Books surround us. They appeared ages ago and took different forms. The oldest form is probably the roll (30-40 centuries B.C.). It appeared in Ancient Egypt, and was as well used in Ancient Greece. The Egyptians used papyrus, brush and red and black ink to draw hieroglyphs, which at first meant things and animals and then started to mean sounds. There were more than 700 of hieroglyphs! Champollion, a French scientist, solved the riddle of these signs with"the help of Rosetta Stone on which there was a text in Egyptian and in Greek. Another ancient form was codex where pages were put one on another. The form of codex w as used in Mesopotamia (where the pages were made of clay), Rome and other countries. The Chinese invented paper, before this important invention people used different materials, mostly skins of animals. The books were copied by hand and cost a whole fortune. Later the printing press was invented so the books became popular and rather cheap. The first primed book was produced in Korea in the 8th century. In China the priming press began to work in the 11th century, in Europe - in the 15th century.
There are many genres of books around us. They can be divided into fiction and non-fiction books.
Non-fiction books contain real information and are used for education and work. They are reference books, dictionaries, atlases, biographies and autobiographies, scientific reports, textbooks and encyclopaedias. In reference books as well as in encyclopaedias you can find facts about different objects and famous people, about countries and animals. At school we use dictionaries to learn the meanings of words. Biographies are a good source of information. Sometimes they can also be a pleasant reading. Fot example, the biography of Moliere by Bulgakov, or of Tchaikovsky by Nina Berberova. Historical books describe different epochs and reigns of kings and queens.
Fiction books are written to give pleasure. They are also called belles-lettres. This word is mostly used when we speak about stories, novels and romances. «War and Peace» by Leo Tolstoy is an example of fiction. But the young usually prefer fantasy books and science fiction. The difference between them is the following: fantasy books usually describe the events and countries in the form of a legend and narrate about the past. A good example of fantasy is «Conan the Barbarian»; science fiction books describe events in the future, the characters and places are given as imaginary and usually take place in the future. «Starship Troopers» by Heinlein, «Stainless Steel Rat» by Harry Harrison are examples of the style.
I myself like science fiction most of all. My favourite science fiction book is «Starship troopers». The author of the book is Robert Heinlein. It has been filmed, but I don"t like the film, which is very primitive. The plot of the book, on the contrary, is complex and there are many philosophical ideas built in the sequence of fantastical events and surroundings. The main character of the book is a boy named Johnny. The boy joins the army, because of his love to a girl who wants to be a pilot. But through the book his character and understanding of the situation changes. He understands what it means to be a citizen of the state, to bi responsible for your decisions. While in the army, he understands that only a man who can forget his own interests for the sake of his Motherland is a real citizen. I think, this idea is vital now in our country. I have read many science fiction books by Russian and foreign authors. At the end of the book he is an officer who understands his duty.
But my favourite fiction book is «Gone with the Wind». It was written by Margaret Mitchell. Her father was the President of the Atlanta Historical Society. You know, Atlanta was one of the important cities in the South. Since her childhood the girl had heard stories about the Civil War between the North and the South. When the girl grew up and got married, she decided to write down those stories. So, she wrote «Gone with the wind». The book was published for the first time in 1936. It was a great success and the next year it got the Pulitzer Prize. In 1939 the book was filmed.
I like the book because it has several levels of composition. The first level is the love story - the main character, Scarlett O"Hara, loves Ashley Wilkes, but marries for money another man, Rhett Butler. By the end of the book she understands that she and Rhett are alike and have much in common, that she loves Rhett. But Rhett leaves her, and we can only guess if she can get him back.
The second level is the description of the strong characters oi" the Southerners. Scarlett, a daughter of a rich planter, goes to the field and works as a slave when it is needed. Ashley, so quiet and gentle, goes to the war and fights well and bravely. In difficult situations of my life 1 think that they suffered more, but survived. So, this book helps me to go through the difficulties of my life.
The third level of the book is the atmosphere of the Southern way of life. On the first page we can read the description of the Tarlton twins. When they are compared, the author does not use the usual English expression «as two peas»; she says that they were as two cotton bolls. Margaret Mitchell describes a planter"s house and his life routine.
The fourth level is the events of the Civil War between the North and the South, and the post-war life. This is very useful, if you want to understand the modern differences between the northern and the southern states in nowadays America.
I like the book so much that when the sequel was published, I made my mother buy it. We all have read it, but did not like much. Sequels are usually worse than the first books.
