【推荐1】When we asked Oprah to pick the 10 books she‘s read in the past decade that have mattered to her most, she was momentarily stumped． For someone who describes herself as ―inspired, challenged, and sustained‖ by books, it was almost impossible for Oprah to stay within our limit of 10． Still, she offered up the following, but she emphasized that it was only a sampler of delightful titles that have also managed to teach her --- and all of us --- a few things．
1． Discover the Power Within You
By Eric Butterworth
256 pages; Harper One
Advice from the internationally known spiritual teacher．
2． A New Earth
By Eckhart Tolle
316 pages; Plume
There‘s a reason Oprah picked this for her Book Club in 2008 --- and that she gave audience members Post-it pens along with their copies． So much wisdom, so little time! A real-life guide to living your best life．
3． The Poisonwood Bible
By Barbara Kingsolver
576 pages; Harper Perennial
This novel is about a family involved in the political trouble of postcolonial Africa． It established Kingsolver as one of our wisest observers of history, politics, and human nature．
4． Night
By Elie Wiesel
120 pages; Hill and Wang
A memoir（回忆录） of a childhood suffered in concentration camps during the Holocaust． It‘s horrific but
uplifting． ―I gain courage from his courage,‖ Oprah says．
5． A Fine Balance
By Rohinton Mistry
624 pages; Vintage
A Dickensian novel about India during the Emergency． Like the aftermath of September 11, it teaches us about cultures we haven‘t understood． “It takes us out of our own little shell and exposes us to a whole other world out there．“ Oprah say．
6． East of Eden
By John Steinbeck
608 pages; Penguin
This classic is about good and evil as played out in a late-19th-century California ranch family． If you didn‘t read it in high school, read it now． If you did, reread it!
7． The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
By David Wroblewski
576 pages; Harper Collins
A kind of Hamlet on the prairie, this is the wrenching（令人痛苦的） story of a mute boy and his dog． Oprah compares it to East of Eden and To Kill a Mickingbird．
8． The Pillars of the Earth
By Ken Follett
973 pages; Penguin
About the challenges of building cathedrals in 12th-century England． This novel couldn‘t be more different in setting, time, and plot from the author‘s breakthrough success, Eye of the Needle． Oprah declares it simply
“great”．
9． The Bluest Eye
By Toni Morrison
224 pages; Penguin
How to choose among the great Morrison‘s novel? Start with this one about a girl who thinks she has to have blue eyes to be beautiful． Oprah considered it one of the best in a crowded Morrison field．
10． The Known World
By Edward P． Jones
400 pages, Harper Collins
When this book was published in 2003, it shocked everybody with its description of slave-owning blacks before the Civil War． A daring, unusual examination of race．
1. The passage is mainly about _______．

A．ten books that have made greatest difference to Oprah

B．an inspiring , challenging and sustainable woman

C．Oprah‘s picks from what has taught her a few things

D．the unwillingness of Oprah to share books within a limit of 10．

2. Why did Oprah add A Fine Balance to her list?

A．She gained courage from it．

B．It tells about wisdom of human nature．

C．It‘s a guide to living a best life．

D．Culture of a different world is exposed．

3. What makes Oprah declare The Pillars of the Earth great?

A．The advice on discovering the power．

B．The story of a mute boy and his dog．

C．The challenges of building cathedrals．

D．The good and evil in a California family．

4. In which book the story was set before the Civil War?

A．In The Bluest Eye	B．In East of Eden
C．In A New Earth	D．In The Known World

【推荐2】Those who are used to looking through thousands of books in big bookstores may find Japan’s Morioka Shoten a little strange. That’s because this tiny bookstore that is located in Ginza, Tokyo sells only a single book at a time.

Opened in May 2015, Morioka Shoten is the brainchild of Yoshiyuki Morioka. The experienced bookseller began his career as a bookstore clerk in Tokyo’s Kanda district before branching out to open his own store. It was here while organizing book readings that he realized that customers usually came into the store with one title in mind. Morioka began to wonder if a store could exist by selling many copies of just one single book. In November 2014, he partnered with his two friends, to establish a unique bookstore with the idea of “A Single Room, A Single Book.”

Like its offering, the bookstore is simple. The selections that are picked by Morioka change weekly and vary widely to attract customers with different interests. Recent choices include The True Deceiver, an award-winning Swedish novel by Tove Jansson, Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales, and a collection of artist Karl Blossfeldt’s photography of plants. Morioka has also chosen books written by famous Japanese authors Mimei Ogawa and Akito Akagi.

