1. A biography of Isaac Asimov
Reading and Writing

2. You will be able to…
get to know Isaac Asimov.
write a short summary of Isaac Asimov using the structure of a biography.

3. A biography of Isaac Asimov
A life story of a person written by someone else
What kind of information about the person can you find in a biography?

4. Read the passage and find out the main idea for each paragraph.
First reading
In which paragraphs does the author mention Isaac Asimov’s talent for writing and his books?
Read the passage and find out the main idea for each paragraph.
Para. 1
a brief introduction
half of the passage
birth and death
Para. 2
Para. 3
education and jobs
talent for writing
Para. 4
achievements / works and awards
Para. 5
marriage
Para. 6

5. Background information
Second reading
Read the passage carefully and answer the questions with complete sentences.
A brief introduction
Write about a person
Background information
Important events

6. Part 1.——A brief introduction
1. Who was Isaac Asimov?
Isaac Asimov was an American scientist and writer.
2. What was he best known for?
He was best known for his science fiction stories.
3. How many books did he write?
He wrote around 480 books.

7. Background information
Second reading
Read to find the information and answer the questions with complete sentences.
A brief introduction
Write about a person
Background information
Important events

8. Time Place Birth Death Part 2.——Background information 2 January, 1920
Russia
6 April, 1992
New York

9. Part 2.——Background information
1. When did he gain his master’s degree and PhD in chemistry?
He gained his master’s degree in 1941 and PhD in 1948.
2. Where did he work as a biochemistry teacher?
He worked as a biochemistry teacher at Boston University School of Medicine.
3. How many times was he married?
He was married twice.

10. Background information
Second reading
Read the passage carefully and fill in the missing words.
A brief introduction
Write about a person
Background information
Important events

11. Part 3.——Important events
1931
_____ Started to _____ himself seriously as a writer.
take
Begin to _____ his stories published in magazines.
have
_________ his first novel.
Published I, Robot. __________ three laws.
Published
Developed
Published the Foundation trilogy and _____
an award for it.
won
_____ Published first science book.
1953
_____ _________ teaching to became a full-time writer.
1958
Gave up

12. A short summary of Isaac Asimov
Writing task
A short summary of Isaac Asimov

13. Choose one structure you prefer to use.
Option 2
Option 3
Options…
Asimov’s birth
His most famous works
Important events of his life
Important events of his life ……
Your assessment of Asimov as a writer
Asimov’s death

14. Evaluation Yes No Is the passage complete? Is there a clear structure?
Read your partners’ summary and answer the following questions.
Yes No
Is the passage complete?
Is there a clear structure?
Is the language good?

15. Homework Read your partner’s summary and give your assessment.
Polish your writing according to your partner’ s evaluation.