When I was younger, I was addicted to reading. I could get through a whole book in a day, and used to beg my parents every night to let me stay up late so that I could just finish my chapter. From fairy-tales to thrillers, non-fiction to plays, I enjoyed reading any literature that I could get my hands on.
However, while there are many books for younger children,once you reach your mid-teens the choices become limited. I found myself choosing between books for children that were simple and not that interesting, and adult books that I couldn’t quite understand.
This lack of choice eventually led me to read less and less.When I was in secondary school,the only books I read were ones we were assigned in English class,and I was never very enthusiastic about my teacher’s choices.I thought too much discussion of symbolism and themes ruined the book.Maybe the sky being blue didn’t represent anything;maybe it was just a description!
Fortunately, I realized quickly that deciding to go to university meant I had signed up for four years of reading books. I chose a French literature module in my first year. I started out, thinking I wouldn’t enjoy any of the works we were studying over the course of the year.However,I soon realized that at a university level,the discussion was more fruitful and I found I had a lot to say!And being able to discuss my thoughts with others meant I could better understand the subtle aspects of the plot:yes,even the symbolism and themes.
I began reading again for pleasure, starting with Malcolm X’s autobiography and never looking back. Now, during my year abroad,I spend a lot of my spare time in bookshops and reading in cafes. I’m so happy that I rediscovered my love of books.
1. What does the author intend to say in Paragraph 1?| A．She used to stay up late at night. | B．She read very fast as a young girl. |
| C．She loved reading very much in her childhood. | D．She once bought many different kinds of books. |
| A．She was really tired of reading books. | B．She was too busy with her schoolwork. |
| C．She had no right to choose books herself. | D．She found very few suitable books to read. |
| A．Her reading experiences at university. | B．Her professor of French literature. |
| C．A special bookstore abroad. | D．A book by Malcolm X. |
| A．The importance of discussing a book’s theme. | B．The process of the author picking up reading. |
| C．The ways to form good reading habits. | D．The author’s desire to read widely. |
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【推荐1】It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2005. While most people were warming up their cars, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On arrival, he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.
The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour weeks to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries（食品杂货）, saving us from having to walk long distances from where we live.
I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that, several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.
People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity（人性）as a whole. And it has influenced（影响）us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share with others. No matter how big or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can be everlasting.
1. Why was the bike so important to the couple?| A．They used it for work and daily life. | B．It was their only possession. |
| C．It was a nice Kona 18 speed. | D．The man’s job was bike racing. |
| A．the couple worked 60 hours a week. | B．life was hard for the young family. |
| C．the stranger brought over the bike | D．people were busy before Christmas |
| A．From radio broadcasts. | B．From a stranger. |
| C．From TV news. | D．From a newspaper. |
| A．Strangers are usually of little help. | B．An act of kindness can mean a lot. |
| C．News reports make people famous. | D．One should take care of their bike. |
【推荐2】As a teacher, it has been my goal to teach my students to become active and responsible members in the community, the nation, and the world. Over the years, my students have made great differences in our community, but saving lives was not really part of our plan.
In a January, the students asked why I was upset, so I sadly told them the story. A young man in my neighborhood hit his head while ice skating. Although sent to the hospital at once, he died a few days later.
Hearing this, the class began to study head injuries. When my students learned about the dangers, they did careful research before deciding that the best solution was a helmet (头盔) policy that would require all students to wear a helmet if they rode on a bike, skateboard, etc. By showing how important it was, they had the policy passed in the community. They also got a grant (拨款) to buy helmets to be sold at a lower price or given free to students.
After Spring Break that year, a mother came to our class to tell the students that they had saved her daughter’s life. With tears in her eyes, she said that her daughter hit a parked car while riding down a hill. Thankfully, she was wearing a helmet given by my students, which, according to the doctor, had prevented serious brain damage or death.
Since then and over the years, my students have solved many problems in our community: getting a path along the road to school built, changing the lunch program, and the list goes on and on. Each of these ideas was chosen, researched, and presented by the students. My role was that of a guide. Yes, I truly believe that eleven- and twelve-year-old students can make a difference as they become helpful and valuable members in the community.
