Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Isabelle Allende. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article:
READ
Isabel Allende is considered to be among the greatest ever Latin American novelists. Her very successful novels are a mix of reality and mysticism. They are often based on her own experiences of life and of being a woman. She travels the world giving lectures and promoting her books. In 2003 she became a US citizen and currently lives in California with her family.
Allende was born in Lima, Peru in 1942. Her father was the Chilean ambassador. She is a distant cousin of former Chilean president Salvador Allende. Her family moved around a lot when she was young because of the political uncertainty in Chile in the 1960s. She grew up and went to school in Chile, Bolivia and Lebanon, where she learnt English.
Allende got married when she was 20. She became successful early on and had a variety of jobs. She was a well-known TV personality and a journalist for a feminist magazine. Between 1959 and 1965, she worked for the UN in Chile and Belgium. She also translated romantic novels from English to Spanish, which sparked her desire to write.
Pablo Neruda, a famous Chilean poet, told Allende she had too much imagination to be a journalist and should write novels instead. In 1981, she started writing her dying grandfather a letter. This eventually transformed into her first best seller ‘The House of the Spirits’ (1982). Allende was immediately compared to Gabriel Garcia Marquez. More best sellers, awards and international acclaim followed.
246 words
Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted biographies.
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SYNONYM MATCH
Match the words from the article on the left with their synonyms on the right. Are your answers the same as other students’?
Paragraphs 1 and 2
1.
considered
a.
combination
2
mix
b.
was educated
3.
promoting
c.
changeability
4.
former
d.
thought
5.
uncertainty
e.
ex-
6.
went to school
f.
publicizing
Paragraphs 3 and 4
7.
variety
g.
crerativity
8.
journalist
h.
started
9.
sparked
i.
praise
10.
imagination
j.
mixture
11
transformed
k
reporter
12
acclaim
l
changed
PHRASE MATCH
Match the following phrases from the article:
1.
among the greatest
a.
and mysticism
2
a mix of reality
b.
to be a journalist
3.
promoting
c.
uncertainty in Chile
4.
a distant
d.
international acclaim followed
5.
the political
e.
desire to write
6.
She became successful early
f.
cousin
7.
sparked her
g.
ever Latin American novelists
8.
she had too much imagination
h.
her books
9.
Allende was immediately compared
i.
on
10.
More best sellers, awards and
j.
to Gabriel Garcia Marquez
LISTENING GAP FILL
Isabel Allende is considered __________________ greatest ever Latin American novelists. Her very successful novels ________________ and mysticism. They are often based on her own experiences of life and of being a woman. She travels _______________ lectures and __________________. In 2003 she became a US citizen and currently lives in California with her family.
Allende was born in Lima, Peru in 1942. Her father was the Chilean ambassador. She is __________________ former Chilean president Salvador Allende. Her family ________________ when she was young because of the ________________ in Chile in the 1960s. She __________________ to school in Chile, Bolivia and Lebanon, where she learnt English.
Allende got married when she was 20. She became ________________ and had a variety of jobs. She was a well-known TV personality and a journalist ________________ magazine. Between 1959 and 1965, she worked for the UN in Chile and Belgium. She also translated __________________ English to Spanish, which ________________ to write.
Pablo Neruda, a famous Chilean poet, told Allende ________________ imagination to be a journalist and should ________________. In 1981, she started writing her dying grandfather a letter. ________________ transformed into her first best seller ‘The House of the Spirits’ (1982). Allende was immediately compared to Gabriel Garcia Marquez. More best sellers, awards and international ________________.
CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD
Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs in italics.
Isabel Allende is considered to be between / among the greatest ever Latin American novelists. Her very successful novels are a max / mix of reality and mysticism. They are often based on her own experiences of life and of being a woman. She travels the world giving lecture / lectures and promoting / prompting her books. In 2003 she became a US citizen and currently lives in California with her family.
Allende was born in Lima, Peru in 1942. Her father was the Chilean embassy / ambassador. She is a distant / far cousin of former Chilean president Salvador Allende. Her family moved around a lot / loads when she was young because of the political uncertainty in Chile in the 1960s. She grew / grown up and went to school in Chile, Bolivia and Lebanon, where she learnt English.
Allende got married when she was 20. She became successful early off / on and had a variety of jobs. She as / was a well-known TV personality and a journalist / journalism for a feminist magazine. Between 1959 and 1965, she worked for the UN in Chile and Belgium. She also translated romantic novels from English to Spanish, which sparked / sparkled her desire to write.
