J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling is the pen name she uses as a writer. The J is for Joanne, her real first name, but she prefers to be called Jo. Apparently, people only call her Joanne when they’re angry with her. The K is made up. Her publisher asked her to write using a name with two initials, but she didn’t have a middle name.

Jo did a few different things before she struck upon the idea of writing children’s books. She worked as a researcher and bilingual secretary for Amnesty International and as an English teacher in Portugal. The idea for the Harry Potter novels came from nowhere while she was on a train to London. She said, “The characters and situations came flooding into my head”.

Seven Potter novels later and Rowling is one of the richest women in the world. In fact, she is the first novelist ever to become a billionaire from writing. Her rags to riches story is a fantasy story in itself. She was on government handouts while writing her first novel. Her last four books broke records for the fastest sellers in literary history.

Today she devotes much of her time to many charitable causes. She famously demanded that Coca-Cola donate $18 million to the Reading Fundamental charity if it wanted a tie-up with the Potter movies. The future? In March 2008, she said: "I will continue writing for children because that's what I enjoy".

240 words

Аудио

 

 

SYNONYM MATCH: Match the words from the article on the left with their synonyms on the right.

Paragraphs 1 and 2
1.	pen name	a.	books
2	made up	b.	thought of
3.	angry	c.	invented
4.	struck upon	d.	pouring
5.	novels	e.	alias
6.	flooding	f.	mad
Paragraphs 3 and 4
7.	novelist	g.	link
8.	handouts	h.	gives
9.	literary	i.	welfare
10.	devotes	j.	writer
11	demanded	k	reading
12	tie-up	l	ordered

 

PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article.

1.	J.K. Rowling is the pen name	a.	came from nowhere
2	write using a name with	b.	because that's what I enjoy
3.	she struck	c.	riches story
4.	The idea for the Harry Potter novels	d.	two initials
5.	The characters and situations	e.	handouts
6.	Her rags to	f.	came flooding into my head
7.	She was on government	g.	she uses as a writer
8.	the fastest sellers	h.	many charitable causes
9.	she devotes much of her time to	i.	upon the idea
10.	I will continue writing for children	j.	in literary history

 

LISTENING GAP FILL:

J.K. Rowling is ____________________ as a writer. The J is for Joanne, her real first name, ____________________ called Jo. Apparently, people only call her Joanne when they’re angry with her. The K __________. Her publisher asked her to write using a name ______________, but she didn’t have a middle name.

Jo did a few different things before ____________________ of writing children’s books. She worked as a researcher and bilingual secretary for Amnesty International and as an English teacher in Portugal. The idea for the Harry Potter novels _________________ while she was on a train to London. She said, “The characters and situations __________________ head”.

Seven Potter novels later and Rowling ___________ richest women in the world. In fact, she is the first novelist ___________ a billionaire from writing. Her ___________ story is a fantasy ___________. She was on government handouts while writing her first novel. Her last four books broke records for ________________ in literary history.

Today she ________________ her time to many charitable causes. ___________________ that Coca-Cola donate $18 million to the Reading is Fundamental charity ________________ with the Potter movies. The future? In March 2008, she said: "I will continue writing for children because ________________ ".

 

CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD:

Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs of italics.

J.K. Rowling is the pencil / pen name she uses as a writer. The J is for Joanne, her real / reality first name, but she prefers to be called Jo. Apparently, people only call her Joanne when they’re anger / angry with her. The K is made of / up. Her publisher asked her to write using a name with two initials, but she didn’t have a middle name.

Jo did a few different things before she struck / strike upon the idea of writing children’s books. She worked as a researcher and bilingual secretary for Amnesty International and as / is an English teacher in Portugal. The idea for the Harry Potter novels went / came from nowhere while she was on a train to London. She said, “The characters and situations came flooding / flooded into my head”.

Seven Potter novels later / latter and Rowling is one of the richest women in the world. In fact, she is the first novelist never / ever to become a billionaire from writing. Her rags / bags to riches story is a fantasy story in itself. She was on government handouts while writing her first novel. Her last four books broke DVDs / records for the fastest sellers in literary history.