Books can fit almost every need, temper, or interest. Books can be read when you are in the mood; they don"t have to be taken in periodic doses. Books are 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 human activity. Books can express every point of view; if you want a different point of view, you can read a different book. Reading is probably the most important skill you will need for success in your studies.
You will have to read lengthy assignments in different subjects with varying degrees of detail and difficulty. If you read inaccurately, you will fail to understand some of the information and ideas you read. If you read slowly, you will have to spent too much time reading your assignments so that your other work may suffer. Poor reading may be a problem for you, but it is not a hopeless one. Like other skills your ability to read English rapidly and accurately will depend upon a careful instruction and purposeful practice. You must continue to practice on your own to improve your reading skill. Reading speed is determined in part by how many words your eyes can see at a single glance. Here is a comparison of three different readers and how many stops their eyes make.
- Being ¦
- able ¦
- to read ¦
- by phrases ¦
- instead of ¦
- by single ¦
- words ¦
- results ¦
- from ¦
- practice.
- Being able ¦
- to read ¦
- by phrases ¦
- instead of ¦
- by single words ¦
- results ¦
- from practice.
- Being able to read by phrases ¦
- instead of by single words ¦
- results from practice.
Notice that the slow reader"s eyes must stop fourteen times, focusing on each word alone before they move on to the next. The eyes of the average reader stop six or seven times because they are able to see about two words at a single glance. The eyes of the fast reader stop only three times.
They focus at the center of a phrase and see three or four words, then move rapidly to the next phrase. This ability to see words on either side of the point at which your eyes focus is called peripheral vision. As a foreign student of English, you may feel, that it is impossible to recognize so many words at a single glance. It is difficult for many native speakers, but it can be done - and must be done if you are to read as rapidly as you should. You can increase your peripheral vision by eye exercises.
Польза не во многих, но в хороших книгах. Читая такую впервые, мы испытываем такое же чувство, как при обретении нового друга. Прочитать старую книгу вновь — означает снова увидеть старого друга. So, how many "old friends" do you have?
Essay on Books
There is a quote that I’d like to share with you, guys, ”A book is a dream that you hold in your hand”. - Neil GaimanBooks are wonderful! They accompany us during all our life. When you read you enrich your mind and broaden your knowledge. People who read books are intelligent. Books are also an entertainment. You and the characters of the book you are reading can find yourselves in different countries and have a lot of adventures. Just imagine — new characters, scenes, lives, events! It"s like real life in miniature!
A book can be a faithful friend and a teacher. Reading a book you open new horizons for yourself. A book can form our values and characters. It gives us an opportunity to imagine the future and to look into the past. One can learn a lot by reading books. And I am sure that the time spent on a good book is never wasted. Too bad people started to read less. But it, of course, depends on the author greatly as well, on his or her talent.
Books are of great help in any education. With the help of the Internet, we can find and read online almost any book or literary piece on the Internet. And I find it quite convenient because it saves a lot of time. But I’m sure that no matter how convenient it is to get a book online, there is still no bigger pleasure than reading a printed one.
I’m fond of reading different genres like historical novels, detectives or science fiction, tales and legends. In my small library at home, I have some printed books which are important to me. Books like Alice in Wonderland, Lord of the Rings, Life of Alexander the Great and others. I like to re-read them from time to time, sometimes I make some notes on their pages and just smell the scent of childhood and magic.
Never forget that books are worth reading.
Книги — это замечательно! Они сопровождают нас на протяжении всей нашей жизни. Когда вы читаете, вы обогащаете свой ум и расширяете знания. Книги — это развлечение. Вы и персонажи читаемой книги можете побывать в разных странах и испытать множество приключений. Просто представьте — новые персонажи, сцены, жизни, события! Это как настоящая жизнь в миниатюре!
Книга может быть верным другом и учителем. Читая книгу, вы открываете для себя новые горизонты. Она может сформировать наши ценности и характеры. Она дает нам возможность представить будущее и заглянуть в прошлое. Можно многому научиться, читая книги. И я уверена, что время, потраченное на хорошую книгу, никогда не пропадает даром. Очень жаль, что люди стали меньше читать.
Книги помогают в любом образовании. С помощью Интернета мы можем найти и прочитать онлайн практически любую книгу или литературный фрагмент. И я нахожу этот способ довольно удобным, так как это экономит много времени. Но я уверена, что независимо от того, насколько удобно достать книгу в Интернете, до сих пор нет большего удовольствия, чем чтение печатной книги.
