Unit 4 Books and Reading in Siberia.
Vocabulary: Books
Ex.1. Do you know the meanings of these words?
fiction, non-fiction, biography, travel books, novel, romance, thriller, adventure/love stories, detective stories, fairy-talks, fantasies.
Ex.2. Look at this list of reading habits features. Choose eight of your favourite items. Put them down in the order in which you like to read
• to read silently to oneself
• to read incessantly
• to read quickly but accurately
• to read slowly and laboriously
• to read effortlessly
• to read deep in the might
• to read for pleasure
• to be glued to a book for hours
• to get lost in a book
• to dip into a book
• to glance ever a book
• to read ourself to sleep
Ex.3. In groups, ask and answer about books. Find out:
• which books people read
• which ones are their favourites
• which features they like reading best
• which ones they never read
Ex.4. Do you know who is who?
is
a
an
the
well-known
outstanding
favourite
most famous
remarkable
Notable
best-loved
crime
fantasy
children's
modern
short story
writer
essayist
poet
screenwriter
play writer
diarist
novelist
Ex.5. People all over the world value their great compatriots. Complete:
1. W.Shakespeare
1. M. Twain
1. L. Tolstoi
2.
2.
2.
3.
3.
3.
4.
4.
4.
5.
5.
5.
Ex.6. What books can help you to learn at school?
As a rule
Sometimes
Most often
I borrow
I take out
I get
books on
history of
fine arts
politics
religion
medicine
because...
Ex.7. Here are some famous Novosibirsk writers.
1.
J. Fonjakov
2. J. Magalif
3. E. Stuart
4. N. Samokhin
A friend asks you to recommend a good book to read. What do you suggest? Why? Act out a conversation.
Ex.8 Prepare a book review. This plan can be helpful:
a) Name the title and the author. If possible, give some biographical details about the author.
b) Say what kind of book it is.
c) Is the plot interesting? Why? Speak about the contents of the book briefly.
d) Did this book teach you anything new?
e) Was the book good entertainment?
f) Say, whether the book has bad features. Mention both the book's good points or its faults.
g) Would you recommend this book to your friend? Give reasons.
Ex.9. Agree or disagree. Give reasons for your opinion.
a) The classics are boring.
b) It is clear, at first sight whether the book is interesting to read.
c) There are books that delight all ages.
d) Books are the greatest of the World's Wonders
Ex.10. Imagine you are an expert of a great classical writer. Write down about the literary manner and style of the author.
Ex. 11. Learn the dialogue by heart.
Questions and answers
1. Have you got a home library?
- Yes, I have a good library at home. There are more than 500 books in it. All books are in two big bookcases in our living room.
2. What kind of books are there in your library?
- There are books by Tolstoi, Chekhov, Pushkin, and other Russian writers. There are also many books by foreign authors: Mark Twain, Jack London, John Galsworthy, Theodore Dreiser and others.
3. What books does your mother prefer?
- She prefers detectives and historical novels. My father reads mostly magazines and newspapers.
4. Who can take books from your library?
- Very often my friends take books from our or library.
Reading
Before reading
Ex.12. Which of these statements, if any corresponds to the way you choose the books you read? Compose and discuss your answers in groups.
1. I usually read books that friends recommended me.
2. I just go into a bookshop and choose the first book that looks interesting either from the cover or the "blurb" on the back.
3. I read the book reviews in the newspapers and choose books that the reviewers like.
4. I buy books, which have either been nominated for or have won literary prizes.
5. I only read the "classics"- that why I am sure of a good read.
While you read
Ex.13. Read these statements and circle the letter T (true) or F (false).
