Across America, libraries used to reach out to readers by sending bookmobiles into school parking lots, street corners and rural byways (侧道). Now, those rolling reading rooms are becoming fewer.
One town in northern New England just lost its bookmobile. The Cobleigh Public Library in Lyndonville, Vt., had managed to keep its van (有蓬货车) rolling until about a month ago, when it died.
If you want to hear first-hand what it’s like to go through a whole month without a single visit from the bookmobile, just ask the preschoolers at a daycare centre.
“We miss the bookmobile,” one child says. “Yeah, we miss the bookmobile until it comes here,” says another.
Now that the bookmobile has broken down, librarians have to bring books in their own cars for story hour. Daycare provider Anneka Bickford says it’s not as exciting as having a big, brightly painted van roll into the driveway and open its doors so the kids can choose their own books.
“It’s getting the children involved with what a library is, how to check out books and how to return books,” Bickford says. “They would do programs with the children; singing, dancing, themes—so it’s the excitement of the library that we can’t give to the children.”
It’s not the first bookmobile to bite the dust. Over the years, Vermont’s large number has reduced to three or four. Lyndonville’s head librarian, Cindy Karasinski, says replacement costs have risen quickly.
“New bookmobiles are expensive; just one of them costs $90,000,” she says, “so that seems not the way we are going to go.” Sadly, Karasinksi says, money that used to support bookmobiles has nearly dried up.
However, not everyone hopes the Cobleigh bookmobile gets a second chance. Some in town feel the bookmobile has served its purpose and become a financial burden (财政负担).
1. What’re bookmobiles? (no more than 5 words)2. What can kids do with the help of bookmobiles in the opinion of Anneka Bickford? (no more than 15 words) .
3. What does the underlined phrase “bite the dust” in Paragraph 7 most probably mean? (no more than 5 words)
4. What leads to the disappearance of bookmobiles? (no more than 10 words)
5. What’s your own opinion on bookmobiles according to the passage? (no more than 25 words)
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【推荐1】If you’ve ever needed an excuse to bury yourself in a really good book, now is the time, 2021 is filled with page-turners, must-reads and novels with beautiful sentences. That’s why we’ve rounded up our favorite stories of the new year. If it’s out now, get your copy; if not, get ready to pre-order.
Outlawed
Price: $26. 00, $18. 18 (30%off)
Welcome to the new feminist (女权主义) world. Anna North’s western novel follows Ada, a 17-year-old who has to run away from her town after she’s unable to get pregnant (怀孕) a year into marriage. It features everything you have ever wanted in a read: strange cowgirls, a group of feminist outlaws and more.
The Push
Price: $26. 00, $16. 16 (38%off)
Nothing like a psychological thriller to kick off a new year that is hopefully not as psychologically disturbing as last year. In Aslhley Audrain’s fiction, a new mother begins to doubt not all is right with her baby.
The Wife Upstairs
Price: $27. 99, $19. 09 (32%off)
This modern adaptation of Jane Eyre trades in Gothic mystery for southern secrecy. In Rachel Hawkins’ latest page turner, expect the romance you love in the original tale with all the modern features.
Aftershocks
Price: $26. 00, $16. 86 (35% off)
This one is actually not a fiction book, but we couldn’t not include—it’s that good. Nadia Owusu’s powerful memoir (回忆录) tells her childhood and perhaps an even more meaningful journey, the one to self-discovery.
1. Which of the following books is the cheapest after the discount?A.Aftershocks. | B.Outlawed. |
C.The Push. | D.The Wife Upstairs. |
A.Nadia Owusu. | B.Rachel Hawkins. |
C.Anna North. | D.Ashley Audrain. |
A.It is adapted from Jane Eyre. |
B.It is a thriller about a mother and her baby. |
C.It is a western novel about a feminist. |
D.It tells a writer’s self-discovery journey. |
【推荐2】Here are some of the best nonfiction books of recent years.
Somebody’s Daughter
$ 16 at Amazon
Ashley C. Ford talks about growing up as a black girl in Indiana, dealing with poverty, the complexities of adolescence, and a tense relationship with her mother. She often wished that she could express her feelings with her father, but failed for reasons she didn’t know. Until one day — after going through a heart-broken experience with a boy, which she kept from her family — her grandmother told her. And what she learned turned her entire world upside down.
