Speaking Boost · B1 · Lesson 42 of 50
Speaking Boost B1 · Block 9: Culture and Entertainment

Does reading fiction make you a better person?

Scientists have tested whether fiction makes us more empathetic, and found that book readers may even live longer. Talk about books you love, choose three books for a desert island, and give an interview as a bestselling author.

1

Warm-up

5 min
1.1

You and books

Answer and give a real example for each one.

  1. What was the last book you read?
  2. Did your parents read to you when you were a child?
  3. Where and when do you usually read?
  4. Do you prefer paper books, e-books or audiobooks?
  5. Which book has influenced you the most?
  6. Have you ever read a book in English?
2

Words and phrases

10 min
2.1

New words

For each word or phrase, say one true sentence about books in your life.

2.2

Which word?

Choose the word or phrase that fits.

  1. She spent five years writing her first .
  2. I prefer — history and biographies.
  3. I read the whole thriller in one night. It was a real .
  4. The book sold millions of copies and became a .
  5. I loved all the , especially the grandmother.
  6. The film is a famous Ukrainian novel.
  7. I listen to while I'm driving.
  8. As a child, I read all the time. I was a real .
2.3

Phrasal verbs and phrases

Choose the right answer, then press Check answers.

  1. I couldn't put it
    !
  2. It took me a while to get
    the story.
  3. The film is based
    a true story.
  4. Never judge a book by its
  5. I borrowed it
    the library.
  6. a book you listen to =
2.4

Useful phrases

Use each phrase to talk about books you've read.

  • I'm reading... at the moment.Зараз я читаю...I'm reading a detective novel at the moment.
  • It's one of those books that...Це одна з тих книжок, які...It's one of those books that stay with you for years.
  • I couldn't put it down.Я не міг (могла) відірватися.The ending was so exciting I couldn't put it down.
  • So do I. / Neither do I.Я теж. / Я теж ні."I love crime novels." "So do I!"
  • Really? I don't. / I do.Справді? А я ні. / А я так."I don't like poetry." "Really? I do."
  • Both of them... / Neither of them...Обидві... / Жодна з них...Both of them are great, but neither of them is easy to read.
  • The book is better than the film.Книжка краща за фільм.As always, the book is better than the film.
  • I'd recommend it to anyone who...Я б порадив(-ла) її кожному, хто...I'd recommend it to anyone who loves history.
3

Read and react

8 min
3.1

Reading minds

Read the article. Hover over the dotted words for help.

Does reading fiction make you a better person?

Reading is good for you. We hear that all the time. But what exactly does it do?

In 2013, a study published in the journal Science made headlines around the world. Researchers asked people to read short extracts from literary fiction, popular fiction or non-fiction, and then tested how well they could understand other people's feelings and thoughts. The people who had read literary fiction did better, at least in the short term. The idea: when we read about characters' inner lives, we practise imagining what other people feel.

However, later studies that tried to repeat the experiment found weaker or mixed results. Many scientists now believe that one short story probably doesn't change much, but that reading lots of fiction over many years may be linked to more empathy.

There's another surprising finding. Researchers at Yale University followed more than 3,600 older adults for twelve years. The people who read books for about half an hour a day lived, on average, around two years longer than those who didn't read books, even after taking into account things like education and income. Scientists are careful: this doesn't prove that books themselves extend life, but it's an intriguing result.

So does reading make you a better person? Science isn't sure yet. But it certainly lets you live many other lives, and that's not a bad deal.

3.2

True or false?

  1. A 2013 study found that literary fiction helped people understand others' feelings.
  2. Every later study found exactly the same strong result.
  3. Many scientists think reading a lot over years may be linked to empathy.
  4. In the Yale study, book readers lived about two years longer on average.
  5. Scientists say the Yale study proves that books extend life.
3.3

What do you think?

  1. Do you think reading has made you more empathetic?
  2. Which character in a book helped you understand other people?
  3. How much do you read compared to ten years ago?
  4. Why do you think people read less today?
4

Grammar for speaking

10 min
4.1

Grammar for speaking

So do I / So am I / So have I

Agreeing with a positive sentence. Use the same auxiliary.

"I love reading." "So do I." "I'm reading a novel." "So am I."

Neither do I / Neither am I

Agreeing with a negative sentence.

"I don't like poetry." "Neither do I." "I can't read on screens." "Neither can I."

both / neither / either

both = the two; neither = not one and not the other; either = one or the other.

Both books are great. Neither of them is short. You can read either of them.

Disagreeing: "I love poetry." "I don't." "I didn't finish it." "I did!" Careful with the auxiliary: "I went to the library." "So did I." (not "So went I"). Neither of + plural noun + singular verb (in careful English): Neither of them is...

4.2

Choose the right form

  1. "I love crime novels." "
    ."
  2. "I don't read e-books." "
    ."
  3. "I'm reading a great book." "
    !"
  4. "I've never read Shakespeare." "
    ."
  5. "I went to the book fair." "
    ."
  6. books are excellent.
  7. of my parents reads much.
  8. You can borrow
    of these books — I like them both.
4.3

Fix the mistake

Each sentence has one mistake. Type the correct words.

  1. "I like reading." "So like I." →
  2. "I can't sleep without a book." "Neither I can." →
  3. "I'm a bookworm." "So do I." →
  4. "I didn't like the ending." "Neither didn't I." →
  5. Both of the book is good. →
  6. I didn't like neither of them. →
4.4

Talk about it

Answer in detail and react to your teacher's answers with So do I / Neither do I.

