Biography Part 1-3 + Exercise

Part 1 

1. Definition of Biography Text

A biographical text is a text that tells or describes a person's life history in a systematic and detailed manner that is told by other people.

2. The Characteristics of Biography Text

• Generic structure: orientation, events, and re-orientation.
• Language features: using Simple Past Tense tenses, using time sequences, using action verbs, and focusing on the object or participant that will be told.

3. Kinds of Biography Text

• Short and simple biography
• Long biography
• Autobiography

Example biography text :

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was born in 1809 in Kentucky (USA). He worked on the farm of his father. He attended school for less than a year, but taught himself to read and write. He did different types of jobs before he settled as a highly successful lawyer. He was gradually drawn to politics.

The country was having problems regarding the practice of slavery. The white men owned large farms in the southern states, Blacks were brought from Africa to work on these farms, They were kept as slaves. The people of northern states were against this practice of slavery and wanted to abolish it, The Constitution of America is based on the equality of man. Therefore, there was no place for slavery in that country,

At this difficult time, Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the USA in 1860. He wanted to solve the problem of slavery. The southern states were against the abolition of slavery. This brought the unity of the country in danger. The southern states were prepared even to form a new country. Abraham Lincoln wanted all the states to remain united.

He faced many problems. He wanted to preserve the unity of the country at any cost. Finally a civil war broke out between the northern and southern states. He fought the war bravely and declared, 'A Nation cannot exist half free and half slave.' He won the war and kept the country united.

Lincoln was elected president for a second term. He was not against anybody and wanted everybody to live in peace. He made sincere efforts to heal the people's wounds caused by the war. In 1862, Lincoln declared that from then onwards all slaves would be free. This made him very popular among the people. Lincoln was assassinated in 1865

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Part 2

1. Definition of Biography Text

A biographical text is a text that tells or describes a person's life history in a systematic and detailed manner that is told by other people.

2. The Characteristics of Biography Text

• Generic structure: orientation, events, and re-orientation.
• Language features: using Simple Past Tense tenses, using time sequences, using action verbs, and focusing on the object or participant that will be told.

3. Kinds of Biography Text

• Short and simple biography
• Long biography
• Autobiography

Example biography text :

Thomas Alva Edison

Inventor Thomas Edison was born on February 11, 1847, in Milan, Ohio. Thomas Edison was the youngest of seven children of Samuel and Nancy Edison. His father was an exiled political activist from Canada, while his mother was an accomplished school teacher and a major influence in Thomas’ early life.

Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor, his inventions included the telegraph, the universal stock ticker, the phonograph, the first commercially practical incandescent electric light bulb, alkaline storage batteries and the Kinetograph (a camera for motion pictures).

During his lifetime, Edison received 1,093 U.S. patents and filed an additional 500 to 600 that were unsuccessful or abandoned. He executed his first patent for his Electrographic Vote-Recorder on October 13, 1868, at the age of 21. His last patent was for an apparatus for holding objects during the electroplating process.

While Thomas Edison was not the inventor of the first light bulb, he came up with the technology that helped bring it to the masses. Edison was driven to perfect a commercially practical, efficient incandescent light bulb following English inventor Humphry Davy’s invention of the first early electric arc lamp in the early 1800s.

Thomas Edison died of complications of diabetes on October 18, 1931, in his home, "Glenmont," in West Orange, New Jersey. He was 84 years old. By the time he died he was one of the most well-known and respected Americans in the world.Many communities and corporations throughout the world dimmed their lights or briefly turned off their electrical power to commemorate his passing.

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Part 3

Exercise

Neymar da Silva Santos Junior born 5 February 1992, commonly known as Neymar, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for La Liga club FC Barcelona and the Brazilian national team, as forward or winger.
At the age of 19, Neymar Jr won the 2011 South American Footballer of the Year award, after coming third in 2010. He followed this up by winning it again in 2012. In 2012 Neymar received nominations for the FIFA Ballon d’or, where he came 10th, and the FIFA Puskas Award, which he won. He is known for his acceleration, speed, dribbling, finishing and ability with both feet. His playing style has earned him critical acclaim, with fans, media and former players drawing comparison to former Brazil player Pele, who has called Neymar “an excellent player”.
Neymar joined Santos 2003 and after through the ranks, he was promoted to their first team squaD. He made his debut for Santos in 2009 and was voted the Best Young Player of the 2009 Campeonato PaulistA. Further honours followed, with Neymar being voted best player as Santos won the 2010 Campeonato Paulista, and also being top score in the 2010 Copa de Brasil with 11 goals. He finished the 2010 season with 42 goals in 60 games as his club achieved the DoublE. Neymar was again voted best player of the year in 2011 as his retained the state title and Santos also winning the 2011 Copa Libertadores in which Neymar scored 6 goals in 13 appearances. He also playeda key role in securing a continental Double for his team, Santos’ first since 1963. He received the Bronze Ball in the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup, with Santos making it to the final, where they were defeated 4-0 by Barcelona.

1. What happened to Neymar in 2011?

A. He made his first debut
B. He moved to FC Barcelona
C. He received the FIFA Puskas Award
D. He scored 6 goals in 13 appearances
E. He helped Brazil to win their 11th title

2. The main idea of paragraph 3 is…

A. Neymar played for Santos
B. Neymar joined Santos
C. Neymar played the best
D. Neymar received awards
E. Neymar scored many goals

3.  “…who has called Neymar an excellent player” (paragraph 2). The word ‘excellent’ is closest in meaning to …

A. Confident
B. Fantastic
C. Magnificent
D. Skillful
E. Generous

Picasso was one of the most outstanding and important artists of the 1900’s. He is best known for his paintings. Almost every style in modern art is represented in Picasso’s works.
Picasso was born in 1881 in Malaga, Spain as the son of an art teacher. He studied painting from his father and his college level course of study at the academy of arts in Madrid.
From about 1895 to 1901, he painted realistic works in a traditional stylE. He, then, entered what was called the Blue PerioD. During this time, he only used shades of blue in his paintings to show the poverty he saw in Barcelona.
After 1908, he entered into the style of cubism. Among his well-known cubist paintings are “Three Musicians” and “Man with a Guitar”.
Picasso died in Moughins, France in 1973. He was really great artist.

4. Why did Picasso become so popular? because ….

A. he was the most outstanding artist of the 1990’s.
B. he was known for his great paintings
C. he painted in traditional style.
D. he was son of an art teacher.
E. he studied in art school.

5. According to text, Picasso ….

A. died in Spain 1973.
B. was born in Malaga, Italy.
C. was famous for his painting style.
D. had a father who worked as an art teacher.
E. finished his study at the academy of Arts in Madrid.