Topic 39: My favourite author

My favourite author
My favourite author is William Shakespeare, a man who has written enough for immortality.

Though a few hundred years have elapsed since the death of Shakespeare and volumes have been written on the life and
work of this great writer, his early life still remains a subject for speculation and conjecture. It is generally believed that
Shakespeare had very little schooling. Yet his keen intellect and mastery of language have earned for him the
appreciation and applause of the literary world.
Shakespeare's fame, 'I think, originates from his ability to identify his readers with the characters in his stories. In most
of his stories we find reflections of our own experiences. This shows strikingly that Shakespeare had an insight into
'human nature and the problems of life. His tragedies such as "Macbeth' and "Hamlet” clearly show his deep knowledge
of the human mind. Man's ambition, desperation, sorrows, frustrations and hopes are dealt with in these tragedies with
such skill that the reader himself experiences all the mental conflicts and emotions, and thus gets a better idea about
human nature. With equal skill, Shakespeare deals with man's joys and pleasures in all his comedies. His comedies like,
"Twelfth Night" and "As You Like It,' are a delight to read. Through the characters in his stories Shakespeare conveys
his views on life and the world. Most of his characters, such as Hamlet, are vehicles for moral instruction. Man's nature
is the theme of all his writings. By a skillful combination of words and situations, he reveals the worst as well as the best
in man. His choice of words is masterly and many of his phrases are literary gems. As man's nature is his theme, what he
wrote years ago remains true even today, and it will remain so till the end of time. It is for all these reasons that I enjoy
reading Shakespeare.
However, I do enjoy reading the works of other writers too, such as those of Charles Dickens and Jane Austen. But they
do not give the satisfaction that Shakespeare gives. I find Shakespeare's stories so interesting that I have read the same
stories several times in last few years; and, every time I read the same story, I learn something new about human nature.
Shakespeare was indeed a genius.
NEW WORDS:
1 favourite (adj): được mến chuộng nhất được ưa thích nhất
2. immortality (n): bất tử bất diệt, bất hủ, danh tiếng muôn thuở
3. elapse (v): (nói về thời gian) trôi qua
4. speculation (n): sự nghiên cứu, sự suy xét
5. conjecture (n): sự phỏng đoán
6. applause (n): sự hoan nghênh, sự tán thưởng
7. ambition (n): hoài bão, tham vọng

8. frustration (n): sự làm thất bại, tâm trạng vỡ mộng
9. conflict (n): sự xung đột, cuộc xung đột
10. theme (n): đề tài, chủ đề
11. combination (n): sự kết hợp, sự phôí hợp
12. reveal (v): bộc lộ, biểu lộ, khám phá
13. masterly (adj): rất giỏi, bậc thầy, tài tình
14. gem (n): đá quý, viên ngọc
15. genius (n): người thiên tài, người anh tài, bậc kỳ tài