[originaltext]M: It’s been nearly many years since Madonna first made headlines

M: It’s been nearly many years since Madonna first made headlines for trying to adopt a small child from the African nation of Malawi. And she’s since become a voice for the more than 1 million children or orphans in that country and now she’s behind the film on that subject. And tonight, we have Madonna here on our show. Welcome, Madonna.
W: Thanks.
M: Well... We watched your film I Am Because We Are last night... and it’s amazing. Why have you felt the commitment to help those children?
W: Something about their situation connected to me, and in a way I was going on my own journey and connecting to these children and wanting to in a way heal myself whilst helping them.
M: And hearing about their suffering? Something opened to you?
W: Yeah. I grew up as a motherless child. I had a roof over my head and I had food and I had a school to go to. And I still thought that my world was going to collapse on me, so how could it be for these children who, most of them, having lost both of their parents, having no roof over their head, no food to eat, how horrifying and frightening it must be for them!
M: You know, I wonder how this revelation came to you, you know, this is going to be a thing, for you. This is not how people see you.
W: I think having children and having a family force you to think about people besides yourself, I mean you don’t really have a choice, I think I just got to a point in my life. I thought I have so much, and it’s a great tragedy if I don’t use what I have to make the world a better place. I know that sounds silly, or cheesy, or like a cliche, whatever... but it’s the truth. If I was challenging people to open up their minds and their hearts, then I had to be willing to stand at the front of the line. And... and I appreciate and understand how people could be cynical, that’s fine, I accept that.
M: Why do you appreciate that people can be cynical?
W: Because I think we live in a society, that where people are naturally suspicious of acts of altruism or generosity.
M: Or maybe they might be suspicious because they might think, well, you know, Madonna changes all the time. Is this simply another fad, a trend, or just a new: is this something that is really core to Madonna.
W: My re-inventions are part of my evolution and my growth as a person. They’re aspects of it that are full of lesson. They are aspects of it that are real. I don’t see how anybody who really understands how complicated it is to adopt a child could say that someone toasts to do that as a fad. It’s just too difficult... it’s too traumatic.
1. Why did Madonna feel morally obliged to help children in the African nation of Malawi?
2. What do we learn about Madonna’s childhood?
3. What do we learn from the interview?
4. What makes Madonna begin to think about people besides herself?
5. What does Madonna indicate during the interview?