What books to read?

I'm a junior foreign student preparing for SAT verbal test.Since there
is quite a lot of time for me to prepare, I would like to gradually
expand my vocab by reading good books instead of cramming.As I do not
have much knowledge,I would like to ask you to recommend some good
books worth reading.Also,is classic literature a required reading for
good score? I find them to be unbearable.Knowing that it isn't
necessary wouldn't be a great relief
I heard that for college admission essays,we should write in a
descriptive way. Is that kind of writing similar to those used in
fictions? If so, what specific fictions should I read to build my
descriptive ability as it is my weakest point in writing?

Thanks.

adinaHC.DeleteThis@hotmail.com (MosT) wrote in message news:<3b31796b.0309260739.2f90b675.DeleteThis@posting.google.com>...
> I'm a junior foreign student preparing for SAT verbal test.Since there
> is quite a lot of time for me to prepare, I would like to gradually
> expand my vocab by reading good books instead of cramming.As I do not
> have much knowledge,I would like to ask you to recommend some good
> books worth reading.Also,is classic literature a required reading for
> good score? I find them to be unbearable.Knowing that it isn't
> necessary wouldn't be a great relief
> I heard that for college admission essays,we should write in a
> descriptive way. Is that kind of writing similar to those used in
> fictions? If so, what specific fictions should I read to build my
> descriptive ability as it is my weakest point in writing?
>
> Thanks.

A good plan. Our son did quite well on the SAT verbal. He read what
he was interested in, mainly politics, newspapers and the few classics
that were required in his school program. Read what you are
interested in, but get the guidance of your teachers or preferably
someone who has gone through the process. I think its a good idea to
subscribe and read a good newspaper. In the United States that would
mean the N.Y. Times or Christian Science Monitor and a few others.
Naturally read the papers that educated people read in your country.
Our son read a fair number of articles in news and political mags.
For a time he subscribed to the National Review, New Republic, and The
Nation, pretty much covering the spectrum of political discourse here
in the States. But if he had been interested in science it probably
would have been Scientific American, Technology and some others.

Get started; the SATs will come fast.

Best of luck

R. Carriere