Boy by Roald Dahl

Suggested levels^:

• (Graded*) Elementary and pre-intermediate (~HKDSE Level 1; CEFR A1-2)

• (Original) Intermediate and upper-intermediate (~HKDSE Level 2-4; CEFR B1-B2)

Summary:

Boy is an autobiography written by Roald Dahl, a very famous English writer. He wrote a lot of classic children’s books, such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda. In addition to his childhood memories and family trips to Norway, Roald Dahl recounted his experience of studying at boarding schools, from which he got the inspiration for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It is a light-hearted book filled with funny stories.

Do you know?

• Roald Dahl’s parents were both Norwegian.

• He wrote a letter to his mother every week since he began studying at a boarding school. His mother kept all the letters in their original envelops over the years.

• He was an exceptional athlete and a talented photographer.

Descriptive language used in storytelling:

(1) Use the five senses (sight, smell, sound, taste and touch)

• Instead of saying "I'm so nervous!", you can say...

• “My heart was thumping like mad and my hands had gone all sweaty.”

(2) Use similes (to compare two things and allow the readers to better understand your feelings)

• Instead of saying "I feel so homesick and lonely.", you can say...

• “Homesickness is a bit like seasickness. You don’t know how awful it is till you get it, and when you do, it hits you right in the top of the stomach and you want to die. The only comfort is that both homesickness and seasickness are instantly curable. The first goes away the moment you walk out of the school grounds and the second is forgotten as soon as the ship enters port.”

^The suggested levels are only for your reference. If you’d like to challenge yourself or look for something easier, you can have a look at both versions and pick the one that you like!

*Graded versions:

1. English e-reader (https://english-e-reader.net/book/boy-roald-dahl)

2. Penguin Readers Level 2 (https://www.amazon.com/Penguin-Readers-Level-graded-readers/dp/0241397685)

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適合程度^﹕

• (分級讀物*) 初級和初中級 (~HKDSE Level 1; CEFR A1-2)

• (原版) 中級和高中級 (~HKDSE Level 2-4; CEFR B1-B2)

簡介﹕你有看過朱古力獎門人嗎？這次推薦的英文書就是著名的英國作者—羅爾德·達爾所寫的自傳，當中紀錄了他在英國成長、在寄宿學校讀書的經歷，更講述了是什麼啟發他創作朱古力獎門人。如果你有興趣的話，可以去看看這本書，特別推薦這本書給初學者！

你知道嗎？

• 羅爾德·達爾的父母都是挪威人。

• 他在英國的寄宿學校就讀時，每個星期都會寫信給他的媽媽，即使在長大後他都繼續寫信，後來他在媽媽離世後，他才發現她一直小心保留那些信件。

• 除了擅於寫作，他更是一位出色的運動員和攝影師。

可以從書中學習的寫作手法﹕

(1) 用五感（視覺、嗅覺、聽覺、味覺和觸覺）去形容事物

• 如果你想表達緊張的心情，除了寫"I'm so nervous!"，可以學習作者形容自己的心跳聲和手心冒汗。

• “My heart was thumping like mad and my hands had gone all sweaty.”

(2) 用比喻去比較兩件事物，令讀者更感同身受

• 如果你想表達思鄉的心情，除了寫"I feel so homesick and lonely"，可以學習作者把思鄉之情和暈船的感覺做比較﹕當你未曾試過思鄉或暈船，你很難去想像有多難受，但當你感受到時，同樣地會感到十分痛苦，甚至想死。幸好兩者都可以即時解決﹕當你離開學校，以及當船抵達港口時。

• “Homesickness is a bit like seasickness. You don’t know how awful it is till you get it, and when you do, it hits you right in the top of the stomach and you want to die. The only comfort is that both homesickness and seasickness are instantly curable. The first goes away the moment you walk out of the school grounds and the second is forgotten as soon as the ship enters port.”

^只供參考，你可以根據自己的能力去挑選合適的版本。

＊分級讀物

1. English e-reader (https://english-e-reader.net/book/boy-roald-dahl)

2. Penguin Readers Level 2 (https://www.amazon.com/Penguin-Readers-Level-graded-readers/dp/0241397685)