Famous People

Miguel de Cervantes
Pre-Reading
A. Warm-Up Questions

1. Have you heard of Miguel de Cervantes?

If so, what do you know about him?

2. Have you ever read the novel Don Quixote?

3. Can you guess what century Cervantes lived in?

4. Do you prefer to read novels, poetry, or plays?

What do you call a person who writes novels?
(Poetry? Plays?)

B. Vocabulary Preview

Match up as many words and meanings

as you can. Check this exercise again after
seeing the words in context on page 2.

1. create a)  a part

2. figure b)  a person who steals while at sea
3. soldier c)  locked up, kept in jail
4. battle d)  a book or story that follows a first one
5. wound e)  to make something new, to produce
6. crippled f)  to set free, allowed to go free
7. role g)  a character or person
8. victory h)  injury or hurt from a gun, knife, etc.
9. pirate i)  a member of an army
10. novel j)  success (in war, a game, etc.)
11. capture k)  a person who moves from place to place
12. imprisoned l)  unable to move properly
13. released m)  to take by force, to make a prisoner
14. gypsy n)  a fight, usually between armies
15. sequel o)  a long written story that fills a book

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 Miguel de Cervantes
Famous People

Reading
1. Miguel de Cervantes was a Spanish novelist, playwright, and “Never stand begging
poet. He is best known for his novel Don Quixote and for creating for that which you
Don Quixote, the most famous figure in Spanish literature.
have the power
2. Cervantes was born in 1547 in a town near Madrid. His father
was a doctor and, for much of his childhood, Cervantes moved
to earn.”
from town to town while his father looked for work. —Miguel de Cervantes

3. In his early twenties, he studied for a few years in Madrid and

then became a soldier. In 1571, Cervantes fought in the sea battle
at Lepanto and received a wound that permanently crippled his
left hand. He was proud of his role in the famous victory.

4. In 1575, he set out for Spain with his brother, Roderigo. Turkish pirates
captured the ship and the brothers were taken to Algiers as slaves.
Two years later, Roderigo was freed on ransom. They thought that
Cervantes was a more valuable captive and kept him imprisoned.
He was released in 1580 after his family had raised enough money
for his ransom. Cervantes returned to Madrid and began to write.

5. His first play, El Trato de Argel, was based on his experiences as a

captive. Cervantes claimed to have written 20 to 30 plays, but only
two are known today. In 1585, his first major work, Galatea, received
little attention. Later generations have called him one of the world’s
worst poets. For 20 years, he lived like a nomad. A collection of short
stories, Exemplary Tales, contained some of his best work about love,
ideals, and gypsy life.

6. It is said that Cervantes wrote Don Quixote while in prison at

Argamasilla in La Mancha. He wanted to give a picture of real life
and express himself in clear language. Readers loved the everyday
language. He remained poor until 1605 when Part I of Don Quixote
was released. The story didn’t change his financial situation much,
but brought him international acclaim.

7. In 1606, he moved permanently to Madrid. When someone else

published a poor sequel to Don Quixote, Cervantes finally wrote
Part II of Don Quixote, which was released in 1615. He died the
following year.

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 Miguel de Cervantes
Famous People

Comprehension
A. True or False?

Read the statements below.

If the statement is true, write T beside the sentence.
If it is false, write F and correct the information in your notebook.

1. Cervantes is best known for his excellent poetry.

2. Cervantes created the most famous figure in Spanish literature.

3. Cervantes received a permanent injury when he was a soldier.

4. Most of Cervantes plays are still well known today.

5. Cervantes’s writings made him a very rich man.

B. Ask & Answer

Practice asking and answering the following questions with your partner.
Then write your answers in complete sentences in your notebook.

1. Why did Cervantes move from town to town when he was a child?

2. How did Cervantes feel about his role as a soldier in the battle of Lepanto?

3. What happened to Cervantes on his return journey to Spain?

4. Why was Roderigo released before Cervantes?

5. What was Cervantes’s first play based upon?

6. What did later generations think of his poetry?

7. What was Cervantes’s most famous novel and why did it become so popular?

8. Did the writing of Don Quixote change Cervantes’s life and, if so, in what way?

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 Miguel de Cervantes
Famous People

Vocabulary Practice
Choose the word or phrase with the closest meaning to
the underlined word or phrase in the following sentences.

1. In 1575, Cervantes set out for 4. In 1585, Cervantes’s first major work,

Spain with his brother, Roderigo. Galatea, received little attention.

a) wrote about a) important

b) settled in b) famous
c) left for c) poetry

2. Turkish pirates captured the ship and 5. For 20 years, he lived like a nomad.
the brothers were taken to Algiers as slaves.
a) rich man
a) soldiers b) someone who travels from place to place
b) sailors c) slave
c) people who are forced to
work very hard for others 6. His novel, Don Quixote, brought him
international acclaim.
3. Two years later, Roderigo was freed on ransom.
a) a lot of money from around the world
a) a ship b) worldwide fame
b) money paid for the release of c) power
someone who has been kidnapped
c) all alone

Discussion
1. What kind of novels do you like to read? Who is your favorite author?

2. Don
 Quixote is the most famous figure in Spanish literature.
Can you name some other famous literary characters?
What did you like or dislike about these characters?

3. Do you think Cervantes’s time in captivity

played an important role in his writing?

4. What factors do you think help make a novelist successful?

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