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Biography vs Autobiography Test

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Biography vs Autobiography Test

Read both short accounts about Australian athlete Cathy Freeman. Then answer the questions using evidence from the texts and what you know about biographies and autobiographies.

Two accounts of one life

Account A Cathy Freeman was born in Mackay, Queensland, in 1973. As a young athlete, she showed great speed and determination. In 1990, she competed at the Commonwealth Games in Auckland and won gold in the 4 × 100 metre relay. Freeman later became one of Australia’s best-known track athletes. At the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, she won the 400-metre gold medal. After the race, she carried both the Australian and Aboriginal flags on her victory lap. Her achievement was an important moment for many Australians. Account B I was born in Mackay, Queensland, in 1973. As a young athlete, I worked hard to improve my running. In 1990, I competed at the Commonwealth Games in Auckland and won gold in the 4 × 100 metre relay. Years later, I stood on the track at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. When I won the 400-metre gold medal, I felt proud and overwhelmed. I carried both the Australian and Aboriginal flags on my victory lap. It was a moment I will always remember. Note: These are original classroom texts, not extracts from a published book.

Check your understanding

Use details from Account A and Account B. Write complete answers where needed.

1.Which account is a biography, and which is written in an autobiography style? Explain how the point of view in each account helps you identify its genre.

2.Choose the best explanation of the difference between the accounts.

Account A is shorter, so it is a biography; Account B is longer, so it is an autobiography.
Account A is told by someone writing about Freeman; Account B uses Freeman’s first-person voice.
Account A is fiction; Account B gives factual information.
Account A describes childhood; Account B only describes sport.

3.Find one word or phrase in Account B that signals first-person point of view.

4.Account A refers to Cathy Freeman as “she” and “Freeman”. What point of view does this show?

First person
Second person
Third person
A conversation between two people

5.Put these events in the order they happened. Write 1, 2 and 3 beside them: won Olympic 400-metre gold; was born in Mackay; won relay gold at the Commonwealth Games.

6.Which detail appears in both accounts?

Freeman’s exact thoughts before the race
Her 1990 Commonwealth Games relay gold
The name of her first coach
A list of every race she competed in

7.What personal feeling does Account B include that Account A does not state directly?

8.True or false: Both accounts present Freeman’s life in chronological order, moving from earlier events to later ones.

TrueFalse

9.A reader wants to learn how Freeman describes her own feelings. Which account would be more useful, and why?

10.A reader wants an account written by someone other than Freeman, using information gathered about her life. Which account fits best? Explain one clue.

11.Name two features that biographies and autobiographies can both include.

12.Complete the comparison: A biography is usually written in person, while an autobiography is usually written in person.