Aim: to practise reading for detail.
Who is your favourite author? Why do you like them?
Do you like the books of J.K. Rowling? Why (not)? What is your favourite book by this author?
Now we are going to read a text about what helped J.K. Rowling to write the great book about a young wizard, Harry Potter.
Read the text and mark the sentences as True or False.
Before reading let's look at some unknown words. (make the Unknown words section visible)
Failure — the fact of someone or something not succeeding.
To imagine — to form or have a mental picture or idea of something.
To graduate — a person who has a first degree from a university or college.
To separate — existing or happening independently or in a different physical space.
To pay the rent — to pay money to use a house, a room, etc.
To drag on — proceed for an extended period of time.
To experience — to be in a particular situation.
Read the text and mark the sentences as True or False
How "Harry Potter" came to be: amazing facts
The loser
Joanne did not listen to her parents, who wanted her to study something useful at the university. She took up classical literature. A more impractical choice could not be imagined. Seven years after graduating from the university, by the time she started writing a book, the twenty-seven-year-old Rowling was a complete failure. She had no job, separated from her husband and remained a single mother. She didn't even have enough money to pay the rent.
Depression
The first novel was written in five years, and two more years passed before the work was published. The financial situation of the author dragged on for a very long time. Not surprisingly, Rowling ended up in a specialized hospital with a diagnosis of "clinical depression". She later admitted to reporters that she was inspired to create the image of dementors by this state of melancholy and a feeling of absolute hopelessness that she experienced during her illness.
Hermione Rowling
Hermione Granger is based on Rowling herself. She considers this character a caricature of herself as an eleven-year-old. She also studied greedily, wanted to be on time everywhere, and readily demonstrated her knowledge to everyone.
Inspiration
The idea for the Harry Potter novels came to Joanne when she was on the train from Manchester to London. "I was driving back to London alone in a crowded train, and the idea of Harry Potter just came to me. I've been writing almost continuously since I was six, but I've never been so excited about an idea before. To my great disappointment, I didn't have a pen, and I was too shy to ask anyone. And I think that was probably a good thing. I just sat there thinking while all the details bubbled up in my mind, and this skinny, black-haired boy with glasses who didn't know he was a wizard became more and more real to me..."
Ron's death
In the process of working on one of the novels, Joanne almost killed Ron Weasley. "At that moment, it was not the best period in my life, and the mood was the most suitable for someone to "kill". Now the writer says that she would never have forgiven herself.
- Joanne decided to study classical literature. [True|False]
- Joanne was inspired to create the image of dementors during her illness. [True|False]
- Rowling is a prototype of Hermione Granger. [True|False]
- The idea for the Harry Potter novels came to Joan when she was in a hospital. [True|False].
- Joanne will write the novel where she will kill Ron Weasley. [True|False].
Which fact was the most interesting for you? Why?
In your opinion, why is J.K. Rowling a great author?
What award can you give her?
Choose the option
The best award to this woman is
- Miss Elegance
- Miss Creativity
- Miss Bravery
- Miss Kindness
Perfect! Let's move on and see what is next.