Мне очень нравится читать разные жанры: исторические романы, детективы, научную фантастику, сказки и легенды. У меня есть несколько печатных книг в моей небольшой домашней библиотеке, которые важны для меня. Книги, как Алиса в стране чудес, Властелин колец, Жизнь Александра Великого и другие. Мне нравится перечитывать их время от времени. Иногда я делаю пометки на страницах и просто вдыхаю запах детства и волшебства.
Никогда не забывайте, что книги стоят того, чтобы их читали.
Похожие сочинения
My hobby is reading. It has been a great pleasure for me since my childhood. The world of literature is fascinating and infinite. It certainly doesn’t mean that I love all the books. To tell the truth, finding a good book is not so easy. I prefer historical novels, classical and informative literature and some professional books concerning business and management as I am going to run a business of my own in future. I never choose a book only by its colourful cover. As a rule, I look through its pages, read about the writer and his awards. My favourite writers are Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas and Dan Brown.
It goes without saying that some of the books have become my favourites. When I open one of them I immerse in the world of my favourite heroes at once. A book is able to make me laugh or cry because I start feeling exactly what the characters feel. I experience somebody’s pain or joy and I understand that the art of the word in some books is extremely powerful. The book gives me a chance to look at our life through the author’s eyes, to analyze and agree or disagree with his point of view. Sometimes a book can completely change my way of thinking or help me to solve some serious personal or psychological problem.
Unfortunately today most of people and teenagers are not fond of reading. They would rather prefer going to night clubs or just watching TV. They find reading a bit boring or a waste of time. To my mind everything depends on the book. I am sure that without reading one cannot become an intelligent and educated person. People would consider him to be ignorant, illiterate or even ill-mannered, his vocabulary would be quite poor.
I should say that I enjoy reading not only books. I read magazines and I also surf the net and subscribe to interesting sites. These media can undoubtedly provide me with boundless and useful knowledge too. And by the way I often read e-books instead of the paper ones.
The book is my best and precious friend and it’s always with me. I devote most of my free time to reading. I read in transport or when I have to wait in a queue. I always take a good book with me when I travel or go on holidays. And I usually read before going to bed because it helps me to unwind at the end of a long and stressful day. I never feel lonely when I have a great book in my hands.
Мое хобби – чтение. Оно доставляет мне огромное удовольствие с детства. Мир литературы увлекателен и бесконечен. Разумеется, это не означает, что я люблю все книги. Честно говоря, найти хорошую книгу не так-то и легко. Я предпочитаю исторические романы, классическую и познавательную литературу и некоторые профессиональные книги, касающиеся бизнеса и менеджмента, так как я собираюсь руководить собственным делом в будущем. Я никогда не выбираю книгу только по красочной обложке. Как правило, я перелистываю страницы, читаю об авторе и его наградах. Мои любимые писатели – это Виктор Гюго, Александр Дюма и Дэн Браун.
Разумеется, некоторые книги стали мои фаворитами. Когда я открываю одну из них, я сразу же погружаюсь в мир моих любимых героев. Книга способна заставить меня смеяться или плакать, потому что я начинаю чувствовать именно то, что чувствуют герои. Я испытываю чью-то боль или радость, и я осознаю, что искусство слова в некоторых книгах обладает исключительной силой. Книга дает мне возможность взглянуть на нашу жизнь глазами автора, проанализировать и согласиться или нет с его точкой зрения. Иногда книга может полностью изменить мой образ мышления или помочь мне разрешить серьезную личную или психологическую проблему.
К сожалению, сегодня большинство людей и подростков не увлекаются чтением. Они предпочитают походы в ночные клубы или же просто просмотр телевизора. Они считают чтение скучным или пустой тратой времени. По-моему мнению, все зависит от книги. Уверен, что без чтения человек не может стать умным и образованным человеком. Люди будут считать его невежественным, безграмотным и даже невоспитанным, его словарный запас будет бедным.
Следует отметить, что я люблю читать не только книги. Я читаю журналы и также брожу по интернету и регистрируюсь на интересных сайтах. Эти средства информации также могут бесспорно обеспечивать меня безграничными и полезными знаниями. И, между прочим, я часто читаю электронные книги вместо бумажных.
Книга – мой лучший и бесценный друг, и она всегда со мной. Я посвящаю большую часть свободного времени чтению. Я читаю в транспорте или когда мне нужно ждать в очереди. Я всегда беру с собой хорошую книгу в путешествие или в отпуск (на каникулы). И я обычно читаю перед сном, так как это помогает мне отвлечься в конце длинного, стрессового дня. Мне никогда не бывает одиноко, когда в руках есть классная книга.
