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Part 1

Do you enjoy reading?

Yes, absolutely! A great way to relax to learn something new is to peruse a

book... I'm so addicted to reading that sometimes I can't even fall asleep without
an hour of bedtime reading.

Do you like watching movies?

No, not really... If I have some free time, I'd rather read an interesting book...
Books leave us a lot of space for imagination, while in movies everything is
spelled out for us... That's why I find films boring.

What is the last book you read? And did you like it?

The last book I've read is "Theatre" written by William Somerset Maugham ...
and I absolutely enjoyed it! Maugham is my favourite writer of all time and
I've read his novel from cover to cover in 2 days... I was truly captivated by the
characters and the unravelling of the plot.

How often do you go to the cinema with your friends?

Quite often, to be honest... I like catching the latest movies with my friends, so
we go to the cinema almost every week. I especially like action movies and sci-
fi films.

Part 2

Now, have a look at the card and prepare a monologue.

Describe a book or a film that had a strong impact on you. You should say:

 What was it
 When you read or saw it
 How it influenced you
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And say if you liked it and why.

A book that I'd like to talk about is called "Flowers for Algernon" written by
Daniel Keyes. You won't believe, but I picked up this novel from a shelf in a
bookstore because it had a beautiful cover! Although a proverb says "don't
judge a book by its cover", I did exactly the opposite... and the book turned out
to be one of the greatest things I've ever read... In fact, this novel is
very intense and thought-provoking... It is set in form of diary entries of the
protagonist - mentally-disabled man Charlie, whose IQ changes after brain
surgery... It drastically changed the way I looked at how intelligence influences
people's attitude to others and to the world in general. Also, I had to overthink
how many boundaries does new knowledge open and how mentally disabled
people are treated in the society... In general, the book was somewhat tear-
jerking for me, but I still highly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone
looking for a powerful and inspirational read.

Part 3

Why do you think cinemas are still popular nowadays, even though people
can watch movies in their homes?

I believe that there are several reasons for it... First of all, watching a film on a
big screen is a lot more fun than watching it at home... Not to mention the fact
that you won't be able to see the movie on the DVD as soon as in the movie
theater... You'll have to wait a couple of months for the DVD release of the
movie... Moreover, a lot of people like the atmosphere of cinema with its half-
light halls, popcorn and sound effects.

What do you think about e-books?

In my opinion, a paperback or hardback books are much better... Reading a

book from an e-reader just doesn't feel the same for me - I adore the sensation of
turning pages and that special smell of paper. I think that the look and feel of a
book can never be replaced by an e-reader... But I do understand usefulness of
electronic books. It is very convenient to be able to carry hundreds of books in
your pocket and have a possibility to read them at any time... Also, e-readers
support keyword search, which paperbacks obviously do not.

Adjectives to describe books and films:

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 action-packed: full of action.My brother loves action-packed movies.
Probably that's why his favourite film is "Terminator".
 addictive: a book or film that you quickly become addicted to."Harry
Potter" series by Joanne Rowling are so addictive! I couldn't stop after the
first book and read all volumes.
 creepy: producing a sensation of uneasiness or fear, scary.Noah finds
Stephen King's stories creepy.
 dreary: gloomy or depressing.I can't stand dramas, thrillers and other
dreary movies.
 entertaining: funny and enjoyable.Comedies are very entertaining.
 futuristic: telling about the future."Star Wars" movie is futuristic and
dynamic.
 heartbreaking: that breaks your heart and evokes sad emotions.When my
aunt watched "Titanic" she cried all day! It's such a heartbreaking film.
 inspirational: evoking inspiration.

 intense: a book or film loaded with actions and emotions that evokes strong
feelings.The play's plot was very intense. Just a minute after a couple had a
quarrel in the forest, the secret lover appeared and started a fire-fight.
 tear-jerking: tragic, making you cry.My sister is very emotional. I would
rather watch a comedy with her than a tear-jerking movie!
 thought-provoking: a book or film that makes you think of new ideas or
that changes your attitude to something.Ray Bradbury's novel "Fahrenheit
451" is deeply thought-provoking. I had to rethink my attitude to legislation
and censorship after I read it.

Advanced vocabulary:

 action movie: film with fast moving scenes, often containing violence.Last
week I saw a great action movie with my brother at our local movie
theatre.
 bedtime reading: a book you read in your bed before going to sleep.I'm
really addicted to books! I can't even fall asleep without an hour of bedtime
reading.
 box office hit: a very successful movie, in terms of money.The new movie
might be a box office hit, but I didn't like it at all.
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 e-reader: a gadget for reading books.My e-reader broke a few days ago, so
now I'll need to fix it or buy a new one.
 from cover to cover: from the first page to the last.I am a slow reader so it
takes me a lot of time to read a book from cover to cover.
 hardcover: a book with hard cover. Opposite to softcover.My friend gave
me a hardcover book as a present for my birthday.
 page turner: a book which is so good that you cannot stop reading it.My
sister recommended me a great book. It was such a page turner that I read
it in one day!
 plot: a storyline of a book or film.
 intricate plot: a very complex, labyrinthine plot.The famous Leo
Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace" has a very intricate plot. It tells a
story of five different families and comprises of 4 volumes.
 subordinate plot (subplot): a plot that is related to, but less important
than the main plot of a story.Ernest Hemingway's novel "The Sun
Also Rises" tells a love story of a man and a woman. However, the
book involves many subordinate plots that raise questions about
physical and spiritual affinity, trans-racial relationships and anti-
Semitism.
 threadbare plot: a simple, primitive plot.The movie's plot was
threadbare, but cutely disarming in its own way.
 unravelling of the plot: the way in which a story develops over time.I first
thought Jack London's novel "Martin Eden" to be pretty straightforward.
However, the plot unravelled in a very unpredicted way.

Useful idioms:

 don't judge a book by its cover: a metaphorical phrase which means "you
shouldn't judge someone or something by its appearance alone".When I
first met Sam I didn't find him handsome. But, as people say, don't judge a
book by its cover. He turned out to be the most interesting person I've ever
met and we married soon!
 to catch the latest movie: to see a movie that has just come out.We need to
hurry up if we want to catch the latest movie.
 to flick through: to look quickly through a book.I flicked through my notes
to prepare for the exam as didn't have time to study properly.
 to know like a book: to know something extremely well.I live in this city
for my whole life and I know it like a book.
 to read between the lines: to understand the hidden meaning about
something.When I broke up with my girlfriend, I didn't want anyone to
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know that. But Tom saw us in the different corners of the classroom and
read everything between the lines. He's very discerning.