1. What should all students do according to the policy?| A．Wear a helmet when riding. | B．Do research on head injuries. |
| C．Buy helmets at a low price. | D．Explain its importance. |
| A．She had serious brain damage. | B．She got hit by a car. |
| C．She was protected by the helmet. | D．She went to thank the class. |
| A．Sad. | B．Confident. | C．Anxious. | D．Concerned. |
| A．Solving Problems for a Better World |
| B．Achieving My Goal of Teaching Students |
| C．Protecting Our Heads by Wearing Helmets |
| D．Making a Difference in Our Community |
【推荐3】An 18-year-old student was struggling to pay his fees. Not knowing where to get the money, he and a friend decided to host a musical concert to raise money for their education.
They went to the great pianist Paderewski. His manager demanded $2,000 for the piano recital (独奏会). A deal was made and the boys began to work to make the concert a success.
The big day arrived. But unfortunately, they hadn’t managed to sell enough tickets. The total collection was only $1,600. Disappointed, they went to Paderewski and gave him the entire $1,600, and promised to pay him the rest $400 back as soon as possible. “No,” said Paderewski. “Keep the money you need for your fees. And just give me whatever is left.” The boys were surprised, and very thankful.
Paderewski later became the Prime Minister of Poland, and he was a great leader. When the World War broke out, more than l.5 million people went hungry, but there was no food to feed them. Paderewski turned to the US Food and Relief Administration for help.
The head there was a man called Herbert Hoover — who later became the US President. Hoover agreed to help and quickly shipped tons of food to Poland.
Paderewski decided to go across to thank Hoover himself. When Paderewski began to thank Hoover for his kindness, Hoover quickly stopped him and said, “You shouldn’t be thanking me, Mr. Prime Minister. You may not remember this, but several years ago, you helped two young students go through college. I was one of them.”
1. Why did the two students decide to raise money?| A．To help people in Poland. |
| B．To buy the concert tickets. |
| C．To pay for their education. |
| D．To hold a musical concert. |
| A．$400. | B．$1,200. | C．$1,600. | D．$2,000. |
| A．Greedy. | B．Humorous. | C．Shy. | D．Helpful. |
| A．He was one of the American presidents. |
| B．He didn’t finish his college education. |
| C．He was very rich when he was young. |
| D．He was one of Paderewski’s students. |
| A．Great minds think alike. |
| B．Kindness brings its own rewards. |
| C．Honesty is the best policy. |
| D．Where there’s a will, there’s a way. |
In the United Kingdom, the day is recognized on the first Thursday in March. On 3rd March 2016 children of all ages in the UK will come together to appreciate reading. Sometimes, reading a modern novel can be tough ( Booker Prize winner The Luminaries runs to 832 pages! ), especially if reading is not your strong suit. In fact, one in six people in the UK never pick up a book because they’ve experienced difficulties or are out of the habit of reading for pleasure.
The Galaxy Quick Reads series are designed to introduce reluctant readers to bestselling short funny novels, which bring the joy of reading without demanding hours of concentrated time. They cover a range of subjects, from romance to comedy.
Jojo Moyes’s Paris For One is a romantic adventure in which 26-year-old Nell books a weekend away to Paris with her lazy, neglectful boyfriend. When he fails to turn up, she is alone in the city. That is, until she meets Fabien, who shows her the charms of the French capital -- in more ways than one.
Adele Geras’s moving story Out In The Dark was set in World War I, in which young Rob came back from the battlefields. Determined to find the officer’s widow to return the photo of her and their daughter that the captain kept with him, he traveled several thousand miles but never gave up.
Dead Man Talking is a fantastic tale of Pat, who had a terrible fight with his best friend, Joe, ten years ago -- but now hears that Joe is dead, and he must attend his funeral. But Joe is not going quietly that very night -- he’s lying in his coffin being very chatty indeed.
