Library is one of my favourite places. It’s a place where you can find lots of books on various subjects, magazines and sometimes old newspapers. If a library is well-stocked, it’s an asset to every school, college or university. Our school also has a library, but it’s not large. When I have free time, I often visit it and look for interesting books to read. All books are kept and arranged properly, so it’s not difficult to find what you need. Besides, the librarians are always there to help you. There are also some libraries in my neighbourhood. My favourite place is the library of Italian literature. I’m fond of Italian and I’ve been learning this language for several years. I know that attending this library is a good way to master my language skills. Apart from books in Italian, one can find other international literature in different languages, for example, in French or in English. The rooms of this library are light, spacious and well-equipped. Nowadays, there is also a possibility to read books in electronic format. In my opinion, it’s one of the best and most interesting libraries in our area. Whenever I come here, there are different exhibitions of books, pictures, photos. Sometimes, there are also lessons for the little ones, where they can hear a fairy-tale, draw a dragon or make a castle. I think that libraries are very important for people of any age. First of all, it’s the great means of education. Secondly, we can get lots of useful information there. And, finally, it just feels good to spend time in a place where nobody disturbs you when you’re reading.
Dystopia is a recently coined word to describe negative utopias, and can be taken literally to mean 'bad place'. In the 20th century dystopian fiction dominates utopian fiction. There was a generally skeptical or pessimistic view about science and technology among 20th century writers. Some of the reasons for this are historical, and follow from quite real fears of nuclear war and nuclear accidents, the escape of deadly viruses, the creation of intelligent machines to rival humans, cloning etc.
In Greece and Rome the earliest books were written on tablets of wood or pieces of bark covered with wax, and writing was possible upon them with a small stick called “stylus". In Assyria and Babylonia clay tablets were used for writing and the words were drawn with a piece of wood. After baking, the tablets were kept on shelves. They were long-lasting and some of them survived until the present day.The earliest books of the ancient world were written on papyrus and skins of young animals. These books took the form of a long strip, roiled from one cylinder to another. Though paper has been known in China since the first century, the secret of papermaking came to Europe much later.
“Library is a temple of books”, -- somebody said. And I fully agree with these wise words. Every person in our country more than 14 years old, I’m sure, at least once visited a library. The majority of young people has subscriptions to the libraries they like. The libraries not only give us a vast choice of books, but also offer excellent opportunities of having rest.
As you know, I study at the Far-Eastern State University, and I’m very proud that its library is thought to be the one of the largest in Primorye and even the whole Far-East.
I've recently read a book which has made a very deep impression on me. It's called Gone with the Wind and it makes really unforgettable reading. The author of the book is Margaret Mitchell. She was born in Atlanta, Georgia, into a family of the president of the Atlanta Historical Society. All the family were interested in American history and she grew up in an atmosphere of stories about the Civil War.After graduating from college Margaret Mitchell worked for a time for the Atlanta Journal. In 1925 she got married. In the following ten years she put on paper all the stories she had heard about the Civil War.
I want to tell you about reading in my life. Reading plays a very important role in the life of people. I’m fond of reading. In my opinion, books are a source of emotional inspiration and romantic feelings. Reading is very useful, because books enrich our experience with that or the other people. Besides, books help me to continue my own education. The world of books is full of wonders. Reading books you can find, yourself in different lands, countries, islands, seas, oceans. We enjoy the beauty and wisdom of books which teach us to be kind and clever, brave and honesty to understand other people. People are fond of reading different kinds of books.
William Somerset Maugham's short stories are very fascinating. Not long ago I've read one of his short stories, it is the story about a man who is very rich, very powerful, very intellegent, very successful in his career and yet he is unhappy. His name is Lord Mountdrago (the story says: he was an able and distinguished man who was appointed Secretary of Foreign Affairs when he was under forty. He was considered the most capable politican in the Conservative Party and for a long time directed the foreign policy of his country). One day he comes to Dr. Audlin who is a psychotherapist and whose reputation as a psychotherapist is very good.
Books about voyages and new discoveries were very popular in the first quater of the 18th century, there were written many stories of this kind but while Defoe was busy with politics he didn't think of also trying his hand at it. However one story in Steel magazine attracted his attention.
It was about a Scottish sailor, who lived alone 4 years and 4 months on a desert island. However, Defoe's hero, Robinson Crusoe, spend 26 years on a desert island. The novel was a praise of human labour and the triumph the men over nature. Labour and fortitude helped Robinson to endure hardships. They saved him from dispair. The very process of hard work gave him satisfaction. Robinson's most characteristic trait is his optimism.
My favourite literary character is Eliza Doolittle. Eliza is one of the principal characters of “Pygmalion”, Bernard Shaw’s famous comedy. Eliza, a girl of eighteen, comes from the lowest social level and speaks with a strong Cockney accent. She makes her own living by selling flowers in the streets of London. One day she accidentally meets Henry Higgins, a professor of phonetics. Higgins makes an agreement with his friend Pickering that he will pass Eliza off as a duchess in six months. Eliza and Higgins work hard at the girl’s manners and pronunciation. Finally, before six months are over, she is well prepared to be introduced into society. Higgins and Pickering take her to the races, a dinner party, and the Queen’s dancing party. Everything goes well and Higgins wins his bet. But what is to become of Eliza now when the game is over? She cannot go back to selling flowers in the street. She has acquired some culture, and she wants to do useful work. She wants independence and her share of respect. I admire Eliza’s quick wit and sense of humour, her moral strength and integrity. The character of Eliza shows how much force and talent lies undeveloped in common people.
