PULSE 2 : UNIT 2 - READING SKILL

PULSE 2 : FORM 1 : UNIT 2 - READING SKILL

THE STORY OF THE MOBILE PHONE NOVEL

A few years ago, a 19-year-old Japanese girl started writing a novel about her life in a small town.She finished it in just three weeks and gave it the title Dreams Come True. Akikowasn't an experience writer and didn't expect anyone to be interested in her tale. Yet when it came out a few months later, the romantic novel was a great success. It sold over 200,000 copies.

It's an incredible story. The most amazing thing about it, though, is the fact that Akiko wrote the novel on her mobile phone!As she wrote, she posted it, chapter by chapter on a website where readers could download it immediately. She worked on it whenever she could-mostly while she was relaxing at home. She didn't think too much about the story and she didn't rewrite anything!

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Akiko was one of the first of a new generation of novelists in Japan who write novels as if they are writing a text message. They write in a simple, chatty style and use lots of abbreviations and 'emoticons'. They know how to tell a good story, but they don't worry too much about grammar and spelling.

Some people were critical of mobile phone novels at first.

They thought they were a bad influence on teenage girls, who preferred them to proper 'literature'. However, they are now popular with people of all ages. Many of the best-selling paperback books in Japan were originally mobile-phone novels!

Practice 1

Answer all the questions given based on the text given on THE STORY OF THE MOBILE PHONE NOVEL.

Multiple Choice

1. Akiko wrote her novel very........

• a. slowly

• b. quickly

Multiple Choice

2. Akiko ........ experience of writing books.

• a. had

• b. didn't have

Multiple Choice

3. People were first able to read Dreams Come True on .......

• a. the internet

• b. their mobile phones

Multiple Choice

4. Mobile phone novelists write ......

• a. the way people speak

• b. in long sentences

Multiple Choice

5. In Japan, mobile phone novels are ........

• a. very successful

• b. only read by teenage girls

PRACTICE 2

Read the passage again. Answer the questions with 'yes' or 'no'.

Multiple Choice

1. Was 'Dreams Come True' about true experience?

• yes

• no

Multiple Choice

2. Did readers like 'Dreams Come True'?

• yes

• no

Multiple Choice

3. Did the author write the novel on her computer?

• yes

• no

Multiple Choice

4. Is the language in a mobile phone novel always correct?

• yes

• no

Multiple Choice

5. Do mobile phone novels sometimes became paper books?

• yes

• no

Open Ended

6. Would you like to read a mobile phone novel? Why (not)?