לומדים אנגלית / קוראים ספרי ילדים

The following is the second post on Reading.

In my last post I introduced the first aspect of the general subject of this unit: Reading

Today we will discuss another aspect:

Reading for Pleasure

Talking about it.

• What are book-fairs?
• Do you usually attend the yearly Hebrew book-fair? Why?
  What kind of books do you usually buy at the book-fair?
• Do many people attend the yearly Hebrew book-fair?
  Why do they do this?
  What kind of books do most people buy on this occasion?
• Why do people buy books instead of borrowing them at the library?
• We are called the People of the Book.
  Do we deserve the title? Discuss!
• Have people stopped reading in the TV era?
• What do you prefer: a book or a movie? Explain.

Getting ready to read

Read the title of the next passage.
What does the title suggest?

Read the first sentence of the passage.
In what way does it relate to the title?

Read the first sentence of the second paragraph.
What is more interesting: a bookstore or a book-fair?

Read the first sentence of paragraph 3.
Why does the author carry cash only?

Reading Passage

Reading for Pleasure

Read the following passage and then answer the questions that follow.

1. A visit to the bookstore can become a true adventure involving incredible surprises. Browsing around the boookshelves for hours may result in amazing discoveries. A personal favorite of your childhood, a title an old friend recommended years ago, a cookbook full of recipes from your hometown, are only some of the bargains you may come across.

2. If a visit to a bookstore offers so many delights, just imagine what the yearly book-fair has in store for you: Thousands of titles, all displayed in front of you, waiting for you to pick up your choice. And that may turn into a real problem. The choice is very large, but the budget is limited. Buying a contemporary romance may result in giving up one of the mysteries or thrillers you enjoy so much. And what about a historical novel or some science fiction?

3. When I go to the book-fair, I leave my credit card at home and carry cash only. This way, I can make sure I won't be carried away and spend much more than I planned. I take some other precautions as well. I carry a list of recommended books in my purse so as not to leave anything for last minute improvisations. Buying on an impulse may be too expensive. And yet, since I am always on the look-out for something new, I usually return with a couple of books I had not intended to buy. I simply cannot resist the temptation, and I am always lucky or unlucky to run into a friend who is willing to offer a loan.

Questions

1. Give two examples of incredible surprises mentioned in paragraph 1.

a. …………………………………………………………………………

b. …………………………………………………………………………

2. What do the words a real problem in paragraph 2 refer to? Why is that a problem?

……………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………

3. Give three examples of literary genres mentioned in paragraph 2.

a. …………………………………………………………………………

b. …………………………………………………………………………

c. …………………………………………………………………………

4. The last paragraph is written in the first person because it expresses the author's

a. personal view on the subject.

b. opinion about bookstores.

c. opinion about book-fairs.

d. limited budget.

5. Explain what the author means by the words lucky and unlucky in paragraph 3.

Complete the following sentences: 

On the one hand, the author is lucky because …………………………………

On the other hand, the author is unlucky because ………………………….

After Reading

Talking about it…

Do book-fairs promote reading? Discuss!

(Discuss advantages of advertising, price discounts, writers signing their books, etc.).

Writing about it …

Write  an ad announcing the forthcoming publication of a new book.

You may wish to start as follows:

The greatest novel of the year is about to appear!

The following words/expressions may help you:

free trial copy

mail

special offer

reasonable price

great fun  guaranteed

order a copy

limited edition

soft cover/ hard cover/ ebook

Vocabulary and Language Exercise

Fill in the blanks with suitable words. Use one word only for each blank.

Why do so many people like detective stories? ……………………… is a detective story? There are various …………………….., but most dictionaries describe detective stories …………………….. a type of literature dealing with the step by …………………….. investigation and solution of a crime, usually ……………………… .

Why are so many people attracted to this particular ……………………..? It is probably the susppense that accounts …………………….. the tremendous popularity of detective ……………………… . The book often starts with the murder. …………………….. are usually many characters and the plot seems …………………….. confusing at the beginning. …………………….. of the characters seem suspicious and it is hard to foresee the …………………….. of the police investigation. Some readers find it hard to …………………….. the temptation to discover the identity of the ……………………… . They simply can't wait till the last page. They may decide, on an …………………….., to throw a quick glance at the end of the book. Having satisfied their curiosity, they may go back to reading in a more relaxed mood, or they may throw out the book and pick another instead.

And that's all for today. More texts and suggestions in my next post.