IG听力2022 part2音频

[00:00.89] Are you a keen book reader?

[00:03.54] People of all ages are.

[00:05.36] However, how do you obtain the books that you want to read?

[00:09.07] Some people borrow them from a local library,

[00:12.26] others might buy them from second hand book shops.

[00:15.72] Others will go online.

[00:17.83] Then there are those readers who love to browse in bookshops

[00:21.56] and buy the latest editions for their own enjoyment

[00:24.75] and keep them at home to be read again sometime in the future.

[00:28.46] Whichever way people like to read their books,

[00:31.38] the worrying fact is that there were fewer books bought during 2018 than in the previous year.

[00:37.76] The sale of books fell by some £168 million in value,

[00:43.34] which is a decline of over 5% in the number of books sold.

[00:48.12] According to the Publishers Association,

[00:50.24] which released these figures,

[00:52.10] this is the first time such a big decline in sales has been recorded for over four years.

[00:57.42] However, the Chief Executive Officer, Stephen Lotinga,

[01:02.47] who holds the most important position in the Publishers Association,

[01:06.45] has said that perhaps this is not a bad sign.

[01:10.17] Audiobooks appear to be increasing in popularity.

[01:14.13] Sales have rocketed by some 43% over the last year.

[01:19.45] They still do not match the number of books sold,

[01:22.63] but this is an optimistic sign that people still want to read books in one form or another.

[01:29.01] The rise in sales of audiobooks was partly due to a marketing campaign by one of the retail giants

[01:36.98] who offered a month’s free trial of audiobooks

[01:39.63] and then unlimited downloads for a fixed monthly fee.

[01:44.14] It is also due, to a large degree, to our busy lifestyles with more and more people

[01:49.99] choosing to listen to an audiobook either on their commute to work,

[01:53.98] or while just travelling in their cars.

[01:57.43] You can access audiobooks anywhere to suit different lifestyles.

[02:02.21] The rise in the popularity of podcasting is another reason why audiobooks are becoming increasingly popular.

[02:09.91] More and more book publishers are investing large amounts of money in these digital formats.

[02:15.72] In fact, the digital book market overall,

[02:19.70] which includes audiobooks, e-book sales and subscriptions to various reading devices,

[02:26.35] showed a very good growth across the year.

[02:29.53] The Publishers Association noted that,

[02:32.45] while the sale of traditional books declined by nearly 5%,

[02:36.44] the sale of audiobooks increased by almost the same amount.

[02:41.48] Traditional book sales are influenced by trends and fashions.

[02:46.00] The appearance of a popular bestseller, or a writer, can influence the market hugely.

[02:51.57] Two of the biggest bestsellers last year in Britain were an autobiography by a former American First Lady

[02:58.49] and a thriller written by a popular serial writer.

[03:02.21] This book took on special importance as it was the 25 th thriller the author had published

[03:08.05] and the increase in sales celebrated this fact.

[03:12.04] The Chief Executive Officer, Stephen Lotinga,

[03:14.95] was optimistic about the sales figures for both digital and traditional books.

[03:20.53] He said that the publishing industry in Britain continues to satisfy an enormous demand for books in all forms.

[03:28.50] Many publishers are now investing in digital books and this is paying off.

[03:34.33] The digital market is growing very quickly and it is meeting the demands of the readers

[03:39.11] who want to access books at any time, in any format, they choose.

[03:43.86] That can be traditional or digital.

[03:47.31] Stephen Lotinga also noted that digital devices have grown in popularity,

[03:52.09] as ever-increasing numbers of people want to enjoy books in a way that suits new technologies

[03:57.93] and keeps pace with their busy lives. Not only that, digital devices are lightweight and portable.

[04:05.10] Overall, the book industry is worth billions of pounds to the British economy.