Misery by Stephen King (1987)
On my first tour at 23, I bought Misery for one of countless flights. I found myself onstage thinking, occasionally, “This is an enjoyable and exciting experience, but I can’t wait to get back to the hotel to read the next chapter.” The film doesn’t do justice to the original suspense (悬念) of King’s novel. It made me a reader for life.
The Day After Tomorrow by Allan Folsom (2008)
All of Folsom’s novels are worth your time, but his first, which is totally unrelated to the movie of the same name, is the most entertaining work of fiction I know. You’re attracted from the first chapter, taken on a ride of action and passion right to the last jaw-dropping sentence.
As a Man Thinketh by James Allen (1903)
I’ve gifted this to countless friends. A century before Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret came this brilliant exposition of how thoughts influence quality of life. It’s a life-changing 64 pages. I always keep it in my bag when I travel and on my nightstand at home. I consider it my Bible (圣经).
America’s Reluctant Prince by Steven Gillon (2019)
This bio (自传), written by a longtime friend of John F. Kennedy Jr., was a great companion during my tour in 2019. As someone with thorough knowledge of and deep affection for his subject, Gillon skillfully walks the line between exposure and respect.
1. Which book first led the author into the world of reading?| A．Misery. | B．The Day After Tomorrow. |
| C．As a Man Thinketh. | D．America’s Reluctant Prince. |
| A．likes fiction stories most. | B．regards The Secret as his Bible. |
| C．enjoys some reading while traveling. | D．hopes to find a companion in his tour. |
| A．To compare several best sellers. | B．To share some books worth reading. |
| C．To explore the value of reading. | D．To introduce some famous novelists. |
相似题推荐
In Ghana, dinner is usually from four in the afternoon to six in the evening. But there are no strict rules about time in Ghana. Whenever a guest arrives, a family offers food.
When you go to a home, the host takes you to the living room first. At this time everyone welcomes you. Then you go to the dinner room. There you wash your hands in a bowl of water. All the food is on the table.
In Ghana you usually eat with your fingers. You eat from the same dish as everyone else. But you eat from one side of the dish only. It is not polite to get food from the other side of the dish. After dinner, you wash your hands again in a bowl of water.
Most meals in Ghana have a dish called fufu. People in Ghana make fufu from the powder（粉末） of some plants. Sometimes they cut the fufu with a saw（锯） because it is very hard and like rubber（橡胶）. You must chew fufu well, or you can get sick. You eat fufu with fingers of your right hand only.
1. If you are a dinner guest to a family in Ghana, you’re first ________.
| A．told to wash your hands |
| B．taken to the dinning-room |
| C．told some strict rules about dinner |
| D．taken to the living-room |
| A．what to eat in Ghana |
| B．how much time to spend on a dinner. |
| C．the way of eating |
| D．different food at a dinner |
| A．smell | B．taste |
| C．presses with your hands | D．crush with your teeth |
| A．dinner is always at six |
| B．rules for dinner time are not strict |
| C．a family offers food only at four |
| D．you don’t have to wash your hands again after dinner. |
【推荐2】Canada is a very large country .It is the second largest country in the world .By contrast it has a very small population. There are only about 30 million people there. Most Canadians are of British or Frenchorigin, and French is an official language of Canada as well as English. About 45% of the people are of British origin, that is, they or their parents or grandparents, etc, come from British. Nearly 30% are of French origin. Most of the French –Canadians live in province of Quebec.
Over the years, people have come to live in Canada from many countries in the world. They are from many countries in the world. They are from most European countries and also from China, besides other Asian countries.
However, Canada was not an empty country when the Europeans began to arrive. Canadian Indians lived along the coast, by the rivers and lakes and in forests. Today, there are only about 350 000 Indians in the whole country, with their own languages. In the far north live the Inuit. There are only 27 000 Canadian-Inuit. Their life is hard in such a difficult climate.
1. About ________ live in Quebec.| A．35% of the French –Canadians | B．45% of the Canadians |
| C．30 000 000 people | D．8 700 000 French –Canadians |
| A．English and Chinese | B．French and English |
| C．Indian and French | D．Chinese and Inuit |
| A．血统 | B．后裔 | C．先驱 | D．猿人 |
| A．China | B．England | C．France | D．some other countries except France and Britain |
| A．There are 27 000 Canadian-Indians in Canada |
| B．More than 13 million people have come from Britain and France recent years. |
| C．There are 30% of the population whose parents or grandparents come from France |
| D．There are no people when the Europeans began to arrive in Canada |
【推荐3】The Pew report—which was based on surveys carried out in Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, Poland and the Czech Republic—concluded that the European Union was “ the new sick man of Europe”.