1. Judges of literary competitions have to work very hard for very little money. (T/F)
2. The aim of writing a review is to help the author, not the reader. (T/F)
3. Reviewers find it easier to criticize bad books than to praise good ones. (T/F)
4. Books are usually reviewed by people who have nothing in common with authors. (T/F)
5. Sexism is not very common in the publishing world. (T/F)
6. People who enter literary competitions tend to assume they will win. (T/F)
Ways of reading
Ex.14. Explain the difference between these pairs of verbs
1. browse/flip through
2. dip into/skip
3. read from cover to cover/refer to
4. scan/skim
5. leaf through/scour
6. devour/plod through
Ex.15. Translate the text
AT THE LIBRARY
1. Books play a great role in our life. 2. Reading makes a man clever and wise. 3. Many people have good libraries at home. 4. Besides there are lots of libraries of all kinds in our country.
5. As for me, I like to read books very much, and very often I go to the town library to get a new interesting book. 6. For the first time I came to the library when I was 8 or 9 years old. 7. I saw many books on the shelves there all over the big room. 8. On the shelves there were different novels, poems, plays, books on sports, history, geography and the arts. 9. The librarian helped me to find the book I wanted to read. 10. Since that time I have visited the library once a week.
11. You can not only take home books from the library, you can also read books and magazines in the reading-hall. 12. As for me, I read both books and magazines. 13. But I prefer to read at home. 14. Best of all I like to read adventure books, detective stories and historical novels.
15. Some time ago I read a famous historical novel written by the great Russian writer Leo Tolstoi. 16. It is called «War and Peace». 17. The book is very big, but it is interesting and easy to read. 18. It depicts the events of the war of 1812 between the Russian army and the French army led by Napoleon. 19. But the book also shows the peaceful life of the high society and the common people. 20. The author has described the atmosphere of that time with great skill. 21. The main heroes of the novel are Natasha Rostova, Pierre Bezoukhov and others. 22. I like the image of Natasha Rostova best of all. 23. She is very kind-hearted, tender and womanly.
Ex. 16. Read and translate reviews given below.
Read the book
The hundred secret senses By Amy Tan (Flamingo, £15.99)
Amy Tan (The Joy Luck Club) writes with such pace and creativity, she is almost a poet and definitely a guru on love, life and imagination. The story of her character, Olivia, and her struggle to accept the quirks of a Chinese half-sister called Kwan will engross you in a journey of emotional extremes. And the juxtaposition of the yin and yang philosophies of Chinese culture, combined with modern American life, is examined in a way that provokes humour tinged with sadness.
Amy Tan's gift for storytelling makes you yearn for a sister like Kwan. She is magnetic - "She pushed her Chinese secrets into my brain and changed how I thought about the world" - and sharply humorous - "I found mole, big as my nostril on ... what you call this thing between man legs, round and wrinkly like two walnuts? "! Tan not only describes emotion, she makes you sense it: you feel the "ouch " of Olivia's heart as it breaks and mends; you will burst into tears of laughter and despair as Kwan tells tale upon tale of truth, hope, love lost and found and incredible wisdom. As Kwan would say, "You love book."
Who’s reading what?
Kate Moss, Supermodel
The Catcher In The Rye By J.D. Salinger (Penguin, £5.99).
"This is an amazing story. Every time I read it, I get something new out of it. I guess it's like a source book for me - I love it."
Victoria Wood, comedian
Random Harvest By James Hilton (MacMillan, available in libraries).
"This is one of those books I just had to read because the film version of the story is my favourite weepy film."
Before writing:
You are going to write the blurb for a book you know very well (preferably one you have read in English) and which you think other people in your class would enjoy reading.
Use the blurbs you have looked at here as a model. Most of them follow this pattern:
• Summary of the story
The aim here is to give enough away about the story to interest readers and make them want to read the books, without giving away the whole story. Note the use of tenses in the blurbs
• Comments by the Press and critics
Comments should range from writing merely adjectives, to complete sentences about the writer's skill in style, characterization, plot, main ideas, likes/dislikes, etc. There are some blurbs in Russian. Try to use your skills in translation them.
