1 The passage is about the pleasure of reading. It suggests that every time you open a book, wonderful things can happen. You can get to know people from different countries and cultures in the comfort and safety of your own home better than you know your own neighbour. 2 In this passage about the importance of reading, the writer refers to a lot of thinkers and writers who have tried to explain what the experience of reading actually means. The writer also quotes a lot of recent and not-so-recent novels which, in his opinion, illustrate the power and range of reading. 3 This passage shows some of the ways in which the reader and writer interact in the experience of reading. The writer is especially interested in fiction, and the way in which, from an early age, it has the power to shape our lives by making us think about who we are.