【推荐2】I can remember when my daughter Maggie, who is now six, used to crawl into my lap and say, “Daddy, read me a story.” Last year she announced, “Daddy, I’m going to read you a story.”

Maggie was a television child. When she first became conscious of anything beyond eating and sleeping, the TV set was right there, and it soon commanded her attention.

A few years ago, we were worried not only that we’d never get the children away from the set long enough to learn to read, but that we’d forget how to read ourselves. But in 1955 there was not only more reading than before TV, but more reading than ever before in history.

Clearly, reading has survived television as it has survived a lot of other things. When I was six, a wail went up about menaces (威胁) to reading at home: motor cars and cinema. When Maggie came along, there was television. The motorcar, the radio, the cinema and television do take up a lot of time.

Well, we’ve got more time. When my mother was a girl, people worked about 60hours a week. Now it’s 44. When Maggie grows up, it’ll be 30. And there’ll be numerous gadgets to do her housework. She’ll have to read. You can’t watch TV all day. At present Maggie is reading about Johnny Woodchuck. Ahead of her—and I’m a little envious—are her first brush with Black Beauty, Alice stepping through the looking glass, Huck and Jim drifting down the Mississippi, the emotional storms of Shakespeare, the spiritual agonies of Tolstoy. For reading isn’t all joy. Like life itself, it’s mixed with many moods, from ecstasy (狂喜) to despair. Maggie will learn to take the rough with the smooth, gathering from the ancient wisdom of long-dead genius a little fire to enrich her spirit.

And some day, if she’s lucky, she’ll get the biggest thrill of all, when a little girl climbs into her lap and announces, “Mummy, I’m going to read you a story.”

1. Which of the following things used to catch Maggie’s attention too much?

A．The motorcar.

B．The radio.

C．The cinema.

D．The television.

2. Why do the young generation like Maggie have more access to reading?

A．They face less working pressure.

B．There is more time available for reading.

C．Their parents encourage them more often.

D．They have a stronger desire for knowledge.

3. What makes the author envious of Maggie?

A．Her exposure to classic reading.	B．Her productive works in writing.
C．Her wild imagination in daily life.	D．Her spiritual reflection on the books.

4. What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 6 imply?

A．Maggie has rich experiences.

B．Maggie has a good plan for reading.

C．Maggie will benefit a lot from reading.

D．Maggie is on the road to becoming a genius.

5. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．It is a blessing that reading can be passed down.

B．More girls like Maggie enjoy telling stories.

C．Maggie’s daughter brings her the biggest thrill.

D．Reading makes Maggie a fortunate girl.

【推荐3】If we are to help students develop reading skills in a foreign language, it is important to understand what is involved in the reading process itself. If we have a clear idea of how “good readers” read, either in their own or a foreign language, this will enable us to decide whether particular reading techniques are likely to help learners or not.
In considering the reading process, it is important to distinguish between two quite separate activities: reading for meaning (or “silent reading”) and reading aloud. Reading for meaning is the activity we normally engage in when we read books, newspapers, road signs, etc.; it is what you are doing as you read this text. It involves looking at sentences and understanding the message they convey, in other words “making sense” of a written text. It doesn’t normally involve saying the words we read, not even silently inside our heads.
Reading aloud is a completely different activity; its purpose is not just to understand a text but to convey the information to someone else. It is not an activity we engage in very often outside the classroom; common examples are reading out parts of a newspaper article to a friend, or reading a notice to other people who can’t see it. Obviously, reading aloud involves looking at a text, understanding it and also saying it. Because our attention is divided between reading and speaking, it is a much more difficult activity than reading silently; we often stumble and make mistakes when reading aloud in our own language, and reading aloud in a foreign language is even more difficult.
When we read for meaning, we do not need to read every letter or every word, nor even every word in each sentence. This is because, if the text makes sense, we can guess much of what it says as we read it.
1. The passage is mainly about ____________.