The percentage of Europeans with a favorable view of the EU has plunged from 60 percent last year to 45 percent now.
The UK may be considered the most Eurosceptic（欧洲怀疑论者）country, but its support for the union has barely changed in the past 12 months, slipping only two points to 43 percent.
By contrast, France’s backing for the EU has slipped sharply, from 60 percent last year to 41 percent today.
On the question of whether to remain in the EU, 46 percent of the British want to leave the union and surprisingly, the same percentage want to stay.
The Pew report’s authors said, “The long-drawn economic crisis has created bad forces that are pulling European public opinion apart, separating the French from the Germans and Germans from everyone else.”
They added, “The effort over the past half century to create a more united Europe is now the main disaster of the euro crisis. The European project now stands in a bad reputation across much of Europe.”
The only European leader rated highly by their own voters was the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, with 74 percent voters in favor of her.
Prime Minister David Cameron was the next highest with a positive score of 37 percent among the British public, although he can take some comfort from the fact that 58 percent of Poles（波兰人）and half of all French people think he is doing a good job.
In spite of the dark economic future and growing doubt of the EU, there were strong majorities of more than 60 percent in favor of keeping the euro in the five countries surveyed that use the single currency.
1. Which of the following is TRUE about the recent Pew report?| A．The UK has the smallest number of people against the EU. |
| B．There’s a slight change of the UK’s support for the EU. |
| C．More than half the Germans raise doubt about the EU. |
| D．A vast majority of French people are in favor of the EU. |
| A．The British are divided equally | B．few British want to stay |
| C．half British want to leave | D．many British don’t care about it |
Germany?
| A．Enthusiastic. | B．Optimistic. |
| C．Negative. | D．Neutral. |
| A．Only a score of 37 percent of Britons go against him. |
| B．Many of the Poles and French think well of him. |
| C．More than 60 percent of the Europeans are in favor of keeping the euro. |
| D．Angela Merkel has 74 percent voters supporting her. |
【推荐1】WELCOM
Welcome to Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. Windsor is one of the official residences(住所)of the Queen, who sometimes stays here.
Audio tours
Free audio tours are available on leaving the Admission Centre at the start of your visit. There is a descriptive audio tour for blind and poor-sighted visitors.
Guided tours
Visitors can explore the history of the Castle through a tour of the Precincts with an expert guide. Tours depart at regular intervals throughout the day from the Courtyard and finish at the entrance to the State Apartments.
Visitors with children
For those visiting with children, a special family tour and various activities are offered during school holidays and at weekends. Please note that, for safely reasons, pushchairs are not allowed in the State Apartments. However, baby carriers are available to borrow.
St George’s Chapel
Visitors arriving at the Castle after 15：00 from March to October are advised to visit St George’s Chapel first before it closes.
Shopping
Shops offer a wide range of souvenirs designed for the Royal Collection, including books, postcards, china, jewelry, and children’s toys. Please ask at the Middle Ward shop about our home delivery service.
Refreshments
Bottled water can be bought from the Courtyard and Middle Ward shops. From April to September ice cream is also available. Visitors wishing to leave the Castle for refreshments in the town may get re-entry permits from the castle shops. Eating and drinking are not permitted in the State Apartments or St George’s Chapel.
Photography and mobile phones
Non-commercial photography and filming are welcomed in the Castle. Photography, video recording and filming are not allowed inside the State Apartments or St George’s Chapel in consideration of other visitors.
Security
As Windsor Castle is a working royal(皇家的) palace, visitors and their belongings should get through airport-style security checks. For safety and security reasons a one-way system operates along the visitor route.
