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Book - My Best Friend
Every day, millions of books are sold and given as presents for birthdays or Christmas. Reading is a big passion for some people – we call them bookworms.
We read books:
- When travelling to school or work,
- on holidays,
- during breaks at school,
- while waiting at our GP. ia general practitioner (GP) is a medical doctor who provides primary healthcare services to patients of all ages, genres, and backgrounds.
CHILDREN’S BOOKS
- Our first books were often read to us by our parents or grandparents.
- These books are usually called fairytales or stories, and they typically have more pictures than text.
- They transport children to the world of fantasy and teach them to distinguish good from evil.
- Famous fairytale writers include Hans Christian Andersen, Brothers Grimm, and Pavol Dobšinský.
- Popular fairytales include Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, Hansel and Gretel.
READING FICTION VERSUS NON-FICTION
NON-FICTION BOOKS
- Non-fiction books are those that are based on facts and reality.
- They tell about real people, places, and events.
- Examples include textbooks, dictionaries, encyclopedias, biographies, self- help books, and cookery books.
FICTION BOOKS
- Fiction books are those that are not true.
- They tell a story that is made up by the author and may include characters and
events that are not real. - There are two types of fiction books: Poetry and Prose, which include
fairytale, novel, short story, legend, fable, drama, comedy, and science fiction. - Boys typically enjoy adventure stories or science fiction, while girls often prefer
romantic stories or novels. Adults may enjoy reading detective stories,
historical novels, travel books, or biographies.
BENEFITS OF READING
- Books are our best teachers and provide us with answers to many questions.
- Books are like a cure or therapy when we are sad or tired, and can be one of our best friends.
- Reading provides escapism and allows us to escape from reality, which is a pleasure for many of us these days.
- Geography books help us learn about foreign countries and continents, including their animals, plants, people, and habits.
- When we read widely, we improve our vocabulary, spelling, and speaking skills, allowing us to express ourselves better.
- Books also enrich our lives and force us to think. We gain wisdom through reading, and the more we read, the wiser we become.
- Reading trains our imagination, allowing us to imagine our own world.
- Books help us learn about good values and distinguish between good and bad things.
- They also help us understand others’ feelings and emotions, boosting empathy.
- Fairy tales are essential for small children because they teach them to distinguish between good and evil.
CRISIS OF READING
- Books are becoming increasingly expensive, and many people cannot afford to buy them.
- People often view reading books as a time-consuming activity that takes days or even weeks. Instead, they prefer to watch films, which only take one or two hours, and provide everything on the screen.
- Many people now prefer to search for information on the internet. Printed books are becoming less popular.
E-BOOKS
There are several ADVANTAGES of e-books
- Capacity – You can store thousands of books on one device.
- Portability – E-books are small and light, making them easy to carry with you wherever you go.
- Cost-effective – E-books are often cheaper than paper books, and sometimes they are even available for free.
- Customizable text – You can adjust the font size, font style, and background color to make reading more comfortable for you.
- Convenience – You don’t need to go to a library or bookshop to get a book; you can purchase and download e-books from the comfort of your own home.
- Language learning – You can easily look up the definition of a word by simply clicking on it while reading an e-book.
Despite the advantages, e-books also have some DISADVANTAGES
- Cost of e-reader – You need a special handheld device called an e-reader to read e-books, and it can be quite expensive.
- Eye strain – Extended reading on a screen can cause eye strain and fatigue.
- Power dependence – E-books require power, and you have to recharge the battery in your e-reader.
- Format compatibility – Not all book formats are compatible with all e-readers.
Examples of format types are PDF, Word, HTML, etc.
PRINTED BOOKS
- In AmE, it is referred to as hardcover, and in BrE, it is called hardback.
- In AmE, it is called softcover, and in BrE, it is known as paperback.
- Printed books are timeless and irreplaceable; they last forever.
- Many people prefer printed books as they enjoy holding them, touching the pages, and even smelling them.
- The only disadvantage of printed books is that they take up a lot of space at home.
AUDIOBOOKS
- Audio books are very useful and practical, especially for people who have trouble reading.
- They help with time management – you can listen to the story while doing other activities such as driving, cooking, or relaxing.
- They also aid in training our listening skills, making us better listeners when it comes to conversations with friends or teachers.
- Audio books can also improve pronunciation, especially for language learners.
WHERE TO GET A BOOK?
- Books can be bought in a small specialised stone bookshop or a giant shopping centre. People can have a cup of tea or coffee there and sometimes see a new book presentation.
- We can get a book via the Internet by purchasing it or downloading it for free.
- Some people still borrow books from a library. Libraries store books, magazines, and newspapers. If you want to borrow a book, you will pay a small fee and get a library card. You also have to respect a lending period.
THE NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE
Every year, the Swedish Academy announces the Nobel Prize winners in literature. Winning the Nobel Prize in literature is one of the highest honours for a writer. Some of the Nobel Prize winners are: Ernest Hemingway for his book: The Old Man and the Sea, John Steinbeck, Samuel Becket, Pablo Neruda.
My favourite story is a fable.
A fable is a short story that teaches a moral or lesson.