1. What is the main aim of the World Book Day?
| A．To promote book selling. | B．To encourage reading. |
| C．To win authors fame. | D．To perfect education. |
| A．The Luminaries | B．Paris For One |
| C．Dead Man Talking | D．Out In The Dark |
| A．A romance. | B．A comedy. |
| C．A horror story. | D．A moving story. |
| A．The Luminaries tells a story of a Booker Prize winner. |
| B．Paris For One tells a story of Nell and Fabien. |
| C．Out In The Dark is a story during World WarⅡ. |
| D．Dead Man Talking is a story of Pat and his talkative friend. |
【推荐2】After high school English teacher Larry Abrams started his teaching career in a far suburb outside of Philadelphia, he found he taught in a book desert (荒漠). Many of the kids in school simply struggled (挣扎) with reading and then writing .
In 2017, when one of his students told him she had no book to read to her 2-year-old daughter, Abrams took action. He put forward a call to friends and family asking for gently used children’s books, and in no time, he had more than 1, 000 of them. He began handing out the books to young moms and local elementary schools. That was the start of his nonprofit, BookSmiles, which has since collected, sorted, and handed out hundreds of thousands of books throughout New Jersey and the Philadelphia area — and will soon reach 1 million.
BookSmiles calls on people to help collect books and drop them off in the group’s large collection boxes, which are painted with literary-themed artwork and put outside local businesses, houses of worship, schools, and people’s homes. Books are often handed out through teachers, who come to the book bank and choose as many books as they want.
Larry Abrams thinks children should be read to because it’s something joyful that creates a bond (纽带) between the parent and the child in such an important way. Reading books creates a moment that will never die off and always stay with the child. And what’s more, reading books to kids gives them power. The most important tool that they get is words. There are some kids who grow up hearing lots of words because they’re read to every single night. They are used to hearing sentences connected together when they’re babies. And then there are other kids who never get that. Reading and books help level that playing field. It gives words, millions of words, to these babies who really, really need them.
1. What did Larry Abrams find about his working environment?| A．He had to live a hard life in a desert. |
| B．His students were very short of books. |
| C．His students couldn’t read or write at all. |
| D．His school was struggling to make ends meet. |
| A．His student’s trouble. | B．His school’s requirement. |
| C．His daughter’s need for books. | D．His close friend’s request. |
| A．What books BookSmiles hands out. | B．Where BookSmiles’s boxes are. |
| C．How busy BookSmiles’s workers are. | D．How BookSmiles works. |
| A．It helps parents and children to kill time. |
| B．It makes children depend more on their parents. |
| C．It puts children far ahead of those without being read to. |
| D．It develops children’s language skills by parent-child behavior. |
【推荐3】My mum read Bambi to me before I could read, and later I read it to myself again and again. In the Suffolk countryside where I grew up, I would often spot deer in the fields. This book made me stop and study the animal tracks (痕迹) on the ground and made me think about the world around me in a different way.
The novel is nothing like the sickly animated movie that came later. It doesn’t turn the deer into cartoon, rather, it gives nature a voice, letting us in on the mysteries of its beautiful, secretive world, where even the leaves have something to say.
I read this relatively recently when I was doing research for my novel The Unravelling. Reading it feels a little like sitting by the fire in a pub on a cold night, a pint of beer in your hand, listening to one of the locals telling attractive stories.
At face value, the book is a written and photographic record of a journey across East Anglia. But within each corner? You discover other stories, a hidden history of the world you thought you knew. Reading it made the landscape I have known all my life transform before my eyes.
I’ve read this book every couple of years since I studied it for English A Level. Each chapter is a story in itself, a special fairytale love letter to the Fens and marshland so real that you can smell it and taste it on your tongue. At 16 years old, it was the first novel I read that made me see the landscape as a character in its own right, and it was finally the novel that made me want to become a writer.
1. When did the author first learn about Bambis?| A．Before she went to school. | B．When she was in kindergarten. |
| C．After she was in primary school. | D．When she saw deer at the first time. |
| A．A picture book. | B．A cartoon book. |
| C．An imaginative book. | D．A textbook. |
| A．She prepared for science research. | B．She prepared for her works. |
| C．She prepared for studying deer. | D．She prepared for telling stories. |
| A．Studying for English A Level. | B．The special marshland. |
| C．The beautiful landscape. | D．The book Bambi. |
【推荐1】Elizabeth Blackwell is a British-born woman physician (医师). She was born in 1821 in England. Her father decided to move the family to the United States in 1832 after his factory was destroyed by fire. It is said that she turned to studying medicine after a close friend who was dying said she wouldn’t have suffered so much if her physician had been a woman. Elizabeth knew that no woman had ever been permitted to study in a medical school. But she began to think about the idea seriously after the friend who had suggested it died.
