Zadie Smith is a successful British novelist who caused a sensation in the publishing world at the age of 21 when the first 80 pages of her first novel were sold to a publisher. She was born on 25 October, 1975 in a working class area of London. Her mother grew up in Jamaica and emigrated to England, where she met and later married an Englishman. Zadie was originally named Sadie but when she was fourteen, she changed her name to Zadie because it sounded more exotic.
Zadie attended state primary and secondary schools and she later went on to get a degree in English Literature from the University of Cambridge. While she was in her final year of university, she completed her first novel, White Teeth. The novel was an instant success and won several literary prizes, including the Whitbread First Novel Award. It’s a coming-of-age story about three ethnically diverse families set in multicultural London. The novel tackles subjects such as history, multiculturism and war. White Teeth has been translated into over twenty languages and the novel was adapted into a television drama.
Her most recent book On Beauty won the prestigious Orange Prize for Fiction. Zadie Smith continues to write essays and short stories for magazines. Her writing has provided people with a valuable insight into contemporary topics, in particular, multicultural families. Despite her young age and modest background, Zadie Smith has become one of the leading novelists of her generation.
58.1. Zadie Smith spent her early years in
(1 Point)
a. Jamaica.
b. different countries.
c. London.
d. exotic places.
59.2. What do you think the word emigrated in line 3 means?
(1 Point)
a. to marry someone
b. to publish a book
c. to change your name
d. to go and live in another country
60.3. What does It in line 8 refer to?
(1 Point)
a. the Whitbread First Novel Award
b. university
c. London
d. White Teeth
61.4. On Beauty
(1 Point)
a. is a coming-of-age story.
b. is a short story.
c. has won an award.
d. is Zadie’s most successful book.
62.5. According to the writer, Zadie Smith
(1 Point)
a. wrote her first novel just after she graduated from university
b. is a very modest person.
c. is the most successful novelist of her generation.
d. enjoyed fame and success at a young age.
