Criticism is judgment. A critic is a judge. A judge must study and think about the material presented to him, accept it, correct it or reject it after thinking over what he has read, watched or heard.
Another word for criticism is appreciation. When I criticize or appreciate some object or another, I look for its good points and bad points. In reading any printed or written matter, I always have a pencil in hand and put any comments in the book or on a separate paper. In other words, I always talk back to the writer.
That sort of critical reading might well be called creative reading because I am thinking along with the author, asking him questions, seeing whether he answers the questions and how well he answers them. I mark the good passages to store them in my memory and ask myself about every other part and about the complete piece of writing; where, how and why could or should I improve upon it?
You might think that doing what I suggested is work. Yes, it is, but the work is a pleasure because I can feel my brain expanding, my emotion reacting and my way of living change.
Reading exercises is a great influence on a person. If pictures, still or moving, accompany the reading, the memory will retain the material for a long time.
Just as evil books can corrupt, so also can good books gradually work a change on a corrupt person.
Let's get back to the beneficial effects of thinking while reading. It helps us to enlarge our minds. We understand more about the universe, its people and many of its wonders. We learn to think and observe in new ways. We certainly do get a feeling for the language we are reading. All good writers in any language have been readers who read critically and continuously.
1. According to the writer, creative reading is ________.| A．raising questions and answering them for the author |
| B．reading and giving comments on the materials one has read |
| C．thinking in the same line with the author |
| D．storing up facts in one's memory |
| A．asks what he does not understand |
| B．talks back to the author |
| C．understand the background on which the works are based |
| D．looks for the good and bad points of the material he has read |
| A．following one's thought closely | B．accepting |
| C．considering | D．agreeing |
| A．understand more about their surrounding than others. |
| B．have a thorough insight to the problem in life. |
| C．have the feeling of the language they read. |
| D．have read extensively(广泛地) and critically |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】A few years ago，my younger sister and I were the first to board our flight for Norfolk，Virginia. Just as we were about to board the plane，a mechanic came out of the aircraft and blocked the door with his arms. He turned to the flight attendant and hurriedly stated，“We got problems！”
I thought to myself，“Why did I have to be the one to hear that？Why couldn't I have been at the back of the line？I didn't need to know that！”Very soon we were back in the terminal，waiting，and then finally back on the plane. I waited for the pilot to give an explanation. Pilots take courses to ease passengers' mind，right？They know what to say to calm nerves.
Unfortunately，I didn't think this pilot took that course. Soon his voice thundered throughout the plane，"Sorry for the delay，ladies and gentlemen. We had no power on the plane. We have a generator on the ground right now，and we're going to jump---start the engines. Once we get them going，we'll get up in the air and head to Norfolk，and see what happens. ”
See what happens？We were going to get up in the air，and see what happens？Couldn't we have another plan，one that's been worked out just a little better？
At this point，all I could do was to laugh nervously. One woman started yelling，“Oh no！We're going to crash！”There were sighs of desperation and anxiety spreading throughout the cabin. Finally，we got up in the air thirty minutes later，and what happened？
Nothing--other than thrust（推力）and lift. We arrived in Norfolk，and no sooner had the wheels touched the ground than a round of applause burst out，as everyone throughout the airplane breathed a sigh of relief at the same time.
Although，I did sincerely like to have a plan better than “see what happens" worked out when flying--it really isn't such a bad life strategy. Success will never be guaranteed. The best thing you can do is just get up in the air，and see what happens. Sometimes adjustments would be made in the air，or shall we say，in the middle of the process.
1. The purpose of the text is to_____________.| A．introduce a frightening flight experience |
| B．prove that taking a plane is dangerous |
| C．show a way of making plans |
| D．tell readers a life strategy |
| A．The mechanic explained the problems to the passengers. |
| B．The pilot said nothing to calm the passengers. |
| C．The passengers arrived in Norfolk safely. |
| D．The flight was delayed for half an hour. |
| A．felt desperate and anxious |
| B．stood up and started yelling |
| C．waited calmly for the problems to be solved |
| D．complained about the mechanic's carelessness |
| A．some passenger were sleeping all the way on the plane |
| B．the passengers arrived in their destination safely as planned |
| C．the author and his younger sister were the last to board the plane |
| D．the passengers clapped their hands once the plane landed safely |
| A．To ensure success, don't get started before you've got everything ready. |
| B．To avoid repeating failure, give yourself all the reasons why you can't. |
| C．To set up a business, don't wait until you have everything you need. |
| D．To achieve success, try to prepare for the worst. |
【推荐2】My best friend travelled to stay with my family last weekend. when she arrived, she went straight to the kitchen and, without asking, ate some dried fruit. She wasn’t being rude. I knew she would do this. We’ve known each other for almost 20 years. She can eat anything she wants from my kitchen. Indeed, I bought her favorite fruits and snacks at the shop that morning.