To highlight his only offering, Morioka often uses clever methods. For example，when selling a book about flowers, he decorated his shop with the ones that had been mentioned in the book. He also encourages authors to hold talks and discussions so they can connect with customers. Morioka says his goal is for the customers to experience being inside a book, not just a bookstore!

Risky as the idea might seem, things appear to be going well. Morioka says he has sold over 2,100 books since he opened it. Things can get better considering that his bookstore is becoming increasingly popular not just among the locals but also visitors from other countries.

1. What inspired Morioka to open such a bookstore?

A．A Swedish novel	B．His present partner
C．A bookstore clerk	D．His working experience

2. Why is Morioka Shoten unique?

A．It is popular with foreigners       .

B．It sells books of different topics.

C．It is decorated with colorful flowers.

D．It sells various copies of a book in a week.

3. Why does Morioka encourage authors to hold talks?

A．To introduce his bookstore.

B．To advocate his philosophy.

C．To make books better understood.

D．To help readers connect with each other.

4. What’s the author’s opinion about the bookstore’s future?

A．Risky	B．Optimistic
C．Unpredictable	D．Hopeless

【推荐3】Fall into some good fiction

With the vacation around the corner, it's almost time to drop your textbooks and enjoy some personal reading. Recently, the Young Adult Library Service Association in the US and the Guardian released their top 10 young adult novels of 2019. These stories feature characters your age. You're sure to find one you'll love.

The Poet X

Unlike many who consider their lives dull, Xiomara Batista in Dominican-American writer Elizabeth Acevedo's The Poet X lives a life full of struggles. Every day, she struggles with her mother and her twin. What helps her to understand this life is poetry. Batista also takes her poems to the public. "Acevedo has amplified (放大) the voices of girls," US author Ibi Zoboi commented.

Deeplight

Though having great adventures may be impossible in reality, it can be achieved through reading. In UK writer Frances Hardinge's book Deeplight, readers can follow two friends — Hark and Jelt - to explore the deep seas with many mysterious gods and monsters. In face of the dangerous enemies, the two boys never surrender. They bravely fight against villains (反派).

“Deeplight is a non-stop ambitious and magical read about friendship set in a strange and fantastical world," a reader commented on the Reading Zone website.

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns

Vietnamese-American writer Julie C. Dao's Forest of a Thousand Lanterns combines Chinese history and the Snow White fairy tale.

It follows Xifeng as she goes from being a poor village girl to the Empress' lady in waiting (侍女) and has her sights set on being the next Empress. Similar to the Maleficent (《沉睡魔咒》) movies, Dao shows us the rise of a villain as Xifeng schemes her way into the palace

1. What can we learn about the book The Poet X?

A．In common with most teenagers, Xiomara Batista finds her life dull.

B．It describes how poetry influences the life of a young girl.

C．The author calls for people's attention to relationship between parents and kids.

D．It features the struggle of young people in their families and schools.

2. Which statement is True according to the passage?

A．Julie C. Dao also has written another story called the Maleficnet.

B．The three novels are written by authors from the USA.

C．All the books mentioned are chosen as the top 10 adult novels of 2019.

D．In the story of Deeplight, two friends fought bravely against their enemies in their adventure in the sea.

3. The passage is probably taken out of.

A．A research paper	B．A text book
C．A magazine	D．An advertisement

【推荐1】Picture a library without books? Well, I can’t. Ever since I was little I would go to the library and take out numerous books. From picture books to beginning chapter books to YA books, books have always been a part of my life. Unlike many people today, I don't own a Kindle or a Nook or any type of e-reader. I prefer the old-fashioned book. There is something about holding a book and being able to turn the pages that I find comforting. In today's 21st century, books may become obsolete. For me that's something I find scary.
I am a fan of the old TV science-fiction series Twilight Zone. One episode（一段情节）is about a librarian who has become obsolete. Though this episode aired in 1961, the writer of the series, Rod Serling was exactly on point when it came to predicting the future.
In fact, in San Antonio, Texas the first-ever bookless library in the country opened. The library is full of iMacs, tablets and iPads which cost a huge $2.3 million. The library offers around 10,000 e-books. So the question is, is this what the future will soon be? Mary Graham, vice president of South Carolina's Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce states, "This is the future…If you're going to be building new library facilities, this is what you need to be doing."
It is our generation that will be the guinea pigs（试验品）of increasing technology like this. Is this a good or bad thing? Well, digital libraries may help the environment by not using paper; however, I feel like something will always be lacking with a digital book. A digital library is just the beginning.
With all of this new technology, people seem to be more absorbed in their own world. One of my biggest complaints is when I am with my friends and they can't seem to get off their smart phone and talk to me. To make plans with a friend and then have them stuck on their phone the whole time is extremely rude. Not only is it disrespectful, but it reflects the direction of where human interactions are heading. Though social media is great, it also is addicting and has negative effects.
Often when I go on Facebook it just makes me feel worse about myself. I'll see many of my 800 Facebook friends showing off their newest accomplishment or acceptance to college. Additionally, our society is becoming increasingly lazy. For instance, instead of doing mental math, people use their phone to solve 89 + 74. It is simple tasks like these that are allowing people to lack important educational and social skills.
It is up to us to find a balance between technology and human values and interactions. With new technology being created every day, we need to learn how to use it alongside our great minds. After all, inventions are supposed to benefit society not harm it. In the day of technology, who knows what's next?
1. The underlined word "obsolete" (Paragraph l) is closest in meaning to     .