Crazy Stories About Racism
$ 14 at Amazon
New York-based comedian Amber Ruffin, along with her sister Lacey Lamar, shares their everyday experiences about their bad conditions. It gets especially bad for Lacey who still lives in their home state of Nebraska, and is a start for these ridiculous but all-too-real encounters (遭遇).
A Swim in a Pond in the Rain
$ 25 at Amazon
If you want to get in touch with your creative side, this book might just be the trick. As the title suggests, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain is a literary master class that takes readers into the mind of Booker Prize-winning author George Saunders. He discusses what makes great stories, how they work, and what they say about ourselves and today’s world.
All In
$ 21 at Amazon
Sports legend Billie Jean King writes a self-portrait that talks about the highs and lows of her amazing tennis career, her work in activism, and the ongoing fight for social justice and equality.
1. What is special about Somebody’s Daughter?A.It tells a girl’s relationship with parents. | B.It tells a confused girl. |
C.It tells a girl’s education. | D.It describes a girl’s secret. |
A.The steps of writing a good story. | B.The secret of George Saunders’ success. |
C.The situations of the present society. | D.Experiences of swimming in a pond. |
A.All In. | B.Somebody’s Daughter. |
C.A Swim in a Pond in the Rain. | D.Crazy Stories About Racism. |
【推荐3】Here’s a list of 4 books that I think are not only helpful but important for today’s teenagers. These books contain powerful stories and practical concepts for critical thinking.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Eventually, every teen will have to come to terms with suffering and loneliness. This book shows how to approach even the most challenging trials of life. Angelou’s memoir of her childhood is heartbreaking, but the strength of her spirit and her optimism and hope help readers make sense of life. Maya shows us that it’s possible to develop something inside that can shine brightly, even in the darkest night.
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
This book highlights a very uncomfortable truth about life:if you want to create something, you will face many roadblocks. Whether it’s naysayers, self-doubt, or laziness, there are lots of things that will keep us from doing what we long to do. Pressfield helps us easily and clearly identify the enemy of creativity, and outlines a battle plan to defeat this enemy within.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
This is very nearly the perfect book for teenagers and a classic American novel. The story is told with such goodness (and warmth and humor) that it’s nearly universally loved. It is so powerfully written that it can actually achieve something unbelievable in its readers: it can build empathy for the “other”. And if there’s one thing teens need in today’s world, it’s more empathy.
Essentialism by Greg McKeown
Do you ever feel busy but not productive? Essentialism shows you how to achieve the pursuit of less. The pursuit of less allows us to regain control of our own choices so we can channel our time, energy, and effort into making the highest possible contribution toward the goals and activities that matter.
1. Which of the following is based on the author’s own life?A.Essentialism. | B.The War of Art. |
C.To Kill a Mockingbird. | D.I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. |
A.To show how to make a battle plan. |
B.To explain why being creative is important. |
C.To show how to break through one’s blocks. |
D.To explain why one should stay away from naysayers. |
A.Harper Lee’s. | B.Maya Angelou’s. |
C.Greg McKeown’s. | D.Steven Pressfield’s. |
【推荐1】Here's the nine o'clock news.
Prime Minister Abdul Krim of Syria (叙利亚) has said that the danger of war in the Middle East is greater now than in the past two years. His country does not want war, he says, but the Syrian people have waited too long for an end to the troubles with their neighbours. If war comes, says Mr Krim, Syria will be ready.
Ben Kitson, the writer of stories and plays for children, died at his home in California. Mr Kitson was 82. His most famous book of stories, The Gentleman’s House, sold all over the world, in more than twenty-five languages.
Policemen in New York have stopped work. Their leader, Mr Paulo Angeli, says that they will return to work only when they receive more money for working long hours and doing what Mr Angeli calls “the most dangerous job in the city”.
It has been a good year on the farm. The warm, wet spring and the fine summer have been very good for all kinds of food plants. This means that fruit and vegetables will cost less in the shops this year.And now it's time for“Morning Music”.
