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B2 : 1984 by George Orwell American Author

Below is a B2 level activity about the book 1984 by the American author George Orwell (1903-1950).

1984 Book Cover.jpg

1984 by George Orwell

1984 by George Orwell is a dystopian novel that depicts a future where a totalitarian government led by Big Brother controls every aspect of society: 

  • Setting ---> The story takes place in Oceania, a country in a constant state of war with Eurasia and Eastasia. 

  • ​Government ---> The Party controls the country and brainwashes the population into obedience to Big Brother. The Party uses a propagandistic language called Newspeak to limit free thought. 

  • Characters ---> The main character is Winston Smith, a minor functionary in the Ministry of Truth who rewrites history to align with the Party's current thinking. Winston is unhappy with his life and secretly rebels against the government. He meets Julia, a girl who shares his desire for a more meaningful life, and they begin an affair.

  • Plot ---> Winston commits thoughtcrimes, including writing in a journal and having an affair, which leads to his arrest and imprisonment. In prison, he is tortured and brainwashed. He is then sent to the Ministry of Love, where he and Julia are subjected to violent reeducation.

  • Themes ---> 1984 is a cautionary tale about the dangers of allowing governments to obtain too much power. It illustrates how governments can manipulate facts and alter reality to suit their narrative. The novel also explores the power of words and how they can be used to create tyranny. ​

Quiz 1.0

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​1 - 1984 by George Orwell is a dystopian novel that depicts a future where a totalitarian government led by Big Brother controls every aspect of society:

a. True

b. False

c. Does not say

​

2 - The story takes place in Oceania, a country in a constant state of peace with Eurasia and Eastasia.

a. True

b. False

c. Does not say

​

3 - The Party controls the country and brainwashes the population into obedience to Big Brother.

a. True

b. False

c. Does not say

​

4 - The Party uses a propagandistic language called Newspeak to limit free thought. 

a. True

b. False

c. Does not say

​

5 - The language Newspeak is similar to English.

a. True

b. False

c. Does not say

​

6 - The main character is Theodore Twombly, a minor functionary in the Ministry of Truth who rewrites history to align with the Party's current thinking. Winston is unhappy with his life and secretly rebels against the government.

a. True

b. False

c. Does not say

​

7 - He meets Jane, a girl who shares his desire for a more meaningful life, and they begin an affair.

a. True

b. False

c. Does not say

​

8 - Winston commits thoughtcrimes, including writing in a journal and having an affair, which leads to his arrest and imprisonment.

a. True

b. False

c. Does not say

​

9 - In prison, he is tortured and brainwashed.

a. True

b. False

c. Does not say

​​

10 - He is then sent to the Ministry of reeducation, where he and Julia are subjected to violent reeducation.

a. True

b. False

c. Does not say

​​

11 - 1984 is a cautionary tale about the dangers of allowing governments to obtain too much wealth. ​

a. True

b. False

c. Does not say

​​

12 - It illustrates how governments can manipulate facts and alter reality to suit their narrative. The novel also explores the power of words and how they can be used to create tyranny. ​

a. True

b. False

c. Does not say

​

13 - The novel also explores the power of words and how they can be used to create tyranny. ​

a. True

b. False

c. Does not say

​

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Quiz 1.0

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​1 - A ---> True

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2 - B ---> False ---> The story takes place in Oceania, a country in a constant state of war with Eurasia and Eastasia.

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3 - A ---> True

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4 - A ---> True

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5 - C ---> Does not say

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6 - B ---> False ---> The main character is Winston Smith, a minor functionary in the Ministry of Truth who rewrites history to align with the Party's current thinking. Winston is unhappy with his life and secretly rebels against the government.

​

7 - B ---> False ---> He meets Julia, a girl who shares his desire for a more meaningful life, and they begin an affair.

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8 - A ---> True

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9 - A ---> True

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10 - B ---> False ---> He is then sent to the Ministry of Love, where he and Julia are subjected to violent reeducation.

​

​11 - B ---> False ---> 1984 is a cautionary tale about the dangers of allowing governments to obtain too much power.

