This text can be improved by rewriting one sentence from each paragraph with . h Th
impersonal/introductory it. Underline the sentences that can be improved and rewrite t em. e
first one has been done as an example.
The Beach
by Alex Garland
Now a movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
People say that somewhere in the tropical waters of
Asia there is a perfect beach on an uninhabited island.
Rich in animal and plant life, surrounded by virgin
jungle and watered by sweet underground springs, the
beach could be the setting for an idyllic and easy life.
The Beach is the story of a_young man who yearns for, seeks out and eventually finds just such
a place. But to discover that far from being the source of contentment and inner fulfilment
that he expects, the beach turns out to be a place of savage violence, terror and death, comes
as a shock.
Alex Garland takes the reader on an exotic journey from the steaming tourist-packed dives of
the Khao San Road in Bangkok to the drug-infested islands of the remote seas around
Thailand. Not to be impressed by the author's skill in describing the unfamiliar oriental
locations and his ability to empathise with the obsessions of today's young backpacking
'new-age' travellers is difficult.
Taking in illegal drug plantations, memories of the Vietnam war, sexual jealousy, sharkinfested waters, the psychological dynamics of communal living and the clash of cultures,
Garland spins a tale which both seduces and shocks the reader. What gives the novel its
haunting sense of unease and horror is the author's unique blend of these disparate elements.
It is a thriller with all the traditional ingredients, an exotic location, a central mystery, good
versus evil, and dangers around every corner. There is a strong sense of good and evil in the
book, but to decide who is right and who is wrong Garland leaves to the reader. There are
few moral certainties in this exotic corner of the world.
Events unfold at great speed, and be warned, to put this book down once you have started it
is impossible. With an international cast of well-observed characters Garland creates a nailbiting narrative that keeps the reader hooked until the final bloody climax.