Developed for beginning and intermediate-level courses,Graded Spanish Reader: Primera etapafeatures works by renowned Spanish and Latin American literary figures, including prominent women writers. Selections of fiction, poetry, and drama are supported by a comprehensive pre-reading and post-reading apparatus designed to engage students as readers, writers, and speakers of the Spanish language. New!Brief discussion of literary figures and tropesprepares students to understand the meaning and function of figurative language. New!Biographical sketches and cultural contextprovides students with a brief biography of each author, cultural and historical background, and a follow-up discussion that asks students to make connections with their own culture and personal experience. New!Beyond the Textsections (formerly "Expressing Your Ideas") includes a variety of discussion topics suitable for pair, small-group, or whole-class work. Part B of this section encourages students to search for related material online and to share their findings with their classmates. Streamlined vocabulary lists and pre-reading activitiesprovide students with the necessary tools to read each selection with ease. Brief grammar reviewreinforces basic vocabulary, offers succinct explanations of the grammar used in the selections, and facilitates accuracy in oral and written activities through charts and tables. Reading comprehension supportincludes a variety of exercises in multiple-choice, true-false, or short-answer format to verify students' understanding of the essential details of the selection's content.