Podcards Worksheet

High Level

Page 1

Yate
Activity 1
Are these sentences true or false? 1. Yate is little country town near Bristol. 2. The real name of Harrys author is Joanne Kathleen Rowling. 3. She is an only child. 4. She moved abroad to study. 5. The first book is titled Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. 6. She is the richest women in the U.K. 7. She is writing the 8th book about Harry Potter. T\F T\F T\F T\F T\F T\F T\F

Activity 2
Answer these questions: 1. When was J.K. Rowling born? ____________________________________ 2. What does the initial K. stand for? ____________________________________ 3. Whats her sisters name? ____________________________________ 4. Where does the name Kathleen derive from? ____________________________________ 5. Whats her position in the list of the most powerful celebrities in the world? ____________________________________ 6. When was the last Harry Potter book published? ____________________________________ 7. What does her new book deal with? ____________________________________
This student worksheet is free to download and print for use in the classroom or for self-study. It is meant to be used in conjunction with the listening file which is available in mp3 format. However, the transcript can be used not only to check answers but also for reading comprehension and vocabulary

eslpodcards.com 2006-2007

Podcards Worksheet

High Level

Page 2

Activity 3 Listen and complete the gaps

Yate is a little town surrounded by countryside, 12 miles ________ of the city of Bristol. This place became famous a few years ago, after the worldwide popularity ________ by the wizarding world of the adolescent Harry Potter. Actually, his writer Joanne Rowling, best known only as J.K. Rowling, was born here back in 1965 on 31st July, but she has moved several times during her life, spending long periods ________ for study and work. Since she was a child, she has enjoyed writing fantasy stories, which she often read to her younger sister Di. In June 1997, after many ________, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was published by a small British publishing house in London, so starting what would soon become Harry Potter mania! Before publishing her first book her publisher feared that young readers might be ________ to buy books written by a female author, so he asked to write under a pen name, using just two initials. Since she had no middle name, she chose K. for Kathleen from her ________ grandmother. Even though nobody thought she would have any chance of making money in childrens books, Harry Potter is now a ________ brand and his stories have been translated into ________ languages, setting records as the fastest-selling books in history. In 2006 an American magazine, Forbes, named J.K. Rowling the richest woman in the U.K., even more so than Queen Elizabeth II, and the 48th most powerful celebrity in the world. On 21st July 2007 the seventh book of Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was published in England (on 5th January 2008 in Italy). Here Harrys story came to an end, but J.K. Rowling has ________ that she will still deal with fantasy material, in order not to disappoint the expectations of her young and adult ________.

This student worksheet is free to download and print for use in the classroom or for self-study. It is meant to be used in conjunction with the listening file which is available in mp3 format. However, the transcript can be used not only to check answers but also for reading comprehension and vocabulary

eslpodcards.com 2006-2007

Podcards Worksheet

High Level

Page 3

Transcript
Yate is a little town surrounded by countryside, 12 miles northeast of the city of Bristol. This place became famous a few years ago, after the worldwide popularity gained by the wizarding world of the adolescent Harry Potter. Actually, his writer Joanne Rowling, best known only as J.K. Rowling, was born here back in 1965 on 31st July, but she has moved several times during her life, spending long periods abroad for study and work. Since she was a child, she has enjoyed writing fantasy stories, which she often read to her younger sister Di. In June 1997, after many refusals, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was published by a small British publishing house in London, so starting what would soon become Harry Potter mania! Before publishing her first book her publisher feared that young readers might be reluctant to buy books written by a female author, so he asked to write under a pen name, using just two initials. Since she had no middle name, she chose K. for Kathleen from her paternal grandmother. Even though nobody thought she would have any chance of making money in childrens books, Harry Potter is now a global brand and his stories have been translated into 65 languages, setting records as the fastest-selling books in history. In 2006 an American magazine, Forbes, named J.K. Rowling the richest woman in the U.K., even more so than Queen Elizabeth II, and the 48th most powerful celebrity in the world. On 21st July 2007 the seventh book of Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was published in England (on 5th January 2008 in Italy). Here Harrys story came to an end, but J.K. Rowling has revealed that she will still deal with fantasy material, in order not to disappoint the expectations of her young and adult readers.

This student worksheet is free to download and print for use in the classroom or for self-study. It is meant to be used in conjunction with the listening file which is available in mp3 format. However, the transcript can be used not only to check answers but also for reading comprehension and vocabulary

eslpodcards.com 2006-2007