Text 11 types and genres of literature

Task 1. Read and translate the text.

An eighteenth century English poet Samuel Coleridge once said that prose is words in their best order. This order however, can be quite different from book to book. There are many (1)exiting and (2) long-established genres of prose. From fairy tales, spy thrillers and science fiction through travel book and detective stories to classics, (3)contemporary novels and non-fiction and memoirs. Each of them has a (4)distinct “best order of words” as well as the author’s style and message.

Genres are not a (5)rigid system. They (6)die out, adapt to new readers’ tastes and sometimes completely new genres were appear. However, prose is not the only type of literature. Poetry is the most (7)ancient of them. Before people invented written language they passed their knowledge from generation to generation through (8)verse. The most (9)essential qualities of modern European poetry are (10)sincerity, (11)clarity and (12)simplicity. Specific form and Characteristic (13)metres are also important. Even though contemporary poetry (14)survives without any fixed metric rules at all.

The third most important type of literature is drama. Unlike prose and poetry it consists (15)entirety of dialogues. But, as in prose, the basis of a (16)truly interesting play is a character. A play may be slow and (17)meditative or (18)lively and full of action but it always has to keep to its form – a system of (19)entwined dialogues.

Many writers are good at all three types of verbal art (20)whereas some concentrate only on one.

Task 2. Learn the new words by heart and make up your own sentences with them.

1.существующий, 2. давно установленный, 3. современный, 4. определенный, 5. жесткий, 6. вымирать, исчезать, 7. древний, 8. поэзия, стих, 9. существенный, 10. искренность, 11. ясность, 12. простота, 13. размер, ритм, 14. оставаться в живых, 15. сумма, 16. правдивый, 17. задумчивый, созерцательный, 18. живой, оживленный, 19. переплетенный, 20. тогда как

Task 3. Translate into Russian the following words. Make up your own list of best books to read a) for children, b) for teenagers, c) for men, d) for women, e) for old people and speak about your choice. Arrange them according to their importance to you.

fairy tales, spy thrillers, science fiction, fiction, fantasy, detective stories, classics, contemporary novels, memoirs, poetry, short stories, travel books, horrors, biographies, adventure stories, literary criticism, do-it-yourself manuals

Task 4. Answer the following questions.

1. What types of literature do you know?

2. How many genres do you know?

3. What do you think about a system of genres?

4. What are the most essential qualities of drama?

5. What are the most essential qualities of poetry?

6. Are specific form and characteristic metres important?

Task 5. Translate into English.

1. Существуют различные виды жанров в литературе: от сказок и научной фантастики до современных романов и мемуаров.

2. Роман и короткие истории – наиболее типичные образцы (samples) прозы.

3. Некоторые жанры литературы исчезают, другие адаптируются к новым вкусам читателей, а иногда появляются совершенно новые жанры.

4. Существуют три типа литературы: проза, поэзия и драма.

5. Наиболее существенными признаками современной поэзии являются искренность и простота.

6. Непохожая на прозу и поэзию, драма представляет собой систему переплетенных диалогов.

7. Большинство писателей преуспевают во всех трех типах литературы.

Task 6. a). Read and translate the text.