Pablo Neruda, a famous Chilean poet, said / told Allende she had too much / many imagination to be a journalist and should write novels instead. In 1981, she started / starting writing her dying grandfather a letter. This eventually transformed into her first best seller ‘The House of the Spirits’ (1982). Allende was immediately compared for / to Gabriel Garcia Marquez. More best sellers, awards and international acclaim followed.
SPELLING
The underlined, jumbled words are from the text. Spell them correctly.
Paragraph 1
1.
gnoam the greatest ever Latin American novelists
2.
a mix of arileyt and mysticism
3.
otrignomp her books
4.
unlecrrty lives in California
Paragraph 2
5.
Her father was the Chilean sadmarobsa
6.
She is a ttsidan cousin
7.
Her family dmevo around a lot
8.
political ityeaurncnt in Chile
Paragraph 3
9.
a yirveat of jobs
10.
a iniftsem magazine
11.
She also translated namortic novels
12.
kdpreas her desire to write
Paragraph 4
13.
a famous Chilean ptoe
14.
she had too much tiaaonmingi
15.
This nlelaevtuy transformed into her first best seller
16.
adremocp to Gabriel Garcia Marquez
PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER
Number these lines in the correct order.
( )
woman. She travels the world giving lectures and promoting her books. In 2003
( )
Allende was born in Lima, Peru in 1942. Her father was the Chilean ambassador. She is a distant
( )
Isabel Allende is considered to be among the greatest ever Latin American novelists. Her very successful novels are a
( )
she became a US citizen and currently lives in California with her family.
( )
magazine. Between 1959 and 1965, she worked for the UN in Chile and Belgium. She also translated romantic
( )
uncertainty in Chile in the 1960s. She grew up and went to school in Chile, Bolivia and Lebanon, where she learnt English.
( )
Pablo Neruda, a famous Chilean poet, told Allende she had too much
( 1 )
Allende got married when she was 20. She became successful early
( )
on and had a variety of jobs. She was a well-known TV personality and a journalist for a feminist
( )
novels from English to Spanish, which sparked her desire to write.
( )
cousin of former Chilean president Salvador Allende. Her family moved around a lot when she was young because of the political
( )
imagination to be a journalist and should write novels instead. In 1981, she started writing her dying grandfather
( )
immediately compared to Gabriel Garcia Marquez. More best sellers, awards and international acclaim followed.
( )
a letter. This eventually transformed into her first best seller ‘The House of the Spirits’ (1982). Allende was
( )
mix of reality and mysticism. They are often based on her own experiences of life and of being a
SCRAMBLED SENTENCES
With your partner, put the words back into the correct order.
1.
greatest Latin novelists the ever American among
2.
are on experiences They based own life often her of
3.
travels She lectures giving world the
4.
was family a she Her around when young moved lot
5.
the in Chile in uncertainty political the 1960s
6.
She early became on successful
7.
novels She also translated romantic
8.
imagination she to had be too a much journalist
9.
her writing started she letter a grandfather dying
10.
This seller best first her into transformed eventually
ISABEL ALLENDE DISCUSSION
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.
What do you know about Isabel Allende?
2.
Would you like to have met Isabel Allende?
3.
What would you like to know about Isabel Allende and why?
1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about Isabel Allende. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. ISABEL ALLENDE POSTER: Make a poster showing the different stages of the life of Isabel Allende. Show your poster to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all find out similar things?
4. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Isabel Allende. Include an imaginary interview with her. Write about what she did every day and what she thought about.
Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
5. LETTER: Write a letter to Isabel Allende. Ask her three questions about her life. Tell her how important she is in today’s world and how she is missed. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your “Isabel Allende expert” partner(s) will try and answer your questions.
ANSWERS
SYNONYM MATCH:
Paragraphs 1 and 2
1.
considered
a.
thought
2
mix
b.
combination
3.
promoting
c.
publicizing
4.
former
d.
ex-
5.
uncertainty
e.
changeability
6.
went to school
f.
was educated
Paragraphs 3 and 4
7.
variety
g.
mixture
8.
journalist
h.
reporter
9.
sparked
i.
started
10.
imagination
j.
creativity
11
transformed
k
changed
12
acclaim
l
praise
PHRASE MATCH:
1.
among the greatest
a.
ever Latin American novelists
2
a mix of reality
b.
and mysticism
3.
promoting
c.
her books
4.
a distant
d.
cousin
5.
the political
e.
uncertainty in Chile
6.
She became successful early
f.
on
7.
sparked her
g.
desire to write
8.
she had too much imagination
h.
to be a journalist
9.
Allende was immediately compared
i.
to Gabriel Garcia Marquez
10.
More best sellers, awards and
j.
international acclaim followed
ALL OTHER EXERCISES:
Look at the text in "THE READING / TAPESCRIPT" section at the top of this page.
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