Lessons for living

      In this book, "The Picture of Dorian Gray", were many lessons. Although story in this book can't happen in real life, it still has a piece of truth in it. The most surprising lesson from this book was about beauty and youthfulness.
      Dorian, who was a very handsome young man, was a muse to Basil Hallward. Basil was on artist who was very inspired of Dorian's beauty. On one day he draw a picture of Dorian, which was the best picture, that he had ever painted. Dorian also got fond of it and made a silly wish, that instead of himself, the picture of him, would get old and he would stay young and beautiful forever. Unfortunately that wish came true.
      Dorian met a young girl called Sibyl Vane. They fell in love and wanted to get married. But on one night, when Dorian was watching Sibyl acting with his friends, everything changed. Sibyl acted horribly at that night and  his heart broke. He told the girl, that he doesn't want to marry with her. After that Sibyl killed herself. Dorian didn't knew that and felt guilty about what he did, so he decided to write a letter to Sibyl. But then Lord Henry Wotton told to him the horrible news. Dorian was shoked.. Then Dorian noticed some changes on the picture. He had a cruel mouth. Since that Dorian changed.
      Many years went past but Dorian was the same as before. He was still looking very good, but the picture didn't. There was the real Dorian, who was totally changed. He wasn't anymore that innocent young boy. Instead of it was a cruel man. After Sibyl's death were many rumours about Dorian. On one evening a man who painted that portrait of him, came to visit him. He asked about those evil rumours. Dorian revealed finally his secret to him. He showed this horrible picture to Basil, who was shoked of that how much picture had changed. There were terrible signs of age and corruption. Dorian said that this picture is a face of his soul. When he was young he made that wish because Basil and Lord Henry showed him how wonderful is to be young. Dorian wanted to stay young because of that. Now Basil also felt himself guilty, because he had worshiped Dorian too much. But now was too late. Dorian felt anger, he took a knife and killed Basil. The picture of him went more and more uglier. He asked one man to help him get rid of Basil's dead body. The man helped him, because he didn't have any other choice.
      That man later killed himself and Dorian wanted to become better again. He also hoped that now the picture is prettier too. But it was even worse. So he took a knife and pushed it into the picture. But then Dorian died. When his servants found him, they were shocked, because instead of a handsome good-looking man was old and ugly man and on the picture was young and handsome Dorian.
     That was the most surprising lesson for me. I didn't knew that worshipping somebody too much can cause something horrible. I have always thought, that it would be nice to stay young and beautiful forever, but it's not true, because your soul and you yourself will change so much. And I think that how old you look depends on that, what have you been through. For example, when you have crinkles you should be proud of them, because they can tell something about you and your life. It connects to my life that way, that I have too always thought that it's better to be forever young, but I don't think so now. At least not that much. Because every age has is own pluses and minuses.

"The Picture of Dorian Gray" . Oscar Wilde

      The third book I read was "The Picture of Dorian Gray". It is written by Oscar Wilde in 1892. It's published by Addison Wesley Longman Limited and Penguin Books Ltd. This book's reading level is 4. There are 65 pages and 1700 words.
      The book was really good and interesting to read. It talked about an artist who painted a picture of one handsome man called Dorian Gray. He adored him and Dorian wanted to stay young and beautiful forever and he wished that only the portrait goes old instead of him. He's wish came true, but in a horrible way.

A letter from one character of the book to another character

Dear Peter,

     How are you? I know that we talk quite a lot here, but I still decided to write you a letter.
     At first I have to tell you something. The first time I saw you, I thought that you are weird. I'm so ashamed about it, because now that I've get to know you better, I've realized that you are a very interesting and kind person. I don't know what I would to here or who I'd talk to if you weren't here. Our life here in the Annexe is difficult. I'm sure you agree with me. So it's nice to have a person to talk with, especially with someone, who is about at your age. I like that we can talk about everything! I'm happy and grateful for your friendship. I hope you feel the same way too. I hope, and we all hope, that the war will end soon and we can return back to our normal lives. I would like so much to walk outside and be with my friends, but many of them are gone now and I'm afraid that the world would never be the same again. Specially for us...We are listening to the radio every day and are hoping that there will come some good news, but there hasn't come those yet. I'm also writting a diary here and when the war is over, I'd like to publish it, because then people will know what we went through during the war. Here, in Annexe, we have also a food problems as you know. What you, Peter, think about it? I'm sure that you are bored of it as well.
     Who do you want to become, Peter? Well, after the war, I'd like to become a journalist. I like to write. And that's also one of the reasons, why I'm keeping a diary and writing this letter to you. I hate that we have to hide us and be quiet. You too right? But I'm not giving up. I will handle this situation, even though it has lasted for two years now. But they just can't find us, because if the do, we'll have to go the concentration camp. That would be awful. But we will manage, right?
     There is actually a many things more that I'd like tell you, but I can write another letter to you. I hope that you answer to my letter too. I'm so happy that you are here with me.

