X.Literary heroes can teach you a lot, too. What do they teach you? Fill in the chat.

Heroes\Characters	from	teach us to be\not to be
		kind-hearted, generous
		greedy, rude
	fables	boastful, inactive
		unskillful or undisciplined
	fairy tales	unkind, inattentive
		unfriendly or cruel

 

XI. Read an example of book review.

Harry Potter

J. K. Rowling's books about Harry Potter have been one of the most sensational successes of recent years, and judging by the first volume, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, they are a fine addition to English children's fantasy literature.

The central character, Harry Potter, is orphaned when his parents are killed by the evil wizard Voldemort, and is taken in by his aunt and uncle, who are Muggles (ordinary, non-magical people). Harry is rather out of place with his relations, but things improve greatly for him when he goes to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - except that one of the staff is in league with Voldemort. The miror characters such as Ron and Hermione are very clearly drawn, and the three form a closely-knit team of friends.

The plot centers on Harry's struggles to save the world, and part of the attraction of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone comes from the setting of an English public school, complete with houses and schoolboy adventures. Rowling adds some delightful novelties of her own, such as Quiddich, a seven-a-side ball game played on broomsticks, and the whole book is pulled together by some excellent story-telling.

The Potter books, however, are by no means perfect. The limitations of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone become clearer when it is compared with another children's novel in which a neophyte wizard attends a school for wizards - Ursula Le Guin`s A Wizard of Earthsea. This works just as well as a story, but is far more imaginative. Where Rowling simply re-uses superficial popular ideas about magic, Le Guin constructs a complete new world of her own. Le Guin also deals with subjects such as coming of age, and her hero is rounded in places where Harry Potter is no more than one-dimensional.

So Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone would be a great Christmas present for children who haven't read it yet. Mum and Dad will enjoy it too. But A Wizard of Earthsea is all that and more, and should not be overlooked simply because it is less well known.

XIII. Use the given tips to retell the book\story you have read.

Some Tips on How to Work with the Book\Story

1. Here is the title of the story. What do you think the story is about?

2. Skim the text very quickly and find the answers to the questions.

3. Give a short summery of the story.

4. Divide the text into 3, 4 etc. parts, give the title to every part.

5. Find the word(s) in these sentences that do(es) not refer to the text.]

6. Answer the questions to the text.

7. Find the key sentences in the text (in each part).

8. Can you give another title to the story?

9. Prove the fact that…

10. Tell your classmates what you think about the main character of the story.

11. Describe the hero’s appearance.

12. Read the story and formulate its main idea.

13. Read the story and try to retell it using the given words and word combinations.

14. Pick out the sentences in the text which might explain the title.

15. Say which of the proverbs following the story makes the best nding to it.

16. Look at the pictures, choose the one which describes the episode from the text.

 

Useful Phrases

I like to read

· fairy-tales

· adventure books

· books about brave people

· science fiction stories

· books about animals\nature

· books on history

· stories based on real life

The book

· plays a very important part in our life

· is a great school of life

· is full of information about…

· can give you knowledge of…

· is a very truthful story

· shows the real life

· is unforgettable reading

· teaches us to be kind

· has a deep impression on me

· is highly successful

· is easy to read

The reason why the book is captivating

· it is type of the book that makes you think

· the events described in this book are all true

· it is very original and very funny

· the book shows real life to the reader

· it gives you a real feeling of what life is like

· it is interesting and easy to read

· it is very truthful story.

 

XIV. Choose one of the given problem, write your own opinion.

 

Write a paragraph about kinds of books you enjoy reading.

Write a short review of the book you’ve read and liked very much.

Is it useful to read books?

If you were a writer, what kind of books would you write and why?

If you were a movie producer and had a chance to screen any book you would like, what book would it be? Why?

You are about to be alone for 10 years of your life, most likely on a desert island where you will only be able to work on your tan. What two books would you bring with you, knowing they would be all read for ten years, and explain why.

You are consulted to help complete a list of the best books. What three books would you want to put on this list? What is it that makes these three books so great? Explain how these books affected literature that came after?