Discuss the questions and do the tasks in pairs.

1. What problems did little Mortie have to get over in 1942?

2. What were the nurses talking about in the last paragraph of part 1? What was the boy's reaction to their words?

3. Find all episodes in part 1 where the little boy's feelings are described. Read them out.

4. How do you think the boy felt when the bone infection re­turned? How did he feel after the treatment?

5. Why do you think the author was glad that the nurse said to him to "be a good little soldier"?

A) Work in small groups. Make a list of other discoveries that you think were equally important.

b) Compare your lists. Do you agree with all the items on the other team's list? Be ready to prove your choice with some arguments.

LESSON 9. WRITING A NARRATIVE BIOGRAPHY

Communicative area: writing a narrative biography

Work in pairs. Discuss what makes a biography interesting to read. Make a list of tips for a biography writer.

2. Read the biography of an outstanding Belarusian scientist Zhores Alferov. Does it sound reader-friendly? What impro­vements could make it more enjoyable?

Zhores Alferov (born March 15, 1930) is a physicist and academic. He is famous for the creation of modern heterostructure physics and electronics. He is also a Russian politician and has been a member of the Russian State Parlia­ment, the Duma, since 1995. Alferov invented the heterotransistor. It revolutionised the mo­bile phone and satellite communications.

Alferov was born in Vitebsk, BSSR. In 1952

he graduated from V. I. Ulyanov (Lenin) Electrotechnical In­stitute in Leningrad. Since 1953 he has worked in the Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences. He has been director of the Institute since 1987. He was elected a member of the USSR Academy of Sciences in 1972. From 1989 he has been Vice-President of the USSR Academy of Sci­ences and President of its Saint Petersburg Scientific Centre. He received the 2000 Nobel Prize in Physics together with Her­bert Kroemer.

You are going to improve the biography above using the facts

From the autobiography you read at home and your own ideas.

Before you start writing take your time to think over each of the

Following points.

1. Organise your thoughts before starting to write; think of the part of the person's life you would like to highlight. Some useful questions could be: what makes this person so special and interesting? How could he or she be best described? Which were the events that marked or changed his or her life?

2. Remember that a good story offers drama, excitement and human interest. Tell this person's story so that your reader will be at the edge of their seats wanting to learn more. Ask yourself:

How can I...

- change the sentences so that the main ideas stand out more clearly? Add examples so that the stand with enough support? Add details or information which will make the biography livelier?

- make sure each section of the biography does what it is meant to do? Is the introduction inviting? Does it state the is­sue clearly? Does the conclusion pull together the whole piece? Does it end with a strong point?

- put stronger words where they are needed? Replace sim­ple words with language which is just right? Can I combine some short sentences?

Date: 2015-12-17; view: 1638