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wondrous written worlds: the life of j. r.r. tolkien
lee washington

1john ronald reuel tolkien—commonly known as “j. r.r. tolkien”—is most famous as the author of the adventure fantasy novels the hobbit and the lord of the rings. although he was an english writer, he developed an impressive fan base in the united states. many people enjoy reading his myths about strange creatures and novel ideas. his famous lord of the rings series, which was originally one novel but was later published as three separate books, takes place in an imagined world called middle earth. the setting is full of beautiful forests and mysterious caves. the characters set out on a journey to destroy rings that give the wearer enormous destructive powers. the stories in the series are so entertaining that readers can’t seem to put them down. in fact, the books were so popular that they were retold as three successful movies. the director traveled in new zealand, a country near australia, to find amazing countryside to imitate the setting of tolkien’s stories.

2j. r.r. tolkien created his own worlds for stories based on his memories of living in many different places. tolkien was born in south africa to english parents. he later returned to england with his mother and brother to live with his grandparents. visiting his relatives’ farms tolkien learn about plants and develop a love of nature. later, tolkien’s mother appointed a priest, father francis xavier morgan, to become the official guardian of tolkien and his brother. father morgan introduced tolkien to many great paintings, some of which inspired the artistic descriptions in his writing. later, he replicated the elegant architecture of his childhood in the grand castles of his stories.

3j. r.r. tolkien was always interested in the english language. before becoming a writer, he studied english in college. tolkien worked as a professor and also had a job to write a dictionary. he was in charge of the entries beginning with the letter “w.” when he began to write stories, he shared them with his friends in a group called the inklings. c. s. lewis was one of tolkien’s friends. he loved tolkien’s stories and wanted him to keep writing. lewis later wrote a famous seven-novel adventure fantasy series called the chronicles of narnia.

4tolkien’s stories generate interest in fantasy literature, so that more and more people began to enjoy classic myths. tolkien himself enjoyed reading ancient european myths. he was especially enchanted by a very old story, beowulf, involving a hero and a huge, angry monster. tolkien took pleasure in thinking about literature and writing about other authors’ books and poems.

5tolkien also wrote stories for children, including his own. he was a fun father who often surprised his children with magical letters from polar bears and elves. the hobbit, another of the author’s famous fantasy stories, started as a tale for his own young children. a publisher in london thought more people should have a chance to read it, and the book became very popular. tolkien’s mythical stories of friendship and adventure still stir readers’ imaginations. he is truly one of the greatest fantasy writers of all time.

read the passage on the left to answer the following questions:
1)
what effect did moving around with his family have on tolkien?
a) it tolkien learn about animals.
b) it started tolkien's interest in myths.
c) it made tolkien want to stay in at home.
d) it exposed tolkien to interesting places.
2)
what is the most likely reason tolkien and his friends called their group the inklings?
a) they were interested in birds.
b) they were good at drawing.
c) they were all teachers.
d) they were all writers.
3)

the director traveled in new zealand, a country near australia, to find amazing countryside to imitate the setting of tolkien’s stories.
based on the sentence above, which statement can you infer to be true?
a) no place on earth could be a setting for tolkien's stories.
b) the setting of tolkien's stories was incredible and spectacular.
c) the setting of tolkien's stories was a rather common, everyday place.
d) tolkien's stories were written specifically to take place in new zealand.
4)
which type of current movie might j. r. r. tolkien most likely be interested in seeing?
a) a documentary exposing corporate corruption
b) a film about warriors slaying mythical beasts
c) a romantic comedy about women in the workplace
d) a drama about a crisis that tears a family apart
5)
which best expresses an important connection the author makes in section three?
a) the inklings group provided support to lewis and tolkien.
b) being a professor provided tolkien with interesting storylines.
c) tolkien's college studies in english prompted mythical stories.
d) tolkien's job writing dictionary entries inspired the hobbit.