Новинка
«Твой успех в жизни» - книга для современной женщины
Для тех, кто стремится понять себя, поверить в свои силы, создать семью и сделать карьеру, путеводителем по жизни может стать книга Анджелы Филлипс "Твой успех в жизни". Она подсказывает ответы на массу вопросов — как взглянуть на себя со стороны и достичь нужного впечатления; как справиться со стрессом и приобщиться к здоровому образу жизни; как разобраться в своих увлечениях и выйти из семейного конфликта; что важно при устройстве на работу — и как, наконец, все успеть! Каждая глава предлагает подумать, какой выбор сделать, чтобы почувствовать себя личностью — свободной и счастливой. И советам можно верить, ведь эта книга — результат сотрудничества издательства "Дорлинг Киндерсли" и Cosmo.
Любовный роман
Кит Лондри, главный герой романа "Спенсервиль" американского писателя Нельсона Демилля, вернувшись в родной город через двадцать с лишним лет, встречает свою первую любовь — Энни Прентис. Она давно замужем, но нежное чувство по-прежнему связывает ее с Китом. Они, как прежде, составляют две половинки единого целого. Но, чтобы обрести счастье, им приходится сражаться чуть ли не со всей полицией штата — муж Энни устраивает погоню, в которой Лондри не помогают даже навыки профессионального разведчика. Москва, "Новости", серия "Мировой бестселлер". Пер. с английского.
Подарок
Не каждый турист успевает разглядеть шедевры великих мастеров, украшающие храмы и дворцы Ватикана. Поэтому альбом, посвященный его пинакотеке, — поистине роскошный подарок. Он включает более 500 иллюстраций, а об истории создания бесценных произведений искусства, которыми по праву гордится понтификат, рассказывает Карло Пьетранжели — ученый и искусствовед, двадцать лет возглавлявший работу Ватиканских музеев.
Москва, "Слово", серия "Великие музеи мира". Пер. с итальянского.
Что нового в Америке?
Только-только вышел в свет семнадцатый по счету роман Джеки Коллинз — Thrill. Знаток голливудской жизни, Коллинз остается верна себе: ее главная героиня — кинозвезда, ее бывший муж — режиссер, ее лучшая подруга и соперница — художник по костюмам. Действие психологического любовного триллера разворачивается на юге Франции и, разумеется, на самой "фабрике грез".
Homeport — новый роман Норы Робертс. Его главная героиня, специалист по эпохе Ренессанса, определяет авторство найденной на раскопках скульптуры как работу Микеланджело, но открытие оборачивается подрывом ее репутации, в опасности и ее жизнь... Романы Норы Роберте 16 раз объявлялись в Америке бестселлерами.
Женский роман
В центре внимания французской писательницы Эмманюэль Бернейм — женщины, которым за тридцать. Клер, врач из романа "Его жена", Элизабет, сотрудница архива из романа "Нож", их друзья, любовники, коллеги — все принадлежат к одному поколению. Бернейм наблюдает за ними с зоркостью кинодокументалиста и будто пишет сценарий для документального фильма: просто и ясно. Но из этой "голой" прозы возникает притча о нашей современнице. Три романа Бернейм вышли под одной обложкой с общим названием "Двое". Москва, "Тройка". Пер. с французского.
Классика жанра
Новый роман Артура Хейли называется "Детектив". Это профессия его главного героя Малколма Эйнсли. Расследуя серии убийств в Майами, он сталкивается с загадочными уликами, которые преступник оставляет на месте расправы с каждой жертвой. Бывший священник, Малколм догадывается об их значении, но и это не помогает делу, в котором, оказывается, замешана лейтенант Синтия Эрнст. В свое время у них с Малколмом был бурный роман, и теперь Синтия, его непосредственный начальник, наслаждается своей властью над бывшим любовником. Как и положено у Хейли, захватывающий сюжет неразрывно связан с психологической подоплекой событий. Москва, "Вагриус". Пер. с английского.
