Meet the Author—Frank Brennan

Hello, Frank. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Hello! I come from the Northwest of England. After university I became an actor and writer in a travelling theater group. After that I became a schoolteacher. I have taught English in the UK and in Singapore. ①After a while I started writing books to help students with their English studies. Some of these were books of stories and some were plays. I still write stories. My interests include music, history and movies. I also make jam!

Where did you get the ideas for the story Jam?

I was talking to an old lady about her experiences in England during the Second World War. She had to live all by herself with no husband to help her. The story developed from there. Most of my ideas for stories come from observing interesting people and places.

What are the different themes in this story?

I think the main themes are about how people manage when times are hard. This includes young people and old people, too. Everybody has times when they need something or someone to help them. This story is mostly about that.

What part of the story-writing process do you like best?

Finishing the first version of a story is always a good feeling. It still needs more work to make it perfect but I like doing that, too.

②__________

I am working on a story about a rock band at the moment. I’m enjoying that very much.

1.1.Where does Frank come from?

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解析：选He comes from the Northwest of England.。根据“I come from the Northwest of England.”可知Frank来自英格兰西北部。故填He comes from the Northwest of England.

2.2. What are the main themes of the story Jam?

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解析：选The main themes are about how people manage when times are hard.。根据“I think the main themes are about how people manage when times are hard.”可知主要的主题是人们在困难时期如何做。故填The main themes are about how people manage when times are hard.

3.3.请从文中找出与下面所给句子意思相近的句子。 I’m interested in music, history and movies.

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解析：选My interests include music, history and movies.。“I’m interested in music, history and movies.”表示“我对音乐、历史和电影感兴趣”，原文中“ My interests include music, history and movies. ”表示“我的兴趣包括音乐、历史和电影”，意思相近。故填My interests include music, history and movies. 

4.4.请将文中①处划线句子翻译成汉语。

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解析：选过了一段时间，我开始写书来帮助学生学习英语。。after a while过一会儿；I我；start开始；writing books写书；help students with their English studies帮助学生们学习英语。故填：过了一段时间，我开始写书来帮助学生学习英语。

5.5.请根据上下文在文中②处填入一个恰当的问句。

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解析：选What kind of story are you writing?。根据“I am working on a story about a rock band at the moment.”可知此处是提问正写什么故事。故填What kind of story are you writing?