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12 - A ---> True

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13 - A ---> True

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George Orwell - GO-smoking-at-typewriter-226x300.jpg

Brief Introduction

Nineteen Eighty-four, novel by English author George Orwell published in 1949 as a warning against totalitarianism. The novel’s chilling dystopia made a deep impression on readers, and Orwell’s ideas entered mainstream culture in a way achieved by very few books. The book’s title and many of its concepts, such as Big Brother and the Thought Police, are instantly recognized and understood, often as bywords for modern social and political abuses.

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Summary

The book is set in 1984 in Oceania, one of three perpetually warring totalitarian states (the other two are Eurasia and Eastasia). Oceania is governed by the all-controlling Party, which has brainwashed the population into unthinking obedience to its leader, Big Brother. The Party has created a propagandistic language known as Newspeak, which is designed to limit free thought and promote the Party’s doctrines. Its words include doublethink (belief in contradictory ideas simultaneously), which is reflected in the Party’s slogans: “War is peace,” “Freedom is slavery,” and “Ignorance is strength.” The Party maintains control through the Thought Police and continual surveillance.

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The book’s hero, Winston Smith, is a minor party functionary living in a London that is still shattered by a nuclear war that took place not long after World War II. He belongs to the Outer Party, and his job is to rewrite history in the Ministry of Truth, bringing it in line with current political thinking. However, Winston’s longing for truth and decency leads him to secretly rebel against the government. He embarks on a forbidden affair with Julia, a like-minded woman, and they rent a room in a neighborhood populated by Proles (short for proletariats). Winston also becomes increasingly interested in the Brotherhood, a group of dissenters. Unbeknownst to Winston and Julia, however, they are being watched closely. Ubiquitous posters throughout the city warn residents that “Big Brother is watching you.”

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When Winston is approached by O’Brien—an official of the Inner Party who appears to be a secret member of the Brotherhood—the trap is set. O’Brien is actually a spy for the Party, on the lookout for “thought-criminals,” and Winston and Julia are eventually caught and sent to the Ministry of Love for a violent reeducation. The ensuing imprisonment, torture, and reeducation of Winston are intended not merely to break him physically or make him submit but to root out his independence and destroy his dignity and humanity. In Room 101, where prisoners are forced into submission by exposure to their worst nightmares, Winston panics as a cage of rats is attached to his head. He yells out for his tormentors to “Do it to Julia!” and states that he does not care what happens to her. With this betrayal, Winston is released. He later encounters Julia, and neither is interested in the other. Instead, Winston loves Big Brother.

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Analysis

Orwell wrote Nineteen Eighty-four as a warning after years of brooding on the twin menaces of Nazism and Stalinism. Its depiction of a state where daring to think differently is rewarded with torture, where people are monitored every second of the day, and where party propaganda trumps free speech and thought is a sobering reminder of the evils of unaccountable governments. Winston is the symbol of the values of civilized life, and his defeat is a poignant reminder of the vulnerability of such values in the midst of all-powerful states.

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External Links :

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https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nineteen-Eighty-four

Quiz 2.0

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1 - Nineteen Eighty-four, novel by English author George Orwell published in 1949 as a warning against totalitarianism.

a. True

b. False

c. Does not say

​

2 - The book’s title and many of its concepts, such as Big Brother and the Thought Police, are instantly recognized and understood, often as bywords for modern social and political abuses.

a. True

b. False

c. Does not say

​​

3 - The book is set in 1984 in Oceania, one of three perpetually warring totalitarian states (the other two are Eurasia and Eastasia).

a. True

b. False

c. Does not say

​

4 - Oceania is governed by the all-controlling Party, which has brainwashed the population into unthinking obedience to its leader, Big Brother.

a. True

b. False

c. Does not say

​​​

5 - Party’s slogans: “War is peace,” “Freedom is slavery,” and “Ignorance is strength.” The Party maintains control through the Thought Police and continual surveillance,

a. True

b. False

c. Does not say

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Answer Key 2.0

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1 - A ---> True

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2 - A ---> True

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3 - A ---> True

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4 - A ---> True

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Other A1 - C1 English Tasks

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