A．outdated	B．complex
C．expensive	D．meaningless

2. What can we infer from the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2?

A．The episode still enjoys great popularity nowadays.

B．Rod Serling liked making predictions about the future.

C．The situation of books today is similar to what Rod Serling predicted in the episode.

D．The episode airing in 1961 was the most entertaining of the TV science-fiction series.

3. What can we learn about the library in San Antonio, Texas?

A．It is the first-ever library in America.

B．It is of no practical use although it costs so much.

C．It holds an exhibition of much electronic equipment.

D．People can read e-books there with the help of the new facilities.

4. Which of the following will the writer probably disagree with?

A．Great as social media is, it does have some negative effects.

B．With the increasing use of social media, something will actually be lost.

C．Through social media, people can develop educational and social skills around.

D．As a result of social media, people may communicate less with the people around.

5. The tone of the passage is best described as       .

A．Optimistic	B．Skeptical
C．Supportive	D．Objective

【推荐2】Chinese tourists prefer hotels and restaurants that offer free Wi-Fi when traveling abroad. Most Chinese tourists instantly update their social networks using their mobile phones. They send photos and short videos to friends and family when traveling abroad.
About 10 percent of outbound（出境的）Chinese tourists get expensive marring charges（漫游费）by using 3G-powered smart phones. About 90 percent of Chinese travelers consider Wi-Fi indispensable when traveling abroad They often use phone apps to create travel routes and book hotels, which requires large data flows that can be expensive without Wi-Fi
But free Wi-Fi is not always available, even in regions with advanced telecnrnmunications，such as the United States and Europe. Portable Wi-Fi costs 15 -50 yuan a day，depending on the country. Ifs cheaper in South Korea,Japan and Thailand. The Wi-Fi services increase rapidly thanks to reasonable pricing and smooth surfing
Thus, a growing number of travel agencies begin to offer increasingly diverse Wi-Fi services. A travel website Ctrip leases Wi-Fi transmitters that offer unlimited data for about 20 yuan a day on average in more than 100 countries. It plans to make mobile Wi-Fi an important part of its business model. Another travel website Tumiu also launched a Wi-Fi phone service in 2013. More than 100, 000 people used the service in 2014.
More than 100 million Chinese went abroad last year, and the 10 percent who used Wi-Fi services spent an average of 150 youn, and it’s expected to grow largely. But the business may become out of date in five to eight years, for more locations am offering free Wi-Fi. 1n the meantime, it is reported that more for-profit models should be introduced and offer more services for outbound travelers in the future
1. Why do Chinese travelers prefer hotels and restaurants with free Wi-Fi when traveling abroad?

A．They want to have their phones updated.

B．They are fond of using phone apps to create their travel routes.

C．They prefer to experience the Wi-Fi service in different countries

D．They'd like to share what they have seen with their friends and family

2. What does the underlined word "indispensable" mean in Paragraph 2?

A．Necessary.	B．Useless.
C．Expensive.	D．Amazing.

3. What can be inferred from the passage？

A．Travel websites will stop offering free Wi-Fi services to travelers.

B．Travel website Tuniu intended to compete with Ctrip and launched its Wi-Fi phone service

C．The portable Wi-Fi costs less when traveling in some Asian countries than in European countries

D．The demand for Wi-Fi transmitters is growing in pace with 3G-smartphones.

4. What will be the future of the Wi-Fi service offered by some travel agencies?

A．It will be useless when for-profit models me introduced

B．It will be used by more then 100 million Chinese next year

C．It will grow in the future but will be outdated in a couple of years

D．It will offer more non-profit services for outbound travelers.