  1. Tell your teacher five things about your reading habits. Your teacher will agree or disagree using So do I / Neither do I.
  2. Compare two books you have read. What do both of them have? What does neither of them have?
  3. What books did you love as a child? Which one would you recommend to a child today?
  4. Which book is better than its film? Which film is better than the book?
  5. Describe a page-turner you couldn't put down.
  6. What book would you never read? Why?
5

Desert island books

8 min
5.1

Three books for an island

You're going to a desert island for a year and can take only three books. Choose them and explain your choices. Your teacher will react: So do I / Neither have I / I haven't!

Choice 1

A book to make you laugh

  • Which one?
  • Why does it make you laugh?
  • Who would you share it with?
Choice 2

A book to make you think

  • Which one?
  • What did it change in your thinking?
  • When did you first read it?
Choice 3

A book you've never read but always wanted to

  • Which one?
  • Why haven't you read it yet?
  • What do you know about it?
5.2

The book club

Speak for 1–2 minutes, like at a book club.

  1. Recommend a real book you love: what is it about, who are the characters, why did you love it (no spoilers!)?
  2. What kind of reader is it for?
  3. Is there a film based on it? Is it better or worse?
  4. What would you ask the author if you could?
6

Personal questions

10 min
6.1

Part I: Me

  1. Who taught you to love (or hate) reading?
  2. What book did you have to read at school that you hated?
  3. Do you finish every book you start?
  4. Do you lend books to friends?
  5. Have you ever cried while reading?
  6. How many books do you read in a year?
  7. Do you read on holiday?
  8. Which writer would you like to meet?
6.2

Part II: Other people

  1. Should children be made to read classic literature at school?
  2. Do people in Ukraine read more or less than before?
  3. Are audiobooks "real" reading?
  4. Should libraries be free for everyone?
  5. Why do some people never read books?
  6. Which Ukrainian writer should the world know?
6.3

Part III: Thinking deeper

  1. Will paper books disappear?
  2. Can social media replace books as a source of ideas?
  3. Should books ever be banned?
  4. Can AI write a great novel?
  5. Is it better to read many books or to read a few deeply?
  6. Does reading make people more empathetic?
7

Roleplay

10 min
7.1

The author interview

You

Author

You have just written a bestselling novel (imagine it!). You are being interviewed at a book festival:
  • what the book is about and where it is set
  • who the main characters are
  • what or who it is based on
  • who you would recommend it to
Speak for at least 3 minutes in total. React to the host with So did I / Neither have I where possible.
Your teacher

Festival host

Asks short questions and shares opinions, for example:
  1. I grew up in a small town too.
  2. I've never been to that city.
  3. Did you plan the ending?
  4. What are you writing next?
7.2

The reluctant reader

You

Book lover

Your friend (your teacher) says they "hate reading". Convince them to try one book:
  • find out what they enjoy (films, series, hobbies)
  • recommend a book based on their interests
  • explain why reading is worth it
  • agree on a small plan (one chapter a day, an audiobook, etc.)
You do most of the talking. Use: Both... and... · Neither... nor... · It's one of those books that... · I'd recommend it to anyone who...
Your teacher

Reluctant reader

Says things like:
  1. Books are boring.
  2. I don't have time.
  3. I prefer films.
  4. OK... maybe an audiobook?
8

Debate

7 min
8.1

Agree or disagree?

"The book is always better than the film."

Ideas for

Books give more detail, more inner thoughts and let you imagine everything. Films have to cut many parts. You create your own version in your head.

Ideas against

Some films improve on books. Films bring stories to millions who don't read. Great actors and music add something new. They are two different art forms.

Round 1: give your real opinion for 1–2 minutes. Round 2: defend the opposite side for 1 minute. Use: So do I... · Neither do I... · Both... · As always... · I'd recommend...

9

Homework

at home

Your homework score

Do all four exercises, then press Check all homework. Correct answers will appear next to your mistakes.

– / 30
H1

Complete with a word

novelnon-fictionpage-turnerbestsellercharactersbased onbookwormbook club
  1. His first was about his childhood.
  2. I prefer to stories.
  3. This thriller is a real .
  4. Her book became an international .
  5. The in this book feel so real.
  6. The film is a true story.
  7. My daughter is a real .
  8. Our meets every Thursday.
H2

So / Neither / both / either

  1. "I love books." " ."
  2. "I don't like horror." " ."
  3. "I'm tired." " ."
  4. "I can't swim." " ."
  5. "I went to Lviv." " ."
  6. films are great.
  7. of them is easy.
  8. You can take book.
H3

Correct or incorrect?

Decide if each sentence is grammatically correct.

  1. "I love reading." "So do I."
  2. "I'm busy." "So do I."
  3. "I haven't read it." "Neither have I."
  4. "I didn't like it." "Neither didn't I."
  5. Both books are interesting.
  6. I don't like neither of them.
  7. You can borrow either of them.
H4

Match the two halves

  1. I'm reading
  2. It's one of those books that
  3. The ending was so exciting
  4. "I love crime novels."
  5. Both of them are great,
  6. As always,
  7. I'd recommend it to anyone who

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© Yevheniia Kolesnykova, Academy of Languages. All rights reserved. No copying or reuse without written permission.