Entertainment

Reading “Fahrenheit 451”

Listening 5 min Article Intermediate

Vocabulary - 6 contextual words

Pronunciation - American

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury raises the question: how can you preserve your mind in a society where free will, self-expression and curiosity are under fire?

Exercise

Tap all the highlighted words in the article below ⇩ to see their definitions.

Science fiction novels make us think and develop our social and political awareness. They often provide a highly critical perspective of society in extreme circumstances, depicting stories in an imaginary and bleak future that comes eerily close to home. At the very least, they make for entertaining reading and open our minds.

Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451 imagines a world where books are banned– and possessing, let alone reading them, is forbidden. The protagonist, Montag, is a fireman responsible for destroying what remains. The story raises the question: how can you preserve your mind in a society where free will, self-expression and curiosity are under fire?

Now, watch the video and complete the exercise.

This TED Ed animated video from the Why You Should Read series examines what makes this dystopian novel a classic.