Learn English with English, baby!

Join for FREE!

Social_nav_masthead_logged_in
 
eBooks
简体
eBooks
电子书

Learn about Modal Verbs

Date: Jan 13 2012

Themes: Hobbies, Tech

Grammar: Modal Verbs

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

With bookstores closing all over the US, some believe it’s the death of the book. But that doesn’t mean people aren’t reading. New electronic devices like the iPad and the Kindle are making it possible to ditch all your heavy hardbacks and read on a small, lightweight computer. But is this new kind of high-tech reading really the same? Marni believes that reading on an eReader just isn’t the same as reading a traditional book. But Amy thinks eReaders are the way of the future.

如果全美的书店都关闭,某些人认为这是图书的末日。但这并不意味着人们不再读书。新的电子设备(例如 iPad 和 Kindle)可以让你丢弃笨重的硬皮书,并在小巧、轻便的电脑上阅读。但这种新的高科技阅读方式真的与纸质阅读一样吗?玛尼认为,在电子阅读设备上阅读和阅读传统图书不尽相同。但艾米认为,电子阅读设备是未来的方向。

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

Log in to Listen

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Amy

Amy

Marni

Marni

Amy:  Check out my new Kindle, Marni. Pretty sweet, huh.

Marni:  Yeah, I mean, I guess, if you’re sort of into those things. But for me, I like a real book.

Amy:  Really? But these things are so convenient. I mean, eReaders are really great if you’re on a trip, you know, you don’t want to lug around a big heavy book. And you can download so many books for pretty low prices. You can have online book groups about whatever you’re reading on your Kindle…

Marni:  For me, it’s just not…I can’t give up that tradition of cracking open a new book. I love the way it smells. I love the way it feels. And I love being able to just kind of toss it off my bed. At night when I’m going to sleep, I don’t have to worry about breaking a book, whereas a Kindle, I would just constantly be worried that I was gonna drop it. It’s just not for me. I don’t know.

Amy:  Think about this. Think about all the times you’ve moved to a new house, and you’ve had to take boxes and boxes of books. For me that’s always the worst part about moving, is packing up and unpacking all my books. And now I’ll never have to do it again.

Marni:  That never bothers me. There’s something I love about looking at my bookshelf and seeing all the books that I’ve read or want to read. I just don’t think I’ll give them up.

 

Grammar Point

Go Super to learn "Modal Verbs" from this lesson Go Super!

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz Go Super!

 

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3 Go Super!

The iTEP® test

  • Schedule an iTEP® test and take the official English Practice Test.

    Take Now >

Discussion

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

Amy recently bought a Kindle, a small electronic device for reading eBooks. She loves it and thinks that eReaders are the way of the future. They are convenient and easy to take with you wherever you go. They also allow you to download many different books at low prices.

But Marni doesn’t like eReaders. She prefers traditional books. To her, the experience of reading on an eReader is not as satisfying as the experience of reading a regular book. She says that if she had an eReader, she would worry about breaking it. She also likes seeing all her books lined up on her bookshelves.

Do you prefer traditional books or eReaders? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

 

Comments

Log in to Comment

TranceSoul

TranceSoul

Poland

I think it’s a personal matter of everyone of us. I can understand people who prefer eBooks but I can’t imagine myself on the computer and reading book. My eyes wouldn’t be fine. It’s not for me!! I like traditional books. We spend enough time on internet so..let us for something real!! 

06:44 PM Jan 14 2012 |

4EVER

4EVER

United Arab Emirates

i prefer both of them,but the disadvantage of traditional books is, as amy said ..when we move to a new house, the worst part about moving. is packing and unpacking books….{{i have bad experience about that…:)

06:20 PM Jan 14 2012 |

khaled_islam

Yemen

I like both. becuase we conn’t put books an electronics. we’re need together.

05:49 PM Jan 14 2012 |

wwongsapun

wwongsapun

Thailand

Honestly, I like the both. I can’t give up traditional books. These days I still to buy a book to read and also amass it. The both are difference on my feeling. I don’t sure, I think when I read a real books , l like to have a good memory and more of imagine. But I agree with the eBooks are have convenience way to read on everywhere that you want. So which seldom time I just to read it. I think, it no need to compare with the both. Because There’re a good things have useful to improve knowledge to ourselves.

03:39 PM Jan 14 2012 |

tilwayne

tilwayne

Morocco

Honestly, ebooks are helping me out a lot. Especially when you don’t get the possibility to buy the original book. And even more honestly, I prefer to spare a 1 Gigabytes on my hard disk than buy a multi shelf desk where to keep the heavy books.
 

12:24 AM Jan 14 2012 |

1 person likes this

Senju

India

I don’t really read a lot of book except my certification books. As Marni i like to read real book. I always struggle to read something from my monitor. I think I feel the same when I read from Ipad or kindle.  ebooks are the future for sure but I hope the publishers still print enough books for the peoples who love real books.

11:24 PM Jan 13 2012 |

1 person likes this

 julito

julito

Argentina

wrapping up my friends , thanks for your time  and  friendship. 

09:57 PM Jan 13 2012 |

1 person likes this

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

the last barbie doll you were refering to,


she saw something that couldn’t turn on, turned her off,


See ya’ll


(:

09:54 PM Jan 13 2012 |

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

Hahaha!... I think she stumbles upon his deal breaker


(:


 

09:48 PM Jan 13 2012 |

1 person likes this

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

you all are killing me.


Mr Hefner bathes himself on the Fountain of youth on a daily basis, but still looks old.


Mr Barbie Cradle snatcher, (:


He did  write all those racy stories in his books or didn’t he , Butta?


Julito, just a little joke, you’re better off than he is

09:43 PM Jan 13 2012 |

1 person likes this

 julito

julito

Argentina

Snoopy , Mr Hefner is pathetic.   Of course, is his life  but  money can buy  material things but can not bring back youth. 

09:38 PM Jan 13 2012 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

Butta. you see, now Snoopy is bilingual, tease him , write in German.  Viernes para (friday  for  Julito)

09:34 PM Jan 13 2012 |

1 person likes this

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

why the potty face, I see Mr Hefner stil partying like a frat boy


Julito, you have some mileage left in you…don’t fence yourself in

09:33 PM Jan 13 2012 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

Please , partying is for you , nothing better for a grandpa  than  staying inside the house.Cry

09:31 PM Jan 13 2012 |

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

Butta you are killing me!... so you get so excited when you read …that you grab  onto the  book fiercely?


What you just described is a scene out of “the Excorcism” not reading …sorry to differ


(:

09:30 PM Jan 13 2012 |

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

Plus , today is viernes para Julito, the night is still young…and  too much partying to do (:

09:27 PM Jan 13 2012 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

Butta, Now you have made my  almost night , actually is 18.23  and plenty of daylight. too early even to me  to wrap-up…     Cry

09:25 PM Jan 13 2012 |

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

easy does it Butta… we’re only teasing!


I don’t carry a cellphone, the only time I hear something  Rings! is when a girl slap me on my ear


Tongue out

09:24 PM Jan 13 2012 |

1 person likes this

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

an Iphone!!  you really went uppish on us , Butta


I still use tap codes, as means of communicationSmile

09:18 PM Jan 13 2012 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

Sweet dreams Butta Smile

09:16 PM Jan 13 2012 |

1 person likes this

Likes (42):

See all >

Share this lesson:

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Bebo
  • Share on Myspace
  • Share on Twitter
  • Email this to a friend
  • Share on Sina

Post Ebaby! lessons on your blog:

Ebaby! Cast