Question

Answer the questions (根據短文內容回答下列問題):

Isabel Allende’s novels are enjoyed all over the world. She is famous for her creativity and imagination. And her own personal story is as amazing as any she has ever told in a novel. Born in 1942, Allende’s family moved often during her childhood. She went to school in South America, Europe, and Asia. As a young woman, she became a journalist in Santiago, Chile’s (智利) capital city. Then, she got married and had two children. In 1970, everything began to change.

Leaving home

Isabel Allende’s uncle was a political leader named Salvador Allende. In 1970, her uncle was elected president of Chile. In 1973, Augusto Pinochet led a military takeover (軍事接管) of the Chilean government. President Allende was killed during the fighting. When Isabel Allende began to fear for her life, she and her family decided to move to Venezuela (委內瑞拉).

From Newspaper to Novels

It was really a painful experience for Isabel Allende to flee her country. Without this experience, however, Allende says she never would have begun writing novels. Then she got a phone call from Chile. Her grandfather was dying. She knew she could not return home to be with him, but she wanted to respect him in some way. “I decided to write a letter about all the things he told us when we were young,” Allende explains. Later, he wrote a long letter which became Allende’s first novel, The House of the Spirits.

The Writing Life

“I spent ten, twelve hours a day in a room, writing,” Allende says, “I don’t talk to anybody; I don’t answer the phone.” When she finishes the first draft (草稿) of a new novel, Allende mails a copy to her toughest critic (最嚴厲的評論家). “I send it to my mother in Chile. She reads it and comes here with a red pencil. We fight for a month at least.” Allende then goes back to work until she feels the book is finished. “The storytelling is the fun part,” she says. “The writing can be a lot of work!”

1.Isabel Allende’s own personal story is very amazing, isn’t it?

2.What was Isabel Allende before she got married?

3.How did the military takeover influence (影響) Isabel Allende’s life?

4.Why did Isabel Allende start writing her first novel?

5.How do you understand “We fight for a month at least” in the last paragraph?

6.What kind of person do you think Isabel Allende is? Give your reason(s).

Answer 1