1. Abdul Krim has said that ______.A.there is no danger of war in the Middle East. |
B.it is more possible for war to happen now. |
C.the danger of war passed two years ago. |
D.there has been a danger of war for the past two years. |
A.a book Mr Kitson wrote in many languages. |
B.the name of Mr Kitson’s house in California. |
C.the name of Mr Kitson’s most famous book. |
D.a play that Mr Kitson wrote for children. |
A.the most dangerous policeman in New York. |
B.a policeman who receives more money for working longer hours. |
C.the head of the police in New York. |
D.a policeman who leads the strike. |
【推荐2】How Much to Tip
You’re out to dinner. The food is delicious and the service is fine. You decide to leave a big fat tip. Why? The answer may not be as simple as you think. Tipping, psychologists have found, is not just about service. Instead, studies have shown that tipping can be affected by psychological reactions to a series of different factors from the waiter’s choice of words, to how they carry themselves while taking orders, to the bill’s total. Even how much waiters remind customers of themselves can determine how much change they pocket by the end of the night. “Studies before have shown that mimicry brings into positive feelings for the mimicker,” wrote Rick van Barren, a social psychology professor. “There studies show that people who are being mimicked become more generous toward the person who mimics thorn.”
So, Rick van Barren divided 59 waiters into two groups. He requested that half serve with a phrase such as “Coming up!” Those in the other half were instructed to repeat to orders and preferences back to the customers. Rick van Barren then compared their take home. The results were clear-it plays to mimic your customers . The copycat waiters earned almost double the number of tips to the other group.
Leonard Green and Joe Myerson, psychologists at Washington University in St. Louis found the generosity of a tipper may be limited by his bill. After research on the 1,000 tips left for waiters, cab drivers, hair stylists, they found tip percentages in these three areas dropped as customers ‘bills went up. In fact , tip percentages appear to plateau when bills topped $100 and a bill for $200 made the worker gain no bigger percentage tip than a hill for $100 .
“That’s also a point of tipping,” Green says. “You have to give a little extra to the cab driver for being there to pack you up and something to the waiter for being there to serve you. If they weren’t there, you’d never get any service. So, part of the idea of a tip is for just being there .”
1. How many factors affecting the customers’ tipping are mentioned in the passage?A.1 | B.2 | C.3 | D.4 |
A.tipping can be affected by physical reactions to many different waiter’s factors |
B.people who are being mimicked usually tip less to the person who mimics them |
C.the mimic waiters can get almost twice as much money as the other group |
D.mimicry makes the mimicker feel bad |
A. | B. |
C. | D. |
A.object to Mr. Green’s idea about tipping |
B.think part of Mr. Green’s explanation is reasonable |
C.give his generous tip to waiters very often |
D.support the opinions of Mr. Green and Rick van Barren about tipping |
【推荐3】David Lansdale has found a way to light up the lives of the elderly. He gets them wired to the Internet. “If you hit your enter key, it will bring up this particular e-mail . . .”
Pauline Allen is one of those who have started using the Internet, “I thought I was through with life, I was ready for a rocking chair, because I was 86 years old. And I haven’t found the rocking chair yet.” “You found the keyboard?” asks the reporter. “That’s right, I found the keyboard.”
The average age of Lansdale’s students is around 68. All are in nursing or assisted care homes. He used family relationships to introduce them to the World Wide Web.
David Lansdale says, “Here they are in California, and the family was back in New York. The opportunity to connect, to cross the time and space, was incredibly precious to them.”
“I hear you are so beautiful.” Lillian Sher writes an e-mail to a newborn great-granddaughter. Working with one another, the senior learn as a group. They learn to master the Internet and to overcome loneliness, helplessness, boredom, and loss of memory.
Mary Harvey says, “Bingo just doesn’t interest me. But this does, believe me, this does.”
Ruth Hyman, 94, is a star pupil and instructor. She says, “When I send a letter to my grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, they hang it up in their offices, just like I used to hang their drawings on my refrigerator. Ha, ha”
David Lansdale says, “There’s a collective benefit. There is an element of treatment. Remember we started as a support group.”
Dixon Moorehouse says, “I just wish I were 15 years old and getting to learn all this.” The senior call their weekly meetings Monday Night Live. And many say the meetings have given them new life.”
Ruth Hyman says, “Three years ago, they told me I wasn’t going to live. But I showed them, and got work, and I’ve worked ever since.”
1. The purpose of David Landsdale’s work is to ________ .A.maintain the mental health of the senior |
B.popularize the use of computers among the old |
C.organize the senior as a group to work |
D.help the senior connect with their families |
A.Four. | B.Six. | C.Five. | D.Seven. |
A.in order not to lose the letters | B.in order not to forget something important |
C.to make the offices more beautiful | D.to show pride in their grandmother’s work |