Elizabeth discussed it with her family. Her family supported her. However, all the medical colleges refused her except Geneva Medical College in New York. When she graduated from Geneva Medical College in 1849, she became the first woman in America to earn the M. D. degree. She was not offered many opportunities as a young female physician, she opened her own office 2 years later. Her younger sister Dr. Emily Blackwell, joined her in 1856. Together with Dr. Marie Zakrzewska, they opened the New York Infirmary (医院) for Women and Children in 1857. After establishing the infirmary. Elizabeth Blackwell went on a year-long lecture tour of Great Britain. Her lectures and personal example inspired more women to take up medicine as a profession.
When the American Civil War broke out, the Blackwell sisters aided in nursing efforts. After the end of the war, Elizabeth Blackwell carried out a plan that she had developed together with her friend Florence Nightingale while in England. She opened the Women’s Medical College with her sister. This college was operated under her sister’s management. She moved to England the next year. There, she helped to organize the National Health Society and she founded the London School of Medicine for Women.
As her health declined, Blackwell gave up the practice of medicine in the late 1870s, though she still campaigned for reform (改革). On 31 May 1910, she died at home in England.
1. What probably made Elizabeth determine to learn medicine?| A．Her family’s expectation. |
| B．Her interest in medicine. |
| C．Her friend’s suggestion. |
| D．Her friend’s medical talent. |
| A．28. | B．30. | C．36. | D．37. |
| A．Marie Zakrzewska. | B．Emily Blackwell. |
| C．Elizabeth Blackwell. | D．Florence Nightingale. |
| A．Simple and hardworking. | B．Determined and caring. |
| C．Curious and patient. | D．Gentle and peace-loving. |
【推荐2】“A good book for children should simply be a good book in its own right", says Mollie Hunter. Born and brought up near Edinburgh, Mollie has devoted her talents to writing primarily for young people. She firmly believes that there is and should always be a wider audience for any good book whatever its main market is. In Mollie’s opinion, it is necessary to make full use of language and she enjoys telling a story, which is what every writer should be doing. "If you aren't telling a story, you’re a very dead writer indeed." she says. With the chief function of a writer being to entertain, Mollie is indeed an entertainer. "I have this great love of not only the meaning of language but of the music of language,’ she says, "This love goes back to early childhood. I had a school teacher who used to ask us what we would like to be when we grew up and, because my family always had dogs, and I was very good at handling them, I said I wanted to work with dogs, and the teacher always said ‘Nonsense, Mollie; dear, you’ll be a writer.’ So finally I thought that this woman must have something, since she was a good teacher and I decided when I was nine that I would be a writer."
This childhood intention is described in her novel, A Sound of Chariots, which although written in the third person is clearly autobiographical（自传体的）and gives a picture both of Mollie’s ambition and her struggle towards its achievement. Thoughts of her childhood inevitably（不可避免地）brought thoughts of the time when her home was still a village with buttercup（金凤花）meadows and strawberry fields—sadly now covered with modern houses."I was once taken back to see it and I felt that somebody had lain dirty hands all over my childhood. I’ll never go back, "she said. "Never. When I set one of my books in Scotland” she said, “I can recall my romantic feelings as a child playing in those fields, or watching the village blacksmith at work. And that’s important because children now know so much so early that romance can't exist for them, as it did for us.”
