Мій улюблений письменник. Моя улюблена книга.

1.

Reading is one of my hobbies and that’s why I try to use every spare minute to read. I like different kinds of literature. I like Russian and foreign, classic and modern literature. I usually read different books: love stories, detective stories or historical novels. I want to tell you about my favourite writer. It is Alexandra Marinina. She is considered to be a Russian Queen of detective prose. The works of this author are clever and really interesting. In all books there are the same characters and starting a new book you meet old friends. The author used to work as an investigator and she knows how to arouse the reader’s interest and at the same time writes the facts that could take place. Many detective novels by Marinina are translated into foreign languages and foreign readers can compare our writer with Agatha Christie. When I got acquainted with these books I was greatly impressed by the wit and humour. The main character, a slender and weak woman, doesn’t need to fight with the criminals using judo or something like that. She is very clever and intelligent. Her brain works as a good computer and she knows how to derive benefit from it. All the actions and characters are described so vividly that I had a feeling of our possible meeting when I visited Moscow last summer. Unfortunately I don’t have complete works by Marinina, it’s impossible, she’s still writing. But I always recommend my friends to read these books.

2.

I am fond of reading. I like to read books about adventures, great people and famous travelers, stories about animals and birds, fairy-tales and fables. I have read a lot of interesting books, but my favorite book is "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" by Mark Twain. This well known book is popular with the children all over the world. The main character of the book is Tom Sawyer, who lived in a small town on the Mississippi River. He was a boy with a wild imagination. He liked to play games with his friends. They often dreamed of different adventures. Tom was sometimes naughty and never quiet. But his friends liked him because he was kind and brave. Besides, he was noble.

I liked Tom Sawyer very much because he was always bright and full of ideas. Tom teaches us to be noble, kind and brave. He also teaches us to be a true friend. I have learnt a lot about the life of children in America from this book.

Vocabulary:

to consider [kan'sida] — вважати

character ['kserakta] — персонаж

investigator [m'vesti,geita] — слідчий

to compare [kam'pea] — порівняти

to get acquainted [a'kwemtid] — познайомитися

wit [wit] — дотепність

to derive benefit [di'raiv 'benifit]

скористатися vividly ['vividh] — жваво

unfortunately [An'fo:t[mtli] — на жаль

to recommend [,reka'mend] — радити, рекомендувати

Questions:

Do you like reading?

Have you read books by Marinina?

Did you like them? Why?

What is your favourite character?

What is your favourite writer?

Teacher ________________I.S.Kokovihinа

1. READ AND TRANSLATE THE TEXT.

2. RETELL THE TEXT.

My Favourite Book (1)

My favourite book is "Robinson Crusoe" by Daniel Defoe. D. Defoe (1660—1731) was a great master of realistic detail. The novel "Robinson Crusoe" was written in 1719. The novel is praise to human labour and the triumph of man over nature.

Defoe shows the development of his hero. At the beginning of the story we see an inexperienced youth, a rather frivolous boy, who then becomes a strong-willed man.

Robinson Crusoe's most characteristic trait is his optimism. His guiding principle in life become "never say die" and "in trouble to be troubled is to have your troubles doubled".

He had confidence in himself and in man. He believed it was within the power of man to overcome all difficulties. Crusoe was an enthusiastic worker and always hoped for the best.

Defoe is a writer of the Enlightenment. He teaches people how to live, he tries to teach what's good and what's bad. His novel "Robinson Crusoe" is not only a work of fiction, an account of adventures, a biography and an educational pamphlet.

It is a study of man, a great work showing man in relation to nature and civilization as well as in relation to labour and private property.

My Favourite Book (2)

My favourite book is "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

I first discovered these stories when I was about twelve and I've loved them ever since. They're brilliantly written, full of bizarre crimes and they've got a terrific Victorian atmosphere.

When you read them you really feel like you've been carried back to nineteenth-century London.

All the twentieth century detectives like Miss Marple and Inspector Morse seem really boring compared to Sherlock Holmes.

That's where Conan Doyle, really makes you believe that Holmes is unique — a genius with amazing mental powers.

