Part 1

Do you enjoy reading?

Yes, absolutely! A great way to relax to learn something new is to peruseTo read. a book… I’m so addicted to reading that sometimes I can’t even fall asleep without an hour of bedtime readingReading before sleep..

Do you like watching movies?

No, not really… If I have some free time, I’d rather read an interesting book… Books leave us a lot of space for imagination, while in movies everything is spelled out for us… That’s why I find films boring.

What is the last book you read? And did you like it?

The last book I’ve read is “Theatre” written by William Somerset Maugham … and I absolutely enjoyed it! Maugham is my favourite writer of all timeWriter whom you love the most. and I’ve read his novel from cover to coverFrom the first page to the last. in 2 days… I was truly captivated by the characters and the unravelling of the plotThe way in which a story develops over time..

How often do you go to the cinema with your friends?

Quite often, to be honest… I like catching the latest moviesSeeing movies that has just come out. with my friends, so we go to the cinema almost every week. I especially like action moviesFilms with fast moving scenes, often containing violence. and sci-fiScience-fiction. films.

Part 2

Now, have a look at the card and prepare a monologue.

Describe a book or a film that had a strong impact on you. You should say:

• What was it
• When you read or saw it
• How it influenced you
• And say if you liked it and why.

A book that I’d like to talk about is called “Flowers for Algernon” written by Daniel Keyes. You won’t believe, but I picked up this novel from a shelf in a bookstore because it had a beautiful cover! Although a proverb says “don’t judge a book by its cover”A metaphorical phrase which means “you shouldn’t judge someone or something by its appearance alone”., I did exactly the opposite… and the book turned out to be one of the greatest things I’ve ever read… In fact, this novel is very intenseLoaded with actions and emotions that evokes strong feelings. and thought-provokingA book or film that makes you think of new ideas or that changes your attitude to something…. It is set in form of diary entries of the protagonist – mentally-disabled man Charlie, whose IQ changes after brain surgery… It drastically changed the way I looked at how intelligence influences people’s attitude to others and to the world in general. Also, I had to overthink how many boundaries does new knowledge open and how mentally disabled people are treated in the society… In general, the book was somewhat tear-jerkingTragic, making you cry. for me, but I still highly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone looking for a powerful and inspirationalEvoking inspiration. read.

Part 3

Why do you think cinemas are still popular nowadays, even though people can watch movies in their homes?

I believe that there are several reasons for it… First of all, watching a film on a big screen is a lot more fun than watching it at home… Not to mention the fact that you won’t be able to see the movie on the DVD as soon as in the movie theater… You’ll have to wait a couple of months for the DVD release of the movieWhen the movie can be bought on the DVD legally… Moreover, a lot of people like the atmosphere of cinema with its half-light halls, popcorn and sound effects.

What do you think about e-books?

In my opinion, a paperbackBook with soft cover. or hardbackBook with hard cover books are much better… Reading a book from an e-readerA gadget for reading books. just doesn’t feel the same for me – I adore the sensation of turning pages and that special smell of paper. I think that the look and feel of a book can never be replaced by an e-reader… But I do understand usefulness of electronic books. It is very convenient to be able to carry hundreds of books in your pocket and have a possibility to read them at any time… Also, e-readers support keyword searchOption to search a specific word in the text., which paperbacks obviously do not.

Vocabulary Books and Films

Adjectives to describe books and films:

• action-packed: full of action. My brother loves action-packed movies. Probably that’s why his favourite film is “Terminator”.
• addictive: a book or film that you quickly become addicted to. “Harry Potter” series by Joanne Rowling are so addictive! I couldn’t stop after the first book and read all volumes.
• creepy: producing a sensation of uneasiness or fear, scary. Noah finds Stephen King’s stories creepy.
• dreary: gloomy or depressing. I can’t stand dramas, thrillers and other dreary movies.
• entertaining: funny and enjoyable. Comedies are very entertaining.
• futuristic: telling about the future. “Star Wars” movie is futuristic and dynamic.
• heartbreaking: that breaks your heart and evokes sad emotions. When my aunt watched “Titanic” she cried all day! It’s such a heartbreaking film.
• inspirational: evoking inspiration.
• intense: a book or film loaded with actions and emotions that evokes strong feelings. The play’s plot was very intense. Just a minute after a couple had a quarrel in the forest, the secret lover appeared and started a fire-fight.
• tear-jerking: tragic, making you cry. My sister is very emotional. I would rather watch a comedy with her than a tear-jerking movie!
• thought-provoking: a book or film that makes you think of new ideas or that changes your attitude to something. Ray Bradbury’s novel “Fahrenheit 451” is deeply thought-provoking. I had to rethink my attitude to legislation and censorship after I read it.

Advanced vocabulary:

• action movie: film with fast moving scenes, often containing violence. Last week I saw a great action movie with my brother at our local movie theatre.
• bedtime reading: a book you read in your bed before going to sleep. I’m really addicted to books! I can’t even fall asleep without an hour of bedtime reading.
• box office hit: a very successful movie, in terms of money. The new movie might be a box office hit, but I didn’t like it at all.
• e-reader: a gadget for reading books. My e-reader broke a few days ago, so now I’ll need to fix it or buy a new one.
• from cover to cover: from the first page to the last. I am a slow reader so it takes me a lot of time to read a book from cover to cover.
• hardcover: a book with hard cover. Opposite to softcover. My friend gave me a hardcover book as a present for my birthday.
• page turner: a book which is so good that you cannot stop reading it. My sister recommended me a great book. It was such a page turner that I read it in one day!
• plot: a storyline of a book or film.

• • intricate plot: a very complex, labyrinthine plot. The famous Leo Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace” has a very intricate plot. It tells a story of five different families and comprises of 4 volumes.
  • subordinate plot (subplot): a plot that is related to, but less important than the main plot of a story. Ernest Hemingway’s novel “The Sun Also Rises” tells a love story of a man and a woman. However, the book involves many subordinate plots that raise questions about physical and spiritual affinity, trans-racial relationships and anti-Semitism.
  • threadbare plot: a simple, primitive plot.The movie’s plot was threadbare, but cutely disarming in its own way.
• unravelling of the plot: the way in which a story develops over time. I first thought Jack London’s novel “Martin Eden” to be pretty straightforward. However, the plot unravelled in a very unpredicted way.

Useful idioms:

• don’t judge a book by its cover: a metaphorical phrase which means “you shouldn’t judge someone or something by its appearance alone”. When I first met Sam I didn’t find him handsome. But, as people say, don’t judge a book by its cover. He turned out to be the most interesting person I’ve ever met and we married soon!
• to catch the latest movie: to see a movie that has just come out. We need to hurry up if we want to catch the latest movie.
• to flick through: to look quickly through a book. I flicked through my notes to prepare for the exam as didn’t have time to study properly.
• to know like a book: to know something extremely well.I live in this city for my whole life and I know it like a book.
• to read between the lines: to understand the hidden meaning about something. When I broke up with my girlfriend, I didn’t want anyone to know that. But Tom saw us in the different corners of the classroom and read everything between the lines. He’s very discerning.