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LENGUA EXTRANJERA - INGLS

MODALIDAD - A)

Writer Ann Morgan decided to read a book from every country in the world in one year. She
describes the experience and what she learned:

I used to think of myself as a cosmopolitan type of person, but my bookshelves told a different
story. Apart from a few Indian novels and some strange Australian and South African books, my
literature collection consisted of British and American titles. Worse still, I hardly ever read
anything in translation. My reading was confined to stories by English-speaking authors.

So, at the start of 2012, I set myself the challenge of trying to read a book from every country
(well, all 195 UN-recognised states) in a year to find out what I was missing.

With no idea how to go about this, I decided to ask the planets readers for help. I created a blog
called A Year of Reading the World and put out an appeal for suggestions of titles that I could
read in English. The response was amazing. Before I knew it, people all over the planet were
getting in touch with ideas and offers of help. Some posted me books from their home countries.
Others did hours of research on my behalf.

But the effort was worth it. As I made my way through the planets literary landscapes,
extraordinary things started to happen. Far from simply armchair travelling, I found I was
inhabiting the mental space of the storytellers.

And that in turn changed my thinking. Through reading the stories shared with me by bookish
strangers around the globe, I realised I was not an isolated person, but part of a network that
stretched all over the planet.

One by one, the country names on the list that had begun as an intellectual exercise at the start of
the year transformed into vital, vibrant places filled with laughter, love, anger, hope and fear.
Lands that had once seemed exotic and remote became close and familiar to me places I could
identify with. At its best, I learned, fiction makes the world real.

(Adapted from www.bbc.co.uk)

1.- After reading the text, find an evidence that proves that these statements are true or
false (2 points):

a) Ann Morgan only read books in English before starting with her blog.

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b) Some people looked for books to give her some advice.
c) The writer says that the experience of reading books from different countries changed her
points of view about life.
d) She contacted a network around the planet, but she was felt isolated while reading.

2.- Based on the contents of the text, answer these questions with your own words. (2
points)

a.- Why did Ann Morgan decide to start a blog?

b.- How does Ann Morgan describe her impressions about the different countries after reading all
those books?

3.- Find synonyms for these words and expressions in the text (2 points):

a.- multicultural:
b.- discover:
c.- recommendations:
c.- very fond of books:

4.- Fill in the gaps with the information given in brackets or put the correct word (3
points):

4.1.- If she had read other foreign books before, she ... to start this blog now.
a.- would have needed
b.- would need
c.- needed

4.2.- I books in English before. Neither have I.

a.- never read
b.- have never read
c.- had read

4.3.- I .. my holidays in Asia last year.

a.- did spend
b.- spent
c.- spended

4.4.- Where ...... born? In London.

a.- was you
b.- were you
c.- have you

4.5.- Leonor has gone England. She's . Oxford now.

a.- for/in
b.- to/at
c.- to/in
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4.6.- I think . one of Morgan's books for her birthday.

a.- he will buy her
b.- he will be buying her
c.- he buys her

5.- Write an brief essay (100 words) about one of these topics (1 point):
The book that marked my life
Are best-sellers bad literature?

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