This school-year at our English outside reading lessons we had read many interesting stories about Robin Hood. The most interesting story is a story about Golden Arrow. In the 11th century England was conquered by the Normans who had come from the North of France. They began to take away lands and homes from the Saxons, the native population of the British Islands. The Saxons suffered very much from the Normans and hated their new masters. Many of them had to run away into the forests and to become outlaws. There are many legends and songs about one of these outlaws – Robin Hood. Robin Hood with his 300 men, so the legends say, lived in the Sherwood Forest, not far from the town of Nottingham.
This is probably one of the book that I know the length and the breadth of it. I don’t remember how many times I’ve re-reread it. I’ve watched all the most popular screen version of the novel. It doesn’t depend on movie format it can be a full motion film or a soap opera.This creation by Jane Austen has had lots of admirers all over the world for almost two hundred years. Many famous and outstanding literature personalities were followers and fans of this book and Jane Austen’s works in general.
I think politeness is one of the signs of culture, but real culture includes more than simply being polite. How far does politeness go? Is it only saying, “Good morning!” and “Excuse me, please!” No, it’s more than that. Politeness can be shown everywhere. When we write something at school or at home what our teachers must read, they are glad when it looks neat and is easy to read. Think of all the papers our teachers have to read. It must make them tired to read the ugly handwriting of some pupils. They have to make out words which are not written neatly.
My favourite book is "The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemingway. This story is one of the well-known works of the writer. The author depicts the characters of the old man and the boy and their relations very vividly and skillfully. Santiago, the old man, was one of the writer's beloved characters. The old man was a born fisherman, but he was not a butcher and fished only for a living. He was very lonely. He had a devoted friend - the boy, Manolin. The boy loved the old man for his kind heart, his devotion to the sea. Manolin was like a son to Santiago.
To be, or not to be - that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them. To die, to sleep -
No more, and by a sleep to say we end
The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to; 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep -
To sleep - perchance to dream... Ay, there's the rub,
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil
Must give us pause. There's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life.
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them. To die, to sleep -
No more, and by a sleep to say we end
The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to; 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep -
To sleep - perchance to dream... Ay, there's the rub,
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil
Must give us pause. There's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life.
In 1726 Swift's masterpiece "Gulliver's Travels" appeared. This work made a great sensation in Ireland as well as in England, it equally strirred the interests of those in politics as well as the readers of novels.
In this work Swift intended to satirise the evils of the existing society in the form of fictional travels. It tells about the adventures of a ship surgeon, as related by himself and divided into four parts of four voyages: 1. A voyage to Liliput. 2. A voyage to Brobdignag. 3. A voyage to Laputa. 4. A voyage to the country of Houyhnhnms.
“Books and friends should be few but good,” says an English proverb. “Except a living man there is nothing more wonderful than a book! They teach us and open their hearts to us as brothers,” wrote Charles Kingsley, an English writer of the 19th century. The book is certainly one of the greatest human inventions. It is a friend and a teacher. We learn many things by reading books. Books teach people to live. After reading some books it is easy to understand what should be done and what must not be done. One can learn a lot by reading books.
I often take books from the school library. The library is helpful when I have to make a report or when I need information on some subjects. The choice of books in our school library is very good. There are many short stories and novels, textbooks and reference books, dictionaries and encyclopedias there. All books are arranged in alphabetical order. I pay attention to the cover of the book, its illustrations, the name of the author, the title of the book and its contents. When we take a book, we mustn't do dog's ears, we mustn't write anything on the pages, and we must return books in time. I think it is necessary to follow these rules. I'm extremely fond of reading. I often read for pleasure and sometimes for information. So I'm interested in different kinds of books. I like to read stories about heroes, great travelers, explorers, and courageous men. These books excite my imagination. I think I devote much time to reading.
Books can fit almost every need, temper, or interest. Books can be read when you are in the mood; you don't need to do it all the time. Books are both more personal and more impersonal than professors. Books have an inner confidence which individuals seldom show; they rarely have to be on the defensive. Books can afford to be bold, and courageous, and explanatory; they don't have to be so careful of boards of trustees, colleagues, and community opinion. Books are infinitely diverse; they run the gamut of all human activities. Books can express every point of view; if you need a different point of view, you can read a different book.
Libraries play an important role in the cultural development of a country. People have a desire to learn, they seek knowledge. Books satisfy this desire.
We can find all kinds of books in libraries: novels, biographies, fiction, short stories, books on traveling, technical books, books for children, magazines and so on. In some libraries we can find books in many foreign languages.When readers come to a library for the first time they fill in their library card and the librarian helps them to choose something to read. The readers are allowed to borrow books for a certain number of days.
Have you ever think about to compose a story or novel?
My childhood was very bright thanks for my great fantasy. I just took any book even without imagines and think up funny stories in my mind. And I was proud of my ability to "read" real serious literature and later as i learnt to read spelling i decided to remind my talent's tracks on lists of paper. So i made my granny to write my fairy-tales by my dictation. Since this time my first works appeared in the world. Now I'm adult girl and have all of opportunities to compose something myself. It's cool.
My childhood was very bright thanks for my great fantasy. I just took any book even without imagines and think up funny stories in my mind. And I was proud of my ability to "read" real serious literature and later as i learnt to read spelling i decided to remind my talent's tracks on lists of paper. So i made my granny to write my fairy-tales by my dictation. Since this time my first works appeared in the world. Now I'm adult girl and have all of opportunities to compose something myself. It's cool.
