Текст для чтения. Books in Our Life
методическая разработка по английскому языку (8 класс) на тему

Books in Our Life

Nowadays it's almost impossible to imagine our life without

books. Perhaps, there are more books on our planet than men

alive. Long before the invention of printing people valued

books as treasure troves of the human knowledge and

experience. Hand — written manuscripts took months of

writing and were collected by and kept in monasteries with

utmost care. We can distinguish books between three classes

of them. Firstly, books on different branches of knowledge,

works by brilliant minds of mankind. Secondly, textbooks,

reference books and numerous dictionaries. And at last, books

of all kinds and genres to read at leisure.

Classics should be taken a little at a time. One's

understanding of books by Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky,

Mopassan and Balzak depends on one's age and experience.

Serious books are to be read conscientiously and maybe more

than once. To a thinking reader they will provide new food

for thought every time he rereads it. Many people indulge in

reading science fiction, fantasy or detective stories. Of course,

there are some advantages and disadvantages of this kind of

literature, often reffered to as "easy reading". As for me,

good science fiction and fantasy develop imagination, logical

thinking, broader one's outlook. The same could be said in

favour of detective stories. They reveal such minute details of

everyday life in this or that particular country that are of

greatest interest for a curious reader. The masterpieces of

this genre by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie and

others, show the depths of psychological analysis, the insight

into the human nature.

As an old saying goes, man cannot live on bread alone.

Books are the source of knowledge and the means of self —

perfection. Sometimes it is difficult to solve some problems in

life. I think that books can help us. Books must be our

friends during all our life.

Questions:

1. What kind of books do you prefer to read?

2. Do you like to read English or Russian books?

3. Is it possible to live without books for you?

4. Books are our friends, aren't they?

5. How many classes of books do we distinguish?

Vocabulary:

treasure trove — сокровищница

monastery — монастырь

conscientiously — сознательно

to indulge in — увлекаться

science fiction — научная фантастика

outlook — кругозор

My Favourite Book

My favourite book is "Robinson Crusoe" by Daniel Defoe.

D. Defoe (1660—1731) was a great master of realistic detail.

The novel "Robinson Crusoe" was written in 1719. The novel

is praise to human labour and the triumph of man over nature.

Defoe shows the development of his hero. At the beginning of

the story we see an unexperienced youth, a rather frivolous

boy, who then becomes a strong-willed man.

Robinson Crusoe's most characteristic trait is his optimism.

His guiding principle in life become "never say die" and "in

trouble to be troubled is to have your troubles doubled". He

had confidence in himself and in man. He believed it was

within the power of man to overcome all difficulties. Crusoe

was an enthusiastic worker and always hoped for the best.

Defoe is a writer of the Enlightenment. He teaches people

how to live, he tries to teach what's good and what's bad.

His novel "Robinson Crusoe" is not only a work of fiction,

an account of adventures, a biography and an educational

pamphlet. It is a study of man, a great work showing man in

relation to nature and civilization as well as in relation to

labour and private property.

Vocabulary:

praise — п. хвала, v. хвалить

triumph — торжество, победа

unexperienced — неопытный

frivolous — пустой, легкомысленный

trait —: черта (характера)

trouble — п. беда, беспокойство, v. беспокоиться

to double — удваивать