Our long weekend together was simple. I was recovering from surgery and couldn't go to shopping malls, We passed the time running errands（差事）, but there's never been a quiet moment. We’ve lived in different cities for almost a decade, Reunions demand conversation.
Our personalities are matched, to be sure，and a shared history is indescribably（难以形容地）valuable. We were competitors at high school before bonding. Then we discovered the many interests that we had in common. Our friendship developed itself quickly. We stayed companions and supported each other through law school and through our first jobs. Ours is a friendship for the ages.
There is something special about friends who know everything about you. They are rare. They have seen your bright lights of achievements, the depths of desperation（绝望的境地）and the boring routine of the in-between. It's special to unpack feelings without wasting time filling in the blanks. As my long weekend shows, with such friends we don't have to “do”, but we simply have to “be”. We drop the act, the performance, the public version of ourselves, The special friendships are those which never fail to delight, whose continuation is worth the extra effort, despite distance and difference in our separate lives. I had the very great joy of this reminder last weekend. I'm lucky to have found this friend, and to see a future where her companionship remains. Being together is perfection.
1. What can we infer from Para. 2?| A．They talked constantly about their lives. | B．They enjoyed running errands. |
| C．They had a noisy weekend | D．They quarreled at times. |
| A．They help each other achieve in their fields |
| B．They’re best friends despite different hobbies |
| C．They inspire each other to be their best selves. |
| D．They' re comfortable just being themselves |
| A．Real friends are easy to make |
| B．Good friendships need devotion |
| C．Special friendships may fail to delight. |
| D．Distance and difference bring friendship |
| A．To express thanks to her best friend |
| B．To share the friendship she treasures. |
| C．To describe what her best friend is like |
| D．To explain how she offers help to her friend |
On the outside was a dark-skinned young man in his early twenties．His expressive brown eyes met and held mine, and in the next instant a beautiful, bright smile covered his face．I gave in immediately．The power of that broad smile dissolved all bitterness within me, and I felt the muscles in my own face happily responding．
“Beautiful day, isn’t it?” I remarked, in passing．Then I turned back． “I really owe you a debt of thanks,” I said softly．
His smile deepened, but he made no attempt to answer．A Mexican woman and two men were standing nearby．The woman stepped forward and volunteered, “Sir, but he doesn't speak English．Do you want me to tell him something?” In that moment I felt transformed．The young man's smile had made a big person of me．My friendliness and good will toward all mankind stand ten feet tall．
“Yes,” my reply was enthusiastic and sincere, “tell him I said, ‘Thank you’!”
“Thank you?” The woman seemed slightly puzzled．
I gave her arm a friendly pat as I turned to leave． “Just tell him that,” I insisted. “He'll understand．I am sure!”.
Oh, what a smile can do! Although I have never seen that young man again, I shall never forget the lesson he taught me that morning．From that day on, I became smile-conscious, and I practice the art diligently anywhere and everywhere, with everybody．
1. Why did the author leave the store angrily?
| A．He couldn't buy what he wanted. |
| B．The clerk treated him unkindly. |
| C．The clerk didn't speak English. |
| D．The store's goods were too dear. |
| A．he smiled back at the young man |
| B．he did not want to smile |
| C．he would thank the young man |
| D．he was still in a bad mood |
| A．had helped the author before |
| B．taught the author how to smile |
| C．taught the author a valuable lesson |
| D．was a kind employee of the store |
| A．be generous to strangers |
| B．practice smiling every day |
| C．help people in trouble |
| D．smile at other people |
【推荐1】When I was forced to put up with my son’s sense of humor, which included turning every word he read onto his family members, the search was on. Could I, as a supportive and patient parent I attempt to be, find a right book for my son? A book that encourages my son to tell a joke that won’t have his mouth washed out with soap? I had to admit I wasn’t confident.
