Ready for CAE p 76. A Conversation with Amy Tan. Extra Listening

A CONVERSATION WITH AMY TAN

 0) According to Amy Tan, a book is like windows or doors to your mind which you can get out of to explore the world.

1. Some elements constitute a good place to start a story: ________________, ________________, ________________, ________________.
2. When you read a book, you go through the same feelings, _____________________, _____________________, as the characters.
3. Amy Tan’s parents thought that learning Mandarin would affect _____________________ to learn English.
4. Her mother and her friends used to sit around the kitchen table and talk about the _____________________.
5. At around the age of 8, she used to read Thesaurus and felt each of the words in the book were like _____________________ to her.
6. Her mother’s many warnings made her grow up with a _____________________.
7. Amy Tan’s grandmother had been the daughter of a _____________________.
8. When her great-grandfather died, Amy’s grandmother and her mother were left _____________________, and felt very ashamed.
9. Her mother’s warnings were her way to say she _____________________.
10. Amy Tan started making up things when she _____________________ to her friends when she moved from one place to the other.

KEY

1. Some elements constitute a good place to start a story: CONFUSION, CONFLICTS, AMBIGUITIES, AMBIVALENCE.
2. When you read a book, you go through the same feelings, JOY, TRAGEDY, LOSS, as the characters.
3. Amy Tan’s parents thought that learning Mandarin would affect HER ABILITY to learn English.
4. Her mother and her friends used to sit around the kitchen table and talk about the OLD DAYS.
5. At around the age of 8, she used to read Thesaurus and felt each of the words in the book were like LITTLE STORIES to her.
6. Her mother’s many warnings made her grow up with a SENSE OF DANGER.
7. Amy Tan’s grandmother had been the daughter of a SCHOLAR.
8. When her great-grandfather died, Amy’s grandmother and her mother were left DESTITUTE and felt very ashamed.
9. Her mother’s warnings were her way to say she LOVED HER.
10. Amy Tan started making up things when she WROTE LETTERS to her friends when she moved from one place to the other.