新西兰英语 440 Whitcoulls Bookstores sold

 　　It was good news to hear that Whitcoulls Bookstores have a new owner. 57 Whitcoulls stores and 5 Borders stores – owned by the same company – were in financial trouble in February. The new owners are the Norman family who own Farmers department stores and a number of jewellery businesses in Australia and New Zealand. This is good news because the new owners may save the jobs of 900 people.

　　The history of Whitcoulls goes back a long way. It began in Cashel St, Christchurch in 1882 when a teacher, George Whitcombe, and a printer George Tombs, joined together to publish and sell books. They called the business Whitcombe and Tombs. It kept this name until 1971 when the company joined with another company and changed its name to Whitcoulls.

　　Whitcombe and Tombs wrote and published “Whitcombe’s Progressive¹ Readers” for children to learn to read at school. They also published story books. These were so popular that between the years of 1908 and 1962, they sold 12 million copies. George Whitcombe retired² in 1963.

　　In recent years, competition from internet sales of books has made it more difficult for bookstores.

　　Whitcoulls bookstores have been a part of New Zealand for nearly 130 years and it would be sad if they closed.

　　Vocabulary

　　Progressive means to move from easy to more difficult. The noun³ is “progress”.

　　Questions

　　1. Is there a future for bookstores when it is often cheaper to buy books on the internet?

　　2. Is there a future for electronic books? Whitcoulls sell the kobo e-reader which is a reader for electronic books. It is different from the kindle⁴. You cannot read kobo books on a kindle.

　　Listen to E-books for more about electronic book readers.

　　3. Nostalgia⁵ means wanting to remember the good things in the past. Is it nostalgia to want Whitcoulls bookstores to survive?

1 progressive   

adj.先进的；前进的，渐进的；进行式的

参考例句：

• There is often a progressive loss of sight in old age.上了年纪的人视力逐步减退。
• It's a progressive idea.这是一种进步的思想。

2 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

3 noun   

n.名词

参考例句：

• What kind of noun is this?这是哪类名词？
• This word is a collective noun.这个词是个集体名词。

4 kindle   

v.点燃，着火

参考例句：

• This wood is too wet to kindle.这木柴太湿点不着。
• A small spark was enough to kindle Lily's imagination.一星光花足以点燃莉丽的全部想象力。

5 nostalgia   

n.怀乡病，留恋过去，怀旧

参考例句：

• He might be influenced by nostalgia for his happy youth.也许是对年轻时幸福时光的怀恋影响了他。
• I was filled with nostalgia by hearing my favourite old song.我听到这首喜爱的旧歌，心中充满了怀旧之情。