Another TOEFL essay! Thank you a lot for your help!
My mother was always telling me that when she was a little child, she was cheating on her parents trying to read more and not to work more. They were a very poor family. They did not have a TV and reading was the most enjoyable activity ever for my mother. I grew up in a totally different environment. I had cartoons and movies at any moment of the day, but I was enjoying reading books. It was funny, because I was always choosing wrong books at the library and my mother was telling me that I would not be ever able to read a normal book, suitable for my age.
At the present I still prefer reading instead of watching movies. Usually I like to read a book and then to watch a movie based on the subject of that book. It is really interesting to observe the details. For example I have read the “Fight Club” of Chuck Palahniuk, a really good book and a really good movie as well. Since I have read the book and watched the movie as well, I can surely say that most of the simple watchers (I don’t mean critics or, let’s say, psychologists) did not really understand the point. They watched it, because of its Oscar’s, or maybe because of its protagonist. But they did not understand that the “Fight Club” is actually speaking about a disease, schizophrenia. In this case I would certainly affirm that reading books is much more enjoyable than watching movies.
On the other hand, I must recognize that people are extremely busy nowadays. The 20th century was called the century of the speed. I do not know why. Is it because people are moving faster due to the developed technology systems? Or is it because people are always in a hurry, due to their work, social life and responsibilities? Certainly less people read books now. I read less as well, in comparison to the quantity of books that I was reading in school and then during my university studies. I read less, because I do not have enough free time for that anymore. I started reading specialized books. They would rather make a documentary on the books I read now, than an artistic movie. Thus, in such situations I must admit that television is a good supplier. Television is like the genetically modified products: not so healthy, but they still taste good. I think that movies are enjoyable when you do not have time to read anymore.
[FONT="]The best combination, in my opinion, is reading and then watching. This scheme gives more perspectives for further interpreting and understanding.[/FONT]
My mother was always telling me that when she was a little child, she was cheating on her parents trying to read more and not to work more. They were a very poor family. They did not have a TV and reading was the most enjoyable activity ever for my mother. I grew up in a totally different environment. I had cartoons and movies at any moment of the day, but I was enjoying reading books. It was funny, because I was always choosing wrong books at the library and my mother was telling me that I would not be ever able to read a normal book, suitable for my age.
At the present I still prefer reading instead of watching movies. Usually I like to read a book and then to watch a movie based on the subject of that book. It is really interesting to observe the details. For example I have read the “Fight Club” of Chuck Palahniuk, a really good book and a really good movie as well. Since I have read the book and watched the movie as well, I can surely say that most of the simple watchers (I don’t mean critics or, let’s say, psychologists) did not really understand the point. They watched it, because of its Oscar’s, or maybe because of its protagonist. But they did not understand that the “Fight Club” is actually speaking about a disease, schizophrenia. In this case I would certainly affirm that reading books is much more enjoyable than watching movies.
On the other hand, I must recognize that people are extremely busy nowadays. The 20th century was called the century of the speed. I do not know why. Is it because people are moving faster due to the developed technology systems? Or is it because people are always in a hurry, due to their work, social life and responsibilities? Certainly less people read books now. I read less as well, in comparison to the quantity of books that I was reading in school and then during my university studies. I read less, because I do not have enough free time for that anymore. I started reading specialized books. They would rather make a documentary on the books I read now, than an artistic movie. Thus, in such situations I must admit that television is a good supplier. Television is like the genetically modified products: not so healthy, but they still taste good. I think that movies are enjoyable when you do not have time to read anymore.
[FONT="]The best combination, in my opinion, is reading and then watching. This scheme gives more perspectives for further interpreting and understanding.[/FONT]
