I read a few fun things this month!
While sitting in the Doksan Public Library, I read the March 2025 issue of National Geographic. I enjoyed a couple of articles. Specifically:
- The Viking Age is Welcoming a New Kind of Hero: Women, which is about the roles women may or may not have played as warriors in the viking civilization. It even includes a discussion of what was found inside of a grave and its potential significance… a perfect bit of TOEFLesque English!
- The Epic Journey of Canada’s Last (and only) Reindeer, which is about a reindeer herd that was brought to Canada about a century ago. I was fascinated by the circuitous route they took to reach Canada. Remember that animals are a common topic on the TOEFL.
I also read the January/February issue of Analog, which contained a wonderful article about Dark Sky Sanctuaries (which are places which go out of their way to reduce the amount of light that is produced at night). That magazine doesn’t publish online, so here’s a similar article from National Geographic. This sort of thing could form the basis of a TOEFL integrated writing or speaking question.
Meanwhile, I read one of my favorite books on good writing – “Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace.” It’s a book I’ve recommended quite a few times over the years and I’ll recommend it to everyone here. It contains some great advice about keeping your writing clear and coherent. Those are two things that just about everyone struggles with as they progress in their education.
Finally, I continued my “Norton Library Podcast” read along by checking out the Greek play “Medea.” Here’s the first podcast episode, if you want some listening practice.
