Modern Slavery Reading Comprehension Exercises - 113085

Modern slavery refers to institutional slavery
that continues to exist in present day society.

Estimates of the number of slaves today range
from around 21 million. to 70 million
To quote Kevin Bales, ‘Slavery is when one

person controls another, uses violence to
maintain that control and exploits them
economically.’ This violence may be physical and/or psychological, and the control may be verbal
threats – but at the heart of slavery is exploitation and ‘ownership’ of another human being for profit".
Whether they are women forced into prostitution, men forced to work in agriculture or construction,
children in sweatshops or in the militia, or girls forced to marry older men, their lives are controlled by
their exploiters, they no longer have a free choice and they have to do as they’re told. They are in
slavery.
Many people think that slavery happens only overseas, in developing countries. In fact, no country is
free from modern slavery. There are estimated 40.3
million people in modern slavery around the world.
Modern slavery can affect people of any age, gender or
race. However, most commonly, slavery affects people and
communities who are vulnerable to being taken advantage
of, for example migrants whose visa status is irregular are
easy to blackmail with deportation.
Every item we buy has a back story. From electronics to

textiles, from handmade carpets to coffee, tea and
chocolate, each of these products might include child or
adult slavery. Consider a product as innocent as chocolate.
While the chocolate bar itself may have been produced in your
country, the cocoa in the chocolate probably came from West Africa,
where 60 per cent of the world’s cocoa is produced. Thousands of
children and adults live in slave-like conditions on cocoa farms.
Unknowingly, your purchase might support slavery.
In his book Blood and Earth, Kevin Bales speaks with Ibrahim, a 23-
year-old slave who has worked in a gold mine since he was nine. He
is dying. His lungs are filled with liquid caused by the dust and
bacteria in the mine. As their conversation ends, Ibrahim turns to
Kevin Bales and says, ‘I want to be remembered. When my story is
written and your book is ready, will you send me a copy? I want to
show it to others, to show them that I am not completely useless. I
just want to show that something good can come out of my life.’
The good news is that thousands of individuals and anti-slavery

organisations are taking action. One such organisation is The NO
Project, which focuses specifically on the education of youth and
young adults. ‘Youth are the next generation of corporate leaders, policy makers and consumers,’
says the founder of The NO Project. ‘How we choose to spend our money says a lot about who we are.
So, the question is – who are we? And remember, another time, in another place, that enslaved
human being could be you.’
Consumer demand for ethically-sourced products and services can send a powerful message to
producers. Imagine if we all refused to purchase goods that have a back story of slavery. Company
sales, and therefore profits, would fall. Look around at items in your home and workplace and ask
yourself the simple question, ‘Where did this come from and who made it?’
www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish
Match the definitions (a–j) with the vocabulary (1–10).

Vocabulary Definition
1. Abolition a. The activity of buying and selling people
2. To exploit b .A situation in which one person or group has control over others
3. Human trafficking c. When a domestic worker is not free to leave their job because of their
working conditions
4. A domestic worker d. Produced in a fair and responsible way, with respect for workers and
the environment
5. Domestic servitude e. To use someone or something unfairly and to your own
advantage
6. Power imbalance f. To take something away from someone
7. Coercion g. Things that have happened to someone or something in the past
8. To deprive h. The ending of a law or system
9. ethically-sourced i. The use of threats or power to make someone do something they do
not want to do
10. A back story j. A person who works in a private house to cook, clean and look after the
home
Are the sentences true or false? Justify your answer with quotes from the article.
Slavery involves one person controlling another and exploiting them for profit. True
False
______________________________________________________________________
Slavery does not happen in the UK. True False

______________________________________________________________________
According to the Global Slavery Index, forced marriage is not the same as slavery. True
False
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Domestic workers always have the necessary documents to go home. True

False
______________________________________________________________________
Working in the mine made Ibrahim seriously ill. True False

______________________________________________________________________
It is possible that slave labour was involved in making your electronic devices. True False
______________________________________________________________________
The majority of the world’s chocolate comes from West Africa, where forced
labour is a common problem. True
False
______________________________________________________________________
The NO Project works with young people to educate them about modern slavery. True
False
______________________________________________________________________
Questions
Name 4 kinds of modern slavery

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
According to the article, who is effected by modern slavery?

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
How much of the world’s cocoa is produced in Africa?

______________________________________________________________________
Why does Ibrahim want a copy of the book?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Why does the NO Project work with young people to educate them about modern slavery?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Discussion
What have you learned from reading this article?

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
In your opinion, what can consumers do to stop modern slavery?

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Match each picture with the type of modern slavery and give a brief definition of each type.
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Modern slavery refers to institutional slavery

that continues to exist in present day society.

To quote Kevin Bales, ‘Slavery is when one

Every item we buy has a back story. From electronics to

The good news is that thousands of individuals and anti-slavery

Match the definitions (a–j) with the vocabulary (1–10).

Slavery does not happen in the UK. True False

Domestic workers always have the necessary documents to go home. True

Working in the mine made Ibrahim seriously ill. True False

Name 4 kinds of modern slavery

According to the article, who is effected by modern slavery?

How much of the world’s cocoa is produced in Africa?

Why does Ibrahim want a copy of the book?

What have you learned from reading this article?

In your opinion, what can consumers do to stop modern slavery?

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