would finally belong to the French, which he
could not bear to see.

According to the ‘Senegalese journals’ dated from October 28,1886, the fight that took
place around noon in Dekhele between Lat Dior and the French troops was unique in
the Senegalese war history due to its violence and fierceness. The adversaries fired
at each other at so close range that their clothes were burnt by the powder. After
overcoming a third of the French troops, Lat Dior finally fell to the ground with his
sons and 78 ceddos of his best men.
The popular and oral tradition report that if Lat Dior has finally been defeated by the
French invaders it is because he was betrayed by Demba Ware Sall, another
Senegalese King who was the ally of the French colonisers.
Whatever the real facts, Lat Dior entered history as the only Senegalese hero who
ever succeeded to defeat the French army. He became the symbol of the national
resistance and is our national hero.
 Today the griots, the ‘bags of words’ and keepers of the oral tradition are still
celebrating Lat Dior Ngone Latyr Diop, the last king of Cayor. As he always predicted,
Malaw, his horse and companion fighter, never saw the railway line. As a loyal
companion the horse died at the same place as his master.

I. COMPREHENSION:
A. Read the text and answer the questions.(1.5marks)

1. Which religion was Lat Dior before being a muslim?

2. Which title was the kingdom of Cayor taken?
3. When did Lat Dior’s battle in Koki happen?

B. Are these sentences true or false? Justify from the text (2marks)
4. Lat Dior was a sofa before being a muslim.
5. Lat Dior first defeat with the French happened in 1962 in Saloum.
6. Maba Diakhou Ba and Amadou Cheikhou were two kings in Saloum.
7. Lat Dior was betrayed by Demba War Sall.

C. Referencing: Who or what do the following words refer to in the

text(1mark)
8. His sense (paragraph 1)...........................................................................
9. Their ignorance (paragraph 2)…………………………………………………….

II. Linguistic and Communicative Competence:

D. Complete the spaces with the words according the sense.(3marks)

Lat Dior ngone Latyr Diop was a 10. (resist) who was fighting the French
colonisers to get the independence of his kingdom.He 11. (be) born in 1842 in
Keur Amadou Yalla in Cayor.His mother was a Linguere Queen
12.(name)Ngone Latyr Fall.Lat Dior was a 13. (courage) ceddo who knew the
way of battle in the land.
The French 14. (invader) led by Faidherbe wasn’t accepted by Lat Dior .From
that moment Lat Dior organized a battle with the French troops and got his
first 15. (victorious).Despite his courage he was beaten by the French in Loro
in 1864.

E. Information transfer: Complete this chart correctly about Lat

Dior’s life.(2marks) 16.
EVENTS DATES

1864

Lat Dior’s death

 28th October 1886

The king of Cayor

F. Write the verbs into the right tense or form: (1.5 marks)
Lat Dior Ngone Latyr Diop 17. (to be) a resistant who fought with the French
colonisers.In 1861 he 18. (to be) victorious over the French in KoKi.Before 19.
(to get) a defeat from the French troops.He (to learn) how to do a war in the
land since his childhood.When the French decided to build the raiway,he 20.
(to be) going to fight with the invaders.

G. Complete this dialogue meaningfully about Lat Dior’s life.

(3marks)21
Teacher: …………………………………………………………………………………..?
Student: The battle of ngolngol happened in 30th December in 1863.
Teacher: ..................................................................................................?
Student: It was Lat Dior’s second victory with the French invaders.
Teacher: ……………………………………………………….………………………..?
Students: The French were beaten Lat Dior by the French in 1864.
Teacher: He was a brave resistant who showed bravery in his battles.
Student: He was a great fighter, ……………………………..…………………….?
Teacher: ..................did he die.
Student: He was……………..in the battle of Dekhele on 28th October 1886.
Teacher: He (to become) the symbol of the national resistance and he is a
national hero.

H. Write the following sentences as indicated.(1.5 marks)

22. Everybody knows Lat Dior’s history in Sénégal.
Lat Dior’s history……………………………………………………………………………….
23. “Lat Dior succeeded to defeat the French Army in Mekhe”
People said that…………………………………………………………………………………
24. People said that Lat Dior was a freedom fighter.
Lat Dior……………………………………………………………………………………………

III. Writing: (5marks)

Topic: Choose one of the Senegalese heroes and write its history and
say why you choose him as a model of his bravery.