Today she devotes much / many of her time to many charitable cause / causes. She famously demanded that Coca-Cola donor / donate $18 million to the Reading is Fundamental charity if it wanted a tie-up with the Potter movies. The future / present? In March 2008, she said: "I will continue writing for children because that's what I enjoy".

SPELLING:  

These jumbled words are from the text. Spell them correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	J.K. Rowling is the pen name she uses as a irrtwe
2.	she rferesp to be called Jo
3.	Her beuhrsilp asked her to write
4.	she didn’t have a ilmdde name
Paragraph 2
5.	she curtks upon the idea of writing children’s books
6.	a researcher and bilingual creerasyt
7.	The idea for the Harry Potter novels came from nhowree
8.	The characters and situations came golndofi into my head
Paragraph 3
9.	one of the ietschr women in the world
10.	the first novelist ever to become a inoabileril
11.	Her rags to riches story is a fyaatns story in itself
12.	Her last four books broke rosdcer
Paragraph 4
13.	she dotvsee much of her time
14.	many charitable sseauc
15.	atndeo $18 million to the Reading is Fundamental charity
16.	I will oeictnun writing for children

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

(    )	two initials, but she didn’t have a middle name.
(    )	Today she devotes much of her time to many charitable causes. She famously
(    )	novelist ever to become a billionaire from writing. Her rags to riches story is a fantasy story in itself. She was on government handouts while
(    )	Seven Potter novels later and Rowling is one of the richest women in the world. In fact, she is the first
(    )	demanded that Coca-Cola donate $18 million to the Reading is Fundamental charity if it wanted
(    )	writing children’s books. She worked as a researcher and bilingual secretary for Amnesty International and as an English teacher in Portugal. The idea for
(    )	writing her first novel. Her last four books broke records for the fastest sellers in literary history.
(    )	Jo did a few different things before she struck upon the idea of
(    )	a tie-up with the Potter movies. The future? In March 2008, she said:
(  1  )	J.K. Rowling is the pen name she uses as a writer. The J is for Joanne, her real first
(    )	"I will continue writing for children because that's what I enjoy".
(    )	name, but she prefers to be called Jo. Apparently, people only call her Joanne when they’re
(    )	the Harry Potter novels came from nowhere while she was on a train to London. She said, “The characters
(    )	and situations came flooding into my head”.
(    )	angry with her. The K is made up. Her publisher asked her to write using a name with

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

1.	writer   a   as   uses   she   name   pen   the
2.	middle   a   have   didn’t   she   name
3.	upon   children’s   the   books   idea   she   of   struck   writing
4.	novels   nowhere   for   Potter   from   idea   Harry   came   The   the
5.	flooding   characters   into   and   my   situations   head   came   The
6.	the   billionaire   a   become   to   ever   novelist   first
7.	fantasy   riches   story   story   Her   is   rags   a   to
8.	four   last   Her   records   broke   books
9.	of   to   causes   much   time   charitable   devotes   her   many   she
10.	continue   will   I   children   for   writing

 

ANSWERS

SYNONYM MATCH:

Paragraphs 1 and 2
1.	pen name	a.	alias
2	made up	b.	invented
3.	angry	c.	mad
4.	struck upon	d.	thought of
5.	novels	e.	books
6.	flooding	f.	pouring
Paragraphs 3 and 4
7.	novelist	g.	writer
8.	handouts	h.	welfare
9.	literary	i.	reading
10.	devotes	j.	gives
11	demanded	k	ordered
12	tie-up	l	link

PHRASE MATCH:

1.	J.K. Rowling is the pen name	a.	she uses as a writer
2	write using a name with	b.	two initials
3.	she struck	c.	upon the idea
4.	The idea for the Harry Potter novels	d.	came from nowhere
5.	The characters and situations came	e.	flooding into my head
6.	Her rags to	f.	riches story
7.	She was on government	g.	handouts
8.	the fastest sellers	h.	in literary history
9.	she devotes much of her time to	i.	many charitable causes
10.	I will continue writing for children	j.	because that's what I enjoy