Reading: books, newspapers and magazines

Reading is an important skill. Reading entertains, teaches and broadens our horizon. We mostly read printed words on paper, such as books, magazines, newspapers, or leaflets. We can also read on electronic devices, for example computers, phones, televisions, e-readers.

Books are divided mainly into two categories: non-fiction and fiction. Non-fiction books are often about history, biography, travel, science or cooking among many other subjects. Books containing short stories, novels, dramas or poetry are called literary fiction. Some people like travelogues, detective stories, crime novels, thrillers, graphic novels; others prefer the romance genre, historical or science fiction. You can buy the book, borrow from a friend or take it out from the library. If a book is a real page-turner, it’s easier to read it from cover to cover.    

Some people prefer reading an e-book on an e-reader rather than reading a traditional book. It’s easier to purchase an e-book and to search for content in an e-book and you can also carry around a number of books on your e-reader – but you won’t find the distinct book smell in an e-book.

A newspaper is a publication printed on paper and issued regularly. Newspapers give information and opinions about current events and news. Newspapers often have comic strips and other entertainment elements. The opinion sections are called editorials.

Magazines are generally issued weekly or monthly. Some newspapers are tabloids, and are usually the popular press. They often have a larger circulation. The more serious newspapers are bigger in size (broadsheet). Newspapers and magazines can be bought at news-stands, in supermarkets and at petrol stations, and you can also subscribe to them.

Usually people read newspapers to stay informed about national and international events and news but reading English language press can also help you improve your English. Reading newspapers and magazines you will easily pick up a lot of vocabulary relating to news stories, as they are used repeatedly from one issue of the paper to the next. If you find a book or magazine that you are interested in reading, it is a great motivator to broaden your vocabulary too. 

almanac – évkönvy, almanach
best seller (bestselling book) – bestseller , toplistás könyv
book – könyv
booklet – könyvecske, füzet
brochure – brossúra, ismertető füzet
comic book – képregény
dictionary – szótár
encyclopaedia – enciklopédia
hardcover – keménykötésű könyv
magazine – magazin
novel – regény
paperback – puhakötésű könyv
periodical – folyóirat
pamphlet – röpirat, pamflet
picture book – képeskönyv
reference book – kézikönyv, segédkönyv
textbook – tankönyv

I) Fill the gaps with the words given.

1) If you don’t know a word, look it up in the ………………. .
2) ……………….. is a book, often in many volumes, containing articles on various topics, often arranged in alphabetical order, dealing either with the whole range of human knowledge or with one particular subject.
3) It took Tolstoy six years to write his famous ……………….. , War and Peace.
4) Is Fifty Shades of Grey really one of the world’s ……………….. ?
5) Have you seen my ……………… ? I need it for my homework.
6) Pick up your Italy holiday ………………..  and start planning your next trip today

acknowledgments – köszönet(nyilvánítás)
appendix – melléklet, függelék
bibliography – bibliográfia
table of contents – tartalomjegyzék
copyright – szerzői jog
dedication – ajánlás, dedikálás
explanatory notes – magyarázó jegyzet
footnote – lábjegyzet
index – betűrendes mutató
preface – bevezetés
text – szöveg
title – cím
chapter – fejezet
volume – kötet
author – szerző

II) Fill the gaps with the words given.

1) Who owns the ……………….. of this book?
2) ……………….. 12 of this book discusses the history of Sicily.
3) The period from 1940-45 is in ………………. 9.
4) Reading the book it is clear that the ………………… is a woman.
5) The program automatically creates a ……………….. to your document.
6) The ………………. describes also its main character.

Key:
I. 1) dictionary 2) encyclopaedia 3) novel 4) bestsellers/ bestselling books 5) textbook 6) brochure
II. 1) copyright 2) chapter 3) volume 4) author 5) table of contents 6) title