Unique duo hope to be a roaring success
SCMP Young Post (4-12-2003)
1
Name:________________ Class:__(
) Date:__________ Mark:____
Read the article on page 3 carefully and then complete the following tasks.
Task One : What do the following words or expressions refer to?
Lines
Words/Expressions
Reference
6
JKR
Ms J K Rowling, the author of Harry
Potter
23
Their
Ms Young and her child’s
35
Mum
Louisa
46
Do
Make up stories and characters
65
This
Signing a six figure deal for three novels
with Puffin Publishers
Task Two : Match the words/expressions in Column A to their corresponding
meanings in Column B
Column A
Column B
Answers
1. incredible
H
A.
Many different kinds of
2. obscurity
G
B.
A person who tries to win something in a contest
3. domination
I
C.
A first and good introduction to a profession
4. scratching
around
F
D.
Payments made to a writer
5. a handful of
J
E.
Had the good qualities or importance
exaggerated in order to obtain maximum public
attention
6. hyped
E
F.
Looking for something in various places
7. deal
K
G.
The state of not being well known or clear
8. royalties
D
H. Unbelievable
9. unique
L
I.
The most important or obvious things
10. a promising
foot in the door
C
J.
As much or as many as can be held in one hand
11. dreamt him up
M
K.
An agreement esp. in business
12. a wide variety
of
A
L.
being the only one of its type
2
13. trilogy
S
M. had an idea, especially an imaginative or foolish
one
14. at times
T
N. Developing and moving forward
15. progressing
N
O. A person competing with another
16. contender
B
P.
17. rival
O
Q. A state of extreme excitement, extreme and
wild activity or behaviour
18. whipped up
P
R.
Working together with someone to create or to
produce something
19. collaboration
R
S.
A groups of three related novels
20. frenzy
Q
T.
sometimes
Made excited, enthusiastic
Task Three: Complete the following sentences with the words/phrases in Column A
in Task Two.
Changes have to be made whenever necessary.
Sue used to have _a wide variety of_ interests. She liked singing, dancing, drawing,
reading and collecting things. _At times_, she enrolled in some language classes.
Having joined various competitions, she had won _a handful of_ trophies and made
friends with many _contenders_.
One day, she signed a six-figure _deal_ for an album with a music company after
winning a singing contest.
Her singing style was so _unique_ that she was unlike any
pop stars. When the music company offered her a five year contract, she was
extremely _whipped up__. She planned to work to her full capacity so as to rise to
_domination_ of the showbiz from a school girl _obscurity_. Very soon she was
_hyped_ as Madonna of the East and very _incredibly_, all her albums were a big hit.
Despite her rise to fame, she remained very humble. She shared the _royalties_
from her albums 50/50 with her parents and even donated part of her share to
charities. She was constantly _scratching around_ to help the underprivileged.
Undeniably, winning the singing contest was not only _a promising foot in the door_ of
Sue as a professional singer but also a key to the safe where she could find money to
help the needy.
Task Four: Answer the following in complete sentences.
1. What is being implied by the word “fat” in line 24?
It implies that much money or profit can be made from the contracts.
3
2. What is unusual about the author Zizou Corder?
Zizou Corder is two people, a mother and a daughter.
3. What does the word “pseudonym” mean? A stage name or a pen name?
It means a pen name.
4. What is the name of Louisa Young’s daughter?
She is called Isabel.
5. How did the Lionboy stories come into being?
They were first told as bed-time stories.
6. Which of the mother-daughter due does most of the actual writing?
Louisa does most of the actual writing.
7. Where did Louisa study history?
She studied history at Cambridge University.
8. Who was the subject of her first full-length book?
Louisa’s grandmother was the subject of her first full-length book.
9. With which publishing company have Louisa and Isabel signed a deal?
They have signed a deal with Puffin
4
They have signed a deal with Puffin Publishers in London.
10. How will the royalties be divided up between mother and daughter?
The royalties will be divided up 50/50 (equally) between mother and daughter.
11. How many Lionboy books have they signed a contract to write?
They have signed a contract to write three Lionboy books.
12. In what way has single mum Louisa Young gone a bit further up the family path than
those first steps taken by Joanne Rowling?
Louisa Young has gone a bit further up the family path in that she does not merely
have a young daughter in attendance but she has actually teamed up with her
10-year-old child to write Lionboy together.
End
5