Now, I have a book Jake the Fake Keeps It Real at hand. In fact, Jake is not a perfect kid. The first book in the series, Jake the Fake Keeps It Real, opens with Jake’s explaining how he cheated on the admission of an arts and music academy for gifted kids.
So when Jake realizes that to fit in at art school, he has to come up with some strange ideas, I almost died laughing. Not only did I think that was funny, so did my son. As a matter of fact, Jake the Fake Keeps It Real turned out to be a great distraction (使人分心的事物) from my son’s being disrespectfully funny. And I would rather my son imitate Jake by chewing (咀嚼) the same piece of gum for six hours and then writing a play about it.
I succeeded in one thing: Finding a fittingly funny role model for my son.
The end of the book, chapter 13, where Jake, no-talented, has to perform in the school talent show (obviously if you blow it, you have to quit school and work on a fishing boat). Jake sits down at the piano and knows he can’t do it, so he stands up from the piano.
Here’s where the book really wins my son’s heart for life, because maybe one day, my son might say, as Jake says after his mother praises his talent show appearance and hugs him tightly, “She’s pretty cool sometimes, my mom.”
1. How did the author find her son’s humour?| A．Suitable. | B．Impolite. | C．Interesting. | D．Boring. |
| A．A gifted kid. | B．An honest boy. |
| C．The author’s son. | D．A character in a novel. |
| A．Ignore. | B．Defeat. | C．Copy. | D．Entertain. |
| A．He would be a good fisherman. | B．He would devote himself to music. |
| C．He might ask his teacher to forgive him. | D．He might be punished for his mistake. |
【推荐2】Fact or Fiction?
Non-fiction can be broken down into many categories. One category is literary non-fiction, which is still based in fact but employs some of the storytelling elements that fiction uses. Literary non-fiction includes a type of autobiography(自传) called memoir. Memoir most often focuses on a certain period of the author’s life. It is, by definition, rooted in truth. Still, people sometimes question whether memoir should be categorized as non-fiction at all.
As non-fiction, memoir is intended to be factual. Is this really the case, though, considering memoir relies on human memory? One classic study, led by psychologist Elizabeth Loftus, showed how easily an interviewer’s choice of wording can influence an eyewitness’s account of a traffic accident. It is therefore reasonable to wonder whether memoir should continue to be branded as non-fiction.
Certainly, human memory can be unreliable. However, a memoir author is undoubtedly writing about significant and impactful life events. Memories of such events are actually more reliable than others. Studies show that the more influential an event is, the more accurately people recall the details. As an emotionally charged event unfolds, the brain activity changes in a way that amplifies small details. This activity helps build a more precise and accurate memory.
Of course the brain is not a camera that can “save” any memory with perfect accuracy. But if memoir is questionable due to the imperfections of the human mind, then critics will have to tackle non-fiction more broadly. All writers are using their memories when they create, and moreover, they are relying on the memories of others. Journalists conduct interviews to tell a news story and history writers depend on the accuracy of accounts from long ago. Yet they all rightfully fall under the umbrella of non-fiction.
Some people may doubt memoir not because they mistrust human memory, but because they mistrust the author’s morality. Critics may suspect an author of making up events. However, there is no reason to be suspicious of memoir author’s intentions. Writing a factual memoir that appeals to readers has the potential to be profitable for the author, and there is no motivation for a memoir writer to knowingly change or beautify the truth.
Looking beyond the author’s own life events, memoir can inform readers about the world in the same way that other non-fiction can. Memoir has a way of relaying facts about anything from an occupation to brief fashion trends, all of it meaningful to the author.
