Book excerpt: Publisher's Note: Products purchased from Third Party sellers are not guaranteed by the publisher for quality, authenticity, or access to any online entitlements included with the product. Start Reading in Italian Immediately and Build Your Language Skills in No Time! Whether you’re a brand-new beginner or an advanced-beginning learner, the new editions of these popular titles enable you to dive into the language with engaging readings that progress in difficulty to match your growing reading skills. This process will allow you to rapidly build comprehension and confidence as you enjoy the stories and complete the post-reading exercises. EASY ITALIAN READER is divided into three parts: Part I describes the story of Christine, an American student who whose family moves to Italy. As you read about their experiences, you’ll discover the nuances of language and culture right along with Christine. Part II describes episodes in the colorful history of Italy, from the founding of ancient Rome to the present, offering biographical sketches of famous personalities, including St. Francis, Marco Polo, and Galileo. Part III is comprised of three contemporary short stories that allow you to practice your grammar and vocabulary skills on authentic works of Italian literature. The bonus app that accompanies this book provides: FLASHCARDS to aid memorization of all vocabulary terms AUDIO recordings of more than 40 passages RECORD-YOURSELF feature for 34 comprehension exercises AUTO-FILL GLOSSARY for quick reference