Joe Brown: being a writer – A2 English Reading Test

Joe Brown: being a writer

I wrote my first stories when I was about 12, but I really didn’t know how good they were. My friends weren’t interested, but my teacher sent some of them to a national magazine for children. The magazine didn’t want them, but then my mum heard about a competition while she was listening to the radio. So I sent in one of my stories and it won first prize! Then I thought, ‘I can do this.’

During my years at school, I continued writing when I had time. Then when I left school, I went to university. I didn’t study writing – I studied French and Spanish. After university, I worked in a bookshop and in a library, but I wanted to write again. I decided to move to France.

At first, I worked as a waiter. I worked every day except Sunday. I wrote my novel on Sundays and in the evenings!

I love writing and I’m never bored. You spend a lot of time alone, but this isn’t a problem for me. I’ve finished my second novel now and I’ve got ideas for another, but I wanted a break first so I’ve come home to England for a while.

My parents live in London, I have a brother in Liverpool and my sister lives in a village in the countryside. I’m staying with my parents, but this weekend, we’re all going to go to my sister’s house to have a family party.

1   How did Joe know that he was a good writer?

      A   He won a competition.

      B   His friends liked his stories.

      C   He wrote for a magazine.

2   What did he do when he left school?

      A   He wrote more stories.

      B   He studied languages.

      C   He travelled to France and Spain.

3   When he was a waiter, Joe worked

      A   most evenings.

      B   six days a week.

      C   every day.

4   What is Joe doing now?

      A   He’s writing his next novel.

      B   He’s having some time off.

      C   He’s travelling around England.

5   Joe is going to meet his family in

      A   a village.

      B   Liverpool.

      C   London.