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Writing by Level 7 Students
Reading 7 students read the novel The Number 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency this term. They have written book reviews and recommendations for future Reading 7 students who will also be reading the book:
Book Review by Ahsu (Jun Sohyun)
The book tells the story of the only lady private detective, Mma Ramotswe, in Botswana, Africa. In the book, you can find a lot of interesting cases and her amazing ways of solving them, but her story is different from other detectives. Her story is based on African circumstances and social problems, so her approach to solving cases is inevitably special and amazing. This point makes the story more attractive and unique, so it deserves to be read by everyone. For these reasons, I highly recommend this book. Throughout the book, readers can experience not only a new genre of detective story but also reflect on African social problems. In addition, I want to give some tips to have a happier and easier time with the book. When you encounter many vocabulary words, as long as you can understand the overall context, you may skip them. If you focus on the meaning of every single word too much, you will lose interest in the book. Also, if you find more information related to Botswana or Africa while reading the book, you can fully understand the context. Furthermore, after reading the book, you can discuss the topics that you’re interested in. It helps you understand the book more deeply. I believe that if you keep these tips in mind and read the book, you’ll have a wonderful time.
Book Review by Evelyn Bae
This book is about Mma Ramotswe, a woman who opens her own detective agency in Botswana. She is not the kind of detective who depends on high-tech tools or forensic science like the FBI. Instead, she solves problems just by observing people carefully and thinking calmly. In chapters 20-22, the story becomes more serious, and we can really see her personality and how much she cares about others. I won’t include spoilers, but these chapters made me think more deeply about her character.
Before reading the book, I didn’t know there were so many delicate and sophisticated English words. I learned a lot of new vocabulary, including abstract words like “bias” and “mundane.” At first, I didn’t understand everything, and sometimes I felt a little frustrated. But after seeing the same words again in different situations, they slowly became familiar. I highly recommend this book because these words suddenly start popping up when you watch Netflix or have daily conversations. There is a special thrill when you recognize a word you just learned. Once you hear it in real life, you will never forget it. The small moment actually makes you want to study English harder.
For reading tips, I don’t think you should translate every single word. Instead, when you see a word you don’t know, just highlight it and keep reading. Later, look up the meaning and try to understand the sentence again. When you do that, the meaning connects like puzzle pieces, and suddenly the paragraph makes sense. That feeling is really satisfying. Also, try making flashcards. Don’t trust your memory. I use the Anki app, and it always helps me when I want to remember something or review vocabulary.
Overall, this book helped me improve my vocabulary and also made me feel proud because I finished a whole English book. I think future students will also feel proud and excited when they discover new words and understand the story.
Essays by Level 7 Students
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