Our Book_{Academic Readings for University Prep. School Students}

This book is intended to be used by university students who are taking a one-year intensive English Prep. class. Some of the readings may prove too sophisticated and controversial for high school prep. students. The book is designed to be used for the whole year ( 150 hours) by near beginners or for the first semester or more by pre-intermediate students. It is designed in such a way that the book progresses in difficulty at an appropriate pace and few, if any, supplemental readers will be needed.

The book was originally put together to fill the need for simplified academic texts. Other books on the market were either not academic enough in content or failed to progress in difficulty at the pace an intensive year-long course demands. Therefore, the staff members at Marmara University English Prep. School encouraged by Gordon Dobie. the coordinator of the beginning level classes at that time, decided to produce their own texts. The texts, or chapters, were grouped together by topics into units. To distinguish our book from the others used in the program, it was referred to as "Our Book", hence its title.

The texts are graded according to grammar structure. vocabulary. and length, and the book progresses in difficulty to an upper intermediate level. Each text is accompanied by comprehension. vocabulary and grammar structure exercises appropriate to each level of difficulty. After the basic grammar structures are covered. the focus of the exercises shifts to one aimed at improving reading skills. However. no accompanying explanations are given for the exercises so the book would best be used in classroom situation. Vocabulary is introduced gradually and recycled continually. Discussion questions at the end of each text provide opportunities to further activate the acquired vocabulary. An index of words is provided at the back of the book so that the student will know when each word was first introduced.