READING COMPREHENSION TEST # 12
“TRIAL BY ORDESL”
In a small village called Yama in River Gee County early this year, a 25 year old woman was accused of witch craft. She was not offered a fair trial, a lawyer or the presumption of innocence. Instead, she was made to face a trial by ordeal that UNMIL and many Liberian human rights groups believe was both unfair and cruel. The woman was taken by community members to the village square early in the morning of 11th January,2006 while a high priest, elders and some young boys of the village went into the forest to chop wood from a poisonous tree. They brought the wood’s chips to the village, soaked them in boiling water and gave the brew to the woman to drink.
After an hour of public pressure and delusion, her tongue loosened. According to the villagers, she began to confess to killing her mother and a nine year old boy. After her alleged confession, she was left in the hot sun surrounded by a small circle of her own villagers for hours until she finally died. Her body was dragged away and dumped into a nearby swamp without burial rites. Her family members were ordered by village elders not to weep.
This wasn’t the first time that the poisonous wood chips will determine the guilt or innocence of an individual in this village. The belief that a poison from the wood of a tree can help divine guilt or innocence is common across the hinterlands of Liberia, where “formal” justice is virtually nonexistent. The wood poison is often administered to persons who plead innocent to crimes. These persons are subjected to the procedure often unwillingly. Mostly they are coerced into taking the bitter medicine of injustice, often after being physically and mentally tortured into confusion.
Several villagers are in support of this practice. They believe that this is the best means of resolving problems and proving the guilt or innocence of an accused person. Some argue that they have no other means of getting justice for the people because they have only one county attorney, no private lawyers and no working court system.
Indeed this practice is sanctioned and regulated by the Liberian Government. The Ministry of Internal Affairs is responsible for overseeing the Regulation concerning this practice. Herbal doctors also called Witch doctors are required to procure a special certificate from the ministry. The ministry issues this certificate after ascertaining competency of the applicant.
QUESTIONS: READING TEST # 12 “A”
“TRIAL BY ORDESL”
Family Name: ………………… First Name: ………………. CP………......
Country: ………………………. Date………..............................................
Q1: In which county is Yama village?
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Q2: What kind of trial did the 25 year old woman face?
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Q3: What was the opinion of UNMIL and many Liberian human rights groups?
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Q.4: Who went to the forest to chop wood from a poisonous tree?
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Q5: What confession did the woman allegedly make?
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Q6: When and how are persons mostly coerced into taking the bitter medicine of injustice?
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Q7: Why is trial by ordeal common in the hinterlands of Liberia?
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Q8: Why do some villagers argue that they have no other means of justice for the people?
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Q9: Which ministry oversees the regulation concerning this practice?
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Q10: What is the other name for herbal doctors?
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Score
|
/10
|
Percentage
|
100%
|
Tester
Name
| |
Tester
CP
|
QUESTIONS: READING TEST # 12 “B”
“TRIAL BY ORDESL”
Family Name: ………………… First Name: ……………. CP………...
Country: ………………………. Date………............................................
Q.1: Who went to the forest to chop wood from a poisonous tree?
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Q2: Why do some villagers argue that they have no other means of justice for the people?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q3: What confession did the woman allegedly make?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q4: In which county is Yama village?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q5: What is the other name for herbal doctors?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q6: Which ministry oversees the regulation concerning this practice?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q7: When and how are persons mostly coerced into taking the bitter medicine of injustice?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q8: What was the opinion of UNMIL and many Liberian human rights groups?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q9: Why is trial by ordeal common in the hinterlands of Liberia?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q10: What kind of trial did the 25 year old woman face?
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Score
|
/10
|
Percentage
|
100%
|
Tester
Name
| |
Tester CP
|
QUESTIONS: READING TEST # 12 “C”
“TRIAL BY ORDESL”
Family Name: ………………… First Name: ……………. CP………...
Country: ….....................Date………...............................
Q1: What is the other name for herbal doctors?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q2: Why is trial by ordeal common in the hinterlands of Liberia?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q3: In which county is Yama village?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q4: What kind of trial did the 25 year old woman face?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q5: Which ministry oversees the regulation concerning this practice?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q6: What was the opinion of UNMIL and many Liberian human rights groups?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q7: What confession did the woman allegedly make?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q8: When and how are persons mostly coerced into taking the bitter medicine of injustice?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q9: Why do some villagers argue that they have no other means of justice for the people?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.10: Who went to the forest to chop wood from a poisonous tree?
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Score
|
/10
|
Percentage
|
100%
|
Tester
Name
| |
Tester
CP
|
ANSWERS: READING TEST # 12 “A”
“TRIAL ORDESL”
Q1: In which county is Yama village?
River Gee
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Q2: What kind of trial did the 25 year old woman face?
Trial by ordeal
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Q3: What was the opinion of UNMIL and many Liberian human rights groups?
The trial was both unfair and cruel.
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Q.4: Who went to the forest to chop wood from a poisonous tree?
The high priest, elders and some young boys of the village
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Q5: What confession did the woman allegedly make?
To have killed her mother and a nine year old boy.
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Q6: When and how are persons mostly coerced into taking the bitter medicine of injustice?
After being physically and mentally tortured into confusion.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q7: Why is trial by ordeal common in the hinterlands of Liberia?
“Formal” justice is virtually nonexistent.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q8: Why do some villagers argue that they have no other means of justice for the people?
They have only one county attorney, no private lawyers and no working court system.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q9: Which ministry oversees the regulation concerning this practice?
The ministry of Internal Affairs.
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Q10: What is the other name for herbal doctors?
Witch doctors
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ANSWERS: READING TEST # 12 “B”
“TRIAL ORDESL”
Q.1: Who went to the forest to chop wood from a poisonous tree?
The high priest, elders and some young boys of the village
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q2: Why do some villagers argue that they have no other means of justice for the people?
They have only one county attorney, no private lawyers and no working court system
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q3: What confession did the woman allegedly make?
To have Killed her mother and a nine year old boy.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q4: In which county is Yama village?
River Gee
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q5: What is the other name for herbal doctors?
Witch doctors
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q6: Which ministry oversees the regulation concerning this practice?
The ministry of Internal Affairs.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q7: When and how are persons mostly coerced into taking the bitter medicine of injustice?
After being physically and mentally tortured into confusion.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q8: What was the opinion of UNMIL and many Liberian human rights groups?
The trial was both unfair and cruel.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q9: Why is trial by ordeal common in the hinterlands of Liberia?
“Formal” justice is virtually nonexistent.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q10: What kind of trial did the 25 year old woman face?
Trial by ordeal
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ANSWERS: READING TEST # 12 “C”
“TRIAL ORDESL”
Q1: What is the other name for herbal doctors?
Witch doctors
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q2: Why is trial by ordeal common in the hinterlands of Liberia?
“Formal” justice is virtually nonexistent.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q3: In which county is Yama village?
River Gee
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q4: What kind of trial did the 25 year old woman face?
Trial by ordeal
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q5: Which ministry oversees the regulation concerning this practice?
The ministry of Internal Affairs.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q6: What was the opinion of UNMIL and many Liberian human rights groups?
The trial was both unfair and cruel.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q7: What confession did the woman allegedly make?
To have Killed her mother and a nine year old boy.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q8: When and how are persons mostly coerced into taking the bitter medicine of injustice?
After being physically and mentally tortured into confusion.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q9: Why do some villagers argue that they have no other means of justice for the people?
They have only one county attorney, no private lawyers and no working court system.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q10: Who went to the forest to chop wood from a poisonous tree?
The high priest, elders and some young boys of the village
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