Normally I only read detective stories once. I mean, why read them again when you know what happens in the end?

With the Sherlock Holmes stories, though, its different.

Each time I re-read them I discover more and more to enjoy.

My Favourite Book (3)

I've recently read a book, which has made a very deep impression on me. It is named "Gone with the Wind" The author of the book is Margaret Mitchell. She was born in Atlanta, Georgia, in a family of the president of the Atlanta Historical Society.

All the family was interested in American history and she grew up in an atmosphere of stones about the Civil War.

After graduating from the 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.

The result was Gone with the Wind. It was first published in 1936 and became the talking point of all America.

In 1939 the book was made into a highly successful film. Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable played the leading roles. Vivien Leigh won the Oscar. Everyone loved her high-spirited and beautiful heroine, Scarlett O'Hara.

The story is set around the time of the American Civil War (1861-1865), when the Southern states went to war with the North to defend their way of life.

It was a way of life in which rich gentry lived in large houses and owned huge areas of land, cultivated by black slaves. Scarlett O'Hara was born in one of those rich houses.

But "Gone with the Wind" is also about a love triangle. While Scarlett loves the quiet, gentlemanly Ashley Wilkes, the wild and decidedly ungentlemanly Rhett Butler is in love with her.

Not so long ago, in 1991, a publishing company asked Alexandra Ripley, a historical novelist, to write the continuation of the story. Her novel "Scarlett" was not in the same class as the original. Critics have been writing very bad reviews of "Scarlett" but the book is popular with the public.

Teacher ________________I.S.Kokovihinа

1. READ AND TRANSLATE THE TEXT.

2. RETELL THE TEXT.

My Favourite Writer (M. Lermontov)

One of Russia's most celebrated poets of all times, Michael Lermontov was born in Moscow in the family of a nobleman. He spent his childhood and youth in Tarckany, in the province of Penza.

In 1830 Lermontov entered the Moscow University, but very soon he had to leave it. Then he entered St. Petersburg School of Cavalry Cadets. He finished it and served in the Hussar Regiment of the Imperial Guard.

In 1837 the poet was exiled to the Caucasus for his poem "Poets Death". In 1840 Lermontov was exiled to the Caucasus for the second time. He was provoked into personal quarrel with his schoolmate. The quarrel led to a duel. On July 15th, 1841 the poet was killed. He was not even 27 at that time.

Lermontov began writing when he was very young. One of his first writings to be published was his verse tale "Hadji Arbek".

But he won fame as a poet after his poem "Poets Death" was published. Lermontov's poems "Demon" "Mtsyri" his great novel "A Hero of Our Time" and his play "Masquerade" are masterpieces of Russian literature.

Whether he wrote poetry, drama or prose, the stamp of his genius was to be found on his works. Lermontov's influence as of a poet and a thinker on all Russian writes can't be overestimated

My Favourite Writer (I. Turgenev)

I'm fond of reading. Usually I borrow books from the library, but I have a lot of them at home, too. I like to read books about famous people and detective stories. Literature means much in my life. It helps to form the character and to understand life better.

There are some names in Russian and Foreign literature that are very dear to me.

In Russian literature I highly appreciate Ivan Sergiyovych Turgenev. For me he is a real intellectual and aristocrat, a man of culture, devoted to literature, music and art. Though he lived abroad for a long time he didn't stop to be a Russian writer-for a moment. He created a number of national characters in his books. The image of Turgenev s woman, deeply feeling, faithful and tender is an ideal of a Russian woman for me. It doesn't lose its charm even today.

Of the present day writers and poets I like Eugenij Evtushenko, Valentin Rasputin, Valentin Pikul, Boris Vasyljev. Their works are very human and realistic. They assert high moral principles in life.

And this is very important nowadays. My favourite writer is O'Henry, too. In my childhood I was deeply impressed by his story "The Last Leaf". Since then I bear in my heart the image of a young girl suffering from the incurable illness, and her friends doing all they can to give her hope and bring back to life.

Teacher ________________I.S.Kokovihinа

1. READ AND TRANSLATE THE TEXT.

2. RETELL THE TEXT.