【推荐1】Today, I’ve been recording an audiobook. I am excited that I have realized my life-long dream.

I will never forget at primary school I used to wait with breathless anticipation to take my turn reading out a paragraph of great works in front. At my secondary school, when students were encouraged to select and present a reading at “morning talk”, I often added my name to the list.

This was all handy background for my career in broadcasting. But, much as I enjoy hosting shows and interviewing people, I often find myself missing the simple pleasures of reading out loud. I’d thought about putting myself forward as a narrator(朗读者) for audiobooks. But I’m not an actor. I can’t do regional accents or play female voice. Non-fiction, then, seemed the obvious target, but I felt that such books were best read by their authors. If it were authors’ own voice, their stories would touch me.

Recently, delivering my son’s nightly bedtime story has reawakened my love for reading out loud—highlights so far have included Charlotte’s Web. But I never thought I’d get the opportunity to do it professionally.

Then, last month, I was contacted by James Plunkett, author of End State, a forthcoming book about political ideas. He had no desire to read his book out loud, but as a fan of my program, he thought I might do a reasonable job.

So, I’ve spent this week in a studio, simply reading stuff out loud. And I’m LOVING IT!

Mind you, it’s an entirely unexpected experience. It’s disheartening when the recording needs to be stopped because I’ve just carelessly skipped over a ‘ the’, or had to clear my throat, or catch my breath. I’ve also learned how many words I’ve been mispronouncing my entire life: behavioral is BE-HAYVE-YOU-RAL, not BE-HAYVE-EE-AH-RUL.

Though tackling this 339-page book doesn’t turn out to be that easy, I’ve found the whole process awesome, and hope this becomes the first of many.

1. What does the author want to show by mentioning his experiences at school?

A．The purpose of schooling.	B．His love for reading aloud.
C．The power of encouragement.	D．His talent for silent reading.

2. What can we learn about the author from paragraph 3?

A．He regrets being a TV host.	B．He doesn’t like non-fiction at all.
C．He lacks working experience.	D．He is aware of his disadvantages.

3. Why could the author get the job as a narrator?

A．Because he was specifically invited.	B．Because he applied for it in person.
C．Because he read many bedtime stories.	D．Because he had a big crowd of fans.

4. What does the author think of being a narrator?

A．Frightening but profitable.	B．Rewarding but unsafe.
C．Demanding but enjoyable.	D．Promising but unstable.

【推荐2】Picture yourself sitting at home in a quiet reading book, ignoring the world around you, engrossed in a tale. You read the brief introduction of a book, instantly became interested in it and now you’re in the middle of an absolute page-turner. But, there’s a hot debate - physical books vs. e-books vs. audiobooks. Does the device you’re using to read affect your reaction to the book?

Generally, reading uses several areas of the brain, including attention span, reasoning, reading fluency, memory and language comprehension. Reading is known to strengthen communicative ability, vocabulary and increase emotional intelligence and social perception. So, whichever way you’re reading, there are definitely benefits.

But, let’s look at the pros to reading with your eyes - that’s physical books and e-books. They can help to retain information better. This is because when you can actually see the words; your attention is held more closely. Add to this the fact that with physical books you can go back and find any part you missed, especially if your mind wanders, which it likely will at some point or other.

On the other hand, there’s the audiobook. Headphones in, you’re switched off from life and the story really comes alive, almost like watching a film- in your head. From a scientific perspective, listening to an audiobook is likely to help you develop a greater sense of empathy as you hear the emotion of the narrator. We can more easily understand inflection and intonation. Hearing the story engages different parts of the brain, heightening the intensity and imagery, making you enjoy it more. Yet, going back to attention span, with an audiobook it’s true that it’s much harder to go back and listen again.

All in all, it seems that there are advantages to both physical books and audiobooks. Perhaps, next time you find yourself browsing bookshop shelves, also consider the format. It may just change your whole literary experience.

1. Which of the following best explains “engrossed” underlined in paragraph 1?

A．reading aloud	B．keeping in mind
C．absorbed in	D．being absent-minded

2. What benefit is not mentioned in relation to reading in general?

A．Reading contributes to mental health.

B．Reading may enlarge our vocabulary.

C．Reading can improve social contact skills.

D．Reading engages different areas of the brain.

3. What is the best title for this text?

A．Is It Worthwhile to Read Audiobooks?

B．Advice on How to Read with Your Full Attention

C．The Function of Reading Books with Ears as Well as with Eyes

D．Is Reading with Your Ears Better than Reading with Your Eyes?

4. Where does the passage probably come from?

A．A fiction.	B．A textbook.
C．A magazine.	D．A guidebook.

【推荐3】Are you looking for the best way to earn online and free yourself from financial slavery? Here are the top 4 jobs that have a good pay and you can find online to do.

Transcription(文字记录）

This is basically the conversion of a video or an audio to text. However, transcription takes different formats that you need to learn and master to deliver your work in time. Becoming a transcriber requires nothing other than fluency of the language you are working in and a good typing speed. On average, transcribers make an average of $22 per hour of audio. Medical and legal transcriptions pay much higher than most conversations.

Travel Agency

Do you have a deep knowledge of the tourism industry? Do you have the ability to get discounted tickets for various airlines? Then you can help people book their flights to and for different destinations around the globe. Many people would like to tour different places but they lack lots of the vital information. The business can work best for you depending on your setup, client (客户）base, and the season. You can expect an average of $20/hr.

Online Tutor

Many students from various parts of the world need people to help them better understand the courses they are studying. Others too need people to coach them on some extra-curricular activities. You can make a good income if you are available to offer the services. The average wage of a tutor is $25/hr.

Writers

Writers are in demand as far as online and media businesses are concerned. The more we see businesses streaming online, the more you know there is a market for writers. Writers can be hired for different writings like print，online media publications, blogs, business copywriting, etc. A writer earns an average of $26/hr.
1. What does a transcriber require most?

A．A strong sense of duty.	B．A good writing speed.
C．Fluency of the target language.	D．A deep knowledge of the tourism industry.

2. What is likely to increase the demand for online writers?

A．Popularity of audios.	B．Difficult school courses.
C．Large markets for tourism.	D．Booming online business.

3. Where can you probably find the passage?

A．In a journal.	B．In a newspaper.
C．In a travel magazine.	D．In a science fiction.