Study Options
Video Response
Six people share their thoughts about books and magazines and share which one they prefer.
- Transcript
- Audio Slide Show
- Vocabulary
I prefer magazines over books because I just cannot spend that much time reading abook. It takes just too much time, and a magazine, well you can read it on the toilet. You can read it on the train. You can read it in the car if you have to wait for somebody. It's much more nicer. Times passes by and you don't have to invest that much time, like for example if you would have to read a whole book.
Buddhi, Sri Lanka
Do I prefer books or magazines? I'll say magazines cause I don't like to read for too long. I actually don't read for too long, so I prefer short articles or something interesting that would finish quickly. I don't like to read for too long. I know that's a bad habit. I gotta work on it but I prefer magazines.
Tom, United Kingdom
I read a lot of books. Magazines ... uh, very pretty and they look nice on the shelf but I almost never look through them. I'm not interested in the advertising, but give me a good book, and I can read it for hours and hours.
Aiste, Lithuania
I think books are really nicer to read, at present I read most booksfrom my major area, and as about magazines, so most of the time I don't read magazines. I just take them and scan them while checking out the pictures and what is the major topic out if it but about reading, I think it's a little bit too shallow.
Chrystal, United States
I prefer both. Actually, I like both, but then if I were to choose, I would choose magazines because they have ... they're more easier and books are ... honestly, they're boring. I fall asleep all the time. They say that magazines are not good for your imagination, so it's really good to read books more when you're a child, but I don't think that's quite necessarily true because magazines also provide a good pictures and colors and I think it's more better for imagination.
David, Kenya
What do I prefer between books or magazines. I'm more into magazines cause they're interesting and easy to follow. Both, they are good but you know you have to go to ... I have to go to like a deeper level to it and sometimes it's boring for me.
Time passes by when you read books.
Here, the phrase 'time passes by' means the reader is so interested in the book, time goes by very quickly. Here are some other uses:
1) Time passes by slowly when you are bored.
2) The older you become, the more quickly time passes (by).
I know that not reading is a bad habit.
A bad habit is something you do often that is not good for you. Smoking is the best example. Here are two more:
1) Arriving late for appointments is a bad work habit.
2) Researchers say it takes at least 30 days to stop a bad habit.
I've got to work on it.
To work on it means to improve something or do something better. There are many things you can work on, such as your health, a relationship, or a goal you want to achieve. Notice the following.
1) My speaking is OK, but I’ve got to work on my pronunciation.
2) I’m not having much success at making new friends. I’ve got to work on it.
I think magazines are shallow.
We use the word shallow to talk negatively about people or topics that are not serious or don’t make us think very much. Here are some more samples.
I never watch TV. I find most programs to be boring and shallow.
My last boyfriend was so shallow. He only cared about sports and computer games.
The movie was easy to follow
Easy to follow means easy to understand. Notice the examples.
1) My teacher explained the grammar in a way that was easy to follow.
2) The instruction book that came with my new cell phone wasn’t easy to follow.
Books communicate on a deeper level.
When something is deep, that means it is is very thoughtful or something people take seriously. It is the opposite of shallow. Here are a few examples:
1) Most pops songs are shallow, but some are quite deep.
2) He has a deep love for art.
