A year's plan starts with spring. After a Spring Festival, it's finally time for the long grass warbler to fly and study hard!
In the process of learning English, many small partners will choose some original English books as an aid, but there are so many books, how to choose the English book that suits their level best has become a headache. Below, Bian Xiao will introduce you to the choice of English books ~
0 1
Test basic vocabulary
No matter how poor your English level is, after more than ten years of English study from primary school to university, you must master the most basic vocabulary. Testing your basic vocabulary means reading vocabulary. To put it simply, it is "I know" and "I probably know what it means".
In this step, I recommend some websites (scallop, Hujiang English, etc. ) to measure the amount of words. Above all, don't deceive yourself! (Anyway, friends in Bian Xiao pretend to know some words in Baidu in order to send friends and so on? )
If the test score is above 3000, it is not a big problem to start reading some original works. Basically can be divided into:
3,000-8,000 Senior 3 and 4
8000- 12000 CET-6, postgraduate level.
12000- 18000 IELTS and TOEFL level
18000+ English major, GRE level
This classification is only the simplest and rudest. Then many people ask, why can't you understand IELTS reading when the number of words measured has obviously reached 10000+? This requires the second step ~
Reading level measurement
This step is actually a step that many people ignore. When you take it for granted that you have passed CET-6 or scored 8 in IELTS reading test, there is no problem reading an original book. Then you excitedly bought hundreds of original copies from Amazon, and all of them became decorations on the bookshelf. In fact, we only need to simply measure the reading level, because vocabulary, language sense, and understanding and mastering the structure are very important for reading the original text:
Once upon a time, there were four children. Their names were Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy. The story is about what happened when they were sent away from London in the air raid. They were sent to the home of an old professor who lives in the center of the country, ten miles from the nearest railway station and two miles from the nearest post office. He has no wife and lives in a big house. There is a tenant named Mrs. Macready and three servants. Their names are Ivy, Margaret and Betty, but they are rare in the story. He himself is a very old man, with unkempt white hair on most of his face and head, and they fell in love with him almost immediately; But the first night, when he came out to meet them at the front door, he looked very strange. Lucy (the youngest) was a bit like him. Edmund (the second youngest) wanted to laugh and had to continue to stop him from blowing his nose to cover it up.
On the first night, when they said good night to the professor and went upstairs, the boys went into the girls' rooms and they discussed the problem together.
"We have gained a firm foothold, there is nothing wrong," said Peter. "It will be wonderful. That old guy will let us do anything we like. "
"I think he is an old friend," Susan said.
"Oh, stop talking nonsense!" Edmund said that he was tired and pretended not to be tired, which always made him bad-tempered. "Don't talk like that again.
The above page is selected from The Legend of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Except for the two words I marked in Chinese, if I can read and understand the meaning smoothly with no more than three new words, I will reach the reading level of senior high school and Band 4. Let's take a look at the following passage:
Mr. Jones of Manor Farm has locked the henhouse at night, but he was too drunk to remember to close the door. With the halo of the lantern swaying from side to side, he staggered across the yard, kicked off his boots at the back door, took out the last glass of beer from the barrel in the cupboard and went to bed. Mrs. Jones was snoring.
As soon as the lights in the bedroom went out, the whole farm building was in a commotion. During the day, it was reported that the award-winning old major Zhong Baichuan (boar) had a strange dream the night before, and he wanted to tell the other animals about it. It has been agreed that once Mr. Jones leaves safely, they will meet in the big barn. The old major (people always call him that, although his name was Wellington May when he was exhibited) is so respected on the farm that everyone is willing to lose an hour's sleep in order to listen to what he says.
The above page is selected from Animal Farm, and the same judging standard is probably the reading level of CET-6 and postgraduate entrance examination.
Back to the speech, it passed, and the beating heart, he followed the adventure, fighting, escape, assembly, friendship and brave career of more than a dozen seaports; Or he looks for treasure on the island, fishes in a calm lagoon, and takes a nap on a warm white beach. He heard the story of deep sea fishing and the huge silverware in a mile-long net; The sudden danger of moonless night, the sound of waves, or the huge bow formed overhead through thick fog; On the happy way home, the headland became round and the harbor lights turned on; People faintly visible on the dock, cheerful hail, and the splash of anchor chains; Trekking on the steep side street, heading for the comfortable glow of the red curtain window.
