Lesson 2 The Woman Behind Harry Potter Reading Selection Vocabulary for Production Vocabulary for Recognition Idiomatic Expressions

Reading Selection 　You probably already know something about Harry Potter. The books about him are very popular around the world. So are the movies adapted4 from those books. But have you ever wondered about the writer who created Harry Potter?

　Her name is J. K. Rowling and there are some ways in which her life was like that of Harry Potter. Harry’s parents were killed when he was young. He was raised5 by relatives6 who did not love him. So Harry Potter was a very lonely little boy. It seems that Rowling was also unhappy as a child.

She has said in an interview7 that she felt worried and insecure when she was young. This may have been because her family moved very often during her childhood8.

One way Rowling tried to forget her unhappiness was by writing stories 　One way Rowling tried to forget her unhappiness was by writing stories. She wrote her first story when she was five or six years old. She called the story “Rabbit.” The story was full of interesting characters, including a large bee called Miss Bee. In writing “Rabbit,” Rowling first showed the imagination9 that would lead her later to write the series of Harry Potter books.

When she was 26, Rowling left England to teach English in Portugal 　When she was 26, Rowling left England to teach English in Portugal*. Her life as a foreigner there may have caused her to feel “different” from others. She was also a foreigner when she went to West Africa to work. It is easy to see how Rowling could sympathize10 with Harry’s “difference” from ordinary people.

　Rowling had already begun her first book about Harry Potter before she left England. She knew from the beginning that she wanted to tell the story in seven volumes11. That is because it takes seven years for Harry to learn to become a wizard12.

　Rowling continued writing about Harry Potter even when she experienced personal difficulty in her own life. She divorced13 her husband after giving birth to a daughter, Jessica. She then moved with Jessica to Edinburgh*, Scotland* to work as an English teacher.

Her job kept her busy in the afternoons and evenings, but left her free to write in the mornings. Therefore, she continued working on her first story about Harry Potter.

Success did not come overnight 　Success did not come overnight. The first volume, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone*, was rejected14 by several publishers15 before it was finally published in 1997. It was then followed in subsequent16 years by more stories about Harry Potter.

　Like her young hero, Harry Potter, Rowling has had to overcome unhappiness in her life. But in the process, she has written some of the most popular books of our time.

Vocabulary for Production 1. naughty 英解　of the bad behavior of a child 中解　adj. 頑皮的 The naughty child dumped his cup of milk in the sink.

2. athletic 英解 good at sports and outdoor games 中解 adj. 擅長運動的 Athletic people often play sports in high school and college. athlete 中解　n. 運動員 Charles is a good athlete and is the captain of his school’s basketball team.

The heroic firefighter saved many people in the burning building. 3. heroic 英解　of a person who is brave or acts in a way that is greatly respected 中解　adj. 英勇的 The heroic firefighter saved many people in the burning building. hero 中解　n. 英雄 Superman is a well-known comic-strip hero.

4. adapt. 英解 to change a book or play into a movie, 4. adapt 英解　to change a book or play into a movie, television program, etc. 中解　vt. 改編 The Broadway musical West Side Story was adapted from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. adaptation 中解　n. 改編本 Gone with the Wind is probably the most popular movie adaptation of novels.

5. raise 英解　to take care of children while they grow up 中解　vt. 養育 Alice was raised by her grandparents after her parents died in a car crash.

6. relative. 英解 a person who is a member of the same. family. 中解 n 6. relative 英解　a person who is a member of the same family 中解　n. [C] 親戚 Chinese New Year is a time for relatives to get together and enjoy good food and each other’s company.

It is a good idea to dress formally for an interview. 7. interview 英解　a formal meeting in which a person applying for a job or admission to a school is asked questions 中解　n. [C] 訪問；面談 It is a good idea to dress formally for an interview. interview 中解　v. 訪問；面談 The admissions committee interviews all applicants to the school.

8. childhood. 英解 the time when one is a child. 中解 n. [C] 幼年時期 8. childhood 英解　the time when one is a child 中解　n. [C] 幼年時期 Tom has many good memories from his childhood.

9. imagination. 英解 the quality of using one’s mind in creative. ways 9. imagination 英解　the quality of using one’s mind in creative ways 中解　n. [C,U] 想像力 imagine　v. 想像 imaginative　adj. 富於想像的 Children have a lot of imagination and love to create new games to play.

10. sympathize. 英解 to feel kindness and understanding for 10. sympathize 英解　to feel kindness and understanding for someone with a problem 中解　vi. 同情；體諒 sympathy　n. 同情（心） sympathetic　adj. 有同情心的 sympathetically　adv. 富有同情心地 Polly sympathizes easily with people in trouble, so many people go to her with their problems.

11. volume. 英解 one book (usually in a series). 中解 n. [C] 冊 11. volume 英解　one book (usually in a series) 中解　n. [C] 冊 A new volume of the World Yearbook appears every year. 12. wizard 英解　a man in stories who has magic powers 中解　n. [C] 男巫 Wizards can do things that ordinary people cannot, such as fly through the air.

Couples should seek counseling before getting a divorce. 13. divorce 英解　to end a marriage 中解　vt. 與……離婚 Patsy divorced her husband and is now living alone. divorce 中解　n. 離婚 Divorce is becoming increasingly common in modern society. Couples should seek counseling before getting a divorce.

14. reject. 英解 to refuse something offered. 中解 vt. 拒絕 14. reject 英解　to refuse something offered 中解　vt. 拒絕 Mark felt very sad when Sandra rejected his proposal of marriage. rejection 中解　n. 拒絕 Her rejection made him feel very bad.

15. publisher. 英解 a company that prints books and makes 15. publisher 英解　a company that prints books and makes them available for sale 中解　n. [C] 出版者（商） publish　v. 出版；發行 published　adj. 出版的 publication　n. 出版物；刊物 The publisher of the series of Harry Potter books has made a lot of money.

16. subsequent 英解　of something happening after something else 中解　adj. 隨後的；接著發生的 Timmy’s first year in college was the hardest; the subsequent years were much easier.

Vocabulary for Recognition 1. Portugal 英解　a country in southwestern Europe; Lisbon is the capital city of it 中解　n. 葡萄牙 2. Edinburgh 英解　the capital city of Scotland 中解　n. 愛丁堡（蘇格蘭首府）

3. Scotland 英解　the north of England; part of the United Kingdom 中解　n. 蘇格蘭 4. philosopher’s stone 英解　a legendary substance that supposedly could turn metals such as lead into gold and/or that would make humans younger 中解　n. [C] 魔法石；點金石

Idiomatic Expressions 1. sympathize with 英解　to understand and care about the unhappiness of someone else 中解　同情…… Patty sympathizes with all the old people who live together in that nursing home.

2. give birth to. 英解 to have a baby. 中解 生（孩子） 2. give birth to 英解　to have a baby 中解　生（孩子） The children were very excited when their mother gave birth to a new baby.

3. come (or happen) overnight. 英解 to happen quickly. 中解 突然發生 3. come (or happen) overnight 英解　to happen quickly 中解　突然發生 Success comes overnight for some people, but other people have to work hard and long to succeed.