1. What does Mollie Hunter feel about the nature of a good book?| A．It should not aim at a narrow audience. |
| B．It should be attractive to young readers. |
| C．It should be based on original ideas. |
| D．It should not include too much conversation. |
| A．Being poor in life experience. |
| B．Being short of writing skills. |
| C．The weakness of description. |
| D．The absence of a story. |
| A．She expected to become a writer. |
| B．She didn’t enjoy writing stories. |
| C．She didn’t have any particular life aims. |
| D．She didn’t respect her teacher’ views. |
| A．To share her enjoyment of Mollie Hunter’s book. |
| B．To introduce Mollie Hunter’s works to a wider audience. |
| C．To provide information for Mollie Hunter’s existing readers. |
| D．To describe Mollie Hunter’s most successful books. |
【推荐3】After he retired, Chan Jae Lee, who lives in Brazil, decided to spend his days taking care of his two young grandchildren, driving them back and forth to school and taking the opportunity to spend some quality time with them. But when Lee’s daughter moved her family to Korea, he was left with a gaping hole in his life. “All of a sudden, I had nothing to do and I missed them terribly,” Lee said.
In 2015, Lee’s third grandchild was born to his son Ji. He traveled to New York to meet the baby and it was there that Ji suggested his dad begin drawing pictures for his grandkids and posting them on Instagram as a way to keep in touch. “I liked the idea and found a purpose to draw and I learned how to stay in touch with my grandkids around the world,” Lee said.
Lee shares new pictures daily, which are watercolors of toys, vivid landscapes and imaginative animals — all of them are full of Lee’s imagination. And he draws birthday messages and his favorite places in Korea, and uses his paintings to teach the kids about important Korean traditions. Right now, Lee is able to use his art project to create a bond with the youngest members of his family.
Lee has no formal training in art and he teaches himself how to use different techniques to draw, but fans have fallen in love with his pictures. “The reaction was amazing. I couldn’t have imagined it in my wildest dreams.” Lee said. “What started as a small family project has drawn great attention.” He is called Grandpa Chan by his followers and achieves fame.
Lee has even been able to sell some drawings online to help fund more trips to see his grandchildren, but the biggest reward for this Instagram influencer has been the reaction he’s gotten from his followers. “Seeing what I’ve done, many people start to reconnect to their own passion for drawing and painting and many people share their stories about their grandparents and parents,” Lee said.
1. What do we know about Grandpa Chan?| A．He moved to Korea after his retirement. |
| B．He was unable to go back to his hometown. |
| C．He came up with an idea to become famous. |
| D．He was lonely after his grandchildren left Brazil. |
| A．To teach art online. |
| B．To make new friends on Instagram. |
| C．To stay connected with his family. |
| D．To introduce important Korean traditions. |
| A．His art project becomes very popular. |
| B．His family supports him in achieving fame. |
| C．His painting styles have changed a lot over the years. |
| D．His fans admire him for his sticking to his dream. |
| A．People feel very inspired by Lee’s works. |
| B．Lee makes a fortune by selling his pictures. |
| C．Lee gives young people some advice about realizing their dreams. |
| D．People have improved their drawing skills after seeing Lee’s works. |
【推荐1】Roger Rocka’s Dinner Theater
Prices
Buffet Dinner and Show on Thursdays and Sundays is $50 that includes coffee and iced tea but not desserts.
The Menu Table Service Dinner and Show on Fridays and Saturdays is $55. Again, that includes coffee and iced tea but not desserts.
We have Thursday& Sunday dinner shows of $47 for seniors. We offer a Thursday or Sunday evening show of $30 to kids aged 15 and under when accompanied by adult diners, and $36 to students aged 16-26.
We have show-only tickets with no dinner for $30. Whenever seats are available, we offer $16 show-only student rush tickets.
Here are the ways that you can buy tickets for a Roger Rocka's event：
Online
You can buy tickets to a performance, season tickets, and concert tickets online through this website. You can look through the calendar for a day that works for you and click “Buy tickets”.
At the box office
Our box office at 1226 North Wishon in Fresno’s Tower District is open from Tuesday to Sunday.
Tuesdays and Wednesdays: 10 a. m. to 5: 30 p. m.
Thursdays through Sundays: 10 a. m. until showtime at7:30p,m.or8:00p.m.
Closed on Mondays.
Order your seat
You can give us a call to (559)266-9494 or(800)371-4747 and a real live person will help you find the table you want at the performance you want. Single tickets for the 2nd Space Theatre can be ordered by calling the box office at(559)266-0660 or online at www.Tickets. gcplayers. com/andspace/.