Love,
Anne

"The Diary of a Young Girl: Anne Frank"

     The second book that I read was "The diary of a young girl: Anne Frank". It's a diary written by a young Jewish girl Anne Frank. It's edited by Otto H. Frank and Mirjam Pressler, retold by Cherry Gilchrist and series editors are Andy Hopkins and Jocelyn Potter. Her father published her diary after the war. Anne was no longer alive then.

     This book's reading level is 4. This book has 56 pages and 1700 words. I think that this book was good. It was interesting to read. But it was also quite sad. It's based on a true story during the Second World War. The Jews had a difficult times then. I think that this reading level was good for me. It wasn't difficult and also not too easy to read.

"Forrest Gump" . Winston Groom

     The first book that I read was "Forrest Gump". This book's author is Winston Groom. It's published by Pearson Education Limited in association with Penguin Books Ltd. It is level 3. This book has 41 pages and 1200 words.
     This book is about a man whose name is Forrest Gump. He is a bit disabled person and quite many people, including himself, call him an idiot. As he says:" Maybe I am an idiot, but I'm not stupid". He is actually a really brave,clever and good-hearted man. This book retells his adventures and happenings. I liked this book very much because it was interesting, funny, a bit sad and a warm story to read. It made me think about all kind of people, tolerance and about the way that we treat people around us. I have also seen the film "Forrest Gump". The book differed a little from the film, but the main things were the same. I would recommend this book to my classmates because it was a really good and interesting book.
     I think that this book was a little too easy for me to read. But I found some new words for me from this book. For example: harmonica- suupill, shrimp- krevett. I also find some pretty good quotes to remember, like: "Gump, you idiot!" shouted Colonel Cooch. "Yes, sir," I said. "That's what I am. But I just try to do the right thing." And the other quote in the beginning, which I think describes Forrest quite well: "I was born an idiot, but I'm cleverer than most people think."

How I chose my first book?

     It was quite difficult to find the right reading level. Our English teacher recommended us some tests which help us find out our level. But I didn't do them. I regret it a bit, because I think I took too easy book for me. But when I'm going to take the other one, I think I'll do the test.
     Our teacher told us that our level should be pre-Intermediate or Intermediate. So I took pre-Intermediate without any tests. But after that when I had read it a bit, I realized that this book with that level is a bit too easy for me to read. The book to read I didn't choose very much. I found the book that interested me quite easily. I just viewed the books on the shelf in the library and read a bit what was it about. The book that seemed interesting for me, I took.
     I hope this book is interesting to read. I also hope it's enrapturing. :)

Reading & Me

     My first memories of reading reaches to the time when I was quite little. I remember that even though I couldn't read I liked to watch books and turn over the pages. The more colorful and the more pictures it had the more I liked it. The person who read to me was my grandfather. I don't remember that anybody else would have read to me. He read to me ordinary children's books, fairy tales and comics.
     I remember that when I was learning to read it didn't go very easily. I was quite stubborn and didn't want to learn it. But when I eventually learned it I kind a liked it. My grandfather had to borrow from the library or buy books from the shop for me. But still sometimes I wanted that he will read those books for me. The most I enjoyed reading the comics and fairy tales of my own. Today I don't like to read comics and fairy tales anymore. Now I enjoy reading novels and love stories. Usually, especially almost every day, I read newspapers and magazines. But when I have more time I like to read novels. My favourite book is called "Medaljon". Because it is enrapturing and a bit sad book. It even made me cry in the end. It was interesting to read from the beginning to the end. I would recommend it to others too, but I think it is more exciting to read for the girls. Generally I enjoy reading, specially when it's a good novel. Because it is a bit relaxing for me. You don't think your every day problems or tasks, you just concentrate to the book and the story in it.
     The most recent book I read was E. Vilde's book "Mäeküla piimamees". I read it because we had to read it for our literature classes. I didn't liked it very much because it was a bit difficult to read, but it's not a bad book. At the moment I'm reading my English book and I'm also going to read A. Gailit's "Toomas Nipernaadi".

Extensive reading

     Extensive reading is approach to the teaching of language which involves reading a lot of books. You'll also may learn some new words and understand their meaning in the different or certain contexts. It differs from the other kind of reading that we do in our English lessons because you have to read books that are at your level of understanding, there is no questions or test about it. You'll read for your own pleasure. When you are reading a book at your level it makes your reading more fluent and your reading skills become better. You'll enjoy what you read!
     Some of the main characteristics of extensive reading are that you have to choose a book at your level and what interests you. It is better if you read constantly. Extensive reading also focuses on understanding and information.
     I think that extensive reading is good for me because it improves my English and makes my reading in a foreign language more fluent and I understand the text in certain context better. The benefits of extensive reading are that it develops learner's autonomy, the more you read the better reader you will become, vocabulary improves, not only reading but also speaking and writing skills improve and motivation increases.