1. The author introduces the topic in Paragraph 1 by _____ .| A．illustrating why it is important to talk about memoir |
| B．listing some interesting facts and features of memoir |
| C．defining key terms that are discussed later in the passage |
| D．making a comparison between autobiography and memoir |
| A．Collects. | B．Ignores. |
| C．Enlarges. | D．Absorbs. |
| A．critics argue that a news story by a journalist is fiction |
| B．a memoir author’s memory can be influenced by the interviewees |
| C．memoir can’t show readers facts about what an author experienced |
| D．emotional moments can cause the creation of more detailed memories |
| A．the most profitable memoirs are those shown to be the most factual |
| B．many authors are untrustworthy, although many memoirs are fact-based |
| C．memoir is rightfully categorized under the umbrella of literary non-fiction |
| D．memory is too unreliable for memoir to be considered a type of non-fiction |
A charge made against fairy tales is that they harm the child by frightening him or making him sad thinking. To prove the latter, one would have to show in a controlled experiment that children who have read fairy stories were more often sorry for cruelty than those who had not. As to fears, there are, I think, some cases of children being dangerously terrified by some fairy story. Often, however, this arises from the child having heard the story once. Familiarity with the story by repetition turns the pain of fear into the pleasure of a fear faced and mastered.
There are also people who object to fairy stories on the grounds that they are not objectively true, that giants, witches, two-headed dragons, magic carpets, etc. do not exist; and that, instead of being fond of the strange side in fairy tales, the child should be taught to learn the reality by studying history. I find such people, I must say so peculiar that I do not know how to argue with them. If their case were sound, the world should be full of mad men attempting to fly from New York to Philadelphia on a stick or covering a telephone with kisses in the belief that it was their beloved girlfriend.
No fairy story ever declared to be a description of the real world and no clever child has ever believed that it was.
1. The author considers that a fairy story is more effective when it is ________.
| A．repeated without any change | B．treated as a joke |
| C．made some changes by the parent | D．set in the present |
| A．in a realistic setting | B．heard for the first time |
| C．repeated too often | D．told in a different way |
| A．makes them less fearful |
| B．develops their power of memory |
| C．makes them believe there is nothing to be afraid of |
| D．encourages them not to have strange beliefs |
| A．fairy stories are still being made up |
| B．there is some misunderstanding about fairy tales |
| C．people try to modernize old fairy stories |
| D．there is more concern for children's fears nowadays |
| A．they are full of imagination |
| B．they just make up the stories which are far from the truth |
| C．they are not interesting |
| D．they make teachers of history difficult to teach |
【推荐1】It was winter but people were everywhere in London at the weekend. They were in T-shirts or sandals (凉鞋). Monday was another warm day, without a cloud in the sky, and in the late afternoon the light took on a magical, honey-coloured color. It brought to mind one of those summer evenings you experienced in childhood, when you’d be in the park all day and your parents let you stay out until bedtime, and you felt like you were doing something deliciously naughty just by being there.
It wasn’t early summer: it was February. And the entire developed world has been attacking the global ecosystem (全球生态系统) for many years, and that’s how we go into this pickle.
We should try to hold on to this fact that this is not supposed to be happening. Less than a month ago, there was a video of extreme ( 极 端 的 ) cold weather coming out of Chicago. Water poured from cups immediately froze on its way to the ground. OK, that was on the other side of the world, and its temperature was- 11℃ then.
On Monday, though, the temperature hit 20.3℃ in Ceredigion, West Wales: the highest February temperature ever recorded in Britain and the first time the temperature had reached 20℃ in winter.
This isn’t good, is it? The 10 hottest years on record have all happened within the past 20 years, the five hottest were the last five. Yet the beaches and the beer gardens fill up, while the papers describe the weather as wonderful. There were those who gave in to the heat wave a little too easily. They let themselves forget it was winter and found themselves, when the sun went down and the temperature dropped, suddenly shaking and unprepared for the cold. It feels uncomfortably like a symbol.
1. What does the author want to do in the first paragraph?| A．To introduce a beautiful summer. |
| B．To encourage kids to play outside. |
| C．To share his daily activities with us. |
| D．To describe the scene of a warm winter. |
| A．Daily activity. | B．Unusual place. |
| C．Difficult situation. | D．Quick development. |
| A．To compare it with that of London. |
| B．To attract more people to Chicago. |
| C．To show it is well-known for an online video. |
| D．To encourage more people to post videos online. |
| A．The author hoped people stayed indoors. |
| B．The author worries about global warming. |
| C．The papers misled the public in weather reports. |
| D．The papers asked the public to prepare for the cold. |
【推荐2】In the 1960s and 1970s, the greatest fear was that the human race, and possibly all advanced life forms on the planet, could be wiped out by nuclear missiles. Today, however, environmental problems have taken over as the greatest risk to life on Earth. Scientists are thinking of ways to lower this risk, such as replacing coal and oil with forms of renewable energy. But they are also preparing for the worst: what can we do if the terrifying scenes in films such as The Day After Tomorrow happen in real life? What is our plan B for Earth?