1. How much should a 20-year-old student pay for a dinner show on Thursday?| A．$16. | B．$30. | C．$36. | D．$47 |
| A．10 a.m. on Tuesday | B．6: 00 p. m. on Sunday |
| C．11: 00 p. m. on Monday | D．5: 00 p. m. on Wednesday |
| A．website | B．newspaper | C．research plan | D．business report |
Meanwhile, hosts worried about the costs of entertaining — the hosts who write to me, anyway. On the other hand, the hosts that guests write to me about have taken some extreme measures to reduce the cost of their hospitality. These range from a dinner party where a relative of the host explained how expensive the steaks were and “rather pointedly suggested” that the letter writer “make a financial contribution” to the cost of dinner, to some Cape Cod homeowners who invited a couple to spend a weekend with them — as long as they brought their own food, bottled water, and toilet paper.
Weddings and other special events always create extra sources of stress, worsened by the fact that people rarely want to talk honestly about their money situations. One couple chose to have only a civil wedding ceremony for financial reasons and wondered how to tell people this without going into too much detail. A sixtysomething couple needed to cut back on Christmas gifts to their children but weren’t sure how to tell them about it. People who had been laid off wondered how to notify friends, respond to inquiries about their job search, and compete with former colleagues for positions.
If you are searching for the answers to them, write to me—an advice columnist.
1. The underlined word “freeloader” in the 1st paragraph showed the woman’s ________．
| A．disapproval | B．happiness |
| C．confusion | D．agreement |
| A．Steaks. | B．Entertainment. |
| C．Cost. | D．Thankyou gifts. |
| A．Ask someone for advice. |
| B．Get your food and water ready. |
| C．Bring a bottle of wine with you. |
| D．Make a financial contribution to the cost. |
| A．Weddings and other social events. |
| B．Being laid off and notifying friends. |
| C．Cutting back the costs for lack of money. |
| D．Telling others about their financial troubles. |
【推荐3】Do you know what Fear and Faith have in common? Fear believes in a negative future. Faith believes in a positive future. Both believe in something that has not yet happened. So I ask you, if neither the positive nor negative future has happened yet then why not choose to believe in the positive future?
I believe during these challenging times we have a choice between two roads: the positive road and the negative road. And our bus can’t be on two roads at the same time. So we have to make a choice and this choice determines our belief about the future and the attitude and actions we bring to the present.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t have any fear. There are times when fear is a gift. A healthy dose(剂量) of fear causes us to examine our situation and plan for the future. It moves us to smell the cheese and expect change. When used wisely it allows us to manage risk and make better decisions. Some fear is good.
However, what I have observed lately is a supersized, huge dose of fear that is spreading the hearts and minds of far too many people. This oversized fear is causing leaders and their organizations to either act unreasonably or to not act at all. They are either hurrying in a million different directions because of fear. In both cases, fear is leading them to take the negative road to failure.
The answer is the positive road paved (铺满) with faith and a belief that your best days are not behind you but ahead of you. With this belief you make the right choices and actions today that will create your positive future tomorrow. You stay calm, focused and committed to your purpose. You look for ways to save money and cut costs without making unreasonable fear-based decisions that sacrifice(牺牲) your future success. You identify opportunities in the midst of the challenges and you focus on solutions instead of problems.
Your faith and belief in a positive future leads to powerful actions today. The future has not happened yet and you have a say in what it looks like by the way you think and act. Fear or Faith. The choice is yours.
1. According to the passage, we can know that ________.| A．both Fear and Faith trust something in the future |
| B．Fear and Faith have nothing in common |
| C．neither negative nor positive future will happen |
| D．people usually choose to believe in the positive future |
| A．We must choose either a positive or negative road |
| B．We should choose the positive road |
| C．We usually choose the negative road |
| D．Our belief about the future depends on our choice |
| A．have the best days ahead of us | B．be committed to saving money |
| C．stay away from any challenges | D．take powerful actions today |
| A．Fear is closely related to faith. |
| B．We should have faith in a positive future. |
| C．Life is full of fear and faith. |
| D．Wrong decisions sacrifice our future success. |
