A word about books. Man invented a number of means to cover distance - cars, planes, radio, TV, computers, spaceships, etc. But up till now there has been only one way to cover time - books. Reading is real fun, isn't it? It may be a fantastic journey into the past or the future, a true love story or a serious novel to challenge your thoughts, a detective or something funny if you like humour. Until recently you could see a lot of people, old and young, reading in many different places, in a park or on a bus, in a plane or on a beach. It might be a magazine or a newspaper, a volume of poems or a lengthy novel. All kinds of reading stuff. But now it's a rare event. Alternative sources of information like TV or computers seem more attractive to most people. But books give us something different from them. It's a dialogue with somebody who can tell you a lot about life, people, their relations, and about this fast changing world. Books help you understand yourself better. They develop imagination, love for word and expression and awaken a wish in you to create something. It is next to impossible to imagine life without books. The way we read. We read in many different ways, and at different speeds depending on the aim of reading. We sometimes look through the book to see what it is about. We may just want to get the general idea from a newspaper article, a report, or a book in a bookshop. This type of reading is called skimming reading. Quick reading is also practised when we want to get a particular piece of information, such as a date or a telephone number, in directories, dictionaries and web pages. But if we want to get the detailed information we read slowly and carefully. This is called intensive reading, it needs training and special skills to understand the entire content, the beauty of the expression. You get involved in the story. It makes you laugh your head off or cry your heart out. It develops your personality.

Reading plays a very important role in our lives. Books are one of the greatest inventions of humanity because they allow us to travel not only through space but also through time. While cars, planes and spaceships help people cover physical distances, books give us an opportunity to explore the past, imagine the future and discover different worlds without leaving our homes.

Reading is both an enjoyable activity and a valuable source of knowledge. There are many kinds of books to suit different tastes and interests. Some people prefer detective stories because they enjoy solving mysteries. Others like science fiction, adventure stories, historical novels, romantic stories or humorous books. Serious literature encourages us to think about important questions, human relationships and the meaning of life. Through books, we can experience different emotions, understand other people's feelings and learn from their experiences.

In the past, it was common to see people reading newspapers, magazines or books in parks, on buses, on trains and at the beach. Nowadays, television, computers, smartphones and the Internet compete for people's attention. Many people prefer watching videos or browsing social media because these activities seem easier and more entertaining. However, books offer something special that other sources of information cannot always provide. Reading requires concentration, stimulates imagination, enriches vocabulary and develops critical thinking. It also helps people express their thoughts more clearly and understand themselves and the world around them better.

There are several ways of reading, and the choice depends on our purpose.

The first type is skimming. We use it when we want to understand the general idea of a text without reading every word. For example, we may skim a newspaper article, a report or a book in a bookshop to decide whether it is interesting or useful.

The second type is scanning. This means reading quickly to find a particular piece of information, such as a name, date, telephone number or definition. We often use scanning when looking through dictionaries, directories, timetables and web pages.

The third type is intensive reading. It involves reading slowly, carefully and attentively to understand the complete meaning of a text. This method is especially important when studying textbooks, analysing literary works or reading complicated articles. Intensive reading allows us to appreciate the author's language, style, ideas and emotions. It helps us become deeply involved in a story and understand its characters.

I believe that intensive reading is particularly valuable when we read fiction. A good novel can make us laugh, cry, feel excited or sympathise with its characters. Sometimes a book can even change our opinion about life or inspire us to make important decisions. Reading also develops creativity because, unlike watching a film, we have to imagine the characters, places and events ourselves.

Of course, modern technology has changed our reading habits. Many people now read electronic books instead of printed ones. E-books are convenient because we can carry an entire library on a single device. Audiobooks have also become popular, especially among people who enjoy listening to stories while travelling or doing everyday activities. Nevertheless, traditional printed books remain attractive because many readers enjoy turning real pages and concentrating on a story without digital distractions.

In my opinion, reading should be an essential part of everyone's life. It is not just a way to pass the time but also an opportunity to learn, develop our personality and broaden our horizons. Books teach us to think independently, understand different points of view and appreciate the beauty of language. They can become our teachers, advisers and companions.

To sum up, reading is one of the most useful and rewarding activities. Although television and the Internet provide quick access to information, books offer a deeper intellectual and emotional experience. Whether we read for pleasure, education or personal development, literature makes our lives richer and more meaningful. That is why it is almost impossible to imagine our world without books.