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Enjoy English Books on Vacation
Everyone needs a break, and vacations are not meant for serious study. Instead, they’re a great way to take a break and enjoy a good book. The Spring Festival is coming up so this is the perfect time to discuss some great English language literature to take on a long train journey or while you’re hanging out with the family.
Before getting into the recommendations, we need to determine your English reading comprehension level so you don’t pick a book which is so challenging that it’s stressful or so simple that it’s boring.
If you’re at the beginner level, there are two options: reading a children’s book or reading a book that you’ve read in Chinese translation. This will help you get over any unfamiliar words or phrases, since you’re already familiar with the story. If you’re at the intermediate level, popular books like pop fiction, mysteries and thrillers are good options, as they’ll be guaranteed page turners and that will increase the possibility of your getting all the way through the book. For advanced readers, classic works of literature or modern prize winners （Booker, Nobel, Pulitzer） are good options.
The most important thing is to pick a book that you’re really interested in. When I pick up a new book in Chinese, the first few chapters are always really hard to get through, as I have to get accustomed to the way the individual author uses the language. But after the first few chapters, things get a lot easier, especially if I get involved in the story. Some of my favorite Chinese-language eye candy are books that are series like Brothers by Yu Hua or The Dancer by Hai Yan. I like them because there’s always a lot of action and story development to keep me involved, which helps me make it through those first few chapters.
Another great way to keep yourself motivated over the holiday is to find a friend who’s interested in reading the same book. You can make goals that you both want to achieve and discuss plot lines or vocabulary issues with each other by SMS or e-mail. I’m currently doing that with my friend Laura. We’ve been doing this since we were classmates in Chinese at college.
Some quick recommendations: Harry Potter, start with the first book and go on from there; the Narnia series; anything by US writer Michael Crichton or British writer Agatha Christie; and if you like horror, US writer Stephen King is always unusual and fun. But really you should just find a topic or author that you’re interested in, and the rest will go from there. Happy reading!
| （1）▲ |
Enjoy English books on vacation |
| Theme |
Find a good book to read on your journey to a distant place or while spending time with your family. |
| （2）▲ of proper books |
●Beginners may pick a children’s book or a book whose story is （3） ▲ to them. ●Intermediate-level readers will find it (4) ▲ to read popular books from cover to cover. ●Advanced readers may feel classic works of literature or modern prize winners（5）▲ for their level. |
| Ways to keep up your （6）▲ for reading |
● Choose a book that is interesting enough to （7）▲ you in the story and help you get through some difficult chapters . ●Read along with a friend a book you both feel interested in and （8）▲ views on plot lines or vocabulary to achieve your common goals. |
| Books （9） ▲ |
● Harry Potter series ● Narnia series ● Works by Michael Crichton ● Works by Agatha Christie ●（10）▲ fiction by Stephen King |
Rudolph Valentino was a famous film star in the 1920s.
He once wanted to buy a particular silver ring that had a semi-precious stone in 31 .
The jeweler warned him against the ring, 32 (tell) him that it had a curse on it. 33 owned the ring would have bad luck.
Valentino did not believe him 34 he bought the ring.
He wore it during the making of his 35 film, The Young Rajah. The film was a complete failure.
Valentino put the ring 36 _ and went on to make many 37 (success) films. By 1926, he had forgotten all about the curse on the ring.
He wore it 38 . Soon afterwards, he fell ill and died.
39 of Valentino’s friends inherited the ring.She, too, became ill, 40 quickly gave the ring away to a young artist. She recovered from her illness almost immediately,
However, there was one band that started in a different way. It began as a TV show. The musicians of 31________ the band was formed played jokes 32___________ each other as well as played music. Their music and jokes were based loosely on the band called “The Beatles”. The TV organizers 33 (look) for four musicians who were lively and who could make good music. They put an advertisement in a newspaper 34 (look) for rock musicians, but they could only find one that was good enough. They had to use actors for the other members of the band. Actors may not be able to sing so at first other musicians sang the songs for the programme 35 the band pretended to sing them.
Their attractive performances 36 (copy) by other groups and their fans supported them fiercely. Each week the group that was called “The Monkees” would play a song or two written by other musicians. However, after a year or so in which they became 37 (serious) about their work, “The Monkees” started to play their own instruments and write their own songs like a real band. Then they produced their own records and started touring and playing their own music. They became even more popular than “The Beatles” in the USA and sold even more records. However, the band broke 38 in about 1970, but 39 (unite) in the mid-1980s. They produced a new record in 1996, which was a 40 (celebrate) of their time as a real band.
Many animals 31 (disappear) during the history of the earth. 32 (famous) of these animals were dinosaurs. They lived on the earth 33 (ten) of millions of years ago, long 34 humans came into being. There were many different species of dinosaur and several of them have been found in China. The eggs of twenty-five species have been found in Xixia County, Nanyang, Henan Province, and not long ago a rare new species of bird-like dinosaur was discovered in Chaoyang County, Liaoning Province. The scientists were surprised 35 (find) they could run 36 other dinosaurs, but also climb trees. They could tell this from the way the bones 37 (join) together.
Dinosaurs died 38 quickly about 65 million years ago. Some scientists think it was after a large rock hit the earth and put too much dust into the air. Others think the earth got 39 hot for the dinosaurs to live on any more. Nobody knows 40 sure. In the same way there are animals that have died out more recently and no one knows why. Listen to the story about the dodo, an animal that has disappeared from the earth.
No one could recognize me after I got my new transistors in the 31 (1960).There were times when my size was 32 (total) changed. I became small and thin but I got cleverer and cleverer, quicker and quicker. And my memory became so large 33 I couldn’t believe it! But I was always so lonely 34 (stand) there by myself, 35 in the early 1960s, they gave me a family 36 (connect) by a network. I could share information 37 others and we could talk to each other. At about the same time we learned to talk to humans using BASIC. I was brought into people’s homes in the 1970s. Since then, my family and I 38 (use) by 39 (billion) of people to deal with information and communicate with each other around the world by the Internet. I love 40 (use) to connect people who aren’t close enough to speak to each other. I have truly been built to serve the human race since my birth.
Atlanta was a Greek princess. She was very beautiful and could run faster than 31 man in Greece. But she was not allowed to run in the Olympic Games. She was 32 angry that she said to her father she would not marry anyone who could not run faster than her. Her father said she must marry and asked her 33 she wanted to marry a king or prince. But Atlanta replied, “I will only be married to a man who can run faster than me. When a man says he wants to marry me, I will run 34 him. If he cannot run as fast as me, he 35 (kill). No one will be pardoned.”
Many kings and princes wanted to marry Atlanta but when they heard of her rules, some of them 36 (sad) went home. Other men stayed to run the race. There was a man called Hippomenes who was amazed when he heard of Atlanta’s rules. “Why are these men so 37 (fool)? Why will they let 38 be killed because they cannot run as fast as this princess?” Then when he saw Atlanta come out of her house 39 (run), Hippomenes changed his mind. “I 40 marry Atlanta — or die!” he said.