You are going to read an article about reading. Choose the most suitable heading from the list A-l for eachpart (1-7) of the article. There is one extra heading which you do not need to use. There is an example atthe beginning (0).

NINGOVER | fa new leafT U RDo you only ever read on holiday? David Mills tells infrequent page-turners how to keep going all year.

I 0 | I The importance of reading read,and a plane to catch. Rather than spend a two-weekNobody would argue that reading books is a bad thing. holiday lumbered with a 900-page book I pulled the lastWe may feel that Arnold Bennett was going slightly over 100 pages out and took them with me.the top when he said that the man who does not read _books 'is merely not born.He cant see;he cant hear; he ! 4 i

s cant feel,in any full sense.He can only eat his dinner',but 30 There are 106,000 books published in Britain every year.more often than not, we would agree, reading a book is The best of seven centuries worth of literature isnormally better than watching television. So, most of us published in paperback. There has to be something you

would like. Identifying it may take time. Be guided bywhat you have enjoyed in the past and branch out

J 35 from there;Roald Dahl?Then try R.L.Stine.Stephen King?A recent government survey of what we actually do Then try Clive Barker. Agatha Christie? Then try Patricia

io revealed that the average woman spends the equivalent Highsmith or Ruth Rendell.of only five days a year reading (the average man fourdays), compared to 56 days watching television. Cutting I 5 1_]down on time spent in front of the box should give you If you are not particularly enjoying a book, you aresome spare hours,and if you are male youre even luckier. guaranteed to find 143 other things to do instead of

is The same survey also discovered that the average man 4o reading. Consequently, it will take months to finish andput you off picking up another. When you find thishappening, stop reading this book and start another

] immediately.

would really quite like to read.

m

spends 1 7 days a year doing nothing at all.

2 JIf you examine your day for reading opportunities, you __

i_

will discover lots of free time. Standing at the bus stop, 1 6 1 __travelling by train, over lunch, in the dentist's waiting Most people usually go to bed because they are tired.

20 room, queuing up for things: the occasional 10-20 -is Why then do so many of them also think it would be theminutes here and there quickly add up. But the time will ideal time to read? Reading is tiring- it is mental exercise.fly if you always have your book with you. Either you will fall asleep after two pages, or your brain

will become so stimulated you will have insomnia.rrrBooks are there to be read.You can generally buy classics 1 7 | Ifor l,so don't be overprotective with them. Read in the If you want to be part of 3,000 years of civilization (and

25 bath (in the shower may not be such a good idea). I once so speculation about what happened before that) then getfound myself with 75 pages of a Dickens novel left to reading. Otherwise, stick to eating dinner.

ISome people believe that electronic media will eventually replace books. Do you agree?

GUIDE

Extensive reading is essential not only for your reading skills but also to help build vocabulary andgrammatical knowledge which you can use when you are writing and speaking. Think about yourreading from now until the First Certificate exam and fill in the details below.

1 How many hours per week could you spend reading at home?2 What would be the best times for you to read at home?__3 Where else could you read? (see part 2 of the text above)_4 How much extra reading time would that give you?_5 Where can you get reading materials in English from?_6 Which books would you like to read as simplified, graded readers?_7 What other kinds of reading can help you learn English?_

UNIT 4 Taking it easy 39