Oxford Bookworms Library: The Meaning of Gifts: Stories from Turkey: Level 1: 400-Word Vocabulary

by Jennifer Bassett

This award-winning collection of adapted classic literature and original stories develops reading skills for low-beginning through advanced students.

Accessible language and carefully controlled vocabulary build students' reading confidence.

Introductions at the beginning of each story, illustrations throughout, and glossaries help build comprehension.

Before, during, and after reading activities included in the back of each book strengthen student comprehension.

Audio versions of selected titles provide great models of intonation and pronunciation of difficult words.

64 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 2008

About the author

Jennifer Bassett has been a teacher, teacher trainer, editor, and materials writer, and has taught in England, Greece, Spain, and Portugal. She is the Series Editor of the Oxford Bookworms Library, and has written more than twenty original and retold stories for the series, including The Phantom of the Opera, One-Way Ticket, The President's Murderer, and William Shakespeare. Two of her adaptations, Rabbit-Proof Fence and Love Among the Haystacks, have won Language Learner Literature Awards, and three of her other titles have been finalists for the Awards. She has created a new sub-series called Bookworms World Stories, which are collections of short stories written in English from around the world. She has also written original stories for the English Today Readers and Storylines series. Jennifer is series co-adviser, with H.G. Widdowson, of the Oxford Bookworms Collection, volumes of unadapted short stories for advanced learners.

Reviews

[Walaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The meaning of gifts show you the best of life ,,
i liked in the first story " the gustes " what can " thank you " do ..
in the second story " the picture of 2000 " i like the mother's words and how much she likes her simple life in the village ,,
The third story " The horse of death " make me feel so sad , and wanted to cry , and it teaches what you thinking ,you gonna feel it
The last story " The lake " was sadly too ,,
i liked this short stories becouse it's really show you the meaning of gifts ..

[Shivakukatla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked reading the fables in the book which are narrated with simplicity along with highlighting the human traits such as kindness, love and imagination in each of them.

[Moussab · Rating 4 out of 5]

When somebody wants to ride the black horse of death , nobody can stop him .

[Sayaka · Rating 4 out of 5]

1 OXFORD Level 1

2 5/11=20minutes 5/13=25 minutes

3 guests, city, countryside, die, black horse, love, crane

4 a)You can read four stories in this book. People in this story find what is better things in their lives.
b) I could see four gifts in this book. I found sad gifts so I don't like such scenes, however, I could find happiness so I like this book.

5 Especially I was impressed fourth story in this book. People in fourth story kill the bird, which is symbol of love. They learn what is the true love after they kill it.
I think gifts means that people find better things in their lives in this story.

[文弥 坂本 · Rating 5 out of 5]

1.Oxford Lv.1
2. 1/9 80mins
3.heart, kind, love, sad, gift, death, strong
4. I asked Dad about "symbol of love" one day.
'It means that cranes know how to love. Their love is the best and the strongest in the world,'

I like this part, because I understood why crane's love is strongest by reading next page. This part was sad, but also heart warming.

5. I thought this book has many heart warming contents, I could learn what is important a little bit, it is hard to realized value things in real life. However reading this kind of book give me chance to learn thing which I can't without book. So I really liked this book.

[Chihiro Ushida · Rating 2 out of 5]

*Oxford university press
*11/11=80min
*7 words summary
guests,welcome,cry,girl,present,boy,dead
*discussion questions
1)What presents did you get recently?
...I got souvenirs from my grandmother. She always gives me souvenirs after she goes to travel. I got Momiji Manju!It is famous souvenirs in Hiroshima and I really like it,so I was very glad.

2)If you would be dead soon, what do you want to do?
...I want to go to many place which I want to go like Disney world,but I think it is difficult in the situation, so I want to see many friends or relatives to thank them.

[Erina Komaki · Rating 2 out of 5]

1. Oxford university press
Level= 1

2.Time 10/7=75min

3. 7words summary:guest-stay-lend-ask-gift-teacher-picture


4. What was the best present you have ever received?
I was very happy when I got flowers for my birthday from my classmates. I couldn't expect the present,so I was surprised.

5. There were 4 stories in ths book and I read 3 stories. To tell the truth,it was hard for me to understand the stories. I couldn't understand what author wanted to say. I wanted to understand them.

[Hiroki Yasui · Rating 4 out of 5]

The meaning the gifts (Oxford Level. 1)
6/25 =85 minutes

Gifts, birth day, parchment, flowers, horse, bullets, happy

[ You always find the best fruit on the tree, you always know the fastest horse. You are clever at these things. ]

I like to give any gifts for someone. Especially, the time for selecting gifts in shops is very enjoyable for me.
It was unique that the boy in this story gave some pieces of parchment to his teacher. He was worried about the gifts, but he could find the best one. Giving gifts is very precious for also people who buy and give it.

[Takahiko Masuda · Rating 2 out of 5]

1. Jennifer Bassett, Oxford, Level 1
2. 80min
3. guests, hungry, children, hunter, horse, crane, gift
4. What do you want as a Christmas present? Why?
I want many neck warmer because it is very useful and I like it!
5. This book has four stories from Turkey. I was interested in the story of Turkey because I had never read the book of Turkey. And each story is short so you can understand these easy. All characters of these stories are very good person. I want to read other story of Turkey.

[Selin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Herhalde hikayeler en fazla bu kadar saçma bir şekilde özetlenebilirdi yada hakikaten çok saçmalardı. Okul için okuduğum en kötü kitap olmasıyla birlikte stage 1 mı? Neyin kafasındasın sen hocam diyerek küçük bir sitem yapmadan geçmek istemiyorum...

[Tuba Sheikh · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book was really nyc one i loved it vey much
it had 4 stories which not big or hard they are very simple,
easy,and interesting to read and each of them have morals,lessons,and meaning of gifts

[Namiko]

Not bad. These stories are very short so it was easy to read. The characters in these story are good people.

[Mani · Rating 3 out of 5]

My English learning Project ^^

[Luli Villareal]

Fggy

[Deuck · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt deep love in the story of "The Little Hunters at the Lake".
Crane is the "Symbols of love" so hunters never shoot them. On winter young boys interesting in hunting shoot two cranes. Both dropped on the ground once but one flew away, the other was dead. When they went to a birdseller Ali to ask how to cook, they knew the kind of the dead bird. Ali told them to take the bird and bury it. They dug a hole beside a lake and buried their crane with feeling sad.
Next winter they went to their crane's grave. They found the other dead crane beside their crane. They really understood "Symbols of love".

[Akane · Rating 2 out of 5]

1. OXFORD, stage 1
2. 04/20 15minutes; 04/26 70minutes
3. guests, host family, trouble, afraid, angry, food, family
4. a) There were four people-husband, wife, two children, and four guests. They all cost money. Guests needed a room, food, clothes etc. They stay and stay stay...and stay. They don't go back their home and increase host families stress.
b)This story is easy to read, but it makes me disgusted. The guests get their own way, don't show gratitude, and don't go back their home. I can't understand their behavior.
5. I read this book two times, but I can't understand the ending. The last, guests said "We say goodbye. Sorry. Please don't be angry with us". But host families persuaded them not to go. Why? I want to know...

[Azara · Rating 4 out of 5]

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