islcollective worksheets preintermediate a2 intermediate b1 adults high school listening adjectives to describe personal 41480617956cb73c4cc1e02 50528923

You
You are
are going
going to
to listen
listen to
to
Susan
Brown
talking
Susan
Brown
talking
about
one
of
her
about
one
of
her
favourite
authors:
Roald
favourite authors: Roald
Dahl.
Dahl.
Are
Are these
these statements
statements true

true (T)
(T) or
or false
false (F)?
(F)? Correct
Correct the
the false
false ones.
ones.

Roald
Roald Dahl
Dahl was
was born
born in
in America
America in
in 1916.
1916.
He
He was
was an
an unhappy
unhappy schoolboy.
schoolboy.
Roald
Roald Dahl
Dahl first
first worked
worked for

for Shell
Shell Company
Company in
in East
East Asia.
Asia.
In
In the
the Second
Second World
World War
War he
he joined
joined the
the army
army as
as aa sailor.
sailor.
His
His marriage
marriage with
with Patricia
Patricia Neal
Neal ended
ended in
in divorce.
divorce.
He
He wasn’t
wasn’t aa generous

generous man.
man.

Listen
Listen again
again and
and answer
answer the
the following
following
questions.
questions.
Write
Write complete
complete sentences.
sentences.
Where
Where did
did Roald
Roald Dahl
Dahl started
started his
his career
career as
as aa writer?
writer?
How
How is
is his
his first

first children’s
children’s book
book called?
called?
How
How are
are his
his adult
adult books’
books’ endings?
endings?
How
How many
many children
children did
did he
he have?
have?
When
When and
and where
where did
did he
he die?
die?
Complete
Complete the
the following
following sentences
sentences with

with the
the
word
word or
or
words
words you
you have
have heard.
heard.
His
His

adults’
adults’

books
books

are
are

stories
stories

that
that

combine
combine

___________________
___________________ and
and aa touch
touch of
of _________________.
_________________.
His
His adults’
adults’ books
books are
are full
full of
of ____________________
____________________ and
and
_________________.
_________________.
His
His secret
secret for
for becoming
becoming aa good
good writer
writer is
is aa
______________
______________ imagination
imagination

and
and

work.
work.

You
You are
are going
going to
to listen
listen to
to
Susan
Brown
talking
Susan
Brown
talking
about
one
of
her
about
one
of
her
favourite
authors:
Roald

favourite authors: Roald
Dahl.
Dahl.

aa ______________
______________


Are
Are these
these statements
statements true
true (T)
(T) or
or false
false (F)?
(F)? Correct
Correct the
the false
false ones.
ones.

Roald
Roald Dahl
Dahl was
was born
born in
in America
America in
in 1916.

1916. FALSE
FALSE
(Wales)
(Wales)
He
He was
was an
an unhappy
unhappy schoolboy.
schoolboy. TRUE
TRUE
Roald
Roald Dahl
Dahl first
first worked
worked for
for Shell
Shell Company
Company in
in East
East Asia.
Asia. FALSE
FALSE
(Africa)
(Africa)
In
In the
the Second
Second World
World War

War he
he joined
joined the
the army
army as
as aa sailor.
sailor. FALSE
FALSE
(pilot)
(pilot)
His
His marriage
marriage with
with Patricia
Patricia Neal
Neal ended
ended in
in divorce.
divorce. TRUE
TRUE
He
wasn’t
a
generous
man.
FALSE
He wasn’t a generous man. FALSE
(was)
(was)

Listen
Listen again
again and
and answer
answer the
the following
following
questions.
questions.
Write
Write complete
complete sentences.
sentences.
Where
Where did
did Roald
Roald Dahl
Dahl started
started his
his career
career as
as aa writer?
writer?
He
He started
started his
his career
career as
as a
a writer

writer in
in
Washington.
Washington.
How
How is
is his
his first
first children’s
children’s book
book called?
called?
It
It was
was called
called The
The Gremlins.
Gremlins.
How
are
his
adult
books’
How are his adult books’ endings?
endings?
They
They are
are usually
usually shocking.
shocking.

How
How many
many children
children did
did he
he have?
have?
He
He had
had five
five children.
children.
When
When and
and where
where did
did he
he die?
die?
He
died
in
Oxford
in
1990.
He
died
in
Oxford
in

1990.
Complete
Complete the
the following
following sentences
sentences with
with the
the
word
word or
or
words
words you
you have
have heard.
heard.
His
His

adults’
adults’

books
books

____humour________
____humour________

are
are

stories
stories

and
and

aa

that
that

combine
combine

touch
touch

of
of

___cruelty_______.
___cruelty_______.
His
His adults’
adults’ books
books are
are full
full of
of ____fantasy_____

____fantasy_____ and
and
___imagination___.
___imagination___.
His
His secret
secret for
for becoming
becoming aa good
good writer
writer is
is aa
____lively____
____lively____ imagination
imagination and
and aa ___hard____
___hard____ work.
work.

Audio file link: />
Roald Dahl was born in Wales, in 1916. He was an unhappy
schoolboy, so after graduating from school he decided to look for adventure.
He first worked for the Shell company in East Africa, where he lived in the
jungle, and then he joined the Royal Air Force, or RAF, as a pilot, when the
Second World War broke out. He was injured while he was flying, so in 1942 he
went to Washington, where he started his career as a writer.


In 1943 Dahl published The Gremlins, his first children’s book, which was followed by many others.
They were all very successful because he really connected with the children’s interests. He later

admitted he couldn’t have written children’s stories if he hadn’t had children of his own. Actually,
his books are based on bedtime stories he made up for his own children.
He also wrote books for adults. His adult books are stories that combine humour and a touch of
cruelty. They are full of fantasy and imagination, usually with a shocking ending and deceptive
intrigues. Nevertheless, Dahl recognised that the ideas for stories didn’t just come out: he had to
think hard to get them.
As for his family life, he married Patricia Neal, an actress, and they had five children. However, they
were not happy. Patricia suffered a stroke but later recovered. Their marriage ended in divorce.
Dahl died in Oxford in 1990. He was a generous man who always donated money to those who
needed it. He was awarded several important prizes. His secret for becoming a good writer is a
lively imagination and hard work.