With Brexit looming, some in the UK are reflecting on their lifelong relationship with Europe.
Assignment 1
For this assignment you may use a dictionary or English-language Internet sources to help you.
a How many countries are joined in the European Union?
b Name one or more European countries that are not in the European Union.
c Write down the names of the European countries you have visited.
Read the letter Writing home by JK Rowling.
Assignment 2
For each definition, find the word or expression it describes in Rowling’s letter and write it down.
a people who you exchange friendly letters with, but usually have not met
b belonging to Wales
c smooth and shining
d to go with someone, to keep them company
e just a little knowledge of something
f without injuries or damage
g lists of the times when buses, trains, and planes leave and arrive
h to sleep lightly or briefly
i to move around in a relaxed way or without any clear purpose
j a short journey for pleasure
k a small case, often made of leather, for keeping money, credit cards, etc.
l great sadness
m improved the quality of something, made it better
n breaking, end
o a phrase taken from literature
p western Europe without Great Britain and Ireland
Assignment 3
a What effect did exchanging letters with other European students have on JK Rowling?
1 She became more and more curious about Europe and ended up loving Europe.
2 She discovered that everybody speaks English and decided never to learn any other language.
3 She ended up hating Europe because she lost all her money and then her mother died.
4 She got to taste many different European foods, but still liked her mother’s cooking best.
b For each statement, write down if it is true or false. Each time, also underline or copy one or more sentences in the text that confirm your choice.
1 As a writer, JK Rowling likes to use special words to say everyday things.
2 Their schools thought that this meant that the two girls would get along well.
3 Only girls were interested in writing letters to people they had never met.
4 You had to be really good at school to get a pen pal in another country.
c The title of this letter is “Writing home”. What does JK Rowling mean with “home” here?
1 The city of Porto, where she lived for a while and which she still loves.
2 The house in Stuttgart where her friend Hanna lives.
3 The places where she has friends, in this case all of Europe.
4 The town on the Welsh border where she grew up.