1. A visitor can apply for a free audio tour _________.| A．in the Courtyard | B．at the Admission Center |
| C．in the State Apartments | D．at St George’s Chapel |
| A．A security guard. | B．A pushchair. |
| C．A baby carrier. | D．A free toy. |
| A．Visitors eating outside St George’s Chapel. |
| B．Visitors buying gifts in the castle shops. |
| C．Visitors buying water or ice cream from the Courtyard. |
| D．Visitors wishing to leave the Castle for refreshments. |
| A．To stop them from bothering others. |
| B．To ensure the safety of the Castle. |
| C．To ensure the safety of others. |
| D．To stop them from recording or filming videos. |
| A．still being built[ks5 |
| B．where the Queen usually works |
| C．still used by the royal family |
| D．where works of art are on show |
【推荐2】We always hear that texting, which refers to the communicative practice of sending brief messages on cell phones or other personal digital devices, is a disaster. The idea is that texting leads to the fall of writing ability among young people because it is full of informal language. As a matter of fact, it isn’t true. In order to see that texting is actually a whole new way of writing that young people are developing, we have to look at what language really is.
Basically, if we think about language, it has existed(存在)for centuries, and it appears as speech. W. talked. That’s what we’re probably genetically determined. That’s how we use language most. Writing is something that came along much later. But writing has its advantage, When you write, you can make the content smooth, colorful and elegant with language, which is much less likely if you’re just talking. It is because writing is a conscious(有意识的)process and you can look backwards.
Informal speech is something quite different. Linguists have actually shown that when we’re speaking informally in an unmonitored way, we tend to speak in words 7 to 10 as a group. You’ll notice this if you ever have an occasion for recording yourself or a group of people talking. That’s what speech is like. Speech is much looser and less reflective(反思的)-very different from writing.
Texting is a new way of writing, because texters use writing skills before texting. People will process information in more creative uses of language during texting. When they use informal language in their texts, many understand there are different communicative situations. They try shortening language for correct spelling of a word or a phrase. Texting also allows texters much time to form their thoughts and provides many opportunities for them to revise their ideas Moreover, texting positively exercises texters’ rhetorical(修醇的)skills. Since texts are written in various styles, people must know how to match the style of a text with its message.
Now we have an overall understanding of texting.
1. How does writing differ from speech?| A．It came before talking. | B．It is an unconscious process. |
| C．Its style is less strict. | D．It can be improved again and again. |
| A．Stricter. | B．Richer. | C．Freer. | D．Harder. |
| A．What is speech exactly. |
| B．How texters learn to write. |
| C．How texters send message successfully. |
| D．The relationship between writing and texting. |
| A．It is another form of writing. | B．It is less reflective. |
| C．It is the same as speaking. | D．It is a disaster. |
【推荐3】Birthday card history is said to be over a hundred years old. There is no record to tell us who sent or received the first birthday card but it is said that the tradition of sending birthday cards began in England a century ago. In those times people used to personally greet a person on a birthday, but when a well-wisher was unable to do so he sent a birthday card. Thus birthday cards were more like an apology at that time.
History of greeting cards can be traced back to the ancient Chinese who are said to have started the tradition of sending goodwill messages on New Year Day. Early Egyptians too are believed to have made used papyrus scrolls（纸莎草纸画卷）to send greetings to dear ones. During early 1400 the tradition of exchanging handmade paper greeting cards developed in Europe while Germans at that time were known to have printed New Year's greetings from woodcuts. The advancement in printing technology in 1850s helped to make greeting cards more affordable. No wonder, they soon became popular means of personal communication. During the 1980s non-event cards or the cards not made for any particular occasion became popular and helped card industry reach a new high.
Greeting cards have taken a new form in this present age of Internet technology. Today, they are being increasingly exchanged as electronic or e-greeting cards. Advancement in technology that began in the 1990s has led to a further growth in card industry. People find it easier to send e-cards as a means of exchanging greetings.
Greeting cards are an important means of communicating good wishes and love to a person. They carry a personal touch that makes them lovable and very special.
1. What is the function of the birthday card in England a century ago?| A．To send good wishes. |
| B．To present a personal greeting. |
| C．To make an apology. |
| D．To work as a birthday present. |
| A．the British | B．the Chinese |
| C．the Egyptians | D．the Germans |
| A．The tradition of sending goodwill messages. |
| B．The invention of handmade paper. |
| C．The advancement in printing technology. |
| D．The development in Internet technology. |
| A．The History of Greeting Cards |
| B．The Importance of Birthday Cards |
| C．The Function of Birthday Cards |
| D．The Tradition of Sending Greeting Cards |