The above excerpt is from Wind in the Willows. Originally, I chose excerpts with the same length as the first two paragraphs, but because this book is biased towards prose description, it is obvious that the vocabulary has increased and the sentence patterns have become complicated. Therefore, in order not to be too entangled, I chose a short paragraph, which can understand the meaning well, so that the original reading at IELTS and TOEFL level can be basically understood.
He didn't say anything more, but we always communicate unusually in a reserved way, and I understand that he meant more than that. Therefore, I tend to reserve all my judgments. This habit has opened up a lot of curious nature to me and made me a victim of many smooth hands. When this quality appears in normal people, the abnormal mind will soon find it and attach it to normal people, so in college, I was unfairly accused of being a politician because I participated in the secret sadness of barbaric and unknown people. Most confidants are spoken unintentionally-when I realize that an intimate revelation is shaking on the horizon through some unmistakable signs, I often pretend to sleep, concentrate or be hostile and frivolous; Because young people's private revelations, or at least the terms they express, are usually plagiarized and defiled by obvious repression. Preserving judgment is a thing full of infinite hope. As my father suggested snobbishly, I repeat snobbishly, if I forget that the basic sense of dignity is unequal at birth, I am still a little worried about what I will miss.
The above excerpt is from The Great Gatsby. This book well reflects the higher level of English-speaking writing, and its words are not too gorgeous, which is better than the variability of language and is the highest level of original reading.
03 original recommendation
After the self-test in the first two parts, Bian Xiao recommended several different books to every friend with reading level, and wrote Chinese for the convenience of everyone.
High school and level 4
fairy tale
The Chronicles of Narnia
Peter Pan
Peter Rabbit and his friends.
[Movie] Alice in Wonderland
Wizard of Oz (Oz series)
Charlotte's Web
The Little Prince
Everyone is too familiar with these books, so I won't introduce them in Bian Xiao. Many children grew up looking at the picture books of Peter Rabbit and Winnie the Pooh. Although The Little Prince is not the original English version, the English version is quite good. You can have a look at it sometime. )
Fiction class
anne of green gables
A book suitable for a person to read quietly. The growth of a little girl will make you deeply involved. )
the house on mango street
(Latin girl's fairy tale of American life, optimistic, beautiful and positive energy, short chapter is also very suitable for watching bit by bit on the subway. )
Flipped
A beautiful and clean feeling, two people's perspectives and a child's tone are very suitable for you who read the original for the first time. )
Errors in astrology
This is another romance novel. In fact, many of the original versions of this difficulty are romance and bestsellers. But really don't underestimate romance novels. After all, the most important thing to read the original at this stage is to understand it. )
Philosophy and social sciences
Who moved my cheese? 》
I really haven't read too many books on philosophy and social sciences with this difficulty. Perhaps the only one worth recommending is this one. It is beautifully designed and the words are really simple. )
Band 6, postgraduate entrance examination level
fairy tale
Christmas carol
If you are still afraid of Dickens' heavy A Tale of Two Cities, Oliver Twist and david copperfield, then this book is undoubtedly the time to subvert your understanding of Dickens. People began to say that Merry Christmas began with this book, which was a must-read book for everyone in Europe and America when they were young ~)
Memories of Christmas
(Bian Xiao's favorite American writer, Capote's warm little book, a * * * three short articles about festivals, while reading words to learn English, while experiencing the customs of American rural festivals. As a Christmas gift book for friends, it is also excellent. )
Fiction class
The Joy Luck Club
(A little book, four pairs of mother and daughter, two cultures, the conflict finally merged into harmony. It is a good reference for understanding the educational differences between Chinese Americans and China and the United States. )
Little Women
Sister affection, affection, love, friendship. I read too many stories about growing up, but I was still moved by the maturity of these four sisters. )
livestock farm
Everyone should read Orwell. Animal Farm is undoubtedly the best little book to get started. The language is simple and profound, suitable for thinking all afternoon. )
Philosophy and social sciences
Sophie's World
(many people's philosophical enlightenment books. I have always felt that most people who are afraid of philosophy may not have read this book. The communication and exploration between the little girl Sophie and the "philosophical world" seems to be a gorgeous adventure, and it is also the best introduction to the brief history of western philosophy. )
Justice course
Harvard judicial course is probably a must-see course for every English major. Justice is also a good book, not as heavy as many philosophy books, but it systematically summarizes all the key points and difficulties in the course, and the final bibliography is also very valuable. )
IELTS and TOEFL level
fairy tale
The wind in the willows
I have read the most beautiful books since I was a child, and I have written book reviews before. The simple and beautiful friendship between sea rat, mole and toad can be better learned by repeated reading. )
Wilde's fairy tales
The nightingale and the rose, the happy prince and the selfish giant may not be perfect, but they may bring a little melancholy in the adult world, but they are beautiful enough to make people think about their whole childhood. )
Fiction class
To Kill a Mockingbird.
