B1 – Intermediate
Because they offer a wide selection of books, bookstores are the place to go to find good reads.
Bookstores need to be mindful about how they manage the books they sell because some of them may have topics that are sensitive in nature. Such books need to be handled with more care.
Listen to this audio and read the transcript about one of Hungary’s biggest bookstore getting fined. Find out why they got penalized.
https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/a-bookstore-gets-a-fine-level-3/
Vocabulary Questions:
- What is “depict”? “The Hungarian government has fined the country’s second-largest bookstore, Lira, nearly 36,000 dollars for violating a law that bans depicting homosexuality to minors.” Give some synonyms of ‘depict’ and use the word in a sentence.
- What does “vague” mean, “Lira’s creative director Krisztian Nyary says the law is vague and difficult to implement.” Give some synonyms of ‘vague’ and use the word in a sentence.
- What does ”appeal” mean in this sentence, “Despite using legal means, the fine can’t be appealed.”? Use ‘appeal’ in this context.
Discussion Questions:
- What is your reaction to Lira Bookstore getting a huge fine?
- What do you think of this law: “All books with LGBTQ themes to be wrapped and sold separately, at least 200 meters away from schools or churches.”?
- Will bookstores always exist? Why or why not?
- What problems do bookstores have nowadays?
- What is your favorite bookstore? Talk about it.