One of my favourite Aesop’s fables is “The Bear and Two Travellers“
The story is about two travellers who are on their way to the city to look for work. While walking, they come across a giant bear. One of the travellers climbs up a tree to escape while the other one falls to the ground and pretends to be dead. The bear sniffs him and whispers something in his ear before wandering away. The other traveller comes down from the tree and asks his friend what the bear said. The man replies that the bear gave him some advice and said, “Next time, go on a journey with someone who won’t leave you at the first sign of danger”
The moral of this story is to choose your friends carefully, and a friend in need is a friend indeed.
Vocabulary
1. handheld [ˌhændˈhɛld] skručný, do ruky
2. to look up [tuː lʊk ʌp] skvyhľadať (na internete, v slovníku…)
3. to afford [tuː əˈfɔːd] skdovoliť si
4. e-reader [iː-ˈriːdə] skčítačka na knihy
5. GP [ʤiː-piː] skvšeobecný / obvodný lekár
6. escapism [ɪsˈkeɪpɪzm] skúnik
7. to escape from [tuː ɪsˈkeɪp frɒm] skuniknúť z
8. good [ɡʊd] skdobro
9. evil [ˈiːvl] skzlo
10. Good wins over evil. skDobro víťazí nad zlom.
11. wisdom [ˈwɪzdəm] skmúdrosť
12. wise [waɪz] skmúdry
13. Little Red Riding Hood skČervená čiapočka
14. Snow White [snəʊ waɪt] skSnehulienka
15. Hansel and Gretel skJanko a Marienka
16. Cinderella [ˌsɪndəˈrɛlə] skPopoluška
17. Once upon a time [ˌsɪndəˈrɛlə] skKde bolo, tam bolo
18. to boost [tuː buːst] skoživiť, povzbudiť, podporiť
19. to distinguish [tuː dɪsˈtɪŋɡwɪʃ] skrozlíšiť, poznať
20. hatred [ˈheɪtrɪd] sknenávisť
21. to hate [tuː heɪt] sknenávidieť
22. to force [tuː fɔːs] skprinútiť
23. to enrich [tuː ɪnˈrɪʧ] skobohatiť
24. references [ˈrɛfrənsɪz] skoporúčania
25. to express [tuː ɪksˈprɛs] skvyjadriť
26. to put down [tuː pʊt daʊn] skodložiť (bokom)
27. empathy [ˈɛmpəθi] skpochopenie, empatia, vcítenie sa do situácie
28. device [dɪˈvaɪs] skzariadenie
29. pros [prəʊz] skklady / výhody
30. cons [kɒnz] skzápory / nevýhody
31. to store [tuː stɔː] skskladovať, uchovávať
32. plot [plɒt] skdej príbehu, zápletka
33. values [ˈvæljuːz] skhodnoty
34. honour [ˈɒnə] skčesť, pocta
35. fairytale [ˈfeərɪteɪl] skrozprávka
36. fable [ˈfeɪbᵊl] skbájka
37. chapter [ˈʧæptə] skkapitola
38. library card [ˈlaɪbrəri kɑːd] skčitateľský preukaz
39. to damage [tuː ˈdæmɪʤ] skpoškodiť
40. to announce [tuː əˈnaʊns] skoznámiť
41. announcement [əˈnaʊnsmənt] skoznam, oznámenie
42. bookworm [ˈbʊkwɜːm] skknihomoľ
43. imagination [ɪˌmæʤɪˈneɪʃᵊn] skpredstavivosť, fantázia
44. instead of [ɪnˈstɛd ɒv] sknamiesto (niečoho/niekoho)
45. to improve [tuː ɪmˈpruːv] skzlepšiť(sa), zdokonaliť (sa)
46. free of charge [friː ɒv ʧɑːʤ] skbez poplatku
47. time consuming [taɪm kənˈsjuːmɪŋ] skčasovo náročné
48. lack of [læk ɒv] sknedostatok (niečoho)
49. lending period [ˈlɛndɪŋ ˈpɪərɪəd] skdoba zapožičania
50. irreplaceable [ˌɪrɪˈpleɪsəbᵊl] sknenahraditeľný
51. to enlarge [tuː ɪnˈlɑːʤ] skzväčšiť, rozšíriť
52. spelling [ˈspɛlɪŋ] skpravopis
53. cure [kjʊə] skliečba, liek
54. timeless [ˈtaɪmlɪs] sknadčasový, nestárnúci
55. to recharge [tuː riːˈʧɑːʤ] skdobiť batériu
56. old fashioned [əʊld ˈfæʃᵊnd] skstaromódny
57. even if [ˈiːvən ɪf] skaj keď
58. adventure [ədˈvɛnʧə] skdobrodružstvo
59. adventurous [ədˈvɛnʧərəs] skdobrodružný, odvážny
60. current [ˈkʌrənt] sksúčasný
61. issue [ˈɪʃuː] skproblém, záležitosť
62. to pretend [tuː prɪˈtɛnd] skpredstierať
63. towards [təˈwɔːdz] sksmerom k/ku
64. to sniff [tuː snɪf] skočuchať, oňuchať
65. to bend [tuː bɛnd] skohnúť sa, nakloniť sa
66. to whisper [tuː ˈwɪspə] skzašepkať, pošepkať
67. to wander [tuː ˈwɒndə] sktúlať sa
68. lesson [ˈlɛsn] / moral [ˈmɒrəl] skponaučenie
69. advice [ədˈvaɪs] skrada, odporúčanie
70. A friend in need is a friend indeed. skV núdzi poznáš priateľa.
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