It is said that this book is based on Capote, and I have a strong sense of substitution when reading it. Many bridges are crying. Simple but profound, it reflects on the most acute problems in American society, such as justice, awe, education and upbringing, but gives an answer about growth. After reading it, you gain more than just a novel. )
Wuthering Heights
When I first went to college, I had a crush on the Bronte sisters and Jane Austen. If I read too much, I feel a little too monotonous. But Wuthering Heights is undoubtedly one of the top works. At first reading, you may feel that the words used are slightly crude (you can try to read Sense and Sensibility as a foreshadowing), with a slightly melancholy language tone, three generations of entangled feelings, grand scenes and story structures, which are absolutely different from other emotional novels! )
cruelly
Capote's masterpiece, a documentary about crime. I always don't like small-scale things, such as his Breakfast at Tiffany's and Crossroads in Summer. Just browsing is enough. But this cold-blooded book is exquisitely conceived, with words like knives, sharp and alert, so nervous that you will forget to breathe after reading it. )
A Farewell to Arms
If I only watch Hemingway, I won't recommend The Old Man and the Sea. When you open Farewell and Weapons, the painful and heavy brushstrokes will definitely give you a reason to continue reading. )
Philosophy and social sciences
Production knowledge * * *
A very useful book about news communication, which contains many notorious cases of distorting facts in American history, explains how the so-called "* * * knowledge" in people's minds is made through mass media and government agencies. Chomsky's writing structure is clear and his words are as concise as possible, which is very suitable for friends with medium English level and interested in the media. )
Protestant Capitalism and Ethics
I haven't seen how Weber said that he likes social science. This book is a must-read for freshmen and summer vacation. At that time, I was miserable and forced myself to read ten pages a day, and finally I finished reading them. It was much easier to reread it a few days ago, so I suggested that into the pit should be a friend with a certain religious and ethical foundation and a certain understanding of Weber. After reading it, I really solved many long-standing questions. )
The Nuer
Anthropology is a very suitable introductory book, which details the unusual views of time and space, values and fertility of the Nuer tribe in Africa. At first, the cold anthropology began to become lively and interesting. )
GRE English level
Fiction class
The Great Gatsby
The best masterpiece of the beat generation? Too famous, worthy of the name. )
Complete works of Shakespeare's plays
I personally like Shakespeare very much. I haven't read all his plays, but there are still twenty or thirty. The most recommended ones are Twelfth Night, Ulysses Caesar, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Storm, which I think have covered all the essence of Shakespeare. )
Manan the weaver
Personally, I appreciate George Iliad's novels, which are very thin and easy to use. After reading it, I believe you will look for her complete works. )
Youth school
Picturesque descriptions are more exciting than movies. )
The Moon And Sixpence
(Although Mao Mu has only read two books, and one is for recreation, he will definitely read more in the future. His brushwork is a mixture of plain and gorgeous, seemingly contradictory but very real. This book, like Wilde's The Depth of Self, is very suitable for advanced readers. )
Philosophy and social sciences
My own room.
Woolf's long speech on feminism. The brushwork, which is a mixture of a lot of images and streams of consciousness, is feminine without losing strength. )
Dongfang method
A book you don't want to read because of its name. It's actually quite simple. This is an introductory book to understand how the West views the East. )
Purity and danger
I'm not sure about the Chinese name of this book, a book that explores the historical origin of human impurity. The same is not thick, not difficult and interesting. )
Finally, I hope all the students can find their own original English books!
-End-