A．reading skills	B．silent reading
C．reading processes	D．reading aloud

2. The underlined word “stumble” in Paragraph 3 means ____________.

A．step over something and fall

B．repeat something or pause for too long

C．walk with heavy movements

D．speak in a fluent and confident way

3. We can infer from the passage that the author will continue to ____________.

A．discuss in detail how to read aloud

B．introduce some more reading activities

C．tell how good readers read in their own language

D．explain why we needn’t say the words when reading for meaning

4. We can conclude that ____________.

A．reading silently is easier than reading aloud

B．to understand a sentence, you have to read all the words in it

C．silent reading involves looking at a text and saying the words silently to yourself

D．there’s no difference between reading in one’s own language and in a foreign one

【推荐1】Top Sites to See in New York

Central Park

For more than 150 years, visitors have come to Central Park’s 843 green acres in the heart of Manhattan. Since 1980, the Park has been managed by the Central Park Conservancy, in partnership with the public. You can visit the official website of Central Park to learn more about Park happenings and activities and to learn how to help Central Park.

Telephone: 212-310-6600

Location: 59th to 110th Street, Manhattan Borough, from Central Park West to 5th Avenue, New York City, NY10022

Open Hours: 06: 00-23:00

The National 9/11 Memorial Museum

The national 9/11 Memorial & Museum is a place of remembrance honoring those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The 9/11 Memorial Museum displays Monumental artifacts linked to the events of 9/11, while presenting stories of loss, sympathy and recovery that are central to telling the story of the 2001 attacks and the consequence. It also explores the global impact of 9/11 and its continuing significance.

Telephone: 212-312-8800

Location: 180 Greenwich St, World Trade Center, New York City, NY 10007

Open Hours: 09: 00-20: 00

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

At New York City’s most visited museum and attraction, you will experience over 5,000 years of art from around the world. The Met is for anyone as a source of inspiration, insight and understanding. You can learn, escape, play, dream, discover and connect.

Telephone: 212-535-7710

Location: 1000 5th Avenue, New York City, NY 10028-0198

Open Hours: 10: 00-17: 30

1. How can you get more information about the activities in Central Park?

A．By calling the park.

B．By visiting its website.

C．By consulting the staff.

D．By writing to the manager.

2. Where can you go if you’re interested in art?

A．59th to 110th Street.

B．180 Greenwich St.

C．World Trade Center.

D．1000 5th Avenue.

3. Where can you probably find the text?

A．An official report.

B．A popular magazine.

C．A tourist brochure.

D．A product handbook.

【推荐3】More than two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight and half of them are trying to lose weight. According to a recent study, led by Evan Forman, a psychology professor from Drexel University, a smartphone app called OnTrack can predict ahead of time when users are likely to lapse (放弃) in their weight loss plans and help them stay on track.

People on weight loss plans often experience lapses, which can prevent successful weight loss or even lead to weight regain, according to Forman. The study evaluated the effectiveness of the app among weight loss program participants and individuals attempting to follow an online weight management plan from Weight Watchers for eight weeks.

OnTrack uses advanced statistical methods --- machine learning --- to learn over time a user’s individual patterns of eating. Specifically, it learns patterns that are predictive of staying on one’s weight loss plan and patterns that are predictive of lapsing from one’s plan. When the app detects the risk of lapsing is high, it sends a special coaching message that matches the reasons someone is at risk. For example, the app can predict a person is eating late at night because of being bored at home with tempting (诱人的) food. The predictions get better over time as the app learns a user’s behavioral patterns.

According to Forman, over the course of the study, participants averaged a 3.13 percent weight loss and reduction in unplanned lapses. The next step is clinical trial to confirm the app’s ability as a weight loss tool.

1. What is OnTrack used to do ?

A．To keep track of phones.	B．To plan route for its users.
C．To remind people to keep dieting.	D．To predict possible mental disease.

2. What is Paragraph 3 mainly about ?

A．The basic principles of OnTrack.	B．The main patterns of healthy eating.
C．The importance of weight loss plans.	D．The development of machine learning.

3. Which of the following would Forman agree with ?

A．OnTrack does very well in predicting lapses.

B．OnTrack is a clinically proven weight loss tool.

C．OnTrack is popular among young people.

D．OnTrack may be double-edged.

4. Why does the author write the text ?

A．To analyze what leads to lapses.	B．To introduce a smartphone app.
C．To give tips on losing weight.	D．To encourage people to keep fit.