Question

Nelson Mandela had to spend _________ years in prison.

• A. thirty-three
• B. twenty
• C. thirty
• D. twenty-nine

Hint:

For fact-based questions from literature or history, pay attention to numbers, dates, and durations mentioned in the text. Sometimes, authors use approximate figures (like "nearly three decades"), and the options will reflect this approximation.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Question
The question asks about the duration of Nelson Mandela's imprisonment.
Step 2: Recalling Factual Information
This question is based on the chapter "Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom." It requires recalling a key biographical detail about Nelson Mandela.
Step 3: Detailed Explanation
Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years, from 1964 to 1990. However, the chapter and many sources often refer to this period as "nearly three decades" or round it up.
Let's analyze the given options:
(A) thirty-three - Incorrect.
(B) twenty - Incorrect, this is too short.
(C) thirty - This is the closest round number to 27 years and is often used to refer to the period (almost three decades). In the context of multiple-choice questions based on textbook summaries, this is the most likely intended answer.
(D) twenty-nine - While closer to 27 than 30, "thirty" is a more common approximation for "three decades".
In the chapter "Long Walk to Freedom," Mandela mentions spending "almost 30 years" in prison. Therefore, "thirty" is the best fit among the choices.
Step 4: Final Answer
Based on the common approximation used in the context of the chapter, Nelson Mandela spent nearly thirty years in prison. Option (C) is the correct answer.