One option is to explore other planets to see if we could live on them. The most likely choice is Mars, which is relatively close to Earth and has an environment less hostile than that of other planets. Mars has fascinated people since ancient times, and today our interest in Martian exploration is greater than ever before. Besides, more governments are making efforts to educate the public on the Red Planet.
There is no doubt that humankind is drawn towards Mars. However, sending people there will require all the skill, courage and intelligence. While the Moon can be reached within days, it would take months to reach Mars, travelling through dangerous solar radiation. And even if the first settlers do reach Mars safely, they may not be able to return to Earth — ever. Staying alive will be a daily challenge, but as proved by the Biosphere 2 experiment, not impossible. As early as the 1980s, scientists were building Biosphere 2 in the Arizona desert, consisting of a closed space in which people, animals and plants could live together. Although the two-year experiment was not a success, it did provide us with a better understanding of how humans might be able to live on another planet.
For now, human settlement of Mars is still decades away. Until we are finally able to live on another planet, we need to take much better care of our own. Right now, it's the only one we have!
1. What was the biggest threat to humans in the 1960s and 1970s?| A．Human race themselves. | B．All advanced life forms. |
| C．Nuclear missiles. | D．Environmental problems. |
| A．It's closest to the earth. |
| B．It has relatively appropriate living conditions. |
| C．It has drawn the public's attention in recent years. |
| D．It has a more hostile environment. |
| A．Humans have visited Mars. |
| B．The Biosphere 2 experiment proved to be valueless. |
| C．Humans will have to go and live on another planet. |
| D．Our Plan A includes developing renewable energy resources. |
| A．The Traveler. | B．Environmental Concerns. |
| C．All About Space. | D．Biology for Fun, |
【推荐3】Our character, basically, is a composite of our habits. “Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny,” the maxim goes.
Habits are powerful factors in our lives. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character and produce our effectiveness…or ineffectiveness.
As Horace Mann, the great educator, once said, “Habits are like a cable. We weave a strand of it every day and soon it cannot be broken.” I personally do not agree with the last part of his expression. I know they can be broken. Habits can be learned and unlearned. But I also know it isn’t a quick fix. It involves a process and a tremendous commitment.
Those of us who watched the lunar voyage of Apollo 11 were transfixed as we saw the first men walk on the moon and return to earth. Superlatives such as “fantastic” and “incredible” were inadequate to describe those eventful days. But to get there, those astronauts literally had to break out of the tremendous gravity pull of the earth. More energy was spent in the first few minutes of lift-off, in the first few miles of travel, than was used over the next several days to travel half a million miles.
Habits, too, have tremendous gravity pull-more than most people realize or would admit. Breaking deeply imbedded habitual tendencies such as procrastination, impatience, criticalness, or selfishness that violate basic principles of human effectiveness involves more than a little willpower and a few minor changes in our lives. “Lift-off” takes a tremendous effort, but once we break out of the gravity pull, our freedom takes on a whole new dimension.
Like any natural force, the gravity pull can work with us or against us. The gravity pull of some of our habits may currently be keeping us from going where we want to go. But it is also the gravity pull that keeps our world together, that keeps the planets in their orbits and our universe in order. It is a powerful force, and if we use it effectively, we can use the gravity pull of habit to create the cohesiveness and order necessary to establish effectiveness in our lives.
1. The author disagrees with Horace Mann because the latter believes ______.| A．habits are like a cable | B．habits can be leaned |
| C．habits learning is hard | D．habits cannot be broken |
| A．They both involve a little willpower. |
| B．A lot of effort is needed during both the processes. |
| C．They both take a tremendous effort in the beginning |
| D．Once done, they’ll ensure people unlimited freedom. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．The breakoff of habits | B．Powerful factors in our lives |
| C．The lift-off of gravity pull | D．Important habits in our lives |
