It’s May!
As always, “Science News” is a good source of articles for academic reading practice. A few stories stood out this month. In particular:
- Ardi May Have Been More Chimplike Than Initially Thought – Or Not would make a wonderful integrated writing passage. Some scientists think that one of the earliest known hominids was a lot like modern chimpanzees. Others disagree.
- A Single Male Lyrebird Can Mimic the Sound of an Entire Flock would make a good type four speaking question. As the headline indicates, a single bird has a really amazing ability. But what is the purpose?
- Having More Friends May Help Female Giraffes to Live Longer is an interesting article about how certain giraffes live longer lives.
Meanwhile, a reader sent in this article from the New York Times:
- What Doomed a Sprawling City Near St. Louis 1000 Years Ago? Last year I wrote a practice reading set about the same topic.
I finally read Yuval Noah Harari’s “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind“last month. This is one of the most popular history books of all time, and it is a perfect source of academic reading practice. It is about the early history of mankind, which (as I indicated last month) is one of the most frequent topics on the reading section of the TOEFL. You can buy it on Amazon, or get borrow it from the Open Library.
I listened to the audio version of Malcolm Gladwell’s new book, “The Bomber Mafia.” Like Harari, Gladwell is a rock star in the world of non-fiction publishing. His latest is about bombing missions carried out by the American military during World War II. It is certainly thought provoking. You can buy it on Amazon.
Finally, I read Colin Thubron’s travel book “In the Hills of Adonis.” This one is an account of his walking tour of Lebanon in 1967. I recommended one of his earlier travel books last month. Actually, I’m working my way through his whole bibliography in anticipation of his newest book, due out this November. His work can be challenging but if you like travel and you like history check it out. You can buy it on Amazon, or borrow it from the Open Library .
Alright, that’s all for this month. Next month I’ll have some words about a new TOEFL prep book published by Barron’s. Hopefully my first issue of “History Today” magazine will arrive, and I will be able to switch from science to history in terms of article recommendations.