High 1 · Reading series
Lesson 36 · The Price of a Secondhand Book
Audio track 36
Listen first
Listen once before opening the English passage.
Open the English passage and hover for word help
At a secondhand bookstore, I found two copies of the same science book. One cost half as much as the other. The cheaper copy had a bent cover and notes in the margins. I assumed the clean copy was the better choice.
The owner told me that some readers liked the notes, especially when they showed how another student had solved a difficult problem. Others wanted blank pages so they could make their own marks. Condition mattered, but so did the reader's purpose.
I looked through both books. The notes were clear, yet they sometimes gave away answers before I had tried the questions. I chose the clean copy because I wanted to practice on my own. My friend, who was reviewing for a test, bought the cheaper one and found the notes helpful.
The price told us something about the books, but it did not make the choice for either of us. Value depended on what each reader hoped to do with the pages.
Sentence practice
Play any sentence in Dicvo’s Jenny English voice. Before playing all, choose how many times each sentence plays. A practice pause about as long as the sentence follows each play, including before the next sentence. The complete reading remains above.
Choose a sentence to begin.
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At a secondhand bookstore, I found two copies of the same science book.
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One cost half as much as the other.
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The cheaper copy had a bent cover and notes in the margins.
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I assumed the clean copy was the better choice.
-
The owner told me that some readers liked the notes, especially when they showed how another student had solved a difficult problem.
-
Others wanted blank pages so they could make their own marks.
-
Condition mattered, but so did the reader's purpose.
-
I looked through both books.
-
The notes were clear, yet they sometimes gave away answers before I had tried the questions.
-
I chose the clean copy because I wanted to practice on my own.
-
My friend, who was reviewing for a test, bought the cheaper one and found the notes helpful.
-
The price told us something about the books, but it did not make the choice for either of us.
-
Value depended on what each reader hoped to do with the pages.
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
在旧书店，我找到同一本科学书的两册旧本。一册的价格只有另一册的一半。便宜那本的封面折了，页边还有笔记。我想当然地认为，干净的那本更好。
店主说，有些读者喜欢笔记，尤其是其中写着另一位学生怎样解开难题；另一些人则想要空白书页，方便自己做记号。书的保存状况很重要，读者的用途也同样重要。
我翻看了两本。笔记写得清楚，却有时在我尝试答题前就泄露了答案。我选了干净的那本，因为想自己练习。正在复习考试的朋友买了较便宜的那本，觉得笔记很有用。
价格告诉了我们一些关于书的信息，却不能替任何一个人作选择。一本书的价值，取决于读者希望用书页做什么。
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- secondhand
- 二手的；旧书店出售的书。
- copy
- 一册；同一本书有两册可选。
- half as much as
- 只有……的一半价钱；两册价格不同。
- margin
- 页边空白处；便宜那本写有笔记。
- assume
- 想当然地认为；主人公先以为干净的更好。
- condition
- 保存状况；封面与笔记影响价格。
- purpose
- 用途；复习和独立练习需求不同。
- give away an answer
- 泄露答案；笔记有时让人提前看到解法。
- review for a test
- 备考复习；朋友买书的目的。
- value
- 价值；取决于读者如何使用。
Background notes (Chinese)
旧书价格会受保存状况影响，但不同读者对书页笔记的需求也不同。故事中两人购买同一书名的不同旧本，各自的选择都符合自己的学习目的。