Ex. 17. Can you give a definition of these words:
a blurb
a synopsis
a summary
an outline
Write down a summary of a book, you have read recently.
Ex.18. Learn to make the synopsis of the book. Study the following material and make the synopsis of the last book you read.
Synopsis is the summary of a book usually standing at the beginning of a book (or to be found on the back cover) to tell the reader what it is about. Below are two outlines of this kind. Read them attentively.
M.Twain. "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn". This is the story of a boy running away from home and sheering a raft down the Mississippi River but it is more than that. The people the boy meets cover the entire spectrum of humanity, and his voyage down the river becomes a metaphor for a journey through life.
G. Durrell. "Birds, Beasts and Relatives", "My Family and Other Animals", "Birds, Beasts and Relatives" is an equally funny account of the unconventional Durrell family, living on the sun-drenched thyme - scented island of Corfu before the war.
Ex.19. Discuss in pairs the views of the pupils on reading. What do they read for?
Ex.20. How would you rank English and Russian writers in order of their popularity among your classmates.
Ex.21. What do you know about these people? Why is Novosibirsk proud of them?
Ex.22. Write down an essay about any prominent person whom Novosibirsk is proud of.
Ex.23. Read the text and give it a headline. Retell the text using new facts from it.
Everyone in the city knows the two-storey building on Rod Avenue in front of the Mayakovsky Cinema where now the Local Youth Library opens its doors six days a week but Monday. The red building where nearly 200,000 readers come annually, has a unique history. In Novosibirsk the building appeared almost a century ago, to be precise, in 1908. And the same year „The Russian-Chinese Bank" settled there at once. A year later in 1909 the above mentioned bank was transformed into „The Russian-Asian Bank". In two years time the Vtorov and Brothers Stores began working in the same building. The Vtorovs were famous for selling consumer goods, fashionable furs and fur clothing, haberdashery. From 1953 till 1985 the Local Scientific Library worked there successfully welcoming those who were interested in science, arts, Russian and foreign literature. The Foreign Languages Department where one can get books written by modern and old masters of word always could help those who are interested in foreign languages, in improving their reading and spoken skills. The Department gives and always gave a good chance to join interesting get-togethers and share impressions at various language clubs. All these years a number of famous teachers of our city helped to organize the work of these clubs. Among them the names of Helen Goldfield and Irene Sherer should be mentioned. The native speakers, they do their best to make people understand how close different cultures are, how important to know one or two foreign languages in our everyday life.
In 1985 the Local Library for adults moved to Sovjetskaya Str. where it is situated now. And the Local Library for the Youngsters which was situated on Dzerjinsky Avenue moved into a new building on Red Avenue. Entering the Local Youth Library you find yourself first in the spacious hall, then in the Reference Department with its numerous catalogues and card indexes of current periodicals. If you become a reader of the library you arc given the opportunity to borrow books in the fields of knowledge you are mostly interested. If you find a book to your taste you should go to the Lending Department from where you can book any literature, magazines, newspapers, records free of charge. There you can also start or continue learning foreign languages, receive consultations in the languages including Latin.
ВОПРОСЫ И ОТВЕТЫ
1). У Вас есть домашняя библиотека?
—Да, у меня хорошая библиотека дома. В ней более 500 книг. Все книги находятся в двух больших книжных шкафах в нашей гостиной.
2). Какие книги есть в Вашей библиотеке?
— Книги Толстого, Чехова, Пушкина и других русских писателей. А также очень много книг зарубежных авторов: Марка Твена, Джека Лондона, Джона Голсуорси, Теодора Драйзера и других.
3). Какие книги предпочитает Ваша мама?
— Она предпочитает детективы и исторические романы. Мой папа читает, в основном, журналы и газеты.
4). Кто может брать книги из Вашей библиотеки?
— Очень часто мои друзья или друзья моих родителей берут книги из нашей библиотеки.
